Chapter 1075: Scorched World.

I averted my eyes from the sight of the hulking old man. He wore a dark ink-colored robe and possessed jet-black hair that defied his age.

The old man had a languid expression and a long scar across his cheek.

His body was bulging with muscles, seemingly ready to burst at any moment.

If I had to compare, his physique was absolutely comparable to Dangdeok or Iljangro.

No, perhaps it was even larger.

‘But, that old man is Paejon?’

He introduced himself as Paejon (敗尊).

It was a sobriquet that respected the conviction of a warrior who never backed down despite suffering countless defeats, and it was also the honor of a warrior who deliberately used the character for defeat (敗) even though he could have used the character for dominance (覇).

Furthermore.

He was also the master who greatly influenced my life.

‘Wow.’

I couldn’t help but admire him inwardly.

Paejon had once told me something.

What was it again?

‘If only I had my previous life’s body, I would have ultimately become the number one under heaven,’ was what he said.

It was an incredibly arrogant statement, but now, I felt that Paejon’s words might have been the truth.

‘…Given that body, it’s no wonder he lamented every day.’

Paejon’s body, having undergone rejuvenation, is frail and weak.

His face looked gentle, and his body, before shedding its skin, was similar to my own physique.

In other words, he had a physique that was much smaller than typical for a warrior, yet possessed strength.

I recall Paejon, who possessed such a body, lamenting about his previous life’s physique every day.

Now I finally understood.

If I had a body like that, I too would have lamented.

“……Did you say Paejon has arrived?”

“It really is Paejon?”

“How come the ‘Victor of the West’ is here….”

The participating warriors all showed enthusiasm. The Three Honored Ones of the World. The sky of the orthodox sects, the pinnacle called the summit of warriors.

It was unexpected to encounter him in a place like this.

And I was no different.

‘…Why is that guy here?’

I never dreamed I would encounter Paejon before his rejuvenation.

Is this something I must experience here? Or is it a coincidence?

Just as I was pondering this question.

“Well….”

Paejon glanced at the warriors and spoke in a listless voice.

“I merely came to show my face, so I have nothing particular to say. I hope you can do what you can.”

His voice held no interest whatsoever.

As I wondered why he’d come with such an expression.

“Well then, I shall take my leave…”

As Paejon spoke, his expression contorted.

And then.

‘Huh?’

Our eyes met.

At first, I thought it must be a mistake. There was no way he’d see me among all these people.

That’s what I thought, but.

‘No. He’s looking at me.’

Paejon was clearly looking right at me.

His black eyes, like Go stones, were fixed on me. Sensing that, I quickly checked my insides.

‘I erased my presence.’

I had definitely suppressed not only the energy within but also my presence.

No matter who Paejon is, he wouldn’t be able to ascertain my level.

This meant I had truly ascended to the level of the Three Honored Ones.

While I felt a sense of pride about this part,

‘…Now is not the time to feel that. Anyway.’

Consequently, Paejon couldn’t sense my level.

At best, he’d probably perceive me as merely first-rate or peak.

‘Why is he looking at me?’

As I watched him, puzzled.

“Hmm.”

Paejon uttered a single sound, then.

Tuk.

“Gasp!”

“Eek!?”

He suddenly appeared right before my eyes.

‘Fast.’

I almost reacted.

It was incredible speed.

Paejon, who had approached suddenly, reached out his hand. Then, he abruptly grabbed my bicep.

He didn’t squeeze tightly. Just a simple grab.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I worried what would happen if his energy flowed into me.

That wasn’t the case.

He was simply touching my bicep repeatedly.

“……What?”

As I looked at Paejon, puzzled. He looked at me and asked a question.

“Your name?”

“Pardon?”

“What is your name.”

“Gu… No, I am Baek Yangcheon.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Um… Elder, did I do something wrong…?”

“No. It’s nothing like that.”

Sik.

Paejon chuckled, mid-sentence.

“Hmm….”

“…Elder?”

“This is quite an unexpected find.”

“Pardon?”

“Baek Yangcheon, was it?”

“…Yes.”

A sense of unease swept over me.

This old man’s reaction is unusual. Damn it, where have I felt this reaction before?

As I struggled to recall, it didn’t take long before I remembered where I’d felt this before.

This is…

‘When we first met.’

When I first met Paejon.

More precisely, it was the expression he had when I first met him after my regression.

His gaze then and his gaze now were the same.

‘Oh, crap.’

This means… could this reaction now possibly be…

‘Nah, it can’t be.’

I tried hard to suppress the fleeting thought, but.

“Really? You.”

Paejon said to me with a smile.

“Become my disciple.”

At Paejon’s words, the surrounding atmosphere turned into midwinter.

Oh.

‘Oh, for crying out loud.’

What I feared had happened.

To think I’d hear these words from that guy again.

“Disciple…?”

“Did Paejon just say ‘disciple’?”

“…To that young man?”

All eyes were on me. This wasn’t good. I didn’t want this kind of attention if possible.

‘Has he lost his mind?’

I never expected Paejon to cause such a scene.

My eyes widened in panic.

“Elder… what are you suddenly saying…”

I had to diffuse the situation somehow. No, why is he focusing on me in this situation?

It was absurd.

“You heard me correctly, didn’t you?”

Paejon asked, not wiping the smile off his face despite my reaction.

“Disciple. I’m telling you to become my disciple.”

“……”

His eyes were burning. Where had that tired and annoyed gaze from earlier gone? It was filled with a desire to never let me go.

I held back a sigh.

This was the height of absurdity.

“…I apologize.”

Offering an apology first, the reactions from those around me became even more intense.

“He refused?”

“…Refusing Paejon’s offer of discipleship?”

With the great Paejon himself offering discipleship first, everyone reacted with surprise to my immediate refusal, but.

‘Would I accept this?’

Accepting it, given my situation, would be even more problematic.

Moreover.

‘I’m already his disciple, what am I supposed to do?’

I was already Paejon’s disciple at this point.

If I became his disciple here, it would become extremely complicated.

Frankly, it’s right to assume there’s no option to become his disciple here.

“Why?”

Paejon asked, as if he didn’t understand.

This guy was consistent, both back then and with his reaction now.

“I already have martial arts I’ve learned, and I have a master.”

“A master…? Hmm. Whoever that fellow is, he’d be inferior to me, wouldn’t he?”

That’s an incredibly arrogant statement.

It’s ridiculous how he speaks of someone else’s master like that.

The current Paejon seems even stranger than the one I knew.

“Well. My master isn’t someone who’d lose face anywhere.”

“Than me?”

At Paejon’s words, I laughed.

Whether he was inferior to himself… that was a bit amusing.

“Yes.”

“Hah.”

As I answered confidently, Paejon let out a hollow laugh.

“What a bold fellow.”

Saying that, he abruptly turned his back.

“I’m busy now, so I’ll come find you again later.”

Find me again? What for?

I tried to say there was no need, but.

“…As I said again, I-“

“See you later.”

“……”

Paejon disappeared without even listening to my words.

And so, Paejon vanished.

‘Ah, crap.’

All that remained were the pouring gazes.

Amidst the manufactured silence, noisy gazes turned towards me.

What should I do in times like these?

I had already experienced this like crazy, so I knew the method.

‘What are you staring at?’

I simply ignore them.

That was the best method I knew.

---

Kkiiik.

Kwang-!!

“Whoa!! Whoa, just a moment-!!”

The hulking old man strode down the hallway, forcefully opening doors as he passed. Those inside tried desperately to stop the old man with his actions, but no one could stop the old man.

It couldn’t be helped.

In the current world, only two people were known to be able to stop the old man.

Kwaang-!!

Doors opened again, and again, repeatedly.

After opening doors for a long time, the old man arrived at a room.

“Senior!”

The moment he burst into the room, shouting loudly.

Swiiik-!!

Kwang-!!

The impact struck the old man, Paejon. Paejon deflected the assault with his hand, but.

Jureureuk.

It seemed he couldn’t block it completely, as blood trickled down the back of his hand. Despite this, Paejon didn’t mind.

“Your greeting is quite rough.”

He chuckled and brushed his hand.

Hearing the words, the entity who threw the blow slowly raised its head from where it sat at a desk.

Ooh.

As their eyes met, goosebumps rose on Paejon’s back.

“Biju.”

The voice pressed down on the space.

“I definitely told you, didn’t I? If you were going to visit, give me a heads-up.”

“It was a matter of great urgency.”

“Urgency, you say…”

Woowoong.

Paejon’s dantian churned. A chilling aura was felt from somewhere. It was a mental image.

“Do you think the Lord of our League is someone you can casually meet just because it’s urgent?”

League Lord.

The current League Lord of the Murim League, and the being closest to being the number one under heaven right now.

Geomjon (劍尊) looked at Paejon, imbued with killing intent.

At that gaze, Paejon smiled awkwardly.

“I apologize for that. Still, I did the task Senior asked of me, so can’t you overlook it?”

“……”

At Paejon’s words, Geomjon slowly lowered his aura.

“Since you came anyway, you asked me to do some work, so I didn’t come just to see the faces of brats.”

Since I had a purpose, I intended to head to Hannam and exchange some blows with Geomjon, but.

Geomjon told Paejon that if he wanted to spar, he should at least show his face at today’s Murim League admission test.

Since I had done it despite the hassle, Geomjon lowered his stance too.

“…So, did you come here to spar now?”

“Ah, I originally intended to.”

Paejon lifted the corner of his mouth.

“But another purpose came up.”

“Purpose?”

“So about that… ah.”

Paejon, about to speak, suddenly glanced sideways.

My schedule was tight, so I hadn’t looked around.

Someone was standing in front of the desk.

“Ah, you had a prior engagement.”

At Paejon’s words, the person in front turned their head.

“Hm?”

Paejon’s eyes met the person’s, and his expression contorted.

It was a handsome man with thick features, wearing Murim League attire.

His build was smaller than Paejon’s, but he was nearly eight feet tall.

He seemed not yet twenty years old.

Meaning, a young man.

‘What kind of eyes does that guy have.’

Paejon’s dantian reacted to the look the young man held.

It was similar to when he met Geomjon’s eyes.

Infinitely low and cold pupils.

Yet, paradoxically, an immense heat was felt.

“You. What’s your name?”

The same question he had just asked the other young man.

As he asked the same thing, the young man with red eyes in front answered.

“This junior greets Paejon.”

The words spoken with deference were heavy and weighty.

His deep voice and masculine face suited each other well.

“I am Gu Cheolun of the Gu family, the deputy commander of the Azure Dragon Unit.”

Upon hearing the name, Paejon’s eyebrows twitched.

“Shamefully, I am called the ‘Divine Dragon’.”

Gu Cheolun, the Divine Dragon.

He was precisely the reason Paejon had sought out Hannam.