Chapter 41…
At last, the bet results and mission settlement.
Those who had staked their hopes on Ji-han’s defeat couldn’t even voice their despair.
They simply could not erase from memory the dazzling clash that had just unfolded in that brief moment.
[Didn’t they say Asura Mode was the hardest?]
[Didn’t even pros have terrible win rates? Huh, Gung-hyung?]
[Ji-han, I think your master lied to you, lol.]
[Lmao what do you call beating them without taking a single hit?]
[Maybe Ji-han’s just… outside the system?]
The elder-level figure lay collapsed on the ground.
Meanwhile, Lee Ji-han brushed off his hands casually.
And yet, when he smiled brightly at a donation, the sight was even more terrifying—especially since his face was still spattered with the elder’s blood. The aura of fear reached the heavens.
“User CheonmaShinGyoMemberNo.1! Thank you for the one million won donation! ‘The Heavenly Demon descends? Countless demons rejoice?’ I don’t really know what that means, but I’ll do my best to beat them all!”
[LOOOOOOOL]
[Honestly, he really does look like the Heavenly Demon, lmao.]
[The strong survive, the weak perish, hahaha.]
[Wait, the Wudang elder was the ‘weak’ one? LOL.]
[Guess that’s why he never ascended to immortality yet.]
[Isn’t “ascending” just another word for dying?]
[Lol Ji-han already helped him “ascend.”]
[Left fist = sleeping pill, right fist = ascension!]
The chat exploded.
Whatever it was, dopamine and thrilling combat had hooked the viewers, and the number of watchers began skyrocketing.
“So anyway. Next area is Mount Hua, apparently.”
[Ohhh, Mount Hua lol.]
[The best of the Five Sword Sects!]
[Best? Nah, stop kidding.]
[Still, Mount Hua’s pretty famous, right?]
[I prefer Zhongnan personally.]
[Among Shaanxi sword sects, Hua and Zhongnan are basically the same.]
[Damn, I’m actually hyped—Ji-han’s speed vs. Hua’s swift swordsmanship.]
[This one might be close.]
The moment Mount Hua was mentioned, chat sped up.
A clash of speed versus speed.
Everyone was expecting another exhilarating fight.
Even the doubts about Asura Mode vanished before Ji-han’s overwhelming display.
Chat surged with excitement—
Only for it to fall silent with one single line from Ji-han.
“…But isn’t Mount Hua a bit hot?”
It was the innocent question of someone who had no idea what a wuxia novel was.
That one question spread like wildfire—
[AAAHHHH!!]
[Not THAT kind of volcano, you idiot!!]
[VOLCANO MAGMA TWENTY-FOUR STRIKES, LMAO.]
[Please, Ji-han, no! That’s not what it means!!]
And with it, countless viewers took critical internal injuries.
“Yeah, I’m a little worried… I don’t handle heat very well.”
He muttered absent-mindedly, not even checking the chat.
But those mutters shredded the hearts of wuxia fans everywhere.
[UGH!!! My insides!!]
[Please, please—it’s not that!!]
[Innkeeper! One carbonara here!!]
[Hero, please use the kiosk!!]
[Sect leader, JUMP, damn it!!]
[AAAAGHHHH!!]
Of course, Ji-han paid them no mind.
How could he, when he didn’t even know wuxia existed?
‘Is this some meme?’
His pure assumption that it was just a meme triggered unintentional mass suffering.
But hardly anyone left the stream.
In fact, the few who remained clung on like “super-ants,” because Ji-han’s exhilarating fists and kicks had stolen everyone’s hearts.
“Alright then, shall we go?”
With a smile, Ji-han pressed the button for the next region—Mount Hua.
And then…
[Lol look at his face.]
[Why does he look so disappointed?]
[Wait, did he really think it was a volcano??]
[Ji-han’s hilarious, omg.]
He looked very disappointed.
He’d rolled up his sleeves expecting lava and heat, only to find a breezy, cool mountain. He even felt a chill.
“…Um, so why is it called Mount Hua then?”
[Because it uses the character for “flower,” lol.]
“…Huh? Flower?”
Ji-han blinked at the chat.
[But there aren’t any flowers, though.]
[Sorry, Mount Hua is all rocks, haha.]
[Lol he looks disappointed again.]
Even the ink-wash painting shown on the loading screen—covered in beautiful plum blossoms—was nowhere to be seen here.
This barren, rocky mountain left Ji-han looking dumbfounded.
[Why did Mount Hua get associated with plum blossoms anyway?]
[Old wuxia novels kinda made it a thing?]
[Since when though?]
[Back in the day, there were video rental shops…]
[Grandpa, get off your carrier.]
[Take his dentures away, no more explanations.]
“…Anyway, guess I should move forward.”
Ji-han scratched the back of his head awkwardly and stepped onto the desolate mountain.
“…But, uh, is there anything like that Sword Lake here?”
Remembering the incident at Wudang, he looked slightly uneasy.
Sudden hostility always made him anxious.
[No Sword Lake, don’t worry.]
[But they are a little more aggressive than most Daoist sects.]
[Still, not as extreme as Wudang was.]
[Finally, we’ll get some actual story progression.]
[Does a guy doing dojo beatdowns even have a story?]
[Lol Ji-han makes his own story.]
Relieved, Ji-han entered Mount Hua’s territory.
And the moment he did—
He felt a sharp, killing aura prick at his skin.
“…Hm?”
[Wait, what?]
[Why do they all look like they’re ready to fight?]
[They seriously look like they’ll kill him on the spot?!]
Mount Hua’s disciples had all drawn their swords, eyes fixed on him.
One word of command, and they’d rush in to cut him down.
A battle of wills from the very start.
Ji-han was confused. The chat was confused.
The answer came quickly.
“We’ve heard of Wudang’s destruction, evil fiend! Mount Hua will not fall so easily!”
But their declaration only raised more questions.
[Evil fiend??]
[Destruction??]
[LOOOOOOOL]
[I mean, he did wipe out Wudang just now.]
[But no one said they were destroyed hahaha.]
[Does Ji-han trigger every hidden event or something?]
[Well… they were basically on the brink of extinction, lol.]
The chat burst into laughter.
Veterans of the game “Rivers and Swords Chronicle” had never seen this event, and newcomers alike were baffled.
“Slay the evil fiend!”
“Go, disciples of Mount Hua!”
“Drive him out!”
[From “Heavenly Demon” meme to actually becoming one, lol.]
[Oh Heavenly Demon!!]
[Where’s the Heavenly Demon parrot now?]
[Oh Heavenly Demon, smite these hypocrites!!]
[LMAO Demon Parrot Mode ON.]
[Kinda wanna join his cult now ngl.]
[He’s so refreshing—our Heavenly Demon!!]
Ji-han glanced at the chat and smirked.
[Damn, even his smile looks badass.]
[I think I’m falling for him.]
[So… we’re wiping them out, right?]
[LET’S GOOOO!!]
BANG!
Channeling his inner energy, Ji-han shot forward.
A one-vs-many clash.
FWISH!
He slipped into the chaos, smacking the first disciple’s jaw with his palm.
THUD!
The disciple’s body flew upward—then Ji-han’s kick slammed into his gut, sending him crashing into his allies.
CRASH!
But Ji-han didn’t stop.
He sprinted ahead, using their bodies as a springboard, launching himself into the air again.
[Uh… where’s he going?]
[What the hell lol.]
[Skipping everything?]
Stepping on heads, Ji-han raced forward.
[LOL he’s gunning straight for the old man?]
[Damn, that’s smart though.]
[Leader gives the orders, so take out the leader.]
[Is Ji-han actually a genius or just reckless?]
[Nah, if he wins, he’s a genius.]
Regardless of chat’s theories, Ji-han accelerated.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
“What!? Stop that evil fiend!!”
Swords lunged toward him, but Ji-han lived in the instant.
Catching their blades with his hands, he vaulted upward again—
WHIRRR!
Spinning in midair, gathering speed and force—
CRACK!
His heel smashed straight into the elder’s skull.
[OMG LOLOLOL]
[Is he even human??]
To Ji-han, it was plenty of time.
To the viewers, it was a blink-and-you-miss-it instant.
An instant where his brutal strike had all eyes glued to the screen.
“Guh! S-stop that…!”
“Shhh.”
Ji-han wrenched the elder’s arm, dragging him forward as a human shield.
It was a vicious sight—exactly what a villain would do.
[Okay, I think I get his personality now.]
[If someone insults you for no reason, give them a reason, lol.]
[Nooo he used to be such a bullied, innocent boy!!]
[That smile… that pure smile…]
[Who cares, it’s entertaining!!]
Grinning, Ji-han charged with the elder as a shield.
“Wh-what!? Sect leader!!”
“The villain is using him as a shield!!”
“Block him—no, wait, we can’t block him!!”
Mount Hua’s disciples panicked.
Ji-han booted the old man aside and dove into their ranks.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
His inner-energy-laced punches pummeled bodies left and right.
“Urgh!!”
“Cough!”
“S-spare us…!”
Their pleas went unanswered.
Each clean strike sent them tumbling like autumn leaves in the wind.
[Heavenly Demon OP as hell.]
[This is OUR Heavenly Demon, hahaha!]
The sight of a refreshing yet terrifying villain entranced the audience.
A saintly face, a pure smile, and unrelenting violence.
Yes, the violence came from the game’s genre.
But none of that mattered to the viewers.
Here was a picture-perfect “bad boy” come to life.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
And thus, the legend of the Heavenly Demon began to spread—
Across the world of Rivers and Swords Chronicle.
Across the entire Jianghu.
