Jin Haryeong couldn’t regain her composure.

This was the fastest use of lightness skill she had ever experienced in her life. The surroundings passed by so quickly that she couldn’t recognize a single scenery.

She couldn’t properly open her eyes and even breathing was difficult.

It was astonishing and awe-inspiring. At the same time, she felt a strange joy.

To have this level of martial skill that allows such speed was unimaginable.

Whether or not this was a reason to be happy, she was glad. It felt like the insurmountable line between them had disappeared.

When Geommuguk, who had been running at that insane speed, stopped briefly,

“…I’m going to get off for a moment.”

Jin Haryeong dismounted, staggering before sitting down heavily on the ground. After several deep breaths, her heart finally calmed.

“What’s with you? Did you learn to walk by running lightness skill?”

Geommuguk smiled as he stared off somewhere. Her gaze naturally followed. At that moment, Jin Haryeong was startled.

She had thought he stopped to let her rest, but that was not the case.

In the distance, she saw someone running away. Surprisingly, it was the grandfather who had run ahead.

She understood that the reason he had stopped was to avoid overtaking the grandfather.

She nearly screamed in surprise. She always thought her grandfather was the strongest martial artist under heaven. Some said the Heavenly Demon was stronger, but she believed her grandfather could defeat the Heavenly Demon.

But this man caught up with grandfather, who was running carrying the attacker on his side, while this man was carrying her on his back. Even under similar conditions, he caught up with grandfather?

It was unfortunate she had to ask such a clichéd question, but it was all she could think of.

“What exactly are you?”

Geommuguk answered,

“A sword spirit. Someone who will vanish like smoke when this is over.”

“Yeah, if you’re going to vanish like smoke, at least tell me the truth. Who are you really? Since you’ve revealed your skills, you might as well reveal your identity.”

Geommuguk finally revealed his qi. It was on a whole different level from before. At that moment, an image surfaced in her mind.

A vast sky. The endless sky was so wide and blue.

Enchanted by its beauty, she reached out.

Then she realized it was the sky reflected in water.

She dipped her hand into the water and slowly began to sink.

She had thought it shallow, but it was deep. Looking down, she couldn’t see the bottom. What could be in the deep sea? As a moment of fear came, the image disappeared and she returned to reality.

At that moment, a voice came.

“Geommuguk. The second son of the Heavenly Demon Sect leader.”

Jin Haryeong was momentarily stunned.

At first, she thought she misheard. But which part did she mishear? The Heavenly Demon Sect? The leader? The son?

“You heard wrong. Which sect?”

“Heavenly Demon Sect.”

“Wrong again. Where?”

“The place you call the demonic cult. Heavenly Demon Sect.”

Like a person waking from a foggy dream, her eyes widened gradually. Just when she wondered if her eyes had ever been this big, she drew her sword and stepped back.

Her sword was aimed at Geommuguk. Beyond the sharp blade, she said,

“I’ll accept all jokes except jokes about the demonic cult!”

She understood how the later disciples of the Martial Alliance viewed the main sect. To them, the demonic cult was a root fear instilled from childhood, a group of evil, and the reason they practiced martial arts.

So hearing he was the son of the Heavenly Demon was an immense shock.

Her trembling sword was the most scared and shocked she had ever been. In contrast, Geommuguk standing at the tip was calm, like that clear sky—calm and silent, with a deep prayer like the sea.

Then a question came to her mind.

“Does your grandfather know who you are?”

“He does.”

She couldn’t understand. If he was a successor of the demonic cult, there was no way her grandfather would let him be alone with her.

“He at least believes you won’t harm me. So put that sword down.”

She slowly lowered her sword. She had been too shocked before, but hearing her grandfather knew eased her.

Geommuguk explained the situation.

“A mysterious force called Cheonmyeonghoe appeared in the martial world. While chasing them, I found evidence they plan to recruit you in this battle. Afterwards, I revealed my identity to the leader and we are pursuing the mastermind together. If it weren’t for the granddaughter, the leader wouldn’t have acted personally—especially with a successor of the demonic cult.”

She immediately understood.

“The leader wanted to keep my identity secret until the end. But I insisted we don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because that would be disrespectful to you. I believe knowing my identity wouldn’t change anything. Whether it’s the servant or the demonic cult successor, nothing would change.”

“Why wouldn’t anything change? Except both are men, those two are worlds apart!”

“Is that so?”

Geommuguk laughed, and Jin Haryeong gave a dumbfounded expression but eventually laughed along.

The line of status as servant disappeared, and a new line as successor of the demonic cult appeared. The former line could be forcibly crossed, but the latter was so high and dangerous that a great orthodox-demonic war could break out if crossed carelessly.

“If it bothered you, let me go.”

“I can’t. How could I let go after scaring someone like that? I’ll never let go.”

But contrary to her words, she wasn’t so upset. Rather, she felt a strange excitement knowing he was the cult successor.

“So what did you mean when you told me to become the leader at Dongho earlier?”

“Exactly what I said. Get stronger, gain more experience, and become the leader. I think you can do well.”

“The Martial Alliance leader’s friend is a demon?”

“That would be nice, but this side is so rough. I’m not sure if I’ll survive to see you again.”

Since it didn’t sound like a joke, Jin Haryeong hoped he would live. She reached out her hand with that wish.

“Now that I know your true identity, let’s shake hands properly.”

Geommuguk took her hand.

Jin Haryeong held his hand tightly, then awkwardly shook it playfully.

“To think I’d one day shake hands with a successor of the demonic cult.”

“Same here. Now, let’s go. We need to hurry.”

Geommuguk turned his back to let her climb on.

She was carried again. The feeling now was completely different from the first time.

“I’ll have to brag to everyone later. That time I was carried on the Heavenly Demon’s back!”

