Chapter 86

Chapter 86

"Blood Demon…"

Namgung Cheon, who sat drinking wine at a spot overlooking the manor, fell into deep thought as he reflected on what Dan Woo-hyun had said.

Blood Demon.

It was not a name he was hearing for the first time.

A thousand years ago, it was an existence that appeared when the Central Plains was in chaos. However, it was subjugated by the Martial God, and after that, the name of the Blood Demon was never mentioned again.

Yet, Dan Woo-hyun brought up that name as if he knew the Blood Demon. As if he were someone who had actually seen him.

'How strange. How could he know something even I do not know…?'

His doubt doubled.

Even without this, Dan Woo-hyun's identity made him think a lot.

An existence whose origin was unknown.

An existence with martial power so almighty that it was strange his past record was not known.

But right now, what weighed on his mind more than Dan Woo-hyun's identity was a single remark of his.

'He was the strongest, but not the best…'

What on earth did that mean?

Namgung Cheon still could not hide his doubt about Dan Woo-hyun's identity and about the words he had spoken. Since they were words of incomprehensible meaning, his thoughts could only grow deeper.

After being lost in thought alone for a long time, Namgung Cheon folded his thoughts and stood up from his seat.

"Come to think of it, this is my first time here."

Although considerable time had passed since he entered the manor, this hill behind the manor was a place where he had set foot for the first time. He had come simply to clear his thoughts while looking at the scenery, and since the surrounding view was wide open, there seemed to be no better place than this.

Looking around with a satisfied smile, a grave mound faintly entered Namgung Cheon's sight.

A grave mound in a place like this.

It felt out of place.

Namgung Cheon, who approached slowly and looked at it, tilted his head.

Three grave mounds, and three ancestral tablets standing proudly in that spot.

As Namgung Cheon read the characters on the tablets, a sense of familiarity came over him for some reason.

"Tae Gong-jin, Nam Ju-ryeon, Cheon Mu-gwang… Huh…?"

Namgung Cheon blinked his eyes and stared blankly at it for a while, then looked up at the sky.

He wondered if something went wrong with his body because his internal energy had vanished. He felt as if his eyes were unnecessarily dim.

Rubbing his eyes with one hand, he turned his gaze back to the grave mounds. However, the characters only appeared even clearer instead.

Moreover, the grave mounds did not even look like they had been made long ago.

"What on earth is… this…!"

Did it mean the Demonic Cult, or other organizations, had not taken the remains?

He could not dare to dig them up, and even if he did, there was no way to prove they were the remains of the Three Heavens.

Judging by the color of the soil on the grave mounds, it was estimated that they had been made only a few months ago. Could it really be a coincidence that the timing and the names on the tablets matched so perfectly?

Suddenly, Namgung Cheon recalled Namgung So-hye's words.

"Grandfather, can a person… live for a thousand years?"

Why did those words suddenly come to mind?

Namgung Cheon pieced the situation together with an ominous feeling.

Recalling Dan Woo-hyun's everything, his actions, and the words he uttered one by one, he fitted the pieces together.

As if the puzzle pieces of that mystery were fitting together one by one, a hypothesis was eventually established in his mind.

But he soon shook his head.

"Haha, no matter how much of a hypothesis it is, it makes no sense."

That was an impossible thing.

To solve the mystery of the remains of the Three Heavens and Dan Woo-hyun's identity, Namgung Cheon went to find Dan Woo-hyun immediately.

"The remains of the Three Heavens?"

"Yes. When I went to the hill behind the manor, there were tablets with their names written on them."

Flinch-!

Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae flinched.

They did not know about other things, but they did not want Namgung Cheon to find out about that. That was why they had been preventing him from going to the hill as much as possible, but in the end, he had found out.

Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae's gazes turned toward Dan Woo-hyun.

"I do not quite know what you are talking about."

"Do not lie. The grave mounds looked to have been made a few months ago, and the names on the tablets are also the same. That is undoubtedly…!"

"They must be different people with the same names."

"That… that cannot be…"

Dan Woo-hyun decided to act shamelessly.

He knew that even if he told the truth, they would not believe it anyway. If so, rather than coming up with excuses, it would be easier to just act thick-skinned. Especially against someone like Namgung Cheon.

"Do you have proof that they are the Three Heavens?"

"No, I have no such thing, but… cir… circumstantially…"

"They are my acquaintances. I merely moved their graves here. Only a few months ago, that is."

"No, but no matter how much I think about it…"

"If you claim they are the remains of the Three Heavens just because they share the same names, then there must be plenty of the Three Heavens living in this Central Plains."

"Ugh…!"

Namgung Cheon could not say anything.

Dan Woo-hyun's words were correct.

There were plenty of people who possessed the same names. If one gathered those with the same names as the Three Heavens, there would be enough to form an army.

'Still, isn't it too exquisite to be a coincidence…'

With a frustrated mind, feeling that nothing he said would get through, Namgung Cheon sighed repeatedly.

But Namgung Cheon was not one to back down like this.

"Are you perhaps… hiding something from me?"

"Hiding something? What do you mean?"

Namgung Cheon let out a chuckle and caught his breath, organizing the hypothesis that came to mind.

In fact, they were words that were embarrassing to even utter. Because no matter how much he thought about it, it was incomprehensible.

However, he felt that it might be a single remark that could change the face of that expressionless fellow in an instant.

"Are you perhaps… someone related to the Martial God?"

Flinch-

Dan Woo-hyun's eyebrow twitched.

It was just for a fleeting moment, but there was no way Namgung Cheon would miss it. His observation skills were well-known even in the Murim Alliance. He did not miss even a minor movement.

"As expected, it seems I am right. That strength at such a young age, the way you speak as if you know of the events from a thousand years ago, and even the tablets and grave mounds presumed to be the remains of the Three Heavens… You will not be able to deny it."

"Haha."

"In my view, you are a descendant of the Martial God."

"……?!"

"A, a descendant of the Martial God?"

Those who were surprised by those words were actually Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae.

They had always wondered what the background of Dan Woo-hyun's mysteriously strong martial power was, and if Dan Woo-hyun was indeed a descendant of the Martial God, it was explainable to some extent.

"You must have obtained the Martial God's miraculous encounter in this land of Hunan. That is why you also know about the Blood Demon and the Martial God…"

The two also nodded. Surely Namgung Cheon's words seemed to be correct. It felt like all the pieces were fitting together one by one.

Come to think of it, Dan Woo-hyun occasionally smiled when good stories about the Martial God came out, and looked displeased when bad stories came out.

"Did you bring the remains of the Three Heavens because you are a descendant, to honor their souls?"

"Halala."

Yet, Dan Woo-hyun laughed.

He was laughing with a face that neither denied nor affirmed all the words Namgung Cheon had put forward so far. It was the face of a child who had heard an interesting old tale.

The three sent doubtful gazes.

What on earth was the truth?

"It is an interesting hypothesis… in a sense it is correct, and in another sense it is wrong."

"……What does that mean?"

"Well, it is just like that."

Dan Woo-hyun, who smirked, did not continue speaking. As if he considered how they thought was their own freedom.

Because of that, the three, especially Namgung Cheon, grew even more curious.

What on earth was this man's identity?

Someone with the boldness and skill to bring out three sets of remains from the island where the Murim Alliance, the Demonic Cult, and so many others were present.

Although it was said he had no internal energy, he was a figure who defeated and forced back the Sword Emperor himself without allowing a single stance.

In frustration, Namgung Cheon shouted toward Dan Woo-hyun.

"It is not as if you are the Martial God himself! What on earth is your identity!"

Dan Woo-hyun wore a pleasant smile after a long time.

Seeing the three struggling to grasp his identity was actually quite cute.

"My name is Dan Woo-hyun. That fact has remained unchanged from the past until now."

"That is because it is your name…"

"And this place is my manor, and you all are my family. Since that does not change, what need is there for an identity? Is that not so, Gentleman Sword?"

"Ahem!"

"Hmph!"

With a smile, Dan Woo-hyun stood up from his seat. It was slowly getting to be afternoon. He had to wake up Dan So-mi, who slept late yesterday, and feed her.

Looking at his back as he walked slowly toward So-mi's room, Namgung Cheon frowned deeply and turned around. Before he knew it, Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae had approached.

"Is he really a descendant of the Martial God?"

"I tell you, the old man's guess is definitely correct! It fits perfectly!"

"Ahem, though it is a simple guess… there are parts that fit, not that there aren't."

Furthermore, Dan Woo-hyun did not affirm or deny it. He also said it was not correct but not wrong.

In the end, it amounted to indirectly affirming the fact that he was related to the Martial God.

At that fact, everyone's hearts fluttered.

The world's greatest expert.

A vast sky that no one could surpass throughout all of history.

That was the Martial God, and Dan Woo-hyun was his descendant.

Even for the Sword Emperor of the world, his heart could not help but beat fast.

"Ha, then the person we are serving right now is…"

Namgung Cheon frowned.

He could imagine what kind of words would come out of Gwon Mu-jin's mouth. It was a moment when even the title of Sword Emperor, one of the Five Emperors of the world, turned miserably shabby before him.

"He is someone who might be the world's greatest."

Namgung Cheon said with a bitter smile.

In fact, before discovering the grave mounds, and before recalling Namgung So-hye's words, he had not had such thoughts.

He had only thought of him as the disciple of some eccentric expert.

Were there not many of them in the Central Plains?

Throughout the thousand-year history of the Murim, there had been countless eccentric experts. Heaven Seeker, Blood Wind Demon, Hegemony Emperor, Yin-Yang Old Monster, Wujin-zi, Soeum-do, etc.

Even if they were not necessarily such famous experts, those who chose to live in quiet seclusion while only raising a disciple, although strong, were scattered all over.

But the moment he saw the remains of the Three Heavens, Namgung Cheon realized.

Dan Woo-hyun was definitely related to them. That was the reason why he made the grave mounds immediately after snatching the remains.

Whether it was the Murim Alliance, the Demonic Cult, or the unorthodox path, if they had found the remains, they would have tried to examine the bones first to check how the energy channels flowed.

Of course, on the surface, it would be under the pretext of gathering the remains of the ancestors, but if one dug into the inside, it would have surely ended in an unpleasant sight. Namgung Cheon was certain of that.

"In any case, that is what I think. So you two must keep everything you heard here today…"

"We will keep it secret."

"No, why?"

Jang Sam-tae was greatly rejoicing at the fact that Dan Woo-hyun was a descendant of the Martial God. Moreover, since he was learning martial arts from him, he was also becoming the disciple of the descendant of the Martial God.

At the moment his eyes sparkled as he imagined being praised by all martial artists and holding immense wealth and power, Jang Sam-tae felt the cold gazes of the two men.

"I, I will keep my mouth shut."

Feeling the murderous intent of Gwon Mu-jin who looked ready to cut off his snout and pull out his tongue right away, and the murderous intent of Namgung Cheon who looked ready to crush all his teeth, Jang Sam-tae held his breath.

'Damn it…'

In the end, his dream ended as a daydream.