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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Prologue
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Fist King of the Green Forest, Maeng Ak.
A name and title known to all who lived in the Central Plains, whether they belonged to the Righteous or Unorthodox Factions.
Contrary to his vicious name, he was an exemplar for many martial artists.
He was, of course, strong enough to rise from a mere bandit to the Grand Chieftain with his fists alone.
He had overturned the notoriously wicked system of the Green Forest, giving the common people room to breathe, while also inspiring the bandits, who had only seen the profits before them, to dream of a future as a Great Faction.
As long as he was there, the Green Forest was no longer a mere den of lowly bandits.
It was a brotherhood of men, united by the fervent dream of transforming the Green Forest into a Great Faction.
No one could dare to look down on the Green Forest as they once had.
The Green Forest of that era enjoyed its greatest golden age in all of history, and at its center was Maeng Ak.
But as the saying goes, no power lasts forever.
Maeng Ak and the Green Forest had to face the end of their prime, their dream still unfulfilled.
The cause, paradoxically, lay in the very dream that had united the Green Forest.
The ones who put an end to the brilliant future Maeng Ak envisioned for the Green Forest were, surprisingly, the Righteous Faction.
In truth, they had never welcomed the Green Forest's transformation from the start.
To them, the Green Forest needed to exist as a necessary evil.
Of course, they didn't show it at first.
They even stepped forward, readily offering their help.
Though they were honestly displeased with the Green Forest's changes, they believed it would eventually collapse on its own, just like other martial arts factions had.
A tower that would crumble on its own, even if left untouched.
They saw it merely as a good opportunity to leave a favorable impression by pretending to offer support.
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, there was no limit to the changes the Green Forest underwent under Maeng Ak's leadership.
They shattered their very foundation as bandits, transforming and altering the public's perception of them.
For the Righteous Faction, it was an unforeseen situation, and they could no longer stand idly by.
The first to move were the Escort Guilds.
As the Green Forest, a necessary evil, drew closer to the side of good, the very reason for the Escort Guilds' existence was shaken.
Panicked, the Escort Guilds moved swiftly, leveraging their immense financial power.
They persuaded not only the Ten Great Merchant Guilds but also the Martial Alliance.
From the perspective of the Ten Great Merchant Guilds, the Escort Guilds were far more trustworthy than former bandits.
The Martial Alliance, too, was in a position where they had to consider the opinions of their own sects and families. There was no reason to refuse the justification the Escort Guilds offered.
Before long, the world of the Righteous Faction had become nothing more than hypocrisy, abandoning justice and righteousness in the face of practical survival and profit.
But that did not mean their power had diminished.
They were sullied, perhaps, but they were still strong.
And so, the Green Forest faced the largest-scale assault from the Righteous Faction in its entire history.
In the process, the Righteous Faction also shed considerable blood, as the Green Forest's unity was stronger than they had anticipated.
However, with a relative lack of masters, the Green Forest was doomed to defeat.
Indeed, even as Maeng Ak, a peerless master who had achieved the Diamond Body, fought valiantly, the losses elsewhere were far greater.
In the end, the best he could do was to take three of the Righteous Faction's masters—all of whom were ranked among the Ten Great Masters of the World—down with him, using his signature technique, the Fierce Tiger Shattering Mountain Fist.
Having lost their focal point, Maeng Ak, the Green Forest crumbled like a sandcastle.
The death of three absolute masters.
Enraged by their unexpected losses, the bloodthirsty Righteous Faction considered wiping out the scattered remnants of the Green Forest but held back.
Spouting nauseatingly hypocritical words like righteousness, justice, consideration, and mercy, they merely finished off the Green Forest's leadership.
Just enough to return it to its former state as a manageable den of bandits. It was a vile tactic, preserving their own image and conscience while allowing the Green Forest to exist as a necessary evil.
And so, the Fist King of the Green Forest, Maeng Ak, died, and an unmelting snow began to fall upon the once verdant Green Forest. The snow piled up in the hearts of the once-passionate bandits, freezing them solid.
*
Five years passed.
A great deal had changed.
First, three of the Righteous Faction's sects sealed their gates.
They were the ones who had lost their absolute masters to Maeng Ak.
And seizing that opportunity, an Unorthodox force known as the Black Way Faction emerged.
Under the pretext of carrying on Maeng Ak's will, they united the Unorthodox forces under the name of the Unorthodox Alliance.
Afterward, they began to gather strength in the territories of the Diancang, Kunlun, and Kongtong Sects, which had sealed their gates.
As if one day, they would devour the entire Righteous Faction.
However, contrary to the worries of many, a great war between the Righteous and Unorthodox did not break out.
Though they didn't show it, both the Righteous and Unorthodox Factions desperately needed time to consolidate their power.
The Righteous Faction was busy recovering from the damage sustained in their battle with the Green Forest, while the Unorthodox Alliance was busy establishing a hierarchy within its newly expanded ranks.
As if by unspoken agreement, a quiet time descended upon the Central Plains.
The common people rejoiced, thinking the Central Plains had become peaceful.
But beneath the surface, it was merely the calm before the storm—nothing to rejoice about.
The greatest example of this was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Believed to have vanished into history, they were preparing a storm greater than any other.
For them, this moment, when the sights of both the Righteous and Unorthodox Factions were narrowed, was the perfect opportunity.
As proof, they established a place called the Hidden Demon Academy, in order to select the next generation of leaders for the Cult based solely on strength, regardless of their origins.
The Hidden Demon Academy, true to its name, was filled with coiled demons, each one the eye of a storm that would one day sweep across the Central Plains.
Among them, one stood out from the rest.
His title and name.
Were the Fist King of the Green Forest, Maeng Ak.
Reincarnated into the body of a cadet at the Hidden Demon Academy, he was already the storm itself.
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Awaken, Maeng Ak
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Leaves, flaunting their verdant hue in the brilliant sunlight, came into view.
They rustled, swept by the gentle spring breeze.
And through their subtle movements, a master and his disciple could be seen.
Like the leaves and the spring wind, the two blended seamlessly into the mountain scenery.
The young man, appearing to be in his early twenties, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. He was the disciple, Maeng Ak.
Before him, with his back turned, stood his master, Maeng Eun-ho, his white beard flowing down his chest.
Some, noting their shared surname, mistakenly assumed they were related by blood, but that was not the case.
Theirs was a master-disciple relationship forged by a chance encounter in the marketplace. Yet, their bond was thicker than blood.
The master, feeling the spring breeze and gazing at the dense forest, asked his disciple.
"Maeng Ak, it has already been three years since you followed me into the Green Forest. Have you learned anything in that time?"
"I've been worked like a dog for three years. You think I haven't learned a single thing?
I've learned that whether it's the marketplace or the martial world, it's all a damn mess."
"Hmph… Not that, you fool."
"Ah, but lately, I've started to understand your will, Master."
Maeng Ak, an orphan raised in the marketplace, had been nothing more than a ruffian just three years ago.
Even with his master, it wasn't easy to mend his way of speaking.
However, this was the Green Forest. It wasn't a major issue here.
In fact, his master, Maeng Eun-ho, known as the Sage of the Green Forest, wore a proud expression.
Considering the Maeng Ak he first met, this was a significant improvement.
Furthermore, the unexpected answer to a question he'd intended to be about martial arts enlightenment piqued his interest. The master asked again.
"To think my Maeng Ak has come to understand my will without being taught. You've grown up.
So, what is this will of mine that you have perceived?"
"Tch, I've always been bigger than you, Master. But that's not what's important.
You want to change the very foundation of the Green Forest, don't you?"
"And how did you come to that conclusion?"
"Living here in the Fierce Tiger Fortress for three years, I've come to understand.
How hypocritical those bastards from the Orthodox Faction are. And why you seek a different path from the rest of the Green Forest.
It's because if the pathetic foundation of the Green Forest as mere mountain bandits doesn't change, the contempt that comes with it will never disappear. Isn't that right?"
Just as Maeng Ak said, the Fierce Tiger Fortress was changing under the command of its lord, Maeng Eun-ho.
First, they no longer harassed commoners.
There were no tolls, no extortion. In fact, they acted more like a security escort service.
Despite this, the hypocritical Orthodox Faction bastards treated them with contempt, saying that bandits will always be bandits.
They even frequently picked fights under the pretext of establishing justice.
In the eyes of the Orthodox Faction, who you were and where you came from mattered more than what you did.
"What you have perceived is correct. However, my own abilities are lacking, so it does not go well. But if it's you…"
Maeng Eun-ho's words trailed off as he recalled his first meeting with Maeng Ak in the marketplace.
An eighteen-year-old boy with a strong constitution and a cunning mind.
A martial talent who, despite starting late, had surpassed the basics in just three years.
And now, that boy had even grasped his master's will on his own…
He felt foolish for having hesitated to summon him here.
This boy was too exceptional to merely be his successor.
"Maeng Ak, I believe I can pass down the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger to you."
Maeng Eun-ho resolved to bestow his signature martial art upon his disciple, who was always one step ahead of his expectations.
'Even if Maeng Ak doesn't walk the same path as I do, it doesn't matter.
This boy will lead the Green Forest better than I ever could.'
He then placed a hand on Maeng Ak's shoulder and spoke.
"Awaken, Maeng Ak."
* * *
It was the first day of admission to the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon, the training center for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's rising stars.
The infirmary was about to burst at the seams from the sheer number of injured students.
With the sudden influx of patients, the understaffed infirmary was in a state of utter chaos.
Left with no choice, the Demonic Doctor mobilized all of his disciples.
Among them was an eighteen-year-old apprentice, his third disciple, Dang Hyeon-woo, who had learned almost nothing in the less than half a year since he'd joined.
His only task was to keep the critically injured students lying on the beds from losing consciousness.
Even that was a great help in the hectic infirmary, but not for Dang Hyeon-woo, who had been full of anticipation for his first real assignment from his master.
'Damn it. If I knew I'd be doing this kind of work, I never would have followed that old man from Sichuan that day.'
Dang Hyeon-woo glared at the Demonic Doctor, who was busy treating the students.
'He sweet-talked me when I was devastated by my family's betrayal, only to neglect me all this time and then stick me with this kind of grunt work.'
But the more he thought about it, the more his desire for revenge on his family grew, making him burn with impatience.
'What a life. Still, what can I do…
He said he'd teach me martial arts once I mastered the medical arts. I can only hope this is the first step.'
Dang Hyeon-woo tried to shake off the feeling that he'd been scammed and got to work.
He vowed that one day, he would use the martial arts learned from that old man to cause a great upheaval in his family.
But contrary to his vow, the upheaval happened to him first.
*Thump!*
A student who had been gasping for breath on the bed just moments ago suddenly sat bolt upright.
Of all the luck, it happened right after he had stuck the student with a practice needle he'd secretly brought with him.
'Ah, shit… The book definitely said to stick it here, though?'
The student had looked like he was about to die anyway, so he had tried out the acupuncture technique from a book he'd chanced upon while cleaning the old man's room.
But what was this disaster? The reaction was completely different from what the book described. Now it looked as if he had caused some kind of adverse side effect.
He was certain that if the old Demonic Doctor found out, he would be beaten for doing something he wasn't told to do.
Dang Hyeon-woo recalled the time he found out the old man's identity—a demon from the Demonic Cult, which he thought had been eradicated long ago.
Even worse, he was their chief physician, the Demonic Doctor. He had tried to run away, only to be caught and beaten half to death.
He rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and carefully turned his back to the old man so he wouldn't see.
