Chapter 827: Ilcheonkyo.

What should I do… How could I possibly fix this? Just as I was agonizing over that…

“…ed.”

The Gyecheonmunju, pretending not to notice, started speaking again.

‘Wow, he’s really going through with this.’

I really wanted to call him out on it, but I couldn’t, not when he was going out of his way to give me information.

“Do you know how utterly vile and skin-crawling it is to call that a righteous sect?”

“Oh yeah? So?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. You… guys aren’t a righteous sect that truly dreams of justice and chivalry.”

I could feel him hesitate mid-sentence. He definitely faltered after looking at me. His uncertainty about whether you’re righteous or not seemed to be bothering him.

“Not the true righteous sect? Then who is?”

Screech. As he spat out the words, the Gyecheonmunju stood up.

“Ilcheonkyo. They are the true righteous sect that carried on the cause.”

“Hmm?”

How come Ilcheonkyo suddenly became the righteous sect? I didn’t even have time to question it.

“…I’ll handle things properly, just as you said. However, don’t misunderstand.”

Whoosh-! The sword in the air flew back and was retrieved by the Gyecheonmunju.

“This is a transaction. Just as you will achieve what you desire, Gyecheonmun too…!”

“Yeah. I know. I know.”

I said, waving my hand as if telling him not to worry.

I knew why the Gyecheonmunju was saying all that. I’d heard it before.

And that was:

“Make us a righteous sect. Isn’t that right?”

More accurately, he wanted me to speak to the main faction and pull some strings to get them recognized as orthodox, not unorthodox. That was his wish.

In other words:

Gyecheonmun wished to escape the path of the unorthodox sects.

---

After the Gyecheonmunju left, I sat in the room, staring blankly at the ceiling.

As the quiet atmosphere persisted, I casually uttered a remark.

“Could you step out for a moment?”

“Yes.”

“Yikes…”

Startled, I looked forward. Someone was sitting in the space where there had been no one.

It was Amwang, disguised as Yeonhong… no, wearing Yeonhong’s mask.

“Did you summon me?”

“…Ah, yes.”

It was hard to react. The appearance was definitely Yeonhong, but the voice belonged to Amwang. That sense of incongruity was difficult to endure, but it felt awkward to mention, so I decided to just put up with it.

“…Ah, it’s nothing else. I just wanted to thank you for granting my request.”

“Not at all.”

“…”

“…”

The conversation ended there. Nothing more could follow. Since it wasn’t particularly odd, I cautiously stood up.

Now that I’d sent the Gyecheonmunju away, it was time for me to do my own work.

As I thought that and was about to move-

“Are you alright?”

Amwang addressed me.

“What about what?”

What was she referring to? I looked at Amwang, puzzled by the strange question.

“Are you alright with sending Daehwan away like that? If you wish, I can handle it.”

“…”

Her nonchalant words were incredibly chilling. The confidence that she could deal with him anytime I wanted was truly terrifying. It was a good thing she wasn’t a real enemy.

“No, well… does it really matter?”

“From what I see, his intentions weren’t good.”

“Yeah. Probably.”

It was obvious that the Gyecheonmunju was up to something.

But.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I had already anticipated that anyway. I even intended for it to happen.”

It was something I brought about because I wanted it. No matter how it plays out, the Gyecheonmunju would eventually cause trouble. He only reached out to me because he has his own desires; he wouldn’t just let things be.

The reason I chose to let him proceed, despite knowing that, was simple.

“Since I’ll be cleaning up both messes eventually anyway. Letting them mingle a bit will make things easier later.”

It was also necessary to provoke them a little. Considering Ilcheonggeom, I had to set things up this way beforehand.

The only slight concern I had was if the Gyecheonmunju intervened faster than I expected.

‘Seeing him today, I don’t think that’s the case.’

He appears to be far more cautious than I anticipated. So I guess I don’t have to worry about this aspect.

“But there is a slight problem…”

Pausing mid-sentence, I glanced away from Amwang.

‘The story he mentioned about Ilcheonkyo.’

“You guys are rotten to the core, not righteous. You’re fake.”

I recalled the Gyecheonmunju who said as much.

“Hmm.”

Why would he say that?

As I thought about it carefully, something odd struck me.

‘Ilcheonkyo. The true righteous sect.’

Stroking my chin, I pondered. As information gathered, something started to click into place. Strange. Why mention specifically that they were the true righteous sect? Furthermore, what is Ilcheonkyo? It was still too unclear to recall anything concrete.

Amidst this, I came up with a hypothesis. One thing that seemed odd to link, yet could be linked if one tried. One particularity that he experienced, or perhaps went through.

Wasn’t there a known fact even in my previous life?

‘Gyecheonmun and the Gyecheonmunju’s serendipity.’

Back then, they said they’d raided the Gyecheonyeon Clan’s archives to obtain a great boon, and now, he also seemed to have gained something. Regarding this… I was certain it wasn’t the Gyecheonyeon Clan’s archives. Naturally, the reason is:

‘Because I obtained the boon from the archives.’

