Even though I was merely a concubine's child, it was still the departure of a direct descendant who had not yet come of age.
I wanted to move alone, but according to the house rules, a squad of warriors had to accompany me as escorts.
'The Seven Star Squad. What an ambiguous selection.'
I let out a wry smile as I checked the escort squad lined up behind the transport vehicles.
The Seven Star Squad was a group of warriors trained in the Seven Star Sword technique, which I occasionally used.
Being an officially affiliated squad of the Sungmu House, they were by no means low-level warriors.
However, all of its members were outsiders, and their primary duties revolved around civil assistance and guard duties—an ambiguous role for a squad.
If it were another direct descendant, a more prestigious squad would have been assigned for appearances' sake.
'It doesn't matter. If anything, this is less cumbersome.'
They were more than sufficient as escorts.
Since I wasn't heading to a dangerous or unexplored region, martial strength wasn't a priority.
Just as I was about to face the Seven Star Squad Captain, I noticed someone standing beside him—and I doubted my eyes.
"It may only be a short journey of two days, but I'll be in your care, Young Master."
"Steward Choi?"
The one who should have been by my father's side, Steward Choi, was accompanying us.
He greeted me with a warm, comforting smile.
"Only two days, you say? Does that mean you're traveling with us?"
"Yes, the Lord has given me instructions, and I will also be visiting Sungmu Mountain and Cheonwi Mountain."
I didn't know what instructions he had received, but there was no way they had been given coincidentally on the same day as my departure.
In other words, he had intentionally arranged to accompany me.
'Steward Choi? Why?'
Although he always maintained an air of humility, Steward Choi was a high-ranking executive in the family, holding a position more crucial than most elders.
There was no reason for someone of his stature to accompany me on such a minor outing.
Perhaps sensing my puzzled gaze, Steward Choi chuckled softly and added,
"You needn't feel pressured. It's also the time before the Lunar New Year when we tidy up our ancestors' graves, and I have something to deliver to the mountain keeper. I am merely accompanying you as part of my assigned duties. But if my presence makes you uncomfortable…"
"Not at all. It's an honor. I'll be in your care, Steward Choi."
I gave him a short bow, and he responded with a gentle smile.
After exchanging brief pleasantries with the Seven Star Squad Captain as well, I boarded the vehicle.
And so, our party set off northward.
***
The family's ancestral mountain, Sungmu Mountain, was part of a mountain range bordering a hazardous zone in the northwest of the Korean Peninsula.
In the past, it had been an uncharted territory.
The mountain's steep ridges made it a magnificent sight, but from a feng shui perspective, it wasn't particularly ideal for a great family's burial grounds.
"The reason our ancestors established their resting place here was their determination to protect this land from beasts even in death. Though now, it is classified as a safe zone."
The journey to the ancestral mountain was long enough for me to have various conversations with Steward Choi.
"But may I ask why you, Young Master, are visiting the ancestral mountain?"
I responded with a light chuckle.
"Even though I am a concubine's child, I still carry the blood of the Sungmu House. Since I am leaving the family estate, I thought it proper to pay my respects to my ancestors. It is thanks to them that the family exists as it does today, and that I am here as well."
It wasn't entirely sincere, but it wasn't a lie either.
Unless it was a holiday or a significant event, even the elders rarely visited the ancestral mountain.
That place was a resting ground for the dead, not somewhere the living could gain anything from.
'They always say showing respect to the ancestors is important, but unless there's a special occasion, even the elders don't make the trip to the distant ancestral mountain—not to mention the direct descendants.'
After the Iron Selection Ceremony, the Naming Ceremony, and now life at the Cadet Academy…
After my regression, my life lasted just over ten short years, but it was always filled with incidents and accidents.
Some viewed my actions favorably, like my uncle or father, but within the conservative establishment, I was often seen as a troublemaking misfit.
No, being considered merely a misfit would actually be a relief.
'But for a young direct descendant of the family—an illegitimate child, no less—to go out of his way on a long journey just to pay his respects… That's exactly the impression I need.'
Every little detail of my image mattered.
