I opened the door and stepped inside. The moment I entered, I knew where I was.

‘This place... it’s that spot from earlier?’

It was the same hall packed with weapons we’d come into during the day.

Each and every blade looked worthy of being called a masterpiece, and if I had to guess—

‘All Silver grade or higher.’

The echelon of Iron River–forged masterworks.

Or else—

‘They could even be Gold grade.’

A grade that, barring special circumstances, wouldn’t be released into the Central Plains at all.

‘If I actually knew how to judge swords, I could say for certain.’

This field is where I’m utterly useless, so it was just a hunch.

Still, I knew these were anything but cheap.

‘Even if I scooped a few and sold them off—’

They’d fetch a fortune.

And this place was littered with them.

I checked them one by one, then looked at the Poison Sovereign and opened my mouth.

“Elder, should—”

“Keep your voice down. It carries outside.”

“...”

I shut my mouth mid-word.

I looked toward the entrance. Not the other doorway I’d come through, but the formal entrance we’d used in the day.

The door was shut tight. Were there people on the other side?

‘...Then they’re investigating the archive. Or they’re simply holding a perimeter.’

Entirely plausible. Why is a secret archive a secret archive? Because it’s hidden, and because it holds something important.

Now that it had been discovered and opened, of course people would be posted there to investigate and stand guard.

If there was any question here—

‘Aren’t they near our quarters too?’

We know about the archive—wouldn’t they be secretly watching us as well? The thought brushed by, and my face tightened a notch.

‘...It’s more than possible.’

Not just possible. They could already be doing it.

Besides—

‘No matter how “orthodox” the Tang Clan is.’

Once outsiders learn of the main clan’s secret archive, there’s the risk they’ll “handle” it somehow.

‘I should start planning for that too.’

That was something I’d recognized the moment I heard about the archive.

The thought alone made my skin crawl.

‘This is why I never get involved with the high and mighty.’

Call it corporate tyranny. Same in my past life—get tangled with the “great and good” the wrong way and you end up wrecked.

This time I had to be extremely careful.

‘First.’

I looked at the Poison Sovereign without a word. This wasn’t the destination, so there had to be more to do; I sent a look asking him to tell me what.

“Over there.”

As expected, he pointed out the location with his hand again.

He indicated the wall directly opposite the entrance.

Another {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} mechanism? I studied it, but it wasn’t like before.

‘No dots.’

Not a single indexing dot in sight. Just a rough stone wall, nothing more.

‘Hm.’

Then how was I supposed to do this?

I focused and looked a little closer—

‘Ah.’

Only then did I catch his meaning.

“It may not make sense to you, but first, on that wall...”

I listened to his belated explanation—

And at the same time, my hand closed on the sword at my waist.

“...use the Blue Moon Sect’s sword form... boy?”

He frowned at me as he spoke.

That was all I needed to hear.

THRUM—!!

Energy rose and gathered in my grip.

The gathered energy ran down the blade, spilling a deep, vivid blue.

As the momentum swelled, the corner of my mouth lifted.

‘Nice.’

Not like before.

Unlike when I first tried this, it was far easier now to pack energy into it—

‘...And the quality’s different.’

I realized the quantity and quality of flow had both grown immense.

Did my internal energy increase? No, that wasn’t it.

It simply meant I’d gotten better at using it.

“Sssss—”

I drew a shallow breath to satisfy the basics—

And pressed strength, slow and steady, into my muscles.

The soles glued to the floor teased the ground as if to push it away—

In that instant, I spread energy through my whole body.

I felt it creep in, filling me to the brim.

‘A little deeper here.’

I got greedy. I didn’t used to, but lately this part had changed.

‘Feels like I can do it.’

At first, I could barely spread it to my legs and arms.

Now I could feel it in places it hadn’t reached.

Feeling that stirred a useless desire.

I could do a little more.

If I did this, it might be even better.

That kind of desire.

Yoo Cheongil had said, ‘Do as you please.’ So it ought to be a fine attempt.

So this time, same as ever—

‘Last time I focused on the sword; this time I’ll relax the sword and focus on the body.’

I set the distance precisely and drew in a deeper breath.

At the instant that measured breath spread through me, I held it—

“Hup—!”

With a shout, the blade drew a line through the air.

Moon Wave.

The Blue Moon Sword Dance’s First Form skimmed the stone wall and spun fast.

SHRAAK—!

WHOOOOSH—!!

Wind burst out and dust rolled for a moment around us.

While the grit hung in the air, I slowly evened my breathing.

“Hoo... hoo...”

Sweat beaded on my forehead. One swing, and this much aftershock.

‘Seriously. The deeper I dig, the more absurd it gets.’

Just when I think I’m getting used to it, there’s something else beyond it.

Maybe that’s how martial arts are.

Or maybe it’s just that old man’s martial art.

‘...It’s really hard.’

Disgustingly hard. Even as my body felt it firsthand—

‘Why does it keep feeling pointlessly fun?’

Regardless of the grind or the payoff, there was a me that wanted to enjoy it.

Weirdly, that annoyed me.

Clack—!

I slid the sword back into its scabbard.

“...Huh... you...”

The Poison Sovereign was staring at me with a slightly vacant face.

At that moment—

Thump.

A short sound, and the wall shifted. With a grinding roll, another entrance appeared.

‘Knew it.’

I nodded, not surprised at all.

‘...No wonder it felt familiar.’

Back at the Blue Moon Sect, in the place Yoo Cheongil called the snack pantry—

I’d used the Blue Moon Sword Dance to open a hidden storehouse inside it.

‘I saw it here too.’

I remembered the blue lines that had shown on the wall back then.

And here, in the Poison Sovereign’s archive, I glimpsed the same thing. So I immediately cast Moon Wave.

“...How in the world did you know that.”

He demanded it with a ferocious look, as if this one thing he couldn’t let slide.

“I saw it once before.”

I answered honestly.

“The archive you took me to. It opened the same way.”

“Huh? By ‘archive,’ do you mean the Blue Moon Vault? Yoo Cheongil took you there?”

Blue Moon Vault...? The old man had just called it his snack pantry, but judging by the feel, that sounded right.

“Yes. I think that’s it.”

“He’s out of his mind. He calls it a sanctuary no one may enter except the next Sect Master, and then...!”

He spoke like he couldn’t believe it.

Hearing that, I had to feel the same.

‘...The next Sect Master...?’

Out of his own mouth he called it a stash for whatever he fancied, and yet—

Looked like it was a far more serious space than I imagined.

Well—

‘...The fact there was a Blue Moon Pill in there was already strange.’

They say only the Sect Master may consume it—so why was it there?

And I just snatched it up and ate it, too.

“Tsk.”

It must have been one hell of a place.

But then—

“...So, how many rooms did you go into?”

This time it was my turn to be puzzled.

“...How many? Isn’t the second one the end?”

“...The second? At least you kept a shred of conscience.”

“What... don’t tell me there’s more?”

“Ask Yoo Cheongil later about that. It’s not something I can meddle in.”

“Come on...”

You’ve said this much and now you won’t finish the thought? You’ve got to be kidding me.

‘There were more rooms behind that...?’

There was more after that?

How big was that archive?

‘No—more importantly, right now.’

Whatever lay beyond that archive wasn’t the point.

I looked at the Poison Sovereign and asked:

“May I ask you something?”

“What is it.”

“Why is the method to open the archive tied to the Blue Moon Sword Dance...?”

For the Blue Moon Vault, fine—it’s inside the Blue Moon Sect, so that tracks.

‘But why here?’

Even the Poison Sovereign’s archive opening to the Blue Moon Sword Dance was a bit much.

So I asked because it made no sense. He pinched his brow tight.

“...Hem...”

“Elder?”

“...It’s not like I wanted to use your sect’s sword.”

“...Then...?”

“...A bet.”

“Sorry, what?”

His voice was the size of a mouse, so I didn’t catch it. I asked again.

“...A bet.”

“...Huh?”

What the—? If I didn’t mishear...

“A bet...?”

“...Yeah. Damn it. Ah, I shouldn’t have done that drinking bet...! Damn!”

Truly angry, he smacked the air like it was a tabletop.

“...”

I was at a loss for words.

‘...A drinking bet...?’

I thought there’d be some circumstance—just a drinking bet?

What do those insane old men even stake on drinking bets?

I forced myself to ignore the throbbing in my head and looked away.

‘Let’s just go in first...’

As the Poison Sovereign said, anything about the Blue Moon Vault is something to ask that old man, not him.

I faced forward and stepped out.

