Chapter 361

Chapter 361
## Chapter 361. Invisible Torrent (1)

—

No one was there to greet them.

Typically, the conclusion of the Great Journey—the academy’s ultimate trial—would be celebrated with a lavish festival to honor the students, but on this occasion, no such celebration materialized.

The festive and unruly atmosphere that traditionally accompanied the final days of the term was replaced by a heavy, unmoving stillness.

With graduation looming on the horizon, the scholars were not anxiously waiting to see which prestigious hall would scout them; instead, they brooded in grief over whose memorial service would be observed next.

Rather than counting down the days until they could leave the academy behind, everyone silently prayed that time would simply stand still.

A group of students received orders to report to the Execution Hall.

Every single individual who had held the rank of squad leader was called in, alongside a handful of regular practitioners.

It appeared that the rigorous inquiry previously announced by the Execution Hall officials had officially commenced.

With all the instructors currently undergoing questioning at the Inspection Hall, scheduled lessons were suspended, leaving me to pass the hours inside my quarters.

*Chwa-reureureureureu.*

The shifting edge of my weapon unraveled, dominating the space of the private training yard.

I transitioned from the Small Heaven Sword Art smoothly into the Great Heaven Sword Art.

Following that, I unleashed the Twin Heaven Sword Formula, executing the techniques in a relentless, interconnected sequence.

I discharged the forms repeatedly, driving myself without pause.

*Chwa-reureureureuk.*

I kept projecting the illusory blades until my own vision blurred from tracking the movements.

[Aaaaah!]

[Is this where it ends…….]

[Those absolute bastards…….]

I swung the weapon with desperate ferocity, trying to drown out the haunting recollections resurfacing in my mind.

I understood completely that these ghosts of the mind could not be exorcised by merely exhausting my physical form.

After all, it was this exact torment that had driven me to live in isolation among desolate peaks and deep caverns during my previous existence.

Even in the sanctuary of my exile, peace had eluded me.

*Chwa-reureureureuk.*

Once more, I thrust my blade toward the advancing fiends of my memory.

The weapon was identical to the one from my past.

This time, I attempted a different tactic.

Instead of cutting down the charging monsters, I chose to strike and repel them.

“Damn it……!”

Yet, the casualties remained the same.

As my mastery over the Tae-eul Divine Scripture deepened, the painful echoes of my past life had grown less frequent, but these freshly carved traumas only served to amplify my current anguish.

*Thump—*

I pushed my blade to move with even greater velocity.

I executed parrying maneuvers and defensive structures, followed by devastating counter-strikes.

Yet, the lives slipped away regardless.

*Thump—*

Once more, someone succumbed to their wounds, bleeding out before me.

No matter how much internal energy I channeled, how wildly I swung my steel, or how recklessly I threw myself into harm’s way, they kept falling.

*Thump—*

Even though I had achieved a level of martial prowess that completely eclipsed my capabilities in my previous life.

*Thump—*

Inside these memories, I remained utterly powerless.

*Thump, thump, thump.*

I forced my blade through the air yet again.

*Chwa-reureureureureuk.*

Striking with absolute efficiency through the perfect trajectory.

Gradually increasing the velocity.

Gradually sharpening the precision.

I lost track of the hours.

The sun, which had been climbing toward its peak when I began, was now dipping beneath the horizon.

“Ha, ha, ha.”

The inner reservoir within my dantian was completely drained, and my fingers trembled violently as they gripped the Jeok-gwang Sword.

As I stood there struggling to steady my breathing, a familiar voice cut through the quiet from behind.

“Why must you push yourself through such reckless training?”

It was Hwa-jeong-san.

I had detected his presence three *shijin* prior.

It was impossible to miss him, considering he had deliberately broadcasted his approach from a great distance.

However, I had chosen to ignore his arrival.

I simply lacked the desire to converse with anyone at that moment.

I knew I would be forced to engage in endless, exhausting dialogue soon enough anyway.

Naturally, Hwa-jeong-san proved to be as inconsiderate as ever.

“Hey, are you deliberately freezing me out?”

“Sigh…… you truly lack any sense of timing.”

“What did you call me, you brat?”

He strode into the training area, selected a spot, and dropped heavily onto the wooden floorboards.

“If you merely wanted to stretch your muscles, you ought to have summoned me. I was prepared to demonstrate the New Plum Blossom Sword that I recently perfected.”

“Are you looking to use me as a punching bag to take out your frustrations, *Seonbae*?”

Hwa-jeong-san looked momentarily taken aback before his brow darkened with irritation.

“Is that what occupies your thoughts? As if a single soul would dare utter a slight against you.”

“Every person requires a vessel to empty their sorrow into. Isn’t that the real reason you sought me out today, *Seonbae*?”

“…….”

I bore no guilt for my actions.

Even upon reviewing the memories repeatedly, I knew I had acted to the absolute limit of my capabilities.

Had fortune not smiled upon us, the death toll would have been far more severe.

At the very least, I considered it a miracle guided by fortune.

‘Indeed, that is the undeniable truth.’

Yet, even when the intellect acknowledges a fact, do human beings not still seek a path to unburden their heavy spirits?

It is a natural human flaw to resist a truth that the heart finds unpalatable.

Moreover, discovering that not a single member under my direct charge had perished only intensified things.

That irrational sense of injustice reached a boiling point.

It mirrored the exact despair I felt when the Tae-eul-mun was wiped out.

The same feeling from when I received word of the deaths of my junior brothers who were stationed at the Murim Alliance.

A voice strained with poorly masked emotion reached my ears.

“Jo-gae-ryong was a brother who shared my living quarters since our childhood days.”

He was a companion who used to brag about the legendary drinking capacity of the Huashan sect.

Suddenly, a vision of his blood-stained face breaking into a wide, white-toothed grin flashed before my eyes.

“He couldn’t match my skill…… but he possessed the talent necessary to bring immense honor to the name of Huashan.”

“…….”

As I watched him in absolute silence, Hwa-jeong-san tilted his gaze downward and clamped his teeth over his lip.

“Your words hold true. My intention was indeed to project my anger onto you. Actually, this isn’t a sudden impulse. I wanted to confront you even while we were at the Mandok-mun.”

Hwa-jeong-san’s gaze appeared faded and dim, resembling the cold ash of a dead fire.

“Whether Jo-gae-ryong truly had to perish in that manner, or if perhaps……”

He swallowed hard, pausing in hesitation multiple times before forcing the words out.

“Whether that boy met his end as a consequence of my past transgressions……”

“…….”

Amused by the absurdity of his own thoughts, Hwa-jeong-san let his head drop and emitted a bitter, self-deprecating chuckle.

“It makes no sense. It isn’t as though a solitary life was lost……”

In all likelihood, the majority of those currently hastening toward the Murim Alliance were plagued by identical doubts.

Wondering why it had to be their specific disciple.

Wondering why it had to be their own flesh and blood.

“……The disciples of Huashan were fighting to shield you. That is the sole reason I refrained from asking until now.”

His eyes were heavily bloodshot, bearing the strain of someone who had abandoned sleep for days.

Then, seemingly struck by his own foolishness, he lowered his gaze once more.

“Yet the thought refused to leave me. Whether this tragedy…… truly possessed no link to the events at the Tae-eul-mun.”

Hwa-jeong-san’s expression carried a profound sense of yearning.

It was as though he were seeking a reality far beyond what was visible.

I met his gaze directly, unflinchingly.

“Did you mean what you said back then?”

“To what are you referring?”

“Your conduct regarding the Tae-eul-mun. Your claim that you played that part deliberately because such an outcome was required.”

I pressed him on the matter that I had been aware of, yet had never heard him confirm during my past life.

“Your claim that your malice wasn’t genuine.”

Hwa-jeong-san maintained an intense stare for a long interval.

Following a severe internal struggle, he finally parted his lips to speak.

“No. I took pleasure in it.”

The absolute truth was delivered without filter. Rather, it erupted from him.

It felt as though a barrier restraining a massive reservoir had suddenly given way.

The confession spilled out of him effortlessly, as if something deep within had ruptured.

“Even if such an action was deemed necessary, it was undeniably an act of grave disrespect (*bi-rye*). Yet I was the celebrated New Plum Blossom Sword of Huashan, and I was the Hwa-jeong-san who stood proud at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”

His features twisted, marred by a mixture of intense regret and raw honesty.

“And yet, society permitted it. That is precisely why I proceeded. Because the Tae-eul-mun was a clan where such behavior was tolerated.”

This was likely the most genuine sentiment he could ever offer.

Was the longing I detected in his eyes earlier simply a desire to finally be confronted with the unvarnished truth?

I posed another question.

“The events within the Silent Forest. Do you truly require my response?”

Whether you possess the strength to withstand it.

Whether you are capable of enduring the immense burden that I, and those alongside me, carried in our previous lifetimes.

“…….”

Hwa-jeong-san bit down on his lip, offering no reply.

After a brief pause, a flurry of conflicted emotions crossed Hwa-jeong-san’s features.

“I lack the sharp intuition of individuals like Yong-so-a or Il-myeong who comprehend everything in an instant. Because of that…… I merely desire to hear it directly from you.”

“…….”

Things had changed.

Hwa-jeong-san no longer loomed as an intimidating figure in my eyes.

Neither the Righteous Way Society that backed him nor the Huashan sect itself appeared as insurmountable forces anymore.

If anything, our future promised a relationship defined by a brutal, uncompromising conflict.

Consequently, I was free to speak with absolute candor.

He carried the weight of an unpaid obligation to me, whereas I owed him absolutely nothing.

I possessed the power to inflict upon him the exact same agonizing helplessness and sorrow that had broken me in my previous life.

“…….”

Yet

For some reason, the memory of Jo-gae-ryong’s broad grin, showing his white teeth, manifested vividly in my mind.

This was precisely why I had wished to avoid this conversation today.

“I understand. I know how many souls perished so that others might escape the Silent Forest alive. I know how utterly irrational it is to harbor bitterness toward you. And yet, and yet……”

His voice, which had been trying desperately to remain steady, grew heavy with unshed tears.

“Jo-gae-ryong was not a boy who deserved to throw away his life so cheaply in a place like that.”

An aimless animosity drifted through the air, lacking a true target.

It lashed inward at himself before turning outward toward me. No matter how much it drifted, it refused to dissipate, maintaining its destructive momentum.

Such was the true nature of deep-seated resentment.

And buried at the foundation of that bitterness was an undeniable trace of envy toward me—the one who had guided every single one of his own followers back to safety.

I had no obligation to justify the decisions I made to Hwa-jeong-san.

The authority of leadership belonged to me, and I had simply executed the most optimal strategy available.

I could easily choose to dismiss him coldly, repeating the very phrase he had leveled at me in my past life: ‘This matter is of no concern to you.’

After all, my own emotional state was already pushed to its limit.

I lacked the emotional capacity to soothe his fractured spirit.

And yet.

[Squad Leader Jin, you had better prepare your coin purse. The men of Huashan measure their baseline liquor capacity by the barrel. Hahaha!]

That irritating Jo-gae-ryong refused to leave my thoughts, lingering there and laughing with his teeth bared.

I lifted my gaze to meet Hwa-jeong-san’s eyes.

Then, I spoke.

I granted him the very words that my past self had desperately longed to receive from him.

“It bore absolutely no connection to the grievances of the Tae-eul-mun.”

“…….”

The exact reassurance he had been starving to hear.

“When making critical decisions, I never permit personal animosity to influence my choices.”

Upon hearing my firm declaration, a look of bewilderment briefly washed over his face.

Shortly after, he gave a slow nod, a melancholic yet visibly relieved smile touching his lips.

“Yes, I understand. I was certain you would choose a different path……”

It was as though he had known from the start that I would offer that specific comfort.

Even so, the deep-seated anxiety etched into his features did not completely vanish.

Gaining clarity regarding the facts does not instantly dissolve the emotional weight.

He would likely struggle to ever truly untangle the loss of his brother from his soul.

“……My thanks. For granting me this answer.”

Hwa-jeong-san, offering a fragile smile while maintaining his composure, turned around to depart.

As his figure began to recede, I called out one final sentiment.

“Jo-gae-ryong was…… a genuine warrior of the path.”

Hwa-jeong-san froze mid-step.

“What else could you call an individual who surrenders their own existence to preserve their comrades, if not a genuine warrior?”

The phrase ‘warrior’ seemed to echo silently against Hwa-jeong-san’s hesitant lips.

It lasted for only a heartbeat.

Soon, he turned back with a completely transformed, radiant expression, a wide grin breaking across his face.

“As I thought, seeking you out was the correct choice. Thank you.”

Even as he finally cleared the perimeter of the training grounds, he could be heard muttering the word ‘warrior’ under his breath over and over again.

The following morning, I received an official summons to the Inspection Hall.

This process deviated significantly from the interrogation of the other academy scholars, which had taken place within the confines of the Execution Hall.

The nature of my reception was also entirely different from the rumors I had gathered.

While the investigators at the Execution Hall maintained a civil demeanor, the students reported experiencing an incredibly oppressive and suffocating aura inside the questioning rooms.

In stark contrast, I found myself seated comfortably inside the personal chambers of the Hall Master.

*Jyo-reureureu.*

Vapor drifted upward as the fragrant tea was prepared.

I observed the process in silence before offering a critique.

“Is there no higher quality blend available?”

“…….”

The stern countenance of the interrogator twisted into an even more formidable scowl.

Good grief, if you lack better provisions, a simple refusal would suffice. His volatile temperament remained entirely unchanged from the past.

“If it is unavailable, do not trouble yourself.”

“……Have you lost sight of the reality that you are present for an official inquiry?”

“Did the setting not suggest that such a request was acceptable?”

A welcoming reception, a deferential demeanor, and even the luxury of enjoying a hot beverage during an interrogation.

It bore no resemblance to a hostile cross-examination.

Though, naturally, this comfort was tempered by the fact that my interviewer was none other than Ak-byeong-bi.

“Our data is already comprehensive. The sole remaining requirement is the verification process by agents sent directly to the Silent Forest.”

His statement caused me to pause and tilt my head in confusion.

The treacherous instructors had been desperate to reach the Murim Alliance ahead of us for a specific reason.

They undoubtedly would have dispatched messenger birds in every direction to alert their influential allies and disrupt any fair inquiry, so how could this be…….

“The resolution is clear because Yong-so-a’s formal account presented an argument that completely contradicted the testimony of the instructors.”

Ah, so Yong-so-a had intervened yet again.

While it was fortunate that the crisis was averted through Yong-so-a’s intervention, it simultaneously served as a stark reminder of the massive divide between our stations.

Had he chosen to provide an account that clashed with my own, would my perspective have even been granted a hearing?

“Furthermore, the absolute consistency among the statements of the academy scholars carried significant weight.”

My head tilted once more in surprise.

“They were entirely consistent?”

As a general rule, aspirants seeking advancement avoid provoking friction with their superiors…….

“Indeed. Regardless of the number of individuals we questioned, every single account mirrored the same narrative.”

I had fully anticipated that a few weak-willed individuals would surely distort the facts under intimidation from their clan leaders or senior figures.

This unexpected solidarity was genuinely moving…….

“Hmm?”

In an abrupt shift, Ak-byeong-bi’s expression turned incredibly menacing.

“This entire situation centers on you, Jin-so-un……”

“!”

