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Someone I had casually overlooked was emitting an incredible aura, while another who had initially appeared to be a mere merchant stood there without any hesitation despite their meager martial arts skills.

I sensed that this was the power of some collective madness. A willingness to die at the command.

For the first time in a while, I felt tension facing an enemy.

It wasn’t because of their numbers or their strength. Annihilating them wouldn’t be difficult.

The Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill.

It was because something I thought had disappeared from the world had appeared. Because people using it to grow their organization had emerged. With the appearance of an evil sect’s elixir, the situation was no longer a joke.

The enemies I had faced until now were mere small fry, sufficient for me to play with while growing my strength. But now, opponents worthy of being called real enemies had appeared.

What I see before me is not the body, but the tail.

After all, Joo Do-chi wasn’t capable enough to use the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill to grow an organization.

If this is just the tail? What if it’s not even the tail, but just a single small whisker?

“You’re scared.”

At Joo Do-chi’s words, I suddenly realized something.

I had been thinking about killing all of them. The moment I saw the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill, memories of the war with the evil sect flashed through my mind, igniting a strong hostility.

I could annihilate them with the Immortal Crane Secret Art, and it would be even easier if I drew the Asura King Sword. Although Joo Do-chi’s skills seemed formidable, they weren’t to the extent that I couldn’t kill him.

But I realized I shouldn’t do that.

I need to find out who’s behind these people.

Yes, I should act scared. That way they’ll let their guard down, and when they do, they’ll show an opening.

“Hmph! Is that so?”

I tried to speak loudly, but my voice was trembling. I’ll try to approach first, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll kill them all then.

With a deflated expression, I said,

“Can I eat the Heavenly Craft Pill now?”

The Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill would have no effect on me with my All-Poison Impenetrable Body. This was because the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill was a drug based on poison.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to gain the half-lifetime’s worth of internal energy either. This was because as I neutralized the poison, the effects would be eliminated as well.

Thinking he had regained control, Joo Do-chi also regained his composure.

“You should have eaten it before killing my subordinates.”

“Can’t I work for the share of those I killed from now on?”

“What?”

Sensing a slight opening in his reaction, I quickly began to persuade him.

“Wouldn’t it greatly help your position if you introduced a master of my caliber to your superiors?”

“Your self-confidence is remarkable. Do you think we’d be moved by someone like you? Do we look that easy to you?”

“If you looked easy, I wouldn’t be doing this. Alright, let’s talk frankly. I guarantee that to kill me, at least a third of them would have to die. If I were to go berserk and try to kill only you, I couldn’t guarantee your life either.”

He couldn’t refute that. After all, he had seen my skills as I killed Sim Hwang and ten subordinates earlier.

“Let’s say you killed me. What would you report to your superiors? That a madman barged in, you lost most of your subordinates, and you killed him? Would your superiors be pleased with that?”

As this hit the mark, Joo Do-chi was conflicted.

He must be having similar worries. But since the situation had already unfolded, he was probably trying to eliminate me first and deal with the consequences later.

However, he must also be worried that if he introduces me carelessly, the situation might escalate further.

“I don’t want to die in a place like this.”

A moment of silence passed. Joo Do-chi, who had been glaring at me while deliberating, finally made up his mind.

“Take off your hat.”

I obediently took off my hat and threw it.

I was wearing the mask I had on when I killed Yeom Hwa. Since I had originally bought the highest quality mask at great expense to act as the Nameless One, he couldn’t tell I was wearing a mask.

Joo Do-chi’s gaze turned to the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill that had fallen to the floor.

“Take the Heavenly Craft Pill.”

“As you wish.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I took the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill and began to circulate my energy.

Ssss.

The feeling of absorption into my body seemed convincing.

Not only those who had never taken an elixir before, but even those who had taken one or two would never be able to tell this was a fake elixir.

But I could clearly feel the unique discomfort that a fake elixir gives.

Although all components of the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill had disappeared from my body, I said with a pleased expression:

“Oh! This really is a Heavenly Craft Pill. My internal energy has increased by half a lifetime’s worth!”

Then Joo Do-chi held out the remaining two Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills.

“Take these as well.”

“Are you serious? You have no reason to show me such kindness.”

He answered my suspicion.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll bet my life on you.”

I pretended to hesitate for a moment before taking the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills in succession.

While I couldn’t be sure if he had taken this drug himself, one thing was certain: He knew this was the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill.

The reason he made me eat all three was to take revenge for killing his subordinates. To make me live only one year. After all, there was nothing good for him in me living longer.

