Chapter 128: Pil Gye-young (1)

I climbed Pyeongyeo Mountain, brushing past the night dew.

I planned to start from the spot where I had encountered the bandits and trace the signs of their movement from there.

I intended to find their mountain stronghold that way.

Using light footwork, I followed their tracks.

After about half a sijin, lights began to appear from various spots.

‘So the mountain stronghold starts from there.’

I carefully approached and observed the situation.

The closer I got, the more obvious it became that this wasn’t an ordinary bandit stronghold.

First, the guards posted around the stronghold were watching their surroundings sharply, like soldiers in a military post.

Moreover, one would expect bandits to be eating and drinking rowdily, but there was no such sight anywhere.

There were quite a few wooden buildings in the stronghold, and the most heavily guarded one was located on the right side.

‘That must be where the Chaeju lives.’

Using Yong Eun Cheong Gong, I cautiously moved toward the building where the Chaeju resided.

As soon as the guards shifted their positions, I leapt up to the roof.

It was a dark night without moonlight—perfect for hiding.

Then, quietly enhancing my hearing, I tried to listen to what was being said inside the stronghold.

They might have gone to sleep early, but judging from the faint scent of incense wafting from the room, it seemed someone was still awake.

“Big Brother, the children can’t endure this any longer. It’s been over ten years. We’ve lived like bandits all this time. I think it’s time to let them go free. I’m exhausted too.”

Listening closely, it was the voice of Bang Yeorip, the man I had fought earlier that day.

“If we can’t find them, we won’t leave this place.”

“Big Brother, we’ve scoured the entire continent over these ten years! They are no longer part of this world. Besides, the new dynasty has settled in. No matter where we go, we won’t find them.”

“You fool, we were raised by that person. How can we ignore that debt of gratitude? Even if he’s dead, I will wait. Those who wish to leave may do so.”

“Big Brother!”

Bang Yeorip groaned in frustration.

Just then, a child entered the stronghold carrying a basket.

“General, I’ve grilled some duck meat for you. Please have some.”

Even a child calling the Chaeju ‘General’ made me wonder just what kind of person he was.

“So it’s you, Songwol. Come in.”

After the child entered the wooden building, I sharpened my hearing further.

“Put it on the table.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the child named Songwol placed the meat on the table and turned to leave, the middle-aged man addressed as the general spoke again.

“Songwol.”

The child stopped and bowed his head.

“Yes, General.”

“Do you want to go out into the world?”

“The world?”

“Yes. I mean the world below this mountain.”

Songwol smiled brightly.

“Of course. I’ve heard there are a lot of kids my age down in the villages below the mountain.”

The middle-aged man gestured weakly.

“I see. You may go now.”

As Songwol left, Bang Yeorip murmured suddenly.

“Just looking at that kid reminds me of Lord Cheollyeong. They look so alike.”

“If he had grown up, he’d be around Songwol’s age now.”

“Yes, he was about seven when the Great General died and his household scattered. Big Brother, since we’re on the topic, why don’t we head down the mountain and conduct a large-scale search for Madam and the Young Lord? There’s a limit to how much we can do holed up in this mountain stronghold.”

Listening to them from the rooftop, I was stirred with emotion.

‘So these people are from the previous dynasty. That explains how Bang Yeorip knows imperial martial arts. But Cheollyeong… if it’s Cheollyeong…’

How could I possibly forget that name?

In my previous life, he was the boy who became the greatest martial artist in the world after acquiring the Tai Chi Dantian as the grandson of a Mount Wudang herbalist.

Right now, he was just living as the grandson of a humble herb gatherer.

My memories continued to reach into the past.

‘Heavens… I think I know who these people are.’

Among those who held the title of Great General in the previous dynasty, one of them was a man named Hae Mureung.

‘These must be the generals who served under Great General Hae Mureung.’

Once I realized this, it made sense how Hae Cheollyeong had managed to become a martial master and establish such a powerful force despite his young age.

‘Even if not now, eventually these people will seek out Hae Cheollyeong. Once he makes his name known through the Tai Chi Dantian, they must have gone to him. That’s why there were so many martial masters under his command. And perhaps their alliance with the River Center Escort Agency was part of their effort to find Hae Cheollyeong. Escort agents travel all across the continent.’

Only now did all the events of the future begin to fit together.

I also remembered being puzzled back then—not just by Hae Cheollyeong himself, but also by the exceptional martial strength of his subordinates.

‘My fate is deeply intertwined with Hae Cheollyeong’s.’

Just then, unbearable pain erupted near my Dantian.

“Ugh!”

I tried to endure it, but it wasn’t something a human could simply withstand.

‘Why now, of all times, is the Self-Revolving Qi acting up?’

Although the Self-Revolving Qi absorbed into my Lower Dantian had transformed into power, its inherent toxicity remained in my body.

And now, of all times, it had stirred within me.

“Who’s there!”

As expected, someone shouted, sensing my presence, and a sharp blade of intent shot out from the room.

I launched myself into the air and descended into the front yard of the wooden building.

Crash!

The door shattered, and Bang Yeorip stormed out with his spear.

But I didn’t run away.

The searing pain hadn’t subsided, so I couldn’t move freely.