The more spiteful individuals might still see my actions in a negative light, but those people were never worth my concern in the first place.
"You truly are brilliant, young master."
A low chuckle escaped from Steward Choi.
"Many elders will appreciate the sight of you making such an effort to pay respects to your ancestors."
A casual remark, spoken lightly. But why did it feel as though he had seen right through me?
"I can only be grateful that they see it that way," I replied.
The car sped down the road.
As we approached the northern region, traffic thinned, and the buildings grew noticeably shorter.
After about an hour, our conversation dwindled, leaving only the sound of the car's movement.
Clank.
Every so often, when the vehicle jolted on the road, the weighty black blade at my side let out a deep metallic sound.
I glanced at Steward Choi.
'Maintaining my image is important, but…'
There was something else.
Before heading to Cheonwisan, I had another crucial reason to stop by Sungmusan.
Slowly, I reached for the jet-black hilt of Heukya.
Like ink bleeding into the air, black energy coiled around the blade, slithering like a living thing.
I had already confirmed that others could not see this dark aura. There was no issue.
Swish—
The already black blade darkened further as the aura enveloped it.
Crackle!
For a moment, the dark energy trembled.
As a memory seeped into my mind, I gently closed my eyes.
In my hazy vision, I saw myself looking down at the sword.
A rough hand reached out, gripping the blade's body.
And then—
Flash!
Like a film cutting off abruptly, the memory stopped there.
Rather than feeling like I had reached the limit of my ability to read it, it was as if everything beyond that point had been deliberately severed.
'Still the same.'
The first time I unleashed the dark aura on Heukya, this was as far as I could see.
Even though my abilities had grown over time, nothing had changed.
'I suppose I won't be able to see more until I break the seal.'
One of the reasons I was heading to the ancestral mountain—
There was a task I needed to complete in order to claim Heukya for myself.
I ran my fingers over the hilt once more before shifting my gaze to the fleeting scenery outside the window.
***
The air around my family's ancestral mountain was eerily silent, almost unnervingly so.
As we approached the entrance of the mountain, we got out of the car and set foot on the ground.
It was Steward Choi who had suggested this.
"We could drive up to the entrance, but..."
"Don't worry, I understand. Those who visit sacred grounds must be wary of all unclean and impure things, conduct themselves with reverence, and remain vigilant at all times. That is an old adage among sorcerers."
"As expected of you, young master."
Sungmu Mountain is a sacred mountain.
Spitting, cursing, having impure thoughts, dragging or shaking one's feet, and desecrating the dead.
In the mundane world, such actions are often dismissed as mere superstition, but in a place like this, they could manifest as real misfortune.
'Of course, I don't know if that's truly the case.'
Sungmu Mountain was a place deeply entangled with sorcery and spiritual forces, but whether calamity would truly strike was uncertain.
Even if something were to happen, there was no way to know if it was Sungmu Mountain's doing.
I was simply following the rare advice of Steward Choi.
As we walked up to the entrance of the mountain, a massive mountain gate appeared before us.
An old, weathered plaque bore the name "Sungmu Mountain" alongside the crest of the Lee family.
"This is as far as we can escort you."
The captain of the Chilseongdae came to a halt.
Anyone wishing to ascend Sungmu Mountain had to pass through this gate, and only those permitted were allowed entry.
"Steward Choi, are you allowed to enter?"
"I was graciously granted the right by the previous head of the family. I intend to tend to the previous head's gravesite, but where do you plan to go, young master?"
"I will first visit the shrine where the ancestral tablet of our progenitor is enshrined."
Together, Steward Choi and I stepped beyond the mountain gate.
—Whoosh!
The moment we passed through, I felt the air change.
Though the gate was merely a boundary, it felt as though we had stepped into an entirely different world.
'We've crossed the barrier.'
I turned to look at Steward Choi.
"Then, I'll be on my way."
"Yes, young master."
Steward Choi gave a slight bow, wearing an enigmatic expression.
"May you achieve what you have set out to do."
"Thank you."
I slowly ascended the well-maintained mountain path.
I could have reached the peak in an instant using magic, but I chose not to.
