The effect of So Yeon-hwa standing next to me was evident.
The members of the Moyong Clan coming from all directions nodded and turned away upon seeing So Yeon-hwa and me standing side by side.
“Tch… I’ll come back next time!”
Even the match referee, Moyong Gang, retreated on his own, so there was nothing more to say.
Perhaps it was thanks to that. An intimate atmosphere naturally formed between So Yeon-hwa and me. Honor. Heart. The vibe all aligned perfectly.
I listened to the memories of So Yeon-hwa in her home, petted Seo Gong who returned tired after playing with the children, and spent quality time playing with the kids who chased after Seo Gong.
However, the longer I spent time with So Yeon-hwa, the bigger the guilt in my heart grew.
It’s been a long time since I returned home. Naturally, So Yeon-hwa would want to spend time with the clan members, yet here I was holding her back.
“I’m sorry. You must want to spend time with the clan members…”
“Hehe, it’s alright. I really enjoy our time together.”
So Yeon-hwa seemed to understand completely, but rather than being lenient, her understanding solidified my resolve.
I decided to confront the members of the Moyong Clan head-on.
I couldn’t keep avoiding them forever, and being with So Yeon-hwa restored my willpower. Plus, with the reliable So Yeon-hwa by my side, I felt confident that we could get through this!
*
“Hahaha! This tea tastes exquisite! Truly exquisite!”
“Hahaha! It’s made from seeds unique to Liaoning. It’s sensitive and just a little under or over brewed can ruin the taste!”
“Ah, what a precious tea! You honor me by serving such tea.”
“Hahaha! Don’t mention it.”
“Hahahaha!”
“Hahahaha!”
So Yeon-hwa took in the bustling atmosphere filled with laughter.
The members of the Moyong Clan were genuinely happy, while next to them, Ho Cheon-an feigned a hearty laugh, suppressing his internal agony.
So Yeon-hwa observed Ho Cheon-an’s weary expression with a bitter smile.
“How did it come to this…?”
After receiving permission from Moyong Seo and encouragement from the Shengsu Faction, So Yeon-hwa joined Ho Cheon-an’s group. She hadn’t intended to leave the clan with the thought of joining Ho Cheon-an from the very start, so there were still matters to handle upon returning to the clan.
To So Yeon-hwa, Ho Cheon-an was someone who could handle any situation with ease.
So, even without confidence, she thought she could mingle well with the Moyong Clan members and temporarily left the scene.
But what happened? Upon returning after quickly resolving urgent matters, she found the Moyong members playing tag with Ho Cheon-an.
Curious about Ho Cheon-an’s clumsy traits, So Yeon-hwa found joy in watching his deflated demeanor.
Was that smile the problem? Or was it being away that caused the trouble?
Despite spending several days in close company, Ho Cheon-an continued to apologize. She reassured him that it was genuinely fine, but instead of easing, his discomfort amplified, leading him to arrange a gathering with the members of the Moyong Clan.
“Now, before the tea gets cold, let’s drink! Hahahaha!”
“Yes! Hahahaha!”
And so, we ended up in the current state of affairs. Ho Cheon-an smiled rigidly, similar to a statue, and there was no sparkle left in his eyes. So Yeon-hwa, seeing the lifelessness in his eyes, felt worried.
“Great Hero, you don’t need to push yourself too hard.”
Yet, Ho Cheon-an, contrary to So Yeon-hwa’s concerns, forced himself to continue.
“…Push myself? This is such a joyful occasion, what could be hard about it? Hahahaha!”
“Hahaha! The Great Hero and I are in complete agreement!”
Realizing that trying to persuade Ho Cheon-an further would only backfire, So Yeon-hwa decided to change her target for persuasion.
“Family Head. Let’s ease off on the pressure towards Ho Cheon-an. What good is it to force relations?”
“That cannot be!”
Upon hearing So Yeon-hwa’s request, Moyong Chang-cheon shook his head.
“From Ho Cheon-an’s perspective, the clan members approaching might be a bit overwhelming. However, if he avoids because he feels burdened or uncomfortable, the relationship between the clan and Ho Cheon-an will remain awkward.”
“That…”
So Yeon-hwa couldn’t rebut Moyong Chang-cheon’s words.
“And how can we stop the clan members’ interest? I, too, am quite curious about Ho Cheon-an. I’ve heard plenty of rumors about you, the hero who protected the Martial World alongside So Yeon-hwa, but to know if you are truly the right match for her would require more than just hearsay.”
So Yeon-hwa acknowledged Moyong Chang-cheon’s insight into the essence of this situation.
