Published at 13th of February 2026 4:01 pm

Chapter 394

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

I couldn't help but make a dumbfounded face at the rather out-of-nowhere title.

'Why would Bow Ghost pop up here?'

Bow Ghost was one of the figures from Heaven Beyond Heaven who made a name for themselves during the Great Demon War.

As the title suggests, they were an archer, and their aim and accuracy were said to be ghostly, which was why they received the title Bow Ghost.

'And as for the other rumor...'

They were supposedly unbelievably beautiful.

'I'd heard the person was from Northern Sea, not the Central Plains.'

Northern Sea, where it was said to snow year-round, regardless of the season.

A martial artist from a faraway land—one hailing from there.

I didn't know the exact circumstances of how someone from Northern Sea ended up participating in the Great Demon War, but...

They were a person who played a major role in the war.

It was said they saved the strategist Heavenly Insight multiple times, and the number of demonic beings brought down by their archery skills was beyond count.

Though from Northern Sea, having contributed greatly to the war, people called this person a member of Heaven Beyond Heaven.

"So why is Bow Ghost suddenly being brought up...?"

Why did Chun Hye-In judge Silver Moon Sword to be Bow Ghost's spy?

"Bow Ghost, and spy... What are you talking about?"

"How much do you know about the person called Bow Ghost?"

"Not that much, actually."

Heaven Beyond Heaven.

Someone from Northern Sea.

An archer.

And—

'The most beautiful woman in the world.'

She was said to be the most beautiful among the people from Northern Sea.

That's all I knew.

"Is there more I should know about her?"

Was there any other important information? The moment I asked—

"... You don't know the most important thing."

"The most important thing?"

Was there something like that? I just stared at Chun Hye-In, wondering what she meant.

"Bow Ghost had a very bad relationship with the previous Sect Leader, Sword Saint."

"... Excuse me?"

A bad relationship with Sword Saint?

"More precisely—with Blue Moon Sect in general."

"What do you mean by that?"

Bow Ghost had a bad relationship with Blue Moon Sect? That sounded strange.

"What reason would there be for a bad relationship with Blue Moon Sect?"

What reason could someone from Northern Sea have to harbor bad feelings toward Blue Moon Sect? I didn't see any.

"I don't know up to that point either. However, before Bow Ghost left for Northern Sea, I do know what she left behind at Blue Moon Sect."

"What did she leave behind?"

"She said, 'I will shatter your moon.'"

"..."

"That's no different from openly declaring she would one day destroy Blue Moon Sect."

It was true. Everyone in the Central Plains knew what Blue Moon Sect's 'moon' symbolized, so to say she'd break the moon meant—

'She would destroy Blue Moon Sect.'

That's what she proclaimed.

"... Bow Ghost really said that before leaving?"

"Yes. She said it proudly to the current sect leader before she disappeared."

"... To Virtuous Moon Sword."

She had declared to Virtuous Moon Sword that she would shatter Blue Moon Sect.

'I hadn't known that.'

I'd never heard of such a thing.

'Of course I wouldn't have known...'

From the conversation, it sounded like an internal matter. Even if it had been a public declaration, Blue Moon Sect would've kept it quiet.

'And this isn't just anyone—it's Heaven Beyond Heaven, after all.'

Even if she was from another land, she was considered a hero.

If it became widespread that she'd declared war on Blue Moon Sect—

'That would only hurt her.'

Someone would dig into the reason for taking sides against a hero, and no matter what the reason, it would be harmful.

'That's why she probably kept it quiet internally.'

What's important here—

'If it had been entirely Bow Ghost's fault—'

Blue Moon Sect wouldn't have stayed silent. But since she had, that meant—

'It wasn't entirely Bow Ghost's fault.'

It was Blue Moon Sect's fault. Or perhaps—

'That damned old man got up to something again.'

Meaning it was highly likely Yu Chun-gil had done something wrong.

That's how I saw it.

"So."

I needed to hear more.

