Published at 7th of June 2026 8:24 pm

Chapter 446

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Time flew by like an arrow.

Just when the Demonic Cult folks' quietness started to feel suspicious, three days passed without incident or accident.

Before I knew it, three whole days had gone by.

Huuuk-!!

"Hic!"

Recoil forced me to one knee, and pain surged sharply.

I tried to move despite the throbbing, but—

"You're slow."

A sharp sword touched my neck—it was the blade of the Sword Emperor.

"... Ah, damn."

I let out a disappointed breath.

I thought I could get away with it, but in the end, it was too much.

Fsssss—!!

I retracted the energy that had surged throughout my body.

The influence of Moon Heaven gradually subsided.

"Hoo."

Half of my ki still remained in my dantian. In other words—

'I couldn't last against the Sword Emperor even after only using half my ki.'

What's more, the Sword Emperor hadn't even used his own ki, and I had.

Yet, the difference was still this great?

Disappointed, I smacked my lips.

"You're better than before. At least you've started moving on instinct."

"... Is that so?"

"Yeah."

On instinct, huh.

The Sword Emperor probably thought he was giving a compliment in his own way.

'... Well.'

Was I supposed to take that as praise? Despite all that time practicing, I still hadn't reached the stage Yu Chun-gil and the Sword Emperor spoke of.

To move the body before you even think of it.

There was so much to recall that 'too slow' still didn't make sense to me.

'Well, whatever.'

Guess I'd just have to keep at it.

If I kept trying, somehow I'd get there.

Thinking that, I dusted off my hands.

"Ah, elder."

When I called out, the Sword Emperor looked at me.

"I need to go to Liaodong. Will you be coming with me?"

Maybe because I'd spent so long together with the Sword Emperor, I found myself asking stuff like this.

Back then, I wouldn't have dared to even speak to him.

At least now I was confident he wouldn't snap at a question like this.

"Liaodong?"

"Yes. I'm going back home."

"......"

The Sword Emperor wore a troubled expression.

"Go, then."

"You're not coming with me?"

"I've got things to do in Henan."

"... Ah."

That was a bit surprising.

I'd thought the Sword Emperor would tag along for training's sake.

"I'll put training on pause."

"All right."

I nodded.

That meant I'd be going without the Sword Emperor.

* * *

"That's how it is, so you're coming along."

"... What do you mean, 'that's how it is'?"

After parting ways with the Sword Emperor, I sought out Poison Dragon.

He looked puzzled at what I said as soon as we met.

"What the. All of a sudden."

"I'm going to Liaodong, so you're coming too."

"... You mean me?"

"Well, is there anyone else here but you?"

"There are plenty of people."

"Who's going to handle the horses, then?"

"... Why do I have to?"

Fair point.

There wasn't any reason Poison Dragon had to be the one to handle them. But—

"You still need to learn Sky Filling Flower Rain, don't you? If you're so useless you haven't mastered it yet, shouldn't you do something?"

"... Tch."

He still hadn't properly mastered Sky Filling Flower Rain.

Honestly, from what I'd seen, he was about eighty percent there, but the remaining part was a problem.

Once that was wrapped up—

'My ties with this guy will finally be over.'

I could finally end the tenacious relationship with Poison Dragon.

Just as I thought about that—

"So you handle the horses. Got it?"

"... Undergsto."

"Speak properly."

"Yes, sir."

His molars would probably crack at this rate.

I snickered and turned away.

"Oh, and—"

Then I remembered something and turned back to look at him.

"......"

"......"

Poison Dragon, meeting my eyes, was holding up his middle finger.

"What are you doing?"

"... My forehead suddenly got itchy."

He urgently began scratching his forehead with his middle finger.

"You think that'll work?"

I asked calmly.

"No. I doubt it will."

Poison Dragon accepted defeat and nodded humbly.

"Come here."

At my words, Poison Dragon immediately spun and tried to run away.

... That bastard?

"... You're dead when I catch you."

Poison Dragon was in my grasp before even half a moment had passed.

* * *

Using the excuse of 'extra training,' I beat Poison Dragon senseless, then shook my slightly sore wrists off.

"See what happens when you act cocky?"

Ah, that felt refreshing. I remembered his scream at the end—not that I felt sorry.

I was doing him a favor, after all. I'd been trying to teach him Sky Filling Flower Rain for months now.

By this point, he really ought to have gotten it. Maybe Poison Dragon just didn't want to go home?

'Either way, he'll have to return in a few months, so maybe he just can't leave yet.'

The meeting with the Demonic Cult, the incidents that happened there, and the educational institution the Alliance was about to host for the rising stars—all of it was looming.

It was about time for Poison Dragon, whose Tang family was based in Sichuan, to return only to come back again.

'All the outstanding ones must gather.'

Any talented genius known as outstanding must attend without exception. And if the Demonic Cult sent their own rising stars—

'We can't lose ground here either.'

Of course, the rising stars we had to call were already decided.

Poison Dragon was indispensable among them.

I wondered if he realized that.

'Even if he doesn't, the Alliance won't let him leave.'

His ignorance wouldn't change anything.

He couldn't escape the Alliance; traveling with me was his only way out.

Of course—

'... Whether he wanted to leave or not, I didn't care.'

Didn't matter.

'Poison Dragon doesn't have a choice anyway.'

No one ever gave Poison Dragon a choice. His attendance was a given. Because someone needed to drive the horses.

But—

"You don't really need to go. Are you coming?"

Yu Yun was different. She didn't have to go to Liaodong, but—

For some reason, she nodded vigorously, her eyes lively for the first time in a long while.

She clearly wanted to go to Liaodong.

"... Uh, all right?"

She'd already tagged along, and now wanted to go all the way to Liaodong.

I wasn't going to stop her.

"Fine, then."

It wasn't like I wanted to leave her alone.

'... Even if the Alliance is keeping an eye on the Demonic Cult folks.'

Yu Yun was the blood relative of the Heavenly Demon.

No one knew, but I did.

If, by chance—

'It'd be trouble if the Demonic Cult found out.'

Just the fact that she was the Heaven-Slaying Star could not be allowed to get out.

So it wasn't a bad idea for her to come with me—for her own sake.

The only problem—

"This'll be fun? And you're leaving today?"

"..."

—would be Yu Yul, who always showed up for these conversations.

"... Are you coming too, senior?"

"Why do you look so annoyed?"

"Because I am. Why don't you just stay in the Alliance?"

"No way. That won't do."

Yu Yul smiled brightly.

Ugh.

This guy really planned to follow.

"When did you find out? I went to such lengths to hide it."

I'd prepared everything so Yu Yul wouldn't find out, but somehow he knew.

The answer soon came from his own mouth.

"Poison Dragon told me."

"That bastard...!"

That wretched bastard had a loose mouth, too?

Next time, I'd have to beat him a little more.

Gritting my teeth, I let out a sigh.

"... Are you really coming?"

"What am I supposed to do here on my own? Wrestle with the Young cult leader? Actually, that might be fun."

"..."

Hmm.

This guy would cause trouble if I left him behind, too.

Really, what did I expect from someone from the Blue Moon Sect?

"You won't have anything to do in Liaodong."

"I can just look around."

"There's nothing to see there, I'm telling you."

"Come on, let's go."

"You're just ignoring everything I say, aren't you?"

Truly, these people were impossible. Not that I could just abandon them.

"Oh."

Then a thought occurred to me.

"Then, can I ask a favor while we go?"

"If I don't, you won't take me?"

"Yes. That's about right."

"Then I guess I have to do it."

Yu Yul grinned. What kind of request did he think it was, to make that face?

'This won't be easy.'

It absolutely wouldn't be. Even with Yu Yul's bizarre personality.

I was sure.

The reason being—

'Compared to that lunatic—'

My own 'elder brother' was a much bigger lunatic, after all.

* * *

I did a quick check of our group and returned to my quarters.

The lists of desired and undesired members were piling up, but I was more or less ready.

'The time...'

It was well past noon.

I should just change out of my sweat-soaked clothes from training and then go see Heavenly Insight.

With that in mind, I started towards my room—

"..."

There was some kind of smell coming from inside. An unpleasant, musty stench.

What the hell was this?

Frowning, I opened the door.

"Oh, you're here."

There was a guest inside.

An uninvited guest, as always.

Damn it, why did everyone keep barging into my quarters like this?

And worse, he was someone I couldn't say anything to.

"... I greet you, union leader."

The Beggar's Union's union leader, Ta Bong Woo Ah-seok.

He was sprawled out on my bed like it was nothing.

"What brings you here...?"

"What do you mean, 'what brings me?' We were supposed to meet in three days, weren't we?"

"I figured you'd just send someone, tell me to come."

Never imagined he'd show up himself.

"Didn't expect the Union leader of the Beggar's Union to come in person."

"Hohoho. I had some free time. Plus, it was a chance to see some old monsters after so long."

Old monsters—by that, did he mean Heavenly Insight and Divine Spear?

"... And there's another troublesome one I have to see, too."

For a moment, the mood around Woo Ah-seok shifted, but he quickly changed his tone and handed me several documents from his sleeve.

"Here you go, brat—what you wanted."

"Ah."

I accepted the documents as he said.

"Thank y—"

"Burn it as soon as you see it. Never let it remain."

"... Understood."

I nodded, cowed by the unyielding warning.

"I summarized it as much as I could. I did what I could to avoid problems, but you never know. That one's extremely sensitive."

"So, that's why you want me to burn it right away...?"

"If you get it, you know what to do. Hide it well."

"Yes, sir."

Even in this situation, I doubted even the Shadow Sovereign could find out, but it was better to heed Woo Ah-seok's warning just in case.

"Anyway. I gave you what I came for, so I'll be going now."

"Oh, thank you very much for your trouble."

Woo Ah-seok picked his nose and vanished, as if only here to deliver those documents.

The foul stench he left behind lingered in my room.

What a breeze-like old man.

"How am I supposed to get rid of this smell?"

Could a person really smell this bad?

Leaving the door open wouldn't be enough.

'... Thank goodness.'

I was planning to vacate my room today anyway. No way I could sleep here any longer.

I breathed a sigh of relief and started to turn back.

Swoosh.

"..."

I sensed someone's presence.

Woo Ah-seok again? No way he heard what I said, right? No, he probably did.

Thinking that, I hurried to make an excuse.

"Union leader, it's not—"

Fwoosh—!

"...!"

Something lunged at me.

"Ugh?!"

Something burrowed into my body—I twisted away hastily.

Thankfully, it didn't feel like a real ambush. Too weak for it.

"What the—!"

I grabbed my attacker and pulled them off me.

As I gripped their slender wrist and looked properly—

"... Huh?"

Someone who looked vaguely familiar.

"... You..."

Someone glaring murderously at me.

Shimmering golden-white hair, sky-blue eyes just like the heavens. Her fierce eyes glared up at me.

"Oh."

Was this person...?

"What did you do to me...?"

She spoke with a voice filled with malice.

Listening to her voice, I stated her ID.

"Bow Ghost?"

My attacker was, indeed, Bow Ghost.

But curiously—

"... Why do you look like this?"

She appeared at least twenty years younger than the last time I'd seen her.

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