'Damn it! Curse it all! Heaven and Earth, why have you cast such a cruel trial upon me?!'
Jang Sam glared up at the sky, his face contorted in despair.
The clear blue heavens looked back at him with silent indifference, as if to say, "Don't look at me. I've done nothing wrong."
And the heavens were right.
The miserable situation Jang Sam found himself in was entirely the work of one person—no, one demon: Wi Jicheon.
To put it simply—
"You fiend! We've finally found you! The Sword of Huashan will never forgive your evil deeds!"
Clang!
Several young swordsmen surrounded him, blades flashing under the sun.
They looked to be in their mid-twenties—still young, yet their energy was anything but ordinary.
Especially the one standing at the front. His eyes were calm, heavy with depth. Even at a glance, Jang Sam could tell—the man's skill surpassed his own.
A master nearly at the level of Peak Realm.
But what truly made Jang Sam's blood run cold was not their strength.
It was the symbol embroidered on their robes.
A plum blossom.
Even their swords were engraved with it.
The Plum Blossom Sword.
A mark known to every soul who'd ever set foot in the martial world—Huashan Sect.
"…Young heroes of Huashan, may I ask what business you have with this humble one?"
"Silence, you devil! Did you think we wouldn't find out who you are—the Ghost of Xi'an, butcher of the innocent?! We've finally cornered you!"
'What in all nine hells—me? A ghost?!'
Jang Sam bit his tongue to stop the torrent of curses that rose in his throat.
As unjust as it was, the Huashan disciples did have a reason for mistaking him.
Because of Wi Jicheon.
'That cursed brat! You left trails of demonic energy behind! I told you this would happen! You damned little fiend!'
Not long after they'd left Namyang, Wi Jicheon had dropped a bombshell.
"Hey, Jangga."
"…Yes, Young Master."
"What's that tone? You sound offended. I only called you Jangga because, well, your family name's Jang."
"…Not at all, sir. You're perfectly right. I am, indeed, Jangga."
That monster. That two-legged devil. Jang Sam recited mental sutras to calm himself when the boy spoke again.
"Do you think I've been too harsh on you?"
"…No, sir."
He thought back to being forced into co-signing debts, swallowing poison, running errands fit for slaves…
But he dared not say so aloud.
Not that his answer mattered anyway.
"I suppose I might've been a little harsh. I'll make it up to you with a gift."
"A g-gift? Th-there's no need—"
"You don't want it?"
"…Of course I do. I'd be honored."
When Wi Jicheon fixed his gaze on him, Jang Sam could only swallow his tears and nod.
A "gift" from this devil? That could only mean disaster.
Then the boy spoke lightly:
"I'll help you reach the Peak Realm."
"!!"
Jang Sam's eyes widened.
Peak Realm!
A dream he'd long given up on.
He was already a refined First-Class expert, but that last step was a wall few ever crossed. A lifetime of effort often wasn't enough.
And now this boy—this demon—was promising him a way past it.
"You don't want to?"
"No! If you truly can help me reach Peak Realm, I'll serve you as my benefactor for life!"
He meant it.
To be called a Peak Realm master was worth any price.
For a moment, he even forgot every humiliation he'd suffered.
"Good. Then you'll follow my instructions exactly, no matter what."
"…Sir?"
"You know better than anyone—you're not cut out for Peak Realm. So to reach it, you'll have to force your limits."
Wi Jicheon spoke with the calm tone of a physician recommending a mild herbal decoction.
"When you face death enough times, you'll naturally break through."
And so began Jang Sam's descent into hell.
"Aaaaargh! You devil! Someday I'll kill you!"
Gratitude? None.
Resentment? Endless.
What made it worse was the creeping suspicion—
'Wait… is this bastard really "training" me, or is he using me as a practice dummy for his own cultivation?'
The more Wi Jicheon "guided" him, the sharper and smoother the boy's movements became.
Unbelievable, yet true.
His attacks grew more fluid each time, as though he were tuning his new body through their duels.
'I'll never forgive you, Wi Jicheon!'
Still, it wasn't as if the training bore no fruit.
In fact, it was terrifyingly effective.
Each day, Jang Sam brushed the line between life and death, wringing every last drop from his potential.
Bit by bit—he really was approaching the Peak.
