Chapter 112
Before I ever approached Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye, a suspicious letter had arrived during their independent investigation into the Demonic Cult.
It was a threat. The sender claimed to know about their relationship and warned that unless they stopped poking into the Demonic Cult, the secret would be exposed.
“Ah...”
Only then did I understand why they had died before my regression.
Of course, it was still just a hypothesis. To be sure, I slowly opened my mouth.
“This may be a strange question, but... what would you do if your families found out about your relationship?”
“I’d try to persuade my father, first.”
“Same here. Though I doubt he’d listen, and I’d probably be confined.”
Eon Ga-hye’s face darkened slightly, and seeing that, Peng Woojin added calmly,
“It’s alright. If it comes to that, I’ll come get you.” “...What?”
“I feel bad for my father, but I’m lucky to have an excellent younger brother. He may not match me in martial arts, but he’s far more qualified to lead the clan. I’m proud of him.”
“W-Wait, are you saying—”
“Yes. It may sound selfish, but if it comes to it, I’d give up the Peng Clan name and leave. That is, if you’d still be willing to be with me, Ga-hye.”
“Of course! Do you think I love you because you’re from a prestigious family? Absolutely not. Even if you become a wandering rogue, my feelings won’t change. If that happens, I’ll leave with you.”
“Ga-hye...”
“Peng...”
The two clasped hands and gazed into each other’s eyes with deep emotion.
I flinched at the sudden flood of affection, but at the same time, I felt reassured.
They truly loved each other despite their families’ bitter rivalry—no doubt it was painful.
But was that alone a reason to die together? That’s what didn’t sit right with me.
The Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye I knew were people of strong will. Even now, they were clearly prepared to go their own way rather than succumb to despair.
So then, if they truly died together in my previous life, perhaps it wasn’t by their own will.
Maybe they were driven into a corner—or murdered by the Demonic Cult, and their deaths were staged as a double suicide.
Personally, I leaned toward the latter.
Eon Ga-hye might despair. But Peng Woojin? He would more likely charge through the front door.
“This might be more dangerous than I thought.”
“So you think so too, Cheon Hwi? I understand how sincere their feelings are, but thinking ahead... it’s not going to be easy.”
“Hmm?”
“Especially since the Yeon Clan has no other successor. Unlike the Peng Clan, Yeon Ga-hye is the only heir. That’s the only reason a woman like her could become acting clan head.”
“That’s not what I meant, but okay.”
“Even if she’s a woman, she’s direct blood, which is more important than being from a side branch. That’s why she was given the role. But if she runs away, I doubt even hiding in Outer Murim would keep her safe... Wait, this wasn’t the point?”
I chuckled at Tang Sowol’s genuine concern for their future and replied,
“They’re not planning to run away now. That’s just a worst-case scenario. They’re simply saying there are things they can’t give up, even if it means bearing the consequences. I’m the same.”
“So... you’re saying that if I caused trouble one day and had to flee the Tang Clan, you’d come with me?”
“Of course. Though just the two of us would be tough... if needed, I would.”
“Hmph. So I’m not enough for you?”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Fufu, just teasing. I wouldn’t want to see Cheon Hwi gloomy all day, so when the time comes, I’ll try to drag along Hyang and Hwarin as well.”
That whisper from the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering came to mind. She had said she understood I still had lingering feelings for Seol Lihyang and Seo Mun-Hwarin.
Yet, every time it’s brought up, I can’t help but feel uncomfortable.
Tang Sowol, watching me fidget and roll my eyes, grinned.
“So, what did you mean earlier when you said ‘that’s not what I was talking about’?”
“Oh, I meant their lives might be in danger right now, not in the future.”
“Cheon Hwi? Didn’t you say earlier you wouldn’t hurt them?”
Apparently hearing that, both Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye flinched and looked this way.
“Why does it sound like I’m the bad guy? Even if I had malicious intent and kidnapped you, hostages are more valuable alive.”
“You say that like it’s experience talking...”
Tang Sowol admired me while the two looked... slightly disturbed.
Feeling a bit too much like a villain, I quickly clarified,
“I meant the Demonic Cult might be targeting you.”
“What do you mean ‘targeting’? At most, they'd tell our families. You really think they'd come after the Peng Clan heir?”
Peng Woojin sounded incredulous. I shrugged.
“They already tried to kill the Tang Clan’s precious daughter. Why would the Peng Clan be any different?”
“Huh?”
“No way...?”
The two turned toward Tang Sowol with wide eyes.
With all seriousness, she nodded.
“It’s true. They didn’t try to kill me directly, of course. But they rallied people who hated the Tang Clan and incited them to attack me.”
“The Demonic Cult’s goal hasn’t changed—destruction of the martial world. They want every martial artist dead. But their methods... those are different now.”
In the past, the Demonic Cult had been a band of vengeful ghosts.
No wonder the Peng Clan elders dismissed them as nothing more than savage brutes. That’s exactly what they were.
But once the Heavenly Demon—Cheonma—rose to leadership, everything changed.
Instead of rushing blindly into Central Plains with blades, they plotted. They shifted blame to others and stirred up internal strife.
