Kang Moo-jin's expression darkened as whispers spread within the Gae-bang.
"Lee Do-hyun met with the successor of the Gae-bang in secret."
What had begun as a mere rumor had already raced across the gangho. Kang Moo-jin did not dismiss it as idle gossip. Someone was clearly leaking information with intent.
He summoned Gong Jun-hwi and questioned him sternly.
"Young Lord Gong, I was clear. The meeting with Lee Do-hyun was to remain absolutely confidential."
Gong Jun-hwi, looking genuinely aggrieved, replied,"I haven't spoken a word to anyone. There must be another leak inside."
Kang Moo-jin fell silent, deep in thought. The leak is internal.The power of the Gae-bang lay in its vast information network, but so too did it breed endless internal strife. The connection with Lee Do-hyun was a powerful card that could shift the entire balance of the gangho. If anyone intended to exploit it, they had to be identified—and fast.
The news that Lee Do-hyun had reappeared spread like wildfire across the martial world. His presence alone—calmer, more composed, and stronger than before—was enough to stir the eyes of many. Standing beside him, Han So-yeon and Baek Wol-hui only enhanced his presence.
"The Black Cloud Sword has returned."
His reappearance sent shockwaves through the righteous sects, the unorthodox, and even the demonic cult. Strangely, however, direct hostility had diminished. That was thanks to Chun-hyang's manipulation—her deliberate spread of misleading rumors had turned the righteous and unorthodox sects against each other. The Demonic Cult lurked quietly, waiting for its own chance.
Meanwhile, the unorthodox sects made a bold decision: to propose an alliance with the Black Cloud Hall. They sought to erase the past—specifically, their attack on Baek Yeong-seon, Baek Wol-hui's mother. During a secret meeting, voices clashed.
"Wasn't the righteous sect's attack on the Black Cloud Hall just an excuse to crush a potential alliance between them and us? We should use this moment to our advantage."
"But the Black Cloud Hall has no reason to trust us. Baek Wol-hui harbors deep resentment toward the unorthodox sect."
After much deliberation, their leader, Do Cheon-gwang, made a decision.
"We will extend a hand ourselves. Emphasize the treachery of the righteous sect and show that we are willing to help."
They plotted to rewrite history, claiming the attack on Baek Yeong-seon was orchestrated by the righteous sect. Do Cheon-gwang ordered:
"Spread the narrative that the righteous sect seeks to destroy the Black Cloud Hall. They are isolated. If we extend a hand, they will have no choice but to take it."
A few days later, Mu-yeong Gaek, one of their top masters known for moving without leaving a trace, came to visit Lee Do-hyun. His presence alone unsettled the Black Cloud Hall. Before Lee Do-hyun, he bowed respectfully.
"The righteous sect already brands you as traitors. Their attacks will not cease. But if we join forces, we could change the tide of this war."
Lee Do-hyun met his gaze without flinching.
"And what lies beneath such an offer? I see little clarity in your intentions. Assistance from the unorthodox sect… it feels laced with another kind of ambition."
Mu-yeong Gaek smiled faintly.
"The righteous sect will hunt you to the end. The Black Cloud Hall stands alone. But with our strength united, we can resist their vile schemes."
Lee Do-hyun's expression hardened.
"I will not take a path where your hands have already touched. An alliance with the unorthodox would only drag us deeper into the mire."
Mu-yeong Gaek faltered, asking:
"Are you certain this is the right path?"
Lee Do-hyun sighed lightly.
"Not certain. But it's a path we must choose for ourselves."
After Mu-yeong Gaek departed, silence fell over the Black Cloud Hall.
Baek Wol-hui stood with her arms folded, looking out the window.
"You made the right call. If we had taken their hand, they would have used us without hesitation. They don't seek alliance—they seek dominion."
Han So-yeon, her face clouded with worry, spoke:
"It was the right decision, but… can we really endure this alone?"There was uncertainty in her voice—but she had chosen to trust Lee Do-hyun's conviction.
Mi-ryeong, ever practical, voiced the looming threat:
"The unorthodox won't retreat. They'll come at us another way. We need to prepare."
She already began formulating countermeasures, wary of both orthodox and unorthodox threats—determined to protect Lee Do-hyun's autonomy.
Then, Cheong Woon-jin—his usual dry smirk in place—spoke like it was all a jest:
"Do-hyun, you cut ties real clean. But you know this isn't the end, right?"
He toyed with his sword as he continued.
"The unorthodox won't take this lying down. Neither will the righteous. We'd better be ready. You've made your choice—now the rest is on us."
Though Cheong Woon-jin always played the clown, his words struck true. He understood the gravity of what lay ahead—and quietly prepared to face it.
***
Chapter : Realizations at the Place of Recovery – The Essence of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and the Demonic Cults
After rejecting Mu-yeong Gaek's proposal, Lee Do-hyun entered the waterfall's recovery sanctuary to reflect on his decision. The mysterious space beneath the cascade still glowed with a soft light, and the flow of mana there calmed both his body and mind. As his healing began, he slipped into deep meditation.
"We must walk our own path," he resolved silently.
While gathering mana in that sacred place, he found himself recalling scenes from the martial arts novels of the real world. The orthodox sects were always portrayed as champions of justice and morality, upholding the order of the murim. But the trials faced by the Black Cloud Hall exposed just how hypocritical that "justice" could be.
"The orthodox use justice as a tool," he muttered, eyes fixed on the Ego Sword resting on his knees.
He remembered the forces that attacked the Black Cloud Hall. The orthodox sects didn't strike out of righteous anger—they used the hall as an excuse to eliminate the unorthodox. Their goal wasn't justice, but expansion of their own power.
"They shouted 'justice' as they attacked us… but all they wanted was control. Justice was just a convenient excuse."
As he dissected the true nature of the orthodox sects, he began formulating ways to use their tactics and schemes against them.
In martial novels, the unorthodox sects were always the villains—greedy, cruel factions. But what he had encountered was different. Some among them protected the weak and fought for their own vision of justice.
"If they were purely evil, there's no way some would've stood by me." He recalled his first encounter with Baek Wol-hui.
Not just her—others within the unorthodox also voiced genuine ideals. Do-hyun decided he would no longer judge them through a binary lens of good versus evil.
"The unorthodox aren't wholly wicked. Some among them have purer convictions than the so-called righteous. What matters is how those convictions are used."
Understanding the diversity within the unorthodox, he began to consider how their strengths could be incorporated into a new strategy for the Black Cloud Hall.
The Demonic Cult had always been seen as a mutual enemy of both orthodox and unorthodox sects. Yet in Do-hyun's experience, they never took the front lines. Instead, they exploited the chaos between the others, striking when the timing was perfect.
"They move in the shadows—exploiting our weaknesses, tricking us into playing their game," he thought with a scowl.
The Demonic Cult didn't win through brute force. They manipulated, waited, and struck with precision—masters of psychological warfare and deceit.
"They're not warriors. They're puppeteers, always pulling strings from behind the curtain."
He began to think of ways to turn their tactics against them.
His thoughts drifted to his old life as a middle manager in a modern-day corporation. The endless internal politics, power games, and backstabbing—uncannily similar to the world of murim.
"The orthodox are like the board of directors, the unorthodox are the disruptors, and the Demonic Cult? External investors meddling for profit. The Black Cloud Hall? Just a small company trying to survive in all this chaos." A dry laugh escaped him.
Using that metaphor, he began crafting a new strategy—one that recognized the true nature of each faction and turned their traits into usable leverage.
As he meditated and gathered mana, he felt the space around him tremble faintly. This place of recovery was more than just a healing chamber—it had a deeper meaning. In the movement of mana, he began to perceive echoes of the larger murim—the constant dance of the three factions.
"This place offers more than physical recovery. It grants clarity—a space to reflect and to discover direction."
With that realization, he firmed his resolve to forge a new path for the Black Cloud Hall.
"We must follow our own way. While the three factions fight their endless war, we must remain the balance—charting a future in our own terms."
He slowly rose, hand tightening around his sword.
"The Black Cloud Hall will no longer be hunted. We will be the ones to shape the new era."