I trained in the perfected Radiant Sword Art over and over again.

It was a martial art I had refined for a long time, but wielding it in a youthful body gave it an entirely new feel. So this was why they said the path of martial arts had no end, no matter how long you pursued it.

While practicing the Radiant Sword Art, I also continued the energy projection training Father had taught me. And now, I focused on balancing the internal and external energy that had increased after consuming the Demon Essence Pill.

Through relentless training—

On the ninety-seventh day since entering this place, I had gained complete control over my enhanced power. I had grown far more adept at energy projection, able to release more qi threads than before. I hadn’t yet formed a spiderweb, but I could now release more than ten strands of qi at once.

“It’s done. That’s far enough.”

With three days left, I spent them in quiet reflection, calming my mind and organizing what I had to do next.

And on the one-hundredth day, I placed my hand on the stone monument and pushed.

The door to the outside opened.

“Ahhh, fresh air! Goodbye, fasting pills!”

Stretching my arms wide, I walked out of the Lesser Heaven Cavern.

At the exit, a martial artist from the Heavenly Demon Hall was waiting.

“Good heavens! Young Master!”

He looked at me in pure shock.

“Why the surprise?”

“I was ordered to escort you to the Heavenly Demon Hall the moment you came out. But I didn’t expect you to emerge so soon. We were told we wouldn’t need to be here for at least another hundred days.”

“When did you start waiting?”

“Just today.”

Father had expected me to emerge somewhere between a hundred and two hundred days. That was how highly he evaluated my potential.

Quite the generous estimate, wasn’t it?

And more importantly… he didn’t think I would die in there.

As I followed the martial artist, I began to wonder—maybe Father hadn’t put me in the Lesser Heaven Cavern as punishment.

Maybe… it was a reward.

 

****

When I arrived at the Heavenly Demon Hall, Father was alone.

I stepped slowly across the crimson carpet that led toward the throne.

They called this path the Road of Blood. How much blood had to be spilled to reach that seat? How much had Father seen, how much had he shed, to claim it? And how much more blood would have to flow to protect it?

“One hundred days exactly,” Father said.

His words made my tongue itch. I wanted to tell him the trials were over in a single day. That his son did that. Should I run off to the back mountain and shout it to the bamboo trees instead?

“I struggled, but I couldn’t break your record.”

“Did you cut the orb properly?”

“I did. Without generating any heat. You left the clue so clearly—it would’ve been shameful to fail. I didn’t rest in the illusion formation either.”

At that moment, I saw it.

Father smiled.

Not the sneering, mocking curl of the lips I was used to—but a real smile. Genuine joy. It vanished almost immediately, of course. For Father, a smile was a mirage.

“You’re not a complete fool, then.”

“Well, I am your son, after all.”

Before my regression, I saw Father as someone who took amusement in watching his children kill each other over succession.

But now I was beginning to understand. He wasn’t someone who enjoyed the struggle—he simply endured it, believing it necessary for the future of the sect.

“At any rate… why did you call for me?”

Before answering, Father summoned someone else into the hall.

It was none other than Sima Myeong, the Grand Strategist—second only to Father in authority.

“It’s been a while, Grand Strategist.”

“Passing through the Lesser Heaven Cavern in just a hundred days… truly impressive, Young Master.”

He wasn’t just the Grand Strategist. He was also the master of Skyreach Pavilion—the sect’s intelligence division. The man who held all the information of the Central Plains in his grasp. He had Father’s complete trust.

“A hundred days of punishment, that’s all.”

“Punishment? Or a reward?”

Sima Myeong gave a knowing smile.

“Perhaps it was supposed to be a punishment—but you didn’t let it succeed.”

“Hahaha.”

We both laughed.

Once the greetings were done, Sima Myeong got to the point.

“The reason we requested your presence today is to consult you on an internal matter.”

He called me, not my older brother? And right after leaving the cavern?

This was definitely different from how things used to be. Normally, internal matters were handed to my older brother. Even when he was away, Father would send a letter and leave it to him.

My gaze shifted from Sima Myeong to Father, sitting silently on the throne.

