Chapter 192

The person who came to pick me up in the morning was Pang Choryeo.

“Ah, Choryeo!”

“Yeah, Qing Ah. Have you been well? Nothing special happened, huh?”

“Eh, what could happen that’s special? Just seeing you like this is special enough. Seeing you in the morning makes my spirits soar! I could fly!”

Pang Choryeo’s eyes went wide.

“This girl is talking as if she’s a cultured noble. If Qing Ah were a boy, I might’ve gotten a little flustered, you know? We’re going to see the Alliance Leader, right? Let’s go.”

With that, Qing hopped onto the carriage heading to the Martial Alliance headquarters.

“Are you going to the Dragon and Phoenix Association afterward?”

“Oh my. A woman my age going there would get harshly judged. I’d be intruding on the younger generation having fun. Sure, I have a few friends who are a bit clueless, but still, I’d rather not.”

“Still, I think they’d be glad to see you…”

“Deep down, they’d probably be cursing me. And besides, the older members of the Dragon and Phoenix Association have their own gatherings; I should stick with my peers.”

On the way, Pang Choryeo gave a brief explanation.

The Martial Alliance!

When the Martial Alliance first formed and declared its union in Gaebong District before the assembled heroes, it was the Sado sect that regretted their decision, smiting the ground in remorse.

Of course, the orthodox sect and the Sado sect were itching to devour each other, and they were shocked that those guys decided to unite and form a faction.

But the moment they grouped together, the other side would too, so there was no point in regretting it.

The reason the Sado sect regretted so much was simply because of the name.

The Martial Alliance. Were they the only ones in the Martial World?

They regretted not being the first to form an alliance and claim such a splendid name.

The Martial Alliance signifies the Martial League.

Only those slightly aligned with the orthodox sect could join, while the heterodox sects of the Sado had no way of being recognized as part of the Martial World, which was quite a splendid choice of name.

“The leader of the Alliance is Jo Hyun-ryang…”

Well, if you’ve got to be the face of the Alliance, at the very least, you should be one of the top ten masters in the world, right?

So when the time came to elect a new leader, a fierce battle of wits occurred among the elders of the orthodox sects.

They busied themselves recommending someone else, all trying to dodge each other and pass the buck along.

After all, being one of the top ten masters meant you had fame and fortune already, and it’d be too bothersome to also carry such a position. Better to leave that to the juniors and spend your time training or guiding your disciples instead.

Even being the leader of the Martial Alliance meant more work for you and you only had to play the part of the big shot, making it more obvious that no one from the previous generation would want that role.

But during the election of the current leader of the Martial Alliance, Seomun Sulin stepped forward to take the position.

The elders, impressed by her, quickly vied for the position, resulting in Jo Hyun-ryang ultimately taking the lead.

“My master?”

“Yeah. If Jo Daehyeop hadn’t stepped up, the matriarch would have taken the position.”

While I was hearing all this, the carriage passed through the main gate of the Martial Alliance.

Pang Choryeo said she had to greet her family, so Qing went to pay her respects to the leader first.

Jo Hyun-ryang.

Known as the number one spear master in the world, he gained respect from all spear wielders, regardless of sect.

In fact, the perception of spears in the martial realm isn’t that great.

What kind of general wields a spear? It’s just a thrusting technique when you can also stab with a sword, right?

And aren’t those nicknames a headache to deal with?

Despite that, among spear practitioners, there’s a culture of respecting each other regardless of the type.

In that context, having the number one spear master as the leader of the Martial Alliance naturally earned respect.

Jo Hyun-ryang looked young compared to other powerful figures, appearing to be a middle-aged man in his forties.

Yet, even Seomun Sulin, with the Reverse Flow and Return to Youth, could look like a young mother next to Qing.

“Oh my, you’re the Outer Sect disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect, Seomun Qing. Apologies for my inadequacies. I’m a disciple of Seomun Sulin and am fully dedicated to mastering the sword. I’d appreciate it if you could overlook my lacking skills.”

“Hoho. I wondered what fairy-like girl had come, and it was the Divine Maiden’s young girl who got lost in Hyesung. I am Jo Hyun-ryang. But… hmm. Did the matriarch not come?”

“My master is quite busy with sect matters, so she unfortunately couldn’t attend.”

“Oh? That’s unfortunate. The female warriors of the Martial World will be quite disappointed. Hoho, haha!”

His laughter felt genuine, as though it was sincere and warmed his face.

“Ah, child. Though you still look young, you’re already on the verge of mastery. How old are you now?”

“I’m just the right age to be blooming in spring.”

“Really? At twenty? The matriarch must have really struck gold with her disciples at the end of her life. Wait… that’s right! The Moon Lady Sword! Now, I remember.”

“The Moon Lady Sword?”

Seeing Qing’s expression, Jo Hyun-ryang chuckled.

Her expression revealed everything; he’d discerned her transparent heart with ease.

“Did you not know? The leader of the Hwasan faction, the sect leader, praised you as someone destined to wield the Moon Lady Sword! The authority that comes with such a nickname is no small feat.”

“What? I have a nickname? Moon Lady Sword?”

Wow, that’s pretty cool.

A sense of satisfaction lit up Qing’s face.

Jo Hyun-ryang laughed again.

“Oh, I see. Since you’re from the Outer Sect, that means you’re not restricted from marriage. Do you perhaps have someone in mind? Considering my great-grandson is a tad lacking, this feels unfair for you. I apologize for this old man acting foolishly.”

