Chapter 27

“This isn’t about trusting or not trusting the Vice Lord,” I said.

“If only one person is assigned to assist my father, then their judgment can become clouded. Their perspective narrows. Bias creeps in. That’s why I believe it’s better to put a counterbalance in place. That is my second request.”

“...Then why don’t you doubt me?”

I smiled and took a step forward.

I stood face-to-face with Hyeon Sim.

Then, slowly, I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Just like I did that day.

Like in that moment burned into memory.

Looking straight into his eyes, I spoke slowly.

“Because you’re a man who knows what loyalty is.”

“...”

“Respect is something beyond the grasp of reason—it belongs to the realm of the heart. And you, Supreme Commander, respect my father. Loyalty and respect... those are noble values. If you already possess something that rare, what more could I ask of you?”

Hyeon Sim glanced at the hand resting on his shoulder and let out a small laugh.

It seemed he didn’t dislike hearing that.

I quietly lowered my hand.

“Oh—and since you’re here, could you take him with you?”

“...Understood.”

We’d already spent too much time here.

It was time to return to Snow Compression Branch.

There was still much to be done.

“I’ll be going now.”

I had just turned to leave when Hyeon Sim’s voice came from behind me.

“Dark Snow Kirin.”

I turned my head.

And then—Hyeon Sim said something I hadn’t even considered.

“Have you ever thought about joining the White Phantoms?”

The White Phantoms were composed only of martial artists at Samhwa Meditation Hall or above.

It wasn’t a place one could simply join.

But as a blood descendant of the Everlasting Snow Palace, I was an exception.

With the Supreme Commander’s approval, a descendant could join—not as a grunt, but as a unit leader under the Twelve Cold Commanders.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I answered.

“No.”

“...Then would you at least consider becoming my disciple?”

I smiled faintly.

“I’ll accept the sentiment.”

His eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected me to reject even that.

But I didn’t mind.

“It’s cold today,” I said. “And my father’s likely waiting to hear the outcome. You should be on your way as well.”

“...Very well. Take care.”

“You too, Supreme Commander.”

****

“This isn’t about trusting or not trusting the Vice Lord,” I said.

“If only one person is assigned to assist my father, then their judgment can become clouded. Their perspective narrows. Bias creeps in. That’s why I believe it’s better to put a counterbalance in place. That is my second request.”

“...Then why don’t you doubt me?”

I smiled and took a step forward.

I stood face-to-face with Hyeon Sim.

Then, slowly, I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Just like I did that day.

Like in that moment burned into memory.

Looking straight into his eyes, I spoke slowly.

“Because you’re a man who knows what loyalty is.”

“...”

“Respect is something beyond the grasp of reason—it belongs to the realm of the heart. And you, Supreme Commander, respect my father. Loyalty and respect... those are noble values. If you already possess something that rare, what more could I ask of you?”

Hyeon Sim glanced at the hand resting on his shoulder and let out a small laugh.

It seemed he didn’t dislike hearing that.

I quietly lowered my hand.

“Oh—and since you’re here, could you take him with you?”

“...Understood.”

We’d already spent too much time here.

It was time to return to Snow Compression Branch.

There was still much to be done.

“I’ll be going now.”

I had just turned to leave when Hyeon Sim’s voice came from behind me.

“Dark Snow Kirin.”

I turned my head.

And then—Hyeon Sim said something I hadn’t even considered.

“Have you ever thought about joining the White Phantoms?”

The White Phantoms were composed only of martial artists at Samhwa Meditation Hall or above.

It wasn’t a place one could simply join.

But as a blood descendant of the Everlasting Snow Palace, I was an exception.

With the Supreme Commander’s approval, a descendant could join—not as a grunt, but as a unit leader under the Twelve Cold Commanders.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I answered.

“No.”

“...Then would you at least consider becoming my disciple?”

I smiled faintly.

“I’ll accept the sentiment.”

His eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected me to reject even that.

But I didn’t mind.

“It’s cold today,” I said. “And my father’s likely waiting to hear the outcome. You should be on your way as well.”

“...Very well. Take care.”

“You too, Supreme Commander.”

****

As I’ve briefly mentioned before, the Open Gate Sect ranks its members by the number of knots on the belts they wear.

The highest rank is Nine Knots.

The Sect Leader is a Nine-Knot Elder.

Right beneath them, the Eight-Knot Elders—those are the direct disciples of the Sect Leader, and destined to lead the sect in the future.

But the ones to be most cautious of are the Seven-Knot Elders.

Each and every one of ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) them has reached the pinnacle of the Four Realms of Heaven and Earth, or even the first or second stages of the Martial God Realm.

They are the very pillars holding up the Open Gate Sect.

Next in importance are the Six-Knot Elders.

Like any sect, only those with exceptional talent and proven skill can rise high.

Six-Knot Elders are considered highly likely to become Seven-Knot Elders one day, and none can earn six knots without at least having entered the early stages of the Realm of Harmony.

“A Six-Knot Elder, huh... so that’s why you’re freaking out?”

“...Young Master, we’re talking about a Six-Knot Elder here. I don’t know your exact limits, but it’s not a good idea to pick a fight with the Open Gate Sect right now.”

I laughed.

“You’re misunderstanding something.”

“...I am?”

“If that Six-Knot Elder dies, the Open Gate Sect still wouldn’t dare declare war.”

