Chapter 35

Gaining the Wolf king

After the dark sky was split apart,

That ominous group no longer pursued the three.

Once they had put some distance between themselves—

"Ugh...."

Geumsan came to his senses.

"You're finally awake?"

"Ugh...."

His head felt like it was about to split open.

Just before losing consciousness, Geumsan felt as though he had glimpsed Cheon Muyang's sword.

"H-how did this happen?"

"Before that, what were you doing there last night?"

The Wolf king's sharp killing intent was directed at Geumsan.

"How many times must I tell you? I was tailing the Black Merchant. I needed to know where he stored his goods."

"Why?"

Flick.

Geumsan's gaze turned toward Cheon Muyang.

"I thought it would be of help to the Young Master."

"...."

The Wolf king felt awkward for no reason.

Geumsan's eyes were not those of a liar.

"S-so that's it?"

"Yes."

"You should've said so earlier."

"I-I told you from the beginning!"

"Ahem."

The Wolf king pressed him down with sheer presence.

Geumsan felt wronged.

But someone appeared to clear that injustice for him.

Hwoooong!

Cheon Seonhak, his face filled with fury.

"...."

Perhaps having already heard what happened, Cheon Seonhak's presence—fully shifted into combat readiness—was downright menacing.

"Oho."

The Wolf king, having finished stopping his bleeding, even let his eyes shine.

A presence that could never be said to be inferior to Cheon Wigang's.

"So the Cheon Clan has another sky."

A smile spread across the Wolf king's lips, unable to hide his competitive spirit.

However, unlike the Wolf king's pure admiration, Cheon Seonhak's brow twitched.

"Are you the Wolf king?"

Believing the Wolf king to be the culprit, hostility was inevitable.

"What?"

That was as good as acknowledging himself as the Wolf king—

Hwoooong!

Cheon Seonhak's sword, capable of tearing apart the sky, flew straight at him.

Whack!

Cheon Muyang quickly pulled the still-wobbling Geumsan aside, and Cheon Wigang—firm as an iron wall—did the same.

"No way...."

Watching Cheon Seonhak's sword fly in with overwhelming force, the Wolf king laughed in disbelief.

"I'm injured, you bastards!"

Though wounded, the Wolf king was still the Wolf king.

In an instant, he drew his saber and struck Cheon Seonhak's sword aside.

"Seems there's a misunderstanding."

"Are you saying you didn't summon the Family Head?"

"No, that part's true."

"Then are you saying you didn't cross swords with him?"

"That's also true, but—"

Swoosh!

Cheon Seonhak's sword showed no mercy.

After all, wasn't there no room for excuses?

Everything sounded like an excuse.

"Ha, this is driving me crazy."

"I did it. Do you understand now?"

Geumsan grumbled unnecessarily.

Hearing that, the Wolf king shot Geumsan a glare for no reason.

"Ugh!"

Geumsan shut his mouth.

"So you want to see this through to the end?"

Ignoring his wounds, the Wolf king charged straight at Cheon Seonhak.

They said a wounded beast was the most dangerous.

It was hard to believe this was the same Wolf king who had been on the defensive—he began to steadily dominate the space.

"...!"

As expected of the Wolf king.

Cheon Seonhak was not inferior, but he could not overcome the gap in experience.

Gradually, Cheon Seonhak was pushed back.

Kwaang!

Cheon Seonhak's stance collapsed.

The moment of conclusion approached.

"Now then!"

Like a wolf's fang, the Wolf king's great saber shot toward Cheon Seonhak's opening.

"That's enough."

"...."

Sword and saber.

Saber and sword.

The two weapons, locked in motion, stopped in midair.

"Heh heh heh."

The Wolf king's saber touched Cheon Seonhak's neck, but Cheon Seonhak's sword failed to reach the Wolf king's heart.

That minute difference was a decisive one.

"...."

"It was a fine sword."

"Uncle, I never realized you held my father and me in such high regard."

Only after seeing Cheon Muyang snickering did Cheon Seonhak realize he had truly misunderstood.

"Hmph...."

To spare the embarrassed Cheon Seonhak, Cheon Muyang briefly explained what had happened.

"The Demonic Cult... I didn't realize they were moving so openly."

"It means the Cheon Clan's eyes have gone blind enough not to notice."

And also—

"It means there are treacherous elements within the clan who have joined hands with the Demonic Cult."

Who that was could not have been clearer.

However, the Wolf king, unaware of those internal circumstances, suddenly asked, out of the blue.

"What, so you're saying… the ones backing the Black Merchant really are affiliated with the Cheon Clan?"

