“That’s right.”

At Mo Yong Hee’s words, Nam Gung Hyun Jong let out a sigh of relief. Mo Yong Hee was right.

Nam Gung Lin was a child.

An eight-year-old child who still needed protection.

Although she had recently become stronger, she was still just a young child.

There was no way she could escape the net they had cast.

‘Moreover, the place where Nam Gung Lin fell was a cliff.’

Mo Yong Hee reminded him of that fact as well.

“You know, the last trace of that child was found at a cliff. She must have fallen and they couldn’t even find her body.”

Mo Yong Hee’s words gave him a strange sense of stability.

“It’s even winter. Even if she were alive, there’s a high probability she would have frozen to death.”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong nodded his head. If one fell from that high cliff, even he wouldn’t be able to survive.

He felt his heart slowly unraveling.

“Yes, as time passes, Father will also have to accept the fact that Nam Gung Lin is dead.”

“When the time comes, it would be good to bring Hwa Su.”

That’s when Mo Yong Hee’s face contorted.

“What’s the matter?”

“That ominous beggar boy is staring at us.”

“Beggar boy?”

“What on earth could he be up to?”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong turned his gaze to where Mo Yong Hee was pointing. And upon seeing Ji Cheon Wu, he flinched and his face hardened.

‘That young brat, those eyes….’

Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s face twisted. He was already in a bad mood, but this was perfect timing.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong called a servant and ordered him to bring Ji Cheon Wu.

Ji Cheon Wu stood before him without much resistance. Nam Gung Hyun Jong narrowed his eyes.

It was strange. He had seen the boy a fortnight ago as well.

Every time he saw the beggar boy Nam Gung Lin had brought, he would get angry.

It was because of that brat that Hwa Su was kicked out of the house. But today, he couldn’t easily get angry.

It seemed Mo Yong Hee felt the same way. Mo Yong Hee, who had been waiting to slap the boy silly once Nam Gung Lin disappeared.

But now, seeing Ji Cheon Wu standing defenseless before her, she couldn’t take any action.

It was because of Ji Cheon Wu’s low, subdued presence. It was ridiculous.

To think that they found a boy smaller than Nam Gung Hwa Su spine-chilling.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong stood in front of Ji Cheon Wu, sending Mo Yong Hee behind him.

“What were you doing, hiding like a rat and staring?”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong twisted his lips. Ji Cheon Wu was showing no fear in front of him.

That fact bothered him.

It felt as if Ji Cheon Wu’s gaze was accusing him.

However, Nam Gung Hyun Jong knew how to provoke the boy in front of him. Ji Cheon Wu went out every day. To search for Nam Gung Lin.

He heard the boy was digging through the back mountains with those small hands.

“You couldn’t find her today either, right? At this point, just accept it. Lin is dead.”

Ji Cheon Wu’s body froze on the spot.

He raised his jet-black eyes and stared at Nam Gung Hyun Jong.

“Don’t speak carelessly about Lin.”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong felt his temper twisting.

Nam Gung Lin, that damn Nam Gung Lin!

His father and the brat in front of him were all the same. Whenever he saw people clinging to dead ghosts, Nam Gung Hyun Jong couldn’t hide his boiling anger.

Nam Gung Hyun was dead.

The same went for Nam Gung Lin.

‘Even if she’s not dead, she’d be better off dead with the life she’s living!’

Because both of them must have fallen into the hands of the Blood Sect.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong looked at Ji Cheon Wu with utter disgust.

“She must be dead. Maybe she fell into hell and met her father.”

At Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s reply, Ji Cheon Wu’s eyes turned bloodshot.

Even Nam Gung Hyun Jong felt chills at the vengeful look on Ji Cheon Wu’s face.

Ji Cheon Wu opened his mouth towards Nam Gung Hyun Jong.

“She’s not dead.”

“How can she be alive? No, if she were alive, she would have shown up! Or she was captured by the demonic sect like you.”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong shouted, filled with anger.

“If she doesn’t show up, it means she doesn’t want to see you!”

Nam Gung Hyun Jong tried to push Ji Cheon Wu’s shoulder as if annoyed. But his hand didn’t reach Ji Cheon Wu.

Ji Cheon Wu grabbed Nam Gung Hyun Jong’s hand. Nam Gung Hyun Jong frowned, displeased.

“You insolent thing!”

Strength entered Ji Cheon Wu’s hand.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong was dumbfounded by the stronger-than-expected grip.

‘They said he had the Nine Yin Meridians?’

The Nine Yin Meridians, in a shabby beggar boy.

If it weren’t for Nam Gung Lin, there wouldn’t be a single person in Nam Gung House who would care about him.

It meant he was an insignificant existence that no one would care about no matter when or where he died.

But.

The moment Ji Cheon Wu’s hand touched him, Nam Gung Hyun Jong felt a chill.

