A day had passed.
The night during which I had nearly died by the Dark King’s hand had passed, and fortunately, I was not dead.
I rose from the bare floor, which could hardly be called a bed.
It was a downright miserable environment to sleep in, but it hardly mattered—I hadn’t slept at all anyway, having only sat in meditation and circulated my internal cultivation.
“Hah.”
Since I had spent the entire night containing and rotating heat within me, my breath came out mixed with scorching air.
“Son of a bitch…”
My physical condition was relatively refreshed.
I now possessed a body that could go without eating or sleeping for days, but.
Fixing the thoughts filling my head was a different matter entirely.
All because of the Dark King I had faced in the night.
The gap between him and me was simply something that couldn’t be helped.
He was a figure who had reached the apex of his field, a martial artist who would unquestionably be counted among the absolute best even if one included the Three Venerables.
That I could not do a damn thing about him was only to be expected.
I was not someone whose spirit would be shaken by a few repeated defeats.
I should simply be grateful to have survived.
The problem was the conversation I had shared with the Dark King that night.
‘The Dark King is a descendant of the Yeon family?’
He never answered in the end, but the circumstances made it no different from a confirmation.
However, the possibility that even that was a lie was unmistakably present.
‘It’s too far out of left field.’
It was a family annihilated hundreds of years ago.
By all timelines, it was destroyed far earlier than the Zhuge family, and yet.
Now, of all times, to say a descendant is alive…
‘…It’s not impossible, but it’s hard to believe just like that.’
Descendants could exist.
There were quite a few people of the Zhuge family living in hiding even now.
Just around me, there were no fewer than three that came to mind.
In that sense, any number of Yeon family descendants could exist, but.
‘The odds that such a descendant is operating as the King of Assassins…?’
Moreover, the Dark King had seemed to harbor some kind of ulterior motive.
I had felt it when he pressed me as if threatening me.
‘If the Dark King truly is a descendant of the Yeon family.’
Swish.
I lightly rolled up my sleeve, and the mark still remaining there came into view.
‘What does this have to do with it?’
The reason the Dark King had threatened me was because he had sensed this mark on my forearm, among other things, and the energy I had obtained from Bigo.
What mattered was that he had ‘sensed’ it.
Including the fact that I had detected energies I thought had vanished.
He had even discerned the secret of my arm, which I had never shown anyone.
Even if the Dark King truly was not a descendant of the Yeon family.
‘It’s certain he senses something from me.’
Yet I had no idea what it was. There were clearly four energies hovering in my body.
If I counted the energy the Dark King had mentioned, did that make it five?
‘What the hell, it’s not like I’m a damn trash can, yet all sorts of things are mixed in here.’
My body already had enough to deal with; I had no idea what it was doing anymore.
Moreover, the Dark King had looked at this and called it a ‘curse.’
A curse.
A word brutal enough just to hear.
‘What is this, that he would go so far as to call it a curse?’
It couldn’t be dismissed as merely a change in my skin; it did look ominous.
Not many days had passed since I discovered it, so I couldn’t feel anything that could truly be called a change.
I simply assumed it wasn’t anything good, judging by the Dark King’s reaction.
‘That bastard—just when I was about to ask him something, he only said his piece and vanished.’
Whether the Dark King had confirmed everything he wanted from me or not, he disappeared in an instant the moment our conversation ended.
I still had a mountain of things to ask, for crying out loud.
How cowardly.
Should I rather count myself lucky I didn’t die?
I was too angry to see it that positively.
‘Anyway, fuck… Why are all so-called masters such individualists?’
No, the way I see it, you have to be selfish and cowardly to reach a higher realm.
That said, I was hardly in any position to set out and find the Dark King again.
If he intended to hide, there would be no finding him.
In that hollow state, I examined my forearm again.
“Should I go see Sin-ui or something.”
I wondered if he might know.
We were somewhat acquainted, so I thought he might do me a favor if we met.
Of course… he was an old man you couldn’t just go and see whenever you pleased, so it was merely a wish.
First, I moved my feet.
‘…Let’s get something to eat.’
The sun had risen, and I realized it had been several days since I had last eaten a proper meal.
Though I didn’t feel hungry.
I thought that stuffing something into my mouth might make the stray thoughts disappear.
The place I headed to was where rations were being distributed.
Given the circumstances, it was difficult to obtain a proper meal.
The uninjured instructors and cadets seemed to be handing out remaining food supplies.
If there was anything out of the ordinary.
‘There were martial artists I hadn’t seen before.’
A few individuals were looking around with wide, alert eyes.
Judging by their attire…
‘They’re from the Alliance.’
From the patterns on their sword sheaths to the martial uniforms they wore.
They were martial artists of the Alliance.
They were conversing with instructors while assessing the situation.
I heightened my senses slightly.
“They’ve sent support from the main force…”
“Probably from the Biryongdae…”
“The Alliance Lord is also…”
“The person who spearheaded this matter…”
It seemed proper contact with the Alliance had been established at the same time the black barrier surrounding the area disappeared.
Then support would arrive within the day.
Along with that.
‘All hell is going to break loose.’
This information would obviously spread across the Central Plains in an instant.
The unorthodox martial artists who had attacked the Sinryonggwan.
And the bloodlines of prestigious families who had died because of it.
Though the Beggar Sect was undeniably an intelligence arm of the orthodox faction these days, they would not be able to silence every tongue.
Because those involved were not only the Four Great Families, but also the Nine Sects and One Union.
Though they were orthodox, there were occasionally sects and families mixed in that were not aligned with the Martial Alliance.
From the Alliance’s standpoint, this must be a living hell.
That was probably why the expressions of those dispatched from the Alliance were so grim.
Because at a glance, the situation clearly did not look good.
They would have to send word one by one to the families of the cadets who had been harmed in this incident.
That would be a headache as well.
‘Maybe the information has already reached them.’
I didn’t know about other places, but at least at the level of the Nine Sects and One Union or the Four Great Families.
They might have received the information even before the Alliance could contact them.
I glanced at them and picked up a few things to roughly tide me over.
I couldn’t tell whether the food was clumped rice or some kind of grain pellet.
For now, I only needed to fill my stomach, so I was about to take it without much care when.
“Thank you…”
The cadet who had been about to hand me my ration suddenly spoke up.
Hearing that, I replied with a puzzled expression.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Yes. These are words meant for Young Master Jinryong.”
‘Who is he?’
An unfamiliar face.
I could tell he was a fellow cadet from his aura, and furthermore, that he was of the fist-fighting school, but.
Though I don’t really remember people’s faces well.
He was truly someone I was seeing for the very first time.
“Sorry, but were we acquainted?”
The young man smiled bitterly at my words.
“You may not remember. You were in a rather busy state, Young Master.”
“Hm?”
“I… was on the verge of dying at the hands of unorthodox martial artists when Young Master Jinryong saved me.”
“Ah.”
Right after my encounter with the Heavenly Demon.
When I was heated by various matters and turning the surroundings into a wasteland.
At least I had enough sense to only grab the attackers and burn them to death.
Though a few such cases had occurred in the process.
“I wanted to convey my gratitude.”
“It was merely a coincidence. No need for thanks.”
Just by chance.
He had simply been in the path I was passing through.
That was truly all.
“However, the fact that it was the Young Master who saved me remains unchanged.”
“...”
“I was truly powerless. I had trained so hard, yet I could do nothing and nearly died. By luck my body is intact, so I am helping with tasks like this, but… I felt it was futile.”
At those words, I looked into the young man’s eyes.
The heat had died.
The fire that a martial artist should possess was dead.
“That…”
“I harbored prejudice after hearing rumors about you within the hall. I did not know you were a hero who would shine in the war. I apologize for that as well.”
The more I listened, the more my throat tightened.
My stomach turned and my brows furrowed on their own.
I was not someone who should be hearing such words from the young man in front of me.
“It seems some strange rumor has spread… I haven’t done much.”
I rather believed that I myself was the one who had created this situation.
If a situation that never should have occurred in my previous life had unfolded.
That was my sin.
The young man seemed to take my words as humility and merely smiled.
Only then did I think I understood why the gazes on me as I walked through the hall after the attack had been strange.
The people who had looked at me in fear.
Could this be the reason their eyes had somehow changed?
It was not a good feeling.
‘…Don’t revere me like that.’
I was not a person fit to stand in such a position.
My head throbbed again.
“…Thank you.”
“...”
Faced with yet another apology.
I didn’t utter a word.
I simply took the rations and turned my back.
That young man would no longer live as a martial artist.
Since his fire was dead, it would never reignite.
The sight of him expressing gratitude to me with those eyes grated on me.
I couldn’t watch any longer.
I didn’t want to hear it.
Taking the food, I moved my feet again.
I hadn’t eaten anything yet, but I already felt nauseated.
The occasional glances cast my way felt particularly pronounced.
I ignored them. Passing people by, I searched for someone.
Fortunately, I found her quickly.
Her appearance was eye-catching, to say the least.
Amidst the people coming and going, I saw a woman perched on a rock with her eyes closed.
It was Wi Seol-a.
“What are you doing?”
I approached slowly. Perhaps Wi Seol-a sensed my presence as well.
She subtly moved aside to make room.
It was a signal to sit next to her.
I sat down naturally beside her.
“How is your body?”
“…I’m fine.”
Her voice was a little tired.
Wi Seol-a answered, opened her eyes, and looked at me.
“What about you, Young Master…?”
“I’m fine.”
I replied and took a bite of the food.
As expected, I couldn’t taste a thing.
And I handed the extra food I had brought to Wi Seol-a.
“Ah…”
“Eat up. You haven’t eaten, have you?”
“...”
Wi Seol-a, who had hesitated as if to refuse, eventually accepted the grain pellet or whatever it was that I handed her.
She took a careful bite, but.
Wi Seol-a’s brow quickly furrowed.
It seemed to be quite tasteless.
“You must still like sweet things. Is it that bad?”
“Ah, no… I was just a little surprised.”
