Unhwi did not answer.
Because the Chaotic Heaven One’s words implied something truly significant.
—Are you a person of the righteous path, or a person of the evil path?
“In my previous life, I walked a tyrannical path closer to the evil path. In this life, I walk a tyrannical path that belongs to neither side.”
—Then that means you have something precious to you.
It was faint, but in this moment, the Chaotic Heaven One smiled.
Unhwi clearly felt it.
The Chaotic Heaven One spoke firmly.
—Go to Baek Docheon and tell him. Tell him that I find it difficult to wait.
“Why should I do that?”
—If you do not, I will release control over the Chaotic Heaven Ones. If that happens, the things you wish to protect will also suffer great damage.
This time as well, Unhwi let out a faint laugh.
“Can you not think of it the other way around?”
—The other way?
“The Chaotic Heaven Ones, and you as well, may vanish from the world.”
The Chaotic Heaven One stared blankly at Unhwi, then burst into laughter.
No, rather than laughter, it was closer to mad laughter.
—You know many things, yet you know nothing at all. Truly, nothing at all.
“Are you speaking of me?”
—Even if you or the Palace Lord of the Ice Palace—no, the Snow Palace—kill me and all the Chaotic Heaven Ones, the fact that your forces will be half-destroyed, or that countless people will die, will not change.
Unhwi closed his mouth.
Where in the world did that certainty come from?
He was genuinely curious, and he had to find out.
Because Unhwi was skilled in psychological warfare, he knew that if things continued this way, he would inevitably be drawn in. But this, too, could not be helped.
The sword hilts each of them held.
Whether those could cancel each other out.
He had to find out.
—You must be curious. You must wish to swing your sword at me now. But it is meaningless. I promise you. If you swing your sword, I will not even defend.
As he said that, he tapped the armrest of the completely worn-out chair with his hand.
—I swear on my name that I will not move a single step from this chair.
At this point, it could not be seen as simple psychological warfare.
A weary Chaotic Heaven One—no, a Chaotic Heaven Lord.
And his threat.
He was hiding something.
Unhwi’s gaze turned to the surroundings.
A cave that did not seem particularly special.
—Indeed, perhaps because you turned back time, you immediately search for the method of resolving the problem. My current realm is close to the pinnacle... Interesting.
The conversations they had already exchanged were the basis.
The sword hilts each of them held.
And cancellation.
Just as Unhwi could not easily kill him, he also could not kill Unhwi.
He could not kill him.
“Apparently, you cannot go outside.”
—I cannot.
“That is why we are pointing blades at each other’s throats.”
—Which side that blade pierces first depends on your choice.
Even if he cut the other’s throat first, that would inevitably become a major problem for Unhwi as well.
From the very moment he entered this place, he had been caught.
Tch.
Unhwi clicked his tongue lightly and asked,
“What is your name?”
—...Name... Is one not usually supposed to say ‘honored name’?
“My standard is determined by me, and your standard is determined by you.”
—...
“What is it? Your name.”
The Chaotic Heaven One inhaled and slowly opened his mouth.
—Nine hundred years ago, I held the position of Deputy Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance. I am Zhuge Xian.
This time as well, Unhwi said nothing.
As mentioned before, Unhwi had not been particularly interested in the history of the Thousand-Year Chaos.
What interested Unhwi was martial arts.
And among those martial arts, there had been several impressive martial texts he had obtained.
Analysis of Heavenly Energy, Theory of the Martial Path Returning to One, and Reflections on Realm and Enlightenment.
Three books in total.
All were theoretical works that dug into the essence and principles of martial arts.
In particular, Analysis of Heavenly Energy was a book that had greatly influenced Unhwi.
The flow of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the effect it had on a martial artist’s realm.
And what happened to the world when heavenly energy was twisted.
All of it was written in that book.
At the time, Unhwi had admired it and lamented.
That there had been someone with such insight.
And that he was a figure of the past.
Even Unhwi, who had reached the end of the pinnacle in his previous life, had gained new enlightenment from that book.
The one who had written it was Zhuge Xian.
Active as Deputy Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance eight hundred years ago, he had been a figure trusted by Venerable Goseung, who was the Murim Alliance Leader at the time. Yet during the Thousand-Year Chaos, he was suddenly ousted from the Deputy Alliance Leader position.
It was a measure taken even while the war was in full swing, and Unhwi, who had grown slightly curious about that part and investigated it, had only been able to find the answer: “The reason is unknown.”
That was right.
The reason truly could not be known.
The words written in the few records he had managed to obtain still remained in his mind.
“Deputy Alliance Leader Zhuge Xian stepped down from his position after a conversation with Alliance Leader Venerable Goseung.”
There was nothing left about what sort of conversation that had been.
In reality, even records concerning Venerable Goseung were nearly nonexistent, so discovering this had been almost impossible.
“You are saying you are Zhuge Xian?”
—Your manner of speech has changed slightly.
“I believe I spoke to you about standards. Do you not remember?”
Zhuge Xian stared at Unhwi with quiet eyes.
Unhwi’s attitude. Unhwi’s reaction.
Through them, he read him.
—You intend to understand your opponent?
Unhwi did not answer.
