"Ugh..."

Wang Geumsan furrowed his brow as he watched Jin Taesan working while letting out a bizarre sound that could have been a groan or a scream.

As Wang Soso devoted herself to her training, the busy affairs of Wangga Manor had noticeably lessened.

In the past, he lamented every day that he couldn't spend time with his daughter, but now, he gladly welcomed the routine of her using her training as an excuse to often sleep over at the Taiyi Sect.

Thanks to this, Wang Geumsan had caught his breath, and his complexion had returned to quite a healthy state.

'He's going to work himself to death at that rate.'

On the other hand, Jin Taesan's appearance was terribly ruined.

Bald spots were already visible here and there on his head, and his skin was cracking, as if he couldn't even wash his face properly.

His eyes were bloodshot red, begging the question of when he had last slept, and heavy, dark bags hung beneath his eyelids.

'Did he say he was building a smithy recently?'

It was said that a famous blacksmith from Yueyang and a technician from the Tang Clan had been recruited and registered with the Taiyi Sect.

The Taiyi Sect had truly been undergoing blindingly rapid growth over the past few years.

Therefore, it was only natural to be busy, but Jin Taesan was still working himself to the bone.

"Why don't you take it easy?"

"..."

Jin Taesan, who had slightly raised his head, buried it back down and resumed working, as if ignoring Wang Geumsan.

"You'll collapse at this rate, man."

"... Are you bored?"

"Huh?"

"Or did you come to make fun of me?"

"Ahem, hem. I'm already dying of busyness with so much to do, so why would I go out of my way to come all the way here just to make fun of you?"

"Then why did you bring sweets and tea? Doesn't that mean you intend to spend your time here?"

In truth, Wang Geumsan didn't know why he had come all the way here on his day off either.

Of course, there was the fun of teasing Jin Taesan, but wasn't it also quite enjoyable to meet with high-ranking officials and the heads of major sects over drinks?

"... I brought them for you to eat. Do you think I brought them for myself?"

"... I have no appetite."

Jin Taesan buried his head again and continued to work.

The Daecheon Merchant Group was establishing itself to some extent in Hefei.

He had heard that their volume of goods was growing larger, and the newly opened merchant group branch around Mount Cheonmok was doing so well that they were complaining about a shortage of manpower.

"You can afford to take it a bit easy. Why are you risking your life to work like this?"

"... Didn't you criticize me last time, saying, 'Young folks these days only think about slacking off'?"

"Ahem! Hem! That was just me talking."

Of course, his intention had been to motivate him, but he hadn't expected him to genuinely work this hard.

Jin Taesan's constantly grumbling expression turned serious in an instant.

"I'm doing this because I'm ashamed."

"Huh?"

Jin Taesan continued speaking while still working with his head down.

"Lord of Wangga Manor, you must know it well, too. How terrifying money can be."

"... Of course I know."

"When you don't actually have a single penny in your pocket, the world becomes incredibly terrifying. More than you could ever imagine."

"..."

Though he had lived his entire life learning the terror of money, Wang Geumsan himself had never actually been poor.

After all, he had grown up enjoying a wealthy life inside Wangga Manor since his childhood.

"It would be better to describe it as literally 'desperate.'"

Faint wrinkles formed around his eyes, as if he were tracing back painful memories.

"Having to weigh whether to reduce the amount of grain going into the children's mouths, or the amount of firewood to burn in the room during winter... that agony is an everyday reality."

Jin Taesan, having put down his brush for a moment, pressed his hands firmly against his eyes as if they ached.

"And no matter how much the adults try to hide that pain, it passes on to the children. Because of that, children raised in difficult environments mature quickly."

"..."

"My son was like that, too."

Wang Geumsan, recalling Jin Sowoon, carefully brought up the topic.

"... Would it be too arrogant to say that Sowoon grew up so exceptionally because of that environment?"

Jin Taesan abruptly shot his head up.

"Yes. That is arrogance."

A glaring gaze and a firm tone.

It was a statement that could have been uncomfortable for Wang Geumsan, but he didn't find it particularly unpleasant.

Jin Taesan lowered his gaze once more.

