A youth for whom lineage itself was a blessing.
Born with poison in his veins,
raised as the natural heir of the Poison Clan—the Shin Family.
His talent with poisons was overwhelming from childhood.
He did not learn—he understood instinctively.
Even martial arts, though never the focus of his upbringing,
were far from ordinary in his hands.
But his personality…
fractured early.
He took part in the clan's poison experiments.
Formulas meant only for prisoners were tested on him.
Countless lives were taken before his eyes—
until death itself became mundane.
No one dared to hold him accountable.
His bloodline was a shield.
His family name was a verdict.
Within the Heavenly Demon Sect,
since its founding, the rules had been absolute.
Anyone who dared to offend the Clan of the Sect Leader
faced only one punishment—
Execution.
For that reason, since the sect's birth,
no one had dared to insult the direct heirs of the leader,
regardless of the cause.
The only ones permitted to raise their voices against them
were the Council of Elders
and the Transcendent Demons.
Especially in the era of the current Heavenly Demon—
He was not merely the sect's leader.
He was one of the four strongest swordsmen in the world,
a being capable of destroying an entire continent alone.
Even the Akran Empire,
the most powerful nation in this vast world,
lacked the ability to oppose him.
And beyond that—
Within the sect,
no one challenged the Five Great Clans.
Least of all
the Poison Clan—Shin.
Not merely because they held a seat on the Council of Elders,
nor because their leader was a Transcendent Demon—
But because their poisonous combat methods
allowed no margin for error.
And yet…
Despite all these truths—
There existed someone
mad enough
to defy all of it.
When morning broke,
within the Poison Palace—
The silence
was torn apart
by a maid's scream.
People rushed in.
They gathered.
And what they saw…
required no explanation.
Jong Shin-Baek's head
hung
from the gates of the sect.
That afternoon…
The Right Guardian stood before Jin.
In a low, heavy voice, he asked:
"Boy…
did you have a hand in what happened?"
Jin answered calmly, devoid of emotion:
"I don't believe I'm foolish enough
to do something like that."
The Guardian stared at him for a long time.
Then he said:
"Listen carefully, Jin.
I am the Supreme Leader's arm—
the protector of his family.
Inside the academy, I cannot act.
But outside it… that is different."
Jin raised his gaze,
a cold clarity in his voice:
"I don't think I wish
to ruin my relationship with you,
sir."
Silence.
The Guardian's eyes were heavy—
angry.
He knew how Li Fan had died.
He knew the Murim world was built on deceit and evasion.
But Jin's words
left no room for interpretation.
I killed him.
This was my decision.
Do not interfere.
The Guardian understood.
Yet his mind
could not accept it.
A child of a Great Clan—
no, the son of the Heavenly Demon himself.
Killed
within his own sect.
His head displayed
before his family.
He did not know what to do.
Though the deceased had been hated,
the Guardian was still the Heavenly Demon's direct aide.
An act like this
should be answered with immediate execution.
Thoughts flooded his mind—
Open an investigation
and fulfill his duty…
Or let it go,
because the victim
had been corrupt and murderous since childhood.
And in the midst of his turmoil—
A telepathic voice reached him:
"Step away from this matter, Right Guardian."
The Guardian stood abruptly.
He trembled.
He flung open the windows and doors,
staring into the horizon in terror.
Then he turned back to Jin.
He looked at him—
with pity.
As though gazing upon
a man
walking toward his own death.
He recognized the owner of the voice.
That alone
was enough
to make him tremble
at hearing it in such a moment.
But the intent behind the voice
was clearer than any threat:
Remove the Guardian—
so he may watch
how events unfold
without him.
End of Chapter