“Ha, well, ha, my goodness. Hah…!”
Seop Mugwang looked at Seolhwa, then looked again, and again. He still couldn't believe it. The Supreme Realm.
A master of the Supreme Realm at the mere age of thirteen.
“Ha, well! Hah!”
“Seolhwa…”
Namgung Cheongun’s eyes grew red. Before he could shed tears again, Seolhwa spoke first.
“I was lucky. It was possible thanks to Grandfather opening up all of my minor meridians. Though, he did overexert himself a little because of it.”
“Yes. I see.”
Namgung Cheongun nodded his head. He was pleased that his daughter had become a master of the Supreme Realm, but worried that there was an issue with his father’s health.
“But he said it wasn’t a major problem, so he should be fine.”
“Yes. That’s a relief. A relief.”
Namgung Cheongun pulled Seolhwa into an embrace. It was always a warm embrace, no matter when she was held. Watching the father and daughter, Seop Mugwang could only repeatedly mutter, “Ha, well!”
“Oh, right, we have a guest.”
“A guest?”
“From Mount Hua.”
“Ah.”
Seolhwa recalled Yu Kang, whom she had encountered a few days ago. From the moment she met him in the mountains of Hefei, she had expected that Mount Hua would come to visit Namgung. No, in fact, she had known even before that.
Because it was Seolhwa herself who had made them spread rumors about her to Mount Hua.
‘Looks like the Black Cloud Gang Leader followed my instructions well.’
In the last pouch she had given the Black Cloud Gang Leader, she had written advice to spread rumors. It was to divert the attention of Mount Hua and Shaolin from the Black Cloud Gang toward herself and to lure Mount Hua to visit Namgung. Mount Hua being at Namgung’s guest quarters now was the result.
The only problem was.
‘I didn’t calculate that I would be under hypnosis.’
She needed to prepare for Mount Hua’s visit, but she hadn’t finished her preparations.
‘What should I do? Should I meet them first?’
“I told them you would be waiting for five days, just in case. But, if you don’t wish to meet them…”
“Five days?”
“Yes. Five days. Didn’t you say it would take at least five days?”
Seolhwa’s eyes sparkled. Although she said it would take five days, Seolhwa came out of the training grotto in just three. Didn't that mean she was two days earlier than the time she had told Mount Hua?
‘Two days is enough.’
Seolhwa asked Seop Mugwang.
“Who knows that I’ve come out of the training grotto?”
“Of course, only your father and I know. And my subordinates.”
Though they were unseen, a few members of the Secret Wind Sword Unit were nearby. Seolhwa, having reached the Supreme Realm, could already feel their Energy. If before she had known through presence and sensation, now she could detect those who hid their forms through their Energy.
‘Two of them.’
“Could you possibly keep it a secret that I’ve come out?”
Seop Mugwang’s eyebrow cocked sideways.
“Why should I do that?”
“I have somewhere to go for a moment.”
He opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, then closed it again. After looking at her for a moment with narrowed eyes, he turned his head with a flick and answered gruffly.
“Fine. Go ahead, then.”
“I’m going to find something to replace the Great Rebirth Pill.”
“…?”
Seop Mugwang looked back at her. His still-cocked eyebrow twitched.
“What?”
“The Great Rebirth Pill I took from the Black Cloud Gang belonged to Mount Hua. Mount Hua knows that I took the Great Rebirth Pill, and that's why they've come looking for it.”
“Why are you telling me all this? I’m not interested.”
“As you know, I ate the Great Rebirth Pill, so I need something to replace it. That’s why…”
“I told you, I’m not interested! I’ll keep it a secret that you’re out, so…!”
“You’re upset.”
Seop Mugwang froze stiff. His crooked eyebrow lowered.
“What did you say?”
“You’re upset with me.”
“…”
He looked a little angry. He didn’t show it, but Seop Mugwang was indeed upset. Not just a little, but very much.
He felt pathetic for confidently answering ‘yes’ when asked if he could trust the child, and he felt betrayed that the child he thought he had grown a little closer to had so openly deceived him.
“Upset, my foot.”
He was very, very upset. He had given her his trust, a sword, and even told her about good restaurants.
“That’s enough. You don’t have time, so get going now. Quickly.”
Staring at him, Seolhwa neatly folded her hands together and slowly bowed at the waist.
“I’m sorry. For deceiving you and leaving back then. I’m also sorry for making you take the sleeping potion.”
When she straightened up again, Seop Mugwang was frozen in surprise.
“I wanted to apologize.”
“…What…”
Perhaps embarrassed to hear a sincere apology, Seop Mugwang flicked his head away.
“…I told you I wasn’t upset. Do you think my understanding is so small that I’d get upset over something like that?”
