Published at 7th of June 2026 8:24 pm

Chapter 445

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

After meeting with Woo Ah-seok, I went outside and met Yu Yul.

"Are you done?"

"Yes. More or less."

I managed to gain some benefits.

Even if it seemed like a trivial conversation, there were plenty of hidden raw gems in it.

'Should I call them raw gems?'

Honestly, not really.

'It was closer to being spoon-fed.'

I knew Woo Ah-seok was deliberately trying to hand something to me.

He was making it obvious on purpose—how could I not notice?

'Why would he do that?'

I didn't need to agonize for long about why he made such a choice.

'He must think well of me.'

That's how much he thought well of me.

That was all I could see from him.

Judging by my current status, it was clear Woo Ah-seok wanted to form a connection with me.

'Not a bad thing.'

It was good for me.

He was, after all, the leader of the Beggar's Union.

It would be excellent to have a connection with him.

'That's really great, but...'

There was just one question.

'What's up with my family?'

The mystery surrounding the Bang family was still unsolved.

Not just my father, the entire family seemed strange.

That was the biggest problem.

It gave me a headache.

'Why did I have to be reincarnated into a place like this...?'

I used to think my household was just dysfunctional, but if there was a mess like this, that couldn't be a good thing, could it?

'Couldn't my family just have a classic rascal eldest brother and a father obsessed with women, and just stop there?'

Why does a house need secrets?

Isn't that insane?

And it was a secret designated as 'Black grade' by the Beggar's Union, deliberately made difficult to uncover.

'Just in case, do you know anything?'

I asked my sword.

『Well.』

I couldn't sense anything from the Heavenly Demon's reaction. Was he just bored?

'... Tsk.'

I clicked my tongue inwardly and looked at Yu Yul.

"Thank you for waiting. Let's go."

"Alright."

That was it.

If I couldn't find out anything about the Bang family, it was enough to just secure what I had left for now.

'About the Shadow Sovereign.'

The information I was promised to get in three days.

For now, I decided to just focus on that.

* * *

While the heavy rain still poured, I returned to the Alliance and sought out Heavenly Insight.

Yu Yul parted ways with me as the leader of the Small Moon Division had called for him.

"You're here."

The usual sight. Buried in documents, he didn't even glance my way.

He always told me to take a seat, but there was never any space.

I pushed aside some documents and created a spot to sit.

"So. Did you report to the union leader?"

"Yes."

"... You reported?"

What's this?

Why is he surprised?

I did exactly what I was told, yet he looked at me strangely.

"Yes, I reported."

"It was really the union leader?"

"Yes. It was really him. He did put on some kind of weird play at first... but it wasn't that hard to figure out."

"... Hmm. So you noticed."

It seemed Heavenly Insight knew the union leader would play a trick on me.

Maybe that's why he found it strange that I figured it out.

"I suppose I lost."

"Pardon?"

"I said I lost the bet."

A bet?

What bet did he make?

While I was frowning at his sudden words—

"I made a bet with the union leader."

He confessed it to me.

"Whether or not you'd see through his trick."

"So, Strategist, you bet that I wouldn't see through it?"

"Yes."

"And the union leader bet that I would?"

"That's right. The union leader never really had a choice. There was nothing for him to lose."

"... Hmm."

I scratched my cheek. A bet, huh...

"What did you wager in this bet?"

"The reward you got. That was what we staked."

"... You bet the Gold Token?"

At my words, Heavenly Insight smiled faintly.

"I put something too valuable at stake."

"You really are something."

Who would put something like that up for a bet?

I couldn't help but laugh.

If it were me, I'd never risk something like that.

"I honestly didn't think you'd notice. Even the current young family head of the Jaegal family failed to spot the trick."

"He must have been tired that day."

He was practically an uncle to me.

Even someone of repute in the Jaegal family missed it?

Honestly, even if he hadn't noticed, was it really that big a deal?

"So, since you won the bet, what did you ask him?"

"Ah, that."

I answered calmly.

"I asked about the Bang family and my father. He said he couldn't tell me, even for a Gold Token."

"..."

Heavenly Insight's expression lost all emotion.

"... Why did you ask about that?"

Maybe I'd been too honest.

Still, it didn't matter. Judging by his reaction, Heavenly Insight seemed to know something as well.

"It's just, my household's such a mess I wanted to figure things out. Apparently, it's even more of a disaster than I thought. It seems Strategist knows something as well."

"There are things better left unknown. All the more so if you're not going to be the young head."

"I won't. Why would I take over a family as messed up as that."

If my brother inherited it, I'd be grateful.

"Then don't pay it any mind."

Heavenly Insight spoke seriously.

"You just need to do what you're meant to do. Those kinds of things..."

'Those kinds of things.'

"Don't get involved, if you can help it."

He was as grave and resolute as could be.

Which only made my curiosity about the Bang family grow even more.

"Yes. I'll do so."

For now, I decided to let it go.

For now, that is.

"So, then, what else did you ask?"

"Ah, that one's a secret. He said I could keep that part to myself."

"... Yet you'll mention what you couldn't hear?"

"Yes. You won't find out anyway."

"Heh."

Heavenly Insight looked at me, exasperated.

The relief was, he didn't seem inclined to dig further.

"Anyway... I delivered the documents you said to give him."

"Alright."

"And, if possible, I'd like to visit Liaodong for a bit."

"Liaodong?"

