Chapter 86

“Elders, regarding the cylinder, could you please let me take the lead first? If the situation becomes unfavorable, I will ask for your help, but for now, I would like to try another method.”

“Hmph! Do as you wish. However, if things go wrong, this elder will certainly hold you accountable for stealing that object from that fellow.”

“Yes. Thank you. I will do my absolute best.”

With that, Taewoon’s party traveled for a few more days and finally set foot in the streets of Jinzhou, their intended destination.

Now, it was time to meet Biryeong once again and have a serious conversation regarding the objects from beyond the heavens.

“Welcome! Is it just one person?”

As he passed through the entrance, a waiter who immediately recognized Taewoon scurried over and began guiding him to a seat.

A youthful face, appearing to be not yet twenty. It was indeed the same waiter who remained in a corner of Taewoon’s memories.

‘…A strange feeling.’

Of course, he was accustomed to repeating cycles in the Theater, but it wasn’t often that he waited for the same encounter at the same time and place.

Especially in the case of this Celestial Secret Theater, the scale and volume were exceptional, making him feel this way even more.

As he sat down and unpacked his belongings, the waiter immediately positioned himself beside Taewoon to take his order.

“What can I get for you?”

“One serving of noodles, and… a bottle of Duhong liquor, please.”

“Yes, sir! I’ll bring them right out!”

Soon, a cheap table of food and steaming liquor was set, and Taewoon blandly put the food into his mouth while recalling memories of the past.

Then, shifting his gaze slightly, as expected, a small commotion was breaking out at a nearby table.

A woman wearing a cotton veil, surrounded by several sturdy men.

It was Biryeong.

“Look here, it seems you have no guards or companions. For what reason does a woman wander the streets of Jinzhou alone?”

“Even if Liaoning Province is close by, a solo outing during such turbulent times? As a passing Gallant Knight, I cannot help but be concerned.”

“…Do you have some business with me?”

There was no need to drag things out. Taewoon immediately rose from his seat, pushed through Murong Geum’s gang, and faced Biryeong.

“What is this brat? How dare you—”

“…….”

Swoosh.

By simply casting a glance infused with a light amount of Magical Power, Murong Geum felt a formless pressure and shrank back, trembling like an aspen leaf.

Unlike their encounter in the 1st Cycle, the aura emanating from Taewoon had become far too immense.

“…L-let’s go.”

Without even daring to think of opposing him, Murong Geum tucked his tail and called his party to leave the tavern.

A gap of that magnitude already existed between the two.

“…What business do you have with me?”

Unlike the gaze of utter indifference she had cast upon Murong Geum, Biryeong’s eyes held a quite lively light as she faced Taewoon.

Likely with this single encounter, she had already discerned several of the secrets Taewoon was hiding.

“Could you spare me a moment of your time?”

“That wouldn’t be difficult.”

As if by prior agreement, the two rose from their seats and stepped outside the tavern. After walking for a while, they stopped in a secluded alley and looked into each other’s eyes.

“I will be blunt. Was it you who stole the cylinder-shaped Strange Object from the Strange Machine Person, Ma Widong?”

“Asking that… is this your confession that you are the one who laid a hand on Wi Jiryang?”

“I will not deny it.”

Taewoon took a deep breath and faced Biryeong with a calm gaze. The air was light, but the tension filling the space between them was heavy and sharp.

“You are correct. However, it’s a bit awkward to call it ‘stealing.’ I simply didn’t like the idea of a treasure rotting away in the hands of someone who wouldn’t recognize its value in a lifetime.”

“You knew the identity of the cylinder?”

“Of course not. However, aren’t there things one can tell just by casting a glance?”

At Biryeong’s answer, Taewoon briefly recalled memories from the 1st Cycle.

Come to think of it, she had once said something with a similar nuance to him.

“Then this time, I shall ask. Do you know the identity of the cylinder? Perhaps even secrets that I do not know?”

Taewoon met her gaze, which was filled with curiosity, with a composed expression.

Indeed, how honestly should he reveal the facts?

He couldn’t be certain, but he had an intuition that this moment would be a crucial turning point for the 2nd Cycle of viewing.

‘Biryeong said. That if given enough time and leisure, she might have been able to uncover the secret of the metal plate.’

The Divine Sect she belonged to was by no means a welcomed force in the current Martial World of the Central Plains, but considering the conclusion of the 1st Cycle, there was no rule saying they couldn’t be on the same side.

Ultimately, after some deliberation, Taewoon decided to throw out a few baits to gauge her intentions.

“…That cylinder is one of three Strange Objects that were contained in a chest that fell from the sky in the past. Furthermore, my companions and I believe it is an object connected to beings from beyond the heavens—Celestial beings—who exist outside the history of the Central Plains’ Martial World.”

