Zhuge Hohyeon. He was both the head of the Zhuge family and Zhuge Cheonwu’s father.

And he was approaching this way.

‘Why is he looking for me?’

The Zhuge Hohyeon I knew was an extremely cold person.

He might have questions about his son participating in the battlefield, but he was the type of person who would prioritize his role as a family head in the war rather than paying special attention.

‘Did I stand out too much? This is getting troublesome.’

Even though the victory was confirmed, if it were Zhuge Hohyeon, he would have been wary of the Blood Cult until the end and would have taken care of his troops first.

As he approached, I also got up.

“…Did you achieve any merits?”

“Yes.”

“Well done. I’ll see you at the family estate.”

And then he walked away in the direction of his subordinates. An incredibly monotonous conversation.

‘What was that?’

I couldn’t understand why he had come at all.

Perhaps because the physical sensations of Zhuge Cheonwu remained, I felt a somewhat hot and stuffy feeling.

I clicked my tongue and looked at the allied forces surrounding the Blood Mountain.

The subsequent developments were as in the original story. The news that the orthodox faction had won the war against the Blood Cult spread throughout the central plains.

The remnants of the Blood Cult and the groups that had colluded with them were purged, and the Blood Mountain was taken over by the Martial Alliance.

Although detailed information could not be obtained because the Blood Mountain collapsed due to the earthquake created by the super-grand formation before a proper investigation could be conducted.

Although they had failed to capture the leader, the Blood Demon himself, they had dismantled his forces and captured his main base, so the complete subjugation of the Blood Mountain was a success.

And so, with the merits of the war, we returned to the academy. By the time we arrived at the Martial Academy after several days of carriage travel, I spoke to Baek Hasin.

“Don’t forget that I gifted you a sword.”

“For a favor, I almost died as soon as I touched it.”

“…The important thing is the sincerity and the fact that you received it. By the way, what are you going to do with the sword hilt from before?”

“I’m going to try to fix it first. It’s what my mother left me, after all.”

I nodded quietly. Focusing on the hilt was a good sign.

Because a certain clue was hidden in the sword hilt left by Baek Hasin’s mother, Baek Yeon-seo.

Following that clue would lead to the secret of Baek Hasin’s birth.

‘I don’t need to help separately.’

Although I had inevitably intervened in the middle, it seemed I could just leave him to grow on his own now.

Just then, I felt the carriage slowing down from outside.

When the carriage arrived at the academy’s main gate, a grand welcome was waiting for us. From the instructors to the remaining students. They had all gathered to celebrate the victory, forming a path of people.

I also walked along the center of the bustling street. Enthusiastic gazes followed.

“Amazing. To have already made a name for himself in the central plains and even received a title at that age.”

“They say he’s the Great Mage?!”

Hearing the somewhat embarrassing nickname, I headed for the intermediate student building. On the first floor, there was a credit board with my name on it.

[Highest-grade request, participation in the righteous war: 10 points]

[Additional merit: Great performance in the battle against the Blood Cult’s main force. Awarded the title of ‘Great Mage’ officially recognized by the Martial Alliance. 10 points]

[Additional merit: Great contribution in carrying out an infiltration mission at the Blood Cult’s main headquarters and killing a Blood Fiend. 10 points]

The total credits I earned from this war were 30 points.

It was a tremendous achievement for the time, but considering the major military exploits I had established by risking my life, it was rather insufficient.

Especially receiving a title from the Martial Alliance was almost at the level of a presidential medal. In terms of fame alone, I was now treated as a master on par with a decent celebrity.

‘With this, my total credits are 94. I’m almost there.’

The remaining points for the qualification to advance to the advanced level were 6.

To advance comfortably, it was better to get up to 120 points, so it could be said that about 26 points remained. It was still late autumn, so there was plenty of time.

‘I gained a lot from this war.’

Credits, of course, but also the dramatic growth from achieving the 4th circle and learning how to utilize the Daoist Scholar’s Fan, the increased mana pool from stealing the grand ritual, the inspiration regarding demonic blood, and even checking the Blood Demon’s forces.

It was worth the trouble in many ways.

‘For now, I’ve been constantly applying the demonic blood on the way here.’

I had awakened the demonic blood and was strengthening my whole body even in normal times. It was a reckless challenge that I wouldn’t have even tried if it weren’t for the adaptability of [Transcendent Growth] and [Indestructible Body].

On top of that, thanks to [Extreme Will], my concentration didn’t break, so my body was still getting stronger endlessly. Even when compared to the past, the growth rate was clear.

‘So let’s not be hasty.’

I steeled my resolve, remembering the Blood Demon I had faced at the end of the war. Thinking of that outrageous power still made me break out in a cold sweat.

But it was a threat I would have to face someday. Then, I would just quietly prepare. I moved my feet toward the training ground.

“Cheonwu!”

“Young hero! No, Great Mage!”

Just then, I heard familiar voices. Baek Cheong and Paeng Geun-woo were running over.

“I heard you were amazing! Did you really kill a Blood Fiend?”

“To get a title at that age. You are truly a model for the students!”

They were both very excited and threw all sorts of questions at me. It was understandable, as their classmate from the military academy had returned as a war hero.

“We haven’t been idle either!”

With that, they each raised their hand blades and showed their sword qi. I could tell how much they had practiced from the much more refined flow of qi than before.

On top of that, they even performed a sword form, and the form was melting into the original nature of the qi and newly blooming, so it seemed they were both passing the proficient peak level and heading for the masterful.

“How about it? Want to spar?”

Baek Cheong looked this way with sparkling eyes. They had both certainly gotten stronger. But now I was confident that I wouldn’t lose even if both of them attacked me together.

That’s how much I had grown explosively in the past few months. As I was appropriately accepting their fighting spirit, I heard another voice from behind.

“Great hero!”

“You’ve become a complete super-master now.”

It was Gu Dong and Lee Hee-mun.

By the time I finished catching up with them, it was already dusk.

After saying goodbye to everyone and about to turn around, someone’s elongated shadow touched my feet.

“Doctor?”

With the setting sun as a background, Go Won-tae was there, his face dark.

“…Can I talk to you for a moment?”

***

The fingertips of Go Won-tae, who was filling the teacup, were trembling. The atmosphere was somehow heavy. To change the subject, I pointed to the boxes that filled one wall and asked.

“What on earth are those?”

“They are the records of the research I have done so far.”

Paper boxes full of paper. In terms of volume alone, it seemed to be hundreds of volumes. But research records of that amount.

It was an impossible feat without an enormous obsession.

“Everything I have achieved in half a lifetime is contained in there. Do you know why I struggled so much?”

I don’t know. When I answered so, his life story returned.

Go Won-tae was a disciple that the Divine Doctor had taken in his later years. With his outstanding medical skills, he had saved numerous lives, but he could not save his own child.

His daughter suffered from an incurable disease where her upper dantian was congenitally open and her constitution was weak.

After struggling for several years to cure this, one day his wife was killed in a rampage by the Unorthodox Faction, and although the child survived, she was left with a deep scar in her heart.

She, who had only stayed in the house, ironically became attached to the Blood Cult after that.

“I don’t know how she made contact, but she got her hands on the martial arts of those Blood Cult bastards. And she became healthy. To the point that even I couldn’t believe it.”

At first, he thought his treatment had been effective. But that was a misunderstanding. His daughter gradually became ferocious and began to pursue blood and power, just like the other Blood Fiends.

When Go Won-tae, who had found out the truth, tried to stop her, his daughter just left the house with a twisted smile, saying that the painful days she had suffered until now were rather laughable.

She added that if she had had martial power instead of medical skills, her mother would not have been killed by the Unorthodox Faction.

“That child devoted herself to the Blood Cult like that. I devoted my life to changing that child’s constitution. And I finally completed the medicine.”

Go Won-tae took out a bluish-colored bottle from his bosom.

“I know that the Blood Cult has fallen. But that child’s constitution and aptitude were not ordinary. So if… if she is alive, please feed her this and close her dantian.”

He bowed his head with a painful expression.

“Instead of the killing intent and madness peculiar to the Blood Cultists, she will be weak, but she will be able to return to being an ordinary human. Please. I don’t want my child to accumulate any more killing karma.”

“I understand your feelings, but there are more than one or two Blood Cultists. I don’t know if I can find her…”

“There is a large scar on that child’s face. A scar that looks like a palm print or a spiderweb. It’s peculiar, so you’ll be able to recognize it at a glance. Please. You are the only master who can grant my request.”

At those words, something came to mind. It exactly matched the description of the female Blood Fiend I had faced at the Blood Mountain.

‘Of all people…’

I pondered for a moment and then asked.

“Do you know about the Blood Fiends?”

“Yes, I have also studied the martial arts of the Blood Cult deeply, so I know about them in theory. They are beings who have artificially reached the pinnacle of the blood arts, right?”

“Yes. I’m just asking, but… what if. Can even such people be cured? With this medicine?”

Even after the question was over, Go Won-tae was silent for a while. He just looked at me for a while with eyes that I couldn’t tell if he was tired or looking at something, and then he slowly opened his mouth.

“…I just autopsied the corpse of a Blood Corpse that the instructors brought yesterday. The byproducts of the existence called the Blood Fiend. They are beings that have completely deviated from the human blood vessels and structure. If that existence called the Blood Fiend exists… it is no longer human. It cannot be saved.”

The conversation did not continue any further. There was only silence. I took the medicine bottle from Go Won-tae, who was standing awkwardly in the air with a trembling hand.

“I will take it for now. But don’t expect too much. How can I meet your daughter when the central plains are so vast? And why would she stand out to enjoy wealth and glory when the Blood Cult has fallen? Just don’t think about it.”

I had said something heartless. Since I had already said something harsh, I added one more thing.

“You have done as much as you could until now. It is not your fault, doctor. That’s what I think. And maybe, just maybe. Couldn’t she have just run away far away with that healthy body?”

“…Is that so? Yes, I’ll be counting on you. And if… if there is that child’s body, could you bring it to me? I want to at least hold a funeral for her for the last time.”

Go Won-tae said, closing his eyes. I turned my gaze away from his figure and nodded my head.

“Yes. I will definitely do so.”

Before getting up from my seat, I asked one last thing.

“May I know her name? Your daughter’s?”

“…Her name is Go Mi-ju.”

With Go Won-tae’s answer, I left the doctor’s office.

Hoping that the wound of the old man, the only one that could not be healed in the doctor’s office that had healed the wounds of numerous students, would finally heal.

***

“The Academy Head is looking for you.”

“Pardon? Why?”

It was evening, so I was about to head straight to the dining hall, but Go Du-gyeong was waiting for me on the way.

“You’ll know when you get there.”

And so, I was half-dragged to the Academy Head’s office where Cheon Mu-jin was.

He was said to have returned directly from the front line due to an injury from the battle with the Blood Demon.

In the first place, since the Blood Demon had disappeared and they had won the war, there was no reason for the Martial Academy’s forces to remain for long.

“You called for me?”

When I opened the door and entered, a man with thick eyebrows, who had a dignified air between middle and old age, was sitting there.

I entered politely and greeted him. Then, Cheon Mu-jin looked at me quietly and made a shocking statement.

“Are you the child who has inherited the will of the Heaven-Shattering Demon?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“The Heaven-Defying Heart Art. I also know that name.”

For a moment, I had to struggle not to let my expression harden. It seemed that that King of Insects had spilled everything.

‘Damn it, he was just a faculty member in the end, did I trust him too much?’

I waited for the next words, formulating various excuses. Cheon Mu-jin’s main point followed.

“I will support your growth.”

“Pardon?”

A shrill voice came out at the unexpected proposal. But the words that followed were far more surprising.

“Because you may be the talent who can fulfill the final long-cherished wish of the Heaven-Shattering Demon.”

It was a story of a completely different kind, one that I had not heard even in the original story.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep