---

After finishing my meeting with Cheonghae Ilgeom, I stepped outside, only to find that it was already evening.

There was still a little time before the scheduled meal.

Even if I had a brief moment to spare, it wasn’t like I had the luxury to train, so I was heading straight to the meeting spot.

‘If I get caught, that old man is going to be furious.’

If the Pejon found out a busy guy like me was skipping training, it would likely lead to a violent session disguised as training.

‘That guy really enjoys beating people up.’

It wasn’t just a misunderstanding.

I was starting to think that the Pejon’s enjoyment of beating was significant.

From what I could tell, my lack of sparring had undoubtedly built up frustrations due to the effects of the Rejuvenation Technique.

And unfortunately, he often took it out on me.

‘…Damn it, I need to get stronger quickly.’

If I don’t get strong enough to stand up for myself, I’ll keep getting beaten.

Even while thinking this, I couldn’t help but realize there was no answer to that.

‘What kind of absurd situation is it where the difference in realms is completely disregarded?’

Every time I witnessed it, I was in disbelief.

Once, I even foolishly made a bet, urging him to go all out, only to have my hopes brutally dashed.

‘Every path has been blocked.’

The reason I kept sparring only with my physical abilities and avoided bets wasn’t because the Pejon would be at a disadvantage.

It was just more beneficial for me.

The Pejon would cut off every attack he made, exploiting any opening to counter.

Clearly, the Pejon had reached the peak of physical mastery, yet I, having entered the Transformation Realm, couldn’t defeat him in battle.

As a result, I ended up getting beaten every time we sparred.

In this regard, the Pejon would unleash excessive attacks, highlighting my issues with lack of fist fighting skills and overly broad bets.

‘This is exactly what Shin Noya mentioned before.’

Honestly, I had no defense to offer regarding my lack of fist fighting skills.

I had only focused on the characteristics of fire techniques, which are wide area attacks with explosive firepower.

Even as part of the Martial Arts Category, I had no memory of being devoted to fist fighting.

Since I’ve recently fought with the Pejon, I have been realizing it more.

Unlike pushing forward based on experience, I was missing so much that it felt lacking.

‘…A bit more.’

No, not just a bit— I needed to put in a lot of effort.

Fortunately, my personality was thick-skinned, and with an exceptional teacher next to me, I felt somewhat better.

Both mine and my fist fighting skills.

As usual, I was trying to move while casting the Tua Pah Cheon Gong as much as possible.

This made walking quite painful, but the efficiency wasn’t bad.

Seeing my actions, the Pejon was horrified.

‘I never did that kind of thing,’ he’d say, looking at me like I was insane, yet he didn’t try to stop me, which meant it was probably okay to do.

Of course, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling from my perspective either.

Walking itself felt like walking on a thorny path.

Inside my body, it felt like someone was carving up my insides with a knife.

Having to endure that discomfort made me want to stop at any moment.

‘If I can’t withstand this, how will I move forward?’

It was ultimately just pain.

Not that it was a specific issue. As long as it was merely painful, I had no problems.

Except for the fact that sometimes I nearly faint from the pain.

Stumble.

While walking, my posture relaxed slightly.

‘…Ah, I nearly fainted just now.’

I shook my head a few times to regain focus.

Whenever I lost concentration, problems arose, but this was nothing new.

What mattered was that, while getting caught up in all these useless thoughts, I had actually arrived at the inn that the Poison King prepared for me.

Looking at the splendid and tall building before me, I thought.

‘Maybe I should have walked a bit slower…’

It wasn’t as far as I expected. Damn it.

Once I started having these random thoughts, time flew by too quickly.

‘Well…’

I should go, right? It wouldn’t do to turn back now, would it?

Just as hesitation began to rise, I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and stepped into the inn.

At that moment.

In an instant, an influx of countless information penetrated my Qi Perception.

Without showing any signs of panic, I sorted through it in my mind.

‘…Three to the left. Two above. Four in front.’

I could sense the energy of the martial artists surrounding the inn.

The sharp scent that brushed against my nose and their unique energy hinted that they were members of the Tang Clan.

‘Guards, huh.’

