“These are the names of the worthless scum who got swayed by the vile tricks of the Jeogan dogs. These bastards dared to betray the grace of Lord Seol...”

“Branch Lord Cheon.”

“...Yes, sir.”

“If you had arrived even slightly later than Han Seokhyeon, everyone around you—including yourself—would have died today.”

Cheon Eojin swallowed hard.

“And Han Seokhyeon over there would have taken your place.”

Seol Unwi reached out his hand toward the trembling Cheon Eojin.

“Han Seokhyeon. You should have something for me as well.”

“Of course, Daein.”

Han Seokhyeon immediately stepped forward and handed Unwi a tightly rolled scroll.

Unwi unfolded the two sheets and began reading through them line by line. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

“Not bad at all.”

“Thank you, Daein.”

Unwi quietly set the two sheets aside and spoke briefly.

“Branch Lord Cheon.”

“...Yes...”

“Did I look like a fool to you?”

“No... Absolutely not!”

“And yet it took you two full shijin.”

“......”

“You must have weighed the offer from Jeogan... Were you tempted?”

Cheon Eojin swallowed again.

Seol Unwi.

From the very beginning, he hadn’t seemed like someone to take lightly, but his insight now seemed to dwell in the heavens.

How could a man be this cold and clear-headed?

“Whatever offer they made, it must’ve been tempting. That’s why it took you so long to decide. But I suppose it took a little longer to realize the one thing you’d been overlooking.”

Cheon Eojin raised his trembling head.

“Do I need to keep reminding you that your life hangs by a thread in my hands?”

“No... no, sir...”

“Do I need to explain to you one by one why I took your signed life guarantee?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Then can I trust that something like this will never happen again?”

Cheon Eojin dropped to the floor in a prostrated bow.

“Of course! I would never betray Lord Seol! Please believe me!”

“I believe you.”

Cheon Eojin looked up with a visibly brightened expression.

“How many warriors can the Cheonha Merchant Guild mobilize immediately?”

“...Twenty warriors from the Yeongi-Sagyeong. We don’t have any from Ogijo-Won, but we have two from Samhwa-Chwijeong.”

“What about the Shin-Samgyeong?”

“Eighty, sir.”

Twenty and eighty—one hundred total.

“I plan to use ten of the Yeongi-Sagyeong, forty of the Shin-Samgyeong, and the two from Samhwa-Chwijeong.”

“...Of course. I’ll provide them right away. Certainly.”

“Not immediately. I’ll need them in about four shijin. Have them prepared in advance.”

“Yes... I’ll make the arrangements, Daein.”

“You may go.”

“Understood!”

With that, Cheon Eojin left.

Han Seokhyeon, who had remained behind, gave a faint smile.

“Indeed, Lord Seol’s insight surpasses even what I could dare predict.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It’s admiration.”

The situation was simple.

The Jeogan faction had undoubtedly made contact with the sects in Yangryeong. From Unwi’s perspective, it was inevitable.

Since the territories of Jeogan and Yangryeong weren’t connected, they had planted ‘agents.’

Though called agents, it was closer to co-opting them.

They needed information about the area, and they needed to prepare a response.

If they intended to swallow Yangryeong entirely under the name of the Sacheon Alliance, then it was the logical move.

So then—which sects had they approached?

That still needed investigation, but at least one of them had to be the Cheonha Merchant Guild.

It would have made things easier for Jeogan.

And indeed, Cheon Eojin had hesitated.

“He’s a snake of a man. Jeogan promised to hand over all of Yangryeong to the Cheonha Guild. And as soon as he heard that, Cheon Eojin drafted a list of the sects Jeogan had approached. Originally, he wasn’t planning to give it to you—he meant to use it as a shield depending on how the battle went. But this time, his calculation was quicker.”

“You were there when it happened?”

“I wasn’t, but someone I placed nearby was. He reported it to me. The facts have been cross-checked, so there’s no need to doubt their authenticity.”

Unwi gave a curious smile.

“You must be a little disappointed.”

“Me?”

“You could have devoured the entire Cheonha Guild. Didn’t you have to postpone that?”

Han Seokhyeon chuckled.

“It’s fine. As you well know, Daein, there’s a right time for everything.”

“I agree.”

Han Seokhyeon was certainly a capable man.

Too capable to be stuck in a place like this.

“Surely, you intend to erase Jeogan from the world.”

Unwi nodded.

“If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.”

Unwi shook his head and picked up the paper Han Seokhyeon had handed him.

“This alone is more than enough help.”

“You flatter me.”

Han Seokhyeon was certain.

The sects listed on that paper would be erased from the world.

It was simple.

It was one thing for the Jeogan faction to make contact. Even without Unwi, that much could be understood.

But the real issue came afterward.

If they failed to report Jeogan’s approach to Unwi, it meant they had not merely hesitated—they had made their decision.

There was a reason Cheon Eojin had rushed in like a madman and thrown himself to the ground.

Han Seokhyeon, silent for a while, finally spoke in a calm voice.

“It seems there are still many who don’t understand the situation.”

“You think so too?”

“Yes. Their perspective has changed, and so has what they see.”

“And?”

“I’m just a merchant—I can’t take on something grand—but at the very least, when it comes to mining operations, you have nothing to worry about. That part, I can promise you.”

Unwi nodded.

“I believe you.”

“Thank [N O V E L I G H T] you.”

“Also, summon all the sect leaders of Yangryeong to the Yangryeong Hall. The time will be...”

Unwi thought for a moment, then spoke shortly.

“Four shijin from now.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure the message is delivered.”

“You may go now.”

Han Seokhyeon respectfully offered a martial salute and returned to the Cheonha Merchant Guild.

Left alone, Unwi slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky.

He didn’t know how long it had been.

He had always said that Chief Steward Seong was important to him, but he hadn’t known to what degree.

But seeing him lying there like that, he realized it.

He closed his eyes and sank into thought.

How should he act from here on?

What was the best path to take?

Jeogan.

And Ilmun-Samga-Ijang.

Would it be right to erase the city of Jeogan itself from this world?

Or was it better to erase just the Ilmun-Samga-Ijang?

Either way—

Every one of the warriors who had entered Yangryeong five days ago—

Would die.

No.

He would kill them.

***

Yang So operated the Iron Mountain Sword Sect and resided in Seolap.

He could have relocated to Yangryeong. He could have claimed the finest location, where the now-defunct Juryoeng Sword Sect once stood—but he didn’t.

He chose to grow his strength and hone his martial arts in Seolap, and now he had reached the level of Ogijo-Won.

Ignoring the favor he had received from Unwi as a martial artist was unthinkable.

To put it bluntly, even if he wouldn’t die on command, he’d at least pretend to.

If strength was needed, he was ready to rush over at a moment’s notice—anytime.

So the moment he received the letter from Yangryeong, he moved.

He first selected twenty warriors from the Iron Mountain Sword Sect.

There wasn’t a single Samhwa-Chwijeong among them, but five were Yanggwang-Ihyeon and two were Oryong-Bongseong.

All of them had joined after hearing of Yang So’s renown upon reaching Ogijo-Won. They were promising talents from the sect.

He brought them all to Yangryeong.

Naturally, as they entered the Yangryeong branch, the warriors of the Iron Mountain Sword Sect held their breath.

At the threshold of the hall, under the eaves, sat a man, his forehead covered by one hand.

He was alone.

There wasn’t a single guard in sight, yet the air was unbearably heavy. Even breathing was difficult.

That weight—intangible yet suffocating—pressed down on every warrior present.

It wasn’t mere pressure. It was as if the sky had collapsed, as if a mountain bore down on their backs.

The gathered warriors realized the insignificance of their own existence simply by sensing his presence.

Overwhelming.

That word alone could capture it all. Like a crouching dragon. A storm lying dormant, poised to explode.

Even Yang So, who had reached Ogijo-Won, was speechless. There was nothing more to say. He could only bow his head in silence.

This man was Hyeon Seolrin.

The master of Yangryeong.

He moved slowly. The fingers shielding his face trembled ever so slightly.

“Yang So.”

His voice was soft, but it echoed through the hall like thunder. At that call, Yang So immediately offered a martial salute. Cold sweat rolled down his back.

“Yes, Daein.”

“Is your blade well-honed?”

It was a simple question—but everyone knew what it meant.

Blood would be spilled today.

“Of course.”

Unwi slowly lifted his head. The hand that had been covering his face lowered gently, revealing his eyes.

Eyes that burned like a primordial beast hunting its prey. Confronted with that gaze, Yang So couldn’t say a word.

“I’ll be using your blade today.”

There was no doubt about it.

Countless lives would be severed today.

***

Once again, the Yangryeong Hall trembled.

All the sect leaders of Yangryeong’s most prominent factions had gathered. It was the second time since Unwi had taken control of Yangryeong.

Yet despite being the second, the atmosphere was even heavier than the first.

As it should be.

The fourteen severed heads hanging at Yangryeong’s main gate did not belong to ordinary men—they were members of the Iron Name Pavilion’s third squad, one of the Sacheon Alliance’s elite strike forces, including their squad captain.

More had died in truth, but only fourteen heads could be hung. What could you do with heads that had been completely smashed to pulp?

You couldn’t even display them.

“...This time, the Sacheon Alliance and Everlasting Snow Palace might really go to war,” said Jin Horin, head of Okho Sect. More than thirty men and women fell silent.

That’s how serious the situation was.

So why had the master of Yangryeong called them here?

Thinking rationally, there was only one thing the Yangryeong Branch Lord should do.

Apologize.

After all, he had promised to protect them—how had the entire region been thrown into danger?

Even if he had made a name for himself by shaking the martial world with a game of Go, wrong was still wrong.

It had only been five days.

Five days ago, hundreds of Jeogan’s warriors had stormed into Yangryeong.

In that moment, everyone’s lives had been in their hands.

And who had brought things to that point?

Seol Unwi.

It was only right that he apologize.

Though—truthfully—there were already those who had made up their minds, regardless of whether he did or not.