“Hehehe. Do you truly wish to die, Young Master? There’s no need to go to such lengths. If you’d just ask properly, I would grant your request immediately.”

“As if. Chief Steward Yoo, how could I possibly refuse a letter you’ve given me? I must open it in front of everyone, with a heart full of… gratitude.”

Yoo Ho mouthed two words, so quietly he was certain no one else could hear.

“Why don’t you just advertise to the whole world that it’s from the Demonic Cult?”

That’s right. It was a letter from the Demonic Cult.

And my gut feeling was that it had been sent by the Little Heavenly Demon, Yeo Haryoon.

Jin Cheon-hee replied with a bored look, “Our medical pavilion has ties to the Demonic Cult, too, you know.”

“That is an internal matter, not something to be broadcast to the entire neighborhood, as you are well aware.”

While the Hwaju Medical Pavilion handled the orthodox factions and the Dark Palace Medical Pavilion handled the unorthodox factions, the White Qilin Medical Pavilion did not belong to either path. It accepted all patients who sought it out, regardless of whether they were orthodox or unorthodox. The important thing was not the patient’s personal ideology or sect; it was the illness that afflicted them.

Stated that way, it sounded noble, but the reality was a bit different.

To be more precise, his master stopped at nothing in the research of his own body. He would not hesitate to follow a clue, even if it led him to the Demonic Cult. In a way, if one were to judge based on greed for knowledge alone, he might be no different from the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric. It was just that his master skillfully packaged that greed and walked a neutral line.

He accepted patients from the Demonic Cult.

From the orthodox faction’s standpoint, this was a grievous matter, but to Jin Cheon-hee, a modern man, it was of no concern whatsoever.

Treating patients without discrimination is a fine virtue for a doctor.

Jin Cheon-hee merely smiled instead of answering.

“I’d love to open up your head and see what’s inside, Young Master. Very well. I’ll be going now, so please take your time opening it… alone.”

“Ah, leaving?”

“Yes. I’ve already inspected it, and there’s nothing dangerous inside. Not that I expected any; those people have always been courteous to the medical pavilions.”

“Alright. In that case, one more cup of tea.”

“Keuk. Very well, Young Master.”

Yoo Ho conceded defeat.

Alone in the room, Jin Cheon-hee sat at the table and examined the wooden box. It was bound with a silk cord, one of rather high quality.

He untied the knot and opened the box.

Tak—

The box, which had been fitted together so perfectly it seemed to be a single piece of wood, split in half with a crisp sound.

Inside were a letter and a silk pouch.

The letter read: The Cult gave me permission to send a letter, but you’re the only person I could think to send it to, so I’m sending it like this. I am healthy and doing well. When the time is right, I will come to see you.

No sender was written, but it was obvious who had sent it.

Has his rank risen that much already? Is he really going to become the Junior Cult Leader soon?

A Demonic Cult member needed to be of a high-ranking position to send a letter to the outside world. But this was fast. Far too fast. Shouldn’t it have taken him at least five years, according to the original story? What on earth changed…

Ah. That’s right. My teachings sped things up.

What Jin Cheon-hee had taught Yeo Haryoon was basic social conduct. Not the logic of power that governed contests between martial artists, but simply the way human beings ought to treat one another. It was nothing profound. Just basic common sense that everyone knew.

His stiff way of writing tells me his personality hasn’t changed, but… hmm.

There was one other thing. Jin Cheon-hee had asked him to think three times before killing someone. Yeo Haryoon had replied that three times was too slow, and he would do it in two.

That must have been what led to this.

Terrifying, that kid. It couldn’t have been easy to overcome the instincts of his Star of Heavenly Slaughter.

And one more thing.

He succeeded in suppressing the Blood Gu.

The words “healthy and doing well” meant that. As a medical professional, he felt a swell of pride.

Alright, now to open this silk pouch.

It was quite heavy.

Jin Cheon-hee opened the pouch. Inside was a jet-black bracelet. As if to announce its Demonic Cult origins, a black dragon was coiled around it.

This… don’t tell me. Is this… that thing I saw in the novel? But this is what Yeo Haryoon wore himself…

He wasn’t sure.

Jin Cheon-hee twisted the black dragon’s head.

Dalkak—

With a click, a black thread, so fine it was nearly invisible, revealed itself. It was a filament thinner than silk, yet sharp enough to slice flesh. It was the assassin’s weapon among assassin’s weapons.

Heok, the Dark Heavens Blood Thread? Why would something this precious be sent in a letter?

The Dark Heavens Blood Thread. The Black Heaven Blood Thread.

It was one of the secret weapons used by the Heavenly Demon. In the blood-soaked, flesh-splattering Demonic Cult, one needed something to protect oneself, and that didn’t just mean a large broadsword. This invisible thread could strangle and sever an enemy’s neck. In an emergency, it could be used to create a trap, snaring hundreds of masters at once.

He must have formed a bond with the Black Arrow Dark Monster. Did he become his disciple?

It was the signature self-defense weapon of the Black Arrow Dark Monster, the man called the King of Hidden Weapons. In the original story, the Little Heavenly Demon, Yeo Haryoon, defeated the Black Arrow Dark Monster after a difficult struggle and obtained the Dark Heavens Blood Thread. Its tensile strength was like that of an elephant’s sinew, and when infused with a special type of internal energy, its edge became sharp enough to cut diamond. It was said to be more fearsome than ten thousand daggers, a treasured secret weapon that the Black Arrow Dark Monster cherished his entire life.

Within the Demonic Cult, the Black Arrow Dark Monster was one of the more reasonable, sensible members, and a considerable powerhouse. But Yeo Haryoon, unable to overcome the nature of his Star of Heavenly Slaughter, killed the Black Arrow Dark Monster’s son. That had happened during the Minor Sect Leader’s Blood Calamity. The wound Yeo Haryoon received at that time became a fetter that would torment him.

But it seemed things were different this time.

The bracelet was flawless.

It would be impossible for the current Yeo Haryoon to have taken it by force. He must have formed a bond stronger than resentment. Whether he became the Black Arrow Dark Monster’s disciple or bestowed some great favor upon that man’s only son, he had managed to obtain this treasure four years ahead of schedule, and in a good way.

But why would that Heavenly Demon kid give this to me? He should be using it himself.

He’d just tossed it over without a hint of fanfare, as if to say, “I just picked this up on the way.”

Seriously, if I were an ordinary person, I wouldn’t even have known the value of this bracelet. What if I’d sold it?

It was chilling. The Heavenly Demon’s coolness was just too cold.

Jin Cheon-hee put the bracelet on. It was a little loose now, but it would probably fit fine once his body had grown.

I should probably write a reply.

It’s best if I don’t write my name either, just in case someone intercepts it. Besides, even if the carrier pigeon reaches a Demonic Cult branch, there’s no guarantee it’ll ever find its way to that kid.

Jin Cheon-hee wrote a simple reply. It was a formal, perfunctory note, telling him to eat his meals and stay healthy.

***

After sending the carrier pigeon, Jin Cheon-hee sat on the narrow wooden porch, fiddling with the Dark Heavens Blood Thread.

From the outside, it still looked like an ordinary bracelet. Or rather, it was so luxurious and expensive-looking that it was far from ordinary.

The artisan who made the Dark Heavens Blood Thread must have been some strange fellow who loved flashy things. Shouldn’t a hidden weapon be as plain as possible to make it easy to conceal? This bracelet is only “ordinary” by the standards of a rich young master.

Even so, it was hard to believe this was that incredible secret weapon.

As a test, he twisted the dragon’s head and drew out the black thread. He could tell the tensile strength was incredible, but it didn’t look particularly sharp.

He tried channeling his internal energy into it.

“…”

That alone produced no change.

This time, he tried infusing the energy in different combinations. When he mixed the Metal and Water Qi of the Five-Elemental Divine Art at a ratio of about two to one, there was finally a reaction.

