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Woo Hyeok –

I focused my energy to check my body’s condition.

After making a couple of rotations with the Blood Qi, it quickly returned to my heart.

That alone was enough to ascertain my state.

‘Just a slight internal injury and a crack in my shoulder.’

It seemed I took some damage while sealing my martial arts, and I also got injured on my shoulder when I made an attempt at a lethal move.

Thanks to my strong energy, I managed to defend enough to limit the damage; otherwise, my shoulder would have been shattered.

‘Is there anything else?’

I had barely tapped into my energy in the bet, and the crack should heal by today.

The internal injury would also recover soon enough.

This was about the extent of it.

A level of pain and wounds bearable enough to endure even during training.

‘Is this…’

Are these the marks left after trampling the young masters of the Central Plains?

I clenched and relaxed my fist a few times while gazing straight ahead.

“Cough.”

The old woman, Powder Moon Fist Immortal, lay bleeding on the ground.

It was black blood.

Nothing dangerous, just a bit of bleeding while treating my own internal injuries.

“I’ve roughly patched you up, so you won’t die.”

The insides were a wreck due to the fight.

With twisted energy and considerable external wounds, if left as is, she would have died.

So, I took a moment to administer care.

“Whoosh… puff…”

Kwon Seon was panting heavily. I nodded at her.

I recalled the recent sparring session.

To be honest, there wasn’t much to recall.

‘Boring.’

It was dull.

That’s the only thought that crossed my mind about the sparring.

‘What’s going on?’

A wave of disappointment surged over me.

Was it perhaps in comparison to the spar I had with the master of the martial world? There was no sign of desperation whatsoever.

‘Was she careless?’

Could it be that Kwon Seon was indeed careless, leading to such an outcome?

I racked my brain but quickly dismissed the thought.

‘No way. I had set up enough strategies to keep that from happening.’

I had done enough to ensure she would be on her toes.

Even pushing her energy barrier, I had shown a considerable level of skill.

No matter how much of an old fool Kwon Seon was, after showing her all of that, it would be impossible for her not to notice.

‘If she didn’t, then it would only mean she should be finishing her act.’

If the sect leader of the Emei Sect didn’t even get that, it would be best for her to just back off and vanish.

Kwon Seon wasn’t being careless.

No, while she might have let her guard down slightly, it didn’t mean she was weak enough to lose effortlessly.

Then what was it?

‘Am I strong?’

Could it be that I have gotten this strong?

I pondered while looking at my clenched fist.

‘I expected to win.’

I had tried to gauge my own power and always aimed for an objective assessment.

I needed to pinpoint the limits of my strength without a doubt, or it would hinder my plans.

Thus, I never thought I would lose to Kwon Seon.

Surely, I would win against her to this extent. That much, I was convinced of.

‘But I didn’t expect to win this easily.’

That degree of surprise was somewhat excessive.

So, it felt abnormal.

‘There’s no way she’s this weak.’

I am strong.

Absolutely not weak.

Although I might lose to Plum Blossom Sword Queen and Sword Sovereign, I wouldn’t fall behind against any of the other young masters.

However, I definitely shouldn’t be able to win this easily.

‘Even without using Dragon Words or Demon Energy, I intended to at least use the Sacred Spear.’

Instead, I ended up using merely a bit of flame and a trivial amount of Gui Jeong.

It was significantly strange!

I approached Kwon Seon and knelt on one knee.

Aligning my gaze with hers, I asked.

“Sect Leader. Why are you so weak?”

“…!”

As I asked straight without beating around the bush, Kwon Seon’s expression distorted.

“…Do you intend to humiliate me?”

“No. I knew I would win anyway. I’m not mocking you; I’m genuinely curious.”

At my somewhat annoying words, Kwon Seon gave a bitter smile.

“…I, too, have my questions.”

Draining the blood that flowed, Kwon Seon then asked me.

“How in the world did you touch the Realm of the Heart?”

The Realm of the Heart.

The grand realm that all martial artists aspire to reach.

Not the realms of elite or peak, such as First-Class or Transformation Realm, but a place where the realization of life accumulates until the heart takes form.

Kwon Seon stared at me as if she were looking upon a rare, precious gem.

‘Hmm.’

There seemed to be a reason for her reaction.

Right before, Kwon Seon was about to unleash a martial arts technique.

