Chapter 157
“Ha, hahahaha.” A hollow laugh escaped Jin So-baek's lips. He, too, had clearly witnessed it. Yeo Un-hwi's absurd Martial Prowess. He had long known Yeo Un-hwi was strong, having defeated even the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon and the Phantom Divine Monarch, but he had never imagined it would be *this* much. It was truly so preposterous that it made him laugh.
“Truly... astonishing.” Bae Cho-jin couldn't help but admit it either. How could someone be so powerful at that age? And why had he hidden his Martial Arts until now? There were no immediate answers. But one thing was certain: From now on, the Murim would begin to revolve around that man.
A little distance away from them, Namgung Sanghyeok, the Eldest Young Master of the Namgung Family, approached Tang Mujun, Hwangbo Cheonwoo, and Jegal Woojin, striking up a conversation. It had been a major battle, so they, too, were in disarray.
“Is everyone alright?” “Yes. Well, we're fine. Haha.” Yet, for some reason, they all wore dazed expressions. Their gazes were uniformly fixed on Yeo Un-hwi.
What did I just witness? The four of them were known as the Six Dragons, geniuses whose talents were considered among the best Under Heaven and who were destined to become the future of the Murim. Naturally, from childhood until now, they had never once envied or been jealous of anyone else's talent or skill. Their only goal was to surpass their fathers, the Family Heads of the Five Great Families. They were individuals who had never paid attention to anything else.
But today, they had thoroughly realized just how much they had been frogs in a well. Their life's ambition had simply been to succeed their fathers as Family Heads of the Five Great Families and to cultivate their Martial Arts to join the ranks of the Ten Great Masters. They had believed that once they achieved that goal, they would be able to command Under Heaven. Although the Twelve Venerables existed above them, they considered that a Heaven Beyond Heaven realm, one they dared not even contemplate.
Yet, Yeo Un-hwi, who didn't seem much older than them, had effortlessly dispatched four of the Ten Great Demon Stars, who were considered to possess power comparable to the Ten Great Masters. Furthermore, he had even defeated Gwak Cheon-gang, the Pajeon Suraje, the Former Demonic Cult Leader who had once been one of the Twelve Venerables but had reappeared as a Mysterious Man. A Mind Sword. A Mind Sword! It was to witness a Mind Sword, a technique said to be wielded only by those who had reached the pinnacle of the Sword.
Among them, Tang Mujun's face was particularly stunned. *I sparred with a man like that? Insane*.He recalled their first encounter and clash at Cheonghwaru. At the time, he had thought Yeo Un-hwi was perhaps a single step above him. But when the masked Yeo Un-hwi had blocked and cut down his brother, Tang Guhwi, who had gone into a Rampage as a madman, he realized his assessment had been wrong. Perhaps a skill level among the top ranks of the Ten Great Masters? Even that was astonishing, yet Tang Mujun had secretly believed that he could one day reach that level with his talent.
But then, I was completely wrong. That's a realm I can't even dream of reaching. Exceptional talent, in other words, meant an exceptional ability to gauge one's own limits. That's how he knew. He would never reach that realm. And he knew how truly powerful Yeo Un-hwi was. He was realizing it more vividly than anyone else.
Thus, the Four Dragons, including Tang Mujun, were plunged into profound shock, unable to escape it. Then, the youngest, Jegal Woojin, suddenly turned his gaze elsewhere. He frowned. The corpses of already dead Demonic Cultists were piled like mountains there.
“They're truly vicious bastards.” After all the fighting ended, most of the Demonic Cultists who had survived until then bit their tongues and committed suicide. Unable to fight any longer due to Yeo Un-hwi, and seeing no hope of escape, they had made such an extreme choice. Still, some among them, lacking the courage to commit suicide, couldn't bite their tongues and were subsequently imprisoned. Their fate would be decided later through a meeting of the Five Great Families. Whatever decision was made, it was clear they would never die peacefully. They were nothing more than armed bandits; feelings like pity were a luxury for such people. Not a shred of sympathy arose.
What was truly regrettable was that on the side of the Five Great Families, including the Peng Family, there were not a few casualties and wounded. War was always like that. Someone always died or was injured. Before that grim reality, sorrow outweighed the joy of having repelled the Demonic Cult.
“...Is that so. We stopped them. The Demonic Cult...” And just a moment ago. Someone arrived, panting, having just reached this place. He quickly assessed the situation and then broke into a joyful smile. It was Jegal Gil.
“It's done, it's done. What a relief. Haha.” He didn't bother to approach Yeo Un-hwi and speak to him. He could have said something, even just a word, like "I'm late, but I came to help." But Jegal Gil was simply happy that the Peng Family had not been annihilated by the Demonic Cult. That was enough. He quietly turned and left. Since he had confirmed the Peng Family's safety, there was no longer any reason for him to be there. Now, he had to return to the Murim Alliance to continue his own battle. Although he was utterly exhausted, a smile of relief had spread across his lips.
Thus, the war between the Five Great Families Alliance and the Demonic Cult had just concluded.
The Peng Family's Family Head's Hall. Peng Mugang, Dan Hee-young, and Peng Seo-jin were gathered there. Despite the exhaustion etched on their faces after the brutal war, none of the three showed any signs of discomposure. No, rather, they seemed a little tense. The reason for their gathering was that Yeo Un-hwi had told them he had something to discuss. They hadn't heard what the story was, but they had a feeling they knew what it concerned. It was the Martial Arts he had displayed while dealing with the Demonic Cultists today. It must be about that.
How long had they been there, each lost in their own thoughts about it? Quietly, the door to the Family Head's Hall opened. Yeo Un-hwi and Peng Seo-yeon entered, with Yul-i asleep in Peng Seo-yeon's arms. Peng Seo-yeon's eyes were red. It seemed she had already heard the story.
“I apologize for being late.” “Sit.” Seats arranged for them across from Peng Mugang were empty. Yeo Un-hwi and Peng Seo-yeon took their places. Peng Seo-yeon silently squeezed Yeo Un-hwi's hand. Though he had already confided in Peng Seo-yeon once, bringing up this story, which he had agonized over for so long, was still difficult. Yeo Un-hwi's lips slowly parted, as he seemed to choose his words while gazing at the table.
“I once lost my wife and Yul-i.” With those words, an astonishing and unbelievable story began to flow from Yeo Un-hwi. Their meeting, the opposition, their elopement. That much was a story everyone present knew. But the erased past, or the future that would never come, where she was poisoned and passed away. The story from that point onward was one no one else in the room knew.
“I was powerless, even foolish. I simply thought that standing firm and not backing down was courage.” But it wasn't. He hadn't known that sometimes, letting go was also courage. At that time, after Peng Seo-yeon died, he should have sent Yul-i to Peng Mugang, who had come to Sodam Village. But he had been reckless, believing he could protect Yul-i alone, and in the end, he lost Yul-i too.
As Yeo Un-hwi-hwi unveiled his shocking story, the faces of the Peng Family members changed moment by moment. When he spoke of Peng Seo-yeon's and Yul-i's deaths, Peng Mugang clenched his fists so tightly that veins bulged. Yet, even before his family's reactions, Yeo Un-hwi recounted the story with a consistently calm expression. It was still a painful memory, one that stirred anger, but on the other hand, it was also a past he had replayed and replayed so many times that he had become detached from it.
“After my wife and Yul-i died, I lived half-mad. I thought only of finding and killing villains. That didn't change even after I gained “this power,” the “Martial God”s Fortuitous Encounter.'” He hadn't seen the Fortuitous Encounter as such, but merely as a tool for revenge. As Karma for that, he bore the name “Blood Demon.” Countless villains. Endless slaughter. He floundered in the swamp of revenge his entire life, only to meet a futile death in the end. But then.
“...When I opened my eyes, my wife and Yul-i were before me. Just as they were, happy, before hell came.” Just thinking of that moment made his heart pound. His beloved family, whom he thought he would never see again. What could compare to the joy, happiness, and emotion of reuniting with them?
“I don't know how it was possible. I simply vowed that with this second chance, I would never make the same mistakes again.” And so, what happened afterward is known to all. He once again obtained the Martial God's Fortuitous Encounter and returned to the Peng Family to protect Peng Seo-yeon and Yul-i. He didn't care how he was treated, or what ridicule he faced. Only. Only for his family.
Yeo Un-hwi, having finished his story, looked back at Peng Seo-yeon sitting beside him. Her large eyes were already brimming with tears as she gazed at him. Before confiding in the family, they had spoken alone first. She had listened to his entire story without a word, then quietly bit her lip, tears streaming down. It was a story full of holes, unbelievable. She could have questioned it endlessly. But she didn't. She simply reached out her two arms and embraced Yeo Un-hwi. And she said,
Thank you. For protecting us. And I'm sorry. For making you bear everything alone. She felt no betrayal or resentment for him not having told her these facts until now. She simply pitied Yeo Un-hwi, who must have suffered and worried alone for so long. How difficult must it have been? How painful and sorrowful? Now, he revealed this unbelievable story to his family as well. There was nothing left to hide.
Yeo Un-hwi observed his family's faces. Surprise. Bewilderment. All understandable reactions. What would they say now? Yeo Un-hwi, who feared nothing in the world, felt a sense of dread at this moment.
Finally, someone spoke. It was Peng Mugang. “As you say.” A low, heavy voice cut sharply across the table, piercing Yeo Un-hwi. “For us, who haven't experienced such a thing, it's a difficult story to believe. A person returning to the past is hard even to imagine.” For a moment, Yeo Un-hwi's heart seemed to plummet. Peng Seo-yeon squeezed his hand tightly. Yeo Un-hwi replied as calmly as possible. “Yes. I understand completely.” He had expected this level of reaction. It was already surprising that they had listened to his story this far. Regression, of all things. What an absurd tale. If he hadn't experienced it himself, he would have dismissed it as a joke.
“However.” But Peng Mugang's words weren't finished. “The sincerity of your feelings for Seo-yeon, for Yul-i, and for our Peng Family—I can believe that. And all the actions you've shown for our Peng Family—I can believe those, too.” “And you are a person of our Peng Family. I am Peng Mugang, the Family Head of the Peng Family. I trust the people of my clan.” Yeo Un-hwi's eyes, which had been staring blankly at Peng Mugang, wavered. Noticing the tremor of emotion, a smile appeared on Peng Mugang's lips. It wasn't his usual imposing yet hearty laugh, but the benevolent smile of a father, more loving than anyone.
“You must have suffered greatly.” “Thank... you.” A catch in Yeo Un-hwi's voice, barely swallowed, betrayed his emotion. But everyone pretended not to notice. From that day forward, Peng Mugang and Dan Hee-young truly began to regard Yeo Un-hwi not as a son-in-law, but as their own child. It was the moment Yeo Un-hwi became a true member of the Peng Family.