The night wind blew gently, ruffling her shiny black hair, which glistened faintly in the moonlight. She stared at the sky for a moment, as if hoping to find traces of a time she once knew among the dark expanse without stars.
But all she felt was distance.
Slowly, Raven lowered his gaze back to the two bandits who were still kneeling, their bodies stiff with fear.
"All right... then."
He straightened his back. His fingers rested calmly on the hilt of the sword stuck in the ground, his posture firm without the slightest waver. His gaze was sharp again, causing the two bandits to automatically bow their heads lower, almost touching the ground.
"One last question," he said flatly.
"Right now... what territory are we standing on? And what year is it?"
The skinny bandit glanced nervously at his partner before answering haltingly.
"W-we are near Padang Moyuan, Master… a vast grassland. This place… is neutral territory that borders the areas of three great powers, namely the orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic factions…"
He paused for a moment, swallowing before continuing.
"Because of that... many small groups and bandits use it as a hiding place..."
The large bandit added quickly, as if afraid that speaking slowly could have fatal consequences.
"This year... is the Year of the Wood Dragon, 1420... according to the Sky Dragon calendar. It has been recorded and used by the Long empire for more than four centuries..."
Raven frowned slightly, lowering his gaze. "Four centuries...?" he muttered softly, almost as if talking to himself.
The words sounded more like a whisper to himself than a question.
The night wind blew again, moving the bloodstained hem of his clothes. His gaze became somber, as if piercing through the veil of time far behind him, into a period that only lived in his memories.
"What about the Xuan Dynasty era...?" he finally asked, his voice more assertive and direct, as if he wanted to dig up long-buried memories. The dynasty where he lived and ruled as a figure feared as the Heavenly Demon.
The skinny bandit looked even more confused. He bit his lower lip before answering hesitantly.
"Um... as far as I know... the Xuan Dynasty is only mentioned in ancient records, master. They say it was a time when many sects and factions began to form. The Murim world at that time was chaotic with conflicts between martial artists and power struggles..."
He took a short breath, then continued
"Until finally the major sects formed an alliance... to restrain each other and survive. But... that was a long time ago. More than centuries ago, according to the stories that have been passed down."
"Conflict over war and power?" Raven repeated, his voice low as if to confirm.
"Y-yes..." the bandit quickly added. "Conflict between the major sects. Also, the story of the struggles of the Murim heroes, both orthodox and unorthodox, who ultimately made agreements and divided the territory throughout Murim..."
"Hahhh..." Raven interrupted softly.
It was a thin sigh, almost like a breath.
"That story... shouldn't be like that."
Unconsciously, his intention to kill seeped out. The air around them began to feel heavy.
"I-I'm sorry, Master," the bandit stammered, his body trembling.
The air around them suddenly felt heavy. The wild grass on the ground seemed to bow under an invisible pressure. Both bandits immediately felt tightness in their chests, as if something was gripping their hearts from within.
"B-but that's what is written in the stories and manuscripts of Murim History about the Xuan Dynasty era..."
Hearing this, Raven fell silent, closing his eyes for a split second. He tried to recall the fragments of memory in his head that flashed with images of war, blood staining the ground, and the sects of that time.
"These two people did not know that all the factions and sects at that time were not united because of conflict alone."
"Do you know about first Heavenly Demon... the founder of the Divine Demon Cult, Yeomra Jin-Cheon?"
"The first Heavenly Demon... Yeomra Jin-Cheon...?" The two bandits looked at each other, fear mixed with confusion, as if they were hearing that name for the first time.
The large bandit immediately shook his head quickly.
"S-Sir, we are just ordinary bandits. We are not members of any Demonic cult or anything," he said hurriedly, afraid of being misunderstood.
What the hell is this...
Raven frowned slightly.
"I remember everything clearly. At that time... those cowardly and weak people attacked me. Because they attacked, I ended up killing and fighting them..."
I killed them because... they attacked me...?
Raven fell silent.
No...
His eyebrows furrowed even deeper.
"They did attack them first, but..."
The sentence hung in the air.
His thoughts stopped abruptly. Something felt off. Something important yet empty. It was as if a large part of his memory felt incomplete.
