I washed up, changed clothes, and sat down at the main hall table, once again facing Cha Seong-tae and Yu Hoyun.

“Seong-tae, go get some wine from the back. Three cups.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Cha Seong-tae brought the wine and placed a cup in front of each of us—

I looked at Yu Hoyun.

“Yu Hoyun, listen closely.”

“Yes.”

“I still don’t care whether you’re Yu Sacheong or Yu Hoyun. I don’t care whether you’re truly a martial artist from the Yu Sword Clan or some other force scheming in Jianghu. You’re just an unlucky prisoner who happened to fall into my hands. From now on, do what I say, when I say it. Got it?”

Yu Hoyun answered curtly.

“Understood.”

I pulled out the Flash Dagger I had brought and stabbed it into the center of the table between the three of us.

Thunk!

Cha Seong-tae and Yu Hoyun looked at me, wondering what I meant by it.

I pointed at the Flash Dagger.

“This is how life-and-death duels work where I come from. From now on, if we can’t communicate, we stab each other with that.”

Cha Seong-tae started to say something with a laugh but shut his mouth as soon as he saw my expression.

I made my intentions clear.

“Starting now, I’ll give you 108 days. Yu Hoyun, during that time, you’re going to pass on every martial art you know—every sword art, footwork technique, and internal energy cultivation method—to Cha Seong-tae.”

Yu Hoyun’s eyes widened. Cha Seong-tae quickly turned to look at me.

“……”

Of course, Yu Hoyun must’ve had plenty to say. Some bullshit about how his clan forbids teaching outsiders. But once he looked at the dagger on the table, he couldn’t open his mouth so easily.

Instead, Cha Seong-tae responded with a puzzled expression.

“Pavilion Lord, how am I supposed to learn all his martial arts in just 108 days?”

“Seong-tae.”

“Yes?”

I stared at him.

“Do you want to die? I said this is a life-and-death duel.”

“Ah…”

“Ah?”

“No, sir.”

I turned to the silent Yu Hoyun and laid out the daily routine.

“This is the Fang of the Black Rabbit Pavilion. You two will wake up at dawn—5 a.m. You’ll train after breakfast, train again after lunch, and rest after dinner. During rest time, you’re free to do as you wish—but if you try to leave, escape, or run away, the life-and-death rule applies, and I’ll kill you myself. If you don’t like it, pull out the dagger and stab me now.”

“……”

“You’ve lost your internal energy to me, Yu Hoyun. So during rest, it’s up to you whether you recover your energy or just rest. Again—108 days. Long if you make it long, short if you make it short. I’m not saying he has to master everything. But after 108 days, Cha Seong-tae needs to have improved by 108 days’ worth.”

“And how exactly are we measuring ‘108 days’ worth of progress’?”

I answered Cha Seong-tae’s question plainly.

“If I don’t like it, I’ll pull out the dagger and stab you.”

“…Just asking.”

Yu Hoyun finally managed to ask me a question.

“Even 108 days isn’t enough to pass on a single sword art.”

“Not my problem. Seong-tae may be a useless eater, but he’s no idiot. Whether you give him a broad overview or focus on one technique until he’s ready for more, that’s up to you. Figure it out.”

Yu Hoyun responded without thinking.

“Our Yu Sword Clan—”

“I don’t care what your clan does. If you don’t like it, pull out the dagger and kill yourself.”

At that, Yu Hoyun shut his mouth and closed his eyes for a moment.

I said to them both,

“There are plenty of things in life worse than death. If you don’t want to teach, die right here. Seong-tae, if you don’t want to learn, die right here. Don’t just sit around wasting food. If you don’t want this or that, then pull that out and come at me. I’ll kill you.”

This time, even Cha Seong-tae leaned back and closed his eyes.

I looked at the two fools who were setting this dramatic tone and said,

“Just say ‘I don’t want to,’ and I’ll pull the dagger out myself.”

Cha Seong-tae raised his hand.

“I’m fine with it.”

I looked at Yu Hoyun. He hesitated, then finally answered.

“I’ll teach him everything.”

I glared at them both, then nodded.

