Flick! Yi Cheonsang opened his eyes.
Thud. The women who had been massaging his shoulders and legs collapsed, groaning. They had been struck by the sudden surge of Yi Cheonsang’s demonic energy.
“……Hmm.”
Yi Cheonsang stared into the void with an unreadable expression.
After a moment.
“The Divine Sect is undefeated, and the myriad demons bow to it. The Great Protector of the Divine Sect answers the call of the Sect Leader.”
“Great Protector.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“When I entered seclusion, was there anyone among the Protectors who ventured into the depths of the Ancient Bamboo Forest?”
Mu Dam’s eyes widened slightly.
“No such thing happened, Your Excellency.”
Yi Cheonsang’s gaze deepened.
If something so significant had occurred, Mu Dam would have reported it long ago. Moreover, even with the strength of the Protectors, it would have been difficult for them to venture beyond the middle region of the forest, let alone the depths.
‘Then?’
Mu Dam grew more puzzled as he watched Yi Cheonsang’s hardened expression.
After half a moment, Yi Cheonsang broke the silence.
“I heard you sent three squad leaders with the Third Prince.”
“That is correct.”
“I heard he’s quite a promising young man.”
“Yes. Though young, he is among the top ten experts within the Protectorate. He possesses both talent and experience, and his steadfast nature makes him well-suited to assist the Third Prince.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
A top-ten expert within the Protectorate.
Impressive, but to Yi Cheonsang, he was just one among many.
‘Eight months… Even if he encountered some fortuitous opportunity, there’s a limit to how much he could grow. Then, what about the Third Prince?’
A faint flicker of interest crossed Yi Cheonsang’s otherwise indifferent face.
“What day is it today?”
“The day before the full moon, Your Excellency.”
“The day before, huh…”
“…….”
“I see. You may leave now.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
As Mu Dam disappeared, the corner of Yi Cheonsang’s mouth twitched upward. It was an extremely faint smile, but if Mu Dam had seen it, he would have been shocked once more.
“Blinded by greed, marching toward death.”
Swoosh.
Yi Cheonsang closed his eyes. At the same time, the women regained consciousness.
One might expect them to be startled after suddenly fainting and waking up, but there was no such reaction from them. Instead, as if accustomed to it, they bowed to Yi Cheonsang and resumed massaging his shoulders and legs.
The smile on Yi Cheonsang’s face had already vanished.
‘Or perhaps, touched by heavenly fortune, he will run along the ridges of Mount Tai.’
As time passed, the depth of his martial prowess and demonic energy grew. Bit by bit, yet unmistakably, Yi Cheonsang was shedding his human guise. The actions of the Third Prince, Seo Ryang, provided him with a small measure of amusement.
“What the hell is this?!”
Ma Dong-pil couldn’t answer Seo Ryang’s question. He, too, was equally shocked.
Seo Ryang quickly examined the corpse of a spirit beast.
A majestic horse-like body with tiger stripes. Its snow-white head and blood-red tail were bizarre.
It was a Green Horn. Not long ago, Seo Ryang had killed one after a fierce battle. Now, it lay dead, blood spilling from its mouth.
‘No wounds?’
He looked around.
‘Blue Fox, Zhu, Xingxing…’
There were also corpses of spirit beasts he had never seen before.
A leopard with a white body. Its forehead bore a strange pattern that was hard to describe. Its fangs were incredibly long, protruding down past its lower jaw.
Ma Dong-pil groaned.
“Mengji?!”
“You know this thing?”
“Yes, Young Master. I’ve only heard of it, never seen it. Even the seniors said they’ve never encountered one… To see it like this…”
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Ma Dong-pil began pacing around.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mengji rarely leaves the heart of the Ancient Bamboo Forest. Despite its appearance, it’s said to be a gentle creature that prefers solitude.”
“So?”
