After that incident, Tang Hwa Ryeong, who had been uncooperative with Ji Cheon Wu before, becomes a completely different person.

Tang Hae Ryeol let out a brief sigh. His face was deep in thought.

“I’m sorry, I heard about what Hae Jun did to you.”

You believed my words.

“There are circumstances among the adults that I can’t speak of, but it’s clear that Hae Jun did such a thing to you, so I can’t say anything.”

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Hae Ryeol continued.

“If Hyun had seen you like this, he would have been pleased.”

He knelt on one knee in front of me and met my gaze.

He apologized to me once again.

“I’m truly, truly sorry.”

[This is the timeline separator]

I stepped out of my grandfather’s residence and took steps forward. Ji Cheon Wu naturally followed me.

The same went for Tang Hwa Ryeong.

“Why are you following along?”

“I dislike you.”

I could hear the two of them bickering behind me, but I had no time to pay attention to that.

Hearing Tang Hae Ryeol’s apology made me feel strange. The fact that he easily believed my words meant that he knew about the Blood Cult to some extent.

Moreover, the Tang family’s Feng Wen.

This was something that didn’t happen in the original work either.

I knew someone who could talk to me about this.

‘I need to see Je Gal Yu Ryong.’

[Why would you want to see such an arrogant fellow?]

‘Because I have something to say to him.’

However, I couldn’t see Je Gal Yu Ryong. When I visited Je Gal Yu Ryong’s residence, I only saw a maid cleaning.

In the empty residence, I asked the maid.

“Do you know where the person staying in this room went?”

The maid answered with a puzzled look.

“I heard he urgently returned to the Je Gal household.”

Why on earth?

Je Gal Yu Ryong wanted to see me. In other words, it meant he had something to say to me.

The fact that he suddenly returned to the Je Gal household seemed unnatural.

[What will you do?]

At Dagger Uncle’s words, I closed my eyes for a moment.

It couldn’t have been long since Je Gal Yu Ryong left. The place was messy here and there as if he had left in a hurry.

As if he was hurriedly running away from someone.

‘It was definitely strange.’

In the original work, Je Gal Yu Ryong doesn’t leave the Cheonha Academy until the Blood Cult reveals their ambitions.

‘Who is Je Gal Yu Ryong running away from?’

[It seems he has enemies.]

‘What do you think you would have done, Uncle? It’s as if Je Gal Yu Ryong ran away.’

Could there be something in the Nam Gung household that threatened him? As if he didn’t want to cause harm, he hurriedly ran away.

[What is it that you want? To win over that fellow named Je Gal Yu Ryong?]

‘Yes, I want to have a conversation with him.’

[Then you need to knock down everything that threatens him.]

It was an answer fitting for Uncle.

[This is the timeline separator]

I left the Nam Gung household, concealing my presence. Finding Je Gal Yu Ryong’s trail wasn’t difficult.

As soon as I entered the forest path after leaving the Nam Gung household, I saw bloodstains. As I expected, he was being chased.

I was lucky.

If I had delayed even a little, I would have discovered this trail after Je Gal Yu Ryong had died.

[What will you do? Are you thinking of going to save him?]

My physical condition is definitely different from before. That’s why Dagger Uncle was asking me this.

It meant he wouldn’t stop me recklessly. Unlike when I dealt with the Hyeongmyeon Sura.

[It’s still too much for you to handle them.]

‘Will Je Gal Yu Ryong be safe?’

[Yes, although there seems to be a lot of blood, it doesn’t look like his breath has been cut off yet. The forest is shaking.]

Dagger Uncle continued.

[I can lend you strength. But I don’t want you to get hurt. If they are enemies that are too difficult to handle, can you completely entrust it to me?]

I understood what Dagger Uncle meant. Just like when I faced the Hyeongmyeon Sura last time, it meant completely leaving the situation to Dagger Uncle.

‘Would that put less strain on my body?’

[Yes, if we do that, I’m confident I can avoid causing you any significant internal injuries.]

I nodded my head. Something ominous was emanating from the forest.

It felt similar to when I was hit by Tang Hae Jun’s formation. If I were to enter this place, it seemed I would newly face things I didn’t know about.

[This is the timeline separator]

Je Gal Yu Ryong ran.

Two black-clad figures were chasing after him.

“Running away will be meaningless!”

The warriors of the Je Gal household who had accompanied him on the path had long lost their lives. He didn’t even have a moment to mourn their sacrifice.

Je Gal Yu Ryong was barely escaping using the time others had bought for him.

Je Gal Yu Ryong realized that he didn’t have much path left for himself now.

He gritted his teeth in misery.

The ones chasing him now were demonic leaders renowned for their cruelty in killing people.

If he were to be caught by their hands, he would meet a miserable end.

With no one he could trust, he couldn’t even ask for help.

Je Gal Yu Ryong closed his eyes tightly. No matter how clever he was, it wasn’t as if he had no fear of death.

He gripped his sword.

He could no longer run.

Then, he would meet his death like a warrior.

‘Father…’

In his mind, the image of his always stern father came to mind.

It was just before the black-clad figure’s sword reached his neck.

Clang!

With the clear sound of a sword, someone blocked the black-clad figure’s sword.

A still young voice reached Je Gal Yu Ryong’s ears.

“You should open your eyes. You shouldn’t close your eyes in a situation like this.”

It was a familiar voice.

Je Gal Yu Ryong’s eyes opened wide. Because a person who shouldn’t be here had appeared.

“Nam Gung Lin?”

“That’s right.”

“How are you here?”

“It seemed like you were in danger.”

Je Gal Yu Ryong was taken aback.

‘She came because it seemed like I was in danger?’

His first encounter with Nam Gung Lin was not pleasant. He had deliberately driven Nam Gung Lin into a corner.

If Nam Gung Lin knew he was in danger, it was hard to imagine her coming to save him.

At least, that’s how it was within the common sense he knew. Curiosity flashed in the eyes of the black-clad figures Nam Gung Lin was facing.

Their fiercely continuing attacks stopped.

“You are…?”

“Isn’t that Nam Gung Lin?”

At their words, Je Gal Yu Ryong’s eyes narrowed. The black-clad figures muttered while looking at Nam Gung Lin.

“Interesting.”

“How intriguing. Like father, like daughter, is it?”

Hearing their words, Nam Gung Lin’s eyes narrowed.

“You know my father? How do you…?”

The black-clad figures didn’t answer.

Ignoring Nam Gung Lin, they tried to attack Je Gal Yu Ryong.

It was a gesture showing that they clearly didn’t want to attack Nam Gung Lin. However, their attacks still couldn’t reach Je Gal Yu Ryong this time either.

Because Nam Gung Lin’s sword repeatedly blocked them.

One of the black-clad figures gritted their teeth.

“For a young one, you’re quite something. But there’s a limit to leniency.”

“Aren’t you ashamed of trying to kill a child?”

At Nam Gung Lin’s words, the black-clad figure scoffed.

“The most foolish thing in the martial world is judging based on appearances.”

The black-clad figure said that while swinging their sword towards Nam Gung Lin.

It was clearly a different killer intent from before.

In that moment, Je Gal Yu Ryong felt that Nam Gung Lin had changed. Even the Nam Gung Lin from just a moment ago was certainly amazing.

Because she had pushed back the black-clad figures who were already adults with the body of a young child. It was an astonishing talent that could be counted on one hand in the martial world.

However, the momentum and atmosphere Nam Gung Lin was exuding now was on a different level from her previous appearance.

If up until now she had shown the appearance of an outstanding prodigy, the current Nam Gung Lin was like a seasoned master.

Je Gal Yu Ryong’s face hardened at that gap. The ones dragged away by the Hyeongmyeon Sura were Ji Cheon Wu and Nam Gung Lin.

Until now, people thought that a secluded master had appeared and saved them.

They said the one who handled the Hyeongmyeon Sura must be a master hiding their identity.

A question rose in Je Gal Yu Ryong’s mind.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if the one who killed the Hyeongmyeon Sura was just an eight-year-old child?

It was a story no one would believe.

Nam Gung Lin opened her mouth while raising one corner of her lips.

[Funny fellows.]

Nam Gung Lin pointed at the black-clad figure with her finger and asked. It was a gesture full of annoyance as if it was bothersome.

[You, what is your sobriquet?]

“Y-you?”

[Yes, I asked what your sobriquet is.]

“I was trying to be lenient because you’re young. You have no match in impudence!”

At those words, Nam Gung Lin picked her ear in a delinquent posture.

[Isn’t that completely different from what you said before? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be lenient because I’m young?]

Je Gal Yu Ryong’s mouth slowly opened at that delinquency. Being with Nam Gung Lin made the black-clad figures in front of them feel insignificant.

Nam Gung Lin’s actions showed composure.

The composure as if the ones in front of her were no threat at all.

The black-clad figure glared at Nam Gung Lin and shouted.

“It’s not a sobriquet to tell you.”

[Then die if you don’t want to tell me.]

Je Gal Yu Ryong unknowingly thought he should answer.

He answered Nam Gung Lin’s words in place of the black-clad figure.

“They are the Blood-Sucking Demon Pair. They are demonic leaders who act as a pair, enjoying killing and sucking out all of their opponent’s blood.”

[A sobriquet they wouldn’t want to tell, I see.]

“The one on the left seems to be the first, and the one on the right seems to be the second.”

The smile disappeared from Nam Gung Lin’s face at Je Gal Yu Ryong’s answer.