In the flowing silence, Chima noticed one fact.

“Did you already know?”

“I suspected as much. The brother I know wouldn’t be the one to send a broken bottle to Chima.”

“I thought you two didn’t get along?”

“Usually, you get to know people you dislike better than those you’re close with.”

Chima, who had been staring at me, suddenly stood up.

“Ah, I’m getting tipsy.”

Then he dove straight into the lake.

“Try to fix that habit of swimming after drinking!”

Despite my worries, Chima was a good swimmer. Not only skilled, but he seemed to enjoy it. He dove underwater, floated on his back staring at the sky, sped off for a bit and came back, jumped like a dolphin, then splashed back in.

After that, Chima swam around joyfully before returning to the boat.

“Now the alcohol’s wearing off a bit.”

He then drank again.

“After sobering up, you drink again?”

“Didn’t you sober up just to drink some more?”

I shouted to Yeobin, standing on the far lakeshore.

“Bring some side dishes here!”

Yeobin, as if waiting for that, rowed the boat over with the food. She had prepared it earlier, but apparently, Chima only brought the alcohol. As she handed over the food and turned away, Yeobin slightly bowed in thanks to me.

“Try to get used to eating side dishes.”

“I never have in my life. Is that easy?”

“Do you only do what you want? You have to do what you dislike sometimes.”

“Why do you care so much about my health?”

I ate the side dishes with chopsticks. They were warm. It seemed she kept heating them to bring at any time.

“Am I the only one looking after Chima? Here, eat.”

Chima reluctantly ate some side dishes.

After drinking together, we looked up at the night sky.

“Ah, this is nice!”

Like Chima’s exclamation, it really was. Drinking while floating on a boat on this lake, gazing at the stars—truly enviable even to immortals.

Lying at an angle, staring at the stars, Chima said,

“My dream is to just drink and laze about. If the Ma Jeong Great War breaks out, this lake might turn into a pool of blood. Then how will I sober up?”

The poisonous weapon hanging at Chima’s waist is called Blood Tears. Now he wears this deadly weapon while saying such things.

“Are you serious?”

“I am. I want to live like this my whole life and then die.”

“So that’s why you want to be one of us?”

“Exactly.”

“Then prove it.”

“How?”

“Make peace with Elder Blood Heaven Butcher.”

Chima was startled by the unexpected proposal.

“I’m serious too. From now on, you have to work to become one of us. If you reconcile with Elder Blood Heaven Butcher and maintain a good relationship with Geukak Soma…”

After finishing the remaining liquor, I said to him,

“I will call you ‘brother,’ Chima.”

Silence fell again.

After staring at me for a moment, Chima finally spoke.

“You really are unpredictable.”

“You’re the unpredictable one, Chima. Surrounded by all sorts of prejudices. I’m more rational. I’m exchanging what I want with what you want.”

After finishing my drink and putting down the bottle, I asked,

“Was offering brotherhood a joke?”

“No joke.”

“Forming a brotherhood is serious. You have to show at least this much sincerity. Ah, you’re really doing something you hate for me. Doing something you don’t want to do. Eating side dishes, reconciling. What can’t be said in words? Even the Martial Alliance leader would be won over.”

“If it’s you, I might really win him over.”

I chuckled, and Chima drank.

“It’s not that I don’t want to reconcile.”

“Then?”

“Reconciliation with Blood Heaven Butcher is impossible from the start. Have you ever seen water and oil mix?”

“They don’t need to mix. They just have to float together.”

“What if someone lights a fire?”

“They burn. If you really hate it, use water. Make Elder Butcher the oil. He’s naturally fiery, so let him be oil.”

He laughed at almost every joke, but this time he didn’t. He looked thoroughly reluctant.

Seeing him, you’d think he might at least smile on the outside to appease Blood Heaven Butcher.

I understood why Blood Heaven Butcher disliked Chima. He disliked people who drank and acted the fool.

But why was Chima so burdened by this reconciliation?

“Is there another reason you approached me? Forget about nonsense like martial world peace and tell me the real reason.”

Though I could have angered him with my bluntness, Chima just drank with drunken eyes.

“This kind of older brother–younger brother relationship is enough with my one older brother.”

I swiftly leapt toward the boat I came on.

He could have stopped me, but he said nothing. As I docked at the shore, I looked back. Chima was drinking alone under the moonlight.

