Silence fell over the Nam Gung family estate.

Those who barely regained their senses began to whisper.

“The Hideous Water Demon is dead?”

“By whose hand?”

There had never been a case where a child taken by the Hideous Water Demon returned unharmed.

The Hideous Water Demon was a cruel demon, and he was strong enough to survive after committing atrocities.

He had survived for years after being designated as the enemy of the martial arts world.

How many martial arts families held grudges against him!

People had secretly thought that the two children wouldn’t return.

Even if they did return, they thought they wouldn’t be in human form.

But.

The two children came back.

And with the life of the demon called the Hideous Water Demon. Although it was unknown who killed the Hideous Water Demon, it was something that would shock the entire martial arts world.

Nam Gung Hwa Su muttered while sitting down.

“Im- impossible…”

He was looking at Ji Cheon Wu with fearful eyes. Nam Gung Hwa Su’s appearance was pitiful even to others. Nam Gung Jin Cheon slowly moved his steps.

It was towards Nam Gung Lin, not Ji Cheon Wu. His face, looking down at Nam Gung Lin, was full of indescribable complexity.

He carefully extended his hand towards Nam Gung Lin.

“The internal injuries are severe.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon looked back.

“So So.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Take Lin and Ji Cheon Wu to the medicine hall.”

It was when Nam Gung So So was about to approach Ji Cheon Wu. Ji Cheon Wu hurriedly spoke.

“I have something to say. It’s important.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s lips tightened. He closed his eyes for a moment.

It was a gesture of organizing his thoughts.

“Don’t you need to recover first?”

“It’s fine, please give me a chance to speak after we briefly stop by the medicine hall.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon nodded silently.

Then he started walking. Ji Cheon Wu looked at Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s back with a complicated expression.

It was because Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s back, which always seemed enormous, looked small today.

[This is the timeline separator]

Nam Gung Hwa Su knelt before Nam Gung Jin Cheon. Beside him was Ji Cheon Wu, whose body was not in good condition.

Ji Cheon Wu began to tell Nam Gung Jin Cheon about everything that had happened.

“Nam Gung Hwa Su threatened me. He said if I didn’t obediently follow him, he would retaliate against Lin.”

As the story continued, Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s face turned pale.

“Hwa- Hwa Su. Are all those words true? You didn’t lie, did you?”

Nam Gung Hwa Su kept his head down, unable to lift it. Mo Yong Hee sobbed in Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s arms.

Both Nam Gung Hyun Jong and Mo Yong Hee were looking at Nam Gung Jin Cheon with eyes full of fear.

They were afraid of what punishment Nam Gung Jin Cheon would give to Nam Gung Hwa Su.

Nam Gung Hwa Su felt the same. But he still held a small hope.

Hadn’t his parents always said:

‘There’s no one but you to inherit the Nam Gung family.’

Moreover, the victims were Nam Gung Lin and Ji Cheon Wu. A fool who was always ignored in the family and a beggar who no one would care about even if he died someday.

No matter how he thought about it, he didn’t think he had done such a big wrong.

‘It’s okay, I’m Nam Gung Hwa Su.’

He was the only successor of the Nam Gung family. There was no one else to inherit the Nam Gung family.

So he thought that even in the worst case, he wouldn’t be expelled from the family.

That’s what he thought.

Nam Gung Jin Cheon opened his mouth in a quiet voice. It wasn’t a voice that sounded angry at all.

“Hwa Su.”

The moment he heard his voice, a sense of relief flashed through Nam Gung Hwa Su’s chest. But Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s face turned even paler.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong knew Nam Gung Jin Cheon very well. Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s quiet voice was something that came out when he was truly angry.

“Gra- Grandfather.”

“What were you thinking?”

“Ye- yes…?”

“What were you thinking, playing with people’s lives?”

Nam Gung Hwa Su couldn’t answer for a long time after Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s words.

After some time passed, he stammered:

“I- I was just playing a prank…”

Nam Gung Hwa Su’s arms began to tremble.

He couldn’t withstand the merciless aura that Nam Gung Jin Cheon was emitting. Unable to bear it any longer, Nam Gung Hyun Jong embraced Nam Gung Hwa Su.

He too, with a pale face, barely opened his mouth.

“Father, Hwa Su is still young. Children can sometimes make mistakes, so please show mercy just this once…”

“Is it a mistake to put someone’s life in danger?”

“Bu- but it wasn’t intentional to put Lin in such danger, was it?”

“…”

“Besides, it’s just the words of a beggar. And a beggar that Lin brought! That insolent one is framing Hwa Su.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s gaze only grew colder at Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s words.

“Are those words true?”

Nam Gung Hwa Su thought this was his chance and tried to answer. He intended to somehow frame Ji Cheon Wu as a liar.

“Un- unfair…”

But as Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s aura intensified, Nam Gung Hwa Su realized he had made a verbal mistake.

“A father protecting his son… How admirable.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon continued in an angry tone.

“Then who protects Lin?”

“That child…”

“You shouldn’t be doing this.”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong tightly closed his eyes at Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s words.

“Do you remember the day Hyun went missing?”

“Father!”

“You owe Hyun a debt of gratitude. You shouldn’t be doing this!”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s eyes were bloodshot. It was all his fault.

Hyun’s death and Lin’s injury.

And raising his child wrong.

He knew that Nam Gung Hyun Jong had an inferiority complex towards Nam Gung Hyun.

But at some point, that inferiority complex began to grow stronger.

When did it start?

After Nam Gung Hwa Su was born?

Or after marrying Mo Yong Hee?

He couldn’t tell at all.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s ambition to pass down the Nam Gung family to his son only grew larger.

To an uncontrollable extent.

It was because he had raised his child wrong.

So.

“It’s all my fault.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

The 8 years he spent at the Martial Arts Alliance were essentially a journey to find Nam Gung Hyun.

But in the end, he couldn’t find Nam Gung Hyun.

He had to accept it now.

The fact that his son had ultimately returned to a handful of dust. And now, because of his mistakes, his granddaughter was in danger.

Nam Gung Hwa Su had Nam Gung Hyun Jong, but Nam Gung Lin had no one.

The 8 years at the Nam Gung family estate without him.

Nam Gung Jin Cheon couldn’t help but know how important those 8 years of childhood were.

Nam Gung Jin Cheon declared, looking at Nam Gung Hyun Jong with emotionless eyes.

“So I will correct what’s wrong, even now.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon walked towards Nam Gung Hwa Su.

Nam Gung Hwa Su was now barely able to sit.

He was just trembling, lying flat on the ground.

“Hwa Su, you are no longer a Nam Gung.”

Nam Gung Jin Cheon continued.

“From now on, there is no Nam Gung in your name.”

[This is the timeline separator]

I had a dream.

It was something from memories that had now become hazy.

‘Come to think of it, there was a time like this too.’

It was not long after I was born.

When I still had a father…

My father, Nam Gung Hyun, gently stroked my cheek as if it was precious. I tried to open my eyes to see my father’s face. But his face was just blurry.

“My child. My little one.”

Nam Gung Hyun’s lips touched my forehead. A warm feeling spread.

I reached out my hand to try and touch Nam Gung Hyun, even just a little.

This was my first and last memory of being with my father.

“Leaving you behind makes me uneasy. But I’ll return soon. And when I return…”

I waited for his next words. In my childhood, whenever times were tough, I would recall this moment.

I replayed Nam Gung Hyun’s words over and over again.

This happened before Nam Gung Hyun was dispatched to the Martial Arts Alliance. He definitely said to me then:

“I will protect you from any danger.”

He carefully held my small hand.

“You can live freely. If you want to learn martial arts, learn them, and if you just want to live peacefully, that’s fine too.”

I felt Nam Gung Hyun’s rough hands.

I could feel how desperately he had gripped his sword.

“I’ll take away all the pain and suffering.”

Nam Gung Hyun smiled softly.

As if he couldn’t bear how lovable I was before his eyes. Warmth emanated from his every action.

“I’ll become strong… so that no one in the martial arts world would dare to challenge you.”

It was a promise he couldn’t keep.

After that, I tried to forget Nam Gung Hyun. Because it’s better not to know than to know.

I tried to think that I had never been loved in the first place.

Nam Gung Hyun turned around after leaving those words. Seeing that, I struggled. I tried somehow to open my mouth towards Nam Gung Hyun.

‘Don’t go, you can’t leave. You won’t be able to return.’

But my child’s body couldn’t convey those words to him. Nam Gung Hyun completely disappeared.

Watching his back as he left, I muttered words that would never reach him.

Father, my heart hurts so much.

Father left, and grandfather left too. I’ve never even seen mother’s face.

People said it was because of me that my parents died. They said my mother and father would hate me.

Uncle is a really bad person.

The troublemakers he sent bullied me. Oh, there’s a cousin called Nam Gung Hwa Su, and that guy is really nasty too.

And… a demon appeared.

He kidnapped my close friend, and I couldn’t just stand by.

To be honest, I was scared.

I wanted someone to appear and fight in my place. But there was no one to help me.

Father… I hate you.

You said you’d come back.

You said you’d protect me.

You said you’d cherish me more than anyone. I know it’s not your fault.

It’s what the original author of the novel did, what could you do about it?

It was a fate that was originally determined.

But father… you said you’d protect me.

You said you’d make sure I wouldn’t get hurt.

Where on earth are you?

“I miss you.”