Chapter 255

Sama Chun-bong believed that there is a massive flow to everything. No, to be precise, he claimed that the world operates on a grand flow that only a select few geniuses can perceive.

And since he considered himself to be among that elite, an unparalleled beauty within the extraordinary, he thought only he could glimpse the greater flow while everyone else merely saw fragments of the event.

Thus, he gathered information from the Martial World Tournament and filtered out individuals whose activities before the spate of murders in Gaebong District were highly questionable.

Focusing on the connections between these individuals, he concluded that a group of ronin who made it to the finals raised quite a few red flags.

That’s because, after entering the finals, these previously raucous beggars suddenly cut off all outside interactions and disappeared into the Martial Alliance, leaving no record of their activities.

Truth be told, Sama Chun-bong was remarkably clever.

The nickname “Ji-nang Hyun-hwa” wasn’t given lightly; it wasn’t just a haphazard naming convention based on his strategic capabilities. It meant “Outstanding Wise Flower.”

His name might sound a bit old-fashioned, though.

In any case, at a young age, especially as a woman, he held the position of deputy general within the Martial Alliance and managed to get through her workload easily enough to indulge in other distractions.

As he accurately traced the tail of the incident, Sama Chun-bong let out a sneaky chuckle.

By uncovering the truth, he was inching closer to his grand dream of becoming the first and youngest general of the Martial Alliance.

And as if on cue, the ronin began to frequent those shabby eateries again, a fact he had confirmed with the guards at the front gate today.

“Yeah, it was strange from the beginning. They call them ronin as if that’s something respectable, right? But you could equally refer to them as beggars, destitute wretches, or even the remnants of some scrounging dog. Can those utterly unreliable types actually make it to the finals of the Chul-ryong Martial Tournament and achieve miraculous results?”

Sama Chun-bong mumbled to himself like a madwoman.

Of course, he’d argue that this process of conjecturing out loud was the hallmark trait of a true disciple, hence his mutterings.

“No, it’s impossible. There’s no doubt that some hidden faction is trying to plant agents within the orthodox martial world. So, I, Hyun-hwa Sama, must expose this abhorrent and vile conspiracy and make my extraordinary intellect known throughout the lands. Hmm, yes.”

Despite the unwholesome intent behind her reasoning, Sama Chun-bong could still see the truth quite clearly.

Thus, having put on fancy clothing and even applying some makeup, she stepped out, amidst the clamor and uproar, in front of a shabby dive restaurant.

“The beauty ploy is also a fate that a woman born as a genius must reckon with. Let’s go. Sama-rang. To illuminate the foolish world, I shall endure the humiliation of appeasing these wretched souls.”

At this solemn monologue, a passing child piped up.

“Mommy, that lady is mumbling to herself.”

“Shh. Or it’ll ruin everything. There are people with headaches too, you know. Tsk tsk. What a pretty girl, and yet…”

Anyway, just as Sama Chun-bong steeled herself to pull open the restaurant’s tattered curtain, she hesitated.

“Wait a minute. Could it be? How strange. Is this a trap? How can a person eat in such a filthy pigsty? Is this even a restaurant? Could this be a front set up by some hidden faction? It seems suspicious, very suspicious.”

Sama Chun-bong hesitated for a moment.

She’d heard the mysterious rumors that commoners in the Central Plains managed to live on just a few coins for an entire month, but even the poorest and dirtiest commoners wouldn’t eat in such a revolting place.

“No, it can happen. It must happen.”

For the peace of the Martial World.

More than that, for Hyun-hwa’s own honor!

“No operation comes without risk.”

With a grand resolution, Sama Chun-bong carefully brushed aside the filthy curtain and stealthily infiltrated the suspicious restaurant.

The place was already taken over by ronin, and as soon as Hyun-hwa stepped in, all eyes turned toward her.

Initially, her lower body, masked by the curtain, had made everyone curious about who might be blocking the door.

And when the flower-like beauty with fierce eyes and a somewhat scary aura appeared, the ronin’s jaws collectively dropped.

Enjoying their gaze to the fullest, Sama Chun-bong bowed politely.

“Oh my. My reputation isn’t particularly glorious… but let’s say there’s a potential that I could become an eminent figure in the Chul-ryong Tournament… No, I’m not quite at the level of a great hero, hmm… and I certainly wouldn’t say I’m a minor hero either.”

With what she meant to be a polite greeting, the expressions of the ronin turned ambiguous.

Um, is she picking a fight with us?

“Excuse me, Young Lady, but…?”

“Ah, yes. I am Sama Mo. The Northern disciples of the Martial World affectionately call me Hyun-hwa, which means Wise Flower.”

And one by one came the exclamations.

“Ji-nang Hyun-hwa!” “Sama Chun-bong!” “Three-Perfect Beauty!”

The angle of Sama Chun-bong’s eyebrows sharpened slightly.

Among those names, he acknowledged only three: Hyun-hwa, Sama, and Beauty.

Three-Perfect Beauty was just one of the many nicknames Sama Chun-bong had acquired.

His vast collection of monikers sometimes baffled him.

To be called “Three-Perfect Beauty” means there are three outstanding traits in beauty, which he found utterly infuriating.

To only be classified as superb in three aspects made no sense.

Furthermore, one of those aspects being all about intellect, while the other two were demoralizing jabs he’d rather not think about.

Other trivial nicknames were tossed out but weren’t worth acknowledging, so he simply acted like he didn’t hear them.

Sama Chun-bong always ignored anything that didn’t please him.

“Surely, you jest. Just calling me Hyun-hwa is more than enough. Or you may call me Sama Young Lady.”

Then, the elder of the independent warriors, the master-level fighter Ma Yeong-jeon, represented the group with a question.

“Um. But, pardon me, are you really who you say you are? You seem a bit different from what we heard.”

“Yes. I do apologize for the mistake.”

Sama Chun-bong scoffed and continued.

“Now that we are on our way to becoming part of the orthodox martial world, what would I gain by deceiving you? If you doubt my words, feel free to visit the military department and request an audience with the deputy general. Though, of course, I doubt any of you dares to.”

“Hmm. While your appearance may be somewhat different, it does seem you are indeed the infamous Poison Tongue Sama Young Lady.”

Word around town was that she wielded sharp words, and her fierce expression arguably amplified her reputation for being a wicked beauty.

The most significant feature, what could they hide that?

“So, what brings you to a gathering of less-than-illustrious heroes?”

The reactions among the ronin weren’t exactly warm.

Sama Chun-bong felt puzzled.

Why is this happening? Shouldn’t they be groveling and barking like dogs before such beauty?

In truth, it all boiled down to Qing.

Had it not been for her heavenly beauty, the perception would have simply been, “Yeah, she’s pretty, perhaps her manner might be a little bit rough.”

However, since he had already established a bond with someone even more beautiful, there was no longing left.

“Hmm. Hmm. Since my words tend to be blunt, I hope you can understand it with magnanimity. Truth, after all, tends to be bitter.”

“Ahem.”

“Now, now, don’t be like that. I’m here to celebrate your success in becoming part of the orthodox martial world as your esteemed Hyun-hwa. Quite the marvel, rising from the mud isn’t it? I hope you won’t stay in your lowly state going forward, even if the odds are slim.”

Though she spoke poorly, it was indeed true she had come to celebrate them, and her presence was a considerable opportunity for building rapport, especially since she was touted to be the next general of the Martial Alliance.

Ma Yeong-jeon glanced at the other ronins with an understanding look.

They all nodded in agreement.

“Forgive us for being so unimpressive.”

“Indeed. It certainly is humble.”

“…”

Regardless, they came forward with smiles, filling their cups themselves.

Even if her words were rough, actions spoke better, and her face was beautiful.

The lofty lady herself approached first, pouring drinks, melting away the initial tension.

And thus, with a surprisingly mundane toast for everyone’s rise, they all downed their drinks—

“Ah! Everyone, put down your cups! This wine is sour, smells rancid, and tastes awful! Drinking dog urine would surely be better; this must be poisoned!”

It was impossible for the wine they had just been sipping to suddenly be poisoned.

“…I sincerely apologize. The wine is of poor quality.”

“Oh my. How could such a thing exist? What kind of miserable life must one lead to be served such disgraceful, stinking muck masked as wine?”

“…”

The ronin began to feel a twinge of regret.