At the mention of Liaodong, a deep crease formed between Heavenly Insight's brows.

"Why there?"

"Well... it's my family's place."

It was my hometown. The one I hadn't visited in years.

"You want to go now, in today's climate?"

"Ah, specifically, I plan to set out in three days. There isn't much more for me to do, and there are still a couple of months before the Alliance preparations are finished, so I want to make a quick trip."

"What are you going to do? Don't tell me—you're planning to dig into your family's secrets?"

"No, nothing like that... I honestly just have some business to take care of."

I was curious about the family secrets, but right now, that wasn't the priority.

'The Loop of the Heart.'

More precisely, the Loop of the Spirit.

It was at its limit.

Because I had used more strength than expected recently, what I set years ago had loosened.

If it were to snap while I was there, I'd be in big trouble.

'... It could turn out just like my previous life.'

Those days when I did all sorts of things, possessed by the evil spirit, and had to clean up after myself.

Thinking about it alone made my skin crawl.

"It's important. I have to go."

"The schedule is tight. Yet you'll still go?"

"Yes. I won't be late coming back. Anyway, I've finished everything I needed to do."

I called it a meeting, but I finished things that were anything but.

I helped the Tyrant King rise as the Alliance leader candidate.

Afterwards, there were talks with the Demonic Cult among the rising stars, but—

'That's not my business.'

That matter was up to the higher-ups to handle as they saw fit.

"..."

Heavenly Insight looked at me like he didn't like this one bit.

"Fine."

But he allowed it. I was about to nod with satisfaction when—

"But."

'Ah.'

An ominous word.

"You'll need to help with my work."

"... Work?"

Heavenly Insight's work?

I was about to wonder what that could be, but he gestured to the stack of documents to the side.

"If you finish these within the three days you mentioned, I'll give you permission."

"... All of this?"

The amount was staggering.

With a look of disgust, I looked at him, but Heavenly Insight shook his head as if to tell me not to worry.

"You don't think it'll be just that much."

"Haha. Right?"

No way. Even someone shameless wouldn't—

"All of what's next to it, too."

"...?"

Next to it?

I glanced left and saw two more equally huge stacks.

"..."

After staring blankly, I asked,

"... Strategist."

"Yes."

"Do you have any conscience?"

It was a serious question.

"As if."

Heavenly Insight was more shameless than I expected.

* * *

Swaaa—!!!!

As the downpour outside intensified, Heavenly Insight took a sip of tea in a silent room.

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing was unusually piercing.

At the same time, emptiness filled his gaze.

"... Unbelievable."

He stared at the neatly stacked documents on the desk—the very ones he had tasked Bang Sung-Yun with.

The amount he'd told him to process in three days—

"... He finished in half a day?"

Bang Sung-Yun had sat down and finished them off in just half a day.

― Do not regret this.

His eyes said, "Let's see who wins."

That arrogant gaze seemed as if he'd spit out a retort at any moment, but instead—

Bang Sung-Yun just buried himself in the documents and finished them without a word.

Such speed would make anyone suspect the work was slipshod and superficial.

"... Ha."

But he couldn't say that.

The way he processed the documentation was so thorough.

There were occasional rough or inexperienced patches, but those could be overlooked.

Because—

'The speed.'

Even three days was an unreasonable time frame.

If someone in the Alliance under his command did this alone, it would take more than half a month.

Even if he brought in the young head of the Jaegal family, it would have taken at least seven days and nights.

'Half a day?'

It was an absurd pace.

'... A monstrous kid.'

Where did someone like him come from?

He'd known from the start that Bang Sung-Yun was different.

The first time he saw him, Bang Sung-Yun reminded him of his own daughter.

And seeing those eyes, he couldn't help but see himself.

'It's certain.'

It was clear. This boy—

'Should inherit the Jaegal family.'

His talent was overwhelming.

Martial arts?

Even if Yu Chun-gil coveted that, this was a different story.

A successor worthy to follow after him.

Yet it was a shame he bore the Bang surname.

Of all things, that accursed family.

"Hoo..."

He let out a long sigh. Frustration welling up.

'Wretched thing.'

He finished all the work in half a day, then left without even waiting for it to be checked.

Did he just trust it would be perfect?

Part of him wanted to make him do it again, but his pride wouldn't allow it.

To tell him to redo this would be to admit his own defeat.

"Haha."

Heavenly Insight finally laughed, recalling the scene.

"You sly thing."

You finally made this old man's head bow.

Though he was frustrated, he also felt good.

At the same time, Heavenly Insight checked a document in his chest—correspondence exchanged with Woo Ah-seok.

Heavenly Insight had lied about one thing.

'He'd said you wouldn't believe it.'

That he lost the bet.

That was a lie.

Heavenly Insight had bet that Bang Sung-Yun would see through it.

Woo Ah-seok bet the opposite.

Woo Ah-seok had relayed his conviction he would win.

—If this whelp recognizes me, I'll give even grander information than a Gold Token.

Heavenly Insight staked on giving Bang Sung-Yun his Gold Token if he won.

It was something he could never give away otherwise.

In other words—

"... What a pointless thing to do at this age."

Heavenly Insight had never once doubted Bang Sung-Yun.

Not that a strong-willed old man would ever admit that to Bang Sung-Yun, though.

TL's Corner:

BSY just digging himself to become the Alliance strategist...

Unless, he unifies the whole Murim...

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