Chapter: 34

[Among all human emotions, there is nothing as tricky and difficult as jealousy.]

Storm Blade stared straight at Gwi-yeong and said,

[I was once the foremost disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. The most outstanding among them all. Do you know what it feels like to be the best of the best in a renowned sect?]

"Mount Hua Sect, I can't believe you were a disciple of a Taoist sect."

It didn't suit the usually arrogant and rough Storm Blade.

Storm Blade's bloodshot eyes widened as he looked at Gwi-yeong, who seemed genuinely surprised.

[It feels like flying. That feeling of everyone praising and admiring me. The feeling a human gets when everyone praises and acknowledges my superiority is beyond compare.]

Lost in the past, Storm Blade's eyes were searching through memories, not reality.

[My Father was a third-rate member of the Evil Sect. My Mother was a courtesan. Mother and I were beaten by my Father, who was always consumed by inferiority. Eventually, Mother abandoned Father and me, running away with another man. This lowly birth always haunted me. That's why I trained harder than others.]

The eyes of a child who hated his parents settled in Storm Blade.

[I tore apart and remade my body and mind to prove that I was different from them. Even though I was born lowly, I would grow up nobly.]

Gwi-yeong began to look at Storm Blade with different eyes than usual.

[I forgot the vulgar words and actions my Father taught me and replaced them with those of the righteous. To escape the shadow of my uneducated parents, I adopted etiquette and formality. But the more I did, the darker and more swollen the shadow suppressed in my heart became.]

The shadow within grows darker the brighter and clearer the mask one wears.

No matter how much one tries to suppress and hide it, it's useless.

[I wanted to look down on and trample others. I wanted to flaunt my superiority and be arrogant. But every time, I hid myself even more, afraid that I had inherited my parents' nature.]

[They say a child is a mirror of their parents. Perhaps that's why. When I looked at my hideous inner self, I saw my Father reflected. The ego of the human I hated so much was dwelling within me.]

As a child, one cannot escape the shadow of their parents.

Whether it's personality, behavior, or memories.

[As I grew, I freely displayed my genius. Yet, I never neglected to suppress my cruel side.]

From this point on, darkness began to settle in Storm Blade's eyes.

[But my fellow disciples felt jealousy towards me. They flattered me to my face but spread all sorts of slander about me behind my back.]

[All my sincerity to be well-regarded by everyone, my efforts to escape the shadow of my parents. They trampled on it mercilessly.]

The betrayal of friends is like a knife in the back.

[Nevertheless, I suppressed the boiling anger and betrayal, and I suppressed the cruelty within. Because that is the fate of Taoists. Because the path of righteousness I walk is such.]

Gwi-yeong stared intently into Storm Blade's eyes.

His eyes, usually filled with arrogance and contempt, now contained sorrow and injustice.

[But the only ending that came to me was betrayal and despair. While chasing after my fellow disciples and martial arts criminals, I was abandoned and isolated. The enemy had become many, not one, and I was captured.]

"Your fellow disciples' jealousy drove you to your death."

[I was captured by Demon Humans and trapped in this barbaric and crude weapon. I had spent my whole life running away from barbarism and crudeness, but in the end, this is what I became.]

Immersed in Storm Blade's past, Gwi-yeong narrowed his eyes and said,

"Just what kind of bastards turn a person into a weapon..."

[I realized one thing after I became like this.]

Storm Blade's eyes flashed as he replied,

[I was abandoned because I had companions. If I had been alone from the start, I wouldn't have been betrayed or hurt. So, I agree with your opinion.]

The eyes of the weapon and its owner meet each other.

[That one can become perfect by being alone. I understand and sympathize with that more than anyone else.]

Though the reasons were different, they shared the same thought.

[Since then, countless contractors have held me in their hands. Over the years, I have seen many human figures, and I have come to realize one thing.]

Cruelty settles in his red eyes, curving like a crescent moon.

[Every human has a shadow. Whether they are righteous, Evil Sect, or even Demon Human. There are no exceptions. When they wear a mask, they always choose the one that is furthest from their own shadow.]

[A tender-hearted human wears a cruel mask, and a fearful human chooses a brave mask. The one whose inner self is young pretends to be an adult, and the one who is consumed by greed puts on a clean face. In the end, their real face is beyond the mask.]

Only then did Gwi-yeong realize what kind of being Storm Blade was.

A being who walked the path of a Taoist to overcome his darkness, but was denied by everyone, trapped in a cursed weapon, and eventually corrupted.