Though their gazes were clearly fixed on me, I didn’t feel any stabs of killing intent or aggression.

‘Though it’s a bit uncomfortable to be stared at.’

As I contemplated what to do, I utilized the Tua Pah Cheon Gong to draw Qi fully into me.

Hoooot-!

After getting used to it a few times, I realized I could do this.

It felt like my Qi was becoming more wild and fierce.

In an instant, my energy surged out from my body. I didn’t spread it all around—only to those watching me.

As a result, I could sense startled movements here and there.

The presence that had been concealed by my Qi broke down.

Could it be they didn’t expect to get caught? Did they realize I knew they were there by my movements?

Feeling that, I thought.

‘What to do.’

Should I toy with them a bit more?

Considering that I didn’t like being secretly watched, I was tempted to do it a little more.

But given it was the territory of the Tang Clan, I decided to leave it at that for now.

Once I retracted my Qi, the gazes of the onlookers seemed to lessen somewhat. I raised my head and gazed around.

Among the hidden ones, I looked at a person who seemed to be in charge and gave them a playful grin.

A masked man widened his eyes at my smile.

He was clearly startled, as I could feel the energy around him becoming disordered from here.

After glancing at that for a moment, I turned my gaze back and headed toward the inn. There was no need to linger.

As I entered the inn, the first thing that caught my eye was the ornate interior.

Inside was much cleaner and more luxurious than I had anticipated.

I’ve already checked out several inns, but this one, borrowed by the Tang Clan, felt the most splendid.

While I was casually surveying the surroundings, someone approached and offered me a bow.

“Thank you for coming.”

From their attire, it seemed they were likely a servant of the Tang Clan.

‘Huh?’

Upon confirming the servant’s identity, a strange aura emanated from them.

As I inspected this unusual feeling, I involuntarily laughed in disbelief.

‘Goodness.’

Even this lady, who appeared to be a servant, was actually a martial artist.

She hid it so well that if I hadn’t looked closely, I wouldn’t have noticed.

‘So the guy outside wasn’t the leader after all.’

In fact, this lady seemed even stronger.

“The Clan Leader is waiting for you inside. I will guide you.”

As she spoke to me and turned to show the way, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Can I ask you something?”

The lady paused and turned her head towards me.

“What is it?”

“Is it always like this?”

“…Huh?”

“Is the Tang Clan usually like this? You don’t seem like the kind of person who’d do servant work.”

“…!”

I cleverly turned the question around, asking why a martial artist was doing servant work, and the lady’s eyes widened in response.

Seeing that, I smirked like a snake.

“Oh, should I have pretended not to notice… ? Then I’ll act like I don’t know. Just guide me, please.”

The lady looked at me with slightly trembling eyes, offered no reply, and then resumed leading the way.

It seemed she really was trying to hide it.

After dealing with all those assassins in my past life, I’ve become quite adept at distinguishing them.

It felt like I could identify almost anyone unless they were an extraordinary assassin.

Putting that aside for now.

‘Wow, every single one is a martial artist. What’s going on?’

Not only the lady leading the way but also the Tang Clan servants around were all martial artists.

Those who should be in the inn were nowhere in sight, and only the members of the Tang Clan were present.

While it made sense since the inn was fully rented out.

‘All martial artists…’

I wondered if there was really a need for that.

‘Oh.’

Thinking back to the purpose of the Tang Clan’s visit, I vaguely started to understand.

‘Is it for the transportation of criminals?’

Since I had to head to Sichuan with a group of Demonic Faction members on the request of the Alliance, it seemed they brought a certain level of reinforcements.

If that weren’t the case, there wouldn’t be a significant reason to bring such level of forces here.

Feeling the subtle gazes all around me, I passed through the corridor and arrived at the grand entrance, where the servant carefully opened the door.

“Ah! You have arrived.”

As the door opened, a mild-mannered middle-aged man rose to greet me.

He was the owner of the Tang Clan, the Poison King, whom I had met previously.

Looking at him, I too hid my tense demeanor and offered him a greeting.

“I am Gu Yangcheong of the Gu Family’s Bloodline. It’s a pleasure to meet the Clan Leader of the Tang Clan.”