'At this rate… I might actually do it.'
Just as that dangerous gratitude began to stir, disaster struck.
Huashan's disciples had picked up traces of demonic energy from their sparring and rushed in, convinced they'd found the "Xi'an Ghost."
"I'm not a demon!"
"Ha! Lies! Who else could it be?! Your very aura reeks of evil qi!"
"Don't judge people by their faces! I was born this way!"
Tears welled in his eyes.
'It's not me, it's his damned demonic energy!'
He was the victim, beaten black and blue by that same energy!
But who would believe that?
Wi Jicheon, with his innocent face and gentle smile, looked like a fallen immortal.
Meanwhile, Jang Sam—grizzled, scarred, and perpetually frowning—was the perfect villain.
'Damn it all! I can't fight Huashan's disciples! To think the terror of the South Namyang Roads would suffer this humiliation!'
He was ruthless, yes—but not stupid.
Grinding his teeth, he forced an awkward smile, trying to talk his way out.
That's when a voice interrupted.
"Oh? What's going on here, Daoist gentlemen?"
Wi Jicheon appeared, head tilted, face bright and harmless as always.
The Huashan disciples shouted urgently:
"Stay back, young one! That man's a murderous demon!"
"He may target the boy next! Protect him!"
Jang Sam nearly burst a vein.
'You idiots! Protect him?! You're protecting the actual demon, you blind donkeys!'
Wi Jicheon shook his head gently.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding, gentlemen. This is Hero Jang Sam, my companion. He's no demon."
"Your companion? Are you sure he hasn't coerced you?"
"Haha, no, of course not. Hero Jang Sam is a renowned figure in Namyang. Everyone south of the city knows the name Namyang's Southern Tyrant."
"Southern Tyrant… Quite an impressive title."
"And well earned. Though he walks a rough path, he's famous for his good deeds."
"I see. Then it seems we were mistaken. Everyone, sheathe your swords."
Clang!
Crisis averted.
Yet Jang Sam's blood boiled anew.
When he had pleaded his innocence, no one listened.
But one word from that cherub-faced devil, and the Huashan swordsmen bowed in apology.
There was, however, a reason for their credulity.
The leading swordsman, Cheongsong, studied Wi Jicheon carefully.
'His eyes… filled with pure qi. Even among our own disciples, I've rarely seen such clarity.'
Cheongsong was Huashan's senior-most third-generation disciple—known in the martial world as the Young Dragon of Huashan.
From the moment he saw Wi Jicheon, he recognized something extraordinary.
'A Dao Vessel… and far deeper than my own.'
If Jang Sam had heard that thought, he would've screamed, "Take those eyes out of your head, you fool!"
'His inner strength seems weak, but his form… it's unnervingly stable. Like a master who's practiced for decades.'
Intrigued, Cheongsong asked,
"May I ask, young brother, what sect you hail from?"
"I'm from the Divine Healer's House in Namyang."
"Ah, then you're a physician?"
"Yes. I recently passed the physician's examination to become an apprentice. My martial skills come from family tradition. I'm on my way to the Medical Alliance branch in Xi'an."
"The Divine Healer's House…"
A faint memory stirred. Once famed as the greatest medical house under Heaven—though that was long ago.
Time had buried its name for most. Only those within the medical world still whispered of its legend.
'If they still produce disciples like this, their lineage remains impressive.'
Cheongsong felt genuine admiration.
This youth possessed a spiritual quality few martial artists ever achieved.
"Be cautious in Xi'an, young brother," he said kindly.
"Is something happening there?"
"A mysterious demon has appeared—preying on women and children. A vile murderer. You could become a target."
"How dreadful."
"We were tracking that very fiend when this misunderstanding occurred. We sensed traces of demonic energy nearby… My apologies, Hero Jang Sam."
"…It's… quite all right."
What else could he say? Refusing an apology from Huashan's top disciple would only dig his grave deeper.
Still, a thought nagged at him.
'Wait. How did they detect that demonic energy here?'
He frowned.
Wi Jicheon wasn't the type to make amateur mistakes. He wouldn't just leave traces behind.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
'…He didn't make a mistake. He led them here.'
He was right.
Wi Jicheon was smiling inwardly, eyes gleaming.
'Didn't expect Huashan to bite the bait this easily. What a catch.'