“…….”

“In other words, it is not simply an object for gaining power superiority or pursuing trivial gains within the Martial World. In my opinion, the secrets held by those Strange Objects far exceed the level we can imagine.”

Deep curiosity and interest surfaced in Biryeong’s eyes. A faint smile played at the corners of her lips.

“Beings from beyond the heavens… It is intriguing, but are you telling me to sincerely believe such an absurd story?”

They were acquaintances who had faced each other several times in this Theater. For some reason, Taewoon felt he could understand a bit of what Biryeong was thinking.

Biryeong wasn’t particularly doubting Taewoon sincerely or wanting evidence to support his words.

Rather, it felt closer to her urging him to persuade her so that she herself could find interest in this matter.

‘In the 1st Cycle, her movements were sluggish throughout. This time, I must move the situation more proactively.’

After a moment of silence, as if he had finally made up his mind, Taewoon gave an answer to Biryeong’s question.

“It is not necessarily an absurd story. In fact, don’t you vaguely feel it yourself? The fact that I, too, am not a person who belongs to this Martial World.”

“Does that mean you are also a being who came from beyond the heavens?”

“Not exactly the same, but similar. I have seen such objects with my own eyes before, and I have some inkling about those who created them.”

Biryeong’s expression stiffened slightly. In her pupils, wariness and curiosity danced and wavered simultaneously.

It seemed she was weighing how much of the story Taewoon just uttered she should accept.

“I am well aware that neither of us can trust the other perfectly. However, I believe there is no reason we cannot cooperate for a short while.”

“…So, what is it that you want from me?”

“I wish to share the secrets of the cylinder uncovered so far, and I would like to commission the interpretation of the other two objects.”

Taewoon was also aware that this was a perilous gamble.

The realm he had confirmed from Biryeong in the 1st Cycle was clearly at a level surpassing an Expert of the Flower Realm, and if they were to fight over ownership of the objects, Taewoon’s side would surely suffer a disaster.

‘However…’

If Biryeong was someone who could analyze and uncover the usage of the cylinder on her own, she would be able to uncover the secrets of the other two objects to some extent.

He concluded that if she could figure that out, it would be a sufficient gain even if all the objects were taken away in this 2nd Cycle.

“Do you have both of the other two objects?”

“One is held by my party, and the other is scheduled to be transported by a comrade who will join us soon. So, what is your answer?”

“Fine. I have some interest in those three Strange Objects, so I will keep you company for a short while. Perhaps something far more interesting than expected will happen.”

Of course, he didn’t think Biryeong would cooperate with a docile attitude. But this alone was enough.

Taewoon designated the time and place for the next meeting, then parted ways with Biryeong and returned to the front of the fabric store where his party was garrisoned.

“…Is the conversation over?”

“Yes. It was thanks to you elders watching my back.”

While he felt he had found a compromise, Ma Widong could not hide his frowning face.

Soon, clicking his tongue lightly, he began to express his disgust with an unpleasant expression.

“Damn it, how can there be such a monster of a woman? Just what is that wench’s identity?”

“…That creature clearly recognized the presence of myself and Ma Widong even from this distance and did not lose track of us. She is already no different from an Evil Creature; it’s as if I’m looking at a nine-tailed fox.”

Surprisingly, the two seemed to have guessed Biryeong’s towering realm just by sharing a bit of aura.

Since two people who held such high pride in the Heart’s Attainment they had built up evaluated her as such, what more explanation was needed?

“She is a dangerous one. I do not know what you are thinking… but wouldn’t it be best not to get any more deeply entangled?”

“The elder’s words are not wrong, but I have a grave reason to uncover the secrets of the three objects, even if I must risk my life. I will be careful not to cause any trouble.”

“Hmph! Do as you please. However, if things go wrong, this elder will withdraw without hesitation, whenever that may be.”

Though he spoke thus, Ma Widong also seemed to have no intention of withdrawing easily, as the secret of the object weighed on his mind.

“Damn it! What is this pathetic sight? To think that the great Ma Widong is just stamping his feet in front of the thief who stole his object…”

“…There is no need to be so angry. It is simply that our achievements thus far have been insufficient.”

“Tsk. Enough. Talking to you only makes me feel worse.”

After finishing his words, Ma Widong trudged away, saying he would stop by the tavern for a moment.

Shortly after, Yeonjeoksan also vanished from before Taewoon in an instant, saying he would swing his spear in a quiet place.

‘…They didn’t show it, but their pride must have been greatly wounded.’

However, both were Experts of the Flower Realm who had already attained their stage, so he wasn’t particularly worried.

Having a moment of solitude for the first time in a while, Taewoon sensed that the proper timing had arrived and moved his position to activate the Companion of Memories Special Privilege.