Three days.
Three days had passed since the attack on Henan.
The past three days had been days in which an astonishing number of things had happened.
The vast festival hosted by the Alliance to celebrate peace and bless the dawn of a new age.
The Divine Dragon Martial Tournament, held to select a new Divine Dragon Leader, was nearing its conclusion.
It was then that an existence appeared, claiming to be the leader and religious head of an organization called the Demon Cult.
Claiming to be the Heavenly Demon, it reduced Henan to a wasteland.
Using sinister sorcery not only to bind the feet of the supreme experts within the halls, but also by mobilizing an immense force, it had attacked Henan.
The result of that attack was horrific.
The Heavenly Demon’s forces, led by the Great Demon Head, were strong.
With the experts considered the main pillars of the Alliance held at bay, they were unable to properly resist the attack, and the county was reduced to utter chaos by the enemy.
Buildings became ruins, and people lost the homes where they had made their lives.
That was not all.
What the attack had taken was not merely their homes. It had claimed countless people as well.
Three of the Alliance’s Eight Leaders had died, but the greatest loss of all was this.
The family head of the Hebei Paeng Clan, one of the Four Great Families.
The Blade King, Paeng Jeou, had died.
The attack began in the midst of the martial tournament. The Blade King, having just finished his match, was traveling with his son, Bi Seongdo, when they were suddenly ambushed.
They had tried to stand against the enemy alongside the Martial Alliance. But the situation worsened when Ghost Evil Spear, an executive of the Demon Cult whom the Martial Alliance had been holding captive, escaped and intervened.
Ghost Evil Spear had been a formidable expert who, during his escape, annihilated the entire First Dragon Unit, including its leader.
In the end, he killed the Blade King, inflicted fatal wounds on the Alliance warriors who opposed him and on Bi Seongdo, who had tried to protect his father, and then vanished without a trace.
That was how the Blade King of the Six Seats came to die.
The organization called the Demon Cult, which had led this attack on Henan.
Its executive had killed an Alliance leader and the Blade King.
One could perhaps set aside the leader, but the death of a king-class martial artist was bound to be a considerable shock.
King-class martial artists.
They were the beings known in the Central Plains as the Six Seats.
Among them were even those who had never learned martial arts, as well as those whose cultivation was still far from reaching the required realm.
In other words, it was not a position one could attain through cultivation alone.
Being king-class was, above all, symbolic.
It referred to those who wielded immense influence over an entire era.
The Sword King, the Blade King, the Sword Empress, and others like them were included—not only those who influenced the world through martial arts and ideology, but also those who had spread their influence in various other ways.
The Blade King had risen to that position as the symbol of the blade and as the head of the Paeng Clan.
And such a man had died in the attack.
One seat among the Six Seats had unexpectedly become vacant, so people ought to have been thrown into confusion.
Yet in reality, few seemed particularly shaken.
The seat of a king was empty, but at the same time, two new kings had appeared.
One was the head of the Hwangbo Clan, who had fought an enemy executive in place of the experts whose feet had been bound by sorcery.
The Fierce Tiger Nine Fists, Hwangbo Yeolwi.
It had been said that he had passed his prime, and that his illness had worsened to the point where he no longer showed himself in public.
Yet the appearance of the Fierce Tiger Nine Fists during this attack had been quite different from the rumors.
The way he had driven the enemy back with overwhelming power had been far swifter and more powerful than he had been in his prime.
Some even said that the reason the Fierce Tiger Nine Fists had not shown himself was not because his illness had worsened, but because he had gained an unparalleled insight and was taking time to bring it under control.
That was how strong the Fierce Tiger Nine Fists had been. Moreover, because the Hwangbo Clan had made an enormous contribution to the Alliance during the attack, they honored him by granting him the title of Tiger King.
Considering that the last person from the Hwangbo Clan to rise to the rank of king-class martial artist had been the former family head, the Fist King, this was a reputation reclaimed after an entire century.
Under ordinary circumstances, Henan should therefore have been filled with talk of the Tiger King... Yet surprisingly, there was not all that much discussion of him.
The reason was that everyone’s attention was focused not on the Tiger King, but on another king.
The seventh king to ascend, alongside the Tiger King.
