Doomed.

It was clear that whatever they had been forced to swallow after their mute and paralyzing pressure points were sealed was not ordinary.

What exactly had they been fed?

“Now, with just a flick of my finger, you’ll die.”

‘Could it be…!’

Sam-Bong’s face turned pale.

‘Ko-dok…?’

Ko-dok.

A parasitic insect that exists in pairs, male and female, and causes the male to experience excruciating pain whenever harm is inflicted on the female.

If ingested by a person, the male insect nests in their heart or brain. Should the female be harmed, the male thrashes about, inflicting unbearable agony on the host—often to the point of death.

Furthermore, killing the female insect results in the male exploding, taking the host’s heart or brain with it. A cruel method to kill an enemy without lifting a finger.

Eating Ko-dok essentially meant that one’s life was now entirely in the hands of the person who controlled the female insect.

‘C-crazy….’

Sam-Bong’s body trembled violently.

If this truly was Ko-dok, they were now utterly at the mercy of their assailant.

From now on, they couldn’t leave without permission, act out of line, eat, sleep, or even relieve themselves…!

‘No, wait a second.’

Wasn’t Ko-dok supposed to be incredibly rare?

It was notoriously difficult to raise, with so few in existence that its price was astronomical.

‘Is it really Ko-dok…?’

But that doubt didn’t last long.

“Don’t believe me? Should I demonstrate? I could kill one of you to prove it.”

‘C-crazy…! No! Absolutely not!’

If it really was Ko-dok, one of them would die immediately. And there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t be him.

“It’s going to hurt a little.”

‘This is Ko-dok! It has to be Ko-dok!’

Even if it wasn’t, they had no choice but to believe it was!

The aura of all three men surged chaotically, their terror palpable.

It was a fierce and desperate display of rejection.

Watching their trembling energies, Seol-Hwa patted each of their shoulders.

“Alright, I’ll stop here for today. As I said, I’m short on time.”

A wave of hot breaths escaped the three men’s mouths.

Though they hadn’t moved, it felt as if they had run a marathon.

“You’ll see me again soon. Until then, behave yourselves, okay? The pressure points will release on their own over time, so don’t worry.”

With those words, the presence vanished.

The three men’s eyes darted around frantically.

‘Gone?’

‘Really gone?’

‘She’s gone…! Finally!’

Realizing that the assailant had left, the three finally felt relief. Their entire bodies relaxed, collapsing in the moment.

“Run away, and… you know what will happen, right?”

A chilling voice echoed, followed by the sound of something being crushed nearby.

Their hair stood on end, and chills ran down their spines.

Sam-Bong couldn’t help but wet himself.

---

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Namgung Hyuk, the Black Dragon Leader, observed the inn and thought to himself.

‘Things are going to get noisy in the family soon.’

They had finally found the daughter of the First Young Master, whom they thought might never be located.

With that, the First Young Master would surely return to the household, and the battle for the position of successor would begin in earnest.

Though the Patriarch had never openly expressed his intentions, everyone in the family knew he wanted to pass the leadership to the eldest, the First Young Master.

Otherwise, the position of young lord would not have remained vacant for eight long years.

‘He must have been waiting for the First Young Master to return.’

But the time he spent away had been far too long.

The family elders and council, along with some of the clan leaders, doubted the First Young Master’s loyalty to the family.

They couldn’t be sure he would dedicate himself fully to the family’s cause.

No family wanted a leader who didn’t prioritize the clan.

Followers always expected their leader to put their well-being first, no matter the circumstances—even if it meant sacrificing their own kin.

‘Given the family’s stance, the Patriarch won’t easily elevate the First Young Master to the position of young lord.’

Furthermore, the Patriarch would likely want the First Young Master to earn recognition as the rightful heir. Or anyone else, for that matter.

‘A storm of blood will follow.’

Namgung Hyuk let out a deep sigh.

Just then—

“…!”

From a distance, a faint energy approached rapidly.

‘Danger…!’

Namgung Hyuk instinctively prepared to counter the incoming force. However—

“…!”

The energy suddenly changed direction, heading straight into the inn. Specifically, the room Namgung Cheong-Un had rented.

‘Damn!’

Realizing his mistake, Namgung Hyuk dashed into the inn.

He hurried up to the second floor so quickly that the guests on the first floor of the inn didn’t even notice. Arriving there, he opened the door abruptly.

And then he froze.

“…?”

Seol-Hwa, her eyes wide, and Namgung Cheong-Un, who was helping tidy up Seol-Hwa’s clothing, looked at him with surprise.

