“What exactly were you doing?”
It was a question I asked Paejon, whom I ran into right after finishing my training late at night.
Hearing my question, Paejon scowls deeply.
“Is that really the first thing you ask your master after not seeing him for days?”
“I figured you'd come back well enough on your own.”
If possible, I hoped you'd come back even later.
About seven days and nights to a fortnight...?
I thought just that much would be nice. Unfortunately, Paejon came back way too fast. And not just that—
“However, I didn't expect you to return so noisily.”
Very noisily, I mean.
“Do you know that Henan has been noisy all day today?”
“Isn't Henan originally a noisy place?”
That's true.
Since this was the most developed region in the Central Plains, it being noisy all day long was correct, but...
‘The problem is that today was much hotter than usual.’
I looked at Paejon.
I recalled the stories I heard until my ears formed calluses today.
“Are you really going out?”
The Fighting Dragon, Bi Uijin, is entering the Martial Arts Tournament.
Talk of this had spread all across the streets of Henan.
During the day, it was nothing but stories about me, but the moment this topic came up, they all vanished as if swept away by a current.
The Six Dragons and Three Peaks are entering the Martial Arts Tournament.
This was, in reality, not a hugely important story.
Right away, the Poison Phoenix Dang Soryeol had declared her participation, and the Divine Dragon was also expected to compete.
However, the reason it got so noisy just because the Fighting Dragon—the least recognized of the Six Dragons and Three Peaks—was participating, was none other than:
-The Fighting Dragon was revealed to be the direct disciple of Paejon, one of the Three Venerables.
The disciple of Paejon, one of the Three Venerables, was officially recognized.
With just that one piece of news, there had been a noisy clamor all day today.
However, the world wouldn't know.
‘That the disciple in question is Paejon himself...’
I looked at the man eating the steamed buns I had bought in front of me.
He seemed to have no particular thoughts regarding my question, but I knew that wasn't entirely the case.
“Why? Is there some reason I shouldn't go out?”
“It's like you're going to a kids' playground to wreck the place.”
“Ha.”
Paejon lets out a laugh of disbelief.
“You're my disciple. Or did you think you were something else?”
“I'm just a kid.”
“The audacity.”
He grabs a bun and lets out a deep sigh.
Looking at Paejon, I asked.
“Elder.”
“Yes?”
“By any chance, was this what you were trying to say last time?”
The day I faced the Divine Dragon in the past.
Back then at the inn, you said you had something to say.
Could it have been this?
Asking with that intent—
“Correct.”
Paejon affirms it.
It seemed what he intended to say back then was indeed correct.
He was going to say he would really enter the Martial Arts Tournament?
Dumbfounded, I asked.
“Why are you entering?”
“Doesn't it look fun?”
“You don't like things like that.”
He's the kind of person who treats it like kids playing house and doesn't even engage in fake fights.
Even sparring was done to teach me and to vent his anger.
Why would a man who absolutely detests fighting weaklings enter a Martial Arts Tournament, even if it's a festival?
“Sometimes, things like this are necessary.”
“...By any chance.”
“Go on.”
“Are you going there to legally beat me up...”
Swish—!
I turned my head and dodged the flick.
I was startled after dodging it.
‘Is this crazy old man insane?’
Paejon's swinging hand was imbued with Gangqi.
“You dodged?”
“Are you trying to shatter my head?”
“You wouldn't die even if it hit you.”
“...Why would you say something so murderous?”
True to his words, my head might crack a bit but I wouldn't die, but it was absurd for a master to say such a thing.
“If I'm going to beat someone, I just have to beat them like this.”
“Are you trying to beat me up to prove that?”
“Wasn't it easy to understand?”
“...Yes, so very easy.”
It's so easy it makes me furious.
“On top of that.”
While I was scowling deeply, Paejon calmly continued.
“Originally, I was just going to have a taste by simply participating, but since I'm at it, I figured it would be convenient to spread my name, so I used it. What of it? I'm using what's mine.”
He had a point.
Even if Bi Uijin claimed to be Paejon's disciple, no one would deny it.
The Fighting Dragon was also Paejon.
Whether it was Bi Uijin or Bi Ju, both were born into the Bi clan of Xi'an, so the justification was sufficient.
