The Regressed Sword Demon Changes the Future

A day had passed since Grandmaster Gwang Oh was poisoned.

With the Qingcheng branch meeting now five days away, the atmosphere within Qingcheng was not good…

"What? Why is the atmosphere so good?"

"…This is a sight I really didn't expect…"

On the way back after finishing breakfast, Qingcheng was as lively as the first day of their arrival, as if the terrible incident of yesterday had not happened.

"Senior Brother!"

"Cheongdo, yes, did you find out anything?"

"W-well, that's…"

Cheongmu, who had sensed the strange atmosphere of the Qingcheng Sect in advance, had ordered Cheongdo to investigate the cause of this situation, and Cheongdo was just on his way back after finishing it.

"It seems that a strange rumor is spreading…"

"A strange rumor?"

Cheongdo's words were as follows.

A strange rumor was currently spreading among the sects participating in the Qingcheng branch meeting.

'This assassination of Grandmaster Gwang Oh is due to an internal power struggle in Qingcheng.'

This alone was a sufficiently absurd story, but the story that followed was even more absurd.

Currently, Qingcheng was divided into two factions: one centered on Grandmaster Gwangha, the best sword of Qingcheng, and the other centered on the Sect Leader, Grandmaster Gwangseo.

Until now, the faction centered on Grandmaster Gwangha had not clashed with the other faction because Grandmaster Gwangha himself had no greed for power or influence. However, recently, Grandmaster Gwangha had begun to show some meaningful movements, and the Sect Leader, who had felt a danger in Grandmaster Gwangha's movements, had assassinated Grandmaster Gwang Oh, an important figure in Grandmaster Gwangha's faction.

"…How absurd. Leaving aside the fact that it's ridiculous, shouldn't the other sects be more nervous then?"

"That's right, but it seems that's not the case. The sects participating in the Qingcheng branch meeting are not attached to one of the two factions, but have gathered under the name of Qingcheng itself."

In other words, what Cheongdo was trying to say was this: if the two fought and one side won, they could just stick to that side.

Of course, if they wanted a bigger profit, they would have to line up in advance, but…

'Then they would have to interact more with other people and read the current trend…'

Of course, the statement that the assassination of Grandmaster Gwang Oh was due to an internal dispute in Qingcheng was utterly absurd in the first place.

It wasn't some brutal Black Path gang or a cruel and ruthless Unorthodox Faction. It was Qingcheng, Qingcheng!

Even if they were shady, cowardly, hypocritical, and shameless, not befitting the name of the Orthodox Faction, they were not a group that was crazy enough to stab their own family in the back.

"Yes… of course, but I think there must have been some behind-the-scenes work for a rumor like this to spread."

"Behind-the-scenes work…"

And it was obvious who would do such behind-the-scenes work.

'The secret power… they committed a shocking act like an assassination, but they don't want this Qingcheng branch meeting to be ruined?'

They showed an extremely radical action, and right after that, they showed an action that was the complete opposite. This meant…

'There is no one among them with strong leadership or absolute decision-making power…'

The secret power. He didn't know their number or composition, but he could guess their character a little from their actions in just one day.

'But this is far from enough…'

Above all, Jang Baekseo thought that he had to find the cause of the strange sense of déjà vu he had felt yesterday.

'Why? Why did they…'

As he was thinking and walking.

Jang Baekseo's eyes, who was moving to the quarters of the Mysterious Profound Sect with the party, caught sight of people sitting in a pavilion and playing Go.

One of them was very angry for some reason.

'What's going on?'

Jang Baekseo eavesdropped on their voices as inconspicuously as possible.

"No, you old man! Why are you putting down four stones in advance as if it's natural!!"

"Ah, ah, I'm sorry, this is…"

"Aww! You cheap friend, do you want to be so cheap in a bet that's only for a few coins at most!?"

"No, that's not it…!"

"Then what is it! Why did you put down the stones in advance!"

"Aww…! I did it because I'm used to it, I'm used to it!"

"Huh? Why are you used to putting down four stones in advance?"

"…Well, tsk! It's embarrassing, but my Go friend, who plays with me every day, is much better than me…"

"So?"

"So what? Since I'm not as good at Go as that friend, I have to put down a few stones in advance to match our skills, so it has become natural to always put down a few stones, and I made a mistake like this even when playing with you!"

Afterwards, he was teasing his opponent, saying 'Ho ho! To think that you've played Go together so often and he still gives you four stones, that friend must be very good or you must have no growth at all!', but Jang Baekseo did not hear those stories.

'This is it!'

Jang Baekseo felt his cloudy mind clear up brightly for a moment.

'Yes, it wasn't because there was some reason… it was just that he was used to it! Wait, but if it's someone who is used to that… no way!?'

Jang Baekseo felt a shiver run down his spine for a moment.

If the reasoning just now was true, everything fell into place.

'…I'll need some preparation to confirm it…'

Jang Baekseo hardened his resolve.

