Book 26 Chapter 1

Nine years ago.

—Pouring rain, torrential downpour, muddy ground.

The meeting of the thirteen great leaders of Macheon had concluded.

The leaders of each dormitory departed to carry out their assigned roles. Returning to his seat, Jeokpoin buried himself in the chair and closed his eyes. A heavy sensation emanated from his right shoulder.

"It's starting now… Now…"

As he kept his eyes closed, the sound of the torrential rain that had fallen nine years ago began to echo in his ears, like a returning echo from a distant mountain.

* * *

Swoooosh!

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Running through the pouring rain and the muddy mire,

He ran.

Blood flowed down from his shoulder, but he didn't care and kept running. There was no sign of him slowing his pace.

Failed again. Defeated again.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

The wound on his shoulder was a sword scar from his brother, whom he detested.

That man always got what he wanted. He took everything from me.

Money, power, honor, all of it.

He didn't like the fact that the biggest wall blocking his life still stood firm, without a single scratch.

'Cheh, if only I could have ruined that child, Yerim, I could have left a scar on him that would never fade!'

To think he would interfere at the last moment… I was careless.

He doubted if his betrayal could have even slightly damaged him.

"After all, I was insignificant all this time!"

But at least he could leave a stain on that man's life. He desperately wished that stain would never be erased for his entire life.

Crack!

With his steel right hand, he roughly struck away a branch blocking his path, and the branch broke off, taking the tree with it. Truly the legendary demonic artifact, 'The Frenzy of the West Wind', its power was undeniable.

'If only I had this power left by Seocheonmyeolgeop…'

Seeking revenge on him was not just a dream.

'Someday, for sure…'

What he suffered today was only because he couldn't fully utilize the legacy of Seocheon. He had definitely not lost because he was weaker than that cursed man. Never. Never!

So, even if only to instill anxiety in him, he had to live. Live and take revenge again. On the man who took everything from his life, his own brother!

Since the plan had failed, he couldn't stay here any longer. As long as this was the territory of Baekdomurim, it was no different than being in the palm of the hand of its leader, Jeongcheonmeng.

He had to flee to a place where that man's reach couldn't extend and hide for a while. Like a thorn embedded in his heart, the mere fact that he was alive would gnaw at his mind.

"Kwahahahaha! Kwahahahaha!"

Nailcheon laughed maniacally.

He was happy just by the thought that he could gnaw at Naebaekcheon's nerves, that he could make him tremble with anxiety.

The wound inflicted on his nephew's spirit would not heal easily. He truly, truly wished for that man to suffer, seeing his daughter's bewildered face. Without even such small compensation, his anger would not be appeased.

Now, where should he go?

Suddenly, he remembered the last secret letter he received. A secret letter sent anonymously, with no sender or origin. The last letter stated that if things failed, he should come to Dongting Lake.

—That he would be waiting there.

The mysterious person who secretly helped him. Nailcheon still didn't know the identity of that person.

'I guess I'll head to Dongting Lake for now.'

It would be easier to escape pursuit there, where Macheongak, one of the two pillars of the dark path, was located. As a bonus, it would be an opportunity to find out the identity of the person who had been sending him letters and information. Would that person be of help or harm?

'Well, it doesn't matter. If necessary, I can just kill them!'

Nailcheon thought of those letters once more.

One day, a letter suddenly arrived before him, who was living a life close to ruin after losing an arm.

That letter, with no sender or origin, was the beginning of everything.

At that time, Nailcheon harbored deep hatred for his brother, Naebaekcheon.

His brother, Naebaekcheon, who had a different mother, was a blessed being in every aspect. By the time he had grown up, he was already in an unshakeable position. He had to be constantly compared to his brother, who was outstanding in every way. Even though his talent was not inferior to others, no, rather, it was superior.

—If only I had been born earlier.

I wouldn't have had to endure such humiliation. I lost everything because I was born so late, he thought. That's why he was angry. He resented it. No matter how old he got, no matter how much fame and status he gained in the martial arts world, the sense of deprivation never disappeared. His pride was too high to live his entire life with such a powerless sense of deprivation. So, he challenged his brother, Naebaekcheon. Risking his right as the heir of the family.

The result was tragic, and the price was heavy.

He lost his right arm as the price for his reckless challenge. Naebaekcheon, flustered, claimed it was an accident, but he didn't believe it.

—It must have been intentional! Intentional! Intentional!

