Chapter 1223: Scorched World

“What did you say?”

The old man frowned as he spoke, covering his mouth with his hand. A mistake. I should have kept that thought to myself, but it slipped out before I knew it.

At that moment.

“Hmph.”

Kugugugugu—!!!

A numbing aura erupted from the old man’s body. The tabletop shook, and the entire building began to sway.

My eyes twitched.

Even without feeling his aura, the sheer pressure was immense.

What is this old geezer?

“G-Great Hero, just a moment…!”

Tang Cheongi trembled and slumped down.

Despite Tang Cheongi’s desperate plea, the old man’s eyes were fixed solely on me.

“Look at this one?”

The corners of his mouth turned up.

“He’s holding on.”

“……”

I wasn’t exactly trying to hold on; it was just that without my own energy, the effect was slower.

The pressure was pouring down, but my body was quite sturdy, so this much was manageable.

“Kuhuk!”

Of course, Tang Cheongi, who seemed to be on the verge of collapse, probably couldn’t withstand this.

“G-Great Hero…!”

Kugugugung.

Just as Tang Cheongi’s desperate pleas began to dull and crumble away.

Tuk.

“Hm?”

The pressure stopped. The aura the old man was emitting vanished in an instant.

“Ah. I see.”

The old man turned his back.

“Seems I was a bit excessive. The owner’s gotten angry.”

He said this, looking towards the door.

Saaaaa—!!!

“……!”

A presence settled into the space. Something vast reached out, sweeping the surroundings.

A golden aura extended and enveloped Tang Cheongi.

Ttueok.

Footsteps sounded from afar.

“You were excessive.”

A voice followed. A familiar sound.

“If you had given any indication you were coming, I would have gladly gone to greet you.”

It was Sword Master.

Sword Master, with his abundant white hair, appeared from that direction. Pae Master stood beside him.

“Look at that eccentric old man, picking on brats the moment he arrived.”

Pae Master faced the old man with a displeased expression. Seeing that gaze, the giant chuckled.

“Isn’t it more fun to come secretly?”

“Coming here is fine, but you shouldn’t pick on the kids. Where did your age go?”

“Hahaha. Picking on them? What a shame you say that. I was merely testing him.”

“Testing?”

The giant looked at me again.

“Biju, I heard you took in a disciple, and I couldn’t contain my curiosity. So, I thought I’d check what kind of fellow he was…”

Sssik.

The old man laughed creepily.

“He’s got quite the temper. Reminded me of you back in the day.”

Seuuk.

As he spoke, the old man reached out his hand.

“But… something about him… how should I put it… a little…”

Just as his thick hand appeared, aiming to cover my face.

Kwak-!

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Pae Master appeared and snatched his wrist.

“Hmm?”

“Don’t touch him carelessly; you’ll get him dirty.”

Even the Pae Master in his prime was quite a giant, but the old man before me was a good handspan taller.

About the same level as the First Elder I know, perhaps?

With his massive build and overwhelming presence. Just as I wondered who this fellow could be.

“Why are you here? You should be chilling in Guangdong.”

“Is there any place in this world I cannot come?”

“I suppose not.”

At that, Pae Master chuckled and said.

“What place in the Central Plains could the Number One Under Heaven not go?”

“……!”

Number One Under Heaven. At those words, I glared at the old man.

‘The Number One Under Heaven?’

Being the Number One Under Heaven meant…

‘Is that guy Cheolhyeop Busan?’

Cheolhyeop Busan.

A martial artist born from a sect that focused on single-person succession.

Even during the old times when the Three Lords existed, and even before that, he was the giant called the Number One Under Heaven.

‘…He’s not dead yet?’

As far as I knew, Sword Master had taken leadership, and he was reported dead not long after.

Yet here he was, very much alive.

If one didn’t know the exact timing, one wouldn’t have expected him to be alive.

‘Sword Empress too.’

It seemed like events were unfolding with some discrepancies from history.

Anyway.

‘That guy is Cheolhyeop Busan.’

A white-haired giant.

A figure with a rather rough appearance and a shaggy beard.

Naturally, I had never seen him before.

“So, a disciple is a disciple? You, who never showed interest in others, step up before me like this.”

“I merely stepped in because you were about to do something strange. Haven’t things always blown up whenever you did something, Senior?”

“Ahaha. You jest too much. When did I ever do that?”

“Have you lost the little conscience you had now that you’re old?”

As Pae Master continued speaking, Cheolhyeop Busan withdrew his hand.

It felt like the large shadow that had been looming over me disappeared.

“Sorry for startling you. I just came out of curiosity.”

His face didn’t look sorry at all.

“I intended to move stealthily, but I drew too much attention. The game is over now, so let’s go.”

“Game, my ass. You practically sent out an invitation. If it had been any later, the Sword Brigade would have mobilized.”

