Seol Jungcheon’s eyes widened.

“As time passed, I could no longer find a reason to keep living. That’s why I came to the ruins of Everlasting Snow Palace.”

“…You fool.”

“……”

“Foolish, pathetic, and downright stupid… but you’re still my son.”

A faint smile spread across Unwi’s lips.

“That’s exactly what I thought you would say.”

“…I’m amazed. There must be many things you’re leaving out of your story.”

“Yes. There are many.”

“I’m curious, but I won’t ask about them.”

Seol Jungcheon wasn’t a fool.

The past that Unwi walked and the future that Unwi had crafted were his own making.

If Seol Jungcheon were to learn about it now and intervene prematurely, it could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Moreover, Unwi would lose his ability to predict the future.

If a father truly wished to protect his child, then Seol Jungcheon was setting the perfect example of how to do it.

“…By the way, Hyunsim has been trying to get closer to me lately.”

“Yes.”

“I heard that he learned a few things from you…”

“That’s right.”

Seol Jungcheon chuckled softly.

“Hyunsim is not a man who can be simply labeled as a loyalist. You know that, don’t you?”

“I do. I probably know it better than you do, Father.”

“And Yang Seoljin?”

Unwi didn’t answer.

“…You don’t trust him, do you?”

“No.”

“Then what would you have me do?”

Unwi answered without hesitation.

“Nothing.”

“…What?”

“There’s something I need to uncover. You must not kill him, and you must not show any sign that you suspect him.”

“But he’ll notice the shift in atmosphere.”

“That much is fine.”

“……”

“Do you trust me?”

Without the slightest pause, Seol Jungcheon replied.

“I trust you.”

“Then trust my judgment as well.”

“Very well.”

And then.

“It’s time for you to keep your promise, Father.”

“Of course.”

Seol Jungcheon reached into his robes and pulled out a thick book and a wooden box, placing them both on the table.

“The Complete Compendium of Everlasting Snow and the ‘Hundred-Year Flower.’”

When Unwi looked up, his expression demanding further explanation, Seol Jungcheon responded briefly.

“I’ve made a deal with the Silent Soul Sect. The scheduled date is a month from now. On that day, we’ll receive the Hundred-Year Flower.”

The Hundred-Year Flower was exceptionally rare.

There were only a few left in the entire Murim, and those who possessed them wouldn’t easily part with them.

Unwi hadn’t expected them to be able to obtain it in just a few days.

“Who do you plan to send?”

“I intend to send Hyunsim.”

Unwi, who had been lost in thought, shook his head.

“Don’t send him.”

“Why not?”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“…Dangerous, you say…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to make the Silent Soul Sect deliver it themselves?”

“You know that the Sect Master of the Silent Soul Sect, Eun Unsaeng, is a cautious man. If we want him to come here himself…”

“We need to show him a dead fish and then toss him a piece of fresh meat to bite down on.”

“Do we have such fresh meat?”

“We do. And if the Eun Unsaeng I know is the same as before, he will undoubtedly come here himself.”

After saying that, Unwi picked up a brush and a sheet of paper lying on the side of the office. He began writing something.

Seol Jungcheon watched him closely, and once again, his eyes widened.

“…This…?”

“Yes. If Eun Unsaeng sees this, he’ll come running with the Hundred-Year Flower in hand.”

Seol Jungcheon stared at the “contents” in silence. He thought about saying that if it were a fake, things could escalate. But he didn’t say it out loud.

That was because, in Seol Jungcheon’s eyes, what was written there was absolutely real.

“You know quite a lot.”

“There were many times when I thought it was useless knowledge. But after seeing how useful it has become, I might have to take some time to thoroughly review everything I remember from my past life.”

“Haa…”

Seol Jungcheon let out a strange sigh.

Unwi ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) shot him a glance, silently asking if he could take a look at the Complete Compendium of Everlasting Snow.

Before Seol Jungcheon even nodded, Unwi was already flipping through it at an alarming speed.

It looked as if he were just skimming, but that was far from the truth.

The contents, their meanings, and their underlying essence—all of it was flooding into the mind of a man who once beheld the heavens.

The text was being dissected, analyzed, and then dissected again.

At some points, Unwi was so impressed that his mouth slightly parted in awe.

In his past life, he had desperately wanted to read this book.

But that fool Yang Seoljin had burned it all, dismissing it as relics of the past. All that remained were the fragments stored in his head, and Unwi had no intention of digging into the mind of that vermin.

After all, a Compendium of Everlasting Snow filtered through the mind of such scum would no longer be the same book Unwi had longed to possess.

After about half an incense stick’s time had passed, Unwi closed the book.

“…It’s excellent.”

“That’s all?”

Seol Jungcheon seemed to want a more elaborate, flattering response, but Unwi had nothing more to say.

It truly was excellent.

“I’ve seen and learned countless martial arts techniques throughout my life. I even created new martial arts by extracting parts from the ones I liked. But this… I can’t even fathom how to break it down.”

“Hm…”

“It’s truly remarkable. A magnificent martial art.”

It might have sounded like a stingy compliment, but there was no higher praise from Unwi than that.

Unwi seemed to be considering something for a moment before speaking up.

“There is something I’d like to give you.”

Seol Jungcheon reached out, and a stack of documents that had been lying in the corner flew into his hand. The air manipulation was so smooth and natural that Unwi didn’t even bother to be impressed.

At Seol Jungcheon’s level, such feats were to be expected.

Taking the documents, Unwi began to read them carefully.

At a certain point in the text, Unwi’s eyes stopped.

That was when Seol Jungcheon’s voice echoed in his ears.

“Your constitution is the Guanghyeol Blood Vessel.”

Unwi’s head shot up.

“I did some research and investigated it thoroughly. Up to this point, only three people have been known to possess the Guanghyeol Blood Vessel. But every single one of them met a terrible end.”

“My mother is one of them, isn’t she?”

“…Yes.”

“And from this, I realized something.”

“What did you realize?”

“I realized your heart, Father.”

“……”

“I never thought there were many things in life that could move me. No, to be more accurate, I never considered the word ‘emotion’ to hold much value.”

Seol Jungcheon silently gazed at Unwi.

“But I was wrong. Thank you, Father.”

Seol Jungcheon smiled.

Honestly, he still couldn’t quite get used to this.

But strangely enough, that made it even better.

After all, Unwi was a son with limitless potential.

However, what Unwi said next made Seol Jungcheon’s eyes widen in shock.

“But unfortunately, two people have been left out.”

“…Two people?”

“The Heavenly Daoist, the Cult Leader of the Blood Sect.”

Seol Jungcheon blinked.

“And Gun Mugyeol, the Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance.”

“…No way…”

“Yes. Those two were also born with the Guanghyeol Blood Vessel.”

This statement could only mean one thing.

“So, you already knew.”

“Yes. I always knew I was different from others, but I didn’t know exactly what it was. So, I started digging into it.”

“……Hm……”

“At present, Father, your cultivation level is at the Grand Void Formless Stage. You’re almost at its peak.”

Seol Jungcheon quietly listened to his son’s words.

“If it’s you, you can handle Gun Mugyeol. But against the Heavenly Daoist, you won’t stand a chance.”

“You’re predicting certain defeat?”

“Yes. It’s hard for me to admit this, but the Heavenly Daoist is a genius.”

Unwi continued, looking Seol Jungcheon straight in the eye.

“I’d like to ask you a favor.”

“A favor?”

“Yes.”

What Unwi did next was something Seol Jungcheon couldn’t have predicted in his wildest dreams.

A red gleam flickered in Seol Unwi’s eyes.

It was a murderous aura so intense it was almost palpable.

Seol Jungcheon was stunned by the sheer malice emanating from his son, who was supposedly only at the Flame Mastery Stage.

It wasn’t that he felt threatened.

But the bloodthirst was comparable to that of a master who had reached the Heaven-Earth Stage or higher.

And then.

The energy flowing between Seol Jungcheon and Seol Unwi suddenly “evaporated.”

Wherever Unwi’s bloodshot eyes focused, a path opened.

It was a path that only Unwi could walk.

A technique reserved solely for the Cult Leader, Vice Leader, and the designated successor of the Central Blood Sect.

Seol Jungcheon’s face twisted in shock as he recognized the technique Unwi was displaying.

When the bloodthirst in Unwi’s eyes finally receded, Seol Jungcheon spoke.

“…Blood Domain Imprisonment.”

“Yes. Blood Domain Imprisonment. It’s classified as a top-tier God of War level martial art.”

“…You even mastered that?”

“I picked it up along the way.”

Now, it was time to get to the point.

“As I read through the Complete Compendium of Everlasting Snow, I had an epiphany.”

“An epiphany?”

“Yes. I want to transform this Blood Domain Imprisonment into a martial art unique to Everlasting Snow Palace.”

Seol Jungcheon smiled at Unwi’s words.

Honestly, he was curious.

Just how far had Unwi’s martial arts skills reached?

Even if his physical body was still developing, his martial arts, which once reached the heavens, would undoubtedly give Seol Jungcheon a glimpse of that overwhelming power.

Honestly, even talking about it was thrilling.

More than anything, Unwi had proposed creating a martial art.

How could he refuse?

“Alright. Let’s do it. But before that.”

Seol Jungcheon brought out the Bingcheon Go Board.

“Let’s play a game.”

“A rematch?”

“Well, you know me. I can’t stand losing.”

Unwi chuckled softly.

“Whenever I look at a Go board, I can’t help but think of one thing. They say the advantage of the first move belongs to the black stone.”

Unwi looked down at the pristine, white Bingcheon Go Board and continued.

“Last time, I played the first move. This time, Father, you go first.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Seol Jungcheon picked up a black stone.

****

A soft ‘click’ echoed as Seol Jungcheon placed his first stone on the board.

There was no sound, but the weight of the move was palpable.

Unwi stared at the board for a moment.

His father’s first move wasn’t just a simple start—it was a test.

The white stone hovered at Unwi’s fingertips.

And then, as if flowing naturally like water, it found its place on the board.

The two of them began placing stones without hesitation.

Click.

Click-click.

Click.

For a while, the only sounds in the room were the steady clicks of stones being placed on the board.

At some point, Seol Jungcheon’s eyes started to tremble.

The last time he played Go with Unwi, every single move Unwi made had been extraordinary.

At that time, Seol Jungcheon had been utterly crushed.

Back then, he could have made excuses—saying his mind was distracted, that he wasn’t fully focused. But now, there were no such excuses.

Unwi’s moves were relentless, as if he could see through every strategy Seol Jungcheon had in mind.

Truly.

He was exceptional.

Seol Jungcheon, deep in thought, placed a black stone on the board and spoke.

“I heard about what happened at the Hanbing Sect.”

“You must have.”

Unwi’s response was calm.

His white stone was already moving to its next position.

Seol Jungcheon couldn’t hide his admiration as he watched Unwi’s Go strategy.

Every move was precise, as if calculated a thousand years ahead.

Whenever Seol Jungcheon attacked with the black stone, Unwi’s white stone was already there, lying in wait.

Whenever Seol Jungcheon defended, Unwi was already expanding the board to create a larger scheme.

Seol Jungcheon continued in a measured tone.

“Do you think it was right to handle Jin Yangje that way?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep