novelraw Chapter 1 : Resentment Within the Ice
Chapter 1 : Resentment Within the Ice
Chapter 1: Resentment Within the Ice
My name was Cheon Bigang.
Despite my name meaning a “ruthless river of the martial world,” there had once been a time when I, Cheon Bigang, had been unbelievably naïve.
A childish, immature time.
Back then, I had carelessly blurted out whatever questions popped into my head, leaving my master flustered.
For example, something like this.
“Master, your disciple has a question.”
“A question? Questions are a good thing. Go ahead and ask.”
“A very, very long time ago… before the First Cult Leader of the Divine Cult founded the cult here in the Tian Shan Mountains, did the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult not exist in the world?”
It had been an absent-minded remark, but it was an irreverent question that cast doubt on the very foundation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
My master had been startled.
“What did you say? Who on earth told you such a thing?”
“Me! Yesterday, during horse stance training. My legs hurt, so I was thinking about the cult, and that thought suddenly came to me.”
“Huhuh!”
My master stroked his beard with his hands clasped behind his back.
Thinking about it now, it had been a remark worthy of punishment.
After all, my master had been an absolute expert of the Demonic Cult, the very sect feared and despised by martial artists.
If he had not been a strange man by nature, I would have been tied to a pillar and whipped, or thrown into solitary confinement without seeing sunlight for a week.
Even for a child, the punishment for doubting the dignity of the Divine Cult was strict.
But my master merely deepened the wrinkles on his face, looking troubled, and laughed it off.
My master.
Yujeong Sword, Gyogun.
People of the martial world had given my master the nickname Yujeong Sword, meaning “the swordsman who possesses righteousness.”
It had been an extraordinarily unusual thing.
At the time, the entire Central Plains martial world had been locked in bloody opposition with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult under the emperor’s decree to exterminate heretics.
Yet my master had boldly ventured into the martial world.
Even as countless blades flew toward his neck simply because he belonged to the Demonic Cult, he confronted the era head-on and pursued his own sense of justice.
For decades.
Before anyone realized it, my master had become a swordsman who dominated his age.
A sword that possessed righteousness, though belonging to the demonic path.
The title Yujeong Sword was the highest praise the martial world could bestow upon someone from the Demonic Cult.
A member of the Demonic Cult respected by martial artists.
The fact that my master had been such an odd person had been the greatest fortune of my life.
If my master had not been that strange, the crying infant he had found in the arms of a border tribe slaughtered by the emperor’s soldiers would have frozen to death on that cold land.
Naturally, that baby who had wailed after losing his parents had been me.
They said a man cried only three times in his life.
I had already used one of those chances back then.
That was how we met.
I had been an orphan, and my master had been a chivalrous warrior of the demonic path.
Because I had lost my parents at a young age in the ruthless currents of the martial world, I had neither a surname nor a name.
So my master named me Cheon Bigang (天非江)—so that I would never forget the ruthless martial world.
Master, you were called by the elegant title Yujeong Sword, yet you gave your disciple a name meaning “ruthless martial world.”
Wasn’t that a bit much?
Anyway, that was why my name was Cheon Bigang.
To someone like me, who did not even know my parents’ faces, the world had begun with my master’s smile.
Time was merciless.
Before I realized it, generous years had descended upon my master’s hair, turning it white.
My master, who had been momentarily speechless at my childish question, finally spoke with his hands behind his back.
“Yes. You are right. In ancient times so old that they were not even recorded on bamboo slips, they say there was no Divine Cult, no Martial Alliance, and not even an emperor.”
“Not even an emperor?”
“That’s right.”
“This disciple can’t even imagine that!”
“This master cannot either. But even if there had been no Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and no nation, people would still have lived for themselves. Not because of someone else or an organization’s orders—but for their own reasons alone.”
My master’s eyebrows curved gently.
His voice carried a trace of regret.
It was the voice of someone who had roamed the world freely yet never escaped the fate of belonging to the cult.
Of course, the young me back then could not have known.
That not long afterward, my master would be executed by the Cult Leader.
Unaware that I would soon use the second of the three tears granted to a man, I had simply imagined something vague as I listened to his words.
A world with no Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, no Martial Alliance, and no emperor.
Then I’d be the boss, right?
I asked.
“Master! Later, after a long time passes, will such an era come again? An era with no cult, no Martial Alliance, and no emperor! Will it come after a hundred years? What will the martial world be like then? I think I’d become the boss there. Right?”
“Well… this master thinks…”
At that moment, flames suddenly rose from beyond the mountain ridge, painting the sky orange.
It was sunset.
My master and I stood on the hill and watched the evening glow.
The shadows of trees stretched diagonally, slowly crawling toward the approaching darkness.
The moment when light and darkness crossed.
Squeeze.
My master held my hand.
His palm was rough and firm like any martial artist’s, but it was full of warmth.
My master spoke.
