Chapter 72

It had been a while since his thoughts ran this deep.

He’d been trying his best to maintain composure.

Raising his cultivation realm was, without a doubt, the top priority—but impatience would only lead to disaster.

He had to ascend steadily. Step by step. With certainty.

The condition afflicting him—Mad Blood Veins—was undeniably a great aid to a martial artist, but the side effects weren’t small by any means.

Whenever one reached a new realm, there was a period of mandatory adaptation. Skipping that adaptation, as history had shown, meant the bloodline would erupt—and he would die.

He raised a hand to his forehead.

Fragments of information he’d recently acquired began reassembling in his mind.

Some pieces connected. Others did not.

In his past life, there were many things he found strange—but he never had the chance to investigate them in detail. He’d been too busy surviving, and there was never just one or two things demanding his attention. Even when he destroyed the Everlasting Snow Palace, he had left behind his regular duties and moved alone.

That incident had earned him both rebuke and punishment from the Celestial Envoy.

He had gathered what little information he could in a short span of time, and sifted out only the most plausible bits. That was the limit.

After all, he had responsibilities. He held an official title. He had things to do.

Since returning to the past, his first priority had been to fill the gaps in his knowledge using what he remembered from his previous life.

But everything he’d assumed—every theory he’d built—had collapsed the moment he met Jeong Muheun... and obtained the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts manual.

What he told the boy hadn’t been an exaggeration.

He truly had learned a great deal.

Now, all that remained was to verify it—but his current level wasn’t nearly enough.

Still holding his head, he sank deeper into thought.

Moments from the past brushed by. Countless people had begged for their lives, and he had cut their throats without hesitation.

Those who tried to stop him—died. Those who resisted—died.

He killed and killed again.

There was no regret.

It had been necessary. If he hadn’t done it, tens of times more would have died instead.

There was no guilt.

But... it struck him that all of it might soon repeat.

He needed to prepare.

“Are you alright?”

The voice snapped him from his thoughts. He lowered his arm.

Ju Soa stood nearby.

And beside her was Chief Steward Seong Yangho.

He glanced up at the sky. The sun was just about to set.

It seemed at least two hours had passed.

“Did you get the full tour?”

“I did.”

“Then what are you doing here? Go do your job.”

Ju Soa scratched the back of her head.

“Before I started, I was curious about something.”

“What are you so curious about?”

Without hesitation, she asked,

“What the hell is going on here?”

His eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“I really don’t understand.”

“Understand what, exactly?”

“I just came back from checking out the recruits from the subsidiary branch. None of them seem ordinary.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Especially that one called Wonyang—she practically glows. She’s already at the Dual Light Manifestation stage, and from what I saw, she’s not far from breaking through to Five Dragon Blooming Star.”

“And the other two?”

“They’re unusual too. I sparred with them just now. That kid Cheonpung—he’s huge, but surprisingly agile. Sharp instincts, quick judgment. And the one called Han Murin? I don’t know what kind of strange martial art he learned as a kid, but his level doesn’t make any sense. His swordplay is downright unorthodox. He tries to hide it, but the killing intent is overflowing. If he doesn’t rein that in, people will start calling him a demonic cultivator before long.”

He let out a faint laugh.

“You’re more earnest about your work than I thought.”

“Come on. I told you already. I’m a martial artist. And I’m not someone who forgets a debt. If I’m going to repay a debt, I have to do it properly. Otherwise, I’d be no better than a fraud.”

He didn’t mind that.

“Also... what exactly are you?”

“You mean me?”

“Yes. From what I can tell, you’re definitely at the Five Dragon Blooming Star stage... but that’s not all. The way you handled the demonic energy in the secret realm... there’s no way a cultivator at the Heaven and Earth Death stage could do that. It was something only someone at the level of Heaven and Earth Life or higher should be able to pull off. How is that possible?”

He said nothing.

“I don’t know who—or what—you really are.”

“......”

“Are you some ancient master reborn into youth?”

She watched him chuckle quietly, then continued.

“The original Seol Unwi... he died, didn’t he? And now you’re just... wearing his face?”

“If that were true, I wouldn’t have left you alive.”

“Are you going to kill me now?”

He shook his head.

“If I were going to kill you, I wouldn’t have saved you in the first place.”

“Is that so?”

Ju Soa smiled faintly.

“What you got in that secret realm... it was the Heavenly Demon’s martial art, wasn’t it?”

The Chief Steward beside her instantly turned cold.

From the look in his eyes, all it would take was one command, and he’d strike her down right here.

But his gaze remained fixed on Ju Soa.

This woman...

She might be more useful than expected.

“Isn’t that why you’re keeping me close? To keep me quiet?”

“And yet, you still came here knowing that?”

“I owe you my life.”

“I see.”

“I thought that must’ve been the reason, but... now that I see it up close, I’m not so sure. That guardian next to you looks like he wants to kill me right now. The killing intent is honestly electric. So why am I still alive?”

“At first, it was interest. Now, it’s curiosity.”

“...So you’re not planning to boil me alive later or anything, right?”

He burst into laughter.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Then you’ve been through a lot in the martial world already.”

“Oh, definitely. I’ve been cast aside like a worn-out hunting dog a few times too.”

“Do I look like that kind of person?”

“You never know with people.”

“Then let me make this clear.”

His tone turned sharp.

