The Senior Strategist’s office took up the entire seventh floor, the highest point of the tower. To get there, Woon-seong had to walk through six floors. Despite this, no one stopped him. 

It seemed that his arrival had already been announced. So, the youth climbed seven stories of stairs. Upon entering the seventh floor, the first thing he saw was a wooden door leading to a seemingly empty office. Despite no presence being sensed, voices could still be heard from beyond the door, terrifying him. [1]

At this point, the door opened before Woon-seong could announce his arrival.. Seeing this, the youth could only swallow. Although it seemed inferior to the skills of the Heavenly Demon, that was still telekinesis!

While he hesitated, a voice floated over. “What’s the matter? Come in.” 

Crossing the threshold, a peculiar smell originating from old paper permeated the air. 

It’s as if I entered the safehouse of the Spear Master Sect. 

Woon-seong smiled bitterly at the familiar smell as the Senior Strategist got up from his seat and slowly walked over. 

“Have a seat.”

Three pens could be seen on the Senior Strategist’s belt: The  black pen, the blood pen, and the pen of life and death. Woon-seong was well acquainted with the story surrounding these three iron pens. 

When the Demonic Cult’s Brain of the Heavenly Demon draws his black pen, an arm or leg is severed. When he draws the blood pen, all limbs are lost. When he draws the pen of life and death, you will surely meet your end!

While Woon-seong was thinking about the famous saying, he sat down at the urging of the Senior Strategist. Once they both settled down, the other held up two cups of water. Unlike how most people made their tea, the tea leaves were not yet in the cups and the water was cold. 

“Let’s start with a cup of tea.”

As Woon-seong sat in his seat, he saw the strategist calmly pull out tea leaves and put them into the teacups. He then patted the cups with his fingertips. In an instant, the tea had finished boiling and the fragrance of tea rose into the air. 

That was Samādhi ignition!

Being capable of Samādhi ignition means he’s at the same level as my master…and there’s supposed to be nine more like him?

Woon-seong trembled slightly. 

Although it was easy to classify someone as first class or top class, it was hard to say who was better or worse until two people actually fought. In addition, if two martial artists had similar strengths, victory or defeat depended on health, mood, and the surrounding environment. 

Again, Woon-seong was surprised by the power of the Cult after seeing the strength of one of the Ten Demonic Masters firsthand. 

“Here.”

At that time, one of the teacups, which had been heated, was handed to the youth. Despite the fact that Samādhi ignition was used, the water-qi was almost undisturbed. [2] 

Woon-seong leaned over and drank some of the tea. 

Confirming that the youth had swallowed some tea, the strategist spoke, “I’ve sent someone to guide you here. It seems like he committed a mistake against you.”

Woon-seong noticed that the Senior Strategist knew he had punished the messenger, meaning that the other’s qi senses reached all the way to the bottom of the tower. 

“Ah…he tried to test me. So I gave him a light punishment.” 

“Oh dear…” The strategist nodded and laughed. “He’s a capable fellow, but sometimes he has the tendency to overestimate himself. That should teach him a valuable lesson.”

Woon-seong put down the cup in his hand. “I heard that you needed me.”

“To be precise, I’m in need of the Captain of the Charred Dragon Unit.”

Woon-seong stiffened at these words. 

Asking for the Great Demon Hyuk Woon-seong and asking for the Captain of the Charred Dragon Unit were two different matters. If you asked for Hyuk Woon-seong it meant you had something to say or do personally, asking for the Captain…

“You have a job that needs to be done.”

The strategist tapped a scroll on the side with his hand, causing it to unfurl. As the scroll opened, a map appeared. “I need you to lead the Charred Dragon Unit to Sichuan.”

Sichuan could be considered both the outskirts and the center of the world. It was clearly a place of great importance to the Orthodox Sect. The Qingcheng, Mount Hua Sect, and the Sichuan Tang family were all there. This was not an area easy for the demonic to casually stroll through. 

“Sichuan?”

The strategist nodded heavily, then pointed to the region on the map. “Branches of the Cult reside everywhere, Sichuan is no exception.”

