Reincarnator’s Stream

*Step, step*

As the Formation Techniques disappeared, Un Hyang entered the manor with Lee Suhyuk.

In front of the two walked Jinwoon. Un Hyang kept stealing glances at his back.

“Is there something on the back of my head?”

How did he even notice?

At Jinwoon’s question, Un Hyang stammered a reply.

“No, just… it’s fascinating.”

“What is so fascinating?”

“I heard that you disappeared a long time ago. Passing down all your techniques related to formation techniques to the Jaegal family.”

The greatest Formation Technique master in history.

That was the phrase always prefixed before Jinwoon’s name.

One day, he had appeared in the Murim World, and one day, he abruptly handed all his techniques to the Jaegal family and disappeared without a trace.

There were many speculations about the reason for his disappearance.

Some said he had died, while others claimed he went under the rule of the Jaegal family.

Occasionally, people emerged saying they had met him, but no one knew where Jinwoon was.

But now…

“I never imagined you would be working as an artisan…”

To think this Jinwoon was the same artisan who had performed the procedure on Lee Suhyuk.

“Are you planning to be active again?”

“No.”

Jinwoon paused and took in the scenery of the manor.

“I have no intention of leaving this house.”

With that, Jinwoon resumed walking.

Un Hyang, who had been standing there for a moment, glanced around the manor.

It was a beautiful manor. Not very spacious but well-maintained.

However, it didn’t seem like Jinwoon would say such a thing just because it was a pretty house.

“Aren’t you coming?”

The commanding voice pulled Un Hyang, who had been admiring the manor’s scenery, back to reality.

Realizing she had fallen behind, Un Hyang quickly responded.

“I’m coming!”

* * *

Jinwoon guided Lee Suhyuk and Un Hyang to the annex.

*Screeee*

The door opened, revealing the inside of the annex. A table set for a meal emanated a savory aroma.

Jinwoon clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Can’t stop eating, huh?”

“Ump, um, umph-”

Appearing in the doorway was Cheon Ryang, his mouth full of noodles.

Seeing Un Hyang and Lee Suhyuk entering, Cheon Ryang swallowed the noodles hurriedly and stood up hastily.

“Um, umph!”

“Disgusting, honestly!”

Un Hyang deftly avoided the noodle-stuffed Cheon Ryang.

Cheon Ryang, having stumbled while rushing forward, swallowed the food in his mouth and shouted.

“Hey, it’s all because of you!”

A cry filled with injustice.

Un Hyang glared at Cheon Ryang, squinting her eyes.

“What, because of me? Why did you go there like a fool?”

“Fool? Hey! Why do you think I went there?”

“You should have told me first instead of going!”

“If I had told you, you would have turned around crying like an idiot!”

“Id- idiot…? You’re saying it right?”

“Am I wrong? Ouch!”

“Ah! Let go!”

Un Hyang grabbed Cheon Ryang by the collar and shook him. Cheon Ryang retaliated by grabbing her hair.

Watching the two scream at each other to let go, Lee Suhyuk chuckled.

Although it wasn’t a reunion wrapped in emotion, hugging and weeping, he had expected it to be at least a bit quieter.

‘Nothing’s changed.’

Cheon Ryang, unable to win by strength, hung onto Un Hyang’s hair, while Un Hyang was adamant about not overpowering him.

‘Just like us.’

They had fought and reconciled in such a manner when worried, yelling first.

Yet, they managed to be friends because they cared deeply for one another.

This was true for Un Hyang and Cheon Ryang’s relationship.

It was fortunate.

To see this scene again.

Contrarily, Jinwoon was puzzled to see them fighting the moment they reunited.

“Aren’t those two friends?”

“That’s why they’re like that.”

“Because of that?”

“You can’t do that if you’re not very close.”

Even with the explanation, Jinwoon couldn’t understand.

It was an unfamiliar concept for someone who had few friends even when he had family.

“How long are you staying here?”

“About three or four days.”

“Quite specific. Got something in mind?”

“I have insurance. If you think about it, you’re also one of my insurances.”

“Insurance?”

Upon saying that, Lee Suhyuk glanced at Un Hyang.

“Is that girl the insurance you were talking about?”

Jinwoon, still frowning as if he didn’t understand, turned his body away.

“Then rest.”

He moved quietly to avoid disturbing the two who were still fighting.

* * *

Night had fallen on Jinwoon’s manor.

Lee Suhyuk and Cheon Ryang fell asleep late. Both were equally exhausted—Cheon Ryang, who had been beaten and confined for a long time, and Lee Suhyuk, who had used an excessive amount of lightning.

Sizzling noises filled the night.

Jinwoon came out to the wooden deck under the moonlight and drank alone.

The strong scent of high-proof liquor stung his nose. It was an unfamiliar sensation for someone who drank tea every day.

‘The moon is hidden.’

He wanted to enjoy a drink while looking at the moon for the first time in a while.

But just on such a day, not even a half-moon was visible.

It was like a bad omen; the clouds veiled the moon. Jinwoon, feeling regretful, continued drinking without snacks, staring at the dark sky.

“Drinking alone?”

As he finished a drink, Un Hyang’s voice broke the silence.

He turned his head to find Un Hyang, still not asleep, standing there.

“Having trouble sleeping?”

“Not at all. I could sleep anywhere since I was a child.”

“Then?”

“I forgot something.”

She bent her waist to bow to Jinwoon.

“I was too disoriented to properly thank you. Thank you for saving me.”

“Saving you?”

Jinwoon scoffed.

He gestured towards the outhouse where Cheon Ryang was sleeping.

“I saved that boy, not you. You could have escaped on your own, couldn’t you?”

It was a rebuke, questioning why she was thanking him on someone else’s behalf.

But Un Hyang had her reasons.

“That may be true, but… I couldn’t just leave.”

“Why?”

“Because he risked his life for me.”

“So you risked yours too? Just because you’re friends?”

“Yes, because we’re friends.”

It still didn’t make sense to him.

These two were ready to risk their lives for each other, yet they fought like dogs at the slightest provocation.

Friends.

Could such a relationship be profound enough to stake one’s life on?

Despite his skepticism, he couldn’t help but believe it.

He had already seen two people like that, including the ones standing before him—Un Hyang and Cheon Ryang.

“The world has some families who are less than strangers.”

Seeing the confusion in Jinwoon’s eyes, Un Hyang laughed softly.

“If one could call people they would risk their lives for ‘family’, then Cheon Ryang is also my family.”

With that, Un Hyang sat across from Jinwoon.

“Do you not have someone like that?”

“Me?”

“Yes. Someone like Cheon Ryang or Lee Suhyuk is to me.”

Jinwoon couldn’t answer immediately.

It wasn’t that no one came to mind.

It was quite the opposite.

“…… There was.”

Someone came to his mind even before the question was asked.

No, that person was always on his mind.

“Not just like family, but real family.”

Literally, blood-related and also the family in the sense Un Hyang meant.

Such a person.

“A real family?”

“I had a daughter.”

It was the night and the alcohol, and perhaps Un Hyang’s presence, that did it.

Jinwoon finally let out the words that had been festering inside him for so long.

“Her name was Eun Hyang. My daughter’s name.”

He spoke in the past tense.

This meant she was no longer here.

Un Hyang wisely avoided the tactless question of where Eun Hyang was now and steered the conversation in a different direction.

“Her name is similar to mine.”

“That was the biggest reason why I helped you.”

The reason was so trivial that Un Hyang’s eyes trembled.

To think he helped her just because her name was similar. And in such a grave matter where he might have made an enemy of the Divine Dragon Group.

She sensed Jinwoon’s longing in his melancholic solo drinking.

Un Hyang hoped his wounds wouldn’t deepen further.

“You must have loved her very much.”

“I did.”

“Why did she leave?”

So Un Hyang probed his wound, hoping it would heal cleanly before it festered even more, even if it bled again in the process.

