A chilly sensation brushed past my cheek.
I lifted the corners of my mouth at the texture my instincts had sensed.
“Look at this bastard.”
There was unmistakable hostility coming from him.
Meeting the yellow eyes beyond his distorted expression, I tilted my head.
“You knew?”
“…”
“How did you know?”
I asked, but the Divine Dragon merely bit his lips demurely and offered no answer.
If that was how he was going to be, why had he bothered asking?
I stared at him for a moment before asking something else.
“So why do I have to refute it?”
The claim that the youngest Hwagyeong was nothing more than a false rumor.
Was there really any need to go out of my way to refute it? I wasn’t sure.
“That is…”
Only then did the Divine Dragon slowly open his mouth.
“…because that rumor is false.”
The youngest Hwagyeong officially recognized by the Murim Alliance was the Divine Dragon standing before me.
That was merely the official story, however.
Then who was the true youngest Hwagyeong?
Was it me?
Perhaps it was. Reaching the Hwagyeong before even passing the age of twenty was surely an incredible feat.
But.
Could I say so with certainty?
‘Who knows.’
I didn’t know.
Unofficial information was, by definition, information that had not become known.
And even if I really was the youngest Hwagyeong, it didn’t matter.
“I don’t really care.”
I didn’t pay attention to such trivial things, and honestly, the title held little meaning anyway.
‘What meaning could there be in something I obtained this way?’
My current level was nothing more than something I had gained on the foundation of regression.
The youngest Hwagyeong? To me, it was nothing but a useless label.
What good would something like that do me?
It wasn’t important to me at all.
“Just take it. I’m leaving.”
If he wanted it, he could have it.
I had something far greater to obtain.
I didn’t know how the Divine Dragon had learned of it, but that hardly mattered either.
If he wanted to, he could make use of that rumor as much as he liked.
I said that and was about to leave when—
“…Lay Buddhist.”
The Divine Dragon knit his brows even more deeply and spoke to me.
“Are you pitying me?”
‘Hmm.’
At his words, I examined the Divine Dragon.
His eyes in particular.
The emotions roiling within his yellow eyes were unmistakably—
‘Inferiority?’
They held an emotion I knew all too well.
The eyes I had possessed in my previous life, and ones I occasionally wore even nowadays.
‘The Divine Dragon is looking at me with eyes like that?’
I wondered whether that bald monk could really have any reason to look at me that way.
I gazed at those eyes for a while before asking him,
“Have you seen me somewhere before?”
“…”
There was no way he would look at me like that without a reason. There seemed to be something behind it.
I simply didn’t know what that reason was.
‘This is strange.’
First the Sword Dragon Yeongpung, and now the Divine Dragon?
Why did those peerless geniuses look at me with such eyes? I couldn’t understand it.
When the Divine Dragon failed to answer yet again, I clicked my tongue.
“I don’t know what your problem is, but is it really all right for a monk who believes in Buddha to look at someone like that?”
“…!”
At my criticism, the Divine Dragon’s eyes widened slightly.
Then his expression began to change at once.
It seemed he had noticed that even he thought something was strange.
Watching him, I narrowed my eyes.
“What’s the problem? What exactly is bothering you?”
What on earth was the issue?
“I told you to just keep doing what you were doing. I don’t care about that rumor or anything else, so just keep doing what you were doing. What pity? I’m not pitying you.”
Who would I pity? I was too busy trying to survive myself.
I spoke with utter annoyance, but the Divine Dragon’s reaction remained unchanged.
“…I do not understand.”
“What?”
“Despite such words circulating, why do you not reveal yourself?”
As his words suggested, his face was filled with bafflement, as though he genuinely understood nothing.
“You could correct the matter as much as you wished, could you not?”
“Correct what?”
Was he telling me to correct the rumor?
Was I supposed to shout that I was the real deal instead of him? What was he getting at?
“If I don’t want to do it, then I don’t have to. Who are you to tell me otherwise?”
If I chose not to prove anything, that should have been the end of it. Why was he making such a fuss?
And besides—
“When did I say I wouldn’t?”
“…Pardon?”
The Divine Dragon’s expression changed at my reply.
“Revealing myself or whatever. I’m only not doing it ‘for now’ because there’s no need to do so at present.”
I refrained from displaying my strength and correcting the rumor.
As the Divine Dragon had said, I could reveal it, and I could correct the rumor easily enough. I was simply holding back.
So he needn’t worry.
“Not much time remains, anyway.”
There wasn’t much longer until I showed them.
“…You mean that, if you wish to show it, you can reveal it at any time?”
“It shouldn’t be all that difficult.”
As the Divine Dragon himself had mentioned, it wouldn’t be difficult to show it if I wanted to.
I simply had no reason to go out of my way to do so.
The reason was—
‘If I endure and endure, then reveal it, the impact will be that much greater.’
It wasn’t as though I had simply sat around doing nothing while listening to those ridiculous rumors.
I had merely been waiting for the right moment. That moment just happened to be now.
I didn’t know why the Divine Dragon cared so much about me. Even so, there was only one thing I had to say.
“So wait if you want to see it. Don’t do anything pointless.”
“…”
I would show him soon enough.
Besides, wasn’t a stage already being prepared for it?
“I don’t care about any of it.”
I was merely going to show them.
They called it the Generation of Falling Stars, did they not?
An age in which stars poured down like rain.
Though peace had been shattered, there was still great reason people had not lost hope.
There were unusually many stars to protect them, and they could breathe while placing their faith in them.
Yet throughout it all, I had never once thought of myself as a star.
I had merely looked up from below at the meteors raining down.
I had never thought of myself as a meteor descending of its own accord.
‘There are simply too many stars now. Their value seems far too low.’
Rather, I thought that was a good thing.
If countless stars descended, I would gather the light of those falling stars and kindle my own flame alone.
In the end, I would shine alone. For now, this was merely preparation to kindle that flame.
As I calmly looked at the Divine Dragon with that thought in mind, he spoke to me, his gaze gradually lowering.
“…I heard that you, too, will be participating in the Tournament.”
“That’s right.”
When I answered with a nod, the Divine Dragon cautiously pressed his fist and palm together.
I wondered if he was about to offer a formal greeting, but—
“Then I shall see you there.”
The Divine Dragon added in a composed manner.
Yet despite his attitude, his words were no different from a declaration of war.
I tilted my head and said,
“Do you dislike me?”
I didn’t think we had had much contact, so why did that bastard give off such a feeling from the very first time we met?
“That is not the case.”
“Don’t give me that.”
His entire body clearly expressed his dislike of me.
Just look at him now. Weren’t his words plainly saying that he intended to fight me?
‘Well.’
I wasn’t exactly the sort of person people felt warmly toward.
It hardly mattered if he disliked me.
I nodded, accepting that conclusion, when—
“I must prove my worth through you, Lay Buddhist. That is why I say this.”
The Divine Dragon added those words and shook his head.
“Your worth, huh?”
A proof of worth.
It was a truly subtle phrase.
“Will beating me prove your worth?”
“I do not know. However…”
“So does that mean you’re going to lose to me?”
“…!”
I cut off the Divine Dragon before he could finish.
At my words, his face stiffened.
“…Those are truly arrogant words.”
He clearly didn’t like it.
Having been told outright that he would lose, his pride seemed to have been wounded.
‘That wasn’t exactly what I meant.’
There was no need to correct myself, so I remained silent.
Even if I did, the result wouldn’t change much.
I was still staring at the Divine Dragon when—
“Words are meaningless, so I shall show you. I shall show you myself just how complacent your arrogance truly is.”
After saying that, the Divine Dragon turned away with blazing eyes and began walking.
He seemed quite angry.
“Hmm.”
I watched his back, wondering whether I should stop him, but ultimately held myself back.
What the Divine Dragon had said didn’t bother me much… but the problem was—
‘Shouldn’t I tell him about that?’
There was grease smeared all around his mouth.
His lips were covered in proof that he had enthusiastically eaten meat. Should I really let him go like that?
‘…Well, he’ll figure it out himself.’
I had intended to stop him and tell him, if possible.
But considering the way he had spoken to me, I figured it was fine to let him go.
What was it he had said?
‘“I shall see you there”?’
I chuckled as I recalled the Divine Dragon’s words.
‘This is amusing.’
I remembered that he had been the one to initiate this.
Therefore, whatever happened from here on out was his responsibility.
Smacking my lips, I too turned toward my quarters.
The two of us were being watched by—
“…”
Paeng Woojin, who stood atop the roof of a nearby building.
With eyes far colder than before.
******************
Some time passed after I returned.
By the time the sun was beginning to set, I had finished my afternoon training and arrived at the quarters where the Divine Doctor was staying.
I had come to see Namgung Bia, who was receiving treatment.
“Are you all right?”
“…Yes…”
Namgung Bia nodded as she quietly peeled and ate an apple.
Just as she said, she did seem fine.
Looking at what she held in her hand, I asked,
“…Don’t people usually peel those with a knife?”
“…It’s bothersome…”
Scritch.
To my surprise, Namgung Bia was peeling the apple with sword aura.
There was a perfectly good fruit knife sitting beside her, so I couldn’t understand why she was using that instead. But if it was more convenient for her, then I supposed it was fine.
“That much is all right.”
As I watched, the Divine Doctor spoke to me.
“The external injuries were the greater concern to begin with… As the girl’s body is exceptionally sturdy, there was no problem with her qi.”
“Is that so?”
At the Divine Doctor’s words, I looked at Namgung Bia in surprise.
Normally, external injuries would inevitably cause problems with one’s qi as well.
It seemed Namgung Bia had suffered no such issue.
“Even setting aside the fact that she is a martial artist, her recovery is remarkably fast. I said three months, but… judging by her condition, she should be fully recovered much sooner than that.”
“…That’s a relief.”
The Divine Doctor’s words allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.
I looked around and asked him,
“Where did the Mad Immortal go?”
“Who knows? Earlier, it looked as though he had left with his disciple. Perhaps they went for a stroll.”
I nodded at his answer.
‘Looks like he went to try again.’
That brat Woo Hyeok must have gone to try using his ability on the Mad Immortal again.
I hadn’t heard whether there had been any progress, but if they kept doing it, something must have been working.
‘It would be nice if it worked.’
Then, even if I got injured, I could simply have that fellow treat me. He would become extremely useful.
Though the Divine Doctor’s treatment was said to be the best in the Central Plains—
‘In the end, he couldn’t restore a severed arm.’
Thinking that, I glanced around the room.
I was looking for someone.
“…Those two went out…”
This time, Namgung Bia answered me.
At that, I gave a slight cough.
“Ahem. What do you mean by that?”
“…You’re looking for… Soyul and Seol-ah… right…?”
She spoke calmly while quietly chewing her apple.
…She was right.
I had been wondering where they had gone, and she had caught me immediately.
Awkwardly, I scratched my cheek.
“It’s not really like that…”
Why was this happening?
For some reason, admitting that I had been looking for the other girls in front of Namgung Bia made me feel strangely guilty.
As I avoided her gaze, a laugh came from somewhere.
“Pfft!”
I turned my head and looked at Namgung Bia.
“…Why…?”
When I looked at her again, her expression was as impassive as ever.
“That wasn’t you?”
“…What was…?”
“That laugh just now.”
“…I don’t know…”
It hadn’t been Namgung Bia?
Then the only one left was the Divine Doctor.
“What are you looking at?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Strange. The laugh had clearly belonged to a woman.
“Are you sure it wasn’t you?”
“…I don’t know…”
When I questioned Namgung Bia as though interrogating her, she shook her head and replied.
The important thing here was not whether it was or wasn’t her, but her answer: she didn’t know.
‘It seems like it was her after all.’
I was wondering whether I should press her a little further when—
“…Ah… right…”
Clap!
Namgung Bia clapped her hands and put on an obviously unconvincing act.
Watching her, I let out a hollow laugh.
So I decided to just let it slide.
However.
“…The family head…is coming tomorrow.”
“Hm?”
What followed was a rather important piece of information.
“The Sword King is coming?”
“…Yes.”
The Azure Heaven Sword King, the head of the Namgung Clan and Namgung Bia’s father, was coming to Henan.
That was fairly important information.
Furthermore.
“My younger brother is coming too….”
“…Really?”
I had also learned that one of the Namgung Clan’s geniuses, the Dragon… no, the Thunder Dragon, Namgung Cheonjun, would be coming as well.
At the sound of that name, I tilted my head.
‘Haven’t heard that name in a long time.’
I hadn’t seen the bastard since we met at the engagement ceremony.
‘I turned him into a demon and left him there.’
He had also been the first human I ever transformed into a demon.
At first, I had planned to use him and discard him eventually, but—
‘I’d completely forgotten about him for a while.’
I had forgotten him entirely.
‘So that guy’s coming too…?’
That was somewhat strange.
Namgung Cheonjun coming to Henan. It was an exceedingly bothersome development.
Because—
‘There should definitely have been a restriction placed on him, shouldn’t there?’
Along with ordering him never to leave Anhui, I had also forbidden him from approaching his sister.
‘How did he get out of Anhui?’
The fact that he was coming here was a problem in itself.
If Namgung Bia’s words were correct, this should have been impossible….
‘Did something happen to the restriction?’
I sensed no sign of that.
What could have happened?
Just as I was pondering the matter—
[Master.]
A quiet voice reached me through telepathy.
It was Nahi’s voice.
[‘Chang’ has awakened.]
“...”
Upon hearing Nahi’s words, I scowled deeply.
Of all times, it had to be now.
I had intended to stay a little longer.
Suppressing a sigh inwardly, I spoke to Nahi.
[Put her back to sleep.]
I said it with the intention of knocking her out again and going there later.
[…I apologize for saying this, but.]
Nahi answered in a slightly troubled voice.
[She has already been knocked unconscious four times…. If we do it again, Chang shows signs of going berserk.]
“...”
For fuck’s sake.
“Haa.”
Unable to hold it in any longer after hearing Nahi’s words, I let out a sigh.
As I furrowed my brow, looking thoroughly annoyed—
Swish.
Namgung Bia stroked my cheek.
“…What are you doing?”
I looked at her, wondering what she was up to. Namgung Bia put the remaining apple into her mouth and spoke.
“Come back safely….”
“...”
At her words, my eyes widened slightly.
Had she heard my telepathic conversation? That should have been impossible.
“How did you know? That I have to leave now?”
“Your eyes told me….”
What did my eyes tell her? They weren’t even a mouth.
I stared at Namgung Bia with an incredulous expression.
Then—
“…Come back….”
Namgung Bia withdrew the hand that had been stroking me and waved it slightly, as if telling me to hurry back.
At the sight of her, I found myself smiling faintly.
Strangely enough, perhaps seeing her like this put me at ease.
“Alright. I’ll come again.”
“Okay.”
After saying that, I rose to my feet. I didn’t want to leave, but I felt that this was something I had to do.
After bidding farewell to the Divine Physician, who was preparing medicine nearby, I stepped outside.
The place I headed to afterward was where my quarters were. The moment I stepped inside—
Kwaaang—!!!
The sound of something exploding rang out from within.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and immediately spread my energy in all directions.
A barrier formed around the quarters.
The sound had come from behind the building.
It was a somewhat secluded area, but at the sight that greeted me when I arrived, I had to squeeze my eyes shut.
Not only was the entire place a complete mess—
“…Urgh….”
Seongyul was collapsed beside a distant boulder, groaning in pain.
‘Why is he here?’
Leaving the inexplicably present Seongyul behind, I saw Nahi standing before him with a dagger in hand, aiming it at someone.
“Grrr….”
A voice came from within a thick cloud of rising dust.
It almost sounded like the growl of a beast.
“…Where’s the Cult Leader…? Where is the Cult Leader?!!”
Kwaaang—!!
At the woman’s sharp, shrill cry, a fierce blast of wind swept through the area.
The dust vanished in an instant, carried away by the wind.
Seeing who remained there, I slowly approached.
“Where’s the Cult Leader?!! Where is he?! Come out right now! If you don’t come out—!!”
“And what are you going to do if I don’t, you crazy bitch?”
“Huh!”
The woman, who had been rampaging while releasing her energy, froze and looked in my direction.
She had short black hair and violet eyes.
At first glance, she was a pretty woman, but she possessed such a fucking awful temperament that it overwhelmed even her appearance.
The woman’s expression changed the instant she confirmed it was me.
“It’s the Cult Leader! It’s the Cult Leader! The Cult Leader is over there!”
The woman looked around excitedly.
Then she stretched a hand into the air.
At that moment—
Shriiiing—!!
A staff flew from somewhere in the forest and landed in the woman’s hand.
It was a long staff painted black.
“Liar Cult Leader. You called me, then tied me up and locked me away without even mating with me! You didn’t play with me either!”
Gooooo—!!
An immense battle aura began to pour from the woman holding the staff.
It was incredibly fierce and boundless.
The surrounding trees trembled from the battle aura alone.
“You need to be punished! I can’t take it anymore!”
The woman then pointed the staff at me.
Kwaaang—!!
She kicked off the ground and charged toward me.
A chilling killing intent made my brows twitch faintly.
Can’t be helped.
“I’m going to punish—!!”
[Get down.]
Woooong—!
“Gyaaak!”
Crack—!!
The charging woman’s feet tangled, and her face slammed into the ground.
The impact must have been considerable, because she bounced across the ground and rolled to a stop in front of me.
Seeing that, I moved my foot.
Press.
“Gueeeugh…!”
I stomped on the woman’s head as she groaned.
When I added pressure to keep her from moving, the woman beneath my foot began to writhe.
“Gaaah… You’re too much…. Ah, or maybe not? This might actually feel good….”
The pathetic voice made me clutch the bridge of my nose.
‘I really shouldn’t have called her.’
The more I saw her, the more I felt that summoning her had been a mistake.
The woman’s name was Bongsun.
She would later sweep across battlefields as the demon known as the Ghost Spear,
and she was also the former Sword Empress’s only blood relative.