Clearly, this decision had Father's hand in it.

“Go ahead.”

“A short time ago, we received an anonymous letter. It claimed that there is corruption within the Demon Corps.”

The Demon Corps was one of the sect’s armed forces, known for the violent temperament of its members.

‘Ah.’

I sighed inwardly.

The leader of the Demon Corps was the younger brother of the Blood Heaven Butcher.

And just like that, the Blood Heaven Butcher was tangled in this again.

“There was a similar letter last year. It led to an investigation by the Yellow Spring Division.”

The Yellow Spring Division was the investigative arm of the sect—tasked with rooting out rebellion, corruption, and betrayal. It was feared, hated, and more powerful than any other department.

“But that investigation failed. No one came forward, and the special investigator we dispatched was killed. The Demon Corps member responsible took his own life.”

It had been a major incident—I remembered it well. Everyone believed the Demon Corps had obstructed the investigation, but no proof was ever found. The case was quietly buried.

And now, another letter had arrived.

“We’d like you, Young Master, to serve as special investigator and handle this matter.”

Why me?
There was no need to ask.

This reeked of danger from the start. It was obviously another test from Father.

If someone in the Demon Corps was truly guilty, they’d do anything to hide it. Even if the investigator was the son of the Heavenly Demon, there would be no mercy.

And I’d already been warned once by the Blood Heaven Butcher.

Now I was being told to investigate a unit led by his own brother?

“You’re sending me straight into the tiger’s jaws.”

Sima Myeong nodded.

“Indeed. You may have to stake your life on this mission.”

I looked at Father. His gaze was cold, unwavering—and then he said something I never expected.

“Didn’t you say you’d seize their throats and make them kneel?”

That was something I had said to him, on the hunting trip.

“That was when I become Heavenly Demon, though.”

“And now you’re too scared to do it?”

“Now that you put it that way… how can I say no?”

Father had preserved the Blood Heaven Butcher’s dignity by sending me into the Lesser Heaven Cavern.

Now, with this mission, he was checking him.

What was Father really thinking?

Suddenly, I remembered what he’d said on that night in the forest.

—Would you kill me, if it were for the sect?

—If you hesitate to answer, you have no right to speak of reading others' hearts.

My eyes met his in the silent air.

That same expression—stern and wordless. Just like when he sent me into the cavern. Just like the hunt.

In a way, this wasn’t his decision.

I had approached him as someone changed, and this was the path his choice had revealed.

So in truth, it was my choice too.

“I said that under the stars, didn’t I? Then I’ll stand by my words. I accept.”

At my unwavering answer, Father offered a mysterious smile.

‘I don’t know what your plan is, Father… but I’ll give you a proper sword dance.’

Sima Myeong, on the other hand, looked surprised.

“Are you certain? As I said, this is extremely dangerous.”

“But we can’t just let rats eat away at the sect’s grain stores, can we? That said, I do have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“Grant me not only investigation authority, but also the right of immediate execution.”

The Right of Immediate Execution.

It meant I could kill a suspect during the investigation without bearing responsibility.

There was no precedent for it—so Sima Myeong turned to Father.

Father gave the slightest nod.

“Very well. But only exercise that authority when the evidence is clear.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you for accepting such a difficult mission.”

“If I die, please carve into my tombstone that Muguk was brave.”

Sima Myeong chuckled.

“I’ll send a Yellow Spring Division investigator to accompany you tomorrow.”

“If possible, send a beautiful woman.”

“Hahaha. I heard you’ve been showing a new side lately, Young Master. It seems the rumors are true.”

“I’ll take that as praise. Then I’ll take my leave now. Might be my last chance—I should at least have a drink.”

After respectfully offering a martial bow, I turned to leave.

Then glanced back over my shoulder.

“Father, if this turns out to be my last… would you share a drink with your son—”

Father didn’t even let me finish.

He stood up abruptly and walked away.

I grinned and looked at Sima Myeong.

“He may look cold on the outside, but he’s surprisingly warm, you know.”

“He certainly doesn’t seem that way.”

With a faint smile, Sima Myeong left the hall without another word.

