The first thing Jeok Wigang did after becoming Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle was inform the Eight Stars and the Castle’s senior leadership about the unknown enemy known as White Horse Heaven.
The leadership was stunned by what Wigang told them.
“Is... is that really true? The Four Divine Demons are only somewhere around the middle in White Horse Heaven?”
“They were back then. If they returned now, I’d say they’d probably rank near the bottom. White Horse Heaven has grown much stronger since.”
At the Four Divine Demons’ words, everyone turned toward Jeok Mugun.
Knowing exactly what those looks were asking, Mugun gave a faint chuckle.
“Don’t worry. I already fought them myself. I win.”
The leaders collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
“If you’re that curious, why not fight them yourselves? This actually works out well. You can experience firsthand how large the gap is between you and White Horse Heaven, then tailor your training accordingly. What do you think?”
Wigang nodded at Mugun’s suggestion.
“Good idea. I guess experience really does count.”
“You brat. Did you think I spent all those years sitting in the Lord’s seat for nothing?”
Wigang merely laughed.
“You heard Grandfather. Everyone, get ready.”
“A-Are we really doing this?”
“Yes. We might as well use this opportunity to see exactly how large the gap is between White Horse Heaven and the Central Plains.”
“Should we prepare immediately?”
“No. There are a few more people I need to call in, so I’ll give you one day. Be ready.”
“And once we know the difference in strength, what do you intend to do?”
Wigang grinned.
“What else? You’ll train hard enough to close the gap.”
“Can that really be done in a short time? I fear we may simply ruin our bodies for nothing...”
“Don’t worry. If you get hurt, I’ll heal you. And yes, it can be done quickly. You all know this, don’t you? Nothing trains you better than real combat.”
“And that real combat... will be against you, Lord?”
Wigang grinned.
That was answer enough.
“Who else are you planning to bring?”
“More people from White Horse Heaven.”
“What? There are others besides the Four Divine Demons?”
“Two more. One of them is Son Gang, and he’s stronger than the Four Divine Demons, so you can look forward to it. Oh! And you all know what happens if someone just stands there and lets themselves get beaten, right? I really can’t stand that sort of thing.”
He was smiling as he said it.
That somehow made it even more terrifying.
Simply doing their best would not be enough to satisfy Jeok Wigang.
They would have to put their lives on the line.
Wigang smiled in satisfaction at the determination filling their eyes.
The Four Divine Demons were smiling as well.
“Tomorrow ought to be fun. It’s been a while since we really cut loose.”
“What about Yehwa?”
“Knowing her personality, there’s no way she’ll sit this one out.”
“Yehwa... I’ll take her.”
“Can you actually hit her?”
“Hmm...”
“Then let’s just leave her to Son Gang.”
“Who’s Son Gang?”
“Dragon-Scale race.”
“What? One of the Dragon-Scale race is out in the world? So the guy you said was coming tomorrow is one of them?”
“Yeah.”
“You lunatic. You want to leave our Yehwa to someone from the Dragon-Scale race? Do you have a death wish?”
“Then what do you want me to do? She has to fight someone.”
“Haah...”
As Kang Mujin agonized over it, Wigang’s voice reached him.
“Want me to take her?”
Kang Mujin’s face went pale.
“N-No. I’ll... leave her to these guys.”
“Make sure you do it properly. You know what happens to anyone who goes easy on her, right?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps understanding exactly what Kang Mujin was going through, Hong Yehwa sent him a voice transmission.
—Don’t insult my pride.
Kang Mujin nodded, then turned to Jin Muryang.
“You... take Yehwa. You’re both in the assassination line of work, so...”
“Fine. I’ll give her everything I have.”
No matter what he chose, Kang Mujin felt like he was doomed.
The next day.
The grand training ground on the outskirts of Heavenly Martial Castle was completely enclosed by a sealing formation.
The pressure inside made it feel as though space itself had been folded in on itself, and the expressions of the Eight Stars and the Castle’s senior leadership naturally hardened.
Six people stood at the center of the training ground.
