Those who should leave, leave. Those who should return, return.
The road to Xinjiang had been heavy in heart even with a sound body, but the road back to the Central Plains was light on the feet, perhaps because the heart was at ease even if the body ached a little.
As I focused on the simple act of walking for the first time in a long while, Tang So-wol naturally fell into step beside me and asked.
"Young hero Cheon? What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"Nothing."
"Pardon?"
"It's just… I'm not even sure what more there is to think about."
This is the first time, including both before and after the regression, that I've had no goal to speak of.
In childhood, my goal was to exterminate the Jeoksa Faction. As I grew a bit older, it was to achieve greatness in martial arts. After the Iron Blood Faction collapsed, it was revenge. When the Demonic Cult rose to power, it was survival. And after the regression, it was to twist the future.
But now that I've actually brought down the Heavenly Demon, escaped the fated death and tragedy, and faced tomorrow—
What am I supposed to do?
"I'm not really sure. But at the same time, I don't feel any urge to force myself to do something. This feeling right now—a little empty, but relieved on the other hand… it's actually not bad."
"Wow…"
"…What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Tang So-wol, her deep green eyes wide open, let out a giggle and shook her head.
"It's nothing much. It's just that the young hero Cheon suddenly has such an ordinary concern that I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting."
"An ordinary concern…"
"Isn't that so? Most people don't worry about things like 'How do I defeat the greatest master of all time who will destroy the Central Plains?'"
"Huh?"
"Just as the young hero Cheon said a moment ago—what to do from now on, what to eat for lunch, whether to have about five children, sons and daughters alike… People spend their days filled with such trivial concerns."
"That last one doesn't seem like a trivial concern."
"Hehe. It will become trivial. No matter how great a concern is, if you repeat it four times, you'll grow used to it."
"…"
No, it was clearly Tang So-wol herself who had said it was fine to bring the Illusion Witch along. A sense of injustice and awkwardness, sharp as bone, rose up from her words at the same time.
But they were quickly swept away by what Tang So-wol said next.
"…That's how one lives, isn't it. Without needing to worry about a future you can't know, carrying only the trivial concerns you'll forget by the time you wake up, simply holding the hand of someone to walk forward with."
"…"
Tang So-wol naturally offered her hand. I looked at those white knuckles for a moment, then placed my hand over hers.
Squeeze.
Without any need to decide who moved first, our fingers slipped between each other's and interlaced.
Yeah. There was no need for grand goals anymore.
This was enough. Surely, I could be satisfied for the rest of my life.
A faint smile naturally crept onto my lips.
"Um… I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, you know…"
Perhaps it had been too much for the Illusion Witch, with her gloomy disposition. Having fled over to this side to avoid the bonding between Seomun Hwa-rin and Seol Ri-hyang, she cautiously spoke up.
"You're not… going to rebel?"
"…I'm not."
"Really?"
"Really, I'm not."
"Damn it…"
"…"
Perhaps it was because I had witnessed the sight of a cycle where the Illusion Witch manipulated someone's entire life(?).
No matter how I thought about it, that was clearly not a joke but the truth.
I'm going crazy.
***
After crossing the Xinjiang region, we arrived at Qinghai Province. Here, we stayed at the Kunlun Sect once more to replenish the supplies we had run low on.
Only after sending word to each of our families, sects, and the Imperial Court that we had successfully defeated the Heavenly Demon did we finally set out.
By the time we passed through Qinghai Province and reached the very edge of Sichuan Province.
"Waaaaah!"
"The Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance defeated the Heavenly Demon!"
"By the way, who is the Heavenly Demon?"
"No idea! But since His Majesty the Emperor himself called him a villain, he must have been dangerous."
The commoners, who had never experienced the Demonic Cult's invasion and knew little of the Heavenly Demon, had nonetheless come out to celebrate our procession.
Since Sichuan Province was his home base, Tang Jincheon—the most recognizable face in these parts—waved back at them with a wry smile.
"Don't take it to heart, son-in-law. They truly don't know any better."
"Not at all. I don't feel the slightest bit wronged. After all, isn't the fact that they don't truly understand the Heavenly Demon's existence, or its terror, precisely what I accomplished?"
I had already seen it. I knew what the fear of the Heavenly Demon, spreading through loss, looked like when it filled the Central Plains.
"If anything, this is far better."
"Son-in-law…"
Tang Jincheon faltered, as if he wanted to say something, but soon broke into a warm smile and changed the subject.
"By the way, I heard you'll be visiting your hometown this time."
"Yes. I apologize, but I'm afraid I won't be able to return to the Tang Clan with you."
"Apologize for what? I was born as someone's son, and now I'm a parent of two children, so I understand well. If anything, haven't I been too thoughtless all this time? Cherish this opportunity."
"Father-in-law…"
"Ah, and before you formally became a son-in-law of the Tang Clan, I told you I had you investigated. Do you remember that?"
"Of course. To be honest, I was a little tense when you brought up something from so long ago that I barely remember."
"Well, it makes sense. My son-in-law was older than he looked."
Tang Jincheon, who now knew about my regression, let out a soft chuckle and continued.
"Since that day, I've been sending people periodically to tend to your parents' graves—that is, the graves of my in-laws."
"Excuse me…?"
"So don't worry about anything. Go and visit them with an easy mind."
"…"
I was at a loss for words for a moment, staring blankly at Tang Jincheon before bowing my head.
"Thank you, Father-in-law."
"It's nothing. It was only natural."
Saying this, Tang Jincheon made a gesture of tapping at his own eyes.
"Now, anyone can see that you're a man of the Tang Clan."
That's right. Ever since I died once and came back to life. As the heart woven from the wishes left behind by the Tang So-wols of other cycles settled into place, a few changes had come over me as well.
First, my Intent had grown strangely powerful.
When I focus my Intent, I can feel my heart helping me, amplifying the Intent I draw up several times over.
When I fought the Heavenly Demon, I'd thought it was just my body recovering from its abnormal state.
But drawing up my Intent while in perfect condition made it clear. This isn't recovery—it's amplification.
The Intent of the Tang So-wols held within my heart, their wish to stay by my side, must be naturally layering itself over my own Intent.
Because hearts are things that can be given and received.
Still, this is a change only I can feel. Having stronger Intent doesn't mean I can maintain my Aura all day, nor use a Force Qi Skill on the absurd scale of the Heavenly Demon's.
So the most obvious change was something else entirely.
Snow.
I don't know why, but there's always a deep green glow flickering in my eyes.
Normally, this kind of phenomenon only happens when one's internal energy overflows beyond one's control…
But my internal energy is perfectly calm. Instead, it's the poison energy that my heart pumps out along with my blood that overflows.
This happened because I have no particular skill in poison art, and unlike Intent, poison energy strangely refuses to obey my control.
Fortunately, since it passes through my body—which is immune to all poisons—it isn't dangerous to those around me.
Still, with a green light flickering in my eyes, there's no helping that it stands out quite a bit.
So, I tried to ask Tang So-wol and Tang Jincheon for help…
But after everyone took a rough look at it, they concluded it wouldn't work and just told me to live with it as is.
It seems to me that they just liked the idea of slapping "Tang Clan member" on my face.
I shook my head and spoke.
"Then let's meet a bit later… What will Father-in-law be doing in the meantime?"
"Me? What else would I do? I need to hold the chaotic Tang Clan together. The North Sea Ice Palace and the South Man Beast Palace too."
"…What? Why those two?"
"Why, you fool. What do you think it means that the Demonic Cult has disappeared? It means the Xinjiang Fortress has become an empty house. Even the nearby Kunlun Sect has suffered damage close to Clan Extermination and can barely manage to keep itself together."
"Surely not?"
"Yes. I plan to take a look around and see what's there. Everyone has their own desires, and if things go well, the empty Xinjiang Fortress might just be the answer."
Tang Jincheon nodded with a voice full of anticipation.
But Bing Yerin, who had been harassed by Seol Ri-hyang and had spent the day running around, had taken refuge beside the Illusion Witch, who for some reason was always watching me from the shadows. She seemed to have a different opinion.
"Ugh… It's hard when the adults only talk about business… Why is the Palace Lord so much weaker than me…"
It seemed that the reason Bing Yerin had come down as the representative of the North Sea Ice Palace wasn't because she was the next Palace Lord in line if Seol Ri-hyang were absent.
It was because she had genuinely become stronger than the current Lord of the Northern Ice Palace.
Well, that made sense. When Seol Ri-hyang was at the North Sea Ice Palace, Bing Yerin was the one she had taught her tricks to the most.
Seeing Bing Yerin grumble, Tang Jincheon chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh dear. I suppose I am an old man, since both I and the Beast Palace Lord have children as old as Miss Bing. Then how about this? Shall I introduce my son, Tang Cheong, to you?"
"But he's a married man!"
"Hmm. Then what about the Beast Palace Lord's son…"
"At the drinking party celebrating our cooperation with the Tang Clan the other day, he was completely drunk and said he was worried because his sons were nothing but a fool and a serious fool."
"…The Beast Palace will be inherited by the Centipede Sect Leader, or by the Centipede Sect Leader's child, so it'll be fine."
"I'm not fine with it!"
Bing Yerin shrieked, her face utterly exhausted.
I waved a hand lightly at her as she huffed and puffed.
"Respect your elders. Hang in there."
"You know the White Moon Sword Lord is the worst, right?!"
"Don't glare at me like that. It's obvious you can't do anything other than glare."
"Ugh! How does a person get more insufferable with each passing day? Isn't it supposed to be like rice bowing its head as it ripens—the higher one's level, the more complete one becomes as a person?"
"Personal completeness isn't necessarily achieved through humility. Humility is merely someone's teaching; it's not a word that represents me."
"…Times like this make me wonder who the great master entrusted with you."
Bing Yerin's gaze grew puzzled. Tang Jincheon casually brought up a new topic.
"Then what do you think of the son-in-law here?"
"He'll freeze to death at Miss Seol's hands."
Bing Yerin shook her head with a stern expression. Then she gave me a brief once-over before shaking her head again.
"Above all, he's not my type. The White Moon Sword Lord, the Great Hero, is too cold and only speaks facts. I don't want someone with an objective eye, or whatever you'd call it. I want unconditional applause. A man who gives me blind, biased praise."
"Heh…"
"Well. If you wish to strengthen ties with the North Sea Ice Palace through me, then find me that kind of man, Poison King."
Bing Yerin declared her preferences with utter confidence.
While both I and Tang Jincheon stood there with our mouths hanging open—
The Illusion Witch, who had approached without either of us noticing, pressed her chest against my shoulder in a move that was obviously deliberate, and whispered.
"Honestly… I thought the same way when I was young, and that's exactly why I'm still unmarried at this age…"
"…"
"Hehe… Miss Bing will realize what's wrong in about fifty years…"
"Wait. Then just how old are you, Illusion Witch…?"
"Ah."
Clamping her hand over her own mouth, the Illusion Witch scurried away with quick little steps.
I didn't bother chasing after her.
After all, there are some things in this world that are better left unknown.