So That's What It Was (1)
The strategy Han Cheong-un chose was a diversion.
While Tang Jin made a scene to draw the Mount Hua Sect's attention, Han Cheong-un planned to slip secretly into the White Plum Pavilion.
Will he do well? Of course he will.
On his way here, he had caught a glimpse of Mount Hua's first-generation disciples rushing toward the scene, but it was fine.
Our vice sect leader has a high pain tolerance, so he'll be fine.
Meanwhile, Han Cheong-un stealthily made his way to the White Plum Pavilion. Along the path, female swordsmen of Mount Hua stood guard with expectedly strict vigilance. However...
This was the very ability that had made Han Cheong-un the greatest master under heaven in his past life. In this moment, his single step transcended human perception. Which meant...
"What is all that noise?"
"Who knows? Whatever it is, we must guard our post."
"You're right, Senior Sister."
He could completely deceive the senses of the female masters guarding the White Plum Pavilion.
Perfect.
Though it was a bit embarrassing that the best use he could find for such a transcendent ability was sneaking into a women's dormitory.
Even after that, Han Cheong-un repeatedly abused his Domain ability as he stealthily navigated the White Plum Pavilion.
Although, in the process...
"Junior Sister, have you seen my undergarments?"
"I hung them out over there."
"Senior Aunt, shouldn't you put some clothes on?"
"What does it matter? We're inside the White Plum Pavilion."
...he unintentionally witnessed sights he definitely shouldn't have.
I am sorry. This is all an act of God.
Quite a few criminals made the exact same claim.
Regardless, Han Cheong-un moved without being caught. However...
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
Unfortunately, Domain was not an ability he could maintain indefinitely. While using it at the right moments helped with infiltration, it was not an absolute solution.
A few high-level masters sensed Han Cheong-un's stealthy movements.
And one of them did not hesitate in the slightest.
She drew her sword immediately...
Boom!
The brilliant Plum Blossom Sword Qi of Mount Hua exploded. At the commotion, the younger disciples cried out.
"Senior Aunt?"
"What happened?"
She sheathed her sword and said,
"An intruder. Someone has infiltrated the White Plum Pavilion."
"In the White Plum Pavilion?"
"An intruder?"
Instantly, murderous intent flared in their eyes. There was no one near the shattered ceiling.
But if their Senior Aunt's words were true, it meant the intruder was still alive.
And indeed, it was true.
Damn, did I get caught after all?
Han Cheong-un sighed inwardly.
The moment the Plum Blossom Sword Qi flew toward him, he had used Domain One Step to dodge. However, now that the enemy was on high alert, moving around would be incredibly difficult. Above all...
Honestly, I'm the one in the wrong here. Should I just go down and apologize?
Giving up after coming all this way was a waste, but now that they knew someone was here, it was only a matter of time before he was found.
In that case, wouldn't it be better to just apologize upfront? They were righteous female heroes of the Orthodox faction; surely they wouldn't treat someone who apologized too harshly?
Alright. Let's go down.
Just as Han Cheong-un made up his mind—
Thud!
A Mount Hua swordswoman slammed her scabbard hard against the floor and shouted,
"I ask you all! What is the punishment for a man who sneaks into this forbidden sanctuary without permission?"
"Death!"
"Death!"
"And what of the filthy traitors who betray their sisters to pursue romance on their own?"
"A hammer of blood!"
"A hammer of blood!"
"Capture him! Dead or alive!"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
This was bad.
The atmosphere was definitely not conducive to going down and apologizing.
The female disciples of Mount Hua, fully armed with swords, began searching for Han Cheong-un.
Bloodshot eyes and sharp, chilling killing intent.
Han Cheong-un was certain of one thing.
If I get caught, I'm dead.
He had spent his life fighting for the justice of the Jianghu, never fearing death.
But dying like this? That was definitely not how he wanted to go.
Han Cheong-un hid himself, suppressing his presence as much as possible. However...
"East area of the first floor, clear."
"Searching the west area of the first floor."
"Search every nook and cranny. Do not leave a single rat—no, not even an ant behind!"
"Yes!"
The dragnet was tightening.
The search conducted by the Mount Hua disciples was unnecessarily precise and thorough.
Has this happened often? Why are they so experienced at this?
It was a search so flawless and meticulous that it rivaled the Heaven and Earth Net of the Beggars' Sect.
With barely any energy left to abuse his Domain, Han Cheong-un could do nothing but hold his breath and hide in one spot.
