Anhui.

As I’ve mentioned before, I had only been here once in my previous life.

Anhui, home to the Namgung clan, might not fall behind Henan in terms of grandeur, but back then, there was no reason for me to visit.
When I first came to Anhui in my previous life, the atmosphere wasn’t nearly as prosperous as it is now.

It was the time when the Heavenly Demon caused a bloodbath across the land.
It was also the time when an entire clan was wiped out by a single woman’s sword dance.

Anhui at that time…
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was nothing more than a barren wasteland.

A prominent clan, which once protected Anhui, had been completely annihilated by a single individual.
Even those few who managed to survive eventually submitted to the Heavenly Demon.
The people of Anhui, having no other choice, abandoned their homeland…

They fled to Henan, where the Martial Alliance and the Shaolin Temple resided.

‘Everything is so different from back then.’

Of course, that’s to be expected. There’s no bloodbath happening right now, and…

Namgung Bi-Ah hasn’t changed yet, either.

Looking out the window of the carriage, I saw a bustling city full of buildings and people—far beyond anything in Shanxi.
Comparing Anhui, home to the Namgung clan, with Shanxi, where the Gu clan resides, is unreasonable.

As I gazed outside, Moyong Hee-Ah, who sat beside me, whispered.

“This place hasn’t changed.”

“Have you been here often?”

“Not often, maybe just once or twice…”

It’s a strange question to ask, really.
Considering that the Moyong clan is no less prominent than the Namgung clan, it makes sense that she would have visited here.

‘When I look at it this way, it makes the Gu clan look somewhat lacking.’

But it’s not just appearances.
In this regard, the Gu clan truly is behind.
To be honest, the only reason we’re even maintaining our standing is thanks to Lady Mi.

‘And that’s what I don’t understand.’

The engagement between the Namgung and Gu clans.

‘Why?’

I’ve thought about it many times, but…

I still can’t understand why the prestigious Namgung clan would agree to an engagement with the Gu clan.

My reputation, which has slowly spread throughout the martial world, only started to take shape after the Yongbong Gathering.
The engagement with Namgung Bi-Ah was arranged long before that.
This means they didn’t agree to the engagement because they saw potential in me.

‘Elder Yi… no, why on earth did First Elder go there?’

I heard back then that First Elder went to the Namgung family and personally negotiated with their elders, but…

No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t make sense.

‘What kind of trick did that old man pull?’

I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, but thinking about it now, First Elder was quite an unusual person.
Despite being an elder, he didn’t seem to take on many responsibilities, yet he frequently traveled outside the clan.

While other elders had official duties within the clan,
First Elder didn’t seem to have any specific role.

‘And the people around him were strange.’

His so-called “friends” were all monsters.
What could he have been doing to gather such company?

“…Seriously, not a single normal person around.”

How is it possible that not even one of them seems decent?

“At least I’m the only normal one.”

I sighed involuntarily.
As I shook my head, I noticed strange looks from the side.
When I turned, I saw both Moyong Hee-Ah and Namgung Bi-Ah looking at me with a curious gaze.

“What?”

“…Nothing.”

“What? What is it?”

Just as I was about to ask what they meant by their unspoken, somewhat empty expressions, the coachman’s voice interrupted.

“We’ve arrived.”

His slow steps and voice signaled that we had finally reached our destination.
After a long journey, we had arrived at the Namgung clan’s estate.

I’m reminded of two years ago when I visited the Tang Clan in Sichuan, under the pretext of the Tang Soldiers' Gathering.

The Tang Clan I saw back then was vast, far beyond anything the Gu clan could compare to.
The scenery was so grand and impressive, as if to display the wealth of the clan for all to see.

It was as if they were announcing to the world,
"This is the Tang Clan, one of the Four Great Clans."

It was clear that the reputation built by their ancestors still shaped the present.

Standing here now, the place I’m in is the Namgung clan, another of the Four Great Clans, and I can’t help but compare it to the Tang Clan.

‘This place is massive, ridiculously massive.’

I stood at the entrance, waiting by the carriage, and I could already tell from a glimpse that the interior of the estate was substantial.
Naturally, it couldn’t be compared to the Gu clan, and even compared to the Tang Clan, the Namgung estate appeared more refined.

Moreover…

‘I can feel the energy from here.’

Even from a distance, I could sense a sharp, focused energy radiating from within the estate.
It was the concentrated aura of trained swordmasters.

No doubt, this was the famous sword clan.

Meanwhile, Namgung Bi-Ah, having disembarked from the carriage, looked half-asleep again.
Is this girl hibernating year-round?
She really looks like she does nothing but eat, sleep, and train, always appearing exhausted.

“Wake up a little.”

I shook Namgung Bi-Ah, urging her to snap out of it, but before long, Moyong Hee-Ah approached and whispered.

“I’ll go on ahead, Young Master.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes, I have some business to attend to.”

I had heard she had something to do in Anhui, but shouldn’t we first pay our respects at the Namgung estate?

Before I could even voice my question, Moyong Hee-Ah answered as if reading my thoughts.

“It seems that meeting with you takes precedence, so I’ll visit later.”

“Alright.”

“I’ll return soon.”

As she said this, I studied her briefly.
I had treated her for her condition during the journey, so she should be fine now, right?
She seemed okay, at least for now.

With a slight bow, Moyong Hee-Ah quickly turned and walked away.
Watching her depart, I thought…

She could have gotten off the carriage earlier if her destination was in that direction. Why did she come all the way to the Namgung estate?

I watched her for a moment, then turned back to Namgung Bi-Ah.
I need to get this girl to wake up….

“Huh?”

I was about to give her a light flick to wake her, but when I turned back, her eyes were wide open.
Her slightly disheveled clothes had already been straightened, and her eyes, which had been half-asleep, were now sharp and alert.

“What the…”

Just as I was about to question the sudden change, I felt someone approaching from behind.
Without even turning around, I knew who it was.

“What are you doing here?”

It was my father.
And next to him was Lady Mi.

Namgung Bi-Ah had already sensed their arrival and greeted them with a bow.
Only after my father nodded did she raise her head.

This was a side of her that I wasn’t used to seeing when it was just the two of us.

“Is something wrong?”

“…No, I was mistaken.”

What? Was it me who was dozing off, not Namgung Bi-Ah?
Maybe it was all just a dream.

Just as my father seemed about to say something else, Lady Mi spoke first.

“Your clothes are untidy.”

With light steps, Lady Mi approached and carefully straightened my clothes with her hands.

“This is an important occasion, so be careful.”

“…Thank you.”

The unexpected contact left me momentarily flustered.

Lady Mi then shifted her gaze toward Namgung Bi-Ah, checking her condition.

“It’s a shame. If I had the time, I could have helped you like before we departed.”

“…It’s fine.”

Namgung Bi-Ah smiled faintly as she replied.
She was likely referring to the time before we left the Gu clan when Lady Mi had helped adjust her appearance.

Lady Mi, showing no visible reaction to Namgung Bi-Ah’s response, returned to my father’s side.

‘This is uncomfortable as hell…’

Maybe it was because this was the first time we were all gathered like this, but my stomach churned with unease.
Trying to calm myself, I adjusted my posture.

Thud.

I suddenly felt a heavy energy at the entrance.

‘Here they come.’

While it might have felt like a suffocating pressure to others, for me, it was strangely liberating.
At least this would be better than the current discomfort.

I turned my head toward the direction of the energy.

In the distance, I could see a group of people dressed in dark blue martial robes, the same kind Namgung Bi-Ah used to wear.
Along with them, I could feel a faint but tingling electric energy crawling up my spine.

‘They’ve definitely grown stronger if I can sense this.’

That thought ran through my mind as I sensed the electric energy.
The fact that I could feel it now meant that I was starting to gauge their level somewhat.

Without moving my gaze, I focused on the man leading the group.

A man with a cold face, seemingly devoid of any manners, displaying the typical appearance of the Namgung clan.

The head of the Namgung family.
A martial artist known by the title of Sword King in this era.
And the father of Namgung Bi-Ah.

Namgung Jin, the Azure Sky Sword King.

It was him.

“It’s been a while, Lord Gu.”

Namgung Jin approached, leading his entourage, and immediately extended his hand to my father.
My father accepted it, and they exchanged greetings.

“It has indeed been a while.”

“You must have had a long journey. Thank you for your effort.”

My father looked at Namgung Jin with a peculiar expression.
It was hard to figure out exactly what kind of gaze it was—perhaps he was scrutinizing him?

Then, my father spoke.

“It seems you’ve encountered some kind of breakthrough.”

‘A breakthrough?’

Wondering what he meant, I quietly watched.
Namgung Jin’s expression stiffened slightly at my father’s words.
Then he responded in a low voice.

“…Your eyes remain as sharp as ever.”

