CMW | Chapter 1.3

Lee Hwasu’s mouth went dry. The sudden stillness was suffocating, thick with tension. He was intensely curious—why was it so quiet? Every instinct screamed at him to burst out of the palanquin, to see what was happening.

But he couldn’t.

If Namgoong Cheon was truly standing face-to-face with the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon, he couldn’t afford to be a distraction.

How much time had passed?

A moment? An eternity?

Then, after a short but excruciating pause, a voice broke the silence.

Low, unfamiliar—chilling.

”…Judging by your appearance, you don’t seem to be the Plum Blossom Sword Wolf.”

A shiver ran down Lee Hwasu’s spine.

He didn’t need to check. He already knew.

Ju Ryongjin.

The Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon had arrived.

“The blue spring orchid of the Tang Clan, the red plum blossom of Mount Hua, is it?”

It was unexpected.

His tone was slow—soft and eerily calm.

For those who had their ears pricked up, that very gentleness was enough to unsettle them.

Perhaps that was why, despite speaking quietly, his voice rang clear. Or maybe it was simply because the surroundings had fallen into a deathly silence, making every word sharper, more distinct.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re just trying to escort the lady across the river.”

“I’ve already made three wasted trips here. Do you think such lies will work?”

“It’s not a lie, so please just leave.”

“What if I can’t?”

The palanquin trembled once more.

The energy brushing against it was strong—familiar. Lee Hwasu could tell that Namgoong Cheon had stirred his power.

“Then we’ll have to drive you away.”

At Namgoong Cheon’s spirited declaration, Ju Ryongjin laughed.

He didn’t make a sound. And yet, the laughter could be felt—a subtle tremor in the air, a shift in the atmosphere that sent an eerie shiver down the spine.

“What is your relationship with the Plum Blossom Sword Wolf?”

“I don’t know him.”

“I’d really like to know. The closer you are to him, the more satisfying it will be to tear you apart.”

“Try it if you can!”

With Namgoong Cheon’s defiant challenge, the air exploded with a thunderous roar.

A violent clash erupted. The sharp clang of metal rang out, not just from Namgoong Cheon, but from the entire Golden Tiger Squad—attacking all at once.

“Ugh!”

A short groan was heard, and the sound grew louder.

“Ugh!”

“Argh, aah!”

The dying screams echoed in all directions, and Lee Hwasu gripped the palanquin door tightly.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he tried to push it open—only to find it wouldn’t budge.

Someone had blocked it.

Realizing this, Lee Hwasu shouted, his voice raw with urgency.

“Hae Muyoung! Open the palanquin!”

From just outside, standing firm, Hae Muyoung answered calmly.

“I can’t do that.”

“Open the palanquin door! Are you planning to offer me up like a sacrifice?!”

“It’s not the right time yet. Please wait a little longer. Namgoong Cheon said he would give a signal.”

“A signal? What signal?”

“Namgoong Cheon said to run when he uses the eighth move of the Thousand Transformations Infinite Sword.”

Lee Hwasu stiffened.

For Namgoong Cheon to unleash the eighth move of the Thousand Transformations Infinite Sword meant he intended to exhaust every ounce of his internal energy.

The Thousand Transformations Infinite Sword—a secret technique of the Namgoong Clan—possessed unfathomable power, but its cost was immense. It devoured vast amounts of internal energy, leaving the wielder vulnerable.

To drain himself dry in front of the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon, a monster said to wield infinite demonic energy, was no different than declaring his own death.

“I can’t allow that. Open the palanquin door immediately!”

“I can’t. If you get caught, Namgoong Cheon’s sacrifice will be meaningless.”

“Do you want me to survive at the cost of sacrificing my friend? I can’t do that!”

Lee Hwasu reached out and unleashed his strength.

Bang!

The palanquin door shattered, causing Hae Muyoung, who had been blocking the way, to stagger. Lee Hwasu pushed past him and stood up, taking in the urgent scene unfolding by the riverside.

The Golden Tiger Squad was already down, not a single one left standing. They had all become guests of the afterlife, buried among the reeds, their forms invisible.

Only Namgoong Cheon remained, facing the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon with his back turned. His shoulders rose and fell sharply, a clear sign of how dire his situation was.

Lee Hwasu shouted loudly, “I’m here—!”

At his voice, Ju Ryongjin’s attention wavered momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, Namgoong Cheon unleashed the eighth move of the Thousand Transformations Infinite Sword.

Namgoong Cheon’s figure wavered, his sword tracing a circular arc as it extended outward. The swirling sword force toppled the reeds, revealing the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon in full view.

His long hair was wildly disheveled, and his pitch-black robe fluttered. Seeing this, Lee Hwasu’s eyes widened.

It was strange. Facing the force of the Thousand Transformations Infinite Sword, his clothes should have been torn or at least fluttering violently. Yet, his robe remained still, as if unaffected by Namgoong Cheon’s power.

Ju Ryongjin wasn’t even looking at Namgoong Cheon.

His blood-red gaze pierced over Namgoong Cheon’s shoulder, directly at Lee Hwasu.

Lee Hwasu’s heart sank, and he gritted his teeth. At that moment, Hae Muyoung grabbed his wrist from behind and pulled.

“It’s the signal, you must go!”

