For now, I grasped the situation.

My head was not working properly.

...What is this?

What the hell was this?

Even trying to assess the situation was not easy.

The woman caught in my hand. Judging by age, she looked about fifteen? Her appearance did not seem to go beyond that.

She was absurdly beautiful for that age, and her features were extremely similar to someone I knew.

No, not just similar.

If that person became younger, she would look exactly like this.

“...Are you Bow Ghost?”

I asked just in case.

At my words, the girl’s eyes flared.

“You bastard...!”

She shouted in a delicate voice and strained.

Except—

...She’s weak?

There was no damage at all.

I could not even feel whether she was actually exerting strength.

She really was just an ordinary person.

No, even for an ordinary person, that strength was weak.

“What exactly did you do to me...!”

“...What do you mean, what did I do? That is what I want to ask.”

If this girl really was Bow Ghost—

“Did you undergo rejuvenation or something?”

Had she become younger like Sword Queen?

I asked with that meaning, and—

“What an absurd thing to say.”

Bow Ghost’s eyes sharpened upward.

“As if I would have done such a thing.”

“Then what happened to your current form?”

“...Is this not all because of you?”

“Me?”

What did I do?

It was ridiculous that she suddenly tried to pin me as the culprit.

“What did I do?”

“What did you do to my soul?”

“Mm?”

Soul?

Soul talk was coming up here?

“What would I have done?”

I had not done anything special.

“I merely touched it a little.”

“...Touched it? You merely touched it a little?”

Bow Ghost’s face twisted.

“Do you think it makes sense for my entire soul to be damaged just because you ‘touched it’?”

“Why would that not make sense?”

I snorted.

“That was why I touched it.”

“...What?”

“You should not have come in such a dangerous form and gotten on someone’s nerves. You should have been careful.”

“You bastard...!”

What I had done was not a big deal.

I had simply scattered a bit of baleful force into her soul.

The scattered baleful force had lodged itself like awls, so that if she tried to use spiritual energy, it would cause pain. Unless she pulled it out and dealt with it, she would not be able to use spiritual energy.

In other words—

“You could have removed it before using your power. Could you not?”

It also meant Bow Ghost had not been able to fully handle the baleful force I had fired.

“...You...”

GRIND—!

Her eyes were full of killing intent.

“Leaving aside the fact that you could not undo it, why do you look like that?”

Why had she become younger?

I was puzzled.

It did not seem like only her appearance had grown younger.

I can’t feel any energy from her at all.

She was an ordinary person itself.

Exactly the state of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl with no inner qi.

“...I have no need to tell you.”

“Ah, is that so?”

It was fascinating, but if she put it that way, I was not ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) particularly curious either.

“If your business here is done, please leave. I am rather busy.”

I needed to hurry to Liaoning.

I was short on time, and I had no leisure to grapple with Bow Ghost.

At my words, Bow Ghost grabbed me.

“Undo it before you go.”

“...What is this now?”

“I said, undo it before you go.”

“Ah, undo it yourself. Why are you acting like this after being so confident?”

She had been so confident in spirit form.

Why was she acting like this now?

I recoiled and pushed her away.

“Undo it. Now...!”

“I told you I don’t want—”

“Young Master Bang. It is time to leave, so why are you not coming...?”

Rattle.

Someone opened the door and entered.

It was Poison Dragon.

“Hm?”

Poison Dragon narrowed his eyes at the situation unfolding inside.

“...”

The situation of me holding a fifteen-year-old girl and pushing her away.

Seeing that, Poison Dragon’s eyes rolled.

“Hey.”

I spoke urgently.

“It’s not that, so don’t misunderstand.”

“Pardon the intrusion.”

“I said it’s not that.”

“...I will inform them that departure will likely take some time...”

“I said it isn’t! Stop right there!”

I shouted, but Poison Dragon had already darted out like an arrow.

“Ah, damn it.”

I had a feeling I was screwed.

*****

I chased after the vanished Poison Dragon and went to the carriage.

I came as quickly as I could, but I could not get much speed.

It was because Bow Ghost was clinging to my back.

“Seriously, why are you doing this?”

“I said undo it.”

“...Ha.”

The same answer kept repeating.

First, I stopped walking.

Only then did Bow Ghost get off me, and I looked at her.

“That will come undone on its own.”

“What?”

Bow Ghost’s eyes widened at my words.

“I said it will come undone on its own after some time passes. It was not as if I fired it properly either.”

“...What does that—”

“Either put in the effort and undo it yourself, or wait a little. It should come undone in roughly a month or two. I deliberately set it up that way, so if you try to force it off, it will break instead.”

If someone asked whether I could personally undo it, the answer was ambiguous.

This was closer to a seal than baleful force.

The effect was better when I made it so even I could not undo it myself, so I had deliberately cast it that way.

“...Something like that exists?”

“I worked hard to learn and master it. Clean, isn’t it?”

Among the powers I had learned from Chief Baek in my previous life, this ranked among the most useful.

Even more so when I thought of how I had used it to tie down evil gods.

“What exactly are you...?”

Bow Ghost asked in puzzlement.

“I am the third son of the Bang Family.”

“You know that is not what I am asking.”

“How can you call that nothing? It is my identity.”

She was rejecting a person outright.

How absurd.

“Anyway, that is how it is, so please handle it yourself. I am in a hurry right now.”

“...That is nonsense. You expect me to believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not changes nothing. Or you can think hard on it together with your disciple, Senior.”

