The sight of the Heavenly Alliance delegation climbing the steep mountain road of Flame Demon Mountain was a spectacle.

The party led by Seol Unhwi was ascending the mountain in carriages bearing the Heavenly Alliance’s insignia.

Flame Demon Mountain’s distinctive red rock was stained by the sunset, conjuring the illusion that flames were rising everywhere, and it was truly a spectacle.

Chief Seong spoke to Unhwi in a low voice.

“My lord. We’ll arrive soon.”

Unhwi, watching the scenery slide past the window, asked in a small voice.

“Still worried?”

Chief Seong shook his head.

“No… I’m not worried because I don’t trust you, my lord. I know who you are better than anyone.”

Chief Seong knew that Unhwi was reincarnated.

But no matter how reincarnated someone was, it was close to impossible to remember everything from the past.

Even so, Unhwi had originally climbed to that seat.

Since he would not have reached it for no reason, Unhwi could make the optimal judgment from limited information and the future outcomes that had already happened.

Had anything Unhwi done so far ever been ordinary?

Even if it was the optimal judgment from Unhwi’s perspective, to Chief Seong and everyone else it only looked like madness.

What Chief Seong worried about was simple: even if Unhwi was reincarnated, if a blade sank into his neck, he would die all the same.

“You push yourself too hard… Honestly, I’m only ending it at worry because it’s me. If the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace elders saw this, they’d draw their swords to stop you, no matter what. Desperately.”

There wasn’t a trace of exaggeration in Chief Seong’s added words.

To anyone’s eyes, Unhwi looked like he was walking into a dead end.

Even if he had prepared something, this world was not a fairy tale.

It was the world precisely because not everything flowed easily according to plan.

Unhwi, who had been smiling without a word, turned his head and looked at Dong Murin.

“Nervous?”

“I am not. Lord.”

The weight carried by the word was different from what he had used before.

That was what the word “lord” was.

“You already know how important what you must do today is. I don’t need to say more.”

“……”

“Do as we discussed.”

Dong Murin nodded, his face set with resolve.

Time passed, and the carriage came to a stop before the main gate of the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace.

On the massive stone gate, five characters—Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace—were carved in red.

They looked as if they had been written in blood, and the sight sent a chill through anyone who saw them.

Nearby Unhwi’s carriage, Hwa Muryeong shouted in a clear voice.

“We have arrived escorting Heavenly Arbiter Seol Unhwi!”

Soon, the stone gate slowly opened, revealing the interior of the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace.

Red flowers bloomed throughout the gardens, and between them the palace’s martial artists stood in ordered ranks. Every face was rigid.

Unhwi stepped down from the carriage and swept his gaze around.

“Such impoverished hospitality…”

On the surface, it looked like the highest courtesy, but Unhwi’s keen eye caught the killing intent hidden everywhere.

Archers concealed among the garden plants, martial artists watching from rooftops.

This was not welcome.

It was a siege.

Chief Seong climbed down after him.

With a brief glance, Unhwi looked at Hwa Muryeong. A tangle of emotions flickered across her face.

Back when she went from here to the Heavenly Alliance, she had only wanted to be seen as someone of consequence within the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace.

In fact, when she became an envoy of Cheonsu Temple, she had first tried to seize control of her surroundings in order to raise her own standing, then expand the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace’s influence.

She had been sincere to that extent.

But now that she had returned, she had to spill blood here.

“Shaken?”

At Unhwi’s question, Hwa Muryeong shook her head.

Her eyes were filled with resolve.

“That’s enough.”

Before long, a martial artist approached and spoke.

“It is an honor to meet Heavenly Arbiter. This way, please. I will guide you to the Palace Lord Hall.”

His voice was polite, but his gaze was sharp.

As the party headed toward the Palace Lord Hall, the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace’s martial artists lined both sides and watched them. The atmosphere was like escorting criminals.

Unhwi looked back.

A carriage did not wait at the main gate. Since no one knew how long it would be, it was normal to place it at the stables, a nearby storehouse, or by an annex.

Judging by the direction the carriage was being taken, it was headed toward the storehouse. Several of the palace’s martial artists attached themselves to it, but Unhwi didn’t care.

After confirming that, Unhwi turned his head and walked on at an unhurried pace.

***

Inside the slowly moving carriage, someone spoke to Dong Murin, who sat with his eyes closed.

-When the time comes, I’ll make sure no one can interfere.

It was Seo Hyo, disguised as the driver.

He was sending voice transmission as he guided the carriage.

Dong Murin opened his eyes.

“Thank you, Vice Alliance Lord.”

Seo Hyo let out a dry chuckle.

-That isn’t decided yet. Even if my lord wants to seat me there, if I refuse, then what—does it still happen?

“Will you refuse?”

-Of course not. Just as you entrusted your dream to my lord, I also entrusted my dream to him. In the end, we’re in the same boat. And in very close seats at that.

Dong Murin smiled as well.

“It seems like you’re trying to ease my nerves. You don’t have to.”

-I still should help. You’re someone my lord cherishes, and someone who will accomplish great things.

After thinking for a moment, Dong Murin asked Seo Hyo,

“Then why are you speaking so formally to me? You can speak plainly.”

