Chapter 891: I missed you.

“It’s been a while.”

I offered a casual greeting.

The young man eating, Zhuge Hyuk, looked up at my greeting.

“It’s been a while…”

“Cooking something?”

“Yes. Would you like some?”

“No, I don’t have much of an appetite.”

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

“Where’s the elder?”

“Grandfather stepped out for a moment.”

“Perfect timing.”

I sat down across the table from him. Zhuge Hyuk was currently staying at Shin-ui’s residence.

I considered preparing a separate residence for him, but decided against it with Shin-ui in mind.

It made conversation a bit more troublesome, but I could handle this much.

“But, hyung.”

“Yeah.”

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

It was the third time I’d heard that question today.

“Something came up, so I came quickly.”

“Ah. That.”

Zhuge Hyuk nodded as if he already knew.

“Did you already confirm it?”

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

“Waiting…”

It seemed like a strange situation even to Zhuge Hyuk.

Hearing my muttering, Zhuge Hyuk put down his chopsticks with a tak sound and asked.

“So, hyung, whose letter did you receive that brought you here?”

Hearing him, I smirked.

This guy was sharp, as expected.

“It looked like Madam Mi’s, but it turned out not to be.”

“Does that mean someone interfered?”

“That’s right. But I don’t know who.”

“What about the timing?”

“I received it the day before yesterday. They say Madam Mi also sent a letter, but it wouldn’t arrive until today at the earliest.”

“Really?”

Hearing that, Zhuge Hyuk’s eyes darted around for a moment. A few seconds passed like that.

“It seems someone made a move, knowing the former family head would be caught.”

The answer came out immediately.

“The most likely possibility within the estimated range is the Murim Alliance itself, who caught him directly… If that’s not it… maybe two or three others.”

“Are you sure?”

“No. I need to think more to be certain. So I can’t give you a definite answer… Will you be here tomorrow?”

“After I visit the Murim Alliance, you can see me in the evening.”

“Then, I’ll think about it until then and tell you.”

“Okay, thanks.”

A conclusion was reached in that short conversation.

It was amazing no matter how many times I saw it. It took me quite a while to figure things like that out.

‘It’s not a definitive answer, certainly.’

At most, a day.

That should be enough to get a rough answer.

That would be sufficient.

Of course, Zhuge Hyuk’s words weren’t entirely the correct answer.

‘At least seventy percent is believable.’

If it were my past life, I would have said ninety percent, but even now, it’s seventy percent.

‘First, I’ll act based on what I heard.’

I’ll set my course starting with Zhuge Hyuk’s words.

Thinking that, I drank the water in front of me.

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

There was something I needed to confirm first.

“So. Is this letter the one you sent?”

Because of what happened earlier, I asked about that first.

I took the letter Zhuge Hyuk produced and examined it.

“Yes. It’s the one I sent.”

It was a relief.

If this wasn’t it, it would have been a real disaster.

Because then, I wouldn’t even have a clue where to start digging.

Moreover, this letter was the main reason I sought out Zhuge Hyuk today.

“What happened?”

The contents written in the letter.

It stated that Tang Deok’s location had been discovered and that the Divine Dragon Brigade had moved to capture him.

“Why did things suddenly turn out this way?”

“There’s too little information on this part to say more… Based on the recent trends, it seemed that way.”

“Trends?”

“Yes. Haven’t you heard anything from Uncle Dang?”

“No.”

I don’t usually talk much with Tang Deok.

If I had orders, I just conveyed those.

“I heard there were many suspicious individuals appearing around him.”

“Are they from the Murim Alliance?”

“It seems likely.”

“So, you’re not sure.”

“Yes.”

I cupped my chin and pondered.

If it’s Tang Deok’s current location…

‘Hubei.’

Rather than sending him to hide, I had sent him there for business.

But subtle personnel are gathering there?

‘This is getting troublesome.’

The plan to link the Gyecheon Gate and the Demonic Cult wasn’t even properly finished yet.

It would be problematic if something strange got tangled up here.

Just then.

“What do you think?”

Zhuge Hyuk asked me.

“About what?”

“From my perspective, it seems connected to you going to Sichuan… What do you think, hyung?”

I nodded at his question.

A hint of anxiety could be seen in Zhuge Hyuk’s eyes.

Seeing that, I thought to myself.

‘He’s definitely different from his past life.’

Zhuge Hyuk often asked me for definitive answers.

Would I know just because he asked?

I came to a smarter guy because I didn’t know myself.

It felt quite strange when this guy asked like this.

If it were the Zhuge Hyuk of my past life, he wouldn’t have had such anxieties.

His own words were correct. Everything he thought of was the right answer, and anyone who stated otherwise was wrong.

That was Cheon Yu-rang’a’s way of thinking, and the fucked up part was that most of his words were actually correct.

The only ones who could refute his words were probably just the Heavenly Demon.

‘Still, the sect leaders seemed willing to listen though….’

Or maybe not, since Sword Ghost and Green King didn’t even treat people as people, so that wasn’t it either.

Anyway.

‘This is good.’

Seeing Zhuge Hyuk now made me think of many things compared to his past life.

Rather than this appearance being unreliable…

‘The distinct feeling that he’s a different person from back then.’

The recognition that Cheon Yu-rang’a and the current Zhuge Hyuk were significantly different people.

I was glad that feeling arose.

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

“You might know, hyung.”

“I always tell you, you’re smarter than me!”

At my words, Zhuge Hyuk scratched his cheek.

“…That’s not true.”

“Not true, you punk. If not, why would I be asking you?”

“Because you need someone to talk to?”

“Bullshit.”

I was dumbfounded.

The guy really seemed to think I was smarter.

What a joke.

‘Yeah, right.’

A guy who killed several peak martial artists with a layman’s body.

Furthermore, the anecdote of him resolving situations solely through intellect amidst the battlefield was a famous tale in the Central Plains back then.

‘Would I have been able to do that?’

I imagined it for a moment, but no matter how I thought about it, the conclusion was the same.

It was impossible.

If I could do that, I would have been a strategist, why would I be punching people around?

“Stop talking nonsense. Your thoughts seem right too, so don’t worry.”

“…Yes.”

Me heading to the Sichuan branch, and people tailing Tang Deok.

Furthermore, the circumstances suggesting the Divine Dragon Brigade was about to move for it.

It was too deeply interconnected to call it mere coincidence.

‘Which means…’

Did Muk-yeon anticipate this and send me to Sichuan?

‘That’s ambiguous.’

The Gyecheon Gate had been causing trouble since five years ago.

Their prominence now was significant, but the timing seemed a bit odd.

‘If that were possible…’

Muk-yeon would have had to be involved with the Gyecheon Gate since five years ago, or have been plotting all this before I even joined the Sacred Dragon Squad.

However.

‘It was actually me who brought Muk-yeon back.’

Muk-yeon’s return to the Murim Alliance was expedited due to the attack incident that occurred in Hanam.

This could be considered my ripple effect.

‘Therefore, it’s impossible unless Muk-yeon can see the future.’

I dismissed the suspicion that Muk-yeon was involved in the entire plan from the beginning.

The problem is.

‘It’s just not from the beginning.’

Even if not from the start, there was a possibility he intervened recently.

For example…

‘When he figured out the Gyecheon Gate’s business.’

If he intended to link that and send me to Sichuan, the story changes.

Isn’t it just perfect timing?

There was ample justification.

‘Muk-yeon was already suspicious of me anyway.’

Even if he didn’t show it, I was on Muk-yeon’s list of suspects.

He was probably considering me a strong possibility.

What if, after sending me off to Sichuan, he immediately located Tang Deok and moved his forces?

‘It’s not an impossible scenario.’

It was definitely grounds for suspicion.

‘But…’

If that were the case, one more thing becomes a sticking point.

‘Father’s incident.’

It was precisely Father’s incident.

Of all times, the incident happened when I went to Sichuan.

Should I call this a coincidence?

That couldn’t be it.

‘If it were a coincidence, they wouldn’t have messed with the letter.’

I realized Madam Mi’s letter was fake.

What was the meaning contained here?

‘…Did they try to use Father’s incident to implicate me?’

Or else, it means Father’s incident itself was a ploy designed to involve me from the very beginning.

I narrowed my eyes.

‘I hope it’s not.’

Despite hoping it wasn’t, at this point, I couldn’t help but think…

‘Perhaps.’

Just perhaps.

‘Isn’t it all connected?’

Me going to Sichuan. Or the Gyecheon Gate’s business itself.

In the process, the Divine Dragon Brigade’s movements and Father’s incident.

Could it be that all of it was actually part of a single thread?

Such a chilling thought occurred to me.

If that were the case?

Then what is the end goal of these events? What were they aiming for by going this far?

Tak. Taktak.

I tapped the table with my fingers, pondering.

‘Is it me?’

If there was an end to the thread, it seemed like it would be me.

Sending me to Sichuan and then causing trouble was to buy time.

And sending the letter to provoke me…

‘Was it to make me come back?’

Perhaps it was to ensure my swift return to Hanam?

‘It’s all just fitting pieces together, but…’

If I were to try and connect everything, I suspect that might be the intention, purely a delusion.

‘…Shit.’

But somehow, I felt this wasn’t wrong.

“Hyung?”

“Hoo.”

I let out a quiet sigh.

Then, I looked at Zhuge Hyuk.

“…You said you’d know by tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. I’ll try my best to figure it out before noon.”

I let out a hollow laugh at his words.

‘I’ll try my best.’

Those words were likely spoken after seeing my expression.

My face must look incredibly awful.

“You don’t have to go that far. It’s okay if you don’t figure it out, just do your best.”

“But…”

“For now, I have somewhere to go, so I’m leaving first. I’ll see you tomorrow, and please give my regards to the elder.”

I stood up.

Having finished asking and requesting things from Zhuge Hyuk, I needed to move immediately.

“Where are you going?”

At my sudden declaration of leaving, I avoided his gaze and answered.

“…I do.”

There’s someone I need to see.

More precisely, there was a person my mind kept wanting to see.

*****************

With a little time left until sunset.

Under the sky where the sunset was gradually approaching and changing colors, I arrived at a forest.

“…”

I landed lightly and looked around.

The lush trees were adorned with colorful hues, as if announcing autumn.

Perhaps, having reached its end, the leaves would fall soon, but…

For now, they were beautifully colored.

Watching them, I moved forward.

Even amidst this, I constantly scanned my surroundings as if trying to recall something.

‘…As expected.’

It’s familiar.

This sight. This scenery.

And even the scent flowing into the tip of my nose.

Although I had only been here twice or thrice before, it felt as familiar as if I had been here for a long time.

‘Strange.’

I definitely didn’t have this feeling the last time I was here. Why do I feel this way now?

I couldn’t know.

Ssaaaaaaah-!

The wind blew, scattering the autumn leaves.

It was truly a serene atmosphere.

Walking a little further like that…

“…”

My steps stopped abruptly at a certain spot.

To my eyes, there was nothing there.

Only a field existed.

The sun was setting in the sky, and I could see the grass swaying in the wind.

It was just that scenery, nothing more, yet…

For some reason, that place with nothing there particularly stirred something within me.

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

Why do I keep feeling like something should be there?

Just as I was about to shake my head, frowning…

“You’re here?”

“…”

A voice came from ahead.

I opened my eyes and looked straight ahead.

A rock placed solitarily in a space that felt alien.

Someone was sitting on top of it.

“Hello…”

A black-haired woman, waving her hand weakly.

Seeing her, I frowned.

I had something I wanted to ask if I saw her again.

I definitely did.

“Autumn… you said it was pretty, right?”

At the woman’s rambling, my mouth shut for a moment.

Strangely, my lips wouldn’t move.

What could she mean?

After pondering for a moment, I remembered.

She had said it at the end.

To come before autumn passed.

She said it would surely be beautiful.

“…”

Back then, I had asked why I would come here.

Now that I realized it, I had come before autumn passed.

I brushed my chest with my hand.

This sucks.

Anger flared up from the emotions I felt inside.

I shouldn’t be like this.

These feelings were something I shouldn’t feel, at least not towards ‘that one’.

“You know.”

Just as I was about to spit it out, filled with irritation…

“I missed you.”

“…”

The Heavenly Demon said, smiling.

“Truly.”

At those words, my mouth shut once more.

Damn it all.