However.
“For a person who dislikes such things, why would you spread your name...”
The point was that even in my past life, Paejon was a figure who stayed quiet until the war broke out.
If he hadn't said himself that he grew younger through Rejuvenation, others would probably never have known until they died.
What exactly was so convenient about it?
The moment I was about to voice my doubts.
“To suppress useless rumors, there's no better method than this.”
“...!”
At Paejon's words, I had to swallow a groan.
At the same time, I stared at Paejon with slightly widened eyes.
Did those words mean...
‘Is it because of the rumors spread throughout the Central Plains?’
The Demonic Cult, a group that suddenly appeared in the Central Plains.
It was the point when the rumor that the leader of that place, the Heavenly Demon, was Paejon, had spread thinly.
The rumors hadn't spread that widely yet. And due to the perception that one of the Three Venerables wouldn't be doing such a thing, it was being dismissed as a baseless rumor.
Even so, it was a point where it bothered me to some extent.
‘Surely not.’
Did Paejon step forward like this because of that?
If so, for what?
Because such a misunderstanding annoyed him?
‘No. He's not someone who cares about such things.’
Paejon would sooner snort at a trifling rumor than move because of it.
Then why?
If I were to find a reason like that, there was one thing that bugged me.
‘...Me?’
Because of me.
If Paejon thought I might be connected to the Demonic Cult, and thus moved to personally sweep away the rumors.
If the Fighting Dragon actually became Paejon's disciple and Paejon was training his disciple, it would be convenient for silencing the currently spreading rumors.
I could come up with a reason like that, but...
‘But... that wouldn't be it.’
It wouldn't be.
Paejon wouldn't have moved for my sake.
When he heard the information last time, he seemed to suspect something, but he wouldn't take such action out of mere suspicion.
That man wouldn't have done that.
I wanted to think so.
“Why are you looking at me with those eyes?”
“It's... nothing.”
“Boring fellow.”
Paejon smirks at my reaction.
“Anyway, I'm going out, so know that.”
“...Understood.”
A Martial Arts Tournament with Paejon.
‘Will it be okay?’
I was already keeping track of everyone who was participating one by one.
If Paejon jumps in here, would there be no problems with the plan?
‘I guess I'll have to see when the time comes.’
It seemed like it would depend on the situation.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like there would be a huge difference.
“...Now I can beat them up openly. Kukuku.”
I ignored the voice that quietly slipped out.
Letting out a slight sigh, a sudden thought crossed my mind, so I asked Paejon.
“Ah, Elder.”
“Why.”
“I'm just asking in case, but.”
Pausing for a breath, I continued.
“Do you know about my grandfather?”
“Hmm?”
Paejon tilted his head upon hearing the question.
Asking about my grandfather out of nowhere seemed strange, but from my position, there was a reason for the question.
‘Paejon is close with the First Elder and the Dark King. And the Dark King had mentioned my grandfather.’
Then, wouldn't Paejon also know about my grandfather?
That was my intent in asking.
“Well.”
Paejon gave an ambiguous answer.
“Should I say I know this... It's a mystery.”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it means. But why do you ask?”
“I was just suddenly curious.”
I couldn't tell him the detailed circumstances, so I decided to brush it off vaguely.
“Hasn't your father told you?”
“No.”
My father had never told me about my grandfather even once.
At least, not in my memory.
Since the head of the Gu family had been my father since I was born, and it was the same in my past life.
“Hmm...”
Hearing that, Paejon reacted as if he fell into deep thought.
He seemed to be thinking about how to answer.
‘Is it something worth pondering over that much?’
I just wanted to hear what kind of person he was, but it seemed something was bothering him—
“If we're being precise... you're half and half.”
“Pardon?”
I expressed my doubt at the unexpected answer. Suddenly, what was half and half?
“He was a man mixed half and half of your father and you.”
“What do you mean...”
“Right, to put it another way.”
As if having an epiphany, Paejon clapped his hands and said.
“A refined madman.”
“...?”
“He was exactly that kind of person.”
He seemed satisfied with his own explanation, but...
‘...What does that even mean?’
To me, it was a completely incomprehensible statement.
Saying half and half and then calling him a refined madman...
