“Where have you been?”

I told Seo Daeryong my destination.

He blinked, no longer surprised.

“In just four days?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not joking or playing around, right?”

I nodded, and Seo Daeryong shook his head.

“I won’t ask any more. I don’t even want to understand. If I worry, I’ll just end up looking like the strange one. You’re the type who could suddenly say, ‘Tomorrow, I’m joining the Martial Alliance,’ and it wouldn’t be strange at all.”

“That’s enough. By the way, what about Chima?”

“He hasn’t come since you left the sect.”

I remembered the last time we parted — him sitting alone on a boat, drinking.

I had told him to forget the nonsense about peace in the martial world and just tell me the real reason. Now I wondered if my words had angered him.

“Unless you’re honest, we’ll never become sworn brothers.”

He might want to prevent war, but I was certain that wasn’t his only reason for approaching me.

“By the way, Investigator Seo, why have you been limping all this time?”

“I had the master’s hell training yesterday.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes. He didn’t seem well.”

Just then, Blood Heaven Butcher entered the office guided by another investigator.

Seo Daeryong, surprised, exclaimed,

“Master!”

To Seo Daeryong, he was always a respected and welcome figure.

Though it would have been nicer if he showed some warmth, Blood Heaven Butcher only nodded slightly and said,

“You, step outside for a moment.”

“Yes!”

Seo Daeryong left. Though he had limped in front of me, he now gritted his teeth and walked steadily out.

Investigator Seo, stay strong. It’s not easy to open the heart of your strict master.

Blood Heaven Butcher’s small, sharp eyes looked fiercer than usual today. His bad mood from yesterday was clearly continuing.

“Welcome, sir.”

He got straight to the point.

“Chima came to see me yesterday.”

I understood immediately—Seo Daeryong’s hell training was because of Chima.

“He brought a bottle of very expensive liquor.”

Though he spoke calmly, Blood Heaven Butcher looked displeased.

“Why did he come?”

“He said he just wanted to give it and left after handing over the liquor.”

He had started trying to reconcile with Blood Heaven Butcher. It took him five days to decide to bring a bottle of liquor.

“It was similar to when Geukak Soma once came and asked me to relay a message to you.”

“That’s different. That was because he had business with me; this time, it’s business with you.”

“I still think it was your business.”

He was astoundingly perceptive.

“No, I heard it for the first time today. So did you drink?”

“What do you mean, ‘Did I drink?’ I just poured it out.”

“How can you throw away someone’s sincerity like that?”

“Why do you care about someone else’s sincerity?”

“Because it was expensive liquor. You should have had it.”

Blood Heaven Butcher glared suspiciously.

“It was you, right? You must’ve worked some trick. Otherwise, that drunken fool would never do something like that.”

I wanted to tell the truth but kept denying it. For the reconciliation to work, the two had to resolve things somehow.

“No, I don’t know anything. Maybe he was impressed by you when drinking at the Pungnyu Tavern that day.”

“Impressed? I only cursed at him.”

“Who curses someone like that? Maybe his heart changed.”

“Don’t defend Chima. I told you clearly: Chima is a sly one. Prince, don’t give your heart to pointless people. The farther you go, the harder it is to come back.”

After saying his piece, Blood Heaven Butcher left the office.

Whether they reconciled depended on how Chima would act next. That process would peel away one more layer of prejudice and give a better understanding of him.

That night.

I sat on a large branch far away, watching Iian train. Though she didn’t notice, the distance was close enough for me to see her expression.

With a serious face, sweating profusely, she practiced the Bicheon Sword Style—repeating moves over and over. She would not rest until that repetition answered her someday.

Then someone entered her training ground.

Surprisingly, it was Cheongmyeon, a subordinate of Geukak Soma.

“You, warrior.”

“Oh, Cheongmyeon.”

“Sorry for coming late.”

“No problem. What brings you?”

“Is the offer to become a squad leader still valid?”

“It is always open until you clearly refuse, sir.”

Iian’s voice trembled. She was flustered by Cheongmyeon’s sudden visit. But Cheongmyeon pressed on with his prepared questions.

“What will the Return Guard do in the future?”

“The Return Guard will operate solely for the prince.”

“What if the leader’s orders conflict with the prince’s?”

Iian smiled faintly, as if she had already answered.

“Do you know what you’re answering now?”

“I said nothing.”

Their gazes locked in the air. Worry was visible in Cheongmyeon’s eyes behind his mask.

When this strange woman, once fat and now beautiful, suddenly asked to become a squad leader, honestly, I first thought she was crazy.

No matter that she had saved her life smashing a carriage, giving up a future Ma Jon seat to become a squad leader?

At that moment, I thought: heaven does not give all. So beautiful yet crazy!

But as time passed, thoughts of that crazy woman kept coming back.

Rather than wait twenty or thirty years to become Ma Jon, I wanted to roam the martial world with her. The more I tried to shake off that thought, the more I thought of Iian.

Would I have hesitated this much if she had proposed it before transforming? I scolded myself for being dazzled by her beauty, but I couldn’t help thinking of her. After all, if not for her, I’d be dead—and that temptation strengthened my thoughts.

Iian chose honesty over pleasant words to recruit Cheongmyeon.

