When I woke up, Seodaeryong was sitting by the carriage, tending a small campfire.

“You’re awake?”

“How long did I sleep?”

“Long enough. No, how can a martial artist sleep so deeply that no one could carry him off without waking up?”

“I was on guard even while sleeping.”

“But you were snoring like that?”

I had really slept soundly without waking once.

Of course, Seodaeryong didn’t know that when real danger approaches, my Heavenly Demon Protective Skill wakes me up.

“Hungry? Here, eat this.”

Seodaeryong offered food he had bought earlier at the inn before we left. Carefully, it was all my favorite dishes.

“After this meal, we’ll have to hunt for food ourselves.”

Eating my favorite food after such a big fight made me feel genuinely good. It may seem trivial, but people are always moved by small kindnesses. Thank you, Dae-ryong.

After eating my fill and drinking cool water, I couldn’t help but say,

“Ah, I feel alive again.”

Sitting by the fire warming myself, Seodaeryong handed me a Golden Wound Ointment.

“Now you should heal.”

I took off my blood-soaked clothes and noble armor, then unraveled the Celestial Silkworm Threads and wrapped them again around the Black Demon Sword’s hilt. The threads had gradually soaked with blood, turning red. I considered washing them but left them as is—the blood-stained wrapping gave the sword a certain charm.

I applied the ointment to my wounds. Though I avoided fatal injuries, I was cut and scratched all over, with many bruises turning black and blue. My body was a mess.

“You’re still young, but if you have so many wounds, what will the women think? They’ll all run away.”

“I’ll undergo a complete transformation later and start fresh.”

“A rare opportunity like that… I was going to say it doesn’t come easily, but if it’s you, Sect Leader, maybe it does.”

After applying the ointment, I put on the new uniform Seodaeryong had bought.

“It fits perfectly. I like it.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Our first mission was a success.”

“Our last mission was a success too.”

There’s always that moment when you see someone and feel instantly good. Like when my father sits on the Grand Preceptor’s seat, looking down on me with a displeased expression, or when Blood Heaven Butcher leans heavily against his great Annihilation Great Sword.

With Seodaeryong, it’s when we joke around like this.

“I seriously debated going back in at least ten times while waiting by the carriage.”

“If you had, I’d have been busy rescuing hostages again.”

“Then you’d be even stronger. Maybe I should have gone in?”

Seodaeryong laughed, and I laughed along.

After a round of lighthearted banter, Seodaeryong shared his feelings about the mission.

“I keep dreaming of martial arts contests. I hear the cheers from the arena. I miss those moments. Seeing that, I think I want to be a martial artist who gets attention, rather than a hidden master.”

“You have to go down that path anyway.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll become a Ma Jon.”

Now that Blood Heaven Butcher had passed on his martial art, the path to succession was clear.

Seodaeryong’s expression turned serious.

“Sect Leader, do you think I can become a Ma Jon? Can I truly handle that position?”

“Do you think your master will easily give up his place?”

“No.”

“Then why worry? If you don’t believe in yourself, trust your master’s judgment.”

“But… I just can’t believe it. Me, a Ma Jon.”

Well, it was rare for a mere investigator from Hwangcheongak to become a Ma Jon. It was natural that it didn’t feel real yet.

“I’ll really try my best not to die.”

I calmly said to the burning passion in Seodaeryong,

“Effort is a given, but remember this: when climbing uphill, you see only the peak. When going downhill, you see the world. Sometimes look back as you climb.”

Seodaeryong gave me a strange smile.

“You’re ten years younger than me, yet say things like that well.”

I lay down by the fire; Seodaeryong lay down opposite me.

Looking up at the stars in the night sky by the fire felt wonderful.

“I want to travel like this someday.”

“Please take me with you.”

“You’ll be the one getting applause and attention.”

“I’ll come back after the attention’s done.”

“No way. I’ll take Ian with me.”

Seodaeryong pouted. If that were easy, my father wouldn’t be trapped in the Heavenly Demon Arena.

That night, I slept soundly again. The tension and fatigue that had built up over time were melting away.

The carriage journey lasted until I recovered.

As soon as I was well, I sold the carriage, carried Seodaeryong on my back, and rushed back swiftly.

At first, Seodaeryong had said he’d die, but later adapted perfectly, even joking while being carried. It was a moment to marvel at human adaptability.

We traveled and traveled until we reached the main sect.

The first place I headed to was the Heavenly Demon Arena.

Beyond the red carpet, far away in the Grand Preceptor’s seat, sat my father. Seeing him steadfast as ever felt especially comforting today.

Our eyes met, his expression stern and unreadable. My heart clenched. Afraid I might show too much emotion, I quickly bowed.

“I have dealt with the Celestial Destiny Sect Leader and completed the mission.”

“Well done. Now rise.”

As I stood, the Chief Commander Sima Myung, standing beside my father, greeted me.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“I heard dealing with the Celestial Destiny Sect was no easy task.”

Because I had sent intermittent reports, my father and Sima Myung knew the process and outcome.

Of course, the reports could not convey the full difficulty.

“Don’t mention it. I nearly died several times. It was an extremely difficult trial. No, an impossible mission!”

“I admit my mistake. I didn’t realize the Celestial Destiny Sect had grown so large.”

Sima Myung honestly accepted blame, as the mission was assigned by Tongcheongak under his leadership.

At that moment, my father suddenly said,

“You tried to kill our son.”

Sima Myung and I looked at him in surprise. Of course, both of us were shocked at my father’s joke in this situation, but I was surprised for another reason.

