Episode 6
Cheon Woo-jin’s steps were neither slow nor fast.
No anger, intent to kill, or envy could be felt from him.
He merely walked forward calmly, his black Crescent Moon Stick hanging downward.
Yet, Cheon Woo-jin’s presence weighed heavily on the vast training grounds of the Murim Alliance.
The moment Cheon Woo-jin approached Gu Jin-seok, everyone instinctively felt that something would happen.
Even so, the instructors couldn’t stop Cheon Woo-jin.
Their instincts as martial artists rooted them in place; their skills were too lacking to intervene.
This wasn’t a formal exam, just a mere ranking test, so the Murim Alliance hadn’t deployed its higher-ranked warriors.
At most, Zhuge Liang, the sub-leader of the Hyunmu Unit, was the highest-ranking martial artist present.
She wasn’t even supposed to be here, but her young age had been the reason for her deployment. Zhuge Liang, feeling a slight sense of responsibility, stood in front of Gu Jin-seok.
“Applicant Cheon Woo-jin, stop. If you cause more commotion, both of you will be disqualified.”
But Cheon Woo-jin didn’t stop walking.
When he stood before Gu Jin-seok and Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang felt as if her breath had been taken away.
The energy radiating from him wasn’t something one would expect from a mere applicant.
No, it wasn’t just energy—the depth in his gaze was akin to facing an experienced master.
Gu Jin-seok simply kept his mouth shut.
From the moment Cheon Woo-jin had picked up his Crescent Moon Stick, Gu Jin-seok already knew.
He wasn’t a match for this man.
Cheon Woo-jin spoke in a low voice.
“You seemed to have released killing intent earlier.”
“…”
Gu Jin-seok couldn’t respond.
The look in Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes made him feel as though his head could be crushed at any moment by the staff in his hand.
But apologizing wasn’t an option either.
For someone of his temperament, biting his tongue and dying was preferable to such humiliation.
So the only thing Gu Jin-seok could do was hide behind the much smaller Zhuge Liang.
“Applicant Cheon Woo-jin!”
Zhuge Liang raised her voice.
Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze shifted to her.
“Hup!”
Zhuge Liang instinctively inhaled sharply.
Of course, she couldn’t discern Cheon Woo-jin’s exact level, but the energy in his gaze alone was overwhelming.
In a calm, low voice, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.
“When a martial artist directs killing intent at another, it means they are prepared for the consequences.”
Though his voice wasn’t loud, each word resonated clearly in the ears of everyone present.
Cheon Woo-jin turned his gaze to Gu Jin-seok.
“I’ll give you a choice. I don’t know what dissatisfaction you have with me, but if you dislike me, settle it here as martial artists. Otherwise, offer a sincere apology.”
“…”
Gu Jin-seok remained silent.
Despite being much larger than Cheon Woo-jin, Gu Jin-seok’s figure appeared pitiful.
Cheon Woo-jin’s presence completely enveloped him.
‘Apologize? In front of all these people?’
Gu Jin-seok clenched his teeth. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.
His provocation toward Cheon Woo-jin had a reason.
He genuinely believed Cheon Woo-jin to be a spy planted in the Murim Alliance by a rival faction.
Gu Jin-seok had already reviewed all the candidates’ profiles, including their martial capabilities and temperaments.
Cheon Woo-jin’s name had not appeared on any list of noteworthy individuals.
Thus, there was an 80% chance he was a spy.
However, Gu Jin-seok had never expected Cheon Woo-jin to act so recklessly and confront him like this.
At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin subtly raised his Crescent Moon Stick.
Gu Jin-seok instinctively spoke.
“Wait… it’s a misunderstanding.”
Cheon Woo-jin pointed the staff at Gu Jin-seok.
“Is that how you apologize?”
Cheon Woo-jin lightly swung his staff.
Whack!
With a heavy sound, Gu Jin-seok’s knees hit the ground. He felt as if all sensation in his legs had vanished.
“You… you madman!”
Zhuge Liang finally reached out to stop Cheon Woo-jin, but her hand grasped only air.
She turned in disbelief to find Cheon Woo-jin already behind her.
The black staff hovered over Gu Jin-seok’s head.
Cheon Woo-jin’s voice was calm but chilling.
“This is your last chance.”
Gu Jin-seok, sweating profusely, stammered.
“It… it was a misunderstanding. I wrongly accused and harassed you. I’m sorry.”
Cheon Woo-jin raised his staff high.
Gu Jin-seok shut his eyes and braced for impact.
But nothing happened.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Cheon Woo-jin walking away, staff on his back. Relief mixed with indescribable shame washed over Gu Jin-seok.
***
After the incident, Gu Jin-seok returned to his quarters, trembling with rage and humiliation.
