There’s a saying that “a word without feet travels a thousand li.”

By the time our group arrived in Hubei Province, the rumor that the heirs of prestigious families had run away together had already spread throughout the region.

Even though we traveled at the speed of Seol Lihyang, who was the slowest among us in lightness skill, the speed at which the rumors spread was still unnaturally fast.

They were probably deliberately spreading the rumors using the Beggar’s Sect, trying to locate us. Just as expected.

If I were to offer one defense, Tang Jincheon might clutch the back of his neck, but he wouldn’t be too worried.

Not only because of my martial strength, but because he knows Seo Mun-Hwarin, a master of the Flowering Stage, is moving with us.

Of course, this only applies to Tang Jincheon, who knows that despite Seo Mun-Hwarin’s notorious reputation, she’s righteous in nature, and that any opponent we face will likely be dealt with by either me or Tang Sowol before it comes to her.

As for the heads of the Peng Clan and Yeon Clan, I imagine they’re in a frenzy by now.

After all, the heirs of two families that hate each other have disappeared at the same time.

They were such good actors that even Namgung Jong, who calls himself their friend, believes that Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye genuinely hated each other.

Now rumors must be flying with all sorts of wild, negative speculations.

“For now, we’re safe, but we don’t have all the time in the world. Do you have a destination in mind?”

“Of course. Ga-hye and I have a house we use for secret meetings.”

“Wait… not a cave?”

That’s the reason?

I looked at Tang Sowol in disbelief, but she just blinked at me innocently, as if she didn’t understand what was strange.

Even if my senses have sharpened due to regaining the realm of Divine Sword Unity, she hadn’t whispered, so she must’ve heard it too.

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh, but before I could dwell on it, Yeon Ga-hye asked cautiously, as if something felt off.

“Did you just say cave? I understand that Blood Flame Sword Demon Sohyeop may not have had much wealth stored up, being a wanderer, but you, Lady Poison Phoenix, would be in a different position, no?”

“Ah! You’re absolutely right. I couldn’t afford anything extravagant, but I could’ve at least bought a small house in a small village. That said, well… I didn’t really have a choice. I was kidnapped by Cheon Sohyeop, after all.”

“…!”

“Ah.”

Now they understood. Yeon Ga-hye’s eyes widened, and Peng Woojin nodded dumbly.

Their impression of me was taking a solid dive. Not that I could deny it—everything she said was true.

So I just shrugged once and changed the subject.

“I get that the two of you have a secret house, but is there a reason we have to go there specifically?”

“Of course. It’s located between the territories of the Peng Clan and Yeon Clan, a place that skillfully avoids both sides’ attention. It’s ideal as a base.”

“And most of the information we’ve gathered so far is stored there. We’ve shared what we could remember or describe verbally, but everyone sees things from different perspectives and with different knowledge, so if you all read it, you might notice something new.”

She had a point.

Especially for me—because everything related to regression is sealed by mental restrictions (geumje), being able to check what they’ve recorded is a great help.

I still don’t know the principle behind it or whether it can be undone one day—but phrasing things as if they’re logical deductions in the right context avoids triggering the restriction.

If we can catch the tail of the Demonic Cult again this time, if we can spread word of their plans and the Heavenly Demon’s might, then we won’t be crushed individually like in my previous life.

We arrived at the small village that Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye mentioned. But it was no longer a village.

The ground was pitch-black, covered in ash and soot. Only traces remained where houses once stood.

“What is this…?”

Peng Woojin looked around in shock. There were no signs of life. Either the villagers had long since fled—or they had all died.

Usually, even after such a fire, survivors return to rummage through the ruins for anything salvageable.

The complete absence of people meant one of two things.

“The fire happened some time ago—or everyone in the village was killed.”

“Who would do something so horrific… wait—no, it can’t be…”

Eon Ga-hye looked around with the same expression as Peng Woojin, her face twisting in horror.

“We’ll find out soon. Let’s check a few houses, then head to your secret residence.”

Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye nodded silently, and we split up to investigate the remains.

I lifted a pile of charcoal that barely held its shape. Clearing away the collapsed roof and pushing aside broken pillars, the interior was revealed.

There, I found two burned bodies—one large, one small—locked in an embrace.

It looked like a parent shielding their child until their last breath. A tragic scene, yes—but something felt off.

I stared hard, trying to identify the cause of the unease.

Then I saw it—on the scorched back of the body.

“…A sword wound.”

“A sword wound.”

Seo Mun-Hwarin reached the same conclusion at the same time.

Seol Lihyang furrowed her brows.

“A sword wound? I can’t really tell… but if Cheon Hwi is right, someone wiped out an entire village and then set a fire to make it look like an accident?”

“That’s highly likely.”

There are only a few reasons to burn the dead.

To hide their identities. Or to prevent anyone from examining how they died.

Even for someone confident with a sword like me, all I could tell was that their heart had been pierced cleanly—I couldn’t guess what sword technique was used.

Which was likely the point.

“This One agrees with Cheon Hwi’s reasoning. But for now, we should check more houses. We don’t have enough evidence to draw conclusions.”

“Yes, Sister Hwarin is right. Everyone has their circumstances. This house might be a special case.”

With a more solemn expression, I moved on to another house and cleared away the debris.

This time, I found no sword wounds, but bodies that looked like they had died writhing in agony.

Unlike before, where the bodies were static, here you could see their desperate will to live.

The sight darkened Seol Lihyang’s face immediately.

I gently ran my hand along her back to calm her and continued speaking.

“Usually, when there’s a fire, most people die from smoke inhalation. Death by burning is rarer than you’d think.”

I knew this all too well, having seen it countless times when Ironblood Hall fell in my previous life.

“Those who suffocate on smoke pass quietly. Even if they struggle, it’s never this violent. This kind of death—”

“—is from someone burning alive. I remember a few who died like that when the Seo Mun Clan was exterminated.”

Recalling the past, Seo Mun-Hwarin’s aura turned cold.

I gently patted her back with one hand and turned to Tang Sowol, who had been searching another ruin.

“What about you?”

“It’s the same. Here, the victim’s head was crushed.”

She spoke in a rare, cold tone. Perhaps the reality of an entire village being slaughtered and burned was especially hard to bear for someone raised in the orthodox sects.

We regrouped with Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye. Their findings were similar.

Even if there were no visible sword wounds, many of the bodies had clearly died before the fire started. The death toll was too high to call it an accidental blaze.

It was likely that no one escaped alive. Maybe, just maybe, one person survived.

Peng Woojin, who had at least some rapport with the villagers, clenched his jaw.

“This was the work of the Demonic Cult, wasn’t it?”

“We can’t be certain yet. It could’ve been bandits—this is a remote village, after all. Or it could’ve been a rogue martial artist from the unorthodox sects.”

“This is Hubei. Who would dare do something like this?”

“You said it yourself. It’s located between the Peng and Yeon territories—where neither clan’s influence fully reaches.”

The central lands are vast, and many martial artists possess power beyond the norm. But the weapons of the government don’t reach every corner.

That’s why the Five Supreme Clans and Nine Great Sects came to be.

This place, though within orthodox territory, was left unprotected due to the dispute between the two clans.

That must’ve hit home. Both Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye looked downcast.

“This wasn’t your fault. It happened long ago. This is something that requires both clans to act, not two individuals. No need to blame yourselves.”

“Thank you.”

“For now, we should head to your house. We’ve learned all we can here.”

“What’s the point? Even if it’s a bit farther, it was still part of this village. It must’ve burned down with everything inside.”

Eon Ga-hye’s voice was resigned.

But that was precisely why it was important.

“You’re right. We can’t expect it to be intact. But—at the very least—we might be able to tell whether it was the Demonic Cult.”

“Huh?”

“You wouldn’t have left important documents just lying around, would you? You’d have buried them or hidden them somewhere difficult to find.”

“Y-Yes. We didn’t make it fireproof, but we did hide it in the deepest spot.”

“If I were with the Demonic Cult, there would only be one reason to come all the way out here—to kill you both, since threats didn’t work. Or… to destroy all your records and evidence.”

Naturally, they would’ve searched thoroughly. And burned everything even more thoroughly.

But such deliberate destruction often leaves its own traces.

Guided by Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye, we arrived at the house slightly removed from the main village.

As expected, even after digging through the wreckage, all that remained were blackened coals and shattered debris.

Not a single structure had kept its shape.

But most importantly, we found the hidden vault beneath the half-buried floor, just as Yeon Ga-hye had said.

And there—we found a trace.

A melted and scorched stone surface, marked by winding, snake-like grooves.

I recognized them instantly.

Bloodflame Serpent Demon Art. A demonic art that slithers like a living snake and intensifies its flames when it smells blood.

The martial art of Bloodflame Fist Demon—a foe I had fought before the regression but never defeated, until Tang Sowol came to help.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep