The Bond Unbroken
With all that had been done, it was time for everyone to go their separate ways.
Jeok-un made the suggestion to grab hands and at the same time declared the farewell would be final.
Eon I-gyeom found the strange contradiction rather puzzling.
But that was nothing more than pure sincerity from Jeok-un.
‘When I get high enough in my realm to reach the Heugnyeong Jijuk, my relationship with this guy will be over for this life.’
Unlike his previous regression, was Eon I-gyeom not helpful?
Of course not.
Eon I-gyeom belonged to the Dongchang, one of the two great mountains symbolizing the imperial army’s power, alongside the Geumuiwi.
Moreover, the Dongchang’s strength lay far beyond mere military might.
It was the driving force that had solved the matter of Tongseong-hyeon with a whirlwind efficiency, that is, the backbone of the nation’s power.
Of course, Eon I-gyeom would not stay with the Dongchang forever.
His dream was to rebuild the Jinju Eon Clan.
But while he remained in the Dongchang, he would be of great service to Jeok-un, and if the guy got his hands on the Heugnyeong Jijuk and grew even stronger,
‘He would restore all the secrets and sorcery passed down to the Jinju Eon Clan.’
That would surely become a colossal force in the coming battle against the Demonic Cult.
Beneath the Heavenly Demon, there were not only masters of powerful demonic arts.
There were sorcerers who handled every manner of bizarre curse and monstrosity.
In his previous life, the biggest force that had helped confront them was the black bamboo right in front of him—Eon I-gyeom.
Still, Jeok-un had resolved to send him away.
Even if it meant giving up the potential and possibilities he held.
Leave the bonds of the past where they were, chew on them alone for the rest of his life.
He believed that was the right choice.
‘That would be the better path for the guy.’
The situation with Hae-yeon, whom he had taken in as a subordinate without hesitation, was entirely different.
After his regression, the moment Jeok-un had searched for Hae-yeon, it was because he believed protecting her was the safest path for her.
After the Demonic Cult rose, no matter which side of the political world they had joined, the Cult had hunted down and eradicated every single martial sect member.
Since Hae-yeon was already part of Sado-cheon, once the Cult erupted, her future was sealed as death.
In other words, keeping Hae-yeon by his side was the best and safest course.
But as previously stated, Eon I-gyeom was different.
‘Once he obtains the Heugnyeong Jijuk, the guy will be able to forge a new life on his own.’
Just knowing that he had entered the Dongchang by hiding his identity in the palace shows everything.
Though not a rebel, the descendant of a clan that had caused unspeakable slaughter and fallen could not simply change his surname and join the Dongchang.
There was no way.
The Dongchang was not a place so easy to enter.
Tongseong-hyeon’s Zhihyeon trembled at the mere name, and the reason Jeok-un had helped him had been entirely justified.
Just the fact that Eon I-gyeom had entered the Dongchang, or that he had risen to a high position, proved the talent and skills he possessed.
‘If his power grows even stronger here, he will eventually hide his tracks in some way. The imperial court’s pursuit will become something he can avoid.’
By cultivating his strength and planning for the future like that, Eon I-gyeom would realize his lifelong dream and duty—the restoration of his clan.
The dream he had never been able to fulfill while with Jeok-un in his past life.
‘This time I cannot force the same sacrifice upon him.’
In his past life, the moment Jeok-un had met Eon I-gyeom was after the Sapa had unified.
Precisely, it had been the day the Murim Alliance, feeling threatened, had launched an attack on the Sapaeryeon and war erupted.
Naturally, Jeok-un could not have remained silent that day, so he had razed one of the Murim Alliance branches to the ground.
When he had entered the interior of the branch he had just conquered in the name of the victor’s rights.
He had seen a man imprisoned in the underground prison.
“Kyaaa… diiie.”
One eye gouged out, just like Jeok-un.
The terrifying state of a man begging for death.
It was Eon I-gyeom.
On the day he was scheduled to take the position of a high-ranking official in the Dongchang.
Eon I-gyeom’s lineage as a descendant of the Eon Clan had been exposed.
After that, the act of changing his surname—equivalent to deceiving the imperial court—had been charged with the crime of disloyalty.
Not staying still would lead to capture and death, so choosing to flee had been natural for Eon I-gyeom.
But unfortunately, he had been tracked down by the Gap-ran and imprisoned in the Murim Alliance’s prison.
And it was the very branch that Jeok-un had destroyed and entered.
“Let me out.”
“Big bro, if you let this guy go, you’ll be at odds with the imperial court too.”
“Hmph. Come if you’re coming. Whether it’s the emperor or whatever, it’s all the same if you break everything.”
Even though handing him over to the imperial court would earn a huge bounty, Jeok-un let out a scoff.
Even though he could afford to clash with the imperial court, Jeok-un did not care.
Even though there was no relation whatsoever, Jeok-un had rescued Eon I-gyeom and taken him into the Sapaeryeon’s fold.
Why?
A kind stranger to an eye-gouged foe?
No, there had been no particular reason.
He had simply wanted to.
“I will definitely repay the debt of life.”
Those had been the first words Eon I-gyeom had spoken after steadying himself.
Using the Eon Clan’s talents and sorcery, Eon I-gyeom had been active in many ways.
