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Long Time No See

“It’s been a while.”

I casually greeted.

The young man, Jiegal Hyeok, who was eating, looked up at me.

“It has been a while…”

“Are you eating?”

“Yeah. Want some?”

“No, I lack an appetite.”

I hadn’t even come here to eat in the first place.

“What about the elder?”

“My grandfather stepped out briefly.”

“Perfect timing.”

I sat down across the table. Jiegal Hyeok was currently staying at Shin Yi’s Residence.

I thought about whether to arrange a separate place for him, but it was Shin Yi’s conclusion.

Thanks to that, chatting had become a bit of a nuisance, but I could endure it.

“But, bro.”

“Yeah?”

“How come someone who should be in Sichuan is here…?”

This was the third time I’d been asked today.

“I rushed over because something happened.”

“Ah, that thing.”

Jiegal Hyeok nodded as if he already knew.

“Have you confirmed it?”

“I was monitoring the situation separately. It didn’t seem like a good time to send a letter, so I was waiting.”

“Waiting, huh…”

It seemed like something was indeed odd to Jiegal Hyeok.

Hearing my mumbles, he put down his chopsticks with a thud and asked.

“So, whose letter did you come here with?”

I couldn’t help but smirk at his words.

This guy was sharp as ever.

“It looked like it was from Lady Mi, but it turned out not to be.”

“Does that mean someone intervened?”

“Exactly. But who, I don’t know.”

“What about the timing?”

“I received it the day before yesterday. Lady Mi also sent a letter but said it would arrive at the earliest today.”

“Is that so?”

After hearing that, Jiegal Hyeok rolled his eyes for a moment. A few seconds passed.

“It seems like someone knew the Gu Clan Leader would be caught and made a move.”

His response flowed out instantly.

“The most likely among the expected range is the Martial Alliance itself… If not, then it could be two or three others.”

“Are you sure?”

“No. I think I need to ponder more before being sure. So I can’t give a definite answer… Will you be around tomorrow?”

“I can see you in the evening after I visit the Martial Alliance.”

“Then I’ll think about it until then and let you know.”

“Okay, thanks.”

The conclusion was reached in that short exchange.

It was amazing; I needed to think for ages to get to such outcomes.

“Certainly, it’s not a definite answer yet.”

Just a day was enough to piece together some clues.

That was good enough for me.

Of course, what Jiegal Hyeok said wasn’t all guaranteed, but

“At least, I can trust his instincts.”

In a previous life, I would’ve estimated it as Gu Hae, but now it could be recognized as trustworthy at seven out of ten.

“First, let’s act based on this.”

I decided my course of action starting from Jiegal Hyeok’s information.

Thinking so, I took a sip from the water in front of me.

After wetting my lips, I brought up the next topic.

“I need to confirm something first.”

“So, is that letter really from you?”

Considering the previous incidents, I asked that.

Jiegal Hyeok looked at the letter he pulled out and examined it.

“Yes. I sent it.”

I was relieved. If it wasn’t that, things could’ve turned serious.

It would’ve left me clueless on where to start.

Moreover, this letter was the biggest reason I sought Jiegal Hyeok today.

“What’s going on?”

The contents of the letter.

It stated that Tang Deok’s location was compromised and that the Divine Dragon was moving to capture him.

“Why did things suddenly turn out like this?”

“This part is difficult to explain due to lack of information… but it seemed like that based on the movements.”

“Movements?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you hear anything from Uncle Tang?”

“No.”

I didn’t usually chat much with Tang Deok. I only delivered orders when necessary.

“I heard that suspicious characters have appeared around.”

“Is it the Martial Alliance?”

“It seems that way.”

“So you don’t have certainty.”

“Right.”

Rubbing my chin, I pondered. If Tang Deok is in his current position…

‘Hubei.’

He wasn’t there because he was in hiding; he was sent there for a specific reason.

But now, odd forces were gathering there?

‘This could get troublesome.’

I hadn’t even wrapped up the plans involving Gyecheon Sect and the Demonic Sect yet.

If something strange occurred here, it would be problematic.

Just then.

“What are your thoughts?”