Jareureu—

The entire black thread vibrated. When he touched a finger to the tip of the thread, a red line appeared on his skin. It had the cutting power of a scalpel.

I heard it required a “special internal energy,” but it seems I can roughly imitate it with the Five-Elemental Divine Art. It was probably supposed to react to the demonic arts of the Demonic Cult.

Heh. Using a shortcut sure is sweet.

How much did Yeo Haryoon know when he sent this?

Jin Cheon-hee was lost in thought.

“What on earth are you thinking about?”

Yoo Ho returned to collect the tea and refreshments Cheon-hee had finished, along with the wooden box.

Jin Cheon-hee, still toying with the bracelet, answered calmly.

“I was just wondering how I could use this to save lives.”

“You want to use a hidden weapon, designed to kill people, for medical arts?”

“Sound crazy?”

“When have you ever been sane, Young Master? For you, this is probably what’s normal.”

This bastard…

Just as Jin Cheon-hee was contemplating how to get him back this time, Yoo Ho added another word.

“He probably gave it to you because you’re like that. He knew you weren’t sane, so he probably thought you, unlike himself, could use it for a different purpose.”

“…?”

How would he know that? Jin Cheon-hee glanced at him.

Yoo Ho scowled.

“Well, the thoughts of those who’ve hit rock bottom are all more or less the same. It’s obvious how a guy like that would use it if he got his hands on it.”

“Rock bottom… rock bottom…”

Yoo Ho’s words were strangely persuasive. It was as if he himself had been there. Come to think of it, he’s called himself a lowly creature before. Did he grow up in the slums? Or was he kidnapped by an unorthodox faction or the Demonic Cult when he was young, only to escape? He could have been abducted and brainwashed by a sect specializing in assassination.

That was the way of the Gangho. You could never tell just by looking at the surface.

Well, not that I have any intention of going easy on a guy who threatens to kill me all the time.

In any case, it seemed Yeo Haryoon wanted him to use this in a different way. And, of course, for self-defense.

He was half-right. I was just wondering if I could use it for medical purposes.

Yoo Ho set down a fresh cup of tea and three rice cakes before leaving, adding a few barbs as he went. Jin Cheon-hee just laughed good-naturedly and zinged him right back.

He sat alone on the porch for several hours, running through applications for the Dark Heavens Blood Thread in his mind, when he sensed someone approaching.

Yoo Ho? No.

Yoo Ho’s footsteps were less like a human’s and more like those of a four-legged beast, likely an influence of the martial art he was practicing. The footsteps he heard this time were different.

Light and fast.

“Cheon-hee-ya.”

It was Wang Gak-yeon.

She was now completely cured, and had even had all her Meridian Channels opened. Among her peers, there was almost no one in the famous houses of the Gangho who could defeat her.

A large horn bow, was slung across her back. It was a weapon called the Evil-Shattering Horn Bow, and while not a divine weapon, it was a bow specially modified for using the Evil-Shattering Divine Art. Judging by how worn the grip was, it had belonged to her father, the Phantom Archer. The Phantom Archer, having reached the Transformation Realm, no longer needed the Evil-Shattering Horn Bow. He had transcended the stage of being bound by a bow.

So, he had passed it down to his daughter, Wang Gak-yeon. It was a large bow for a young girl’s frame, but she handled it with complete freedom.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so out of breath?”

Wang Gak-yeon said, “You’re good at lightness arts, right?”

“I know how to use the Three Talents Lightness Art, which is derived from the Three Talents Footwork.”

The Three Talents Lightness Art was no different from the Three Talents Footwork. Left, right, forward. That was all there was to it.

Normally, his words would have been a joke, referring to such a low-level lightness art, but her expression was serious.

“Can you come with me for a moment? There’s someone I need you to treat.”

She fumbled in her robes and pulled out one silver jeon and nine iron jeon. It was, as Jin Cheon-hee knew, all the money she had in the world.

“What’s going on?”

“Please…”

Her eyes said she couldn’t explain right now.