The Number One of the Heretic Path chuckled and continued.

“Snake-faced, huh? I’ve heard that plenty of times. Brings back memories. Funny thing is, everyone who said that to me... is dead. Lord of Haomun, got that?”

Seems the snake-faced bastard was pissed. I answered him in a flat tone.

“Nope. Don’t get it.”

“I’ll take your one-on-one challenge.”

“Oh?”

“But it has to be between equals.”

“Equals?”

“You fight the Greatest Sword of Dongho. Then I’ll accept a challenge from the Sword Demon. As for the rest of you... well, you'll die depending on the outcome.”

To that, the Greatest Sword of Dongho humbly replied,

“As you command.”

Beating their own drum and marching to their own rhythm, I see.

Problem was, the beat was annoying, and the rhythm was off. I looked at the Heretic with a smirk.

Heretics doing a fair one-on-one?

I don’t believe it.

This bastard who’s been hiding behind cliffs while shoving his subordinates into the abyss is suddenly going to play fair?

Not buying it.

If he were serious about a one-on-one, he would've accepted back when I first proposed it.

This meant that while I was tied up fighting the Greatest Sword of Dongho, the Number One of the Heretic Path would be waiting to ambush me. Meanwhile, the remaining three of us would be surrounded by the Heretic Alliance officers, fighting a losing battle.

The sinister thoughts behind those snake-like eyes were plain to see.

The Greatest Sword of Dongho looked at me and said,

“Lord, you’re not trembling with fear, are you? Come on out.”

I picked my nose and replied.

“Hey, you shameless snake bastards.”

“...”

“I can’t trust you. You’re probably the very first ones the Demonic Cult took out when they reached the central plains. Obvious targets, even the Martial Alliance didn’t help you. There must’ve been tons of trash like Black Fragrance back then. No reason to help you. And now you want a fair duel?”

The Greatest Sword of Dongho asked,

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“What else? All of you are dying here on White Sand Island. No wonder Black Fragrance was run so shamelessly—turns out it was led by heretics. Finally tracked you down. You son of a bitch...”

The Number One of the Heretic Path nodded and ordered the Greatest Sword of Dongho,

“Fine. Kill him. I’ll join when the time is right.”

I answered right away.

“And when exactly is that? When your guy’s about to die? That’s leadership, huh? Real noble of you. So even now, you’re saying more of your people need to die before you move? Right? That way we’re more worn down. Real path to immortality there. Snake bastard.”

I looked around at the Heretic underlings.

“Proud little rats serving under such a great master, huh? You must be proud. You fuckers—show him your loyalty. Gotta keep him alive until he’s pissing on himself in a hospice.”

That finally made the Number One of the Heretic Path snap.

“Shut your mouth!”

I responded with a look of mock confusion.

“Nope. And for the finale...”

I drew my wooden sword and launched a sword qi strike aimed right at one of the officers’ torsos.

Shraaang!

Trying to dodge the incoming blade qi, the officer lost an arm and let out a sharp scream.

With a smiling face, I gave a little warning to the Four Villains.

“It’s chaos ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) now. Try not to die.”

The pit in the center was filling with water, so although the fight had begun, neither side rushed in completely.

The Heretic Leader scolded the injured officer.

“Shut it. Get back before I kill you myself. Scream again and I’ll finish you first.”

Amusingly, the officer covered his mouth and retreated.

Meanwhile, I babbled on with fake strategic chatter that would help the Four Villains analyze enemy strength.

“...Think of those mid-tier officers as being on par with Bi-gaek, the guy I killed before. Above that is the Greatest Sword of Dongho. And at the very top is Snake-Eyes. That bastard’s going to ambush someone, so watch out. If anyone runs, leave them.”

I wasn’t sure if anyone would actually run, but it was good psychological warfare. The murderous aura of dozens of fighters stretched into the sky, as if disturbing the spirits of White Sand Island.

I kept running my mouth as the standoff dragged on.

“Yukhap’s the strongest among us, so he should take the heretic.”

The Drunk replied calmly.

“Understood.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the Drunk. It was a surprising comment.

The Drunk drew his Six Harmonies Sword and addressed the Heretic Leader.

“Snake-Eyes, come here. You dare insult someone uglier than you? Unbelievable.”

The Heretic Leader tilted his head and glared at the Drunk.

“I’ll kill you myself. What are you all waiting for? Attack together. I’ll back you up.”

