Episode 392

I Will Fill It (1)

Heuksu was a city that existed on the border between the Jianghu and the outer world. However, not many people knew of its existence.

 

Due to its extremely secluded terrain, it was completely isolated from the outside. The only connection to the outside world was a river with unusually dark and murky water.

 

People called the black river Heuksu, and so the village by the river became known by the same name.

 

Because of its isolated geography, the people of Heuksu were also closed off by nature. The harsh environment had made them pessimistic, and they viewed outsiders with hostility.

 

Then, one day, a Taoist priest arrived from the outside.

 

He established a small Taoist temple in Heuksu and called himself Cheon‑un‑ja the Heaven’s Favored One. Thus, the temple was named Temple of Heaven’s Fate.

 

At first, the people were wary of this outsider. But the priest paid them no mind and secluded himself in the temple.

 

When the priest refused to come out, the people’s curiosity grew, and they began approaching him instead.

 

They wondered what he was doing, holed up in that temple.

 

Those who approached him, for some reason, became his fervent devotees—and thus, the Heaven’s Fate Sect was born.

 

The Heaven’s Fate Sect subtly seeped into people’s hearts.

 

Like cotton absorbing water, the sect spread naturally among the people.

 

Had this happened anywhere else, the orthodox sects of the Jianghu would have noticed the rise of this cult and swiftly eradicated it.

 

But in Heuksu, there was not a single proper martial institution to oppose the Heaven’s Fate Sect.

 

The sect grew unchecked, feeding off Heuksu.

 

Before long, most of the people in Heuksu had become followers of the Heaven’s Fate Sect, and the Taoist priest Cheon‑un‑ja, declared himself its leader.

 

Despite being over eighty years old, Cheon‑un‑ja boasted extraordinary vitality.

 

He slept with two or three women every night, and once they shared his bed, they could never forget him.

 

Women yearned for his affection, and the sect was filled with such women.

 

Cheon‑un‑ja was the king of Heuksu.

 

An ordinary cult leader might have been satisfied with this, but not Cheon‑un‑ja.

 

He had been born with insatiable greed and cunning. And he knew how to read the tides of the world.

 

While the Zealous Justice Clan still stood, he had not dared to make a sound, fearing they might send an extermination force after him.

 

The isolated terrain of Heuksu was perfect for hiding and building his strength. The Zealous Justice Clan had no idea the Chunun-gyo was forming.

 

During this time, Cheon‑un‑ja trained relentlessly, eventually attaining a high level of martial prowess.

 

Then, news of the Zealous Justice Clan’s destruction reached him.

 

At first, he thought it was a lie.

 

The Zealous Justice Clan had been the dominant force in the region and was part of the ten sects. But the rumors were true, and Cheon‑un‑ja instinctively knew his opportunity had come.

 

He carefully began expanding the Heaven’s Fate Sect.

 

With the Zealous Justice Clan’s fall, the region was in chaos, and only small-time sects remained, boasting about their own strength.

 

Cheon‑un‑ja cleverly used or absorbed these sects, rapidly growing his power.

 

The turbulent times favored him.

 

Repeated wars had left people fearful and broken. They needed something to believe in, and the Heaven’s Fate Sect filled that void.

 

In terms of pure martial power, they were no match for the Zealous Justice Clan, but the Heaven’s Fate Sect controlled people’s hearts.

 

“Just a little more and I can completely dominate the region. Then, building my own kingdom won’t just be a dream.”

 

Cheon‑un‑ja’s eyes gleamed ominously.

 

His gaze was far too intense for someone in his eighties.

 

A dozen Taoists stood around him.

 

They were his disciples, who had been with him for anywhere from twenty to fifty years.

 

Raised by Cheon‑un‑ja himself, they were fiercely loyal and had absolute faith in the sect.

 

They were his hands and feet.

 

They punished those who didn’t believe in the sect and rewarded believers generously, helping the sect grow.

 

Thanks to them, within just a few years of revealing themselves to the world, they had nearly taken over the entire region.

 

By now, Cheon‑un‑ja’s ambition had reached its peak.

 

“Who says I can’t become like the Demon Cult Leader?”

 

He recalled the Demonic Cult, which had once come close to dominating the Jianghu a hundred years ago.

 

Back then, the Demonic Cult had swept across the land with terrifying momentum. If not for the emergence of an extraordinary martial artist named the Fist Demon, the world would have fallen under the cult’s rule.

 

Cheon‑un‑ja dreamed of a world ruled by the Heaven’s Fate Sect, just as the Demonic Cult had nearly achieved.

 

“Hehe! Now that we’ve taken most of the Zealous Justice Clan’s former territory, all we need is time to digest it.”

 

With control over the region, the Heaven’s Fate Sect’s warehouses were overflowing with treasures.

 

Believers willingly offered their wealth, while non-believers had theirs forcibly taken.

 

He exploited the people ruthlessly, amassing enough wealth to fill five massive warehouses. Few martial factions could match such resources—only the likes of the Jade Heaven Alliance or the Seven Sects.

 

“Soon, the Heaven’s Fate Sect will rule the world. Hehe!”

 

“Everything will go as the Sect Leader wills!”

 

“Everything will proceed according to the Sect Leader’s wishes!”

 

The disciples standing around him bowed deeply.

 

Then—

 

“Let me go!”

 

A sharp, feminine voice suddenly rang out.

 

Cheon‑un‑ja frowned.

 

“What’s going on? How dare a woman make a scene in my residence?”

 

“Forgive us, Sect Leader. It seems the girl chosen for your chambers tonight is resisting.”

 

“What kind of wench dares refuse the grace of my favor?”

 

Without waiting for further explanation, Cheon‑un‑ja strode toward the main hall where the voice had come from.

 

There, a beautiful girl of about fifteen or sixteen was kneeling on the floor. Though young, her fair skin and delicate features made her unusually pretty.

 

Her name was Jo So-hye, a girl who lived nearby with her grandfather.

 

Her grandfather was a humble blacksmith.

 

After losing his son and daughter-in-law at a young age, he raised her with utmost care. Thanks to his devotion, So-hye grew into a bright and beautiful girl.

 

As her beauty blossomed, many men in the area pursued her. But Jo So-hye turned them all away, saying she needed to care for her ailing grandfather.

 

Unfortunately, her beauty also attracted the attention of the followers of the Heaven’s Fate sect, who kidnapped her to offer her to Cheon-un-ja.

 

Her grandfather had been beaten severely, and his condition was unknown.

 

Jo So-hye glared at the cultists with bloodshot eyes.

 

“Let me go! Send me back to my grandfather!”

 

“Tsk! This little wench has quite the mouth. You should be grateful. You’ve been granted the honor of serving the Sect Leader tonight.”

 

“I’d rather bite off my tongue and die than sleep with that old monster!”

 

“You little—!”

 

“Let me go! I need to go back to my grandfather!”

 

Jo So-hye thrashed and screamed.

 

SLAP!

 

At that moment, the middle-aged man who had kidnapped her slapped her on the cheek.

 

A young girl could never withstand the violence of a grown man.

 

Jo So-hye cried out and collapsed.

 

The man glared down at her and snorted.

 

“You damn brat, acting all high and mighty. It’s not like you’ll wear out from a few hits.”

 

Then, Jo So-hye looked up at him.

 

“How could you do this… You were my grandfather’s disciple!”

 

“I was. But I was kicked out over one tiny mistake. That damned old man.”

 

The man spat out curses.

 

He had once been an apprentice under Jo So-hye’s grandfather. But after being expelled for a mistake, he had joined the Heaven’s Fate Sect.

 

He had kidnapped Jo So-hye to offer her to the Sect Leader, believing her beauty would earn him favor.

 

Many in the Heaven’s Fate Sect had risen to high positions by offering women like this.

 

“Resisting is pointless. The more you struggle, the more your grandfather will suffer.”

 

At the threat against her grandfather, Jo So-hye’s face twisted in despair.

 

Her parents had already died because of the Heaven’s Fate Sect. Her grandfather was her only remaining family.

 

CRACK!

 

The man suddenly yanked her hair, and Jo So-hye screamed as pain shot through her scalp.

 

Pulling her by the hair, he began to move—

 

“Is that the girl, the one who refuses my grace?”

 

Just then, Cheon-un-ja and his disciples entered the hall.

 

The man immediately released Jo So-hye’s hair and dropped to his knees.

 

“Sect Leader!”

 

“She’s quite bold, this one.”

 

Cheon-un-ja’s gaze fixed on Jo So-hye.

 

Though disheveled, her beauty was undeniable. The youthful freshness of her appearance deeply stirred his lust.

 

At that moment, Jo So-hye spat a mouthful of blood at his face.

 

“Ptui! You disgusting old man! If you lay a finger on me, I’ll bite off my tongue and die!”

 

“Hehe! Go ahead.”

 

“What?”

 

“If you kill yourself, your grandfather will pay for your crime. I’ll cut off his limbs and bury him in an ant nest, leaving him neither dead nor alive.”

 

“You…!”

 

Jo So-hye’s head drooped.

 

Tears streaked her face, now filled only with despair.

‘The Heavens has forsaken us.’

Her strength drained away, and her defiance faded.

 

Cheon-un-ja smiled at her submission.

 

No matter how defiant Jo So-hye was, she was still just a young girl. She could never match the will of an old man who had weathered countless storms and built this massive sect.

