Chapter 2

For him, anyone without martial bones (武骨) wasn’t even worth considering a person. Especially weaklings—they weren’t even treated as humans. Normally, he would have walked away without a second thought, heading on his way. But he couldn’t. He just couldn’t. “And yet... this child keeps pulling at my heart. How strange. I’ve never felt like this before.” Had he ever been so captivated by someone? Even the most beautiful women in the martial world had never stirred a single emotion in him. But this sleeping child— The more he looked, the more his chest tickled. He felt an odd desire to keep looking at him. He wanted to savor this mysterious sensation, but there was work to be done. “What should I do?” He couldn’t just leave the boy here, knowing what lurked in this valley. “Of all days... I left my disciples behind for some peace and quiet.” Today was supposed to be his long-awaited moment of solitude. And yet, this sleeping boy had become far more important than anything else. “Should I take him with me?” But then, he would have to protect the child while fighting. To protect someone while fighting? That was something he had never done before. A smile crept onto the old man’s face. “This will be a fresh experience.” Why? Why did he feel as though life would no longer be boring with this child by his side? “It seems I won’t have much time to enjoy myself if I’m protecting him... Tsk, it’s a shame to waste what I’ve cultivated so far, but there’s no helping it.” Muttering to himself, the old man looked at the boy. “This old man will wrap things up quickly and come back to play. Sleep well until then. Hahaha.” He carefully cradled the boy in his arms and stepped deeper into the valley. ***** BOOM! BOOM! The once-quiet valley trembled violently. Explosions echoed as everything around began to crumble.@@@@ “Aaah!” “Ughhh!” Screams filled the air. “Hahaha. So, the Blood Cult was hiding in a place like this. No wonder no one could find you.” The old man’s words carried an air of amusement, though they were met with seething rage. The Blood Cult leader, Yeong Ho-seong, was furious. This was the day he had been waiting for, hiding and sharpening his hatred—plotting his revenge against Yeon Cheon-baek, the Martial God. The strongest man alive. The one hailed as the greatest of all time (古今第一人). And now, all his efforts were crumbling into dust. But then, a flicker of hope reached Yeong Ho-seong’s ears. “I came alone. Well? Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for your revenge?” Yeong Ho-seong’s eyes widened. He came alone? What kind of madness was this? How dare he underestimate them to such an extent? “You... came alone?” “Yes.” “You damn old bastard! How dare you look down on us? Do you really think you can take all of us on your own?” “That’s something you’ll find out soon enough.” That’s when Yeong Ho-seong noticed the sleeping boy cradled in Yeon Cheon-baek’s arms. “You even brought a child? How humiliating. I’ll make sure you regret this.” Rumble. The entire valley shook with Yeong Ho-seong’s rage. He wanted to show Yeon Cheon-baek just how foolish he had been. Yet, Yeon Cheon-baek only grinned. “Well, well. Look at you. You’ve grown stronger.” A satisfied smile spread across his lips. He had come here to taste the fruits of his labor. And they were ripe and ready. All the effort to hunt them down had been worth it. And to add to it, there was even a restriction—he had to protect the sleeping boy. Looking down at the peacefully slumbering child, Yeon Cheon-baek chuckled. “Haha. You’re no ordinary kid, either. Sleeping soundly through all this chaos.” The boy’s calm appearance stood in stark contrast to the pandemonium around him. Yeong Ho-seong bellowed. “Kill that bastard! Show him that the Blood Cult is not to be mocked!” At his command, warriors dressed in crimson surged forward like moths to a flame. “Hahaha! Yes! That’s it! Come at me!” Whoosh! Yeon Cheon-baek swung his hand, unleashing a wave of Qi. The warriors exploded like fireworks. Bang! Bang! Bang! Splash! Blood rained down, but not a single drop stained Yeon Cheon-baek’s pristine white robes. “That’s right. Woo-jin, this old man’s going to be busy for a moment, so hold on tight.” “Yes.” The