The energy contained within it was mixed with the essence of a bet in addition to the Realm of the Heart.

Thus, to seal it, I needed to mix in my own essence, it seems Kwon Seon picked up on it.

How did I reach that realm, eh…?

“Well, I just lived stubbornly.”

“…”

Of course, she didn’t look convinced.

I wasn’t even trying to convince her anyway.

After moments of silence passed, Kwon Seon spoke, sounding somewhat suspicious.

“Did you… perhaps use the Rejuvenation Technique…?”

“I don’t engage in moronic acts like that.”

“…”

I outright blocked any unnecessary suspicions.

“Sometimes, absurd things happen in life, you know?”

There was no need to think of excuses or apologies.

If she didn’t believe me, well, so be it. Right now, Kwon Seon wasn’t in a position to doubt such things.

“Please answer my question, Sect Leader.”

I looked her in the eyes and asked.

“Why are you so weak?”

“…”

“I’m not mocking or humiliating you; I’m genuinely curious.”

As I mentioned earlier, I have a well-objective perspective regarding my level.

While I might not know every single young master, I could defeat the majority.

‘But I’d lose against those on the level right below the Three Eminent Beings.’

Excluding the master of the martial world.

I hadn’t kept an eye on Heaven’s Lord, but I estimate I’d lose within twenty exchanges, and it’s been ages since I last saw Sword Sovereign, so I wasn’t sure, but he would likely be faster.

That was about the extent of my position.

Then how about Kwon Seon?

‘From what I saw earlier, she was at a level comparable to Sword Sovereign.’

That’s how strong her presence and momentum felt.

Thus, I prepared to face her with that expectation.

‘But this is….’

To be brutally honest, she seemed to barely exceed the level of Shin Ryong when he fought with Wi Seol-Ah during the night.

Given the right circumstances, if we prepared a situation, an assassin like Tang Soyeol might defeat her.

That’s how subpar the strength Kwon Seon displayed was for a young master.

This leads to the question.

“It doesn’t seem to be an issue of internal injuries, and regarding the physical aspects, her aging might contribute, but what about the energy? What exactly is the problem?”

Her displayed power was far too shabby.

It would be one thing if I’d trampled her with overwhelming strength, but I didn’t think that was the case.

“Your energy isn’t moving right. Is there another issue?”

“…”

At my words, Kwon Seon’s brow furrowed deeper.

Does she still think I’m jesting with her?

‘What gives? Doesn’t she really know?’

Kwon Seon only scrunched her face as if she were oblivious.

‘Is she really that clueless?’

I tapped her biceps with my crossed fingers.

A peculiar thought suddenly flashed through my mind in this bizarre encounter.

“Ah, I see.”

I let out a breath of relief and laughed softly.

“What’s so funny…?”

“Nothing. I just felt a bit sorry for you.”

“What?”

Kwon Seon questioned my words with a puzzled expression, but I had no intention of continuing the conversation any further.

‘So that’s it.’

I had somewhat figured it out.

Since it was such an obvious thing, there was no need to delve deeper.

‘Later, I’ll need to sort out if my relationship with the alliance ties into this.’

Upon thinking that, I organized my thoughts.

“Anyway, since I won, you should uphold your end of the wager.”

Kwon Seon glared at me as if she wanted to kill.

I asked her.

“What’s your objective?”

“…”

“The reason you’re searching for Pi Yeon-Yeon. Is it a treasure? Or is it Pi Yeon-Yeon herself?”

Upon my nonchalant inquiry, Kwon Seon, who had been glaring, chuckled in exasperation.

“…You’re not even concerned about the fact that you knocked me down, are you?”

“Well, it’s not something worth concerning myself over.”

Should I be celebrating my victory over a notable figure?

“There’s no excitement in this, so just answer my question.”

Cough cough.

Kwon Seon’s blood dripped onto the ground.

Her fine white martial robe was already soaked in blood.

It was a pathetic sight, yet my expression didn’t change in the slightest.

“If I… were to refuse to answer…?”

“I won’t set up any gold bindings unnecessarily, and if you can handle the rebound, you can do that. Otherwise, let’s just forget it.”

A chill spread through my heart.

“There are many ways to make you talk. Most aren’t exactly peaceful, mind you.”

If she’s curious, so be it.

