Yeomra Shingun opened the Book of Life and Death.

Then he took out a small blood-filled vial and dipped a brush to write my name next to Geukak Soma’s.

The eyes of Yeomra Shingun, who had earlier seemed half-mad, changed. It looked like he had returned to normal—or perhaps his eyes had gone completely mad.

"With our names written side by side, we will die together even in death."

At my words, Geukak Soma laughed.

Their ease was interrupted when the eldest of the Blood Path Warriors, who was examining Geukrak Yohi’s corpse, shouted sharply.

"You bastards! Don’t laugh!"

He rose from his seat and glared coldly at me.

"Yohi has never once failed in her soul-subjugation technique. What happened?"

"It seems elder sister saw that this younger brother’s inner energy was insufficient and wanted to help."

"Cut the nonsense!"

He was truly angry, and I could feel that his anger was deeply personal. It seemed the second and third of the Blood Path Warriors had been right to call Geukrak Yohi ‘sister-in-law.’

The eldest looked at Geukak Soma and said,

"You knew. That Lee Gongja wouldn’t fall victim."

Naturally, Geukak Soma trusted me.

Geukak Soma looked at me. Our gazes crossed in the air as we exchanged secret messages.

―Now confess with that mouth. That I killed the soul-subjugation Ma Jon.

―I never did.

―Someday you will hear it.

Behind the mask’s eye holes, Geukak Soma’s eyes were smiling. Seeing us smile so calmly at each other, the eldest of the Blood Path Warriors revealed his anger.

"Go ahead and laugh. Laugh even as you go to hell."

I said to the eldest Blood Path Warrior,

"Did he tell you this and push you into a death trap? That Soma and I killed Sword Sovereign Baekmanggi."

"What?"

Not only the eldest but also the other villains present were shocked. They knew that even working together, there was no guarantee they could kill Sword Sovereign Baekmanggi. Especially now, with Geukrak Yohi dead.

"He did not believe you could kill us. He only used you to injure us or drain our inner energy."

The remaining looked at each other. This time, I did not give them a chance to make plans through secret messages.

I said to Hyeollangdo,

"Hyeollangdo, this is a matter of life and death."

I returned to him the very words he had said to Geukak Soma.

"You said you wandered all your life looking for the strong? Well, here is the person you were seeking."

Drawing my Black Demon Sword, I said to Geukak Soma,

"Kill whoever interferes with this duel."

Normally, I should have yielded to Geukak Soma. But now was no time for variables. I had to deal with them with as little injury as possible and get out. The real enemy waited outside.

Geukak Soma, guessing my intent, willingly yielded the duel to me.

"I will."

Besides Hyeollangdo, there were still four left, but Geukak Soma answered confidently.

The one most unsettled by the situation was Hyeollangdo. Having seen me reverse-absorb Geukrak Yohi’s inner energy, he must have been secretly afraid. The momentum favored me. I pressed him further.

"If you truly sought the strong, could you still be alive? If that was your true desire, why did you not seek the Martial Alliance leader? Why not find our father?"

"……."

"You don’t want to fight me, do you? But you lived forcing duels on those who didn’t want to fight. Now, taste the same."

As soon as I finished speaking, I charged at Hyeollangdo.

Hyeollangdo drew his straight sword.

Though his initial momentum in battle was superior, Hyeollangdo was no fake. His swordsmanship was fast, precise, and powerful.

His blade came flying as if to break my sword.

When sword met sword, there was no tinkling but the roar of thunder. Both sword and dao were infused with inner energy, a real contest of force. His strike carried the shame of being hit in a vital spot.

Strike after strike after strike.

He pressed madly. Another martial artist would have already broken their sword or wrist.

But I blocked, blocked, and blocked again.

Beyond the clashing blades, I saw his expression change moment by moment. The confidence he had at the start turned to anxiety. Likely his wrist was hurting.

Gradually, the situation reversed.

I became the one pressing. The Black Demon Sword began striking down his dao. It was no flashy form fight, but a battle of inner energy he intended, pushing him back.

The sword came down too fast for him to dodge or use other moves.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Heavy impact sounds rang out, mixed with a miserable scream.

“Guaaaah!”

His wrist, overwhelmed by inner energy, broke.

But my sword did not stop.

His dao, unable to receive inner energy on the next strike, broke, and on the next, his body was sliced vertically and long.

"Isn’t this the life /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ you wanted? To die fighting someone stronger."

Yet I saw in his eyes in that last moment resentment and regret. Yes, easy to say, but living such a life is no easy matter.

Hyeollangdo collapsed forward, blood spraying in a straight line from crown to navel. He lived forcing duels all his life and died receiving the same treatment.

Yeomra Shingun and the Blood Path Warriors watched silently. Partly because of Geukak Soma, partly because they could find no chance to intervene in this fierce power struggle.

They surely did not expect Hyeollangdo to lose. A forceful inner energy fight was Hyeollangdo’s specialty.

I said again to Yeomra Shingun,

"Did you write it down? Hyeollangdo’s name too?"

Though Hyeollangdo died right before their eyes, he showed no fear.

"Your name took up so much space I couldn’t write it."

When he approached me, the eldest Blood Path Warrior intervened.

"Madman. Your opponent is over there."

The eldest Blood Path Warrior was trying to kill me to avenge Geukrak Yohi.

I walked toward them with my blood-dripping sword lowered. Naturally, Geukak Soma engaged Yeomra Shingun.

"Did you write your name down already?"

Geukak Soma’s question was met with Yeomra Shingun’s booming voice.