"What's the connection between Bow Ghost and Silver Moon Sword?"

What was the link between Bow Ghost, who severed ties with Blue Moon Sect, and Silver Moon Sword, the disciple of Virtuous Moon Sword?

"Why do you suspect him of being Bow Ghost's spy?"

I thought that was the most crucial point.

"..."

Chun Hye-In hesitated. She seemed to be debating whether she should say more.

'Look at that.'

I wasn't the type to get fooled by such antics.

'She's dragging it out to try to take control of the conversation.'

Given her personality, she must have anticipated my questions.

'So that attitude means—'

It was all calculated to steer the conversation in her favor.

'Geez.'

I thought I'd quietly get through this, but I'd underestimated Chun Hye-In.

'Then.'

How should I respond? Should I let it slide? I pondered whether to hand over the conversation for a moment.

'I don't really want to, though.'

I was already annoyed that she'd forced her way in.

I had no desire to go along with her wishes.

"Having trouble deciding if you should say it?"

"Well... it is a sensitive matter."

"Or do you want to go ask Elder Baek-yeon before you continue?"

"..."

She froze.

Seeing Chun Hye-In stiffen at my words made me grin smugly.

"Ha."

With a faint noise, her expression disappeared.

Then, she raised her snow-white fingers, brushed her face once, and muttered,

"Honestly. You're so annoying."

Her expressionless eyes brimmed with irritation.

"What? I was just helping you be cautious with your words."

"Tsk..."

At the mention of Baek-yeon, she bit her lip.

I knew she had a close relationship with Elder Lee.

That remark had successfully derailed things.

"When did you notice?"

"Oh, come on."

No reason to ask so directly.

"I don't know when exactly, but there are too many eyes and ears here to not know."

"..."

Once again, I quoted the phrase Chun Hye-In had used earlier. Her frown deepened.

Amusing. To think someone who wears their mask so well everywhere falls apart in front of me.

All right, then.

"Let's hear the reason you prepared."

Time for the real point.

"What's between Silver Moon Sword and Bow Ghost?"

"..."

She still looked quite displeased, but seeing as everything had already been exposed, she didn't bother to resist.

"Hoo..."

Finally, after a deep sigh,

"... Silver Moon Sword hasn't been in Blue Moon Sect for the last three years."

"Yes, so I've heard."

"Do you know where he went?"

"How could I know?"

I hadn't even been here for a year. How would I know?

"He was given a special mission by the Small Moon Division—he left on a long-term assignment. But the mission—"

Chun Hye-In paused before continuing.

"...was to investigate one of the Five Kings, the Death King."

"..."

I froze this time. The surprise was on my end.

'... Death King.'

My brow furrowed instinctively.

'Of all people...'

One of the Five Kings, and the least likely to show himself publicly.

Moreover—

'A righteous faction figure who's practically Evil Faction.'

Even the other righteous sects were wary of him—an unapproachable, bizarre presence. No wonder. He—

'Is said to worship ghosts.'

It was common story that Death King worships ghosts and death. That was the rumor circulating in the Central Plains.

In fact, he came from a righteous family, was a martial artist of the righteous faction, but both his actions and the stories about him were so strange, people thought it would make more sense if he were considered part of the Evil Faction.

At the same time—

'... He's the guy I hate most.'

I absolutely did not want to get entangled with him.

'Become my disciple.'

I recalled getting mixed up with him as a child. Damn it.

'Just thinking about getting tangled up because of Yungsun...'

Because of Murong Yungsun and her mother, I'd once been involved with Death King.

Worshipping ghosts or death—none of that mattered.

'He's a real shaman.'

As far as I could tell, Death King was the only real shaman amidst all the fakes in this world.

'Which only made me want to avoid him even more.'

A real one recognizes another real one.

No matter how well I hid, he'd see through me.

To get past that, I'd spent a bitter childhood doing all kinds of hard work.

'... He's the reason I got those chains around my heart.'