“Now we’re finally getting somewhere.”

I pulled the Flash Dagger out and pricked my finger, letting the blood drip into the wine bottle. Then I handed the dagger to Cha Seong-tae.

He let a drop of his blood fall into the bottle.

Then Yu Hoyun did the same.

I held up the wine bottle, now mixed with the blood of all three of us, and filled the three cups.

“This wine contains the blood of three men bound by a life-and-death oath. According to this vow, for the next 108 days, Master Yu Hoyun shall teach his disciple Cha Seong-tae with sincerity, devotion, spirit, and effort. In return, disciple Cha Seong-tae shall devote himself to learning from Master Yu Hoyun with full sincerity and commitment. I, Yi Zaha, as the witness of this vow, swear to heaven and earth that if either of them neglects this oath or shows insincerity, I will end their lives with the Flash Dagger.”

Cha Seong-tae grew pale as he listened to my vow.

Yu Hoyun kept swallowing nervously.

I looked at them both and raised my cup.

“Do you swear to uphold this oath?”

“I swear.”

“I swear as well.”

I gave a firm nod.

“Drink.”

The three of us drank the blood-mixed wine together. After setting my cup down, I smiled pleasantly.

“Good. Harsh training starts tomorrow. Tonight, let’s enjoy our final supper.”

Cha Seong-tae replied,

“There’s no one to cook right now.”

“Right.”

The attendants had left for Ilyang County, and most of the subordinates were still dealing with the remnants of the Woonwoo Society. I rested my chin in one hand and thought.

I’d killed Master Su. I’d killed Iryong Nogun. But I still had no idea what to do about dinner.

‘Useless bastard…’

Cha Seong-tae offered,

“Should I go out and buy something?”

“What, so you can run away?”

Just then, the main hall doors burst open and Hongshin stepped in. But I didn’t even look at her face—I was staring at what she held in her hands.

Hongshin raised what she had with a casual expression.

“Big Brother, have some dumplings. I bought them on the way.”

I made a long tsss…! sound and applauded her. When I clapped with a dead-serious face, Cha Seong-tae nodded and joined in.

Hongshin looked around and asked,

“What’s with you two?”

I held out my hand to her.

“Brilliant. Come sit.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Hongshin untied the cloth on the table, a pile of steaming dumplings revealed themselves in all their glory.

She prattled on,

“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I mixed half meat dumplings and half veggie. They were selling sweet-and-sour pork nearby too, so I picked some up as bar snacks.”

I wiped away a fake tear with one hand and replied,

“Brilliant. From now on, the Four Heavenly Generals will be Baek-in, Cheongjin, Baek-yu… and Hongshin.”

“Just like that?!”

“Let’s eat.”

While chewing on a dumpling, I turned to Yu Hoyun.

“You eat too.”

“Yes, sir.”

Yu Hoyun replied cautiously and reached for a dumpling.

While munching, I said casually,

“If I’m not satisfied with your progress after 108 days, I’ll kill you both.”

Cha Seong-tae answered while eating,

“Got it.”

Yu Hoyun replied as well,

“Understood.”

I was eating dumplings like some beggar under a bridge when I said to Hongshin,

“Can you make noodles? The ingredients should be in the kitchen.”

Hongshin answered with the calm of Guan Yu, who said he’d return with the enemy general’s head before the wine went cold.

“Should I? I’ll make it after finishing these.”

I nodded quickly, afraid she might change her mind.

“That’d be great.”

“Alright.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Cha Seong-tae slightly bowed his head toward her.

“Could I have some too…?”

“Well, might as well make a bunch while I’m at it. Even for the commander.”

Suddenly, Hongshin, Cha Seong-tae, and I all looked at Yu Hoyun. As a prisoner, he wasn’t in a position to ask Hongshin for anything. But even knowing that, the three of us waited for him to speak. As if to say, ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get.’

Yu Hoyun finally replied in a flat tone.

“I’m fine.”

I clicked my tongue.

“Don’t give me that crap. Hong—make enough so everyone can eat.”

Holding a dumpling, Hongshin stood up with a smile.

“Got it.”