“...Why... not? That makes no sense.”

“Why not? The sect’s already up to its neck cleaning up its own mess. Starting another front would be idiotic. And as far as I know, even if their next leader is reckless, the current Sect Leader is not that stupid.”

“...Even so, wouldn’t it be better to just avoid this?”

Commander Seong didn’t know the life I’d lived.

Didn’t know what I was capable of.

But that was fine.

Stick around me long enough, and he’d find out naturally.

A smile crept onto my lips.

I quietly lowered his arm from my shoulder.

“That thing we talked about earlier—did you bring it?”

“...Just in case, yes.”

Before heading to the Main Palace, I had asked Commander Seong to take care of a few things.

One of them—he handed over now.

A dossier.

Inside were details on the key factions operating in Yangnyeong County.

Who their leaders were.

Their secondary leaders.

What martial arts they practiced.

Their personalities.

Even information on the current magistrate of Yangnyeong County.

I had already told my father:

I don’t want the Everlasting Snow Palace involved.

Whatever happens in Yangnyeong—

It starts with me. And it ends with me.

“Just curious... why did you want that information?”

“Because I need to make a plan.”

“Your plan?” Commander Seong asked.

“What’s the most important thing in the martial world?” I replied.

“...There’s a lot,” he said. “Many things are important.”

I shook my head.

“There’s only one thing that matters in the martial world: gratitude and grudges.”

“...”

“To live as a martial artist means to live by the debts you owe and the grudges you bear. You must never forget a kindness—and never forget a grudge. If someone wrongs you, you repay them in kind. If you don’t, it’s no different than announcing to the world that you’re unworthy of being a martial artist.”

“Young Master...”

“Right now, in my head, I can think of five ways to wipe out every major family in Yangnyeong, four ways to swallow the entire region whole while minimizing damage, and twelve ways to erase the city from the face of the earth completely.”

Commander Seong swallowed hard.

“Just skimming through this file... I’ve got a good sense of where to start.”

“...And what exactly are you going to do?”

I smiled faintly.

“First, I’m going to meet with the Open Gate Sect’s beggars.”

I turned to leave, but Commander Seong grabbed my arm.

“Young Master...”

Like I’ve said before—Commander Seong is without a doubt someone I owe.

If he were to stab me in the back, or drive a dagger into my spine—I’d still forgive him.

He would have his reasons.

If he asked me for an arm, I’d give it to him.

That’s who he is to me.

It’s no exaggeration. Without him, I likely wouldn’t have made it this far—seventeen, alive, and breathing.

He’s been a pillar in my life.

Which is why... I didn’t feel annoyed right now.

The worry in his voice, the slight tremble in his arm—I felt it all.

And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t get another chance to feel something like this.

“I’m fine,” I said gently.

Hearing the softness in my voice, Commander Seong slowly lowered his arm.

Then he asked,

“Young Master... why don’t you seem to know fear?”

I didn’t answer. I just looked at him, and he could see I had much to say.

“I do believe you when you say you’ve come back from another time,” he began. “But even if that’s true... you are not the same person you were before. You were defeated by a martial artist at Samhwa Meditation Hall. The man waiting inside right now—he’s at the Realm of Harmony, possibly even further. Even I would have to risk mutual destruction to fight him. That man... does not belong in a place like Snow Compression Branch.”

He was telling me that there’s no shame in fear.

That there are many ways to overcome it.

And that retreating, just for today, could be one of them.

“Commander Seong.”

“...Yes, Young Master?”

“Do I really look like someone without fear?”

“Yes.”

“That’s unfortunate,” I said. “Because in my world, fear is very real. Whether you face it or flee from it—that’s a personal choice. And I respect both. But I’m the master of my own world. And as the master of that world, I only have one way of dealing with fear.”

I raised my head and met his eyes.

“You said retreat is an option. You’re right. I’m human too. I retreat. I back down. But not today.”

“...”

“There’s a difference between walking for the sake of living... and walking forward despite fear. Humanity gave that act a name. We call it will.”

“...”

“I am a martial artist. And for every moment that I live as one, I will walk forward with that will. Even if I face a master of the Martial God Realm, or someone at the peak of the Realm of Harmony—none of them can stop my steps. That’s how I confront fear.”

I smiled.

“Well then, let’s not keep them waiting. Guest or not, it’s rude to keep someone waiting—especially if they’ve come unannounced.”

****

In the end, Commander Seong couldn’t stop me.

I began walking ahead and stepped into the Snow Compression Branch’s inner courtyard.

There were two men inside.

One of them I didn’t recognize.

But the other—I knew all too well.

I looked at the man’s face.

Then at the six knots tied around his waist.

A subtle smile curled on my lips.

The sight of that smile made the Six-Knot Elder, Cheon Sugang, furrow his brow.

A strange reaction.

That was no ordinary smile.

To Cheon Sugang, it looked... wrong.

Why did it resemble the smile of someone seeing an old acquaintance?

Why did it feel like the smile of someone looking at a man he’d already killed once?

“I didn’t expect you to come without notice,” I said.

With that, I walked past the two men and sat down beneath the eaves—just like I had done once before.

“Ah, forgive me. I’ve come a long way, and I’d rather not keep standing. I trust you’ll understand.”

Then I turned and looked at Cheon Sugang.