Her flustered appearance was so cute that I swallowed a laugh inwardly.
“Sorry.”
Then I suddenly offered an apology.
“Huh?”
“For leaving you alone back then. That’s what I’m sorry about.”
“...”
Though it had been a situation where even the Dark King had stormed in, so there hadn’t been much I could do.
‘That’s just an excuse too.’
If I had wanted to, I could have gone to Wi Seol-a at any time.
Not after an entire day had passed like this.
“…It’s okay.”
Wi Seol-a accepted my apology and took another bite.
Her brow furrowed again.
Why was she continuing to eat when it tasted so bad… wait.
“When did you finish all of that?”
“Huh? What do you… huh! Where did this go?”
The food Wi Seol-a had been holding had vanished even though she had seemingly only taken two bites.
It wasn’t small, so even I would have needed several bites.
Fortunately, it seemed her appetite was still intact even in this situation.
I wasn’t exactly normal either for feeling relieved at the sight.
I barely held back the laughter about to burst out.
Because if I laughed now, Wi Seol-a might really get angry.
With her ears red from embarrassment, deliberately covered.
Having swallowed all the food in her mouth, Wi Seol-a suddenly spoke to me.
“Did… did your sister go peacefully?”
“...”
I smiled bitterly at those words. I wondered how long she had hesitated to ask that.
Without voicing it, I asked inwardly.
How much do you know?
What had she been saying all this time?
“Peacefully… I wonder.”
I couldn’t bear to ask that.
Hearing my answer, Wi Seol-a hung her head deeply.
“Do you… know who she was?”
“…I have a vague idea.”
Did ‘vague’ mean she didn’t know everything?
“Then do you… know about me too?”
“In detail… I do not know.”
Had she not told her? That could be the case.
It wasn’t as if forcing the matter would do any good.
“Shall I tell you?”
It was a phrase laden with many meanings.
About my secrets. About my story with her.
If Wi Seol-a was curious now, I could tell her.
However, Wi Seol-a shook her head after hearing my words.
It was unexpected. I had thought she would be curious.
“Because that is not what the Young Master wishes for.”
“...”
“If it were my sister, she would have said so.”
“You are not her. You can do as you please…”
“That’s right. I am not my sister. Even so, since the Young Master does not wish it, I will not ask. That is my own will as well.”
I was rather surprised by the resolute words that cut me off.
“I will be different from my sister.”
“...”
It was a thought-provoking statement in many ways.
Because while I hoped for that, I also wondered if she could truly be different.
“My sister wished for that, and I wish for it too.”
The words that the Divine Sword had wished for it somehow felt heavy.
“Still, if there is one thing that is the same… both my sister and I feel the same way when looking at the Young Master.”
Though there was sadness in Wi Seol-a’s expression.
It was a proud expression, as if she had overcome it.
“Thank you, Young Master. For coming to find me.”
She even smiled.
Facing that smile, I couldn’t bring myself to smile back.
I simply shoved what I was holding into my mouth.
“Will I be able to see my sister again?”
“Yeah. You’ll be able to see her again.”
I answered without hesitation to the words Wi Seol-a spat out as if they were a delusion.
This time, it was Wi Seol-a who looked surprised.
“Because I will make it so.”
I rose from the rock and took Wi Seol-a’s hand.
Wi Seol-a flinched when her hand was taken.
Seeing that, I spoke.
“Let’s go.”
“Um… where to?”
She seemed to be expecting something, and I had a vague idea what Wi Seol-a wanted, but.
Unfortunately, the schedule ahead was not like that.
“Now we have to go see the kids.”
I saw Wi Seol-a’s expression crinkle in a rare display of displeasure at my words.
******************
The place I dragged Wi Seol-a to was the infirmary I had visited before.
Nangong Bia apparently still needed several more days of treatment.
Though her regenerative ability was exceptional, her condition was said to be very poor.
The small mercy was that she wouldn’t be scarred.
The same went for Tang Soyeol.
From my standpoint, I thought it was right to visit at least once a day.
Even if I hadn’t been able to go yesterday.
Wi Seol-a wore an expression of displeasure, but she didn’t say anything in particular.
It seemed she understood the situation herself.
“Hm?”
Upon arriving, something felt off.
The inside of the infirmary felt somehow abuzz.
What’s this?
Though I wondered about it, I ignored it for now and moved forward.
By the time I reached my destination.
“Why is everyone gathered?”
For some reason, not only Tang Soyeol, Nangong Bia, and Peng A-hui.
But even Murong Hui-a was gathered with a serious expression.
As I approached while raising my voice, the kids’ shoulders flinched simultaneously.
What? Why are they like that?
While I was looking at them with a questioning expression.
Peng A-hui, who looked relatively okay, spoke to me.
The other three wore expressions I couldn’t read, but Peng A-hui looked excited in contrast.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re in big trouble.”
“What?”
At my question, Peng A-hui grinned and said.
“It looks like all our fathers are coming.”
“…What?”
“Want to run away now?”
I furrowed my brow at Peng A-hui’s words.
In other words.
It meant the heads of the Four Great Families were all coming here.