And more importantly, I knew who they were looking for. I believed I could negotiate, so I didn’t flee.

“Bring torches!”

When Bang Yeorip spotted me standing in the courtyard, his face filled with shock.

“Aren’t you the guy from the Heavenly Central Sect? I thought you’d escaped… did you come to offer your neck?”

“That young man—is he the one you mentioned?”

As the middle-aged man stepped forward with his hands behind his back, Bang Yeorip stepped aside and responded.

“Yes, Big Brother. He’s the first one to survive my spear.”

“Remarkable, truly remarkable. You look barely past your early twenties, and yet you’ve already reached that level.”

The middle-aged man had strong, rugged features—he truly fit the image of a gallant warrior.

“What business does a man charged with guarding a transport have here?”

I instinctively knew my life hung on how I answered that question.

But the excruciating pain hadn’t subsided, and I couldn’t speak right away.

If I opened my mouth, my voice would tremble.

“You must have a death wish. How dare you not answer Big Brother’s question. Big Brother, allow me to take care of him.”

Just as Bang Yeorip raised his spear, the pain that had begun in my Dantian suddenly vanished.

I realized it was the onset of the Self-Revolving Qi’s periodic seizures.

Its sudden flare-up at such a critical moment was what had caused me to be discovered.

But now was no time to worry about that.

“I came to negotiate with you, Great Hero.”

I finally managed to open my mouth and reply.

The young man, who looked no older than a child, had declared his intent to negotiate without hesitation, prompting the middle-aged man to respond in astonishment.

“I’m no great hero. Just a mere bandit living in the mountains. What sort of negotiation do you expect to have with a bandit? And why have you come to this stronghold alone?”

I responded calmly.

“It’s a rather long story, and it would be improper to discuss it while soaked with night dew.”

I tried to assert some control over the conversation by bringing up etiquette, but they didn’t care in the slightest.

“Talking in the dew of night has its own charm. Speak here. I’m ready to listen.”

“May I ask your honorable name and title, Great Hero? I am Yong Hwarin, heir to the Heavenly Central Sect.”

I introduced myself and asked for his identity.

Since I had clearly stated who I was, the middle-aged man had no choice but to reveal his name.

If he had truly considered himself just a bandit, there’d have been no need to respond.

But he wasn’t a bandit—not truly. He was a man of conviction, someone whose identity could not be compared to such common scoundrels.

He wasn’t the type to hide his name for something like this.

“I am Pil Gye-young.”

It was, as expected, a name I hadn’t heard before. While I was familiar with the name of the Great General Hae Mureung, I didn’t know the names of his subordinate commanders.

“I have a matter to negotiate with you, Master Pil. And I believe you will be pleased with it.”

“No matter how I think about it, I can’t figure it out. What could anyone want to negotiate with a bandit for?”

“Big Brother, maybe the lad wants to offer up his wealth himself?”

Seeing Pil Gye-young begin to engage in the conversation, Bang Yeorip tried to brush it off with a joke.

“This is not a matter everyone here should hear. It concerns a boy named Cheollyeong.”

The moment I said that, a tremendous force erupted from Pil Gye-young’s body.

The pressure forced Bang Yeorip to step aside slightly.

That momentum surged toward me.

But I didn’t back down—I drew on the third-stage energy of the Demonic Master and neutralized his aura.

“Oh?”

Pil Gye-young let out a breath of admiration, clearly surprised.

“I suppose you wouldn’t have come here unless you were confident. But now that I know you eavesdropped on us, I can’t just let you walk away.”

He raised his hand, and a nearby warrior quickly handed him a blade.

“Great Hero, what would you do if I could find that boy for you?”

Bang Yeorip sneered.

“What a joke. You think you can fool us by tossing around a name we mentioned? Not happening.”

“What if I told you I knew Cheollyeong’s family name?”

Pil Gye-young and Bang Yeorip exchanged glances.

Up until now, they had deliberately avoided mentioning Cheollyeong’s surname, even among themselves, to prevent leaks.

But if I knew the boy’s surname, it could mean I truly had a connection to him.

“I don’t believe you know it, but I’m curious to hear it. Let me be clear—if you say the wrong name, you’ll die here. For many reasons.”

“And if I say the right name—will you treat me as a guest?”

Pil Gye-young smiled gently.

“Fine. If you’re correct, I’ll treat you as a guest.”

Bang Yeorip scoffed.

“If you know Hae Cheollyeong’s surname, I’ll roast my own hand over a fire.”

I chuckled inwardly at their confidence.

“The Cheollyeong you’re looking for belongs to the Hae Clan.”

Bang Yeorip muttered in disbelief.

“Huh? How do you know that?”

“Because Cheollyeong and I are like brothers.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. And I also know who you people are.”

“Hmph, so that’s what this is. You figured out our identity and guessed that the person we’re searching for would naturally be from the Hae Clan.”

Bang Yeorip sneered at me.

It wasn’t that hard to deduce—if they were former generals under Great General Hae Mureung, it followed that the one they sought was of that lineage.

Despite his rugged appearance, Bang Yeorip had a sharp mind. I’d never seen a true martial master who was foolish.

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