He, who was a promising swordsman, was completely reduced to scrap metal by this incident. Without his right arm to wield a sword, he was nothing more than scrap metal or trash in the eyes of others. His position, somewhat established in Jeongcheonmeng, was severely shaken, but it was somehow smoothed over by Naebaekcheon. However, the gossip only intensified as a result.

It was understandable. In the eyes of others, he must have seemed like an incompetent cripple barely holding onto his position thanks to his brother's influence. He, who drank and expressed open hostility towards Naebaekcheon, was exiled to a branch office in the remote region of Sichuan. It was a clear demotion.

In the outskirts of Sichuan, he further fueled his hatred for his brother, Naebaekcheon. However, he had no means to defeat his brother, who had become a pillar of the martial arts world. Furthermore, his right hand to hold a sword and his right arm to wield it were no longer attached to his shoulder. He became more and more of a wreck, and he was increasingly forgotten among people.

Then, unexpectedly, a helping hand reached out to him.

One day, a letter flew to him.

It contained the method by which he could resolve his hatred, the method to regain his lost right arm.

That was to obtain 'The Frenzy of the West Wind', the demonic weapon left by Seocheonmyeolgeop.

The letter detailed where it was currently located and what Nailcheon had to do to obtain it.

From that day on, anonymous letters continued to be delivered to him. With each delivery, the information about the secret vault where The Frenzy of the West Wind was kept was updated.

Nailcheon himself independently obtained information about the place. Then, combining it with the received information, he meticulously planned how to obtain it. When he sent a letter of intended crime, as expected, it caused a great commotion.

And the day of execution arrived.

Under the pretense of official business, Nailcheon visited the headquarters of Jeongcheonmeng, then secretly entered his brother Naebaekcheon's office and stole the key to the Seventh Secret Vault. His background as the brother of the leader of the martial arts alliance still carried weight here, so he could easily access the Seventh Secret Vault. He used his brother's name as an excuse to enter the vault, claiming he was checking the security status in preparation for the announced crime. However, even he couldn't enter the innermost depths.

"From here on, only the Leader himself can enter."

The Chief Vault Keeper, the highest-ranking official of the Seventh Secret Vault, blocked his path.

"Is that so? Then I can't help it."

Nailcheon's left hand struck the Vault Keeper's heart like a gale.

"Gasp!"

With a single blow, the Vault Keeper's heart was crushed. It was an instant death caused by the technique of internal force manipulation. The special lock made of ten-thousand-year-old iron, the final barrier, was broken using the key Nailcheon had secretly taken from Naebaekcheon's office.

Finally, opening it, he found it sealed within the Seventh Secret Vault. The steel black demonic beast 'The Frenzy of the West Wind', which craved human blood, was sealed there along with the secret manual left by Seocheon. Because it was written in a special cipher, no one had yet deciphered it, so it had been sealed together in this vault.

He secretly took it and then calmly departed for Sichuan as if nothing had happened. By the time the dead Vault Keeper and the empty Seventh Secret Vault were discovered, he was no longer in Nanchang.

Upon arriving in Sichuan, Nailcheon sent a letter through a secret route he had cultivated himself, making it seem 'as if Seocheon had taken it'. Of course, it wasn't entirely a lie. He had already decided to become Seocheonmyeolgeop.

Returning to Sichuan as if nothing had happened, he equipped the ironclad demonic beast and secretly began practicing Seocheon's martial arts. Thanks to the anonymous letters, he knew how to decipher it, so there were no problems with deciphering the secret manual.

The ironclad demonic beast 'The Frenzy of the West Wind' was an astonishing demonic artifact.

Although his right arm was already cut off, by subtly controlling the energy, it could move as naturally as a real right arm.

"Amazing. Truly amazing! With this, with just this, wouldn't it be possible to defeat him!"

Having regained his lost arm, he gritted his teeth to make the ironclad demonic beast his own. And he waited for an opportunity.

Once he had learned some of Seocheon's martial arts and could use the ironclad demonic beast, he became complacent. Thinking the time was right, he decided to lure Naebaekcheon. By sending another secret letter, Naebaekcheon came to the Sichuan branch for an inspection, just as he had planned. There was even an unexpected bonus, as he brought his nephew along. That girl, young but possessing a strangely captivating charisma, could be said to be Naebaekcheon's only weakness. The mysterious charisma of his niece was more than rumored; Nailcheon himself felt genuine lust.

'Oho!'

At that moment, a method to inflict a fatal mental wound on Naebaekcheon occurred to him. He was so certain that if he attacked during the opening created at that time, even the great Naebaekcheon would be defenseless.