scent coming from Yeon Woo-jin, who clung to him tightly, was pleasant. It felt so good it was almost maddening. He didn’t know why this was happening, but it felt good, and what could he do about it? He decided to just enjoy the moment. Meanwhile, Yeong Ho-seong watched Yeon Cheon-baek in disbelief. That monster of an old man... has such a human side? Why here? Why now? His frustration and rage nearly drove him insane. Even as he conversed with the child, Yeon Cheon-baek was annihilating half of the Blood Cult’s forces. The Blood Cult, which once terrorized the world, was now crumbling. Their current strength was greater than ever, yet they couldn’t do anything against one man. Even after slaughtering countless Blood Cult warriors, Yeon Cheon-baek didn’t look tired at all. It was as if he were swatting away pesky flies while chatting with his grandson. Yeong Ho-seong was torn. Should he flee? Or should he embrace madness and charge at Yeon Cheon-baek? He felt humiliated, resentful, and furious—but he didn’t want to die. No matter how he thought about it, there was no way to defeat that monster. I’ll live to fight another day. Would “another day” ever come, though? If he was being honest, it was nearly impossible. But he could change his target for revenge. The child in Yeon Cheon-baek’s arms. One day, Yeon Cheon-baek would die, and that boy would inherit his place. I’ll wait for that day. That’s when I’ll take my revenge. This wasn’t fleeing out of fear—no, it was retreating for the sake of his fallen subordinates. Thinking this, Yeong Ho-seong launched himself backward. At that moment— Thwack. A sharp, excruciating pain pierced his arm. Looking down, he saw a sword embedded in his flesh. Even in that chaotic situation, the monster of an old man had thrown a sword at him. He couldn’t die here. Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Yeong Ho-seong poured all his strength into escaping. Thankfully, his subordinates threw themselves at Yeon Cheon-baek, buying him the time he needed to flee. As he fled, blood trickling from his lips, Yeong Ho-seong swore to himself over and over again. I’ll come back. I swear I’ll return and destroy everything you hold dear. “Cough!” In front of Yeon Cheon-baek, the Blood Cult leader coughed up blood, writhing in agony. “Haha. Did you really think you could escape me? You underestimate me far too much.” “D-Damn you... you monstrous old man...” When Yeong Ho-seong had been fleeing, there was a massive explosion back at the Blood Cult’s base. Startled, he’d looked back—only to see Yeon Cheon-baek chasing after him at terrifying speed. To catch him, the old man had wiped out the entire Blood Cult base with a single strike. Is this man even human? Thinking back, the fight had been hopeless from the start. “Now, speak. Who’s behind you?” “W-What are you talking about?!” “Do you expect me to believe you rebuilt the Blood Cult to this level in such a short time, purely on your own?” “Yes!” “No. You don’t have that kind of talent. Hm... You really don’t know, do you? Someone must have been supporting you in secret.” “W-What bullshit are you spouting?! I built everything myself! And you destroyed all of it! Are you trying to drive me insane before killing me?!” Yeon Cheon-baek looked down at him pitifully. “How pathetic. Still, I can’t let you live.” “Haha... Fine, kill me.” “I planned to. Normally, I’d spare you and let you come back for another fight later... but now, I have something I need to protect.” Those words were the greatest humiliation of all. As if he were nothing more than a toy. Gulp. Yeong Ho-seong’s body trembled violently. Dark, crimson blood spilled from his mouth in torrents. Overwhelmed with despair, he had taken his own life. “I’ll... haunt you... as a vengeful spirit...” Thud. Yeon Cheon-baek watched as the Blood Cult leader’s body grew cold. Without hesitation, he unleashed a wave of Qi, reducing the body to dust. Whoosh. The ashes scattered into the wind. Then, Yeon Cheon-baek remembered the boy behind him. Ah... That was probably too gruesome for him to see. The cold, ruthless expression on Yeon Cheon-baek’s face instantly softened. “Oh dear, I’ve shown you something you shouldn’t have seen, Woo-jin.”