Yun Jin sat in silence, his fingers tracing the smooth surface of the untouched teacup before him. The aroma had long since faded, the tea now cold and forgotten. His thoughts spiraled endlessly.

  Turn a blind eye… is that truly the answer?

  The teachings of Wudang had always stressed balance—never leaning into conflict without necessity but never forsaking responsibility either. And yet, wasn’t this exactly that? Abandoning responsibility under the guise of balance?

  He clenched his fists beneath the table.

  If he ignored this, if he stood by as the cult continued its quiet destruction, what would remain of his ideals? Could he still call himself a disciple of Wudang?

  Or worse, the successor of Sword Saint?

  “You’re thinking of going after them yourself, aren’t you?” Merlin’s voice was soft, but certain.

  Yun Jin didn’t answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the empty space before him. “What would you do,” he asked quietly, “if you might have the power to stop something terrible… but knew that power alone might not be enough?”

  Merlin leaned forward, clasping his hands together nervously. “I’d… I don’t know. I’d want to help. But I’m not you, Yun Jin. You don’t just have power. You are power. If anyone can fight them, it’s you.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Yun Jin’s voice was low, almost a whisper. “That belief—yours, theirs, even my own—might push me to cross a line I can’t come back from.”

  Merlin frowned, confused. “What line?”

  “Death.” Yun Jin’s eyes lifted, a rare vulnerability in them.

  Merlin sat back confusely. “That’s... normal?”

  Yun Jin allowed himself a faint smile, though it quickly faded. “I’ve spent years mastering many techniques. But this… this helplessness is harder to endure than any hurdles. It makes me wanted to jump into the fight knowing I will not made it out alive.”

  Train after train, day after day—

  All his life, all Yun Jin ever did was hone his strength. And yet, he never had the chance to use it.

  When he first arrived in this world, he finally tested his limits for the first time… and that was when the truth became clear.

  The ceiling he’d been chasing all his life—it was far lower than he ever expected.

  By this world’s standards, Yun Jin realized there were too many enemies, and far too many of them were too reckless, too monstrous, for him to face alone.

  He had dreamed of becoming a Sword Saint like his master. A lone figure capable of standing against entire armies.

  But if he were to face someone like Krastov—just two of him—he would likely die. No, even four banshees, with their relentless spiritual attacks, could tear him apart before he ever reached them.

  And now his enemies were a cult of demons, beings who could regenerate like Seraphine had… and worse, with powers he couldn’t even predict.

  The best outcome was to sit back. Deal with Veyra’s human conflicts, the political games he at least understood. And while he did that… let innocent people die each night at the hands of demons.

  That was the practical path.

  And yet, unless he brought Veyra down now, Ardent would never fully turn his attention to wiping out the cult.

  So once again, the road split before him. Two impossible enemies. Two battles he wanted to fight. And the crushing truth—he was smart enough to know that either one would be a suicide mission.

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  He would not throw away the life his father and mother had sacrificed so much to give him. He would not waste it just to prove something to himself.

  But still…

  The teachings of Wudang, the path he had chosen, pressed heavy on his heart. His purpose, his ideals—they screamed at him to act.

  Even if it was foolish.

  Merlin looked down, voice trembling slightly. “I’m scared too, you know. I don’t want to watch people suffer. But I also don’t want to watch you die trying to save everyone.”

  Yun Jin stood abruptly. “That’s why I’m not going to throw myself at them blindly.” His eyes sharpened with purpose. “There’s something else I should do first.”

  Without another word, he left the room, footsteps quiet but certain. Merlin followed him, concern still etched on his face.

  --

  Yun Jin made his way toward the hidden entrance beneath Altheron’s mansion, his steps quicker than usual. His mind was already far ahead, turning over plans, strategies, and every possible outcome. Tonight’s meeting with the task force would determine how the coming battles would be fought—and he needed to be prepared.

  Behind him, Merlin struggled to keep pace. Even with the Qi breathing technique Yun Jin had taught him, his stamina was running thin. He pushed himself into a sprint, panting to catch up.

  “Slow down… just a little…” Merlin gasped under his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow.

  But Yun Jin didn’t slow. He descended into the underground corridor where the air grew heavier, colder.

  The faint scent of burnt incense and aged stone filled the narrow passage, and as they moved deeper, the flickering candlelight revealed the hidden life of the shadows.

  Clusters of shadow demons gathered at the edges of the corridor, their forms almost blending entirely into the darkness.

  Unlike Selene, who moved freely and confidently among humans, these creatures remained cautious—even here in their domain. They stayed coiled in silence, avoiding each other as much as the living souls passing through.

  Yun Jin gave them no more than a passing glance. If they were here, it meant Ardent was already gathering his forces and preparing for the night’s meeting. There was no need to interfere.

  As they stepped into the main underground chamber, the familiar sight of the wide, empty training grounds opened before them.

  The silence was suffocating. Yun Jin’s eyes drifted toward the spot where he had once stood, losing against Selene.

  He turned away and made his way to the far side of the chamber where the library zone stood. A heavy study table waited there, its surface cleared except for a single stack of books and carefully arranged notes.

  Yun Jin approached, his fingers brushing over the covers. He read the titles—each one related to demons, their history, their bloodlines, and their corruptive influence.

  Merlin caught up, still panting, and leaned over the table, wide-eyed at the collection.

  “These… these are Ardent’s personal research notes,” Merlin murmured in awe.

  Yun Jin nodded, opening the first book. The contents were more detailed than he expected. Diagrams of demonic sigils, classifications of their bloodlines, and extensive analysis of their hierarchies.

  It started with the Three Demon Generals—ancient lords of their kind, each representing one of the core forces of demonic power: Suffering, Destruction, and Death.

  Each lineage had further branches, their corruptive traits woven into the very fabric of their offspring.

  The Suffering Lineage focused not on death, but on spreading misery. These demons didn’t kill their victims. They broke them slowly, driving them to despair, making them live long enough to drown in their own suffering.

  Corruption demons—like those tied to the cult—were a direct offshoot of this lineage, thriving on spreading and prolonged torment.

  The Destruction Lineage was centered around conquest. These demons sought to dominate and enslave all other races, erasing civilizations and turning their survivors into broken tools.

  The last recorded Demon King had risen from this lineage, nearly purging the world of all order before the Holy War brought his reign to an end.

  And the final, most dangerous lineage—Death. Their goal was chillingly simple: to end all life.

  No recorded history could explain why. There was no known ideology, no plan for conquest or rule—only annihilation. Their motives remained a mystery even to the wisest scholars.

  Merlin swallowed hard, reading over Yun Jin’s shoulder. “This… this is worse than I thought. If the cult follows the Suffering lineage, they’re not trying to destroy this town outright. They want it to rot from the inside.”

  Yun Jin’s expression darkened. “That’s why they target the poor, the desperate. Turn them into monsters and leave their families behind to live in despair.”

  He clenched his fists, the memories of Seraphine’s distorted final moments flashing before his eyes.

  Then his eyes fell on a footnote, and it made him let out a quiet grin.

  How to Kill Demons Effectively.