Raven bowed his head slightly. The moonlight cast a shadow over half of his face.
Yes, the sects had indeed gathered. But their goal was not merely to survive. They had united to fight a single figure.
Himself.
The figure who had once nearly ruled the entire Murim.
"Why... why did I want to control Murim back then...?"
As Raven tried to remember further, suddenly a sharp pain pierced his head. It was exactly the same as when he felt it on the bus, a sudden, sharp pain, as if something was blocking his mind. Raven grimaced slightly, his hand raised to his temple.
"Damn it..." he muttered softly, breathing heavily.
This pain again...
Is it because of my memories...?
Suddenly, the words flashed through his mind.
The words of a creature similar to himself in the subconscious.
"The time will come."
Raven sighed slowly.
"So this pain is related to my memories... and that creature."
His past memories felt like a locked room. He could stand in front of it, touch the handle, but every time he tried to open it, something held him back.
"Triggered only when I go too far...?"
He frowned.
It was a truly cliché situation. In the end, he was still forced to wait as if time itself determined when the truth would be revealed.
"So... for now, I really have to wait."
Silence fell for a moment.
The two bandits in front of him glanced at each other. For a moment, they saw an opening. But as soon as Raven's cold gaze pierced them again, even though his face was contorted with pain, their courage immediately shrunk. Their bodies trembled, their heads bowed, not daring to move.
Raven's jaw tightened.
"For now, I have to focus. Gather information, then make a plan."
He took a deep breath. The pain slowly subsided, replaced by a cold calm that forced the two bandits to bow their heads even lower.
"So..." Raven's voice was deep, calm, but full of pressure.
"Where were we?"
One of the bandits replied quickly, nervously.
"Y-you asked about the leader of the Demonic sect..."
"Ah... yes," Raven replied briefly.
"If they don't know about the war, it means my name has truly been erased from history, somehow, by someone..."
"But if there are still parties who hold the answer, then the Demonic Sect is the right place to look. Even so, not yet... it's not time for me to surface."
"Skip that part," Raven said flatly.
"So now... this era is under the rule of the Long Empire, right?"
The two bandits nodded quickly in unison. "Y-yes, sir... that's right," they replied haltingly, their faces pale with fear.
Raven lowered his head slightly, his sharp gaze piercing the ground.
"The Long Empire... I've never even heard of it. But now, that empire has actually been around for four centuries. How much has Murim changed...?"
"In that case..." Raven looked at them again.
"Before the Long Empire was established, how many centuries had passed since the Xuan Dynasty?"
The large bandit scratched his neck nervously.
"S-Sir... we don't really know... bandits like us... don't really delve into that kind of knowledge..."
Raven narrowed his eyes. "But earlier you were able to explain about that era," he said softly but piercingly.
"Why are you acting like an idiot now?"
The bandit swallowed hard, then replied stammeringly.
"E-ehm... yes... actually... the stories of the warriors from that era are now considered more like fairy tales," he stammered.
"About their heroism... about the great alliance that is said to have saved Murim. Those stories have been passed down to ordinary people, but only as general stories."
Silence hung for a moment. Only the sound of the night wind blowing through the forest, rustling the leaves above their heads.
Raven closed his eyes for a moment, holding back something that almost escaped his lips. Then the laughter came out.
Not a carefree laugh, but a low, mocking laugh.
"Oh my... so that era, so brutal, full of blood and betrayal... is now being twisted by those shameless people into a sweet heroic tale?"
"HAH... HAHAHAHAHA... HAHAH... HAHAH"
His laughter grew louder, echoing among the trees.
"What utter nonsense," he said with a laugh.
"They went to such lengths to change the original story... turning it into a cheap bedtime story."
His tone was full of scorn.
Not only did they laugh at the story, but they also wrote it down. The two bandits in front of him were silent. Their hair stood on end. This scene was far more terrifying than the previous massacre. The man who had just destroyed their comrades was now laughing casually as if the world were nothing more than a joke.
Raven's laughter slowly subsided.
He opened his eyes.
His gaze was sharp, cold, and fully alert once more.
"Alright," he said flatly.
"It seems I've gotten enough information... and a little entertainment."
The two bandits straightened their bodies slightly, hoping Raven's next words would be forgiveness.