At the moment the attack broke out, he had burned himself to the limit and saved hundreds of people.
Not only had he helped with the evacuation, he had also hunted the white-grade monsters scattered by the Demon Cult’s curse—the creatures known as Breathing Calamities.
Afterward, with his body in a terrible state, he had gone to the Alliance and, together with the Wind Dragon Leader, dispelled the sorcery cast over the halls.
And there was more.
He was also the cause of the incident that appeared after the attack.
He was the monster who had rendered the Tiger King powerless with a single blow and remained unharmed even under the attacks of the Heavenly Venerable.
He was even a man who had earned the recognition of the Great Demon Head, the Heavenly Demon.
Perhaps because of these achievements, in present-day Henan, people did little but call his name.
A hero discovered in an age of chaos. A saint bestowed by the heavens.
Every kind of flowery epithet had attached itself to him, and he was receiving praise bordering on worship.
He was the official seventh king announced by the Alliance.
The youngest king-class martial artist in history, having attained that rank at the age of twenty.
The man who had left the Divine Dragon behind to become the representative of the current Meteor Generation.
Taking inspiration from this, they called him the king of the stars.
His name was—
The Star King.
People began calling him the Star King and offering him every form of respect.
And this famous Star King, whom so many people were praising—
“Lord Star King.”
“...”
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“...”
“Lord Star King, why are you so silent? Lord Star King? Perhaps you dislike the sound of my voice? Oh my...! I seem to have offended Lord Star King’s sensibilities...”
“...Fuuuuuck... Please, just stop already...”
Was being mercilessly teased from early morning onward.
******************
When I first heard about it, it was probably around two days after the attack.
That should be right, since it was around then that I finally managed to pull myself together and regain consciousness.
The moment I woke up, that was the news I heard.
The news that I, of all people, had been designated a king-class martial artist.
To be honest, when I first heard it, I did not think much of it.
The youngest, or whatever else they wanted to call it—it was all empty praise. I had long since passed the point where I cared about such things.
After causing this much trouble, I had expected something of the sort.
Even if it was not the rank of a king, I figured I would at least receive some kind of title.
That was what I had expected when I caused all this trouble, but—
‘But I never thought they’d actually give it to me.’
I truly had not expected them to bestow upon me the title of king.
A king was a symbol.
A living influence and symbol of an entire era.
And they intended to carve that title onto a brat like me.
For a moment, I wondered if the Alliance had lost its mind because of the attack.
Tsk.
‘They never give you anything without some catch.’
The moment I saw the name bestowed upon me, I understood.
The Star King.
It meant exactly what it said: the king of the stars.
At a glance, it did not seem to have any particular problem with it.
‘Those damned bastards.’
But once I examined the meaning within it, it was a title I could never be pleased with.
This was the era in which geniuses were compared to stars and called the Meteor Generation.
Within that generation, being called the Star King meant that I was its representative.
To put it another way—
‘They’ll call me a king, but what it really means is that I’m the king of the younger generation.’
So I was not to become conceited.
That was the meaning hidden inside it.
It was absurd.
‘If that’s what they were going to do, they shouldn’t have given me anything at all.’
I could feel, just from hearing the name, that they had not wanted to give it to me.
And yet they had stubbornly carved it onto me anyway.
‘Which means they must have been pretty desperate.’
Three days had passed since the attack, and only one since I had awakened, so I had not yet obtained any proper information.
Even so, I could tell why the Alliance had gone out of its way to do something like this from the scraps of information I had received.
‘They’re trying to divert attention.’
I did not know for certain, but they must have been racking their brains over there.
The attack itself was a problem, of course. But the most important issue was—
‘The state of public sentiment.’
What did the people currently think of the Martial Alliance?
Judging by how they had suddenly thrust the title of Star King into my hands, their opinion did not seem to be particularly good.
It had been that way from the beginning.
To turn around ruined public sentiment, they needed something else to draw people’s attention.
Why had the Divine Dragon Martial Tournament been held?
To subtly make people believe that the Central Plains was peaceful, and to properly merge the Sword Immortal with the Martial Alliance in the public consciousness.
The same had been true of the Divine Dragon.
But then the martial tournament had turned into a complete disaster, and Henan had even been attacked. It was obvious what state the Alliance would be in.
