Thousand-Mile True Sight Jegal Jin.

Commonly called the Martial Alliance’s second-in-command.

In terms of martial strength, it wasn’t clearly known, and plenty of people said he wasn’t a master.

Even so, there wasn’t a single person in the Central Plains who dared to look down on Jegal Jin.

If you’d lived through the Orthodox-Demonic War, or even just heard the stories, you’d be the same.

—Jegal Jin is the God of War.

—If it weren’t for him, the Orthodox-Demonic War would’ve been lost.

Every martial artist who took part in that war said it in one voice.

That the single greatest influence on the war was Jegal Jin.

The most outstanding genius in the Jegal Clan’s history.

A man people swore would never be born again, even in future generations.

If you asked who held the most influence in the Central Plains right now, anyone would answer the same.

That it was Jegal Jin.

“...Thousand-Mile True Sight...!”

“To think the strategist came in person....”

Martial artists whose entire lives were martial arts—people who only dreamed of enlightenment and climbing to a higher realm from it.

People who had contempt for the weak baked into them.

Even those people, looking at Jegal Jin—someone who might be weaker than them—showed him respect.

“I couldn’t see you at the last Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and now I get to see the strategist like this.”

“...The atmosphere feels completely different. Just as the Sect Master said.”

Jegal Jin stood on the platform and looked down at the junior generation. His eyes were calm and steady—and sharp.

Then our eyes met.

‘...!’

The moment I met Jegal Jin’s gaze, my body flinched.

—So it’s you, the child of that damned Bang Clan bastard.

That voice was still vivid.

I couldn’t tell if there was hostility in it, but I sure as hell didn’t feel any affection.

‘This is fucked.’

No question about it. Jegal Jin doesn’t like me.

Even so, I’d hoped that since he was my grandfather, maybe—just maybe—he’d look on me kindly, but yeah. As if.

‘What’s with that murderous glare?’

The way he stared down at me wasn’t normal.

I’d gathered information before coming, sure, but facing him in person was completely different.

Sharper than what I’d heard. Harsher than what I’d heard.

A man long past old age, and yet still sitting as Clan Head.

Was it because, as the Martial Alliance’s second-in-command, he wielded influence without a tremor? Even the presence packed into him was exceptional.

To the point where it made you wonder how that was even possible.

‘...Which makes it even weirder.’

That was why I couldn’t understand it.

‘How the hell did my dad charm her?’

How did my father manage to charm a man like that’s daughter?

‘No matter how much looks are everything, still.’

If I’m the youngest, that means when he was charming her, he was already a married man with kids.

And even then, a bloodline of the Five Great Clans fell for it?

And then she ran away from the clan and went to Liaoning?

‘...What a fucking mess.’

I could understand why that old man hated me.

Some worthless bastard stole his precious daughter. I get it. I understand why he’d hate me.

But—

‘Why now, of all times.’

While I’m attending the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

In a situation like this, getting on his bad side wasn’t exactly good news.

Thinking that, I kept watching Jegal Jin—

FLINCH!

I jerked without meaning to.

Because Jegal Jin’s face twisted as he looked at me.

And then—

“TCH!”

He clicked his tongue once and turned his gaze away.

At that °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° reaction—clear as day—I licked my dry lips.

‘This won’t be easy.’

The Divine Spear, and now Jegal Jin too.

If it’s like this, then—

‘Am I seriously hated by both the Martial Alliance’s number one and number two?’

How could life be this hard?

Right when a sigh was about to slip out—

[Kid. You’ve got a long road ahead of you....]

Yoo Cheongil made a show of patting my shoulder, even though he couldn’t touch it.

“...”

Instead of a sigh, I almost swore.

Hearing that from the one who caused this made my blood boil even more.

*****

The explanation for the second preliminaries wasn’t long.

Like he’d said, Jegal Jin explained it himself, but it was as simple as the first preliminaries—so it ended in an instant.

Jegal Jin didn’t even bother repeating himself. He explained it once, left a “Good luck suffering” behind, and vanished.

When Jegal Jin disappeared, the junior generation kept throwing looks after him like they couldn’t let go.

But inside that—

I was just breathing out in relief.

‘...He didn’t do anything to me, did he?’

Maybe he hadn’t done anything yet. Maybe he had no intention to.

I didn’t know.

But for me, what just happened was more terrifying than anything.

‘Goddamn it. A grandfather, out of nowhere—what the hell is this.’

Whether it was my paternal grandfather or my maternal grandfather, I’d lived like I didn’t have either.

And then it turns out he’s not only alive—he’s the Jegal Clan Head?

‘This is insane. Seriously.’

What is my life, that it’s this eventful?

It was honestly unbelievable.

“The explanation for the preliminaries ends here. I hope there is blessing upon the stars who will step forward.”

The closing was just formal words.

When that ended and the Martial Alliance people finally withdrew, only then could I breathe properly.

“Hoo....”

Not easy. Seriously—not easy.

I was rubbing my forehead, wondering if I’d been sweating, when—

“Are you all right?”

Someone spoke to me. I looked up, and the first thing I saw was a handsome face.

“...Thunder Dragon.”

It was Thunder Dragon of the Namgung Clan. He walked over with a friendly smile.

“Your expression hasn’t looked good for a while. Are you all right?”

He asked in a tone that sounded genuinely concerned.

“Ah, I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep much last night.”

I didn’t sleep much, and the situation’s crap, so my face isn’t exactly cooperating.

At that, Thunder Dragon gave a small smile.

“Ah. Is that so?”

“Yes.”

What’s with this guy?

