Nam Gung Hwa Su will continue to torment Ji Cheon Wu in the future.

‘Of course, I will torment him too.’

In the original story, Nam Gung Lin would take out her frustrations on Ji Cheon Wu after being bullied by Nam Gung Hwa Su. It was an act that left the Nam Gung family with no excuse even when they were later annihilated by Ji Cheon Wu.

Was that all?

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Nam Gung Hwa Su.

Nam Gung Hwa Su, as described in Cheonma Jijeon, was an utterly despicable person.

Not only did he torment the protagonist Ji Cheon Wu and drag him down…

He was the first to betray his family in the future battle against the Blood Sect.

I recalled the various vile acts he committed to escape. I couldn’t just leave such a person be.

I stared at Nam Gung Hwa Su’s fist that I had grabbed.

These things hadn’t all happened yet. Neither Nam Gung Hwa Su crippling Ji Cheon Wu’s leg.

Nor his betrayal of the family.

But.

I lowered my head.

Then I saw Ji Cheon Wu’s battered face.

“When you try to hit others, have you ever thought about being in the same position?”

Nam Gung Hwa Su’s dazed face contorted.

He asked back with an incredulous expression.

“Why should I?”

The Nam Gung family, preeminent in the world. Nam Gung Hwa Su, born into the main line there. He had likely never considered the consequences when tormenting others.

Uncle Dagger sighed as he looked at Nam Gung Hwa Su.

[What a foolish child.]

Nam Gung Hwa Su’s current behavior towards me was similar.

He thought he could do anything to me without consequences.

To him, people weaker and more insignificant than himself had no value.

[What’s on the surface isn’t everything.]

The martial arts world was a place where today and tomorrow could be different.

It wasn’t common for absolute masters to appear in the form of children. I felt a strange power dwelling in my body. I looked at Nam Gung Hwa Su with lowered eyes and raised my fist.

“From now on, you’ll have to think about it.”

[This is the timeline separator]

‘What is this.’

Nam Gung Hwa Su thought blankly.

‘Am I dreaming?’

There was a huge bruise on his face. It was because he couldn’t avoid Nam Gung Lin’s fist.

Nam Gung Lin.

Clearly his cousin who had been living an almost invisible existence within the Nam Gung family, barely noticeable.

A being he had never thought of as anything more than a worm.

Moreover, a child much smaller in stature than him.

Yet he couldn’t avoid that child’s fist.

Nam Gung Hwa Su screamed and threw a punch. But his fist didn’t reach Nam Gung Lin.

“Aaargh!”

Nam Gung Lin’s punch was clearly slow.

It should have been impossible to get hit. But strangely, he couldn’t avoid Nam Gung Lin’s fist.

Thwack!

With a loud sound, he felt intense pain on his face.

“What kind of sorcery are you using!”

Despite Nam Gung Hwa Su’s shout, Nam Gung Lin didn’t stop his fists.

He saw the children from the branch families rushing towards Nam Gung Lin behind him. But it was the same for those guys too.

They couldn’t even touch Nam Gung Lin with a finger.

The feeling of anger was brief.

Nam Gung Hwa Su felt fear towards an opponent he saw no way of defeating.

It was an emotion he had never felt before, except towards his grandfather.

His father, Nam Gung Hyun, had always doted on him, and there were no adults in the Nam Gung family who would say anything about his misdeeds.

Nam Gung Hwa Su clutched his face. He could tell without looking.

His face must have become a mess.

The faces of the branch family children were also in a more terrible state than the beggar child who had been under his foot.

Nam Gung Hwa Su felt tears welling up in his eyes.

He lost his fighting spirit and retreated, stumbling backwards. Nam Gung Lin sneered at him with a chilly expression unbefitting a child.

“It would be better if you don’t show your face in front of me from now on.”

[This is the timeline separator]

It didn’t take long to deal with Nam Gung Hwa Su and his lackeys. The thoroughly beaten boys left the place, bawling.

‘They ended up in an even worse state than Ji Cheon Wu.’

I looked at my hands.

‘Wow, I really need to train hard.’

Though it was clearly my fist that I had swung, it felt like my hand was the one that had been wrecked. Moreover, my whole body was sagging.

I was completely exhausted.

[Mandu, are you alright?]

‘I’ve told you I’m not Mandu.’

[You really have a weak body. It looks like it might fall apart at any moment.]

I agreed with Uncle Dagger’s words.

[You need to get stronger. Your frail body can’t handle it.]

I nodded.

Uncle Dagger’s words about not being able to handle it had multiple meanings.

Not only was my weak body unable to fully contain Uncle Dagger’s martial arts, but frequent use would also have negative effects on my body.

