A New Stage
After the envoy from the Martial Alliance left, a heavy silence settled over the sect leader’s chamber. I rose quietly to my feet.
“Master, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait a moment.”
The sect leader called me back. A complicated tangle of emotions crossed his face.
“Hyeonseong, would you come to the pavilion in the back garden at midnight tonight? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
I nodded.
“Yes, I understand.”
When I stepped out of the sect leader’s chamber, Jang Semin and Jang Sejun were waiting at the far end of the corridor. Both of them wore looks of barely contained excitement.
“Hyeonseong, congratulations. Acting commander of the Martial Alliance’s punitive expedition—that’s quite something.”
There was a mocking edge to Jang Semin’s voice.
“Thanks to you, the name of our Jigeom Sect will rise even higher.”
Jang Sejun chimed in.
“Of course, that is, if you make it back alive.”
I looked at the two of them coldly. At that stare, they flinched.
“Thanks for your concern. But…”
I took a step forward. The aura of Transcendence Realm naturally began to spill from me.
Woooong—
“The ones who should be worried aren’t me. It’s you.”
Jang Semin’s face went pale.
“W-What are you talking about?”
I let the corner of my mouth rise.
“Reporting me to the Martial Alliance. I’ll give you credit for that. It was a rather clever move.”
Their eyes went wide.
“What do you mean—”
“No need to pretend you don’t know. It doesn’t matter who reported it.”
I turned away, leaving them with one last remark.
“You probably think you’ve pulled off a classic borrowed knife to kill scheme. But you seem to understand only half of it.”
I smiled thinly.
“What your little stunt really did was send me into wider waters. And you’ll see soon enough who it was that kept the Jigeom Sect standing until now.”
The expressions on Jang Semin and Jang Sejun’s faces twisted sharply. In truth, they knew exactly how the sect survived; they simply refused to admit it.
Before the regression, the Jigeom Sect was wiped out in the end.
Nothing had changed from before my regression. After I left, Jang Semin became sect leader, pushed reckless expansion, and collided with other sects. In the end, three years later, the Jigeom Sect vanished from history.
Back then, I had gone to the Kunlun Sect.
This time, things were different.
But in the end, the fate awaiting the Jigeom Sect would be the same.
It’ll repeat exactly the same way this time too.
I kept walking. Behind me, I heard the rough breaths of Jang Semin and Jang Sejun.
“Hah! What nonsense!”
“The sect will be fine without you.”
***
At midnight, I made my way to the pavilion in the back garden. Under the moonlight, the sect leader sat alone, a wine bottle in his hand.
“You’re here.”
There was the haze of drunkenness in his voice.
“Master.”
I greeted him with a respectful salute. He motioned for me to sit.
“Hyeonseong, maybe it’s because I’m getting old... but lately, I’ve been thinking a lot.”
He emptied his cup and continued.
“Semin and Sejun... those bastards must have leaked news of you to the Martial Alliance, didn’t they?”
So the sect leader had noticed too. I answered with silence.
“They’re my sons, but... how pathetic they are. No talent, yet their greed only grows bigger and bigger...”
Tears slipped from the sect leader’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Hyeonseong. As a father and as a sect leader, I’ve failed.”
“Master…”
“You were far too good for our Jigeom Sect. Because of you, the disciples ate their fill and the sect was able to stand back up on its feet again...”
I shook my head.
“I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t taken me in, I wouldn’t be who I am now.”
That was the truth.
The sect leader looked at me. His gaze was filled with fatherly affection.
“Hyeonseong, I have one favor to ask.”
“Please speak.”
“Don’t hate Semin and Sejun too much... They’re foolish, but they’re still my children.”
I fell silent for a moment. Memories from before my regression surfaced. Even then, the sect leader must have worried about his sons all the way until the sect’s destruction.
“Don’t worry. I won’t lay a hand on them.”
For a moment, relief flickered across the sect leader’s face. Looking at him, I let out a quiet sigh inwardly. He was a sect leader who hadn’t been all that capable to begin with, and in the end he ruined his own sect by following sentiment over judgment.
Well... there’s no need to dirty my hands myself. They’ll collapse on their own anyway.
The sect leader exhaled in relief.
“Thank you. And...”
He reached into his robes and took out a small wooden plaque.
“Take this.”
Engraved on it were the words Honorary Disciple of the Jigeom Sect.
“What is this?”
“Wherever you go, it’s proof that you’ll always be a member of our Jigeom Sect. If you ever want to come back, you can.”
I stared at the plaque for a long moment. Then I looked at the sect leader and said firmly,
“I don’t need it. From this moment on, I’m no longer a disciple of the Jigeom Sect. That won’t change in the future either. You said my expulsion wasn’t what you wanted, but I think differently.”
The sect leader’s eyes trembled violently.
“I believe I’ve done enough for the sect. And until the moment I leave, I’ll do what I can for the younger disciples. That’s all.”
With those words, I gave the sect leader a deep bow.
“Thank you again for raising me. I believe I’ve repaid your kindness in full by now. From here on, I’ll be moving toward a wider world.”
Then I turned and left the back garden. Behind me, I could feel the sect leader release a long, heavy sigh.
***
The next morning, I called Duseong, Hwaung, and Jinu together.
“We’re leaving the Jigeom Sect today.”
The three of them seemed to have expected it already and remained calm.
“Everything’s ready, Dasa-hyung,” Duseong replied.
“Should we go around and say our farewells separately?” Hwaung asked.
“Yes. Since this is the end, let’s pay our respects before we go.”
We headed to the training grounds. By then, many of the disciples had already gathered there. News that Duseong, Hwaung, and I were leaving must have spread, because every face looked dark.
The disciples who spotted me hurried over in a rush.
“Big brother...”
“Are you really going?”
Tears welled in the eyes of the younger disciples.
“Don’t be too sad, all of you. If our paths cross again someday, we’ll meet again.”
I took a small pouch from my robe. Inside were the failed Cheonghwandan pills Jinu had been making—far less effective than the finished product, but still useful enough for the disciples.
“These are Cheonghwandan. Share them among yourselves.”
“Big brother! Something this precious—!”
“And this is a training method I organized. If you keep at it, all of you should be able to become first-class experts.”
For the disciples who showed particular promise, I called them over one by one and gave them special instruction.
“Your sword work is lacking lower-body strength. Focus more on training your legs.”
“Yes, big brother!”
“You’re too clumsy with your internal energy. Try learning your breathing method this way.”
“Thank you, big brother!”
After an hour had passed, most of the disciples were crying.
“Big brother... please come back safely...”
“Don’t forget us...”
I took one last look around the training grounds. The time I’d spent here flashed through my mind like a chain of images.
“All of you, stay healthy.”
Duseong, Hwaung, Jinu, and I left the Jigeom Sect. At the gate, the sect leader and the elders were standing there. Jang Semin and Jang Sejun were nowhere to be seen.
“Go well.”
At the sect leader’s brief farewell, I gave him a deep salute.
“Take care.”
The elders snorted when they looked at me. I simply ignored their stares and passed them by.
“Hah! How insolent!”
“Tsk tsk!”
Leaving the angry elders behind, we departed from the Jigeom Sect.
***
Once we were out of the Jigeom Sect, we headed straight for the place where Zhuge Hyeonggeon was staying. He was waiting for us there.
“You’re here! I’ve been waiting for you.”
His face was full of excitement. He already knew I had left the Jigeom Sect early in order to accept his proposal.
“Let’s draw up the contract right away.”
In the prepared study, we began discussing the concrete details of establishing Cheongongbang.
“First, I think the best location would be the eastern edge of the Zhuge family estate. It’s close to an Illusion Gate, and it still guarantees independence.”
As he spread out the map, Zhuge Hyeonggeon explained his reasoning.
“I’ll propose the profit split first. Hyeonseong, 40 percent; me, 30 percent; the Zhuge family, 30 percent. Does that suit you?”
In effect, that meant the Zhuge family was taking sixty percent, but it was still a surprisingly fair offer. For one of the Great Clans to offer a deal like this to a mere martial artist was remarkable in itself.
“That’s a fair split.”
“And the most important part is this...”
Zhuge Hyeonggeon’s eyes glittered.
“Exclusive development rights to all future beast-related technology. At the very least, let it remain ours alone for the next three years.”
The way he said “ours” carried complete trust in me. I smiled gently and nodded.
“Fine. But I have one condition.”
“Please speak.”
“Cheongongbang must be a completely independent organization, beholden to no one. Not even the Zhuge family.”
Cheongongbang was something Zhuge Hyeonggeon and I were building together as partners. He thought about it for a moment, then smiled.
“Of course. That’s the only way true research and development can happen.”
We signed the contract.
The official birth of Cheongongbang.
“Congratulations, Hall Master.”
Zhuge Hyeonggeon said it playfully.
“Me? The Hall Master?”
“Of course. What else would you be?”
“So you’re trying to dump the responsibility on me?”
Zhuge Hyeonggeon grinned.
“Hardly. I’m part of the Zhuge family, so naturally you, Young Master, should be the Hall Master.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true.”
Just as we were laughing, a messenger came in from outside.
“An envoy from the Martial Alliance has arrived.”
It was indeed Gwancheol. Since I had sent word that I was leaving the Jigeom Sect to meet Zhuge Hyeonggeon, he had come here to find me.
“Young Master Hyeonseong, are you prepared?”
But Gwancheol’s expression was not normal.
“What happened?”
“It’s an emergency. Reports have come in that a massive Illusion Gate has opened in western Hubei. The punitive expedition must depart immediately.”
I tried to search my memory at once for what kind of gate that might be. But even in the memories before my regression, nothing surfaced about the gate Gwancheol had mentioned.
Well... it’s not as if I know everything.
I exchanged a glance with Zhuge Hyeonggeon. He nodded. Then I looked back at Gwancheol.
“Understood. But there’s one thing I need to make clear.”
“What is it?”
“I’m no longer affiliated with the Jigeom Sect. I’m the Hall Master of Cheongongbang, which was just founded.”
Gwancheol’s eyes widened.
“Cheongongbang?”
After Zhuge Hyeonggeon explained the details, Gwancheol let out an involuntary exclamation.
“So that’s how it is.”
“Yes. For that reason, I’ll cooperate with the Martial Alliance not as a member of the Jigeom Sect, but as the Hall Master of Cheongongbang. In return, make sure our independence is respected.”
Gwancheol looked troubled.
“That goes beyond my authority—”
“Then let’s do it this way.”
Zhuge Hyeonggeon cut in.
“Cheongongbang will supply the punitive expedition with beast-defense devices first.”
Gwancheol’s expression changed. He seemed to know something about the beast-defense equipment Zhuge Hyeonggeon was developing.
“Hmm... If that’s the case, then the conditions are sufficient.”
After thinking it over, Gwancheol nodded.
“Very well. I’ll approve it on a provisional basis. We’ll seek formal approval after reporting to the Alliance Master.”
“Thank you.”
I looked at Duseong, Hwaung, and Jinu.
“Get ready. Our first mission is waiting.”