Chapter 24

Metamorphosis.

What words could possibly describe it?

It felt as though he were drifting alone upon a boundless sea, and at the same time as if he had become a dragon swimming through the sky.

'Ahh....'

Within the hazy consciousness of Cheon Muyang, he saw a single streak of light that pierced through the principles of all creation.

It matched the sword path that once, long ago, he had vaguely glimpsed—one that led to the Upper Heavens.

Wooong!

A resonant hum of heavenly radiance echoed, a sound that should not have existed within consciousness.

Though it should not have existed, Cheon Muyang grasped that heavenly light.

Standing utterly alone beneath the heavens, the heavenly radiance cleaved the sky and surged upward.

Paaat!

It even severed the sun.

Shattered fragments of light scattered in all directions, pouring down over Cheon Muyang's entire body.

And then, a past Cheon Muyang could not remember rose to the surface.

'The eldest young master's memories... are coming in.'

He saw Wolyeong.

He saw Cheon Muyang.

The surroundings were engulfed in raging flames.

'Now that I think about it....'

When Mu-myeong had first arrived at the Cheon Clan, he had been told that Cheon Muyang's residence was under reconstruction.

These memories must have been from before Mu-myeong ever came to the Cheon Clan.

Whooosh!

Amid the inferno that threatened to burn everything away, Cheon Muyang wandered.

Everything about this situation seemed unfamiliar to him.

Terrified, yet refusing to flee outside, Cheon Muyang searched desperately for someone.

『W– Wolyeong!』

Forcing his way through a place where even breathing was difficult, Cheon Muyang searched for Wolyeong.

『W– where are you!』

When he finally found her, Wolyeong lay collapsed.

Beside her burned a pile of firewood—perhaps the very cause of this blaze.

『....』

Even upon seeing this, Cheon Muyang said nothing and lifted Wolyeong onto his back.

Tremble!

His legs, already struggling to support Cheon Muyang's bulky frame, began to shake violently as they took on Wolyeong's weight as well.

Even so, Cheon Muyang clenched his teeth and moved forward.

Crack!

Had too much time passed?

At last, a pillar of fire gave way and collapsed toward the two of them.

『N– no!』

Cheon Muyang tried to shove Wolyeong away, but with his utterly insufficient strength, he could not even throw her aside.

『Guhk!』

In the end, the pillar of fire crashed down upon them both.

Cheon Muyang spat blood, yet with an indomitable will unbecoming of a brute, he checked Wolyeong's condition.

『Damn it! Damn it all!』

A horrific stench rose as Wolyeong's flesh burned.

Even so, Cheon Muyang could do nothing, and he despaired at his own helplessness.

『Ah...』

Crack!

Another pillar of fire collapsed.

Cheon Muyang sensed death.

Crunch!

To protect Wolyeong as much as possible, Cheon Muyang threw his own body over hers.

『I'm sorry....』

A brief apology.

Cheon Muyang shut his eyes tightly.

Kuuung!

Yet death did not come.

Someone had blocked the falling pillar of fire.

『Uh, uh...!』

Cheon Muyang looked to see who it was.

It was Cheon Jung-ho, the Supreme Elder—someone he had feared since childhood.

『Are you all right?』

He asked after their safety.

But Cheon Muyang was seized by a fear even greater than the flames themselves.

A terror born from the knowledge that this man could kill him at any moment, regardless of the fire.

『Y– yes, I'm fine.』

No longer did the raging flames even register as a threat.

Tremble, tremble.

Before the true danger, Cheon Muyang's entire body shook.

Watching this, Cheon Jung-ho smiled in satisfaction.

『Good. That is a relief.』

『....』

『From now on, continue to live as a brute. Do you understand?』

Terrified, Cheon Muyang instinctively nodded.

『Good. That will suffice. If you live as you please—like a proper brute—then this Cheon Clan will one day be yours.』

Drip.

Fear at its absolute peak, Cheon Muyang wet himself without realizing it.

『Tsk.』

Cheon Jung-ho clicked his tongue, then vanished, perhaps having sensed others approaching to rescue Cheon Muyang.

Left alone, Cheon Muyang wept amid the flames.

Wolyeong, still collapsed, merely stared at him in silence.

Drip.

The memory cut off.

'So that's how it was....'

He felt relief.

Wolyeong's injuries had not been caused by Cheon Muyang.

'So that's why... Wolyeong stayed by the eldest young master's side, unable to leave?'

Had she not witnessed this very scene?

She could not have left.

'So the true brute wasn't the eldest young master, but this damned Cheon Clan itself.'

The fire that day was ultimately dismissed as nothing more than Cheon Muyang's brutish misconduct.

Wolyeong, who knew the truth, could not say a single word.

Because that was likely the only way to protect Cheon Muyang.

'Clan Head… did you truly not know?'

There was no way he did not know.

Had he not taken in the existence called Mu-myeong precisely to protect Cheon Muyang?

It was simply that their movements were far more covert and vicious than even Cheon Wi-gang had anticipated.

'It's a complete mess.'

Everything was a complete mess.

A memory he had seen before resurfaced.

Cheon Muyang had feared someone up until the very moment of his death.

Now that he knew the source of that fear, the eldest young master's life—which had once made no sense at all—became somewhat understandable.

'So… was that why you had no choice but to live as a brute?'

At first, he thought it was simply pathetic.

Bearing the Cheon surname, he had assumed him to be nothing more than a useless son beneath a capable father.

But perhaps Cheon Muyang's brutish behavior had been a desperate struggle to survive by someone who held no real power.

Crunch.

How could he not have known?

Claiming that the timing had not aligned was nothing more than an excuse.

'Was I too trapped in my own prejudice and stubbornness to see the eldest young master I was supposed to protect...?'

If only—if only even once—

'If I had known this truth....'

He wanted to know.

'Would the future I know have changed, even a little?'

It was nothing more than a futile assumption.

'Supreme Elder, Cheon Jung-ho.'

He was the mastermind behind everything.

Cheon Muyang pressed down hard on his anger.

Because to unleash this rage, he would first need sufficient strength.

'So that's one more reason I have to become stronger.'

It wasn't loyalty to Cheon Muyang, but it could be called revenge on behalf of the one he had served.

Or perhaps—

'It might simply be pity. Whatever it is… eldest young master, I will take your revenge for you.'

And so—

'Do not carry any resentment.'

Paaaat!

Radiance burst forth.

Like a bird breaking free from its shell, Cheon Muyang shed his old skin.

Flash!

He opened his eyes.

A familiar ceiling came into view.

He could feel the sensations of his body.

Yet they were incomparably sharper than before.

"You've broken through the Gate of Life and Death."

Even the faint hoarseness that had once lingered in his voice was gone, leaving it clear and clean.

Cheon Muyang raised his upper body.

Though he was clearly wearing clothes, it felt as though he were naked.

"Bone-reforging, body-recasting...."

Being unclothed made it all the more apparent.

His body—sculpted without a single ounce of excess—was perfectly optimized for wielding a sword.

"At last, I've reached the starting line."

Until now, Cheon Muyang had been training to build a foundation.

Forging his body and endlessly repeating basic sword movements had been nothing more than groundwork.

"A foundation that can grow stronger than anyone else has been laid."

Only when the ground was solid could something truly sturdy be built atop it.

Thus, the bone-reforging transformation brought about by breaking through the Gate of Life and Death meant that the groundwork was finally complete.

The lingering energies of elixirs that had hindered Cheon Muyang's growth had been completely melted away by the Purifying Void Stone Milk.

"A fresh start, then."

He felt his internal energy brimming to fullness.

The elixir energies that should have long ago transformed into Cheon Muyang's internal energy had finally become truly his.

"I want to swing my sword right away...."

A fierce desire welled up within him.

But there was still much to do before that.

Not only the impurities expelled through the bone-reforging process—he needed to wash his body first.

"Should I wash up first?"

After washing and just as he was about to put on his clothes—

Kwaaang!

The door shattered.

"...?"

What appeared was Wolyeong, with Maehong standing behind her, flustered and unsure of what to do.

"What? Wolyeong?"

"Young master! You're all right?!"

The Wolyeong who had smashed the door shifted into an awkward expression.

That was because Cheon Muyang looked perfectly fine.

