“It’s been a while.”

Gu Ryun frowned at the Dark King as he offered his greeting.

“It’s been over a decade since I last saw your face.” “Looks like you’ve been doing well, Gu Ryun.” “Does this look like doing well to you?”

Gu Ryun pulled back his robe to reveal his chest, where a deep scar still remained—an old wound from his fight with the Lord of the Black Night Palace.

For a moment, silence filled the cave… until Paejon broke into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! Haha!” “You’re laughing at a man who’s been injured?” “Ahaha…!”

Paejon couldn’t contain his laughter, his eyes even tearing up.

“To think that Gu Ryun, of all people, would end up with a hole in his chest. How amusing.” “I just… let my guard down.” “You always used to say that only losers make excuses.” “…”

Had he really said that? He couldn’t remember, but it sounded like something he would say, so he chose to hold his tongue.

After Paejon had his fill of laughter, he turned to Gu Ryun.

“Who was your opponent?” “Why, are you planning to avenge me?” “Don’t be absurd. Do I look like I’d go to such trouble?” “Friendship must mean nothing to you.”

Gu Ryun’s words dripped with sarcasm, prompting Paejon to take a long drink, as if parched.

“Just how damaged is your body?” “…”

It was an unexpected question.

Slosh.

Gu Ryun said nothing, instead filling his cup with more alcohol.

“I’m fine. More or less.” “Right. Because a man with a hole in his chest is the picture of health.” “...” “You’re getting old, Gu Ryun.” “You can tell just by looking, can’t you?” “It’s not always that obvious.”

Paejon chuckled, and Gu Ryun let out a sigh.

“If you want, I can contact Sinui for you.” “I already met him.” “Huh? You did?”

Paejon looked surprised. Sinui was notoriously difficult to track down.

“Who do you think patched up my chest?” “…So it was that old coot, huh?”

Noticing the Dark King’s empty cup, Paejon poured him another drink, continuing the conversation.

“What did Sinui have to say?” “What is there to say? Aging has its costs.” “Does your family know about this?” “The family head probably does.”

Gu Ryun chuckled as if it were of little consequence.

“It’s not important. As long as I can eat and breathe, what more do I need?” “Oh, you’re quite the saint now. Hard to believe this is the same Gu Ryun from back in the day.” “You’re talking ancient history.”

Gu Ryun clicked his tongue as if to say, “Don’t bring that up.” Paejon just grinned.

“So it’s time that crumbles mountains, is it?” “Quit the nonsense and pour me another drink.”

With that, Paejon refilled his cup, and Gu Ryun downed it in one go.

“Are you making any progress?” “On what?” “That disciple you were looking for.” “Oh, that.” “Why bother? You could live out your days in peace.”

It was something that always frustrated Gu Ryun about Paejon. He could have lived quietly, doing as he pleased, but instead, he had to chase after the pinnacle of martial arts, even to the extent of reversing his own aging.

If he couldn’t achieve his goals, Paejon should have given up by now. Yet, here he was, still seeking a disciple, determined to reach the peak of his martial arts. Gu Ryun found it baffling.

“Paejon, are you still unaware of how hellish your martial arts are for others to learn?”

The very essence of Paejon’s techniques inflicted unbearable pain. How he crafted such a technique remained a mystery, even to Gu Ryun.

“Who in their right mind would endure that agony to learn your martial arts?” “Tsk, if they can’t handle that much, they won’t accomplish anything.” “Finding another lunatic like you in all the Central Plains would be a miracle.”

Gu Ryun conceded that while Paejon’s martial prowess was exceptional, the kind of resilience and endurance needed to learn it were almost impossible to find.

It wasn’t just about the extreme pain; even Paejon himself had yet to fully master the highest level of the Tuahpacheonmu technique. Finding someone with both the talent and tolerance for that kind of pain was like finding a needle in a haystack.

‘I wouldn’t want my precious Gu Yangcheon learning that nonsense.’

Gu Yangcheon had already learned the family’s secret arts, the Gu Flame Wheel Technique. The thought of Paejon teaching his grandson that sadistic technique was out of the question.

“You might want to give it up and look for another way…” “Well, as it happens, I’ve already found a disciple.” “…What?”

Gu Ryun’s eyes widened. Paejon had taken on a disciple?

“You? You actually have a disciple?” “Why are you so surprised?” “Who’s the lunatic that agreed to be your disciple?” “…Gu Ryun, you seem to misunderstand. I am quite an attractive mentor, you know.”

Paejon’s reputation as one of the Three Supremes and a pinnacle figure in martial arts was well known. But to Gu Ryun, it seemed more like he was inviting someone into a personal hell.

Paejon found Gu Ryun’s stunned expression amusing.

“Weren’t you expecting this outcome?” “What are you talking about? What did I do?”

Paejon seemed equally puzzled, feeling as though there was a miscommunication between them.

“Is it that…?” “Hold on.”

Paejon was about to ask something concerning Gu Yangcheon when Gu Ryun raised his hand to stop him.

“What is it?”

