As soon as the rain stopped, the sky cleared as if by magic, but the sun had already set.

Night had fallen by the time I returned to the inn.

“It’s Gu Gongja!”

When I arrived back at the lodging, Dang So-yeol appeared, looking like she had been waiting for me.

Had she been waiting all this time?

“You’re back late?”

“There was something I had to take care of.”

“Oh, I see… Have you eaten?”

“Yeah. Just something light.”

In reality, I hadn’t eaten anything, but I brushed it off with a vague answer. I wasn’t in the mood to eat right now.

As Dang So-yeol smiled and chatted about her day, I responded with half-hearted nods.

“You’ll have to get up early tomorrow, so you should rest soon.”

“Right, you’re right.”

Yeah, I’ll need to head out early tomorrow.

Damn Shinryongwan.

Thinking about it soured my mood instantly. I tried to keep a straight face, but Dang So-yeol asked another question in the meantime.

“Gongja-nim.”

“Yeah?”

“Did something good happen to you?”

“Out of the blue?”

“Yes… You seem like you’re in a good mood.”

“...Hm.”

Something good, huh?

“I’ve missed you.”

Was it because of those words I had heard earlier?

I suppressed the smile that was threatening to creep up on my lips.

“It’s something like that.”

My tone came out more curt than usual, probably to hide the truth.

Dang So-yeol tilted her head in confusion but didn’t ask any more questions.

As I made my way upstairs to my room, I thought about something else.

‘Where has she gone?’

Moyong Hia hadn’t been around for the past few days.

She often disappeared when she had business to take care of, so she’d probably show up again on her own.

She should return before the heat dies down.

Click.

“Huh?”

When I opened the door to my room, the candle inside was already lit.

I figured one of the attendants had left it burning, and I unconsciously stepped forward.

That’s when I noticed someone sitting on my bed.

“…You scared me…”

I flinched and took a step back, trying to figure out who it was.

Of course, it was none other than Namgung Bia.

“What are you doing here? You startled me.”

“You didn’t come back...”

“What does that have to do with you lying on my bed?”

I couldn’t help but let out a baffled remark.

Namgung Bia finally shifted and sat up.

Judging by her hair, she must have been lying down for a while.

Maybe she had even taken a nap.

“Did you eat?”

“…Yes.”

“Good.”

I lazily tossed my outer clothes aside.

I was about to change into something more comfortable when...

“Why aren’t you leaving? I need to change.”

“...”

For some reason, Namgung Bia didn’t leave. She just sat on the bed, looking up at me.

In the dim room, with only a single candle burning, her blue eyes seemed to glow more brightly than usual.

I couldn’t figure out why, but she seemed to have something on her mind.

Finally, Namgung Bia opened her pink lips and asked me:

“…Did you meet her?”

“…!”

Her question caught me so off guard that I couldn’t hide my surprise.

She was asking if I met someone.

There was no need to think about who she meant.

Namgung Bia’s gaze told me everything.

She had realized that I had met Wi Seol-ah.

‘How did she know?’

Namgung Bia hadn’t left the inn, so how could she have known I had met Wi Seol-ah?

It was both surprising and puzzling, but now wasn’t the time to ask.

She was waiting for an answer.

I looked into her eyes and responded.

“…Yes. I met her.”

I didn’t lie.

I didn’t want to lie to Namgung Bia about something like this.

Namgung Bia didn’t say anything in response, but she kept looking at me with those same unreadable eyes.

What was she thinking?

What kind of emotions were behind that gaze?

Blink.

She closed her eyes briefly and then turned her gaze away.

With a slightly tired expression, she pulled the blanket around herself and lay back down.

“Why did you come back alone…?”

Her quiet question from beneath the blanket made me think of what Wi Seol-ah had said to me.

“I’ll come see you again later.” “Aren’t you going with me?” “No.”

Her answer had been firm, despite the fact that we had finally seen each other’s faces.

“It made me really happy to see you today.” “...” “See you tomorrow... Gongja-nim.”

Wi Seol-ah had spoken with a gentle smile, tucking her hair back as it was blown by the winter wind.

‘Tomorrow, huh.’

She had told me we’d see each other again tomorrow.

Which meant...

Wi Seol-ah was also going to Shinryongwan.