—So you are a man who knows how to deal with those who use their heads. Now that I look at you, you were the strategist type.
Zhuge Xian leaned his body slightly forward.
—Have you ever faced a Zhuge?
“Your news is very slow.”
—I heard that the current Deputy Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance is my descendant...
Zhuge Xian let out a hollow laugh.
—Did you kill him?
“Yes.”
—How?
“Cleanly.”
—The reason?
“He was irritating.”
—To whom?
“Is that the correct question?”
Zhuge Xian’s eyes wavered once more.
He changed the question.
—To whom, plural?
“The person he thought he served, and the person he dared not make an enemy of.”
—...You must be speaking of Gun Mugeol and yourself.
Unhwi did not bother answering this either. Silence was the answer.
It was then.
At Zhuge Xian’s next words, Unhwi’s eyes flashed.
—Is this what they call a trick of fate?
A trick of fate.
Unhwi habitually said he did not believe in fate, but that did not mean he disbelieved the continuity of events.
When continuity did not break, but overlapped and continued, it manifested in forms everyone called “coincidence” or “fate.”
“Natural fortune” was similar.
At least, that was how Unhwi thought.
He asked briefly.
“Is that all?”
—What do you mean?
“You know what I mean. You are someone who personally proved the superiority of the Zhuge name.”
Zhuge Xian let out a faint laugh.
—If you are speaking of killing my descendant, I have no feelings about it.
“What is the reason?”
—Because the death of a fool who commits the same mistake despite having both a counterexample and a precedent is not worth respecting.
“...”
—If he creates value, that is enough.
Unhwi stared at him and asked,
“Are you and I enemies?”
—I do not wish to become your enemy if possible.
“To create value?”
Zhuge Xian smiled. It was not a sneer or anything of the sort, but a pleased smile.
—This is what makes speaking with clever bastards convenient. There is no need to speak in circles; we can go straight to the core.
“I feel the same.”
—Then I will tell you in advance the answers to the questions you are about to ask. First, I will not answer why your precious people will die if you kill me. Second, even so, you and I need not become enemies. Third, if you deliver my words to Baek Docheon, you too will learn a “truth you did not know.” And fourth.
At this part, Zhuge Xian stopped speaking for a moment.
—It is not as if I can control all Murim people... Yes, let me borrow your words. I cannot control all Chaotic Heaven Ones.
Unhwi pondered those words carefully, then opened his mouth.
“I have two questions. First, is the person named Baek Docheon the man I am thinking of?”
—If you mean the white-haired old man playing at being an immortal, then yes. The second?
“I heard you stepped down from the Deputy Alliance Leader position after speaking with Venerable Goseung. Why are you here?”
Zhuge Xian let out a hollow laugh, then soon released a deep sigh.
—I did not oppose the war. But I thought the war that had continued for several hundred years had to be ended, and I spoke with Venerable Goseung.
“It seems he did not share your opinion.”
—Being stuck here, I cannot know everything, but I believe I understand Murim’s nature better than anyone. Venerable Goseung is likely known as a righteous and good man. And the final martial artist who stopped Won Geukcheon until the very last moment, as well as the greatest martial artist. Am I right?
“Close enough.”
—Do you think all of that is the truth?
“I have met a thought-form before, and I do not think it is the truth.”
—Of course not. A thought-form is merely a thought-form. Since it can be made by separating a few among the main body’s countless thoughts, it can be created as an endlessly righteous and good person.
“...”
—If you wish to hear it from my mouth, I will tell you. But I do not particularly recommend it. Hear it directly from Baek Docheon.
Unhwi looked at Zhuge Xian for a moment, then nodded.
“It will not take long.”
—It had better not. The time I can maintain control over them is not long either.
“Now that I see it, it was not voluntary.”
Zhuge Xian smiled faintly.
After watching him up to that point, Unhwi turned around.
He had to face the truth.
***
He walked through the darkness.
Beyond the Chaotic Heaven Gate.
He had to head outside again.
Light appeared in Unhwi’s vision. Because he did not stop walking, he naturally drew closer to it.
After emerging fully outside, Unhwi saw an enormous amount of snow falling from the sky. And between it, Chief Seong, Ju Soa, and Namgung Wonyang were waiting.
“Young Master!”
Chief Seong ran over.
“Are you all right?”
“I am fine.”
Unhwi answered briefly.
His expression was stiff.
Chief Seong noticed.
“...Did something happen?”
“It did.”
“...”
“There is an existence controlling the Chaotic Heaven Ones. And he is.”
“...He is?”
“A person from the past.”
Chief Seong closed his mouth.
Because “a person from the past” clearly meant someone from the era of the Thousand-Year Chaos.
“You all go to Windwall first.”
“Yes?”
Chief Seong’s eyes widened.
“Where are you going?”
“There is somewhere I must visit.”
“Where?”
“...”
“Young Master, do you truly wish to see me go mad?”
Unhwi smiled faintly and spoke briefly.
“Do not worry. Nothing will happen.”
“...”
“This is something I must resolve alone.”
“But...”
“I must go.”
Unhwi’s gaze was firm.
In the end, even Chief Seong had no choice but to yield before that gaze.
“...Understood. But please be careful.”
“I will.”
