Peerless Master.
It was a phrase that anyone in the Murim would envy, a title that sparked the ambition to one day achieve it.
The desire to become stronger had dominated the Murim, an ever-pursued, fundamental iron rule and grand principle of the Jianghu.
To become a Peerless Master was, in the end, the same as becoming supremely strong.
And there were countless ways to grow stronger.
As the history of the Jianghu was long, countless martial arts, internal energy cultivation arts, and various weapons existed, making it impossible to say or define which path was the fastest way to become a Peerless Master.
Furthermore, depending on whether one was from the Orthodox Faction, Unorthodox Faction, or the Demonic Path, the standards of strength and the direction of martial arts pursued were different, and thus, the criteria for being a Peerless Master also varied.
There were even methods that pursued a completely different direction, like the Formation Dao, and things like Immortal Arts that had trickled down from the Upper Realm were secretly circulated in the Jianghu, making it even more so.
However.
A shortcut to becoming a Peerless Master, a way to become stronger regardless of these various paths, did indeed exist.
This was because the most representative measure of a martial artist's strength was their internal energy.
The absolute amount of internal energy, regardless of the profundity of their martial arts, would invariably classify one as a master if they had a lot, and a low-level practitioner if they had little.
There was only a difference in degree.
In other words, a shortcut to increasing that amount existed.
And it was a method known to everyone.
It was to consume elixirs or the inner cores of Spirit Creatures.
From medicinal herbs like Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, Thousand-Year Fo-ti, and Ice Soul Snow Lotus, to spiritual pills like the Purple Spirit Pill and the Great Return Pill.
(T/N: Thousand-Year Fo-ti - a famous herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Just listing the types, one could not count them all on one hand.
The same was true for Spirit Creatures.
From beasts that harbored extreme energy like the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Wolf, the Thousand-Year Black Bear, the Ice Silkworm, or the Fire Deer, to legendary beasts that occasionally appeared in the rumors of the Jianghu, like the Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Python or the Thousand-Year Giant Tortoise.
These too could not be counted on ten fingers.
Among these Spirit Creatures, there were beasts of overwhelmingly high prestige, so-called Sacred Beasts....
"Excuse me. House Master Bae. Excuse me. Stop, stop. Just a moment!"
Bae Dal-pae, who was deep in the middle of his story, stopped speaking at Jeon Rahwa's interruption.
"What is it? Young Lady Jeon?"
"...What do you mean, what is it? Are you asking because you don't know?"
"Yes, I do not know."
"No, I just asked where that person went, and you suddenly start going on about Peerless Masters, elixirs, and Spirit Creatures. Are you some kind of explainer?"
"...Isn't 'explainer' a bit harsh?"
"Harsh! You do this every time!"
"...I apologize for that."
"Ah, forget it. Where did that person go? I asked the kids, and they said he went this way."
"I was trying to explain where he went..."
"Hah, just tell me where he went, can't you? Don't bother with the long-winded preamble."
Bae Dal-pae mumbled to himself for a moment, but upon seeing Jeon Rahwa's eyebrows arch into an inverted V, he answered immediately.
"The Heavenly Repository of Knowledge Academy."
"Huh? Where?"
"The Heavenly Repository of Knowledge Academy."
"The Heavenly what?"
"...The Heavenly Repository of Knowledge Academy."
"Where is that?"
"It is known as the place where all the information and history of this world has been compiled."
Jeon Rahwa tilted her head.
Noticing this, Bae Dal-pae cautiously added an explanation.
"It is said to be a place where everything is recorded, even things that happen within the Jianghu that no one in the Jianghu knows about, things that no historian of the Jianghu has ever written down. Among information brokers, the saying, 'If it is written there, it happened,' has been passed down like a legend, but its actual existence has been a subject of constant debate."
"So?"
"So what?"
"So why did that per… that person go there?"
"Ah, so that's what you were asking."
Bae Dal-pae scratched his head and said.
"It seems he had some information he absolutely had to find out."
"And you didn't hear what it was?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Well, it's not like that person goes around talking about such things."
Only then did Jeon Rahwa lightly tip her teacup once and speak.
"More importantly, that Heavenly whatever thing."
"...It is the Heavenly Repository of Knowledge Academy."
"Yes, that. Anyway, where is it?"
"Ah, that is..."
Bae Dal-pae scratched his temple and puckered one side of his mouth.
"It is in Windshear Cliffs."
"Windshear Cliffs? Where is that, ah?!"
"..."