Our son.

It was the first time hearing that from my father. Perhaps I heard it very early in childhood, but this was my first memory.

I wanted /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ to respond jokingly but found no words.

Sima Myung smiled at me.

“So? Will you forgive me now?”

He knew. He knew it was my first time hearing “our son.” That’s why he was moved.

“Send me again. Where to this time? The Heavenly Assembly? The Earthly Assembly?”

I asked, calming my trembling heart.

“What about your brother?”

“The Crown Prince already safely completed his mission.”

Like before my regression, my brother also completed his mission safely. The changed fate was mine. The secret organization Celestial Destiny had vanished from the martial world, and I passed the trial.

“So you both passed.”

“Yes.”

“My test was harder, so shouldn’t I win? Make me the successor!”

I demanded boldly.

“A reasonable request, but the Crown Prince might feel wronged. We must consider the difficulty he chose as well.”

As you might guess, my brother probably couldn’t have solved it. If deeply involved, he might have lost his life. In that respect, I was fortunate to choose this path.

I couldn’t bring myself to say that.

“Then it’s unfair to me.”

“So regardless of the test’s result, I think you should be rewarded.”

It seemed that my father and Sima Myung had already agreed on this.

“Do you have any wishes?”

Without hesitation, I looked at my father sitting in the Grand Preceptor’s seat and said,

“As a reward, go hunting with me one more time.”

My father showed a surprised expression.

“You always ask to go hunting with me whenever you receive a reward.”

My first wish after winning at the martial arts contest post-regression was also hunting.

“We need to catch the tiger we missed back then.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

My father readily accepted my proposal.

“We leave tomorrow morning.”

The first place I visited after leaving the Heavenly Demon Arena was Ian’s training grounds.

I thought she’d be sweating from martial training, but unexpectedly, Ian was reading a book.

Every time I saw her, I was stunned by her beauty, but seeing her read added a new charm. A scholar from the world would fall for her.

I thought again: I must show Ian to Jin Haryeong someday.

Curious about the book, I used Divine Sight to look closely—it was a collection of poems.

Entering the training grounds, I said,

“Have you given up being a martial artist and decided to be a poet?”

Ian glanced up at me briefly, then returned to her book.

“You’re here?”

She acted as if she had seen me yesterday—or if it had been yesterday, she’d greet me more warmly. I sensed she was teasing.

I sat beside her pretending not to know.

“Congratulations.”

“For what?”

“I heard you have noodles to eat.”

Only then did I realize. Our talkative Seodaeryong must have come and told everything about Jin Haryeong.

“Your destined love is the Martial Alliance Leader’s daughter?”

“Not love, a meeting. Not daughter, granddaughter.”

“Called the One Beauty of Hubei, must be very pretty.”

“Not prettier than you.”

“How about her personality? Good?”

“She’s decent. Not spoiled.”

“Perfect match. Congratulations.”

“Done with jealousy?”

“Not jealousy, congratulations.”

“Then say it while looking at me.”

“No.”

Ian’s jealousy was adorable.

“I told her when I return, someone prettier than you will be waiting.”

Ian smiled shyly, lowering her head.

“What did she say?”

“She didn’t believe me. So next time, I’ll definitely show her. I’m leaving now.”

As I got up and walked away, Ian suddenly jumped up.

“Where do you think you’re going? Leaving someone waiting like this?”

She ran up and hugged me tightly.

I felt her tears fall down my back. I knew how worried she had been while waiting.

“Wait a moment.”

I stood holding her for a while. Feeling her warm body calmed me. All complicated thoughts vanished. How lucky to have even one person like this in life?

After a moment, she pulled away. Realizing she had been too bold, Ian’s cheeks were red. She quickly changed the subject.

“This poetry collection was lent to me by Blood Heaven Butcher.”

“By him? Why?”

“I went to see him. There were rumors that Ma Jons intervened in your mission. I asked Butcher if you were alright.”

I could imagine how much she hesitated before visiting Blood Heaven Butcher in person.

“What if he said you weren’t?”

“Then she would have gone to find you. She couldn’t eat or sleep thinking you might die. She had to go for my sake.”

“You’re such a worrier. If she came, you’d be left behind at the Martial Alliance.”

“Then I would be running a noodle shop nearby, living carefree.”

“If you ran a noodle shop, not a day would pass calmly.”

She laughed brightly. Her cheerful personality had never changed, whether chubby or now. Her biggest charm and strength was her unshakable nature despite outside forces.

“Back then, Blood Heaven Butcher told me not to worry and to read the book. It was about life and death. But lending a book about life and death and telling me not to worry? Anyway, I’ve been borrowing and reading one book after another since then. But here’s the strange thing: reading makes my martial arts training better.”

“Finally, your martial arts connected with your life.”

“My life and martial arts are connected?”

“At first, martial arts improve by talent and effort. Then, at a certain level, martial arts reflect a person’s life. Usually, when martial arts hit a wall, it’s because the person hasn’t changed. The perspective on martial arts changes only when the person changes. If the person stays the same, the wall can’t be surpassed.”

“Oh!”

Ian seemed to have found her answer. She wondered why reading poetry and books on life and death helped her martial arts.

“We’ll talk more later. Now I have to meet the master of life and death.”

As I turned to leave, Ian said spiritedly,

“Sect Leader, I’m so glad you came back safely.”

“I’m glad to see you.”

After leaving Ian’s residence, I headed to Namdojong, where Blood Heaven Butcher lived.