-Find the key.

That was the mission Pal Duyeok received.

Find the key that must be sleeping somewhere in Sichuan and return to the main palace.

That was the order the great Palace Lord had given Pal Duyeok.

Follow the order assigned.

For Pal Duyeok, that was everything.

What is the key. Where am I to find it.

He was unavoidably curious about that, but he did not bother to ask.

Questions are unnecessary. Since the Palace Lord said to do so, he would simply obey.

Receive the order and move according to the order.

That was the law of the current Palace.

Pal Duyeok, too, carried out the task without resisting it.

It was not all that difficult. Find the entrance that would be near Sichuan.

The palace had said a certain household would know the information.

All he had to do was sweep through the nearby households and seek the information.

If there was no information, kill.

Move until information is obtained.

Sichuan was the Tang Clan’s domain, but there were any number of ways to turn their eyes.

From the beginning, there was nowhere the palace could not reach its hand.

If that were used, anything was possible.

He had heard news that the Blue Moon Sect Master had moved recently.

Even that, Pal Duyeok thought, was fine.

At worst, the Blue Moon’s monster. Moonlit Sword could not move out of Henan.

Knowing that, he thought there would be no particular problem.

No sooner had he thought it than a problem arose.

Small Moon Unit.

The elite corps kept by the Blue Moon’s monster.

One of the few groups said to be comparable to Mount Hua’s Plum-Blossom swordsmen had appeared in Sichuan.

Was that a coincidence.

Was it truly coincidence that they had started moving to their own schedule.

When he heard the report, that grated on Pal Duyeok’s temper.

But with the report that followed, he could at least set his mind at ease.

The Tang Clan’s Clan Head was plotting something.

They said he had called in the Small Moon Unit for that.

The problem was that, in the midst of that, the Small Moon Unit had intervened in their business.

Moreover.

‘They said that one of them was that brat, too.’

The one the Palace Lord was quietly paying attention to now.

The owner of a rumor that was slowly spreading.

The Sword Saint’s successor.

The glory of the Righteous path that should already have died and vanished had, in the end, crawled back.

He heard he had defeated Namgung’s Little Azure Sword.

Because of that, the rumor was gradually spreading, but—

‘It is truly strange.’

Pal Duyeok was puzzled.

Defeated the Little Azure Sword? They say he is outstanding among the later generation, but at the end of the day he is a greenhorn.

If a snot-nosed brat who is not even one of the Seven lost, it would be something not worth caring about.

The problem was that the one who had done it was, absurdly, the Sword Saint’s successor who had suddenly appeared.

Thanks to that—

‘The Palace Lord personally moved.’

Not only had the great master of the palace moved personally, he had also issued an additional directive.

—Bring the Sword Saint’s successor before my eyes.

Bring the successor who would be in Sichuan.

On top of finding the ‘key,’ yet another directive had come down.

From the beginning, the mission itself had not been only the key.

Of course he was to find the key, but the essential objective was to shake the Tang Clan.

They had been making considerable preparations for this.

‘Luck was good.’

Looking at the situation, Pal Duyeok judged it not bad.

The Sword Saint’s successor has appeared?

The Small Moon Unit to which that brat belonged interfered with the palace’s work?

That could be a problem, but—

The fortunate thing here was—

‘Everything can be handled at once.’

He knew what the Poison King wanted and why he had called the Small Moon Unit.

Strictly speaking, it was questionable whether the Small Moon Unit was necessary, but—

‘So he still has lingering attachment.’

He could know because of the believers inside.

That the place where the key was lay somewhere in the Poison Sovereign’s archive.

That the Poison King, too, was straining to open that place.

He knew it all.

How fortunate this was.

‘Because they’re all gathering in one place.’

The key and the Tang Clan’s matter. The successor the Palace Lord was paying attention to.

Since they were all gathering in one place, handling them seemed likely to be perfect.