The words he muttered while rubbing his nose were hard to hear. Seop Mugwang waved his hand, his head still turned away.
“You’re in a hurry, so get going. Make sure you’re back within two days.”
In any case, his anger seemed to have subsided.
“Yes. I’ll be back.”
Seolhwa took Namgung Cheongun’s hand.
“Let’s go, Father.”
The two figures soon vanished from the path to the training grotto. Staring at the spot where the two had disappeared, the corners of Seop Mugwang’s mouth secretly curved into a grin.
Clatter, clatter.
The only sound that broke the silence was that of a teacup being lifted, sipped from with a slurp, and set down again. Namgung Cheonghae directly faced the person sitting before him.
“This is good tea.”
“Of course, I couldn’t possibly serve cheap tea leaves to an esteemed guest.”
Chuckling, No Mun set down his teacup.
“Yes. I heard that your son, Young Master, misspoke to our child.”
“I apologize once again for the rudeness.”
Namgung Cheonghae’s posture as he cupped his fist was upright. An uprightness truly befitting a Young Master of Namgung, No Mun thought.
“Did you come to see me just to make that apology?”
It was a question asked knowing the answer was no. It was also a signal flare marking the beginning of the real conversation. Namgung Cheonghae gave a faint smile and straightened his gaze.
“I have heard a very interesting rumor.”
“What is it?”
“They say that a child, who was the Young Pavilion Master of the Fire Crow Pavilion, stole a Great Rebirth Pill from a Unorthodox Path Sect and fled to Namgung.”
On the day No Mun and his party arrived at Namgung, Namgung Cheonghae had ordered his subordinates from the Shaanxi branch family to investigate the reason for Mount Hua’s movements. And the news that arrived today during the family meeting was precisely this.
“By any chance, have you not heard of it?”
No Mun’s expression did not waver. However, the brief silence, the wavering breath within that silence, spoke of his inner state.
“…A truly strange rumor. Are you saying a Unorthodox Path Sect possessed an artifact of Shaolin?”
“That Unorthodox Path Sect is in Shaanxi.”
“What of it?”
“I believe that is the reason why someone as great as the Plum Blossom Divine Sword has come all the way to Namgung.”
At his sharp point, No Mun’s eyes grew cold. No Mun swallowed a sigh.
‘He’s no ordinary man.’
His insight to accurately grasp the situation with just a rumor was one thing, but the process of arranging this meeting was also meticulously planned. To buy time while he figured out the real reason for their visit to Namgung, he proposed a sparring match between the children.
Then, when his son lost and grew angry, he used Yu Kang as if he had been waiting for the opportunity to create this meeting. From the moment he first proposed dinner, this moment had inevitably arrived, as if linked by an iron chain. There is one reason why such men are frightening.
‘The type who do not act without certainty.’
In other words, though he appeared to be asking, his opponent was already certain.
‘The saying that the first son excels in martial arts and the second in intellect was true.’
It was a mistake to have accepted Namgung Cheonghae’s dinner invitation out of impatience. He had given him an opening. Since it has come to this, I must give up what must be given up and obtain what must be obtained.
Having finished his calculations, No Mun slowly opened his closed eyes. His gaze now held a completely different sharpness than before.
“That is correct.”
“…!”
“Since it has come to this, I will ask you directly. Do you know the whereabouts of the Great Rebirth Pill?”
“I do not.”
“The child you rejoice for having returned to Namgung took it. To you, Young Master, she would be your niece, would she not?”
“I have not heard any talk of the Great Rebirth Pill. For an item of that caliber, it would not be easy to hide, yet there has been no mention of it, which makes me doubt if the child truly has it.”
“Hmm…”
He was claiming to know nothing at all. Disappointed, No Mun stroked his chin.
“May I ask why you need the Great Rebirth Pill?”
“That, I cannot say.”
“Then, must it be the Great Rebirth Pill?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if it were something comparable to the Great Rebirth Pill?”
No Mun’s gaze sharpened.
“Is there such a thing?”
“One could try to obtain it. This is Namgung, after all.”
“What is it that you, Young Master, desire?”
“…!”
Namgung Cheonghae’s expression brightened. To grant what each other desires. Is that not what cooperation is?
“I wish for an exchange between Mount Hua and Namgung.”
“An exchange.”
It was just as he had expected. Martial families had always desired to have exchanges with sects.
‘It’s not an impossible request.’
What the martial families wanted was merely the ‘appearance’ of an exchange between a sect and a family; they probably did not need an actual exchange. I can just play along for a while, and as time passes, it will naturally fizzle out. No Mun nodded his head.
“Very well. Will that be all?”
“One thing is missing.”
Missing?
Namgung Cheonghae’s smile deepened.
“Isn’t the person through whom it is done the most important thing?”