What is happening, what could this mean?

Was the tone of this conversation not explicitly favorable toward me just a second ago?

“……Have I committed some infraction?”

Ak-byeong-bi widened his eyes in apparent shock at my defensive reaction.

“I am informing you that they credited their survival entirely to your leadership. Every voice was raised in your praise.”

“Listen…… is it truly necessary to deliver such complimentary news with an expression that looks ready to murder? Honestly.”

Observing my exasperation, Ak-byeong-bi’s imposing posture suddenly deflated.

“I believed I was offering a smile……”

Good heavens, if he attempts that expression twice more, my heart will give out entirely.

Ak-byeong-bi, quickly shaking off his momentary embarrassment, restored his composure.

“You performed admirably.”

“…….”

“Guiding your fellow students through a catastrophe of that magnitude could never have been a simple undertaking.”

“I merely…… executed the duties required of me.”

“Why do you carry yourself with such melancholy? You achieved a triumph that no other person could have managed.”

Perhaps that was true.

It was an outcome only made possible because I was fully aware of those traitors’ true natures and anticipated their movements.

Yet, despite possessing all that foreknowledge, I had still been caught off guard.

……The realization that lives were cut short causes a wave of fury to well up within me.

Because their underlying malice remains so palpable, my anger refuses to easily dissipate.

I pause to consciously regulate my breathing.

Even so, the suffocating pressure weighing down my spirit refuses to leave.

“The memorial services…… when are they scheduled to take place?”

“The formal inquiry must conclude before any arrangements are finalized.”

“……They will likely coincide with the official end of the academic term.”

“Given that these casualties cannot be classified as ordinary passings.”

As this investigation uncovers more threads, adversaries that the Murim Alliance had remained oblivious to until now will be brought to light.

And due to the elusive nature of these unmapped threats, the Murim Alliance is bound to be plunged into a state of prolonged upheaval.

“What form will the services take? Will there be a collective memorial?”

“It appears the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom intends to orchestrate an official Alliance Burial (*Maeng-jang*).”

“Understood. That provides some small comfort.”

We continued to trade inconsequential remarks for a period of time.

Then, Ak-byeong-bi shifted the topic with an ostensibly casual inquiry.

“Are those the identical entities you encountered during that time?”

He left the specific location unspoken, yet I signaled my assent with a nod.

“……How absolute is your conviction?”

“Does a matter of this gravity permit any room for doubt?”

Hearing my retort, Ak-byeong-bi let out a heavy, troubled sigh that he could not contain.

There was no need to articulate the sheer horror and danger posed by the entities we had clashed with at the Sa-heuk-ryeon.

“Then those monsters truly walk among us.”

Ak-byeong-bi lapsed into a lengthy silence, processing a reality that seemed difficult to comprehend.

After a long pause, he spoke in a low, somber tone.

“The entire Jianghu is bound to descend into absolute chaos.”

“Such an outcome will likely complicate matters for you, Hall Master.”

“Undeniably. There is no political tool quite as potent or easily manipulated as an unseeable adversary.”

“My only hope is that no innocent soul is subjected to the same false accusations that I endured.”

“Ahem. Cough.”

Ak-byeong-bi cleared his throat repeatedly, clearly discomfited by the reminder.

To think that this hardened man could actually experience shame.

When a faint smirk escaped my lips, he simply stared back at me with a blank expression.

“Setting that aside…… which department do you intend to join upon completing your studies?”

Suddenly, Ak-byeong-bi tightened his fists, his expression shifting to one of profound gravity and earnestness.

“Should you choose to enter the Inspection Hall, I will personally guarantee a position is made ready for you.”

What nonsense is this man uttering?

The Inspection Hall is fundamentally an elite sanctuary reserved exclusively for the highest tier of aristocracy within the Murim Alliance.

While the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom maintains a barrier that can be overcome by passing the trials set by Jegal-so-myeong, the Inspection Hall demands both a flawless pedigree and illustrious lineage, completely independent of one’s academic achievements.

