Song Biryeong led him to the outskirts of Hangzhou.

A large-scale construction site.

Workers hauled materials without pause, and the sound of hammers rang from every direction. Through the thick haze of dust and noise, one spot in particular caught the eye.

“See it?”

He did.

A decrepit old house that looked ready to crumble at any moment. Most of the roof tiles were cracked or missing, and only one panel of the gate remained, hanging askew. Against the skeletal frames of the buildings rising around it, the contrast was stark.

And drawing even more attention than the house——

“Is that old man the owner? Ah — I mean, is that the owner?”

He had slipped back into formal speech without thinking and corrected himself quickly. Song Biryeong smirked and nodded.

“Yep. Drive that old man out — that’s all there is to it.”

Even seeing it in person, he still couldn’t make sense of it.

Matted hair going every direction. An unkempt beard. The old man sat slumped on the bare ground in front of the crumbling house, staring at something in the middle distance with a vacant expression.

It felt wrong to say this about someone’s elder, but——

“He looks like a beggar……”

“He does. That’s a perfectly normal reaction.”

The smile that had been on her face was gone.

“Oh. Convenient — here comes a sacrificial lamb. Hm? At least they didn’t come alone.”

Four men approaching from the opposite direction.

He didn’t recognize them, but Song Biryeong filled him in.

“A disciple of the Full Spear Yeom Clan’s head. An adopted son of the Blood Fist Dan Clan. An adopted son of the Falling Sword Yeon Clan. And an adopted son of the Soaring Wind Cho Clan. All of them entered this succession trial.”

“Adopted sons?”

“Do you know the first thing each of the Seven Families did when they formed the alliance with the Murim Alliance? They took in adopted sons. Not necessarily right away — but in preparation for eventually installing those adopted sons as Alliance Lord later on.”

“Ah!”

The conversation with Cho Igyeom came back to him.

The terms of the Murim Alliance agreement stipulated that Clan Heads and their direct successors couldn’t become Alliance Lord. So the Seven Families had exploited that loophole.

And now they were exploiting a loophole in the test itself.

“Hah — outside help is banned, but cooperation between candidates is permitted?”

Song Biryeong nodded.

“Almost certainly Clan Head Cho’s idea. His mind moves fast when it comes to these kinds of angles. A slippery one, that man.”

While they were talking, the four men had moved to surround the old man.

“Yi Myungjun of the Full Spear Yeom Clan.” The one carrying a spear clasped his hands in a respectful salute. “I have a request for Senior.”

The old man didn’t spare him a glance.

Yi Myungjun’s expression tightened — but he held himself in check for one more try.

“This land was acquired by the Dark Alliance through proper procedure. If Senior would cooperate with us quietly, we’ll present you with a far more comfortable manor as compensation. What do you say? Would you come with us?”

Still ignored.

Finally, the polished words broke down.

“Ha. There’s ignoring someone and then there’s this. Hey, old man. If you’ve lost your mind, at least go quietly — why are you making this hard for everyone? You should’ve just listened while we were being nice.”

Yi Myungjun prodded the old man’s shoulder with the butt of his spear.

The old man swayed with the push — and then settled right back to where he’d been.

Yi Myungjun let out a disbelieving laugh at the sight.

“Ha! Unbelievable. You’re seriously telling me it took all of you to fail to shift one senile old man?”

He shot a look at the Soaring Wind Cho Clan’s adopted son.

The man looked away and scratched his head uncomfortably.

“W-well, our Clan Head said I absolutely had to come along……”

Yi Myungjun swept his spear in a wide, impatient arc.

“Forget it! Someone grab him from the sides. We can’t kill him here — drag him to Tianmu Mountain.”

At his word, two of the others moved to seize the old man by each arm.

And in that moment——

Whoosh!

Thud! Thud!

“Ugh——!”

“Gkh——!”

Two of them staggered back, clutching their chests.

“What — what just——?!”

Before Yi Myungjun’s startled voice had finished, the old man slowly rose to his feet.

The vacant look was gone. His eyes had focus now.

“Ahhh. The demon folk — they come in endless waves.”

“D-demon folk? What are you——?”

“The demon folk must all vanish. Only then…… only then……”

Muttering words that made no sense.

Then——

His feet moved.

Whoosh!

He shot toward the Blood Fist Dan Clan’s adopted son, who had barely managed to right himself. The young man clenched his fist and drove it forward in a fast, sharp strike.

An immaculate response. Technically flawless.

Shhhhk!

CRACK!

The old man was faster.

He tilted his head back just enough to let the fist graze past — then wrapped his right arm around the outstretched limb.

And kept moving forward, pulling the arm behind him.

It broke.

“AAAGHH!! My — my arm——!!”

One man disabled. With horrifying simplicity.

There had been no technique to speak of. He had simply grabbed an arm and snapped it backward.

The remaining three finally came to their senses.

“——!! All of you, together!!”

At Yi Myungjun’s shout, the other two charged in first.