The entrance was barely wide enough for one person.

If it were someone with Yoo Cheongil’s build, he’d never squeeze through.

I ducked my head a little and peered in.

If not for leaning on the Moon Eyes, I wouldn’t have seen at all; it was pitch black.

“There’s no mechanism in the passage itself. Go in slowly.”

At his words, I put my body into the passage. In that instant—

BANG—!

“...!”

The door behind me shut.

“—Whoa, damn!”

The sudden turn of events made me jump.

I looked at him.

“...Is there a way to open it from inside?”

“I made a way out.”

“...That’s a relief.”

I relaxed at the answer and moved on. It wasn’t long before I came out the other side—

“Huh.”

I let out a breath as I took in the new space.

“...What is this?”

My eyes widened. It was far more spacious than I expected.

Far more than the hall of weapons.

And—

Saaaaa—

Water sounded; looking down, streams ran between tastefully built structures.

Why did water run here, of all places?

I was vaguely curious, but my eyes were on something else: straight ahead, the small table at the exact center of the room. The box on top.

That was what drew me.

Not just my eyes.

“This smell...”

A subtle fragrance brushed the tip of my nose.

At a glance it was floral, but there was a bitter edge in it that rubbed me wrong.

Whatever it was, the heavy scent filled the entire room.

‘No way.’

Could it be?

Could that be—

‘...Shaolin’s Supreme Great Rejuvenation Pill?’

The divine pill among divine pills, said to appear at a Murim Alliance festival maybe once in a decade, if that.

It made me think the thing inside that box was the Great Rejuvenation Pill.

So I naturally started toward it—

“Found it!”

The Poison Sovereign shouted from a corner.

“It’s here! Right here!”

He waved me over urgently. I pivoted on my toes and headed to him first.

****

He was pointing at something in the flow between the streams.

“That one. Pull that out.”

‘That?’

There was definitely something in the water.

Was that the thing he’d meant? I reached out—

Then froze.

“...Hm?”

He looked at me like, why are you stopping?

“Elder.”

“What is it?”

“So why is this Heavenly Demon Divine Sword here?”

“...What?”

He wrinkled the bridge of his nose.

“I tried to let it pass so I wouldn’t get further entangled, but now I’m curious too.”

How could I not be?

“Look, you know how it is. If I’m not careful I could get dragged in deep. It’s hard to just play dumb and help.”

Smiling, I pressed on.

“You need to explain at least the situation. About the current Clan Head... and about this sword.”

“...”

At that, he stared at me hard, face set.

It was probably because I jabbed at not only the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword but also the Poison King.

“Were you holding off asking on purpose for this moment? Trying to blackmail me?”

“Ah, blackmail?”

If he meant blackmail here, he must mean: if you don’t talk, I won’t pull out the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.

That kind of blackmail?

“Yeah.”

Then correct. That was my aim.

“I don’t need the Great Rejuvenation Pill. My life matters more. And this whole thing reeks.”

“...You little...!”

At my bluntness his eyes shook.

“If you don’t tell me, I’m not pulling it. I’ll walk away and ignore the Great Rejuvenation Pill too.”

If you don’t like that, then give me a proper explanation.

I asked with that meaning, and his expression flipped through several faces in a flash.

First anger, then surprise, then annoyance. The fourth looked like resignation.

“Haa... impudent brat.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“You won’t yield a single word. If I were still alive I’d have taught you a real lesson.”

Must sting that he can’t do anything because he’s dead.

‘Obviously—if you were alive, how would I dare.’

He’s a dead ghost; that’s why I can sass him. If he were alive, I wouldn’t even meet his eyes.

“So? Will you tell me?”

“...”

He fell silent a moment. I waited quietly.

After a short while—

“Boy.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“How much do you trust Yoo Cheongil?”

“Huh?”

Why bring up that old man’s name now?

“All of a sudden?”

How much do I trust him...?

“Well, if you trust that guy, then—”

“I don’t.”

“...You... what...?”

“I don’t trust him one bit.”

I said it flat, deadpan.

“...Huh...? You don’t?”

“Yeah. Not even a speck. I’d sooner trust a rock in the road than that old man—not a grain of dust’s worth of trust.”

“...”

“Elder?”

I’d said my piece, but no sound came from him.

Looked like he’d been struck speechless for a second.

Why?