As Envy, Greed, and Pride returned to the camp, they saw Ming still sitting in meditation.
Gluttony was seated in front of the fire.
But something was different.
Earlier, his face had been filled with worry—
now, there was relief.
Seeing this, Envy smiled. He glanced at Pride and said quietly,
"Seems like what you said was true."
Pride nodded, a smirk forming on his lips.
Greed stepped forward, smiling.
"We're back."
At the sound of his voice, Ming opened his eyes.
He saw the massive boar Greed was carrying and gave a slight nod.
Soon, the group began preparing the meal. They sat together, eating in silence.
As Ming ate, his gaze remained fixed on the fire.
Then he spoke.
"From now on… we split."
Everyone froze and looked at him.
Ming continued calmly,
"Wrath and I will go and clean something up."
"You all will go with Gluttony," he said, turning slightly,
"and help him save his brothers."
"When I'm finished, I'll come to you."
Everyone nodded without hesitation.
Then Envy asked,
"My lord… where are you going?"
Ming's expression darkened.
"To my village," he replied.
"There's someone I need to meet."
For a brief moment, anger flashed in his eyes.
Pride then asked,
"My lord… how will we stay in contact? We don't even know where Gluttony's brothers are."
Ming raised his hand.
"You don't need to worry."
As he did, a crow descended from the sky, its wings cutting cleanly through the air.
It landed gently on Ming's hand.
This was his master art—Beast Control.
The very first technique Ming had ever learned.
He looked at the bird and said calmly,
"Write a letter. It will deliver itself."
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Birds followed routes.
They returned to known places.
Yet this one…
needed no path.
It would find its master—no matter where he was.
Gluttony stood up, clasped his fists, and bowed deeply.
"I will never forget your kindness."
Greed laughed softly and shook his head.
"What kindness? We're all brothers here."
"If we didn't help you," he continued,
"then what kind of brothers would we be?"
Wrath crossed her arms and said firmly,
"There is no debt between us."
"We are brothers… and sisters."
At her words, smiles spread across their faces.
Even Ming's lips curved slightly.
Because of his art, Ming had lost many emotions over the years.
Yet somehow… at this moment—
he felt happiness.
That night, they slept.
When morning came, Wrath was the first to wake.
Ming was already gone.
She wasn't surprised.
Ming was always like this—
training day and night, resting only when his body absolutely demanded it.
It was as if his very purpose in life was training.
Not long after, Ming returned.
Everyone gathered, ate together one last time, and prepared to leave.
At the edge of the camp, Ming and Gluttony stood facing each other.
Gluttony bowed deeply.
"See you soon."
After that—
they turned…
and walked their separate paths.
Ming and Wrath headed toward Henan.
Gluttony, Greed, Envy, and Pride moved toward Shanxi, where Gluttony's men had last been seen.
As Ming and Wrath entered Henan, the atmosphere immediately changed.
Village after village lay in misery.
Starving people sat by the roads, their faces hollow, eyes lifeless.
Children cried without tears left to shed.
Yet strangely, not everywhere was the same.
Some places still had food.
Some people still ate.
The contrast was disturbing.
Along the road, they encountered bandits—many of them.
Ming killed them all.
He didn't hesitate.
He didn't even look at their faces.
He was in a hurry.
After hours of walking, Ming glanced at Wrath.
She was visibly exhausted.
"Should we rest?" Ming asked.
Wrath shook her head.
"I can keep walking."
Ming studied her for a moment, then said calmly,
"There's a city nearby. We'll rest there for a day."
Wrath didn't argue.
As they entered the city, a man stepped in front of them.
"Lodging fee," he said loudly. "One copper."
Ming looked at him coldly.
"And why should I give you money?"
The man sneered.
"You're new here, aren't you?"
Ming replied flatly,
"Yes. So what?"
The man raised his hand, revealing a black serpent tattoo.
"I'm with the Black Serpent Sect. This fee is for your protection."
Then his gaze shifted.
He looked at Wrath.
His expression twisted into something ugly.
"What if something bad happens to you while you're in the city?" he said with a grin.
"You wouldn't want that… would you?"
The air turned heavy.
Wrath didn't move.
Ming slowly raised his eyes—
and the temperature around them seemed to drop.
The man continued, a crazed smile spreading across his face.
"If you don't have money," he said slowly, "you can just live here instead."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Ming and Wrath moved.
At the same time.
Ming's sword flashed.
The man's head flew into the air, his expression frozen in shock.
Wrath didn't stop.
Her ice art pierced forward, drilling straight into his stomach, freezing his insides before his body even hit the ground.
Silence.
For a single breath—
then the city exploded.
"He killed a Serpent Sect member!"
"Those two are insane!"
"They're dead—dead for sure!"
People screamed in fear as crowds gathered, pointing at the body lying in the street.
Ming ignored them.
He walked forward calmly, Wrath following beside him.
They stepped over the corpse—
and entered the tavern without even looking back.
Inside, whispers spread like wildfire.
"They're finished…"
"They provoked the Black Serpent Sect in this area."
"The Black Serpent Sect has nearly a hundred martial artists."
"Every citizen here pays them protection money…"
"They're members of the Murim Alliance!"
Fear filled the room.
Some people even began trembling.
Outside, the commotion attracted attention.
Several figures rushed over.
"What happened here?"
The moment they saw the body—
their faces changed.
"It's them!"
"Black Serpent Sect members!"
People screamed and scattered, running in every direction.
One of the newcomers knelt beside the corpse.
He clenched his fists.
"Junior Brother…"
A tall man stepped forward, his eyes burning with rage.
This was Sao, one of the Serpent Sect's leaders.
He looked at the crowd coldly.
"Who did this?"
No one answered.
Then a trembling voice spoke from the side.
"They… they went inside the tavern."
Sao slowly stood up.
A cruel smile formed on his face.
"Good."
"Then they'll pay the price."