I brought up Death King.

I had put something similar yet different on that man too.

Though that one would probably be weaker.

“Stop bothering me and leave.”

I did not know why Bow Ghost’s state had become like that.

I did not particularly want to know either.

“Or keep scheming with the Young Cult Leader.”

“...”

When I mentioned that she had received a request from the Young Cult Leader, she reacted.

“I’m going.”

Using the moment she had let go, I widened the distance.

If she had an ordinary person’s body, I judged that she would not be able to follow this speed.

I reached the carriage side in an instant.

“No, I’m telling you... Listen, I went to his residence, and Young Master Bang was—”

I could see Poison Dragon’s back.

I immediately struck it.

CRACK—!!

“Ghk!!”

“I told you not to talk nonsense. It wasn’t like that.”

“Grrgh...!!!”

The bastard fell to his knees and groaned.

Yu Yeon and Yu Yul, who had been listening with great interest for a while, looked disappointed.

“What was it? It was just getting good.”

“It is not going to be a fun story. This bastard is talking nonsense.”

I grabbed the staggering Poison Dragon and threw him into the carriage.

Looking at Poison Dragon folded inside, I said,

“...Stop spouting bullshit and drive the carriage. Keep your mouth shut.”

“...Ghk... Yes...”

Still clutching his aching head, Poison Dragon nodded.

After warning him, I spoke to the others.

“Get in for now. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return.”

“You’re planning to return quickly?”

Yu Yul sounded surprised.

“Why?”

“Even if only in name, you’re going to your hometown, but you do not seem very moved.”

“Ah, yes. Not particularly.”

He was right.

What was there to feel moved about just because it was my hometown?

Honestly, I did not even want to go.

...That goddamn messed-up family.

A part of me strongly wondered whether I really needed to go all the way there and see them.

What can I do?

I had to go.

If there was work to do, I had to go.

If I did not and the ring came loose, I was the one who would suffer.

And—

I need to see my older brother too.

There was also a reason I had to see that delinquent young patriarch after all this time.

“...Let’s go.”

At my words, Yu Yul and Yu Yeon nodded and boarded the carriage.

Just as I was about to get in after them—

“You’re leaving?”

A voice came from somewhere.

I turned back and saw an old man standing there.

It was Tyrant.

“Ah, Elder.”

“You said you were going to Liaoning.”

“Yes. I will return soon.”

I had already told him about it.

“And how do you know what the Demonic Cult bastards will do while you are gone?”

He had a playful smile.

Seeing it, I scratched my cheek.

“Well. The adults here will take care of that, won’t they?”

“Ha...”

“It is Henan, after all. This place is full of incredible people, so what is there to worry about?”

If it was an incident that would not happen just because I was here, then it was simply an incident that would not happen.

How many beings beyond heaven had gathered here?

What sort of incident could happen?

If something happened and things went to hell anyway, that would already be beyond my hands.

“...I can never tell whether you are broad-minded or thoughtless.”

“I am always grateful to you.”

I meant my gratitude for him putting off the talk about going to the Mo Family.

I’m busy.

After coming back from Liaoning, I could not go straight to the Mo Family.

Most likely.

Because of the meeting.

That was the immediate matter, so I would have to handle that before going to the Mo Family.

“I would like to go with you, but the work you shoved onto me is not ordinary.”

Tyrant sounded very displeased.

“Ahaha...”

“Do not laugh. I find the situation extremely displeasing.”

“I apologize.”

“You had better come back as soon as possible. It may not be the Demonic Cult that grows horns, but me.”

“Oh...”

That was a rather frightening thing to say.

I coughed dryly a few times.

Seeing that, Tyrant turned his back.

“Go and return.”

“Yes.”

After hearing Tyrant’s farewell, I closed the carriage door.

“Now, then, let us depar—”

“Shall we set off now?”

I froze for a moment at the bright voice.

It was not a voice that should be heard here.

“What is wrong, young master?”

The one smiling brightly was Freak Demon.

What was this man?

When had he boarded?

He was even dressed like an attendant.

“...”

Was I seeing things wrong?

I rubbed my eyes slightly, then asked through voice transmission.

—...How did you get in here?

—You said you were going, so I came as well.

—What about the Young Cult Leader?

—At present, he is in no state to pay attention to me. My Sky did something great for us.

“...”

It seemed Freak Demon knew that I had screwed over the Young Cult Leader by pretending to be the Heavenly Demon.

His eyes were full of certainty, not conjecture.

That was extremely burdensome.

—I have no idea what you mean.

—As expected of my Sky.

Expected what...?

How did he know?

Wondering how he knew felt pointless.

Freak Demon knew I possessed the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, that I could hold it.

And even—

That I can use demonic qi.

Though it happened through the Heavenly Demon, he knew I could handle demonic qi as well.

—...As expected, my Sky had a plan for everything. A plan that a lowly creature like me could never dare predict.

—...

He seemed to be deeply misunderstanding something, but I did not bother denying it.

If I tried to deny it, there would be no end.

—...Is it truly all right for you to come with us?

—The road my Sky walks is the road I must walk.

His voice was filled with madness.

Now, he was genuinely frightening.

“...Let’s go. Hey, set off.”

I spoke weakly.

At my words, the sound of a whip cracked from the driver’s seat.

NEIGH—!!!

The carriage began to move.

It was the road to Liaoning for the first time in years.