‘So basically, two people just fell from the ceiling… one of them is the Carnage Demon and the other is Choi Jung Soo? The Carnage Demon is trying to get Choi Jung Soo to get revenge for the School of Carnage? Hmm?’

However, the Carnage Demon was a bit weird.

The person who had excitedly thrown daggers at Choi Jung Soo was now blanking out a bit.

She looked at Cale once.

Then at Choi Jung Soo.

After that, she slowly took a step back.

She then commented.

“…No way, the Sword Demon-”

She gulped.

Choi Jung Soo was standing there with a bright smile on his face as if he had no idea what was going on.

How many of the School of Carnage’s assassins had this bastard destroyed?!

‘But that Sword Demon and young master Kim are close?’

The Carnage Demon had thought about the possibility of young master Kim’s side looking for the Sword Demon.

However, compared to the Sword Saint and herself who were looking for him to settle grudges, she thought that the Imperial Palace wanted that rare martial art, the Sky Sword.

‘They seem like bosom friends.’

They looked like friends who had seen each other for the first time in a long while.

Assassins could not survive in this place without at least that much tact.

She saw young master Kim start talking to Choi Jung Soo while she hesitated.

“When did you get down from Huángshān?”

It sounded like a question for a friend he had seen last night.

“I came down not too long ago and came here because I felt a lot of strong auras gathering at this deserted place.”

Choi Jung Soo had felt the large aura in this deserted house while on his way down from Huángshān.

He had never felt such an aura in the Martial Arts world, so he came over thinking there was a chance it was Cale.

“Once I got here, I saw the rising stars a bit away from this place. So I snuck in here.”

That was when Cale had purified Namgung Tae Wi and started coughing up blood.

Choi Jung Soo had debated what to do before thinking that it was not yet time to show himself and had waited.

“…Then well, I got caught by the Carnage Demon. Hahaha-”

He laughed it off, but…

Honestly speaking, the balance of his aura that was maintaining his stealth had crumbled when he saw Cale clutching his stomach because he was hungry. He thought that Cale was in pain again. He had debated running out of his hiding spot.

The Carnage Demon, who was infiltrating through the ceiling at the time, had noticed Choi Jung Soo… And started her attack.

Cale turned his gaze from Choi Jung Soo to the Carnage Demon.

He nonchalantly asked her a question.

“Then, what about you?”

The Carnage Demon’s pupils were shaking.

It was rare to see her so anxious like this.

“That-”

She was nervous because someone she believed was in the Nature Realm was looking at her with a nonchalant gaze, but…

The situation was too different from what she had expected.

She had left the inn but had remained in the area to roam around the Namgung Clan and the rising stars.

However, she had not dared to approach young master Kim’s group because she decided that it was impossible to spy on them due to a certain someone.

However, she had stealthily followed the rising stars out of curiosity after seeing them approach this deserted house.

She had observed this place from a distance without daring to approach it.

‘Then I felt an intense aura.’

This deserted house…

She felt a pure and clear aura.

Whether it was good or evil…

At their peak, they were both auras derived from nature.

The Carnage Demon did not dare to make a judgment about such an intense aura and could not easily approach it.

However, she was sure about something.

‘Young master Kim. Yes, this is definitely that guy’s aura.’

Furthermore, the Carnage Demon was pretty certain about what was happening inside the deserted house.

That bastard, the Sword Saint, and young master Kim are fighting after all.

Furthermore, if it was an aura like this, the Sword Saint would definitely lose.

In the moment that she thought that…

The intense aura had subsided.

The Carnage Demon had been unable to hold back her curiosity and slowly approached the deserted house before hiding in the ceiling.

She did not know at that time.

‘Ugh!’

Just as she looked down from the ceiling, young master Kim clutched his stomach.

The Carnage Demon had sensed someone’s aura at that instant.

It was only for a moment but she recognized that valiant aura she had experienced once before.

It was the Sword Demon.

The Carnage Demon launched an attack toward that direction as soon as she realized it.

This was the result of that decision.

‘What is going on?’

However, the reality was quite different from what she had expected.

‘It was actually young master Kim who was coughing up blood and did not seem to be in good condition!

Had someone who had reached the Nature Realm lost?

…In that case!’

Peek.

The Carnage Demon looked toward the Sword Saint.

‘He looks so old.’