“I trust the young master. If you say the sky is the ground, I’ll live thinking the sky is the ground from then on. If you ask me to die for you, I will. I even practice in front of the mirror what I’ll say then—some words to make you remember me forever, some to let you go without burden, some to wound. We’ll have to see what I actually say then. This organization I lead is the Return Guard. You know, you must join.”

Her trembling subsided the more she spoke.

“You don’t have to decide right now. Please decide carefully for my sake, too.”

“For that warrior? What does that mean?”

“The squad leader position I offered Cheongmyeon is truly important and precious to me. It’s the first command I’ve ever held. I don’t want to see Cheongmyeon regret it. I don’t want that precious position to become a place of regret. So take your time to decide without regrets. I plan to keep the squad leader position open until Cheongmyeon decides. Even if all others are filled, I’ll keep that one open.”

Their gazes locked in the air again.

“Can I keep wearing this mask after joining the Return Guard?”

“Yes. But you must talk to me often, so when someone wearing that blue mask pretends to be you, I can recognize it immediately.”

Cheongmyeon silently looked at Iian for a moment, bowed politely, and left.

Once he was gone, Iian breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah! I thought I’d die from nervousness. What did I say? Ah! I messed up. I talked too much!”

Watching her from afar, I burst out laughing.

Just then, someone suddenly flew over and landed beside the branch where I sat.

Surprisingly, it was Geukak Soma. He must have come here following Cheongmyeon.

“You’ve been tossing and turning, and finally came here.”

Apparently, Geukak Soma saw Cheongmyeon’s worries through his eyes.

“Fool! What are you doing, being bewitched by such beauty?”

“It’s beauty worth being bewitched by, isn’t it?”

“The prince took my mask, now you’re taking my subordinate too.”

“Let’s correct that. The mask was a gift, and Cheongmyeon is taken by Iian, not me.”

“Then I have to take revenge on that pretty heart.”

“Let’s just say I’m taking her.”

Geukak Soma smiled softly. He seemed displeased; it sounded like a growling beast.

“What will you do if Cheongmyeon leaves?”

“If I just let her go, would I be Geukak Soma? I’d cut off an arm or two first.”

I couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking. When Iian first offered the position, Geukak Soma said nothing, so maybe he could have let her go comfortably, but now I wasn’t so sure. I didn’t know how he felt about Cheongmyeon.

“Wouldn’t it be okay to let her go peacefully?”

“Better than a future Ma Jon, the leader of a lonely organization.”

“In this respect, yes. Ma Jon is a far future matter, but what the leader wants is the present heart.”

Actually, there was another reason. Cheongmyeon could never sit in the Ma Jon seat due to age.

Geukak Soma wouldn’t know that. He wouldn’t know that he’d keep the Ma Jon seat for so long. That Cheongmyeon would spend all those years supporting him.

“Both Soma and I are bound by fate, unable to live as we wish. Let’s let even Cheongmyeon live as she wants.”

“You’ll regret it later. What will you do then?”

“What can you do? She chose it, so she must regret it. Maybe she’ll come back to you then, asking to be accepted again.”

“Not a chance.”

“Please accept her. You have enough reason.”

“What reason?”

“Cheongmyeon now and the one who lived her own life are surely different. The wandering, returned Cheongmyeon will be stronger. The sword of one who has regretted is faster.”

Geukak Soma stared at me.

“Why do you think so?”

“You’ve always been curious about what’s inside my mask. I’m also curious what’s inside the prince.”

I felt a little embarrassed but answered calmly.

“Sometimes I wonder what’s inside me that I’ve lived a life like this—talking so much, trying to teach. That probably isn’t popular with women these days.”

“You do know.”

Geukak Soma laughed, and I laughed along.

“While we’re at it, one favor. If Cheongmyeon chooses the squad leader and you get mad enough to want to cut off your arm, meet me first.”

“Why? So you can cut my arm instead?”

“I like you better than Cheongmyeon, why would I do that?”

“Then why meet?”

“For Iian’s sake, I want to try to stop and persuade you. I mean it.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Geukak Soma flew off.

My gaze returned to Iian.

She calmed down and returned to her tedious martial arts training.

Well done, Iian. Cheongmyeon will probably come over more impressed by your skill than your persuasion. I think Soma’s forgiveness depends on that.

The next day, Seo Daeryong burst excitedly into the office and asked,

“Master, have you heard the rumor?”

“What rumor?”

Seo Daeryong brought news that was truly surprising.

“Master is going to fight Chima.”

I was startled.

“Really?”

“I’m not sure if it’s a rumor or the truth. It’s been spreading from Namdo Province. But isn’t it an unspoken rule that Ma Jons don’t fight each other?”

Seo Daeryong seemed worried the rumor might be true.

“Are you worried?”

“To be honest.”

“What are you worried about? Your master has trained a lot lately.”

“But he’s getting old.”

Does Blood Heaven Butcher know that his disciple is worried like this? If he did, would he have put him through hell training?

Getting up, Seo Daeryong asked,

“Where are you going?”

“To buy liquor. Very strong liquor today.”

“Ah! To stop Chima?”

As I left the office, I said,

“There won’t be a duel. He’ll die by my hand first.”

I told him to reconcile, and instead he fights? Truly hopeless.