“I wouldn’t be in this mess if I knew the answer!”
Chuseong shouted explosively.

His hot-tempered nature was undeniable. Few could shout like that at a demon, especially knowing the opponent’s martial skill far surpassed their own.

“Sorry, my patience has run dry these days, overflowing at the slightest pebble.”

“I understand.”

“What do you understand!”

He shouted again but quickly apologized.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t be angry at you.”

“It’s alright. Staying calm in this situation would be stranger, wouldn’t it?”

Chuseong’s tone softened slightly as he spoke to me.

“What should we do now?”

“As usual. Act as if I’m not here and proceed with what you planned.”

“How can I act like you’re not here when you are?”

“Focus only on yourself. In a matter of life or death, what can’t you do?”

I took out a paper with information about him and handed it over.

“Keep this with you. Whenever you feel confused or lose confidence, look at it. Especially don’t forget the part about your intelligence. You are a smart man. Use that clever mind to judge well.”

Chuseong clenched the paper tightly. Even that seemed to overflow his patience. He didn’t tear it up but crumpled it and tucked it into his chest.

“How will you move now? Would you have notified the Martial Alliance if I hadn’t come?”

He pondered briefly, then shook his head.

“I would rather ally with the Path of the Dead Alliance than call the Martial Alliance.”

“So you’ll ally with the Path of the Dead?”

“No.”

He answered honestly. Even before regression, he had made no alliances with either the Martial Alliance or the Path of the Dead.

“Then how do you intend to resolve this?”

“I don’t know.”

At that moment, I noticed his pupils tremble slightly. To lie to me, he’d have to deceive even himself, but he was too young for that.

‘He’s hiding something from me.’

But I didn’t pressure him. It was natural not to trust a stranger. When someone tries to hide something, pushing only yields lies and excuses. It’s better to respond calmly in such moments.

“Let’s call it a day.”

Seokhyeong guided me to a guest room.

Good food and wine were served. I carefully checked the food with a silver needle for poison before eating.

Then I practiced Wind Spirit Saboteur training in the room. Small or large, training inside was a continuation of the martial duel I had shared earlier with my father at the inn, and it was very effective.

Now that I had set a goal to attain mastery before receiving the Fire Demon Art transmission, my training would not stop.

When the bright moon rose high, I went to see Chuseong.

Though late at night, he was awake in his room, troubled.

“Did you rest well?”

“I did, but I don’t think you slept a wink.”

“Lately, I haven’t been sleeping well.”

His eyes were bloodshot and weary.

“When you don’t sleep, you can’t make good judgments.”

“What can I do if I want to sleep but can’t?”

“Try to sleep even one full day. Shall I help?”

“What do you mean? Do you plan to transfuse blood?”

“I learned from our sect’s healer a secret method to fall asleep when you can’t.”

Hearing that, Chuseong seemed intrigued.

“Come, lie down on this bed. There’s nothing to lose.”

Though hesitant, Chuseong, suffering from sleeplessness, obediently lay down like a nervous bride.

“Follow my instructions. First, relax your facial muscles. Then release the tension in your shoulders and arms. Loosen up more. Now, relax your thighs and entire legs. Imagine lying on a sandy beach warmed by sunlight. Then slowly gather energy from your lower abdomen as I guide you. Move it slowly from the water passage point to the middle cavity, then to the jade hall. And again…”

When Chuseong opened his eyes, it was morning.

He awoke confused. He hadn’t slept well recently, but the pounding headache was gone and his body felt light as if flying. He had truly slept deeply.

“Oh! That secret method!”

Unconsciously, he had fallen asleep while practicing the technique taught by that mysterious Demon Cult man whose name he did not even know.

Chuseong hurried out of bed.

Geommuyang was staring at the marks on the wall in the main hall where they first met yesterday.

“You’re here?”

“Thanks to you, I slept well. I don’t remember sleeping this deeply in a long time.”

“You seem fit for a righteous sect.”

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“I thought your insomnia came from guilt for failing to protect your subordinates.”

“What nonsense? I was only angry at that bastard. I couldn’t sleep because I was furious, that’s all.”

Chuseong hated being treated as righteous sect. His father’s influence was strong. Since childhood, his father taught him that kindness leads to being exploited.

“Do you think I could have endured in this martial world with such a weak heart? No chance. Don’t say things to annoy people unnecessarily.”

“I understand.”

His compliance angered him anew. He came to thank me for helping him sleep well but ended up raising his voice instead.

At that moment, Geommuyang turned and pointed at the wall.

“This hole here.”

“Oh, I punched several places in anger. I’m about to make another hole.”

“Not that one, this one.”

Geommuyang pointed to a small hole.

“Was this pierced by his lightning palm?”

Chuseong’s expression hardened.

“Yes. It pierced through my subordinate and that wall. He told me not to block this one. So I could keep recalling that day.”

Geommuyang looked serious.

“Why?”

“It looks exactly like the real Blood Fang Technique.”

“Are you talking about Geukak Soma’s martial art?”

“Yes. I have seen his skill.”

Chuseong became excited.

“See? I was right! It really was the genuine Geukak Soma!”

“He’s not Geukak Soma.”

“What are you saying? Didn’t you say it was the real Blood Fang Technique?”

“That just means the skill was superb. It wasn’t Geukak Soma’s doing.”

“You trust Geukak Soma too much.”

“I do.”