Woon-seong silently listened. 

“The Sichuan branch leader has been kidnapped by the Orthodox Sects.” The strategist clicked his tongue. 

In the meantime, Woon-seong weighed the importance of the Sichuan branch and the Charred Dragon Unit. It was not difficult to infer this was a rescue mission. But no matter how he looked at it, calling for an elite unit was going overboard. 

“Is it necessary to move the Charred Dragon Unit?” 

This was a branch leader, but the Charred Dragon Unit was still one of the Twelve Supporting Units. 

However, the strategist explained some more. “It wouldn’t have, if it were some other branch leader in Sichuan. But the one kidnapped is a man named Un Un. He is the general manager of all branches in Sichuan.”

Even so, it was still overboard. 

Unless he had something special. 

Senior Strategist Sang Gwan-chuk continued after drinking some tea, guessing Woon-seong’s thoughts. “Unlike ordinary branch managers, general managers know the location of the Secret Demon Vault.”

Woon-seong immediately stiffened. The Secret Demon Vault was the vault of the Cult and an important part of the communication network. It’s location could not be exposed!

“Word says that he’s currently imprisoned in the Sichuan branch of the Martial Alliance. It’s also safe to assume that the Alliance won’t send someone ordinary for the interrogation.”

Woon-seong understood why it was an urgent matter, one worthy of mobilizing the Charred Dragon Unit. The youth rose from his seat while inelegantly pouring the remaining tea into his mouth. “I’ll leave right now.”

On that day, a little over twenty people hurried from Mt. Heaven into the villages surrounding the Cult. Their leader was, of course, a young man with a spear. 

The Charred Dragon Unit had set off. 

The slow moving sword gradually increased in speed. A light blue qi spread and bloomed like clouds. Another sword glare flowed near the ground, bright red like an ember. It was a subtle difference, but another integral part of the swordsmanship. 

Blue clouds and a sword of red glow. 

In Qingcheng, there was only one person who was able to unleash this sword perfectly. 

The First Apprentice of Qingcheng, the Elder of the Swords of Qingcheng, Song Chi-hak. . 

Jang Seo-ah, a disciple of this swordsman, was unable to take her eyes off the sword. The aura had become thicker than what she had seen three years ago. 

“Did you see it?”

“Yes, Master.”

“With enough effort, you will be able to achieve it too.”

The teacher’s eyes moved. He pretended to be stern, but his eyes were licentiously roaming the disciple’s body. The talented child he had brought back as an apprentice was now a fully developed woman. His eyes flitted to her slender waist. Then, he shook his head lightly. It was not the time yet. It would not be too late to take her after making Qincheng his own, even after taking over Murim would still be fine. Thus, he forced his gaze away. 

“We have lost contact from the youngest.” 

The youngest he was speaking of was the Sword of Men, Mae Hong-sung. 

“Go and find out what’s going on. I sent him to Lop Nur for a task, but something seems to have happened.”

The disciple bowed her head. 

“Originally, I should be doing it myself, but the Martial Alliance has sent a request to me. It looks like the Sichuan branch of the Alliance, where our eldest is, caught an officer of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon. My job is probably to interrogate him.”

“I’ll take responsibility for finding my junior brother. I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about a thing, Master…”

The First Apprentice smiled brightly and reached out to grab her hands. He caressed her hand a few times, indulging in the softer skin of a young woman. Jang Seo-ah was feeling uncomfortable from the unwanted touch, but did not dare say anything to her master. 

“But seriously, I wonder what the youngest is doing…”

At that time, the First Apprentice did not know that the Sword of Men was dead, and that the person who killed Mae Hong-sung was also aiming a knife at his own heart. 

Likewise, Woon-seong did not know that one of his enemies, this swordsman, was headed to the same regional branch of the Martial Alliance as he was. 

[1] He’s scared because he can hear them, but not sense them, indicating the vast difference in strength.

[2] The raws use “shui qi”, the “qi” could either refer to mana/energy or gas so I have no idea what the author means here. I would just assume that the technique didn’t affect the quality of the tea.