Then, he quickly reached out his hand.
'If I pull it out before that monster of an old man sees, it'll be fine!'
But just as his fingertips were about to touch the needle embedded in the student's forehead…
Something unbelievable happened.
*Grab!*
"What the hell did you do to…"
The student, who shouldn't have had the strength to even speak, was now staring with wide eyes, gripping Dang Hyeon-woo's arm with both hands and speaking clearly.
Dang Hyeon-woo couldn't help but be startled.
He'd never even heard of a dying person sitting up, let alone speaking, from a single needle prick.
'F-first, I need to calm him down and lay him back down.'
Panicked, Dang Hyeon-woo used his free hand to strike the student's mute point, then his paralysis point, forcing him back down.
It was only possible because the student, having just come back from the brink of death, was disoriented and off his guard.
Thanks to that, he bought himself a moment to calm his pounding heart.
Then, a phrase from the old man's acupuncture book flashed through his mind.
—According to rumor, the Godly Doctor of Life and Death once saved a person with a single needle to this point… but rumors are just rumors…
'Wait a minute… This is insane!
Could it be… I have a talent for this?!'
He was now utterly convinced that he possessed a talent comparable to the Godly Doctor of Life and Death.
After all, he had seen with his own two eyes a critical patient, who had been knocking on death's door just moments ago, become perfectly fine.
He firmly believed that he had just realized the miraculous rumor written in that book.
Little did he know what was about to happen.
* * *
Did I lose consciousness during the battle?
My body was gone, and only my spirit remained. I felt as if I were wandering through a space filled with darkness.
I felt no fear or anxiety, but a growing sense of urgency.
The sooner I returned to my body, the sooner I could kill those hypocritical bastards from the Orthodox Faction and reduce the casualties among the Green Forest.
'Wait, what is that?'
Just then, a faint light flickered in the darkness and grew clearer.
The light expanded, revealing a familiar mountain landscape.
Focusing my gaze, I saw my past self and my master through the rustling leaves.
The two were conversing.
But without a body, I could only watch. I couldn't hear their conversation at all.
Then suddenly, a single phrase came through with perfect clarity.
"Awaken, Maeng Ak."
Amazingly, those softly spoken words seemed to resonate throughout this endlessly vast space.
Then, the infinite darkness receded, and the sensations of my physical body returned.
*Thump!*
The moment I felt myself return to my body, I shot upright.
'Ugh.'
Judging by the state of my body, there wasn't a single part of me that was unharmed, but I had to move.
Even now, at this very moment, the blood of my brothers was being spilled.
Just as I tried to move my lower body, I sensed something approaching.
It was heading for my head, but I felt no killing intent or internal energy, so it didn't seem to be an attack.
Still, I couldn't let it touch my body so easily.
*Grab!*
From the feel of it in my hand, it was the arm of a whelp who had never trained a day in his life.
'Have things gotten so bad that the Orthodox Faction's whelps have already infiltrated this far?
My body is in such bad shape that I can't even break this brat's arm in one go… This is the worst.'
I genuinely thought so.
That is, until these things entered my vision.
Whelps reeking of demonic energy lay strewn about everywhere, and the architecture of the building was completely unfamiliar.
And then there was the whelp whose arm I held, staring at me stupidly, and the unfamiliar face reflected in his pupils.
'What in the world is going on!
That pretty-boy face is supposed to be me…?!'
I furrowed my brow and demanded to know what the whelp had done to me.
No, I was about to.
"What the hell did you do to…"
*Mmph!*
But this whelp, who didn't know his place, dared to cover my mouth and strike my mute and paralysis points.
If this were my original body, which had achieved the Indestructible Body, this brat would have been turned to dust by now.
But this new, weak body was taken down without a chance to resist. A big part of it was my carelessness, being unfamiliar with this new vessel.
Oblivious to this, the whelp looked as if he were moved to tears by his own success, clenching his fist in joy.