Cheolgon was locked in a secret room.

Since the leader had personally subdued him, no one else could release his acupuncture points.

Sitting alone, he tried to grasp the situation.

This was no coincidence. The leader wouldn’t have appeared there by chance.

He hadn’t been guarding the granddaughter—that would have been the Heavenly Dragon Guard.

In other words, someone knew # Nоvеlight # about this ambush. Only Josin could have known.

At that moment, someone entered.

“Who are you?”

Cheolgon was surprised. The newcomer was Geommuguk. He could tell from his eyes that this wasn’t the cowardly servant who tried to cut his arm.

“Ah!”

Cheolgon sighed. He thought Geommuguk was the leader’s subordinate. The leader was moving personally to root out Cheonmyeonghoe? Then all this confusing situation made sense.

Geommuguk sat opposite him.

“I know you belong to Cheonmyeonghoe.”

Cheolgon said nothing.

“If you reveal who the Cheonmyeonghoe leader is, I’ll spare your life.”

Still silent, Cheolgon’s posture, wrapped in faint killing intent, revealed the presence of Cheonmyeonghoe. Their ominous silence defined their organization.

“Well, even if you want to speak, you probably don’t know who the leader is either.”

Cheolgon’s value was over now, as he was being shown to Josin after capture.

For the first time, Cheolgon spoke.

“Release my acupuncture points and fight me like a man.”

His eyes burned with killing intent.

Shh! Thunk!

In an instant, Geommuguk’s sword pierced his heart. Even if freed, the fight would have lasted less than a second, but Geommuguk didn’t even give him that chance.

Outside, Martial Alliance Leader Jin Paecheon waited.

As he emerged, Geommuguk said,

“Do not give them any chance.”

Jin Paecheon silently looked at Geommuguk. He didn’t care about Cheolgon’s death. What moved him was this relentless young successor of the demonic cult.

“Now, let’s capture Josin.”

“He might be hiding in fear.”

Geommuguk smiled.

“He will come to me on his own.”

As Geommuguk tried to enter the guesthouse, Josin appeared wearing a bamboo hat, grabbed his arm, and dragged him into an alley.

“What happened here?”

“That’s for me to ask. That guy tried to cut my arm. What the hell happened?”

“I was supposed to appear before he cut your arm. But the leader appeared first. Why did the leader show up?”

“How would I know?”

“You don’t know?”

“Of course not. How would a mere servant know what the Martial Alliance leader is doing? Josin must have leaked the secret.”

It was believable. Yes, it was strange to ask him about the leader.

“So? What happened?”

“The one who tried to kill me was captured by the leader, and Jin Sojeo and I returned.”

Josin stared coldly at Geommuguk.

“You bastard, this is all your fault!”

He stabbed Geommuguk’s neck with the dagger he had planned to give to Jin Haryeong.

But his wrist was already caught by Geommuguk.

“That’s right, it’s because of me.”

Geommuguk quickly subdued his acupuncture and blood points.

Josin’s eyes grew impossibly wide with shock.

A moment later, Josin was dragged to the secret room where Cheolgon had died. The corpse was gone but the scent of blood lingered.

Josin sat there, fearful and confused. He was shocked that the servant was a master stronger than himself. He couldn’t understand the situation.

Then the door opened and Geommuguk entered.

Josin asked with a frightened face,

“Who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am. Whether you are the servant you wanted to cripple or a secret member of Cheonmyeonghoe, what difference does it make? What matters is your current situation.”

Josin instinctively felt this person was not from Cheonmyeonghoe.

Josin concluded.

“The one who ambushed Jin Haryeong confessed everything.”

Josin’s heart sank. The fierce and terrifying Cheolgon had confessed so easily? It hadn’t even been a few hours since his capture.

“What did he confess?”

“You ordered him to kidnap Jin Haryeong.”

Josin shouted,

“That was your plan!”

“When?”

“What?”

Josin’s face twisted.

“You know that harming the leader or his family is the most serious crime. If found guilty, it’s death by execution.”

Hearing execution filled Josin with terror. He realized the man in front of him had set a trap.

“What do you want from me?”

Geommuguk stood up.

“You look tired. Get some rest.”

A breeze subdued Josin’s acupuncture points.

Josin collapsed and fell asleep.

Outside the secret room, Jin Paecheon listened quietly.

“What’s the next plan?”

“We have to lure Josin’s father, Jo Ibaek. Tell the leader that Josin was recruited by Cheonmyeonghoe and arrested on suspicion of trying to kill Jin Sojeo under their orders.”

Geommuguk was relentless.

“Then Jo Ibaek will take action. We will find out whether he is the Cheonmyeonghoe leader or just recruited by them. If he’s been recruited without knowing his son is, he might betray Cheonmyeonghoe and hand over the leader to the Martial Alliance. Of course, the leader will have to spare him.”

“If he is the Cheonmyeonghoe leader?”

“Then he would probably abandon even his own child.”

Hearing Geommuguk, the Martial Alliance Leader thought again.

With such drive and insight at a young age, he would be uncontrollable when older. At least at this moment, Geommuguk felt a more troublesome enemy than the Cheonmyeonghoe leader.

Unaware or not, Geommuguk worried about the Martial Alliance Leader.

“I have one favor to ask in advance.”

“What is it?”

“If you uncover the Cheonmyeonghoe leader, leave the finishing to me. Not because it’s my successor exam, but judging by the meticulousness so far, if we spare him, he’ll cause trouble even in prison. There will be repercussions.”

Handled fairly or legally, the Cheonmyeonghoe leader and his gang might be imprisoned. This was advice against that.

Since it wasn’t easy for the leader to answer easily, Jin Paecheon said nothing.

Geommuguk quietly added, conveying full understanding.

“I’ll sweep everything clean and quietly disappear.”