Reincarnator’s Stream

Lee Suhyuk descended to the café on the first floor of the dormitory.

The surroundings were bustling, but he couldn’t hear a single word. As his thoughts deepened, he found himself gradually slipping into his own world.

“I don’t know the details either.”

Cha Unhyeop had indeed left just after leaving a warning.

“All I know is that this time, the Master has truly drawn his sword.”

Cha Unhyeop’s master was Un Cheon-guk, the father of Un Hyang. If that snake-like person had made up his mind, it certainly wouldn’t be an ordinary matter.

‘The Divine Dragon Group is the second largest faction in Murim.’

He had been lost in thought for so long that his ordered tea had grown cold.

‘…Is this even possible?’

The more he pondered, the deeper his thoughts went, as if he was sinking into a quagmire.

As his thoughts deepened, they became more and more confusing.

What exactly was he agonizing over?

Was it because the time wasn’t right yet? Because he wasn’t confident in his strength? Or was it because it involved her family?

Nothing felt clear. He needed to clarify the source of his worries and conflicts to make his steps lighter.

While his mind was being swirled around by such thoughts,

“I meet you here.”

A voice from right in front of him lifted Lee Suhyuk’s head.

He saw a formidable woman with her hair tied up high. She wore the martial attire of the Namgung family, and her face was familiar to him.

‘Leader?’

She was the Leader of the Martial Alliance.

Was she still in town?

He had thought she would have returned to Murim immediately after the Counter-Fight, but it seemed she was still here.

He had heard she was looking for him, but he didn’t expect her to come forward so actively.

Namgung Hwayung’s gaze fell on Suhyuk’s now-cold teacup.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“Not really.”

“Would it be okay if I join you? I was looking for you anyway.”

Although she made it seem like a coincidence, it clearly wasn’t. After a moment of contemplation, Suhyuk nodded.

Ordering the same type of tea, Namgung Hwayung slowly observed Suhyuk.

Suhyuk quietly brought his teacup to his lips. Her appearance, if anything, clarified his previously muddled deliberations.

“I was impressed by your match this time.”

“Didn’t go far, though.”

“If that early exit was because of your fight with the Heavenly Demon, it was, in a sense, like a final match.”

In this Counter-Fight, Lee Suhyuk was the only one who fought the Heavenly Demon.

Moreover, the match wasn’t unimpressive.

“You flatter me.”

“It’s not flattery. I was genuinely in awe of your match, Suhyuk.”

Though her tone was friendly, the atmosphere was a bit different.

Suhyuk sensed a strong spirit of challenge in the woman sitting across the small table.

She was probably curious.

Just how remarkable was Lee Suhyuk, the player who fought such a match against the Heavenly Demon? Was he truly of that caliber?

“I heard you are still alone……”

*Clink.*

Just then, the ordered tea arrived.

“Do you have plans for the future?”

Namgung Hwayung finally got to the point.

Join Murim. Instead of posing such a direct question, she approached it a bit more indirectly.

“Plans…”

That was exactly what he had been contemplating. But having the question posed to him this way, his mind suddenly felt clear.

Namgung Hwayung.

Did she know?

That the person sitting in front of her was the most dangerous enemy sharpening a blade against the Namgung family?

“There’s one thing that’s certain.”

“And what is that?”

“I might end up fighting against you.”

*Twitch.*

Namgung Hwayung’s brows furrowed.

There was a brief silence as she read Suhyuk’s words, expression, and demeanor.

There was no apparent hostility.

However, the barely contained rage couldn’t be concealed.

Obviously, this was their first meeting. And there shouldn’t have been any particular connection with Murim.

“By ‘you’, do you mean the Namgung family?”

Namgung Hwayung’s tone had a sharper edge to it.

“Who knows. We’ll have to see.”

Namgung Hwayung succeeded Jin Doha as the leader of the Martial Alliance. Furthermore, she was not present on the day he died.

How much did the current leader of the Martial Alliance know? And if she knew, how deeply was she involved?

Until these questions were answered, their relationship would inevitably remain on an equal footing.

“That sounds like you’re willing to make the entire Murim World your enemy.”

“That depends on the leader. I have no idea how much the leader knows or what choices she’ll make.”

*Cre-eak.*

Before the conversation could drag on, Suhyuk stood up from his seat.

“We haven’t finished talking yet.”

“I have nothing more to say.”

“I do.”

*Wooo-om.*

*Wrakk.*

The ceiling of the building caved in. Namgung Hwayung’s magical power filled the space inside the cafe, pressing down with its force.

The secret technique of the Namgung family, ‘Emperor Sword Form’, had begun to manifest.

“Explain in detail.”

“… No.”

“If you do that, do you think I will accept it?”

“The leader should think it over carefully.”

*Crackle.*

Sparks flew from the tips of Suhyuk’s fingers.

“Don’t be under the illusion that I’ll fight you here.”

“……!”

Namgung Hwayung’s eyes widened at an unexpected response.

She recalled the performance Lee Suhyuk had shown in the Counter-Fight. Whether he was serious or not, he was a player skilled enough to parry the Heavenly Demon.

Moreover, lightning was one of the best mobility skills in this tower.

If Lee Suhyuk decided not to fight and chose to flee, capturing him would be no easy task.

“You will soon understand why.”

*Step, step.*

Suhyuk passed by her.

“That is, unless the leader is uninterested in her own household’s affairs.”

* * *

Left alone, Namgung Hwayung didn’t leave her seat.

Ignoring the glances from the surroundings, she instructed a soldier to find out something.

The Martial Alliance’s information network was vast and accurate. Coupled with the useful tool known as the kit, the information came in less than an hour.

“…The Divine Dragon Group?”

“There was an encounter with them once.”

“Why? There’s no point of contact.”

“We’ll need more time to understand the details, but we discovered it was related to a manager.”

“A manager?”

A manager and the Divine Dragon Group. What kind of relationship did they have that led to such incidents?

As Namgung Hwayung pressed her throbbing temples, the Martial Alliance soldier, Jaegal Gyu, asked.

“Leader, did he really say that? That he would fight you?”

“Yes, quite clearly.”

Jaegal Gyu’s expression turned serious as well.

“Why?”

“It’s possible that… Lee Suhyuk is preparing for a war against the Divine Dragon Group.”

“War?”

Namgung Hwayung’s eyes widened as she shook her head.

“No, no matter how skilled he is… Lee Suhyuk cannot do it alone.”

It wasn’t just the power of the Divine Dragon Group.

Their leader was Un Cheon-guk. That madman of fury was almost unstoppable in the current Murim World, outside of Jin Doha.

No matter how remarkable Lee Suhyuk had been in the recent Counter-Fight, fighting the Divine Dragon Group was out of the question.

He was smart enough to understand that much, Namgung Hwayung didn’t doubt it.

Furthermore…

“I have no idea how much the leader knows or what choices she’ll make.”

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t grasp the meaning of this statement.

“If you were so curious, why didn’t you just catch him and ask?”

Jaegal Gyu seemed genuinely puzzled.

Though she was still compared to Jin Doha, Namgung Hwayung was the leader of the Martial Alliance.

The head who led the massive organization called the Martial Alliance. She was skilled enough to bear that enormous title.

No matter how skilled and clever Lee Suhyuk was, Jaegal Gyu simply couldn’t believe that Namgung Hwayung would fail to catch him.

“If I could have, I would have.”

“You mean, you missed him?”

“I didn’t even try. If I’m not here to kill him, he shouldn’t become an enemy.”

One enemy on top of everything else? That was truly something she didn’t want to think about.

Anyway.

“What was your impression of meeting him?”

“I can’t say for sure. Nonetheless, I definitely got a feeling.”

Tight grip.

Just thinking about it made Namgung Hwaryeong tense, clenching her fist tightly.

“Lee Suhyuk will someday be able to confront that demon.”

* * *

Socheon Family.

They were a righteous martial arts family that maintained a spirit of resilience and intolerance towards injustice.

For long years, the Socheon Family had established deep roots in the history of the Murim World. Without joining the Murim Alliance, they had settled in Shanxi, fortifying their power.

They had produced several rankers over the years, and while they hadn’t seized power, they lived peacefully.

*Drip, drip.*

But now.

The river flowed with blood at the Socheon Family estate.

“Jung… my son…”

Suwook, the head of the Socheon Family, spoke with a voice full of agony as he looked at the lifeless body of his son, whose chest was slashed open.

It wasn’t just his son.

So many people had perished in the family, their blood justifying the scene of carnage. Among the fallen were members of the Socheon Family’s bloodline and disciples he had personally trained.

None of them were insignificant. No life was undeserving.

*Tremble, tremble.*

“P-please spare me…”

“Please… just my life…”

Inside the family hall, a few surviving martial artists knelt.

Before the one who created all this havoc.

“Why would you…”

Suwook cried out, filled with rage and sorrow, addressing the person.

“Why would you do this!”

“Because the Murim targeted me first.”

“So why us! Our Socheon Family isn’t even part of the Murim Alliance!”

*Swoosh.*

The man’s gaze shifted towards Suwook.

Even knowing he was an enemy, Suwook felt terror. The man radiated a fear far more fundamental and profound than death.

And for a good reason.

The man in front of him was the demon who had terrified the entire Murim and this tower – the Heavenly Demon.

“Do you want to know the reason?”

At the Heavenly Demon’s question, Suwook nodded. Even if he were to die, he needed to understand why his family faced extermination.

What had they done wrong?

But the Heavenly Demon’s answer was entirely unexpected.

“A death with a reason isn’t that terrifying.”

“… What?”

“Their deaths have no reason. If there’s any fault, it’s with those who first raised their swords against me.”

“What kind of nonsense…”

It felt like his blood was boiling.

“So, because of the Murim’s mistakes, our family…”

“If you want to hold a grudge, do it. But make sure to convey the message clearly to the Murim Alliance or wherever.”

As if done talking, the Heavenly Demon turned around.

“It was you who resurrected the Heavenly Demon.”

The survivors, including Suwook and three other martial artists from the Socheon Family, would spread word about what happened today and why the Heavenly Demon destroyed the Socheon Family.

Naturally, fear would spread.

The Heavenly Demon might target anyone without reason. What could be more terrifying than that?

The Heavenly Demon then left the family hall. Behind him, Suwook’s scream of agony echoed.

As if he were a complete stranger, the Heavenly Demon walked away slowly. He didn’t mind when corpses got in his way.

He had walked paths of blood countless times.

In fact.

He found paths without blood more unfamiliar.

*Splatter.*

While walking on the blood-soaked path like a river.

“Leaving so soon isn’t polite.”

A crimson mirage appeared on the blood and the Heavenly Demon spoke.

“You promised, didn’t you? I get to handle these things.”

Despite decimating a family, the Heavenly Demon didn’t stop.

Passing through the mirage with his sword still in hand, the Heavenly Demon continued.

“The warning has just begun, right?”