Chapter 1194: Scorched World.

Sanseodo.

A family located in Sanseo, one of the minor families that couldn’t measure up to the great families.

Its location required venturing a bit north from the county seat, but the family existed. It was said they didn’t operate their own merchant guilds or sword brigades.

With few affiliated martial artists and no sponsorship from merchant guilds, they barely maintained their family name, existing only in name.

They were, in other words, a fallen family.

Their name carried little weight, fewer people sought them out, and since the family’s power was shallow, even merchant guilds didn’t offer sponsorship.

Furthermore, since they didn’t operate a sword brigade, they didn’t even receive subsidies from monster subjugation efforts.

They possessed absolutely no source of income.

A family that wouldn’t be strange even if it disappeared anytime.

That was the information I had found.

‘If it weren’t for this, how would I know?’

It’s a place that could truly disappear at any moment. Meaning, it wouldn’t be strange even if it had disappeared after I was born.

So.

‘That’s why it’s even stranger.’

The very existence of the S family was a question.

‘The head of that family, too. And so is his son, Do-yun.’

They weren’t weak.

Compared to the late-stage cultivators of the county, Do-yun held an overwhelming position. It’s just that his father transcended the ranks. Excluding his father, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was the strongest among them.

If someone like that exists…

‘It’s strange that he wouldn’t be known in later days.’

He should have been a famous martial artist even in my time.

‘I don’t even know who he is.’

I didn’t know the name Do-yun. Meaning, I don’t know who he is.

‘Did he die?’

The highest probability, naturally, is death. The possibility that something happened and he died. That’s the most likely scenario, though.

‘…This is just speculation.’

It’s merely speculation. Both the existence of Do-yun and the existence of the S family itself are anomalies to me.

When I first saw him, I was curious about what kind of guy he was.

‘It seems he’s involved much deeper than I thought.’

To the point where I couldn’t think of it simply. He seemed greatly entangled with the Nine Families.

‘Taekcheon too.’

What kind of events happened in the past I didn’t know about? Moreover, what exactly am I supposed to do here?

‘I think I’m about to get my bearings now.’

Isn’t Do-yun the clue to that? Isn’t he the key to the questions I’ve always held?

I had such thoughts.

That’s why.

That’s why I’m willing to brave the danger, despite my body being in such a mess right now.

“……Hmm.”

I looked up at the sky. I could see the sun had set, and it had become night.

Tuk-tuk.

I brushed myself off. I had been doing some training because I didn’t want to just sit around all day, but since I couldn’t use my internal energy, it was just external martial arts practice.

‘Hoo.’

Still, using my body a bit felt refreshing. I roughly cleared away the iron block I had broken.

When will Do-yun arrive? He said he’d take me, so I figured I just needed to wait.

‘……Hmm.’

Should I break one more thing? Just as I was having that thought.

“……”

I turned my gaze and my eyes met someone’s. Ah. Right.

“……Hello?”

“……”

The woman, as soon as she saw me. It was So-i, the Sword Peak. She seemed to have come for training as well, appearing in comfortable attire.

“……What are you doing?”

“As you can see, training.”

“That?”

She pointed to the broken iron block in my hand. I sheepishly moved the iron block.

“It seems the equipment here is a bit weak.”

No matter how low my energy was, I had my cultivated body, so I could manage this much.

“……”

So-i, watching me, suddenly scrunched up the bridge of her nose.

“Sunbae. What’s with that expression?”

“Baek Yangcheon.”

“Yes.”

“……You’re strong, right?”

“……”

What kind of question is this? I couldn’t understand it for a moment. Strong?

“……What kind of question is that?”

Why are you suddenly asking that?

“You’re not weak, are you?”

“……”

Tuk.

At my words, the silent So-i suddenly drew her sword.

“Wha-“

“……Do you have some time?”

“……No, not really, but… What is it? Are you asking for a sparring match?”

“Yeah.”

“……Suddenly?”

She wants to spar out of the blue?

What the…?

I wondered why she was doing this. So-i’s expression was more determined than I expected. She looked like she’d force me if I refused.

“Hmm.”

I pondered, looking back up at the sky. Do-yun should be here soon though…

‘Since I should have some time.’

Maybe I’ll do it just for the meantime?

First, I spoke to So-i to ask for her understanding.

“I don’t have much time. Is that alright?”

“……Whenever.”

“Understood.”

The agreement was made.

---

So-i gripped her sword and looked at me. The training ground of the Nine Families was vast.

Its size was larger than the training grounds I knew.

If it was this big, why did they shrink it down?

I was puzzled. Did my father not have money?

‘…I don’t think that’s the case?’

Considering the funds provided by the Baekhwa Merchant Guild, I couldn’t understand why they would deliberately shrink the training ground.

‘I hadn’t really thought about it since we didn’t use it much.’

Comparing it, it did feel strange.

‘Anyway.’

First, I loosened my throat and looked ahead.

So-i was looking at me with a tense expression.

“Hoo-oo.”

I took a deep breath and focused my gaze.

And then.

“……Going.”

“Ah, yes.”

She announced her move. At that moment.

Pat-!

So-i’s sword came flying. It was fast. I turned my head. I dodged the sword by a hair’s breadth and bent my upper body. As if mocking the failed attack, my flexible body lightly drew a semicircle.

The dance-like movements were quickly adorned with plum blossoms.

The plum blossom-shaped sword energy reflected in my vision. Seeing it, I narrowed my eyes.

‘Colorful.’

Sword strikes numbering as many as plum blossom petals poured down. I braced my legs and dodged the sword’s path.

Colorful. That’s the perfect way to describe it.

As flexibility imbued the momentum, the attacks appeared intricate.

‘Her current level seems to be at its peak.’

A mature peak. Or perhaps, just before reaching that point? So-i’s level was about that much, but the sword techniques she displayed were higher than that.

To think her swordsmanship surpassed her realm. So this kind of thing does happen.

‘Indeed.’

The seed destined to become the Sword Empress in the future was different from birth.

She felt completely different from some idiot who gained the title Sword King purely on reputation. Ah, she wasn’t quite like that originally. I realized that recently, after spending time together.

‘Namgung Jin really is an idiot.’

I don’t know what happened to him as he aged, but Namgung Jin now is an idiot.

It was a day where I keenly felt that thought.

Swish-!

I dodged the sword.

Even after dodging one, dozens more followed.

Plum Blossom Sword Technique. I had to dodge them without even using my Mind’s Eye.

‘Tight.’

Dodging narrowly, I swallowed a groan inwardly.

‘Can I really be this incompetent just because my energy is depleted?’

Still, since my body retained some energy, fighting was possible. Nevertheless, I couldn’t deny feeling overwhelmed.

Shriii-!

The pouring petals radiated as if in full bloom.

I rolled my eyes around.

‘Top left.’

Feint.

I ignored it and charged.

‘Straight to the right.’

It was real. I dodged. I took another step closer. As I identified an opening and pressed in, surprise flashed in So-i’s eyes.

Wham-!

So-i didn’t back down even as I approached. She tried to come closer instead.

I acknowledged her momentum.

Even from my perspective, that judgment was correct.

However.

‘Even so.’

Even though I had no energy.

‘I still have experience.’

Crack-!

“Hut!”

I struck her wrist, twisting the path. Her diagonally descending sword hit the floor.

That was when.

Thwack.

“……Oof!”

Making So-i’s approach futile, I drove my fist into her abdomen.

“Gack!”

So-i’s knees buckled right then.

“Gack… Gack…”

“Are you okay?”

I brushed my hand off. I did try to control my strength. I wonder if she’ll be alright? Since my body weakened, there wasn’t really much strength control to speak of.

So-i bit her lip. Her expression as she looked at me next was quite fierce.

“……What’s with that look?”

“Are you looking down on me?”

“Huh?”

“Why… didn’t you use your energy?”

“……Ah.”

I didn’t use it because I couldn’t, but it seemed she misunderstood.

“Well… it’s not that I deliberately didn’t use it.”

“So you mean you didn’t need to use it.”

“No… um.”

What should I say to this? I awkwardly scratched my cheek. It wasn’t because of that, but she seemed quite offended.

No, but speaking of which.

“Sunbae.”

“……”

There’s no answer.

“Sunbae, why do you hate me so much?”

I asked, feeling slightly wronged. There shouldn’t be any reason for her to dislike me. Why does this era’s So-i keep hating me?

Still…

‘The Sword Empress seemed to view me favorably, though.’

But the Sword Peak didn’t see me favorably, which was utterly strange. Curious about that, I asked her.

“……Is this something I need to explain?”

“You’re not denying that you hate me, are you?”

“……”

So-i made a look as if realizing something too late. As I felt last time, this person was truly naive.

“What did I do? I don’t recall doing anything specific to you, Sunbae-nim.”

“……”

No answer came.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to… but since I sparred with you, couldn’t you at least say something?”

“Tsk…”

Threatening me with that? That was the look on her face.

…What is it? Is this something to hate that much?

“Seriously, why are you like this?”

By this point, I was genuinely curious. So I waited for her answer.

“I…”

Not long after, So-i thankfully started speaking to me.

“I can’t understand you.”

“You seem to be.”

“……”

“Ah, I apologize. I didn’t mean to be sarcastic. It just slipped out…”

Slightly provoking others is like a habit. I quickly apologized.

“……Why didn’t you step forward, even though you had the strength?”

“What do you mean?”

“Last time in Anhui, I mean.”

“Ah.”

I wondered what she was talking about. Now I understood.

Was it during the incident with the Hundred-Ranked Demon Beasts?

“I did try my best, you know.”

“You could have done more. You could have saved people.”

“In the end, nobody died, did they?”

Considering how much I struggled back then.

‘Of course, no one noticed, but.’

While I wore a mask and played the role of the Heavenly Demon, the body I created with my powers must have been pretending to do something.

“……And that’s enough?”

So-i frowned.

Hmm…

‘I see.’

I think I understood why the current So-i felt uncomfortable, whether she realized it or not.

“What’s the reason it wasn’t enough?”

“What?”

“There were no problems even if I didn’t step forward. Everything was resolved. So why are you displeased with me for not stepping forward then?”

I laughed.

Because someone just came to mind.

‘Why do they live like that?’

It was because someone, known as the Sword Saint, who showed a pathological obsession with saving people, came to mind.

“The responsibility for troubles that arise from meddling in bothersome affairs belongs to those who worked hard on them. Whether the outcome was good or bad. However, if you have power, must you also bear the burden? That’s absurd.”

I wiped the expression off my face.

The woman, who had struggled under the weight, had lost her expression from some point on.

“That-“

“Keep your petty sense of justice within your own skills. I don’t need it. If you’re going to judge based on that, you should at least be strong.”

I said as I passed So-i.

“There’s no one in the Central Plains to listen to the petty anger of the weak. Sunbae-nim.”

“……”

“Seriously, you’re annoying.”

I left the training ground after passing her. I didn’t hear So-i’s words that followed.

As I came out, running my hand through my hair, Do-yun was standing at the entrance.

“Were you waiting?”

“……No, I just got here.”

Do-yun glanced into the training ground.

“Let’s go. We’re late.”

I lightly grabbed his arm.

It wasn’t so much out of consideration for So-i…

‘…What I said to that kid.’

It was because I was embarrassed by myself, unable to control my emotions and blurting things out to the young So-i.