At dawn the next day, I quietly left the sect.

I left a letter with Seo Daeryong saying I’d be away for a few days.

Since reaching Eight Stars in Pungsin Sabo, my body itched, unable to stay still. I tossed and turned all night wanting to fight strong opponents, but an even stronger urge was to run.

I knew I had to control this urge well. Especially a supreme martial art like Pungsin Sabo required careful handling.

Improper control could lead to possession by fighting spirit or reckless battles ending in death. This often happened when someone incapable learned martial arts beyond their capacity.

After leaving the sect, I started running with swift steps. I ran terrifyingly fast. There was no need to wear a mask to hide my identity.

The speed was so great that people wouldn’t know if I was human, bird, or illusion. It was faster than when I was ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Seven Stars—and different, too.

Normally, this speed was only possible in open plains.

But the path I ran had obstacles: carts, people passing by, trees, and rocks.

Thanks to Shinansul, I could run at this speed on any path.

Moreover, reaching Eight Stars reduced my internal energy consumption. I could use martial arts more efficiently.

I ran until my energy was depleted, then rested my breath and ran again. It was the first time in my life I ran with such excitement. Maybe because my destination was where the people I wanted to see were.

At a bustling tavern, Pungcheon Sect Leader and Gowol sat together. Several people came one by one, reported something, then left. Men, women, young and old.

Whenever they left, Gowol wrote something on paper.

“What are you writing so carefully? They’d think you’re working even without contact.”

The sect leader ignored the remark and wrote a letter to Geommuyang.

Gowol was focused on building an intelligence network in the Central Plains under Geommuyang’s orders. Thanks to Pungcheon Sect Leader accompanying him, the work progressed smoothly.

During the process, the sect leader admired Gowol’s ability again. He was creating an organization different from the existing Tongcheongak and preparing for a future merger. This was all in mind for when Geommuyang became sect leader.

Though difficult, Pungcheon Sect Leader made the process easier.

With the two working together, things progressed rapidly. Of course, Gowol had to endure the sect leader’s complaints.

“Send him a reply after a hundred days and see if he answers.”

“This is a report. Who replies to reports?”

“Why not? If you care, you do. Didn’t I say our fate was to be shackled by that sect leader back then? Look at us now. We’ve suffered all kinds of hardships outside.”

“Eating all the delicacies in every region. If time permits, sightseeing the sceneries. What hardships.”

“Leaving home means hardship!”

“Where’s the sect leader’s home?”

Pungcheon Sect Leader flinched, his gaze shifting from writing to the sect leader.

“The Heavenly Demon Sect isn’t the sect leader’s home. The home is here—in the Central Plains. You sang about advancing to the Central Plains, didn’t you? Watch closely. The sect leader’s home will be built somewhere here. Open your eyes!”

With nothing to say, the sect leader’s arrow turned again to Geommuyang.

“Hmph! Build a home. The prince has probably forgotten us. Later when he sees us in the sect, he’ll feel a pang inside. Ah! Among my many subordinates, there was that fool sect leader from Seoae and the shackler. What was that shackler’s name again? No matter what, people’s hearts are the same.”

“Sect leader.”

“Yes?”

“Everyone is someone’s sect leader or shackler at some point. Someone like the prince is special to everyone, but others live being ignored. And being special is tiring. Sect leaders suit living like this better.”

“Again ignoring me? Again ignoring!”

Gowol pretended not to hear and focused on writing.

“Moved from watching the Luminary Bell all day to moving briskly. Why are you so crazy about the prince?”

“Then why did the sect leader come chasing after me all the way here, suffering like this?”

The sect leader had no answer.

“Me too. No reason to explain. I just like him. And the prince is next sect leader. So don’t be too disappointed.”

“Hmph! You only have two people around you and you’re second? Isn’t that last place?”

“Did you notice?”

“Crazy!”

Gowol laughed, and the sect leader followed.

This conversation was their joy—repeating old stories, gossiping about Geommuyang, reminiscing, and talking about the future. They told the same stories every day.

“This is proof of true friendship. Repeating yourself and still listening comfortably. You can’t do this with the prince, can you? It’s uncomfortable. That shows you’re not close with him. No, the prince is too busy bragging to listen to you.”

At that moment, someone suddenly spoke behind the sect leader.

“You kept calling him prince to the end.”

