CFZ

I decided—I have to kill Muk Yeon.
The moment I made up my mind, I immediately started walking.

It didn’t take long to notice something. The moment I stepped outside, I could feel eyes on me from every direction.
I was standing in the very center of the Martial Alliance.
Even at the restoration site earlier, I had drawn attention. But here, with even more people gathered, it was inevitable.

Eyes pierced me from all sides.
Not just from martial artists—ordinary people were staring too.
And it wasn’t just the looks. My heightened senses picked up their murmurs as well.
[Star King…?]

[What? Did you say Star King? Where?]
[Look over there. That young man.]
[Where? I don’t see—gasp!]

One man stiffened the moment he saw me.
[That fierce face that looks like it could kill with a glance, dressed in black martial robes… He’s exactly as the rumors described.]
“...”

Their reactions were strange, but there was no doubt—they recognized me.
‘Damn it.’
It wasn’t just that one man. Everyone else was looking at me the same way.

‘How did things end up like this?’
I had expected my reputation to grow, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent.
Recognized on sight just by my appearance?
‘Tch.’

Clicking my tongue, I channeled power into my toes.
—Fwoosh!
Flames erupted, lifting my body into the air.
Before anyone could approach, I leaped away from the scene.

“Ah!”
“Wait!”
Disappointed cries followed as I soared out of reach.

And as I heard them, an uneasy thought crept into my mind.
“…This is going to be…”
For some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get incredibly troublesome.

In more ways than one.

   ****************
   
Wooong.

I quickly checked my physical condition.
The flow of energy circulated through all my meridians and swiftly returned to my heart.
After analyzing the information carried by the energy, my expression darkened.
‘I’m screwed.’

My body was a complete mess—beyond repair.
—Fwoosh!
First, I burned away the residual demonic energy clinging to my fingertips. It wasn’t a thorough cleansing, just a temporary fix.

Throb—!
A sharp pain flared, and my brows furrowed.
“Hoo.”

Even circulating this little bit of energy made my body scream. At this rate, I’d have to stop practicing Tua Pacheonmu for a while.
I’d been using it constantly, except when I slept. But with this condition, it was out of the question.
‘Judging by the recovery speed… two months at best.’

While it hurt now, realistically, I could recover in two months.
In the past, it would have taken me over half a year, but my current body no longer required such prolonged rest.
Of course—
‘That’s only if I completely avoid fighting or training.’

Two months was assuming I rested without interruptions.
If I didn’t, it would likely take closer to four months.
Still, it didn’t matter.
‘I’ll cut it down to one month.’

I had a method to speed up my recovery, so for now, enduring the pain was enough.
Pain was bearable as long as I could push through it.
Tap—!

I landed lightly on the ground using Qi, and as if on cue, someone approached.
“I greet the Star King.”
It was a man clad in yellow martial robes—a warrior of the Hwangbo Clan.

Recognizing him immediately, I nodded.
“I’m here to see Lord Hwangbo.”
“I was informed. The Lord is expecting you.”

Following his lead, I walked through the compound. Before long, I arrived in front of the bedroom where the Tiger King—formerly known as the Fierce Tiger Fist—was resting.
Through the open doorway, I spotted a large man lying on the bed.
The middle-aged man wrapped in bandages was Hwangbo Yeolwi, the head of the Hwangbo Clan.

“Lord, the Star King has arrived.”
“I see. Let him in.”
Receiving permission, I stepped inside.
Seeing me enter, the Tiger King gestured to the warrior.

“You may leave us.”
“But, Lord…”
“It’s fine.”

The warrior hesitated, clearly concerned about Hwangbo Yeolwi’s condition, but he couldn’t disobey the order.
In the end, the warrior left.
Hoo-ooong—!!

The moment the door closed, Hwangbo Yeolwi released his Qi.
Thick energy spread throughout the room, forming a soundproof barrier.
Confirming the barrier was secure, the Tiger King suddenly bolted upright.

Despite his massive build, he moved swiftly and adjusted his posture.
He knelt down and faced me.
“I greet the Sect Leader.”

The Tiger King paid his respects, and I gave a slight nod.
This guy—he never fails to amaze me.
‘He’s got a talent for acting.’

Just moments ago, he looked like he was on his deathbed, but now there wasn’t a single trace of weakness.
It made sense, though—the whole thing about needing rest was a lie to begin with.
“So, how have you been?”
“I’ve been enjoying the best of days, thanks to you, Sect Leader.”

“No need to sugarcoat it that much.”
“Not at all. How could I…”
“Enough of that. I’ve got something to ask you.”

“I’ll listen carefully.”
“About last time—how did you pull that off?”
I was referring to that stunt where he coughed up blood and collapsed as if he’d been critically injured.

The way he shook violently before passing out—it had been so convincing that even I couldn’t tell it was fake.
At my question, the Tiger King explained,
“I stimulated my meridians to force myself to cough up blood… and simultaneously released a burst of Qi to throw my body back.”

“I figured as much. But what about the trembling and the rest afterward?”
“Pardon?”
He seemed momentarily flustered, then gave me an odd look before answering,

“I thought it’d seem more natural that way.”
“...”
It was an obvious answer.

Hearing it made my face twitch.
‘…He’s a natural.’
Seriously, this guy had talent.

How could he make something like that look so effortless?
He was ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) gifted—plain and simple.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

“Well… good job.”
“Thank you.”
“Anyway, let’s move on.”

With that settled, it was time to address the main topic.
“Did you receive the letter?”
“If you’re talking about the summons from the Martial Alliance… yes, I received it.”

As expected.
It seemed the Tiger King had also been summoned to attend the Martial Alliance meeting—just like me.
Of course, given his supposed injuries, he couldn’t make an appearance.

‘Hmm.’
It wouldn’t be a problem even if he did attend.
We’d already coordinated our stories.
What interested me more was—

‘Will they bring up the Grand Master position with him too?’
Would the Martial Alliance make the same offer to the Tiger King that they had made to me?
‘Probably not.’

It was just a hunch, but I was almost certain.
They needed the Star King—not the head of the Hwangbo Clan.
Besides, the Hwangbo Clan was in a crucial position right now.

‘If I recall, there’s debate about whether they’ll rise to become one of the Four Great Clans.’
With the Tang Clan removed, the Four Great Clans had become the Three Great Clans.
And recent events—especially the Hwangbo Clan’s contributions during the recent attacks—had fueled talks about promoting them to fill the vacancy.
‘Not bad.’

This was exactly the situation I wanted.
Given the circumstances, there was no reason for the Hwangbo Clan to side with the Martial Alliance.
And the Martial Alliance likely knew that too—meaning they wouldn’t make any unnecessary demands.

“Lord Hwangbo.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“I’ll need you to take care of a few things after the assembly.”

“Consider it done.”
The Tiger King agreed without hesitation, even before I could make my request.
I smirked at his eagerness.

Did he already know what I was going to ask?
Maybe it was because he had risen to king-level strength, or perhaps because he had a shot at joining the Four Great Clans.
Whatever the reason, the look in his eyes felt sharper than before.

“It’s nothing major. I’ll send the details later.”
What I needed him to do wasn’t complicated.
“You know the trading companies that pulled their support from the Martial Alliance?”

“Yes.”
“I’ll send you a list of them. Reach out to them.”
The Tiger King’s eyes widened slightly.

Approaching merchants who had severed ties with the Martial Alliance… It seemed he had a vague idea of what that implied.
“When you say ‘reach out’…?”
“Exactly what it sounds like.”

The quality of the prey had dropped, and the big fish had scattered.
Normally, they’d search for new opportunities elsewhere, but I had no intention of sitting idly by.
“We’ll tell them we have something more appealing to offer. Something worth hearing before they form ties with anyone else.”

Before the fish completely scattered, I intended to lure them in with something even more enticing.
The big fish needed to be gathered first.
That way, I could buy enough time to set up the net—

A net that would ensure none of them could escape once they were caught.
And I planned to use the Hwangbo Clan to weave that net.
After discussing the matter further with the Tiger King, I stepped outside.

There were still more details to finalize, but I’d bring Cheol Ji-seon in later for that.
Just as I was about to head to my next destination—
“Huh?!”

I turned at the sound of someone’s startled gasp.
An all-too-familiar face came into view.
“Oh, long time no see.”

“...”
The moment he saw me, he froze like a statue.
A large figure with rugged features, taking after his father—Hwangbo Cheolwi, a direct descendant of the Hwangbo Clan.

“I just greeted you. Aren’t you going to greet me back?”
“O-oh, long… long time no see.”
His stiff, awkward response was amusing.

I looked him over and spoke.
“I was going to ask how you’ve been, but judging by the look of you, you’ve been doing well. Working hard, huh?”
His cultivation level had risen considerably.

It seemed he’d broken through the Peak Realm.
The last time I saw him, he had barely reached the First-Class Realm.
Considering a few years had passed since then, reaching the Peak Level was impressive talent.

‘It’s just that the people around him are monsters.’
Advancing to Hwagyeong before turning thirty or even in their early twenties—those things were outright absurd.
In truth, reaching the Peak Level at his age was more than enough to be called a prodigy.

“Thank you…”
Hwangbo Cheolwi smiled awkwardly at the compliment, as if he didn’t know how to respond.
Honestly, I’d probably feel the same.

Hearing praise from someone younger than me, someone already hailed as a king, would’ve made me want to punch myself too.
‘But I was being sincere.’
Not that my sincerity meant much.

I patted his shoulder.
“Keep working hard.”
Then, leaning in close, I whispered:

“You’ll need to… if you want to surpass your brother and become the clan leader.”
“...!”
Hwangbo Cheolwi flinched.

I patted his shoulder a couple more times—
“I apologize, but you’re standing too close to the young master.”
A hand suddenly reached out to block me.

I looked at its owner.
“Ah.”
A low sigh escaped my lips.

It was Hwangbo Seon—
Known in my previous life as Silent Fist (Mugwon).
“Y-you! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Hwangbo Seon who panicked but Hwangbo Cheolwi.
He grabbed at Hwangbo Seon’s arm, but the man didn’t budge.
I gave Hwangbo Seon a curious look and asked,

“Are you guarding him?”
“Yes. I am Hwangbo Seon, assigned as Young Master Cheolwi’s escort.”
So that’s what he’s been doing.

‘Definitely an improvement from before.’
In my past life, he was one of the most formidable warriors I knew.
His talent far outstripped Hwangbo Cheolwi’s.

And judging by the difference in their cultivation levels now, that still held true.
I turned to Hwangbo Cheolwi and asked,
“I thought even branch members were given the same opportunities as direct descendants. Wasn’t that the case?”

“…It was.”
“Then what’s this about?”
Why was someone like Hwangbo Seon reduced to acting as a bodyguard?

Before Hwangbo Cheolwi could answer, Hwangbo Seon spoke up.
“I volunteered.”
“You did?”

“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Do I need to explain myself?”

“...”
Hwangbo Cheolwi turned pale, worried about my reaction.
But—

“...”
I didn’t respond.
Should I have been angry?

Strangely, I wasn’t.
Instead—
—You cannot approach the Grand Master.

A voice echoed in my mind, and my body tensed.
“Do you know who I am?”
“I do.”

I narrowed my eyes at his answer.
“It’d be absurd not to know who you are in Hanan these days.”
Not exactly the answer I was expecting.

“And yet, you’re acting like this? Do you really think you can stop me?”
“No, I can’t.”
He spoke without hesitation.

“But as long as I have someone to protect, that doesn’t matter.”
His conviction made my lips curl downward.
A few years ago, he’d been so fragile I doubted he was really Silent Fist—but now?

I could see it.
“Sure. But listen closely.”
I moved my hand slightly as I spoke.

“Urgh—!?”
Hwangbo Seon reacted, but he was too slow.
My hand darted past him, stopping just short of Hwangbo Cheolwi’s throat.

If I hadn’t stopped, Hwangbo Cheolwi would’ve died instantly.
Hwangbo Seon’s eyes went wide.
I met his gaze and said,

“You should know your limits. Otherwise, you won’t be able to protect anyone.”
Good intentions weren’t enough.
You had to pick your battles wisely.

‘Or you’ll end up dead.’
I swallowed the last part of that thought.
Hwangbo Seon’s face darkened as if crushed by the weight of his own weakness.

I withdrew my hand.
“I’m leaving.”
“…Huff… Huff… Got it.”

Ignoring Hwangbo Cheolwi’s stunned expression, I turned and leaped away without hesitation.
I pressed a hand to my chest, clicking my tongue.
Why was I so bothered by the fact that Hwangbo Seon had stood in my way to protect someone else?

‘Disgusting.’
I loathed feeling this way.
Maybe it was for the best.

I convinced myself it was.
—Grand Master.
—I’m sorry.

—If we meet again… I’ll be… a little… stronger…
But the memories resurfaced, forcing me to stretch my neck to ease the tension.
‘Next time, my ass. You’re not meeting me again.’

Just live.
Don’t waste your life chasing vengeance. Protect what you have and keep moving forward.
I’d take care of my own affairs.

You—just stay there.
I repeated that thought a few times, burying the memories.
“…Hmph.”

For the first time in years, I felt the urge to drink.
How long had it been since I craved alcohol?
I never cared much for drinking, but now… it felt oddly tempting.

Still, I wouldn’t drink.
I didn’t have the time—or the emotions—to waste on something like that.
My steps slowed slightly.

“…Nahi.”
[Yes, Master.]
The voice answered immediately.

“Pass the word.”
In place of alcohol, there was only one thing I ever chose.
“Tell them to gather. I have something to say.”

Without pausing, I kept moving forward.
That’s all I ever did.