‘Ah.’

Judging from my father’s remark and Namgung Jin’s reply, it seemed he had gained some kind of enlightenment.

While I couldn’t feel it due to my lack of ability, my father had clearly noticed something.

Watching this exchange, I let out a hollow laugh to myself.

‘I’ve still got a long way to go. I thought I had made some progress, but…’

Sensing that electric energy had given me a moment of satisfaction, but in reality, I was still far from reaching their level.

‘Well, this is actually good. It’ll help me keep my head on straight.’

I had no time for foolish excitement; there was still a long road ahead.

After exchanging greetings with my father and Lady Mi, Namgung Jin finally turned his gaze toward me.

As soon as our eyes met, I bowed slightly and cupped my hands in a respectful gesture.

“I greet the head of the Namgung family.”

“…Yes. It’s been a while. Good to see you.”

There were many eyes on us, so I made sure to be polite.
At the same time, I glanced at Namgung Jin out of the corner of my eye.

‘He still has that demon energy.’

I could faintly sense the energy at his dantian—the same energy I had implanted back when he visited the Gu clan.

It was a trace of demonic energy I had left as a precaution, to check if anything happened to him or if the seal broke.
It was faint enough not to cause any harm to his body.

‘Since it’s still there, the seal must be intact… wait…?’

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Why did I leave that seal on him again?’

For what purpose did I place that restriction?

“Oh.”

The realization didn’t take long to hit me.
I couldn’t avoid it any longer—it was something I had forgotten.

The unease that had been nagging at me finally revealed itself.

‘Damn it….’

The seal I placed on Namgung Jin…
It wasn’t just to prevent him from speaking about what happened between us.

It was also to prevent him from asking questions about my background.

The event between Namgung Jin and me…

It was about the original form of Namgung’s swordsmanship, which had supposedly regressed.

• “It’s been a long time.”

Right on cue, I heard Namgung Jin’s voice in my ear.

• “Although there were circumstances, I didn’t expect our reunion to take this long.”

Hearing this, I swallowed hard.

• “But I’m glad we’ve finally met.”

‘Haha…’

I’m screwed.

The anticipation in Namgung Jin’s voice was palpable.
It was clear that the small insight I had given him back then, through Noya, had helped him grow over time.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be looking at me with such eager eyes now.

‘Haha, damn it.’

The problem isn’t the seal itself.
It’s not that or anything like that.

Back then, I had promised Namgung Jin that I would give him more guidance the next time we met.

But after everything that had happened since, I had completely forgotten about it.
I had even told him not to bother me because I’d take care of things myself.

And now, here we are.

‘What do I do?’

The seal is still intact, and I know that what I taught him back then has been helpful, but…

The biggest problem is something else entirely.

‘…Noya isn’t here right now.’

The one who taught Namgung Jin the sword techniques—Noya—was currently in a deep sleep.

That was the real issue.

Somewhere within the Namgung estate, a soft murmur could be heard outside the window.

The sound wasn’t particularly loud, but to the young man inside, it felt overwhelming.

Rustle.

A weary hand grasped the sleeve of his robe as he struggled to his feet and looked out the window.

“...”

His once brilliant blue eyes had lost their luster, now dull and lifeless.
With a hollow gaze, the young man peered outside.

“…Ah.”

In the distance, he saw his father standing alongside another figure.

Grit.

The young man, with a fierce expression, gritted his teeth involuntarily as he watched.
His body trembled with suppressed emotion.

And then… he froze when his gaze shifted to the woman standing beside them.

“…Hah.”

Was that sigh one of admiration or something else?
The woman’s face remained as beautiful as ever.
In fact, with time, she had become even more radiant and elegant, leaving the young man shaking as he watched her.

“…Sister.”

His sister had blossomed into something far more beautiful than before.

She was in full bloom.

Yes, that’s it. She had reached full bloom.
The young man smiled as he looked at her.

But suddenly…
His expression twisted, and in an instant, his face contorted with madness as he spun around.

“Shut up…! I’ll take care of it, so stop talking, damn it!”

He roared with fury, his voice echoing through the room as he gasped for breath.

The young man’s angry outburst filled the spacious chamber, yet…
There was no one else in the room.

Aside from the young man himself—Namgung Cheonjun, the Thunder Dragon—there was no one else present.

Breathing heavily, Namgung Cheonjun’s eyes turned once again to the window.

His gaze fixated on the direction where his beautiful sister stood.