Chapter 9. The Secret in the Study

"Brother, I greet you. Did you sleep well last night?"

Hugong frowned and then chuckled.

"Yes, it seems you slept well too. Your eyes are swollen."

"Ha ha! It's all thanks to you, Brother."

Yun, with his bruised and swollen eyes, burst into laughter.

He looked incredibly cheerful.

‘This kid, he’s a man.’

At that moment, Yun said something unexpected.

"Brother, there's a place I need you to come with me."

"Hmm?"

"Father wishes to see you."

"Really??"

Yun's father is Hugong's uncle. Hugong was surprised because he had never met his uncle before. Of course, Hugong had never shown interest, but it was common sense that the uncle should have come to visit first, especially after his nephew had nearly died from poison.

"Yes, I've been neglectful. Let's go."

"Yes."

***

"Is this where you are?"

"Yes. Come in quickly."

When Beom Yun entered the room, the head of the family greeted him first.

Another person was sitting on the bed. The middle-aged man, who looked ill, had a haggard face and resembled Yun exactly.

Hugong understood the situation.

‘He didn’t come because he couldn’t.’

How could a sick man visit another sick man?

It seemed that finding a healthy person in the Cheonhwa Library was difficult.

The head of the family had attempted a joint suicide, the uncle was bedridden, and one of the cousins was addicted to alcohol and gambling.

Not to mention, the maids and guards all looked tired and depressed. Songhua had only recently started to look better.

"You've changed a lot, as I've heard. I heard you scolded Yun?"

"…Yes."

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I never thought I'd see this day… This uncle is so happy."

After a brief exchange, Hugong's hand was taken by his uncle, Beomgang.

His hand was thin and weak.

"Is there something wrong with your body? I don't remember…"

"Ah, well…"

At that moment, their eyes met.

Beomgang's pupils trembled.

For a moment, he looked embarrassed and lowered his head.

Hugong did not miss this reaction.

‘Avoiding my eyes?’

The uncle was afraid of his nephew.

With an awkward gaze, the uncle spoke.

"I'm not really sick. It's just a mental illness, but it will get better soon."

"If it's a mental illness, the cause must be…"

Beomhang, no doubt.

Hugong easily guessed.

If he couldn't even meet his eyes, Beomhang must have deeply hurt him.

All the problems in the Cheonhwa Library were due to Beomhang.

Hugong spoke with anger.

"…It must be because of Yun."

As Hugong finished speaking and looked at Yun, Yun, who was standing behind, was startled and quickly retreated, leaning on a crutch.

The uncle smiled faintly.

"Yes, it's because of that kid."

"I've neglected my younger brothers. But now, don't worry."

"Hehe, thank you. Don't hesitate to scold him when you have the chance. If Yun didn't drink, I wouldn't be lying here like this."

"Of course."

The conversation continued in a gentle atmosphere, and Hugong left the room.

The head of the family and the other two people in the room remained silent for a while.

After a moment, the uncle, Beomgang, changed his expression.

"Father, is it really Beomhang?"

"Yes, it is."

"It's not the same person. That's not… Beomhang."

The head of the family, Beomcheon, laughed heartily.

"I told you. His personality completely changed after the Blood Brother Poison."

"No matter what, how could this happen… I… I…"

Unable to continue, the son's eyes welled up with tears, and the head of the family held his hand.

"Since the older one has changed so much, now it's your turn to rise up."

"Father, I can finally breathe. It feels like a heavy stone has been lifted from my chest."

Listening to the conversation between his grandfather and father, Beom Yun silently wiped away his tears.

His father had been suffering due to the older brother.

He had tried to persuade the older brother to change his heart, but ended up with a mental illness like a curse.

Anyone who faced the older brother would have their spirit broken, looking lifeless and unable to muster any energy. Beom Yun had been busy running away, using criticism as an excuse.

"Father, the older brother definitely told me to live properly. He's not the same person who used to cast a shadow of death."

"Yes, that's right. Don't run away anymore. What's the big deal about getting hit? If you can take it, take it and get closer."

"Yes."

The three generations in the room embraced and cried, creating a sea of tears.

But the emotion didn't last long.

It was because of what Yun said while crying.

"Our family will prosper now. The genius of geniuses, the older brother, has finally woken up. I really hope his memory never returns. Then how much…"

Beom Yun couldn't finish his sentence and flinched.

His grandfather and father were staring at him, their eyes wide with shock. The pupils that had been filled with emotion a moment ago were now trembling.

Yun soon realized and flinched.

Thinking about it, if the older brother's memory returned, it would lead to another disaster.

The uncle, Beomgang, clutched his chest.

"Breath, breath is suddenly…"

"Son, breathe. Breathe!"

The head of the family shouted in surprise.

***

Hugong's thoughts about memory were different.

‘If only I could find Beomhang's memories…’

Hugong wished to fully absorb Beomhang's memories.

He was gradually gaining weight and recovering his strength.

He was no longer a withered plant. But was Hugong's goal just to be an ordinary person?

The problem was advancing in the cultivation technique.

First, the body, energy, and spirit needed to be unified.

Only then would the dantian open and the cultivation technique accelerate. However, because his body and spirit were from different sources, they were like water and oil, not blending together.

In this state, recovering martial arts skills was a distant dream.

But if he could absorb Beomhang's memories, the situation would change.

Only then would the body, energy, and spirit be fully unified, and this body would truly become his own.

Late at night, with a cup of tea in front of him, Hugong was deep in thought when Songhua came in and out unnecessarily.

‘She's really energetic.’

Hugong wasn't unaware of the reason.

Deep in thought, the shadow on his face made Songhua worry. She couldn't bring herself to ask what was wrong and just observed him.

"Songhua."

"Yes, Master."

Songhua approached quickly and bowed her head.

"I'm worried."

"What? What are you worried about?"

Songhua stuttered. Already anxious about her master's poor expression, her heart was already tightening.

"I've been thinking deeply."

"Y-You've been thinking?"

"Yes, thinking. And I figured it out."

"Surely not…"

Songhua couldn't bring herself to say "memories…" and swallowed hard.

Hugong nodded.

"You're right."

"Ah!"

"Your dinner portion was less than usual today. Probably three bowls, right?"

"Ah!"

Songhua's pale face suddenly lit up.

Then she spoke with a determined voice.

"Master! Should we go for a midnight snack?"

"Have you not gone yet?"

Songhua quickly disappeared.

A short while later, Hugong called his two younger brothers and they grilled meat in the backyard of the pavilion.

Indeed, eating was the best way to deal with worries.

After eating to his heart's content, Hugong felt much better and patted his full belly. Yun and Bumong laughed and followed suit.

"Brother, isn't my stomach growl louder?"

"Older Brother, my stomach is the biggest, so my growl is the best."

Hugong laughed heartily.

"You guys are funny. What strange competitiveness you have."

"Ha ha, I have to win somehow."

Yun, with a serious expression after laughing, expressed his gratitude.

"Brother, thank you."

It carried many meanings.

Bumong also smiled and spoke.

"Me too. I used to have to go to the study to see the older brother, but spending time together under the moonlight like this is so nice."

Hugong nodded generously.

"Finally, you two look like proper people. How about grilling more meat?"

***

Deep into the night, Hugong couldn't fall asleep. Tossing and turning, his mind was still on the issue of memory.

‘Is it just that my body has been swapped with Beomhang’s?’

This was a problem. If this body remained under Beomhang's consciousness, without the unification of body, energy, and spirit, his martial arts skills would only reach a mediocre level and eventually stagnate.

But the issue was that he wanted "memory transfer."

If it was about recovering lost memories, time would be the solution, and he could hope for it by simply being patient. However, for memory transfer, something more special might be needed.

If he couldn't achieve the unification of body, energy, and spirit in his lifetime…

‘That's not acceptable.’

Hugong got out of bed.

He had to do something, no matter the outcome.

He slowly looked around the room. The space where Beomhang had lived, with his scent still lingering. He walked slowly, touching the walls, staring at the landscape paintings hanging on the wall, and sitting at the table.

There was no change, and nothing came to mind.

He felt frustrated.

Then, he remembered what Bumong had said.

- When I was young, I had to go to the study to see the older brother.

Yes, the study, the most intimate place for Beomhang.

The place with the most traces.

If Beomhang had spent most of his time in the study, it was more likely to hold something significant. He headed straight to the study. From the bedroom, he passed a short corridor and entered the room on the right, which was Beomhang's personal study.

He also hoped to find out if Beomhang had performed the soul transfer.

He lit a lamp and entered. The study had three walls lined with books. As Hugong slowly examined them, he soon felt disappointed.

‘How long has it been neglected?’

The books were covered in thick layers of dust, indicating they hadn't been touched in a long time. As he was about to give up, Hugong stopped.

"Hmm?"

Among the dusty books, one was clean.

A book placed in the section of miscellaneous books on the left wall.

The book was titled "Winter (冬)."

Not only was it free of dust, but it was also placed upside down. This suggested that Beomhang had read it recently and that the upside-down placement had some significance.

Hugong pulled out the book.

Something was bulging in the middle of the book. His eyes narrowed in curiosity. He first examined the content of the book. It was a collection of essays by various authors, and the content was nothing special. He then opened the bulging part.

It was a bundle of letters.

There were five letters, each with a different date at the bottom.

They were all from the same person.

- Zhu Yang.

‘Zhu Yang. Hmm, if Beomhang was communicating with the outside world, that changes things.’

It was possible that Beomhang had completed the soul transfer with the help of an external ally. The letters became important.

Hugong took out the letters and placed the book back in its correct position.

At that moment, the bookshelf in front of him collapsed.