10th time.

This is the number of times I have lived as Ju Na Rin.

In the previous life, I was a master swordsman of the righteous faction, slashing down demonic cult members, but it wasn’t like that from the beginning.

In the first life, Na Rin was truly an ordinary orphan girl.

The only peculiar thing about her was being born with terribly unlucky white hair.

Being an orphan was bad enough, but to have white hair on top of that?

Hoping for a smooth life would be asking too much.

In reality, Na Rin was unfairly beaten whenever something went wrong, blamed for being the unlucky white-haired girl.

So it’s no wonder that she set off on a journey after hearing about an apothecary in Xi’an that sold medicine to dye hair black.

It was around that time.

Without any warning, the demonic cult’s army appeared in Xi’an and mercilessly slaughtered everyone in sight.

The Xi’an Blood Calamity occurred.

The Xi’an Blood Calamity was also the opening salvo of the Great Demonic Cult War that would continue for over a decade.

Na Rin ended her first life right there at the scene.

At the end of that short and fragile life, Na Rin realized an astonishing fact.

“Could the Wind God’s wrath be this fierce? The forces of the demonic cult’s guardian spirit Bishamonten, sweeping in with the north wind, swallowed up Xi’an’s main street in one gulp.”

“…Seosaeng Geomshin?”

That this world she lived in was itself a martial arts novel titled “Seosaeng Geomshin”.

‘Right. There was such a novel.’

From which life’s memory was it?

I seemed to have read that novel that formed my world.

A vague memory peeking through a small window in a gray world.

‘But what was it about?’

It feels like I’ve read it, but also like I haven’t.

As everything felt ambiguous and vague, a scroll appeared out of nowhere and unrolled before Na Rin’s eyes.

[LIFE OVER] [*You have met a meaningless death at a young age. Would you like to live again?…(Yes/No)]

An array of completely unfamiliar characters.

Before that, Na Rin had been illiterate, unable to read at all.

Nevertheless, the strange text entered Na Rin’s mind so naturally.

As if she had known it all along.

Na Rin, as if entranced, chose ‘Yes’.

“…!”

The next moment, Na Rin was standing on a cliff.

In front of her deceased mother’s grave.

Just as she had been as a child.

“Ha… haha…”

It was mind-boggling.

The memories of her life remained intact, but only the time had been rewound.

But the surprise was short-lived, as Na Rin’s clock, rewound to the past, began to move forward again.

The first life, born in poverty, lived in hardship, and ended in a meaningless death.

As if to rewrite that regrettable unfinished life from the beginning.

Thus began the second life.

Na Rin dedicated her life to reading every martial arts novel in the world, searching for the novel that formed the background of this world.

But she never found it, and breathed her last under the blade of a bandit who coveted her heavy cart of books. That bandit was a martial artist hiding in the mountains to escape the demonic cult.

Then came the third life. Deciding that living long was the key, whether in a novel world or not, Na Rin fled south to Guangdong to escape the demonic cult’s attacks.

As a result, she became a well-known courtesan in Hangzhou, but was unfortunately killed when one of her clients turned out to be a demonic cult spy.

Fourth life. Surely the imperial palace would be safe even if the whole world was overrun by the demonic cult! With such a vague belief, Na Rin became a palace maid in the rear palace. But who would have thought there’d be a demonic cult member among the eunuchs?

And so the fifth life, sixth life, seventh life, eighth life, ninth life……

With each life, Na Rin’s soul grew steadily, but the end was always the same.

Dying young before turning thirty.

It was as if someone living in a distant sky was saying that path was ‘wrong’.

Eventually, Na Rin had to accept the unavoidable fact.

‘If this world is really a martial arts novel, I have no choice but to become a martial artist.’

So Na Rin headed for the Huashan sect.

There were three reasons why she chose the Huashan sect among so many sects.

First, it was one of the few renowned righteous sects that fought to the end against the demonic cult.

Second, they accepted disciples based on talent, regardless of unclear origins.

Lastly, it was close to where her mother’s grave was located.

To be honest, the last reason was the most significant.

The Central Plains were disgustingly vast, and if she had chosen a sect far away, she might have wasted years just getting there.

As long as they accepted her, there was no better sect than Huashan.

And fortunately, Na Rin’s martial arts talent was beyond genius.

Perhaps it was set up that way from the beginning, since the background was a martial arts novel.

After that… it was as you know.

She trained hard to become a master, went to war and fought diligently, but was backstabbed by the old men on our side and became 3 years old again.

“Status window.”

Despite the clumsy pronunciation, a scroll appeared in the air at Na Rin’s words.

It was an illusion invisible to others, but real to Na Rin.

The scroll unfolded itself as it appeared, filling Na Rin’s vision with text.

[Name: Ju Na Rin

Age: 3

Level: 1

Affiliation: None

Status: Hunger Stage 2, Exhaustion Stage 1, Sadness Stage 5

Titles: Growing Young Sprout (Experience gained +100%), Unlucky White Hair (20% chance others will dislike you at first sight)

Alignment: Righteous 100%

Inner Energy: 2.2 Gapja

Martial Arts: Twenty-four Plum Blossom Sword Technique (10 stars), Hidden Fragrance Float (10 stars), Grappling Technique (10 stars) ▶See more

Health: 610 (Robust, Healthy, Tireless.)

Strength: 460 (Quite strong, Powerful.)

Speed: 715 (Too fast for the eye to follow, Swift, Lightning-fast.)

Accuracy: 570 (Unerring, Never-miss, Marksman.)

Intelligence: 179 (Clever.)

Intuition: 420 (Sharp, Good instincts.)

Charm: 340 (Eye-catching, Cute.)

Sense: 420 (Perceptive, Sophisticated, Adept in combat.)

Intimidation: 1,009 (Knee-weakening, Overwhelming, Extraordinary, Iron-blooded.)

Tip. Affiliation, Titles, and Status cannot be inherited.

Tip. Only the highest values of abilities inherited from previous lives are applied.

Tip. Abilities not learned or mastered are not displayed.]

Na Rin smiled contentedly as she looked at the status window.

Although a bit uneven, these were numbers that wouldn’t lose to any genius in the world.

Yes, this is how it should be. If everything returned to its original state with each life reset, it would be too disheartening to live.

Na Rin carefully examined the results of her arduous past life.

‘Huh? When did my Intimidation increase so much?’

The last Intimidation value Na Rin remembered was around 400.

But now it’s a whopping 1,009.

She doesn’t open the status window often to avoid looking strange to others, but this difference is too extreme.

It doesn’t make sense that the Intimidation of Ju Na Rin, the Blood Plum Blossom who dominated the Central Plains, was 400, while the Intimidation of Ju Na Rin, an ordinary white-haired orphan, is 1,009.

“Notification window.”

As if responding to Na Rin’s voice, another scroll appeared before her.

[*You have successfully intimidated over 50 peak masters. Ability increase. (Intimidation +100)] [*You have successfully intimidated over 10 supreme masters. Ability increase. (Intimidation +100)] [*You have successfully intimidated a supreme master. Ability increase. (Intimidation +10)… Duplicate messages will not be displayed.] [You have successfully intimidated a peak master. Ability increase. (Intimidation +5)… Duplicate messages will not be displayed.]

“Ah. It shot up right before I died.”

She must not have seen it because she had set notifications to be blocked during combat.

Well, it’s natural to have such an ability increase after scaring a hundred so-called powerful figures from the righteous martial arts world by saying, “What would you do if I were the Demon-Faced?”

Na Rin from the previous life clicked her tongue as the thought occurred to her.

‘Those incompetent fools.’

Na Rin knew it would be difficult to win the Great Demonic Cult War.

In ten lives, the martial arts world had never once defeated the demonic cult.

But to think they would readily offer up the neck of the Blood Plum Blossom, one of the few remaining meaningful forces, whose idea was that?

‘Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve died by my own choice.’

After Na Rin’s death, did the demonic cult really keep its promise?

Did the Alliance Chief properly take care of Hyeon Baek’s remaining years?

These are matters out of her hands now. It’s better to think they turned out well and live on.

Still, if there’s one thing she regrets…

‘I can’t let the Wudang sect and Huashan sect off the hook.’

Na Rin gritted her teeth as she thought of Cheong Heo from Wudang and Hyeon Un from Huashan.

Thinking about it makes me even angrier.

What, the same white hair as the Demonic Cult Leader?

Can’t overlook it if there’s any connection whatsoever?

Khaak! Ptui!

‘Those bastards.’

Even for old men in the backroom, how could they be so ignorant?

If I had really been a demonic cult member, they should have all said goodbye to their necks.

“…Wait.”

Na Rin’s eyes, like black beads, sparkled.

This is no joke.

‘It’s a war we’re going to lose anyway. Wouldn’t it cause fewer casualties to side with the demonic cult and end the war quickly, rather than the Martial Alliance dragging out the fight stubbornly?’

No, before that.

Who started this accursed war in the first place?

“Dirty demonic cult bastards!”

Na Rin clenched her fist as tight as a rice ball and hissed.

‘No. Calm down and think again.’

Right. The demonic cult started the war. Not the martial arts world.

Then, stopping the war, or not starting it at all, is something only the demonic cult can do, right?

‘If I were to join the demonic cult…’

Na Rin raised her head to look at her status window.

Numbers that would allow her to hold her own anywhere, doing anything.

Well, a bit uneven, but still.

The demonic cult is about survival of the fittest, so as long as you’re strong, you can make it somehow.

‘It’s worth a try. No, this must be done.’

Na Rin firmly made up her mind.

In this life, she will prevent the war from within the demonic cult.

And this time, finally.

“Just once! Let me live happily!”

At the moment that outburst, unfitting for a three-year-old’s voice, burst out.

Ding!

[*A major branching point has been updated. ‘The Demonic Cult Leader’s Lost Youngest Daughter’ is now open.]

“Huh?”

What’s this?

Na Rin couldn’t take her eyes off the newly added text in the notification window.

‘The Demonic Cult Leader’s… lost youngest daughter?’

No, right? It can’t be.

The scroll that had never lied until now must be lying this time.

There’s no way I could be the Demonic Cult Leader’s daughter.

That shouldn’t be possible!

“Don’t joke around! I said don’t joke!”

Na Rin threw away the notification scroll and slumped down on the spot.

Her head was spinning and her mind was dizzy.

Does this make any sense?

Who was it that caused me to die all this time? Who was it that, no matter how many times I ran away, finally put a period to my ten lives?

And now, after all that.

‘I’m a filthy demonic cult bastard? And the daughter of the demonic cult’s leader at that?’

She could almost hear the voices of Cheong Heo from Wudang and Hyeon Un from Huashan from somewhere.

‘Hahaha! I knew it! I knew you were a filthy demonic cult member!’, ‘We told you the white hair was exactly the same, but you wouldn’t listen. Serves you right!’ they seemed to laugh. Damn it. Damn it all!