I claimed the space known as the Gyecheonyeon Clan’s archives in this life, and the boon found there also became mine. I clearly saw the space disappear afterward. How did the Gyecheonmunju manage this? I naturally assumed he must have gotten a boon from somewhere else…

‘Could it be?’

What if the Gyecheonmunju really did get the Gyecheonyeon Clan’s boon? And if that boon’s true identity is somehow connected to Ilcheonkyo?

‘It’s also suspicious that the name is Ilcheonkyo.’

Yeon Ilcheon, the greatest under heaven in the past. Sharing the same name makes me deeply uneasy. Plus, didn’t the Gyecheonmunju say something here?

‘Ilcheonkyo is the true righteous sect.’

What could this mean? As I thought about it carefully, something odd struck me.

‘…A righteous sect?’

What defines a righteous sect? Before explaining their values or ideals, I first considered who determines what constitutes a righteous sect. I didn’t need to look far. Even the place I’m currently in was it.

‘The Murim Alliance.’

Nowadays, whether someone is orthodox or unorthodox isn’t determined by a martial artist’s values. It’s simply whether one belongs to the Murim Alliance or not. That’s often the primary criterion, and by the Murim Alliance here, I mean:

‘Yeon Ilcheon founded it, didn’t he?’

It was also the organization founded by Yeon Ilcheon, who prevented the great bloodshed in the past.

‘…Hmm.’

Starting with the fact that the organization that popped up is called Ilcheonkyo, including Gyecheonmun’s involvement, and the claim that they are the true righteous sect. Could all this truly be a coincidence? Or maybe, just maybe, as I suspect…

‘Ilcheonkyo might be connected to the Gyecheonyeon Clan.’

Thinking thus, I glanced towards Amwang, who was sitting there disguised as Yeonhong. I couldn’t help it. Considering Amwang’s origins, I had to consider it.

‘Amwang mentioned being a descendant of the Yeon family.’

A cursed descendant of the Yeon family. Perhaps she knows something… but… If she knew anything about Ilcheonkyo, it’s puzzling that she didn’t tell me. Moreover, even if she knew everything, I couldn’t figure out why Amwang remained silent…

‘Ah.’

Right. It came to me.

‘Amwang had mentioned she’d look into Ilcheonkyo herself.’

Amwang herself had shown interest and wanted to investigate further. If that’s the case, then even if Amwang has no connection, she must have noticed something suspicious as well.

‘Did Amwang sense something related to my surname within Ilcheonkyo?’

Was that why she wanted to dig deeper? It seemed plausible. The fact that this location is also Sichuan, where the Yeon family resided, adds to it.

Does Ilcheonkyo truly have some connection to the Gyecheonyeon Clan? And does Amwang know this too? If that’s the case, what would that mean?

After pondering all sorts of questions, I finally addressed Amwang.

“Amwang.”

Asking directly is faster for matters like this.

At my call, Amwang looked at me. She was still disguised as Yeonhong. It was still awkward, but for the moment, ignoring it, I tried to ask Amwang something.

“Um, regarding this Ilcheonkyo…”

“Yes?”

“Perhaps, Yeon… hmm?”

I was left dumbfounded, stopping mid-sentence because something odd caught my attention.

“…Hey, Amwang?”

“Yes?”

“Why did your voice suddenly change like that?”

The odd thing was the voice. She had been speaking in her own voice just moments before, but it had suddenly switched to Yeonhong’s. Thinking, ‘What’s this now?’, I asked, trying to hold back my panic, but Amwang just tilted her head in confusion.

“Master, what are you talking about?”

“Huh? No… what is this sudden…”

Thinking she might be teasing me, I was about to tell her to stop.

Just then.

BANG-!

“…!?”

The door I had barricaded suddenly burst open, and someone appeared.

“What the hell!?”

I was startled even more than when Amwang had appeared earlier. Who on earth could have done this? Trying to calm my racing heart, I looked at the door and said:

“Who barges in so roughly…?”

However.

“…Huh?”

The person who appeared in the doorway was someone I knew well. The light shining through the doorway indicated it was still broad daylight as one man entered.

Thump-thump.

Though not overly large in build, judging by how well he maintained himself, he was exceptionally muscular, this middle-aged man. His face had a gentle, unique impression that reminded me of someone, but. His face was deeply furrowed, causing that gentle impression to completely crumble.

“…Huh…? Wha…?”

Why on earth was this fellow coming out of here? As I stood there bewildered, unable to comprehend it.

“…Young Master Gu.”

The middle-aged man glanced between Amwang (in Yeonhong’s guise) sitting before me and me. Or rather, he was the head of the family that dominated Sichuan, once called the Lord of Poison and Steel, and the father of Tang Soyeol, the current Vice Commander of Seongryongdae. Dokwang (Poison King) said, looking at me.

“…Is it a woman again?”

And for some reason, he said it in a furious tone.