---

“`html

It took ten days for a reply from the Fire Spirit Group to arrive.

The Sword Demon had summoned me to discuss what their envoy had told him.

“They want to meet in four days at the Han Clan’s base in Luoyang.”

“That’s dangerous! That’s Han Baek-ryeong’s stronghold!”

“Looks like she wants to test my guts…”

After a moment of thought, the Sword Demon replied, “I won’t be taking my master with me. I’ll go alone.”

“What?” I was utterly perplexed. “If she ambushes us, we’ll need all three of us to fight back, yet you want to go alone? And what if I don’t go and something goes wrong…”

Should Han Baek-ryeong decide to launch an attack, the Sword Demon might end up captured or tortured. My words trailed off, and the Sword Demon asked, “Is that because your Fire Dragon Sword hasn’t awakened yet?”

“……” I took out the Fire Dragon Sword and Fire Spirit from my armor.

“Oh!”

I showed him how my arms and shoulders were stained crimson between the Fire Dragon Sword and Fire Spirit. It seemed the aura was visible to the naked eye, prompting the Sword Demon to comment, “Looks like it’s still not awakened. It’s still transferring energy to your body.”

With a sigh, I replied, “Even after being exposed for almost seventy days, it’s still like this. Could Cheon Woo-jin have been mistaken?”

“That’s possible. I mean, a treasure like the Fire Dragon Sword being sealed for hundreds of years is practically unheard of, right? The damage to the Fire Dragon Sword might be worse than we think.”

“Regardless, this means I can’t fully harness its power right now.”

“Hmm. So I have to use it like a pair of swords.”

“Yes.”

“It’s a pity your divine powers haven’t awakened yet.” The Sword Demon continued, “No matter how formidable Han Baek-ryeong is, if the three of us join forces, we could take her down. But if she’s set a trap and is waiting, it won’t just be her attacking alone. I bet there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Fire Spirit’s experts laying a net to catch us. Trying to brute force our way through a trap would be absurd.”

“…But.”

“Let me borrow the lightning technique.”

With determination, the Sword Demon added, “Going alone with the lightning technique is the best option.”

I insisted, “I’ll just go with you.”

“No. Normally, that would be fine, but you’ve already exposed your appearance and skills to the Blood Sabre Group, haven’t you? The moment Han Baek-ryeong sees you, she’s guaranteed to suspect your identity.”

“Ah!”

“She’s likely already suspicious, but as long as you don’t show yourself directly, the chance of Han Baek-ryeong bringing it up will decrease. For her to focus only on me and the Shadowless Alliance, it’s best if I go alone.”

His words were reasonable, and I inwardly regretted it. ‘If only I hadn’t stopped the Blood Sabre Group leader that time…’ My expression must have shown my self-reproach, as he smiled and patted my back.

“It’s okay. If you hadn’t stopped him, it would have been hard to prevent his escape anyway. His martial arts exceeded expectations, so my plan must have been flawed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“In the meantime, while I’m gone, I need you to temporarily take over the leadership of the Shadowless Alliance and the Shadowless Gate.”

“What?”

“There’s no one else capable of that.”

Knowing he entrusted me because he had faith in me, I refrained from modesty and nodded confidently, “I’ll do my best.”

Three days later, the Sword Demon used the lightning technique I’d given him to head to Luoyang.

“Take care of Hyea and the Shadowless Gate for me.”

“Safe travels.”

Crack!

‘Three days should be just right.’ There was no need to walk to Luoyang or ride a horse. I could easily waste some time and use the lightning technique to arrive there in an instant a few days later without worrying too much about ambushes or camping.

Leaving the farewell, I headed towards Seo Mun-hye.

“The Sect Leader has gone to Luoyang.”

“I heard from Father.”

“While he’s away, I’ll do my utmost to protect the Shadowless Gate.”

“I can trust you, Baek Woong.”

While strolling through the courtyard, Seo Mun-hye plucked a flower as she replied.

“Baek Woong. I’d like to request one thing.”

“What is it?”

She looked straight at me with resolute eyes and said, “Please impart the Seven Great Techniques to me.”

“……!!” I stared at her in shock. Did she really know about the existence of the Seven Great Techniques?

As I gazed at her, Seo Mun-hye added, “I’ve always known you train in new divine techniques with Baek Woong. Father kept it top secret, but I once overheard him mentioning it while enhancing his hearing. I learned it was the peerless divine technique developed by Jang Sam-bong in his later years.”

“……”

“So I asked my father to pass on that technique, but he said he wouldn’t teach it unless you allowed it and commanded me to keep this secret for life.”

Realizing that the Sword Demon hadn’t leaked the technique to anyone else without my permission filled me with newfound trust in him. Knowing how precious his only daughter, Seo Mun-hye, was to him only intensified that trust.

“I see.”

Seo Mun-hye held my hand delicately. “I’m begging you. I want to protect my clan and loved ones. My current strength isn’t enough, so I need Baek Woong’s teachings.”

“Hmm.”

Faced with this unexpected situation, I felt uneasy. ‘Of course, teaching Seo Mun-hye the Seven Great Techniques is easy, but…’

It wasn’t difficult at all. I could just cut a piece from the giant obsidian to store the Seven Great Techniques in. But there was still the question of how the law of cause and effect would play out. I couldn’t predict the huge repercussions that teaching Seo Mun-hye the Seven Great Techniques might have in the future.

Passing on the Seven Great Techniques wouldn’t significantly boost our strength against the colossal enemies we’d face ahead. It seemed almost meaningless when considering the overwhelming opponents to come. Yet before I pondered all that, I had to think about what Seo Mun-hye meant to me.