How long had I been climbing?
As I neared the summit, where the air grew thinner, I spotted a man-made structure embedded within a massive rock face.
'I've arrived. The first family head's tomb.'
The dimly lit tomb was carved deep into the stone, resembling a cave.
Along its walls were lifelike carvings of warriors.
At the deepest part of the tomb, a massive altar stood before me.
Aged and weathered, it bore the marks of time.
I lit incense and candles, then prepared the offerings of alcohol and food that I had brought.
"I, Malye of the Sungmu family, pay my respects to our ancestral founder."
I bowed twice, then a half-bow.
—Wooong.
Had the spirit of our ancestor truly arrived?
A gust of wind swept through the tomb, creating a sound akin to the wail of a living being.
I observed a moment of silence.
Then, I slowly lifted my head.
"Though it may be discourteous to draw my sword at the grave of my ancestor, I ask for your forgiveness, as I am merely following the path you have set before me."
—Srrrng.
I unsheathed Heukya and placed it upon the altar.
Instead of drinking from the offering cup, I poured the liquor over Heukya.
—Splash!
The moment the translucent drops of alcohol fell upon Heukya's dark blade—
—Wooong!
The air trembled.
The once dark and empty space began to fill with an unknown power.
—Ziiiiing!
A noise like the buzzing of hundreds of bees filled the air.
Then, upon the rough, black blade of Heukya, glowing crimson characters emerged.
There were nine of them.
The first word of an unknown archaic language, neither Hanja nor Hangul, trembled violently.
"Heukya is a sword, but it is not just a sword."
Hwaak!
The flow of energy gathered at the burial site, converging into Heukya.
As I watched the scene unfold, I recalled the secret of this sword—something I had seen and heard in my past life before my regression.
A secret of our family, revealed in history by my eldest brother before my return.
"Heukya is a key."
Heukya was a key meant to open a certain "door" and also served as a milestone.
"There are a total of nine seals placed upon Heukya."
The first: Prove oneself as the rightful owner of the sword.
Despite some of Heukya's secrets being uncovered in my previous life, no one had ever been chosen by the sword.
Thus, no one had been able to break the seals.
However, in the iron selection ceremony, I had been chosen by Heukya.
I was the true master of this sword.
Jjeo-eong!
With a noise like shattering glass, the first character burst apart, leaving behind a trail of light.
The second: Prove one's bloodline from the Soongmuiga family.
I carried the blood of the Lee clan.
Simply standing in this burial site was proof enough.
Ujik!
And so, another character disappeared.
The third: Pass the first trial created by the progenitor.
The first trial was the naming ceremony.
And the very first trial created by the progenitor was the Coffin of Struggle.
There, I had displayed my own battle and proven myself.
Paaang!
Thus, even the third seal shattered.
The edge of the fourth seal trembled, but no further change occurred.
Uung—!
The characters hovering above Heukya gradually lost their light and faded.
And when Heukya's glow completely disappeared, the ritual mirror on the altar shone brightly.
天爲.
Cheonwi. The characters signified Cheonwi Mountain.
It was revealing my next destination.
I bowed slightly once more and retrieved Heukya from the altar.
Uung—!
The moment my hand touched it, the sword, which had been merely heavy and solid until now, released a powerful resonance.
A deep, heavy vibration traveled through my fingertips.
"A true masterpiece. Greater than any weapon I've seen before."
Even in its sealed state, its performance rivaled that of a sacred artifact.
Now that part of its restraints had been lifted, it was beginning to reclaim its true form.
"This won't be resolved in just a day or two."
What I knew for certain was that the fourth seal lay ahead—Cheonwi Mountain.
The first three seals had been relatively easy to break, but beyond the fourth, I had no knowledge of what awaited me.
"But once all the seals are undone..."
Heukya would guide me to where I was meant to be.
And if the scholars who studied Heukya were not mistaken—
There, I would find something no one in the long history of the Soongmuiga family had ever obtained—undisputed legitimacy.
With a final bow to the altar, I gathered food and wine before turning away.
My next destination was Cheonwi Mountain.
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