The dozen or so officers surrounding the pit leapt into the air and crossed over in one swoop. It was a reckless charge, but they clearly thought they had a shot.

As they all left their lower guards open—

The Greatest Sword of Dongho lowered his stance, drew his blade, and unleashed a massive crescent-shaped sword wave.

SSSHHHHHRRRAAAAAANG!

All four of us pushed off the ground and leapt back, blocking the attack with our own techniques. The officers of the Heretic Alliance landed where we had been and scattered to attack.

I stayed back and observed the situation.

The Lecher unleashed waves of freezing qi with his twin palms.

The Sword Demon rushed into a group of three or four, swinging the Bright Sword. Seemed he’d already marked a target—he barely swung a few times before one officer screamed.

“Graaagh!”

I admired the scream.

“Nice. Louder, please.”

Meanwhile, the Greatest Sword of Dongho and the Heretic Leader crossed the pit and looked for openings.

‘God, what annoying bastards.’

Still letting their officers die while looking for the perfect moment. Two cowards in charge.

I backed off again, pretending to reassess the battle.

The Sword Demon was handling four; the Drunk, three; the Lecher, another three. One guy had underestimated the Lecher and got frozen from a palm strike, collapsing after staggering back.

The Lecher grinned.

“Hehehe.”

I didn’t act yet. I waited until the battle stabilized. My focus was on the Greatest Sword and the Heretic Leader.

“You cowards, just gonna stand there watching like me? Let’s make it fair—both of you come at me at once.”

But the Heretic Leader ignored me and suddenly sat cross-legged, watching the battlefield.

If he decided to unleash a technique from that position, the Lecher, the Drunk, and the Sword Demon would all be in danger.

The Greatest Sword of Dongho locked eyes with me and smirked.

“Still want a one-on-one, you idiot?”

“Maybe.”

“Come, then.”

I sheathed my sword and started walking toward him. The Lecher was going wild on my right; the Drunk fought on the left. I walked straight through.

As I got closer, the Heretic Leader narrowed his eyes.

“Stop him.”

The Greatest Sword leapt into the air and charged—but I activated light footwork and joined up with the Lecher using Jeunjong.

A hundred times faster than Cha Seong-tae’s ambush.

I drew my wooden sword and took off the head of an officer who had his back turned. Then I unleashed freezing qi with my left palm. Two more were instantly frozen as the Lecher’s cold energy finished the job.

Three down in an instant.

I said to the Lecher,

“To the eldest.”

He didn’t reply—just immediately joined up with the Sword Demon. I then calmly drew my sword and clashed with the arriving Greatest Sword of Dongho. Sparks exploded from our blades as I used a steel-wall defense.

“What took you so long? Three of your guys are dead.”

As I deflected his sword, the Heretic Leader shot up from his seat and flew at the Drunk.

So he finally realized the Drunk was the weakest one and went in for the kill—copying my earlier ambush tactic.

As I blocked the Greatest Sword’s attack, I called out,

“Second, fall back.”

The Drunk answered calmly while dealing with his enemies.

“Confirmed.”

He slashed the ground with the tip of his sword, creating a flurry of rocks and wind.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

From the corner of my eye, I saw the Drunk retreating—his body language showed perfect understanding of my intent.

The Greatest Sword’s blade barely grazed my shoulder, slicing open my robe. I unleashed Moonlight Cold Heart energy forward to block his vision, then quickly retreated.

Just then, I heard the Sword Demon’s calm voice.

“I’ll take over here.”

The Lecher replied,

“Yes.”

The Sword Demon soared into the air, spinning as he chased the Heretic Leader who was chasing the Drunk.

The Drunk runs.

The Heretic Leader chases.

The Sword Demon chases him.

A ridiculous daisy chain.

Meanwhile, the three enemies the Drunk had been fighting joined the chase. I unleashed the long-form of Muguk Heavy Sword and forced the Greatest Sword to back off, then darted back to the Lecher using Jeunjong.

I soared upward, sheathed my sword, and unleashed the full lunar pressure from both palms.

“Lecher.”

He was already in my attack radius.

Without looking back, he leapt into the air and twisted midair, unleashing his own freezing qi.

The combined force of Jade Flower Ice Technique and Moonlight Cold Heart engulfed four enemies at once.

They had been fiercely swinging their swords, but the moment the freezing energy took hold, their movements slowed.

I left the finish to the Lecher and turned away, dodging a series of rapid strikes from the Greatest Sword of Dongho.

Wanted to mock him, but he was too fast to waste breath.