It felt as if the boy’s sword was pressed against his throat.

Should I kill him?

That was the thought that came to his mind in that moment. The boy had a high possibility of becoming a hindrance in the future.

‘No, how could that brat have a future.’

Thinking that, Nam Gung Hyun Jong shook off Ji Cheon Wu’s hand gripping his wrist. Ji Cheon Wu staggered and stepped back.

He wasn’t even worth dealing with.

His threat to him was so ridiculous it was laughable.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong rubbed his neck. He was ashamed of the fact that he had felt a chill.

He wanted to kill the boy right then and there, but then he wouldn’t be able to avoid Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s wrath.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong warned Ji Cheon Wu with haunting eyes.

“You barely have a few years left to live anyway. I’m sparing you out of special consideration. Think of your wretched life as what saved you.”

“……”

“If you dare to peep again, I won’t let it slide.”

With those words, Nam Gung Hyun Jong shoved Ji Cheon Wu away.

Ji Cheon Wu’s body sank into the snow.

As he fell, his arm started bleeding from being cut somewhere. Ji Cheon Wu got up with an expressionless face.

He didn’t have time to lie down meekly. It was snowing.

Snow was falling heavily enough to paint the world white.

‘It must be cold…’

Worry slowly raised its head.

Nam Gung Lin didn’t do well with cold.

Perhaps she was shivering in the mountains. After a fortnight passed, most people thought Nam Gung Lin was dead.

Even if she were alive, they said her life was as good as dead now.

Only Ji Cheon Wu and a few people in Nam Gung House believed.

The fact that she would return.

Darkness filled Ji Cheon Wu’s eyes. He looked down at his hand.

He was suppressing the hideous murderous intent swirling in his heart.

‘Those humans are delighting in Lin’s disappearance.’

When Nam Gung Hyun Jong spat words about Lin, Ji Cheon Wu had to suppress his rising murderous intent.

‘Because I’m still weak.’

There was a fact Nam Gung Lin was unaware of. Ji Cheon Wu possessed a colder temperament than anyone.

He knew his place well and how to lower himself.

Even his seemingly arrogant disposition was nothing more than an act to make his enemies let their guard down.

‘I need to become stronger.’

Ji Cheon Wu was gradually getting stronger.

He was ready to take the lives of those who threatened Nam Gung Lin’s life. And it was clear that time wouldn’t take too long.

He moved his steps to search for Nam Gung Lin again.

It was a path he had gotten used to now.

Reaching the mountain where Nam Gung Lin had disappeared, he habitually headed to the mountain peak.

Ji Cheon Wu approached the cliff as if possessed. It was what he had been doing every day for a fortnight.

People gossiped that Nam Gung Lin had fallen off the cliff.

That she must have fallen there, bewitched by the formation. That she must be dead…

[Oh my, the Clan Head is pitiful too. He hasn’t been able to sleep properly for a month.] [How can he find a child who fell from a cliff…]

Ji Cheon Wu didn’t believe those words.

‘She’ll definitely come back.’

His body started getting cold from the prolonged exposure to snow. Ji Cheon Wu, who suffered from the Nine Yin Meridians, had always been weak to cold.

But even so, he didn’t stop. It would be the same even if he returned to Nam Gung House anyway.

He walked towards the cliff Nam Gung Lin was said to have fallen from.

‘It shouldn’t snow…’

If it snowed, it would become more difficult to find traces of Nam Gung Lin.

Ji Cheon Wu approached the cliff so closely he seemed about to fall.

If, Nam Gung Lin had really fallen from that cliff…

Then what if her body couldn’t even be recovered? Ji Cheon Wu couldn’t control his surging anger.

Ji Cheon Wu recalled what Nam Gung Lin had said in the formation.

‘Lin knew the formation would be unleashed.’

Nam Gung Lin had many secrets. She had noticed the formation would be unleashed. So she had uttered a warning to him and disappeared.

Then, it meant Nam Gung Lin knew she would disappear.

‘Who on earth are your enemies?’

Nam Gung Lin, what are you hiding? Who was that suspicious person who entered your body back then, and how could they notice the formation?

No, it didn’t actually matter.

‘Hurry and show up, please…’

It was at that moment.

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. Someone was climbing up from the cliff.

[This is the timeline separator]

The dagger uncle moved my body.

‘It has definitely changed.’

Compared to a fortnight ago, my body felt light as if it could fly.

The dagger uncle seemed to feel it too. He started climbing the cliff with an excited look.

The dagger uncle climbed the dizzying cliff without difficulty.

I had clearly become strong to a surprising extent.

‘We need to hurry.’

[What’s the rush?]

‘Too much time has passed. I’m worried about Grandfather.’

[There aren’t many things in this martial world that can threaten that guy, right?]

‘I’m worried about Grandfather himself.’

In the original Heavenly Demon Supreme, how did Nam Gung House get destroyed?