We traded a few short lines, and I frowned. Something about it felt strange.

‘Something.’

Like he wanted something from me.

Once I realized that, I just asked straight out.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“Oh....”

At my blunt question, Thunder Dragon’s eyes widened a little.

“You’re refreshingly direct.”

“I don’t like going in circles. What is it?”

When I told him to get to the point, Thunder Dragon smiled awkwardly.

Then, after a moment, he brought it up.

“It’s nothing else. About the second preliminaries.”

“Yes.”

“Would you do it with me?”

“Hm?”

I tilted my head. Do the preliminaries together?

“With you, Young Lord Namgung?”

“That’s right.”

At that, my thoughts shifted.

I already knew from the explanation—this time it was two-person teams.

Maybe the Martial Alliance side calculated the numbers to fit perfectly. Who knows.

So when I heard the test contents, what I’d assumed was—

‘Obviously Do Hyeong, or Cheon Eujin. Or Poison Dragon.’

I hadn’t expected Thunder Dragon to suggest it.

And on top of that—

“Aren’t you supposed to do it with your younger brother?”

Thunder Dragon had a twin younger brother—Little Azure Sword.

And also—

‘That side has bad blood with me too.’

Little Azure Sword had deep bad blood with me. Especially—

‘He’s still dragging that malicious ghost around.’

Seeing the malicious ghost behind him, it was obvious I still shouldn’t get involved with that bastard.

In a situation like that—

“Do you not know what happened between me and your younger brother?”

It was more than strange that Thunder Dragon was reaching out to me.

“Ah.”

Thunder Dragon understood what I meant and smiled awkwardly.

Did he really not know? The question rose up—

And then—

“It doesn’t matter.”

“What?”

Thunder Dragon erased the smile he’d been wearing and added, flatly—

“I don’t want to do it with an incompetent bastard whose only merit is his face in the first place. And this looked more interesting. What do you think, Little Sword Saint?”

“...”

The way he called his own younger brother incompetent was filled with sincerity.

Even to me, the way he said he didn’t want to get involved was... fresh.

This—

‘That family’s a mess too, huh?’

Tang Clan, Namgung Clan—

And hell... even the Jegal Clan mess, too, even if that one’s because of my father.

Feels like the Five Great Clans’ kids are all going to ruin.

But that wasn’t important, so I shoved it aside.

‘Hmm.’

Team up with Thunder Dragon?

‘...Hm.’

I considered it for a moment. I’d never imagined doing anything with Thunder Dragon, but—

Thinking about the test contents....

‘This might not be bad.’

The thought came that it might be surprisingly fine.

There were a few things that bothered me, sure, but—

‘Whatever.’

I could deal with those in advance.

“Sure. Let’s do it.”

“Oh!”

When I accepted like it was nothing, Thunder Dragon beamed.

He looks exactly like Little Azure Sword, but he’s definitely different.

Still—

‘Can’t say it feels good.’

From meeting the Seven Prodigies, they were all the same in one way: they felt off.

Was it because their talent was too absurd? At minimum, arrogance was baked into them.

‘And the contempt for the weak is strong.’

They were the type who fundamentally poured contempt over anyone weaker.

And even aside from that—

‘Thunder Dragon is... what.’

Like a wide ocean. A broad, deep ocean stretching far away.

Beautiful at a glance, fresh and clear.

But—

‘If you look closely, it feels like there’s trash floating on it.’

Small pieces of annoying trash bobbing on the surface.

That kind of person.

‘Well, whatever.’

If it’s just doing preliminaries together, then it doesn’t matter what he is.

So the moment I clasped hands with Thunder Dragon—

“Ah, damn. I’m late.”

A bulky guy cut in belatedly, sounding disappointed.

It was Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin.

“I was going to claim him first. Figures a Namgung would be quick.”

“Brother Peng. You’re late.”

Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin smacked his lips while looking at the hands Thunder Dragon and I were holding.

Why does that bastard always react like that? It’s disgusting.

“Tch. If it’s like this, then....”

Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin rolled his eyes, searching for someone. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Looking at that, it seemed he’d been looking for me too.

‘...What the hell do you want now?’

I don’t know what the connection is with Murong Yeongsun, but—

Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin should be staying the hell away from me. And yet he came at me strangely friendly.

“Ah.”

Then he found who he was looking for and waved.

“Hey! Sword Phoenix!”

At that, everyone’s gaze turned.

Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin called out to Plum Blossom Sword Phoenix, and she—

‘Huh?’

Was looking at me.

Like she didn’t give a damn about Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin calling her.

While I silently met her eyes, Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin walked up to her.

“If you don’t have anyone, wanna do it with me?”

“....”

At that, Sword Phoenix glanced at Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin.

Then she sent her gaze back to me for a brief moment—

NOD.

She nodded, accepting Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin’s suggestion.

“Nice. You choose fast.”

Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin laughed at her response.

As I watched, I could hear others letting out regretful sighs.

Of course they would.

Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin and Sword Phoenix were among the strongest even within the Seven Prodigies.

Those two teaming up was practically a disaster.

‘Yeah, I shouldn’t get tangled up with that side.’

That was true no matter how you looked at it.

I was thinking I wouldn’t even glance at Black-Grand Saber Peng Dojin and Sword Phoenix—

—Hey.

Someone sent me a voice transmission.

—Behind you.

I turned.

And there—

—Hi?

Bang Seojin stood there, smiling sweetly at me.

—We still have more to talk about, right?

“...”

At that, annoyance crashed over me—

And at the same time—

‘Perfect.’

I had questions for her too.