‘So.’
Tap, tap.
I drummed my fingers against the table and curled up the corners of my mouth.
‘You’re planning to use me for this?’
The Alliance’s scheme had now turned its sights on me.
The youngest king-class martial artist.
The representative of the Meteor Generation.
As though handing me an attractive facade, the Alliance seemed to have directed people’s attention toward me.
Ah, of course.
‘It’s not bad.’
If anything, this was precisely the situation I had wanted.
It was a little damnable, but it was something I could accept.
‘It’s a facade I needed, anyway.’
A title, a public image.
I had needed something like that, so there was no reason to refuse when they put one over my shoulders.
A tool to draw attention? That was fine by me.
After all—
‘I have no intention of ending things here.’
If they had intended to end things with a mere facade or title, they would not have gone this far.
For now, I intended to make use of the position they had handed me.
There was only one thing that pissed me off.
“Lord Star King has smiled.”
“Judging by that smile, he must be feeling happy.”
“I suspect the tea must be delicious. To satisfy Lord Star King’s palate... It must be an extraordinary tea indeed.”
“Oh my, I was the one who brewed it.”
“Hooh...”
The chattering voices in front of me invaded my ears.
The moment I heard them, my brow furrowed sharply.
“Could you two please leave?”
“Oh my, it seems Lord Star King has grown angry.”
“How terrible... We dared to forget our place...”
“...”
For fuck’s sake, just stop...
Unable to bring myself to curse out loud, I merely rubbed my dry face over and over.
The Fist Venerable and Mo Yong Hee-ah were sitting before me and conversing, but nine out of every ten things they said were meant to tease me.
The moment they heard that my title had changed, this had begun.
As if I was not already irritated enough, they had been teasing me all day long. How could I possibly keep my sanity intact?
So, barely suppressing a sigh, I asked Mo Yong Hee-ah,
“...You told me to eat.”
“Yes, I did.”
“And you’re telling me to eat in this situation?”
“Why not?”
Why do you think?
Because every time I tried to take a spoonful, you kept teasing me, so I have not been able to eat a single bite.
Even now, I could not eat. I was merely sipping tea for no reason.
“We only wished to keep Lord Star King company, in case he felt lonely...”
“...Young Master Bi, would you stop now?”
“I did stop... He must not be in a very good mood today.”
“...”
I was completely ignored.
Mo Yong Hee-ah was bad enough, but the Fist Venerable was worse.
The old man had come running over with a bright smile the moment he heard my new title. It was the brightest expression I had seen on his face in the past several years.
Which meant he had been that excited at the thought of teasing me.
Damn it all.
Suppressing the heat rising within me, I put down my spoon.
Judging by the way things were going, I would not be able to eat anyway. My appetite had already vanished.
“...How are the others doing?”
“Oh my... How could I dare report such matters to Lord Star King...”
“Do you want me to get angry?”
“I’ll stop.”
At my warning, Mo Yong Hee-ah immediately changed her expression.
She must have realized that if she continued, I would truly lose my temper.
Then she answered the question I had asked.
“The physician said there was no major problem. Miss Wi’s wound has opened a little, but... apparently her regenerative ability is so good that it should heal soon.”
Wi Seol-ah had been injured in her battle with the Divine Dragon.
I had been worried that fighting in that condition might have put her in danger.
Fortunately, it seemed there was no serious problem.
“Miss Dang is fine as well... As for Miss Namgung, she overused her energy and suffered a mild internal-energy exhaustion... But they said that should not cause any trouble once some time passes.”
“Internal-energy exhaustion...”
It was a condition caused by using too much energy too quickly.
Namgung Bia had not yet fully recovered. Perhaps the fact that she had briefly used Noe-ah in that state had caused the problem.
‘...I should go see her.’
That was not the only reason.
I also needed to assess the overall situation.
Before losing consciousness, I had done everything I could to settle matters.
But I needed to know for certain what had happened afterward.
“Then, I should probably get up soon...”
“You haven’t finished your meal.”
“Do you really think I can eat in this situation?”
I had never intended to eat in the first place. Mo Yong Hee-ah had been the one to push her way in.
And then she had done nothing but tease me ever since.
If I stayed here, I felt I was more likely to throw up than get anything down.