-How could I? As I just said, you’re someone my lord cherishes. And I’m more comfortable this way.

Dong Murin had rarely spent time directly with Seo Hyo, but he roughly knew what kind of person he was.

Whenever he looked at someone—whether they were younger or older, higher or lower—he spoke formally regardless.

He decided to accept that for what it was.

Soon, the carriage stopped.

At Seo Hyo’s light gesture, a small bead in front of Dong Murin began to glow.

-It’s expensive. A Shadow Veil Bead. It doesn’t just hide presence—it can even distort the surrounding terrain and objects. Stay as calm as possible.

No sooner had he finished than the carriage door was yanked open.

It was an unfamiliar face.

Thick eyebrows. A square jaw.

And the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace insignia sewn into his clothes.

He peered into the carriage.

Dong Murin was sitting plainly inside, yet the man failed to notice him.

From behind him, Seo Hyo spoke.

“Come on, why are you checking that closely? And that carriage isn’t just any carriage—it’s Heavenly Arbiter’s personal one. If you rummage through it like that… he’ll be furious.”

The palace martial artist flinched.

“…That would be… troublesome.”

He shut the door again.

Then the martial artist’s voice carried from outside the carriage.

“All the Heavenly Alliance’s drivers and porters, gather here. I’ll guide you to the quarters where you’ll be staying.”

Footsteps began to recede.

Dong Murin, watching the bead, closed his eyes again.

It still wasn’t time to move.

***

When Unhwi arrived at the Palace Lord Hall, the imposing doors opened.

Inside the vast hall, several people were already seated, and one of them immediately stood out.

It was Shin Jueon, the Flame-Illusion Sword Sovereign, seated at the highest place directly ahead.

His red hair blazed like fire, and cold light flowed from his sharp eyes.

Because of Facial Preservation Art, he looked comparatively young for his age, but the oppressive force emanating from deep within him was that of a veteran master tempered over long years.

Beside him sat Jin Seonghak, the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace’s Grand Elder. He was a white-haired old man, yet his gaze remained keen.

Unhwi’s brow twitched as he swept his eyes across the hall.

Shin Jueon’s two sons—Shin Ju-yang and Shin Ju-je—were nowhere to be seen.

Just then, Shin Jueon rose from his seat and offered a light salute.

“For the Heavenly Arbiter to come here in person—there could be no greater honor.”

He wore the manners of respect on the surface, but a faint sneer was mixed into his voice.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

As Shin Jueon watched Unhwi return the salute, he faintly furrowed his brow.

“Too calm.”

It was strange, but he didn’t care.

Now that Unhwi was here, everything would flow according to Shin Jueon’s will.

“Please, sit.”

At Shin Jueon’s gesture, Unhwi’s party took the seats prepared for them. Chief Seong stood directly behind Unhwi, while Hwa Muryeong sat a bit farther away.

A brief silence fell.

Shin Jueon slowly poured tea and spoke.

“Then where is Dong Murin?”

Shin Jueon skipped everything and went straight to the point, and Unhwi lifted his teacup as he answered.

“Elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere? Isn’t he the key figure in this matter? How can you keep him elsewhere?”

“Then where are your two sons, Palace Lord?”

At Unhwi’s counterquestion, Shin Jueon’s lips curled into a peculiar smile.

“I suppose I should say they are elsewhere as well.”

Their gazes collided in the air.

It was calm conversation on the surface, but beneath it ran a taut battle of nerves.

Shin Jueon thought to himself.

“This will be easier than I expected.”

He had already joined hands with the Martial Alliance.

That also meant he could not walk the same road as Unhwi.

Since Unhwi had not abandoned Dong Murin, they were destined to become enemies. In that case, it was more rational to kill Unhwi and swallow the Heavenly Alliance whole.

Human ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) desire was always like that, and Shin Jueon was a man faithful to his instincts.

As Shin Jueon’s eyes sharpened further, Unhwi smiled softly and said,

“You can speak plainly. I may hold the seat of Heavenly Arbiter, but you are far my senior.”

“Heh… Fine, then. Now tell me the reason.”

“What reason?”

“Why did you keep Dong Murin with you?”

Unhwi’s answer was simple.

“Because he is mine.”

“He is yours?”

Shin Jueon snorted.

“You really do say interesting things. Your connection with that bastard is, at most, only a few years. In those few years, unless you shared a bed with him, there’s no way you could’ve built that kind of bond.”

It was crude, low-grade slander.

Unhwi only smiled, but Chief Seong at his side bristled.

“That’s going too far—”

Unhwi pressed down on Chief Seong’s shoulder.

This was not a place to interrupt.

Chief Seong clenched his fist and stepped back.

Tension filled the hall.

Shin Jueon slowly turned his teacup as he stared at Unhwi. Mischievous enjoyment lingered in his eyes.

“What do you think I’m going to do?”

“Who knows.”

Unhwi took a sip of tea and replied.

“It doesn’t seem like you came to talk. It looks like you’ve already decided, haven’t you?”

Shin Jueon burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! So they kept calling you a genius, but I didn’t think it would be to this degree.”

His voice was thick with mockery.

They hadn’t even been together for half a quarter-hour, yet “genius”?

That, too, was just sarcasm. The reason wasn’t anything special.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep