Chapter 572: To Hanam. (Revised)

Silence descends after the words are spoken.

Drip.

It was so quiet, the only sound was that of a water droplet falling.

Was it because the statement was so shocking?

Then again, it was a bombshell statement – attacking Hanam, where the Murim Alliance and Shaolin Temple reside, in three months.

Normally, such words would be enough to shock anyone, but…

I wasn’t thinking that way.

These guys weren’t the type to be shocked by something like that.

As proof, I looked up at the empty air.

In the midst of the quiet atmosphere.

Woo-woo-woooong-!

The energy gathered near the ceiling was quietly fluctuating.

It was violent and aggressive in form, as if showing emotion.

Lowering my gaze from the air, I surveyed my surroundings.

The ten pairs of eyes looking at me were conveying countless words, unlike their tightly shut lips.

Some wore smirks.

Others had eyes filled with anticipation.

Everyone harbored different reasons, but…

The goal they aimed for was the same.

There was no fear among them.

How could there be?

‘I specifically recruited people without any of that in the first place.’

Those who wouldn’t hesitate to use any means necessary for their goals. Those who openly displayed their greed without hesitation.

I had gathered only the cream of the crop and put a leash on them.

‘Though they probably don’t see it as a leash.’

It didn’t matter how they saw it.

What mattered was…

‘Whether or not I could use them.’

That was all.

As I was thinking this, looking around…

“Three months?”

A voice was heard.

It was a voice with a childish tone, mixed with a slight lisp.

I immediately looked towards the owner of the voice.

He was one of the few people there with ordinary eyes.

Furthermore.

“That’s right, three months.”

He was also a talented individual who could compensate for my lacking intellect.

The young man, no, the boy, frowned slightly upon hearing that.

“Hyung. Last time, you said we had half a year left.”

“Things got a bit complicated.”

“…”

As I said it calmly, the boy suddenly clutched his forehead.

He seemed quite frustrated. Seeing that, I suppressed a laugh.

Despite his appearance, he’d find a solution if he just talked it through.

He was like that even in his past life.

‘Though it was in a bad way back then.’

The identity of the frustrated boy was the Divine Physician’s grandson.

It was Zhuge Hyuk, who could now speak.

I looked at Zhuge Hyuk’s neck.

The long, vertical scar running down his neck.

That was the reason Zhuge Hyuk could speak now, and also why he was helping me.

After glancing at it for a moment, I spoke to Zhuge Hyuk.

“Also, I brought another person, so you can use him too.”

As I said that, I revealed Seongyul.

Seongyul looked like he had no idea what was going on.

Of course, he wouldn’t understand.

How could he possibly understand me suddenly declaring we’d attack Hanam?

Zhuge Hyuk tilted his head, looking at Seongyul.

More precisely, he tilted his head while looking into Seongyul’s eyes.

“This person… seems like he hasn’t received the ‘Blessing’ yet.”

Hearing that, I scrunched up my brow.

“You know I told you not to use that word.”

What blessing? Damn blessing.

Zhuge Hyuk often used that expression when referring to the people I had corrupted, but…

I really hated it.

‘Blessing, my ass.’

This isn’t some noble thing like a blessing.

It is…

‘A severe punishment.’

It should be a punishment, not a blessing.

A severe punishment where they’d struggle bound by their sins before burning away completely.

That’s what I considered ‘Mind-Infusion’.

As I growled, seemingly angered, Zhuge Hyuk glanced at me and lowered his eyes slightly.

“I apologize.”

Only then did I relax my expression.

Dragging this out any longer would create an unpleasant atmosphere.

I had to move past it for now.

“…Anyway. Change the plan to three months from now.”

“I might have trouble, since I already cut it down significantly.”

Zhuge Hyuk was right. Advancing a plan scheduled for six months later to three months would require considerable effort.

Zhuge Hyuk from my past life.

Or rather, Cheon Yu-rang-a, known as the mastermind of the Demonic Cult, perhaps.

But it might be difficult for the current young Zhuge Hyuk.

“If you succeed with this, I’ll grant you what you desire.”

“…!”

If I make it happen, then it’ll happen.

I’ll give you what you want.

As I said that, Zhuge Hyuk’s eyes widened.

“…Hyung… Is that really true?”

“Yes, if you pull this off. Just as you wished.”

