Na Yerin was a good teacher but not a good writer.
The reason was simple.
She was an outstanding martial artist but not a great administrator.
However, the reason that Hongseong was able to maintain its power now was thanks to its first disciple, Hongryeon.
She seemed carefree and boisterous, but she was meticulous and talented. Without her, Hongseong might have already crumbled, and Na Yerin could have become a wandering vagabond in the martial world.
Although Hongryeon had quite a tough time having Na Yerin as her teacher—since anything unrelated to martial arts was messy and, in layman’s terms, a disaster—she had never once felt dislike for her teacher, the Sword Saint.
To her, Na Yerin was not just a teacher.
She was the ideal person she admired.
With those strong eyes that would not bend to the will of the world.
That’s why Hongryeon continued to support her truly hopeless teacher.
“Hmm…”
One of the aspects of that support was the connection with the Murim Alliance.
Hongseong was clearly a righteous sect and operated according to righteous principles.
Especially since recent events in the martial world were unusual, Hongryeon, as the Grand Disciple of Hongseong, had to take on external activities.
Already recognized as one of the top female martial artists known as the “Falling Sun Sword,”
By the time she returned to Hongseong after wrapping up her outside duties, it was already evening.
Her other sisters would be training in the evening, she thought, smiling at the bamboo box held in her right hand.
The sweets packed inside would surely bring smiles to her sisters, who were worn out from training.
Thinking of that smile made her recall what happened in the Murim Alliance.
Those unpleasant eyes.
For instance, those who had lustful desires regarding her appearance.
Or those who revealed useless desires towards the Sword Saint’s martial arts.
Or, people who tried to shine by leveraging Hongseong’s prestige.
Those grievances were alleviated a bit.
“I’m back!!”
As she forcefully opened the front door of Hongseong, she shouted loudly. Was it because of her powerful voice? The sisters who had gathered for training welcomed her back with bright smiles.
Holding up the bamboo box, Hongryeon addressed them.
“Everyone, you worked hard training! Before you wash up, eat this! Of course, after working up a sweat, you’ll want to indulge a bit…”
“Elder Sister!!”
Ryu-hyun, who took care of the sisters and managed Hongseong after her, shouted out. She was the second disciple following Hongryeon.
That kid was fine but was too uptight.
Especially in a place where only sisters past puberty were present, if such feelings weren’t properly released, it could lead to big incidents.
They weren’t children, and knowing about such things, even as a form of knowledge, would help them get along well with their true loves later.
Therefore, Hongryeon, snorting, approached Ryu-hyun and pulled out a book from her bag, handing it to her with a smile.
Hongryeon approached Ryuhyun, who was stomping towards her, and smilingly pulled a book out of her bag, holding it out.
“Hey? What’s this? A new martial art…”
“A fantastic read called ‘Harmonized Spring Dream.’ A must-read in this era!”
“…But what’s this mark?”
“Just hurry up and read it?”
The red circle with the red character ‘Chun(春)’ was what Ryuhyun pointed at. Seeing it, Hongryeon casually replied, but Ryuhyun was at a loss for words. Therefore, she had no hesitation in grabbing the ear of the Hongseong Sect’s grand disciple.
“Ouch! Be gentle! Gently! I’m your older sister!”
“It’s ‘Chunseo’! Chunseo! Why are you bringing this out with kids around?!”
Blushing like a radish, Ryuhyun whispered into her ear but eventually couldn’t hold back.
Her sharp and spicy palm smacked Hongryeon’s back with a loud crack.
The stinging pain that followed, yet Hongryeon just kept smiling.
“You’ve got a stash, don’t you?”
“I don’t have a stash! Ahhh…”
Lies. Hongryeon had seen it.
It had been a while since she secretly borrowed her ‘Chunhwa’ to have some private fun in a secluded place.
Even the fact that she had devoured every ‘Chunseo’ she owned and was already on her third read.
Though she had brought a new ‘Chunseo’ for someone like her, who wouldn’t even consider her older sister’s feelings.
Such a naughty little sister.
But she had no intention of exposing her bad sister’s secrets to torment her.
While she herself thoroughly differentiated reality from fantasy and felt no need to hide, Ryuhyun was a different case.
After all, there’s a hundred ways to skin a cat if there are a hundred people.
“Ahh… but what’s that?”
Only then did Hongryeon show a bamboo box she was holding in her other hand.
“I actually wanted to say something about this. Everyone must have had a tough time training, so grab one each.”
“Yeees!!”
The sisters quickly began to line up. Hongryeon smiled at the sisters who were gulping as they looked at the candies. Then she casually dropped the candies into their outstretched hands.
As more and more sisters received the colorful candies, the training ground became warmer and warmer.
After giving everyone a handful, it was finally time for the youngest.
Though you can’t feel pain when you bite all ten fingers, the youngest sister, Sayoon, was the one she was a little more concerned about, grinning and looking at her.
The eyes she loved.
Eyes filled with pride, unyielding.
In the palm of her hand, Hongryeon placed the candies, giving a dazzling smile.
“Alright. Everyone got theirs, right?!”
“Yes!! Thank you for the meal!”
“Mm!”
Nodding firmly, the sisters started to masticate the candies. Some gulped them down in one bite, while others savored them slowly, just chewing.
But everyone was happy and enjoying it.
Seeing that made her content; she also took a candy and set aside the leftovers for her master, saying calmly.
She calmly spoke after preparing something to give to her master.
“After the Hongseong Sword Martial Training in twenty-one days, all of Hongseong Clan will head down to the village.”
“Why? I already bought everything I need…”
She casually explained what happened today to the curious sisters. Everyone cheered.
After all, they were at an age full of vigor, and it was a time they wanted to eat rich food.
Of course, while such dishes aren’t good for mastering martial arts, Hongseong Divine Art is not a low-tier martial art that achieves less just because you eat a little carelessly, something Hongryeon knew well.
Amid everyone’s joy, a girl quietly raised her hand. It was the youngest, Sayoon.
“Uh… then what about the Master? Is the Master going too?”
She knew that Sword Saint rarely attended such gatherings, even as the youngest.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Hongryeon.
How could they go out to eat while leaving their sky-like Master behind?
The good mood began to plummet in an instant. Yet, she was trying hard to manage her expression, which was commendable.
Thus, Hongryeon gently ruffled Sayoon’s hair with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I’ll at least prepare a little.”
*
The day’s routine didn’t change much. Upon waking up, she would gather Jeomsoi and the servants to instruct them to clean the inn. By the time the cleaning was finished, the inn’s cook, who came down from the lodging, would start working from lunch, so everyone went out to eat breakfast.
From my standpoint, it wasn’t an ideal situation. Isn’t that obvious?
To achieve my goals, money and strength were essential.
While I had quite a bit of money at present, I certainly couldn’t spend it lavishly.
I had to gather as much as possible wherever I could.
Therefore, I prepared a breakfast that hadn’t existed until now.
It wasn’t anything special.
I made Indian roti from whole wheat with little fermentation, chopped up leftover meat or vegetables from the previous day, seasoned and stir-fried it before putting it inside and baking it.
It was good for using up leftover ingredients, tasted decent, and above all, it was cheap, so recently, laborers working nearby came to buy them.
“Innkeeper! I need three bags!”
“Okay.”
While it was delicious when eaten warm, it wasn’t hard to eat even if it was cooled down and a bit firmer.
Perhaps that’s why some even took it away to eat for lunch.
Thanks to this, the income from breakfast sales was surprisingly good.
I should treat Sayoon to some candy with this.
“We’re out of ingredients now.”
“Business is over for today!”
“Ah, I was going to buy a few more.”
A couple of the waiting people grumbled a bit, but that’s where my responsibility ends.
“Put the ingredients we received in the early morning away.”
While the cook’s skills are important, the freshness of the ingredients cannot be ignored.
However, selling in the mornings made it rare for fresh ingredients to be left over, thus I had to buy new ingredients every day.
Thanks to that, the taste of the inn’s dishes improved. For me, who needed to make money, it was nothing but a good thing.
The taste of the surroundings has changed. For someone like me who needs to earn money, this is just good news.
Alright. Now that my morning tasks are done, let’s get moving for my personal agenda.
Since the day the Chun-sik family visited, the atmosphere in Seomhwa Village has been anything but good.
The number of outsiders covertly entering this place has increased.
Of course, they aren’t causing any major disturbances, but their mere presence has undeniably darkened the overall ambiance.
After finishing the morning sales, while Jeomsoi and the innkeepers took a break, I headed to the market.
Perhaps it’s necessary to investigate since we can’t rule out the possibility that the Iron Blood Clan’s movements are affecting the mood in Seomhwa Village.
So, as usual, I was headed toward the alleys, looking for shady rumors, when I sensed activity nearby in a sparsely populated alley.
“What’s this?”
I stopped in my tracks and spoke. At that moment, a group of burly men appeared from either end of the alley. They didn’t exactly look like they came out to chat, brandishing clubs and knives.
“Yu Wol. Isn’t that you?”
“No? You’ve got the wrong person. I’m Wang Jung-yang, a—”
“…Shut it.”
Ah, this isn’t gonna work.
I shrugged my shoulders and picked up a piece of wood typically found in alleys. Waving it around threateningly, I tried to scare them off, but they just advanced with cold smiles…
-SMACK!!
“Ugh!!”
That’s when it happened. One of the guys who intended to attack me crumpled to the ground, clutching his head. Surprised by the sudden turn of events, the others turned their heads towards me, and I swung the piece of wood at the weakened perimeter.
-THWACK!
“Ugh!”
With a bizarre scream, the guy I hit fell down, revealing the one responsible for this recent chaos.
Worn-out and tattered clothing hung loosely on their body.
Long gray hair cascading down to the back.
An oval face with a sharp jawline, pale skin.
Their slightly raised eyes were provocative, and they wore a smile with small, light pink lips.
I recognized that face.
But it looked much younger than the familiar face I knew.
The beautiful girl holding a wooden sword quickly snatched my hand.
“This way!!”
Seizing the moment when the encirclement broke, the girl dashed ahead.
With a height that didn’t even reach my chest, the little girl swung her wooden sword unhesitatingly at the approaching enemies while I swung the piece of wood, taking them down.
Only after we escaped the alley and reached a busier area did the girl finally relax, her flushed face lighting up with a kind smile.
Only, that smile wasn’t familiar to me.
“Are you okay?! That was close!!”
The girl, wearing a smile unfamiliar to the Sayoon Corps, was.
The very girl who would sometimes flash a gentle smile when with her sisters at the station.
Sayoon.
The girl I needed to make the protagonist.
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