"Of course I'm fine. Did you think something happened to me?"

"No, it's just...."

Wolyeong shot Maehong a sharp look.

They had rushed over because Maehong had panicked, claiming a terrible stench was pouring out of Cheon Muyang's room.

"It's fine. I was just about to head out after getting dressed anyway. Works out nicely. Shall we go together?"

"You go ahead first. I'll clean up the room and follow."

Cheon Muyang gave an awkward smile.

After all, the awful stench was still lingering.

"Then… could I ask you to take care of it?"

"What do you mean, ask? It's my job anyway."

"Thank you, Wolyeong. And Maehong as well."

"Ah...!"

Wearing the martial robe sent by Geumsan, Cheon Muyang headed toward the training grounds.

As Maehong entered the foul-smelling room, she suddenly asked,

"You know, the eldest young master."

"Hm?"

"Was he always that handsome?"

"What?"

"No, I mean—now that he's lost weight, he looks incredibly handsome. I thought he was some noble young lord."

Wolyeong let out a small snort of laughter.

"Hey, he was always handsome."

"What are you talking about—have you lost your mind? He used to be a completely fat pig. What nonsense!"

"Enough. Just clean up."

"What on earth did he do in here for it to smell this bad?"

Maehong pinched her nose and went to fetch water.

But Wolyeong was unfazed.

To her, all of these traces looked like the remnants of a desperate struggle Cheon Muyang had endured.

"You've worked hard, young master."

Smiling brightly, Wolyeong continued cleaning the room.

***

When Cheon Muyang arrived at the training grounds, he saw Neung Ryeo-un and Cha Myeong-hak.

"Lord!"

The two rushed over like arrows the moment they spotted Cheon Muyang.

The dark circles under their eyes suggested they had been training while cutting back on sleep.

"Yes. Have you both been diligent?"

"Yes."

The flow of qi in both of them was clearly well-organized.

"Good. And my request?"

"It's done. Since you told us to provide support at intervals..."

"Ah, I see. Thank you."

The two felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Perhaps because it had been a while since they last saw him, but Cheon Muyang seemed different somehow.

'Were his features always this sharp?'

It wasn't just his appearance.

His entire presence felt transformed.

"You're ready, I presume?"

"Yes...!"

"Good. Then let's go."

"We'll accompany you."

Neung Ryeo-un took the right.

Cha Myeong-hak stood on the left.

It seemed they had likely argued over who would stand where when Cheon Muyang wasn't looking.

"Let's go to the Inspectorate's office."

"Yes."

Though he had been temporarily appointed as the head of the Inspectorate, Cheon Muyang had not visited it even once until now.

"It's time to start uprooting those who are rotting this clan from the inside. I've let them be for far too long."

Now that he had gained sufficient strength, there was no reason to delay any longer.

The three arrived in front of the Inspectorate building.

There, the former Inspectorate Head Cheon Ahaeng's subordinates were standing guard.

"Oh! The new Inspectorate Head finally shows himself!"

Upon spotting Cheon Muyang, they stepped forward with smug smiles.

"Everyone, line up!"

"Yessir!"

Their sloppy formation was the very definition of a rabble.

"...."

Cheon Muyang stood expressionlessly before their haphazard ranks.

As if to threaten him, all of them subtly raised their momentum.

Each one had reached a level where they could manifest sword qi.

"How dare you!"

Neung Ryeo-un and Cha Myeong-hak stiffened, about to draw their swords.

Their intentions were far too obvious—and despicable.

Step!

However, Cheon Muyang stopped them.

"The stench of trash is overwhelming."

"...!"

Even under the pressure radiating from many opponents, Cheon Muyang merely glanced at them with one eye.

No—this was nothing more than childish provocation, not even worth paying attention to.

His unexpected calm instead left them flustered.

"Why?"

"...!"

"Are you confused because I didn't react the way you expected?"

Several faces hardened.

And then—

Gooooooo!

An overwhelming aura erupted from Cheon Muyang's entire body like a raging storm.

Huuwoong!

The howling heavenly radiance.

From the blade, streams of sword qi far purer and more azure than theirs burst forth.

"I'll count to three. If you haven't disappeared by then, every last one of you will be executed on the spot."