Paejon watched Gu Ryun’s expression, which had turned serious, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“…Where’s all the food?” “…!”

Paejon quickly glanced at the spread. Most of the food that Gu Ryun had brought was already gone.

“Hmm?”

The Dark King raised a questioning eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?” “What’s wrong, you gluttonous fool? Did you eat all of this by yourself? Where’s your sense of decency?” “Well, you should have eaten faster.”

The Dark King’s reply left Gu Ryun and Paejon looking incredulous.

“How is it that he never loses his appetite, no matter how old he gets?” “…My head aches. I went through all the trouble of carrying this food up here, and I didn’t even get a bite.”

Despite their grumbling, the Dark King continued to help himself to the remaining scraps.

“…Forget it. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen him do this.”

Gu Ryun sighed, taking another sip of his drink, and Paejon turned to the Dark King.

“Any progress on your end?”

The Dark King looked up at him.

“In these past years, have you found what you were looking for?”

Each of them had been pursuing different goals, taking separate paths toward their respective destinies. After a moment of contemplation, the Dark King responded in a calm voice.

“Not completely, but I believe I’ve found a path.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Paejon had a rough idea of what the Dark King sought.

“The one who attacked Hanan—what do you plan to do about him?”

Paejon was referring to the Black Dragon Sword incident.

“That one. Do you have a connection to him?” “I don’t know yet.” “Come on, you must have picked up on something if you’ve taken action.”

The Dark King didn’t answer directly, but his expression gave them a hint.

“Will you take him back to your base?” “If necessary.”

Paejon’s mention of the Dark King’s base was a reference to the Cheorya Assassination Corps’ headquarters.

“Do you think torture will work on him?” “We’ll find out.”

Paejon nodded, finding the answer reasonable. Usually, people talked under pressure.

They either talked, or they died. It was one or the other.

“Last I heard, he was locked up in the Murim Alliance’s prison.” “I’ll be taking him to Sichuan first.” “Sichuan…?”

Something clicked in Paejon’s mind. If he was planning to take the prisoner all the way to Sichuan, it could only mean one thing.

“You plan to involve the Tang Clan?”

The Tang Clan, rulers of Sichuan, were notorious for their darkness and cruelty, despite their public affiliation with the orthodox sects.

“It’ll take some time to reach Sichuan. Why not just take him back to your base directly?” “Impatience?”

The Paejon he knew wouldn’t have hesitated to take the prisoner back to his base without anyone noticing.

The Dark King nodded at Paejon’s assessment.

“That was the original plan.”

As expected, the Dark King had indeed considered it.

“But there’s no need. I have business in Sichuan, so I’ll take him there with me.” “Business? You have something to do in Sichuan?” “Yes.” “…You too?”

Paejon’s surprise made the Dark King tilt his head.

‘You too’ meant that Paejon also had business in Sichuan.

“So, you’re going as well?”

“I’ve got some things to take care of there.”

Strictly speaking, it was Gu Yangcheon’s business, but Paejon figured it was close enough.

“Do you think the Bi family head will allow this?” “And if he doesn’t?” “Good point.”

The Dark King nodded in agreement. After all, Paejon’s will tended to outweigh the nominal authority of the Bi family head.

‘The Dark King going to Sichuan…’

It remained to be seen if he’d accompany them, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing if he did.

‘There’s something I need him to do.’

He had a task for Gu Yangcheon too, which he could delegate to the Dark King.

Of course, Gu Yangcheon wouldn’t be thrilled about it.

At that moment, Gu Ryun, who had been munching on the last of the food, spoke up.

“That’s all fine and well, but…”

His words caught Paejon’s and the Dark King’s attention.

“…Why did you call me here just to have a conversation only the two of you understand?”

He sounded quite annoyed.

   ******************
   

As I entered the inner hall of the alliance and made my way to the assembly room, it was already crowded with people. Cheoljiseon, beside me, was trembling like he was caught in an earthquake. Understandably so—after all, the room was filled with formidable figures.

‘Where should I sit?’

I looked around, searching for a place to settle. Seats were arranged for the heads of the various merchant guilds, clan leaders, and representatives from different sects.

‘Maybe I’ll just take any open seat?’

Not wanting to go too deep into the room, I thought of grabbing any available chair nearby. At that moment, a familiar voice rang directly into my ear.

-Third son.

Startled, I turned towards the source of the voice. I saw a pair of piercing red eyes in the distance.

It was my father.

-Come over here. "…"

I was taken aback. He had taken a seat in what appeared to be the very front row.

How did he end up there? He usually avoided those kinds of seats.

“Yangcheon?”

Cheoljiseon noticed my hesitation and called out to me. After a brief moment of indecision, I dragged him along as I made my way over to my father. Besides him, I recognized several familiar faces, including one from the Namgung family head, Namgung Jin.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you.” “I hope you’ve been well.” “I’m always the same. You seem to be doing quite well. I’ve heard nothing but praise about you.”

I hadn’t expected Namgung Jin to refer to me as his son-in-law. My ears burned, but I resisted the urge to scratch them.

The mention of “son-in-law” elicited reactions from several people.

One of them…

‘Oh, wonderful.’

It was none other than the Lord of the White Heaven Sword. His gaze remained as sharp as ever, clearly still harboring resentment. It was understandable; some things are hard to forgive.

Another was the Poison King from earlier, who looked equally uncomfortable.

Did I do something wrong? I hadn’t offended this man, as far as I knew.

‘Though I suppose I’m used to getting blamed for no reason.’

Lastly…

‘So he’s here too.’

Peng Zhou, the father of Peng Woojin and Peng Ah-hee, was also present.

It made sense for the White Heaven Sword Lord to have an issue with me, but Peng Zhou’s reaction was also something to note.

Considering our history, it wasn’t surprising. After insulting his daughter and breaking off the engagement, it would be strange if he harbored no ill will.

In addition to these familiar faces, I recognized several other clan heads, most of whom held esteemed positions in the martial world. I carefully offered my greetings to them.

“…I greet the family heads as a member of the Gu family.” “I-I greet the family heads as a member of the Cheol family…”

Cheoljiseon followed my lead, bowing respectfully.

Afterward, I pulled out a chair and sat down.

Normally, the surrounding clan heads would have acknowledged my presence with a word or two. But for some reason, everyone was dead silent, as if their tongues were tied.

What was up with that? Was it because the assembly was about to begin?

It might have been that, but there seemed to be something else at play…

‘Are they…nervous?’

That thought crossed my mind. But no, surely these people wouldn’t be intimidated.

“…!”

The moment I sat down, I nearly jumped. My father was staring intently at me.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

I frantically tried to recall any recent transgressions.

‘There are too many to remember.’

I had caused so much trouble that I couldn’t pinpoint anything specific. Just as I felt like I might choke under the pressure, he finally spoke.

“Family head…” “Well done.” “Pardon?”

He said it so casually before turning away. I stared at him, unsure if I’d heard correctly, but he didn’t look back.

As the unexpected praise settled in, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Is he sick or something?’

The possibility that my father was terminally ill briefly crossed my mind. Probably not. In my previous life, I’d never seen him fall ill.

Of course, I didn’t dare to ask why he praised me. It was better to look away, even if it felt awkward.

Strangely enough…

‘…It’s infuriating.’

I found myself feeling oddly pleased. What was this, just a few words, and I was letting it get to me?

I tried to calm my racing heart, telling myself that I was far too old to be affected by such things.

“Yangcheon, what’s up?” “What?” “You were smiling all of a sudden…” “Shut up.” “Oh, okay.”

I silenced Cheoljiseon and focused on waiting. I had a feeling things would start soon.

Not just me; the whole room, which had been buzzing with quiet conversation, had gone completely silent.

Tap.

Footsteps echoed through the hall as the one who had been waiting walked onto the platform.

I didn’t need to look to know who it was. The man who stepped up was none other than Jang Cheon, the leader of the Murim Alliance, who had organized this assembly.

After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he began to speak.

-First of all.

His voice reverberated throughout the hall, amplified by an inner energy technique.

-This assembly was convened due to the incident in Hanan. As the leader of the alliance, I must first apologize.

He bowed his head, holding a scroll filled with what I assumed were prepared statements.

I watched calmly, knowing that while things were quiet now, chaos was bound to erupt soon.

It would be accusations, arguments, and endless debates about who did what wrong, who was at fault, who handled things properly, and who didn’t…

That was precisely why I hadn’t wanted to attend.

‘Why did they call me here?’

What purpose did they have in mind for inviting me, even going as far as stamping the alliance seal on the invitation? That was still a mystery.

Just then…

‘…What is that?’

I suddenly felt an unmistakable gaze fixed on me. It was so intense that I couldn’t ignore it.

Someone was watching me, and it wasn’t hard to determine where it was coming from.

The gaze emanated from behind the leader.

Among the alliance’s elite guards, someone was staring straight at me.

Using a bit of inner energy, I focused and quickly found the source.

“…!”

And when I did, my heart sank.

‘That bastard…’

The person staring directly at me was none other than Jang Seonyeon.

The one I had left to burn in Magyeong before I escaped to this world. The same one I had scoured everywhere for, leaving no trace behind.

Yet, here he was, standing behind the leader, smiling at me.

As I took in his smile, a strange feeling of discomfort washed over me. He was Jang Seonyeon, yet something felt off.

The instant I sensed the anomaly, I channeled my energy into my talisman.

I knew there were creatures that could disguise themselves, so I suspected this might be one of those cases.

‘…But it’s not.’

Surprisingly, there was nothing unusual about him. So why did I feel this way?

Then suddenly—

Hiss!

“…Ugh…?”

A sudden, searing heat spread through my right arm. It was coming from the area where my skin had changed.

I clutched my arm, struggling against the unexpected pain.

‘What’s happening?’

I gritted my teeth and looked back at Jang Seonyeon.

Seeing my pained expression, he looked equally surprised, as if he found it fascinating.

And, strangely, his eyes seemed to turn a deep shade of red.