"Isn't that the place!? The one?!"
"..."
"The region where it storms with wind and rain as if there's a constant typhoon."
"Yes, that is correct."
"In a place like that… there's an academy?"
"Indeed. That must be why it hasn't been discovered until now. But there is a bigger problem."
"A problem? What problem?"
Bae Dal-pae swallowed dryly and hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"A very big problem has occurred in that region itself."
"Is there something more than the typhoon that rages day and night?"
"Yes, another typhoon is raging there."
"..."
"Coincidentally… a rumor is circulating that a Spirit Beast has appeared there."
The outer edge of one of Jeon Rahwa's eyebrows rose upwards.
"A Spirit Beast? You mean like a divine animal?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Why is that a problem?"
"...This is why I was explaining earlier."
"Yes, yes, my apologies."
Though her expression was not the least bit apologetic, Bae Dal-pae simply let out a light sigh and continued the story he was telling before.
"Among these Spirit Creatures, there are beasts of overwhelmingly high prestige, a species called Sacred Beasts. And among them, there is one called the Qilin..."
The Qilin.
A sacred beast belonging to the Four Divine Beasts, along with the dragon, phoenix, and black tortoise, said to be born from the mating of a dragon and a horse.
A head with a large horn, a lion's mane, and a long beard like a dragon.
The body of a horse covered in dazzling five-colored scales, with a tail resembling that of an ox.
Above its four cloven hooves, a thick coat of snow-white fur grew, so that whenever it ran, a mane of clouds would descend upon its surroundings.
This Qilin was a legendary animal said to descend only when a Sage King or a Saint appeared in the world.
However, the interest of the martial artists was not in the least concerned with the overwhelming majesty of the Qilin or the Sage King and saint that served as the backdrop for the Sacred Beast's appearance.
They were interested in only one thing.
— He who tames the Qilin shall have the world follow him. He who obtains the Qilin's inner core and flesh shall have the world at his feet. He who takes the Qilin's bones shall drench the world in blood.
It did not matter which method was used.
The legend was that by obtaining the Qilin, one could grasp the world.
Whether by capturing the Qilin whole, catching and eating it, or taking its bones after it died.
In any case, if one could obtain even a single one of its parts, they could become a Peerless Master.
How could the people of the Jianghu resist?
It is often said that of a hundred rumors in the Jianghu, ninety are false, nine are jokes, and the last one is a deception.
In short, it means do not believe any of it.
This is especially true for rumors about treasure.
But despite this, the people of the Jianghu are drifting weeds who fight over rumors and travel a thousand li following them.
Perhaps, one in a thousand, one in ten thousand, it might be real.
One in a hundred million, one in a trillion, perhaps I could become the owner of that treasure.
Most are futile hopes, and in the end, they lead to despair that leads to ruin.
Nevertheless, martial artists embrace such futile hopes and wander for ten thousand li towards that despair.
And.
The rumor that a Qilin had appeared there, in Windshear Cliffs, was rapidly spreading throughout the Jianghu.
"So that person went there now, right?"
"Yes, unfortunately."
"Hah, that's unfortunate."
There was no subject.
Unfortunately.
Because a natural disaster was always a verb, not a noun.
"Well, whatever. I should just get used to it by now. It's not the first or second time."
"..."
"That person will probably be back soon anyway."
It no longer mattered who he was or in which direction he went.
His milestone was here, the Hero's Sect.
● ● ●
"Please save me.... Please, please save me."
Somewhere secluded between the River Capital and Windshear Cliffs.
Ten boys, about fifteen or sixteen years old, were surrounding three girls of the same age.
The three girls were young ladies from nearby homes.
They clung to each other, trembling.
"We'll save you. After we eat what we want to eat, suck what we want to suck, and fuck what we want to fuck."
At one boy's lewd words, the other boys snickered.
Another one chimed in.
"You'd like to die, wouldn't you?"
"Ye-yes?"
One of the cowering girls answered in a voice completely frozen with fear.
"Ah, so you're saying it's okay to die?"
"Hey, hey, she says she'd be happy to die from pleasure. Let's make sure her father doesn't hear about this and properly suck, lick, and fuck her to the end."
At their words, all the others snickered and laughed.
Then, another one threw off his shirt and said.
"Hey guys, but even if we do it three-on-one, one spot is still not enough. What are we gonna do?"
Three-on-one.
Spot.
Even without saying what kind of 'spot' it was, the girls instinctively knew.
They clung to each other even tighter.
