The morning after the events at Tangmunjeon, Tang Mujin set off for Dongting Lake with Hwayeon Shinni. However, Hwayeon Shinni seemed to be dragging her feet. At this pace, they wouldn’t reach Dongting Lake in a month, let alone two weeks.

”···.”

Tang Mujin couldn’t rush her, though. He was the one in need, and the difference in their martial prowess was vast. Hwayeon Shinni was a standout even among the best in the martial world, while Tang Mujin was just barely breaking into the advanced stages. The gap between them was immense.

But Tang Mujin’s worries didn’t last long. Once they were a good distance from Zhongjing, Hwayeon Shinni picked up the pace, as if she had never been slow at all. Now, the problem was the opposite—she was moving too fast, more like running than walking. Tang Mujin was concerned about maintaining this speed all the way to Dongting Lake, or even for half a day.

Desperately, he called out while using his light-footed technique, “You’re too fast!”

“Training in light-footed techniques should be like this!” Hwayeon Shinni shouted back, tightening the chin strap of her bamboo hat to keep her white hair from flying.

Tang Mujin realized that the journey back to Dongting Lake would be anything but easy.

While Tang Mujin and Hwayeon Shinni hurried back to Dongting Lake, his friends were scouring the land for rare herbs under Hyun Gong’s orders. Meanwhile, far away, a man was lost in deep thought. This man, with a large build and piercing eyes, was none other than Gwak Jidal, known as Cheonpae.

The martial world was divided into the northern and southern factions. In the north, a few masters like Blood-Faced Wolf and Twin Blood Elders were well-known. Similarly, the southern martial world had two dominant figures, known as the Two Strong. One was the Blood Rain Guest, who left a trail of blood wherever he went, and the other was Gwak Jidal, the most powerful figure in the south.

The reason they were referred to in the past tense was that about two or three years ago, the Blood Rain Guest suddenly laid down his sword. No one was happier about this than Gwak Jidal.

‘It felt like a troublesome tooth had fallen out on its own.’

When the Blood Rain Guest roamed the martial world, Gwak Jidal’s subordinates would often make foolish remarks in his presence.

“Boss! The Blood Rain Guest has appeared two days away.”

“And what do you want me to do about it?”

“How can two tigers exist on one mountain? You should defeat him and become the supreme ruler of the south!”

Every time he heard such talk, Gwak Jidal thought, ‘Easy for them to say when their lives aren’t on the line.’

Despite his grandiose title, Gwak Jidal had no desire to fight the Blood Rain Guest. He wasn’t a man who enjoyed fighting; he was interested in the wealth and glory that followed. He hadn’t earned the title of Cheonpae by climbing the ranks through combat; he had survived to this point and claimed the title for himself.

Occasionally, fools would try to make a name for themselves by challenging the martial world, but they never made it past the peak. Walking the path of destruction without skill was one of the most foolish things one could do.

It was only natural that Gwak Jidal, who had survived to this point, had a different mindset than what his title suggested.

‘The important thing is to survive.’

Whenever his subordinates pushed for a showdown with the Blood Rain Guest, Gwak Jidal would defuse the situation with a reasonable explanation.

“It’s a rash thought. If there’s a reason to draw my sword, I will, but the Blood Rain Guest respects me enough not to challenge me, so there’s no need to clash swords.”

Despite his outward confidence, Gwak Jidal secretly worried, ‘What if the Blood Rain Guest really challenges me?’

But the Blood Rain Guest, despite the terrifying rumors, never challenged Gwak Jidal. Even as years passed, this remained true.

Though it seemed unlikely that the Blood Rain Guest would suddenly attack, Gwak Jidal couldn’t help but worry. He often imagined the Blood Rain Guest appearing before him, sword drawn.

In Gwak Jidal’s imagination, the Blood Rain Guest was a man with a crazed glint in his eyes, hidden beneath a bamboo hat, and his clothes were always soaked in blood. It wasn’t just a baseless fear; countless rumors supported his imagination. Truth be told, Gwak Jidal was a little afraid of the Blood Rain Guest.

‘I hope he never comes.’

But Gwak Jidal’s worries vanished when he heard the news that the Blood Rain Guest had laid down his sword. As rumors spread that the Blood Rain Guest had washed away the blood with the water of the Golden Basin, Gwak Jidal’s subordinates praised him.

“The Blood Rain Guest chose not to challenge you in the end. He must have some sense.”

“Of course. If he had challenged you, he wouldn’t have lived to lay down his sword.”

Though he liked these comments, Gwak Jidal maintained a stern demeanor and scolded his subordinates.

“Watch your words. A hero of the martial world has laid down his sword, and you should feel regret. Though I didn’t wish for him to be an enemy, I looked forward to the day we might cross swords.”

Feigning regret, Gwak Jidal’s subordinates praised him even more fervently.

With the fall of the Two Strong system, Gwak Jidal became the undisputed strongest in the southern martial world. Wealth from all over the south filled his coffers.

However, contrary to popular belief, Gwak Jidal hadn’t completely dominated the southern martial world. While the Blood Rain Guest was a major concern, there was a smaller, more trivial worry.

In the south, there was one village untouched by Gwak Jidal’s influence, a small place no one paid attention to. It was a village called Samguchon, just south of Dongting Lake.

”···.”

Gwak Jidal raised his hairy right hand to touch the scar that ran across his face from his left cheek to his right.

Not long after he had surpassed the peak, young Gwak Jidal heard rumors of an extraordinary beauty and swordswoman in Samguchon. When he arrived near the village, a truly stunning woman greeted him and his companions.

Her beauty was so overwhelming that just meeting her eyes made his heart race. But soon, it wasn’t his heart that was trembling, but his knees.

The woman’s skills far surpassed Gwak Jidal’s, and to make matters worse, she wasn’t entirely sane. Gwak Jidal fled with a deep scar across his face, wetting himself in the process.

After much investigation, Gwak Jidal learned that the woman was a renowned martial artist named Tuhee from the orthodox martial world. From the moment he learned this, Gwak Jidal never spoke of Tuhee. If he did, people would urge him to fight her.

In truth, the southern martial world had always been a three-power system, not two. Fortunately, two of them weren’t interested in expanding their influence.

Whenever he was called the strongest in the south, Gwak Jidal thought of Tuhee. Each time, a part of his heart felt heavy. Tuhee was like a white dot on a black-painted paper, the one person Gwak Jidal hadn’t conquered.

’…But I think I could beat her now.’

Many years had passed since he got that scar. Gwak Jidal’s martial prowess had grown, surpassing the ultimate peak, earning him the title of Cheonpae. Recently, he had even encountered a fortuitous opportunity from the Demonic Cult, greatly advancing his martial arts.

Yet, he had no desire to fight Tuhee. Recently, Gwak Jidal had been living very happily, though not in perfect bliss without any worries.

Gwak Jidal deliberately turned his gaze away from Tuhee.

However, a minor issue arose recently. It started with an unexpected piece of news.

One of Gwak Jidal’s subordinates rushed in, shouting, “Boss! The Sword Demon Namgung Jinchun has appeared!”

“What? Where?”

“He’s left the Namgung family and is heading this way.”

Upon hearing this, Gwak Jidal stood up awkwardly. Seeing this, his subordinate exclaimed, “Boss! Are you planning to retreat? Can’t you defeat Namgung Jinchun?”

Gwak Jidal unconsciously raised his right hand to touch the scar running vertically down his right cheek to his jaw. It was a scar he had received when he was young, after a lucky escape from Namgung Jinchun. That day, too, he had fled with his pants soaked.

The gap between Gwak Jidal and Namgung Jinchun was even greater than the one between him and Tuhee. Yet, Gwak Jidal spoke with feigned confidence.

“Of course, I can win. While I can’t claim victory in every battle, I would win eight out of ten times.”

“Then why are you planning to retreat?”

“You still lack foresight. What do you think will happen if I take Namgung Jincheon’s head?”

“You’ll become renowned as the supreme ruler of the South!”

Gwak Jidal’s subordinate answered without hesitation, and the others nodded in agreement.

But Gwak Jidal looked at him with a mix of disappointment and irritation before shouting, “Fool!”

Startled, the subordinates flinched, and Gwak Jidal let out a deep sigh.