The moment he thought that—

‘We found a trace.’

Pal Duyeok heard the news that they had found traces of the entrance he was looking for.

From then on.

That was the point at which preparations for the work in the Tang Clan began.

‘Good.’

If he used the archive, it would be convenient to dispose of the Poison King, one of the Five Kings Under Heaven.

Thanks to the spies’ reports, he already knew when they would enter the archive.

Not knowing how many mechanisms that wicked one, the Poison Sovereign, had installed in the archive, he could not bring a large number.

Given the nature of the work, strength was important, but—

‘Either way, if we cut off the Poison King, nothing else matters.’

If they handled the Poison King inside the archive, the remaining tasks could be resolved easily.

It was a part he did not care much about.

In fact, so it was.

Once the Poison King was trapped in the archive, the opposing force was not all that great.

Thus he thought he could handle it easily.

But in that process, there was a slight anomaly.

‘That brat.’

In the situation spread out before him, Pal Duyeok focused his gaze on one person.

Though the subordinates he had brought were going down one by one, even so Pal Duyeok was looking at only one.

The Small Moon Unit, was it.

Knowing they had been going in and out of the archive together with the Poison King, he had long known those brats would be here.

As the rumor said, they were strong.

They said they were on the level of Mount Hua’s Plum-Blossom swordsmen; indeed, it looked that way.

Except—

‘That’s about one of them.’

Three martial artists belonging to the Blue Moon Sect.

Among them, the one who looked like a strong one was, to Pal Duyeok’s eye, only one.

He did not hear the name, but among the three he looked the oldest.

Unlike the two pretty, gigolo-looking brats, he looked like a man.

‘One who will become great.’

Seeing that, Pal Duyeok smirked.

He was considerable.

However he had trained, at that age he had no opening.

His power was well anchored when he swung a sword, his posture did not collapse, and there was no hesitation in cutting down an opponent.

Not only his body, his mental image was well-formed.

If left as he is, or if he gets out of here alive—

Before long he would be one of those representing the Blue Moon Sect.

If you looked only at strength, that brat seemed the best, but—

‘Strangely enough.’

Pal Duyeok’s gaze went not to him but to another.

The two remaining handsome brats.

Among them, the white-haired one was out of the question. His realm and talent seemed to be there, but it was still far from blooming.

He did not need to keep an eye on him.

So the one Pal Duyeok was watching was not that brat, but the last one.

‘What is that brat.’

It was strange.

His realm seemed to be about first-rate.

‘His movement is odd.’

For first-rate, he was dull. There was undeniably a creaking feel, something that did not fit.

The creaking body seemed, as if, the realm and the flesh were different.

Shall we say his body could not keep up with his high realm.

It is a problem often seen in those who have rapidly elevated their realm.

That brat had it.

Even so—

‘He handles it strangely well.’

Rather than holding and using the twisted flesh well—

He was handling the body in its twisted state well.

Not thinking to fix it, but making the best choice ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ within the present condition.

‘His movement is slow and he shows several openings.’

Clearly there were several places to dig into, but—

‘He uses even that.’

He used the myriad openings as feints and dealt with the enemy.

‘Huh.’

Pal Duyeok let out a dry breath.

‘Bizarre.’

That kind of fighting style—this was the first time he had seen it.

From where is it false and from where is it real?

A breath that had seemed disordered was, when noticed, already back in place.

He even pretended his footwork had tangled to induce the situation.

In the midst of that, he cut off enemy attacks heading toward his allies.

He even drew several currents of the battle toward himself.

If the other brats were simply martial artists—

That brat was a strategist.

One who knew how to read the flow of a situation.

The existence most needed on a battlefield.

In other words—

‘A dangerous brat.’

A dangerous brat.

‘Right, the first to notice was him, too.’

He was the first to check the spy’s state and move.

The one now inducing the situation was also him.

Watching that, Pal Duyeok unwittingly let out a laugh.

