It was a dark, quiet hour with the moon high in the sky.
Everyone at the Divine Dragon Hall (Shinryongwan) should have been asleep by now.

If anyone were to be caught wandering outside their lodgings at this hour, the consequences wouldn’t be favorable.

Especially since trainees were taking turns standing guard, and the instructors frequently patrolled the area.

So, what’s he doing here?

“Why are you here?” I asked, baffled.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why.

Why is Jaeryong U-hyeok here, of all places, and at this time?

And more importantly—

‘How did I not notice?’

It made sense that I didn’t notice Wi Seol-ah since she always had an unusual presence.
And maybe even Cheon Haewol’s presence could be missed, given his level of skill.

But—

‘To not even sense Jaeryong U-hyeok’s presence?’

There must be something in this area dampening our senses significantly.
But setting that aside for now—

“What are you doing here, in the middle of the night?”

Jaeryong U-hyeok tilted his head at my question.
He wasn’t saying anything, but—

I could tell exactly what he was thinking from the expression on his face.

“…Why am I here?”
“Oh, I was wondering if you'd ask. Thanks for speaking up for me,” he said, smiling.

It was an oddly refreshing smile for this time of night.

Seeing the face of this handsome guy in the dead of night only made me feel more annoyed.

“I was curious where you were sneaking off to at this hour, so I followed you. What exactly are you doing here?”

Jaeryong said, glancing around as if surveying the area.

My eyes widened in disbelief.
Followed me?

“From where?”
“Hm? From the moment I saw you out the window.”

He saw me from the window of the dormitory?

‘That’s impossible.’

I’m not some fool.
I had memorized the routes here over the past few days.

I hadn’t been moving carelessly enough for someone at his level to notice me, either.
I had killed my presence, considering the possibility of running into others.

Unless I approached someone on the level of Cheon Haewol or Cheon Hu, there should’ve been no way for him to notice me.

“You saw me?”
“To be precise, I didn’t see you—I heard you.”

I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
Heard me?

“What do you mean by that? Speak plainly, would you?”

Scratching his cheek, Jaeryong seemed lost for words.

‘But the important thing is…’

It wasn’t just that I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
It wasn’t even that I couldn’t sense him.

What mattered was that Jaeryong had come all the way here.

‘What do I do?’

For now, it doesn’t matter.
He hasn’t noticed the formation yet.

‘I should head back.’

Time was already running out.
If Jaeryong saw what I was doing here—

I didn’t have time to deal with the formation and him.

And I couldn’t just deal with him, either.

‘…Another chance will come.’

I had been too hasty.
For now, I had no choice but to retreat.

‘I’ve realized I can’t handle the formation alone. Next time…’

I might have to bring Wi Seol-ah along to help.
As much as I feel bad for Cheon Hu, I’ll have to ask her for help again.

If that doesn’t work, I’ll have to find another way.
With that thought, I got to my feet and looked at Jaeryong.

“…I was just out for a walk.”
“That’s a pretty weak excuse.”

As expected, he didn’t seem to believe me at all.
I wouldn’t have believed it either.

Jaeryong chuckled softly, scanning the area briefly.

Is this the right moment? Should I knock him out and make a run for it?

That seems doable.
If I knock him out, I can just carry him back to his room.
Yeah, that could work.

Just as I was about to move—

“It’s so quiet,” Jaeryong murmured, stopping me in my tracks.

“What?”

“I thought it was my imagination, but it doesn’t seem like it.”

Of course, it’s quiet—it’s nighttime.
Is he delirious from sleep?

“It’s so quiet around you. It’s strange.”
“You’re speaking nonsense. It’s nighttime. Of course, it’s quiet.”

I had put up a barrier to ensure no one would hear what I was doing.
It had to be quiet. If it wasn’t, that would have been a problem.

Despite my gruff response, Jaeryong just smiled.

He seemed to be enjoying himself somehow.

“I’ll believe that you were just out for a walk.”
“…I’m serious. I was just out for a walk.”
“Sure you were.”

The way he generously claimed to believe me was irritating.
What should I do? Should I punch him?

Would one punch be enough to knock him out?
If I miscalculate my strength, it could be a big problem.

And why does he act so familiar with me?
Sure, I have memories of my past life, but to him, I’m a complete stranger.

Besides, it had taken a while for us to get close in my past life, so why was this so different now?

Did he eat some poppy flowers or something? Why is he acting like this?

‘This isn’t the time for this.’

For now, I needed to return to the dormitory.
I could explain things to Cheon Hu later.

“I’ve seen all I need to see. I should head back now.”

Just as I was about to drag Jaeryong back before Cheon Haewol arrived, Jaeryong spoke as he passed me.

“This is the problem you were dealing with?”

“Yeah, so let’s head back…. Wait, what?”

He gestured at the air as he spoke to me.

“…!”

The moment I saw where he pointed, I gasped.

“You…!”

Just like Wi Seol-ah had shown me before, Jaeryong was making ripples in the air.
So naturally, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Seeing it, I widened my eyes and asked.

“You can see that?”

“No.”

Jaeryong answered immediately.
He couldn’t see it.

Then what was this situation I was seeing now?

Before I could process it, Jaeryong gave another answer.

“But I can hear it.”
“…Hear it?”
“The flow. Even though the noise disappears when you're nearby, I can hear things like this clearly.”

Despite his words, he sounded amused.

His words brought back memories of my past life.

—I can cut through anything if I can hear it.

I recalled Jaeryong cutting through formations with his sword, saying something similar in the past.

Yeah, it had been like that back then, too.

Namgoong Bia had been the same.

‘Is it a difference in senses I don’t possess?’

I wondered.
It didn’t seem like something that could be explained by just calling them geniuses.
It felt like they operated on a different plane entirely.

As I pondered that, Jaeryong, who had been gesturing at the air, seemed to find something, and his hand stopped.

With a smooth motion, he reached his hand into the ripple.

To my amazement, his hand disappeared into the flow as if it had passed through a wall.

“Even though it was by chance, I’ve learned one of your secrets. So, I’ll share one of mine with you.”

As the situation unfolded, Jaeryong continued to smile.

Looking at his face, I suddenly heard a crack—

Kraaaak!

A shattering sound echoed from the air, and at the same time—

Crackling!

From where Jaeryong’s arm had entered the ripple, a transparent crack began spreading, like a web of light.

It didn’t spread far.

The crack slowly expanded, forming a distinct outline—

It formed the shape of a door.

One large enough for a person to walk through.

And then—

Clink!

A sharp sound rang out as the crack shattered into fragments that quickly vanished into the wind.

What remained was—

A door.

A door leading somewhere.

“…Uh…”

I stood there, dumbfounded, staring at it.

Jaeryong dusted off his hands and spoke to me.

“Now we each have one of the other’s secrets, don’t we?”

The bright smile on his face was unnervingly uncomfortable.

“It looks like we’ll be getting even closer from now on.”

His casual remark made me flinch.

“…Why are you saying it like that? It sounds gross.”
“…Gross?”

Jaeryong seemed to ponder the meaning of my words, then suddenly clapped his hands as if he had an epiphany.

“Oh, sorry, but I’m engaged. I appreciate your feelings, but….”
“What the hell are you saying, you lunatic? Why are you apologizing?”

I’ve got a fiancée too, you bastard….

I hadn’t said anything, so why did it feel like I was getting dumped?
And by a guy, no less.

‘Wait. Fiancée?’

I had blurted out something in anger, but there was a strange detail in the middle of that conversation.

Jaeryong has a fiancée?

‘Was he engaged?’

I didn’t remember that.
There had never been any mention of that in my past life, and besides—

‘He’s a Taoist, right?’

Could a Taoist even get married?
Sure, some could, but—

If he’s from Wudang, isn’t that forbidden?

As all sorts of thoughts raced through my mind, Jaeryong called out to me, snapping me back to reality.

“Aren’t you going to go in?”

Looking at the door that had appeared in the air, Jaeryong asked, and I answered, exasperated.

“…Why would you go in there?”

“I opened it, didn’t I?”
“…”

I had no choice but to shut my mouth.
It was hard to argue with that logic.

   
   ******************
   
   

The late-night sky was silent and dim.
Standing still on a vast plain, the woman recalled the voice of a young man she had once heard.

“Would you care to make a deal with me?”

She had been puzzled by his confident smile when he made that offer.

“What kind of deal?” she had asked.

“Well, I’m not sure how you know, Lady Cheon Hu, but it seems we share a common goal.”

The young man, her disciple’s brother and the one who had saved her life, spoke with unwavering certainty.

Cheon Hu, the woman, had to suppress her surprise.
He spoke with such confidence, as if he knew exactly what she wanted.

Did he really understand what she was after?
Though she was skeptical, part of her wondered.

‘How does he know about that?’

It was a mystery she couldn’t dismiss.

Somewhere in this place lay traces of the past—
A place left behind by those who came before.

The treasures of Shin Cheol, the Hero of Mount Hwasan and one of the five heroes who had stopped the Blood War, were said to be hidden here.

Shin Cheol was a revered figure, second only to the Plum Blossom Sword, someone Cheon Hu deeply respected.

‘I must find it.’

Cheon Hu had never been the type to be interested in treasures or relics.
She had always taught her disciples to disregard the lost and scattered items, following her own beliefs.

Even she had no interest in such things—
Spending time practicing the sword or saving those in danger had always been her priority.

But—

“The Plum Blossom Stone.”
“Find it.”
“If you do, you will find the clue you seek.”

It was said that the Plum Blossom Stone was hidden somewhere in Divine Dragon Hall (Shinryongwan).

Why such a precious item would be here, instead of in the archives of Mount Hwasan, was a mystery.

Still, Cheon Hu had to find it.
Even if she didn’t know if the information was reliable.

‘For Cheon Hee’s sake.’

If it involved her late friend, she would do anything.

And the one who had approached her, asking if they shared the same goal, was none other than—

Her friend’s son.

Could this all really be just a coincidence?

