Chapter 26

Defying Heaven (1)

Having completely seized control of the Inspectorate, Cheon Muyang sat alone in his office, deep in thought.

"I need people."

He needed people.

People who would support him.

Fortunately, there was Cheon Seon-hak, but even he was someone far removed from politics.

Those who supported Cheon Seon-hak were the Cheon Clan's martial force.

Because of his philosophy that they must not become political, they had to be left as an independent power.

"So, as things stand, my uncle alone isn't enough."

Cheon Seon-hak was supporting him purely as an individual.

That alone was reassuring, but to Cheon Muyang, it still felt insufficient.

"I need people who are truly mine."

They didn't need to be loyal to the core.

As long as they had the ability, that was enough.

And Cheon Muyang knew exactly where such people were.

"It's something I'll have to face eventually."

According to the nameless memories, Cheon Wi-gang would die suddenly ten years later.

After that, the Cheon Clan's fortunes began to decline rapidly.

"One of the causes was those who cried out for Defying Heaven."

The Bancheon wraiths.

Those who cried out for Defying Heaven appeared suddenly.

"More precisely, they had been hiding."

They lay low in the shadows of Hangzhou, biding their time while calling for Defying Heaven.

However, their true identities were bound to be a shock from the Cheon Clan's perspective.

They were people who, at least once, had devoted their loyalty entirely to the Cheon Clan.

"Those who were unjustly cast out."

People who had possessed loyalty, only to be futilely expelled from the Cheon Clan.

Unable to leave Hangzhou, they vowed revenge and moved precisely after Cheon Wi-gang's death.

"Hiding in the shadows of Hangzhou and swearing vengeance, they would someday begin their revenge against the Cheon Clan."

As if they had known the moment of Cheon Wi-gang's death, they finally moved during the ensuing chaos.

Their first targets were the Cheon Clan's alliances.

With Cheon Wi-gang gone as their pillar, it was devastatingly effective.

"Countless alliances withdrew."

With its alliances gone and left alone, the Cheon Clan was no longer the Cheon Clan counted among the Ten Great Families.

"Was it really planned this meticulously from so long ago?"

Countless reasons piled up, one after another, until the Cheon Clan was annihilated.

"All of this happened because the Cheon Clan failed to unite as one."

In the end, it was the Cheon Clan's own fault.

The existence of the Bancheon wraiths was also karmic retribution for the Cheon Clan.

Thus, Cheon Muyang intended to correct the mistakes of the past.

"Perhaps now is actually the perfect time."

They would still be silent for now.

Surely, they were only waiting for Cheon Wi-gang's death.

If he wanted to gain them, now was the only chance.

Cheon Muyang closed his eyes.

No matter how much they had become vengeful wraiths, that alone wouldn't be enough to face the Cheon Clan.

'There's definitely someone behind them.'

Who that was, was obvious.

Either the Council of Elders or the Demonic Cult.

'Whether it's the Council of Elders or the Demonic Cult doesn't matter. I have no intention of letting things flow into the predetermined future.'

It didn't matter.

Whoever was behind it.

All he had to do was cut them down.

"Hoo. Why is this damn clan such a complete mess?"

Cheon Muyang clicked his tongue.

With a stifled feeling in his chest, he left the office.

Arriving at the training grounds, Cheon Muyang grasped the Cheon Radiance.

Whoooong!

The movement of the Cheon Radiance as it cleaved through the moonlit night vented Cheon Muyang's pent-up feelings.

Yet, even so, a sense of suffocation lingered in a corner of his heart.

Kaaang!

It was then.

A single sword flew toward him.

It was Wolyeong.

"Mind if I join you?"

Heh.

Cheon Muyang smiled.

"Of course. As much as you like."

"Then I'm coming!"

A sword flew in with graceful motion.

Wolyeong had grown strong beyond recognition.

Her blade, surging forward as it sought out openings, felt light and lively.

"You've gotten stronger."

"I still have a long way to go."

"If you get even stronger, that's only good for me."