‘… I owe her.’

At the very least, I owed a huge debt of gratitude to the Sword Demon for this life. For him to compromise his pride as a warrior for my sake was no trivial matter. Additionally, Seo Mun-hye had continuously shown me admiration and respect, so I felt a strong desire to repay her for her affection.

After a while of contemplating, I nodded. “Fine. But first, I need you to understand the situation I’m in.”

“I also want to know more about you, Baek Woong.”

“This will take a bit longer, and you might find it hard to believe, but you have to trust that everything I say is true.”

Soon after, we entered the separate room of the Shadowless Alliance’s leader. This was a meticulous space that even the Blood Sabre Group couldn’t carelessly enter. Even Seo Mun-hye couldn’t set foot in here without permission, but as the acting leader, I had the authority to do so, ensuring no ears were present.

For about half a moment, I shared the story of how I obtained the Heavenly Secret artifact and lived my repeated life, including everything that had happened and the secrets of the world. Since so much couldn’t be told in merely half a moment, the summary was concise, yet it was enough to explain the outline.

“……” Seo Mun-hye sat there with slightly parted lips and a dazed expression.

“I could simply transfer my memories through the obsidian, but if an ordinary person sees this information, they might become confused due to the overwhelming data, as Zhuge Sa mentioned. So I chose to explain it in a more digestible way first.”

My allies, intimately tied to the law of cause and effect, mostly included their own experiences in their narratives, making things easier to grasp. They were all strong-willed individuals. Yet, Seo Mun-hye had not directly engaged in my affairs, so I felt it crucial to loosen her mental flexibility ahead of time. Transmitting everything at once might cause psychological disorders to anyone without substantial mental fortitude.

As expected, Seo Mun-hye couldn’t hide her astonishment. Then she said, “Even if the Three Sovereigns or the Old Ruler exist, do you truly intend to confront such divine beings?”

“I do.”

“This is an incredibly vast story… it makes the martial world I knew appear so small…”

In a trance, Seo Mun-hye murmured before falling silent for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts. Then, with a determined face, she said, “I’m prepared.”

“That’s good.”

I took out a chunk of the giant obsidian from my armor and prepared to share my memories and the Seven Great Techniques stored within. As Seo Mun-hye read the obsidian’s memories, her body trembled for a while, and she suddenly exhaled heavily.

“Hah, hah, hah…”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes…” She told me, “Baek Woong. I want to become your ally from now on as well. I wish to repay the countless favors I’ve received.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

With a sigh, I explained, “It’s simply too perilous a journey ahead to accept someone based solely on liking them. As you’ve seen, my enemies are powerful enough to tear apart leaders like the Master of the White Lotus Sect, and losing is a part of daily life. I hardly have the means to safeguard my own life, let alone protect you.”

“……”

“That’s why I’ve kept my distance from Miho for a while now. It’s painful to think of her getting caught in my struggles and dying.”

“But you still keep your distance from Father, Mangnyang, and Zhuge Sa?”

“It’s different because they are fully committed and understand the risks involved. I owe them a great debt of gratitude.”

“Baek Woong.”

Just then, Seo Mun-hye pulled me into a tight embrace. As I stood still, she spoke with a voice mixed with tears, “I believe Miho feels the same way I do. The determination to stand alongside you isn’t exclusive to men.”

“But…”

“Are you having trouble understanding because of how perilous your path seems?”

“……”

“Just as you care for us, we genuinely care for you as a person.”

In that moment, I grasped Seo Mun-hye’s sincerity. Until now, I had subconsciously believed I needed to protect her and Miho simply because they were women, which made me reluctant to involve them in my struggles. Yet, she sincerely wished to be my ally, and perhaps I had been judging her based on my arbitrary standards.

Realizing this, I embraced her back and said, “Okay. I’ll include you on this journey from now on.”

“Thank you.”

“Now let’s diligently train in the Seven Great Techniques.”

Right then, I entered the training ground with Seo Mun-hye to start our practice. Although she received vivid memories and knowledge from the obsidian, it was essential for me, the one with direct experience, to instruct her for quicker results.

And the outcome was astonishing.

In just two days!

Within a mere two days, Seo Mun-hye memorized all the forms of the Seven Great Techniques and had a rough grasp of the eight major techniques. Although knowing the forms didn’t mean she had mastered them immediately, to perfectly memorize over several dozen basics was no trivial feat.

‘She truly is a prodigy!’ I told Seo Mun-hye, “You’re indeed one of the most remarkable talents in the martial world.”

“Not at all. What I did was merely reviewing what I knew with memories given by Baek Woong. The real challenge starts now.”

Seo Mun-hye, who replied like that, seemed concerned. “It’s been two days, I wonder if my father is safe…”

“……”

I certainly felt worried. Two days seemed short to return from Luoyang to Henan, but the Sword Demon was utilizing the lightning technique. If talks with the Fire Spirit Group dragged on, it would provoke anxiety. Since the Sword Demon could return swiftly at any moment using the technique, two days felt like too long.

However, leaving my post prematurely risked complications regarding when the Sword Demon might return. Just as I was mulling over this, Seo Mun-hye suggested, “Baek Woong, you could go meet the Master of the Shadowless Sword while I take care of the sect.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If you’re worried, it might be good to accompany him to Luoyang to see the situation for yourself.”

“Hmm…”

“If my father returns early, I’ll let you know where you’ve gone, so don’t worry.”

Rather than sitting here nervously, it’d be better to check on the Master of Shadowless Sword to see if the Sword Demon was safe in Luoyang. Feeling grateful for Seo Mun-hye’s wisdom, I replied, “I’ll head to Luoyang.”

“`

 

---