Whether it was because he used too much mental strength or because he used internal ki, the Sword Saint did not look very good.

However, he looked better than young master Kim.

‘The Sword Saint is also the Sword Demon’s enemy!’

He was the only person here who had the same enemy as her.

‘I see! The Sword Saint and young master Kim must have fought because of the Sword Demon!’

She had thought the two groups had fought because of Namgung Yoo Hak or maybe that omnipotent martial art, the Sky Sword, but… She now realized that the focus was the Sword Demon.

‘It looks like I will need to cooperate with the Sword Saint.’

Although it might be annoying, she would need to temporarily work with the Sword Saint to get out of here.

Peek.

She looked back at the Sword Saint to see that he was already looking at her.

Peek.

She warily looked at young master Kim while sending a sound transmission. To the Sword Saint.

– Sword Saint. Work with me.

Even if young master Kim is unable to fight anymore, they have the numbers advantage.

Also, the Sword Demon is strong.

“Ha.”

The Sword Saint scoffed.

– This is not the time to laugh! We need to work together to escape from here! The Sword Demon came to help young master Kim! Do you want to die, you old man?!

I knew these snobby Namgung Clan bastards didn’t know how to value their lives!’

The Carnage Demon shared her wishes to the Sword Saint with her gaze as well.

‘Hurry!’

The Sword Saint started taking steps toward the Carnage Demon as if to respond to her gaze.

– Yeah! Good decision!

The Carnage Demon felt a bit relieved.

However, she still reflected upon her actions.

‘I should have properly assessed the situation before making a move.’

She had rashly attacked the Sword Demon.

‘However, I didn’t expect someone with such a pure aura to be close friends with the Sword Demon.’

Based on young master Kim’s aura, he was most definitely a part of the Orthodox faction.

He had a beautiful and good aura that was even beyond those of the Five Saints.

That was why she had thought that he would not be on the same side as the Sword Demon and that the Sword Saint and young master Kim would work with her to fight if she attacked the Sword Demon. The other possibility was that they would charge in to take what the Sword Demon possessed.

“Carnage Demon.”

The Sword Saint was only two steps away from her now.

The Carnage Demon slightly nodded her head.

‘Although temporarily, we are allies.’

It was the signal to let him know.

Clang!

As for the Sword Saint who received that signal…

“How foolish.”

He pointed the tip of his sword at the Carnage Demon.

This was the first time the Sword Saint had taken his sword out since entering this deserted house.

“…What?”

As the Carnage Demon was truly shocked…

“You will not make it out of here alive today.”

The Sword Saint gave that prophecy before charging toward the Carnage Demon.

“Sword Saint, are you **ing crazy?!”

The Carnage Demon moved back in shock while the Sword Saint moved his sword.

Ooooooooong-

Gold aura started rising from his sword.

It was the Monarch Sword Arts.

This was the sword arts that was said to be one of the Orthodox faction’s greatest Heavy Blade sword arts.

That sword art was being released in this place.

Toward the Carnage Demon’s neck.

“You crazy old man!”

Chhhhhhhhh-!

The Carnage Demon extended her hand toward the air.

“That is the Swimming Snake Blades-!” (TL: No clue. Just went with what I thought were the best Chinese characters for each character).

Elder Ho shouted like a groan.

‘What the hell is that?!’

Cale wanted to ask but he soon saw it.

The Carnage Demon’s two hands that looked empty…

‘Wow.’

Ten daggers moved oddly like snakes in her hands before charging toward the Sword Saint.

Munch munch.

Cale gasped in admiration while chewing on apple pies that Raon continued to give to him without stopping.

“Mok Hee, move back!”

The Fist King moved his great-granddaughter back.

C, c, c, c, clang!

The daggers were all struck by the Sword Saint’s gold blade and sent in all directions.

One flew toward Cale as well.

‘Mm!’

However, Ron stood in front of Cale and easily grabbed any of the daggers that came toward Cale.

He made eye contact with Ron.

“Young master-nim, just eat the apple pies.”

Ron’s tone sounded somewhat disrespectful.

However, Cale just nodded his head and focused on eating apple pies.

He then saw the Sword Saint and Carnage Demon fighting.

“That is the Red Hands Technique……!”

Elder Ho gasped again while saying the name of the martial arts.

