A sword that has reached a certain level dominates the opponent’s five senses.
A prime example of this could be found in the Plum Blossom Swordsmanship of the Mount Hua Sect.
Inspired by the sight of plum trees in full bloom on Mount Hua, this swordsmanship would leave a lingering scent of plum blossoms in the air wherever the sword passed once it reached a certain level of mastery.
Within the Mount Hua Sect, this phenomenon was referred to as the Sword Scent Realm.
One might question how something as trivial as a smell could impact a battle. However, the influence of this scent on combat was profound.
A calming scent could dispel tension and bring tranquility to the heart. Though such an effect might seem beneficial in isolation, the scent appeared precisely at moments of fierce battle.
Tension is an essential element in navigating a fight. But what happens when that tension is unexpectedly and unwillingly released?
“Guh-ugh…!”
The answer unfolded around Baek Woo Jin.
Out of the ten members of the Shadow Clan guarding the cavern, eight had already collapsed unconscious, while their middle-aged leader had just fallen to his knees.
“Whew, feels good to loosen up after so long.”
The leader who was sprawled on the ground with his vital points suppressed was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even process his disbelief.
What in the world is that monster?
Even though the younger members of their clan were only at the late stages of the first rank, just about to enter the peak master stage, each of them was a naturally gifted assassin.
And yet, this man had utterly crushed them in an instant, only to remark that his body merely felt refreshed.
The leader gritted his teeth.
Crack!
This is the worst-case scenario.
The Shadow Clan that was persecuted and hounded for generations had grown very afraid of failure.
It wasn’t an overwhelming army that had pushed through. It was just one man. And yet, the fact that they had been defeated was devastating. Reporting such a failure might spare his subordinates, but for him, it would almost certainly mean death.
I have to turn this around, no matter what!
The leader knew exactly what Baek Woo Jin desired most.
That bastard is surely after the door.
The laboratory door operated on a mechanical latch system that required the nine buttons next to it to be pressed in a specific sequence to open.
Only three people knew how to unlock it They were Jin Mi Yeon, Tang Yeon Shin, and members of their group like himself.
In addition, pressing the wrong buttons would trigger an alarm connected to external monitoring stations, which would completely seal the door. It would remain inaccessible from the inside until someone opened it from the outside.
Since the laboratory was already in ruins, punishment was inevitable. However, if he could manage to detain Baek Woo Jin, he might at least avoid execution.
“Ten Shadows!”
He shouted the name of the only member of their clan who had escaped Baek Woo Jin’s onslaught.
“Cut off the control panel!”
Ten Shadows who was hiding in the shadows, immediately realized that she was at a crossroads.
Each time she thought to seize an opportunity and grip her dagger, her gaze met his. Even in the midst of fighting eight clan members, Baek Woo Jin had been watching her.
He was aware of me.
If he had truly set his mind to it, she would have been lying shattered among the experimental creatures, just like the rest of her clan.
Yet, he didn’t touch her.
Does this mean the conversation from back then still holds?
The proposal she had once firmly rejected as the desperate ramblings of a captive trying to survive now mercilessly shook her resolve.
Seok-ah…
Even now, she silently called out her brother’s name, imagining him hiding somewhere in Jin Mi-yeon’s shadow, slowly fading away.
Was it truly the right choice to stake her life just to protect the faint remnants of her emotions?
As her thoughts grew heavier, Baek Woo Jin’s voice reached her ears.
“Just because you’re breathing doesn’t mean you’re alive.”
He spoke as if he already knew the depths of her dilemma. His gaze was fixed squarely on the shadow where she was hiding.
“Eating something delicious, sharing a drink strong enough to kill, doing what you want, seeing what you wish to see.”
That’s what it means to truly live.
“From where you’re standing now, do you think any of that is possible?”
If the demonic cult swept away the martial arts world and claimed the heavens—
Would we find happiness then?
Could she and her brother, survive the journey to that day? Even if they did, could they ever be happy, living under those who saw them as nothing more than tools?
The future was a blank abyss as if ink had spilled across it, obscuring everything.
“Ten Shadows! What are you doing?”
The leader’s voice rang out. He was shouting as he lay sprawled in an undignified heap.
What nonsense.
It’s impossible to shut off the control panel.
She doubted she could even reach it, let alone bypass Baek Woo Jin, whose gaze was locked directly on her hiding spot.
Ten Shadows emerged from the shadows.
Even amidst the chaos, her eyes were drawn to the small gourd he held, which he hadn’t let go of even while fighting.
“…Could you let me taste that drink of yours?”
“Of course. Drinks always taste better when shared.”
He replied with a cheerful smile.
Even after losing his freedom to roam outside and the variety in his meals, he fiercely protected the liquor gourd with sheer stubbornness.
It must have been something precious to him, yet he handed the gourd to her so easily.