It would be good to tell his superiors too. That I had eaten the elixirs, so it would be better to use me effectively for a year and then discard me. A strong person would be better than someone with mediocre skills.

After taking all three and completing a cycle of energy circulation, Joo Do-chi examined my body to check my internal energy.

The internal energy approaching one lifetime’s worth was my original internal energy.

But he would believe it was the internal energy I had just gained from the elixirs. Since three pills would give one and a half lifetime’s worth, and the rest would be my original internal energy, it was truly beyond suspicion.

Only then did Joo Do-chi say to me:

“There’s poison mixed in the elixir, so don’t think about doing anything rash.”

“I understand.”

When I accepted this calmly without surprise, he looked slightly taken aback.

“You’re not surprised?”

“I had guessed to some extent. I knew you wouldn’t just give them away freely.”

“Indeed, you’re not a foolish one. Follow me.”

I followed him out of the room.

The people standing outside parted to make a path.

I walked behind Joo Do-chi, feeling their undiminished madness directed at me.

***

In the moving carriage, Joo Do-chi asked,

“I hear they call you a hero in the martial world? The Nameless Hero.”

“It just happened that way. But I dislike the term hero.”

“Why?”

“It feels like they’re pushing me to do things they can’t do themselves. Originally, I’m someone who hates taking losses.”

“I heard you even warned the Heavenly Blade Sect that day?”

“Everyone was looking at me with such admiration, I ended up boasting without realizing it. I just had a grudge against that butcher.”

“Hehe. A fake hero, then.”

“Still, the word ‘fake’ is a bit unpleasant.”

Joo Do-chi smirked, and I continued in a slightly softened tone.

“Aren’t heroes and villains just a paper-thin difference anyway? If you don’t say these things and claim a greater cause, you’re a hero. If you’re honest like me now, you’re a villain.”

Of course, this was just nonsense to show my worldly side.

Although I spoke as if dismissing heroes, I actually have great respect for them. I’ve tried to live righteously my whole life, but that doesn’t mean I lived the life of a hero. That sense of justice required tremendous effort, but ultimately it was for myself. It was justice to fulfill my own satisfaction.

But a true hero is never for themselves in any case. They are people who genuinely care for others. They are people who sacrifice themselves to help the weak. The reason it’s much harder to become a hero than to become a master lies there.

The carriage arrived at Zhengzhou, located in the northeast of Fangcheng.

Zhengzhou was the capital of Henan and a place where many people gathered.

As we entered Zhengzhou, Joo Do-chi blindfolded me with a thick cloth.

I concentrated all my senses to remember where the carriage was going. I memorized how fast it was going, how long it traveled before turning, how the ground felt, and listened for any distinctive sounds around. I pricked up my ears for any unusual sounds among the wind, bird calls, and people’s voices.

I heard the sound of a door opening, and soon after, the carriage stopped. We had entered some building.

“Alright, get out.”

Still blindfolded, I followed Joo Do-chi.

As we entered some space, the ground beneath us began to shake and descend. A mechanism had been activated.

Woong.

The smooth downward movement clearly indicated that this mechanism was made by a considerable expert.

The mechanism stopped only after descending quite deeply.

This time, we walked down a long corridor.

I could sense killing intent from all directions. It wasn’t the killing intent of people, but of mechanisms.

The killing intent of mechanisms is very subtly different from that of people. It’s artificial and cold.

One mechanism, two, three, four.

By the end of the corridor, there were a total of four mechanisms installed.

The reason I could sense even the killing intent of mechanisms was because I had daily exposure to the numerous mechanisms inside the Alliance Leader’s chamber.

Afterwards, we walked down a corridor without mechanisms. The killing intent felt here was from people.

Masters!

Considerable auras were felt from rooms on both sides of the corridor.

I couldn’t tell their exact skill level, but they seemed to be about Sim Hwang’s level. There were as many as eight of them.

But that wasn’t all. As we turned another corner and walked, I felt an incredible energy from the room on the left. It was an extraordinary energy I had never felt before.

If that energy was from a person, they must be an incredible master.

From the room across from where that energy was felt, I sensed a mysterious energy. This energy felt strange rather than strong.

What are all these people doing here?

When I first set out to follow Joo Do-chi, I never imagined these things would be waiting.

Finally, I was led into a room.

Only then did Joo Do-chi remove my blindfold. It wasn’t difficult to regain my vision because it was dark around.

Someone was sitting in a chair ahead.

Upon closer look, it was a naked man.

Joo Do-chi was silently staring at the man.

I also looked at the man. He wasn’t the person I was supposed to meet. The naked man was cowering with eyes full of fear.

