Chapter 191
“Master! What happened to Soye... ah.”
A man who called out the name of Heaven-Slaughter Star appeared, but let out a sigh of lament when he spotted us.
He must have realized that Heo Soye's identity had been revealed to outsiders and could no longer be hidden as before.
But we were just as surprised on our end.
“Brother Cheon?”
“You know me?”
The man, still with a half-dazed expression, asked in a feeble voice.
“Aren’t you Jang Inam, who grew up in Yangsu Village in Zhejiang Province?”
“That’s true, but who in the world are you...?”
Jang Inam squinted, glancing around at the air as if trying to recall something. Did he not remember? Well, I have changed a lot since then.
Even the first time we met after my regression, he didn’t recognize me—so this isn't surprising.
Jang Inam.
Back when I was still a child struggling to survive under the enemy sect Red Sand Gang, desperately doing whatever I could—he was someone I met during those days.
As his name suggests, the second son of the Jang family, he was born in a backwater village with nothing, yet he held grand ambitions.
He was a peculiar man who, dreaming of one day roaming the Central Plains as a martial artist, went as far as to be conned in buying third-rate martial arts manuals and taught himself with great difficulty.
Of course, the village saw him as an oddball, but he actually had some talent for fighting. And because of his unique, kind-hearted nature, most people liked him.
However, he was too kind, too dreamy, and possessed too little compared to what he sought.
When the Red Sand Gang began wreaking havoc in the village in earnest—and I was barely surviving day by day under my mortal enemies—Jang Inam stood up alone to oppose them.
Naturally, he was beaten mercilessly.
Still, because he was well-regarded and his father had some influence in the village, his life was spared—but perhaps as a warning, the Red Sand Gang severed his right arm, so he could never hold a sword again.
Had it ended there, he would’ve just been another reckless young man victimized by the underworld.
But the reason I remembered Jang Inam for so long is simple.
He was my first martial arts teacher.
Of course, the Red Sand Gang never taught me proper martial arts.
As a child, they made me do chores, and as I got older, they taught me half-baked martial arts just so they could suppress me at any time.
Especially with internal techniques, they omitted so many crucial parts that building internal energy was nearly impossible.
So I sought out Jang Inam, now disabled and likely a broken man.
I figured if he was useless to them now, maybe he'd throw his martial arts my way.
If neither of us had much, I might as well learn something complete rather than a crippled version.
I went to his house with that in mind—and to my surprise, he was still training, clumsily swinging with one hand.
I hadn’t expected he hadn’t given up.
I thought it wouldn’t work, but... he willingly shared his internal art.
Everything he had learned, however poorly, he gave to me—
for free.
He was the first person to ever show me kindness when all I had known was resentment and enmity.
But what followed wasn't good.
Jang Inam soon lost his entire family to a plague.
Devastated and hopeless, he once again rushed at the Red Sand Gang—but of course, nothing changed.
Even if he was second-rate at best, how could he, who hadn’t properly learned martial arts, beat seasoned fighters?
He was beaten nearly to death and expelled from the village barehanded.
He didn’t die only because the Red Sand Gang feared the plague.
Since his family died from it, they assumed he was infected too.
Afraid they might catch it, they just beat him with sticks and threw him out.
After that, I didn’t see Jang Inam for some time—but now I think I understand why.
By some twist of fate, he entered the Jeomchang Sect, but must have lost his life caught in Heaven-Slaughter Star’s rampage.
It wasn’t planned, but...this time, I might be able to repay the kindness I once received.
If I take Heaven-Slaughter Star away, Jang Inam won’t have to die.
With a faint smile, I spoke.
“I’m Cheon Hwi. That kid who once learned martial arts from you, Brother Cheon.”
“...What?”
“Oh! Heavens! You’re really that Cheon Hwi?!”
“You grew up safely! Thank goodness. I truly mean it. But those clothes…”
“I’m part of the Tang Clan now. I found a good marriage partner.”
At that, Tang Sowol stepped forward and gave a respectful martial salute as if waiting for the moment.
Jang Inam, still dazed, returned the gesture—then suddenly his eyes widened.
Looking back and forth between me and Tang Sowol, he burst into loud laughter.
“Life is truly mysterious. That I would become a disciple of the Jeomchang Sect, and you, the son-in-law of the Tang Clan!”
Despite losing an arm and likely having had many illusions about the martial world shattered, Jang Inam still wore that same kind smile.
But it didn’t last long.
“And that you, Cheon Hwi, would be the one to take Soye away... that’s even more unexpected.”
His voice, which had briefly risen in excitement, dropped heavily again.
After a long silence, Jang Inam spoke with difficulty.
“The martial arts I gave you... did it help?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I was able to gain the strength to defeat the Red Sand Gang.”
“Then I have one request.”