What Zhuge Hyuk wished for.

It was…

“I’ll open an inn for you in Shanxi.”

A small inn where he could live peacefully with his grandfather.

That was his dream: to open it and live a simple life.

He always enjoyed cooking since he was young; did he really say his dream was to be an inn cook?

‘It’s a dream that seems both big and small.’

A guy with the talent to shake up the Central Plains with just his intellect.

Yet all he wants is to be a cook. It’s truly baffling.

‘…Actually, it might be for the better.’

It was a hundred times better than becoming the strategist for the Great Demon Lord.

“Are… are you serious…?”

Upon hearing I’d open an inn in Shanxi, a light sparked in Zhuge Hyuk’s eyes.

He got so excited over opening just an inn; how could I not take advantage of that?

“Sure, I’ll give it to you. A big one, if you want.”

Coincidentally, we had recently acquired a substantial amount of money while raiding the Guangdong region.

‘I’ve already handed over the goods to the Hundred Flowers Trading Company.’

I plan to have the company sell them while I’m on the move, so the gold coins will keep piling up.

‘The financial aspect is mostly sorted out.’

I sold the Night-Illuminating Pearls given by the Tang Imperial Sect.

This time, I acquired and sold chunks of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron. With this, there shouldn’t be any shortage of funds.

‘So, what’s left is…’

Reinforcements and weapon replenishment, perhaps.

I nodded, assessing this.

Reinforcements were already selected, so it was just a matter of putting them to work quickly.

As for weapon replenishment…

‘I don’t know many rare items, so this is tough. Then…’

It seemed best to recruit someone who knew how to forge weapons.

Acquiring them with gold coins would technically be the fastest, but…

‘That wouldn’t be enough.’

Weapons bought with money were far from satisfactory.

I couldn’t be satisfied with just that.

Much stronger weapons were needed.

Fortunately, I had someone in mind for this as well, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

‘Then, the only remaining issue is…’

Time, perhaps.

‘Tsk.’

No matter how much I pushed it forward, time was still insufficient.

‘I’ll just have to run around and make it work somehow.’

If it’s lacking, I must make it not lacking.

It was time to quickly brainstorm methods in my head.

“So, please shorten the plan a bit.”

“I’ll… I’ll try my best.”

Hearing Zhuge Hyuk’s response, I had to quell my disappointment.

‘It seems quite difficult for him.’

His response, not confirming success but saying he’d try, indicated just how difficult it was.

However.

‘What else can I do?’

I had to use every trick up my sleeve.

This wasn’t the time to be picky.

“That’s all I needed to say for now… Ah. Right.”

As I was about to wrap things up, I realized I had something to ask Zhuge Hyuk.

“Tell me your grandfather’s location.”

“Huh? My grandfather?”

Upon asking about the Divine Physician, Zhuge Hyuk’s eyes widened slightly.

He then asked me.

“Are you hurt, Hyung?”

Since that was the only reason I’d seek the Divine Physician, figuring out his answer was quick.

Hearing the question, I had to put on an awkward expression.

“A little. It’s not a serious injury, but it’ll be problematic if left untreated.”

“When you usually say you’re ‘a little’ hurt, it’s never just a little, is it?”

“When else have I ever gotten hurt like that?”

“Last time, you went into seclusion to test some new power… and a while later, your internal organs burst…”

“Enough… Just tell me.”

As he was about to bring up the painful memory, I quickly changed the subject.

It was embarrassing, dark history.

‘I was foolish back then.’

I hadn’t realized how wild and violent the power I tried to test was.

Zhuge Hyuk, looking displeased, then said to me.

“Grandfather… is currently in Hanam.”

“Hanam?”

Hanam, out of the blue.

“Until I left, he was said to be near the Moyong Family.”

I heard he was briefly in Liaoning on the Baekcheon Sword Master’s request.

And now he’s in Hanam?

‘This works out perfectly.’

I had to head towards Hanam anyway.

If this is the case, I can go a bit earlier and meet the Divine Physician.

The question was why the Divine Physician was in Hanam.

Zhuge Hyuk immediately provided the answer.

“He said someone was expected to visit, so he went there to wait.”

“Your grandfather is waiting…?”

Hearing Zhuge Hyuk’s words, my brow furrowed slightly.