‘Nothing has changed.’

It had been nice to see her again, but...

Not everything felt good.

Even though my regression had caused several events to change, and I had learned things I hadn’t known before...

Some things, like Wi Seol-ah’s path, hadn’t changed much at all.

‘Can I change it?’

Or, could I handle it if I did change it?

The same old uneasiness gnawed at me.

But turning back was no longer an option.

It wasn’t a question of whether I could do it.

I had to do it.

Namgung Bia watched me as I wrestled with my thoughts.

Then, without a word, she turned her head away.

She had spent time with Wi Seol-ah, so it made sense for her to be curious about how things had gone.

But looking at my face, she must have decided not to ask any further.

‘They’re all so sharp.’

Dang So-yeol was the same, as was Namgung Bia—and even Moyong Hia.

They all seemed to know when something was off with me, as if by instinct.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as perceptive.

It was both burdensome and...

At the same time, I felt grateful and guilty.

Watching Namgung Bia’s back, I slowly spoke up.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“Why are you trying to sneakily sleep here?”

“...”

“Get up.”

Click.

I heard her click her tongue softly.

She sat up with a look of mild annoyance on her face.

Judging by her expression, it seemed she had hoped to get away with it unnoticed.

________________

 

The largest room on the top floor boasted an unusually spacious interior. A young man sat by the veranda, watching the people below as he took a sip of his drink.

It was Yi-Hwa Cheongju, a fine and expensive liquor, available only in Hanam. If anyone had heard the price, they might have been shocked, but the young man didn’t seem to care. He continued to drink without a second thought.

The people walking in the streets below were enough to serve as a snack for his eyes.

One cup after another, he drank until the bottle was halfway empty.

“Brother!”

The door burst open, and an uninvited guest entered. The young man sighed inwardly.

He had hoped for a bit of rest today.

With a bored gaze, he looked at the woman who had barged in, and she asked him the same question she had asked yesterday.

“Are you really a disciple of the Elder?”

“…Ha. This is the fourth time you’ve asked.”

He had answered her every day, yet she still came to ask again, making it troublesome in many ways.

To be precise, it was just annoying.

“I keep asking because I can’t believe it.”

“I already told you—I am.”

The young man, Bi Yijin, replied with a slight frown. Finally, the woman fell silent, though she pouted, clearly still dissatisfied.

Seeing this, Bi Yijin sighed once more.

‘What a bother.’

He should have mentioned it when she wasn’t around. That was his mistake.

“What’s bothering you so much?”

“It’s not that I’m upset. I’m just starting to understand why you’re so strong, even though you live so lazily.”

“When have I ever lived lazily…?”

He lived busier than anyone else, but since Bibi didn’t know about his situation, it probably seemed that way to her.

‘Tsk.’

Not that he could explain it to her. This time, he would just stay silent.

“So, when did you meet the Elder?”

“…Just by chance.”

“Are you telling me someone could just randomly meet one of the Three Sages?”

“Sometimes, life is like that.”

“Anyone who heard you would think you’ve lived over seventy years. You’re only twenty.”

“…”

Twenty, my foot.

He had lived at least three times that, if not more.

Bi Yijin laughed bitterly to himself. He hadn’t expected his life to turn out like this.

Regret. That’s what it was.

Regret for what he should never have done.

“But at least I’m relieved.”

“What about?”

“There were rumors going around, right? That Elder Bi had taken on a disciple.”

“Ah.”

So that’s what she was talking about. He had laughed when he heard that rumor.

“Honestly, it was a bit worrying.”

“What was?”

“If Elder Bi had taken on someone from another family as his disciple instead of you or Brother Cheol, it would have been a bit upsetting.”

The “Cheol” she referred to was the eldest son of the current Bi clan head.

Hearing Bibi’s words, Bi Yijin smiled faintly.

Her words might have been thoughtless, but it showed she cared for her brother in some way.

However...

‘There’s no way that fool could be taken on as a disciple.’

Bi Cheol was, in Bi Yijin’s eyes, an incompetent fool.

He had the same hot temper as their father, which was troublesome enough.

While he did have some talent for martial arts thanks to their shared bloodline, it wasn’t nearly enough to meet the standard.

Though Bi Yijin had tried hard to discipline him and shape him into a proper person since they were young, when it came to martial arts, he didn’t want to be involved.

‘If I hadn’t ended up in this situation, I wouldn’t have cared at all.’

He never had any intention of inheriting the Bi clan or forming ties with them.

Bi Yijin—no, Bi Ju—had only cared about pursuing and perfecting his martial arts.

If the current clan head hadn’t begged him to stay, even kneeling down, Bi Yijin wouldn’t have remained in this situation.

Moreover...

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re still ugly.”

“…Have you ever been hit with a bottle before?”

“I’ve hit plenty of people with them.”

“Well, maybe it’s time for you to experience it.”

If it weren’t for this brat...

Bi Yijin would have dropped everything and left, clan head’s request be damned.

Bibi tried to swing a bottle at him, but Bi Yijin easily restrained her with a simple movement, pinning her arms. Even while restrained, Bibi kept talking.

“If you’re really the Elder’s disciple, then does that mean the rumors about Gu So-hyup aren’t true?”

Clink.

As he opened another bottle, Bi Yijin’s expression changed slightly at her words.

“Who knows.”

“Huh?”

“It’s possible I’m not the only one.”

“What do you mean? You said you’re his disciple.”

“Do you really think there’s only one disciple in the world?”

Heh heh.

Bi Yijin chuckled.

Bibi, frustrated by his cryptic response, didn’t get an explanation. Bi Yijin had no intention of clarifying things for her.

Watching her get all worked up was amusing, so he decided to let her stew for a while longer.

At the same time, Bi Yijin thought back to the boy Bibi had mentioned.

‘So, Gu Ryun is that protective of him.’

The boy they had encountered at the inn.

His old friend and rival had taken a liking to him, treating him almost like a beloved grandson.

The boy had a face that was the spitting image of his father’s.

And it wasn’t just his face that was similar.

‘They say blood doesn’t lie.’

When Bi Yijin first saw Gu Yangcheon, he had been impressed.

The boy’s physique was remarkably well-trained, his muscles perfectly honed for martial arts.

And the energy he carried was so deep that even Bi Yijin couldn’t fully comprehend it.

For a moment, Bi Yijin wondered if the boy had gone through the same ordeal as himself.

Rejuvenation.

A wretched curse that forces you to throw away everything you’ve achieved, just to buy more time.

Bi Yijin had briefly suspected that Gu Yangcheon might have experienced it as well.

‘But if he had, there’s no way he could have such a body.’

When one undergoes rejuvenation, the meridians weaken, and the body becomes frail.

Bi Yijin himself had gone through hell just to restore his body to a normal state.

But Gu Yangcheon was different.

Despite his young age, his body was already perfectly suited for martial arts.

His small frame might limit his range in combat, but even so, his control over his body was flawless.

There were only two possible explanations for how a boy that young could have such a body.

One: a martial artist who had surpassed the pinnacle of martial arts had returned to their younger self and trained relentlessly.

The second possibility was...

‘He’s an extreme talent.’

Since the first option was impossible without someone returning from the past, the only plausible answer was the second one.

‘He’s a prodigy.’

It was clear that Gu Yangcheon’s abilities had far surpassed the pinnacle of martial arts.

His body, his control over his energy, and his intuitive understanding of how to handle future challenges...

It was as if he had already experienced reaching the heights of martial arts.

‘Even I had a hard time sensing it.’

Gu Yangcheon’s energy was so well-contained that even Bi Ju, known as “Paejon,” had to observe him for several days before he could fully grasp its depth.

Though he hadn’t yet reached the age of twenty, Gu Yangcheon was already preparing to reach the pinnacle.

Bi Ju had reached the peak just after turning twenty.

Compared to the other two martial artists who had reached the pinnacle even younger, Gu Yangcheon was far beyond their level.

If his growth continued as it was...

He was destined to become one of the Three Sages.

‘Possibly even better.’

That’s why Paejon had been watching him closely.

If things went well, it was possible.

Bi Yijin smiled as he looked out the window.

At first, he had just been curious to see what kind of boy Gu Ryun had been boasting about.

He had even mocked Gu Ryun’s attempts to push him toward teaching the boy.

The second time, he had wanted to see for himself what kind of prodigy could have stirred up rumors that he was Paejon’s disciple.

But Bi Yijin hadn’t been angry about those rumors.

More than anyone, he wanted to take on a disciple.

However, if some talentless fool had started claiming to be his disciple...

‘He’d have been broken in half.’

He would have harshly put them in their place.

But the boy, Gu Yangcheon, wasn’t bad.

In fact, he was impressive.

‘I’ve found him.’

The moment he had been waiting for.

A prodigy with a body and energy control that could match his own.

The very person Bi Ju had been searching for all these years.

That’s why Bi Yijin had extended his hand to Gu Yangcheon.

‘But why did he make that face?’

Bi Yijin wondered.

When he had offered his hand, Gu Yangcheon had been oddly wary.

He had been on edge, as if expecting a sudden attack, and had subtly kept track of the positions of everyone around him.

It seemed like he had been preparing for the worst, even planning how to minimize collateral damage if a fight broke out.

But the question was...

‘Why?’

That part remained a mystery.

‘Did he know who I was?’

If he did, that would explain it, but it seemed unlikely.

Unless Gu Ryun had blabbed about him—which was doubtful, considering that crazy man wasn’t the type to spread his friend’s secrets.

So, what had Gu Yangcheon seen in him to make him so cautious?

Was it simply instinct?

‘If that’s the case, then all the better.’

A martial artist’s instincts should always be sharp and ready.

‘Good.’

Paejon took another sip of his drink.

The more he saw, the more satisfied he became.

Maybe, just maybe...

‘…I might be able to complete it.’

Gu Yangcheon might be the one to help him achieve the final stage of his martial arts.

With that thought, the drink went down smoothly.

As Bi Yijin continued sipping, Bibi approached, pointing toward something in the distance.

“Hey, Brother. Over there…”

The direction she was pointing in was one Bi Yijin had already been paying attention to.

“Brother, that’s them, right?”

At her question, Bi Yijin nodded.

‘It’s the forces of Nakgeom.’

Through the evening crowd, a group of people was making their way through the streets.

It seemed that with the important day approaching tomorrow, the people who were meant to gather were starting to appear, filling the streets.

‘Hmm...’

Among them was a man wearing white martial robes with dark patterns, indicating his affiliation with the Jang family, led by Nakgeom Jangcheon, the current leader of the alliance.

‘I wonder how the relic is doing.’

The relic he had borrowed from the Martial Alliance.

He had intended to return it during the Yongbongjihoe event, but in the end, he had forgotten to do so.

He had even left a note with an excuse.

Later, Gu Ryun had promised to deliver it personally.

‘I’m sure he took care of it.’

Bi Yijin let the thought fade away.

“Then, is that the Sacred Son up front?”

At Bibi’s question, Bi Yijin glanced over.

Walking at the front of the group was a handsome young man.

“He’s handsome…?”

Bibi muttered as she stared at the young man.

He was indeed good-looking. His face was gentle, with sharp, delicate features—a picture-perfect nobleman.

“That must be the Sacred Son.”

The Sacred Son was a rising martial artist, the son of the alliance leader.

“He really is handsome…”

Bibi was so captivated by the Sacred Son’s appearance that she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

‘Is someone that good-looking also good at martial arts?’

He’s perfect… just perfect.

Bibi nodded in admiration.

Meanwhile, Bi Yijin couldn’t care less about the Sacred Son.

While he might be exceptional, there wasn’t anything that stood out.

‘Hmm.’

In fact...

What caught Bi Yijin’s attention wasn’t the Sacred Son but the person walking right behind him.

She was wearing a pi-poongui that covered her from head to toe, but from the outline of her body, it was clear she was a woman.

Judging by the sword at her waist, she was a swordswoman.

And...

‘Interesting...’

There was a faint but familiar aura emanating from her.

It was unmistakable.

The same aura that had once floored him time and time again.

A sword that had sliced through the moon and the sky.

Just by sensing it, he was reminded of an old man who stood alone atop the sharp edge of a sword, earning the title of one of the Three Sages.

Paejon smiled deeply as he thought about it.

The aura surrounding the woman was unmistakable.

‘That old man...’

The owner of the Moonlight Sword.

‘He’s raised a monster.’

It was the aura of the Sword Master, Wi Hyo-gun.