Chapter 880: I missed you.

Which one of you is the older brother?

It was a somewhat nonsensical statement, but seeing Seongyul’s reaction, I could be sure.

“So you knew.”

“…”

The guy knew. Judging by his reaction, it was obvious.

“How did you know…?”

Seongyul asked back instead. Seeing that, I let out a smirk.

“With eyes that look so alike, isn’t it strange not to know?”

“…”

“Your looks too… No. Hmm. I’m not so sure about that.”

Would he resemble Shinryong if Shinryong had hair? Or maybe, would Seongyul resemble him if he gained a little weight?

Perhaps.

Anyway.

The reason I asked Seongyul something like this was simple.

“So, who’s the older brother.”

Shinryong and Seongyul. That the two were brothers.

That was what was important right now.

“…I don’t know.”

“Don’t know? If you think about it, wouldn’t you be the older one?”

“…”

There was no answer. It seemed closer to genuinely not knowing than refusing to answer.

How were the two brothers? And if they were brothers, why were they in such different situations?

‘Are they twins? No, they can’t be twins….’

There’s an age difference.

As far as I know, Seongyul is older than me, and Shinryong is the same age as me.

It was a time difference that couldn’t possibly make them twins.

However.

‘Could it really not be?’

There was something incongruous about simply calling them brothers. That’s because…

‘It seems that guy has it too.’

The Heavenly Fiend Star. Traces of that vile and cruel energy could be felt in Shinryong as well.

Albeit very faintly.

So, what I was thinking was….

‘Does Cheonan know about this too?’

Did the Abbot of Shaolin also know about this? And…

‘…What about Kunlun?’

Did Kunlun, where Seongyul was, also know about this? If they knew, then why on earth were the two staying in the Taoist temples? That was my question.

‘Furthermore.’

Seongyul knows, but Shinryong doesn’t seem to.

It wasn’t just one or two questions popping up.

‘Can there be two Heavenly Fiend Stars?’

I don’t know much about the Heavenly Fiend Star.

Only that it’s a peculiar constitution that has continuously existed throughout the history of the Central Plains.

Moreover.

‘I heard they only appeared one per century….’

If Shinryong, like Seongyul, was also a Heavenly Fiend Star, then that principle would be wrong.

‘Hmm.’

Should I look into this in detail? It seems a bit bothersome, though.

I stroked my chin, pondered, and then nodded.

‘Does it matter?’

Whether there were two Heavenly Fiend Stars or just one wasn’t really that important.

I’m struggling just with what’s in front of me, when would I ever figure all this out?

‘At least Shinryong’s Heavenly Fiend Star is progressing slowly, so it’s fine.’

Unlike Seongyul, he has less killing intent, and furthermore, he hasn’t even committed murder yet.

This was also why I hadn’t assigned Shinryong any missions.

The possibility of the Heavenly Fiend Star going berserk if he committed murder.

It was a choice made with that in mind.

‘…No matter how I look at it, it feels like I took this on for nothing.’

If I had known it would be like this, maybe I should have refused when Shinryong offered to come.

Taking it on with the intention of messing with Shaolin seemed like a bit of a miscalculation.

‘Let’s just pay minimal attention.’

Just enough to prevent problems from erupting, and without getting too deeply involved.

Besides, Seongyul seemed reluctant to bring anything up right now, so that was the best course of action for the time being.

However.

‘…If there’s one thing that bothers me….’

One incident involving the Sword Demon in my past life.

That was slightly concerning.

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

Following Seongyul, I moved to the space where the Sect Leader Gyecheon had met his end.

I had already visited this place several times while conducting the investigation.

Upon arriving at the destination, I saw members of the Alliance around.

“Yes! Greetings, Great Leader-nim!”

“Ah, you’re working hard.”

After greeting the guards standing watch, I entered.

Descending to the floor where the pond was, I spotted a few personnel inside as well.

“Everything alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

Since the investigation concluded some time ago, the current task was just to secure the area.

Probably for another two to three months, until the main Alliance sends personnel.

Scanning the personnel, I approached the pond.

“Any changes?”

“No particular changes are visible.”

“Hmm….”

I reached out and dipped my hand into the pond. The temperature was neither particularly cold nor warm.

Woong.

As soon as my hand touched the water, my body reacted.

As if I had become one with the water, my energy moved erratically.

The speed was slow and extremely subtle, but it was a definite reaction.

‘Hmm.’

I focused on the moving energy.

The energy in my heart moved erratically, gradually flowing throughout my entire body.

And then.

‘It seeps into the skin.’

The flowing energy gradually permeated.

‘…It’s a truly peculiar sensation.’

I had already checked this several times, and it was the same every time.

This feeling was similar to the sensation I felt when I first reached climax;

Furthermore.

‘It’s similar to shedding.’

It was quite similar to when I shed my skin or felt a transformation.

This means,

‘The body is artificially made close to shedding.’

It’s for strengthening the skin with energy and expanding the vessel.

I wondered if that was possible intentionally, but this water was clearly achieving it.

‘…After strengthening the vessel like that.’

In the end.

‘Do they swallow something called the ‘Yeouiju’ to forcibly induce shedding?’

Swallowing that unknown bead turns one into a half-dragon.

That seemed to be the intention.

‘Strange.’

It was a truly nonsensical situation.