Lee Hwasu hesitated, glancing back at Hae Muyoung. In that brief moment, he missed what happened next. By the time he turned his gaze back, Namgoong Cheon was already collapsing, blood spurting from his mouth.

“Ugh…”

Lee Hwasu was horrified.

“Cheon-ah!”

He shouted, stepping forward. But where Namgoong Cheon had fallen, the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon now stood tall.

With a leisurely smile, he began to stride forward. Seeing this, Hae Muyoung shook Lee Hwasu’s sleeve vigorously.

“Young Master! You must flee now if you want Namgoong Cheon to survive! I’ll hold them off here, so go quickly!”

Lee Hwasu realized that his hesitation had left Hae Muyoung behind. If he wanted to save both Namgoong Cheon and Hae Muyoung, he had to leave now. Only then would the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon abandon them and follow him.

“Go!”

Leaving Hae Muyoung, who had always been by his side like thread and needle, felt like his heart was being torn apart. But with Namgoong Cheon down, fighting alone was hopeless.

Even Namgoong Cheon, who had mastered the Thousand Transformations Infinite Sword, couldn’t last three hundred moves. For Lee Hwasu, who was less skilled, fighting would only mean offering himself up.

Lee Hwasu immediately turned and launched himself into the air. Using his lightness skill, he leaped from the dock into the void.

Whoosh!

The river was too wide to cross in one leap. He would have to land on an island in the middle and jump again. But where he landed was a patch of thickly grown water plants, and his foot sank.

Splash!

His body submerged, and the water plants wrapped around him. He tried to swim to the surface, but the plants hindered him.

It wasn’t just the plants.

The image of Namgoong Cheon collapsing, blood spilling onto the ground, and Hae Muyoung standing alone against the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon clouded his mind.

His thoughts spiraled into chaos, disrupting his energy flow and rendering him powerless.

Fear and guilt pressed down on him like a crushing weight, dragging him deeper into helplessness.

Gurgle.

Lee Hwasu gulped down a mouthful of water, struggling. He reached out, searching for something to grab onto.

“…!”

After what felt like an eternity, his hand finally caught something.

Lee Hwasu tightened his grip and pulled himself up.

“Phwah!”

The water plants snapped, and his head broke the surface. He spat out the tepid river water, gasping for air. In his haste, he choked, coughing violently.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Amidst his frantic coughing, Lee Hwasu noticed a shadow looming over him. Blinking his stinging eyes, he squeezed out the murky river water, revealing a black robe hanging down.

Not just black… but dark red.

The stains weren’t the fabric’s color or pattern.

They were bloodstains.

Realizing this, the smell of blood hit him like a wave.

Lee Hwasu felt his blood run cold, glancing sideways. He saw what he was holding onto.

A sword sheath.

“Indeed.”

The unexpected admiration froze Lee Hwasu in terror.

Above his bowed head, a slow voice descended.

“The red plum blossom of Mount Hua…”

The speaker paused, murmuring strangely, then suddenly crouched down. As their gaze lowered, their eyes met his.

Lee Hwasu swallowed a gasp.

A face as pale as a corpse, sunken eyes, sharp nose, and lips speckled with blood.

It was like a stone statue, carved with precision, splattered with blood.

The contrast between the savage bloodstains and the unnaturally perfect features made him seem less human, more like a painted mask. Only the eyes burned vividly, like embers.

He couldn’t move. Like a frog before a snake, he was frozen, forced to meet that gaze.

Seeing Lee Hwasu’s fear, Ju Ryongjin smirked.

“Are you the Plum Blossom Sword Wolf, Lee Hwasu?”

Lee Hwasu couldn’t answer. Before he could, Ju Ryongjin stood abruptly, grabbing him by the scruff. Then, with a light step off the water plants, he kicked into the air using the Void-Stepping Technique.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚જ⁀➴

Thud!

Surprisingly, Ju Ryongjin didn’t go far.

Before even leaving the reed field by the river, he flung Lee Hwasu onto a patch of dry grass.

Sprawled on the ground, Lee Hwasu quickly drew his sword and sprang to his feet. The moment his blade left its sheath, he surged forward, launching a fierce attack.

Whoosh!

The movements of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique unfolded seamlessly, swift and relentless, leaving no room to breathe.

With unyielding precision, Lee Hwasu unleashed three distinct techniques in rapid succession, pressing Ju Ryongjin hard—forcing him onto the defensive before even three hundred moves had passed.

For the first time, Ju Ryongjin found himself unable to counter.

He retreated a short distance, having evaded every strike with nothing but footwork.

Yet, his expression was… strange.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

His face was deathly pale, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Blue veins bulged against his neck, his eyes darkened with an eerie flush, and a sinister black stain spread around his solar plexus.

There was no doubt—he was a master of demonic arts.

Just as Namgoong Cheon had said, the imbalance of yin and yang was wreaking havoc on his energy flow, twisting it into something unnatural and causing him immense distress.

“Ugh… ha…”

He panted, pulling at the belt that tied his dark red robe. As the knot came undone and the robe opened, something horrifying was revealed.

Seeing the grotesquely swollen organ, Lee Hwasu’s face turned ashen. Whether it was a side effect of the demonic arts or naturally large, it was almost the size of a child’s forearm.

Ju Ryongjin, with it standing erect and dripping, gestured with his hand.

“Come… huff, come here.”