Chapter 512

‘Look at this crazy old man…’

A voice full of disbelief rang out, accompanied by the striking red hair that stood out even in the deep darkness.

Facing an unexpected figure, I widened my eyes.

“Huh? What brings you here?”

“…I just…”

Jeok Cheon-Gang hesitated for a moment before muttering,

“I got off for a bit because of seasickness.”

“Oh, seasickness? You, sir? Seasick?”

Not just any master, but the Fire King himself—seeing him suffer from seasickness was about as believable as Spider-Man retiring due to acrophobia.

“What’s with that smile?”

I quickly forced my lips down from the smirk that had formed unconsciously.

“I naturally have a smiling face.”

“Want me to turn it into a dead face?”

“No, sir.”

“If you have complaints, say them out loud instead of grinning like that.”

“What? I never said I had any complaints. By the way, what’s that you’re hiding behind your back?”

“H-Hiding? I’m not hiding anything.”

“You’re holding something behind your back. What is it that you’re so embarrassed about that you’re trying to hide? A Murim High School Girls’ Monthly magazine, perhaps?”

“I told you, I’m not hiding anything!”

Jeok Cheon-Gang yelled in frustration at my sharp observation. His hand, which had been clasped behind him, slowly loosened.

His fingers hesitated as they fiddled with something wrapped in a large leaf.

‘That looks like food… and damn, does it smell good.’

A rich, meaty aroma rode the wind, invading my nostrils. After half a day of eating nothing but raw and grilled fish, my stomach naturally rebelled.

Grrrrgle.

“Is that pork?”

“It’s beef.”

“Did you catch it with a fishing rod?”

“Of course not. I had it prepared in advance. The bastards on the ship seasoned and grilled it. Tastes quite decent.”

“That sounds delicious.”

“You could die five times over from how good it is.”

“That sounds more like poison than food.”

“That’s how delicious it is.”

“Then let me have a taste and see for myself.”

“Hah, you’re a funny one. Do you think I brought this for you?”

“Oh, so you packed it for yourself?”

“Obviously.”

“So you got off the Fast Ship because of seasickness, abandoned it in the middle of the river despite despising the water, and still, you made sure to take some food with you…”

I slowly nodded as I stared at Jeok Cheon-Gang.

“That actually makes a lot of sense.”

“Shut up and eat.”

With a gruff voice, Jeok Cheon-Gang tossed the food at me.

“Oh wow, thank you, sir.”

“I was planning to eat it myself, but I lost my appetite, so you can have it.”

“Right. Sure. Absolutely. The whole world knows, no need to repeat it.”

“…Damn brat.”

Ignoring his grumbling, I eagerly devoured the meat.

By the time my short but intense battle with the food was nearing its end, the four sharks that had been circling nearby had vanished from sight, along with the faint silhouette of the Fast Ship in the distance.

“Oh, I missed it.”

“You mean the sharks?”

“No, I was going to let them go anyway.”

“Then… the Fast Ship?”

I licked the sauce off my fingers and answered,

“I’m not all that disappointed, actually.”

“You don’t seem too upset about it.”

“There’s no reason to be.”

“Strange kid. You chased the Fast Ship all this way using sharks, didn’t you?”

Yeah, I did. That was an undeniable fact.

But…

“I was starting to regret it.”

“…Regret?”

“Yes, regret.”

“Why?”

“Because this way… it’s meaningless.”

I had justified it by saying I needed to replenish my energy, but as I got closer to the Fast Ship, I could no longer ignore the discomfort growing inside me.

Perhaps it was because this approach contradicted the way I had lived up until now.

‘I’ve gotten careless without realizing it.’

I had already gained power beyond anything I could have imagined in the past. My name was now attached to enormous wealth, fame, and global recognition.

Maybe… I had become intoxicated by the rewards that came with it.

‘The old me wouldn’t have done this.’

To gain something, you have to pay the price.

When I was just an F-rank hunter, I worked tirelessly, taking on raid after raid to pay for my mother’s hospital bills and secure a home for my family in a high-security sector that was way beyond my means.

Even during my grueling year of training in Nine Flowers Mountain, I never once thought of running away.

“I should’ve just clung to a reef instead.”

At my self-deprecating mutter, Jeok Cheon-Gang frowned.

“Then you would have fallen even further behind the Fast Ship.”

“So what? The farther behind I fell, the more I would have learned.”

“You might never have caught up by the time it reached Hainan.”

“That doesn’t matter. Catching up isn’t my goal.”

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s hardened face softened slightly.

“In just half a day, you’ve realized the most important thing.”

I lowered my head toward him, unable to meet his gaze.

“Took me half a day. I’m sorry.”

“At first, I waited for you out of worry. Then, I was planning to scold you harshly.”

From his perspective, it must have been infuriating. He had sent me off for rigorous training, only for me to return by pulling off a ridiculous shark-powered stunt.

But now, his voice had softened.

“I was definitely going to reprimand you… but this is enough. From now on, try catching up with your own strength.”

With those final words, Jeok Cheon-Gang took a step forward.