"It's not a lie."

Neither Cheon Muyang nor Cheon Wigang denied it.

"But those bastards joined hands with the Demonic Cult."

"That's right."

"So basically… to sum it up."

"...?"

"The Cheon Clan is a complete mess, huh?"

The Wolf king's words were rough, but they weren't wrong.

"Yeah. I admit it."

Cheon Muyang acknowledged it lightly.

"The Cheon Clan is a mess."

"Figured as much."

"But that too will soon…"

Cheon Muyang smiled coldly.

"Become a thing of the past."

"Do you take the Demonic Cult lightly? Do you even know how vicious their schemes are before saying that?"

The Wolf king visibly bristled at the mention of the Demonic Cult.

It seemed there was some backstory there, but Cheon Muyang didn't care.

"I'm not asking you to help. So go on your way."

"Hm… damn, you really are consistently insolent."

Grumbling as he spoke,

The Wolf king still couldn't let go of his lingering fascination with Cheon Muyang's last sword.

So he found himself wanting to stay by Cheon Muyang's side a bit longer.

'Doesn't look like I can break that stubborn streak…'

The Wolf king mulled things over.

Just then, Cheon Wigang's heavy yet gentle voice spoke up.

"Muyang, he is still an elder of the martial world. Show proper respect."

"...Understood."

Seeing this, the Wolf king's lips curled upward on their own.

'Ah, so that's it.'

His target wasn't Cheon Muyang.

It was Cheon Wigang.

"Ahem. Family Head?"

The Wolf king called out to Cheon Wigang in an awkward voice that made it hard to believe he was the same man who had rampaged freely while swinging that monstrous saber.

"Speak."

"My injuries are a bit severe. I'd like to stay with the Cheon Clan for a short while—would you accept me?"

"...."

Cheon Wigang studied the Wolf king.

He was gauging his intent.

Heh.

The Wolf king was an honest man when it came to emotions.

Just by looking into his eyes, his ulterior motives were plain to see.

'It's Muyang.'

It was interest in Cheon Muyang.

And so, Cheon Wigang felt favorably inclined.

A connection with the Wolf king would undoubtedly be of great help.

Glance.

Cheon Wigang looked at Cheon Muyang.

In that moment, it seemed Cheon Muyang subtly nodded.

'Ah, I see.'

Cheon Wigang nodded in return.

"Very well."

"Family Head!"

Cheon Muyang tried to object.

But Cheon Wigang's decision was firm.

"He will be received as a guest retainer of the clan. Say no more."

"Ugh."

Cheon Muyang made a face like he'd bitten into something unpleasant.

Seeing this, the Wolf king began teasing him with evident delight.

Cheon Muyang played along just enough.

'Just as planned.'

Of course, unlike his expression, he was laughing inside.

Everything had gone exactly as Cheon Muyang intended.

'Wolf king, you've taken the bait.'

Though he'd acted as if he had no interest in the Wolf king, it was all meant to make him restless.

'My sword—and me—must have piqued your curiosity.'

After all, wasn't the Wolf king exactly the type who couldn't rest until his curiosity was satisfied?

'Looks like it worked perfectly.'

And so, the Wolf king became a guest retainer of the Cheon Clan.

That alone was enough.

On the surface, it would look as though the Cheon Clan had gained the Wolf king.

'People are free to misunderstand.'

They had intended to use the Wolf king.

They likely wanted him to perish together with Cheon Wigang.

But instead, they had failed completely—and even taken him in as a guest retainer.

'A total failure.'

From their perspective, it was a catastrophic failure.

'But then… did the Wolf king die here in the original future?'

There was no way to know.

And so, a question arose.

'No matter how vicious that trap was… was it really enough to kill the Wolf king?'

The realm of Transcendence wasn't something just anyone could reach.

Even among those who had reached it, there were differences in superiority—but achieving it alone was proof of being a top-tier expert of the martial world.

It was a vicious trap, yes.

But it wasn't a trap capable of killing two such men.

'Could it be… that trap was merely meant to stall for time?'

A chill ran down his spine.

What was it?

Only Cheon Muyang felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

Swish.

He quietly turned his head to look toward Makgan Mountain.

The skies there were clear now, as if nothing had happened—

Yet Cheon Muyang felt only unease.

'So that's it…'

He was certain.

There had been another blade—one meant to decisively kill Cheon Wigang and the Wolf king.

Noticing Cheon Muyang staring blankly toward Makgan Mountain, Cheon Wigang asked casually.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Let's return."

"Yes."

The group returned to the Cheon Clan.