Jiegal Hyeok asked me.

“What about?”

“I feel like what happened with you going to Sichuan is connected… What do you think?”

I nodded slightly at his question.

There was a hint of anxiety in Jiegal Hyeok’s eyes.

Seeing that, I thought internally.

‘There’s definitely a difference from the previous life.’

Jiegal Hyeok often asked for my certainty.

Did he think I would know? I was here because I didn’t know either!

His question had a peculiar feel to it.

If it had been the Jiegal Hyeok of my previous life, he wouldn’t have shown such anxiety.

His way of thinking had been that his statements were always correct—that whatever he remembered was the truth, and anyone saying otherwise was wrong.

That mindset was inherent to Cheon Yu Rang Ah, whose words were generally considered accurate.

Only someone of the caliber of the Heavenly Demon could oppose him.

‘But still, it seems he would listen to Great Lord Level figures…’

Maybe not. The Demon Sword and Green King treated him like an animal, so perhaps that wasn’t the case either.

Anyway.

‘This isn’t so bad.’

Looking at Jiegal Hyeok now, I couldn’t help but have various thoughts compared to my previous life.

It wasn’t that I distrusted this image of him but rather.

‘It’s a clear sign he’s a fundamentally different person now.’

The impression that the current Jiegal Hyeok and the past Jiegal Hyeok were distinctly separate was rather pleasant.

“Why do you keep asking that? If you don’t know, how would I?”

“You might know.”

“You always say that you’re smarter than me!”

At my remark, Jiegal Hyeok scratched his cheek.

“… Not really.”

“Not really? Why then are you asking me?”

“Because I need someone to talk to?”

“Come on.”

It was ridiculous. He genuinely thought I was smarter than him.

How laughable.

‘As if that could be true.’

A guy who had killed several peak martial artists with just the body of an ordinary person.

The legendary tales of how he had used only his head amid the battlefield to secure victory were famous across the Central Plains.

‘Could I have done it?’

I imagined it for a moment, and no matter how hard I tried, I reached the same conclusion. No chance whatsoever.

If I could, I would’ve been the strategist instead of throwing punches.

“Stop rambling. Your thoughts might not be wrong, so don’t worry.”

“…Okay.”

There was a connection between my trip to Sichuan and when someone was pressuring Tang Deok.

Moreover, the implications that the Divine Dragon was going to move for that purpose.

It was all too deeply interlinked to be mere coincidence.

‘Which means…’

Was Muk Yeon expecting this and sending me to Sichuan?

‘That’s ambiguous.’

The Gyecheon Sect had been stirring up schemes for five years now.

The fact that they had made significant moves lately had serious implications, but it strangely felt off for their timing to align.

‘If that were possible…’

Muk Yeon would have had to be entangled with Gyecheon Sect since five years ago or orchestrating all of this before I joined the Star Dragon.

But.

‘Inviting Muk Yeon was actually on my end.’

Muk Yeon’s return to the Martial Alliance was hastened by the incident in Hanam.

That was due to my influence.

‘So unless Muk Yeon can see the future, that seems impossible.’

I dismissed doubts about Muk Yeon being involved in every part of the plan from the beginning.

The issue was.

‘It doesn’t have to be the first time.’

Even if it wasn’t from the very beginning, there was a possibility he had intervened recently.

For instance…

‘When he figured out what was going on with Gyecheon Sect.’

If he intended to link that to send me to Sichuan, the story would change.

Wasn’t that perfectly timed? There was also plenty of justification.

‘Muk Yeon was already suspicious of me.’

Even when appearing innocent, I had been on Muk Yeon’s radar.

He was probably watching me closely.

If he had sent me to Sichuan just after correlating that with Tang Deok’s location and then acted quickly, it wouldn’t be impossible.

‘That’s certainly a matter to consider.’

But…

On the flip side, that would create another obstacle.

‘My father’s situation.’

It just had to blow up when I went to Sichuan.

Should this be considered a mere coincidence? It couldn’t be.

‘If it were random, he wouldn’t have played tricks with the letter.’

I realized the letter from Lady Mi was a fake.

What did that signify?