With that, Jang Inam suddenly dropped to his knees. Placing his only hand on the ground, he bowed deeply.
“Please. Could you pretend you don’t know about Soye?”
None of us had expected such a sudden and desperate gesture. We all froze.
Only Heo Yunsang, the sect master of Jeomchang Sect, erupted in anger.
“What are you doing! You know that things will only get more difficult now that the truth is out! Stand up at once!”
“But, Sect Master… no, Father-in-law! Isn’t there still a chance that something can be done?”
“I thought so too! I want to believe that! But while you were out, Soye lost control again. And this time, even the elders' pressure point strikes didn’t work!”
“That’s...”
“She has already reached just shy of the Peak Stage, despite keeping her distance from martial training. Now, not even I can stop her. Soon, even that might not be possible.”
Heo Yunsang helped Jang Inam to his feet. He didn’t say anything more, and Jang Inam quietly stood up without resistance.
Amid the heavy silence, a small rustle broke the stillness.
“Mm...”
Heaven-Slaughter Star, Heo Soye, who had been unconscious until now, sat up.
“Father? And Brother Jang...? I see... I lost control again, didn’t I.”
Speaking in a self-mocking tone, she spotted us and began looking around uncertainly. I downed the remaining tea in one gulp and stood.
“For now, I’ll leave you three to talk.”
“Ah, I see. The guest room might be a bit dusty from disuse, but you’re free to use it as you like.”
Nodding at Heo Yunsang’s words, I left with my companions.
We had our own discussion to hold.
In a cramped guest room given by the Jeomchang Sect—just enough for one, but tight for four—I spoke first.
“How about we just kidnap her?”
“...Who exactly are you talking about?”
“Again with this?”
“Wait, how did you even know she was Heaven-Slaughter Star?!”
Everyone chimed in.
Tang Sowol agreed but wanted to know who, Seol Lihyang stared, blinking as if fed up, Seo Mun-Hwarin simply demanded an explanation.
And none of them protested the idea of kidnapping someone.
That warmed my heart a little.
But I couldn’t bask in that feeling now.
“Of course, I mean Heo Soye. Possibly Brother Jang too, depending on the situation. As for how I knew—well, I’m particularly sensitive to killing intent, so I noticed something off. As for a plan... actually, I don’t have one.”
After answering them one by one, my last words made everyone tilt their heads.
“I was joking, kind of. I don’t really have a plan. We should think one up now.”
“Hey! Isn’t this a really important situation? Is this the time for jokes?!”
“You…”
Seol Lihyang tapped the floor in frustration, Seo Mun-Hwarin shook her head like she was watching a tragedy unfold.
Tang Sowol just gently patted both their shoulders with a soft smile.
“Now, now. Let’s not be too harsh. We all know Cheon Hwi’s original stance was firm, right?”
“That’s true. At first, he said we should send Heaven-Slaughter Star somewhere with proper supervision.”
“But you started hesitating... it must be because of that disciple of yours from your hometown.”
“Exactly. No matter how I look at it, I did receive help from Brother Cheon. I want to repay him, even a little. And… I had another thought.”
“What kind of thought?”
“When I visited Shaolin, Master Gakjeong told me something. I can’t share it without his permission, but...Seeing someone try to help his daughter, his lover, despite knowing she was born with Heaven-Slaughter Star...
reminded me of Gakjeong’s story.”
Gakjeong, having given up too quickly, killed his own disciple with his own hands when she momentarily regained sanity.
He couldn’t forget the bloodlust from the battlefield she exuded, or the moment she let go of it—So he abandoned his martial arts and continues to research Heaven-Slaughter Star to this day.
And he actually succeeded in predicting its emergence.
Until now, the accepted belief was that Heaven-Slaughter Star appears without warning and cannot be cured or controlled.
But Gakjeong overturned the first assumption.
No one knows how.
If the second—its uncontrollability—is also not absolute...
If no one simply knew how to control it...It might prove to be incredibly useful in the future.
“Of course, it’s all hypothetical. If even Gakjeong can’t help, I’ll go through with the original plan and head to the Murim Alliance.”
I could say that only because there was still about a year left before Heaven-Slaughter Star would fully awaken.
Tang Sowol, after deep thought, opened her mouth.
“I understand, Cheon Hwi. If that allows you to lighten your heart of two burdens, then I believe it’s the right choice. However.”
“However?”
“If that’s your reasoning... couldn’t we just contact Shaolin and ask Master Gakjeong to come here instead of kidnapping Lady Heo?”
“...Ah.”
Maybe I’ve gotten too used to extreme methods lately. That hadn’t even occurred to me.
“We don’t... have to kidnap people, do we.”
“Why do you sound like you’ve just had some great realization over something so obvious?” said Seol Lihyang, baffled.
I listened to her incredulous voice with one ear and let it out the other.