And so, he exchanged blades with Wolyeong for quite some time.

At some point, the stifling feeling had completely lifted.

Catching her breath, Wolyeong smiled and said,

"You're feeling better now, right?"

"Just as I thought, I can't fool you."

"Hehehe. Whatever it is, just remember that I'll always be on your side, Young Master."

"Thank you."

If it hadn't been for Wolyeong.

For a moment, Cheon Muyang wondered if he might not have even been reborn as Cheon Muyang at all.

"It's all thanks to you."

"Oh, it's nothing."

Only after confirming that Cheon Muyang had truly relaxed did Wolyeong seem reassured. She gave a small bow in greeting and then left the training grounds.

"Hoo. Right. Let's not overthink it."

It was something he had already decided to do.

What good would worrying do now?

Cheon Muyang went to find Cheon Seon-hak.

"You've come."

"Yes."

"You swept through the Inspectorate. You could've at least given me a heads-up."

It seemed he had secretly hoped to take part as well.

Suppressing his laughter, Cheon Muyang apologized to Cheon Seon-hak.

"Ah, my apologies."

"That's enough. In any case, you wouldn't have needed my help."

Rather than reproaching him, Cheon Seon-hak patted Cheon Muyang on the shoulder in encouragement.

"Well done."

"Thank you."

"You hadn't shown up at the training grounds, and now you've gone through complete rebirth. Have you finally absorbed all the spirit medicine in your body?"

"Yes. I was fortunate."

"Still, just because you've achieved rebirth, you mustn't let your guard down. You're only standing at the starting line now."

Rebirth was something every martial artist yearned for.

However, achieving rebirth did not guarantee reaching the realm of transcendence.

More often than not, people grew arrogant and died before ever getting there, so Cheon Seon-hak's concern was only natural.

"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."

Even so, Cheon Seon-hak knew.

He knew that Cheon Muyang would never grow complacent just because he had achieved rebirth.

"So then, what do you intend to do now?"

"For myself, and for the clan, I want to correct the mistakes of the past."

It was a meaningful statement.

Cheon Seon-hak could roughly guess what those "mistakes of the clan" referred to.

"You knew?"

"Yes. I need to meet them."

"And after that?"

"Well. It'll depend on their reaction, but if possible, I want to make them my people."

Cheon Seon-hak wore a stunned expression.

It was understandable—what Cheon Muyang was saying was no different from embracing the clan's sworn enemies.

"It won't be easy."

"I know."

"There's no way to even measure how deep their resentment toward the Cheon Clan runs."

"That's something I have to bear as well. Isn't it the price for the wrongs that were committed?"

"It isn't your fault. All of that was… the Council of Elders' scheme."

Cheon Seon-hak clenched his teeth.

The beginning of all this tragedy had started with the death of the previous clan head.

"Uncle, may I ask you one thing?"

"...."

"Did Father join hands with the Council of Elders?"

"...."

"I'll answer that myself."

"Brother!"

Cheon Wi-gang appeared.

Just his presence alone carried overwhelming pressure, yet neither Cheon Seon-hak nor Cheon Muyang showed the slightest sign of being intimidated.

"In the past, I did join hands with them. That's how I was able to rise to this position."

"...."

"But that was—"

"Seon-hak, that's enough. It's the truth, isn't it?"

"I believe you must have had your reasons."

"...."

"However, whatever those reasons may have been, the anger of those who cry out 'Defying Heaven' is justified."

Whether it was the Council of Elders' scheme or something else.

The fact that the Cheon Clan abandoned them did not change.

"You're right. My sin is something that began in the past."

Cheon Wi-gang had lost the right to speak otherwise.

While the Council of Elders manipulated the Cheon Clan at will, he had failed to put up any resistance.

"I will take them in."

"...."

"They will not belong to the Cheon Clan, nor to the clan head, but solely to me."

"...."

"So, Father, please pass that original sin you committed on to me."

"...!"

"I will bear it in your place."

"Muyang…."

