CMW | Chapter 1.2

Hearing Namgoong Cheon call him uncle like he did when he was young, Lee Hwayoung gave a faint smile. Meanwhile, the Golden Tiger Squad members were taking off their uniforms and donning the Mount Hua Sect’s attire.

Among them, three wore the clothes Hae Muyoung had given them, pretending to be Lee Hwasu. They planned to disguise themselves as Mount Hua Sect warriors and flee, luring the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon away.

Before long, the Golden Tiger Squad split into three groups and exited through the south, east, and west gates.

Finally, Namgoong Cheon and Hae Muyoung, mixed with the elite Golden Tiger Squad members, carried the carriage with Lee Hwasu inside and exited through the north gate.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚જ⁀➴

They ran like the wind, plunging into the hills. The palanquin jolted violently as it was carried over the uneven hunter’s path. Inside, Lee Hwasu could do nothing but sit helplessly—like a rabbit trapped in a box.

They continued like that until the moon waned, and by the time the first light of dawn crept across the sky, they had reached a secluded valley where the palanquin finally came to a stop.

Namgoong Cheon surveyed their surroundings, his sharp gaze sweeping over the terrain before making a decision.

“This won’t stop the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon, but it should buy us some time.”

At his command, the Golden Tiger Squad swiftly began setting up a formation on both sides of the valley, executing their task with perfect precision.

Meanwhile, Lee Hwasu, now outside the palanquin, turned to Hae Muyoung, his voice edged with urgency.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“Since no one else will tell me, you tell me. Why is the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon targeting me?”

“I don’t know the exact reason.”

“You say you don’t know, yet you helped Namgoong Cheon rush me?”

“All I know is that the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon is paying the price for using demonic arts.”

At Hae Muyoung’s words, Lee Hwasu furrowed his brow.

“Are you talking about the Heaven-Splitting Divine Technique?”

“Yes. Despite its power, there’s a reason why the Heaven-Splitting Divine Technique is considered a demonic art rather than a divine one. It’s become difficult for him to control the demonic energy, so he’s kidnapping the descendants of prestigious families and disciples of the Dao.”

Lee Hwasu gasped.

“Are you saying the recent disappearances were the work of the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon?”

Hae Muyoung nodded.

“That’s what they say.”

In recent years, young warriors from the Five Great Families and various sects had mysteriously gone missing. They vanished without a trace, leaving behind no bodies, no clues—nothing. The Martial Alliance had launched a massive search and investigation, but even their efforts bore little fruit.

And now, the revelation that the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon—who was supposed to be in the Heavenly Mountain—was behind the kidnappings was nothing short of shocking.

Lee Hwasu couldn’t begin to guess the reason. He muttered to himself, lost in thought.

“What on earth is he planning to do with them…?”

At that moment, a telepathic message came through.

― He violated them.

Lee Hwasu flinched.

The sender of the telepathic message was none other than Namgoong Cheon.

Without even looking at Lee Hwasu, he continued speaking.

—It’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth.

The Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon has lost the balance of yin and yang due to the overwhelming manifestation of demonic energy from the Heaven-Splitting Divine Technique. As a result, his body can no longer accept yin energy.

To obtain high-quality yang energy, he’s been kidnapping and violating the noble sons of prestigious families.

Lee Hwasu swallowed dryly and also asked through telepathy.

― Then why the disciples of the Dao?

― It seems he needs celestial energy to control the demonic energy. Just pouring yang energy wasn’t enough.

So, he’s targeting me because…?

― Yes. As the successor of the Mount Hua Sect, he believes you are full of celestial energy. And it’s true. The essence of the Plum Blossom Heart Technique resides within you, so he thinks it can control the demonic energy.

Lee Hwasu’s face turned deathly pale.

It was shocking enough to learn that the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon had been kidnapping and violating noble sons—but to think that he was the next target?

For someone like Lee Hwasu, who had spent his life solely focused on martial arts training deep within the forests of Mount Hua, it was a chilling and utterly incomprehensible revelation.

Did this mean he too could be captured by the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon and suffer such a fate?

“Ugh!”

A wave of nausea surged through Lee Hwasu, and he couldn’t suppress it. The sheer thought alone was enough to make his stomach churn violently.

He doubled over and vomited, emptying everything he had eaten for dinner. Cold sweat drenched his body as he gasped for breath, his entire frame trembling.

“Are you alright?”

Unaware of the conversation exchanged through telepathy with Namgoong Cheon, Hae Muyoung gently patted Lee Hwasu’s back. Without hesitation, he pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over.

Lee Hwasu accepted it, burying his nose in the soft fabric as he took a deep breath. A subtle scent of green tea lingered on the cloth, soothing the nausea still twisting in his stomach.

Despite being a warrior, Hae Muyoung carried a pleasant fragrance—likely because he washed his hair with green tea water every day. Even amidst the grueling demands of training, he remained unfailingly neat and composed, a model of discipline for others.

Whenever Lee Hwasu found himself worn down by training, on the verge of giving up, he would look to Hae Muyoung—always steady, always unwavering—and somehow, his resolve would return.