However…

The timing was early. If only he had a little more time, everything would have been perfect. Naebaekcheon worried about his daughter's safety far more than he had imagined. He had never dreamed that the seemingly stern leader of the martial arts alliance would be such a devoted father to his daughter, to the point of being almost pathological. This was his fatal mistake.

He had not yet fully mastered Seocheon's martial arts, so he was no match for Naebaekcheon.

Another defeat.

At that moment, everything he had built crumbled. He had no place to go. His existence was clearly about to be erased from all territories reached by Jeongcheonmeng's power.

So, he headed for Dongting Lake. A place less affected by Jeongcheonmeng's power.

Yueyang Tower.

At that famous scenic spot in Dongting Lake, he waited, wearing a bronze mask. On the forehead of the mask was engraved the character 'North'. The torrential rain was still pouring from the sky as if the heavens had been torn open. However, the man's clothes remained intact, not getting a single drop of rain despite the downpour. An invisible barrier of energy was repelling the raindrops.

The realm of 'unaffected by light rain'.

Yet, this man remained untouched by the heavy downpour, not just light rain, so his depth of internal energy was unfathomable.

He stood in place, secretly dispelling the accumulated internal energy and releasing the strength from his hand. He knew that fighting the man now would bring more harm than good.

"Who in the world are you?"

"To ask such a foolish question even after seeing this bronze mask… Did I misjudge you? I thought you were a bit smarter?"

Even amidst the fiercely pouring rain, the man's voice reached his ears as clearly as if it were whispered.

"Could it be…"

"It is indeed. I am Bukcheonmyeolgeop, the leader of Sacheonmyeolgeop and in charge of Cheongeomryeong. Therefore, I am also your superior as the successor of Seocheonmyeolgeop."

Being under someone else's command was something he hated the most.

"Don't be ridiculous! Who would be under someone like you!"

Crrrack!

The ironclad demonic beast 'Seofeng Gwangran' equipped on Nailcheon's right hand stretched out to pierce Bukcheon's heart. The heavy energy generated by his strike scattered the torrential rain in all directions. However, that brief moment was so easily subdued by Bukcheon's hand.

"You haven't fully obtained the essence of Seocheon yet. For now, you're not even half of the previous Seocheon."

Bukcheon shook his head regretfully. He retorted indignantly,

"What! Are you trying to insult me!"

Bukcheon ignored Nailcheon's words and continued to speak.

"But considering the time after you obtain it, this much isn't bad, it isn't bad."

Bukcheon's voice was low and heavy. And within it was a power that oppressed people. It was a voice that conveyed the authority of a ruler who commanded people, the authority he so desperately pursued.

"Do you want to take revenge on him?"

Bukcheon asked.

"Of course. For that, I'll become anything, a ghost or a devil."

His tone towards Bukcheon changed slightly. He judged that there was no chance of victory if he fought now. It was not beneficial to make an enemy.

"Then wait for your time."

Bukcheon's tone was more of a command than advice.

"Time? What time should I wait for?"

"When heaven and earth are turned upside down."

"…"

"At that time, you will see everything Naebaekcheon has built, everything he has strived to protect, crumble, be destroyed, and turn to ashes."

"Hehehe, 'everything'?"

A glint of longing madness flashed in Nailcheon's eyes.

"Everything!"

"Can you wait?"

After answering with emphasis, he asked back.

"Of course."

This hatred would never cool down with time. If he could only ruin him, he would wait as long as necessary, he thought.

"I waited for a hundred years. But I promise you, you won't have to wait that long. Within ten years, the world will change. In the meantime, I will provide you with a place to hide and train your strength."

"Where is that place?"

"Macheongak."

"Macheongak?"

"From now on, you are a member of Sacheonmyeolgeop. Welcome to the cradle of Cheongeomryeong."

* * *

Jeokpoin, who had been reclining in his chair, opened his eyes again.

"Nine years since then… It has been a long wait. I hope you will gladly accept the gift this younger brother has meticulously prepared over the past nine years. Kkikikikik."

Jeokpoin's dry laughter escaped his lips as if he could no longer contain his delight.

"Do you know? The real despair begins now. You should be content to watch everything you have crumble and despair at your own powerlessness. Hahahaha! Uhahahahahaha!"

Jeokpoin's booming laughter shook the great hall and showed no signs of disappearing for a while.

Once his laughter finally subsided, Jeokpoin's gaze turned colder than ice. Only bottomless hatred and malice swirled in his eyes.