So, just as I was about to move in order to check my condition—
“Then, Young Master.”
“Hmm?”
“Please take this.”
As Moyong Huia spoke, she brought something else out with her. It was a letter.
Just as I was wondering why she was suddenly giving it to me, Moyong Huia spoke as if making an excuse.
“My original purpose was to give you this… I’m sorry, Young Master. I forgot because I was busy teasing you.”
“…”
Her frank admission left me speechless.
Still, that was better than her putting on a false front… Yeah.
I accepted the letter and examined it, noticing the familiar emblem drawn upon it.
It was the seal signifying the Alliance.
As soon as I confirmed it, I unfolded the letter.
“Hmm?”
There was only a brief message.
It appeared to be written in a style drenched in every possible formality. But after grasping the meaning hidden within it, my expression hardened.
“…Hmm.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was just about to head out, but something came up.”
“…You’re leaving now?”
Moyong Huia’s eyes turned fierce at my words.
“Where do you think you’re going in that condition?”
Wow, what a frightening glare.
I thought I had grown accustomed to it, but whenever Moyong Huia looked at me like that, I found myself shrinking back without realizing it.
That was how terrifying her gaze was.
“…No, well… I won’t be gone long. Something came up, that’s all.”
“What business could there possibly be? What business is important enough for someone who’s unwell to leave?”
“Who knows?”
I answered with a faint smile.
“For whatever reason, the great Murim Alliance has summoned me. I ought to go in person.”
“…”
A message from the Alliance.
I had no idea when they had learned that I’d awakened, but the Murim Alliance had sent me a letter. Its meaning, in the end, was that I was to visit the Murim Alliance once.
What could the reason be?
Naturally, several possibilities came to mind. But whatever it was, I didn’t care.
‘I would have had to go even if they hadn’t summoned me.’
They had called for me immediately after I awoke, so I was almost grateful.
“So I’ll be back shortly.”
As I spoke and rose to my feet, Moyong Huia hurriedly tried to stop me.
“No, you still have wounds—!”
She tried to dissuade me by bringing up the injuries on my body, but then—
Slip.
“Huh?”
The bandages came loose, exposing my body, and she lost her words.
The wounds on my body had already healed long ago.
“I’ll be back. Young Master Bi, let’s talk later.”
Taking advantage of Moyong Huia’s reaction, I quickly began walking away. She belatedly tried to grab me, but—
“…You really…!”
I had already fled.
“He ran away again…? And in that condition?”
Moyong Huia huffed as she stared at Gu Yangcheon’s vanished figure.
Pae Jon, who had been watching her, took a sip of the tea Gu Yangcheon had left behind and spoke.
“Should you not go after him?”
“No. It’s fine.”
Moyong Huia sighed at the question, then gave a small, wry laugh.
Normally, she would have warned him before chasing after him.
She had even intended to explain that it would be troublesome for him to go out now, but—
“That man… needs to be scolded at least once.”
She had become too annoyed to stop him.
Moyong Huia gave a short snort and left the room. Seeing this, Pae Jon also chuckled softly before speaking.
“That’s true.”
The notion that he needed to be scolded at least once—
He thoroughly agreed with it as well.
******************
“Hoo.”
I left my quarters and began walking.
Judging by the lack of any sign of pursuit, it seemed I had managed to escape successfully.
I would probably have a hard time once I returned… but that would be a problem for the version of me at that time.
Thinking so, I turned my head forward.
I hadn’t brought any guards with me either.
I generally preferred to travel alone without an escort, so I had intended to do the same this time.
But just as I was walking toward the Alliance along the already-ruined road—
“Uh…!”
“T-That person is…!”
“Hm?”
I sensed someone nearby.
Following their gazes, I turned my head and saw people clearing away the wreckage.
Then—
“T-The Saint King.”
“The Saint King has arrived!”
“What!? The Saint King is here?”
Those who saw me began shouting, their eyes gleaming.
“…Huh?”
Just as I was wondering what was wrong with everyone—
“Saint King—!”
“Saint King…!”
“The Saint King has made his appearance!”
“…Are you kidding me?”
People came rushing toward me in a great throng.
Watching them, I realized it.
Apparently, something had changed drastically over the past few nights.
And in a very strange direction, at that.