 

Cheon-un-ja ordered the middle-aged man:

 

“Clean her up and bring her to my chambers at once.”

 

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

 

The man replied excitedly, knowing that his advancement was now guaranteed.

 

Just as he was about to drag Jo So-hye away—

 

“S-Sect Leader! Trouble!”

 

A martial artist suddenly burst into the hall.

 

Cheon-un-ja’s face twisted. He had just been fantasizing about the girl.

 

“What now?”

 

“W-We’re under attack!”

 

“Under attack?”

 

Cheon-un-jaand his disciples exchanged bewildered looks.

 

This was the HHeavenly Fate Sect’s headquarters.

 

Hundreds of martial artists were stationed here at all times—a force most sects couldn’t hope to match.

 

Since the fall of the Zealous Justice Clan, no sect in the region had grown as powerful as the Heavenly Fate Sect. After absorbing several smaller sects, no one dared challenge them.

 

But now, someone had the audacity to attack their headquarters?

 

Cheon-un-ja rushed to the front gate with his disciples.

 

“What the—?”

 

They froze at the gate.

 

An unbelievable sight unfolded before them.

 

Hundreds of martial artists surrounded a single man, yet none dared to make a move. At his feet lay dozens of unconscious members of the Heavenly Fate Sect—some of their strongest fighters.

 

None showed visible injuries, yet they didn’t stir. They weren’t dead—the faint rise and fall of their chests proved that.

 

And that made it all the more terrifying.

 

It meant that the opponent was skilled enough to defeat dozens of martial artists without a scratch.

 

Cheon-un-ja’s eyelids twitched.

 

His instincts screamed danger.

 

Having spent decades biding his time, his intuition was sharper than most. And it told him one thing:

 

The man before them was no ordinary opponent.

 

Yet Cheon-un-ja forced himself to remain calm.

 

He wasn’t alone.

 

Hundreds of loyal followers stood behind him.

 

If he showed weakness now, their faith would waver

 

He could never show fear. Besides, he still had his own confidence.

 

Thus, he roared with authority:

 

“Who dares cause trouble in the Heavenly Fate Sect?!”

 

His voice, sharp as a crow’s cry, pierced the air.

 

The man’s gaze turned toward him.

 

The moment their eyes met, Cheon-un-ja flinched involuntarily.

 

Something in the man’s ordinary looking eyes sent a tremor through his soul.

 

An inexplicable fear crept up from the depths of his heart.

 

He had never felt like this before.

 

His eyelids twitched violently.

 

As he hesitated, one of his disciples stepped forward boldly.

 

“How dare you ignore the Sect Leader’s words! You’ll regret this, you bastard!”

 

It was Gu Ji-gwang, Cheon-un-ja’s third disciple.

 

A fierce martial artist with a violent temper, he was feared by many.

 

Without hesitation, he launched himself at the intruder.

 

Fist qi gathered around his massive fists.

 

“I’ll crush your skull in one hit!”

 

His strike roared toward Lee Gwak.

 

The cultists cheered, sure of Gu Ji-gwang’s victory.

 

Then—

 

SHNK!

 

A terrifying sound echoed.

 

The cultists realized that something was wrong.

 

Gu Ji-gwang blinked, confused.

 

Then, a red flower bloomed between his eyebrows.

 

The tiny blossom unfurled in an instant, and the light faded from his eyes.

 

Before he could even process what had happened, Gu Ji-gwang’s life was extinguished.

 

THUD.

 

His body collapsed.

 

Silence.

 

A suffocating stillness fell over the sect.

 

Witnessing the intruder’s terrifying power, Cheon-un-ja felt his heart sink.

 

He realized he was being overwhelmed by the man’s presence. If this continued, he might fall without even putting up a fight.

 

Gritting his teeth, he bellowed:

 

“What are you waiting for?! Attack together! He’s a demon here to destroy our sect! Kill him now!”

 

His voice echoed through the hall.

 

“Aaaaah!”

 

“Destroy the demon!”

 

The cultists’ eyes burned with madness at their leader’s command.

 

Their fanatical devotion drowned out their fear as they surged toward the intruder like a tidal wave.

 

The man—Lee Gwak—raised his blade toward the sky.

 

They say Heaven’s net is vast and loose, but nothing escapes.

 

But Lee Gwak knew better.

 

Some slip through the gaps of fate, wreaking havoc on the world.

 

Like Cheon-un-ja, who had turned this land into hell.

 

Lee Gwak’s will surged through his blade, reaching for the heavens.

 

As the blade’s image burned into their retinas, he brought it down upon the earth.

 

BOOM!

 

A massive explosion engulfed the cultists.

 

As their consciousness faded, Lee Gwak’s voice echoed in their ears:

 

“If Heaven’s net has holes, then I will fill them.”