The Iron Blood Faction I had returned to was… how should I put it, far more splendid than before.
The outer walls, which had once been only haphazardly cleaned in the most visible spots due to chronic lack of resources, were now polished to a gleam in every corner.
Stepping inside the building, I could hardly believe this was the same place I had stayed before my regression.
Ornate decorations. Servants bustling about. And from every direction, the aroma of delicious food, along with mountains of liquor jars piled high.
It was the same shock I had felt when I first entered the Tang Clan—when I had held Tang So-wol's hand and wandered about, taking in everything.
"Good heavens…"
"You've looked utterly astonished for a while now. Is something the matter, young hero Cheon?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
Wasn't this proof that even that dreary building could become something like this?
With no people around, aside from Seomun Hwa-rin, the former Iron Blood Faction Leader, there was no need to handle trivial matters alone without a servant, nor was there any need to crane one's neck waiting for someone to return from a mission like a fledgling bird waiting for its mother.
Even when everyone returned and gathered at the Iron Blood Faction, all they could do was train and work on improving Seol Ri-hyang's constitution—a dull, ash-gray, cold memory.
…No, thinking about it again, it didn't seem quite that dull or ash-gray after all.
Anyway, the people I stayed with were good, but the rest of life was filled with memories of unavoidable discomfort—and yet that space could change so completely.
For better or worse, the Lord of the Black Alliance had shown the bearing befitting a master of the Unorthodox Sects right up until the moment he died by the Heavenly Demon's hand, which had earned him a fairly high estimation in my mind.
But at this very moment. That estimation began to plummet vertically.
"Hu… …"
"Cheon Hwi? Are you feeling unwell?"
"You don't look well. If it's too much, just show them the essentials quickly and then go rest."
As I kept letting out deep sighs, now even Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin were looking at me with worried expressions.
For a moment, I mulled over the two of them, the Iron Blood Faction as I remembered it, and the bustling scenery around us that felt so disconnected from all of it—then shook my head.
Right. Whatever the past had been, the important thing was that both of them were alive and well right here beside me.
And of course, the Tang Clan where I was currently staying was a far more comfortable place to live than the Iron Blood Faction, which had been used as a banquet hall.
Only then did I regain my composure and manage to curl up the corners of my mouth.
"It truly is nothing. I just had a few things on my mind… but that's all over now."
The group tilted their heads in confusion, but seeing that I genuinely seemed fine, they said nothing more.
Together with them, I made my way toward the center of the banquet hall, where the Lord of the Black Alliance and his wife were already waiting, along with the father and son of the Namgung Clan.
"Blood Flower Sword Demon! Why are you so late?"
"I was just considering having a drink or two before coming."
True to his reputation as a lover of drinking parties, the Lord of the Black Alliance was already fidgeting with impatience. Namgung Dowi, on the other hand, wore his usual calm expression.
Looking at them like this, one would think nothing had happened, but fresh cuts and bruises had once again accumulated across both their bodies.
If one considered the wounds hidden beneath their clothes, there were likely far more.
He shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
"We still have time before the appointed hour, so it's not like we're late. And there are three women here who need time to dress up, so cut me some slack."
"Hohoho! That's true enough! I have only one wife, and even waiting for that one took me quite a while. With three, there's no helping it!"
"My lord…!"
Sama Yuryeon playfully patted the Lord of the Black Alliance's arm as if embarrassed.
Of course, to the Lord of the Black Alliance, who had achieved considerable success in the External Arts, her pats were no more than a massage.
The Lord of the Black Alliance laughed heartily, as if simply delighted, and soothed Sama Yuryeon. I was inwardly chuckling at the sight of the two of them, but only for a moment.
For some reason, I felt a tapping on my own back as well. When I casually turned my head, I realized I was in no position to talk about others.
Tang So-wol nodded with a calm expression, which was to be expected, but Seol Ri-hyang was smiling awkwardly while pounding my back from behind. And Seomun Hwa-rin had gone completely stiff, as if time itself had stopped.
Easy enough to read, weren't they? Of course, the solution was simple too.
I gently caught Seol Ri-hyang's hand to stop her, and leaned my body against Seomun Hwa-rin, pressing my elbow and shoulder against hers to snap her out of it.
Then, before the two of them could break down again, I turned the topic to something that had been nagging at me.
"By the way, looks like you two came back from a sparring bout today."
"Hm-hm. Is it really that obvious?"
"The Lord of the Black Alliance turned out to be someone who's easier to talk to than I expected."
The Lord of the Black Alliance avoided my gaze with an embarrassed voice, while Namgung Dowi nodded in satisfaction.
Was it because, after sparring with him once before, the Lord of the Black Alliance had come to recognize the purity(?) flowing through the Namgung Clan's bloodline?
At first, he had been so reluctant to spar, but now he was the one seeking out the bouts himself more and more often.
Thanks to that, Namgung Dowi had been in a good mood all day lately. Namgung Jong, who got to receive a lesson or two as a bonus, was the same.
Well, that made sense. Even I hadn't realized it until I reached the Harmony Realm, but there really were no opponents you could spar with freely.
The Lord of the Black Alliance had reached the Harmony Realm long before me, and his status was so high that he couldn't move carelessly—so it must have been even more refreshing for him.
I was fortunate to have Seomun Hwa-rin, but those two had no suitable opponents at all.
I could somewhat understand why Namgung Dowi went out of his way to seek out a decent sparring partner and pester them with requests. But.
"If you have time next time, before you leave, would you spar with me once as well…"
"You're not in a difficult position."
"…"
The problem was that the Lord of the Black Alliance refused to spar with me.
When I shot him a slightly dissatisfied look, the Lord of the Black Alliance grinned with his characteristic rough aura.
"I know your kind well. Aye. That's right. You do love martial arts, but you're not purely obsessed with it like the Sword King. To you, martial arts are just a means. You have a different goal in mind."
"…Well, I am still a member of the Orthodox Sects, you know."
"Of course, of course. Being able to pick and choose who you kill is a great thing. At least, it's not easy for me, and that's why I'm here in Zhejiang Province serving as the Lord of the Black Alliance."
Having said that, the Lord of the Black Alliance placed cups in front of me, Namgung Dowi, and Seomun Hwa-rin with a Void Grasp, then poured the drinks himself as he continued speaking.
"Blood Flower Sword Demon, I don't know what you're thinking by wanting to spar with me. I've gained all sorts of skills since taking this seat, but the ability to walk into and out of a person's mind isn't one of them. However, there is one thing I'm certain of.""
"What is it?"
"The way you look at me is neither the gaze of a senior in the martial world, nor that of a successful elder from your hometown, nor even the gaze of an Orthodox Sect member looking at a shameless Unorthodox Sect that only looks after its own interests."
"If it's neither reverence nor a murderous glare, then what do you think it is?"
"It's the gaze of a wolf eyeing prey it intends to devour one day. It's been that way since the first time I saw you."
"…"
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. In truth, I had been planning to one day defeat the Lord of the Black Alliance and absorb both him and the Black Alliance he had built into the Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance.
Seeing me remain silent, the Lord of the Black Alliance raised his wine glass.
"What's there to worry about? I'll tell you now—I quite like ambitious ones like you. After all, I'm one myself."
"Even if it's harsh, you gave him an alias and even a Spiritual Medicine. Surely not?"
"Right. Those kinds of young wolf cubs tend to come looking on their own once their heads grow big. Then we have a good, clean fight… and whatever the outcome, I accept it. Isn't that so?"
"Well. It depends on what's at stake. But as you said, if it's not something I absolutely cannot concede, then yes. After all, I'd demand a price worthy of it myself."
"See! You've grown too big to be called a young wolf anymore, but what you're trying to do hasn't changed. And in that process, you need me, right?"
"You know me well."
"When a young wolf like you grows up, it becomes an old wolf like me. So of course I'd know."
The Lord of the Black Alliance cackled with laughter. Indeed. With that reason, I could understand the favors I had sometimes found inexplicable.
He must have known that the me from before the regression, burning with vengeance and wandering aimlessly, would eventually turn that blade even against him—which was why he had spared me back then.
In this life, I had kept the Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance in mind from the very start, which was why I had been found out so quickly.
"It seems the Lord of the Black Alliance also has something he wants from me."
"Nothing much. I simply want an exceptional sword—one that, if possible, heeds only my words."
"What a coincidence. What I want from the Lord of the Black Alliance is similar. Only, not for a lifetime."
"That's quite an amusing coincidence. Then I'll be sure to handle you with a gentler touch on my end as well."
With those words, the Lord of the Black Alliance clinked his glass against mine.
Clink.
Perhaps because the glasses were full, the clink was dull. Everyone drained their drinks at the same time, then grinned at each other for a moment.
Suddenly aware of the gazes around me, I blinked and looked around—everyone at this gathering, even Namgung Dowi, was staring at me as if they'd seen a madman.
…What is this. Why are they looking at me like that?
Just as I was starting to feel unfairly hurt, the Lord of the Black Alliance, having downed a glass of wine, seemed in good spirits and declared the banquet open a bit early.
The feast that followed was a bit overly free-spirited, but overall it felt similar to my engagement ceremony with Tang So-wol.
Rough congratulations, well-wishes to live well, and then exchanging gifts and laughing together…
The Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects still don't get along well, but with the righteous and unorthodox separated, hasn't the martial world become a peaceful era instead?
Most of the people here have never experienced a proper conflict between the righteous and unorthodox.
At the sight of our group and the Lord of the Black Alliance, who seemed to be getting along well enough, the reactions we'd hoped for began to trickle out.
Even if they couldn't fully trust each other, wouldn't it be possible for them to join hands while working toward the same goal… That was the kind of talk going around.
If things continued like this, both I and the Lord of the Black Alliance would be able to smoothly achieve our goals for attending this celebration banquet.
…But it seems I have no luck with this building after all.
From far away, a distinct wave of energy begins to approach, and the people who had been laughing and chatting fall silent one by one.
I was among the first to sense it, but rather than the matter being resolved, the sharp aura only grows closer.
At the same time, the screams of unknown people also begin to draw nearer.
Perhaps thinking that leaving it to his subordinates would only increase the damage rather than fix things, the Lord of the Black Alliance drew the twin spears from his back and spat out a string of curses.
"Damn it!"
That was the sound marking the end of the banquet.
Those who sensed something amiss were already burning off their intoxication with internal energy, one by one. Perhaps thinking that, at this point, the faster they resolved things, the less damage they would suffer.
The Lord of the Black Alliance rushed outside, and I, along with the others, followed after him. And then.
Slice.
The wall beside us was cleanly cut through, collapsing at an angle. Among the rubble lay a corpse, likewise sliced at an angle.
Beyond the broken wall, a figure revealed itself.
Hair left unkempt and untamed. A face darkened overall, with a hardened expression. And eyes devoid of emotion, like those of a dead fish.
…However, unlike his shabby appearance, his aura was honed to a razor's edge, as if it could cut through anything.
He was a man who gave the illusion of looking at a sword in human form.
That gloomy demeanor. Features familiar from my memories, though younger than I remembered. And an atmosphere that was hard to mistake.
It wasn't difficult to recognize who he was.
The Sword Demon.
The one who had been causing trouble in Zhejiang Province recently had finally come all the way to the Black Alliance.
Up to this point, I could understand it well enough, considering how the man operated.
But there was one thing. Just one thing I absolutely could not understand.
The sword was so roughly made that its blade was missing teeth in patches. Yet over it, an ash-gray Sword Force was layered.
I thought I must have seen wrong, but no matter how many times I looked again, nothing changed.
Before the regression, he had reached Transcendent Peak far earlier than I had, yet he had spent his whole life unable to break through the wall of the Harmony Realm — and now that very man had kindled Sword Force.
It was unstable, flickering this way and that, as if it wasn't quite right… but even so, it was unmistakable energy. At that sight, I sensed it.
Something was wrong — badly, thoroughly wrong.
As if to cement my conviction, another voice rang out.
"So it's you. The Sword Demon."
"Surely not…!"
It was as if my heart had been ripped out. I reflexively drew my sword and stepped in front of Tang So-wol, and from behind the Sword Demon, a figure emerged.
Wearing an expression of weariness I could never forget.