Chapter 100

Today, the Cheonma didn’t come.

Well, it’s because since morning, O Myeong-seong and Gu Mil-mil were reported to be coming to Juggan, the head of the Juggandang, so preparations are underway for their meeting.

Certainly, O Myeong-seong is supposed to be sneaking in quietly with Gu Mil-mil, who knows this place well, but it’s strange that everything has been leaked.

On top of that, there’s one puzzling point.

If it were Cheonma, they would’ve probably eliminated them before O Myeong-seong and Gu Mil-mil even arrived, yet they let them come.

Based on my recollection from when Cheonma was still a man, I’d guess that’s what would happen, but right now, I’m not really sure what they’re thinking.

Cheonma killed Gu Mil-mil’s father.

It’s weird that there hasn’t been any clash yet.

Even if something happens when they meet, it wouldn’t be surprising.

A major incident is about to occur within the Cheonma Sect.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Cheonma Sect was quiet until now. There have been plenty of movements within the sect as well.

Gapjae.

He ultimately revealed all his abilities and demanded a higher position. However, he wasn’t recklessly demanding it; after stating that he would wait for a fight similar to the one Cheonma had initiated earlier to re-determine rankings, he diligently carried out his duties.

Meanwhile, Byung-il is thoroughly trampling over Sanseokdang, his own faction.

Sanseokdang – this is a faction related to mining.

Primarily, it deals with criminals. Of course, by “criminals,” we mean according to Cheonma Sect standards.

They insert insects into their heads to damage their intelligence and then mine silver from the silver mines.

The main officers of this place did not recognize Byung-il and refused to share the goods produced here. In other words, it was a silent protest against recognizing him as the leader of Sanseokdang.

But Byung-il was a believer of the Cheonma Sect. He was someone skilled enough to hold the position of Hobup.

Byung-il went to the defiant officers, asked if they would submit, and killed those who refused.

Each faction generally operates independently, so such actions wouldn’t usually cause problems. But the issue here is that Byung-il killed way too many.

Among them were some people sent from other factions to control the insects, and their deaths caused the insects inside the criminals’ heads to go berserk, resulting in more than half of the workers in the mine dying.

In short, productivity dropped, and people borrowed from other factions also died.

Yeah, a big problem arose. So, Byung-il is on the verge of being politically ousted within the Cheonma Sect.

That’s the current situation with Byung-il.

And just like I hoped, the Hobup of the Cheon Palace faction is planning to advance further. On the surface, he remains loyal to the Cheon Palace faction leader, but secretly, he’s looking for other paths.

The place he’s making contact with is Jigwandang.

Just like Gapjae did, he aims to connect with Jigwandang.

And there’s a reason for that. Jigwandang produces pills that make you stronger just by eating them.

Of course, Moonjedang technology was involved in that.

Yeah, that’s right. It’s technology that flowed in from Daegon’s side. That said, the head of Jigwandang isn’t someone from Jeogyo or Hematoma Mystic Art.

This person is closer to an elder. A highly skilled individual who has been part of the Cheonma Sect for a long time.

The head of Jigwandang is an elder of the Cheonma Sect responsible for managing the strengthening pills.

So, it seems people meet them when something happens or when they want to move up.

But the Hobup of the Cheon Palace faction isn’t trying to climb higher within the Cheonma Sect. He’s aiming to secure a mission that will allow him to leave.

Because the Hobup of the Cheon Palace faction, Jung Jae-woo, realized that the insect inside him disappeared after becoming a Harvesting System, and he plans to leave the Cheonma Sect.

Everyone has their own story.

Meanwhile, Moonjedang’s leader, Insimwon, is somewhat similar to Byung-il. He’s also killing his subordinates while moving around. But the reasons differ.

People who are on the verge of mutating into monsters.

He’s dealing with them.

I told them to run away, but it seems they decided to stay within the Cheonma Sect. Perhaps they didn’t witness Daegon’s death and understood who won when Cheonma returned?

His choice should be respected.

Anyway, I’m not in a position to tell him otherwise…

I do want to praise him though.

Why?

Because most of the people he killed used a special technique when summoning me. While not all the information is gathered, if properly organized, it might help interpret the summoning method.

Piecing together memories is like putting together a puzzle—more pieces make it clearer where to look. With effort, I might be able to extract the necessary techniques.

Anyway,

Looking at the overall picture, the Cheonma Sect is in a very chaotic state.

In such a situation, O Myeong-seong and Gu Mil-mil are meeting Cheonma.

What will happen?

“So hot, why are you sitting in front of the fire?”

Sitting near the hearth, staring blankly at the flames, Soo-oh approached me without hiding her boredom.

She must’ve gotten tired of running around after receiving a small note from Cheonma during our free time.

However, the ever-clinging Soo-oh stood a few steps away from me, strangely examining my expression. She seems to be reading the room.

Ah, now that I think about it, yesterday was a bit unusual.

Never would’ve guessed she’d laugh at being mocked by a beast turned monster.

Yeah.

You don’t need warmth when you’re dead. Unlike me, who can’t die.

“Thinking about what to do next.”

“What to do? What?”

I got up from my seat and took Soo-oh to the porch.

Right now, Cheonma is heading alone to meet O Myeong-seong and Gu Mil-mil.

They’ll meet at the edge of the forest.

Since I can see what’s happening through Cheonma’s perspective, there’s no need to go to that location. So, I’ll prepare dinner with Soo-oh, clear up afterward, and then sleep.

I looked up at the sky.

The sky is darker than usual. Though it’s getting evening, the clouds suggest it’s about to rain.

It would be nice if it’s not a sign of something happening.

Oh, right.

There’s something I need to tell Soo-oh in advance. Since Cheonma already knows, it’d be troublesome if she asks why I didn’t mention it later. And it’s not good to exclude her, right?

I sat Soo-oh in front of me.

“What’s wrong?”

Soo-oh looks uneasy. I told her about what’s to come.

“Soo-oh, we’re leaving here in four years.”

“Huh?”

Soo-oh’s eyes widened.

“Where to?”

Soo-oh rushed over and grabbed the hem of my clothes. Is it really that surprising?

“Outside the Cheonma Sect.”

Preferably a place with lots of people.

A place where I can produce Harvesting Systems.

Soo-oh looked around after observing my expression.

“Isn’t here enough?”

“It’s enough to live, but I have things I want to do, so I’m leaving.”

Soo-oh crossed her arms.

“Yeah, but Master Musabu is here, and it feels very unsafe for just the two of us to go out. I learned that it’s easy to get into trouble when women wander around together.”

Given the world we live in, there are many immoral people.

O Myeong-seong once captured someone known as a “colorful demon.”

Sexual desires are hard to separate from people.

But Soo-oh seems to misunderstand something.

“Soo-oh, I’m going alone.”

Soo-oh’s eyes grew extremely wide.

“What? Why are you doing this? What happened? Did I do something wrong?”

Whoa, Soo-oh is using honorifics. She’s looking up at me with tear-filled eyes, like an abandoned puppy.

“No, Soo-oh hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re growing up well, so how could you have done anything wrong?”

“But why are you leaving alone?”

Even if she asks why I’m leaving alone, it’s dangerous to bring Soo-oh, who is still young in four years, to such perilous places.

“In four years, Soo-oh will still be young. Even if I leave, Cheonma will take care of you. When time passes and you grow up, that’s when you should do what you want. Not stuck in this secluded place.”

Soo-oh came close to me with tears streaming down her face.

She hesitated significantly before carefully grabbing the edge of my clothes. After rushing without hesitation until now, she’s acting like this.

“Can’t you not go?”

Soo-oh’s voice trembles. Did I fail to communicate something? This isn’t supposed to be such a sad story. Hmm.

“It’s not like I’m leaving right away. Soo-oh, there’s still plenty of time—four years. We’ve only been together for a year, so we need to repeat the time we’ve spent together four more times. Actually, by then, Soo-oh might urge me to leave sooner.”

Soo-oh shakes her head side to side.

She’s crying now.

Hmm.

Was it too early? Or is it because at this age, kids cry when separating from friends because time feels late?

Girls mature faster, if I remember correctly.

Or maybe it’s because the only people she interacts with are two of us.

Lack of social skills, how do I handle this?

There’s nothing else to do.

Even with slightly lacking social skills, giving enough strength to survive is the only way.

Fortunately, there’s a situation to build strength. Because after Cheonma meets the two and no fight occurs, Soo-oh will likely grow stronger with Cheonma around.

Right now,

After meeting O Myeong-seong, Cheonma surprisingly invited them to the Cheonma Sect.

When asked about their intentions by Gu Mil-mil, Cheonma replied that they no longer cared about the position of Cheonma.

Then they return to the Cheonma Sect together.

Only after hearing O Myeong-seong ask about Cheonma’s condition while walking did I realize something.

Whether it’s the white skin and purple hair causing issues, or if those who can identify my nature from a part of me are spreading rumors, they simply call it witchcraft.

Soo-oh falls into this category too.

There’s much to resolve outside. As I ponder how to explain this, faded memories suddenly brought up a single word.

Hug.

Interpreting it as a command to embrace, I grabbed Soo-oh’s arms and pulled her into my embrace. Unlike last year when she was thin, Cho-seol now has proper fat and is tall, so hugging her will be warm but not uncomfortable.

“This isn’t about parting, but about standing on your own.”

“Why can’t we just go together?”

Oh, she reverted to casual speech again.

This is better.

“I hope Soo-oh grows a little more.”

For some reason, even though it’s all warmth, if Soo-oh dies prematurely, I’ll just gain warmth and forget it.

“To Cheonma, and if possible, learn from others to become strong. Extremely, extremely strong, so strong that you can do whatever you want, Soo-oh.”

Some called it an outsider.

Some called it an evil deity.

Some called it a monster.

And this child is human. Just that much.

Accepting just that much of a wish.

“Then, this world is yours. To put it in terms of this world…”

Yeah, there’s an easy-to-understand phrase. The faded memory immediately threw out a word upon hearing Soo-oh’s name. Conveniently, it fits perfectly.

“Like?”

Soo-oh lifts her face from my embrace to ask. Her face is partially hidden by my chest, but she’s no longer sad. It successfully redirected her thoughts. Hug.

“Now, the world we live in is called Jianghu. So, just as you see me as a person, I’ll speak accordingly.”

Then I grabbed both of Soo-oh’s cheeks and said this:

“Soo-oh’s Jianghu.”

With the meaning that in the future, you will freely do what you want in this world, becoming a truly free individual.

Dozens of memories of men laughing wildly flash in my faded memories.

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