The Falling Sword Yeon Clan’s blade was quick and unpredictable, with fluid variations that made it difficult to read. The Soaring Wind Cho Clan’s footwork wove in all directions, endlessly hunting for openings.

Behind them, Yi Myungjun’s spear held the anchor — the spear phantoms filling the air suggested it could pierce through the old man at any moment.

But——

Shhhhk! Whoosh!

The old man released a burst of palm force. The unpredictable sword was swept back effortlessly.

Whoosh! Shhhhhhk! CRACK!

His feet moved faster — and he found an opening in the Cho Clan boy’s guard instead.

“Gkh——!”

The palm strike to the chest folded the Cho Clan’s adopted son on the spot. He crumpled and lost consciousness.

And last — the old man raised his fist.

Shhhhhhk! BOOOOOM!

He drove it straight into the earth.

The shockwave unmade every spear phantom hanging in the air in an instant, as though they had never existed.

Yi Myungjun staggered. He tried to gather himself for another attack.

Too late.

The old man was already right in front of him.

“I hope you will mend your ways.”

Shhhhhhk!

CRACK! SNAP!

“AAAARGHHHH——!!”

The old man’s waist pivoted sharply, and his right foot drove into Yi Myungjun’s shin.

The bone broke.

Yi Myungjun screamed through the pain — and then went limp.

“H-how is this……”

The only one still standing was the Falling Sword Yeon Clan’s adopted son, staring at the scene in hollow shock.

The old man glanced at him and gave a small nod.

“Your sword carried a clean energy — so I showed you mercy. Take this as a lesson, and become a better man. If I see you consorting with demon folk again — I’ll take your head.”

The voice was quiet. But the killing intent buried inside it lodged somewhere deep in the chest and became something very much like fear.

The old man paid the boy’s reaction no mind. He walked back to where he had been sitting — and sat.

The focus drained from his eyes again.

While this was happening, the warriors who had been waiting in the rear rushed forward to collect the fallen candidates and retreat.

Seo Woojin had watched every bit of it.

And couldn’t find words.

What…… what is this? I saw it and I still don’t understand.

The movements were unusual.

The force packed into each strike and kick carried a clean, pure energy — but the way he had dispatched those four looked almost like the movements of a wandering mercenary. No particular style. Efficiency valued above depth.

“Even though they fell that easily, all of them are supreme-rank fighters. There’s even been talk that Yi Myungjun of the Full Spear Yeom Clan has reached the pinnacle realm.”

Song Biryeong’s voice let him breathe again.

“And they still…… went down that easily……”

“Right. Now you understand why we said to give up? You can’t beat that old man. If you’re unlucky, you’ll end up like them — one of your limbs snapped. Which means the end of a warrior’s life.”

Seo Woojin turned away and shook his head.

“For now. Let’s head back for now.”

He needed time to think.

He walked in silence, steps heavy.

Song Biryeong watched him go with a look of quiet regret — then sighed.

“Haah. Of course Geonwoo has to pick exactly these moments to be absent.”

She muttered a blame at Yoo Geonwoo that he wasn’t there to receive — and followed Seo Woojin.

“You’re back.”

Woon Seorin was waiting inside.

Bae Seokjin and Muk-yeong seemed to have stepped out.

Song Biryeong noticed their absence and moved to make herself scarce.

“Then I’ll leave you two to——”

“No. Stay, Biryeong. Looking at his eyes — I don’t think he’s going to give this up easily.”

Song Biryeong stopped at Woon Seorin’s words and frowned.

“What?”

She stepped in front of Seo Woojin and peered at his face.

“Young Lord…… you……”

His eyes were burning with resolve.

“This is an opportunity.”

He took the seat across from Woon Seorin and continued.

“But I need some questions answered first.”

Woon Seorin studied him for a moment, then said to Song Biryeong:

“Biryeong. Sit next to me.”

Song Biryeong settled beside her with a bemused expression.

Only then did Woon Seorin nod.

“Ask.”

Seo Woojin didn’t waste a second.

“Why hasn’t he been dealt with? He’s clearly a master. The kind that even the Dark Alliance wouldn’t have many people able to handle. But removing him — that would be possible, wouldn’t it?”

Woon Seorin nodded without argument.

“I can say this with confidence: deploy two of the Dark Alliance’s combat units and he can be subdued. Any one of the Seven Family heads could kill him.”

“Then why hasn’t he been?”

“Because he’s a man of the righteous path.”

“The righteous path……?”

Woon Seorin exhaled quietly.

“He’s originally from Hangzhou. In his time, he ran a martial arts sect of considerable size. He upheld the righteous path — and held a prominent position within the Murim Alliance. Which was exactly why the Dark Alliance couldn’t move against him. In a way, he was serving as the Murim Alliance’s eyes on us — watching over the Dark Path on their behalf.”

Understanding clicked.

If they killed him — or even assassinated him without anyone knowing — his death would become a justification. The Murim Alliance would come pressing down on them.

