As dusk settled, the three travelers arrived at a small tavern in a nearby village.
Outside, merchants and martial artists bustled about, while inside, drunken patrons filled the air with laughter and chatter.
Seo-eun quietly took a seat in the corner.
She still wasn't used to companionship.
She had always been alone. Traveling with others was more foreign to her than she had expected.
Her two new companions, however, were entirely at ease.
"A bottle of wine and some meat, please!"
The Kunlun disciple ordered without hesitation.
The Mount Hua disciple chuckled, sitting beside him, both of them instinctively scanning their surroundings.
"Well, I suppose it's time for proper introductions, isn't it?"
The Mount Hua disciple grinned.
"I am a disciple of Mount Hua. My surname is Jin. But real names are boring in the martial world, so just call me Brother Jin."
The Kunlun disciple let out a hearty laugh.
"I'm from Kunlun. The name's Wei Yeon. Not exactly a complicated name, so feel free to call me that."
The two exchanged names naturally before turning their attention to the last member of their group.
"And you?"
Jin looked at Seo-eun expectantly.
For a brief moment, she hesitated.
'I can't tell them my real name.'
"Seo-eun" could be used as a man's name as well, but…
Perhaps it would be wiser to adopt an entirely new identity.
Feigning indifference, she finally spoke.
"I am… Li Shan."
She chose Shan (善), soft and neutral, omitting Seo (昭) from her name.
It wasn't uncommon in the martial world for people to hide their true names.
However—
A brief pause.
Wei Yeon, the Kunlun disciple, studied her closely.
Then his lips curled into a smirk.
"Li Shan…?"
With a hearty laugh, he clapped Seo-eun's shoulder.
"Hah! You're skilled, but you seem awfully timid!"
"You hesitated so much just to say your name. Are you always this reserved?"
He spoke casually, merely joking.
But one other person had caught onto that hesitation as well.
Jin, the Mount Hua disciple, took a sip of his drink and smiled slightly.
"You're making a mistake."
"Huh?"
Wei Yeon turned to him, puzzled.
Jin studied Seo-eun with a knowing smile.
"From the way you speak and act, I'd say you're someone who rarely uses your real name."
"That means you either weren't originally from the martial world… or you have a reason to hide your identity."
Hearing that, Wei Yeon raised an eyebrow in intrigue.
"Hmm, that does make sense. But why would someone in the martial world bother hiding their name?"
Crossing his arms, he eyed Seo-eun curiously.
"Well, it doesn't really matter. I suppose we'll find out once we get to know each other better."
He laughed it off.
Jin, on the other hand, thought to himself:
'There's something off about him.'
He had crossed swords with Seo-eun once before.
Comparing that swordplay to the way Li Shan acted now, something didn't quite add up.
But he didn't pry.
The martial world was full of people with secrets.
If Seo-eun had something to hide, they would find out in time.
"Well, now that we all have names, it's time for a proper drink!"
Jin poured the wine.
Wei Yeon laughed heartily, raising his cup.
"To our journey together!"
Seo-eun raised her cup as well.
She was still quiet.
But somehow, this strange companionship was starting to feel a little less unnatural.
A Duel with a Demonic Cultist
In the martial world, strength ruled over all.
And that same rule applied to men and women alike.
Wives beaten by their husbands.
Women abandoned, powerless to defend themselves.
Seo-eun understood that this was the way of the world.
But understanding did not mean acceptance.
"Stop! Please!"
A woman's desperate cries rang through the village square.
The townsfolk walked past indifferently.
Some pretended not to notice. Others chuckled and moved along, as if it was nothing unusual.
A man stood in the center.
A heavy presence.
A leather whip in his hand.
With every strike, the woman before him trembled.
Her flesh was already raw and bleeding.
She was his wife.
And he—
He was a martial artist.
No one dared to interfere.
To challenge him would be to face the darkness of the martial world itself.
But—
"…"
Seo-eun's gaze turned cold.
She was a warrior first, a woman second.
In the world she had grown up in, strength was everything.
But what she saw before her—
"Using strength against the powerless?"
That was not true strength.
Seo-eun stood.
"That's enough."
Her voice was calm.
The man stopped his whip and turned slowly.
Disdain and amusement flickered in his eyes.
"Oh? And what do we have here?"
He glanced Seo-eun up and down before scoffing.
Slender frame.
A handsome face.
To him, she was nothing more than a delicate strategist or scholar.
At that moment—
"Hey, Li Shan. If you act first, what are we supposed to do for fun?"
Jin, the Mount Hua disciple, strolled forward with a lazy grin.
Beside him, Wei Yeon from Kunlun followed.
"If you take all the action, what are we supposed to do?"
"Exactly. Don't be so greedy, Li Shan."
Though they were smiling, their eyes told a different story.
They were ready to fight.
The martial artist sneered.
"Hah. You think you can stop me?"
He unsheathed his sword.
"Kill them."
His subordinates drew their weapons.
Blades clashed.
Attacks exchanged.
Their skills were roughly equal—
But—
"Tch!"
Jin and Wei Yeon were forced a step back.
Demonic techniques.
Poisoned blades.
Cheap tricks and ambushes.
"This bastard fights dirty."
Jin gritted his teeth.
Wei Yeon scowled.
"He doesn't fight fair."
They had trained in orthodox sects, where honorable combat was everything.
But their opponents—
They exploited those very principles.
Setting traps. Using poison. Striking where least expected.
"This is what true victory looks like," the martial artist sneered.
"A strong sword isn't the only weapon. This is the way of the demonic sects."
Jin and Wei Yeon's faces darkened.
Then—
"This much is nothing."
Seo-eun moved.
The martial artist narrowed his eyes.
She spun her sword lightly.
"Victory at all costs?"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"If that's all you rely on, then you're not much of a fighter, are you?"
The martial artist's face stiffened.
Swish!
Seo-eun vanished.
Or at least, that's how it seemed.
"Wha—?!"
Before he could react—
A heavy impact struck the back of his neck.
"Guhh!"
His body hit the ground with a loud thud.
And at that moment, he realized—
'This one… is from the Demonic Cult…!'
This wasn't just speed or trickery.
She had read his every move—
And used his own deception against him.
That's why his tricks had failed.
Because Seo-eun had been raised in the very world he thought he ruled over.
"…"
The martial artist trembled.
"You… what are you…?"
Seo-eun didn't answer.
She simply stared down at him, cold and unyielding.
Around them, silence fell.
And then—
"My love! Are you alright?!"
His wife rushed to his side, tears in her eyes.
"Please don't hurt him! He loves me!"
Jin and Wei Yeon both sighed.
"…Unbelievable."
"Some people can't be saved."
Seo-eun remained expressionless.
She had expected this.
But still—
'Perhaps, once… I was like this, too.'
She closed her eyes for a moment.
And then—
She turned away.