I couldn't help but be flabbergasted by the sight.
'Ha! Pressure points are nothing! If I just circulate my energy with the core principles of the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger…!'
But what was this?
My dantian, which I had built with the pure, heavy energy of the mountains and the cores of spirit beasts, was now filled with filthy demonic energy.
It seemed more than just my appearance had changed.
But I was not one to give up.
'Am I under some kind of curse? I'll think later, I need to circulate my energy first!'
*Haaah!*
Though slightly taken aback, I didn't lose focus and recited the core principles, resisting the demonic energy.
In the process, I even used a minuscule amount of my innate true qi to force my internal energy to circulate, but it didn't matter.
This wasn't my original body anyway, and as long as I re-mastered the pinnacle of the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger, my physical body would become strong enough to be considered the greatest under heaven through external training alone.
Then, something incredible happened.
The demonic energy I was trying to expel began to mix harmoniously with my core principles.
'Could it be… this body! Is it a Heaven and Earth Body?'
A Heaven and Earth Body was a legendary physique that could learn Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic martial arts without any restrictions.
A body with talent far superior to my previous life's Body of the Supreme Ruler.
With this body, I could not only achieve the Indestructible Body but also learn orthodox and demonic arts without limitation.
'Such a fortuitous encounter in the worst of situations… Wait, the Orthodox Faction would never do anything good for me.'
The question arose, but I couldn't dwell on it.
Recovery was the priority.
Focusing again, I could feel my battered body slowly healing, thanks to this fortuitous body and my core principles.
The demonic energy in my dantian, which had felt foreign at first, quickly became familiar.
'Hah… Is this truly the Heaven and Earth Body? To adapt in an instant. Ah, first, this one!'
I put my admiration aside. First, I had to shatter the blissful delusion of this whelp who was crying with emotion.
"Hey. Look over here for a second, will you?"
I whispered, lowering my voice so only he could hear.
At this, the whelp's face gradually stiffened as he turned his head toward me.
To prepare for any unforeseen incidents, I struck his mute point and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
'If this brat screams and makes a scene, the situation will become difficult. I still don't have enough information to assess things.'
Especially that busy-looking old man over there; I couldn't handle him in this body yet.
"Quietly guide me to a place where there are no people. If you do as I say, I won't kill you."
At my words, the whelp pointed a finger toward what looked like a back door.
'Good, he understands. I won't strike his paralysis point. This will look more natural.'
*Creeak.*
The infirmary was so hectic that a few people disappearing wouldn't seem strange.
I slipped out quietly to have some time alone with the whelp.
He did as I commanded, moving naturally as if a physician were moving a patient.
Thanks to that, we blended into the busy infirmary and went unnoticed by the other physicians.
'Even after circulating my internal energy, my head isn't clearing up.
Is it because of this sudden situation? I need to get information from this whelp quickly and head to the Green Forest.'
As I gradually adapted to my new body, I began to notice one strange thing after another about the current situation.
I had never been this disoriented before.
But I pushed aside the distracting thoughts and focused on what I could do now.
'If I get information from this brat, I should be able to figure something out. Let's not be hasty.'
* * *
Despite Maeng Ak and Dang Hyeon-woo's stealthy departure, the infirmary remained a hive of activity.
The voices of the Demonic Doctor's first and second disciples could be heard.
"Senior Brother! Another critical patient here!"
"What? Another one? Ah, shit, we're out of beds."
"Huh? There's an empty spot over there. Lay him down there!"
"Eh? You're right. Wait, where the hell did Dang Hyeon-woo go!"
"Probably went to the latrine or something. We don't have time to worry about him. Hurry!"
Unaware of the plight of Dang Hyeon-woo, who was being dragged away hoping someone would notice his empty spot and help him.
His two senior brothers and his master, the Demonic Doctor, were too busy taking care of patients.
In fact, they were already planning to give their youngest disciple a piece of their mind for abandoning his post when he returned.