"I am the envoy sent by the Flame King. The Flame King is looking for you!"

Boom! Crash!

Yeomra Shingun’s Long Blade and Geukak Soma’s Fierce Light Beam clashed.

The fierce wind blowing from the impact blew toward us, and my fight with the Blood Path Warriors began.

All three rushed at me at once.

The eldest aimed his sword at my face, the second at my chest, and the third at my legs.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I parried the flying swords almost simultaneously. I was fast. Or rather, I had to be fast. Their attacks were so fast that if I faltered, I would be pierced.

The directions of their stabs kept changing. This time the eldest aimed for my chest, the second for my belly, the third for my face. Then again, it changed.

From countless practice and experience, their attack order seemed fixed. This combined technique was a perfect coordinated strike that studied the opponent’s psychology well. If not for me, I would have been pierced several times by their ruthless assault.

Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling!

I kept retreating, blocking their attacks.

Then I seized an opportunity and counterattacked.

When my Black Demon Sword stabbed the eldest, the second defended with him, and the third stabbed at me.

They had fought together all their lives and fought as if three bodies but one mind. It was like fighting a monster with three heads and six arms. A much harder opponent than Hyeollangdo. I was sure these were the hardest of the four villains who had come today.

Their four swords moved up and down, entangling. A battle with no margin for error.

I had no intention of prolonging the fight. So I recalled a method I had never used before.

Just as they pressed me—

Swish.

The startled second looked around in a panic. Suddenly, the first and third disappeared, leaving me alone with the second in the field.

I used Space-Time Illusion Technique to take only the second to a new space.

To the first and third left behind, it must have seemed as if our forms vanished instantly.

The second shouted at me.

"An illusion? Cowardly!"

"One-on-one is cowardly by your standards, huh?"

I charged him. They could not kill me even together, so he could not face me alone.

Outside, the first and third were looking around in surprise.

Not just one disappeared, but the second vanished with me.

At that moment, the second’s corpse suddenly dropped down. As the third was confused by the sudden appearance of the second’s corpse—

Shick! Pook!

The Black Demon Sword pierced the third’s heart through the corpse’s armpit. For their skills, it was a meaningless death, but the opponent was me, who had applied Space-Time Illusion in battle.

Without a single scream, the third also collapsed.

I expected the first to lose his mind and rush at me like a madman.

But he chose to flee. He broke one inn wall and tried to escape, but at the flash of a moment, I blocked his path with Blink Step.

Surprised, he turned and fled again. He threw Geukrak Yohi’s corpse at me. He had intended to kill me in revenge for her.

"No matter how urgent, that’s not right."

"Shut up! You bastard!"

Thinking the fight was lost, he raged desperately. He shouted and wildly swung his sword. But it was useless struggling.

Within five moves.

Thud!

The Black Demon Sword stabbed his heart, and even faster cut his wrist.

Thunk.

He held a pouch in his fallen hand. A poison pouch he tried to spray at me. He intended to die together by poisoning me the moment he was stabbed.

I knew they were ruthless from the start. But I thought their end was too late. Those who committed all sorts of crimes all their lives dying only now. If I had not regressed, they might not have died here.

Isn’t it unfair? No wonder everyone laments that even the heavens are indifferent.

When my fight ended, Geukak Soma’s fight was already over.

Yeomra Shingun lay dead with a pierced forehead on the Blood Path Warriors’ ground, his face buried in his own register. Blood flowed out and soaked his Book of Life and Death.

"I imitated the Flame King’s envoy all my life, but the Flame King would look at you and say, ‘Who are you? When did I send you?’"

At my words, Geukak Soma smiled and asked,

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine. What about you, Soma?"

"I'm fine too."

Though it seemed we won easily, these were truly formidable enemies that could have killed any of us.

But we handled them well and once again survived the crisis together unintentionally.

"Your skill has improved while I wasn’t looking. How far do you intend to get strong?"

"I plan to go all the way."

"At this rate, once you master the Nine Flame Demon Skill, no one will be your match in the world."

I sincerely hoped so. Really, I sincerely wished that no one could match me.

Before going outside, I left money on the inn’s counter. It was enough to repair the damaged inn and replace its furnishings. Money for the innkeeper who might be somewhere escaping. Today’s incident must have been forced.

"Now this appearance doesn’t look strange."

"As you know, my pursued magic does not break tables."

"Does Lee Gongja believe we can become good people?"

"I'm not hoping that we become good people."

"Really?"

"At least we try to protect what must be protected. At least be human, and on top of that, there is magic, justice, and the way of the sword, right? That is all I want."

Geukak Soma stared at me silently for a while. I could not tell what he was thinking, but it was clear he was gradually adapting to me.

"Let’s go out."

"Let’s."

We walked out of the inn together.

Outside was not a single passerby. The street was truly empty.

Before us stood a man wearing a white mask.

He just stood there, but an overwhelming presence was felt. A presence rivaling Sword Sovereign Baekmanggi.

I knew. This man was the fake who pretended to be Geukak Soma and the mastermind behind this trap.

"After hanging out with mages, have you forgotten manners?"

Geukak Soma looked at him with a complicated gaze for a moment, then spoke calmly.

"Greetings, Senior Uncle."

He was someone I knew. Yang Cheogi, the senior uncle of Geukak Soma’s master. Before the regression, when Geukak Soma and I had a relationship, he had told me about this Senior Uncle.

Yang Cheogi commanded Geukak Soma,

"Remove your mask."