I spoke with the intent that I could make her understand.

In an instant, Kwon Seon’s gaze wavered.

“…You’re serious, huh…? You truly intend to torture me.”

“If necessary.”

“Are you really a person of the righteous faction…?”

Hahaha.

I laughed at Kwon Seon’s words.

“You’d be surprised to hear this quite frequently. It really is a funny statement, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“The time where one could take pride in being from the righteous faction is long gone. Most of the roots that came down have rotted away, and you still cling to that miserable honor.”

“…”

What will you do if I’m not from the righteous faction?

From my perspective, what’s the point in distinguishing between righteous and demonic factions?

The only difference if any, is that with the demonic faction, I might kill them first, while with the righteous faction, I’d at least try talking first.

Of course, usually, they’d wind up dead anyway.

“If we were to discuss our affiliations at this point, then I am indeed a person of the righteous faction. My father is a member of the righteous faction, after all. But…”

I tilted Kwon Seon’s chin upward with my finger.

“That doesn’t mean much to me. To put it bluntly, it’s just a name tag hanging on my neck.”

It’s worth about as much as that.

That’s the meaning of the righteous faction to me.

“So, just treat it as if I’m from the righteous faction or whatever and speak properly. We had a deal.”

My hand, still raised, could reach her throat at any moment.

In that regard, I subtly moved my hand towards her neck.

Then I asked again.

“Pi Yeon-Yeon. What’s the relation with the Emei Sect?”

Holding it back, I counted to five in my mind.

Just past one, just before five.

“…Pi Yeon-Yeon. It pertains to her mother.”

I halted my push.

“Mother? Who is it? Are you referring to Lady Mok?”

Feigning ignorance, I slightly shifted the topic.

Lady Mok was the matriarch of the Seo An-Pi family.

Upon hearing my words, Kwon Seon eyed me oddly.

Did she realize I was probing her? I gave her a smile.

Her gaze twitched as she flinched.

“…Ah, the child’s mother… is not the person you mentioned.”

“Then who is it?”

“The child…”

Kwon Seon paused for a moment. But soon, she continued speaking.

“…is Eulryeong Sword Queen. The child is a descendant of the previous Sword Queen.”

“W-What?! What an astonishing fact…!”

“…As expected. You already knew.”

“I just responded without knowing. Why are you so sure?”

The act was perfect in my opinion… Why was her response so contrary?

It made no sense!

‘Well, I never intended to hide it, so forget it.’

Somehow, it left a rather sour impression on me.

“…Then you mean to say that you funded the child while being aware of her identity?”

“I’m afraid I won’t be answering your questions.”

I cut off Kwon Seon’s sly inquiries once more.

As I said, I could only ask the questions here.

“Regardless, just because Pi Yeon-Yeon is a descendant of the Sword Queen, I’m not asking about her background.”

“…”

Why is the Emei Sect searching for Pi Yeon-Yeon?

That was my sole curiosity.

When I let out a tinge of annoyance in my voice, Kwon Seon’s answers started to shift slightly.

“…She’s from Eulryeong Sword Queen’s bloodline.”

“Oh?”

Finally, an interesting story emerged.

‘Eulryeong Sword Queen is a member of the Emei Sect?’

This is the kind of information I was looking for!

If what I heard was true, I was unaware of that fact.

‘I’m sure Eulryeong Sword Queen didn’t originate from an independent sect.’

A martial artist without a background.

The previous Sword Queen was neither born from a specific clan nor was she a martial artist from a sect.

How could she come from the Emei Sect?

‘How come this wasn’t known?’

No matter how bland Emei Sect’s martial arts are, some traces should still remain.

Of course, while it’s not impossible to erase everything completely.

Even the previous Sword Demon had cleared out all habits of the Kunlun Sect unlike Seongyul now.

But.

‘That was because killing intent and bets completely swallowed them.’

The smooth yet soft energy peculiar to the sect was entirely devoured by Seongyul’s Heaven Kill Spirit, making it unrecognizable that his heart energy had been based on martial arts.

‘It’s an unclear matter.’

For now, let’s put that aside.

There was something more intriguing to be addressed.

“If that’s the reason Emei Sect is searching for Pi Yeon-Yeon, it feels a bit odd.”

That’s okay.

