Wild animals often lose their lives due to a moment of carelessness.
That’s why they pay attention to everything and grow vigilant.
In the wild, mistakes and carelessness can lead to deadly survival of the fittest.
The Murim world was not much different.
To rise to the top and survive, one must put in countless efforts, but a single mistake can lead to the loss of everything.
That’s why Hongryeon had no choice but to teach Sayoon the latter part of the Hongseong Divine Art, even if it was a bit early.
Whoever sent her the mysterious letter, if he is connected to the Murim, Sayoon would also need her own means to protect herself.
Of course, she wasn’t teaching the strongest, most difficult, and core technique known as the Great Sword Technique. Transmitting that required her master’s permission, and Sayoon didn’t have the inner strength to handle it yet.
No matter how outstanding Sayoon’s talent was, she hadn’t been Hongseong’s disciple for long.
Moreover, unlike the other disciples, she hadn’t built her inner strength since childhood, so it was all the more understandable.
Therefore, to help Sayoon rise faster, increasing her inner strength became essential.
But can inner strength really be easily improved? No matter how exquisite the Hongseong Divine Art is said to be, progress is bound to be slow in the beginning if it’s not linked to magical power.
“Sigh…”
Her thoughts began to roam like a wild horse.
To organize her thoughts, Hongryeon took care of her master’s meal and headed to the training hall, silently wielding her sword.
Yet, her mind was as thick as a sunset painting the sky red.
Normally, she wouldn’t think at all while swinging her sword, but oddly enough, it wasn’t easy to erase the thoughts filling her head.
Eventually, after stopping the Great Sword she was wielding, Hongryeon closed her eyes and recalled the past.
Every time she wavered, a bittersweet, sweet past would at least hold onto her a little.
Remembering that, Hongryeon focused her mind.
It was after the mysterious letter and silver coin arrived for Sayoon.
There were still numerous forces in the Murim trying to use the Hongseong clan.
Silly notes saying the Murim’s hidden powers were dangerous, that the Murim Alliance was at risk, that the Demon Sect was moving again, all insisting she needed help to stop them, kept pouring in.
Amidst all this, the fact that such approaches reached even her youngest disciple was understandably distressing.
“Hah…”
Therefore, to be prepared for anything, albeit a bit early, she taught her the skill of Wave Cutting. Fortunately, Sayoon’s extraordinary talent allowed her to master it quickly.
No, she went beyond just mastering it; she completely made it her own.
With this, she obtained a blade to protect herself.
However, the unease didn’t dissipate and quickly turned into an unsettling reality.
When the disciples returning from Seomhwa Village reported the day’s events, she smiled on the surface but felt her heart skip a beat.
The youngest had fought against Gak-jun and claimed victory in that battle.
What an astonishing tale!
No matter how much Gak-jun was merely a cutthroat mercenary, he was a skilled master known within the Murim Alliance.
A master like that losing to Sayoon?
Even if she had received aid, that was still remarkable.
Certainly, Sayoon’s talent was exceptional. If she had been born into a prestigious family and trained from a young age, she might have been as strong as or even stronger than Hongryeon.
But the reality was different.
In the end, she was a poor orphan, one who hadn’t been able to fully nurture her talents.
It was all just too regrettable.
If only she had more inner strength.
If she had grown up in a good family and had been training since childhood…
If only Hongryeon had trained since she was a little girl…
Then her growth would have been much faster.
“Ah…”
Regret, pressure. And the hatred towards the world’s injustices.
Is it because of these negative emotions? The ferocity inside her dantian is revealing itself, trying to pull her into the past.
Hongryeon gritted her teeth and calmed it down. Though fierce, that ferocity is powerful and merciless; one misstep could lead to being devoured by it.
She must control it with cold rationality.
As the ferocity that had been dormant starts flowing through her blood, enormous energy gathers in her great sword.
Falling Sun.
She’s earned this title because she has the might to knock down even the sun high in the sky.
But even with such power…
Even after ruling the Hongseong Clan as its greatest disciple for so long…
She was still in her twenties, a young woman by anyone’s definition.
Therefore, when it came to matters that she couldn’t easily decide based on her experience and knowledge, she couldn’t help but ponder.
-Woooooosh…!!!
The final form of the Hongseong Divine Art’s great sword technique.
Tempest.
The ominous red energy wraps around the great sword, ready to become a wind that destroys everything.
Having nearly perfected the great sword technique of the Hongseong Divine Art, Hongryeon gleamed with determination, swinging her sword wide.
-Kwaaaaang!!
With each quick swing like the wind, the dust around the training ground swirled. If the dust was stirred by Hongryeon’s great sword, then stopping it was nothing but her sword’s doing as well.
She increased her inner energy even more, leaping into the air and crashing the great sword down to the floor.
-Kuuuuung!!
Meteor Fall.
To grasp the final stance of the great sword technique of the Hongseong Divine Art, the last stance of the Meteor Blossom must be mastered.
As the technique unfolded, which even Hongryeon hadn’t fully mastered yet, a powerful energy emanated from the center of the training ground.
Like a divine force from the sky, annihilating the land, Hongryeon created a massive crater with a single strike, panting heavily.
Feeling her gathered inner energy calming and returning to her dantian, she bit her lip tightly.
Inner energy.
This inner energy is the problem.
While she and the other disciples trained from a young age and built their inner energy, mastering the Hongseong Divine Art was no great issue for them.
But what about Sayoon?
Unlike her, who had been taken in by the Sword Saint as an orphan, she couldn’t experience the effective training methods used during childhood, like the secret techniques or taking elixirs.
As such, she had to steadily build her inner energy, but that process was too slow.
And she knew the solution to this.
According to the information she gained while active in the Murim Alliance, there was a hidden secret place not far from here, and most of the time, breaking through such places would yield elixirs.
Although she wasn’t sure about the quality of the elixirs, even a weak one would be a great help for Sayoon right now.
But what if she were to go there?
Secret places aren’t the kind of places you can just pop in and out of in one day!
Of course, there are trustworthy fellow disciples and a Master, so it’s not that the Hongseong Clan is in danger, but the problem is the operation.
Right now, there are funds needed just about everywhere, and the money she received from the Murim Alliance recently was spent entirely on building repairs and maintenance.
To make up for that, she’d have to take on requests, hunt monsters, or fight bandits…
Which means she wouldn’t be able to go to the secret place.
Two hares.
Fast hares running in different directions that must be caught simultaneously.
“Hrmm…”
Groaning, Hongryeon finally shut her eyes tight.
There is a way to catch both hares.
There’s a way.
Of course, it wasn’t something that could be done without some cost.
She was the eldest sister and the grand disciple of Hongseong.
In that case.
Her pride could be crushed without any issue.
As she recalled that decision, Hongryeon couldn’t help but smile subtly.
To catch two rabbits, she had prepared to abandon her pride and headed to the inn and store in Seomhwa Village.
From many angles, the innkeeper Yu Wol was quite friendly towards Hongseong.
Depending on this favor to make a unreasonable request felt pretty petty.
But this embarrassment was solely hers.
It was a matter she had to bear, not Hongseong.
However, thinking and acting are different, are they not?
In the end, she hesitated for quite a while, and when she finally managed to spit it out, he smiled and said.
“We’re not strangers, so we can manage that.”
Not a stranger, huh?
Why aren’t they strangers?
No matter how much she helped last time, she had practically done nothing.
No matter how much the youngest helped, he had paid his dues, right?
Yet, not a stranger?
Hongryeon looked at the man.
The emotions reflected in the dull-eyed man’s gaze were…
Too clear for greed.
And too bright for lust.
The light in his eyes was only a strong will to achieve his own desires.
And buried within that will was nothing but concern and worry.
At that gaze, Hongryeon couldn’t help but gulp down nervously.
As the grand disciple of Hongseong, she had to lead many younger sisters.
As she had to lead Hongseong in place of her teacher, who had a pitiful level of survival skills, she naturally had to grow up a bit faster than others.
Being a disciple of the Sword Saint meant she couldn’t afford to struggle.
She had to be a solid pillar for many younger sisters.
Of course, it was only right that she had to be an adult and a pillar.
Thus, the overwhelming wall that she could lean on…
Naturally felt fresh, being filled with nothing but pure concern and worry, not greed, unlike others she had met before.