A middle-aged man in a dark robe awaited him there.
“Young Master, are you alright? If I had intervened, the Murim Alliance might have grown suspicious…”
“Silence!”
Gu Jin-seok shouted angrily.
As he recalled the humiliation, his eyes turned cold.
“In the second test, that *****d must die.”
“…Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
Gu Jin-seok glared at the middle-aged man before him, causing the latter to slightly bow his head in response.
“I was humiliated by someone whose name and face are unknown. Given his skills, he is likely a spy planted by one of the demonic sects or a dark faction like the Black Fiend Fortress or Heavenly Killing Hall.”
“…I sensed no demonic aura from him.”
“Silence! That is not the issue here. The point is that I was bested by such a person. I must kill him. Leaving him alive would bring shame to my father’s name!”
“…”
The middle-aged man let out a quiet sigh.
Starting a quarrel himself and then hiding behind the family’s prestige to vent his frustration—this truly was childish behavior.
Indeed, raising a child is the hardest endeavor of all. Even the head of the prestigious Gu clan, ruler of a region, seemed powerless to prevent his son from turning into such a troublemaker.
The middle-aged man spoke, “Shall I take care of him myself?”
“Are you joking? What if you’re discovered?”
“…Do you not trust me?”
Gu Jin-seok gave the man an exasperated look.
Though competent, his simple way of thinking always left Jin-seok feeling frustrated.
“This is the Martial Alliance. In the second trial, tasks like eliminating small dark sects or public enemies will be assigned. Can’t you think of a way to use that to your advantage?”
“…My apologies.”
“Do you understand now? During the second trial, ensure that he does not make it back alive. If he returns to the Alliance unharmed, then…”
Gu Jin-seok left the rest unsaid, but the implied threat was clear.
The middle-aged man’s heart grew heavier—not because he feared Gu Jin-seok, but because of the head of the Gu clan, who indulged such a spoiled child and pressured others to tolerate his whims.
Straightening his dark robes, the middle-aged man bowed deeply.
“I will handle it, young master.”
***
“Are you insane, Young Hero?”
Despite her words, Song Yi-yeon couldn’t suppress a smile as she recalled the image of the brutish Gu Jin-seok kneeling and begging for forgiveness.
Cheon Woo-jin sighed deeply.
“This incident has made me realize just how lacking my training is.”
“Young Hero, please stop with the self-deprecating talk. If your training is lacking, what does that make the rest of us, idiots?”
Ahead of them, the seven “idiots” walking through the forest turned to glare at them. Neither Song Yi-yeon nor Cheon Woojin paid them any mind.
The second trial, as Gu Jin-seok had learned beforehand, involved purging dark sects and demonic cultists.
Those rated as ‘Grade A’ in the evaluation, including Cheon Woo-jin and Gu Jin-seok, were divided into seven teams. The same went for those rated as ‘Grade B’ and below.
Song Yi-yeon, having received three ‘Grade A’s and two ‘Grade B’s, was rated as a ‘Grade B’ martial artist overall.
Cheon Woojin knew, however, that he hadn’t displayed his full capabilities. There were two Grade A fighters weaker than him among the ranks.
As they walked, Cheon Woo-jin suddenly spoke,
“If I were a master like Heukno, those people wouldn’t have dared to provoke me.”
This was often the case.
Regardless of age, gender, or skill, most people felt terror when encountering Heukno.
Even after multiple encounters, the fear lingered.
But it wasn’t just his skill; it was the menacing aura of someone who had lived his entire life as a thorough villain.
“These targets we’re hunting—I’ve heard they’re truly heinous. They target small, poorly defended villages, abduct women, and slaughter the men,” Song Yi-yeon remarked grimly.
“Why?” Cheon Woo-jin asked.
Song Yi-yeon gave him a look as if the answer should be obvious.
“Why else? They’re villains. They do such things simply because they can.”
However, Cheon Woo-jin thought differently.
His master Heukno was undeniably a villain, yet he never acted without a reason, no matter how twisted that reason might be.
While Cheon Woo-jin mulled over the motives behind the crimes, the leader of their group raised his hand, signaling a stop.
“Someone’s ahead,” the leader whispered.
“They’re hiding their presence. Be cautious.”
Cheon Woojin interrupted.
“No, they’re not hiding their presence—they’re revealing it deliberately.”
His observation unsettled the group.
Suddenly, Zhuge Liang, their supervisor, appeared and ordered.
“Change direction and retreat quietly.”
As they moved, a branch snapped underfoot, triggering a swarm of shadowy attackers.
The clash seemed inevitable.
Yet amidst the chaos, a lone figure emerged at the center of a rising black aura.
It was Cheon Woo-jin, shrouded in the ominous Dark Celestial Full Moon.
