Taewon Jin Clan.
The Chief’s Residence.
A man was leaning against a lantern, reading a book.
This was Lee Chungbo, the Chief administrator of the Taewon Jin Clan who had been managing the finances in the absence of Gayoung Jin and the White Blade Wanderer.
Sha-rak.
As he quietly turned the pages, a chilling breeze sounded from somewhere.
Hoo-eeeng.
Thinking it was seeping through the threshold, he approached the door, only to hear it creak open.
“Kyeh!”
Who would enter at this late hour? Lee Chungbo jumped in surprise and fell backward.
In front of the door stood a ghostly pale man. His fearsome appearance was enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
“It’s been a while, Chief Lee.”
“Ah, ah…! It’s White Blade Wanderer! When did you return?”
“I’ve just arrived.”
The man’s identity was none other than Byul Rak. His white hair gleamed under the moonlight, momentarily resembling a ghost.
“Ugh… So, what should I do? Please, take a seat. I’ll prepare a place for you.”
“No need. I won’t be staying long. Rather, take a look at this.”
Byul Rak extended the figure he was carrying. Wrapped in cloths, Gayoung Jin was gently placed onto the warm floor.
“Ga, Chairman? Why is Chairman like this?”
“It seems you haven’t heard the news from the Seven Flowers War yet.”
“Ah…! No, I’ve heard. I just couldn’t believe that she still hasn’t awakened…”
“I’ll be leaving shortly. I’d like to bring her with me, but I’m heading to a rather dangerous place. I trust the Taewon Jin Clan and you, Chief, to take good care of her.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll ensure her protection with my life!”
Hearing Lee Chungbo’s reliable shout, Byul Rak nodded and turned away.
Thud, thud.
“Safe travels!”
Watching Byul Rak’s shadow fade into the dim night road, Lee Chungbo glanced beside him.
There, Gayoung Jin, who had been left by Byul Rak, was peacefully sleeping.
“What should I do? Move her to the Chairman’s bedroom perhaps?”
Lee Chungbo peered at Gayoung Jin.
Initially, he’d planned to immediately move her to her bedroom, but now that he was alone with her, his body had stiffened like stone.
Suddenly, a fact he had forgotten came back to mind.
‘She’s beautiful.’
The next candidate for the First Beauty of the martial world: Gayoung Jin.
A beauty that no man could help but glance at.
That beauty was lying unconscious, sound asleep, in his quarters.
Completely alone, just the two of them.
Lee Chungbo gulped dryly.
“Keh…”
As if bewitched, his hands moved involuntarily.
He knew he shouldn’t, yet his hands moved contrary to his will.
Or, perhaps, they were simply reflecting his deepest desires.
Whispering…
Lee Chungbo extended his hand toward Gayoung Jin’s head, dreaming in slumber. Just a little closer, and he would touch her.
Of course, this was blatant molestation and a grave atrocity. Not just a deviation from the moral code of the righteous sect, but the kind of act only the lowest of street thugs would dare.
His conscience stopped his hand. Gayoung Jin was his master and clan head. This was unacceptable. Besides, how could he do such a thing to a young woman who couldn’t even defend herself?
And also, he had a family.
“Still…”
But Lee Chungbo was not particularly virtuous.
“Nobody would know anyway, right?”
With a casual wave, he discarded his last remnants of integrity. He lowered his hand.
He knew very well how vile and despicable this act was, but he was far more familiar with this kind of wickedness than any feelings of resistance.
Even as he briefly pictured the face of his wife waiting for him at home, her image was quickly overshadowed by the beauty of Gayoung Jin in front of him.
“What a pleasant surprise…”
Uttering words that revealed his complete lack of shame, Lee Chungbo did not falter.
Just then, the moment his hand was about to touch Gayoung Jin’s face.
Thud.
Something caught his hand.
“Eh?”
Startled, Lee Chungbo looked up in confusion.
There stood the white-haired man, glaring at him.
“But, you weren’t…?”
He thought he had left just moments ago.
Before his thought could finish, his vision was already filled with someone’s palm, and he was spinning helplessly through the air.
Crack!
“Hmph…”
Byul Rak let out a long sigh.
Next to him, Jade Flower also wore a similar troubled expression.
“This man is worse than I thought.”
“Sword Sage…”
“Pretending to leave and hiding in the room was the right choice. You were nearly about to commit a great sin.”
“Are you disappointed in me?”
“To be honest, quite a bit.”
“…”
Byul Rak looked down at the floor with deep disdain.
There lay a headless corpse.
Silently observing his own fist that had caused it, Byul Rak then picked up Gayoung Jin on his back once more.
“I almost forgot that it was the young miss who was virtuous, not the Jin family.”
“Still, it’s fortunate you doubted until the end.”
“I’ve only recently realized that there are things that look human but really aren’t.”
“…”
Hearing those words, Jade Flower recalled the cries of Byul Rak from the Wu Tang Sect. For some reason, she understood his feelings.
“Troubling times indeed.”
“You’re thinking about Moon Blossom?”
“It’s impossible to take the young miss to the Mu Thien Gorge. There’s too much spiritual and ghostly energy there, and if her barely stabilized qi and blood were to collapse, it’d all be for naught.”
“I understand. That’s why I came to Taewon first before heading to Mu Thien Gorge.”
“Yes. Only… even the Taewon Jin Clan isn’t safe, which is why I’m troubled.”
Hearing Byul Rak’s concerns, Jade Flower nodded in understanding.
As he said, there was an absolute lack of safe places in this world that could protect Gayoung Jin.
“Sword Sage, perhaps I should take care of her while you do your errand.”
