Since you're the Historian, I'll ask you."
"Yes."
"Who is evaluated as the strongest in martial world history?"
"Right now, do you mean?"
"No. In that era, I mean. The era we've been talking about."
"Hmm..."
The Historian's face became serious.
People fundamentally like to rank things. Moreover, martial artists were by nature a tribe that was extremely curious about who was the strongest.
"There are several. First, I'd have to mention Master Dharma, and I can't leave out Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng. And I'd have to include the Sword Emperor, who was Gwanghui Mujeon's master, and… hmm, I couldn't exclude the Heavenly Demon."
"So among them, who was the strongest, is what I'm saying."
"Hmm..."
The Historian spoke with a troubled tone.
"Should I speak honestly?"
"That's right."
"Then first, I'll exclude Master Dharma and Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng. While they have symbolic significance as the greatest under heaven of their time who gave birth to the great trees of Shaolin and Wudang, and have the achievement of leaving the foundation of those martial arts, it's questionable whether they dominated the world with their individual martial arts."
"That's right."
"Then the Sword Emperor and Heavenly Demon remain..."
The Historian's face slightly contorted.
"Honestly, I'd like to give more support to the Heavenly Demon side. Though it's something I can't say out loud anywhere."
"Why can't you say it?"
"You're not asking because you don't know, are you? Even so, isn't this currently the era of the Orthodox Path? But in the Orthodox world, I can't very well say that a Demonic Cult lackey was historically the strongest."
Guangqushen giggled.
"You mean someone whose mission is to establish correct history hesitates about such things?"
"History isn't passed down by mouth. What establishes history are historical records (saseo). I'll simply put everything into the historical records I leave behind on the day I die, but there's no need to restrict my current activities by babbling about things people don't want to hear right now, is there? If I were someone who went around saying the Heavenly Demon was the greatest of all time, who would even deal with me?"
"Realistic."
"It can't be helped."
Guangqushen nodded. A man must not hesitate to crawl between a commoner's legs for his purpose.
Failing to achieve greater goals because of useless pride was something only petty people did.
"Then tell me. Why is the Heavenly Demon the greatest of all time?"
"Hmm, first I'd like to mention the Heavenly Demon's achievements."
"Achievements... What achievements?"
"The Heavenly Demon single-handedly laid the foundation of the Demonic Cult."
"That seems to contradict the reason you excluded Master Dharma and Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng earlier?"
The Historian shook his head.
"Buddhism wasn't failing to flourish before Master Dharma came. And even before True Person Zhang Sanfeng appeared, Taoism was commanding the world. But not the Demonic Cult."
The Historian's tone was resolute.
"The achievement of gathering the persecuted Zoroastrians into the world's greatest power and transmitting martial arts to them is something no one else could approach. Of course, since that direction wasn't right, I can't call him a great person, but his influence should naturally be evaluated as the greatest in the martial world."
"Good. What else?"
"His individual strength."
"That's the most important thing."
"The Heavenly Demon's secret technique, the Calamity Heaven Absorption Art (Geop Cheonsu Ragong), was never perfectly mastered by anyone in the Demonic Cult. They were barely managing to piece together fragments of it, but considering that Demonic Cult leaders of only that level easily reached the position of greatest under heaven, you can gauge what the true Heavenly Demon's power must have been like."
"Oho, so that makes the Heavenly Demon the greatest under heaven?"
"Yes. And there's also what he showed afterward, isn't there?"
"Hmm..."
Guangqushen quietly nodded.
"As an aside, I don't think the Sword Emperor's martial arts were inferior to the Heavenly Demon's either. However, the Sword Emperor's martial arts are essentially lost..."
"That's right."
"Until now I thought Gwanghui Mujeon's martial arts were the Sword Emperor's, but hearing what you say, that doesn't seem to be the case either. Then I don't know how to evaluate the Sword Emperor's martial arts."
"Right. You're correct."
Guangqushen giggled.
"Objectively speaking, that's right, but in that era they put the Sword Emperor about half a step ahead of the Heavenly Demon."
"That seems likely. After all, however eccentric the Sword Emperor was, he was still Orthodox, and the Heavenly Demon was a Demonic Cultist."
"But we eventually learned that was wrong."
"Pardon?"
"...And quite painfully, at that."
The Historian tilted his head, not understanding Guangqushen's words.
If it had been the Historian until now, the moment a question arose he wouldn't have tried to hold back. There was no reason to wait when the person to ask was right in front of him.
But now the Historian couldn't open his mouth.
Guangqushen was wearing a forlorn expression he had never shown even once before.
Considering Guangqushen's playful personality, it was a face that was far too unsuitable.
Feeling the depth of heavy emotion contained within it, the Historian kept his mouth firmly shut and waited.
For Guangqushen to sort out his surging emotions and speak.
"Whew..."
Guangqushen, who had let out a quiet sigh, slowly opened his mouth.
"You said you wanted to know about Wei Yan-ho from me."
"...That's right."
"Do you know what that means?"
Doubt appeared in the Historian's eyes.
Could there be some other meaning to wanting to know about Gwanghui Mujeon?
"Gwanghui Mujeon was at the center of that era. Wanting to know about him means, in other words, wanting to hear the stories hidden behind the scenes of that era. Do you understand what I mean?"
"...Of course I know that."
"No, you don't."
Guangqushen shook his head bitterly.
"You don't know, you can't help but not know. This isn't simply a story you don't know because you didn't live in that era. It's a story that only those who were truly involved in that matter would know."
"What do you mean..."
Guangqushen shook his head.
"Until now I've been wondering how to tell you this story. I planned to hide things appropriately while telling it. But now I have this thought."
A low sigh.
The Historian couldn't understand the meaning of the sigh. But he could fully feel the weight contained in that sigh.
"Perhaps I too wanted to confess this story to someone. Even though it's a story I've never told anyone. I thought I was tight-lipped, unlike a beggar, but apparently that wasn't the case either."
Guangqushen spoke bitterly.
"I'll tell you. Whether you spread this story around, or establish it in the world through historical records as you said, or bury it and live with it like me—that will be your choice."
The Historian's face hardened stiffly.
Guangqushen was about to begin some true story.
"Truth is something everyone wants to know, but not everyone can know. Truth is sometimes harsh, and sometimes sorrowful. So you must prepare yourself accordingly. Whether you truly have the qualifications to know the truth."
The Historian's face was colored with tension.
***
Wei Yan-ho, having finished his schedule at Mount Hua, departed for Guangdong.
Huh?
Wasn't there anyone to stop him?
Well, that's really hard to say...
There were many people who wanted to stop him, but no one could directly ask Wei Yan-ho why he was leaving.
He said he was going home—how could they stop that?
Moreover, unless it was someone at the level of the Divine Tree Four Elders (Singi Susa), among those at Mount Hua at the time, there was no one who could tell Wei Yan-ho to do this or that.
Well, perhaps the Sword Sage or Sword Sovereign could have done something about it, but unfortunately the Sword Sovereign had washed his hands of Wei Yan-ho, and the Sword Sage wasn't someone who liked to constrain others.
So Wei Yan-ho departed for Guangdong.
That was the beginning.
Looking back, that was the beginning of everything.
Not yet, not yet.
But keep this in mind.
From now on, the story you must hear won't be as light as the stories up until now.
Perhaps it might be the real reason why the truth about Gwanghui Mujeon Wei Yan-ho had to be hidden.
***
"Then I'll be going."
"Hmm, you've worked hard."
Various emotions were floating on Cheongyeongja's face as he looked at Wei Jeong-han.
'Really, what should I say.'
He didn't have particularly good feelings toward Wei Jeong-han. Although it was Wei Yan-ho who had caused all the trouble, as a parent who had failed to properly teach and guide Wei Yan-ho, Wei Jeong-han couldn't be said to be without fault either.
But now that it was time for him to leave like this, subtle sympathy was arising in Cheongyeongja toward Wei Jeong-han.
'For me, I just see him briefly and that's it.'
How many occasions would Wei Yan-ho have to come back to Mount Hua?
So Cheongyeongja could be considered almost free from the pain he had to endure because of Wei Yan-ho.
But Wei Jeong-han?
Wei Jeong-han couldn't escape from Wei Yan-ho until the day he died. Thinking this way, Cheongyeongja felt sorry for Wei Jeong-han.
"...You've worked hard."
"Not at all."
"And it seems you'll have much hardship ahead."
"..."
As Wei Jeong-han seemed to choke up, Cheongyeongja unknowingly reached out and patted his shoulder.
"I've never had children so I don't know well, but they say there's no work in the world as difficult as raising children. It's all karma, isn't it?"
"...I must have committed many sins."
"Still, the big fruit grew straight, so isn't that something?"
Wei Jeong-han and Cheongyeongja simultaneously looked at Wei San-ho standing behind them.
Seeing Wei San-ho, a pleased smile naturally formed on Cheongyeongja's face.
'If there's a good child at Mount Hua, I'd even like to arrange a marriage.'
He was truly the model of a young hero that Cheongyeongja had hoped for again and again. Although he had shown a disappointing performance by being defeated by Baek Geom-yeong in this tournament, men are forged through trials. He believed without doubt that he would use this defeat as fertilizer to grow into an even greater man.
On the other hand...
"Ah, let's get going already. Why are we killing time here when we've got people standing around? Who knows how long it'll take to get to Guangdong?"
'That damned rascal, really.'
Cheongyeongja's face turned bright red.
Where on earth did such a demon appear to turn people's insides upside down!
It would be easier on his heart if he were completely useless, but his character was like that yet there were many uses for him, so he couldn't even curse him freely.
The rage welling up inside Cheongyeongja was becoming a fire disease, and Wei Jeong-han, noticing this, smiled bitterly and bowed his head deeply.
"Then."
"Yes, travel safely. If anything happens along the way, send a word."
"Yes. I'll see you again."
As Wei Jeong-han returned to his group and departed while bickering with Wei Yan-ho, Cheongyeongja quietly watched the backs of the departing group.
"They're gone..."
It had been a truly long, long time.
Finally, the demon who had turned Mount Hua upside down had descended the mountain.
"Someone go sprinkle salt at the main gate! Quickly!"
Cheongyeongja clicked his tongue while sprinkling salt behind the demon.
"Wonder where he'll go to cause trouble next."
Cheongyeongja prayed that Wei Yan-ho would just go home peacefully.