“People often say there’s no younger brother as good as the elder.”

I was fairly talented among my peers, but I could never compare to my brother, Dokgohyeok, who resembled our father in both appearance and ability.

Not just at home, but even at the academy, my brother’s shadow always trailed behind me.

No matter how hard I worked, I heard more often that I was simply “Dokgohyeok’s younger brother.”

Feeling bitter about this, I started to go off the rails.

I began hanging out with the troublemakers at the academy, frequenting the local bars and inns, and living a debaucherous life.

After wasting so much time like that, I graduated from the academy and returned to my hometown of Sangam. Yet, having tasted the pleasures of urban life, I couldn’t stand the dullness of the countryside and spent my days wandering around.

It was during that time that I first met my wife.

She took me in after I was passed out on the street, letting me stay for the night and even feeding me.

The reason I fell for her was her warm consideration, ensuring I wouldn’t choke by placing a willow leaf on the water I hastily drank.

From that day on, I pursued her, and although she initially rejected me, saying I wasn’t her type, she eventually recognized my sincerity.

However, when it came time to marry, her social status became an issue.

I was a son of the Dokgo family, while she was a commoner.

My father was fine with me living recklessly but scolded me about marrying someone of equal standing, causing me to rebel against him for the first time.

As a result, I got a good beating from him—just enough to not die, of course.

But when I refused to give up, perhaps in resignation, he treated me as an adult from then on, telling me to do as I pleased.

Thanks to that, I was able to marry my wife.

After getting married, I suddenly realized how foolishly I had lived until then.

Though it was quite late, I began training with my sword again, determined not to bring shame to the Dokgo family’s name.

That’s when I realized something important.

In fact, the one most comparing me to my brother had been myself all along.

*

The story of Dokgoseok is something that was never mentioned even once in the original work, “Cheondokma-nyeo.”

Although depicted as a mere extra who died in a single line in the novel, here he is an actual living human being.

I felt some relief since I was cautiously wary of him due to his previously portrayed image based on the novel.

Reflecting on it, “Cheondokma-nyeo” was entirely told from Dokgorin’s perspective, and the description of Dokgoseok betraying the family out of jealousy towards Dokgohyeok was all statements made by Weijichun, the Murim Association Leader, during the final confrontation against Dokgorin.

In other words, there was a chance the information from the start was wrong.

Realizing this belatedly, I cursed my own foolishness and asked Dokgoseok.

“So, do you want Lady Rin to not suffer like you did?”

With a bitter smile, Dokgoseok replied.

“As for me, I’m just a hopeless child my parents had given up on, but my little sister is treasured by my father. She’s bound to grow into a beauty and should marry into a good family and live happily.”

“I’m sorry to you, Chilbongi, but I just want my sister to be happy.”

“I understand.”

Honestly, if my younger sister liked some rogue who didn’t know where he was rolling about, I’d do anything to keep them apart.

It seemed he just had a clumsy way of expressing his affection.

“But if Rin really doesn’t plan to give you up, I’m willing to help as her older brother. I’ve been through it myself, so I might be able to lend some assistance.”

At that, Dokgoseok glanced at me and asked.

“So, what do you think of my little sister?”

Just to clarify, he was asking as a man, not as a brother.

I wasn’t able to answer his question immediately; I couldn’t say ‘yes’ without hesitation when it came to my feelings for Dokgorin.

However, perhaps he liked my silence, as Dokgoseok chuckled.

“Rin has to work hard too if she wants to capture the heart of someone she likes.”

Hearing his words, I hurriedly waved my hands in denial.

“No, it’s not that I particularly dislike Lady Rin. It’s just that I don’t exactly know what liking someone truly means yet.”

“Really? I thought kids these days were mature enough to know everything.”

Dokgoseok said as he looked at me, laughing lightly while poking my heart with his index finger.

“When you see the other person, and your heart flutters, that’s love.”

“Flutters?”

That was a vague expression.

“You’ll know it on your own when the time comes.”

With that, Dokgoseok ruffled my hair and suggested we go inside as the night’s air had gotten chilly, and I followed him into the inn, rubbing the spot on my chest he had just poked.

*

It was by chance that I caught sight of Chilbongi and Dokgoseok having a conversation together.

During an alcohol-filled evening, after drinking a few rounds at Dokgoseok’s invitation, Chilbongi went outside to get some fresh air. I thought to surprise her by following her a beat later and found Dokgoseok already there.

Dokgoseok.

Her biological brother.

It appeared he was regarded as a genius in his younger days, but in a fit of jealousy over his elder brother Dokgohyeok, he had drawn in the Murim Association Leader to seize control of the family, a foolish act.

That was the Dokgoseok she knew.

However, the story Dokgoseok shared with Chilbongi was entirely different from what she had known.

The fact that he had been compared to his intelligent older brother since childhood, how he went astray and then found his way back thanks to the wife he met outside the family, and how he cherished her.

Chilbongi was bewildered by the stark contrast in Dokgoseok’s words compared to what she thought she knew.

‘So, Dokgoseok lived outside the family for such reasons?’

Thinking back, she realized she didn’t really know much about him.

By the time she formed an identity of her own, Dokgoseok was already living outside, only occasionally coming home to eat and leave.

But the reason she considered Dokgoseok the villain who ruined their family was because her father, Dokgojin, had seemed uncomfortable mentioning Dokgoseok’s name and also because of Weijichun’s words.

“Don’t ever bring that guy up.”

“Hahaha! Do you know who tried to destroy your family and sell you to me? It was your brother, Dokgoseok!”

“…….”

Maybe her former self before regression hadn’t known anything at all?

As such possibilities crossed her mind, the memories of how she had treated Dokgoseok harshly flooded back.

“…That can’t be true.”

But Chilbongi shook her head.

Though it was a possibility worth considering, it wasn’t concrete evidence either.

And now, she didn’t want to entertain the false hope that he might not actually be her family’s enemy.

If such speculation were proven wrong, she would be the one most disappointed.

However, feeling sincerity in the conversation he had with Chilbongi, she decided to keep an open mind about the possibility that he may not have betrayed them, at least until clear evidence was presented.

*

The 60th birthday celebration of Weijichun, the Murim Association Leader, would take place on July 11.

But the invitation to the celebration had arrived at the Dokgo family early in the year.

Given the continent’s vastness, it seemed that merely traveling would consume a great deal of time, so invitations were sent in advance.

While Sichuan was relatively close to Shaanxi, those coming from far-off places like Qinghai and the Gonlun Sect or those from the southern sea would have to depart several months early.

So, the invitees would arrive in Chang’an days before the celebration, simply waiting for the day to come.

About three days after arriving in Chang’an, I began to feel the presence of martial artists gathering in the peaceful Jinseong Inn. By the end of a week, it was bustling, leaving no space to step through.

Surely, that wasn’t unique to the Jinseong Inn during this unexpected peak.

When various characters gathered, fights were unavoidable. And with martial artists instead of common folk, there was never a dull moment.

Enemies meet on a narrow bridge, they say, and at Weijichun’s 60th birthday celebration, sects with hidden grievances would clash daily.

Anyway, as I killed time watching these battles unfold while I felt bored, the day of July 11 came at last.

I was finally going to see the face of Weijichun, the main villain and final boss of Cheondokma-nyeo in person.