Those who uncover the Twin Shadow Fierce Demon Brigade end up flustered, even when they know the truth of what they are dealing with.

"Brothers!!! What are you thinking right now!!! I mean, I could just not know that stuff! And don't you know I go alone when I go to see women?"

"Hah..."

Because they cannot easily believe that the person who has been by their side all this time is an enemy.

"Besides! I answered a bit late, but I definitely told you the truth. I just remembered late because I didn't care... How does that make me the culprit!"

The bond built with the original person has already transferred to the one wearing their exact skin and mimicking their exact actions, making it hard to dismiss them as a fake.

"Ask him to give me another question instead! Finding the culprit with just one question doesn't make any sense!"

Thus, even while harboring suspicions, they cannot carry those suspicions to the very end.

Because there is a chance they might be wrong, or that the person simply misremembered.

They have to believe that... so the bond they've held onto isn't shattered.

That was the reason why so many of the Murim Alliance's high-ranking squads ended up dying.

Then, what about our Minor Orthodox Unit?

We had been doubting each other even before the Twin Shadow Fierce Demon Brigade infiltrated us, and if anything felt slightly off, we just threw our blades first.

That way, someone might die an unfair death, but at least they wouldn't die to a sneak attack.

SHING.

As the Black Dragon Sword was drawn, the Five Hounds of Seopyeong... no, now the Three Hounds of Seopyeong, looked back at me.

"Wait a moment... We still aren't certain..."

I could understand the man's feelings.

He couldn't just flip his hand and instantly doubt a younger brother he had shared the joys and sorrows of life with for decades.

However, the cunning Twin Shadow Fierce Demon Brigade never misses such an opening.

They play with the basic trust that any human possesses.

"I told you to wait!!!"

As I stepped forward, the second brother raised his hand to block me.

It must be hard to believe. But I have absolute proof.

I immediately executed Lotus, throwing the second brother toward Hyeoltu.

"Th-That damn bastard is at it again!"

SMASH! BANG!

Hyeoltu tried to strike the second brother away at once, but the second brother spun once in the air, kicked off Hyeoltu's fist, and shot right back toward me instead.

"This crazy son of a bitch...! Youngest!"

"Yes, brother!"

Even those who had built up enough infamy to include "hound" in their alias shared an incredibly tight bond with each other.

That was why the Twin Shadow Fierce Demon Brigade couldn't help but be a target of hatred for everyone, transcending the Orthodox faction and the Underworld.

The two men swung their sabers simultaneously.

Saber qi flew in, looking as though it would split my head and waist at the same time.

I executed the Iron Bridge technique while simultaneously using the Taiyi Eighty Thousand Divine Steps at its peak, narrowly passing between the saber qi to charge at the member of the Twin Shadow Fierce Demon Brigade.

"You lunatic...!"

The fourth brother desperately scattered his saber strikes in response to my wondrous movements.

His saber technique was exactly the same as the rest of the Five Hounds of Seopyeong.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Just as I was about to thrust my sword in to sever the neck of the one who barely blocked the Great Heaven Sword Technique.

Three streams of saber qi flew in from behind, and I had to urgently spin my body to block them.

B-B-B-BANG!

Before completely dispersing the saber qi, I turned my body and executed the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist at the fourth brother.

Dozens of fist forms slammed into his entire body, sending him floating into the air, and he soon flew over three zhang away to crash into the wall.

CRASH.

"Kuhuk!"

As soon as he collapsed onto the floor, the fourth brother shot up and readjusted his grip on his saber.

He trembled violently and raised his voice.

"Brothers!! Do you still not get it! That bastard plans to kill us one by one like this!"

A desperate expression and voice, intermittently trembling lips, and eyes full of fear.

Could brothers who had been together for decades truly turn away after seeing such a sight?

Even I would have reconsidered, wondering if this bastard was actually innocent.

'If it weren't for the Red Phoenix Ring.'

I didn't know how it happened, but the Red Phoenix Ring absorbed a dewdrop's worth of internal qi only when I stood in front of this guy.

Saber qi filled with killing intent began to pour in from behind.

"You've given up on thinking."

It was truly a peculiar sight.

The disciples of the Orthodox sects often showed this kind of behavior.

Even if the Inspection Pavilion came out to thoroughly examine everything and the Disciplinary Pavilion concluded their investigation by declaring someone a hidden culprit, listening to the desperate cries of their martial siblings would make them deny all the evidence.

That it must surely be a frame-up with some political motive...

That there was absolutely no way their martial sibling could be a hidden culprit...

But to think that an Underworld figure would act exactly the same as someone from the Orthodox faction.

'Is this why the Demonic Cult came to dominate the world?'

These bastards drive us crazy.

They make us lose our humanity.

They destroy our common sense and morals.

That was why I could never let this bastard who inherited the blood of the damn Heavenly Demon go.

