The Secret of the Demon Queen

For a while, they walked in silence. Following Jin Gun-seong through the winding paths of the cult, they eventually reached a wide, open space. Judging by the wooden swords scattered here and there, it appeared to be a training ground.

Jin Gun-seong came to a halt at one end of the field.

“Seol Ah-heon.”

“Yes.”

“Seol Ah-heon.”

It didn’t feel like he was calling out to Seol Ah-heon, but rather as if he were savoring the three syllables of the name. Seol Ah-heon waited patiently for the man to organize his thoughts.

Finally, Jin Gun-seong looked at him. His complexion was ashen, and deep shadows hung beneath his eyes. He looked devastatingly exhausted.

“Seol Ah-heon.”

“Please, speak.”

Hearing his name called three times by a man with that face was frankly terrifying. Seol Ah-heon shivered, recalling the old ghost story that says a Grim Reaper calls a person’s name three times when it’s time to take them to the underworld.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“……Do you know me?”

“I saw you over twenty years ago. Right after Bing So-yu first picked you up.”

That single sentence held a wealth of information. Specifically, it confirmed that the original Seol Ah-heon had been an orphan and that Bing So-yu had essentially raised him from infancy.

‘Wait a minute. Then how old was Bing So-yu, exactly?’

In the heat of the moment, he hadn’t looked closely, but Bing So-yu had appeared to be in her late twenties—perhaps mid-thirties at the very oldest. But if she had found him twenty years ago, she must have been at least in her forties when she died.

‘I’ve heard that masters with high levels of internal energy age slowly, but still……’

Even Jin Gun-seong looked to be in his late thirties. His actual age was likely much higher.

“I’ve heard rumors about you since then.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“Let me correct myself. They were rumors about the Ice-Blooded Demon Queen. Tales of her raising a disciple who was her mirror image. How the young one was so loyal he would follow any order his master gave, no matter what.”

“…….”

“What about you? Did you hear stories about me?”

How would the real Seol Ah-heon have answered? He couldn’t be sure, so Seol Ah-heon simply shook his head.

“No. I don’t remember anything.”

“……Are you saying Bing So-yu never said a single word about me?”

“Ah……. Yes.”

Jin Gun-seong’s pupils trembled. It was the first human emotion the Reaper-like man had shown.

‘Is my answer really that shocking?’

Actually, there was a slight deception in his response. Seol Ah-heon had said, “I don’t remember anything,” not “My master never told me a single word about you.”

“Um, are you my Martial Uncle $^2$…… or perhaps my Younger Martial Uncle $^3$?”

“I was once Bing So-yu’s senior brother, but no longer. It has been twenty years since I was expelled from the Yeong-ha Sect.”

“Then, how should I address you?”

“Head. Call me Pavilion Head.”

“I understand, Pavilion Head.”

Though he kept his face neutral, Seol Ah-heon was internally surprised. In the Demonic Cult, where masters were a dime a dozen, the title of “Pavilion Head” was by no means low. While he didn’t know the exact hierarchy, it was at least a mid-level management position.

‘To think a member of the Yeong-ha Sect from twenty years ago is now a Pavilion Head of the Demonic Cult.’

The reason for Jin Gun-seong’s expulsion was starting to become clear. He must have fallen into demonic arts and defected to the cult.

“Then, Pavilion Head. Why did you seek me out?”

“I heard you were with Bing So-yu at the end?”

“……Yes.”

“How was it? Her final moments.”

A flash of regret crossed Jin Gun-seong’s ashen face. Since they had once trained under the same master, there must be many lingering emotions. Even if he were expelled, memories aren’t so easily severed.

Seol Ah-heon began the heavy tale.

“……I assume you know that Master and I infiltrated the secret manual archives within the cult.”

“I do.”

“We fled to escape an assassin’s attack. In the process, both Master and I were injured. And then……”

Seol Ah-heon hesitated. Should he tell the whole truth? He worried that Jin Gun-seong might resent him once he knew the full story.

“And then?”

Jin Gun-seong pressed for the rest. Feeling like he had nothing left to lose, Seol Ah-heon continued.

“She had me consume the Soul-Freezing Pill, transferred her internal energy to me, and then…… she closed her eyes.”

“I see……. So that’s what happened.”

Fortunately, Jin Gun-seong didn’t turn his resentment toward Seol Ah-heon.

“She lived a long time. She enjoyed her natural span and then some.”

Even if Bing So-yu was older than she looked, was “natural span” really the right term? As if reading his confusion, Jin Gun-seong spoke.

“Of course, as her only disciple, it might be hard for you to accept.”

“…….”

“But Bing So-yu suffered from the Nine Yin Blocked Pulses. She lived close to death since childhood. When she was born, they said she wouldn’t see ten. When she turned ten, they said she wouldn’t survive past her youth. $^4$”

Come to think of it, Bing So-yu had said the same—that it was a miracle she had lived this long despite her condition.

‘She must have lived in much more pain than I realized……’

Before Seol Ah-heon could process this, Jin Gun-seong dropped a bombshell.

“Had she not left the North Sea Ice Palace to join the Yeong-ha Sect, those predictions would have come true. It wasn’t an easy decision for the granddaughter of a North Sea Ice Palace Elder, but it was the right one.”

“……Excuse me?”

The North Sea Ice Palace? The granddaughter of an Elder? New information was pouring out faster than he could track. Seol Ah-heon blinked in shock.

“Why that look? As if you’re hearing this for the first time.”

“W-well……”

“I understand. I’m probably the last person you want to hear these stories from. Seeing as I am the traitor of the Yeong-ha Sect.”

Jin Gun-seong looked up at the sky with a hollow expression. It was a relief that he was making his own excuses for Seol Ah-heon’s reaction, but it was still awkward.

‘I’m not actually part of the Yeong-ha Sect, though……’

There was nothing he could say to the man’s regret. Neither complaints nor comfort were his to give.

“That must be why Bing So-yu never spoke of me.”

Seol Ah-heon scratched his head. Truthfully, it was more likely that she had told the original Seol Ah-heon, but he simply didn’t know it.

“Pavilion Head, what kind of words did you hope Master would leave for me regarding you?”

“Resentment.”

“…….”

It was a topic too heavy for a third party like Seol Ah-heon to handle. He squeezed out a response.

“Isn’t it better this way? Better to hear nothing than to hear words of resentment.”

“Heh……”

Jin Gun-seong laughed weakly.

“You are different from the rumors. I heard you were a disciple blindly devoted to the Ice-Blooded Demon Queen.”

“…….”

“Is that also an aftereffect of the Soul-Binding Art?”

“You knew about that?”

“The Fifth Young Master informed me. He said you’d even forgotten your martial arts.”

“Yes, that’s how it is.”

Seol Ah-heon replied without missing a beat. He’d used this excuse so many times now that he was starting to feel like a genuine victim of the Soul-Binding Art.

“The Fifth Young Master seemed quite concerned about you.”

At those words, Seol Ah-heon’s face crumpled. His expression screamed, ‘Don’t talk nonsense.’ He tried to fix his face quickly, but the thought had already reached Jin Gun-seong.

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Even I have never seen him show concern for someone before.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but you must be mistaken.”

“Not at all. The Fifth Young Master personally requested that I build up your foundations. So that you can protect yourself regardless of the situation.”

“…….”

For some reason, Seol Ah-heon felt awkward. The idea of Baek Geon-ha being “concerned” was impossible to swallow.

Even if it were true, it didn’t mean much. Baek Geon-ha probably viewed him like a pig being fed green tea. He was just putting in the effort to make sure the “meat” tasted better, or at least to ensure it didn’t get snatched away by someone else before he could enjoy it.

“So, you will be helping me with my training from now on?”

“Correct.”

Seol Ah-heon tightened his fists. Regardless of the reason, a mentor was a welcome addition. Hadn’t he vowed to himself back in the cave—the one where he found the Mad Blood Demon Sword—that he would start training the moment he escaped?

“Understood. When do we begin?”

“Now.”

“Pardon?”

“Now.”

Repeating himself, Jin Gun-seong raised an arm. A finger as thin as a withered branch pointed toward the side. Following the gesture, Seol Ah-heon saw a wooden sword lying there.

“Bring it.”

“……Yes.”

This wasn’t what Seol Ah-heon expected. He knew he needed to train, but he hadn’t meant this very second.

‘Ah, I wish I could just get a free ride.’

If he was reincarnated into the body of an expert, shouldn’t he be able to use the martial arts automatically? It felt unfair that he had to pay for the original’s sins without getting any of the perks.

However, the truth that strength requires effort was a universal law that crossed dimensions. And so, without any time to mentally prepare, Seol Ah-heon’s training began