‘…Maybe he tried to use my father’s situation to trap me.’

If not, it suggested that my father’s incident was orchestrated to entrap me from the start.

Narrowing my eyes.

‘It shouldn’t be like this.’

Hoping it wasn’t true, yet a nagging thought persisted.

‘What if?’

What if, everything was tied together?

The fact that I ended up in Sichuan or that Gyecheon Sect’s actions.

The movements of Divine Dragon and my father’s situation in that process.

Could they have all been woven into one single thread?

This chilling thought crossed my mind.

If that were the case, what would be the endgame? What was the objective behind pushing this far?

Tap Tap

I began to rap my fingers on the table while contemplating.

‘Is it me?’

If there was a end of this thread, it would probably point back to me.

Sending me to Sichuan could have been a way to buy time. And sending the letter to provoke me was meant to pull me back into the fray.

‘To make me return swiftly to Hanam?’

While piecing this together, I couldn’t shake off a feeling of dread.

‘…Damn it.’

Yet somehow, I felt this couldn’t be untrue.

“Bro?”

“Huff.”

I let out a low sigh.

Then I looked at Jiegal Hyeok.

“…You mentioned you would know by tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll definitely find out before noon.”

I chuckled at those words.

“I guess you’ll find some way to sound clever. You just said that because you saw my face.”

You must think my face looks like a mess.

“That doesn’t have to be the case. Just think things through at your own pace.”

“But…”

“First, I have somewhere to be, so I’m leaving. Let the elder know I said hello.”

I stood up. I’d finished everything I needed to ask Jiegal Hyeok about, so I had to move quickly.

“Where are you going?”

At my abrupt departure, I avoided his gaze and replied.

“…Somewhere.”

A person I needed to see.

More specifically, someone my mind kept wanting to see.

*

There was still some time before sunset.

Under the changing colors of the sky as the sunset approached, I arrived at a forest.

“…”

I lightly landed and scanned my surroundings. The dense trees were adorned with vibrant colors as if autumn was announcing its arrival.

It was nearing the end of the season, so soon enough, the leaves would all drop, but for now, they were beautifully vibrant.

As I took in the sights, I started walking.

Even amid the chaos, I kept observing my surroundings as if trying to recall something.

‘…Just as I thought.’

Familiar.

This scenery. This landscape.

And the scent wafting into my nostrils.

Though I had only come here a couple of times, it felt as though I had spent much longer here.

‘Strange.’

I didn’t feel this way last time; why did it resonate so much now?

I couldn’t tell.

Whissssssh!

The wind blew, scattering the colorful leaves. It created an incredibly serene atmosphere.

After walking a little further,

“…”

I suddenly came to a halt at one specific spot.

There appeared to be nothing.

Just an open field.

The sunset was shining overhead, and I could see the grass swaying in the breeze.

Just that picture lay in front of me.

Yet, for some reason, that emptiness struck a chord within me.

‘No matter how I look, there’s nothing there.’

Why do I keep feeling something must be there?

Just as I was about to shake my head in confusion,

“Here you are?”

“…”

A voice echoed from the front. I opened my eyes and focused straight ahead.

Amongst the uncanny space, there was an unusual rock.

Sitting atop it was someone.

“Hello…”

A black-haired woman, weakly waving her hand.

I furrowed my brow at the sight of her.

There were questions I wanted to ask if I saw her again.

I was certain of that.

“Didn’t you say… autumn is beautiful?”

Her chattering caused my mouth to clench shut momentarily.

Strangely, I couldn’t let a word out.

What could I say? I pondered for a second and recalled.

She had said at the last moment.

To come before autumn passed.

It would definitely be beautiful.

“…”

Back then, I wondered why I would even come here.

Realizing it now, I had arrived before autumn was over.

I rubbed my chest with my hand.

Damn it.

My emotions were heating up from within.

This shouldn’t be happening.

I must not let myself feel this way, at least towards ‘her.’

“About you.”

As I was about to spit out my irritation packed with annoyance,

“I missed you.”

“…”

The Heavenly Demon smiled and said.

“Truly.”

That one line caused me to once again lose my words.

Damn it.

 

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