At that very moment of absolute desperation...
"This way."
Someone grabbed Han Cheong-un.
Han Cheong-un flinched in surprise.
Who could have accurately pinpointed him when he had completely erased his presence?
He turned his head, and there stood...
"Baek..."
"Come in here. Quick!"
The Mount Hua Divine Maiden, Baek Su-ah.
The very person Han Cheong-un had been desperately searching for had appeared.
"Senior Aunt! Are you inside... Oh? You were changing?"
"What is it?"
Although the White Plum Pavilion was a communal living space, the first-generation disciples were still granted private rooms.
And Baek Su-ah was undeniably a first-generation disciple of Mount Hua.
The second-generation disciples who had crowded outside her room said,
"It seems there is an intruder in the White Plum Pavilion. We must search the entire area immediately."
"There is no one in my room, Junior Sister."
It was a lie.
Right now, Han Cheong-un was hiding under Baek Su-ah's bed, quiet as a dead mouse.
Good. If we keep this up, I can escape this crisis.
Han Cheong-un thought. However...
"We still have to search it just in case."
"Really?"
Does that stubborn woman not care about seniority?
If her Senior Aunt said no, she should just believe it. Where did she get the nerve to disobey?
"It is the rule of the White Plum Pavilion. Once a search order is issued, not even the Sect Leader can refuse it."
Seriously? The White Plum Pavilion has that much authority?
"Even if I say there is no one?"
"About a hundred and thirty years ago, a disciple sneaked her lover in and got caught. Since then, a rule was added stating that a search must be conducted even if the occupant refuses."
"Ah... I see."
That was a hundred and thirty years ago!
Are you still remembering that? You petty women. Men hate it when you're this meticulous.
Han Cheong-un thought, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Cold sweat drenched his entire body.
Lying flat under the bed, it would be difficult to escape even if he activated his Domain.
One step to get up, another step to move.
He would need at least two steps, but could he pull it off?
No. It's impossible.
It was a desperate crisis. But then...
"I suppose it can't be helped. Go ahead and search."
"Thank you for your understand... Huh?"
The face of the second-generation disciple suddenly went blank mid-sentence. A moment later...
"There really is no one here."
"Indeed."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Senior Aunt."
"Keep up the good work, Senior Sister."
The second-generation disciple left the room.
"Phew..."
Baek Su-ah let out a long sigh and leaned against the wall, stumbling slightly. And then...
"Lady Baek, you...?"
Han Cheong-un, crawling out from under the bed, stared at Baek Su-ah in disbelief.
He knew exactly what he had just witnessed.
It was a light hypnosis utilizing the Dragon Eyes.
He had seen Baek Su-ah use that technique back during their days in the Annihilation Squad. But the problem was...
She only acquired that ability during the latter half of the Second Great Orthodox-Demonic War. Which means...
A hypothesis formed in his mind.
And Baek Su-ah acted as if to perfectly prove that hypothesis.
Placing a fist against her chest, she bowed slightly and spoke.
"Baek Su-ah of the Annihilation Squad. I greet the Captain."
It was the ultimate, undeniable proof.
Han Cheong-un stared blankly at Baek Su-ah.
After a brief silence, he spoke in a trembling voice.
"You... remember everything?"
Baek Su-ah nodded silently.
Her memories weren't faint traces like Tang Jin's. She truly remembered everything.
"Since when did you regain your memories?"
"Five months ago."
Chronologically, it aligned perfectly with the moment Han Cheong-un regressed.
He was taken aback. However...
Is this actually for the better?
Didn't this save him the trouble of having to convince her?
For Han Cheong-un, who had been agonizing over how to persuade her, this was a welcome development.
But unlike Tang Jin, if she remembered the whole truth, there was something he absolutely had to say.
"Lady Baek, I..."
"..."
"I am sorry. In the end, I allowed all of you to be sacrificed."
"..."
"It was all due to my incompetence."
Han Cheong-un voiced the words buried deep within his heart.
The Annihilation Squad had led the war to victory and saved the Orthodox Wulin. But that was all.
Because they had fought at the very front lines of the Great War more than anyone else, they had suffered the heaviest casualties. In the final battle, Han Cheong-un was the sole survivor.
Even now, when he closed his eyes, the vision was vivid.
The bodies of his squad members, who had fought bravely and fallen under his command...
Even during his days rotting away in the dungeons of the Wulin Alliance, he had never forgotten them.
Having obtained the chance to regress, he thought he had buried those memories in a corner of his mind.