Trust.
The Moyong Clan genuinely wanted to find out if Brain Knife Outcast Ho Cheon-an was a trustworthy individual.
Meanwhile, Ho Cheon-an wished to prove to the Moyong Clan that he was indeed a trustworthy person.
The schedule to return after Hyeok Gi-rin’s seclusion loomed. In that limited time frame, the Moyong Clan sought to build trust, while Ho Cheon-an aimed to offer his trust to the Moyong Clan.
“Hahahaha!”
So it was that Ho Cheon-an who attempted to flee ultimately found himself pulled back in, and even when So Yeon-hwa made efforts to stop him, he stubbornly continued mingling with the Moyong Clan members.
The more So Yeon-hwa treated him well, the stronger his desire to be recognized by the Moyong Clan members became.
So Yeon-hwa gazed from a distance, watching the scene of the Moyong Clan members and Ho Cheon-an mingling.
As sounds of laughter filled the air, memories of the night before she left the Imperial Family suddenly flooded back to her. It was the night she hastily packed for her return home.
The Black Cat held her hand and made an earnest request.
[You know, your senior is rather unpredictable.]
[He solves problems that no one else can tackle, yet sometimes you wonder what he’s thinking. In those moments, you must jolt him back to his senses. Otherwise, he’ll remain that way forever.]
Curious about how to identify those moments, So Yeon-hwa asked how she could tell when it was time.
With a smile, the Black Cat responded.
[You’ll know when the time comes. It’ll feel like you’ve eaten too much sweet potato, and you just feel sluggish!]
Recalling that conversation, So Yeon-hwa couldn’t help but chuckle. Knowing it would feel like consuming a ton of sweet potatoes was an astute observation.
If she truly wished to provide trust to the Moyong Clan, it couldn’t be simpler. However, Ho Cheon-an couldn’t think of that approach.
Thus, So Yeon-hwa decided to resolve the confusion and approached the location where the Moyong Clan members and Ho Cheon-an were mingling.
“Let’s head to the Training Hall.”
*
Out of nowhere, we were led to the Training Hall.
Not just me, but everyone from the Moyong Clan who was with me trailed behind So Yeon-hwa. The eyes of Moyong Gang and other practitioners in the Training Hall who were training turned towards us.
However, So Yeon-hwa didn’t mind and entered the Training Hall.
Stopping exactly at a certain spot, she turned to me and smiled brightly.
“Do you see? Usually, when I’m at the clan, I practice martial arts here.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and while my martial arts are good now, in my youth, I was utterly captivated by the Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword and Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword. I practiced day and night to master the Twin Extremes Pat-Wol Sword.”
I nodded, easily picturing that scene. From the moment we first met, So Yeon-hwa’s sword skill was exceptional. Before her realization, she was on par with Hyeok Gi-rin, placing her among the upper echelon of renowned late-stage martial artists.
Swish.
So Yeon-hwa drew her sword, taking a stance as her sword began to move.
Whoosh!
The sword danced, a type of performance engaged in for fun, without any internal power.
Sword Dance.
“Oh.”
“Another achievement, I see.”
Watching So Yeon-hwa’s sword dance, the members of the Moyong Clan chorused with admiration.
I admired her sword dance while they applauded. Back in my days as an outcast, I considered the sword dances I witnessed merely as superficial displays.
And that thought hasn’t changed.
The sword dances I had witnessed back then were superficial. It wasn’t mere belittling due to their naive techniques; they simply wished to boast, saying, “I am skilled enough to perform a sword dance.”
In stark terms, I might just be seeing So Yeon-hwa’s sword dance for the first time.
It was a dance brought forth solely by physical strength. The elegant moves of her sword dance were beautiful but didn’t appear soft at all. Rather, they seemed solid and robust.
Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword.
Even outside the domain of martial arts, the principle behind Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword breathed life into the sword’s tip.
A strong heart that wouldn’t compromise or bend its will.
The essence of martial arts that could be felt vividly, without needing a framework to grasp basic principles, or reliance on internal strength, showcased the hard-earned depth of So Yeon-hwa’s Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword.
Thus, this sword dance epitomized the core of the Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword, which So Yeon-hwa had engraved in her heart repeatedly.
Soon, the sword transformed.
Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword.
Simultaneously, my heart began to ache with regret.
Compared to her earlier Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword dance, the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword dance felt significantly lacking.
It was unavoidable.
At the moment of realization, So Yeon-hwa had abandoned the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword.
So Yeon-hwa had sacrificed her half that she once held dear to obtain the Sword Sect’s lineage. The special measures applied to special matters had served their purpose but left only scars.
The praise that had earlier echoed began to dwindle. The members of the Moyong Clan, who understood what had transpired in the Shengsu Faction and why So Yeon-hwa had disrupted the balance of the Twin Extremes Pat-Wol Sword, silently watched her perform the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword.
Regardless of family ties, the gaze of the martial artists together respected the choices made by one martial artist called So Yeon-hwa after confronting her own realization.
Even if this outcome strayed far from the clan’s goal of mastering the Twin Extremes Pat-Wol Sword, they would not condemn So Yeon-hwa.
Yet, somehow, my heart felt uneasy.
I understood.
So Yeon-hwa’s Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword was not a devastating, unavoidable wound. It had merely taken a step back. It could be restored. If she continued to build upon it, she would eventually surpass her past self of So Yeon-hwa.
No, she could truly achieve the perfect harmony of the Twin Extremes Pat-Wol Sword.
So Yeon-hwa still had such potential left. I wanted to let the people of the Moyong Clan know this. That So Yeon-hwa hadn’t forgotten the clan’s great ambitions due to her intimate connection with the Illusion of Love.
Perhaps it was because of this.
When I came to my senses, I found myself dancing the sword dance next to So Yeon-hwa.
*
“Heh, that brat…”
After briefly handling clan affairs following So Yeon-hwa’s arrival, Moyong Chang-cheon visited the place where the tea party was held, observing the servants cleaning up and smiling wryly. There was no way the tea party would end suddenly, so he could only conclude that So Yeon-hwa had forcefully shut it down.
Had So Yeon-hwa become stubborn?
“Where did everyone go?”
“So Yeon-hwa has taken the clan members and Ho Cheon-an to the Training Hall.”
…The Training Hall?
Could it possibly lead to some trouble again? Moyong Chang-cheon hurried towards the Training Hall. Unlike the sometimes unbearably thick-headed Moyong Clan, So Yeon-hwa exhibited sharp intelligence. While it couldn’t be denied that the same blood ran through her, her persistence rivaled steel when she decided upon something.
Moyong Chang-cheon hurried to the Training Hall only to witness So Yeon-hwa performing a sword dance. Worry lingered in his heart, but as a martial artist, he was drawn into the performance of the Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword.
He nodded with satisfaction at the level of swordsmanship that belied the stage of peak skills.
Then came the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword dance.
Watching the performance, Moyong Chang-cheon felt a pang of regret.
To salvage the Shengsu Faction, So Yeon-hwa had chosen to sacrifice the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword at the moment of realization. Thanks to that, they could save the clan branch from the Blood Sect’s machinations, but… how far could So Yeon-hwa have gone if that realization had aimed towards the completion of the Twin Extremes Pat-Wol Sword?
As both a martial artist and a member of the Moyong Clan, he respected So Yeon-hwa’s choice but couldn’t help the tinge of disappointment.
Then, Ho Cheon-an stepped forward abruptly. He unsheathed his sword and began to dance.
Did the excitement of So Yeon-hwa’s dance ignite something within him? As Moyong Chang-cheon stared on in surprise, he widened his eyes.
Ho Cheon-an was performing the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword!
Though his movements were clumsy and lacking finesse, the trajectory of Ho Cheon-an’s great sword distinctly illustrated the essence of the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword.
“How can an outsider perform the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword…?”
How could Ho Cheon-an execute the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword? While murmurs of awe traveled amongst others, Moyong Chang-cheon comprehended their current situation.
‘It’s a sword dance, so it makes sense.’
Since sword dance doesn’t rely on internal power or fixed techniques, if he grasps the meaning behind it, he can express it as the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword.
The chatter among the members of the Moyong Clan didn’t last long. As the performances of Ho Cheon-an and So Yeon-hwa began to intertwine, they silently observed.
‘How clumsy.’
Moyong Chang-cheon rated the two people’s sword dances. One had forgotten the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword while the other was merely imitating it, thus this was expected. Comparing to the renowned martial artists from the Central Plains, their dance felt far from satisfying.
Yet.
They were improving, little by little.
Ho Cheon-an’s sword occasionally gleamed with understanding, as if he sought to inspire So Yeon-hwa, whose motions became more & more graceful. Ho Cheon-an’s great sword, soaring the height of a person, danced lightly and softly.
As each leading move faltered, it became clear that he only knew of the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword through glimpses earned from So Yeon-hwa. He’d interacted through the Six Star Chen and understanding through Hwa-gyeong, yet he was unable to comprehend the entirety of the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword.
At those moments, So Yeon-hwa stepped forward. Ho Cheon-an followed her without hesitation. The flow continued, and once more, the essence of the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword sparkled through Ho Cheon-an’s sword.
Gradually.
Little by little, So Yeon-hwa’s Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword was evolving.
‘So this is it.’
So Yeon-hwa’s Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword had not been broken. It had merely retreated.
If it continues to move forward progressively, one day, So Yeon-hwa’s sword could reach the Twin Extremes Pat-Wol Sword.
This path would undoubtedly be long and arduous.
But.
‘You will help.’
Martial arts represent the soul of a martial artist. They embody their own accomplishments and themselves. As two martial artists gradually rise together, Moyong Chang-cheon realized that So Yeon-hwa’s Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword would one day match the heights of the Pat-Do Il-Hwi Sword and evolve into a perfect harmony of the Twin Extremes Pat-Wol Sword.
They spoke this truth through their sword dance.
“Hahahaha!”
Moyong Chang-cheon broke into laughter, not a mere feigned amusement to bolster camaraderie, but laughter from the depths of his heart.
The обеr did not doubt anything; they were already life’s partners, so the only thing left for him was simple.
To assist them.
Moyong Chang-cheon unsheathed his sword and began to dance. The unrivaled culmination of the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword unfolded before them. Ho Cheon-an and So Yeon-hwa followed in sync with his moves.
Observing, the members of the Moyong Clan one by one drew their swords and joined the dance. Though their Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword dance might not match that of Moyong Chang-cheon, it might still lend aid to the two.
With that, the Training Hall of the Moyong Clan was filled with an unending series of sword dances.
*
I really messed up!
Such was my thought after realizing that through the sword dance, I unveiled the essence of the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword.
What kind of breed are martial artists? They live and die by martial arts. Therefore, leaks of their techniques are incredibly sensitive issues. That I came to understand the Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword was due to my supportive training of So Yeon-hwa in the Shengsu Faction and the bond we shared, yet what does it matter the reason?
While it seemed everyone at the Training Hall had been caught up in the excitement, if even one person questioned it, my position would become exceedingly difficult.
And true to form.
Since that day, the atmosphere of the Moyong Clan around me changed.
“Great Hero, you coughed.”
“Hahahahaha! Yes. Good morning!”
As I braced myself for mindless conversations ahead, composing myself, Moyong Seong-jin greeted me lightly before moving along. Not just Moyong Seong-jin, but every member of the Moyong Clan passed by with nothing more than a light acknowledgment.
As I wandered around, unable to hide my bewilderment, I ran into Moyong Gang. He scowled as usual, but unlike before, his hands were resting at his sides, not gripping his sword.
“The Ban-Yeon Mu-Wol Sword isn’t half bad.”
“Yes?”
“Hmph!”
Even Moyong Gang, the strict referee, merely let me go! Overwhelmed with unease that enveloped me, I trembled. Something’s coming! An enormous wave is emerging!
“This is terrible!”
I dashed toward So Yeon-hwa to spill everything, eyes wide in panic. As she listened, a smile slowly broke across her face.
“Great Hero, what on earth are you saying?”
“Huh?”
“It’s not ‘huh.’ What do you mean? The words of Black Cat were spot on after all, how can you interpret yesterday’s events like this?”
So how then?
Could there even be another interpretation? I frantically racked my brain, yet as I noted So Yeon-hwa’s expression, it looked strangely familiar—the same expression the Black Cat sometimes wore when looking at me.
“You really are unfathomable.”
“Wh-what?”
“What do you have to apologize for? That means you care for me so much that you don’t sense anything special. As a woman, I’m truly happy.”
The warmth touched my heart as I felt So Yeon-hwa lean in closer. Just as our faces approached dangerously close, she broke out in laughter.
I must have had a rather foolish expression on my face.
“Black Cat says I often feel as though I’m looking at a child when I see you. I always found it odd, but now I do understand that sentiment a bit.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Well, that means I’m asking you to take care of me in the future, my dear.”
As she whispered those words, So Yeon-hwa’s lips gently pressed against mine. I felt the warmth of her body, the fragrance wafting through my nostrils, and the sensation of her lips upon my own, yet my mind still felt chaotic…
But soon enough, I thought it really didn’t matter.
If So Yeon-hwa liked who I was now, then surely it wouldn’t be bad to act a little foolish.
There would be no visitors, and hence no interruptions.
Without any hesitation, our lips met once more.
It felt like spring, not summer.
