By some turn of events, Seolhwa found herself at Zhuge Hwi’s residence.

They had agreed to share tea at a table in his garden.

Zhuge Hwi’s residence was immaculate—everything was orderly, clean, and flawless.

The flowers lining both sides of the path had been planted at exact intervals, and the trees were all pruned into identical shapes.

The main building she approached was so symmetrically aligned that both sides mirrored each other perfectly from the central axis.

She found herself breathless, without knowing why.

Hwarin’s teasing, about how Ung resembled Zhuge Hwi, came to mind.

It was clear Hwarin had never actually been inside Zhuge Hwi’s manor.

A teacup was set down before Seolhwa.

It was the same black tea she had drunk at the banquet, with that same distinctive fragrance.

“There is no poison in it.”

Seolhwa lifted her gaze to meet his.

There didn’t seem to be any malice behind the gesture of offering the same tea.

“Cheongjeon Tea is one of Hubei’s famed teas. I thought you might not have been able to properly enjoy its aroma that day.”

It was true she hadn’t been able to fully appreciate it—knowing what else had been in the tea.

“I know it was Tang Gongja who was behind that incident.”

Zhuge Hwi poured tea into his own cup and sat down.

Even with a chair that had a backrest, he sat ramrod straight without leaning—a posture entirely befitting him.

“However, it was a servant of our Zhuge Clan who laced the tea. The failure to manage one of our own is a fault that lies entirely with our main household. I offer my apology.”

“...It’s alright. And really, that wasn’t poisoning—it was my own mistake for unknowingly consuming a herb with poor compatibility.”

She understood his intention to apologize, but there was no need to stir up an incident that the clan heads had already agreed to suppress.

Zhuge Hwi seemed to understand her meaning and gave a slow nod.

“Rather, I wanted to ask about something you mentioned earlier. The Madman of the Zhuge Clan.”

“That is indeed how our main family refers to him. He is my uncle, by blood.”

Zhuge Hwi’s uncle—Zhuge Myeong.

That meant he was the current Clan Head’s younger brother.

But why would the Zhuge Clan refer to the younger brother of the Clan Head as a madman?

It was a story she had never heard in her previous life, and that made it all the more intriguing.

Zhuge Hwi took a composed sip of tea, carefully savoring the taste.

Seolhwa, on the other hand, only stared at the color of the tea before her, not touching it.

Only after setting his teacup down did Zhuge Hwi speak again.

“My uncle left the main household at a young age and wandered the world. He never once had any intention of becoming Clan Head.”

The figure of the Ten-Thousand-Mile Phantom Thief came to mind.

Wasn’t the Ten-Thousand-Mile Phantom Thief also famous for wandering the world, stealing treasures, and distributing them to the poor?

Come to think of it, the time when the Phantom Thief vanished lines up pretty closely with the Zhuge Clan’s conflict with Salmak.

Though... the thief’s disappearance may have happened even earlier.

Don’t tell me, Zhuge Hwi’s uncle is—?

No, it was too reckless to jump to conclusions just because the Phantom Thief’s emblem had appeared at the Zhuge Clan.

But there was no doubt that there was a close connection between Zhuge Hwi’s uncle and the Phantom Thief.

Judging by the emblem of the Phantom Thief engraved on the door to the formation chamber, at the very least, he was involved with the third piece.

“Then something major happened to the clan.”

“You mean the war with Salmak.”

“Yes.”

The war between Salmak and the Zhuge Clan.

The Zhuge Clan had emerged victorious, but they had spilled too much blood. Their power inevitably weakened.

“Because of that, my uncle was summoned back to the clan. My grandfather commanded him to stay and protect the family.”

Remain and protect a faltering clan—that was the duty and responsibility of one born as the Clan Head’s son.

Though he had no interest in power or influence, being born into such a position allowed him to enjoy many privileges.

Even the freedom to wander the world had been made possible by the clan’s financial support.

If Zhuge Hwi’s uncle really was the Phantom Thief, then it’s no wonder he wasn’t short on money.

He probably used the clan’s resources when he needed information or access to things.

“My uncle obeyed the Clan Head’s order. All of the mechanical formations and array techniques used to defend the main household were crafted by him.”

She had heard plenty in her past life about how impenetrable the Zhuge Clan’s defenses were.

That had been one of the biggest reasons why the Blood Demon Cult had left them alone.

The Zhuge Clan’s walls are impossible to breach.

After the war with Salmak, the Zhuge Clan had adopted a fully defensive posture, pouring all their energy into protecting themselves.

Their formations and mechanisms were unparalleled, and because they only responded to clan members, they couldn’t be infiltrated.

So all of that was the work of Zhuge Hwi’s so-called mad uncle...

If he really was the Phantom Thief, then the mechanical array mechanisms inside the Heavenly Palace Ghost Mound and the cave all made sense.

Even in her past life, when the Heavenly Palace Ghost Mound had been discovered late, it was praised for its exceptional formations.

The more I think about it, the more connections I see.

The wandering, the timing of his disappearance, the expertise in mechanical formations and arrays...

I should have Hao Gate investigate this.

“However, my uncle hated mingling with others to an extreme degree. He even set up arrays around his own residence to completely block any approach.”

“Not even family?”

“No. My father hasn’t seen «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» him in a long time either. I myself only met him once as a child.”

The nickname Madman came after the appearance of the Poison Mist.

After martial artists who ignored the warnings entered his formation and returned as corpses.

So it’s true, he really is a madman.

No matter how much you dislike people, letting your clan’s own warriors die?

Even if you warned them, if you knew people would die, you should’ve spared them.

No matter how she thought about it, he was a strange man.

But undeniably, he was extremely capable.

He’s exactly the person I need.

A faint smile tugged at Seolhwa’s lips.

Zhuge Hwi, who had been quietly observing her, suddenly spoke.

“I do not believe people are born noble or base.”

“...?”

“Where one is born and raised doesn’t matter—what matters is how one lives. In that regard, I respect you, Lady.”

Seolhwa blinked at his sudden confession.

“You don’t really know me, though, do you?”

This is our first time meeting—at this assembly.

“I have a close friend in Mount Hua Sect. He has told me much about you.”

“May I ask who this friend is?”

“He is Jinje Dojang, the second disciple of Mount Hua Sect.”

Jinje...

She could vaguely recall his face. But still.

“He probably doesn’t know me very well. We barely exchanged a few words.”

And even those would have been nothing more than a standard greeting.

“Apparently, he was deeply impressed by your performance during a martial competition long ago. He said he heard much about you from his elder as well—his elder being Yu Pyo Dojang, the first disciple.”

“Ah...”

Seolhwa’s lips parted slightly.

Yu Pyo.

A name she hadn’t heard in a long time.

Not since the events at Mount Hua—four years ago, perhaps?

If anyone in Mount Hua knew her well, it would be Yu Pyo.

Still, I didn’t expect him to talk about me.

He had always been fiercely proud of his sect and often looked down on the Namgoong Clan for it.

“Judging by your reaction, it sounds like he spoke kindly of me.”

“He said you were young, yet strong and composed. Someone with many qualities worth emulating.”

Now that’s a surprise. He really didn’t say a single bad thing?

“That’s why I’ve always wanted to meet you. I regretted not having the chance to speak with you earlier, so it’s truly an honor to face you now.”

Zhuge Hwi’s expression, usually calm, now looked faintly excited—or was that just her imagination?

And with that, she finally understood the gaze he had fixed on her back at the banquet.

Those eyes, gleaming like someone meeting a long-admired figure—Seolhwa couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

He was older than her, but only just barely past twenty, if even that.

He might appear well-composed, but inside, he was still young.

“So? What do you think? Now that you’ve met me in person.”

“You are beautiful.”

Seolhwa’s brows twitched ever so slightly.

“...What?”

“I thought you sounded impressive when I only heard stories. But I never expected you to be this beautiful as well.”

“Was that... a compliment?”

“Did I offend you?”

“Not quite...”

He’s cute.

He looked so proper, like he only spoke in stiff, formal tones—but turns out he had a surprisingly soft side.

Out of habit, Seolhwa reached for the teacup in front of her.

But just before her lips touched it, she remembered—she wasn’t planning to drink the tea.

She lifted her gaze and looked at Zhuge Hwi across the rim of the cup.

The corners of his lips curved upward into a soft smile.

“...Don’t tell me, that little joke was just to get me to drink the tea?”

To ease her wariness?

“It’s a fine tea, isn’t it?”

“You’re kind of scary, you know.”

Seolhwa took a small sip, then gently set the teacup down.

“What do you think?”

“You already know where I grew up. I don’t know much about tea.”

Zhuge Hwi let out a soft sigh.

With a faint smile, he touched his own teacup and let it go.

“It’s true I exaggerated, hoping you’d lower your guard. But I didn’t lie.”

“And if I find that hard to believe?”

“Then I apologize. I’m not used to being warm with people. I must have crossed a line.”

“Well, the story was entertaining enough—I’ll forgive you.”

His fixation on the tea was a little strange, but the conversation hadn’t been unpleasant.

And thanks to it, she’d gained a lead on the Ten-Thousand-Mile Phantom Thief.

“Now that I’ve heard what I came for and had your tea, I’ll take my leave.”

As Seolhwa rose, Zhuge Hwi stood as well.

“What a shame. I would’ve liked to speak with you more.”

“I’m sure we’ll have another chance.”

The recent conversation had confirmed that there was something odd about Zhuge Hwi, too.

It only made her more interested.

The Madman of the Zhuge Clan...

Even in her past life, she’d thought so—there really were a suspicious number of lunatics in the Zhuge Clan.