"When I heard the news that Jin Sowoon passed the standard exam as the top student, I felt like my heart was going to tear apart."

"..."

"I didn't even want to imagine what that boy must have sacrificed in place of money."

Jin Taesan's voice grew thick with emotion.

"I lost sleep wondering if I even had the right to call myself a father."

"..."

"Even the opportunities the Taiyi Sect has gained now were all brought by him."

Jin Taesan looked at Wang Geumsan once more.

"Lord of Wangga Manor, let me ask you one thing."

"Speak."

"You said there's nothing free in this world, right?"

Wang Geumsan answered immediately.

"That's right. That is the only truth."

"Then what must a sect with nothing like the Taiyi Sect sacrifice to enjoy this level of prosperity in such a short time?"

"..."

This time, he couldn't answer the question right away.

He had never been in such a situation, nor had he ever imagined it to begin with.

"I can't look at him with just pride. Because the most precious existence to me is Jin Sowoon."

"..."

"But I can't stop him either. If the Taiyi Sect becomes poor again, the other children will be thrown back into that cruel world."

Wang Geumsan nodded silently.

Jin Taesan began moving his hands busily once again.

"That's why I cannot rest for even a moment. Because this is the only thing I can do."

A faint smile spread across Wang Geumsan's face as he listened to Jin Taesan's desperate words.

Smirk.

Only now could he understand the reason why he hadn't gone to meet high-ranking officials or the heads of major sects on his golden day off, and had come here instead.

The steadfastness of doing his absolute best without avoiding his own shortcomings.

Wang Geumsan simply liked that stubborn but upright Jin Taesan.

"My thoughts were shortsighted. Is there perhaps anything I can help with?"

"Something you could help with..."

Jin Taesan, deep in thought, quickly rummaged through his documents.

Then, as if he had prepared it in advance, he began rattling something off.

"Calculating the profitability by categorizing goods with price differences between Anhui Province and neighboring provinces..."

"Ah, my apologies. I misspoke. You see, today is my day off, so I really must rest."

"..."

Just as Wang Geumsan let out a needless awkward cough, a servant entered and delivered a message bird's letter.

Jin Taesan, who had been glaring at Wang Geumsan, slowly tore open the letter and read its contents.

"Gasp!"

Jin Taesan's eyes went wide as he gasped for air.

Intrigued by his reaction and curious about the letter's contents, Wang Geumsan slowly approached.

Normally, he wouldn't show the letter, but for some reason, Jin Taesan was just holding it, trembling violently.

The moment Wang Geumsan finally took the letter and tried to read it.

A sky-shaking roar of laughter burst from Jin Taesan's mouth.

"Mwahahahaha!!!!"

"... What's wrong with you?"

"Read it."

Jin Taesan wore a wide smile on his face.

A soft groan slipped from Wang Geumsan's mouth as he quickly read the letter.

"To be designated as the exclusive purchasing agent for the Murim Alliance... truly astonishing."

"Mwahahahahahaha!!!!"

"Dozens of merchant groups must have rushed in to secure this right. How on earth this happened... anyway, congratulations."

"Of course. I'm also extremely delighted to have gained an opportunity to run you ragged, Lord of Wangga Manor."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

When Wang Geumsan put on a puzzled expression, a wicked smile curled on Jin Taesan's lips.

"Wangga Manor has also wanted regular trade with the Murim Alliance, hasn't it?"

"!!!"

Wang Geumsan's hair stood on end as the memory surfaced.

"A-Ah, no. No. We couldn't possibly snatch such a good opportunity from you."

At Wang Geumsan's attitude feigning humility, Jin Taesan immediately shook his head.

"What are you saying? Do you know the sheer amount and variety of goods required by the Murim Alliance branches? Are you telling us to handle all that by ourselves? Naturally, we must work with Wangga Manor."

"No, I'm telling you it's fine!"

"It's not fine for me!"

"I-I won't accept it!"

"Then I suppose I'll have to speak with Soso."

"..."

Wang Geumsan's brow furrowed deeply.

Jin Taesan felt his fatigue completely wash away with a hearty laugh for the first time in a while.

* * *

Yayul Geuk meets his death.

The first basis for deducing this was Yayul Jae.

He had said that during this period in his past life, Yayul Jae lived as a broken man.

He never mentioned the reason, only stating that he had lived drowned in alcohol for several years.

Yayul Jae was not the type of person to give up easily.

If he were that kind of person, he wouldn't have been able to endure working as a wandering martial artist as soon as he came of age, training his martial arts and sending every penny he earned back to his sect for several years.

If that was the case, it naturally led to the prediction that an event causing him to live as a broken man occurred around this time.

Second. Yayul Jae had never once mentioned any blood relatives.

If he never talked about his blood relatives and was never seen going to meet his family, it could be presumed that by the time he joined the Minor Orthodox Unit, he had either had a falling out with his siblings or they were already dead.

If a blood relative had died, and he couldn't easily speak of that death...

'... It must mean that death delivered a shock powerful enough to place a lifelong yoke on him.'

Even after a long time had passed, painful memories would surely surface alongside the debris of longing.

Yet, not being able to speak of it meant he was forcibly suppressing that longing himself.

In other words, the 'death itself' was not natural.

Not just an accident, or a chronic illness...

But the kind of suffering that would torment him with guilt and agony every time he remembered it.

Third. The fact that he repeatedly expressed immense guilt and regret after completing the Flowing Cloud Divine Art.

Such behavior naturally pointed to a connection between the Flowing Cloud Divine Art and the deaths of his siblings.

Fourth. He hated others solely for the reason of being Murim Academy graduates.

Putting all this together led to this conclusion.

'Yayul Jae tried to complete the Flowing Cloud Divine Art through Yayul Geuk. Under such a burdensome situation, Yayul Geuk was stuck in a daily routine of alienation and assault, and in the midst of that...'

I abruptly stopped my train of thought.

Because this was ultimately nothing more than a deduction.

Even so, I felt my breath catching in my throat.

"These brothers really are a piece of work!"

I began searching the classrooms in the main building.

"Who is running so frivolously within the sacred school grounds!"

"Stop right there!"

The drill instructors and instructors tried to stop me from running inside the academy, but I executed the Taiyi Eighty Thousand Divine Steps, creating illusions to evade them.

"Young Master Jin!"

At the voice suddenly calling out to me, I turned my head to see Seong Moran, Namgung Seonhwa, and Saryeon looking at me with surprised eyes.

"What are you doing? Why are you running in such a hurry?"

I urgently made a request.

"Please find Yayul Geuk for me."

"Pardon? Who is that?"

"Anyway, I'm begging you."

Leaving those words behind, I immediately took off.

I searched all the classrooms in the main building, and even combed through the West and East Pavilions.

Just in case, I searched all the rooftops as well, but Yayul Geuk was nowhere to be found.

'I'll have to go find that bastard.'

The instructors and drill instructors were chasing me from behind. They were yelling something or other, but none of it registered in my ears.

I circulated my internal energy once again and dashed toward the four-person dormitory rooms.

As I entered the hallway, those who were out of their rooms looked in my direction all at once.

I rushed past them, engraving their faces into my eyes one by one.

"Jin Sowoon?"

Just then, I locked eyes with Nam Hwaseong, who was walking out of a room dripping with sweat.

Puzzlement crossed his face.

"What are you doing here?"

"Do you know which room Ak Jupyeong lives in?"

"Ak Jupyeong? Why him all of a sudden?"

"Do you know or not?"

He flinched at my cold voice.

"Room thirty-eight."

"Is that so?"

"Hey, what's going..."

Ignoring Nam Hwaseong's question, I leaped straight up to the third floor as if flying and found Room 38.

CRASH.

Fortunately, the door wasn't locked, so I smashed it open and stepped inside.

An uproar immediately broke out.

"... W-What the!"

"J-Jin Sowoon?"

The four people inside had seemingly been cracking jokes, unable to hide the lingering smiles on their faces.

I instantly spotted his face.

"Ak Jupyeong."

He was leaning back slightly, looking at me with an amused expression.

I asked him with an emotionless expression.

"You were with Yayul Geuk yesterday, weren't you? Where was that?"