The Divine Physician is someone who would curse and ignore even the current Alliance Leader’s summons.

Who could this old man possibly be, that he’d go out of his way to wait for them?

‘…Well, it’s fortunate he’s in Hanam.’

Whatever the reason.

We needed to meet anyway, so this is good. I had to think that way.

With that, I waved my hands dismissively.

“Anyway. I think that’s all for now, so you’re dismissed.”

I had already stated the main point and heard what I needed to hear, so it seemed fine to disperse.

I wondered if I gathered them just to say something so simple, but…

‘I also needed to check on their condition.’

I needed to check the physical condition of everyone who gathered, one by one.

Whether their demonic energy was properly contained. Whether they were plotting something unnecessary. That was the purpose.

Fortunately, there seemed to be no issues yet.

The moment I spoke, the presence of others began to disappear in an instant.

When I closed my eyes and opened them again, only three people remained in the space.

Me, Seongyul, and Zhuge Hyuk.

Confirming that, I looked at Zhuge Hyuk and asked.

“Why?”

Zhuge Hyuk was an ordinary person, so he should naturally be slower to leave, but…

There was a reason I asked him specifically.

It was because his eyes seemed to suggest he had something he wanted to ask me.

“I still have something to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why push the plan forward to three months from now? What exactly are you trying to do?”

The plan originally set for half a year.

The reason for pushing it to three months.

Zhuge Hyuk was asking about this.

“Hmm.”

Hearing the question, I pondered for a moment.

Wondering how I should answer.

While the circumstances changing and time becoming tight was one reason, but…

‘That wasn’t the only reason.’

There was another reason, more than that.

Zhuge Hyuk must have sensed it, which is why he’s asking.

My pondering ended quickly.

It wasn’t so much that I was pondering over how to answer, but rather choosing one answer among many, so it didn’t take long.

“Well, it’s not some grand reason… It’s just…”

I said, looking at Zhuge Hyuk.

“Since I’m already playing the villain, I figured I’d try being a hero too.”

“…?”

At my nonchalantly spoken answer, a question mark appeared on Zhuge Hyuk’s face.

---

As spring neared its end, signaling the farewell of flowers.

On a steep mountain path created in Hanam, one person was ascending.

Thump…! Thump…!

On the beautifully adorned mountain trail.

The appearance of the person climbing was in stark contrast to it.

The figure, appearing to be a young man, was carrying an iron ball larger than his own body up the steep incline.

With every step he took, sweat dripped down, and his exhausted breaths grew rougher, but…

The young man walked unsteadily, his gaze fixed on the end of the climb.

Despite his weary appearance, he didn’t stop walking.

After walking like that for a long time, the young man finally reached the summit.

A massive ancient tree stood at the end of the path.

Only upon arriving there could the young man carefully place the iron ball on the ground.

Kuuung.

However.

The young man couldn’t rest.

Without even a moment to catch his breath, he had to assume a stance and pay his respects.

“I greet the Abbot.”

He clasped his hands together and bowed his head.

Towards the old man standing beside the ancient tree.

“Tsk, tsk…”

The old man, Shaolin’s Abbot Cheonan, chuckled as he looked at the young man.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all.”

Cheonan slowly took in the responding youth.

It felt as if his very presence exuded an aura.

He couldn’t have passed his twentieth year yet, but…

This young boy had already surpassed the wall and stepped into a realm far beyond.

The masterpiece born from Shaolin.

The youngest Hwagyeong.

The greatest Divine Dragon of all time.

These were the titles the era bestowed upon the youth.

And…

‘The hope that will lead the Central Plains.’

Cheonan saw the young man as just that.

A spark and hope to face the unknown calamities that lay ahead. Cheonan was certain this boy would become that.

Cheonan spoke, looking at the youth.

“I hear there will be a grand festival in Hanam soon.”

At Cheonan’s words, the young man’s shoulders trembled slightly.

The grand festival held in Hanam. That must be…

The Divine Dragon Martial Arts Tournament hosted by the Alliance.

“I believe you can do well. May I expect great things?”

Cheonan asked, looking at the youth.

“Yes. Abbot-nim.”

The young man answered without hesitation.

“So as not to tarnish the name of Shaolin…”

The young man’s amber eyes flickered as he spoke.

“I will do my utmost.”

Seeing that, Cheonan gave a small smile.