Now, the familiar scent of someone he relied on gradually steadied his mind.

Once he had composed himself, Lee Hwasu returned the handkerchief.

“Thank you.”

Hae Muyoung shook his head.

“It’s nothing. The palanquin seems to be shaking a lot, but there’s nothing we can do, so please bear with it.”

Seeing him misinterpret the reason for his vomiting, Lee Hwasu gave a bitter smile. Namgoong Cheon, who glanced at them, urged them to hurry.

“We need to reach the riverbank before sunrise. Let’s move!”

Lee Hwasu got back into the palanquin as Namgoong Cheon and Hae Muyoung switched places with other members of the Golden Tiger Squad. Taking turns carrying the palanquin, they moved swiftly, crossing the mountain as if flying.

As the eastern sky began to glow red, a sudden, deafening roar shattered the quiet.

Boom… Crash!

A thunderous sound rumbled through the clear sky.

Startled by the distant roar, Lee Hwasu quickly slid open the palanquin window.

“What’s happening?”

Namgoong Cheon glanced back, his expression tense.

“It’s the valley. The Mysterious Gate Formation we set up has been broken. It seems the Golden Tiger Squad, which scattered in different directions, failed to lure the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon.”

Beside him, Hae Muyoung spoke grimly.

“It seems the Mount Hua Sect has also lost track of the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon.”

Hearing that even the experts of Mount Hua Sect, including Lee Hwayoung, had failed to contain him, anxiety crept in. Lee Hwasu clenched his fists and muttered with a worried expression,

“I hope Father is alright…”

But no one could bring themselves to nod or offer comfort.

They simply stared in the direction of the valley, eyes filled with tension.

At that moment, Namgoong Cheon, regaining his composure, bit his lip before speaking.

“Hwasu, close the window. No matter what chaos unfolds outside, don’t show your face! I will protect you—no matter what!”

Though Namgoong Cheon assured him with unwavering confidence, his words felt disheartening.

Lee Hwasu shut the window and curled up inside the palanquin. He wanted to step out and fight alongside him, yet deep down, he felt unworthy. The frustration burned inside him.

Namgoong Cheon was a once-in-a-century genius. Adopted into the Namgoong Clan solely for his unparalleled talent, he had surpassed Namgoong Gil, the clan’s strongest warrior, while still in his youth.

He then mastered the Supreme Heaven Heart Technique, the Namgoong Clan’s most revered martial art, and reached formidable heights in the Thousand Transformations Infinite Sword, a secret technique feared throughout the martial world. His meteoric rise had made him a top-tier expert.

Recently, he had taken command of the Martial Alliance’s Golden Tiger Squad, defeating a century-old demon—an achievement that placed him among the top ten martial artists of the era.

In contrast, Lee Hwasu’s path felt stagnant.

Despite being the sole son of Lee Hwayoung, the leader of Mount Hua Sect, and receiving countless resources and teachings, his skills remained lacking compared to Namgoong Cheon. Most of all, his progress in the Plum Spirit Phantom Dance Sword had been stalled for years.

The Plum Spirit Phantom Dance Sword was one of the most revered divine techniques in the martial world, but its depth was so profound that no one had mastered it fully in over a century. Even Lee Hwayoung, who had devoted his life to perfecting the technique, had only grasped its foundational forms.

For Mount Hua Sect, achieving the pinnacle of the Plum Spirit Phantom Dance Sword was an unfulfilled dream—one they had pinned all their hopes on Lee Hwasu to realize.

It was no exaggeration to say that everything the Mount Hua Sect had invested in him was for the sake of this one technique.

‘Had you mastered the Plum Spirit Phantom Dance Sword, this would have been within your grasp.’

Lee Hwasu recalled Lee Hwayoung’s words and bit down hard on his lip.

It was all the more frustrating because he knew Lee Hwayoung was right. If he had truly mastered the Plum Spirit Phantom Dance Sword—if he had reached its peak—he wouldn’t be here now, disguised as a woman, cowering inside a palanquin to escape the Heaven-Splitting Calamity Demon.

The thought was unbearable. His frustration burned so intensely that he kept biting his lip until the metallic taste of blood spread across his tongue.

As he absentmindedly sucked on the wound, the first light of dawn spilled through the palanquin window, brightening the view outside.

Judging by the rhythmic splashes of water, they had reached a riverside. And as if to confirm his guess, the creaking of wooden planks echoed—the sound of someone stepping onto a dock.

It was then.

“They’re coming…!”

At Namgoong Cheon’s sharp warning, the palanquin thudded heavily onto the dock. Lee Hwasu, jolted by the impact, hit his head against the ceiling. From all around, he could hear the sound of dry swallowing—nervous, restrained breaths.

And then—

“Hahaha!”

A thunderous laugh, deep and wild like a lion’s roar, erupted across the riverbank.

Bang!

A powerful force struck the palanquin, sending tremors through the wooden frame. The grass by the river bent violently under the shockwave, and startled cormorants flapped their wings in a panicked retreat. The once-tranquil river broke into chaotic ripples, disturbed by an unseen pressure.

And then—an eerie silence.