"Yayul Geuk? I heard he has no ties with you."

"I don't have time for word games. Where is Yayul Geuk?"

He let out a sneering scoff.

"Why should I answer you?"

"So that your bones stay intact."

"What?"

Ak Jupyeong wiped the smile off his face and stood up from his seat.

Despite my own considerable height, his eye level was slightly above mine.

He looked down at me, ready to pounce at any moment.

"Do you think you can do something to me with your measly authority as representative?"

"Do you think I'd be afraid of the measly power of the Ak Clan?"

"You bastard...!"

THUD.

The moment he moved his body, I gathered qi into the tip of my foot and kicked his shin.

"Guh—"

Caught off guard, Ak Jupyeong's shin snapped in a direction it wasn't supposed to bend; his eyes bulged as he gasped repeatedly for air.

I decided to give him one more chance.

"Yayul Geuk, where is he?"

"Aaaargh!"

The pain must have hit him belatedly, as Ak Jupyeong screamed.

Just as I was about to snap his remaining leg in the opposite direction.

"J-Jin Sowoon! Are you truly not afraid of making an enemy of the White Path Council?"

At the voice coming from behind, I turned to look at him.

"I've already made enemies of the White Path Council, the Orthodox Council, and the Twelve Peaks and Castles, so what should I be afraid of?"

"T-That's..."

I snapped Ak Jupyeong's remaining leg backwards as well.

"Aaaaaaargh!!!"

Ak Jupyeong's eyes rolled back, and he foamed at the mouth.

Having completely shattered his joints, even if he recovered, he probably wouldn't be able to execute his movement technique perfectly like before.

"Y-Yesterday was the last time we saw Yayul Geuk...! W-We really haven't seen him since then...!"

Answered Ak Jupyeong's lackey.

"What I asked was 'where'."

"I-It's near Yangsan Peak."

"When was that?"

"I-It must have been between nine and eleven at night."

"... How much did you beat him?"

"... Gulp."

The lackey swallowed hard.

"Do you want to have exceptional joints like Ak Jupyeong?"

Terror filled his face.

"H-He was definitely breathing."

"He was breathing, huh..."

He added, almost on the verge of crying.

"Y-Yeah, he w-was definitely still breathing."

"Did you check if he came back to the dormitory?"

"..."

The lackey gulped heavily once more.

"Yayul Geuk didn't return to the dormitory yesterday."

"...!"

Hearing Ak Jupyeong's screams, academy students began gathering one by one.

Nam Hwaseong was also among the crowd.

"You crazy... what have you done!"

"Nam Hwaseong. You've bullied a lot of kids. Especially the weak ones."

Nam Hwaseong made a dumbfounded expression at the sudden question.

"H-Huh?"

"The place you guys usually bullied kids was Yangsan Peak, right?"

"W-What are you..."

"Is it?"

After a moment of thought, Nam Hwaseong soon pinpointed a location.

"Y-Yeah. Because it's hard to climb up to, and it's out of the instructors' sight."

It was autumn, so the temperature would have dropped during the night.

"Fuck."

All the pieces fell into place.

It was no longer a deduction.

Just then, the voices of the instructors rang out from among the academy students. It seemed the dormitory supervisor was also coming along after hearing the screams.

"Nam Hwaseong, handle the aftermath here."

"What? Hey! You punk!"

I opened the window and jumped down.

Then I dashed across the Murim Academy, heading toward Yangsan Peak.

The instructors and drill instructors who were chasing me pursued, gasping for breath.

I kicked off the ground, leaped atop a building, and began running while jumping between rooftops.

Once the buildings ended, I ran by scaling the trees.

How long had I run like that?

I finally reached the entrance of Yangsan Peak and headed straight for the clearing—the place where they usually robbed others of their coin pouches.

And there, I saw an ominous figure.

"Damn it. ... Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it."

It was Yayul Geuk.

There was no color in his face, and his body was cold.

Was I ultimately too late?

My confidence that I could change the future with the events in Sichuan had been rendered meaningless, as I vainly failed to save my comrade's blood relative in the end.

"This is fucking bullshit!!!!"