‘Since I'm on the refined side, does that mean my father is the madman? No, my father doesn't give off that vibe.’
As I was turning this over in my head, Paejon continued.
“If you're more curious, don't ask me; go ask your father, or the Dark King if you see him.”
“The Dark King?”
“That's right. That guy would know better than I do.”
“...”
I stroked my lips at the words that resolved none of my questions.
My father still hadn't arrived, and the Dark King hadn't returned either.
Which meant, in the end...
‘I'll have to go find Gu Huibi.’
I ultimately had to go and ask in person.
That was the only conclusion left.
‘Yeah, there's no point in putting it off anyway.’
I turned my gaze and looked toward the drawer.
To be exact, I looked at the ruined cursed artifact, Gwisa's Jade, hidden inside the drawer.
It was the cursed artifact my father had given to Lady Mi.
‘I have to see her at least because of that.’
Since I wanted to fix the ruined cursed artifact, it inevitably led to Gu Huibi.
No, the Heavenly Demon that Gu Huibi was keeping.
I had to find her, and subsequently, I had to find a certain person through the Heavenly Demon.
‘...The Heavenly Demon would probably know.’
The old man who handled the overall mechanisms of the Demonic Cult.
Also.
‘The man who artificially created cursed artifacts.’
The Artificer, Taejeolgwi.
The Heavenly Demon would know where he was.
******************
Time passed, and by the time the sun rose to its zenith.
Currently, the streets of Henan were bustling with endless crowds, leaving no space to be seen.
“Everyone! Please be careful!”
“Don't come out too far forward! You could get trampled by the horses!”
That went without saying.
Even on the wide road, countless people were coming and going, and since they controlled it to make it cramped, many people had no choice but to cluster together.
It was a sight that suffocated me just by looking at it.
To think so many people could gather with not a single empty space...
‘I'd go crazy from the claustrophobia if it were me.’
Just looking at it made me want to bolt right away.
Yet, the people on the streets had faces full of anticipation.
The reason was precisely this:
“They're coming!”
“Where? Where?”
“It's the Emei Sect!”
It was because they could see the martial artists entering from the entrance of Henan Province.
From the entrance, the horses slowed down, leading carriages inside.
Looking at the fluttering flags, I nodded slightly.
‘The Emei Sect...’
I knew of them. It was a famous place, so that was natural.
The Emei Sect, one of the Nine Sects and One Union.
One of the prestigious sects based in Sichuan.
‘It's a place I don't particularly have any ties to.’
In my past life, I heard the news that the Sword Demon killed the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect during the process of subjugating Sichuan.
Thanks to that, while they weren't completely wiped out, they seemed to have reached a nearly similar state.
I didn't have many other memories of them.
Should I say I didn't consider them very important?
So I was watching their march with somewhat cold eyes.
“I didn't expect the Emei Sect to come first.”
I turned my gaze at the words coming from the front.
It was Mo Yong Hui-a, speaking while sipping tea.
Hearing that, I asked back.
“Why?”
“The women of the Emei Sect have exceptionally strong pride. So I didn't anticipate they'd come right at the beginning.”
Hadn't I heard that the Emei Sect was a faction composed solely of women?
‘Well, yeah.’
Even the order of arrival was part of the psychological warfare among themselves, so it was somewhat unique, but...
‘They must have their reasons.’
It wasn't something that particularly interested me.
It was literally just a useless matter.
As the Emei Sect passed, receiving the crowd's attention.
I could see others entering right after them.
“Plum Blossoms! It's the Huashan Sect!”
My gaze naturally turned to the voice.
‘Hmm.’
This time, it wasn't carriages but purely people.
Familiar martial uniforms caught my eye.
A faint scent of plum blossoms mingled in the wind. White robes embroidered with plum blossom petals could be seen.
It was the Huashan Sect, called the Guardian of Shaanxi.
Watching them, I smiled slightly.
“It's been a while.”
Without horses or carriages, dozens of people entered with calm steps.
At the forefront walked a benevolent-looking old man.
“It's the Plum Blossom Immortal!”
“Woah—!”
The old man's identity was none other than the Sect Leader of Huashan and one of the Ten Great Masters of the Central Plains.