Before my regression, I never knew this. Only thanks to certain coincidences in this life did I begin to uncover it.
“I’ve been thinking about why they targeted Tang Sowol. The simplest answer is... since the Demonic Cult absorbed the Assassins of Sal Valley, they needed to unify the group. Targeting the Tang Clan, their sworn enemy, would serve that purpose.”
“Wait—did you say Sal Valley joined the Demonic Cult? Not just working for them, but actually part of it?”
“Oh? You hadn’t heard that yet? Well, don’t go spreading it. The informant who brought us that info confirmed it firsthand—barely escaping from Sal Valley with his life.”
“Monsters really do find each other...”
Peng Woojin shook his head.
“That’s not even the shocking part. If they really wanted Tang Sowol dead, they’d have sent their best assassins. Instead, they hired second-rate thugs. Why? Because the goal wasn’t to kill her. It was to provoke a feud between the Tang Clan and the dark sects.”
“Huh? Really, Cheon Hwi?”
“I think so. Imagine if I hadn’t been there. If you had died, or barely escaped the clutches of a back-alley killer, what would’ve happened?”
“My father would’ve been furious.”
“Furious doesn’t cover it. He would’ve reminded the entire martial world why he’s called the Poison King.”
In my past life, Tang Jincheon had razed through the dark sects, reducing anyone remotely involved in the attack to a heap of poison-ravaged corpses.
As a result, the Tang Clan’s relationship with the Black Lotus Sect worsened drastically.
Many died—some of them even Black Lotus officers.
The Tang Clan already had many enemies, but after that, their numbers multiplied. Most of their strength went toward surviving the backlash.
If the Demonic Cult’s goal is to divide the martial world—
Then it makes sense to kill Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye and make it look like suicide.
Staging a fight-to-the-death is harder—you’d need martial traces. But faking a suicide? That’s easy.
Even if the conflict between their families quiets down temporarily, the emotional rift would deepen. And the Demonic Cult walks away clean.
Right now, the Peng and Yeon Clans are at odds—but under the banner of righteousness, they could unite against a common enemy.
But once they lose their heirs, that changes. They failed to unite, and one by one, the Heavenly Demon wiped them out.
Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.
Because that was from a future that hadn’t happened yet. Trying to phrase it like a guess only triggered the mental restriction.
My body tensed. My chest tightened. Sensing my discomfort, Tang Sowol gently stroked my back.
“Are you alright, Cheon Hwi?”
“I’m fine. I just lost my train of thought for a moment.”
Once I gave up on finishing my sentence, the restriction eased and my body relaxed.
Tang Sowol smiled warmly at me.
“You care so much... even though this is someone else’s problem. I guess... you were seeing a bit of our story in theirs, weren’t you?”
“Can’t say that’s entirely wrong.”
Both were suffering because of the Demonic Cult. In that, we shared a bond.
And deep down, I wanted to foil the Cult’s plans and maybe help the Peng and Yeon Clans reconcile—so they could one day stand with us against the Heavenly Demon.
With a shrug, I concluded,
“That’s as far as I’ve thought. To sum it up: they’re in more danger than they realize, and if possible, I’d like to help them—and strike back at the Demonic Cult.”
“Ahem. I appreciate the intent.”
“Though I still have plenty of complaints about the method.”
Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye coughed awkwardly. Tang Sowol, on the other hand—
“Ehem.”
Struck a proud pose, hands on her hips, nose in the air.
The sudden warmth of the atmosphere made me avert my eyes.
“Well... it’s not like I have a clear plan. I just know something has to be done.”
So Peng Woojin and Yeon Ga-hye might die at the hands of the Demonic Cult.
But why did the Demonic Cult spread mid- and low-tier elixirs all over Hubei in the first place?
If it was just to start a fight, using elixirs seemed like overkill. One side would clearly grow stronger.
The Demonic Cult may lack martial power, but in terms of mental restrictions and poison-induced pain, they’re second to none.
Could they be planning to use the distributed elixirs for something else?
If so, how do we stop it?
The questions piled up with no easy answer.
Just then, Tang Sowol’s eyes lit up as if she had a great idea.
“Ah! Cheon Hwi! In the end, what you want is to expose and crush the Demonic Cult’s plot, right?”
“In short, yes. But charging in blindly is risky. I don’t even know where to start.”
“There’s a way to solve all of that at once.”
My ears perked up. I leaned in.
“Instead of going home, let’s head to Hubei together—with Hyang and Hwarin.”
“What?”
“If anything happens, Sister Hwarin is a Flowering Stage master. She’ll keep us safe. And Hyang could gain some real-world experience.”
“...!”
“And you don’t have to worry about the investigation either. If the threatening letter was in response to their current path, then that means they’re on the right track. Just keep going.”
“Everything you’re saying makes sense, but... no way your father would approve.”
He already worries every time she leaves. There’s no way he’d allow this.
But Tang Sowol tilted her head like she didn’t understand.
“Huh? Who said anything about asking permission? You did say we’re doing it the same way as last time, right?”
She beamed.
“Let’s quietly run away!”
...What the hell kind of suggestion is that?
“Let’s do it immediately.”