I called out to him loudly.

“Strategist! You’re starting to resemble Father more and more!”

Sima Myeong didn’t look back.

In front of those two, I joked and played around on purpose. To them, I was still a young, green sprout. I kept reminding myself—don’t drag the shadows of the past into this new life. I’ve been reborn.

I stretched my arms high outside the Heavenly Demon Hall.

This mission, if I handled it well, would bring me one step closer to the position of heir.

 

****

The next morning, Ian came to inform me that the Yellow Spring Division investigator had arrived.

“Young Master, I’d like to accompany you and help.”

She understood just how dangerous an investigation into the Demon Corps would be.

Instead of giving her permission, I asked:

“Is she pretty?”

“…Pardon?”

“The investigator waiting outside—are they pretty?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Don’t ruin my quiet, romantic time, alright? No jealousy allowed!”

At that moment, Ian gave me a look that said, What the hell are you talking about?

“The investigator is a man, though.”

“…What?”

A moment later, following Ian’s lead, a man entered the room—noticeably short, with somber eyes. And yes, clearly male.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Seo Daeryong, special investigator from the Yellow Spring Division.”

His name meant Great Dragon, but his build was the exact opposite. Even his voice was soft.

“…Why did you come? I specifically asked the Grand Strategist to send the most beautiful woman in the Yellow Spring Division.”

Seo Daeryong gave a faintly awkward expression, then shrugged.

“Perhaps, in his eyes, I was the most beautiful.”

Ian let out a short laugh at his dry joke.

“You’re laughing? In a moment this tragic?”

Ian quickly composed her face.

“My apologies.”

“Ugh, I was really looking forward to some quiet time with a beautiful woman for once.”

I gave a dramatic sigh.

“Well, fine. Let’s get to work. Tell me what you know about the Demon Corps. But stammer even once, and I’ll show you just how tragic it is to replace a beauty.”

Waiting for that very moment, Seo Daeryong began his explanation.

“The Demon Corps is organized into six units under the Demon Commander. They operate solely under the orders of the Sect Leader. Each unit has thirty members. Including the Commander, the total comes to one hundred and eighty-one. There’s no Vice Commander—Unit One’s captain fills that role. He is the Commander’s right hand.”

“You memorized all that?”

“Here is the compiled dossier on the Demon Corps.”

He handed me a thick file containing detailed records of every member—descriptions, histories, and more.

I randomly picked one sheet from the pile.

“Tell me about Jong Pyo.”

Surely he wouldn’t remember this one.

But Seo Daeryong replied without hesitation.

“He’s a member of Unit One, serving for seven years now. His unique martial technique is Soul-Seeking Palm, a palm art. He’s extremely cruel by nature. Known to drink and gamble frequently. He’s caused several incidents, but each was covered up by Demon Corps leadership.”

I stared at him, stunned.

“…How do you know that? Are you friends? Enemies?”

“No, sir.”

I pulled another page at random and asked again. Once more, he had the details memorized perfectly.

“…Don’t tell me you’ve memorized all 180 members?”

“One hundred eighty-one, to be exact.”

“You’re a genius.”

“I’ve been investigating this matter for a long time.”

“No, no—if you memorized all this, you’re a genius. Period.”

“I’d rather it be recognized as effort.”

“Oh, and humble too. I’m starting to see you in a different light.”

Short, gloomy, but that somber aura was starting to feel like the sharp edge of a quiet genius.

“There had to be a reason they sent me besides the lack of beauty, right?”

“Oho. If you were just humble, you’d be boring. Gotta show some pride, too. Let me guess—you were top of your class in the Yellow Spring Division?”

“How did you know?”

“Bingo! Ian, did you hear that? I ask if he was top of the class, and he goes, How did you know? That’s how you answer that question. Cool, very cool. But I bet you don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Don’t you have a mirror at home?”

“…Regrettably, no.”

“What, no mirror? No girlfriend?”

“No courage… to stand up to a rude superior.”

“Hahaha!”

I burst out laughing. I liked this guy.

Alright—let’s see how good he really is.

“So, tell me. What kind of man is the Demon Commander?”