I watched her head to the kitchen and gave her a thumbs up. Moments like this remind me again that Jianghu, filled to the brim with men, is no different from hell.

When I looked at Yu Hoyun again, he seemed to have a dumpling stuck in his throat. He chugged some wine, then suddenly started bawling like a lunatic.

I shook my head and looked at Cha Seong-tae.

“What the hell? Is it that good it’s making him cry?”

“Mm.”

Cha Seong-tae looked like he wanted to join me in teasing him but closed his mouth with a bitter expression. It probably felt strange to mock someone he now had to call master.

Yu Hoyun said,

“That’s not it. I’ll do my best to teach him.”

While waiting for the noodles, I made sure to tease Cha Seong-tae to the max, and I didn’t spare Yu Hoyun either. Even I wondered if I had a demon inside me. But if I’d been a decent man in my past life, I’d have been called something like the Sword Immortal. My nickname was the Crazy Demon for a reason.

“Seong-tae.”

“Yes?”

“Your good days are over. What now? Pwahahahaha.”

A little later, the four of us sat down for noodles. After stuffing ourselves with dumplings, the noodles made us drowsy. I drank all the broth and stood up.

“I’m going to sleep.”

“Yes, sir.”

As I headed outside the main hall, Cha Seong-tae asked,

“Where are you going?”

“To sleep.”

“Outside? Why?”

“Because I feel like it.”

I went out to the inner courtyard and lay under the plum tree, using my arm as a pillow while petals drifted down around me.

The sun was setting, but night hadn’t arrived yet.

The sky turned violet for a moment—just like my name, Zaha.

Neither bright nor dark.

The sky that matched the meaning of my name stretched quietly above me. I closed my eyes before it turned too dark.

I sent my regards ahead of time to the people I missed.

Because meeting them in dreams would only break my heart.

Everyone else could show up.

The ones ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) I want to beat to death, the ones I want to torment—Gwangseung, the Left Guardian, the cult leader, the top masters from the Three Calamities, even the loser who beat me once in a sparring match.

Those bastards were welcome to show up in my dreams all they wanted.

But the people I truly missed… I hoped they wouldn’t.

And with that thought, I fell asleep.

A fleeting fragment of thought passed through like sunset—unclear whether it was a dream or a memory.

.

.

.

“I’m giving this to you.”

“Why?”

“I don’t need it anymore.”

I looked at the staff Gwangseung handed to me.

“I’m not a monk. What am I supposed to do with this?”

At the head of the staff was a crescent-shaped blade. Gwangseung spun it once, then removed the metal from the shaft.

“If you’re giving it to me, why not the whole thing?”

“You reek too much of bloodlust, so I’m confiscating the blade. But the shaft alone is a fine weapon. A weapon that stands like an unbroken conviction.”

“Is it really unbreakable?”

“If your conviction breaks, you’ll be dead anyway. So don’t worry about it.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means what it means.”

Confused, I took the metal staff he offered me. It weighed over sixty geun—something no ordinary person could wield freely.

I looked at Gwangseung and asked,

“Where are you going?”

“Back.”

“You’re leaving? Just like that?”

“Travel only matters when there’s somewhere to return to. I’ve filled myself enough. Now it’s time to empty again.”

“What if someone has nowhere to return to? Like me.”

“Who says you don’t? Come see me anytime. I’ll shave that ugly head of yours clean the moment you walk in. You hate that, right? Don’t run your mouth and die like a stray dog. If your chest feels heavy, just come. You idiot. I’m off.”

Gwangseung vanished in a gust of dust.

He was such an unpredictable bastard that even a sudden farewell didn’t surprise me.

But the emptiness left behind when someone you’ve been dragging around suddenly disappears was bigger than I expected.

When I looked around, the only thing still with me was that chunk of metal—nicknamed ‘Unbroken Conviction.’

With the heavy staff slung over my shoulder, I stood alone in the wilderness for a long time, looking around. But there was nowhere to return to.

My heart was no different from the barren plain.

So I turned again toward Jianghu.

I had nowhere to return to—but there were still bastards left in Jianghu I wanted to beat to death.

The sky was growing darker.