Sol landed on the ground and stared at this youth as he asked.
"What’s your na?"
"Holy Son, my na is Heon-Tae."
Sol imdiately shook his head.
"Brother Heon-Tae, you don’t need to call by that title. You can just call Sol or Solovin."
Heon-Tae hesitated before nodding slowly. Seeing this, Sol knew he was likely similar to Ji-Hoon. They had the teachings of Demonic Cult to respect one’s title too ingrained in their brains for them to change it.
After sighing, Sol looked at the blade wrapped in rags Heon-Tae was holding as he asked.
"Is that the Inheritance Key? What grade weapon is it?"
"It doesn’t have a grade, Holy-I an, Brother Sol. It’s just an ordinary blade."
"An ordinary blade?"
Heon-Tae nodded and his hold on the blade tightened, but upon seeing Sol’s curious expression, he reluctantly handed the blade over to him.
"Oh, thanks."
Sol took the blade. He had hoped to get a better look at it, however, the second his hand wrapped around the handle of the blade, it started trembling. The rags wrapped around it were also shredded by a terrifying Blade Intent, revealing its slick black sheath.
In that mont, it seed as if it was about to release a burst of Blade Intent.
’Shit, that was a bad idea.’
As Sol thought this, Heon-Tae showed a panicked expression and was about to yell at Sol to toss it away before the Blade Intent ripped his arm apart. However, before he could say anything, the blade suddenly stopped trembling, while the Blade Intent surrounding it cald down.
The two youths paused and looked at the blade as if it was about to say ’jk’ and then continue with its outburst. But even after a few breathes the blade was calm in Sol’s hand.
Both Sol and Heon-Tae sighed in relief when they saw this.
Little Abdu on Sol’s head suddenly scolded.
"Brat, do you have any idea what you just did? You sent your Aether Energy inside the blade, didn’t you?"
Heon-Tae looked at Sol in shock when he heard that; putting the fact that Little Abdu could talk at the back of his mind for now.
"Sorry, it was my mistake. I wanted to sense the Blade Intent of an Immortal and did sothing stupid."
Sol scratched his cheek embarrassingly.
Little Abdu snorted.
"You did it because you thought I would help if sothing happened. However, I wouldn’t have been able to suppress this thing with my current strength if it had released that burst of Blade Intent. Luckily, your absurd talent allowed it to recognize you as its Master."
"H-Huh?! It did what?! How did you—but you don’t even et the requirents... This is..."
Heon-Tae’s words trailed off as his shoulders slumped and all the expectations of owning this weapon he had in his heart evaporated. Then thinking of sothing, he suddenly cupped his fist and bowed to Sol before saying.
"Holy Son, congratulations on obtaining the Immortal Blade’s recognition."
He then took off the storage ring that was in his hand and presented it to Sol.
"Huh? Why are you giving this?"
"Holy son, it’s the storage ring I obtained inside the Blade Immortal’s Palace; the blade was only a part of the Inheritance. However, I—I used so of the resources inside the ring to cultivate, I hope the Holy son doesn’t mind."
"What? No-no-no-no, what are you saying?"
Sol hurriedly waved his hand.
"Brother Heon-Tae, I’m not taking the Inheritance, and didn’t the blade recognize you first? It’s yours, not mine."
Sol pushed the storage ring back to Heon-Tae and threw the blade back to him as if he was holding a hot potato.
Why would Heon-Tae think he was just going to take sothing like this from him? But more importantly, why would he be so willing to give him it?
’It must be that Holy Son title.’
"Really?"
Heon-Tae looked up from the blade in his hand and his dejected expression turned to one of happiness.
Sol nodded.
"I’m not that shaless to take this from you."
Heon-Tae paused upon hearing that.
"So, the Holy son won’t be taking the other Inheritances? We assu you would."
Sol looked at Heon-Tae with a dumbfounded expression. Little Abdu could be heard snickering too.
Sol quickly recovered and he shook his head before saying.
"Brother Heon-Tae, I’m tagging along with you all just because I happened to have this..."
Sol raised his right hand to show the blue rune on the back of it.
"...Whatever you guys obtain in the Subsidiary Palaces is yours I have no right to take those Inheritances from you. If we succeed in obtaining Immortal Shen’s Inheritance, we’ll figure out how to split it then."
"Hm."
Heon-Tae couldn’t stop himself from smiling when he heard that while nodding.
"Okay, with that out of the way there is sothing important that needs to be done."
Sol stared at Heon-Tae with a serious expression on his face.
Heon-Tae nodded once again and got ready to leave the pavilion with Sol. That’s what he thought Sol ant, but he was suddenly held back.
"Wait, that’s not what I ant. I an you should change the way you address Brother Heon-Tae. There’s really no need for you to call the Holy Son... um... that’s an order."
Sol added that last part when he saw that Heon-Tae was still hesitating.
"Okay!"
Heon-Tae suddenly said, his deanor and way of speaking changing in the blink of an eye.
Sol blinked. He was a bit surprised.
Smiling, Heon-Tae said.
"You know Brother Sol, we thought you were going to boss us around and take everything for yourself, that’s why we didn’t want you to join us on this mission at first. But Eldest Brother was insistent and kept on saying we should respect the Sect’s customs. But I think he’s holding onto sothing that’s gone."
"Are you saying you don’t want to be a part of the Demonic Cult?"
"Our Sect is called the Forgotten Sect Brother Sol, only people influenced by the Six Holy Sects and Five Great Clans call us by that na."
Step.
Step.
Step.
Hurried footsteps were suddenly heard outside the hall.
Heon-Tae’s eyes narrowed, and he gripped the Immortal Blade, however, Sol shook his head.
"No need Brother Heon-Tae."
Sol said, and the two boys watched as three youths from the Peng Clan ca rushing into the hall.
They scanned the hall before the one in the middle sighed in relief but then scolded the two who were once guarding the hall.
"It looked like it was really just an accident. Next ti don’t leave your post so easily!"
The two disciples apologized before the youth that scolded them snorted and walked out of the hall.
"What’s up with him? He’s in the sa year as us but he’s acting so arrogant just because he’s serving the second Young Master."
"Leave it, we should just focus on guarding the hall."
After closing the double doors, the two youths went back to their positions.
Outside the hall, Heon-Tae looked down at Sol’s hand and asked.
"Is that the Rune Immortal’s Legacy? To think it was able to do sothing like this."
So shook his head.
"It has limitations. If a Spiritual Realm cultivator was here, they would be able to see through the Formation with their Divine Sense. Let’s get out of here. Brother Ji-Hoon and Brother Yoon-Jae are waiting for us."
"Brother Ji-Hoon? Is that Eldest Brother’s real na?"
Heon-Tae asked in surprise as the two made their way down the halls. Their tracks should go undetected from all the commotion happening in the palace.
Sol nodded but then frowned as he asked.
"You didn’t know that?"
"No, it’s as I said Brother Sol, that bastard was insistent on respecting the Sect’s past rules. But tis have changed, even the Sect Leader has abandoned us without a word."
Heon-Tae paused, then looked at Sol.
"I-I didn’t an it like that."
"I understand what you an, Master always leaves without an explanation. He’s doing it right now."
The two stopped and leaned against the wall. Two disciples with blades attached to their waists walked past them before they continued down the hall.
Heon-Tae looked back at them still in amazent that they were walking and talking so casually without being discovered.
"Do the others feel the sa way?"
Heon-Tae looked ahead as he replied.
"They do, and we’re having an ongoing argunt with Eldest Brother on whether to use this Inheritance to rebuild the Forgotten Sect or form a new one."
"If you ford a new one wouldn’t that be disregarding what the Forgotten Sect went through because of the Six Holy Sects and Five great Clans? Don’t you want revenge?"
Heon-Tae brows furrowed.
"When my mother told about the Forgotten Sect, her voice was filled with sadness as well as hatred. Sadness and hatred she said she didn’t want to pass on to only for them to beco a burden in the future. Brother Sol, let ask you this, is it right for the older generation to pass on their grievances to the younger generation so they can continue a cycle of hatred?"
"..."
When Heon-Tae didn’t get a response from Sol, he turned to look at him and answered his own question.
"Brother Sol, it’s wrong. Why should I feel burdened to make my mother’s enemies my own? I don’t want to live like this forever, trapped in this fake identity. I don’t want to continue the cycle of hatred. I want to live my own life as I see fit."
"And if the Sects and Clans don’t let you, what then?"
Heon-Tae shook his head.
"That’s not the point Brother Sol. I don’t want to take on the Forgotten Sect’s hatred of the Six Holy Sects and Five Great Clans. If I do, I will have to continue this renegade life, but at the point where I am, I’m sick and tired of it. It’s a burden that’s going to drive mad if I don’t put it down. However, it’s not like I’ll view those bastards for anything other than who they truly are, demons in human flesh. I’ll fight against them every chance I get. But it’ll be on my terms, not soone else’s."
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