They could have simply refused and drunk among themselves.

But that regret quickly vanished.

“Ah. In that case, as Hyun-hwa, I must teach what real wine is to these humble souls who might not know the taste due to their lowly birth. Let’s get rid of this pigsty and seek decent refreshments.”

She may have miscommunicated, but she had boldly declared she would get the next round.

The ronins erupted in cheers.

And with that, Sama Chun-bong smiled wickedly.

Indeed, their lowly backgrounds and ignorance made them rather simple-minded.

And now, it was time to unearth all the truths tangled in this case.

Thus, Sama Chun-bong achieved her objective.

However, it wasn’t entirely fair to blame the ronins for being chatty.

What she revealed was just an exaggerated praise for Qing that could be summarized in a few sentences.

It was hardly a secret that she wanted to repay her kindness and therefore took the liberty to ask a renowned beauty to come and indulge in giving expensive wine and dishes.

Like getting slapped while wanting to cry, she could only exclaim, “Well, this is just a secret.”

—-

Today, Gongson Yo-ye seemed incredibly busy.

And Namgoong Shin-jae and the Pang siblings were anything but busy.

Especially when Namgoong Shin-jae and Pang Choryeo got together, the heat of training peaked, so by sunset, they were drenched in sweat.

Tang Nan-ah was complaining as she casually passed by, not really busy or leisurely.

“Ha. Is she still doing that? Doesn’t she ever go home? I mean, can’t she walk around properly by now?”

Mo Yong Joo-hee was still burying her head between her knees under the wall.

Her toenails hadn’t fully grown out, but thanks to the Tang Family’s miraculous medicine, they healed up well.

Even though losing four molars seemed like a lot, she had only lost one from the upper and lower jaws on either side, so it wasn’t very noticeable.

Initially, Seomun Sulin thought her opinion should at least reach the Mo Yong Clan, but Qing opposed that, saying it was something she would decide for herself.

Everyone has things they don’t wish to disclose; particularly in families, secrets can be even harder to convey.

Hearing that, Seomun Sulin couldn’t help but marvel at how kind and thoughtful her disciple was, patting her head.

On the other hand, Tang Nan-ah felt rather displeased.

Even if she was hurt from torturous treatment, that didn’t mean she could lash out at others. Why go for the chest of all places?

Thinking about it, it seemed more like she was venting her frustration on Geomhwa, not just anyone.

“Hmm? Young Lady Mo? Don’t do that. Young Lady Mo is already hurting.”

“Humph! Why not be that dedicated to me instead?”

“I mean, I already passed that point. Nao Bung-woo and I are sharing genuine friendship, you know? Should we really bother with formalities? We’ve eaten together, bathed, slept, all of that.”

“Ahem. Well, if we’re putting it that way…”

Tang Nan-ah turned her head away, feeling a bit bashful.

How can she say that without losing her color?

Then something struck Qing.

Tang Nan-ah is part of the Martial Flower. So is Mo Yong Joo-hee.

Jin Seol Young Lady might be quite revealing, while Seoliri Young Lady is someone I want to befriend but haven’t had the chance…

So, isn’t there a missing piece here?

“Hmm. Speaking of the Martial Flower, I’ve heard of Hyun-hwa but haven’t seen her yet. What’s she like?”

“Hmm? Overabundant?”

“Excessive is worse than insufficient? Is that her assessment? Why?”

“No, that’s one of her nicknames.”

“What on earth does that mean? What is she overflowing with?”

“She’s said to have… assets.”

Tang Nan-ah acted as if hugging a tree, her fingers barely meeting around it.

“Really?”

“I’ve only heard about it. Apparently, she hates that and tightly wraps herself up so she can barely breathe. Honestly, I’ve only seen her twice dressed, so I can’t tell.”

Then she continued.

“Three-Perfect Beauty. Her genius lies in her mind and two places here. Ji-nang Hyun-hwa, huh? Ji-nang, ‘pocket of wisdom.’ Ha! They say she contains ten thousand volumes of wisdom. She knows it too and hates it, so she mostly goes by Hyun-hwa.”

“How big must that be?”

Hmm. Just how big does she need to be for such talk to arise?

Hmm. I must see her.

I must see her so badly.

Qing gulped.

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