“In my entire life, I have never once taken someone under my command just to use them as a disposable hound.”

“......”

“And I never will.”

Ju Soa scratched her head again.

“Well... alright. I mean, it’s not like I have a choice. I already owe you my life, and now we’re in the same boat... and you are giving me a chance, right?”

“You could say that.”

“So all I have to do is train those three?”

“For now.”

“Then... is there anything I should refer to?”

****

At Ju Soa’s words, Unwi’s gaze softened.

“Cheonpung is twenty-four. He’s a massive man, but his heart is gentler and kinder than anyone’s. There was a time he killed the traitors who betrayed the subsidiary branch—but afterward, he stayed behind at the training grounds and held a funeral for them alone. His generosity runs deep, and behind it lies a profound sense of responsibility. He has the qualities to stand in as Branch Lord if I’m ever absent.”

He paused for a moment, then continued.

“Wonyang... she’s fast. Agile. Her senses are unusually sharp, and those instincts shine most in sudden, chaotic situations. She can read the flow and adapt quicker than anyone I’ve seen. And her talent for martial arts? That goes without saying.”

A faint smile tugged at Unwi’s lips.

“Han Murin is a bit more complicated. His family was slaughtered under false charges of treason—he was the only one left. The killing intent he exudes is raw and untamed, like boiling magma—unstable and dangerous. That kind of energy could easily consume him. But inside that savagery is a genuine, burning passion.”

“Passion?” she echoed.

“He’s consumed by vengeance, but that’s not all. He’s meticulous, never forgets what must be done. By most standards, his talent would be called genius. But right now, he’s walking a razor’s edge. If he can’t tame that rage... it’ll devour him eventually. However—”

“However?”

“If he overcomes it, Han Murin will be a martial artist whose name echoes across the martial world.”

Ju Soa listened in silence, absorbing every word. Then, quietly, she spoke.

“...You care about them. A lot.”

“I should,” Unwi said simply. “They’re mine.”

Something about the way he said it made her fall silent again.

Then Unwi added, “And I’m curious about you as well.”

“...Why?”

His gaze deepened.

“Because you may also become one of mine.”

Ju Soa’s eyes widened.

There was no calculation in his voice. No sugar-coated deception. Just a genuine will to cherish and protect the people he claimed as his own.

She let out a dry chuckle.

“Says who?”

“No one can say for sure.”

Ju Soa didn’t argue further. Unwi tossed her a scroll.

She caught it and tilted her head.

“What is this?”

“The Heaven-Slaying Wolf Star Formula and the Heavenly Mind Technique.”

“...I’ve heard of the Heaven-Slaying Wolf Star Formula. Isn’t that Han Cheol’s martial art?”

“It is.”

“And the Heavenly Mind Technique...?”

“That one, I created.”

“...Don’t joke.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“You’re telling me you created a technique? Someone at the Five Dragon Blooming Star stage?”

“I don’t feel the need to explain. Read it. Then use it as a reference to guide the others.”

“...Fine. I’ll take a look.”

Turning away, Ju Soa opened the scroll.

She began reading as she walked. But as soon as she reached the first page of the Heavenly Mind Technique, she stopped dead in her tracks.

What is this?

“...You really... made this? You...?”

“Not ‘you.’ Address me properly.”

“...Whatever you are, what is this, really?”

To the average martial artist in the branch, it would have just seemed like some impressive technique. But someone at the level of Chief Steward Seong Yangho had already sensed it.

The Heavenly Mind Technique wasn’t just high-grade—it was one of the most refined mental cultivation methods even among Heaven and Earth class techniques.

And Ju Soa was no fool.

Her arm trembled slightly.

“Creating a technique like this is one thing, but... why give it to me?”

“I already told you. You may become one of mine.”

“...”

“Let me be clear, just in case—you are allowed to learn it.”

“...You’re serious?”

“For the next year, you’ll serve in this branch as the acting Vice Branch Lord. Understood?”

“...Yes.”

“Then ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) go.”

As Ju Soa departed, Chief Steward Seong Yangho stepped forward.

“They say heroes always draw women to them. Young Lord, are you perhaps... a hero? Hahaha.”

Unwi ignored the jab and asked, “What about the documents I mentioned?”

“Ah, those? I was just waiting for you to ask.”

With practiced ease, Seong Yangho pulled out a roll of parchment from his robe, clearly something he’d kept ready.

Before entering the secret realm, Unwi had been visited by representatives of the Shinsamgok merchant league.

They had used the name of the Everlasting Snow Palace and promised a monthly tribute of six hundred pounds of Shinsamhwa. What Unwi wanted to know was why.

Why did they need the name of the palace?

It meant only one thing—someone was watching Shinsamgok closely, waiting for a chance to seize it.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have approached first.

The documents Seong Yangho handed over contained detailed information about Shinsamgok, and reports on the gold mine located between Bongnae and Yangnyeong.

After reading through everything, Unwi let out a soft laugh.

At this point, it felt like fate was drawing the lines.

“There are several merchant coalitions active in the Central Plains. One of them has been pressuring Shinsamgok. The gold mine is already in their hands.”

So it was true.

“Tianlin.”

“Yes. Tianlin.”

“Since we’re on the subject—I've heard rumors there’s a black market operated by Tianlin near Cheongsu Village. Is that true?”