After a moment, the man began to convulse.

“Heurgh!”

He seemed to be having difficulty breathing. When I turned to look at Joo Do-chi, he was just watching.

The man, with bloodshot eyes, writhed in agony and screamed.

“Aaaaargh!”

He twisted his entire body in pain. It looked like he was undergoing some unknown test. It was too late to help.

Who could he be to endure such pain?

At some point, the man’s body suddenly stopped moving.

Splash.

He died, bleeding from the seven apertures of his face.

As he died, the surroundings brightened. Night pearls embedded in the walls came out, illuminating the interior. Judging from the use of night pearls for such a facility, it was clear that the owner of this place had extraordinary wealth.

A man in his thirties entered through a different door from the one I had come through.

He had a slightly thin build and an ordinary appearance. He looked so ordinary that it was unordinary. There was no way an ordinary person would enter this place now.

The man ignored me and Joo Do-chi and first examined the corpse. He rummaged through the corpse, not minding the blood staining his hands and clothes.

“Failed again.”

He clicked his tongue and looked disappointed, but the emotion in his words was indifferent.

He glanced at me and beckoned me to come closer. Joo Do-chi, standing beside me, gestured with his eyes for me to go.

I approached slowly, emitting only an appropriate level of energy, trying to read the man’s aura.

His aura was easily read. He wasn’t someone with extraordinary martial arts. Yet he felt special because there was some unknown energy about him.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“Your impression of seeing this corpse.”

It was truly miserable.

“I have no thoughts.”

“How cold-hearted. Then what’s your impression of me?”

I stared at him for a moment.

Clearly, this young man was the one giving orders to Joo Do-chi.

Who on earth could he be?

“I want to beat you up.”

At this, Joo Do-chi shouted from behind.

“Watch your mouth!”

As I had expected, the man didn’t get angry. Instead, he showed curiosity.

“So you really are a madman?”

“I’m not mad.”

“I heard you willingly ate three Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills? Doesn’t that make you mad?”

“Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills?”

I asked as if I had no idea. Inwardly, I was surprised. I hadn’t expected him to mention the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills directly.

The man went a step further.

“You now have exactly one year left to live.”

I widened my eyes as much as possible. Half was acting, and half was genuine surprise. To think he would willingly tell me such a secret?

“If you take one Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill, you can live for seven years, two for three years, and if you take three, you only live for one year.”

I turned around and glared at Joo Do-chi as if I wanted to kill him.

“Is this true?”

Joo Do-chi nodded.

I shouted angrily.

“I’ll definitely kill you before I die.”

The killing intent was so strong that Joo Do-chi took a step back.

Then the man said,

“But I have a way to remove that restriction.”

I quickly turned towards the man.

“Is that true?”

“What do you think? Do you want to live?”

“Is that even a question? Of course I want to live!”

This guy is a high-level player.

He honestly told me everything. Except for one fact.

There is no way to remove the restriction of the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pill.

If such a thing existed, this martial world would have already fallen into the hands of the evil sect.

But when you hear such words in a place conducting strange experiments like this, an ordinary person would have no choice but to believe. Especially someone backed into a corner.

But while he might be able to deceive others, he can’t deceive me.

Alright, if you’re going to handle people this way, I’ll gladly dance to your tune.

I’ll find out how you obtained the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills and who’s behind you.

“What do I need to do to live?”

“You must do as I say.”

“Before that, let me say one thing. I don’t kill unless they’re evil. Even if I have to die instead.”

“That’s a shame. I kill even if they’re not evil.”

He clicked his tongue as if disappointed while looking at me, then spoke again.

“But among those I need to kill, there are many evil ones too.”

“Who exactly are you?”

The man grinned and revealed his identity. A name I never expected came out.

“They call me the Ma Ryeong-in.”

I never imagined I’d meet Ma Bong-gi’s successor here.

Why is he here?

The Ma Ryeong-in was not the person I had known from rumors. He was a much darker and more sinister individual.

I could sense it instinctively.

I had just grabbed the tail of a monster.

This encounter with Ma Bong-gi’s successor, the Ma Ryeong-in, was completely unexpected and far more ominous than I had anticipated. The situation was clearly more complex and dangerous than I had initially thought. I realized I would need to proceed with extreme caution to uncover the truth behind this organization and the Unrepentant Demonic Spiritual Pills.

As I stood there, facing this unexpected revelation, I knew that my journey had taken a significant turn. The true nature of the threat I was facing was only beginning to reveal itself, and I would need all my skills and cunning to navigate the dangers ahead.