The Phantom Demon's Reincarnation Was No Accident
The memory was still vivid.
A strike sharp enough to cleave mountains. Sword energy as clear and blue as the sky itself.
And the searing agony of his chest splitting open.
‘Taeheo Singeom gouged out his own eyes. Then he tore his eardrums apart.’
Hwan-type arts were techniques that slipped into the gaps between senses and perception.
They devoured the soul through distorted vision and warped hearing, exploiting those very cracks.
By cutting off every sense in such an extreme way, Taeheo Singeom had managed to launch a counterattack.
‘I never imagined he’d go that far.’
That day, Taeheo Singeom had been more ferocious and desperate than any martial artist in the world.
He had used a method Seomun Hwan himself couldn’t have conceived until it was used against him.
‘But in the end, it was my own carelessness that got me killed.’
If he had been even slightly more cautious, he never would have fallen. The gap in their power had been that vast.
Which was why the hopes of those who believed there must be some secret trick were nothing but empty delusions.
‘…And yet they still came looking.’
Taeheo Singeom might not have found a special countermeasure, but Seomun Hwan had one.
After all, he had created the art himself.
No one understood its weaknesses better than he did.
In fact, he had even developed an eye technique specifically effective against illusion arts and passed it on to the Hao Clan and the Black Dragon Faction.
Seomun Hwan put on an innocent face and spoke.
“After that day, my master devoted himself completely and created a new martial art.”
“…!”
Yeongho Jun’s eyes sparkled, and Hwayeong Ryeong’s breathing grew shallow.
“Are you saying that Taeheo Singeom truly discovered a way to counter it?”
“Of course. This technique isn’t a standard sword art or internal energy method. It was designed specifically to dismantle the principles of illusion arts head-on. Once mastered, it should allow one to resist most forms of hwan techniques.”
Most forms of hwan techniques.
Whether they noticed the subtle nuance or not, Yeongho Jun couldn’t contain his excitement.
“If that’s true, it would be an incredible blessing for the entire gangho.”
Hwayeong Ryeong nodded as well, adding her own thoughts.
“No one has ever properly countered the Phantom Demon Art before. We haven’t even fully identified its true nature yet. If such a technique really exists…!”
“However, there is something I must make clear!”
Seomun Hwan cut them off with a firm tone, his voice growing slightly heated.
“The Phantom Demon is the culprit who annihilated the Kunlun Sect. As someone who has inherited Kunlun’s legacy, he is my mortal enemy—an enmity that cannot coexist under the same sky.”
The air in the room froze solid at those words.
“As the one who carries my master’s blood, the grudges of my seniors, and the ruins of Kunlun itself, it is only natural that eradicating the Phantom Demon’s remnants is my destiny.”
Seomun Hwan’s voice was calm, yet it carried a resolve as sharp as frost-covered blades.
Yeongho Jun nodded quietly.
“…I understand that sentiment completely. It is precisely for that reason that we needed to recruit Young Master Seomun.”
Seomun Hwan nodded in return.
“If the Blue Dragon Unit’s mission is to locate the Phantom Demon’s forces and fight against them, then I will gladly lend my full support. In exchange, I ask that the Murim Alliance share all the information it possesses.”
Hwayeong Ryeong’s eyes widened slightly at that, but Yeongho Jun didn’t look surprised at all.
Instead, he spread both hands with a natural smile, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Ah, of course. Young Master Seomun is now part of the Alliance Leader’s special task force. Sharing information is only natural.”
He added with a light chuckle.
“Then I’ll take that as your consent.”
Seomun Hwan nodded without hesitation.
“Of course.”
He naturally hated taking orders from others, but what choice did he have?
‘If you receive something, you have to give something in return.’
After that, they discussed practical matters—schedules for the near future, the location of the Blue Dragon Unit’s base, communication networks, and so on.
“Since you’ve officially become a member of the Murim Alliance, the Alliance Leader will likely summon you soon. I know you’re busy these days, but please prioritize any appointment with the Leader.”
“Of course. I’ve been wanting to meet him as well.”
With that, their short conversation came to an end, and the Murim Alliance delegation began preparing to leave immediately.
Seomun Dam had offered them lodging for the night, saying he wished to treat them properly, but they declined, citing urgent business.
Seomun Hwan was giving a half-hearted farewell when Yeongho Jun suddenly approached him and spoke in a low voice.
“Young Master Seomun, I have one question.”
After confirming no one else was around, Yeongho Jun asked carefully.
“Young Master Seomun… do you happen to have someone you’re interested in?”
“Pardon?”
Seomun Hwan blinked at the completely unexpected question.
“Not at the moment.”
At that answer, Yeongho Jun leaned in with curious eyes and lowered his voice even further.
“Then… what do you think of my junior sister?”
“What? Your junior sister? You mean Hwayeong Ryeong?”
“That’s right.”
This time, Seomun Hwan was genuinely flustered.
Yeongho Jun chuckled softly and continued.
“She may be my junior sister, but she truly possesses exceptional beauty. Her martial skills are quite outstanding, her character is gentle, she has great virtue, and impeccable manners. That’s why there’s a whole line of men in the gangho who want her.”
Yeongho Jun rattled off Hwayeong Ryeong’s virtues in rapid succession.
It was a bit exaggerated, but none of it was untrue.
“I suppose so.”
“But for some reason, my junior sister has very high standards and shows no interest in men at all. I think it’s all because she has such an outstanding senior brother like me. Hahaha!”
“…”
When Seomun Hwan gave him a look of pure pity, Yeongho Jun cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem! Ahem! Anyway, that same junior sister seemed to have a very favorable impression of you last time.”
“Last time” referred to the Dragon Phoenix Conference.
“That’s…”
Seomun Hwan couldn’t find the words.
Yeongho Jun smiled as if enjoying his reaction and added.
“If fate allows, I’d be happy to act as a matchmaker myself. It would also help bring Kunlun and Mount Hua closer together.”
Seomun Hwan remained silent with an ambiguous expression. Thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning.
Objectively speaking, Hwayeong Ryeong was an ideal marriage prospect.
She was elegant, well-mannered, talented, and came from an excellent family.
Most of all, she was the granddaughter of the Plum Blossom Divine Sword—one of the Seven Supremes.
If his parents heard this news, they would probably welcome it with open arms.
They might even try to set a date immediately.
‘Hmm. It’s not a bad offer…’
Yet strangely, despite how perfect a match she was, his heart didn’t stir in the slightest.
‘Rather than such an innocent puppy-like face…’
From somewhere deep inside—someplace even he wasn’t fully aware of—another image rose to the surface.
Someone intelligent and overflowing with confidence, capable of making bold decisions when necessary.
Someone more difficult than kind, more particular than gentle.
As his thoughts continued, a certain person naturally came to mind.
A woman as breathtakingly beautiful as she was sharp—a poisonous rose with just as many thorns and venom.
The moment her impossibly beautiful face appeared in his mind…
‘Stop.’
He shook his head vigorously.
Regaining his composure, he answered in a serious tone.
“I’m sorry, but I have far too many things I must do right now. I have no intention of forming a deep connection with anyone at this time.”
“Is that so?”
Yeongho Jun looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but soon nodded with a gentle smile.
“If you ever change your mind, please let me know.”
“I will.”
“And…”
Yeongho Jun continued.
“Usually, once people grow this close through conversation… they start speaking more casually, don’t they?”
With his trademark sly grin, Yeongho Jun said.
“We’ll be eating from the same pot from now on, after all. So how about we treat each other like sworn brothers? Haha!”
Yeongho Jun was Mount Hua’s greatest talent.
A member of the Dragon Phoenix Conference, already a Plum Blossom Sword Master—one of Mount Hua’s strongest forces—in his twenties.
With full support from the sect leader and elders, his future was bright.
Forming a sworn brotherhood with someone like him would undoubtedly bring many benefits…
“I’m sorry. I’m not very good with that sort of familiarity.”
He cut the offer down cleanly.
No matter how much of a genius he was, this side was the Phantom Demon from his previous life.
Why would the youngest Plum Blossom Sword Master impress him?
“No… that’s…”
“Thank you for coming such a long way. Have a safe journey back.”
“W-wait! Young Master!”
“I won’t see you off any further. Take care.”
And with that, he sent Yeongho Jun away.
The next day.
As usual, Seomun Hwan didn’t wake up until noon.
Normally he would eat something quickly and then laze around on the bench, but today, for some reason, he was circling the warehouse like he was on patrol.
“Hmm!”
As Seomun Hwan stood with his arms crossed, glaring at the warehouse, Deokheum, who was standing beside him, asked.
“Um… Young Master, what exactly are you doing right now?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“It looks like you’re having a staring contest with the warehouse.”
At those words, Seomun Hwan let out a hollow sigh.
“Haa! I’m currently inspecting the inventory.”
“With just your eyes?”
“Then what else would I use? My eyes are what I have.”
“Can you really tell anything about all this inventory just by looking? You should at least count how many boxes are stacked up.”
To properly take inventory, one would normally have to go inside and count everything by hand.
But since he hadn’t touched a single box and was simply staring at them, calling it a staring contest wasn’t entirely wrong.
“I’ve learned such profound martial arts. Why would I need to count them one by one like some brute?”
“Wait, does the Kunlun Sect even have a technique for counting inventory?”
“Of course it does.”
Surprisingly, Seomun Hwan wasn’t lying.
Not only that, he was currently using the Mysterious Golden Eye.
A divine art among divine arts capable of seeing through all things.
Even among the thousands upon thousands of martial arts he had created in his previous life, it ranked among the very best.
However, because it consumed an enormous amount of internal energy, he had practically neglected this precious technique until now.
Using it for even ten seconds was enough to leave his legs trembling from exhaustion.
Although he had been gathering qi through the Reclining Dragon Divine Art, it would probably take another ten years before he could use it properly.
He had planned to use it as sparingly as possible until then, but…
‘The situation has changed.’
So Ji-myeong had been learning another divine art called the Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel.
A powerful sorcery on par with the Mysterious Golden Eye.
Yet until he defeated So Ji-myeong, Seomun Hwan hadn’t even known such an art existed.
If that was the case for So Ji-myeong, then the reverse must also be true.
There had to be martial arts that Seomun Hwan knew about but So Ji-myeong did not.
And that was precisely the Mysterious Golden Eye.
‘A reincarnation who learned the Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel was born into the Mosan Sect, the prestigious family of sorcery. Can that really be a coincidence?’
There were no coincidences in this world.
Only intentions disguised as coincidence.
Especially when it involved the Phantom Demon.
The more he understood the situation and pondered it, the clearer one fact became.
‘My reincarnation was neither a mistake nor an accident.’
Betrayed by those he trusted, he had used the incomplete Great Soul Transfer Art as a last resort.
Because the technique was unfinished, he had reincarnated in the body of Seomun Hwan.
That was all he knew.
But was that the truth?
‘The Phantom Demon’s illusion arts could fool even the heavens. Tricking a reincarnation who retained his memories would be as easy as lying down and eating rice cakes.’
There was clearly a deliberate will behind this reincarnation.
Had the Phantom Demon truly split his memories and martial arts into fragments and implanted them into multiple reincarnations?
If so, what exactly was the Phantom Demon’s goal?
So Ji-myeong of the Mosan Sect, who had learned the Phantom Demon Ghost Wheel.
‘And me, born as the son of a merchant family and taught the Mysterious Golden Eye.’
Using the Mysterious Golden Eye, he had discovered Jegal So-dam, who possessed the Heavenly Eye. He had also seen through the true nature of the Blue Stream Sword, which had only appeared to be an ordinary belt.
It meant that if he wished, he could accurately determine the authenticity and true value of antiques and relics.
When you thought about it, what better martial art could there be for a merchant?
None of this could possibly be coincidence.
‘If my reincarnation really was intended by the Phantom Demon, then the clue must lie here in the Seomun Clan.’