The acquisition of the Paegun Chilseonggi had been something that happened after Eon I-gyeom joined.
From that time onward, the black bamboo Eon I-gyeom had been called the Heukcheon Saju, becoming the core of the Sapaeryeon.
As the war with the Murim Alliance was coming to an end and the accumulated bonds needed to be settled,
the Demonic Cult had swept across the Central Plains.
Eon I-gyeom could have left the Sapaeryeon at any time.
The debt of life he had spoken of had already been repaid countless times by rescuing Jeok-un from death.
But Eon I-gyeom had not left.
He had stayed in the Sapaeryeon and helped Jeok-un and the martial artists.
Just as the others had taken Eon I-gyeom as family.
The guy had become a family member of the Sapaeryeon in his own time.
One day, at Mount Heng, a battle had erupted.
And that ‘incident’ had happened.
“Khehheh… Is this the Heugnyeong Jijuk? The sacred treasure of the Eon Clan that you’ve searched your whole life for.”
The Blood Cult’s lord, who had descended south under the Heavenly Demon’s command, had seized the Heugnyeong Jijuk.
Jeok-un and Eon I-gyeom had brought the Sapaeryeon’s warriors with them, but it had already been a step too late.
“Heukcheon Saju. Do you wish to retrieve this? Then you know how to act, do you not?”
The Blood Cult’s lord’s proposal had been clear.
If you want the Heugnyeong Jijuk back, betray the Sapaeryeon.
A hostage threat using Eon I-gyeom’s dream.
But Eon I-gyeom had not betrayed.
Not only had he not betrayed, but he had fought alongside Jeok-un at the front line against the Blood Cult’s lord and won.
Yes, they had won.
But at what cost…?
“Hah… the Heugnyeong Jijuk!”
“It… has been destroyed.”
“Lord!”
They had lost the Heugnyeong Jijuk forever.
The hope to rebuild the Eon Clan had been completely shattered.
The Heugnyeong Jijuk was not just a sacred treasure; it was the core that ran through the Eon Clan’s sorcery and martial arts.
With it gone, no matter how the Eon Clan displayed its banner, it would be cut off from the Eon Clan before its extinction.
When Jeok-un wore an expression as if he had no words of comfort to offer,
“Big bro, I’m fine.”
Eon I-gyeom had said that.
And even until the day he met his death on the battlefield, Eon I-gyeom had never once mentioned the Heugnyeong Jijuk or the restoration of the Eon Clan.
But even if he had not spoken of it, the dream that had been shattered remained a burden that Jeok-un would carry for the rest of his life.
An unresolvable debt, a lifelong task.
But now, with time travel opening every possibility,
‘There will never be such a thing in this life.’
He would help the guy obtain the treasured item he desired completely and quickly.
Afterward, he would send him away to live as he wished.
Sending the guy off with a smile. That had been Jeok-un’s resolve.
At that moment, Eon I-gyeom, who had also sorted his thoughts, spoke with a cautious voice.
“…The idea of using each other. Is it truly sincere?”
It looked as if nothing had changed on the surface, but Jeok-un, who had observed Eon I-gyeom for a long time, had definitely noticed.
The guy’s attitude had changed from before.
Although he had not yet definitively switched sides or shown an aggressive stance,
if he found a clue to the Heugnyeong Jijuk or something similar at Mount Heng, he would surely help Jeok-un actively.
With Eon I-gyeom’s sharp mind, he would reach the conclusion that exchanging usefulness with each other as Jeok-un suggested was the fastest and surest way to obtain the Heugnyeong Jijuk.
“Then, of course.”
Jeok-un replied with a slight curl of his lips.
Eon I-gyeom looked at Jeok-un’s fleeting smile for a moment, then sighed deeply and spoke.
“Huu, understood. Then tell me what you want.”
“Yeah, you have two things to do.”
“First is to become the backing of the Mil-eom I mentioned earlier, right?”
“That’s right. It will be more than enough if you watch my back right now.”
Suddenly, a spark appeared in Jeok-un’s eyes.
“Afterward, if you extend your reach beyond Honam to other provinces, the ‘guy’ behind you should be more than enough.”
“!!”
The Mil-eom could not be handled easily by just the head of the Dongchang.
Since it was a grave crime equivalent to treason, the other Mil-eom had all secretly allied with power groups.
Among them, the most was the Imperial Family.
It had been reaching toward the imperial princes.
And behind Eon I-gyeom, one of the imperial princes was present.
Currently crouching endlessly, but one day he would stand as a giant.
“…How did you know about that even— no, never mind. Talking about it only gives me a headache.”
“Hm, you know a lot.”
“Then what about the second matter?”
“I need the location of the Yukhon-bang.”
“Hah, how do you even know such impossible things…”
Eon I-gyeom let out a groan, but Jeok-un knew.
The Dongchang had already found it long ago.
Eon I-gyeom himself probably had no idea, but with that, the future had changed once more.
Soon, with Jeok-un’s help, Eon I-gyeom would recover the complete Heugnyeong Jijuk and even rebuild the Eon Clan.
Of course, there were small matters to be resolved first.
‘Huhu. I’ll send him off, but I’ll make sure to squeeze every last drop before that.’
That was the idea: a stern older brother tormenting his younger brother who had dared to interfere.