I understood the use of this water. So,

‘Why?’

What was the intention? What were they trying to achieve by doing that? That remained my question.

‘What on earth is this for?’

Sect Leader Gyecheon said he would use this to wipe out the Murim Alliance, but in my view, that doesn’t seem to be the sole reason.

No, Sect Leader Gyecheon probably had that intention, but…

‘the person who created this situation probably had a different motive.’

The intention of the one who created the well here must have been different.

‘…Sip.’

I pursed my lips and retrieved my hand from the water.

At the same time, I recalled the man Sect Leader Gyecheon mentioned as the cause of the incident.

‘Yeon Ilcheon.’

The previous Regression User.

They say he is alive and created this entire situation.

‘Is that really true?’

I couldn’t easily believe it.

Not only that he was alive after hundreds of years, but also…

‘I don’t understand why he would have done something like this.’

What reason would a person who fought against the Blood Demon to save the world, and received the Curse of Blood for it, have for doing something like this?

‘…Isn’t it possible Sect Leader Gyecheon is mistaken?’

I couldn’t help but think that.

However.

‘This is annoying.’

Even though I wanted to believe otherwise, something felt off.

-You are a disaster.

Just like the words that damned soul spoke.

-Do not trust Yeon Ilcheon.

It was the same for the words of the Nine Heavens Sword Saint warning me through Woohyeok’s body.

I stood up and wiped my hands.

The towel was Seongyul’s martial attire.

“…”

Seongyul frowned at my actions, but he didn’t find fault with them.

‘This guy and that guy….’

They’re always eager to get me.

Tsk. Clicking my tongue briefly, I moved. As I walked, I spoke to a nearby member.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

“Yes!”

Passing the member, I went down one more floor.

Below the well, in the space where the sapling was.

“Greetings, Great Leader-nim…”

I spoke to the member who was trying to show deference.

“They’re calling from upstairs. Go up. Everyone, not just you.”

“Yes? B-but, it’s not time for the shift change yet…”

“I’m here. Don’t worry, just go for a bit.”

“Ah… Understood.”

The people inside vacated their posts upon hearing my words.

After sending the people up, I went inside.

Passing through the iron gate, the sapling was still in its place.

The difference was,

‘It’s withered.’

Gone was its original appearance; the leaves had all fallen, and the branches were drying out.

It was a form that had lost all value as a tree.

Looking at it with a strange expression, I passed the sapling.

I walked towards the wall.

“Great Leader-nim?”

As I suddenly walked towards a blank wall, Seongyul stared at me with a peculiar expression.

Ignoring him, I reached out and touched the wall.

“Follow me.”

“Yes?”

Cheol-geok-!

“…!”

Chareureuk–!!

Suddenly, the wall began to move with a sound, and shortly after, a space appeared.

“W-what is this…?”

“Hurry and follow. There’s no time.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Seongyul, without even having time to be surprised by my actions, followed me inside.

Kung-!

The entrance closed as soon as we entered.

Walking a little further after that, we soon reached our destination.

Compared to the space we were just in, it was considerably smaller.

The air was humid and, moreover, quite cold.

So much so that thick breaths emerged when we exhaled.

“This place….”

Just as Seongyul was looking around with a bewildered expression.

“…Hmm?”

He noticed something and frowned. It was because there was a wooden coffin inside the space.

And that was also the reason I came here.

I approached the coffin and checked inside.

“Fortunately, there are no problems.”

“…Great Leader-nim?”

“Come here.”

“Yes?”

“Quickly.”

Urged on, Seongyul approached. His eyes were filled with anxiety.

That brat… Can’t a person just call someone? Why is he looking at me like that?

Seongyul, having approached, looked at the coffin in front of me and widened his eyes considerably.

“…Huh?”

The guy opened his mouth in surprise. It was then.

“Sorry in advance.”

Shwik-!

“Kkuhk!?”

I picked one thing out of the coffin and put it into Seongyul’s open mouth.

Then, covering his mouth to prevent him from spitting it out, I said,

“Swallow it.”

“Kkeuhp… Keuk.”

“I said swallow it.”

When I grabbed his cheeks and threatened him, soon Seongyul’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Gulp.

Only after hearing that sound did I release the hands holding him.

“Khlk! Keok…!”

Seongyul kept coughing dryly. Perhaps from the forced swallowing, tears welled slightly in his eyes.

“G-khlk…! Great Leader-nim… This… this is…”

“It’s nothing much. There’s something I need to check, and it seemed like it would work well on you.”

“Yes…? Check what…!”

As Seongyul was speaking, he suddenly knelt down.

“Keok…!!”

As if in pain, he clutched his chest and curled up.

“Kkeu… Kkeueok…”

It seemed like something was reacting.

Watching him, I nodded and looked at the coffin.

Inside the coffin, piles of white spirit pills were stacked high.

They were all items retrieved from the pond, which meant…

That what Seongyul ate was a Yeouiju.

“Kkuaaah…!”

Seongyul writhed in pain, veins bulging.

Looking at him, I said,

“Don’t worry. Even if something goes wrong, I can handle the aftermath.”

I said calmly, engulfing my hand in flames with a ‘Hwareureuk-!’

“So just bear with it for now.”

It was a somewhat irresponsible statement, but…

“Kkuaaaaaa—-!!”

Seongyul had no choice anyway.