Time inside the bell flowed far faster than in reality.
This was partly because the mind was accelerated, creating a gap between perceived time and actual time, but also because what could be seen in the bell was not all of one's memories.
Human memory has a habit of clearly remembering only a few striking moments while letting the finer details slip by.
Thus, in the absence of any notable events, it was a strange space where time leaped forward in great bounds, and days passed in the blink of an eye.
The world inside the bell that the three women entered was exactly such a place.
Thanks to that, having quickly skimmed through several years of Cheon Hwi's life, they arrived at their own conclusions.
"The young hero Cheon of the past was truly remarkable. It's no wonder he's known by the alias Blood Wolf."
"Eon unni. There's no need to put it so vaguely. At this point, you might as well just say it plainly — he's on the level of a beast that lives purely on instinct, reacting to whatever comes its way."
"W-well, this one doesn't think it's quite that bad. More importantly, he's been improving steadily, hasn't he?"
Compared to what they had seen at the inn last time, his words and actions were so raw and unrefined that it defied comparison, and one after another, they all looked taken aback.
But everyone agreed with Seomun Hwa-rin's final remark.
"Yes. That Iron Blood Faction Leader is a good person."
The Iron Blood Faction Leader was a man who kept his word.
Even when Cheon Hwi refused to study, he would hold him down and teach him to read and write, instructing him on what he should do and what he should not.
And during the Seven Days and Nights, he would spend a day or two reviewing Cheon Hwi's martial arts — not with a mere nod of approval, but with proper, earnest advice that he spared no effort in giving.
Thanks to that, Cheon Hwi learned to read, which meant fewer times he got caught off guard out in the world, and he learned basic etiquette, which meant fewer fingers pointed at him.
Cheon Hwi was, at his core, someone who returned what he received, so as the number of people who treated him carelessly dwindled, the incidents he caused also noticeably decreased.
Just as the Iron Blood Faction Leader had said, he had gone from beast to man.
But the biggest difference of all was, of course, his martial arts.
With outstanding talent and a natural gift, paired with an almost obsessive level of effort, Cheon Hwi had already reached the Peak Realm.
Yet the fact that he had never learned a proper martial art had always been a heavy shackle on his growth.
The Iron Blood Faction Leader was the one who filled that gap.
He never passed down his own true martial art, but he taught Cheon Hwi plenty of lower-tier techniques derived from it.
Among them, the martial art that seemed to receive the most attention was, of course, the footwork.
He hadn't even given it a name, simply teaching it as "decent footwork," but… the three women in this place had all reached their own levels of mastery in martial arts.
They quickly realized that this was no ordinary footwork—though its branches had diverged from the original, it could easily be classified as a superior martial art.
And they couldn't help but be astonished.
"Good heavens! So the other survivor of the Seomun Clan, the one said to have ties with Hwi, was that Iron Blood Faction Leader!"
"Ehh… is that true, Sister Seomun?"
"Of course it's true! As if I, of all people, wouldn't recognize the Thunder Step! The reason he said he couldn't teach the true martial art must be because he's from a collateral branch and can't spread the art as he pleases."
"I still don't know what the dream of the Liao River means, but it's clear that it's deeply connected to reality. Congratulations, Sister Hwa-rin. To find a clue about a survivor of the Seomun Clan in a place like this."
"Heh heh. It seems I have more people to find before I can hang the Seomun Clan's plaque back up."
She recalled the answer she'd received when she'd asked Cheon Hwi about the origin of his footwork, and nodded in satisfaction—but only for a moment.
Seomun Hwa-rin's face, which had been beaming at the discovery of a blood relative's trace in an unexpected place, suddenly stiffened.
"…But Hwi clearly told me that the one who taught him the Thunder Step passed away long ago."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Seomun Hwa-rin gave a bitter smile toward Tang So-wol, who had tilted her head in confusion after offering her congratulations.
"Exactly what I said. When I heard that story from Hwi, I asked for the location so I could go visit right away, but he said the person was already gone and that he didn't want to get entangled in the affairs of the martial world any longer."
"That is…"
Tang So-wol stared with wide eyes at the Iron Blood Faction Leader before her. In those eyes that taught Cheon Hwi with such fervor, there was unmistakable warmth and compassion.
If the Iron Blood Faction Leader was already a dead person, then how could Cheon Hwi, who looked older than his actual age, possibly be receiving instruction from her?
Unlike Seol Ri-hyang, who had realized the truth but couldn't bring herself to say it, Tang So-wol and Seomun Hwa-rin had long since arrived at their own answer regarding Cheon Hwi's seal.
Reincarnation.
Considering the domain of the Earth Store Bodhisattva, which formed one pillar of Cheon Hwi's seal, they had assumed it to be a memory from before his reincarnation.
It was a wrong guess, but it fit together quite plausibly from front to back.
Under Seol Ri-hyang's subtle gaze, Seomun Hwa-rin let out a deep sigh.
"The site of the Iron Blood Faction is one thing, but the fortuitous encounters Cheon Hwi picked up like pebbles on the roadside—even if they are memories from a past life, they cannot be from too long ago."
"Yes, and considering the young hero Cheon's current age…"
"Perhaps it was not long after the Seomun Clan's extermination, or the period when she had finished all her revenge and gone into seclusion. I have never heard of a master of this caliber, after all."
"Then we can narrow down the timeframe. When we return, I will have someone look into what happened in the Black Alliance during that period. But…"
"Hm? Is there a problem?"
"Oh, it is nothing."
"Ah. How disappointing. What are you hiding from me?"
"Well… it is a matter of the Unorthodox Sects, not the Orthodox Sects, so I thought it might be difficult to investigate."
"You may speak honestly. Perhaps I could be of help."
"…Additionally, I thought it might be difficult to uncover, since it happened decades ago."
"…"
"…"
Seomun Hwa-rin closed her eyes tightly. And before her, Tang So-wol fidgeted, not knowing what to do.
Seeing the two of them, Seol Ri-hyang, who knew the truth, let out a small laugh and shook her head.
"Let's decide on that once we're outside. For now, let's keep watching. We can't afford to miss anything, can we?"
"Mm. You're right, Hyang-i."
"You're right. It still looks peaceful for now… but I can already tell that it won't end well. If we're to learn anything, now is actually the more important time."
Seomun Hwa-rin forced a nod and focused once more on the scenery flowing past.
There, Cheon Hwi's appearance was visibly changing.
The process of gradually becoming a sane person, growing honest with his own emotions, and drawing closer to the figure he was now.
It was the same content he had seen through the secret art before, with one difference—the subject the viewpoint focused on.
Unlike before, which had centered on the relationship between the Ghost Sound Witch and Cheon Hwi, this time it illuminated the relationship between the Iron Blood Faction Leader and Cheon Hwi.
That was why he could see it.
The change taking place in the Iron Blood Faction Leader, whom he had thought of as simply a good superior who cherished Cheon Hwi, a good teacher, and a parent-like figure.
The Iron Blood Faction Leader's martial arts were profound and powerful, yet his inner self bore a slightly unstable aspect.
As with most Martial Artists who had reached the Harmony Realm, he carried an air of transcendence, but that was not always the case.
At times he would gaze up at the sky as if resigned to everything, and occasionally regret would seep out through his martial arts.
The Cheon Hwi in his memories, still a Peak Realm Martial Artist, seemed not to have noticed this, but it was clearly visible to the three women watching him.
In a word, the Iron Blood Faction Leader was a precarious man.
Though he had begun to improve rapidly once he started teaching Cheon Hwi.
Instead of blankly staring at the sky or the garden, he spent more time idly laughing while bickering with Cheon Hwi and the Ghost Sound Witch.
And whenever he saw Cheon Hwi, who absorbed his teachings and grew by the day, the days on which he wore a gratified smile as if truly raising a disciple grew more frequent.
Just as Cheon Hwi had been able to become a better person by meeting the Iron Blood Faction Leader and the Ghost Sound Witch.
The Iron Blood Faction Leader likewise seemed to have regained the meaning of life he had lost by meeting Cheon Hwi.
Seeing people become happy by meeting one another was truly heartwarming.
…That is, until the night the Iron Blood Faction Leader shared a bed with the Ghost Sound Witch, and his gaze began to change.
At first, the Iron Blood Faction Leader had clearly treated both Cheon Hwi and the Ghost Sound Witch as his own disciples, teaching them all sorts of things without reservation.
But each time Cheon Hwi and the Ghost Sound Witch grew closer, a new emotion began to creep into the way he looked at the two of them.
"Could it be that he's envious of that?"
"It does seem that way, doesn't it, Sister Tang?"
"So it appears to my eyes as well."
At first, I brushed it off as nothing. I couldn't see the Iron Blood Faction Leader's face, but judging by his words and his realm, he seemed well along in years.
And yet, he was alone in the world without a family, so it was only natural that he would harbor envy at the sight of two young people.
After all, isn't it human nature to long for what one lacks?
Just as the young envy the wealth the old have amassed, and the old envy the youth they have already spent.
But day by day, the intensity of that envy began to grow.
Perhaps because he was gentle by nature, and the Ghost Sound Witch cared for him just the same, it never spilled over into jealousy.
But that only meant the fermented emotions hadn't reached the outside—it didn't mean they had vanished entirely.
Day by day, the weight of those emotions sank deeper into the Iron Blood Faction Leader's heart.
And so, at some point, the gaze the Iron Blood Faction Leader cast upon Cheon Hwi began to carry a gravity so thick it could no longer be overlooked.
Cheon Hwi, who was still immature (?) and utterly oblivious to the mood, and the Ghost Sound Witch, who was so completely captivated by Cheon Hwi that she had no room to look elsewhere.
Everyone in the Iron Blood Faction, save for these two, had reached a level where they could perceive her feelings. Naturally, the three women who had stepped back to watch all of this unfold were no exception.
And then, it happened—an accident, as it were.
The Iron Blood Faction Leader, after finishing her training, had slipped away the undergarments she had taken off to wash, and hastily fled to her own room.
"You said you were like a master to me! You said you were like a parent to me!!"
Tang So-wol, who had been on edge after witnessing the Ghost Sound Witch and Cheon Hwi's bed-sharing scene once more, leapt up in a fit of betrayal.
She never imagined that the Iron Blood Faction Leader, who had been the very image of a respectable elder, would also fail to overcome a momentary impulse and commit such an act.
It was at that moment that Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin approached Tang So-wol, who was trembling, with wry smiles as they tried to soothe her.
"…Let's go after her."
"Tang unni?"
"So-wol? What did you just say…"
"I said let's chase after her. Who knows, maybe she took them for some other reason."
"No, Tang unni, you saw it too. No matter how you look at it, that was the face of someone taking them for some shady purpose."
"Still, we should at least confirm, shouldn't we?"
Tang So-wol's eyes flashed. Pressed by her Aura, Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin could only watch.
Even as they wore expressions full of self-reproach, they saw the Iron Blood Faction Leader wearing Cheon Hwi's undergarments over his head. And the fingers slowly creeping downward.
"Ah."
Tang So-wol, who could no longer deny it, slowly backed away. Seomun Hwa-rin blinked as if sensing something off, but she too soon left the room.
Tang So-wol looked up at the sky with a hollow expression for a moment, then muttered quietly at the barely suppressed voice coming from behind her.
"Just why is young hero Cheon so good at seducing women?"
"I don't think he was trying to seduce anyone…"
"But this is how it turned out in the end, isn't it."
"That may be true."
Seol Ri-hyang shrugged her shoulders.
Still, since this time she hadn't actually caught Cheon Hwi in the act of straying (not that he was), Tang So-wol quickly regained her composure, then widened her eyes as if something had suddenly occurred to her.
"Ah, but wait—this is young hero Cheon's memory, isn't it? He should be washing up right now and wouldn't be able to see what's happening here, so how are we able to peek at all this…?"
"If we were only shown Hwi's memories, then everything should have flowed from Hwi's perspective from the start. This is my own thought, but it seems the gourd uses the memory as a medium to show the events themselves as they happened."
"Is that so. Well, let's just ask about this once we get out as well. …The end is gradually approaching, after all."
At that quietly added remark, Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin nodded heavily.
The process of the Ghost Sound Witch and Cheon Hwi opening their hearts to each other, gradually soaking into one another like being drenched in a light drizzle.
It was impossible to forget, no matter how hard one tried, what awaited at that end.
Even as Tang So-wol drew in a deep breath, time continued to flow onward.
Perhaps she could neither bring herself to push the Ghost Sound Witch away, nor give up on the affection that had arrived so belatedly.
The Iron Blood Faction Leader's deviation from propriety continued past once, into twice, then three times.
Like a colt that had slipped its reins, she began quietly pilfering his belongings one by one the moment Cheon Hwi turned his gaze away.
It wasn't necessarily undergarments—sometimes it was the brush he used for his studies, sometimes the eating utensils from the meal they had just shared, and in winter, she would borrow his wind-proof cloak, claiming she was cold despite having reached a state impervious to heat and cold.
Thanks to his lofty cultivation realm, she could avoid being detected by Cheon Hwi and the Ghost Sound Witch, but she could not escape the gazes of the women who peeked into the world that the peephole had created.
"Wait, that's how you use that thing…?"
"Hm. But it's a bit pitiful, isn't it."
"…Because these are things that carry Hwi's traces all over them."
Tang So-wol, shocked by a usage she had never even thought of in her pure innocence, and Seol Ri-hyang, who was acting so leisurely for a reason she couldn't bring herself to say.
And Seomun Hwa-rin, who for some reason looked a little tempted as well.
If the Iron Blood Faction Leader ever realized that all his eccentricities had been exposed, he would immediately scream in shame and bite his tongue.
In that sense, it was truly fortunate that Tang So-wol, Seol Ri-hyang, and Seomun Hwa-rin were beings akin to phantoms in the world of his memories.
Because the Iron Blood Faction Leader could pretend he knew nothing and remain the stern superior and master he always was in front of Cheon Hwi and the Ghost Sound Witch.
Yes. Until the very end.
Whoosh—
Cheon Hwi stepped back, putting distance between himself and the Ghost Sound Witch's body as the flames roared. He walked toward the burning hall.
If there was ever a man who walked into hell of his own accord.
Surely, this was what he looked like.