“At this very moment, how do you feel, Master of Red Spirit Court?”
“At this very moment?”
“Yes. Right now.”
The Red Demon placed a hand over his chest.
His heart was beating.
Rapidly.
“...At ease.”
The words slipped out before he realized it.
Unhwi nodded.
“Then that is your true heart.”
“...What?”
“To feel at ease means your heart is free.”
Unhwi drank his tea again.
“A free heart is a person’s original state.”
The Red Demon looked at Unhwi.
This man...
Did he truly not know?
Did he not know that the Red Demon belonged to Yu Cheong?
Or was he saying these things despite knowing?
And if he knew, what was his intention?
No.
That was not it.
Was this really... something he was doing with an intention?
Could it simply be the measure of the man himself?
“...Arbiter.”
“Yes, Master of Red Spirit Court.”
“What would you do if someone were deceiving you?”
Unhwi considered the question for a moment.
“There are many kinds of deception.”
“Many kinds?”
“Deception born of malice, and deception without malice.”
Unhwi explained.
“Deception born of malice seeks to harm me. Deception without malice comes from circumstances that leave a person no choice.”
“Circumstances that leave no choice?”
“For example, because someone ordered them to do it.”
The Red Demon’s eyes widened.
“In such a case, the deceiver may also be a victim.”
“...”
“How could I hate someone like that?”
Unhwi looked at the Red Demon.
“I would pity them instead, for having been placed in such circumstances.”
The Red Demon nearly dropped his teacup.
He barely caught it.
His hand was trembling.
Unhwi saw it, but said nothing.
“Arbiter...”
The Red Demon asked cautiously,
“You seem to understand people very well.”
“Rather than understanding them well...”
Unhwi smiled.
“I try to understand them.”
“Understand them?”
“No one can live alone. People must rely on one another and help one another to survive. And for that, understanding is necessary.”
Unhwi emptied his teacup.
“To understand someone is the same as forgiving them.”
Heat spread through the Red Demon’s chest.
Something rose into his throat.
But it would not become words.
“Of course, my forgiveness is not the ordinary sort. It is the forgiveness of a martial artist, which means—”
“You speak of life and death. And ordinarily, it means severing the matter completely.”
“Yes. I do not hesitate when carrying it out. I have forgiven many people that way.”
“...”
“I simply wished to tell you that.”
Unhwi rose.
“This was a pleasant conversation.”
“...Yes.”
“You should rest as well.”
Unhwi returned to the bed.
He closed his eyes and began circulating his energy.
The Red Demon remained seated where he was.
Staring at the teacup.
At his wavering reflection.
The sun set.
Night deepened.
And so did the Red Demon’s thoughts.
***
Half a day later, they reached the village.
They tied their horses outside the inn and went upstairs.
To Unhwi’s room.
Chief Seong knocked.
“Come in.”
A voice came from inside.
It did not sound weak.
It was calm.
They opened the door.
Unhwi was sitting upright.
They had expected him to be lying down, but he was seated with his back against the wall, his eyes closed.
He appeared to have been circulating his energy.
He opened his eyes.
He looked at the three of them.
“You all made it back.”
Chief Seong bowed.
“Yes. All three of us returned. But where is the Red Demon...?”
“He left earlier.”
Chief Seong blinked.
That man left?
He had been asked to protect Unhwi, and he had simply gone?
Leaving him alone like this defeated the entire purpose.
No.
Had the Red Demon lost his mind?
As Chief Seong thought that, Unhwi regarded him in silence.
Then he looked to the side.
At Ju Soa and Wonyang.
None of the three were wounded.
Their clothes were slightly dirty, but they were otherwise unharmed.
“You were not injured.”
Chief Seong answered,
“No. Nothing serious happened.”
“Is that so?”
Unhwi smiled.
“That is fortunate.”
For now.
“Sit.”
The three sat before Unhwi.
“So, what did you bring back?”
As though she had been waiting for the question, Wonyang drew the objects from inside her clothing one by one and placed them on the table.
First, a small jade bottle.
Second, a large jade bottle.
Unhwi examined them.
His expression did not change, but his thoughts did.
These are no ordinary objects.
That was his first impression.
He picked them up one at a time.
First, the small jade bottle.
He removed the stopper.
He did not bring it close to his nose.
He examined it with his energy instead.
Then he paused.
“...Where did you find this?”
“In the second chamber. It was resting on a stone pedestal.”
“The second chamber... It seems the secret realm was larger than I expected.”
“Yes, Young Master. It was no joke.”
Chief Seong continued with a peculiar expression.
“But do you happen to know what it is?”
The answer came without hesitation.
“It is concentrated essence of the Life-and-Death Spring Restoration Pill.”
The three widened their eyes.
They had suspected as much, but Unhwi was still Unhwi.
He had identified it at once.
“A spiritual pill that existed a thousand years ago. It repairs damage to the body and seals cracks in the meridians.”
Unhwi tilted the jade bottle.
Transparent liquid shifted within it, carrying a faint golden sheen.
“This is the concentrated essence from which the pill was refined. Its effects surpass even the pill itself. I do not know who made it, but refining it to this degree of purity... speaks to extraordinary skill.”
Chief Seong asked,
“Will it help your recovery, Young Master?”
“It will.”
There was no possibility that it would not.
“The effects of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Crystal have already faded, and healing through energy alone has its limits. But this essence should be as effective as consuming the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Crystal itself.”
Wonyang’s eyes brightened.
“Then the month you said it would take...”
“Will be shortened. One day. Two at most.”
“Truly?”
“It is essence aged for a thousand years, and its purity is exceptional. You did well bringing it back.”
Unhwi set down the small jade bottle.
Then he picked up the large one.
He removed the stopper.
“...This one is extraordinary as well.”
Unhwi’s expression shifted subtly.
“This is also concentrated essence of the Life-and-Death Spring Restoration Pill. Its concentration is even greater.”
He gently shook the large jade bottle.
Golden liquid moved within it.
Its color was deeper than that of the smaller bottle.
“You found two?”
“Yes. We found them in separate chambers.”
Unhwi nodded at Wonyang’s explanation.
“Well done. With this much, my recovery will certainly be much faster.”
“That is a relief.”
Unhwi smiled gently.
“It seems I am indebted to all of you.”
Chief Seong smiled.
So did Wonyang.
Ju Soa added with a smile of her own,
“We have always been the ones receiving help. It was about time we returned some of it.”
Unhwi nodded, then spoke.
“And one more thing.”
The three focused on him.
“Tell me everything you saw in the secret realm.”
“Everything we saw?”
“Its structure. What was inside. Tell me in detail.”
Wonyang straightened.
Then she began recounting everything one thing at a time.
The structure of the secret realm.
The cavern.
The branching paths.
The stone pedestals in each chamber.
The list of demonic arts.
The Blood Demon Heart Scripture.
The Blood God Return Art.
The Blood Shadow Boundless Art.
The Heaven-Shattering Blood Sword.
And the final plaza.
The stone gate.
Three enter, one leaves.
Heavenly Sword Returns to One.
For the first time, Unhwi’s expression changed.
“...Did you say Heavenly Sword Returns to One?”
“Yes.”
“You are certain?”
“Yes. It was clearly written as Heavenly Sword Returns to One.”
“And then...”
Wonyang continued.
“We met someone there.”
“Who?”
“The final Sect Master of the Heavenly Sun Sword Sect.”
Unhwi’s eyes twitched.
“It was a lingering will. His name was Ha Yooncheon.”
“Ha Yooncheon...”
As Unhwi murmured the name, he looked at Chief Seong.
Quick to understand, Chief Seong immediately raised an energy barrier around them.
Unhwi continued slowly.
“The final Sect Master of the Heavenly Sun Sword Sect. I heard that name in my previous life.”
“If even you know of him, Young Master... then he must truly have been an extraordinary man.”
Unhwi nodded.
“The Heavenly Sun Sword Sect was legendary. Before the Demonic Cult became the Thousand-Year Demonic Cult, they were the first to stand against it. And even after it became the Thousand-Year Demonic Cult, they continued to oppose it. During the Thousand-Year Chaos, everyone sought to raise Ha Yooncheon as Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance, but he refused. According to the records I read... yes. He was an exceedingly unusual man.”
Chief Seong answered at once.
“His lingering will passed down martial arts to us.”
“Martial arts?”
Ju Soa answered this time.
“He called it the Heavenly Sun Boundless Art. It was an incredible martial art. Would you like to see it?”
Unhwi nodded.
Truthfully, he was curious.
The martial arts of the Heavenly Sun Sword Sect had never been passed down.
They had been completely lost.
Not even a single mnemonic verse remained.
Unhwi’s eyes sharpened.
“Show me.”
“What?”
“Show me the martial art you received.”
Unhwi rose.
“Let us go outside.”
“Outside?”
“This room is too narrow to draw a sword.”
Unhwi opened the door.
“And I have grown stifled after spending so long confined to this room.”
The three blinked, but ultimately followed him.
They headed to the spacious yard behind the inn.
The red glow of sunset painted the sky.
Unhwi sat on a wooden chair.
The atmosphere formed naturally.
Before anyone could say anything, Chief Seong stepped forward first.
He drew his dagger.
“Heavenly Sun Boundless Art, Sun and Moon Ascend.”
He moved slowly.
It was as though the sun and moon were rising into the sky at the same time.
A faint current of energy flowed from the dagger.
Unhwi’s eyes sharpened.
It was unquestionably different.
Chief Seong’s movements were on an entirely different level from before.
“Sweeping the Eight Directions.”
The dagger slashed horizontally.
It was as though heavenly winds swept across all eight directions.
“Next is Winding Flowing Water.”
The dagger changed direction.
It moved with the suppleness of water flowing around an obstacle.
“Sun Shatters Heaven.”
He raised the dagger in both hands.
Radiant energy erupted from it.
“Spiraling Penetration.”
The dagger drove forward while rotating.
Like a spiraling gale.
The five forms came to an end.
Unhwi applauded.
“Excellent. You have mastered it completely.”
Chief Seong lowered his dagger.
His breathing remained calm.
Every movement had been natural.
Just as Unhwi said, he had mastered it completely.
Unhwi spoke.
“You may now use this martial art as your primary discipline.”
“As my primary discipline?”
“Yes. It is far superior to the martial arts you used until now.”
“...”
“It may be impolite to say so, but its level exceeds even the martial arts of the White Snow Spirit Regiment. The Heavenly Sun Boundless Art contains the essence of the Heavenly Sun Sword Sect. It would be difficult to find a better martial art.”
A smile appeared on Chief Seong’s face.
“Thank you, Young Master.”
Wonyang was next.
She drew her sword.
Silver-white light flowed along the sword blade.
“Heavenly Sun Flash.”
Her sword carried the force of the first light of dawn cleaving through darkness.
It appeared and vanished in an instant.
But its afterimage lingered for a long time.
Unhwi’s eyes gleamed.
It was hardly a new realization, but Wonyang’s talent was unquestionably exceptional.
Even that single form carried the force of the Namgung family.
And though her physical realm remained insufficient, there was no awkwardness in her execution.
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