The Eyes That Followed

Night had fallen.

The village that seemed lively during the day had become quiet.

Paper lanterns swayed gently in the wind.

Laughter, drinking, and the smell of roasted meat drifted from the nearby taverns.

But Kang Jinhyuk felt none of it.

He sat alone in the corner of a small inn, a cup of warm tea untouched before him.

His eyes were closed.

Inside his body—

Qi flowed slowly.

Unstable.

Chaotic.

Like wild beasts trapped in a cage.

“…Still noisy.”

The whispers hadn’t stopped.

Sometimes he heard begging.

Sometimes screaming.

Sometimes laughter.

The memories of the dead were becoming harder to ignore.

A voice whispered in his ear—

Kill.

Another—

Run.

Another—

You enjoyed it…

Jinhyuk’s fingers tightened around the cup.

Crack.

Tiny fractures spread across the porcelain.

“…Shut up.”

Across the room—

Several travelers quietly moved farther away.

Even without understanding why…

Their instincts told them this man was dangerous.

Then—

Creak.

The inn’s door opened.

Cold wind entered.

And with it—

The woman in white.

Every conversation in the inn instantly stopped.

She walked inside calmly, her expression unchanged.

Her eyes immediately found Jinhyuk.

Jinhyuk didn’t even open his eyes.

“You’ve been following me.”

Her voice came calmly.

“You noticed.”

Jinhyuk smirked.

“You’re not exactly subtle.”

The woman sat across from him.

For a moment—

Neither of them spoke.

The innkeeper nervously placed tea on the table and rushed away.

Finally—

Jinhyuk opened his eyes.

And looked directly at her.

“Alright.”

“Who are you?”

The woman held his gaze without blinking.

“My name is Seol Rina.”

Seol Rina

“I am a disciple of the Moonlight Sword Pavilion.”

Moonlight Sword Pavilion

The surrounding martial artists visibly stiffened.

Even Jinhyuk noticed it.

“A famous sect?”

Seol Rina nodded once.

“One of the Seven Orthodox Sects.”

Jinhyuk smiled.

“So you’re one of the ‘good people.’”

For the first time—

A tiny change crossed her face.

“…There are no good people in Murim.”

Jinhyuk laughed softly.

“Now that… I like.”

But then—

The whispers returned.

Louder.

Much louder.

Kill her.

Take her memories.

Her Qi is stronger…

Kill…

Jinhyuk’s pupils trembled.

His breathing changed.

Seol Rina noticed instantly.

Her hand slowly moved toward her sword.

“Jinhyuk.”

It was the first time someone here had said his name.

He looked up sharply.

“How do you know—”

“Your soul is screaming.”

Silence.

Jinhyuk’s smile vanished.

For the first time since entering Murim—

He looked genuinely surprised.

Seol Rina’s voice became quieter.

“…What exactly did you become?”

Jinhyuk opened his mouth to answer—

But suddenly—

CRACK.

The tea cup in his hand exploded.

Dark Qi leaked from his body like smoke.

The wooden floor beneath him began to split.

People in the inn screamed.

“W-what is that?!”

“Run!”

Chairs overturned.

Tables crashed.

Everyone rushed for the exit.

But Jinhyuk couldn’t hear them anymore.

Because inside his mind—

Hundreds of voices screamed at once.

His vision turned red.

His heartbeat thundered.

And then—

He slowly looked at Seol Rina.

Not with curiosity.

Not with amusement.

But with pure…

Hunger.

Seol Rina stood up.

Her sword slid halfway out of its sheath.

Silver light filled the room.

Her eyes remained calm.

But her voice turned cold.

“If you’re still in there…”

She pointed the blade at his throat.

“Fight it.”

Jinhyuk smiled.

But it wasn’t his smile.

“…Or what?”

A violent wave of killing intent exploded across the inn.

And outside—

Even the night birds stopped singing.

Far away…

On the dark throne—

The Heavenly Demon watched.

And laughed.

“The toy…”

“…is beginning to break.”

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