“Ten Shadoooows!”
Another desperate shout rang out.
Ignoring it without a second thought, she asked Baek Woo Jin,
“They say that drinking can make even the most complicated thoughts clearer, is that true?”
She had never tasted alcohol before. Her clan elders had warned against fleeting pleasures like fullness or satisfaction, claiming they dulled the blade of vengeance.
Yet, those same elders filled their bellies with rich food and expensive drinks at every meal.
A surge of rebellion rose in her. She brought the gourd to her lips and took a sip.
The bitter taste made her grimace.
“…It’s bitter.”
Baek Woo Jin clicked his tongue.
“Amateur.”
Feeling a strange sense of irritation, she brought the gourd back to her lips and drank deeply this time.
Her stomach warmed instantly, and a dizziness overtook her. The things she saw around her began to twist slightly.
“Ten Shadows! It’s not too late! Shut off the control panel!”
“Shut up!”
Her face flushed, Ten Shadows picked up a small rock and threw it at the squad leader who was making such a racket.
Thwack!
“Ughhh!”
The squad leader collapsed with blood streaming from his nose.
It was fascinating to her that emotions she had always kept calm and controlled could run so wild.
Her eyes shifted to Baek Woo Jin.
“There’s… light shining from you….”
When she looked at him, the dark and ink-like darkness that had engulfed her future seemed to peel away little by little.
“Will you really… become a sanctuary for me and my brother?”
She asked in a desperate voice.
“As much as you need.”
“Baek Woo Jin replied without a moment’s hesitation.
“Good. I will trust you.”
Her tongue curled slightly as she chose to betray her clan.
“Now, try to focus on regulating your energy.”
Baek Woo Jin said with a somewhat awkward expression. She immediately sat down and crossed her legs.
“…The first order, is it? Understood,”
She quickly entered into a meditative state. Watching her, Baek Woo Jin let out a faint bitter smile.
“I wonder if she’ll act like nothing happened once she sobers up.”
Surely, that wouldn’t be the case.
Baek Woo Jin gathered all the Shadow Clan members who had collapsed and piled them into the room where he had been staying. He then stacked various heavy objects against the stone wall that served as a door.
“That should do for now.”
Having secured Ten Shadows, who would not only be a great help moving forward but also knew how to open the door, leaving was simply a matter of deciding when. For now, he refrained from opening it because there were still a few hidden spaces in the area he had yet to explore.
There’s definitely something there.
Even though Jin Mi Yeon had permitted him to roam freely, the Shadow Clan had blocked him from entering certain spaces, and he was certain something significant was hidden in one of them.
He struck the upper-left part of the stone wall with his fist, causing it to sink inward. As it moved, part of the wall rotated to reveal a pitch-black space.
Baek Woo Jin sharpened his vision and stepped inside. Slowly, the darkness receded and various objects came into view.
A set of incredibly thick iron bars emerged. And beyond them—
Creak!
Grrraaaah!
The demonic beasts roared fiercely at the sight of a human, a presence they hadn’t encountered in a long time.
Baek Woo Jin’s expression darkened as he observed them.
“The experiment must have already been close to success.”
The demonic beasts only roared in his direction without displaying any aggressive intent. Compared to the demonic beasts he had seen before entering the fortress, these displayed a far greater degree of self-control.
If Jin Mi Yeon had been given just a little more time, a huge disaster might have unfolded.
Baek Woo Jin thrust his sword toward the demonic beasts standing behind the iron bars. Some attempted to move in response, but the confined space made it impossible for them to maneuver as they wished, leading to their deaths.
“In your next life, may you be born into a better world, not one like this.”
With a brief prayer for their peace, he sprinkled liquor over their corpses before stepping outside. He then opened the door to another space.
It was more or less the same. Demonic beasts and demons filled the area; their calm gazes betrayed no loss of reason, even in the presence of a human.
“Crazy b*tch, crazy b*tch….”
After dealing with all of them, Baek Woo Jin arrived at the last space he had discovered during his time as a prisoner when he roamed the place freely.
It was similarly shrouded in darkness, with large iron bars blocking the way ahead, just like before. However, this time, the expected roars of monsters did not echo through the space.
With his senses fully heightened, Baek Woo Jin moved forward.
Beyond the iron bars, he saw thick chains hanging in clusters as they trailed downward in a single direction.
A rounded mass formed from the thick chains came into view, and within it, a faint glimpse of flesh could be seen.
He quickened his pace and moved forward with more urgency. Soon, Baek Woo Jin reached the iron bars and saw it clearly.
The face of a man peeked out from within the cluster of chains.
Though disheveled and in rags, with wild, unkempt hair, it was undoubtedly a face he recognized.
“Tang Yeon Shin….”
The real Tang Yeon Shin whom he had assumed long dead was bound and sealed within the chains.
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