He, who was righteous and a Taoist, had become a demon who hated humans.

[The mask of the virtuous Taoist that I was wearing has been peeled off. The shackles of etiquette and formality that bound my shadow have rusted and crumbled. Now, all that remains is ugliness.]

Gwi-yeong listened to Storm Blade's whisper.

[So, I ask you. What mask are you wearing?]

"I, I..."

Gwi-yeong looked at his weapon with trembling eyes.

-Fifteen days later-

A huge building with a black dragon protruding its head.

Warriors wearing black uniforms with black dragons embroidered on them were lined up on the left and right, creating a heavy and strict atmosphere.

Beyond them, a man was sitting arrogantly on a splendid Grand Master's Chair carved with a black dragon.

A man with slightly curly hair and tanned skin.

He was Yonggak, a master of the Evil Sect known as the 'Black Dragon Society Lord' in the world.

He looked down at the two men kneeling before him and opened his mouth.

"Branch Lord Mokchal and Branch Lord Geumgyeong arrived on time, but Branch Lord Mujang has not come."

Branch Lord Mokchal was in charge of the Red Serpent Clan, and Branch Lord Geumgyeong was in charge of the Black Serpent Clan.

As Heukryonghoeju Yonggak frowned, the Chief Manager, who was watching this, carefully opened his mouth.

"Society Lord, Branch Lord Mujang is never one to be late. Something must have happened."

"That's right. There's no way that guy, who always kept his appointments, would be this late."

As his mood became unpleasant, the surrounding air grew heavier.

The power of a martial artist who has reached the pinnacle of transcendence is almost superhuman.

Numerous warriors inside the Black Dragon Society building were only watching one person.

They were only watching Heukryonghoeju Yonggak.

After maintaining silence for a while, he seemed to have finished thinking and looked at Branch Lord Mokchal and Branch Lord Geumgyeong and asked.

"We must proceed anyway. So, how was it? Let's start with Branch Lord Mokchal."

As he asked, the Branch Lords bowed their heads and reported in an orderly manner.

"Yes. First of all, the Black Serpent Clan Lord has successfully suppressed other factions in the northeastern part of Honam Province and is currently unrivaled."

"The Black Snake, that guy is always meticulous and has a clean finish. I knew he would do well. Next."

Heukryonghoeju Yonggak turned his head and looked at Branch Lord Geumgyeong.

"Yes. The Red Serpent Clan Lord has won battles against three factions simultaneously in the northwestern part of Honam Province. It is a flaw that he annihilated them without absorbing their power, but his skills have been sufficiently proven."

"Hmm, that guy always handles things more cruelly than necessary. He's still like that. Well, I liked that about him."

Yonggak nodded once and said, looking at the empty seat of Branch Lord Mujang.

"Everyone has done well, but it seems that my youngest disciple has had a problem."

The Chief Manager next to him opened his mouth.

"It seems that he was defeated in the battle with the Black Demon Clan."

"A little disappointing. Even if his skills were lacking, I thought he would be able to use his cunning to come up with something."

That's right.

Heukryonghoeju Yonggak did not take in White Snake Lord as a disciple because of his talent or skill.

He took in White Snake Lord as a disciple because of his cunning and cowardly nature.

In the first place, that level of martial arts talent was common, so he didn't see it as particularly special.

It was a bitter assessment for a promising junior disciple from the righteous sect.

"Well, it can't be seen as entirely bad. It just means that the woman named Gwi-yeong is more outstanding than I thought."

"That's right. According to rumors, she is at the early stages of transcendence at the age of twenty, so her talent for martial arts is certain."

Hearing the report, Heukryonghoeju Yonggak rested his chin on his hand and said.

"I honestly can't believe it. Even I reached the realm of transcendence at a little over twenty, but you're saying that woman achieved it at an even earlier age."

Heukryonghoeju Yonggak is currently forty-four years old.

At this time, it was quite old, but thanks to honing his martial arts for a long time, his physical age was much younger.

As a result, he maintained a fairly young appearance, except for the faint wrinkles around his eyes, which were not appropriate for his age.

"I heard that her appearance is also quite outstanding. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Hmm, that's enough."

Yonggak was dissatisfied because he did not have a child who had fully inherited his outstanding talent.

"Although it's a shame that my beloved disciple and subordinate were defeated, well, it's fortunate that I met a good talent."

He had forced several women to carry his children, but he was always disappointed.

And this time, despite being forty-four years old, he wanted to have a son who had fully inherited his talent.

"Let's go right now. To the Black Demon Clan."