Chapter 3 – The Answer I Chose
The martial world trembled.
The fact that Sadocheon (邪道天) [lit. "Heaven of the Demonic Path"; the most feared demonic sect ruling south of the Great River (장강/Changjiang)] had stirred meant the entire jianghu [the martial world at large] was in upheaval.
The reason? After years of seclusion, Lord Muk Woomyung (墨佑命) [Sect Master of Sadocheon; also called the "Demonic Heaven Lord"] had revealed himself.
For years, rumors abounded:
– That the Lord had been gravely injured and was crippled…
– That he had already died, but his death was hidden to prevent Sadocheon from fracturing.
And now, with his appearance, the world learned how absurd those whispers had been.
On the broad Vermilion Avenue (朱雀大路) [the main boulevard leading to Mangdam Hall], Muk Woomyung advanced. Even among the hundreds of gaosu (高手) [elite martial experts] following him, his presence was overwhelming. His aura alone made the gathered warriors seem like ants.
The spies and dignitaries who had come to secretly watch were struck dumb.
"That man… he's even stronger than before."
"Truly a monster…"
"Amitabha…" [Buddhist exclamation of awe/fear]
This was no minor occasion.
It was an event hosted by Sadocheon's own master. His wives and children were present, as well as:
– The Fourteen Great Peaks (大峰十四) [Sadocheon's mountain-strongholds],
– The Six Palaces (六宮) [six major internal factions],
– The Five Regiments (五隊) [elite military corps],
– The Three Pavilions (三閣) [administrative/military divisions].
These pillars of power had all dropped everything to accompany him.
If Muk Woomyung casually commanded, "Cross the Yangtze," the assembled force could plunge the world into a Great War of Righteous and Demonic (正邪大戰) at once.
Messengers from every faction — the Orthodox (백도/White Path), the Demonic (마도/Demonic Path), and the Outlanders (새외무림/Outer Martial World) — scrambled to send urgent reports.
But none of them could have imagined the truth:
That Muk Woomyung had broken his seclusion simply because his youngest son had sparked the faintest flicker of interest in his otherwise empty existence.
Yet one man did perceive the truth.
Muk Yeojin (墨汝眞) [the youngest son of Muk Woomyung, the story's protagonist] quietly smirked to himself.
"Making quite the grand entrance, aren't you?"
He had expected that after the incident with Muk Byungho (墨炳浩) [one of Woomyung's sons by another wife], his father would react in some way. But to stir the entire sect like this was far beyond his expectations.
Still, Yeojin thought, this was to his advantage.
He stood now at the center of Mangdam Hall's Grand Martial Arena (망담전 대연무장), with hundreds of Sadocheon's senior figures crowding around. Their stares pressed down on him with crushing weight; his palms dampened simply from enduring it.
At barely ten years old, the situation was unbearable for an ordinary child.
By contrast, Byungho, who stood beside him, trembled uncontrollably, bathed in cold sweat.
Yet Yeojin's calm, almost bored expression drew the attention of Sadocheon's leaders.
"The youngest young master seems to have remarkable composure."
"Strange… I had heard he was weak and timid."
"Still, his qi flow shows he hasn't even entered basic training yet. That much is true."
"The Sect Lord's own child, neglecting martial study? How could that be…"
Their whispers deepened when they noticed Byungho's battered, swollen face.
"Why does Young Master Byungho's face look like that? As if he was beaten like a dog!"
"Judging from the situation… did the youngest do that to him?"
"Absurd! Byungho has already stepped into the Realm of Vigorous Qi (충기/充氣). How could the untrained youngest even touch him?"
"Then who else here would dare beat the Sect Lord's son in Mangdam Hall itself?"
At that moment, the noisy arena fell silent.
Step… step…
All eyes turned to the massive Grand Seat (태사의) at the front of the hall. A single man walked toward it.
Even Yeojin, at that instant, could not help but tense.
His stride was neither fast nor slow.
His eyes, steeped in profound emptiness, gazed ahead with lonely detachment.
Though his frame was not massive, he seemed like a towering mountain.
With presence alone, he crushed the hundreds of elites into submission.
The God of the Demonic Path (사도/邪道의 신) himself.
"Father."
The man hailed by the world as:
– The first demonic master to unify the dark paths,
– One of the Three Supremes of the Martial World (천하삼존 天下三尊), alongside the Heavenly Demon Sect Lord (천마신교주) and the Orthodox Martial Alliance Leader (정도무림맹주),
– The greatest of the black path, Lord Muk Woomyung, Master of Sadocheon.
And he was Yeojin's father.
Muk Woomyung entered with his wives and children trailing behind.
Even they, however, were puzzled as to why their lord had suddenly appeared at Mangdam Hall.
Most lowered their eyes, wary of his mood.
But two pairs of eyes fixed directly on Yeojin.
The first was Hyerangyoung (慧朗永) [one of Woomyung's five wives; mother of Byungho], who glared at Yeojin as if to kill him, furious at the beating her son had received.
The second was a woman among the wives, her gaze outwardly indifferent… yet Yeojin finally saw the truth behind her eyes.
There was worry. Fear. Relief. A storm of emotions held back for years.
"So you've always looked at me that way… Mother."
She was Namgung Yeongnyeong (南宮領玲) [Yeojin's true mother], who had once thrown herself into danger to protect him when Sadocheon collapsed during the Blood Massacre of the Wonyum Sect.
"It has been a long time, Mother."
Yeojin longed to rush forward and embrace her, but he knew this was not the moment.
"When this mountain is crossed… then I'll speak my heart."
He composed himself and did what had to be done.
"I greet the Lord of Heaven."
Byungho, flustered, tried to follow suit, but his broken leg left him fumbling awkwardly.
Muk Woomyung smiled faintly and said to him:
"Enough. Be at ease."
His voice was languid yet pleasant.
"Ah… thank you, Father!"
Byungho's face lit up with joy, convinced of his father's favor.
But Yeojin knew better. His father only ever smiled warmly at those he considered utterly worthless — like dogs or cats, creatures beneath his notice.
Byungho's mother Hyerangyoung, recognizing this, clenched her teeth in fury.
Meanwhile, Byungho, oblivious, exchanged cheerful words with his father, imagining the bond of a doting parent and son.
Then Muk Woomyung's tone shifted.
"I have already heard what happened between you two."
Byungho stammered, but before he could speak, Woomyung continued:
"They say the youngest struck you with a cowardly ambush. Is this true?"
His voice was now cold and sharp.
Yeojin frowned inwardly. Not because of the false accusation, but because his father's demeanor was utterly different from how he'd treated Byungho.
It meant one thing: his father had not yet judged Yeojin's worth.
"At this time, I had not even begun martial study," Yeojin thought. "And yet… Father had not dismissed me."
Byungho, however, believed his father was taking his side. Emboldened, he declared:
"Yes! It's true. While I was weary from training, this cowardly wretch attacked me suddenly!"
The arena erupted with whispers.
"For the Sect Lord's son to use such base tricks…"
"He must have known he couldn't win in a fair fight."
"A disgraceful brat."
Byungho grinned, certain victory was his.
He pictured Yeojin trembling with his head bowed, as he once would have.
But this Yeojin was different.
"So this is your test, Father?"
He realized the accusing voices were likely planted loyalists, speaking on cue.
If so, this was no mere confrontation. It was a trial.
And now came the demand:
"Youngest, raise your head."
Yeojin obeyed, meeting his father's abyssal gaze — cold, devoid of any trace of emotion.
"Explain yourself, if you have a defense."
"Explain?"
He could. But would the Lord of Sadocheon truly care for explanations?
Yeojin's answer came quickly.
"I have nothing to explain."
"Nothing to explain?"
The air turned glacial, his father's presence pressing down like an icy tomb.
Even so, Yeojin clenched his fists and stood firm.
Muk Woomyung asked again, voice sharp as a blade:
"Are you admitting you used a cowardly ambush?"
Yeojin, eyes steady, replied:
"And if I did — is that wrong?"