Ssss–

Hands that were dyed red…

The Carnage Demon’s red hands were the power that placed her in the top position of the School of Carnage and allowed her to be successful in numerous assassination commissions.

Baaaaaaaang!

The red hands crashed into the gold blade.

“Sword Saint!”

As the Carnage Demon glared at him…

The Sword Saint calmly commented.

“The benefactor and our Namgung Clan are one body.”

‘Hmm?’

Cale flinched.

“…What?”

“I, the Sword Saint will become the blade of our benefactor until I repay this debt.”

‘……Huh?’

Cale flinched even more than the Carnage Demon.

‘That Namgung old man sounds so solemn.’

“Furthermore.”

The Sword Saint closed his eyes and then opened them again.

He looked toward the gold blade. The gold aura surrounding his sword…

He had thought that a Monarch was someone who dominated over everything.

And he saw a person who used that Dominating Aura with his own eyes.

However, despite having such an aura, rather than dominating someone, that person used it all to save someone who meant nothing to him.

The Sword Saint figured it out.

‘That is a true Monarch.’

The Sword Saint did not look good because of the rapid depletion of mental strength.

It would not be wrong to say he aged quite a bit in that short period of time.

However, his eyes were sparkling more than ever before.

It was like back in his youth when he had been rash and full of passion.

Before all of the dirt had landed on him.

The Sword Saint made up his mind.

“Furthermore, as our benefactor has requested, the Namgung Clan will become the sword of the Orthodox faction starting today and fight in the vanguard.”

Although the words were similar to what he had said in front of young master Kim before…

He truly meant these words this time.

It was not based on benefit and calculation…

“…He will soon take one step forward.”

The Fist King mumbled in a satisfied voice.

“No, he’s already taken it.”

The gold light wrapped around the Sword Saint’s sword… That was sparkling even more radiantly than before.

Although it was only by a bit… It symbolized that the Sword Saint had taken a step forward.

“Young master Kim. There is another person who has received your teachings.”

“Excuse me?”

The Fist King smiled as if he understood it all while looking at young master Kim, who responded as if he had no idea.

Not only was young master Kim’s martial arts at an extremely high level, his will and his thoughts inside of him had a way of significantly affecting those around him.

The higher you went in your cultivation, the harder it was to look back to your beginnings.

It was especially easy to forget about justice and righteousness you dreamt about in your youth.

‘But young master Kim has kept that without forgetting it.

That was probably how he was able to rise to such a realm and how he was able to enlighten people like me and the Sword Saint, whose minds have been worn down significantly already.’

The Fist King had a big smile on his face.

Cale slowly avoided the gaze of the Fist King who was smiling at him.

‘What is up with him?

Who did I teach?’

He could not understand at all.

The Carnage Demon spoke in a shaky voice at that moment.

“…Who are you calling your benefactor?”

The Sword Saint simply pointed his blade at the Carnage Demon.

The Carnage Demon looked around before asking.

“…Sword Saint, is young master Kim your benefactor?”

“He,”

The Sword Saint responded.

“Is both my, and the Namgung Clan’s benefactor.”

The Carnage Demon gulped.

This was the first time the Namgung Clan has had a benefactor in centuries.

The Carnage Demon was well aware of the meaning behind someone being the Namgung Clan’s benefactor.

‘…I’m in some deep **.’

The Carnage Demon started having cold sweats run down her back.

‘Will I be able to escape?’

She looked around.

Although she could not see him well, Namgung Tae Wi seemed to be unconscious on the ground. She could also see a lot of other people. Although she didn’t know who most of them were, they did not seem like easy opponents.

It was at that moment.

“Human, is it tasty? You’re eating well!”

Now that she thought about it, she had been hearing a young voice since earlier.

The Carnage Demon looked toward Choi Han. Choi Han, who had been quietly standing there, took a step to the side.

‘…Huh?’

She saw Raon, who had been hidden behind Choi Han.

Furthermore, she also saw the nonchalant gaze in young master Kim’s eyes as he was fed by Raon.

The moment that gaze headed toward her…

Gulp.

She subconsciously gulped before carefully putting her hands down.

She clasped her hands that were no longer covered by red aura and smiled.

“Hehe… Would it be okay if we chatted a bit first?”

One of the top lessons for an assassin was to know when to stop.

They needed to be well aware of when they needed to submit.