Let’s assume Eulryeong Sword Queen is indeed from Emei Sect.

Then, there’s something strange about it.

“Why are you searching her then?”

A crucial piece was missing.

It’s strange that the Emei Sect is desperately searching for the child of someone who lived independent of them.

If she was hiding her background or had already exited the sect, why go after someone like that?

“There must be a different reason to be searching for her.”

Kwon Seon responded.

“Do you even know what happened to Eulryeong Sword Queen?”

“Pretty much.”

That was a lie. I wasn’t just aware—I knew everything.

I had gathered information specifically for using it, so naturally, I had to know.

Kwon Seon spoke of Eulryeong Sword Queen’s end.

A former Sword Queen praised almost to a saint’s level by female warriors.

The end of that woman, who was supposed to shine until the end, was anything but glorious.

‘Eulryeong Sword Queen was executed after her schemes were revealed, labeled as a demon faction.”

She, who was once a hero in the righteous faction, astonishingly conspired to devour the Central Plains.

She secretly gathered demon faction members, forming a cluster.

The repercussions of that led to an actual war between the righteous factions brewing.

Tales of the battles between the current Plum Blossom Sword Queen So-i and Baek Cheon-gyeom Moyong Biyeon against Eulryeong Sword Queen are still famous to this day.

The Righteous War was both lengthy and brief.

Surrounded by time, it lasted less than two months.

When that time ended, the war concluded with the victory of the righteous factions.

And the one who started the war, Eulryeong Sword Queen, was captured and executed by the alliance.

Once a hero of the righteous faction but eventually labeled as a demon.

That’s how history remembers Eulryeong Sword Queen.

However.

‘That’s not the whole story.’

If the truth were only that, then I would have no reason to waste my time with Kwon Seon.

No, it would be different.

“…The truth isn’t like that.”

It seems Kwon Seon was aware.

“Eulryeong Sword Queen never intended to cause a war. She wasn’t someone who could be wrongfully accused as a demon faction.”

“Is that so?”

“…There’s definitely something hidden behind it.”

Whether she knows but pretends not to, or genuinely doesn’t have a clue, it’s clear she knows something.

“You mean to say Eulryeong Sword Queen was framed?”

“…You.”

Was my reaction the problem? Kwon Seon’s expression subtly shifted.

“Did you happen to be aware of this all along…?!”

“Maybe your memory is failing you due to age. As I said earlier, you have no right to ask questions, Sect Leader.”

I moved closer to Kwon Seon again.

There were still more answers left regarding this.

“So then, what’s the reason for this?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Why is the Emei Sect searching for Pi Yeon-Yeon?”

After hearing everything, it was time for her to respond.

Kwon Seon widened her eyes for a brief moment before answering in a rushed voice.

“…That’s only natural. While it might not seem like it now, Eulryeong Sword Queen hails from the Emei Sect. We must clear her name.”

“You’re telling me that’s why you’re searching for Pi Yeon-Yeon?”

“Exactly.”

“Why though? Proving her existence won’t change anything.”

“…If the child can prove her lineage to the Sword Queen, then there are ways to resolve this.”

“Ah, I see…”

If Bong-Soon were to establish that she is indeed the daughter of a former Sword Queen, there would be a way to exonerate the Sword Queen.

I nodded slightly in agreement with Kwon Seon’s words.

Those are words that somewhat make sense.

After listening to everything, I lightly nodded again and remarked.

“What a situation.”

“Excuse me?”

Thud.

“…!”

“Do you think I’m calm just because I’m listening?”

I shut Kwon Seon’s mouth with my hand.

She struggled as if startled, but I pressed down hard to suppress her.

“Do you think it’s alright to do this openly? It frustrates me to hear.”

“Eek… cough!”

Kwon Seon’s wrinkled eyes widened like lanterns.

I didn’t let up, applying more pressure, causing her pale complexion to flush a deeper hue.

The reason I was acting this way was simple.

Listening only made me feel annoyed with rising thoughts.

I looked at the startled Kwon Seon and said.

“Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“Eek… cough.”

“To think the very same ones that led to the Sword Queen being framed would avoid discussing that…”

“…!”

Kwon Seon froze at my words.

Her voice, previously strained, fell silent.

Seeing that made me certain.

“Haha. It seems it’s true, isn’t it?”

That was the answer.

 

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