Cheolhyeop Busan’s released aura almost caused the Sword Brigade within the Alliance to mobilize.

It meant the aura was that dangerous.

“But why are you here?”

“Ah.”

When asked why I was in the interrogation room, I replied sheepishly.

“……I caused a bit of trouble.”

“Trouble? What?”

“Someone kept provoking me, so I beat them up a bit.”

“……”

Hearing this, Pae Master looked at me with an annoyed expression.

“……Seems like everyone, this one and that one, is out of their minds.”

“……”

Hearing it from that guy made it feel worse.

“You should leave now.”

Sword Master spoke respectfully to Cheolhyeop Busan. Seeing that, the latter scratched the back of his head.

“Hmm. Alright.”

As if being dragged away, Cheolhyeop Busan said to me.

“Let’s meet again.”

“……”

“See what? Hurry up and go.”

I really, absolutely didn’t want to see him again.

* * *

Fortunately, the incident in the interrogation room was resolved for now.

Both Cheolhyeop Busan’s immediate departure and my interrogation, which was just about beating up Namgung Jin brazenly right in front of everyone, meant…

As a result, my actions were being restricted, and I was being excluded from missions.

‘This is actually good.’

I considered this level of punishment not bad at all.

It wasn’t like being thrown in jail.

‘This is probably thanks to Pae Master’s influence.’

Since they must implicitly know that I am Pae Master’s disciple and the reason he is in the Hanam Martial Alliance.

The Alliance wouldn’t be able to treat me carelessly.

“So you got off lightly?”

“Yes.”

Mi Hyoran, who had asked me, sighed at my calm demeanor.

“……Is it something you can be so nonchalant about?”

“Well… it’s not something to get furious or distressed about, is it?”

“What do you mean, not something? Thanks to you, my position has become difficult too.”

I had beaten up Namgung Jin, who was proposing marriage to Mi Hyoran.

“If this happens, the connection with the Namgung family will also fray.”

“Are you saying I should have just stayed still?”

“You should have stayed still. What’s the big deal? If the situation were reversed, wouldn’t the Young Master have gladly accepted?”

“……”

I lost my words. It was true, if the situation were reversed, I probably would have gotten angry and asked why someone was interfering.

It was more beneficial to stay still, after all.

“We had our own problems on this side too.”

“Yes, I understand, but it was a bit excessive.”

Breaking his arm. That’s what she meant by a problem.

“I am aware of that.”

I shrugged. I understood that too. It was true that I had overdone it.

‘It’s annoyingly overlapping with memories.’

Namgung Cheonjun. His nonsensical ramblings overlapped with Namgung Jin’s appearance, and I acted before I realized it.

“Well, eventually the arrows will point at me anyway, so isn’t it fine?”

“……Do you really think so?”

“I don’t really think so, but I figure you, Miss, will handle things to make it that way.”

“……”

Mi Hyoran’s eyes widened.

“You…”

Seeing Mi Hyoran’s face, I gave a slight smile.

“Or maybe not. I just came to tell you it would be okay. Since I’m under confinement, I’ll be going now.”

I waved my hand dismissively and moved.

‘My mother isn’t here anyway.’

I had intended to stay longer, but upon hearing my mother wasn’t inside, I lost my purpose.

‘Next…’

Should I go see Hyeon Soyeong? I thought.

‘Forget it.’

Perhaps because of this incident, I felt awkward about seeing Hyeon Soyeong herself. Even if I wanted to see Namgung Bi-ah inside her, I would have to face her eventually.

‘…I need to look into this too.’

Why Namgung Bi-ah was inside her.

How I should find my powers going forward.

While pondering these matters.

‘…Should I go?’

There was one thing I wanted to confirm after the battle.

Although there were things to investigate in Hanam, even if that weren’t the case.

‘One more thing.’

If there was something I wanted to see in this world.

‘…The Bi-go of Sichuan.’

Sichuan.

The place that was like the source of the troubles I was involved in.

There was something worth investigating there too.

The problem was.

‘How do I get there?’

With my current situation, heading to Sichuan would be difficult.

“Tsk…”

I needed to find a way.

While I was thinking that.

“Um, excuse me…”

“Hm?”

Someone’s voice was heard.

I turned my head.

Then, someone was looking at me. A woman. A woman of similar age, with a pretty face.

It was a face I had seen somewhere.

Familiar, very familiar. It came to me quickly.

“Ah.”

I remembered.

What was her name? I couldn’t quite recall, but I knew one thing.

“……Miss Tang.”

“Ah!”

She reacted with surprise to my call.

“Y-You remembered me.”

A person born into the Tang family.

Someone who looked similar to Tang Soyeol, said to be Tang Cheongi’s older sister…

‘The Poison Master of this era.’

Before Tang Soyeol, she was the Poison Master of the past.