That night.

"…Another unexpected guest has come."

"I have something urgent to tell you…"

The person Jang Baekseo secretly visited in the middle of the night was Grandmaster Gwangha.

Perhaps because the shock of Grandmaster Gwang Oh's death had not yet subsided, his face still felt weak, and a deep sorrow was cast over it.

But despite that, a clear will was dwelling in his eyes.

It was revenge!

The desire for revenge against those who deserved to be torn to pieces for killing his precious junior brother!

Looking at Grandmaster Gwangha's eyes, Jang Baekseo felt a moment of hesitation.

The story that Jang Baekseo was about to tell Grandmaster Gwangha was a story that would literally tear his heart, which was already in great mental pain, to shreds…

But.

"I don't know if you will be able to believe what I'm about to say at once. First, what I want to say is, whether you believe what I'm about to say or not, can you promise me that you will never reveal it to anyone other than yourself?"

"…I don't know what you're trying to say, but saying that makes me nervous."

Although he answered in a light tone, Grandmaster Gwangha nodded his head.

It wasn't something he had to do, and just not telling the story to others was not a difficult thing.

And as soon as Jang Baekseo's story began, Grandmaster Gwangha had no choice but to regret his hasty judgment.

"…That remark… do you know what that means?"

Grandmaster Gwangha's eyes were so full of anger that the word 'furious' was a perfect fit.

The qi wave, filled with the anger of a transcendent master, swelled up rapidly and filled the room.

But Jang Baekseo received the qi wave as it was, without even a change in his expression.

'I thought he was no ordinary person, but to think he was this much…'

Rather, at that sight, Grandmaster Gwangha calmed down first.

"…That's why I told you in advance that it would be hard to believe."

At Jang Baekseo's calm appearance, Grandmaster Gwangha tried to say something, but he swallowed his words.

Because he had clearly said so.

But…

"But your remark just now is too rude a story to be simply passed over with just one word like that…"

"I know. That's why I also worried a lot about whether I should tell you this story or not… but,"

Jang Baekseo, who had paused for a moment, looked straight into Grandmaster Gwangha's eyes and said.

"I have to say it… that's what I thought… and even though you are angry, you are not denying it. Doesn't that mean you are admitting that my words have some truth to them?"

At those words, Grandmaster Gwangha could not refute.

He also knew.

If the hypothesis that Jang Baekseo had presented was true, then the mystery and questions of all the things that had happened that night would be resolved.

But.

But despite that, Grandmaster Gwangha did not want to believe Jang Baekseo's words.

"…I understand that you don't want to believe it. Then how about thinking about it this way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Doubting in order to believe."

"In order to believe?"

"Yes, that's right. Belief is originally accompanied by doubt, and it has its value only when it is proven through that doubt. Of course, there is also the unconditional love and trust that a parent has for a child in the world, but I think that most beliefs come at the end of reasonable doubt."

When Jang Baekseo said this much, Grandmaster Gwangha also thought that it would be okay to at least confirm the doubt.

It was just a confirmation. If Jang Baekseo's hypothesis was wrong, it would just end as a small commotion.

So…

"What should I do?"

"…You will have to die, Grandmaster Gwangha."

***

On the morning of the fourth day after the Mysterious Profound Sect arrived in Qingcheng.

Qingcheng was once again engulfed in a huge commotion.

It had been just two days since Grandmaster Gwang Oh, a great elder of Qingcheng, had been poisoned by an unidentified culprit.

But this time, Grandmaster Gwangha, the best master of Qingcheng and the most powerful swordsman in Qingcheng, had been found murdered!

"M-master!! Wh-who on earth!? Who did this kind of thing!!"

"Ugh, ugh!! Th-this can't be… this can't be!!"

"Sob, sob, sob, Master…"

Myeonggwang, Myeongryo, and Myeonghwa, the three disciples of Grandmaster Gwangha, were wailing, holding onto the body of their master who had passed away coldly.

The party of the Mysterious Profound Sect, who had pushed through the crowd, also had no choice but to be at a loss for words at the sight.

The appearance of the deceased Grandmaster Gwangha was a complete replica of Grandmaster Gwang Oh, who had been assassinated by a mysterious poison.

"…Another poisoning…"

Cheongmu swallowed a groan and could only say that one word.

The reactions of the other party members to this sudden situation were not much different.

But.

"How can this be!"

Only Jang Baekseo was sobbing and hurriedly approached the disciples of Grandmaster Gwangha, who were hugging their master and wailing.

Jang Baekseo comforted and calmed them by patting their backs or holding their hands.

While doing so, he comforted them by saying things like 'I really can't believe it…' or 'For such a good person to go so tragically…'.

But if someone had seen Jang Baekseo's eyes up close, they would have probably gotten goosebumps all over their body.

That was because Jang Baekseo's eyes, who was saying words of comfort with his mouth, were frighteningly cold and sunken…