Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Deep in the mountains, a shabby hut stood.
In the spacious yard, two burial mounds lay side by side.
Cheon Woo-jin stood quietly, gazing blankly at them.
He was recalling the last wills left behind by his two masters before they died.
Master Black Elder, who had always insisted on wearing nothing but black from his hair and eyebrows down to his martial robes and changshan, had wanted his disciple to become the world’s foremost villain.
– “Woo-jin, if the sole disciple of this Black Elder were not a villain, that would truly be a laughable matter. In this disgusting world filled with hypocrites, not becoming a villain is the far more shameful thing. In particular, the Righteous Path bastards tend to be utterly disgusting on the whole, so keep that in mind.”
Cheon Woo-jin let out a soft chuckle.
Even now, Master Black Elder’s coarse tone of voice remained vivid.
On the other hand, Master White Elder was a gentleman right up to his final moment. Stroking his beard as white as snow, he would often hold forth on the discourse of chivalry in the Righteous Path.
– “You are Black Elder’s disciple, but at the same time, you are also my disciple. Woo-jin, if you had met me just a little earlier, you would have been able to beat to death every villain under the heavens, including Black Elder here, so that is truly a great pity.”
– “You can feel free to ignore the senile old fool’s words.”
– “Hehe, watch your tongue.”
– “Why don’t you shut your mouth instead.”
The sight of the two masters bickering up until their final moments still seemed to unfold before his eyes.
– “Woo-jin, become a villain just as Black Elder wishes.”
– “Oh? With your time to die at hand, White Elder, you finally speak words of reason.”
– “Become a villain to villains.”
– “Good grief…”
– “The greatest talent in ages has received the teachings of this White Elder, so what in the world could you fear? You have completely inherited our true teachings. Be a virtuous person to the good, and be a villain to the wicked.”
The end of such conversations always led to the two masters grabbing each other by the collar.
The two masters were said to have often enjoyed placing wagers ever since their youth. Would the world ever know of such a relationship between Master Black Elder, the supreme public enemy of the martial world, and Master White Elder, one of the Three Eccentrics of the Righteous Path?
In that manner, the two old men placed a wager until their final moments.
After their own remaining days came to an end.
Would this destitute orphan lad, whom they had taught everything with all their heart, become the supreme villain befitting a disciple of Black Elder?
Or would he become a virtuous person who would change the world?
Even as the two old men closed their eyes, they could not foresee the future. That was because both of them had taught Cheon Woo-jin with their very lives on the line.
Naturally, not knowing the future was the same for Cheon Woo-jin as well.
In truth, whether he became a virtuous man or a villain, he had little interest in such things from the start.
He was merely grateful that they had fed, sheltered, and taught so many things to an orphan who had nowhere else to go at a tender age.
Cheon Woo-jin, who had been lost in sentiment for a moment, paused just as he was about to bow before the two masters’ tombstones.
– “Woo-jin. When ten years have passed, if the world calls you a villain, bow to my tombstone.”
– “If they call you a virtuous person, bow to the tombstone of this White Elder and carve your name.”
Recalling the two masters’ last wills, Cheon Woo-jin smiled wryly.
“To not even let me bow at the final moment.”
They were mischievous masters to the very end.
Cheon Woo-jin took the Crescent Moon Staff left by Black Elder and the Crane Feather Fan of White Elder.
They were the only relics left behind by his two masters.
At the same time, because they were the signature weapons of the Black and White Elders, it was only right for Cheon Woo-jin, who had fully mastered the martial arts of both, to possess them.
Just as Cheon Woo-jin was about to set off.
“…”
A chilly air settled over the surroundings.
Soon, ten men in black dropped down as if surrounding the hut.
“Are you Black Elder’s disciple?”
“Judging by the Crescent Moon Staff, it seems so.”
They exchanged questions and answers among themselves.
Cheon Woo-jin merely stood still.
‘Are they enemies of Master Black Elder?’
Master White Elder had said that a master’s ill fate carrying over to the disciple was a common occurrence in the martial world.
– “The only scoundrels in the martial world who could be called my enemies are at most the Demonic Cult bastards, but most martial artists are Black Elder’s enemies, so you, Woo-jin, must always be careful.”
Recalling White Elder’s words, Cheon Woo-jin nodded toward the men in black.
“I am Black Elder’s disciple, Cheon Woo-jin.”
Soon, a man who appeared to be the leader of the men in black strode forward. After examining Cheon Woo-jin as if observing him, he spoke.
“We bear no particular ill will toward you. As long as you hand over the Crescent Moon Staff, we intend to leave quietly.”
Cheon Woo-jin held out the Crescent Moon Staff made of dark iron. Although it showed some traces of time, it looked sturdy enough to smash anything to pieces.
“You mean this?”
“That is correct. It originally belonged to us, so now that Senior Black Elder has passed away, it is only right to retrieve it.”
“Aha.”
Looking at it now, it seemed they were not Master Black Elder’s enemies.
There was a story he had occasionally heard from Master Black Elder.
– “The Dark Emperor. You can consider most of the prominent villains of this age to be his disciples. I was the same. But in the year I turned forty, I severed ties with those bastards, so in the future, if anyone claims to be a disciple of the Dark Emperor, don’t ask any questions and just smash their heads in.”
Of course, since the disciples of the Dark Emperor were all villains, slaughtering them was something Master White Elder would also be extremely pleased with.
Cheon Woo-jin asked to make sure.
“Are you disciples of the Dark Emperor?”
“Our master is indeed so. The giant known as the Dark Emperor left behind numerous villains in his generation, and they in turn raised many villains as disciples.”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded as if understanding.
“In a sense, the people gathered here could be considered my martial seniors. Since you are the disciples of the disciples of the Dark Emperor. I pay my respects to my fellow martial brothers.”
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin assumed a fist-and-palm salute with utmost politeness.
At that, the men in black exchanged glances with one another.
‘To think we were inwardly tense just because he was Black Elder’s disciple.’
Not only did he seem young, but unexpectedly, wasn’t he quite reasonable to talk to?
Cheon Woo-jin extended the Crescent Moon Staff toward the man in black.
It was a gesture that seemed to say, ‘take it.’
Of course, the man in black was also one of the martial artists painstakingly raised by one of the prominent villains of the era, so he did not let down his guard.
In step with his cautious stride, the other martial artists surrounding the hut also narrowed the encirclement bit by bit.
Soon, a circle with a radius of one zhang formed centered on Cheon Woo-jin. While reaching out to receive the Crescent Moon Staff, the man in black prepared to draw his sword with his left hand in preparation for an ambush.
Even though he had been so tense and so cautious.
The moment his fingertips lightly brushed against the dark iron staff.
There was an illusion that the Crescent Moon Staff blurred and stretched like taffy, and…
Shing!
Before the man in black’s sword was even half-drawn.
Thwack!
His head burst open like a ripe gourd.
That was not the end. The Crescent Moon Staff drew a black full moon centered on Cheon Woo-jin.
Dark Sky Full Moon.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Blood, chunks of flesh, and bone marrow splattered wildly into the air. It was an event that transpired in an instant. Ten heads burst open at once, and at most, only those of higher cultivation had even managed to place a hand on their sword hilts.
Cheon Woo-jin planted the Crescent Moon Staff onto the ground with a thud.
As the blood and flesh clinging to the staff shook off, the ten headless corpses finally collapsed to the ground.
The blood they shed dyed the spacious yard red.
Cheon Woo-jin, having retrieved his staff, turned his gaze toward the lush thicket.
Swish!
The faint sound of rustling leaves sounded like thunder in Cheon Woo-jin’s ears.
‘Seven people in total, was it.’
Cheon Woo-jin, having finished his assessment, pulled out a white fan from his robes and unfurled it.
Flap!
It was the Crane Feather Fan adorned with the painting of three white cranes.
Soon, he leisurely fanned himself like a person escaping the heat beneath the shade of a tree in midsummer.
The wind that began at the tip grew steadily larger as it surged forward, until it ultimately filled the spacious yard.
Crane Wind Single Annihilation.
The thick branches of giant trees bent wildly as if about to snap. Amazingly, amidst such chaos, only the burial mounds of the two masters remained peaceful without a single gust of wind.
Thump!
A heavy sound echoed from a slight distance away.
Starting with that, the fleeing men in black collapsed while vomiting blood.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin retrieved his fan and turned his gaze toward the rear.
A man in black, who had miraculously survived amidst the fierce wind, was staring at Cheon Woo-jin in sheer terror.
“P-Please spare me.”
Cheon Woo-jin asked into the empty air.
“Masters, what should I do?”
Naturally, the dead spoke no words.
However, Cheon Woo-jin looked at Black Elder’s tombstone and nodded.
“Yes, I understand.”
“…?”
Despair washed over the man in black’s face.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin, who had been looking around the ground, picked up a fist-sized stone and…
Whoosh, smack!
The head of the last remaining man in black burst open just like that. Even in a situation dyed with blood on all sides, the area surrounding where Cheon Woo-jin stood was peaceful beyond compare.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin straightened his robes and offered a fist-and-palm salute instead of a bow toward the graves of his two masters.
– “Bwahahaha! Serves those bastards right. Go find those bastards’ master just like this and smash his skull too!”
– “You did truly well, Woo-jin. There is no need to show mercy to villains. It would rather put you in danger, after all.”
Recalling the sight of the two masters looking upon him with pride, he felt pleased for no particular reason. With his head bowed toward the burial mounds, Cheon Woo-jin bid farewell to his masters.
“This disciple feels a little nervous now that I am actually about to leave. However, I will never act in a way that tarnishes my masters’ reputation.”
After declaring his resolve, Cheon Woo-jin raised his head again, and just as he turned around toward the martial world.
– “What do you have to be nervous about? It is the world that should tremble.”
– “Black Elder’s words are right. With the exception of three martial artists who did not fear us, all under the heavens will be walking on eggshells around you.”
At the voices that seemed to echo from behind him, Cheon Woo-jin broke into a faint smile.
In that manner, Cheon Woo-jin took his steps toward the world.
Whether that would become a villain’s path or a virtuous man’s path, no one could tell.