“You don’t understand the orthodox sects. They never admit defeat easily. If I kill the Sword Demon Namgung Jincheon, the likes of Namgung Jinya and others will rally the orthodox martial artists against us. They’ll come at us with the likes of Manryeokseung, Neunggwanggeom, and even that guy… what’s his name, Gyuchogae. That’s how the orthodox sects operate.”

“Brother, if I may, I don’t think Yeongbojin will be able to come.”

The subordinate’s sharp observation irked Gwak Jidal.

“Even if Yeongbojin can’t come, the other three will. Then I’d have to face them three against one. Even I can’t win such a fight.”

There are times when acknowledging one’s limits can seem admirable.

The subordinates nodded in awe of Gwak Jidal’s foresight.

“You’re right. We hadn’t considered that.”

“Accepting a reckless fight and courting a foolish death is not the way of a true martial artist. For the sake of the unorthodox sects, we must think realistically and know when to swallow our pride and retreat.”

“Understood.”

Having rationalized his decision, Gwak Jidal made a dignified retreat from Namgung Jincheon.

However, not everything he told his subordinates was a lie.

Gwak Jidal believed that, unlike in the past, he might actually defeat Namgung Jincheon now. The martial arts he had learned from a mysterious figure from the Demonic Cult were that powerful. He was confident he could win nine out of ten times against his former self from two years ago.

‘Still, there’s no need to fight unnecessarily. The Namgung family is formidable. I’m content with my life as it is…’

And so, Gwak Jidal survived once more.

About two weeks after his escape, the news Gwak Jidal had been waiting for arrived.

“Namgung Jincheon has left.”

“Good. That’s a relief.”

Gwak Jidal was about to return to his base when he casually asked his subordinate, “Where did Namgung Jincheon go?”

“He headed west.”

“West? Towards Dongting Lake?”

“I heard he went a bit south of Dongting Lake.”

Gwak Jidal paused for a moment.

While his subordinates were oblivious, Gwak Jidal had a hunch about Namgung Jincheon’s destination. Hadn’t it been said that Namgung Jincheon was moving directly from the Namgung family towards him?

If so, the next target was Tuhee. Namgung Jincheon was likely heading to Samgu Village to confront Tuhee.

Would the sword-obsessed Namgung Jincheon go to Samgu Village just for a chat with Tuhee?

No way. Namgung Jincheon only sought out others when he wanted a fight. He must be planning to face Tuhee.

Gwak Jidal smiled with satisfaction.

“Alright. Let’s head back.”

Not long after, Gwak Jidal heard the next piece of news.

“Namgung Jincheon is continuing west without passing through Dongting Lake.”

“Where is he now?”

“He must have reached at least Guizhou by now.”

“Hmm. Any word of him being injured?”

“No such reports.”

If Namgung Jincheon left Samgu Village unscathed, it meant he had defeated Tuhee.

Everything was unfolding exactly as Gwak Jidal had hoped.

Gwak Jidal sprang to his feet. The time had come.

The time to become a man worthy of the title “Ruler of the South.”

It was time to remove the last pebble from his heart and paint the unfinished canvas with his own colors.

‘Did Namgung Jincheon kill Tuhee? Probably. But she might still be alive, albeit gravely injured.’

The Blood Rain Guest had laid down his sword, and Tuhee was either dead or severely wounded.

Gwak Jidal had only one task left: to find Tuhee.

Whether he would confirm her death or end her life if she was still alive, he didn’t know.

His heart raced with anticipation.

He recalled the young Tuhee he had once encountered. Terrifying, yet more beautiful than anything.

Looking back, he wondered if Tuhee had been his first love.

Thus, Gwak Jidal made a vow. If Tuhee was alive, he wouldn’t forget to take her by force before killing her.

A heavy feeling settled in his lower body.

Gwak Jidal grabbed his sword and instructed his subordinates.

“I’ll be back soon. Make sure nothing goes wrong while I’m away.”

“Brother, where are you going?”

“You don’t need to know that.”

With a confident stride, Gwak Jidal set off for Samgu Village.

In that moment, he truly embodied the imposing presence of the “Ruler of the South.”

Gwak Jidal was certain that Tuhee would be alone in Samgu Village.