An alumnus originating from a low-tier, insignificant sect like myself lacked any standing to simply walk in, regardless of how exemplary my academic marks might be.

Even if I somehow secured entry, the likelihood of receiving legitimate responsibilities was nonexistent.

In all probability, I would be reduced to running trivial errands before eventually being forced out.

“I must decline. Performing menial labor fails to align with my disposition……”

*Kwang!*

“Who gave you the impression that I would relegate you to trivial tasks!”

Good grief, that gave me quite a fright! Why must you suddenly slam the furniture and cause a scene?

Seemingly aware of his own overreaction, Ak-byeong-bi adjusted his garments before clarifying his statement.

“……Ahem. You are aware that I was elevated to the position of Grand Hall Master during this recent cycle, correct?”

“Indeed. Truly a sign of impending ruin.”

“You cheeky brat…… cough, regardless, that promotion triggered a shift where the leadership of the Three Halls advanced by one tier, leaving a Squad Leader (*Dae-ju*) vacancy open.”

“…….”

I found myself utterly struck dumb by his preposterous proposition.

The ranking system within the Inspection Hall and the Execution Hall sits a full tier higher than standard administrative departments.

To put it plainly, holding the title of Squad Leader within the Inspection Hall carried the same weight as a Grand Squad Leader position within any ordinary division.

‘I mean, is such a scenario even plausible?’

Even for the topmost graduate of the entire academy, jumping straight into such a role was unprecedented.

No, the entire concept was fundamentally absurd from the ground up.

“I am in no mood for practical jokes.”

“What leads you to believe this is a jest?”

Ak-byeong-bi’s face contorted into that terrifying expression once more.

“Why must you look so fierce again…… ah.”

I recalled his earlier words; this was his version of a pleasant smile.

It was an expression that remained thoroughly unsettling, no matter how frequently I witnessed it.

The path leading back toward the academy grounds.

The Murim Alliance was completely enveloped in a restless, disorganized state of turmoil.

Everywhere I looked, individuals were weeping openly, surrounded by others attempting to offer words of solace.

The crowds were a mix of grief-stricken family relatives and members representing decimated martial sects.

An array of citizens were giving voice to their sorrow and fury, some even stomping their feet against the earth in helpless rage.

Some fainted entirely while receiving details from the Alliance representatives, while others, consumed by a frenzy of anger, lunged forward to seize the officials by their robes.

Sorrow manifested in myriad destructive ways throughout the area.

As I quietly navigated through the throng, my gaze locked with several onlookers.

“…….”

Certain individuals directed glares at me filled with pure, murderous hatred, while others simply stared with hollow, unseeing eyes.

Amidst the crowd, there were even those who bowed their heads respectfully while tears streamed down their faces.

If I were to reveal to them that an even greater river of blood awaited them in the days to come, would such knowledge offer any sliver of peace?

‘Utterly impossible.’

It would provide no solace whatsoever.

For within the harsh reality of the world, no passing is ever truly fair or peaceful.

On the other hand, a dark curiosity entered my mind.

Are the members of the Demonic Cult sharing in this mourning at this very hour? Or.

Are they raised in celebration?

They are undoubtedly reveling in the glory of their martial triumphs, entirely indifferent to the sorrow born of sacrifice.

For some reason, because an image of a scene I had never personally witnessed bloomed with terrifying clarity before my eyes, a wave of cold fury erupted from deep within my chest.

Once more, I cast a slow, deliberate gaze over the crowd of people mourning the loss of those they held dear.

Then, I visualize the faces of the Demonic Cult members one by one from the depths of my sharp memories, forging a silent, unyielding vow.

This crushing despair will not remain our burden alone for eternity.

A day will surely come when you too will be forced to endure this same suffocating, somber reality in the face of a sudden, shocking slaughter.

I swear this oath to myself repeatedly, vowing that I will bring this retribution to pass with my very own hands.