“Haha! How delightful. Gu Gongja, thank you for accepting the invitation.”

His cheerful voice welcoming me was notably different from that of the Clan Leaders I had encountered so far.

Yet, I didn’t let my guard down.

In my personal impression, of all the Clan Leaders from the Four Great Clans, I considered the Poison King the most dangerous.

And just as I expected, the Poison King subtly dusted off his demeanor and asked me.

“I heard there was a bit of discomfort on your journey.”

He was referring to the guards surrounding the inn and about the servant who had guided me just moments ago.

So he had indeed been listening. Or perhaps the servant had conveyed it.

Once I confirmed that smirk, I chuckled softly and replied to the Poison King.

“My apologies. Out of mere curiosity, I inadvertently behaved rudely.”

“Oh… No! Rude? Young as you are, that is nothing to concern yourself over. I don’t consider it a fault on your part.”

The Poison King dismissed it with a smile.

In that moment, I took stock of the room.

In the room, it was just me and the Poison King— Tang Soyeol was nowhere to be seen.

Did he notice my glance? The Poison King explained to me.

“My daughter is expected to arrive a bit late.”

“Oh, I see. Is something going on?”

“Hmm, not exactly. Actually, I didn’t inform her of the time until later.”

“Really?”

Surprised by his words, I questioned back.

The Poison King smiled in his characteristic way and said.

“There’s a conversation here that would be suitable for just the two of us.”

“…”

I felt a subtle tension creeping in from that statement.

It implied a deliberate maneuver to create a moment for just us, which raised a lot of questions.

What is he trying to do, I wondered?

“If it does not suit your mind, I can call my daughter at any moment.”

“No, it’s all right.”

Though he offered to call her back if I was unhappy, how many would dare say they despised such a situation as may come to mind?

No… Normally, I might have snapped back however, the opponent was not just any martial artist called the Poison King; he was Tang Soyeol’s father.

That subtle but significant difference was pressuring me to keep my mouth shut.

I sensed the Poison King seemed to find my answer satisfying as he smiled.

“Seeing as you’re hungry, it would be wise to start with a meal.”

“…Ah, yes.”

The dishes laid out on the table looked delectable, but that didn’t mean I could easily dig in.

I pondered for a long while whether to eat or not while staring at the food.

Meanwhile, the Poison King took a small bite and asked me.

“Hmm? What’s the matter? Please eat without reservation.”

“Haha… My stomach isn’t feeling too well.”

“Oh dear. A young person like you shouldn’t be experiencing that already.”

I nodded at the Poison King’s words.

Thinking about it, fortunately, I didn’t sense any poison.

Is it even plausible? The Poison King wouldn’t just poison food at a moment’s notice, right?

‘Well, if I think about it, I haven’t technically done anything wrong, have I?’

The Poison King had no reason to dislike me, so why had I felt so anxious?

Others might not know, but I didn’t have any significant memories of wronging the Poison King.

‘Can I relax a bit?’

Suddenly, at the moment where I tried to carefully take a bite of food, the Poison King spoke to me.

“Oh, Gu Gongja. May I ask you something?”

“Excuse me?”

“When do you plan to take my daughter away?”

“…Pardon?”

The chopsticks I had been lifting froze mid-air.

Did the Poison King just say what I thought he said? Thinking I misheard him, I shifted my gaze.

The Poison King was staring at me with deep green eyes.

The drooping corners of his eyes made him look like he was smiling, but the eyes held a strangely cold depth.

What did this man just say?

As I stared in bewilderment at the Poison King, he repeated his question.

“I’ll ask again, Gu Gongja.”

Accompanying the Poison King’s words was a sudden heaviness in the air.

“Do you intend to take my Soyeol?”

“…What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”

His words left me completely dumbfounded.

Just as Sichuan was being mentioned, suddenly here he was talking about Tang Soyeol?

Moreover, to take her, he says?

“…Take your daughter away?”

Naturally surprised, I asked the Poison King.

He frowned slightly in response.

“Gu Gongja. I see you have some wise insights.”

“…No.”

“That implies you’re saying you’re having fun with our daughter while having no intentions to take her?”