It was Maehwaseon.
‘I didn't expect him to grace us with his presence in person.’
Just like the last Righteous Faction Assembly, I thought Maehwaseon wouldn't appear in Henan this time either.
For what reason did he leave Shaanxi and come here this time?
Hearing the crowd's cheers, Maehwaseon waved his hand slightly.
Because of that, the cheers grew even louder.
I was watching that scene from outside the inn's window.
It was a room booked in advance by the Baekhwa Merchant Group, positioned perfectly to see the street brightly.
“It looks like the time when everyone gathers.”
Wi Seol-a and Dang Soryeol followed me and poked their heads out the window.
“That's right. It's about time they started arriving.”
It wasn't just the Emei Sect and Huashan Sect.
The majority of the Nine Sects and One Union. Perhaps all of them would come, and including those called prestigious families, countless masters were arriving.
Assembly.
The pillars of the Righteous Faction were converging in one place, so a crowd several times larger than the first day had gathered to see it.
Their numbers were an overwhelmingly large crowd, more than any other day previously seen.
After watching the people continuously coming in, I asked Mo Yong Hui-a.
“Is the Mo Yong Family coming too?”
The Mo Yong Family was strictly one of the Four Great Families, so I asked wondering if they would come to the Martial Arts Tournament. To that, she replied.
“No. I heard they won't be specifically participating in the Martial Arts Tournament.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Also, the Family Head said he wasn't in a position to come to Henan.”
“Hmm...”
The Head of the Mo Yong Family, the Baekcheon Sword Lord, isn't coming to Henan?
‘That's strange.’
I thought that uncle would come.
Since he was highly capable politically and in business. Leaving aside other things, I had expected the Baekcheon Sword Lord to definitely attend.
This was quite unexpected.
‘What could be more important than the Martial Arts Tournament?’
I had my doubts, but I shook my head and brushed them off.
There must be some reason.
‘Anyway, if even the Mo Yong Family is absent. That means only two of the Four Great Families are participating.’
There was news that the Pang and Namgung Families would attend.
As for the Dang Clan...
‘Dang Soryeol is participating, but... it's a bit ambiguous.’
Given the current situation, the Dang Clan's standing was an issue, so the Poison King wouldn't come to Henan.
In reality, it would be correct to see only two of the Four Great Families participating.
“Two families... and at least five from the Nine Sects and One Union...”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. I was just thinking about something for a moment.”
The numbers seemed fine.
Organizing my thoughts, I looked out the window.
“The Gwidongjin Sword of the Geum Family!”
“Next to him is Mukseong Bimagwon! Does that mean the Mukseong Gate is also participating?”
“Even the Geumcheol Great Blade has come!”
Not only the sects and families, but the monikers of promising masters could also be heard.
Furthermore, as martial artists clustered together, even qi was mixing into the air.
It was a phenomenon that occurred when countless masters gathered.
Feeling this, I rolled my eyes.
‘They're here.’
The strong gathering together.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but feel it.
‘The Divine Dragon Martial Arts Tournament.’
The time to cause a chaotic brawl at the event officially prepared by the Martial Alliance.
Had finally arrived.
******************
While Gu Yangcheon was cooling off watching the crowd.
On a rooftop, someone was standing and looking down below.
Looking around with curiosity at the endless stream of people.
With his hands clasped behind his back, the figure examined the people and spoke, as if finding something fascinating.
“So many. Very many.”
Were there always this many?
The old man tried to recall, but it was from so long ago that he couldn't remember.
It was natural he couldn't remember, as he had forgotten everything long ago to begin with.
“So many that I feel like burning them all up.”
The words he suddenly spat out were utterly chilling.
Saying it with a blank face made it even more so.
Should I do just that right now?
For a moment, an impulse surged through him, but the old man didn't move.
“...”
He recalled his purpose.
He hadn't come here just to crush some bugs.
“...Right. There was a reason.”
Shaking his head, the old man slowly turned his back.
Then, as he took a step, strangely enough, no sound of footsteps could be heard.
“Where should I go?”
Where could he go to meet his ‘grandson’?
Pondering this, the old man's red eyes gleamed.
Flourish—!!
In an instant, he turned into flames and concealed his existence.