That’s why she thought.
Thank goodness.
Truly a fortunate thing.
That such a person viewed Hongseong favorably.
Right.
That was all.
The weight of the long-held anxiety in Hongryeon’s heart lightened a tad.
“Senior Sister, I’m back!”
A voice filled with joy pulled her from the sweet depths of nostalgia.
The child standing casually before the adult only became the older sister of many younger siblings in an instant.
However, just being lost in that past eased her burden a little, and Hongryeon smiled brightly.
With this, she could do a bit more.
Though she felt a bit bitter for having to shed her pride, if she reminisced about the sweetness of having an adult to lean on…
She thought she could be a better older sister.
So then.
Absolutely.
“Hahaha!! Come on in! Did you eat well?!”
There was no reason to waver.
When the returned younger sisters went back to their quarters, she too returned to her room, and Ryuhyun entered with a huge bundle in her hand.
When she unpacked it, a smile surfaced. It contained cold dishes that were delicious even when cold and a few simple cooked dishes from the sect’s kitchen.
“What’s this?”
“These are things we saved from the day before yesterday so we could give them to you.”
Should she call this commendable or shameless?
Hongryeon chuckled as she looked at the food placed before her. Ryuhyun offered her a plate.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the dish laid out before me. Ryuhyun offered me a plate.
“Yoo, the innkeeper, has also come looking for Senior Sister. And crab porridge is especially Senior Sister’s favorite, right? Dried meat is… well, nobody dislikes it. As for seasoned meat… it’s just okay, but Senior Sister would probably enjoy it.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the unnecessary thoughtfulness. Yet, I didn’t feel bad about it. Maybe it was because I recognized that goodwill was genuine?
Yeah, that’s probably it.
“…Honestly, that person is worrying about unnecessary things. I could manage with just a simple meal.”
“Master is taking care of you, so Senior Sister didn’t come, right? So…”
“Yes. I suppose I’ll need to express my gratitude separately for this.”
Hongryeon felt a strange tickle in her stomach and replied stiffly to hide it.
The sweetness of the past was poking at a corner of her heart.
Ryuhyun, who smiled wryly at her complex feelings, suddenly became serious.
“But… about that Yu Wol, the innkeeper…”
“Um? Why?”
“Her gaze seemed a bit odd.”
“Hmm…?”
No way. In her eyes, Yu Wol didn’t seem like a bad person. At least, she wasn’t the kind who would harbor ill intentions toward girls much younger than herself.
After pondering the questioning look from Hongryeon, Ryuhyun finally spoke with a thoughtful expression.
“No, it wasn’t the gaze of a pedophile or a lecher. It was… how should I put it?”
Ryuhyun seemed to be contemplating. That gaze he saw before they exited the inn.
It was directed at Sayoon…
“During rest days, I go home, right?”
“That’s right.”
“That time… it felt similar to how my father looked at me after a meal.”
“Your father’s gaze…?”
“There wasn’t any lust, just concern and relief? That somewhat awkward gaze, you know?”
“Why?”
“Well, I don’t even know? Oh, by the way, didn’t Sayoon save Yu Wol the other day? Could that be the reason?”
“Hmm…”
Is that really all there was to it?
Hongryon’s thoughts began to dive deeper.
At that moment…
“Senior Sister, a letter has arrived at the postal office.”
“Okay. Come in.”
Speaking of the devil, Sayoon had just walked in with Yoohee, carrying a basket with a letter and a box.
As Hongryon glanced at the basket, signaling Ryuhyun that they would discuss this later, she noticed a familiar-shaped box inside.
“Here it is again.”
“Eh? Oh…”
This was already the third time. Sayoon’s face lit up with joy, and Hongryon patted her head.
Sure enough, there was still no name from the sender.
“I’ll open it.”
As the seal was broken, inside the box was the usual silver coin and a letter.
Sayoon stared at it intently before raising her head, only looking confused.
“Uh… this is.”
“What is it?”
Hongryon and Ryuhyun turned their eyes to the letter Sayoon presented. Both of them turned stiff as statues.
Understandably so.
Because what was in the letter was a map.
And not just any map.
“…a map of Hongseong Mountain?”
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