The Sacheon Outcast Tournament has successfully come to a close.
However, although the tournament has ended, it’s not truly over.
The tournament itself concluded with the selection of the outcasts, but its influence will linger on.
“Hey, look over there! It’s Contestant No. 331 heading to the semifinals!”
As I walked down the alley, I spotted Contestant No. 331 strutting down the street with confidence. His eyes were locked onto a group of onlookers, seemingly taking a deep breath before striding straight toward them.
Oh, he’s a guy.
Even though I couldn’t hear from this distance, as Contestant No. 331 spoke, one of the girls lowered her head, while the others erupted into squeals of excitement.
Ah, the youth!
I headed toward the bakery while enjoying the sight of contestants proudly wearing their semifinal badges.
“Welcome… Uhk!”
“I’ll take a bag of fried rice cakes and half a bag of Tang Clan treats. Hmm… and also this and that…”
“Of course, coming right up!”
The merchant, recognizing the legendary blade, flustered and hurried. No need to rush that much, really. In any case, I accepted the hefty bag of fried rice cakes alongside several sweets.
“Hey, kid! Hang up the sign! ‘A Favorite Taste of the Brain Knife Outcast!’”
“Yes, sir!”
Oh dear.
Well, that wasn’t entirely wrong. I frequented this bakery quite a bit due to my business as an outcast.
Let’s allow this bakery, which even the Black Cat acknowledged for its fried rice cakes, to prosper.
“Extra! Extra! Da Jeryong from the Western Cuisine Restaurant has taken it to the Peak Stage!”
“What?! Is that true?”
“Indeed! Just a moment ago, he showcased his qi on the special stage! The momentum in his fists was so intense that the audience was drenched in sweat!”
“Goodness!”
Upon hearing that rumor, I quickened my pace.
I didn’t want to miss how Jaso-gyeong would react to that news.
As I dashed through the back alleys and arrived at the Outcast Inn, I heard someone shouting.
“Da Jeryong has made it to the Peak Stage!”
It was worth hurrying.
The outcast, quickly relaying information similar to the earlier announcement, had everyone at the Outcast Inn paying attention. It seemed almost as though they had all agreed to look at Jaso-gyeong together.
With everyone’s gaze fixed on Jaso-gyeong, his expression was firm, hardly able to hold its steely resolve.
When our eyes met, he huffed and puffed before heading out to the training hall.
It looked like he was stimulated by the news of his rival.
He knows well that the most convenient and fastest way to enlightenment is to learn from me. Yet, he chose to pursue his own path of self-improvement.
The situation did shift slightly from my plan of having four Peak Experts in Sacheon City, but I should respect Jaso-gyeong’s wishes.
Seo I-ryeong, Jo Yong-sang, and Jaso-gyeong.
I looked at the three of them honing their martial arts in the training hall.
I had some regrets here and there, but I felt satisfied with what I had done.
Whether Seo I-ryeong or Jo Yong-sang would become a sword master or Hall Master of the Martial Forest Alliance was entirely up to them, while even if Jaso-gyeong ended up serving under Da Jeryong’s guidance, that would be the result of his own choice.
I felt similar.
I realized my own arrogance and returned to Sacheon City to correct my mistakes, doing what I could.
It would be a lie to say I felt no lingering attachments, but they’ve shrunk enough to tuck away in the corner of my heart.
So, I should set aside these attachments and move toward the future.
I approached where my companions were enjoying refreshments. As I neared, they looked at me with the feeling of “well, here comes the inevitable.”
Hyeok Gi-rin seemed to have lingering feelings for Seo I-ryeong, but soon nodded, as if having made a decision, and turned to face me.
“Are you leaving the Outcast Inn now?” asked Miss Yeo Il-ye, representing the group.
“Yes.”
“Hmm, we should check the Bicheongmacha then.”
The Black Cat asked, “So, Senior Ho, where are you planning to go?”
I had already decided on my destination.
“To the Spirit Tiger Mountain in Cheonghae.”
I’m going to find the past of this body I had been putting off until now.
—
In the Heavenly Demon Sect, Heavenly Demon Wi Seoryeon was lost in thought as she caressed her cup.
‘It must be that day.’
Wi Seoryeon couldn’t forget the events of that day.
The Heavenly Demon had abruptly excused himself to get some fresh air, and upon returning, Wi Seoryeon was shocked to see him wearing a joyful smile.
“Father?”
“Oh, Seoryeon.”
The Heavenly Demon looked as if he was thoroughly energized. Wi Seoryeon couldn’t help but widen her eyes at this rare sight of him.
“The world really is vast.”
Wi Seoryeon watched in awe as the Heavenly Demon kept opening and closing his fists.
“Injury…?”
Though it was a small wound, resembling a tiny prick from a needle, it was indeed a wound. Wi Seoryeon was taken aback. What had happened outside that caused him to be injured?
No.
Which martial artist in the world could injure the Heavenly Demon?
Since it was merely a tiny wound, Wi Seoryeon’s surprise grew even more.
The Heavenly Demon’s injury was almost too trivial to even call an injury. Yet, why was this minuscule wound still there?
Considering the Heavenly Demon’s physique and metabolism, such a wound should begin healing immediately and vanish without a trace in just a few hours. Yet, this wound on his palm showed no signs of fading whatsoever, as if he had just been pricked by a needle.
Wi Seoryeon realized that some trance had penetrated the Heavenly Demon’s wound.
The Heavenly Demon wore a half-glove to cover that tiny wound.
Unlike her expectations that the wound would heal in a day or two, the Heavenly Demon had yet to remove the glove even after a month had passed.
Whom had he met or what had he experienced to receive such a wound?
Her curiosity reached an insatiable limit.
Every time she saw the Heavenly Demon wearing that half-glove, Wi Seoryeon’s curiosity and wonder swelled like a rolling snowball, and eventually, she decided she needed to know what had happened that day.
“Lady Heavenly Demon, I’ve brought him.”
“Come in.”
“Chung!”
“I greet the future of the Heavenly Demon Sect.”
Wi Seoryeon looked at the man bowing before her, who had once displayed martial arts that were rare throughout the world. Jeong Cheol, known by all in the martial world.
“Good to see you, Jeong Cheol. I’ve heard you’ve had a long relationship with our sect, but is this the first time we’re meeting face-to-face?”
“That is correct.”
Wi Seoryeon recalled the information she had about Jeong Cheol. He was one of the traders who had dealings with her sect a long time ago. And now, he was staying within the Heavenly Demon Sect.
‘This man is certainly connected to the events my father experienced back then.’
The Heavenly Demon wasn’t someone who offered things without reason.
But the Heavenly Demon had provided protection to Jeong Cheol and created a stable environment for his training.
It hadn’t been long since the Heavenly Demon had such beneficial things happen to him from his trip, so it wasn’t hard to assume the connection between Jeong Cheol and the Heavenly Demon’s injury.
“My curiosity led me to summon you. I find it strange that your renowned actions in the world do not match your current appearance, and so, my curiosity piqued.”
“That’s entirely understandable.”
“Could you share a bit about your story?”
Jeong Cheol looked at Wi Seoryeon and recalled the events of the past.
After disbanding the Sadoryeon and spreading false proclamations, Jeong Cheol had headed to Xin Gang, delivering information about Ho Cheon-an’s master to the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Ho Cheon-an’s master was indeed an exceptional being, and Jeong Cheol believed the Heavenly Demon Sect was the only power capable of investigating such an individual.
Contrary to Jeong Cheol’s expectations, the Heavenly Demon Sect had remained silent after receiving the information.
Knowing the difficulties, Jeong Cheol waited patiently for a response from the Heavenly Demon Sect, but an answer was slow to come.
No matter how strong the Heavenly Demon Sect might be, it would have been difficult to confirm those hidden within the ranks of the Imperial Army’s special unit, the Brain Knife Outcast.
Just when he thought to give up and leave Xin Gang, the response from the Heavenly Demon Sect finally arrived.
Jeong Cheol was overjoyed, believing that his gamble had succeeded, but in truth, his gamble was only half successful.
What he truly wanted was information regarding Ho Cheon-an’s master, but the Heavenly Demon Sect offered him no information.
Ultimately, Jeong Cheol had no knowledge about Ho Cheon-an’s master and was left satisfied only with the fact that he was under protection within the Heavenly Demon Sect and had established a stable training environment.
While quietly increasing his realms within the Heavenly Demon Sect, he was unexpectedly summoned by the Heavenly Demon Wi Seoryeon to stand before her now.
Would it be alright to share what had happened that day?
As he anticipated Wi Seoryeon’s reaction to his story, he eventually spoke. No matter what actions Wi Seoryeon took, it wouldn’t bring harm to Jeong Cheol.
“The reason I behave differently than how the world knows me is because of an incident that occurred in a cave.”
Jeong Cheol recounted everything he had seen in that cave before taking his leave.
Wi Seoryeon gazed at the seat Jeong Cheol had vacated as she organized her thoughts.
‘In the end, the one who injured my father was that Brain Knife Outcast’s master…’
Wi Seoryeon recalled the Heavenly Demon’s stern silence about that day. Had there been some sort of arrangement made with the Brain Knife Outcast’s master?
“Father can be quite mischievous.”
Wi Seoryeon chuckled. How could he enjoy this amusing tension between the two generations all to himself?
The mastery of the Brain Knife Outcast’s master had to be exceptional enough to exhilarate the Heavenly Demon.
If that were the case, what level of power could that Brain Knife Outcast possess?
Considering they were raising their influence in Sacheon City, they must not be too weak.
“Hey!”
“Yes! Honorable Young Lord!”
“Investigate everything about the Brain Knife Outcast!”
“Yes, at once!”
The Honorable Young Lord of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Wi Seoryeon.
She had developed an interest in Ho Cheon-an.