"If not the eldest son of the Cheon Clan, then who else could possibly shoulder it?"

At that moment, a crack formed in Cheon Wi-gang's fortress-like resolve.

He had never imagined that Cheon Muyang—the son he once thought a good-for-nothing—would offer him such unexpected comfort.

"A-Are you saying you can bear that burden?"

"Yes."

Cheon Muyang nodded with conviction.

"That is my repayment of gratitude to you, Father, for protecting the clan all this time."

"...!"

Cheon Wi-gang trembled.

And for the first time, he felt comforted for his past life.

"...."

"I'll take that as your permission."

Cheon Wi-gang turned his back completely.

That back, which had always seemed broad, looked strangely small today.

"I'll be going."

Cheon Muyang bowed his head.

Then he met Cheon Seon-hak's eyes.

[Th.ank. you.]

It was not transmitted through sound.

He mouthed the words in silent gratitude.

Cheon Muyang quietly left the room.

"At some point, that child has grown this much, Brother."

"...."

"He'll do well. Hasn't he shown us that already?"

Cheon Seon-hak comforted Cheon Wi-gang.

The crack in the iron wall finally collapsed completely on that day.

"It's a good night for a drink."

"I'll prepare it."

That night, the two drank until their noses were practically crooked.

***

Stepping outside, Cheon Muyang wore a faint smile.

"With this, I've repaid my debt to the Clan Head."

A debt from his previous life.

To Cheon Wi-gang, who had taken him in when he was a homeless orphan, Cheon Muyang wanted to repay that debt in this way, if nothing else.

"Set the clan right."

That was what he had to do going forward.

Not only Cheon Muyang's mistakes, but even Cheon Wi-gang's—he would correct them all.

"That's probably how the predetermined future is changed."

The predetermined future had now become a future that would never come.

With renewed resolve, Cheon Muyang recalled the connection that would lead him to them.

"Geumsan. I need to meet him."

He too was someone whose loyalty had been cast aside by the Cheon Clan.

And yet, the reason he had not left Hangzhou was likely because he too cried out for Defying Heaven—or at the very least, knew who those people truly were.

"He's probably been waiting for my call as well."

Cheon Muyang had already proven that he had changed.

Geumsan would surely already know that both the Lord of the Cheongeum Pavilion and the Inspectorate Head had been swept away.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how he responds."

Cheon Muyang headed to the training grounds to find Neung Ryeo-un.

"So you were here."

"My lord, were you looking for me?"

"Yes. I need you to find someone."

"Give the order."

"His name is Geumsan. He used to belong to the Cheongeum Pavilion of the Cheon Clan. He should be in Hangzhou, so finding him won't be too difficult."

"Yes."

"Tell him I wish to see him."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Understood."

After nodding, Neung Ryeo-un immediately left the training grounds.

"Well then… I suppose I should train until Neung Ryeo-un returns."

His reborn body had undoubtedly advanced to a level incomparable to before, but he could feel the balance he once had had been disrupted.

"From the beginning again…."

So the position of his fingers when gripping the sword.

The angle and direction of each step.

And the distribution of strength.

Cheon Muyang repeated his training, re-optimizing everything once more.

Whoooong!

The Cheon Radiance that always soared skyward, as always, only fell back down toward the earth.

Two days passed like that.

Neung Ryeo-un came to find Cheon Muyang at the training grounds.

"My lord."

"Did you bring him?"

"Yes. I've brought him."

"Good. Bring him to the Inspectorate office."

"Yes."

Cheon Muyang went to the Inspectorate office.

Just as some simple refreshments had been prepared,

Geumsan entered.

"It's been a long time, Young Master."

"I suppose it has. Please, have a seat."

"I should call you the Inspectorate Head now, shouldn't I?"

"Call me whatever is comfortable."

"Very well. But may I ask why you summoned me?"

Cheon Muyang spoke with an indifferent expression.

"Defying Heaven ."

At the casually tossed words, Geumsan's expression instantly turned cold.