He believed that since he had been given another chance, he just had to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
But standing before someone who shared those exact same memories, he couldn't help but apologize. And Baek Su-ah...
"Raise your head."
"Lady Baek, I..."
"An apology won't erase your failure."
"..."
Han Cheong-un squeezed his eyes shut.
How could he ever forget?
He was a failure.
He had defeated the Unorthodox faction and saved the Jianghu, but the ones who actually enjoyed the glory of that victory were ugly hypocrites.
Those who had laid down their lives for a true victory rotted in the cold ground as corpses.
Could that really be called a victory?
He couldn't even offer an excuse.
To the silent Han Cheong-un, Baek Su-ah said,
"Did you come to Mount Hua to find me?"
"Yes."
"To borrow my strength, I assume."
"That's right."
He didn't lie.
Not only would a lie be useless against her Dragon Eyes, but even if that weren't the case, he didn't want to lie to her.
Baek Su-ah pointed a finger toward the window.
"Leave."
"Lady Baek..."
"I will not lend you my strength."
"Lady Baek. Without you, we have no way to stand against Gwiryeongdosa."
"Once was enough."
"..."
"I already sacrificed my life once under your command for the sake of justice. Isn't it far too shameless of you to ask for it a second time?"
"..."
"Leave. And never show your face before me again."
"..."
"I can't stand the sight of you."
At those words, Han Cheong-un could not bring himself to say anything.
"If that Sect Leader bastard comes back empty-handed, I'm going to kill him."
Tang Jin's resolve was firm.
When the Sect Leader first suggested a diversionary tactic, he had agreed.
Realistically, it seemed like the best plan.
And for the sake of that diversion, he had reluctantly revived his old troublemaker persona and thrown a massive tantrum.
And of all places, he had done it right here at the Mount Hua Sect.
Naturally, he hadn't expected to last long.
Though his martial prowess had been growing rapidly lately, what could he possibly do alone against the entire Mount Hua Sect?
It was enough to just cause a decent ruckus and get subdued. However...
"Damn it, to think those Taoists would gang up on me like that."
The Seven Plum Blossom Swords, the most famous of Mount Hua's first-generation disciples, had pounced on him all at once.
Thanks to that, Tang Jin didn't have a single unbruised spot on his body.
It was a miracle he hadn't been kicked out and was only confined to the guest quarters. As he sat there grinding his teeth and waiting...
Creak.
The sound of a door being weakly pushed open echoed.
And when he turned his head, there stood...
"Sect Leader?"
"..."
Han Cheong-un stood there, looking far more drained than Tang Jin, who had just been beaten to a pulp.
"What happened? Did it not go well?"
Han Cheong-un shook his head weakly and said,
"It seems we'll have to give up."
Han Cheong-un explained everything that had transpired with Baek Su-ah. Hearing this...
"She has her memories?"
"Yes. And not just faint traces like yours, but she clearly remembers everything."
"Then... shouldn't she be easier to persuade?"
"I thought so too. But..."
Han Cheong-un smiled bitterly and continued.
"As I said, I failed completely, didn't I?"
"Failed?"
"The Annihilation Squad was wiped out. I rotted away in the dungeons of the Wulin Alliance, and the ones who enjoyed the glory of the war were the parasites who used us to play politics behind the scenes..."
"..."
"And considering the Heavenly Demon Jiangshi that killed me in the end, it seems we didn't even completely destroy the Sado-palmun. Their remnants must have survived."
"Then... did we fail?"
"Do you want to tell me we didn't?"
"No."
Tang Jin answered without a single moment of hesitation.
With his swollen face, he stared seriously at Han Cheong-un and spoke.
"What did the 'us' you remember fight for?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did we fight to become the victors of the war, just to enjoy the honor and glory that followed?"
"..."
"According to you, the Sado-palmun back then were a heinous group that casually committed inhuman atrocities like jiangshi sorcery. If they had conquered the Jianghu, the world that followed would have been a living hell."
"Well, that..."
"Didn't we want to stop that? Didn't we pick up our swords and risk our lives to protect the weak and powerless? That..."
Tang Jin glared with wide eyes, raising his voice to scold Han Cheong-un.
"Isn't that what righteousness is? Am I wrong?"
"..."
In that instant, Han Cheong-un saw it.
Not the young Tang Jin of the present, but the mature Tang Jin in his mid-forties.
He saw the reliable vice captain who had stood by his side like a brother, holding him steady whenever he struggled, wavered, or fell apart.