‘They say he’s the successor. Damn it, he resembles even the detestable parts.’

That monster beyond imagination.

They say he is the Sword Saint’s successor—did he even resemble the uniqueness of that fighting style.

Pal Duyeok thought of the blue-eyed yaksha and gave a slight shiver.

‘...So the Palace Lord shows interest, does he.’

Indeed.

That brat was dangerous. Pal Duyeok could realize it the moment he saw him.

Even now he was like that.

If he kept growing, what would he become.

If, as with the Sword Saint, overwhelming power were housed in that body with that bright head—

‘......’

Pal Duyeok’s gaze turned cold.

His subordinates screamed and went down.

Their strength was gradually dwindling, but it did not matter.

In any case, the true elites were not here.

‘Mm.’

CRACK. Pal Duyeok slowly loosened his shoulders.

‘That won’t do.’

He steeled his mind.

At the same time, Pal Duyeok looked with his eyes at the Sword Saint’s successor—

At the brat named Bang Sungyeon.

‘In that case—’

Though the Palace Lord had said to take him alive—

‘I won’t be able to keep that order.’

It seemed he would have no choice but to go against the words of the master.

****

RRRRRUMBLE-!

Stone dust pattered down from the shattered wall.

A breeze slipped by with the shock, and at the tremendous sound the surroundings fell silent for an instant.

“Khuk....”

The man slammed into the wall, Bang Sungyeon, hacked up blood rough and hard.

Blood flowed not only from his mouth but from his head.

“Young Master Bang!”

“Bang Sungyeon!”

Cheon Eujin and Do Hyeong, seeing that, hurried to move, but—

SHWIIIK-!!

“Kuh!”

There were still enemies left, and they could not move.

“Originally, I meant to watch a little longer.”

Tap, tap.

Dusting off his hands roughly, Pal Duyeok walked toward Bang Sungyeon.

“But it seems I can’t.”

The smile was gone from Pal Duyeok’s coarse face.

“You get on my nerves.”

Bang Sungyeon grated on him badly.

“Your eyes and the things you do. Every single one rubs me the wrong way.”

Eyes as if he knew everything.

A body that acted on the basis of that.

Whatever it was, all of it grated.

“So, I’ll remove you.”

He would be punished for disobeying the Palace Lord’s words.

Even so, it was fine.

Pal Duyeok’s intuition was telling him.

“Brat. You die here.”

Whatever else, that brat had to die.

Thinking so, Pal Duyeok approached Bang Sungyeon, who had lost consciousness, but—

Swick!

“Mm?”

Something blocked Pal Duyeok’s front.

“Hoo... Hoo-uk....”

A woman whose delicate beauty was full, though her face was tensed to the utmost.

It was Tang Yeran.

Regulating her roughened breath, she was standing to bar Pal Duyeok’s way.

“Huh.”

Seeing that, Pal Duyeok held a laugh as if it were absurd.

“Poison Blossom.”

Poison Blossom.

The Tang Clan’s pampered jewel and, in another sense, a headache.

“I have business with you anyway, and you still trouble yourself to block my front?”

“......”

Tang Yeran did not spit words. She only put more strength into the dagger gripped in her trembling hand.

“...Do not come any closer.”

Words squeezed out with difficulty. Like her pupils, those words were full of unease.

“Girl. Do you think you can block me?”

At that paltry sight, Pal Duyeok moved slightly.

He suddenly raised power in his hand and then—

SHRAAK-!

He abruptly slashed his own palm.

Blood flowed from the torn palm.

Seeing that, Tang Yeran shook violently.

And then—

“Here.”

Pal Duyeok showed his palm, drenched in blood, to Tang Yeran.

At that moment—

“Hiik...!”

Tang Yeran suddenly stumbled back.

Even her face had gone pale.

“They said you were afraid of blood. It seems that was true.”

“...!”

