Woo-yong Jin was carefully observing the horrific state of Byul Rak’s memory, tracing its details. It was a memory riddled with wounds, gaunt, and pitiful to the extent that it evoked sympathy just by looking at it.
“Difficult, so difficult.”
Since the nature of memory itself was profound, the empty memory of Byul Rak remained a mystery.
“What must I do to find out….”
Thus, Woo-yong Jin paused from examining the memory for a moment, opting to refresh his mind by recalling another subject.
It was an adequate method, if not for the fact that he momentarily forgot he was a disembodied soul incapable of breathing.
‘Moocheon Ravine… truly remarkable this place is. When I was around, this region was nothing but endless plains without even a single canyon. Ever since when did it come to be renowned as such a place…?’
While lost in thought, Woo-yong Jin attempted to take a breath.
Suddenly, a young girl approached who had been stationed in the same space, busy dusting, sweeping, and fixing various aspects of the memory’s construct.
“Lord, what are you doing here?”
“This year’s harvest is scarce, yet here you come again. Didn’t I tell you I am busy?”
“Yes, but isn’t this the time you should be elsewhere?”
Woo-yong Jin tilted his head at her question.
The young girl smirked mischievously before asking.
“Is it really alright for you to stay here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Isn’t this Moocheon Ravine? You shouldn’t stay here forever!”
“Hmph, going somewhere to do nothing but crack walnuts with that inarticulate fellow Byul Rak? Is that what you’re suggesting?”
Woo-yong Jin answered curtly, still resentful from a previous encounter where he’d been fooled by the young girl.
“You’ll regret it if you don’t go this time.”
“How curious.”
“Ugh! Can’t you think ahead? Must I spell everything out for you? Are you really so dull?”
“What would you have me do, knowing something about this Moocheon Ravine? Spit it out.”
“Didn’t you see the human’s memory? Isn’t it clear that Moocheon Ravine is connected to the Demon Spirit Cave!”
The girl slapped her chest in frustration as she yelled.
Woo-yong Jin’s response, however, was vastly different.
“How did you even know I’ve seen this demon’s memory?”
“…!”
The young girl frowned deeply, pressing her forehead as if annoyed.
Realizing he’d finally achieved some vengeance, Woo-yong Jin grinned mischievously, shaking his head.
“Ahaha, it was a jest. Hehehe.”
“Ugh…!”
“Go on with your earlier talk. What about the spirits in the cave?”
“You seriously need to be told even this? There are lost souls in there.”
“True.”
“Among them are people from your era in the martial world!”
“Hmm, they could be there. But why should that prompt me to venture out?”
“Unless there’s, say, the Sword Sage around.”
The calm he had maintained till then shattered at the next word.
“There is?”
“What?”
“Sword Sage is here. Your old friend, always spoken of as the greatest martial artist in history.”
“Wait, Sword Sage is here? …”
“Ah, but there’s someone even more important to you here. I recall they’re also around.”
Woo-yong Jin was skeptical of the young girl’s words—not about the possibility of Sword Sage being there, but of there being someone even more significant than him.
From his perspective, he couldn’t trust it. For Woo-yong Jin, Sword Sage wasn’t merely an “old friend.”
The Regressor.
The unparalleled master who possessed the power to rewind time, the most rule-breaking ability in the history of martial arts.
Not martial prowess, nor magic spells, nor spiritual strength.
Just like lightning, it’s a power he simply had. Among countless extraordinary martial artists, only two could rewind time.
Even the revered Martial Master Damo, the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang who had unified the land, or the legendary Ye Dongbin who had ascended to immortality—how could any of them possibly hold their heads high before the ‘Regressors’?
And now, there was someone even more important than Sword Sage?
Naturally, it was an impossible claim to believe.
Or did she?
Perhaps perceiving Woo-yong Jin’s skeptical expression, the girl teased.
“Wouldn’t you like to meet the one who confined you within the Moonlight Division?”
“……!!!”
“Even your younger brother is in Moocheon Ravine! Hehehe.”
The lethargic demeanor of Woo-yong Jin suddenly vanished. He felt his scalp tingle as if struck by lightning.
“That… that bastard… is here…?”
“Yes! You must meet him immediately! There’s so much to discuss!”
“…!! Where! Where is he! That bastard!!”
“Ah, you’ll have to figure that out yourself! It wouldn’t be fun if I told you everything!”
With bloodshot eyes, Woo-yong Jin glared at the girl. The strongest emotions stirring in his mind were shock and outrage.
But even in his almost overwhelming excitement, Woo-yong Jin did not forget one crucial fact.
This girl before him was immensely powerful, obstinate—and would not assist him, no matter if he threatened or pleaded.
“That bastard is here, you say…!”
In the next moment, Woo-yong Jin’s presence could no longer be found in Byul Rak’s memory construct.
The young girl, left alone in the expansive yet confined space, smiled wickedly.
*
“It all started with a simple curiosity. It was when I heard a tale about an ancient legendary thief from five hundred years ago.”
Tang Sobaek softly began her speech, as the Jinagshi, subtly pricked his ears in response despite showing little visible reaction.
“Can one mere thief, no matter how talented his light-stepping skills or his ability to hide, really infiltrate deep into the forbidden chambers of the royal palace? Frankly, it’s absurd. Even the most formidable martial artists of the martial world avoid going near those royal chambers. Wasn’t the Celestial Emperor one of the top ten martial artists back in those days? Not even they could achieve such extraordinary feats, right?”
Her inquiries continued uninterrupted.
“Moreover, the existence of such an extraordinary martial art in the world was rather thought-provoking. No matter how many prodigious talents there were, the deeds of this mysterious thief were simply far too incredible for anyone—just another common thief.”
At that moment, the Jiangshi subtly quivered his beard. Tang Sobaek’s keen perception did not miss a beat.
“Thus, I considered: perhaps, this mysterious thief wasn’t simply a legendary thief but the alias of an absolute martial master?”
“…”
“Even with that thought, there was nothing I could uncover. Five hundred years ago he vanished without a trace—his path left behind impossible to track.”
“…”
“I basically set it aside, though I love unsolvable puzzles. However, around that time, I began to show interest in ‘Tian Ji.’ Not ‘Tian Ji’ (天機), but ‘Tian Ji’ (天記).”
Tang Sobaek’s tone shifted sharply.
It became sharper, more incisive, echoing through the enclosed chamber.
“In any case… this ‘Tian Ji’ chronicled the life of one man: Jianxian. The legendary martial artist hailed as the greatest in all martial history, and his secrets and life were meticulously recorded.”
“…”
“That was the first ‘Tian Ji’ I read. It was significantly more thrilling than the stale stories from the marketplace… But back to the matter at hand. Jianxian had a special power: the ability to rewind time… sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it?”
The Jiangshi reflexively nodded his head, perhaps unconsciously reacting.
“Where do you think you’re stepping in here? Think you can deny you’re talking about yourself?”
“…”
“Jianxian, Shentou, Yamzon, Toushan… Quite the collection of pseudonyms, aren’t they? Did you think about moving in with the Nans?”
“…”
“The first Regressor, Southern Palace Gate, I presume.”
“…”
“Indeed. Not only did you create the trap in the Moocheon Ravine, but you also transformed this into such a desolate place—what a feat, isn’t it? To actually witness firsthand the ravages of a sword technique capable of slicing through the earth, as written in the stories, as a martial scholar, I couldn’t feel more honored.”
“Descendant of the Tang family, I’ve awaited you.”
The Jiangshi opened his eyes, which had until then been closed, revealing irises that shone with a pale green glow, resonating with the light from the lantern, projecting a lively presence.
“You waited for me? Not for Sword Sage?”
“More accurately, I waited for this day. The day that you and Sword Sage would both arrive.”
“Sword Sage? Ah, so the person in Moocheon Ravine right now is Jianxian? …Eh, then how should I react to Sword Sage’s current state?”
“Hehe.”
Despite his face betraying no expression, Tang Sobaek sensed a strange familiarity from the Jiangshi.
It was a testament to how inherently kind he was.
“Why are you so harsh on your lifelong companion?”
“What does that mean?”
“Ti Li Fa Jin Woo-yong, despite his unruly nature, his unshakable sense of righteousness and integrity is unparalleled.”
“Was his story so compelling to you?”
“To have confessed all his life’s anguish in front of Ti Li Fa Jin Woo-yong and then take his own life heroically… I had believed that, not that you would collude with your brother to imprison Jin Woo-yong in the Moonlight Division. What a scene it was reading the moment your cold corpse was carried into Moocheon Ravine.”
“Ah, so you’re seeking the truth of the matter. Very well, in light of your arduous efforts to uncover this truth, I’ll grant you a small piece of it.”