“Bigang, when the sun sets, night comes, does it not? The martial world is the same. When something people depended on like the sun disappears, they will tremble in fear. But we know, don’t we? After the moon wanes and darkness deepens, tomorrow always comes. So there is no need to be too sad.”
“…Master?”
“Bigang.”
“Yes!”
“This master wishes to see that day together with you. When the heavy clouds clear, the sky will open blue. Beneath it, members of the Divine Cult, martial artists, and even the emperor will all wear the same expression.”
“Huhuhuh!”
My master burst into hearty laughter with his hands behind his back.
Back then, I had not understood what he meant, but since he looked happy, I laughed loudly as well.
“Hahaha! Me too! I want to see it with you, Master!”
“Yes, yes!”
My master.
My father.
My master, who had been respected by his enemies as the Yujeong Sword, died with his head smashed by Shin Yawol, the Eighth Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, after being falsely accused of betraying the cult.
My master’s death marked the beginning of the ill fate between that bastard and me.
This damned ill fate was so stubborn that even after a thousand years, he and I were still playing a never-ending game of tag.
Nothing had ended.
I was searching for him.
Cheon Bigang.
I swore on my name.
That bastard Shin Yawol would die by my hand.
Even if it meant reaching the end of hell—or crossing hundreds of years of time.
The world of skyscrapers.
Buildings rising endlessly after humanity had been lost.
In this dreadful era where people, frightened by gunshots and injustice, survived each day soaked in cigarettes and coffee—
I was searching for him.
The world was still darkness.
---
A thousand years ago.
Winter.
The northernmost edge of Lake Baikal.
On an icy cliff, more than a hundred martial arts masters surrounded a single man.
Flap!
In the dry winter wind, flags planted atop long poles fluttered violently.
The majestic calligraphy written on the flags seemed to proclaim the pride of the factions they represented.
Martial Alliance.
Unorthodox Union.
Family Alliance.
Beggars’ Union.
North Sea Ice Palace.
Green Forest Heroes.
Imperial Guards.
The powerful forces that moved the world stood shoulder to shoulder.
It was astonishing.
The Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Union, who had sworn that righteousness and evil could never coexist, had joined hands. Not only that—forces that had thirsted for each other’s blood for decades had united.
Even the emperor, who had always subtly restrained the martial world, had sent the Imperial Guards.
Why had people who would normally rip out each other’s throats gathered together in this distant land?
The expressions of the masters were as hard as the ice covering the surroundings.
More than a hundred pairs of eyes were fixed on a single man.
A giant with red hair.
The Ninth Heavenly Demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—
Cheon Bigang.
Whoooosh!
As the cold wind brushed his bare face, Shin Yawol, the former Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult standing beside the Martial Alliance Leader, narrowed his eyes.
“Cheon Bigang, you frivolous fool! To think you came alone all the way to the edge of the North Sea claiming you’d kill me. With that empty head of yours, it’s no wonder you ended up like this. Tell me—how does it feel to be betrayed by the entire world?”
After Shin Yawol finished mocking him, the man standing at the end of their gazes slowly raised his head.
Hair red like heated iron fluttered in the wind.
It was the color symbolizing nameless border tribes.
Red eyes.
His pupils had turned a vivid crimson from the side effects of being poisoned by countless deadly toxins.
Within Cheon Bigang’s eyes lurked a sinister aura that could chill even hunters who hunted tigers.
The owner of those red eyes spoke.
“Your voice sure is loud—for someone who swam through a shit pit just to escape the cult’s purgatory. Do you think bringing a bunch of useless trash changes anything?”
Trash?
How dare he!
To call the absolute masters of the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Union trash!
At Cheon Bigang’s words, disciples of great sects and disciples of the Unorthodox Union leader shouted angrily.
“You arrogant bastard!”
“How dare you!”
“Silence!”
“Have you no fear of the heavens, demon!”
“We came to collect the lives you owe for the righteous heroes you murdered! Cheon Bigang, you son of a bitch!”
“You villain! Your treacherous schemes plunged the martial world into chaos! We’ll give you one last chance—hand over the original Dark Division Memorandum!”
“The original? This?”
Cheon Bigang provocatively pulled a book from his robe.
Dark Division Memorandum.
Flip. Flip.
Casually turning the pages, Cheon Bigang grinned viciously and began reading aloud.
“Martial Alliance Leader Baekri Jeong. After inciting the Unorthodox Union to exterminate a small orthodox sect, you handed the treasure to them. Then when the women of that destroyed sect came to the Martial Alliance seeking justice…”
Flip!
The page turned.
Cheon Bigang continued.
“…you harassed them under the pretense of helping them. And when they became pregnant with your children, you used your authority to immediately arrange marriages between them and young men of the Martial Alliance. Twenty-three victims confirmed so far. Even after their marriages, evidence shows you continued summoning them to your private residence.”
“….”
“Th-that…”
The expressions of the Martial Alliance masters began to change rapidly.
A monstrous scandal.
If it became known to the world, it would cause a massive bloodstorm.
But the assembled heroes did not criticize the Martial Alliance Leader.
Because every single person present stood in a similar position.
They had to protect the secret—even with their lives.
The Dark Division Memorandum recorded countless corruptions and conspiracies too shameful to even speak aloud.
There was no need to verify its authenticity.
Every word in it was the truth.
Cheon Bigang smirked.
“Baekri Jeong, Martial Alliance Leader. Do you remember how many rapists your alliance executed? Why wasn’t your own head included? You filthy bastard. Looking through this memorandum, every single one of you here is a spectacle. That’s why I spread copies everywhere.”
Once the contents leaked, the martial world erupted.
Victims connected to those scandals demanded the truth, pressuring the figures named in the memorandum.
If investigations began, their reputations would collapse and their families would abandon them.
Many would become fugitives with bounties on their heads.
But then—
Fwoosh!
Flames suddenly burst from Cheon Bigang’s hand.
The Samadhi True Fire he created devoured the book instantly.
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
As the ashes scattered into the wind and all evidence vanished, Cheon Bigang spoke coolly.
“Why those faces? Was this unexpected? Think about it. The book served its purpose just by gathering you all here. Know why? Because you’re all going to die here. Thanks for coming all the way to the North Sea to take the bait, you carp-brained idiots.”
A trap?
All of this?
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
“You think you can face the entire martial world alone?”
“Impudent fool!”
“Attack!”
“Ha!”
Waaah!
With a short shout, over a hundred masters rushed forward simultaneously.
None gathered here were mediocre.
Many had reached the Transcendent Realm decades ago, like the Martial Alliance Leader and Beggars’ Sect Leader, or stood at equivalent levels.
Yet—
What happened next was even more shocking.
The masters soared into the sky like a human tidal wave.
Cheon Bigang bent his knees and kicked the ground.
Heavenly Demon Descending Step.
A tremendous aura surged toward the human wave.
BOOOOOM!
The ice wall shattered into hundreds of chunks.
Energy erupted through spiderweb cracks.
Bodies in midair exploded apart.
Half of the assembled masters died from that single strike.
Through the swirling ice fragments, Cheon Bigang gazed forward.
“You thought you could defeat me just because I’ve been poisoned by the Formless Venom and attacked with cheap tricks?”
“Of course not!”
Swish.
A man suddenly appeared through the storm of ice shards.
It was the legendary technique—Spatial Shift.
Shin Yawol.
The enemy who had killed my master.
Heavenly Demon Art versus Heavenly Demon Art.
Facing the former Cult Leader lunging forward, Cheon Bigang thrust out his own left hand.
BOOM!
The result was shocking.
Shin Yawol’s arm exploded under the force of Cheon Bigang’s inner power.
“AAAAARGH!”
The force continued forward, bursting the Beggars’ Sect Leader behind him like a water-filled sack.
At that moment, the surviving masters rushed Cheon Bigang from all directions.
Clang! Slash! Roar!
Shin Yawol, his right arm gone, raised his head.
Grinding his teeth, he began activating a forbidden technique—using the blood flowing from his shoulder and the dying lives of the assembled heroes as sacrifice.
“…Fine! I admit it, Cheon Bigang! There is no one in this era who can fight you as an equal. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way!”
Fweeeeet!
Shin Yawol whistled.
At that signal, ten thousand pounds of explosives buried around the ice cliff detonated.
BOOOOOM!
The shockwave tore apart even the remaining masters.
Blood fountains stained the air.
Yet not one fled.
Better to die cleanly than live with disgrace.
Blood and sacrifice.
The collapsing ice cliff falling endlessly toward the lake.
Shin Yawol completed the incantation.
A technique created by combining Buddhist, Daoist, and demonic arts.
“Infinite Tathagata Demon Sealing Formation.”
Flash!
As the blood of the dead emitted crimson light, enormous ice fragments gathered around Cheon Bigang and Shin Yawol.
The ice fused together.
Cheon Bigang sneered.
“Shin Yawol! Is mutual destruction the best you can do?!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m sealing you using the lives of everyone here!”
Crack.
Cheon Bigang tried to resist, but the poison of the Formless Venom and sinister sorcery suppressed his internal energy.
Cheon Bigang shouted with a laugh.
“You’re running away because you’re scared!”
“Don’t misunderstand! This is merely buying time! Even if ten thousand years pass, I will tear you apart with my own hands! Remember this, Cheon Bigang!”
CRAAAAASH!
Encased in separate masses of ice, the two men fell.
Strangely, the ice holding them sank completely to the bottom of the lake.
Promising a meeting beyond time.
---
### New Terms/Characters Introduced
• 유정검 : Yujeong Sword (title)
• 교건 : Gyogun (Male)
• 신야월 : Shin Yawol (Male)
• 백리정 : Baekri Jeong (Male)
• 암부비망록 : Dark Division Memorandum
• 천마군림보 : Heavenly Demon Descending Step
• 무형지독 : Formless Venom
• 무한여래마봉진 : Infinite Tathagata Demon Sealing Formation