At Pal Duyeok’s words, Tang Yeran bit her lip.

“A child of a martial house is afraid of blood... it isn’t even funny.”

Even as he spoke, Pal Duyeok came forward.

In step with that, Tang Yeran had to keep backing away.

“Hm.”

At that sight, Pal Duyeok tilted his head.

Watching Tang Yeran’s anxiety, he seemed to think of something.

“You certainly are lovely. As the rumor says.”

To call her an absolute beauty would be lacking somewhere, but she was certainly lovely.

“I originally had much business with the Poison Dragon among the offspring... this works out.”

Poison Blossom had been incidental. As it turned out like this—

“Not bad.”

Not bad.

It would be good to turn the Poison King’s insides over, and more than anything—

“The Palace Lord will be pleased.”

It seemed his master would look kindly on it.

Thinking of that, Pal Duyeok approached.

“...Hik...!”

At that sight, Tang Yeran, walking backward, plopped over.

Her eyes were still fixed on Pal Duyeok’s blood-smeared hand.

“Khk-khk.”

Finding Tang Yeran funny, Pal Duyeok laughed out loud.

And as he was about to continue speaking—

“Do not be afraid. I will treat you—of a sort—”

He froze just as he was, seeing something.

The laugh he had been making vanished, and his face was filled with shock.

Seeing that, Tang Yeran, still frightened, held a question.

What had he seen to make that face.

His gaze was not toward her.

So she tried to follow Pal Duyeok’s eyes and look back, but—

Swick.

Suddenly, a hand was laid on the crown of her head.

The hand did not feel all that large.

“...Damn, every joint aches.”

At the voice that followed, Tang Yeran’s head lifted.

“If I knew it would be like this, I should have just done it earlier.”

She checked the owner of the voice.

“Young Master Bang...?”

The owner was, surprisingly, Bang Sungyeon.

At some point, he had gotten back up and was wiping the blood from his head.

At her call, Bang Sungyeon’s gaze turned to Tang Yeran.

Meeting the blue eyes, Tang Yeran felt her heart drop with a thud before she knew it.

Something was different.

It was certainly the same, and yet something was different.

His gaze was far heavier.

And far colder.

“You did well.”

Then—

Stroking her hair, Bang Sungyeon spoke to Tang Yeran.

Hearing that, for some reason, she felt at ease.

“Stand aside for a moment.”

Saying so, Bang Sungyeon walked past Tang Yeran.

After that, he approached Pal Duyeok.

“...You...”

Facing the risen Bang Sungyeon, Pal Duyeok knit his brows.

“How did you get up.”

He had certainly lost consciousness. From the wounds alone, he should not have been able to rise easily. How had he gotten up.

Unable to understand, Pal Duyeok was looking at Bang Sungyeon when—

‘Huh?’

Pal Duyeok widened his eyes at Bang Sungyeon.

What the brat was holding was strange.

A great saber nearly the size of his own body. Wherever he had pulled it from, he was suddenly holding a different weapon.

“Brat.”

Bang Sungyeon said.

“What?”

Pal Duyeok thought he had heard wrong.

Brat? Had he just called him, now, a brat?

“Be grateful.”

“What the hell are you—”

Just as Pal Duyeok raised his voice at Bang Sungyeon—

He could not spit out all he wanted to say.

SHRAAAAAAK---!!!

His chest was suddenly slashed and blood burst.

“Khrrk!?”

As Pal Duyeok’s chest was cut, blood splattered.

Letting a groan slip, Pal Duyeok looked at Bang Sungyeon.

Indifferent blue eyes.

The moment he saw that, an unknown emotion boiled up in Pal Duyeok.

What emotion was this?

Pondering that for a moment, Pal Duyeok recalled what the emotion was.

No—truthfully, he must already have known.

He had only been unwilling to admit it.

“From now on.”

That emotion was none other than—

“I will show you the sword that cut the sky.”

Fear.