Fortunately, Jinwoon was not hesitant now that he had started to speak.

“She died.”

However, “To the Heavenly Demon.”

At that response, Un Hyang’s heart sank.

‘To who…?’

Thump, her heart pounded loudly.

The Heavenly Demon.

Why was this name appearing here again?

It felt as if the blood-red chains of destiny she had barely shaken off were wrapping around her body once more.

Apparently not noticing Un Hyang biting her trembling lips, Jinwoon continued speaking, engrossed in his thoughts.

“I wanted revenge, but there was no way to achieve it. I met someone who could grant my wish just once, but he has already left far away.”

After emptying his glass, Jinwoon refilled it.

Only after downing the strong liquor in succession did he speak of his longing.

“For a while, I lived forgetting reality. It would have been nice if someone could die in my place like you, but I never had such an opportunity.”

“Do you miss them… a lot?”

“What kind of question is that?”

Jinwoon clenched his fist and slammed it into his chest.

“I miss them so much… so very much.”

“……”

At Jinwoon’s words, Un Hyang’s trembling lips finally stopped.

The Heavenly Demon. And revenge.

As if making up her mind, she looked at Jinwoon sitting opposite her at the table and asked.

“Revenge… do you still want it now?”

“There’s no way to do it now.”

“No. It’s possible.”

She had thought that one day she may have to tell someone.

That someone could have been Cheon Ryang, or it could have been Lee Suhyuk.

She had vaguely thought that maybe it could be either of them.

But, “-I am that person’s daughter.”

She never expected that someone would be the person she met for the first time today.

“Daughter, you say?”

Jinwoon’s face showed shock.

The shock from her words seemed to have chased away the drunken haze, and a clear blue light shone in his eyes instead of longing.

Un Hyang closed her eyes tightly.

Even if she died by Jinwoon’s hand right now, she wouldn’t resent him. She spoke those words because of that reason.

She thought he was someone who deserved it.

However, “You…”

Anger, killing intent, resentment.

After a long moment, what came out of Jinwoon’s mouth was none of those.

“You must have suffered a lot.”

“……What?”

Did she hear it wrong?

Un Hyang doubted her own ears.

If she didn’t hear it wrong, then Jinwoon must have heard it wrong. She opened her eyes, convinced that was the case.

“No, I mean, I am the Heavenly Demon’s daughter.”

“Yes. I heard you clearly.”

“You heard it clearly, but why”

“Isn’t it that it’s not your fault?”

*Gulp.*

The sudden words hit her heart hard.

To say that she had never thought that would be a lie. At one time, she had thought so too.

“Don’t you want to hide it? That you’re the blood of that devil?”

Why should she become a sinner just because she was that person’s daughter, just because she shared the blood of a devil?

“What kind of reaction would people have if they found out you’re that devil’s daughter?”

I didn’t choose to be his daughter.

She had never said these thoughts aloud.

Fearing how people would change if they found out who she was. Fearing that the resentment and swords aimed at the Heavenly Demon would turn towards her.

She had told Cheon Ryang many times in her dreams.

“If I had known who you were, we would never have been friends.”

…Fearing to hear such words, she had never said it aloud.

But, “You’ve suffered a lot, child.”

“Huh…”

She never knew that someone else’s words could be such a comfort.

“Huhh… Huaaah…”

“Yes, cry it out.”

Awkwardly, Jinwoon extended a hesitant hand.

Never having comforted anyone in his life, he patted her shoulder as he had heard others do.

He could feel her emotions through her trembling shoulders.

Un Hyang’s back and shoulders as she sobbed loudly overlapped with his old self.

“Being wounded in your heart, you’re also a victim.”

Just like me.

He raised his head and looked up at the sky.

The clouds had cleared and the moon was now visible. The once dark sky had brightened with just that one moon.

‘Your fate is also tragic.’

Jinwoon spoke to the moon, giving it the name of destiny.

‘It would have been better if it were just a name, but why bring this child to me?’