Rumors were something I was used to.

Whether they were about me or about someone else, they had always lingered around me.

That hadn’t changed much, neither before my regression nor after it.

But this one felt a little unfair.

“After taking only Tang Sowol with me and turning to the Unorthodox Sect, I’m supposedly trying to swallow up the Black Lotus Sect? I can’t even begin to guess how such a rumor started.”

“Uh… I think I might know, Brother Cheon?”

“What is it? Don’t tell me it’s Haomun flailing about after being half absorbed by the Black Lotus Sect. Or perhaps the Demonic Cult stirring trouble?”

“No. It’s karma.”

“…?”

For a moment, I couldn’t even process what I had just heard and tilted my head.

“I can understand how my previous actions might have caused some misunderstandings, but this martial tour was carried out in Zhejiang Province under the Black Lotus Sect’s authority. I moved carefully.”

“Ah, that’s only how you see it, Brother Cheon. I’d wager that even the Black Lotus Sect Lord isn’t expecting this to end quietly.”

“What.”

I had clearly said I would handle everything perfectly…

“Am I really that lacking in trust?”

“In a sense, you’re too trustworthy—that’s the problem.”

Tang Sowol gave a wry smile and idly flicked her fingers in the air as she continued.

“You’re my fiancé, Brother Cheon. I’ve watched you from up close, so I can roughly guess what circumstances led you here and what line of reasoning brought you to your conclusions… but others can’t, can they?”

“Tsk. Perhaps burning down that estate was a bit much. But it was necessary.”

“I think you did well there. You evacuated everyone unrelated properly, and above all, wasn’t it very fitting for the Tang Clan?”

Repay kindness twofold. Return what you desire tenfold.

She muttered that with a giggle. Her voice was playful, but her eyes were cool—there was more sincerity in them than she let on.

I didn’t particularly care what rumors circulated about me. I was only worried that others might suffer because of them… but judging by her reaction, the Tang Clan would be just fine. I let out a faint chuckle and shrugged.

“Well, I was only surprised. At this point, I don’t care much what rumors spread. There’s only one opponent left on this martial tour anyway. Even if our information leaks, it won’t matter.”

“Hehe. It’s certainly hard to imagine Brother Cheon being swayed by rumors.”

“It might be troublesome when I return to the Black Lotus Sect later, though.”

It was true that the Black Lotus Sect Lord thought highly of me and had even considered me as a potential successor depending on circumstances.

But that didn’t mean he tolerated challenges.

He was endlessly generous to his subordinates and friends, yet utterly ruthless to his enemies.

As I let out a long sigh, Twin-Ghost Killing Sword, who had remained quiet until now, muttered with a peculiar expression.

“Considering the Sect Lord entrusted you with this matter, he’d likely be pleased rather than truly take issue with it…”

“What did you say?”

“Ah, nothing! I was merely saying I can somewhat guess the source of this rumor!”

“Oh? What is it? Let’s hear it.”

“It’s only speculation, so please don’t take it too seriously. Do you remember One-Saber Asura, the first one you defeated?”

“Of course. Now that I think about it, he had the least lingering resentment and reacted exactly as I expected. I rather liked him.”

“I suspect One-Saber Asura might be the culprit behind this rumor.”

“Huh??”

“You might not realize it, White Moon Sword Lord, but in life, one is bound to lose to others at times.”

“I don’t know what you take me for, but I’ve lost to others before.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Before I reached the Flowering Stage, I occasionally tasted defeat against Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin and my father-in-law.”

“Ah… I see…?”

Twin-Ghost Killing Sword’s face went oddly stiff for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and continued.

“In any case, everyone experiences defeat. But the higher one stands, the more painful such defeat becomes, doesn’t it? Sometimes, a bit of mental victory is necessary.”

“Mental victory? Wait, don’t tell me…”

“Yes. After being overwhelmingly defeated head-on by someone far younger, without room for excuses, One-Saber Asura has been praising you, White Moon Sword Lord, claiming he didn’t lose to just anyone but to someone extraordinary. That’s what I learned while gathering information on the Illusory Illusion Witch.”

“No wonder I felt something was off.”

I recalled him snapping that he hadn’t lost because of the Black Lotus Sect’s intentions but directly to me, and a sigh escaped me.

As Twin-Ghost Killing Sword said, we hadn’t received complete confirmation yet… but if One-Saber Asura had been exalting me to preserve his pride, combined with my recent actions, it would be more than enough to spark rumors like this.

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

If that was the case, then the Black Lotus Sect Lord—who had recently reorganized his intelligence network—would soon learn the truth. After subjugating the Illusory Illusion Witch and returning, there was a high chance this would all end amicably.

“Let’s set that aside for now… Tell me about the Illusory Illusion Witch.”

“Yes.”

Twin-Ghost Killing Sword, who had been gathering reports from nearby Black Lotus Sect branches since early morning, took a steady breath.

“First, we’ve succeeded in pinpointing her location. Of course, we’re continuing surveillance even at this very moment.”

“That’s good news.”

As her title suggested, the Illusory Illusion Witch excelled in evil methods—especially illusion arts.

If she truly set her mind to hiding, tracking her down wouldn’t be easy.

As for me, whether it was through the Heavenly Insight Eye or my qi perception, if she was nearby, I would notice her evil methods.

I had detected the King of Assassins’ stealth; how would illusion arts or formations be any different?

Of course, detecting her presence and breaking her techniques were two separate matters.

In any case, I was confident I could perceive her—but that was only because it was me.

Most people wouldn’t even recognize an Illusory Illusion Witch determined to hide, and even if they stumbled upon her location, they would likely lose their memories or have them altered.

If she chose to flee from me in earnest, things would become extremely troublesome.

After all, I would be chasing someone only I could perceive across this vast Central Plains.

Yet instead of hiding or fleeing despite our widely spread rumors, she remained quietly at her base.

“It seems she intends to meet us.”

“That appears to be the case.”

“Good. It’s about time at least one of them turned out to be friendly.”

The Illusory Illusion Witch clung strongly to life. I had intended to make active use of that…

Perhaps there would be no need to take such a hardline approach.

It felt slightly anticlimactic, but it was fortunate.

“This is the last one. Let’s finish it quickly.”

“Yes!”

The Illusory Illusion Witch had settled not in a grand city, but deep within a remote mountain.

Large or small, no matter how well one blended in, a Flowering Stage martial artist inevitably gathered their own forces.

Even if they didn’t seek it, followers would flock to such power.

Money, authority, strength—one naturally acquired all of it, so most chose places suitable for people to live.

But she had chosen the opposite path.

She sought out a sparsely populated place and settled there.

“Of course, there are those who seclude themselves in truly desolate lands to pursue higher realms. Mostly Daoists. That wouldn’t apply to the Illusory Illusion Witch.”

“Isn’t that too hasty a judgment, Brother Cheon? She might have secluded herself for cultivation.”

“No. If that were the case, she would have severed ties with the mundane world entirely. She would have sought a place untouched by human footsteps, rich with natural qi.”

According to the Black Lotus Sect’s report, she had settled for years in a small hamlet village hidden in the mountains.

Not completely severing ties with the world, yet not fully living among people either—this was often the choice of skilled martial artists.

Usually a hamlet village. In some cases, they acted as protectors of mountain or river bandits.

Those without proper sect or government protection tended to obey well.

In fact, Seo Mun-Hwarin had once said that after completing her revenge and attaining enlightenment leading to Rejuvenation, she had guarded such a village in a mountain valley.

The Illusory Illusion Witch was likely similar.

Come to think of it, even before my regression, there hadn’t been many rumors about her.

Before the Demonic Cult’s invasion, aside from handling a few urgent matters at the Black Lotus Sect’s request, she had little external activity.

During the war against the Demonic Cult, she had performed on the battlefield… but mostly against those who attacked first.

Well. Not long after, she had attempted to side with the Heavenly Demon and lost her head for it.

I didn’t know much about her motives or personality. Only that she valued survival immensely.

As I sorted through past-life information and recent intelligence while climbing the dense mountain path—

“White Moon Sword Lord. I believe we’ve arrived.”

“So it seems.”

Before us lay a village far larger than a typical hamlet settlement.

Unlike the usual thirty or so residents, there were close to a hundred.

Though traces of fatigue and gloom lingered on their faces, they were well-fed, their bodies plump with proper meals.

“For a hamlet village, they’re living rather well, aren’t they?”

“It’s guarded by a Flowering Stage martial artist. The government likely knows of this place too. They simply don’t wish to provoke her over a handful of taxes.”

“So no taxes, no landlord exploitation—everything goes straight into their own bellies.”

“For the most part. Leaving the best goods for her and running the occasional errand is a small price to pay.”

“Hehe. Still, seeing ordinary folk rather than fully armed vagabonds puts me at ease. What do you intend to do now?”

“It seems she’s been waiting for us. We should greet her politely first.”

The moment I stepped to the village entrance—

Suddenly, the entire village slid away into the distance, and my vision filled with mist.

I hadn’t lowered my guard, yet I had sensed no warning signs. Had I been caught just like that?

No. That couldn’t be.

No matter how skilled she was, she couldn’t surpass the King of Assassins’ stealth.

Which meant the answer was simple. We had already been under her evil method—one so seamless we felt no incongruity.

She’s better than I thought.

Frowning, I drew my sword and activated the Heavenly Insight Eye, intending to grasp the flow of qi composing the mist and, if necessary, cut through it.

But—

Wuuuung—

As if in haste, the mist receded, forming a path.

Not toward the village, but deeper into the mountain.

“Seems like she’s inviting us in.”

“Yes. That’s how it looks to me as well.”

Tang Sowol and I exchanged a glance and smiled faintly before following the path carved by the retreating mist.

After walking for some time, we reached a small hut.

When I opened the door and stepped inside—

“P-Please, spare my life!”

The Illusory Illusion Witch was there, prostrated flat on the floor in a full five-limbed kowtow, begging for her life.

I hadn’t even done anything yet.