“What’s the matter?” Namgung Cheong-Un asked with a faint trace of displeasure.

Since he had been adjusting the child’s attire, the displeasure in his tone was even more pronounced.

“…Is everything alright?”

“It sounds as if you think something should have happened.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

He had definitely felt a small but rapid energy enter this room.

At that moment—

“Father, who is that?”

The child’s voice startled Namgung Hyuk.

‘Ah, right…’

The young lady wouldn’t know he was acting as her guard! This peaceful outing with her father…

Realizing his blunder too late, Namgung Hyuk’s gaze met Namgung Cheong-Un’s equally stiffened face.

“That, that person is, um… hmmm…”

Namgung Cheong-Un was at a loss for how to explain and awkwardly hesitated. Meanwhile, Namgung Hyuk silently closed the door to the room.

---

On the summit of Lotus Peak, on the western side of Huashan in Huayin County, Shaanxi Province—

A Taoist priest was climbing the mountain hastily as if being chased.

He was No Baek, a Huashan elder and the lord of the Martial Arts Pavilion, renowned as the Wuhwa Sword (Dancing Blossom Sword).

The light-footed technique No Baek employed was Huashan’s best, called Amhyangpyo (Fragrance Drift), so named because it seemed as though an invisible aroma fluttered in the air as he moved.

As quickly as a scent disperses, he vanished in the blink of an eye, a martial technique Huashan took great pride in.

In no time, he reached the mountain, pausing briefly to catch his breath as he gazed at the Huashan Sect’s signboard.

The structure standing tall atop the lofty peak was majestic, yet even the large signboard seemed precarious in his eyes.

‘There’s still…’

There was still hope.

When he heard the rumors circulating in town this morning, he had been shocked beyond belief. Yet if those rumors were true, it wasn’t time to despair just yet.

Without hesitation, he opened the main gate and entered.

“Greetings to the Pavilion Lord!”

The third-generation disciples training in the martial arts yard saw him and immediately bowed in unison.

No Baek nodded at them and hastened his steps.

“Pavilion Lord! You’re here at last?”

A bright voice stopped him in his tracks.

No Baek turned to face the speaker.

“So it’s you, Yu Kang.”

Yu Kang was the youngest among Huashan’s first-generation disciples, celebrated for his exceptional martial skills, and had earned entry into the Plum Blossom Swordsmanship Hall at an unprecedentedly young age.

He was called Huashan’s pride.

“Isn’t it time for your training? Why are you wandering around like this?”

At No Baek’s remark, Yu Kang flinched and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“Haha, I was just taking a short break.”

“You’ve been neglecting your training again.”

“That’s not true! I was training very diligently, and I only just now stopped for a moment—a single moment! …It’s true.”

“You’ve rested quite a bit. Go back and focus on your training.”

Yu Kang pouted his lips.

“Ah, get going already!”

“Yes… Understood…”

With slumped shoulders, Yu Kang turned towards the training yard, dragging his feet as if his steps weighed a ton. But suddenly, he spun around with a radiant smile.

“Good luck today, Pavilion Lord!”

It was a spirited cheer, as if his earlier gloom had vanished. Yu Kang then ran off toward the training ground.

Renowned within the sect not only for his martial prowess but also for his bright and energetic demeanor, Yu Kang was a favorite among many.

Watching Yu Kang’s infectious smile that seemed to rejuvenate the spirits, No Baek resumed his hurried steps.

---

“It’s true. Everyone’s talking about it.”

No Baek, wearing an exasperated expression, reiterated the rumors he had heard.

“They said a child who used to be the leader of Huaoru stole the Great Rejuvenation Pill and fled to Namgung. The pill was stolen from the Black Cloud Gang, an underworld sect that operates on the border between Shaanxi and Henan. Isn’t that the same sect that attacked us?”

“Hmm…”

“Master…!”

Despite No Baek’s detailed explanation, Huashan’s sect leader, No Woon, seemed only mildly interested.

No Baek pounded his chest in frustration and exclaimed, “If that child hasn’t consumed the Great Rejuvenation Pill yet, there’s still a chance! We don’t have time to waste! We must retrieve it immediately!”

“Wait a moment. There’s something troubling me.”

“What could possibly trouble you?!”

People were dying by the day, so what could be more pressing?

“Doesn’t this rumor strike you as odd, No Baek?”

“What’s odd about it?”

“The rumor itself.”

No Woon’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“How could such a detailed and timely story spread so quickly?”

“…!”

“And in this small Huayin County, no less.”

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