“The problem is — that hasn’t changed. His sect may have collapsed, but he’s still a venerated elder master of the righteous path. If anything happens to him, the Murim Alliance will notice.”

“Is there a reason they would? Bluntly speaking — he looked like little more than a beggar. Does the Murim Alliance really pay attention to someone in that condition? And honestly, the supposed role of watching over the Dark Alliance — he’s clearly not performing that anymore.”

“Have you heard of the Great War of the Central Plains?”

Seo Woojin nodded.

“I’ve heard of it. Decades ago — a war between the Demon Cult and the Murim Alliance, wasn’t it……”

“The Dark Alliance participated as well. On the Murim Alliance’s side. That was when the alliance between the two was first formed.”

“Ah——!”

Woon Seorin took a sip of tea to wet her throat.

“I only know what was passed down, so I can’t claim to know exactly how it all unfolded. What I do know is that it was a war of enormous scale — with devastating losses. The casualties were beyond counting, and they say the waters of the Yangtze ran the color of blood. The Demon Cult’s power was beyond all rational expectation, and completely unpredictable.”

“……”

“With both the righteous path and the Dark Path pushed to the very edge — they say there were heroes who saved the Central Plains. The current Murim Alliance Lord. The Sword Saint. And that half-mad old man sitting in the dirt.”

Seo Woojin’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t expected to hear the Sword Saint’s name again here.

He pushed the thought aside and murmured:

“A hero…… then the righteous path would have no choice but to treat him as one. But given what he looks like now……”

Woon Seorin nodded.

“Countless people from the Murim Alliance and the righteous path sought him out. Having him by their side would have elevated their standing overnight. But he refused every last one of them. Well — he wasn’t as rough with them as he is with us.”

And with that, everything she had said fell into place.

“So the old man insists on staying where he is — and the Murim Alliance couldn’t bring him in, but they’re certainly aware of him. Which is why the Dark Alliance can’t simply remove him.”

“Yes. So either he leaves on his own — or he’s disposed of so completely that no trace remains. But you saw it yourself. Both are impossible.”

Song Biryeong, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“Back when we were training hard to make it into the Black Dragon Guard——”

She let out a slow breath.

As if the memory was still vivid.

“We were consumed with getting stronger. And within that, we were always trying to see who was the strongest among us. Fighting each other was forbidden though. So do you know what we decided to do instead?”

“Don’t tell me……”

“We challenged the Crazed Fiend. His reputation was already infamous then — we figured beating him would shoot us straight to the top. Or at least…… whoever lasted the longest?”

Seo Woojin swallowed.

“And the result……?”

“Ha. Do you really need to ask? Every single Black Dragon Guard trainee — defeated. Geonwoo and Muk-yeong, obviously — but even the Chief couldn’t last a single exchange against him. Half the trainees ended up crippled after that little experiment.”

Seo Woojin forced a smile.

“W-well, you were literally still trainees back then…… It’s different now!”

“Don’t underestimate the pride of the Four Black Dragons. After we reached the top of the Black Dragon Guard, we kept challenging him. We did better than before, of course. But…… we never got past him. In the end we came at him all together — and we were the ones who ended up with serious injuries, weren’t we?”

The rueful smile on Song Biryeong’s face told him everything.

Seo Woojin exhaled.

It definitely won’t be easy. But……

Giving up wasn’t easy either.

“Despite everything — doing nothing feels like too much to leave on the table. This could be an opportunity.”

Woon Seorin’s brows shot up.

“An opportunity? You just called this an opportunity? Ha! Let me be absolutely clear. This isn’t a real test. The purpose of this test is one thing and one thing only — humiliating Young Master Seo. That’s all this is!”

She drained her teacup all at once, as though the frustration was physically constricting her.

Thud!

She set it down hard and kept going.

“The Cheon and Gok Clan candidates almost certainly gave up on this test from the moment they heard it! Why? Because there’s no way to succeed at it!”

“Which is exactly why I need to try. If I succeed, I win this round outright. And what guarantee is there that the next test will be any more manageable?”

“What do you mean?”

“If it turns out you can’t handle that one either — are you going to give up then too?”

Woon Seorin’s jaw tightened.

What he was saying was sound — but strategically, retreating was still the right call here.

“Despite everything — giving up this one is correct. They won’t make their own candidates face something impossible just to ensure a win. They need their candidates to win too. And most importantly——”

Something cold settled in Woon Seorin’s eyes.

“If you’re humiliated this time — or worse, left crippled — there is no next time. The fire you worked so hard to light in the warriors below would be snuffed out alongside a pathetic defeat. Even if you climb to the top of the Dark Path later, this moment would be dragged out to diminish you for the rest of your time here.”

Seo Woojin smiled.

“Which is exactly why I have to take it on.”

And his gaze shifted to Song Biryeong.

“With the Four Black Dragons’ help.”

(End of Chapter 15)