He had been thinking he needed to eliminate him no matter what, yet it was a waste to simply remove such a talent.

Above all, through him, he had been able to reach Sole Primordial Mastery.

Gun Mugyeol had gained enlightenment through his game with Seol Unhwi. Without that realization, attaining Sole Primordial Mastery would have remained distant.

And—

That made him all the more dangerous.

A talent like this fell into one of two categories.

Either make him your ally—

Or eliminate him completely.

He had already grown too great to be taken as an ally, and eliminating him outright carried too many complications.

A figure of that level [N O V E L I G H T] had too many connections behind him. A proper righteous cause would have to be constructed.

Zhuge Yeonghyeon’s plan had collapsed, but it was not completely over.

Gun Mugyeol’s gaze turned into the distance.

The site of the second examination of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

Seol Yeonhwa, one of the polar heirs, would be there.

He had intended to use her as bait to shake Seol Unhwi.

It seemed the result had not yet come out.

Should I wait?

Yes. Waiting was the correct choice.

As Gun Mugyeol relaxed slightly, Seol Unhwi’s voice reached his ears.

“Congratulations, Murim League Leader.”

Gun Mugyeol turned his gaze toward him.

“Congratulations... after causing this chaos, what exactly are you talking about?”

His voice had sunk into cold stillness.

Seol Unhwi did not mind. If anything, he continued calmly.

“Vice Leader Zhuge Yeonghyeon orchestrated a scheme.”

Gun Mugyeol’s brow twitched.

“...A scheme?”

“Yes.”

Seol Unhwi spoke slowly.

“I played a game with you, Murim League Leader, and through that game, you raised your realm.”

“......”

“I stepped outside to give you space. At that moment, that cunning last descendant of the Zhuge clan attempted to eliminate me.”

Gun Mugyeol fell silent.

Seol Unhwi continued.

“At the time, you were only half a step away from breaking through to Sole Primordial Mastery. Someone with a mind like Zhuge Yeonghyeon’s could not possibly fail to foresee that you would gain a great realization.”

“And so?” 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

“And so, this situation was created.”

Gun Mugyeol’s brow twitched again.

He understood clearly what this man was plotting.

What was it?

He intends to settle it as Zhuge Yeonghyeon’s independent scheme...?

If it were framed that way, Gun Mugyeol could wash his hands of it.

Anyone could see that Seol Unhwi was opening a path for him. Following it would be the wisest course.

Gun Mugyeol was no fool.

In this matter, Zhuge Yeonghyeon had been more proactive than anyone.

And now—the dead members of the Azure Dragon Unit, the two Heavenly-Man Realm martial artists, Ha Mujin—

All of them were closely tied to Zhuge Yeonghyeon.

In other words, they were tails.

Tails that could be cut off at any time—and that would have to be cut off eventually.

Yet hesitation remained.

Was this truly the best course?

Could he not gain something greater?

Now that he had reached Sole Primordial Mastery—a true supreme master.

Gun Mugyeol thought.

Seol Yeonhwa, who would be at the second examination site.

What if she were already in his hands?

If that were the case, the hand he held would gain far greater power.

Instead of being played by Seol Unhwi, it would be Seol Unhwi who danced to his tune.

There was still a chance to reverse their positions.

That was his judgment.

But Seol Unhwi was faster.

“It is certain that Zhuge Yeonghyeon tampered with the second examination as well.”

“...Tampered?”

“Yes.”

Seol Unhwi’s eyes sharpened.

“But it has already been broken, and they should be on their way here by now... what do you think?”

Gun Mugyeol’s expression hardened.

Those words directly overturned his intention to wait for the result.

If the outcome had already been decided, and Seol Unhwi had learned of it first—or succeeded first—then from Gun Mugyeol’s perspective, it meant failure.

A complicated expression crossed his face.

“However, one could also consider the opposite, could one not?”

“The opposite, you say?”

“In a situation like this, the Vice Leader devises a scheme? I knew nothing of it. What if this entire situation itself is the scheme?”

The corner of Seol Unhwi’s lips twitched.

“You place a debt upon me, eliminate the Vice Leader and his close associates, weaken the Murim League... and then naturally, this Murim League would seek your help. Just like with the Heavenly Alliance, you might even gain a new position within the Murim League.”

Gun Mugyeol’s voice remained calm.

But beneath it lay coldness.

“Is that what you believe?”

“It is not an impossible possibility.”

Seol Unhwi let out a faint laugh.

“You are perceptive.”

“......”

“But do you truly think I would devise such a foolish scheme?”

He glanced around.

Over a hundred Murim League martial artists.

All of them were witnessing this scene.

“Everyone present here is a witness. Vice Leader Zhuge attacked me, Senior Wang Muha saved me, Great Elder Ha Mujin attacked Senior Wang Muha...”

He paused briefly.

“And then Vice Leader Zhuge struck from behind me.”

“......”

“Perhaps no one saw everything. But there are those who saw parts—fragments. If their testimonies are combined, it will become clear that my words are not false. This is the evidence, Murim League Leader.”

Gun Mugyeol closed his mouth.

Zhuge Yeonghyeon, you incompetent fool.

Anger surged within him.

This situation should have been cleaned up.

The witnesses should have been eliminated.

That was it.

Kill all those present here.

Then no one would know the truth.

Gun Mugyeol made his decision.

He would kill them all.

The decision was swift.

But someone moved even faster.

“Hahahahaha—!! It has been a long time, Murim League Leader!!”

With a booming shout, two men descended from the sky.

Thud!

Thud!

The ground shook.

Gun Mugyeol’s eyes widened.

“...Kang... Cheonwoo?”

Kang Cheonwoo, leader of the Sacheon League.

The other was Chief Seong—but he did not even register in Gun Mugyeol’s vision.

Unable to believe it, he stared only at Kang Cheonwoo.

More precisely—

At his realm.

Impossible.

Sole Primordial Mastery.

The aura he felt was real.

Kang Cheonwoo had undoubtedly reached Sole Primordial Mastery.

When...?

Just recently, Kang Cheonwoo had been at Vast-Empty Transcendence.

And now—Sole Primordial Mastery.

Could something like this truly be arranged so neatly?

No.

The world did not move so easily.

This was the result of someone’s intent.

Gun Mugyeol’s gaze turned to Seol Unhwi.

He stood there with an utterly calm expression.

Gun Mugyeol was certain.

...It was you.

There was no one else.

Kang Cheonwoo laughed heartily and spoke.

“Murim League Leader, congratulations! To think you have reached Sole Primordial Mastery!”

“......”

“As expected of the leader of the Murim League!”

His voice was cheerful.

But hidden within it was a warning.

I too have reached Sole Primordial Mastery.

Do not act recklessly.

Gun Mugyeol clenched his teeth.

Seol Unhwi spoke quietly.

“As I said, it seems the Vice Leader of the Murim League was somewhat impatient.”

Silence fell over the surroundings.

All eyes turned to Seol Unhwi.

“Even if it was a personal deviation, he was still the Vice Leader of the Murim League. For such a person to cause such a major incident—this is truly a humiliation for the Murim League... hm, I would prefer to soften the wording, but nothing appropriate comes to mind. Calling it a humiliation seems correct.”

“......”

“And I am willing to overlook that humiliation. The scheme itself was threatening, but not to a significant degree.”

“...Is... that so...”

Gun Mugyeol’s voice cracked.

“Yes. In return, there are a few things I would like to ask.”

“A request...”

Gun Mugyeol spoke slowly.

“Speak.”

Seol Unhwi smiled.

Then he sent a mind-voice transmission.

In the future, you will have to move according to my command.

Gun Mugyeol’s expression hardened.

...My command...? I... will move?

Not often. Just once.

Once?

Yes.

......

Do you refuse?

Gun Mugyeol’s expression turned cold.

By his pride—and the path he had walked—he did not move at another’s command.

No.

He must not.

Seol Unhwi sent another transmission.

I will tell you what will happen next.

......

There are exactly two possibilities. First, the Sacheon League, the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace, and the Heavenly Alliance will move together to erase both the Murim League—and you, Senior.

...Erase?

The righteous cause has already been established. As you can see, Leader Kang is someone who understands gratitude. If I ask, he will act with me. Which means—

It is possible.

Exactly. That is the first. The second is that the Murim League, the Sacheon League, and the Heavenly Alliance work together to maintain the order of the martial world.

Gun Mugyeol ran a hand over his face.

...Now I see it.

The grand design this whelp had been drawing.

Look at the current situation.

A righteous cause.

And not just any cause—one that must be upheld as a martial artist, no, as a human being.

Seol Unhwi raised Seol Jungcheon of the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace to Sole Primordial Mastery.

He raised Kang Cheonwoo to Sole Primordial Mastery.

And me—Gun Mugyeol—he raised as well.

The three great powers of the martial world.

The Murim League, the Sacheon League, the Heavenly Alliance.

Behind the Heavenly Alliance stood the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace and the Great Desert. Even Eun Unsaeng of the Great Desert, though only at Vast-Empty Transcendence, was backed by the Snow Palace—and that mattered.

These three forces were now all directly or indirectly tied to Seol Unhwi.

All of them owed him.

None could refuse his words.

The three great powers of the Central Plains had been bound in the hands of a single man.

And this place is the Murim League.

And there are countless witnesses.

He clenched his teeth.

He had misjudged.

This should have been dealt with before things reached this point.

And it did not end there.

From the distance, three people were approaching.

Ha Baekhyun, First Order of the Twelve Orders and representative of the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace delegation.

Beside him, though visibly weakened, walking on her own two feet—

Seol Yeonhwa.

And Namgung Wonyang as well.

Gun Mugyeol’s eyes narrowed.

Zhuge Yeonghyeon, you useless fool... you could not even handle that properly.

There had been a chance.

If Zhuge Yeonghyeon’s final move had succeeded and Seol Yeonhwa had been captured—

Seol Unhwi, who valued family, might have bowed his head on his own.

But it was over.

Seol Unhwi’s voice came again.

I promise you. The Murim League will maintain its current prestige, and you, Murim League Leader, will be praised by all.

......

You know well. Unlike some people, I always keep my promises.

...You are a difficult man. Truly difficult.

Did you think I was an easy man?

......

I am glad your thinking has changed, even now.

Seol Unhwi began to walk forward.

Step.

Step.

The Murim League martial artists around them could not even attempt to stop him.

The atmosphere had been completely seized.

And so, he walked—

Until he stood directly before Gun Mugyeol.