Published at 27th of August 2026 7:16 pm

Chapter 1132: The World of Ascension (62)

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"Mmm..."

I stood there, simply watching my father as he lay collapsed. His slightly swollen cheek, paired with the fact that he had completely lost consciousness, left quite an impression.

Even knowing how strong he had been in his younger days, seeing him in this state was... quite refreshing.

‘...Did I overdo it?’

If there was any flaw in my performance, it was that I hadn’t controlled my strength well enough.

But if anything, this wasn’t my fault. It was his.

‘Seriously, who told him to raise his energy that high?’

The Grand Flame Prison Father had attempted to unleash—if that had exploded...

‘The entire area could have been wiped out.’

Not just the training hall, but the surrounding district would have been caught in the blast. This entire situation was ridiculous from the start.

‘The real problem was deciding to fight here in the first place.’

No matter how spacious, this was still an indoor structure. Training halls of this size were meant for those at lower cultivation levels.

The moment one surpasses Hwagyeong, it becomes unreasonable to engage in duels indoors.

Especially for martial artists like Father and me, whose techniques relied heavily on raw firepower.

And yet, despite knowing this, he had deliberately chosen this training hall for our duel.

‘...I don’t understand Father’s strategy.’

It wasn’t just stopping Namgung Hyung’s escape—he had actively helped him instead. Then, he insisted on testing my skills in a place like this.

And most of all—

‘He wasn’t serious.’

Father hadn’t shown his full strength either. Whether he was just testing the waters or had another reason, I knew he had been holding back. And that was the gap I had exploited to finish the fight.

Rustle.

I casually brushed away some debris. I considered helping him up—but I didn’t.

Hmm.

‘He’ll manage on his own, won’t he?’

I did exactly as he wanted, so it should be fine. Besides, he’s trained in fire techniques, so it’s not like sleeping on the ground would make his mouth go crooked or anything.

The only thing that bothered me—

‘...Was this really okay?’

I had intended to keep my strength hidden. Maybe I had been a bit too reckless in revealing it.

‘...Whatever.’

Screw it.

The damage was already done. Overthinking wouldn’t help now.

I stood up. Leaving my father behind, I glanced around. There was still somewhere I needed to go. Someone I needed to question.

And with that, I left.

****

It was the quietest time of the night.

Not long ago, this place had been lively with a grand banquet, yet now it had fallen eerily silent.

It was almost fascinating how quickly the atmosphere had changed.

Perhaps Namgung Jeohwi had personally ordered the banquet to end and demanded restraint from everyone.

Additionally—

‘The patrols have tightened.’

Not only had the number of stationed guards increased, but even their cultivation levels had noticeably improved.

‘Hmm.’

Observing them, I moved. Naturally, I had no desire to be seen, so I suppressed my presence.

After maneuvering stealthily for a while, I arrived at my destination. I had infiltrated quietly, but near the end, I released a small amount of my energy.

Since my target was a martial artist, letting them sense my presence wouldn’t be difficult.

Ziiiiing.

I sent out a faint pulse of energy. Immediately, I sensed movement from inside.

Creak.

The door opened, and someone stepped out.

It was Hyun Soyeon, dressed in her nightclothes.

"Good evening."

"...What brings you here?"

"Apologies for coming at this hour. But I figured you wouldn’t be asleep anyway."

"...."

Hyun Soyeon, looking slightly weary, fully opened the door.

"Come inside."

"I feel like it’s a bit inappropriate to enter a lady’s room."

"I already know you have no feelings for me, nor any interest in that regard. Just come in. It’d be more of a problem if someone saw us out here."

"...."

Fair point.

So, I slowly stepped inside.

"...Set up a barrier."

Before she even finished her request, I had already put one in place.

After entering, I sat casually at the low table.

"Would you like some tea?"

"No, I’m not particularly thirsty."

"I see. Then—"

Hyun Soyeon adjusted her clothes slightly before asking,

"So, what brings you here?"

"Ah, I had a question."

"A question?"

"Yes. It’s nothing major, but—"

I paused for a moment before continuing, giving her time to prepare for the question.

"Why did you lie?"

"...."

Hyun Soyeon hesitated. That reaction confirmed my suspicion.

It seemed my guess was correct.

"You weren’t actually trying to stop Namgung Hyung, were you? It looked more like you were helping him escape."

"...."

"But that’s not really the issue. That’s not what I’m curious about."

What really intrigued me—

"Why did you pretend to betray him?"

Why had Hyun Soyeon acted as if she had turned against Namgung Hyung?

Why had she positioned herself as though she were blocking his path?

When I asked, Hyun Soyeon let out a small, amused smile.

"...So you came all this way just to ask that?"

"There were a few things I needed to take care of. But I wanted to clear this up before I left."

"...."

Why had she done it?

Hyun Soyeon, a woman who had quietly harbored feelings for Namgung Hyung.

‘If it had been out of love, I would’ve understood.’

If she had simply wanted to stop him because she liked him, that would have made sense.

But she had helped him escape—and even gone so far as to act like a traitor.

That didn’t add up.

Hyun Soyeon remained silent for a while.

Was she debating whether to answer? Or did she simply not want to?

Her eyes seemed distant as if recalling something.

Then, after some time, she finally spoke.

"Yangcheon, what do you think is the most maddening thing for a person?"

"Hmm. That’s tough. There are way too many options to pick just one."

Especially for someone like me, there were far too many things that could drive a person insane. Truly.

So much so that I had to contemplate repeatedly before choosing just one.

Luckily, Hyun Soyeon provided me with the answer.

"Regret."

"......."

I paused for a moment.

That sounded familiar.

Where had I heard that before?

I couldn’t quite recall, but I was certain I had.

"When a person carries unresolved regret, it can drive them truly mad."

"And so?"

Did that mean Namgung Hyung was her regret? Was that what she was implying?

"That’s why."

Hyun Soyeon spoke while looking at the table instead of meeting my gaze.

"Because to him, I am the regret."

"......."

"And this was the only way to erase it."

"Are you saying—"

I wasn’t sure if I had fully understood, so I asked,

"...That Namgung Hyung felt the same way about you?"

That he liked her?

At my question, Hyun Soyeon shook her head.

"I don’t think so."

Her words were uncertain, but her voice was firm.

"He always sought to go beyond the world he knew. The regret I spoke of... wasn’t about his feelings for me."

Her hands, which had been folded neatly together, tightened.

"Rather, it was my feelings for him that became the regret."

"......."

"He’s a kind person."

Because he knew she liked him.

And that was why he hesitated, why it became regret.

It was fascinating.

What kind of relationship was this?

What kind of bond could lead to something like this?

"Since the moment we met ten years ago—"

"Ah, I’m not interested in that part."

"...Oh, alright."

She had been about to delve into their history, but I cut her off.

I wasn’t particularly curious about the past.

What I wanted to know was why she had acted the way she did.

Hyun Soyeon gave me a mildly exasperated look, but I ignored it.

‘In the end, her reason is simple.’

She wanted to make Namgung Hyung’s departure easier.

That was the only explanation.

With that understanding, I nodded and stood up.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah. I’ve heard everything I needed to. My curiosity is satisfied."

There was no reason to stay any longer.

Now that my question was answered, there was no point in lingering.

"Well, get some rest."

That weary expression of hers—

That subdued atmosphere surrounding her—

They were all just remnants of Namgung Hyung’s departure.

And I wasn’t someone who could offer comfort for things like that.

Especially when—

‘She’s going to marry Namgung Jin anyway.’

I didn’t ask why she had feelings for him, nor what their relationship was like.

That future...

Was something I had to be more cautious about than anything else.

Creak—!

I closed the door behind me and stepped outside.

The sky was still shrouded in the darkness of early morning.

Naturally, Hyun Soyeon didn’t bother seeing me off.

The only thing that lingered in my mind—

"I’ll escape this hell."

"Regret drives people insane."

Was that both of them had said things that kept looping in my head.

Annoyingly so.

Shaking off the thoughts, I resumed walking.

My destination was my own quarters.

I had done what I needed to.

Now, I just needed some rest.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Until—

Krrrrrrroooom—!!

"......Huh?"

The sound of thunder rumbled from somewhere.

A distant location.

I immediately turned my gaze in the direction of the sound.

The source was—

‘That mountain... The one where the Heavenly Master resides?’

The very place where I had last met him.

That old man who refused to let anyone approach easily.

The same old man who didn’t show up even when the Magyeong Gate incident occurred.

That was where the thunder came from.

I frowned.

‘Ah, this is...’

A prickling sensation ran down my spine.

Something felt off.

The aura of lightning—

It was unsettling.

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