And now Silver Moon Sword went to investigate Death King?

"What was the purpose of the investigation?"

"I don't know past that. That's extremely top secret—only the sect leader and Silver Moon Sword know."

"Hmm."

I accepted that. Then,

"What's the link between Death King and Bow Ghost?"

It was a random association. Did they share any connection?

"Death King is Bow Ghost's disciple."

"... What?"

It was a completely unexpected bombshell.

"Her disciple? Who... Death King is Bow Ghost's disciple?"

"That's right."

"... That's the most absurd thing I've heard."

It sounded completely impossible. For good reason.

"... Death King must be plenty old. What could Bow Ghost have to teach him?"

What would Death King—with his utterly different powers—have to learn from an archer? Especially since—

'... From what I know, Death King's age...'

He shouldn't be very different from Tyrant King.

Which would make him...

'About the same age as Heaven Beyond Heaven.'

And yet, a disciple? No matter how I thought about it, it made no sense.

Answering my doubts, Chun Hye-In said,

"I can't tell you more than that."

She refused to offer any more information.

Unbelievable.

"Isn't it a little cheap to come all the way here and then say that?"

"This is a really important card."

"So I'm just supposed to hold a conversation with someone who keeps their cards hidden?"

"... But at least now you have a reason to listen, right?"

"Hmm."

I didn't like it, but—

"Fine, I'll keep listening, then."

I could at least hear her out.

"Let's say Death King is Bow Ghost's disciple. So why do you suspect Silver Moon Sword might be a spy?"

"He was on Death King's mountain for three years. Do you know what that means?"

"I do not."

"Most people who go to that mountain never return, or if they do..."

"If they do?"

"They all come back insane. Out of their minds."

The mountain where Death King lives.

Everyone who's gone there either can't return, or if they do—

They come back mad.

Hearing that, I recalled Silver Moon Sword's state.

'That spiritual ki I'd felt from him...'

He may not have spirit sight, but he always seemed enveloped in a strange presence.

"At the same time, I heard news that Bow Ghost recently entered the Central Plains. For the first time in a decade, she was seen on Death King's mountain."

"... Bow Ghost came to the Central Plains?"

The Northerner who had vanished after the Great Demon War had entered the Central Plains and visited Death King?

"So then?"

"Right after that, Silver Moon Sword returned from the mountain."

"... And that makes you suspect he might be a spy?"

"Bow Ghost has some methods she used during the war, after all."

Methods Bow Ghost used during the war? I wasn't sure what that meant.

"Let me guess— you can't say where you got this information either?"

Meaning the source about Bow Ghost coming to the Central Plains and the Death King—it was off limits.

"That's right."

Chun Hye-In nodded.

"Hmm."

I had no idea whether the information was true or not.

'This is ambiguous.'

To say Silver Moon Sword was colluding with Bow Ghost based on that—it seemed like a stretch.

Surely Chun Hye-In would know that, too.

'Of course she would.'

She still came here to talk to me. Which meant—

"What do you want from me?"

Why come to me in this situation?

If Silver Moon Sword might be a spy, what could I possibly do about it?

When I asked what she wanted,

"I want you to help me investigate."

"Investigate?"

"Yes. I think you'd be able to do it."

So what you're saying is...

"You want me to help find out whether Silver Moon Sword is really a spy?"

"That's right."

Investigate someone from the same sect. Even Virtuous Moon Sword's disciple.

"I mean, what kind of...?"

What utter nonsense. I was about to say that, when—

"In return, if you help, I'll tell you the location of the secret manual that Sword Saint left behind."

"..."

I had to shut my mouth at that.

'... The secret manual?'

Was she talking about what I already knew?

The secret manual buried beneath Blue Moon Sect—was that what she meant? If so, I already knew all about it.

I was about to say I had no need for it, but then—

'Ah.'

A thought hit me.

"... Is that really true?"

I'd just thought of an interesting way to take advantage of Chun Hye-In.

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