‘But I couldn’t just ignore the danger Ji Cheon Wu was facing.’

I was lucky to have picked up Uncle Dagger. It was no different from me having one of Ji Cheon Wu’s fateful encounters.

‘Of course, for Ji Cheon Wu, that encounter only emitted heat.’

But even that would have been a great help to Ji Cheon Wu in his childhood. I too, how much relief did I feel when I hugged Uncle Dagger on a cold winter day.

‘Even while cursing it as an antique, Ji Cheon Wu never abandoned Uncle Dagger.’

An antique dagger that protected him from the cold when he had nothing. I don’t know what that dagger meant to Ji Cheon Wu.

The fact that he didn’t abandon it even while cursing it must have held some special meaning for him.

That’s why I couldn’t turn a blind eye to Ji Cheon Wu. I wanted to give back to him at least as much warmth as Uncle Dagger had given him.

I checked on Ji Cheon Wu while cradling my hand. My gaze didn’t leave Ji Cheon Wu’s legs.

According to the original story, Ji Cheon Wu should have injured his leg today.

‘Thank goodness, it’s fine.’

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Ji Cheon Wu’s appearance was a mess, but his legs seemed fine.

“Are you okay?”

I saw Ji Cheon Wu staring at me in response to my question. Only then did I realize Ji Cheon Wu’s appearance.

‘He’s incredibly handsome.’

This is cheating. He was clearly covered in dust and looked shabby.

Yet Ji Cheon Wu’s face seemed to shine.

‘Is this the so-called protagonist buff….’

I shook my head, trying to regain my senses. It was to avoid being entranced by Ji Cheon Wu’s looks.

Then I slowly bent my knees.

Ji Cheon Wu’s gaze followed me. I swallowed dryly as our eyes met up close.

‘For a child….’

It’s not for me to say, but Ji Cheon Wu’s eyes were deep and dark. There was a deep darkness in his eyes that I couldn’t understand.

I reached out to examine Ji Cheon Wu’s wounds. But my hand didn’t reach him.

As I approached, he quickly stepped back with a face full of wariness.

I was at a loss for words at his appearance, like that of an injured wild animal. The Ji Cheon Wu I remembered was the protagonist who had grown strong in Cheonma Jijeon.

He was always a person full of confidence and without hesitation.

‘An arrogant personality, a vengeful ghost without blood or tears. The very embodiment of a martial arts novel protagonist.’

I thought the young Ji Cheon Wu would be similar to that.

‘That can’t be.’

As I’ve said many times, the martial arts world was a ruthless place. And being unable to use martial arts there was a terrible thing.

‘Moreover, a life with a set lifespan.’

A childhood designed to highlight the protagonist’s uniqueness. When I only read it in text, I just thought, ‘Oh, I see.’

But that past was unfolding before me in reality. I heard Uncle Dagger clicking his tongue.

[How pitiful.]

I felt my throat go dry.

“I won’t touch you carelessly.”

I carefully stepped back slowly.

I could see Ji Cheon Wu’s gaze not leaving me. I couldn’t guess at all what the kid was thinking.

“Let’s go apply some medicine, you’re injured.”

I said that while pointing at Ji Cheon Wu’s cheek with my finger.

Ji Cheon Wu stiffened, startled.

‘Seems he knows how serious his condition is.’

I sighed with a relieved expression. I was about to turn back.

I was thinking of bringing the medicine myself since he was so wary.

If Ji Cheon Wu’s voice hadn’t been heard, that’s what I would have done.

“They said I’m going to die soon anyway.”

“…”

“There’s no medicine to use on a child who doesn’t have much time left to live.”

“Who on earth said such a thing?”

I frowned.

“Everyone did.”

I was at a loss for words.

Come to think of it, didn’t everyone who looked at Ji Cheon Wu say something like that?

‘A genius talent, but a kid who’s going to die soon anyway.’

I could imagine how the person in question would feel hearing that without even trying.

I pressed my lips tightly.

There was a lot I wanted to say to Ji Cheon Wu. After all, I knew his future.

‘You won’t die. All martial artists will kneel before your sword.’

That wasn’t all.

Once he becomes strong, he will overcome all his unfortunate past.

Then he would laugh at all those who looked down on him.

And.

‘You will save this world.’

That was the brilliant future given to Ji Cheon Wu, the protagonist of this novel.

But I couldn’t bring myself to tell Ji Cheon Wu about his future.

A future that hadn’t happened yet would only seem like an empty promise.

I approached Ji Cheon Wu. Then I reached out to him.

I carefully chose my words.

I hesitated for a moment whether to say this to Ji Cheon Wu.