“How can I have fun with Lady Soyeol? That’s preposterous!”

“Not at all!”

With a sudden burst of energy, the Poison King shot up.

“It’s clear to see our daughter is fond of you! Moreover, with strange rumors circulating, you’re claiming to have no responsibility?”

“…”

There was no way I could argue against the mention of bizarre rumors.

I had heard them too.

What was it they said?

So Yeomra was said to have gone mad over female beauty, charming many daughters from nearby noble families?

Upon hearing such absurd rumors, I was utterly baffled.

‘Who’s charming whom?’

When did I ever charm anyone?

These people are insane.

What’s absurd is that it’s not just me suffering; it’s also causing trouble for those around me.

Especially given the case of someone like Tang Soyeol or Moyong Hi-ah, who are seen as daughters of great houses, this kind of rumor could be quite damaging.

So it was only right for the Poison King to get so furious.

It could hinder future marriages with others…

‘Wait a second.’

Thinking back, in my past life, it seemed like neither Moyong Hi-ah nor Tang Soyeol walked down the aisle at all.

Moyong Hi-ah did have an engagement with the Nangong Clan, but in the end, it never materialized.

As for the Poison Empress, she had remained alone until her death.

Thus, shouldn’t I feel a bit wronged?

Of course, I couldn’t argue with the Poison King at this moment.

“Tang Clan Leader, I didn’t intend to do anything like that…”

“Are you telling me you kept my daughter close without any sort of intention?”

“…”

“Do you know how foul that is?”

I shut my mouth in response to the Poison King’s assertions.

To be honest, I had very little to retort.

Knowing how Lady Soyeol felt towards me, keeping her close without definitively addressing it was indeed a rather questionable action.

“…I apologize.”

On this matter, I felt there was no room for an excuse.

Having heard my reply, one of the Poison King’s eyebrows raised slightly.

“Leaving apologies aside, you still haven’t answered me, Gu Gongja. Whether or not you plan to take my Soyeol.”

His words implied he was expecting some responsibility regarding Tang Soyeol.

I had no clue what kind of answer he sought, but his words carried several implications.

“It may sound ridiculous, but as you are aware, I am already engaged. I can’t be in a position to take Lady Soyeol away.”

I was bound to the Nangong Clan’s Bi Family in an engagement, while Tang Soyeol was undeniably of the Four Great Clans’ bloodline.

Even in a world where the concept of concubines existed…

Who is going to marry off the direct daughter of a significant clan as a concubine?

Certainly, that was unnecessary for the Poison King as well.

“Then, you imply that you would have taken responsibility if you hadn’t been engaged?”

“That’s…”

“Then can it be viewed that you would take no responsibility if that weren’t the case?”

“It’s certainly a problematic situation…”

“If the concern lies with the Nangong Clan, I can intervene and resolve the issue.”

“…!”

At the Poison King’s shocking statement, my body jerked slightly.

What he meant was that he, the Poison King, was willing to step in and solve the engagement with the Nangong Clan.

By taking steps to break ties with the Nangong Clan, he would essentially sever the relationship between the two clans, all while he stated it so casually.

If you wanted it, I could take care of it.

What exactly does he want?

It seemed as if the Poison King was truly eager to link Tang Soyeol and myself, but…

That wouldn’t change anything.

“I apologize.”

My answer wouldn’t change now.

Ending my engagement with the Nangong Clan would mean concluding my relationship with Nangong Bi-ah.

And I had no desire to do that.

The Poison King’s expression twisted upon hearing my reply.

The pressure of the deal in the room felt heavier.

“Ultimately, you say you have no intention of taking responsibility.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Or do you mean to take my daughter as a concubine?”

“…”

“Clarify your intentions, Gu Gongja. What are your plans for my daughter? Although she has shown affection towards you, without a definitive end, I cannot permit her to remain by your side.”

His assertion was entirely valid.

It would be more advantageous for him to release his daughter to pursue a better future than let her stay near me while I wouldn’t take responsibility.

“From this point on, my daughter will be engaged to another clan.”

“…!”

My eyes widened at the Poison King’s proclamation.

Tang Soyeol is getting engaged?

‘Have the events changed significantly?’

There have been many differences in the future compared to my past life, but this one struck me sharply.

“…Is that something Lady Soyeol knows?”

“Do you think it matters? As the clan, her opinion bears little significance.”

Traditional clan engagements are not unusual in this world.

Building relationships with other clans to increase their collective strength is quite the normal affair.

Let alone Tang Soyeol, being the daughter of a noble clan made her invaluable.

Moreover, not establishing such a bond in my past life was even weirder.

“So if that is how Gu Gongja feels, then I wish you to step away from my daughter.”

“…”

At the Poison King’s firm directive, I felt an overwhelming wave within me.

Every statement he made was on point.

Yet, why did I find it so hard?

‘Would Lady Soyeol get engaged?’

Was that what made it problematic?

A swirl of conflicting emotions flooded through me.

It was evident that his points were entirely accurate.

If I couldn’t take responsibility, I shouldn’t hold her back.

Additionally, if Lady Soyeol wished for a life different from my own, then the right course of action would surely be for her to engage with someone else, allowing her to live a peaceful life.

After the Poison King finished speaking, all rational calculations about my situation ceased.

For some reason, I felt a tightening discomfort within me.

“Answer me, Gu Gongja. Do you agree?”

At the Poison King’s urging, my gaze wavered.

Why couldn’t I respond?

Even though Lady Soyeol had developed feelings for me.

Realistically speaking, I should have let her go.

How absurdly ironic it was.

‘…Why don’t I want to let her go?’

I didn’t want to let Tang Soyeol leave.

‘What the hell?’

It wasn’t just her.

I felt the same about Moyong Hi-ah, Wi Seol-Ah, and even Nangong Bi-ah.

I didn’t wish to let any of them go.

Upon recognizing this, cold sweat trickled down my back.

Moreover, a clear thought flashed through my mind.

‘Oh crap.’

It was too late.

In that instant of realization, I instinctively knew I had missed my chance.

I had been deliberately dismissing this thought until now.

A chilling sensation began creeping over my entire body.

It was unsettling.

The realization that I didn’t want to lose any of them meant they had become precious to me, turning into a vulnerability.

Heavy and daunting.

I had been desperately stifling these feelings, yet with just one spoken sentence from the Poison King, cracks began to form all around.

“Gu Gongja.”

Urged by the Poison King, I turned my attention back to him. I desperately tried to regain my composure.

What had he just said?

Had he urged me to distance myself from Lady Soyeol?

How should I reply?

My mind was a jumble.

For the time being, I should request a moment…

“That’s not going to happen.”

Ah.

Despite my chaotic thoughts, my mouth had already blurted out.

I surprised myself by covering my mouth with my hand.

What the hell am I doing?

Not only me, but the Poison King also appeared startled by my reply, raising his eyebrows almost instantaneously.

Crap.

How am I going to manage this now?

Bang-!

Out of nowhere, the door burst open violently, and someone stormed in.

I turned my head startled by the unexpected noise.

“Really!?”

As I looked, I saw that it was none other than Tang Soyeol, her eyes now even wider.

The flush on her cheeks and the excited rise in her voice were striking.

“Gongja! You really don’t want me to go!?”

“…You?”

Didn’t she say she would arrive later? How did she suddenly burst in?

Even with my Qi perception up, I hadn’t felt her presence!

“Are you lying? You said you don’t want me to go, right?”

In some kind of daze, she grasped my hand tightly.

Taken aback, I glanced over at the Poison King.

“…!”

I could read the shift in the Poison King’s expression as I faced him.

The look on his face shifted from one of a man on the verge of explosion to one of disbelief as he regarded his daughter.

Taking a long breath, he exhaled, addressing her.

“…I had expressly told you not to come in.”

The Poison King’s voice, drenched in sighs, seemed entirely disregarded by Tang Soyeol, who appeared gleefully in front of me.

“Dad! Did you hear? Gongja said he doesn’t want me to go!”

“…Oh yes. I heard it loud and clear.”

As Tang Soyeol excitedly proclaimed, the Poison King sighed again.

Realization dawned upon me.

“Oh no.”

I began to realize the entirety of this situation was a preplanned act between the two.

 

---