"What are you asking something like that for? One of them can just be on lookout and play with his hand."
"Damn it! Each girl has more than one hole, so why play with your hand, huh? You can just stick it in this hole and then put it in that hole, damn it."
Hehehehek.
The boys all burst out laughing.
The way they casually exchanged such filthy conversation, their dirty way of speaking, and the looks in their eyes, despite their young age, showed this was not the first or second time they had done such a thing.
They were the kind of boys whose futures you wouldn't need to wait to see.
Soon, one of them pulled out ten strands of hair.
It was to draw lots.
Not long after, the one who drew the shortest lot licked his lips while looking at the girls and stepped out into a wide, open area.
Even then, the boys' lot-drawing continued.
It was to decide who would get to play with the prettier girl.
Watching this, one of the girls bit her lower lip until it bled and mustered the courage to shout.
"Help! Please, someone, help us!"
"Is this bitch crazy? Has she lost her mind?"
Smack!
One of the boys slapped the girl with all his might.
As if that wasn't enough to vent his anger, he continued to stomp on her.
The girl's delicate lips were crushed, and her top was torn and tattered.
"Wouldn't it be nice if you just gave in willingly? Huh? Do you have to get beaten to a pulp to listen? Bitches like you!"
Even as her mind grew hazy, the girl begged.
"Oh, heavens. Please save us..."
Finding the girl ridiculous, the boy who had been kicking her got on top of her as she lay on the ground.
"You fucking idiot. If there was such a thing as heaven, would the world be in this state in the first place? Heaven is on the side of guys like us. Isn't that right? Mr. Heaven?"
The boy lifted his head to look at the sky.
He had raised his head to mock the idiot called heaven.
But his brow furrowed.
"Huh? What's that?"
Something was flying towards them rapidly.
It was too far and too fast to follow with the eyes.
If that was all, he would have just continued mocking the sky and lowered his head.
The problem was.
"Hey, that thing is getting bigger, right?"
It was approaching at a rapid speed.
The other boys also raised their heads at the same time.
"Huh? What's that?"
"Isn't it a bird?"
"Have you ever seen a bird that big? And birds aren't that fast either."
"Hey, hey, move! You idiots!"
While the boys were staring blankly upwards, that something drastically increased its speed.
Kwa-gwang!
Thanks to hastily throwing themselves aside, the boys were thankfully able to save their filthy lives.
No, it would be more accurate to say they were merely able to buy a little more time.
If they knew who that something was.
"..."
What landed in front of the girls was a person.
Not only the girls, but the neighborhood thugs also stared up at that person, Dong Bongsu, with wide eyes.
And they fell silent.
Their own families were martial families, and they themselves were all martial artists, so they had seen and experienced many martial artists, but they had never seen a person fly.
"Ma… ma…!"
At the same time, Dong Bongsu's eyes sank into nothingness.
Flash.
Thwack!
The moment Dong Bongsu's hand moved, the boy who had just uttered the words 'Mr. Heaven' was dismembered into five pieces.
"1."
Flash, slice!
Another boy's head was cut off.
"2."
Flash, shink!
Yet another boy's head was sliced off.
"3."
"Ugh, uwaaaaaah!"
Terrified, the boys hurriedly tried to flee the scene.
Hwiii-ryu-ryu-ryu-ryu-.
The wind blew, and the boys all floated up into the air at once.
They all just kicked their feet in the air.
Of course, to Dong Bongsu, all of this was just a bit of a nuisance.
I'm in a hurry, and a trash quest dares to block my path.
Pa-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-bak!
Without being able to leave a single last word begging for their lives, all the boys scattered their blood and disappeared underground.
It was unknown if there was an afterlife here, but if there was, I hope they live well in that hell.
I have no use for petty criminals who just mass-produce cheap quests.
Without knowing what was happening, the situation had ended.
Hwiiiiiing-.
The wind blew, and Dong Bongsu disappeared as if nothing had ever happened.
However, the one thing that proved such an event had occurred was the fact that the bodies of the girls, their chests exposed, were drenched in the blood of the Scoundrel lust demons.
The girls hurriedly got up and looked far into the sky.
The man who had saved them had already become a dot and was moving away.
"That person… who on earth is he?"
"An immortal… perhaps."
Whoever he was, Dong Bongsu's face was engraved in the girls' hearts.
The essence did not matter.
To some, a natural disaster, and to others, a savior.
And.
The monster named Dong Bongsu was now flying towards Windshear Cliffs.