The Four Divine Demons, Son Gang, and Jung Saheon.
Jung Saheon smiled.
“I was getting bored stiff being stuck at the imperial palace. Giving me a chance to really stretch my legs like this... As expected of my lord.”
His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he swept his gaze across the Eight Stars and the leaders of Heavenly Martial Castle like a predator sizing up prey.
Those who met his gaze felt a chilling, deeply unpleasant sensation.
Son Gang, standing beside him, was no less intimidating.
Especially since they had been told that Son Gang was even stronger than the Four Divine Demons.
And White Horse Heaven supposedly had a hundred monsters like these crawling around inside it.
Those hundred were only the ranked members. There were said to be many more who had never even entered the rankings.
Only now did they truly grasp just how terrifying White Horse Heaven was.
And such an organization had set its sights on the martial world.
The fact that Jeok Wigang had discovered it in advance and had been running himself ragged trying to stop it suddenly seemed even more remarkable.
No matter how they looked at it, they had definitely chosen the right man as Lord.
“All right. This is your chance to find out exactly how strong each side is. As long as you don’t actually die, I can put you back together, so fight without worrying.”
The Eight Stars and the leadership gave grim chuckles.
They could fight as though their lives depended on it without having to worry about dying.
Their eyes turned vicious.
Jung Saheon immediately began hamming it up.
“Oh, how terrifying. I’m so scared I can hardly wait to start.”
Son Gang merely smiled in silence.
“Begin!”
The instant Wigang’s voice rang out—
KWAANG!
The training ground erupted as though it had exploded.
The first to attack was Noh Cheongang, the Hong Blade Star and the most battle-crazed of the Eight Stars.
“Kahahaha! Now this is what I’m talking about! White Horse Heaven, Heavenly Demon Heaven, whatever it is—send them all!”
He moved as though dancing with the Flamefire Blade, unleashing countless arcs of blade aura that engulfed the Four Divine Demons, Son Gang, and Jung Saheon.
At that moment—
The figures standing before them blurred.
A chill shot through Noh Cheongang.
He instantly raised his blade to block something.
CLANG!
“Urgh!”
It was Kang Mujin’s saber.
CRUNCH—
Under the overwhelming pressure, Noh Cheongang’s feet punched straight into the ground.
At that exact moment—
SWIRL—
A silver flash sliced sharply through the air.
SHRAAAK—
It shifted continuously in wholly unpredictable ways as it came in.
The sword of Azure Sword Star Baek Seojin.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
And once again, it was Kang Mujin who stopped it—this time with his sword.
He grinned, a sword in one hand and a saber in the other.
“So the rumors were true. There really isn’t a weapon you can’t use.”
As Baek Seojin spoke, Noh Cheongang pulled his buried feet free and grumbled.
“As if it weren’t hard enough mastering just one weapon with everything you’ve got...”
He had devoted his entire life to the blade alone.
And yet he was being overwhelmed by someone who wielded several different weapons.
“I’m not finished!”
FWOOSH—
The Flamefire Blade blazed crimson as he attacked again.
CLANG!
SWIRL—
The Flamefire Blade flew from Noh Cheongang’s hand, spinning through the air.
CRAAACK—
At the same instant, the flat of Kang Mujin’s saber smashed into him and sent him flying helplessly away.
While Kang Mujin struck down Noh Cheongang—
SWIRL—
Baek Seojin’s sword shot toward an opening, its trajectory shifting with blistering speed and exquisite precision.
And then Baek Seojin saw it.
Kang Mujin’s gaze was following the sword perfectly.
“I can see all of it.”
CLANG!
“Urgh!”
The sword was knocked aside.
FLAP—
SHRAK-SHRAK-SHRAK!
Kang Mujin’s sword flashed over Baek Seojin’s entire body in an instant, cutting his robes to ribbons.
Drip—
Blood trickled through the slashes in his clothing.
“Tricks like that only work when your opponent is weaker than you.”
Baek Seojin trembled.
Weak.
His pride stung, but he had no choice but to admit it.
The difference between himself and one of the Four Divine Demons was simply too great.