“Even so, Mengji is considered one of the upper echelons of the forest. It’s said to possess immense spiritual energy and is one of the most troublesome spirit beasts, second only to one other.”
“One other?”
“Yes. That spirit beast is called…”
Ma Dong-pil’s body froze.
Near the entrance to the depths, there was a bamboo stalk that had dried up and cracked, all its moisture sucked away. Beneath it lay a red snake, its body split in two.
Neither large nor small in size. Though lifeless, its eyes glimmered like those of a human.
“……Feiyi.”
“Feiyi? That two-headed thing is called Feiyi?”
“Yes. Though, like Mengji, I’ve never seen it before.”
“That’s the strongest spirit beast in the Ancient Bamboo Forest? That little thing?”
“So I’ve heard.”
“It doesn’t look that strong to me. Doesn’t even look like a venomous snake. But why is that bamboo all dried up…”
Suddenly, Seo Ryang’s face went blank.
Ma Dong-pil tilted his head.
“Young Master?”
“…….”
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere…?”
“Drought.”
“Huh?”
“Feiyi is a two-bodied snake. When it appears, a great drought befalls the land. In some villages, they bury drawings of Feiyi in the ground, hoping the water will dry up and recede quickly.”
“……?”
Seo Ryang sighed.
“Damn, no wonder all these names sound so bizarre.”
“What do you mean…?”
“The Classic of Mountains and Seas.”
“……?!”
“These things are all mythical creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”
Ma Dong-pil’s eyes wavered.
“The Classic of Mountains and Seas? That anonymous collection of myths…?”
“It’s anonymous, but calling it a collection of myths… Well, I guess you could say that. More accurately, it’s a geographical text, but it’s filled with nonsensical descriptions. It’s almost like a child’s scribbles.”
“I’ve only heard of it, never actually…”
“Same here. I glanced through it once, but it was so absurd I gave up after a few pages.”
Originally, the demonic cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Sect had little access to books like the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and they weren’t supposed to read them.
They had their own gods and scriptures. Books like the Classic of Mountains and Seas were considered heretical, damaging to faith and doctrine. The same was true for other religions.
“That’s not to say it’s entirely nonsense. There are a few records that align with actual history, and it even contains ancient scripts. The famous Queen Mother of the West and Kunlun Mountain are also mentioned in it.”
“……Is that so?”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
“Even so, this is a bit much. Even if the Classic of Mountains and Seas is real, it doesn’t make sense for all these mythical creatures to be gathered in this small bamboo forest…”
Suddenly, Seo Ryang’s eyes widened.
Whoosh.
A cold breeze swept past his face.
Click.
Seo Ryang subtly drew his dagger with his thumb, his eyes tense as he stared toward the entrance to the depths.
Ma Dong-pil tilted his head.
“Young Master…”
“Shh.”
Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?
Ma Dong-pil followed Seo Ryang’s gaze toward the entrance to the depths.
‘Why?’
Though a cold breeze was blowing, he didn’t sense anything particularly unusual.
The moment he turned his head back to Seo Ryang…
Zzzt!
‘Gasp!’
Ma Dong-pil instinctively lowered his head. He staggered back a couple of steps, his face pale.
‘What, what is this?!’
Suddenly, his head spun, and his legs felt weak. Goosebumps rose all over his body, and his heart raced uncontrollably.
After clenching and unclenching his fists several times, he slowly raised his head.
‘……!!’
Ma Dong-pil swallowed hard.
How could he even begin to describe this?
Seo Ryang’s face was expressionless, but it didn’t look expressionless at all.
It was as if he wore a transparent mask of a malevolent spirit. His eyes, neither wide nor narrow, were more terrifying than any gaze he had ever seen.
Though he had abandoned his past as the King of Assassins, Seo Ryang had not shed his identity as a god of death. This was his true form.
A face that, instead of freezing in extreme tension, reflexively stoked the desire to kill.
“Dong-pil.”
“……Yes, Young Master.”