Unlike his sister, whom she had been able to care for, this boy had been left alone at the family estate, struggling to endure.

And yet, here he was, shining brighter and growing stronger than anyone, saying such things to her.

‘What does this boy know?’

She wanted to ask him.
What exactly do you know?

The difference between him and the other disciples was clear, even to Cheon Hu.

And yet, she refrained from asking.
It was because she knew that the boy himself didn’t want her to ask.

So, this time, too, she would not ask.

“Is this something you need my help with?”

Cheon Hu did not deny it.
The boy was already certain of himself.

And she believed she could trust him, at least for now.

It was a choice based on nothing but trust.

“Yes.”
“And what will I gain from this?”
“I’m sure you’ve come seeking something, and if your goal is at the place I seek, I’ll bring it to you.”

There was no need for cheap arguments—
No accusations of deceit or demands for proof.

She didn’t think such things were necessary between them.

“…What if what I need and what you need overlap?”

This was the most important question, as it was something she couldn’t compromise on.

At her words, Gu Yangcheon paused for a moment, then quickly gave his answer.

“It won’t come to that, but if it does, I’ll yield.”

“…”

His firm answer made Cheon Hu ponder for a moment before nodding.

“What do I need to do?”

She asked, and Gu Yangcheon explained.

That led to tonight.

In the cold, desolate wind, Cheon Hu waited quietly, focusing her breathing, waiting for her counterpart to arrive.

It wasn’t long before—

Woooong!

She sensed someone breaking through the thick barrier she had laid down.

“Cheon Hu.”

With an elderly voice, accompanied by the faint smell of the sea and a refreshing aura, someone approached her.

Sensing their presence, Cheon Hu immediately bowed.

“Greetings, Lord of the Hall.”

“You’ve summoned this old man in the dead of night. It must be something urgent.”

The one who had arrived was none other than Cheon Haewol, the Sword of the Azure Sea.

He had responded to her summons.

“…I know it was rude of me to call for you like this. I apologize once again.”

“It’s fine. As it happens, I had business with you, Lady Cheon Hu, so this is convenient.”

At Cheon Haewol’s words, Cheon Hu glanced up at him.

Business with her?

“You said you had business with me.”

“I was planning to visit you tomorrow, but it seems this meeting came about earlier, and for that, I’m glad.”

Was it about the matter of the Red Demonic Sect that had been mentioned before?

If that were the case, it would be fortunate for her as well.

Gu Yangcheon’s request had required her to lure Cheon Haewol away from the vicinity of the Hall Lord’s quarters, where the formation was located.

Thus, Cheon Hu had set up a strong barrier and waited for Cheon Haewol.

In this situation, not only had she called Cheon Haewol out, but she needed to keep him occupied for a while.

Yet, it seemed Cheon Haewol had his own matters to discuss, making things easier.

As Cheon Hu organized her thoughts, Cheon Haewol spoke again.

“I assume you already know.”

Cheon Haewol started the conversation, even before Cheon Hu could bring up her own topic.

“What are you referring to?”

It didn’t matter who started, so Cheon Hu responded to him.

“The son of that ‘person’ has entered the Hall.”

“…”

Cheon Haewol’s words caused Cheon Hu to momentarily lose control of her expression, her brow furrowing in reaction.

“I thought you, of all people, would know, given how much you cherished that child.”

“Is that… an issue?”
“Not at all. There’s no issue. After all, he’s just a child.”

Much time had passed.

Few people remained who still remembered her old friend, and even those would soon fade away.

“Do you still think of that child?”

“Of course.”

“I see.”

Cheon Hu’s answer caused a brief flicker of sorrow to pass across Cheon Haewol’s face before he spoke again.

“Then let me ask you something else.”

“…Yes?”

“Do the children know about their mother?”

“…”

As soon as Cheon Haewol raised the question, Cheon Hu’s expression shifted subtly, as though she didn’t understand what he was getting at.

Seeing her reaction, Cheon Haewol let out a quiet sigh and stroked his beard.

“I see my words were mistaken. It seems you’re not aware of this.”

“…Lord of the Hall, what exactly are you talking about?”

“Perhaps my age has made me looser with my tongue. This is indeed a comfortable conversation.”

“Lord!”

Cheon Hu raised her voice, cutting off Cheon Haewol’s rambling.
She knew it was improper to speak to him like this, but now was not the time for decorum.

And Cheon Haewol didn’t seem to mind her outburst either.

“This is a debt that must be paid because those incompetent fools failed to silence me.”

“…Lord of the Hall, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. What do you mean by ‘their true identity’?”

“Before that, let me say one more thing.”

The barrier that Cheon Hu had set up—

Woooong!

A much stronger force layered over it, thickening the barrier.
It was Cheon Haewol’s energy.

Cheon Hu was momentarily taken aback by the sudden surge of power.

Then, Cheon Haewol opened his mouth once again.

“Cheon Hee.”

Like a petal falling gently from the sky, softly and suddenly, the name descended.

Just as when Cheon Hee had first appeared before her—

“That child did not die.”

Once again, Cheon Hu’s world was shaken to its core.