There was a ti when I spoke with my father.
In order to uproot the impure forces within Snow Palace, either my father had to reach the Sole Origin Realm, or I did.
He said that at least one of those two scenarios had to co true.
And until then, we had to remain silent as much as possible.
It wasn’t said without reason.
Because realistically, that was the only way it could work.
If that wasn't upheld, everything would collapse before anything could even be achieved.
“That’s why I hold you in the highest regard, Young Lord. No, I believe you’re soone I’m not even qualified to judge.”
“Is that so.”
“...And, you resemble him.”
There was no need to ask who.
Because Seo Hyo spoke right away.
“You’re like Yu Cheong, and yet different.”
“In what way?”
“The ability to remain silent for the sake of your goal, and the way you question things others accept as common sense—that’s what’s strikingly similar.”
“And what’s different?”
“...Just one thing.”
“You an, cherishing those beneath you.”
“Yes.”
I silently looked at Seo Hyo.
From the mont I first saw him, I had held this man—Seo Hyo—in extrely high regard.
Back then, I’d told Commander Seong exactly this.
That I was still debating whether or not to annihilate Cheonrim.
And that wasn’t based on who stood behind Cheonrim—whether it was Yang Seoljin or Yu Cheong—but solely because of my assessnt of this man, Seo Hyo.
I thought that if he beca an enemy, it would surely cost one of my limbs later down the line.
That’s how highly I rated Seo Hyo.
But there was sothing that had to be confird.
Was I the only one who had thought this?
Whenever I asked, Seo Hyo answered without concealnt—and even showed signs of trying to protect .
This wasn’t due to so influence from Yang Seoljin or anyone else.
This was a decision Seo Hyo had made of his own will.
I read it clearly.
The sincerity of this man nad Seo Hyo.
And the conflict within his heart.
I quietly opened my mouth.
“Yu Cheong and Yang Seoljin are moving in extre secrecy for the sake of rebuilding the Millennium Demon Cult. I believe they each have a lofty purpose of their own.”
Seo Hyo raised his head and looked at .
“Regardless of how others see it, they themselves probably view their purpose as not only noble but sacred. And they would not tolerate anyone who dares to encroach upon that sanctity.”
That is the nature of Murim.
Be it Gun Mugyeol, whose words and deeds are misaligned, or Kang Cheonwoo, whose front and back are clear.
Or even the Supre Martial Lord, Cheondoja, whose thoughts no one can decipher.
Each of them harbors intentions of their own.
But there’s sothing all of them overlook: in order for those intentions to be realized, soone must act on them.
What happens to those hands and feet?
Those with power feel no guilt in sacrificing them.
Even if the ones being sacrificed were extraordinarily loyal, so among them will doubt, and so will resist.
Seo Hyo was one of those.
Why wasn’t he in my previous life? Why did he die so early?
Despite his overwhelming talent, there’s no way Yu Cheong or Yang Seoljin would have idly watched a ‘servant’ climb above their heads.
A blade that benefits you can just as easily benefit others. And if that blade turns its heart, it must be discarded.
That’s right.
Seo Hyo was discarded.
And looking at him now, it was clear that he’d already sensed his own future.
“Seo Hyo.”
“...Yes, Young Lord.”
“Can you devote your entire life to the restoration of the Millennium Demon Cult?”
“I can.”
“Can you die for that cause?”
“I can.”
“But you don’t want to die, do you?”
“...Yes.”
It sounded contradictory, but digging deeper, it was far from a contradiction.
“You fear that there will be no place for you within the reborn Millennium Demon Cult.”
“...That’s correct.”
“You’re soone who could offer your life for its restoration—but you want to witness that restoration with your own eyes. And more than anyone, you desperately hope there will be a place for you within it. That’s why you’ve been wandering in search of a solution. Am I right?”
“...Not a single word of that is wrong.”
Seo Hyo’s expression looked genuinely grave.
And it was accurate.
“If a servant dares to covet the master’s intent, there is only one end for that servant.”
“......”
“You don’t want to remain a servant, do you.”
“...That’s correct.”
“And now that you’ve revealed that intent to —even if Yang Seoljin might miss it—soone like Yu Cheong, with his keen perception, would have seen long ago that you don’t wish to remain a servant.”
“...That’s also correct.”
It was clear just by looking at the current situation.
Excluding Hwaju, the other four spiritual leaders trusted and followed Seo Hyo—but Hwaju was the one operating Cheonrim at the mont. There was nothing more to say.
Everyone has their own burdens.
Seo Hyo was human too. It would be strange if he didn’t carry that much weight on his back.
I continued calmly.
“Let’s move on to the conclusion now.”
“...Yang Seoljin and Yu Cheong are still pursuing ‘Naless’ even now.”
“I thought you passed on the intel.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“It was my judgnt.”
“What do you plan to do going forward?”
“...I will remain silent.”
“Pretend to keep searching?”
“Yes.”
“So then—what’s the conclusion?”
Seo Hyo tilted his head slightly.
“...Did I not already say it? I have no intention of ever revealing that you’re Naless to anyone...”
“That’s not the real conclusion, is it.”
“......”
“You’re still wavering between and Yu Cheong.”
“......”
“Yu Cheong may want to rebuild the Millennium Demon Cult, but he sees you as a servant—and he finds it offensive that a servant would try to surpass their master’s vision. Yang Seoljin is associated with him, so once Yu Cheong makes the decision, you will likely be killed. But with , it’s a little different.”
Actually, it’s not just a little—it’s vastly different.
“Let make it clear. I don’t give a damn whether the Millennium Demon Cult is rebuilt or not.”
“......”
“This is Murim. What aning is there in talking about how the Millennium Demon Cult was once so mighty, killed countless people, unified the martial world, started wars... if martial artists want to carve out their own path in Murim, then so be it.”
I sat down in front of the kneeling Seo Hyo.
“Seo Hyo.”
“...Yes.”
“The reason we’re having this conversation is because the balance is shifting. You were planning to help no matter what was in the secret realm. And you hoped that would settle the debt. That’s how important this was to you.”
“......”
“If it were up to , I’d tell you to follow right now. But neither of us are foolish enough to rush into sothing we’re not yet ready for. Do you agree?”
“...I agree.”
“Then how about we redefine our relationship.”
“By redefine... you an?”
“We maintain balance, but help each other achieve our respective goals.”
At that, Seo Hyo’s eyes widened.
“...That ans...”
“Your guess is correct.”
“......”
“Go ahead and say it out loud yourself.”
“...You intend to make a double agent.”
I nodded.
“And in return, you intend to assist in the restoration of the Millennium Demon Cult.”
“That’s also correct.”
“...It’s the answer I truly hoped for—but... will it work?”
“You worry too much.”
Seo Hyo didn’t smile. His expression was more serious than ever before.
And that was right.
“...If you take my side, Young Lord, there will be far more enemies than there are now.”
“Yang Seoljin and Yu Cheong are already my enemies.”
“...No. That’s not what I an. Why do you act like you don’t know, when you clearly do?”
If I join hands with Seo Hyo, Yu Cheong and Yang Seoljin inevitably beco my enemies. But are they all?
Absolutely not.
“The world will not permit the restoration of the Millennium Demon Cult. No matter how much you speak of Murim’s ways and human desires, that much is true.”
Why else would Yu Cheong and Yang Seoljin work in the shadows?
The so-called orthodox sects that uphold virtue, and even the central evil sect of the Sichuan Alliance—all of them, in one way or another, must reject anything tied to “Demon.”
That is the entire justification for both the Martial Alliance and the Sichuan Alliance.
In other words, siding with Seo Hyo ans turning all of Murim into an enemy.
No—not just Murim, but even the Original Blood Sect that seeks to exploit it all.
“Is that what you’re afraid of?”
“...If I weren’t, would I still be human?”
A smile crept onto my lips.
“If you were born a man, then surely you ought to leave behind a na worth rembering.”
“...I never wanted to leave my na that way...”
That’s what Seo Hyo said, but his expression was worth seeing.
It was flushed, almost like he was excited.
So I could guess what he was going to say next.
“I, Seo Hyo, will take a gamble today—with all forty-four years of my life on the line.”
Seo Hyo extended his hand, and without a word, I grasped it.
As for the remaining Guardian position—Seo Hyo was more than a perfect fit, but there’s a ti and order to all things.
Right now, this was the correct order.
After giving Seo Hyo a few instructions, I sent him away.
And then—
I stared into the empty air and spoke quietly.
“Commander Seong, who always stays by my /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ side, has a bit of a voyeuristic streak.”
No response ca, but I didn’t stop speaking.
“But it seems the General himself shares that hobby.”
Before I could finish that sentence—
PAAANG—!!
A deafening rupture rang out from the sky, and the whirling blizzard instantly evaporated.
To be precise, the snowstorm in the surrounding area had been isolated.
It was a technique involving the natural energies of Heaven and Earth—and not just anyone could pull it off.
I turned my head.
A man with an utterly ordinary appearance had descended to the ground.
The Chief of Baekryeong Guard, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye Hyunshim, stared at my right hand and let out a deep sigh.
“...I heard the conversation unintentionally. Lord Hyun Seolrin... did you truly have to do that?”
I gazed at him in silence.
The fact that Hyunshim’s field of vision was vast was nothing new—but even he couldn’t always keep watch over the summit of this eternal snow mountain.
Seo Hyo had cast a sealing formation, and even soone like Hyunshim shouldn’t have easily noticed it. That he had been here from the start could only an one thing.
“Elder Brother must have been truly worried about this youngest sibling.”
“...It’s true that Lord Daeseolrin spoke to , but the reason I worry stems from the conversation I had with Cheonrim’s Lord.”
I looked at Hyunshim with a faint smile as if to tell him to stop evading the topic. He continued.
“...I don’t understand. You are clearly an extraordinary man—so why would you make such a reckless move?”
“You see it as reckless?”
“Before even considering making that man a double agent for Cheonrim—you trust him? That man now holds your weakness in his grasp.”
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