I executed the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique to its absolute limit to react to the saber qi, while simultaneously blocking the fourth brother's path so he couldn't move recklessly.

The moment I tried to pressure the fourth brother.

The three remaining members of the Five Hounds of Seopyeong formed a joint attack formation and struck at six vital acupoints simultaneously.

'I'll die!'

Their individual skills weren't all that impressive, but the moment they coordinated their movements, a tremendous threat could be felt.

I quickly rolled my body twice in the air to dodge the joint attack, but I couldn't completely neutralize their strike.

SLAAAAASH.

DRIP. DRIP.

Long cuts appeared on my forearm and thigh, and blood dripped from them.

The three who had drawn close to the fourth brother made eye contact with him once, nodded, and then formed their joint attack formation.

I warned them as they moved in perfect unison.

"I know you want to believe your brother. However... I want to tell you that this is not a good choice. Because right now, you are protecting the one who killed your Sect Leader."

I tore a piece of my clothing, roughly bandaged my wounds, and readjusted my grip on the Black Dragon Sword.

With his face turning red, the second brother of the Five Hounds of Seopyeong gritted his teeth.

"We will investigate that ourselves."

"That's exactly... why it won't work."

"Even if he is a hidden culprit, we are more than capable of handling him!"

No matter how rigorous the training someone has received, they cannot easily doubt and kill someone wearing their brother's face.

The reason people can't easily cast aside the Twin Shadow Fierce Demon Brigade might be because of the desire for their brothers and sisters not to die, even if only the shell remains.

Because if the entity beside me is revealed to be a fake, it would be the same as a death sentence for the real one.

When even absolute experts fall victim to hidden culprits wearing the faces of their grandsons and granddaughters, the level of one's martial arts means nothing.

The way to escape this trap was...

Only venomous malice.

"That is why you bastards were defeated by the Minor Orthodox Unit."

Only a beast can bite a demonic practitioner to death.

I unleashed the Taiyi Sect's patched-together martial art, the Taiyi Yang Palm.

B-B-B-B-B-B-BANG!

In my past life, I rarely used it because its power was pathetic compared to the internal energy it consumed, but that sort of efficiency felt meaningless now that I had 240 years' worth of internal energy.

Blazing heat spread in all directions, causing the Four Hounds of Seopyeong to hold their breath for a moment.

In addition, I executed the recently learned Gyogyo Divine Art to obstruct their vision, and drove the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique straight in.

SWISH--

The Five Hounds of Seopyeong swung their blades to deflect the Black Dragon Sword shooting in like an arrow, but I was a little faster.

SLASH.

A deep gash appeared on the chest of the third brother standing at the front, and he collapsed right then and there.

As I retrieved my sword and prepared to strike again, the Five Hounds of Seopyeong immediately took a defensive stance.

To prevent them from easily reforming their formation, I executed the Great Heaven Sword Technique to confuse their vision.

SWISH-SWISH-SWISH.

As dozens of sword forms flew at them in an instant, aiming for their necks, vital acupoints, and eyes.

They swung their sabers like crazy, but most of the shapes were phantom swords.

I then thrust in with the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, further adding to the chaos.

SWIIIISH--

The Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, containing even more qi than before, shot out like a streak of light.

"Damn it...!"

"Keugh..."

The moment the second and youngest brothers dodged to both sides, seemingly deciding they couldn't handle it.

I unleashed the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist upon the culprit.

B-B-B-B-B-B-B-BAM.

CRASH.

Struck by the fists before he even realized it, the fourth brother was driven into a corner.

I thrust the Black Dragon Sword toward him.

SHIIIING.

Like the ribs of a metal fan spreading open, the fourth brother trembled at the illusion of phantom and true swords that completely filled the area.

Soon, deciding he couldn't take it anymore, he kicked off the floor and soared into the sky.

But you see, I had no intention of letting him go easily either.

"Where do you think you're going!"

FWOOSH-

With a faint, barely audible sound, the Flying Dragon Claw flew out and wrapped around his ankle, and I used the power of Snowflake to slam him into the ground.

C-C-CRASH.

"Kuhuk..."

The fourth brother curled up his body and groaned, as if in immense pain.

I stomped down for a final step, intending to smash his head in at once.

CLANG!

SCREEECH.

The Black Dragon Sword was blocked by a great saber, and a grating sound spread as our weapons scraped against each other.

"I warned you to stop...!"

Having coughed up blood, the second brother shouted with red bloodstains not yet dry around his mouth.

I put more force into the Black Dragon Sword and spoke.

"That guy is the culprit."

"The fourth brother used his own martial arts even in a desperate situation. Also, just like the fourth brother said... he was late, but he definitely gave an answer."

I looked at him and let out a scoff.

"Seeing you defend your enemy, it seems you want to die this time."

The second brother's hands holding the great saber began to tremble violently.

"Keugh... Anyway, stop! This is my final warning."

BANG!

Ultimately, pushed back by each other's strength, we each retreated three steps, and the third and youngest brothers stood around the second brother again like guards.

The second brother stared straight ahead and asked the fourth brother.

"Fourth."

"Yes, brother."

"Let me ask you one thing. What is it that I do whenever I have free time?"

The fourth brother raised his voice as if he were being wronged.

"Isn't it fishing! Fishing! You fish even when there's no bait, and even when there's no hook! Your martial arts are even related to the enlightenment you gained from that!"

"Then who was the youngest's first love?"

"Wasn't it Sun-i from the next village. After she became a concubine for a nobleman's household, he cursed the world and joined the Underworld."

Before he knew it, the second brother was looking at the fourth brother with complex eyes.

"Then what is the mistake the third brother made recently?"

"He stole your coin pouch, second brother."

"... What?"

As if he hadn't expected that, the second brother touched his coin pouch and looked at the third brother, and the third brother nodded in admission.

"... Look at this! Anyone can see he's my brother, so what doubts could you possibly have..."

Right, he must seem real.

No, that man truly believed the fourth brother was the "real fourth brother."

That was an emotion any human would naturally possess, regardless of whether they were Orthodox or Underworld.

The reason we survived wasn't just because we could easily make vulgar jokes.

The more accurate reason.

"Do you still not get it? When the three of you launched a joint attack, you clearly overwhelmed me, but why were you pushed back when the four of you formed a joint attack formation?"

"..."

... It was because we lacked humanity.

Because we had already changed into something closer to beasts, we were able to survive in that hell.

Isn't it contradictory.

That we could only live as humans by throwing away our humanity.

Could a human who has thrown away their humanity truly be called a human?

The man turned his head, and our eyes met.

"What are you... doing right now?"

The man tilted his head upon seeing the stance I was taking.

"Catching the culprit."

And with those words, I cast the First Form of the White Moon Heaven-Subduing Three Forms, 'extreme speed'.

SLASH.

The sound of the air being torn apart echoed in the room, and all the wooden chairs and tables inside collapsed powerlessly.

And the sword qi that shot out in the blink of an eye had already severed the fourth brother's neck before people could even register it.

SPURT.

The empty voice of the fourth brother as he fumbled around his neck.

"Th-This isn't it... This isn't it..."

THUD.

As the fourth brother's head fell, blood erupted like a fountain.

Having seen their brother's death right before their eyes, the three men stared at me with vacant eyes, as if they had lost their minds.

"Wh-What are you... What are you doing right now? M-My brother... My brother..."

Covered in his brother's blood, the second brother stared at me in disbelief.

It wasn't just the Five Hounds of Seopyeong.

Upon seeing blood, all the personnel belonging to the Blood Sword Sect began to rush at me as if they had lost their reason.

"Aaaaagh! Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"How dare you! To our Blood Sword Sect...!!"

Following the Blood Sword Sect that was attacking recklessly, the Five Hounds of Seopyeong, who had just lost another brother, charged at me, exuding a chilling aura.

Hyeoltu, who had been watching from the side, finally made his move.

"... You crazy bastard!"

He joined the melee in shock, and Gun Yuhyeon also pitched in, knocking down the warriors with his fluttering robe.

"Young Master Jin! You must escape."

Despite Gun Yuhyeon's urgent cry, I dug even deeper into their midst.

I took their rear by stepping with the Taiyi Eighty Thousand Divine Steps at its peak.

As if knowing my intentions for approaching, the Underworld figures surrounding me desperately swung their sabers at me, but.

I had something else I needed from the start.

I quickly grabbed the fourth brother's severed head and returned to my original spot.

Spotting the head in my hand, the Three Hounds of Seopyeong glared at me as if having a seizure.

The other Blood Sword Sect personnel were also grinding their teeth, looking ready to bite me at any moment.

"Take your hands off the fourth right now!"

"Black Flame Dragon! If you humiliate us any further, we will tear you apart!"

Without delay, I lifted the severed head of the fourth brother and ripped off the skin of his face.

RIIIP.

Skin that shouldn't have been removable peeled off easily.

Soon, the people imagined a gruesome sight and turned their heads away.

But the scene they had imagined didn't happen.

Through the commotion that had quieted down before anyone realized, a flustered voice rang out.

"A-A human skin mask?"

Everyone's gazes converged on what was in my hands.

The human skin mask peeled off the fourth brother's face.

And...

The face of a man they had never seen before, who had been masquerading as the fourth brother all this time.

The people of the Blood Sword Sect forgot they had been in a fierce fight just moments ago and were completely absorbed in looking at the human skin mask and the man's face.

I spoke toward them.

"This is what you tried to protect with your lives."

The Three Hounds of Seopyeong dropped their weapons to the floor with a clatter.

The reaction after learning the truth was no different, whether they were from the Orthodox faction or the Underworld.