A short while after that situation, on one of the building rooftops, Jin sat with a look of distress on his face. Below, Shuang Yu was with Lily and Yu Ah.
Shuang: "Go and play together for a while."
A few moments later, the girl climbed up and sat near him. Silence lingered briefly before Jin began to speak. He spoke calmly, as if nothing had happened: "How did Lily travel using the Tower?"
Shuang: "We were wandering near the Tower once, and a system window appeared to her. It had backgrounds and colors suitable for children; you can see it later."
They fell silent again. The boy didn't know what to talk about.
Jin: "That's great," he said with a piercing coldness, as if it were something ordinary and simple.
Shuang: "Why do I feel like you're not surprised? As if this is normal to you?"
Jin: "I expected something like this to happen. It's not really strange."
The boy was truthful in his words; he knew the Tower wasn't just a robot, but a living creature with its own consciousness and desires. He had already spoken with the System many times.
They were silent for a while longer.
Shuang: "I used to think you were with the Alliance. I didn't expect you to be in the Heavenly Demon Cult. And remarkably... you hold the emblem of the Great Elder Council, and the emblem of a famous squadron leader—the very squadron once led by the Blade Demon, the foulest butcher the Jianghu has known in the last decade."
The boy remained silent for a moment before replying coldly: "I killed him myself."
The girl was stunned by this response. Everyone in the Jianghu knew the extent of that man's power; for Jin to tell her he had killed him so simply was more terrifying than it was impressive.
The boy continued: "Things are not as superficial as you imagine. It's better if you don't think about anything else. If you see me as a bad person, that would be better than asking about this."
The girl found no answer to this. She thought for a while before replying; no matter how bad her perception of the Cult was, she couldn't hate him. Even if he were evil, she wouldn't... but she didn't want to see him that way.
Shuang: "Since you came to the Murim, every time you returned—your actions, the tone of your voice, everything about you was different. Seeing you distracted or filled with sadness... it was obvious to us. We, who knew you when we were seventeen, find it easy to notice that you've become a different person."
The boy did not respond to this either. The girl continued: "Does this have to do with you joining the Cult?"
The boy didn't look into her eyes. He kept staring straight ahead and spoke with a calm that hid the sorrow of everything that had happened over the past two years: "I came here seeking power only."
Shuang: "The Jin I know isn't someone who seeks power without a reason. You never cared about strength or learning. What could push you to this extent—to become an Elder in the Cult?"
Jin: "I told you, things are not as simple as you see them!" The boy snapped, his voice rising: "Is life really so superficial that there's a side that is entirely evil and a side that is entirely good? Is this a children's cartoon or what? These people hide many things; they tarnish or polish their image according to their whims. They manipulate everything without leaving an explanation for their reasons. Matters are not as simple as you see them."
Sorrow appeared on the girl's face: "Since we've known you, you've told us nothing about your past. You haven't even told us your true goal. There was always something occupying your thoughts that you never uttered. Jin... please... can you truly tell me about yourself?"
The boy fell silent for moments, then spoke quietly with a broken tone: "But... this isn't anything important for you to hear."
The girl replied firmly yet sadly: "Jin... I don't want to hate you."
The boy's eyes widened slightly. He thought long before he finally spoke.
Jin: "When I was ten, I lost my family. I had no one left but my little sister... I didn't know who my father was; I didn't try to know. I considered the man my mother later married to be my true father."
The words were not easy for him. He was not the type to talk about his past or his problems, especially in front of her. He didn't want anyone to look at him with pity, nor was he looking for sympathy, but he couldn't refuse to answer her questions.
Jin: "I am not originally from Earth. But I reached Korea somehow, got a new identity, and lived as if I were from a European country or something of the sort. I thought my home was in another world; I found no evidence of its existence on this planet, and therefore..."
He continued: "I made sure of one thing: if I wanted to reach the higher floors of the Tower, or even go to other dimensions... I had to increase my strength quickly. At the fastest speed I could reach. When I searched around the world and the Tower, I confirmed that there are other dimensions and worlds. So, I didn't ask questions and set a single goal: to return to my homeland and find her. I had no desire for power for the sake of power. I wasn't seeking wealth, for instance. I couldn't kill a human being. I didn't like analyzing events or thinking about what was happening around me. Yet..."
Jin: "Every step I took, I faced a new shock, an incomprehensible obstacle, events and battles I never wanted to fight. I was walking a path I didn't want, and I'm still on it. And in the end... my homeland is on this very planet, yet I cannot reach it."
The boy stood up and continued, looking down: "I don't want sympathy or anything like that. I just... I simply cannot refuse a request of yours."
The boy leapt and moved quickly until he was far from her. He didn't wait to hear her reply. He didn't even want to say goodbye to his daughter; he wanted to leave, not ready to feel a new sorrow.
Yu Hua stopped him halfway: "Do you want to leave while you're in this state?"
Jin: "....."
She continued: "I don't know what you might do like this. Stay here tonight and leave in the morning."
The boy spoke coldly: "Why does a lady of your standing speak with such kindness and simplicity to someone like me? You are completely ignoring the enmity between our sects. Why?"
Yu Hua: "...For my daughter's sake. That is enough for me."
The young man didn't speak again. He agreed to her request and went to a room they had designated for him. He sat thinking deeply. Night came, and he remained as he was, sitting on the edge of the bed for a full hour.
His mind: (Ah, I'm truly exhausted. Is my only good luck in the people I know and the skills I acquire?)
A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He stood up to open it, and Shuang Yu was standing there. She approached him with quiet steps until only a few centimeters remained between them. She spoke with a tone full of sincerity:
"I know you won't tell me everything... and I know I might not even be able to help you search for your sister... I'm sorry."
Jin looked at her coldly, trying to hide his inner turmoil: "Why are you apologizing? There's nothing for you to do anyway. Leave now."
He turned his back to her and said nothing else. The girl was silent for a few moments, then she closed the door behind her.
Shuang: "Wait..."
Jin turned around, and she surprised him with a warm embrace, flooding his being with an emotion he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Shuang: "I don't know how to explain this... but I don't want your journey to continue alone."
The girl brought out a small box and an official paper: "My mother has agreed... I know you won't be able to reach a new stage without doing this. Sign here... and wear this ring."
Jin was stunned for a moment, but he realized in her eyes that she wasn't looking for a grand wedding ceremony, but a "covenant" to bind them forever. It only took a minute; a signature and a ring, and Jin and Shuang Yu officially became husband and wife.
Shuang grabbed a cup nearby and threw it at the lamp, shattering it and plunging the room into a quiet darkness. She approached him again and hugged him tightly, as if pouring all her fear for him into his chest.
In that darkness, with the stillness of the night, the clashing thoughts in Jin's mind came to a halt. There was no longer a summons for killing, no blood, no sect conflict... only the silence of the room and the warmth of belonging he had lacked for years. In that moment, Jin finally surrendered to a peace he hadn't tasted since he lost his family, leaving the world's burdens outside the threshold of his room.
End of Chapter.