“A significant other? Right now, I’m so focused on honing my skills that I’m not thinking about anything else. And are you speaking about Brother Jo Hak-che?”

“Oh, have you met him?”

“I saw him from a distance…”

Qing’s expression grew subtle.

Jo Hyun-ryang’s blood pressure also went up a notch.

“Well, he might act a bit silly but he isn’t a bad person at heart. And for the right woman, he’d give everything — his heart, liver, you name it.”

“Can a man liking women be a flaw? Umm. Can it be…?”

The attitude of women from Seomun Sulin’s teachings slightly cracked.

Even so, was it right to gloss over his misbehavior just because he was pretending to be poor?

“Oh dear, it’s all my fault. I should have disciplined him since he showed signs of this behavior since he was young. I was too lenient on him as my great-grandson. I told my son to teach him a lesson, but he ends up losing his mind in front of his grandson! The family is in such a mess. When the tale of the thousand-year lineage tells of a rogue appearing, how will I face my ancestors?”

What a sudden lamentation.

But even so, Qing, who specialized in dealing with older folks, didn’t feel flustered and offered comforting words.

“Don’t worry too much. From what I hear, the men of the Dragon and Phoenix Association think highly of him, deeming him a reliable, broad-minded older brother, so that must reflect his true nature.”

Of course, that was limited to when no women were around.

Qing didn’t insert any unnecessary comments.

“Indeed, he’s a good person by nature. Ever since he was a child, he’s been generous and couldn’t turn a blind eye to others in need. It’s been quite concerning. He has been fooled a number of times. I mean, how does a descendant of a thousand-year lineage get scammed? If someone looks a bit pitiful, he’ll open his money bag and throw everything at them and then end up surrounded by deceitful folks. I just hope he finds a wise woman to temper his unsteady heart.”

Having seen Jo Hak-che’s past achievements, Qing thought that they were in fact quite respectable.

“Elder, are you afraid of being tricked and thus avoiding negotiations? Even if nine out of ten people lie, at least there’s one who will be genuine, right? From what I hear, the great martial artist will act with good intentions, so please don’t worry too much.”

“Ah, thank you! Truly lovely words! How envious it is for the matriarch; nothing’s more enviable than having children and devoted disciples in old age…”

Originally, I was just supposed to introduce myself briefly and leave, but suddenly the Alliance Leader’s lamentation made our greetings stretch on way too long.

Worries starting from his great-grandson ended up turning into a long discussion about the Martial Alliance being slow to respond and how chaotic things were, mentioning how sects like the Demon Sect and Blood Sect…

Most people would have taken a step back and leisurely practiced martial arts at this age, but here he was, stuck as the leader, coughing lightly and pretending to carry weight.

His only solace now was watching his great-granddaughter’s antics, but now that she’s grown, she’s chasing after boys, and that Oki-rin… tch, tch, tch.

As Qing selectively picked out the words the elder wanted to hear, it felt incredibly refreshing, like scratching an itch.

Indeed, Qing had the skill of an elder whisperer, so softening the lonely and busy old man’s heart was as easy as bending her fingers.

“If I can pair my grandson with someone, I wouldn’t have any more wishes, but I wonder if that would be too much to ask of you. If it weren’t for the matriarch, I would’ve treated you as a daughter-in-law. But since my heart tells me so, please visit sometimes and keep this old man company. Is that alright?”

“Of course! Ah, but weren’t there people waiting for you?”

“Oh right, look at this! Why must I dawdle on such simple greetings all day? Anyway, let’s see each other again. When you mention that the leader has requested the Muchen Pavilion, they will surely host you.”

“Yes, Elder. Thank you for your consideration.”

“Providing company to an old man is no big deal; I’m just doing my part. See you again.”

As I left the leader’s reception room, the Pang family was waiting outside.

I greeted Lord Pang Han, whom I met last time, and waved to Pang Dae-san and Pang Choryeo before coming out and catching a Martial Alliance warrior to ask for directions.

After relaying the leader’s words at the reception hall, the warrior led me to a grand building backed by the tall walls of the Martial Alliance.

As I entered the Muchen Pavilion and ascended the stairs, upon reaching the sixth floor, the attendant opened a door blocking the corridor and said, “This is where you may stay.”

It was a lavish hallway adorned with silks.

I counted eight visible rooms, then asked again.

“Can I pick any room? Can I go in and check first? Preferably, I’d like the biggest room.”

The attendant smiled and answered.

“You are free to use the whole floor. However, at the end, our servants who will attend you reside, so if you need anything, just pull the signal cord hanging beside the bed.”

“Oh wow.”

Qing’s eyes went wide.

What? I get to use an entire floor by myself?

Mmm. This is total sweet deal.

—-

Although I realized that the Dragon and Phoenix Association was nothing remarkable in just a day, in truth, Seomun Sulin hadn’t pointed out that I should go and have fun with my peers.

It wasn’t a genuine invitation to have fun; she meant to mingle and exchange names, and I figured that much out.

Just as Pang Dae-san said, the banquet dishes were certainly a far cry from the freshly made ones from a restaurant, so even though they were served cold, those dishes were prepared to be served as such.

“Well then, today I’ll go. Tomorrow I’ll rest.”

After all, being alone meant just sleeping.

For today, I’ll visit the Dragon and Phoenix Association, set up some plans with my friends, and tomorrow I might finally tour the Central Plain’s main market that I still haven’t finished exploring. I could go and enjoy some snacks and chat while munching throughout.