I drew my sword mid-motion and clashed.

CHANG!

Blocked him, then threw out a blast of energy with my left palm.

CRAAAAAACK!

I didn’t even try to resist—just used the impact to flip midair and descended on the frozen enemies, wildly swinging my sword.

A chorus of screams erupted.

Anything I saw, I cut. Arms, torsos—severed.

The Lecher crushed a guy’s skull with his palm and charged at the Greatest Sword of Dongho.

In an instant, they exchanged fierce blows.

Now, the Greatest Sword of Dongho looked flustered.

After killing off everyone who had been fighting the Lecher, I asked him,

“Late again? They’re all dead. Why are you always like this?”

I said it mid-fight as I joined the Lecher in attacking him. With the situation urgent, I unleashed my full speed in relentless attacks.

Honestly, I didn’t care if I got hurt. I ignored life and death and used Dokgo Heavy Sword. The Lecher, being a crafty bastard, mixed ice-based palm strikes aimed at the guy’s foot, shin, knee, lower body, and even crotch. Trying to neuter him.

But once I judged I could finish this alone, I told the Lecher,

“Join the second.”

“Got it.”

With Dokgo Heavy Sword, I attacked single-mindedly.

Pretending I was going for mutual destruction, I threw myself into the assault.

Thinking back, this guy wasn’t the type to die with me.

He was clearly someone who’d do anything to survive.

Why?

Because he was influenced by that snake of a boss. That’s why Dokgo Heavy Sword worked like an unbeatable technique against him.

Would he ever understand this profound truth?

If so, Dokgo Heavy Sword deserves a full reevaluation. It’s a sword art perfected by psychological warfare.

To someone worried about self-preservation—it's an invincible technique.

Some men find enlightenment mid-fight.

That’s me.

I kept hammering the Greatest Sword of Dongho. The constant attacks made it easy for me to release mixed-elemental bursts from my left hand—ice, flame, and thunder. With my right hand, the wooden sword drove home dangerous, reckless strikes.

Suddenly, my head heated up—I remembered the White-Robed Scholar, and entered a trance. I extended three fingers toward my enemy.

Focus surged like my brain was on fire...

From each finger, light erupted—moonlight, flame, and lightning.

SHRRAAAANG!

The three rays slammed into the Greatest Sword of Dongho. At the same time, I mimicked Im Sobaek’s Single Slash to Sever All, bringing my sword down vertically.

Trying to block all three, the Greatest Sword of Dongho was split clean in two.

SPLOOOSH!

I sheathed my sword, then shouted at the Heretic Leader who was fighting the Sword Demon.

“Hey, snake bastard! I’m still alive. Greatest Sword of Dongho just died. You piece of shit, it’s your fault. I’ll avenge the bandits, even if I’m the one who killed them. That’s who I am. Everyone who died on White Sand Island died because of you—because of one pathetic old errand boy who happened to survive. They’ve all become drowned ghosts. I’ll lead them straight to you. Die. You’re dying today. When Yama asks who killed you, recite the names of the Four Villains.”

I laughed maniacally.

“That’s us.”

Then I snapped back to myself—some officers were still harassing the Drunk and the Lecher.

“Oh?”

My inner Crazy Demon surged. I roared, raised both hands like claws, and wrapped them in Hundred Battles Tenfold Technique.

CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE!!

With total focus of spirit and internal energy, my body was engulfed in white lightning. I charged the ones fighting the Drunk, claws ablaze, slashing like a rabid beast.

They were already scared out of their minds.

Because I’d already won the mental war.

I clawed, slashed, grabbed heads and twisted them off. Lightning burst from me, blood sprayed everywhere, and my madness peaked.

Ah...

It’s all so vivid.

Right.

In my past life, I didn’t always win with fancy techniques.

I just fought like a lunatic—and killed men stronger than me.

At long last, I reunited with the Crazy Demon of my past life.

Sometimes... battle does that.

I ripped apart the ones bullying the Drunk, one by one. Covered in blood, I locked eyes with him—and cackled.

He looked at me, then smiled brighter than ever before.

The Lecher, arriving after killing his last enemy, let out a sigh.

“You’re the fucking Crazy Demon all right. Stop laughing, you lunatic.”

The Drunk nodded.

“Crazy Demon it is.”

I gave the Lecher his nickname.

And the Lecher... gave me mine.

Call it the strange reward of a man who’s lived two lives.

I reclaimed my title—Crazy Demon—here on White Sand Island.