“Excluding two places, but…”
Interrupting, Byul Rak spoke.
Considering that he wasn’t the type to interrupt others, it seemed he had simply not heard her or was too deeply lost in thought.
“Two places?”
“There are two people who possess the strength to protect the young miss better than anyone, people I’d trust even if the world were to end.”
“Then, why not ask them?”
“Much as I’d like to, there’s a problem.”
Byul Rak trailed off.
“First, they’ve both retired.”
“Retired? Why would they refuse to look after just one person when we’re not asking for them to fight in the martial world?”
“That’s true, but there’s more.”
Byul Rak continued with a darkened tone.
“The first is the Divine Monk.”
“Divine Monk?”
“The Divine Monk now lives in a small hermitage near Shaolin.”
“Hmm… Do you think it’s disrespectful to approach someone who has entered the ‘gold pot four seasons’ retirement?”
The ‘gold pot four seasons’ retirement has a different meaning compared to the general martial world’s retirement.
Proclaiming an absolute severance from all martial world enmities, it symbolizes a public retirement.
One who has entered the ‘gold pot four seasons’ should not be attacked for any reason, and that person must not interfere in any martial world affairs.
“So, asking the Divine Monk would indeed be inappropriate.”
“It would be disrespectful to visit him, especially with someone from the martial world like Moon Blossom.”
“Then, we should go to the other person.”
As if organizing his thoughts, Byul Rak started walking.
Jade Flower followed.
“Who do you plan to visit?”
“There is someone, someone you don’t know.”
“Someone I don’t know…?”
“Sorry, but in this vast land, there’s no one else I can entrust her with. It’s a sorry state of affairs, isn’t it?”
Thud, thud.
With each step by Byul Rak and Jade Flower, the snow accumulated on the muddy ground splashed.
Winter had passed, and the snow was now mixed with water, a sign that the year had turned.
—
In Soeun Yu’s Dream-
“Ma, Master… Are you… alright?”
“…”
Covered in blood, Namgung Cheolbin entered the gate of the Namgong Family Mansion.
His slumped shoulders and slow pace vividly displayed just how exhausted he was.
Seeing him, Soeun Yu rushed forward.
Plop, plop.
She hurriedly wiped Namgung Cheolbin’s entire body with a towel she had prepared.
Each time her hands touched his wounds, Namgung Cheolbin let out an intermittent groan.
Despite being heavily covered in blood and metallic fluids, she had no time to hesitate.
Swish, swish.
“Master… Please don’t push yourself so hard…”
“…”
“I heard… This time, you rescued hundreds of children from the Blood Cult’s Twelve Demon Guards… All by yourself.”
“…”
“Of course, rescuing those children is good, but… It seems like you’re pushing yourself too hard… I’m worried…”
Determined to voice all the things she wanted to say as soon as he returned, Soeun Yu diligently cleaned Namgung Cheolbin’s body.
Blood, sweat, and strange, unidentifiable liquids.
The more she wiped, the more her heart ached seeing how filthy his body, which had just endured a fierce battle, had become.
“What are the martial world alliance bastards doing, leaving Master all alone…”
Before Namgung Cheolbin arrived, she had already received news via a messenger bird.
She learned that among the remaining forces of the Martial World Alliance, none stepped forward until Namgung Cheolbin left alone.
Even after he departed, reinforcements only came later.
Because of that, Namgung Cheolbin fought alone for three long days, standing against the Twelve Demon Guards and protecting the children.
“…Damn selfish bastards. Pushing Master to certain death because they’re too lazy to work hard.”
Muttering her complaints while cleaning Namgung Cheolbin’s body, Soeun Yu was slightly choked up because of this reality.
To her, Namgung Cheolbin whispered softly.
“Don’t be too harsh.”
“Huh?”
“A great power comes with great responsibility. I’ve merely fulfilled my duty.”
“Ngh! How can anyone continue to abuse their body like this no matter what!”
Stopping her movements while cleaning him, Soeun Yu spoke with emotion.
It irritated her.
Her husband, who always returned home injured after going out.
And this world that made him like this.
“Maybe…”
“Huh?”
Swish, swish.
Starting to clean him again, Soeun Yu opened her mouth.
“Can’t I go with Master…?”
The response was sharp and cold.
“Absolutely not.”
“…”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“I understand…”
“Say it again, and I’ll forbid even the thought.”
“I get it already…”
While talking with Namgung Cheolbin and moving her hands frenetically, Soeun Yu wiped the remaining mess on his body.
The towel, having wiped the blood, had turned red.
As Soeun Yu was heading towards the river to rinse it,
Thud.
Suddenly, Namgung Cheolbin grabbed her wrist.
And said,
“Don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
“I… will definitely protect you, no matter what.”
It was an unexpected statement.
“Thank you…”
“Even if it takes tens of thousands of years… No, forget that. Go ahead and rinse the towel. I’ll go see Su-a.”
After speaking, Namgung Cheolbin let go of her wrist.
Looking at the wrist that had been held with a nostalgic glance, Soeun Yu turned her steps.
Just then, the enormous shout that resounded every night again invaded her mind.
– Abandon love!
“Ahhaaaak!”
Screaming and snapping out of her dream, Soeun’s surroundings gradually came into view.
The dark room, her bed soaked in sweat, her sixteen-year-old daughter Su-a Namgung who was now awake.
“Haa, haa…”
Her labored breathing blurred her vision, but Soeun was still not fully out of her dream.
Because the words Namgung Cheolbin had spoken at the last moment were stuck in her heart.
“What could he have meant by ‘even if it takes tens of thousands of years to save you’…”
