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Chapter 256: The Letter I Received

As I recalled the Pejon Bi Ju, I realized I didn’t know much about him.

In the first place, Bi Ju had been a figure who had hidden himself, living without revealing his presence due to the aftermath of the Rejuvenation Technique. If it weren’t for the Heavenly Demon causing the Blood Calamity at that time, he likely wouldn’t have shown himself at all. It was strange that I knew so little.

‘But then again…’

I couldn’t say I didn’t know anything at all.

I had crossed paths with him a few times in battle.

In fact, I had gone up against Bi Ju personally.

If I were to share my thoughts about him, it would be:

‘A monster…’

Thinking back, that was the moment I understood why he was called the strongest in the martial arts world.

A monster.

If I had to find a person to fit that description, it would surely be Bi Ju, wouldn’t it?

He was ridiculously terrifying.

Just seeing him was enough to make anyone shudder.

Those influenced by the Heavenly Demon and the demon beasts surged forth like a torrent, and yet, there stood a martial artist, calm and collected amidst the chaos.

Dressed in torn, tattered clothes that looked like rags, he held nothing in his hands.

In fact, he was all alone.

I later heard that those who clung to him were a nuisance, so it was easier for him to go alone.

Those words could not represent his character any clearer.

The martial artist remained serene as he beheld the calamity crashing down around him.

I have no idea what he was thinking as he watched.

Perhaps I’ll never know for the rest of my life.

He simply gazed ahead quietly,

clenching his fist.

It wasn’t a particular movement or technique.

He merely closed his fist.

Then he slightly bent his upper body and drew strength into his lower body.

It was as simple and basic a move as could be.

Except for how clean and unadorned it was, it was nothing special.

His gaze was unwavering.

Eventually, with a rebound, his calmly extended fist created a whisper of wind.

‘He created a hellscape.’

What had transpired?

I couldn’t see that moment clearly.

All I could grasp was that with just one short movement,

the world had turned upside down.

When I checked the situation,

amidst the mangled and torn corpses,

those pitch-black eyes were staring intently into mine.

-Now, it’s time to step back.

With those whispered words, I faced Bi Ju,

and if it hadn’t been for the Demon Sword Queen’s intervention hunting the righteous warriors elsewhere,

I would have died right there.

That was how strong he was.

Even with my weakened Blood Qi and physical body due to the aftermath of the Rejuvenation Technique,

Bi Ju was a true warrior, a strong one not at all undeserving of the title ‘Pejon.’

‘He was a madman.’

What sort of crazy person jumps alone into the midst of enemy troops, planning to kill them all?

Even more astonishing was that he succeeded so easily.

With a single step, he crushed the earth,

and with one outstretched fist, he made a massive hill disappear.

The very term ‘defeat’ seemed ill-suited for him—a figure who embodied the essence of a monster.

That was my impression of Bi Ju.

No matter how much the forces of the Heavenly Demon and mine were absent,

the presence of Pejon, hidden from sight, was confirmed once more that day.

And now, that person…

‘Is saying he’s coming to see me?’

Directly?

Dragging his feet along?

Ha ha.

‘I’m screwed.’

I’m really screwed.

How did it end up like this?

‘How did it end up like this, you ask?’

I already knew the cause.

It had to be the person who gave me this letter.

Crunch.

I bit down on my teeth and moved forward.

I had planned to visit Nangong Bi-ah first and then meet with my father, but now was not the time to be concerned about that.

In the thick forest behind the Gu Clan,

a large house could be seen at its center.

This was the first time entering this place in this life, although I had passed through it reluctantly in my previous life.

For a place where someone of noble lineage with an elder’s position lived, it was surprisingly small,

and there weren’t even any guards or attendants stationed.

This spoke volumes about what kind of character the resident had.

I hurriedly climbed the path past the small garden inside the residence,

and with heavy footsteps, I hurried to find a room where I sensed a presence.

Creek!

I threw the door open.

It was indeed a bit rude, but I couldn’t hold back this time.

“What’s with this letter…?!”

I was about to demand an explanation upon opening the door, but I was at a loss for words upon seeing another figure inside.

“Oh, Yangcheon, what has brought you here?”

Thud.

As he spoke, Elder Lee placed the stone he had been holding onto the board elegantly.

“…Ugh.”

I heard a groan from the other person across from him.

The problem was, who the groan belonged to.

‘Why is this person here again?’

I had been wondering where he had gone, and now he was playing baduk (Go) nonchalantly in Elder Lee’s residence.

The figure in question was the Hao Gate Master, who had been alongside Gu Hui Bi in the Black Night Palace prison.

I had locked him up right before departing for the front line,

and here I was, about to ask my father what had happened,

and now he was unexpectedly chilling in Elder Lee’s house playing baduk.

After a long groan, it seemed he had nothing further to contribute and said to Elder Lee,

“…Let me take a step back for just this once.”

His voice trembled slightly, resonating with a pitiful pleading tone.

Moreover, I could see the corners of Elder Lee’s mouth curling upwards at the mention.

He seemed quite pleased.

“If you wish for that, don’t we need to fulfill our promise?” Elder Lee’s response was heavy despite the contradiction in his cheerful demeanor.

Was there truly a need for such a serious tone just to concede a single game of baduk?

Even I, who had barged in to confront them, was momentarily taken aback by the atmosphere.

The elder also trembled in response.

What sort of promise could it be…

“I… can’t…”

‘…Huh?’

What was that?

Did I just hear something absurd?

Before I even had time to ponder it, Elder Lee shouted.

“Louder!”

“I… can’t play baduk better than Gu Ryoon!”

“Ha! Your voice is too small!”

“Ugh…! I! Can’t play baduk better than Yeom A-Gwon!”

Only when the Hao Gate Master yelled that out did Elder Lee’s expression indicate he was satisfied, nodding in approval.

“Good. Since I see your passion, I’ll grant you a move.”

“…That damned man, how dare he make me do this…! Just you wait!”

What is going on here…?

What the heck are these people doing…?

It felt like they didn’t care I was there at all.

The two elders resumed their game of baduk,

and only when I finally composed myself did I step in to cool down the feverish atmosphere around the board.

After hastily settling things down, I ended up sitting in Elder Lee’s room,

where he brought in some tea and sat across from me.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any snacks.”

“Why not just have your attendant fetch them?”

“With only time and this old body left, why should I bother?”

Elder Lee said it like it was no big deal, but given that the place, while not large, was somewhat too big for one person to manage alone…

“Ah.”

Just then, I spotted someone diligently sweeping the floor.

It was the Hao Gate Master, who had been playing baduk a moment ago.

“Hey! Be thorough with that sweeping!”

“This man…! Watch your words and look at your own strength! Do you think you could lend a hand?”

It was clear…

If I exaggerated, Elder Muk’s body was the size of Elder Lee’s arm, while his waist was only as thick as a finger.

There was no way he’d be of any help.

‘No. That’s not the issue here.’

Suddenly, I came to my senses and asked Elder Lee.

“Why is Elder Muk in your residence?”

“Hmm? Ah, Yangcheon, you may not have heard.”

“What do you mean by ‘other reasons’…?”

“Just that he asked me to take care of him because I was going to be Elder Lee.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was feeling lonely being by myself, and since this man had nowhere to go, I said I’d keep him around.”

“…You’re speaking as if you just brought home a dog?”

The demonic faction, known to rival even the best information networks, is led by the Hao Gate Master.

Both Elder Lee, who would bring him to his residence, and my father, who actually sent him, were bizarre.

The sight of Elder Muk quietly sweeping the yard was odd as well.

‘…This family takes the cake for craziness.’

The more I dug into it, the more I realized there wasn’t a single sane person in this place.

“No… that’s… unacceptable.”

There were dozens of issues I could bring up.

But considering I might feel suffocated by addressing each one, I decided to let it slide.

Elder Lee must have had his own thoughts to act that way.

That’s probably it…

“…More importantly, Elder, what is this?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“This letter.”

I was initially here to inquire about the letter sent by Bi Ju.

It had been my main reason for coming in the first place.

“What about it?”

“What do you mean…?”

What’s the deal with this old man?

Elder Lee tilted his head as if to ask what was the problem.

Seeing that response made me wonder if it wasn’t a big deal after all.

“This… isn’t it a letter sent by Bi Ju?”

As I spoke, Elder Lee took the letter in his hands.

“Oh, this?”

“Isn’t it?”

“Right.”

Ha ha.

He acknowledged it, just like that.

Noticing my expression, Elder Lee continued,

“What are you worrying about? He just said he wants to come see your face.”

“…Isn’t it more strange not to worry?”

“What is there to worry about?”

“If Pejon is coming to see me, is there really no problem?”

“What problem could there be…”

As he was speaking, Elder Lee suddenly sealed his lips and subtly averted his gaze.

“Elder, why are you avoiding eye contact?”

“Is there dust in my eyes?”

“Why are you dodging my questions?”

This old man…!

As I stayed relentless, Elder Lee stepped back slightly, continuing.

“Anyway, Yangcheon, you worry too much; everyone else is desperate to see him, to learn from him.”

As Elder Lee said,

the position of the Three Eminent Beings in the current Central Plains was one of overwhelming dignity.

They were martial artists who had risen to the highest levels achievable through human flesh and talent.

The Three Beings represented the martial world of the present Central Plains.

Individuals capable of tearing apart even a massive faction with just their own strength.

Of course, that wouldn’t be of any help to me.

“How on earth do you know such a person, Elder?”

“Well, as life goes, I’ve broadened my contacts a bit.”

From Hwasan’s Sect Leader to the Hao Gate Master,

and even Pejon himself.

I was baffled by how this old man had formed such connections.

‘Was that flippant remark about having had some fun back in the day for real?’

What in the world could he have done to establish such a network?

“Don’t worry; he wouldn’t come right away. He was probably just speaking casually. Hehe!”

It was clear that the situation wouldn’t allow him to come right away.

Pejon didn’t want to reveal himself at all.

However, Pejon was a man of his word, keeping every promise he made.

At least, that’s how I understood it.

The only word he had failed to keep, according to my memory, was:

‘I will kill the Heavenly Demon.’

Aside from that one, he had kept every one of his spoken promises.

So if he said he was coming to see my face,

‘…It means he’ll come to see me eventually.’

Although I doubted it would be just for a casual visit,

I had a stronger feeling it wouldn’t be something so simple.

In reality, my bad premonitions had never been wrong.

It felt almost miraculously unfortunate.

“Ever since I got involved with Elder Lee… nothing ever goes right.”

“Look here… You’ve been grown and nurtured by me, so don’t speak freely to your elder!”

“When have you ever helped me? You’ve only bothered me until I had to relieve myself.”

Whoosh!

A fist flew toward my crown suddenly.

Had I not dodged in time, I would have been rocked back like earlier.

“Again! You always throw the first punch, truly a malicious heart!”

“If you were bigger, you should’d soften your words; all you do is get even quicker!”

As Elder Lee rose, trying to move as he pleased,

I quickly pulled back.

I was in no mood to get hit again after coming here to seek answers.

“Hmph! After all I’ve done, and you still don’t understand gratitude.”

“If it had to be like this, you should’ve left me alone…!”

“Given your reaction, it seems you haven’t seen much else.”

“Excuse me?”

“It seems you haven’t noticed what else was handed to you.”

“What do you mean?”

I paused my voice at Elder Lee’s words and expressed doubt.

What else?

‘Come to think of it, there were two letters.’

The letter Elder Lee gave me wasn’t the only one.

Lost in thought regarding the first letter, I had completely missed the second.

‘What else could it be?’

Carefully, I folded Pejon’s letter and tucked it away.

Frankly, I wanted to burn it, but doing so while irritated might lead to real trouble later.

Following Elder Lee’s mention, I pulled out the second letter, worry washing over as I unfolded it, fearing it might have some strange content.

Cue… Huh?

As soon as I unfolded it, a sound escaped from within.

-To the Young Master.

With the words written in still awkward handwriting, I felt an instant wave of exhaustion wash over me.

The second letter was none other than a letter sent by Wi Seol-Ah.

 

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