The ripples that spread from his foot were far gentler than the chaotic waves left in my wake.

Sensing my gaze, he casually spoke,

“The Heavenly Flame Art is inherently wild. I had to waste years just to learn how to calm these waves myself.”

“Years…”

“You already know this, don’t you? That this isn’t something you can learn overnight.”

“I know. It’s not overnight… I still have ten days left.”

I shrugged and added,

“But I have two excellent mentors beside me, showing me the way forward. So compared to the process you went through, mine will be much smoother.”

The Fire King and the Killing Star.

They were warriors far above me, those who had long since traveled the path I was now walking.

Compared to Jeok Cheon-Gang, who had to find his own way without guidance, wasn’t I in a much better position?

Jeok Cheon-Gang let out a small laugh.

“Look at this sly bastard. You say it so proudly, like you’re about to cheat again.”

“If you call it cheating, that would hurt my feelings. Most people call this a ‘fortunate encounter.’”

“Hah. You sure have a silver tongue.”

“But you’re not denying it.”

“Well, because when I think about it, you’re not wrong. But that’s not the only difference between you and me.”

“Hm?”

“Your martial talent. With that monstrous body and talent of yours, I wouldn’t be surprised if a sprout starts to grow before you even reach Hainan.”

Even the grandest tree, even the most dazzling flower, starts as a single sprout.

For Jeok Cheon-Gang, it took years to bloom—but I was different.

After silently watching me for a while, he suddenly spoke.

“The ship is out of sight. I need to chase down those damn bastards.”

“Be careful. If you run into any sharks on the way, maybe try riding one.”

“So that means… you won’t be coming with me?”

The old man was teasing me, even though he already knew the answer. His mischievous expression made me chuckle.

“I’ll follow after you shortly.”

“Shortly, huh? That probably means half a day.”

“I just need to clear my head first. That’s all.”

“Tsk. You sure love making things difficult for yourself.”

Despite his words, the slight upturn of his lips couldn’t be hidden.

Jeok Cheon-Gang gave me a final look before turning his body. Then, in an instant, he shot forward into the deep darkness.

Even after his figure had vanished into the horizon, I remained standing there for a long while.

And when the sun finally rose, its light heating the river’s surface—

Splash.

With the rough waters swirling around me, I stepped forward.

My destination was no longer the Fast Ship.

It was Hainan.

—

What started as mere rumors had spread through the mouths of gossipers, carried to every corner of the world.

And then, one day, from Mount Song of Hainan, dozens—no, hundreds—of messenger birds soared into the sky. Each one carried a message that would confirm the rumors as truth.

To the warriors of the Murim, take heed.

The letter began with a simple sentence, yet its impact was anything but small.

As the message reached all corners of the martial world, those who read it understood—

A time of unstoppable turbulence had arrived.

The New Murim Alliance Proclamation.

A scarred veteran recalled the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood from the past Great War between righteous and demonic sects.

Meanwhile, younger warriors—born into an era of peace, never having experienced that brutality—were overcome with a storm of emotions.

“The time has come.”

“Finally…?”

Chaos breeds heroes.

Some warriors trembled with excitement, seeing this as their chance to carve their names into history.

“This… This can’t be happening!”

“Has it truly come to this…?”

Others shuddered in fear, realizing that death would soon come knocking on their doors.

But the righteous sects of the current Murim had already been proven victorious by history.

Decades ago, even the once-mighty Demonic Cult failed to conquer the Central Plains and was driven back in defeat.

Even though blood had recently stained Shaolin and Sichuan, most martial artists saw this as a call to arms, not a reason to retreat in fear.

“All warriors of spirit, all who bear weapons—gather under the banner of the Murim Alliance!”

The proclamation echoed across the land.

And there were those who answered its call.

“Shaolin of Mount Song pledges allegiance to the Alliance.”

“Huashan Sect will also join the Murim Alliance.”

The Nine Great Sects and the Five Noble Houses—the seventeen pillars that upheld the current Murim—began to move.

Among them, Shaolin and the Huashan Sect were the first to raise the banner of the Murim Alliance, with the other great sects soon following suit.

In markets, brothels, and inns, gossiping storytellers could speak of nothing else.

“Have you heard? The Nine Great Sects and Five Noble Houses have all joined the Alliance.”

“It’s only been a day since the news broke, and already?”

“You’re slow on the uptake. Of course, that was expected. The real question is—what about the other sects?”

“I heard that the Yue Clan of Shandong is planning to join as well.”

“That’s a bit surprising. Aren’t they caught between the martial world and the government?”

“What about the Chen Family of Guangdong?”

“The previous head of their family was killed in the Great War. The current head must see this as a chance for revenge. By now, everyone knows that Dark Heaven is the successor to the Demonic Cult.”

“The Murim Alliance is the very symbol of the righteous sects. The real problem is how the unorthodox factions and outsiders will respond.”

Even as those idle chatterers exchanged words, across the entire martial world, movements had already begun.

And amid the wildfire of spreading tension—

Ten days passed.