They had gained the Wolf king as a guest retainer.

***

The Makgan Mountain region.

A desolate wind blew through.

Carried along with it were fragments of the corpses that had once assaulted Cheon Muyang's group.

"Tsk. I came out leisurely for once, and it seems I already missed them."

A white-haired old man, a saber suffused with a red aura slung over his shoulder, stared at the traces left behind.

"Ephemeral beings."

Fwoosh.

The wind blowing in began to turn red, and flames soon ignited.

Psssss!

"Return to dust."

The entire sky over Makgan Mountain went up in flames.

The crimson sky, like a burning sunset, reduced the corpses scattered across the Makgan Mountain region to dust.

By the time all traces had turned to ashes and vanished—

Grrrrk.

"A pity."

Murmuring his regret,

The old man left Makgan Mountain, the sound of his red-tinged saber scraping against the ground fading away.

***

Several days after returning from Makgan Mountain.

Kwaaaang!

A violent clash of weapons thundered through the training grounds.

At the center stood the Wolf king.

"Tsk. I'm telling you, it's far too monotonous."

"Huff, huff!"

Three figures could be seen, their clothes in tatters, covered in dust and sweat.

Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak—who had come to realize their own weakness more keenly than anyone—along with Wolyeong, had all joined in.

"Heh heh heh. I've said this countless times… putting strength into it alone doesn't make a sword heavy. And focusing only on speed doesn't make it a swift blade either."

"Cough!"

The Wolf king was relentless.

Though he wasn't fighting at full strength, his fiery temperament left no room for mercy.

"Care to try again? Or are you giving up?"

The Wolf king wore a sly smile.

Watching this, Cheon Muyang smiled.

'No way they'll give up.'

The three did not give up.

Grabbing their trembling legs, they somehow stood back up and raised their swords again.

"Good."

The Wolf king's monstrous saber flew once more.

Kwaaaang!

The floor of the training ground shattered.

Thankfully, perhaps due to the Wolf king's overwhelming presence, no one else had been using the training ground these past few days.

"H-hey, let's take it a bit easier."

"Easier? What's that?"

The three were sent flying.

They rolled several times across the ground before finally coming to a stop.

"Let's not talk."

Cheon Muyang withdrew his attention.

The more they rolled around like that, the stronger they would become.

'What matters is me.'

It was only by luck.

Had they faced every trap prepared for them, it would not have ended like this.

'I need to become stronger.'

He felt it to the bone.

'If I don't grow stronger, none of it means anything.'

In the very end, the only thing he could truly rely on was his own strength.

'I have to hone myself.'

Embracing many skies was important, but so was the mastery of the sword he had already learned.

'I'll start again from the beginning.'

A foundation rebuilt through rebirth.

Yet the price was having to readjust all the balance he had achieved so far.

'I need to build it sturdier.'

Even a skyscraper required a foundation that wouldn't shake—this was Cheon Muyang's task.

'Of course, that doesn't mean I can stop putting pressure on them.'

He was still no match for the Third Elder, the Supreme Elder, or Cheon Jungho.

And while he was certain they had joined hands with the Demonic Cult, clear evidence was needed to establish justification.

'First… I'll cut away the surrounding branches.'

If the roots were too much—

Then at least the branches were not.

Even as he swung his sword, Cheon Muyang contemplated his next moves.

'Let's think through the Cheon Clan's alliances in order of influence.'

In Wumyeong's memories, those thought to be reliable allies had remained silent when the Cheon Clan wavered in crisis.

Especially after Cheon Wigang's death, when the Half-Heaven Demons began to rampage, there were certainly those who instead joined hands with them and turned against the Cheon Clan.

'Those ones go first.'

Coincidentally, Cheon Muyang had given a fifteen-day grace period in the name of the Inspectorate Head.

If there were those who ignored that warning—

'If they're destined to betray us in the future anyway…'

There was no reason to leave them alone.

Now was the time to prune the rotten branches.

'This time, I won't just take it. If they plan to stab me in the back, I'll strike first.'

Cheon Muyang swung his sword.

Unbeknownst to him, he seemed to be smiling.

"Judging by that smile, you're clearly cooking up some devious scheme."

Nearby, the Wolf king clicked his tongue.

"Devious?!"

Wolyeong shouted angrily, her eyes blazing with frustration, clearly displeased by the remark.

In truth, it was frustration at not having landed a single successful attack.

"Heh heh heh. If you don't like it, come at me."

"Y-yaaah!"

Wolyeong charged forward in a fury, her sword flashing.

Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak had already passed out.