“Stay here.”
Step, step.
Without waiting for a response, Seo Ryang walked toward the depths of the forest.
Ma Dong-pil wanted to grab him. He wanted to shout that he should go with him.
But unlike before, he couldn’t utter a word. Seo Ryang’s words had become a binding command, controlling his actions.
Crunch, crunch.
With each step Seo Ryang took, the fallen bamboo leaves turned to dust and scattered.
Every step carried a powerful demonic energy. Even the unconscious release of his energy seemed to make the air boil.
Sssss!
The cold, dry wind blowing from the depths of the forest clashed with the hot, humid wind emanating from Seo Ryang, creating a sharp tension.
Seo Ryang’s eyebrows twitched.
‘What the hell is in there?’
He didn’t know. There was no information.
‘And what’s with this terrifying energy mixed in the wind?’
It was overwhelming. An energy he had never encountered before.
‘And this sense of unease?’
It was intense. A foreboding he had never felt, even within the Heavenly Net of the Iron Blood Fortress.
‘This is like…’
Seo Ryang’s eyes flashed.
‘That’s right. It’s similar to that time.’
The first time he met Yi Cheonsang.
He had been utterly shocked by the overwhelming presence of the Demon God, who even the Ten Great Masters of the World looked up to. He had no information or knowledge about such a realm.
A being who exuded no trace of energy yet radiated an overwhelming aura. Naturally, he had never encountered such an aura before.
Moreover, the sense of unease Yi Cheonsang gave off was beyond imagination.
An overwhelming presence that instantly brought the thought of ‘death’ to mind.
Yet, he had no choice but to approach Yi Cheonsang. For his own goals, he had chosen to summon him.
This time was no different.
The wind blowing from the depths. Though mixed with immense energy, there was no discernible intent.
It was as dangerous as Yi Cheonsang, but just as when he had encountered Yi Cheonsang, he instinctively knew there was something he needed to obtain there.
Whoooosh!
His heightened senses rang an alarm. A sense of foreboding and anticipation simultaneously took root in his mind’s eye.
Sssss!
The deeper he went into the depths, the more oppressive the pressure became, making his skin tingle.
Cold sweat formed on Seo Ryang’s forehead.
‘No. I can’t hold on.’
Whoooosh!
Instinctively, he activated the Shadow Veil Demon Art. The demonic energy unconsciously emanating from him grew denser.
But.
Thud!
‘Ugh!’
Seo Ryang’s steps halted.
Drip.
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. The backlash from the intense demonic energy had injured him internally.
‘Damn it! Just how strong is this energy that even my current demonic energy can’t handle it?!’
At this rate, he’d explode before he could even get close.
‘No choice. I have to use it now.’
Seo Ryang took out a vial of Jetaekcho and poured its contents into his mouth.
Bubble, bubble.
The medicinal power spread at an incredible speed.
Seo Ryang’s eyes flashed.
Sssss.
The violently surging demonic energy vanished as if it had never existed.
Whoooosh.
The wind blowing toward him seemed to pass right through his body.
In an instant, the Shadow Veil Art’s Shadow Body technique unfolded.
The pinnacle of stealth, the ultimate technique of the King of Assassins, was now in play.
Seo Ryang closed his eyes.
Rustle.
The bamboo leaves brushed past his body.
Though they clearly touched his skin, it felt as if they passed right through him. He was invisible to the eye, undetectable by energy senses, silent, and odorless.
It was as if he had become a ghost.
‘Let’s go.’
One step, two steps, then three.
‘Good. The pressure is fading.’
Ten steps, twenty steps, then thirty.
‘If I keep going like this…’
Suddenly, something caught his foot.
“Hup!”
He nearly fell but managed to steady himself. Tripping over a rock like this was hardly befitting of the King of Assassins.
Seo Ryang cursed under his breath.
“Damn it! What the hell is this…?”
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
“……? You little brat!”