Chapter 37: Black Lotus.

…What, all of a sudden?

I stared in shock at the drunken old master who had just thrown out that offer.

She was so wasted that I couldn’t tell if she was serious or just rambling.

Stumbling toward me, she continued.

“Your body, hic! With it, you could reach the pinnacle of the Chaos Origin Sword!”

“Uh, I…”

“So, become my disciple and aim for the top of the martial world…!”

“Enough, Divine Mother.”

A deep, resonant voice cut her off sharply.

It was a voice so familiar that no one in the Baek Clan could mistake it, and all the warriors turned toward it.

“Clan Leader.”

Dowan bowed first, followed by the others, myself included.

The mysterious master, delighted, laughed heartily.

“Oh, Wooncheon! You’ve gotten even older, huh?”

“…It’s been a while, Divine Mother.”

…Wow, the Clan Leader using formal speech?

Baek Wooncheon, practically a king in the Baek Clan and all of Gangseo Province (though saying that out loud would get you labeled a traitor), showing such respect…

‘Who is this person?’

Her title seemed to be “Divine Mother,” but having never ventured into the martial world, I had no clue.

One thing was clear, though.

This wasn’t a situation for me to butt into.

‘Gotta stay quiet…’

I clamped my mouth shut and tried to fade into the background.

“But you’re still the Clan Leader? So greedy.”

“…Sigh, you haven’t changed at all, Divine Mother.”

“That’s my charm!”

The Clan Leader rubbed his forehead as she laughed proudly despite his scolding.

Goodness, to see the Clan Leader so flustered…

‘Keep it up!’

That sly jerk deserves a bit more hassle.

Feeling a sense of vicarious satisfaction, I nodded approvingly.

…Anyway.

“Let’s head to the Clan Leader’s Hall to talk. And sober up.”

“Tch, you ignorant fool! Why drink if you’re just going to flush out the liquor?”

The Divine Mother giggled innocently, but the Clan Leader’s forehead wrinkles deepened.

“Sigh… Do as you please, but let’s move. Aren’t you embarrassed acting like this in front of the younger generation?”

“Hmph, you’ve gotten so uptight with age. Your father used to get drunk and strip in front of everyone.”

“…Divine Mother.”

“Fine, I’m going!”

I learned more about the previous Clan Leader’s drunken antics than I wanted to, but after some convincing, they headed to the Clan Leader’s Hall.

The front gate felt like a storm had passed through.

“So, who is she?”

I quietly asked Dowan, who was still standing there.

Snapping out of it, he let out a deep sigh.

“…The Chaos Divine Mother, Lady Im Jiyang.”

“Chaos Divine Mother?”

“She’s the leader of the single-successor Chaos Origin Sect and was the greatest female martial artist of her generation decades ago.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Or perhaps, the greatest in the entire martial world.”

“…Wow.”

No wonder she felt so terrifying—she’s that kind of master?

I was stunned, but Dowan seemed to feel differently.

“Well…”

“I heard she was close with the previous Clan Leader, but… I didn’t expect her to be like this. She’s quite different from what I imagined.”

He sounded a bit… disappointed.

Following his lead, the others chimed in.

“Yeah, I thought the same. The Divine Mother seems more… lively than expected.”

“Maybe it’s the Rejuvenation effect.”

They were being polite, but in short—

‘She seems super immature.’

It was understandable.

A revered figure like the Divine Mother, admired by countless warriors, was acting like a drunk kid.

‘Still… isn’t she scary?’

I wasn’t disappointed at all.

I could feel the monster lurking behind her childish facade.

But judging by their reactions, I must’ve been the only one who sensed it, probably because of my body’s sensitivity to qi.

…Anyway.

Knowing her identity made me curious about something else.

“So, what were those assassins fighting her yesterday?”

The ones bold enough to target a former martial world legend.

Dowan stroked his rough beard.

“Hm… We don’t know the full situation yet, but I can tell you this. You said you heard the term ‘Blood Sect Leader’?”

“Yes.”

“The Blood Sect is one of the factions under the Black Heaven Alliance.”

“Oh…”

The Black Heaven Alliance.

It was a new name, but I had a hunch about what it was.

“The Black Heaven Alliance is a coalition of demonic sects the Martial Alliance has been keeping an eye on lately.”

Yup, that’s it.

The name alone reeked of villainy—definitely a demonic sect organization.

Just mentioning it seemed to sour Dowan’s mood, his face crumpling.

Typical righteous sect reaction.

“Until a decade ago, they were just a loose group of riffraff, no real threat.”

“But?”

“A few years ago, a young female master took charge, and they’ve been growing at an alarming rate. Quite troublesome.”

He let out a low hum, puzzled.

“But why would the Blood Sect Leader send assassins after the Divine Mother? We’ll have to ask her once she sobers up. It could be important.”

“Oh…”

I wasn’t too concerned about righteous or demonic sects, so I just found it interesting.

‘The Black Heaven Alliance, huh.’

If the Martial Alliance was focused on them, maybe Baek Tae-rin’s departure from the clan was related to them.

I was mulling it over when—

“By the way…”

One of the Baek Clan warriors spoke cautiously.

“Didn’t the Divine Mother mention something about a disciple?”

“…”

“She seemed to have her eye on this kid…”

All eyes turned to me.

…What are you all staring at?

They looked curious yet tense, as if waiting for my reaction.

‘…Why?’

I’m already a disciple of the Baek Clan, learning their martial arts.

Plus, I have Dowan, the Left Protector, as my master.

In other words, I’m not free to be anyone’s disciple.

Sure, it’s tempting that a martial world legend wants me, but… I don’t chase trees I can’t climb.

“Tch, you’re all worrying over nothing.”

Dowan chimed in, sounding exasperated.

As expected, my master gets it…

“With Lady Baek Yeon here, there’s no way Seoran would leave.”

“…”

That’s not the point, you lunatic.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

The worst part? They all nodded in agreement.

…Why does everyone see me as some Baek Yeon-obsessed freak?

This is ridiculous.

—

“Tch, that jerk. Forcing me to sober up.”

The Chaos Divine Mother, Im Jiyang, pouted and grumbled.

“There’s a report from yesterday.”

Baek Wooncheon ignored her, getting to the point.

“What happened with the Blood Sect?”

“Oh, those guys.”

At his question, Im Jiyang shrugged nonchalantly.

“Somehow, I ended up with a grudge against the Black Heaven Alliance.”

“…Sigh.”

‘Somehow’—such an Im Jiyang thing to say. Baek Wooncheon sighed.

“They keep sending assassins tirelessly. Even on my way to Gangseo, they sent a few. But I couldn’t fight in a place with civilians, so I borrowed your hill for a bit.”

She snickered as she spoke.

“Funny, aren’t they?”

As if she found them absurdly beneath her.

“They call themselves ‘Black Heaven’ and think they’re the sky itself, daring to cross me. How amusing.”

“…Still, you should be cautious, Divine Mother.”

Baek Wooncheon, who had been listening quietly, spoke slowly.

“The Martial Alliance recently sent word. The woman leading the Black Heaven Alliance might be a disciple of the Tyrant Emperor.”

“…The Tyrant Emperor?”

For the first time, Im Jiyang’s eyes widened.

“Hah! That guy’s got some skills! Surviving and even raising a disciple!”

“His survival isn’t confirmed. Since you’re still alive, Divine Mother, perhaps he is too.”

“Let him be alive! No, I hope he is. I haven’t settled my score with him!”

She scoffed at Baek Wooncheon’s warning.

Her confidence stemmed from absolute trust in her own power.

Baek Wooncheon didn’t bother correcting her. He knew her strength well.

The conversation seemed to wrap up, but…

“Oh, right.”

As if just remembering, Im Jiyang brought up a new topic.

“That kid earlier.”

“…”

“Hand her over. I’ll make her the next leader of the Chaos Origin Sect.”

Her bold demand made Baek Wooncheon’s expression harden.

He was stunned once more.

What kind of body did that girl have to catch the eye of even the Chaos Divine Mother?

‘Hm.’

He wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.

In one of the futures he envisioned, it didn’t matter if she left the clan.

And for the sake of the Central Plains, the Chaos Origin Sect’s legacy had to continue.

But—

“…Before that, shouldn’t you say what you’re offering in return?”

He wasn’t about to let a chance to put the Chaos Divine Mother in his debt slip away.

“Huh?”

Her eyes widened at his words, filled with childlike surprise.

But then—

“…Hahaha!”

She burst into laughter.

And at that moment—

Whoosh!

The air in the Clan Leader’s Hall grew heavy.

A pressure so intense it made even a peak Hwakyung master tense began to weigh on Baek Wooncheon.

“Wooncheon.”

“…”

“You’ve grown quite a bit.”

Im Jiyang—no, the Chaos Divine Mother’s eyes now gleamed with a chilling ferocity.

“To dare make such an impudent proposal to me.”

Even your father didn’t dare act so boldly.

Her voice, as she muttered, was cold as ice.