“I concede.”
At first, he had thought he might have a chance.
Only after actually fighting did he realize how vast the gap truly was.
And White Horse Heaven supposedly had people even stronger than these men.
Baek Seojin realized just how complacently he had been living all this time.
“Thank you for opening my eyes.”
Baek Seojin gave Kang Mujin a martial salute.
Kang Mujin smirked and crooked a finger at him.
Baek Seojin tilted his head.
“We’re not done fighting. Didn’t you hear what the Lord said? Fight as though your life depends on it. Look at yourself. Does that look like someone who fought prepared to die? You’re stuck at your current level because your resolve is that weak.”
Baek Seojin’s face flushed red at Kang Mujin’s words.
“Heh heh heh! Can’t argue with that.”
Noh Cheongang wiped the blood from his mouth as he staggered back over.
“He’s right. You can’t just surrender because you spilled a little blood. At the very least, shouldn’t we smash that damned smug face of his before we go down?”
At Noh Cheongang’s words, Baek Seojin stretched out a hand.
The Azure-Light Sword lying on the ground flew into his grasp.
“You’re right. I was complacent. From this moment on, I’ll fight you as though you were my most hated enemy.”
“Now you’re finally talking sense. Come on, then.”
Kang Mujin grinned.
Baek Seojin and Noh Cheongang roared and charged him.
Not a single member of the Eight Stars or Heavenly Martial Castle’s senior leadership was still standing.
The ground was littered with people who looked as though they might breathe their last at any moment.
“Not bad. You actually managed to land a few hits on me.”
Kang Mujin smiled as he looked at the blood running down his forearm and thigh.
Ye Yahyeon, Jin Muryang, and Baek Ryeongso had also suffered a few minor wounds.
Son Gang did not have so much as a scratch.
And Jung Saheon—
“Damn it!”
—was the most badly injured of them all.
The others stared at him with contempt.
“You’ve completely disgraced us.”
“What are you talking about? I beat every last one of them! Do you have any idea how many people came at me at once?”
“You got hurt a lot.”
“This is already a good result! I had to hold back because I wasn’t allowed to kill them. If I’d been allowed to kill them, I never would’ve gotten this badly hurt.”
“That’s quite a long list of excuses.”
What was that?
Why did he suddenly feel a chill?
Jung Saheon turned his head.
Jeok Wigang was grinning at him with a murderous expression.
“Gasp! M-My lord.”
“I distinctly remember ordering you to train hard.”
“Th-That’s... I-I’ve been busy protecting His Majesty the Emperor...”
“Should I ask His Majesty about that later?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“You’re staying here.”
“What? If I stay here, who’s going to protect His Majesty?”
“Yahyeon. Go spend some time at the imperial palace.”
“Understood.”
Ye Yahyeon answered with a grin.
He knew the imperial palace better than almost anyone, so there was nothing to worry about.
“There. Problem solved. I’m going to straighten that rotten attitude of yours out from the roots.”
“M-My lord...”
Wigang ignored Jung Saheon without the slightest hesitation and turned toward the fallen Eight Stars and Castle leaders.
“This is reality. Do you understand?”
No one said a word.
“Starting tomorrow, I want everyone gathered here by the beginning of the Rabbit Hour. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Come prepared to die.”
“Yes! We’ll come prepared to die!”
Wigang grinned at their shout.
“You’d better. Because by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be begging me to kill you.”
GULP—
Everyone swallowed hard.
Wigang chuckled at the sight, then murmured a mantra.
With that, he turned and walked away.
Their bodies had already been completely healed.
The Heavenly Yin Gate had been wiped out.
At first, the news spread like an unbelievable rumor.
But as testimony continued to arrive from those who had personally witnessed the scene, silence quickly descended over the Central Plains.
Not a trace of the Heavenly Yin Gate remained.
Every hall had burned and collapsed.
The corpses scattered across the courtyard had burned together into tangled masses of ash.
It was impossible even to tell who was who.
Who could have done such a thing?
It did not take long to identify the culprit.

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