After parting ways with Heonwon Gang, I headed to the promised meeting place.
We had arranged to meet at our regular inn after the first day of work was over with Ak Yeonho and Myeong Il-oh.
"Brother..."
"You're alive..."
"Hmm?"
I tilted my head, puzzled by the sight of the two who had arrived at the inn before me.
Both looked utterly exhausted after just half a day.
"What on earth happened?"
"Don't even ask. Sunwoo Jin, that guy, worked us to the bone from day one."
"It's the same here. Why are they so harsh on the first day of work... Sigh... And he's not even much older than us..."
It seemed both had been thoroughly disciplined by their senior instructors from the start.
But that's how work life usually is.
I chuckled at their complaints and said, "Do you want to switch with me?"
"... No."
With just one sentence, their complaints vanished.
No matter how scary their senior instructors were, there was no one in the Cheongryong Academy who could match my grandfather in terms of experience and martial arts.
"You should consider yourselves lucky. Because of my incompetent father, I had several near-death experiences today."
"I've never seen such a proud unfilial son like you, brother."
"You should have behaved better when you were at the academy."
As we were exchanging tales of who had the tougher day, a dying woman's voice came from behind us.
"There you are..."
"Lady Jegal?"
Thud.
Jegal So-yeong collapsed into a seat at our table.
Her face was as pale as a corpse, and her once bright eyes were now dull and lifeless.
"Lady Jegal? Are you alright?"
"... Bring me a bottle of bamboo leaf liquor."
Jegal So-yeong ordered a drink first, and as soon as the bamboo leaf liquor arrived, she drank straight from the bottle.
Gulp, gulp.
She emptied the bottle in one go and slammed the empty bottle on the table with a bang.
The three of us were startled by her vigor and shrank back.
"Brother Namgung is completely obsessed with work!"
For reference, despite her studious appearance, she is an incredible drinker.
"How can one person handle so much work alone? Just a little help? How is that a little? The room is so full of documents that it's hard to walk!"
We quietly listened to Jegal So-yeong's lament, and she repeatedly concluded that Namgung-su was a workaholic.
"They said they'd let us off early since it was the first day, but look at the time!"
"... You've had a tough day."
"How did I end up with such a person..."
"Come on, let's have another drink."
After the final practical exam and until the announcement of the final successful candidates, Jegal So-yeong often came to talk to me, and we became quite close.
The topics of conversation were mostly about her major in martial arts history, the reasons for the fall of the Heavenly Demon Sect and its successor, the Blood Sect, and various other topics like spiritual creatures and beasts.
She seemed to enjoy our conversations immensely, as there were few people with whom she could have such intellectual discussions.
Of course, I also found it quite enjoyable.
"... I'm sorry. I talked too much about myself, didn't I?"
After calming down, Jegal So-yeong blushed and apologized.
I chuckled and poured her another drink.
"It's alright. It's not like you haven't done it before."
"You're mean..."
Jegal So-yeong pouted and glared at me playfully.
[Just get a room! A room!]
[The two of you are so lovey-dovey...]
I ignored the nonsense coming from the two of them through sound transmission.
Then, as if he had just remembered, Ak Yeonho asked, "Oh, by the way, brother. How did it go with the supplementary class you were supposed to take?"
"I just met with Heonwon Gang today."
I filtered the conversation I had with Heonwon Gang and shared it with them.
"It seems he thought that even if his martial arts improved, it would only provoke Peng Sahyeok. If he upset the head of the Peng family in the future, it wouldn't end well. So he decided to give up at a reasonable level."
"..."
After I finished speaking, Jegal So-yeong from the Jegal family and Ak Yeonho from the Shandong Ak family both had serious expressions.
On the other hand, Myeong Il-oh looked puzzled and said to me, "No way. Would the young master of a family as prestigious as the Five Great Families be so petty over something like that..."
"It's entirely possible."
The Shandong Ak family, renowned enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Five Great Families in this era, was represented by Ak Yeonho, who downed his drink with a bitter expression.
"If the orthodox martial world were truly filled with righteous heroes as they claim, it would be wonderful. But if you knew the lengths they go to maintain their positions..."
Ak Yeonho finished his drink in one gulp.
The bitterness of the alcohol made him grimace, and he muttered a curse under his breath.
"Damn it. It ruined the taste of the drink."
Jegal So-yeong, who had been watching him quietly, spoke up.
"As much as I hate to admit it... Heonwon Gang, or rather, the Heonwon family, is in a situation where they have no choice but to be cautious."
"Why is that?"
In response to Myeong Il-oh's question, Jegal So-yeong fiddled with her glass and continued.
"... The Hebei Peng family and the Heonwon family have been competing for the position of the number one martial arts sect for over a hundred years. Although the Peng family is generally considered slightly superior, the Heonwon family has always posed a threat to that position."
As someone who majored in martial arts history, she was well-versed in the history and interests of various martial arts factions.
"Despite being competitors, the two families had a good relationship. They frequently interacted, developed each other's martial arts, and often strengthened their ties through marriage. Until then, the relationship between the two families was good..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, to the point where we had to focus intently to hear her.
"After the appearance of the Mad Demon in the Heonwon family, the relationship between the two families soured."
"... Mad Demon?"
"The Mad Demon Heonwon Hu."
It was a name I was all too familiar with, but I wanted to hear about him from Jegal So-yeong, who knew him as a historical figure.
"The greatest genius in the history of the Heonwon family. He mastered the Jincheon Sword at sixteen and redefined the Pacheon Sword before he turned thirty. At the time, many people said he would become the world's greatest martial artist in the future."
Hearing about someone I knew as a historical figure from someone else's mouth was a strange feeling.
"But as you know, Heonwon Hu did not meet a good end. He embarked on a journey to perfect his martial arts and gradually went mad, killing numerous masters. Eventually, the Martial Alliance gave him the nickname 'Mad Demon' and issued a kill order."
"... So what happened?"
In response to Ak Yeonho's question, Jegal So-yeong shook her head.
"They never found him. The Mad Demon disappeared without a trace."
The Mad Demon didn't disappear.
To be precise, he was fleeing from the Martial Alliance's pursuit when he fell into a trap set by the Blood Sect and was imprisoned in a dungeon.
I knew the story of the Mad Demon better than Jegal So-yeong did.
However, I became curious about one thing.
"What does the falling out between the Heonwon family and the Hebei Peng family have to do with the Mad Demon?"
The answer came not as a voice but through sound transmission.
[Among the people the Mad Demon killed during his journey, there was the young master of the Hebei Peng family.]
"..."
"..."
Ak Yeonho and Myeong Il-oh seemed to have received the same sound transmission as me, as our eyes widened simultaneously.
At that moment, I recalled the haggard face of the Mad Demon Master who had been imprisoned in the dungeon.
-I do not regret my choice.
Even if I could go back to the past, I would walk the same path.
The Mad Demon Master often said that, but every time he did, his expression was filled with regret.
-...
My only regret is that I brought too much disgrace to my family.
And sometimes, the Mad Demon Master would break out in a cold sweat and suffer from nightmares.
-I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to kill you...
-Damn it! Who the hell gave such a timid guy the nickname 'Mad Demon'!
Despite his voice being full of irritation, I remembered the concerned face of Meng Master, who would peek into the next room.
Jegal So-yeong's voice brought me back to reality.
"In the end, that incident irreparably damaged the relationship between the two families."
Jegal So-yeong sighed and spoke with a sorrowful expression.
"But... that's not the end."
Not the end?
Jegal So-yeong seemed to hesitate for a moment, unsure whether to continue speaking.
"Waiter! Bring us something strong!"
After a moment, Jegal So-yeong downed the strong liquor I poured for her in one go and let out a long sigh.
The strong aroma of the liquor wafted over to my face.
With her face flushed from the alcohol, Jegal So-yeong spoke.
"It's not exactly a secret, but... shall we move to a different place?"
We moved to a room, and Jegal So-yeong continued the story she had left unfinished.
"About twenty years after the Mad Demon disappeared, the Blood Sect fell, and an era of peace came to the martial world. That peace has continued until now, and the current martial world is said to be the most peaceful in centuries."
After the Blood Sect, the greatest enemy of the orthodox martial world, fell apart due to internal strife and was completely destroyed by the Martial Alliance's full-scale attack, a long period of peace descended upon the martial world.
"But it wasn't the case for some sects and families. Especially for the Heonwon family, who nearly faced annihilation overnight due to the Mad Demon Massacre."
...
Wait a minute.
What massacre?
"Lady Jegal. Did you just say the Mad Demon Massacre?"
"You didn't know? I heard from the student dean during the day..."
"... I didn't hear such detailed stories."
From Maek Geuk-ryeom, I only heard that there was a major incident in the Heonwon family and that many of the family's key masters were killed.
Jegal So-yeong nodded at my words.
"It's a story from over several decades ago, and even back then, everyone kept it hush-hush. The student dean probably wanted to avoid going into detail."
"I must hear it, so please tell me in detail."
Perhaps my expression was too serious, as Jegal So-yeong began her story while watching my reaction.
"... About ten years after the Blood Sect fell, the missing Mad Demon Heonwon Hu secretly returned to the Heonwon family."
"..."
Suppressing the rising questions, I quietly listened to Jegal So-yeong's words.
"At the time, the head of the Heonwon family was the Mad Demon's younger brother. To welcome his brother back to the family, he quietly gathered only the family members and held a banquet."
A foreboding imagination began to form.
"At that banquet, the Mad Demon slaughtered all his kin who had gathered to welcome him."
"Madman..."
"How can someone wear a human face and kill their own kin!"
Ak Yeonho and Myeong Il-oh were appalled by the tragedy that befell the Heonwon family.
But I couldn't say anything.
Jegal So-yeong, noticing my reaction, continued speaking.
"It was such a horrific incident that everyone kept it quiet, but it's not a secret. Anyone with a little interest in martial arts history would know."
"... What happened next?"
My voice came out a bit strained.
"The Mad Demon searched for the Heonwon family's prized Jincheon Sword, Pacheon Sword, and secret manuals, burned them, and set fire to the family buildings. The only survivors were those who happened to be away and students enrolled in the academy. It was practically an annihilation."
"..."
"After that, the Peng family was the first to extend a helping hand to the Heonwon family... Mr. Baek? Are you listening?"
I closed my eyes.
Jegal So-yeong's voice gradually faded away.
Even though I wasn't drunk, my stomach felt queasy, and my head was spinning.
'It's impossible.'
The idea that the Mad Demon returned to the Heonwon family and slaughtered the family's masters was utterly impossible.
-...
If I could return to my family...
I would want to beg for forgiveness.
Because the Mad Demon died with me that day.