Choosing the Shadow
An hour later, the Lord's Hall was bleak and empty.
Lady Oh, who had finally fainted after writhing in agony, had been dragged away and locked in the dungeon.
Under Jegal Tan's orders, anyone with even the slightest connection to her was being rounded up and thrown into the cells one after another.
The elders were no exception. In fact, because they were elders, they were arrested even more ruthlessly.
In the end, the only ones left in the hall were the family head, Jegal Mun, and Jeok-un, the architect of this entire storm.
"It is done."
"Whew..."
Jeok-un said as he pulled his hands away from Jegal Mun's back.
Jegal Mun exhaled a deep sigh that seemed to rise from the very depths of his dantian.
From the crown of his head to the tips of his toes, there was not a single spot on his body that was not drenched in cold sweat.
"To think... that was inside my body."
"Yes."
Jegal Mun stared at the toxic energy gathered in his son's hand.
It was the Black Lotus Poison, the exact same deadly poison that had been administered to his eldest son, Jegal Jun.
"Father, you have also been poisoned by the Black Lotus."
That was the message Jeok-un had secretly sent via sound transmission while Lady Oh was being dragged to the dungeon.
Jegal Mun could not hide his complicated emotions.
Meanwhile, Jeok-un guided the extracted poison into a prepared gourd.
It might come in handy someday.
The Black Lotus Poison was considered a top-tier poison even within the Demonic Cult. There was no harm in keeping it.
After sealing the gourd, he looked at Jegal Mun with a solemn expression.
"As I mentioned, it would be best to keep the fact that you were poisoned a secret."
"..."
No one else, not even Jegal Mun's trusted confidant Jegal Tan, knew about the poisoning. Jeok-un was the only one who knew.
"Although I have extracted all the poison, it has eroded your body for years. It will take at least a few months to fully recover. Obtain an elixir rich in yin energy as soon as possible and consume it in very small doses."
"Jeok-un."
"...As I said, you must hide your weakened state even from Uncle Jegal Tan. It is not that you shouldn't trust him, but if word gets out, there will surely be those who try to shake the family."
"Jeok-un."
"..."
Jegal Mun called his name repeatedly. Jeok-un, who had been speaking quietly, fell silent and met his father's gaze.
The emotions swirling in Jegal Mun's eyes were complex. There was the shame and self-loathing of a man called the Divine Strategist, who had failed to see his own family rotting from the roots.
At the same time, there was pride that the one who had cut out the rot was his own flesh and blood.
And finally, a profound sense of guilt and regret for having neglected and undervalued that very son for so long...
He lowered his head and spoke.
"I will not make excuses about being too busy with the Alliance's affairs to look after the family. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for you and your mother. Allowing such a disastrous thing to happen is entirely..."
"...!!"
Jeok-un froze, momentarily taken aback by his father's sudden action.
Jegal Mun stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"...It is because of this father's shortcomings. I am truly sorry."
At this moment, Jegal Mun was not the head of the Jegal Family.
He was merely a foolish father, offering a sincere apology to the child he had failed so grievously.
Yet, Jeok-un's feelings were incredibly complicated. Jegal Mun's apology was genuine, and that sincerity acted as a spark, igniting a torrent of emotions within him.
Looking back at his life before his regression, "eventful" was an understatement.
That was why Jeok-un had no choice but to remain cold toward Jegal Mun. The layers of resentment were too deep, and the memories too vivid to simply fade away.
Because of a father who cared more about external affairs than his own household, he had lost his mother to Lady Oh and Jegal Wi-yeon. He himself had been cast out of the family with a broken body.
Could a father's sins be completely erased just because time had wound back?
...Yet, despite all that, he could not deny the faint sense of relief that he had changed his father's fate and saved his life this time.
Damn it. Even after regressing, life remains unpredictable...
Just then, Jegal Mun spoke again.
"I will not dare ask for your forgiveness."
"Father," Jeok-un interrupted.
"I cannot forgive you."
Jegal Mun closed his eyes tightly at Jeok-un's words.
Indeed, expecting forgiveness after only this much is foolish. Just as he thought that—
"But I will try to forget. That is the best I can offer you right now."
"!!"
Jegal Mun's eyes snapped open.
He could not forgive, but he would try to forget. That was all Jeok-un could promise.
The resentment had not vanished entirely. It had lingered for far too long. Things would not change overnight, but he would watch and see. For now, that was what he wanted to do.
"...Thank you."
Jegal Mun felt a lump in his throat at his son's consideration. As their emotions crossed, they slowly resumed their conversation.
"What is this new power you have acquired?"
"It is called the Overlord's Qi. It is the power left behind by my ancestor."
"Indeed. The power of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu is truly extraordinary."
"...So you already knew, Father."
"How could I not? When I first bound my fate to your mother, she told me everything."
Jegal Mun paused briefly.
Swallowing a sigh, he continued, "...Keeping your lineage a secret from you was not my decision. She begged me to keep it from you."
"Yes, I figured as much."
He did not need to ask why his mother had hidden his lineage. It was the cursed fate that had plagued the family ever since their ancestor, Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. Just as the Hegemon-King had risen by the sword and fallen by the sword, his descendants were destined to meet a swift end if they ever took up arms.
The only way to escape this fate was to live far away from the blade. That was undoubtedly why Lady Hang had hidden the truth of his bloodline.
But his mother did not know one crucial fact. Soon, the Demonic Cult, currently gathering its strength in the shadows under the Heavenly Demon, would rise. The illusion of peace would shatter, and when that time came, anyone who did not take up the sword would perish.
Realizing this, Jeok-un knew it was time to get to the main point. Steeling himself, he spoke.
"I have something to tell you, Father."
"Go ahead, speak."
"Because of my actions today, the family's situation will change rapidly."
Jegal Mun nodded, as if he had already anticipated this.
Executing a brother and exposing his mother—even in the brutal Jianghu where vengeance was commonplace, this was an extraordinary event. It was even more unthinkable considering Jeok-un was a member of the prestigious, orthodox Jegal Family.
The world would brand the Jegal Family as a den of depraved patricides, and Lady Oh's clan, the Geumhwang Merchant Group, would surely seek the truth and declare vengeance.
Although the Geumhwang Merchant Group was not a martial clan, they were not to be underestimated. Money could move even ghosts, and as one of the three major merchant groups in the Central Plains, their wealth rivaled that of any great family.
But Jegal Mun was not a man who would fail to foresee this. He had already devised a plan to protect his son.
"Do not worry. If I meet with the head of the Geumhwang Merchant Group in secret and reveal that I was poisoned, the moral high ground will be ours."
"You cannot do that."
"...?"
"As I said before, you must hide your poisoning until the very end."
Jeok-un cut him off flatly.
Jegal Mun was bewildered. He could not understand his son's reasoning.
"Why on earth must we go to such lengths?"
Jeok-un remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Because the moment they realize you have recovered, 'they' will surely come to harm you again."
"...!!"
Only then did Jegal Mun realize that the "enemy" his son spoke of was not the Geumhwang Merchant Group.
Jeok-un was warning him of a faction that dared to target the Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance and the head of one of the Seven Great Families.
Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed this as a delusion. But looking into his son's eyes, Jegal Mun felt a chilling dread wash over him.
"...My son, who is this enemy you speak of?"
"Father, I could not say this in front of the others, but from what I have gathered, the Black Lotus is not a poison used by the Unorthodox factions."
"...!"
"Hiding in the shadows, gathering strength in silence for ages—"
Jeok-un finished in a grave tone.
"The Demonic Way has begun to move."
"The... Demonic Way...!"
Jeok-un had chosen his words carefully. Instead of specifying the "Demonic Cult," he used the broader term "Demonic Way." It was all out of consideration for Jegal Mun.
It is too early to reveal the existence of the Demonic Cult.
Giving too much information before they were ready would put not only himself but also his mother in grave danger. Even the Jegal Family Manor was not safe. The Demonic Cult had already grown to such an extent.
Therefore... a warning. For now, this was enough.
Armed with this clue, his father would begin gathering information in secret and preparing to face the enemy from below the surface. Jeok-un needed a shield to weather the storm until he grew strong enough. The Murim Alliance, led by his father, would serve that purpose perfectly.
In a way, he was using his father.
Please do at least this much for your son. Had he not already conceded a great deal?
Having organized his thoughts, Jegal Mun asked cautiously, "...I understand your intent. But then, how do you plan to resolve this situation?"
"There is only one way to resolve this chaos and plant a false sense of security in our enemies."
Jeok-un spoke quietly to Jegal Mun, who was waiting for an answer. "Use me as a discard."
"...!!"
A discard. He was literally telling his father to cast him aside.
Shocked by the suggestion, Jegal Mun cried out in protest. "What on earth are you saying?! Use you as a discard?! Absolutely not!"
In contrast to his agitated father, Jeok-un spoke calmly, without a hint of emotion. "I realized it clearly this time. My path does not lie with the Orthodox factions."
"!!"
Jegal Mun's eyes shook violently at the shocking confession. Trying to calm his trembling heart, he managed to ask, "W-what do you mean by that?"
"The mysterious Demonic Way has already taken deep root throughout the Jianghu. To defeat them, the Orthodox path alone is not enough."
"...!!"
From the day he regressed until now, Jeok-un had never once intended to remain in the Jegal Family. His plan from the beginning had been to leave the family as soon as he dealt with Jegal Wi-yeon.
My essence is that of the Unorthodox. My home is not here.
His home was the Unorthodox faction, and the path he pursued was the Way of the Hegemon. To kill the Heavenly Demon, he would once again become the master of the Unorthodox.
Naturally, Jegal Mun, who knew nothing of this, wore a look of sheer horror. But no one could bend Jeok-un's will.
"Therefore, I will become a traitor to the family and walk the path of the Unorthodox."
"At sunrise tomorrow, announce that you have excommunicated the depraved Jeok-un of the Jegal Family, and send a pursuit squad after me."
"Only then will you and I be completely hidden from their sight."
Jegal Mun was struck dumb by the shocking declaration.
This cannot be. Jegal Mun thought so in his head, but...
Ah, I cannot stop him... He felt it instinctively. He would never be able to sway his son's resolve.
The eyes he looked into held an unwavering will and conviction. He had only ever seen such eyes in one other person.
The man who held a seat among the Four Emperors and Six Sovereigns, the current leader of the Murim Alliance—the Sword Emperor, Namgung Jang-cheon.
Closing his eyes to think, Jegal Mun slowly spoke. "...My son. Unlike the Orthodox path, the Unorthodox path is a cruel place."
"...!"
"Let only yourself be your guiding light as you walk it."
In that moment, Jeok-un realized his father had accepted his choice. Jeok-un smiled faintly and replied.
"Do not worry, Father. How could there only be shadows in the dark? Even among the Unorthodox, there will be lights hidden in the darkness that will help fan my embers."
"...!"
"However, my only concern is that the Geumhwang Merchant Group might turn their blades toward my mother. Please, Father, keep her safe."
"...!!"
"I will use the favor I earned from reinforcing the formations for this request."
Jegal Mun was genuinely astonished.
To think he would teach me a lesson until the very end. When had his once-foolish son grown so much?
Soon, Jegal Mun replied to his son's request. "No, I refuse. That is far too obvious a duty to be wasted on a favor."
"Hmm, then perhaps..."
Before Jeok-un could finish, Jegal Mun spoke. "I shall give you this as my parting gift instead."
Having said that, Jegal Mun slowly rose from his seat.
Shring!
"...!"
He drew his sword from its scabbard and pointed it toward Jeok-un. Jegal Mun was preparing to give his departing son one final gift.