“That’s why I find it hard to trust you. How can I trust someone who trusts Geukak Soma this much?”

“Believe or not is your choice, but this time, trust me.”

Chuseong silently stared at Geommuyang. He was strange. Though he said he was from the Demon Cult, he didn’t feel like a demon. The rough, cruel, eerie vibe typical of demons was absent. Instead, despite only a few days, some mysterious force made him strangely trustworthy.

‘If this man is a villain, he will truly become a great villain.’

Chuseong hid that thought and asked Geommuyang,

“Knowing I would doubt you like this, why did you tell me?”

“You have to tell. It’s foolish to hide your true intentions when you’ve agreed to cooperate. If so, you shouldn’t have allied in the first place.”

Those words struck at Chuseong’s guarded heart.

“If you can’t sleep tonight, use the method I taught you. Your face will feel better.”

The next morning, Chuseong visited me again.

“I slept well yesterday. Maybe you were right. The better I sleep, the more sorry I feel for the dead.”

“Think of the other sects Chuseong must ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) protect. What can you do? The living must live and move forward.”

Though a cliché consolation, it still comforted him enough to rise with a more relaxed expression.

“If anything bothers you, say it.”

“I will.”

He looked around the room as if he had something to say.

“How long will you stay here? It doesn’t seem like anything will change by just sitting.”

“I’ll stay until you tell the truth.”

“!”

Startled, Chuseong turned toward me.

“After sleeping well and clearing my head, my thoughts about you changed. There must be a reason someone as extraordinary as you is beside me.”

I calmly replied,

“Right. I noticed you’re hiding something from me.”

When we first met, he would have flatly denied that, but now he didn’t.

“Then why don’t you force it? With your martial art, you could force it out by torture.”

“It may sound strange to you, but I won’t. My demonic way is to eradicate absolute evil. I don’t break tables, and I don’t torture those who are not villains.”

“That’s a strange thing to say.”

But his expression showed he somewhat understood me.

“I think the reason they chose you is because of whatever you are hiding now. If I’m right, you will die because of it. You may not believe me, but I want to save you.”

“I don’t quite believe it, but I want to believe you. I hesitate more because I want to trust you despite no reason. My father told me never to trust others. That was his dying wish.”

Chuseong looked up at the sky. What would his father say now?

So far, he had done well, but this trial coming before he turned thirty was too difficult to overcome alone.

Tell him to open his heart for his son’s sake. I will surely save your son.

Perhaps my feelings reached him.

After a long pause, Chuseong revealed his true feelings.

“Since the incident, I kept thinking of one way. I hesitated whether to tell you or not. My head says never reveal the secret, but my gut says to tell. It says to trust you.”

“I will contact the Head of Honam Branch and change your record. ‘Good intuition, but not so clever.’ Like this.”

Chuseong smiled. It was a smile of decision.

“I’m going to ask someone for help.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

He took out something he’d kept on a necklace chain and showed it.

It was a coin cut in half.

“An Eunyeonjeon.”

Eunyeonjeon were coins cut in half—one half given to a benefactor as a token, and if the other half was later brought, the favor would be repaid.

“My father saved the owner of this coin who was near death. When he gave it to me, he made me swear to use it only in life-or-death matters involving me or my family.”

“Do you know who owns this coin?”

Chuseong shook his head.

“He never told me. He might still be alive.”

“How do you use the Eunyeonjeon?”

“Go to any Yellow River Inn in Central Plains and show the owner. Someone will come for you.”

This method of contact was used by our sect and the Martial Alliance. I suspected the coin’s owner had once belonged to a large organization.

“Can anyone use it?”

“No. Only direct family can use it. He wasn’t worried I’d lose it to you. He told me this earnestly.”

“I believe you. Otherwise, they’d have killed you and taken the coin already.”

“Do you really think this is why that bastard did this?”

“I can’t be sure, but I have a feeling.”

If my guess was right and they sought this coin, then they must be looking for its owner. Who could it be?

“Why didn’t you use it right away when this happened?”

Chuseong sighed deeply.

“I thought long and hard. I was scared. I feared using it would bring that bastard to us again. I feared failure and annihilation. I wished this would just pass.”

Chuseong looked up and stared at me.

“I think you came to scold my cowardice. I will stake my fate and the sect’s on you.”

Four days later, we sat in a Yellow River Inn in Honam. The innkeeper only told us to wait.

We waited without moving.

Chuseong stayed all day at the inn, fearing someone would come and leave.

I stayed locked in my room training Wind Spirit Saboteur. At meal times, I ate with Chuseong, drinking tea and talking.

I told him about the Heavenly Demon Cult, famous warriors, sects, and ronin across the land, and the scenic spots and delicious foods throughout the Central Plains. I even taught him about hunting and camping.

He admired my vast knowledge. Whatever he asked, I had an answer.

He once said,

“How can someone so young know all this? Are you… reborn?”

“Even if I had the chance, I wouldn’t do that. I’ll grow old and die with my people.”

“I’m curious about you. Who surrounds you? I want to meet those people.”

“If you meet them, you’ll regret it.”

I smiled instead of answering. Only after being poked hard enough by the Blood Heaven Butcher to bruise would I say such things.

On the tenth day of waiting, finally someone came.

Seeing him, Chuseong was shocked and jumped up abruptly.

Not only Chuseong, but I was also surprised.

A man wearing a white mask was steadily approaching us.