The bundle of documents Baek Yi-gang had received was considerably hefty.

He had asked for information on the members of the Seven Stars Conference and Azure Forest two days prior. Considering the time constraint, it seemed like the Low Down Sect was quite efficient.

-Personally handed down. Priority: Special Grade 1.

It was written like that. The anonymous paper wrapping the documents was treated with wax to prevent it from getting wet. Such attention to detail.

「Impressive. We don’t know about the contents yet, though.」

‘I’ll have to check it when I get home later.’

The Immortal Divine Sword also seemed to commend them. Associating with Jeong Gu seemed like a good choice.

In reality, the information Yi-gang received in exchange for silver from Jeong Gu was not that crucial to him.

‘I have to identify the assasins and the mastermind who sent them.’

「There are no eternal secrets in the world. They will be revealed eventually.」

He planed to entrust this task to the Low Down Sect after verifying them.

The Baek Noble Clan had been trying to find the mastermind for a while now. However, despite several months passing, not a single clue emerged. Whoever it was, their methods were sly and sinister.

Baek Yi-gang, who had been waiting and trusting in the clan, had now decided to personally seek out leads.

While having such thoughts and walking, he unknowingly entered a forest. With the sunset approaching, the forest would soon darken.

「Feels like a ghost might pop out at any moment.」

‘…You’re joking, right?’

「Heh, is it okay leaving the escorts at a distance?」

‘I didn’t want them to see me receiving information from the Low Down Sect. Same goes for this place.’

「Right, being paralyzed by fear means you can’t accomplish anything.」

Soon after, Yi-gang arrived at a small grave mound. It was not luxurious but was maintained neatly.

Sohwa’s Gravestone.

It was Sohwa’s grave. Originally an orphan, she was taken in by the Baek Noble Clan, but was not in a position to have a proper grave.

However, due to Yi-gang’s strong request, the clan had a gravesite built for her here.

“Have you been well?”

He had not been away for too long, but some weeds had started growing. Placing down the chrysanthemums, Yi-gang personally plucked out the weeds.

“Just like you said, coming back to the main house is more tolerable than I thought.”

Sohwa had always wished for Yi-gang to return to his family home. She believed that if he had a family, he should live with them and share his love. Yi-gang once spitefully remarked, “How can you, who doesn’t have a family, know so much about it?” But Sohwa confidently responded.

‘I consider you my family.’

Back then, he just laughed it off, but reflecting upon it, Sohwa truly felt like family to him.

Yi-gang closed his eyes for a moment, commemorating her.

Death was always a frightening event. Be it one’s own death or the passing of someone close.

It was an experience he has already been through once, yet the emotion remained unchanged.

‘What happened to Sohwa?’

「I’m sorry. I don’t know.」

‘It seems even experiencing death doesn’t grant all the answers.’

「Not everyone remains in this world after death, as I have. Otherwise, the world would be filled with ghosts.」

He had asked this question long ago.

What happened when a person died? Yi-gang had tasted death, and so had the Immortal Divine Sword. They were two rare beings in the world who shared this unique experience.

However, despite putting their heads together, they could not find an answer. Yi-gang was reincarnated, while the Immortal Divine Sword failed to achieve Nirvana.

「Ordinarily, one might achieve Nirvana, but whether the cycle of rebirth awaits afterward, or if there’s an afterlife, or if there’s an eternal void, I truly do not know.」

That was why death is not something to be taken lightly.

Having paid his respects, Yi-gang took a moment to gaze at Sohwa’s gravestone before departing.

‘You mentioned that the reason you, the Immortal Divine Sword, remain in this world is due to spiritual energy, right?’

「Indeed. When I ascended to the Absolute Realm, my upper dantian fully opened, I opened my spiritual eyes, and I awakened my divine powers. Thanks to this, even though I lost my physical form, my consciousness remains.」

‘Didn’t you say I also possess spiritual energy?’

「You’ve undergone the miraculous event of reincarnation, and more importantly, you were born with the Great Yin Meridian Blockage. So, the spiritual energy of the descendant would certainly be above average.」

‘How would you compare them?’

「What? Comparing yourself to me? Wahahaha!」

The Immortal Divine Sword chuckled as if finding the question amusing.

「It’s not as simple as comparing internal energy, but if I had to, it would be like comparing the venom contained in a small gland to the water filling a lake.」

‘Is the difference that significant?’

「Even though I’m already “dead,” yes, it is.」

Yi-gang had once felt this spiritual energy through the Pixiu necklace. It was the source of power, ascending from internal energy, to True Qi, to spiritual energy.

Yet, for the current Yi-gang, even utilizing a bit of spiritual energy to amplify True Qi felt miraculous.

He wondered what heights the Immortal Divine Sword had reached in his lifetime. He became curious about the perspective of such an absolute master.

「Would you like to see?」

It seemed as if he had peered into Yi-gang’s very soul.

‘Excuse me?’

「The view from the top of that great mountain. Given that your body has greatly improved since before, I think it might be possible for a brief moment.」

Could he truly experience the realm of the Immortal Divine Sword? Intrigued, Yi-gang nodded.

The Immortal Divine Sword carefully placed his hand on Yi-gang’s crown.

「The Baihui acupoint on the crown is also known as the Qianmen or the fontanelle or soft spot. Connected to the upper dantian, I’ll momentarily lend some of my spiritual energy to you through this point.」

Immediately after saying so, a warm energy flowed into Yi-gang from his crown.

It felt as if a massive drum was being struck inside his head.

Boom—

At the same time, time seemed to slow.

Leaves that fluttered in the wind halted mid-air, and the clouds in the reddened sky stood still.

「How is it?」

The Immortal Divine Sword’s voice echoed, elongated.

The setting sun seemed close enough to touch with his fingertips.

However, something else entirely captivated Yi-gang’s gaze.

‘It’s full of light.’

「Life pervades all around.」

From trees, grass, mountain birds, to insects. Light was emanating from everything. Even from Yi-gang’s own body…

And just like that, the brief experience came to an end.

Time resumed its natural course, and the world lost its radiance.

Gulp—

A metallic taste of blood was felt in his throat. With great effort, Yi-gang swallowed it down. His head felt heavy, and his face rapidly paled.

Although the Immortal Divine Sword had assured him everything would be alright, seeing Yi-gang’s sudden pallor startled him.

「C-cough, you should be fine. Perhaps your body isn’t quite ready yet.」

“Tsk.”

It was just when Yi-gang clicked his tongue.

From behind, there was a rustling sound, followed by a thud.

Surprised, he turned around, only to see a young woman sitting on her rear.

Judging by her attire and appearance, she was no ordinary person. She did not seem like an herb collector either. What could she be doing here?

“…”

“…!”

Though it should have been Yi-gang who was startled, the woman’s face seemed even paler.

「Who is this girl?」

‘How would I know?’

Yi-gang, after a moment of silence, finally spoke,

“Who are you to sneak a peek at someone mourning the deceased?”

Suddenly, his face was no longer one of surprise but one bearing the dignity of a noble.

Undoubtedly, the bracelet the Forest Lord gave had vibrated. It was a peculiar item that trembled when encountering something mystical. Jin Ri-yeon trusted the bracelet just as she trusted the Forest Lord.

That was why, while out for a walk, she had followed the boy she encountered. She wondered if he had any connection to the reason the Forest Lord had sent her all the way to Xi’an.

Of course, she had no intention of revealing herself. However, unexpectedly, the place the boy led her to was a gravesite.

The boy offered chrysanthemums at a grave and stood still. To Jin Ri-yeon, he seemed lost in sorrow.

His emotion seemed so profound that he remained frozen in that posture for a long time.

‘Maybe he’s just a kid visiting a family grave.’

With that thought, a sudden inexplicable guilt washed over her.

Zzzzzing—

The bracelet vibrated, much more intensely compared to earlier.

Zzzing, crack—!

A crack formed on the bracelet, which was made of an unknown metal. As it shattered and fell apart, it turned to scrap metal in an instant.

Acting on her instinctive sense of danger, Jin Ri-yeon performed the Azure Forest’s divine art. True Qi flowed through her meridians, and her mind cleared.

However, when she looked again at the boy who seemed so ordinary moments ago, she was struck by profound shock.

The boy, bathed in the light of the setting sun, appeared reddish. Despite being a head shorter than Jin Ri-yeon, he seemed overwhelmingly immense to her.

“Ugh!”

She felt as if she was looking at the back of a giant, an intense pressure and fear engulfing her. Even after encountering numerous experts in Murim, there had been none who could instill such fear in Jin Ri-yeon with just their presence.

The pressure was so strong that she could not even reach for the sword tied to her waist.

She tried to resist, but—

“Tsk.”

—with the sound of a tongue click, the overwhelming pressure disappeared as if it had been a lie.

Jin Ri-yeon, attempting to regain her composure, unceremoniously slumped down.

The boy turned his head to look down at her.

For the first time, seeing his face, it seemed like he was not from this world. His pale face, as if carved from white jade, still shone brightly even under the twilight.

Jin Ri-yeon, forgetting what to say, remained silent.

‘From the beginning…’

She wondered if he knew from the beginning that she was following him, for he showed no signs of surprise.

‘He noticed I was tailing him.’

Jin Ri-yeon cautiously reached for her sword.

However, what came from the boy’s mouth was a stern reprimand.

“Who are you to spy on someone paying their respects to the departed?”

“…”

“Judging by your appearance, you don’t seem inexperienced. What are you doing here?”

Instead of answering, a flustered Jin Ri-yeon received a sharply spoken remark from Yi-gang.

“Are you becoming a thief?”

Jin Ri-yeon, a highly regarded next-generation master, was being chided as if she were a common thief. Having just been filled with fear moments ago, only now did Jin Ri-yeon objectively assess the situation.

Even if she was a Murim martial artist, she had been tailing a young boy late into the night. On top of that, she got caught while watching someone offering chrysanthemums at a grave.

“Seeing that you carry a sword, you seem to be a martial artist. While martial artists do act freely, you’ve crossed a line.”

“…Ah.”

Jin Ri-yeon was not the kind of person who deserved such scolding from Yi-gang. In fact, her character was quite noble compared to her excellent martial arts skills.

“I… I apologize.”

Thus, even when scolded by a boy younger than her, she bowed her head.

Her face was flushed with embarrassment.

“Leave. I am displeased,” said Yi-gang, his voice less sharp than before.

Jin Ri-yeon felt overwhelmingly ashamed, enough to momentarily forget the shock she felt when she had been caught.

She pondered how she could apologize, but in the current situation, there seemed to be nothing she could do.

Jin Ri-yeon bowed deeply and hastily retreated from the spot.

At Sohwa’s grave, only the cold-faced Yi-gang remained.

「Such peculiar children exist. Tsk tsk. Perhaps she’s a bit of a headache,」

The Immortal Divine Sword muttered with a hint of pity after objectively observing the situation. Then he noticed that Yi-gang was still standing stiffly.

「Oh dear, it seems it wasn’t just an act. You really were upset, weren’t you?」

‘There’s no reason for me to feel good. Moreover, I didn’t expect someone to be tailing me.’

「Didn’t the descendant leave the guards in the city?」

Yi-gang, having received permission to leave, was provided with several guards by the Clan Head. However, Yi-gang had instructed them to stay far away.

‘For someone said to be an absolute master, why couldn’t you sense someone tailing you, just like with the incident with Squad Leader Neung?’

「Hoho, you’ll understand once you experience death. What it’s like not to have a physical body. Why not try dying once and find out?」

The Immortal Divine Sword tilted his head, jesting.

「However, the light footwork technique of that girl from earlier looked familiar… Hm, oh!」

‘Do you recognize her martial arts technique?’

「Yes! It was the light footwork technique of Azure Forest!」

Yi-gang was so taken aback that he opened his mouth wide.

“What?”

「Tsk tsk, it seems Azure Forest’s standards are not what they used to be nowadays.」

“What about her? That person?”

If she was a disciple of Azure Forest, then she was scheduled to visit the clan tomorrow. Could the dazed woman he met earlier really be a disciple of Azure Forest?

‘…I didn’t say anything disparaging about her earlier, did I?’

「It would’ve made the situation more interesting if you’d dished out a generous helping of insults. Wahaha.」

Fortunately, Yi-gang had only spoken properly, and the disciple seemed ashamed of her own mistake.

Yi-gang decided to take it all in stride.

Suddenly, the guards, who were waiting on his orders, rushed to where Yi-gang was.

“Young Master, are you alright?”

They were the bodyguards who, following Yi-gang’s orders, had been waiting at the base of the mountain.

“Can’t you see for yourself?”

“That woman from earlier, she came from this direction…”

The bodyguards waiting for Yi-gang seemed to have noticed the Azure Forest disciple rushing away, seemingly embarrassed.

“I encountered her. She was spying on me, and when I reprimanded her, she fled.”

“Ah…”

The bodyguards seemed to not fully understand Yi-gang’s words.

“I found her suspicious, so I sent two guards to pursue her.”

“That’s fine. Tell them not to chase her.”

“What?”

“Do I need to repeat myself for you to understand?”

“Uh… understood.”

“We will meet her tomorrow anyway.”

Yi-gang mumbled, looking at the sky that had gradually darkened. He fiddled with a necklace, a token of Azure Forest.