The sect leader turned around, surprised, and I was standing there with a smile.

“So you meant to keep insulting me to the end.”

Pungcheon Sect Leader and Gowol jumped up, shocked.

“Prince!”

“Prince!”

Still smiling, I said to the sect leader,

“This is why I wanted to come.”

“Hmph! Where did I say anything false? So what?”

His unchanged demeanor made me feel glad.

The place I had run to madly was where they were working. Since I’d sent letters asking where they were and how work was going, I could visit them like this.

We caught up on overdue talks.

Surprisingly, Gowol already knew about Geukak Soma, Chima, and that my brother was contacting Kwonma and Dokwang.

It was clear the intelligence network inside the sect was secured properly. The external network was rapidly expanding across the Central Plains.

“How’s the funding?”

“Almost gone.”

It had cost a huge amount to hire capable people and build the network. Gowol had taken out 1.2 million nyang but was nearly out of money. The initial cost of building the organization was very high.

“Additional funds will be sent soon.”

“Yes!”

Thanks to the money from the Golden Field, funds were enough for now, but more money would be needed later to operate the Return Guard.

At that moment, my eyes met the sect leader’s. He was startled.

“Why do you look at me when talking about money running out?”

“Glad to see you after a long time. Why? Is it not allowed?”

“You look like you’re silently pressuring me to lend money. That look! Exactly that look! The sly look when you targeted my sacred relic before. No way. Nope, no money from me!”

I burst out laughing.

“Thanks to that relic, you saved my life.”

The sect leader was surprised.

“Really?”

“Yes. Thanks to the Ultimate Heavenly Silkworm.”

“Ah!”

Joy flashed in the sect leader’s eyes. Though he grumbled, the favor he held toward me was unlike before.

Sect leader, the money’s fine. Let’s proceed as is. I know well what you sacrificed to come here. Just being by Gowol’s side is enough.

“Since I’ve seen your face, I should be going. I have to be back by the day after tomorrow morning.”

“Day after tomorrow morning? How far is it from here?”

“It took two days to come here. I’m trying to shorten the time on the way back.”

The sect leader, with a dumbfounded expression, saw a chance and said to Gowol,

“See? This is the real prince. I once said the prince was a braggart. Now you know how good I am at judging people. Will you still ignore me?”

Then Gowol quietly said,

“Is he really a braggart?”

In Gowol’s face toward me was firm belief.

The sect leader raised his voice.

“He’s a braggart! It takes ten days nonstop from here to the sect headquarters. Even if I run myself.”

“The sect leader is slow because he’s fat, right?”

“What? You haven’t seen me run? I’m the Pungcheon Sect Leader!”

The sect leader provoked me.

“Two days? If you reach the Heavenly Demon Sect headquarters within two days, I’ll give you a million nyang. How about it? Bet me a million nyang. Can’t do it, huh?”

“Let’s do it. I accept.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t tell me you want to repay me with money because the Ultimate Heavenly Silkworm saved your life? That’s not necessary. I have plenty of money.”

“Thanks, but I can’t afford to give you money right now. As you know, we’re spending a lot.”

“Fine, then let’s do it! But I won’t pay back a single penny. Don’t bother complaining if you die!”

“I have something to say. Don’t say it was for medicine or retirement funds.”

“I have lots of money! I’m the former Pungcheon Sect Leader!”

“Fine. When I arrive, I’ll send the official letter from headquarters here. The letter will have a date so when I visit the sect later, I can confirm my arrival date.”

“Don’t worry. Someone will verify the date you arrive. Don’t forget, a million nyang, prince.”

I smiled and stood up.

“I know how much you two have struggled for me. I’m always grateful. See you later.”

As I turned, Gowol said quietly,

“Congratulations in advance on the million nyang.”

“Thank you.”

Behind me, the sect leader grumbled.

“What are you saying? You should be cheering me on! If this goes on, I won’t give the prince a single penny even if he gets a million nyang!”

After parting from them, I started running toward the sect again.

The more I ran, the more accustomed I became, and I increased my speed. The faster I ran, the more freedom I felt. I felt a strong desire to reach Great Mastery.

Two days later, I was writing a letter at the sect headquarters.

[Master Pungcheon Sect Leader, I will use the million nyang well. Thank you always. Oh, and if you want, maybe one more time in a day and a half…]