The courtyard of Golden Crane Academy buzzed with anticipation. It wasn't the usual hum of excitement before the Martial Test—it was a thick tension that spread like wildfire. The news of Kang Sung-Min's unexpected rise to power was everywhere, whispered from one end of the academy to the other. His meteoric ascent to Alliance Leader had thrown Murim into chaos, and even the academy's students could feel the impending shift.

Jin Tae-Won stood alone at the edge of the courtyard, his eyes narrowing as he watched the others. His thoughts were far from the students and the upcoming trials. The Jin clan's once-proud heir now carried memories of a future that no one else could comprehend—memories of destruction, betrayal, and a darkness that had consumed all of Murim.

The morning sun caught on his jade pendant, a symbol of his clan's status that had once meant everything to him. In his previous life, he had watched that same pendant shatter, along with all his family's expectations, when his cultivation had failed to meet their rigid standards. Now, armed with the System's gifts and his knowledge of the future, he wouldn't fail again.

Ming-Hua approached quietly, as she often did, her footsteps soft but purposeful. She had always been a keen observer, her silence one of her many strengths. She stood beside him, gazing out at the academy's students, then turned to him with a look of curiosity. "What do you think of the new Alliance Leader, Jin Tae-Won?"

Her voice was quiet, but the weight of her question was clear. Like many others, she had heard the rumors—Kang Sung-Min, a man from humble origins, had managed to rally the scattered sects and gain control of Murim's greatest power base. His rise had been unexpected and fast, disrupting the delicate balance that had held for centuries.

Tae-Won's expression remained unreadable as he considered her question. His eyes shifted to the distant mountains, where storm clouds seemed to gather on the horizon. He knew more than most about the consequences of disrupting Murim's carefully maintained order. His past life as a low-ranking spy in the Demonic Cult had shown him exactly how quickly everything could fall apart.

"Kang Sung-Min is a symptom," Tae-Won said, his voice calm but firm. "Not the disease. His rise to power isn't what we should fear—it's what follows in the wake of such rapid change."

Ming-Hua tilted her head slightly. "But isn't change necessary? The sects have grown too rigid, too set in their ways."

Tae-Won's lips pressed into a thin line. "Change, yes. But some changes bring worse things in their wake." His thoughts turned to darker matters. The current Heavenly Demon, Cheon Yul, hadn't been seen in public for nearly a decade. In his previous life, Tae-Won had learned why—a devastating illness that attacked the upper meridians, eventually leading to the most powerful cultivator's death.

Stolen novel; please report.

But if that death came too soon, accelerated by the chaos Kang was creating...

Ming-Hua's brow furrowed. "The Heavenly Demon hasn't been seen in a decade," she said quietly. "Some say the Demonic Cult grows restless."

Tae-Won's jaw clenched. The memories flooded back—cities reduced to ash, ancient martial arts schools plundered and destroyed. In his past life, he had been there, a mere spy tasked with gathering techniques from fallen sects. He had seen firsthand the devastation wrought by Reo Won, the Silent Demon, during his brief reign of terror.

That crazy bastard had single-handedly slaughtered four Orthodox Sect masters, not out of necessity like previous Heavenly Demons might have done, but out of pure bloodlust. The current Heavenly Demon, for all his power, had always maintained a delicate balance. But Reo Won... he had been different. He didn't care about balance or tradition or even the survival of Murim itself.

"If the current leadership of the Demonic Cult falters," Tae-Won said carefully, "what rises in its place could destroy everything." He remembered the constant warfare, the way spies like himself had been sent to pick through the ruins of once-proud sects, stealing their techniques before their legacies could be lost forever. The chaos had only ended when Reo Won finally met his match, Cheon Ma Ryeong, who single handedly overpowered him . But by then, the damage to Murim had been catastrophic.

Before Ming-Hua could reply, a voice cut through the air.

"Young Master Jin!"

Yang Wei-Jin, one of the more arrogant disciples from the Orthodox sect, stood at the far edge of the courtyard, glaring up at him. His face was twisted with disdain as he beckoned Tae-Won forward. "You've been talking about change, but I don't really care about all that. "

"I want to see if the Jin Clan's youngest son can keep up with us great sects."

Tae-Won's eyes narrowed as he sized up the young master. In his past life, he had died before seeing whether Murim survived the chaos that was coming. This time would be different. The System had given him a second chance, and he intended to use it.

Tae-Won turned to Ming-Hua, a slight smirk on his lips. "It seems some lessons need to be taught early."

With that, he turned and made his way toward the courtyard, each step purposeful and measured. The gathered students parted before him, unaware that they stood in the presence of someone who had seen the end of everything they held dear. Someone who intended to change that future, no matter the cost.

"The world is changing," Yang declared, falling into a fighting stance. "Let's see if the great Jin clan heir can keep up!"

Tae-Won said nothing as he took his own stance. Yang was right about one thing—the world was changing. But not in the way any of them expected. As he prepared to show exactly why the Jin clan's expectations had once been so high, he couldn't help but think of all that was yet to come. The Grand Martial Tournament Kang's revolution. The succession crisis that could tear Murim apart.

This time, he would be ready for it all. This time, he would change the future before it had a chance to repeat itself.