As seen in Heavenly Bright Moon, Moonjeong was quite a massive estate.
Walking inside and guiding us to the meeting room, Chaejin subtly approached me and said,
“Innkeeper. Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know…”
It seemed she had already heard about the situation. I could feel several eyes staring our way.
But what could I do? I shook my head, and she stood slightly beside me, calmly saying,
“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”
“Thanks for that.”
“Um. Well. You’re my bodyguard, right?”
She flashed a bright smile and walked confidently. The place we entered was a rather large hall within the estate.
Once inside, the atmosphere was quite tense. Well, considering what had just happened, it couldn’t be good.
I took a seat, and accordingly, Chaejin sat beside me. How long did we wait?
Everyone stood up.
The biggest door of the hall creaked open, and in walked a man.
Big. That’s the best description for him. With tiger-like eyes, a thick beard, and broad shoulders.
This man, who had the imposing presence of a rock, simply entered, dominating the space.
Doje.
One of the top ten strongest in the world, awarded the honorary title of Cheongho-gong in the Empire.
Was it because I was involved in this affair?
As soon as he walked in, he shot a fiery glare in my direction, and with no reason to avoid it, I met his gaze.
“Let’s begin.”
After a moment of staring at me, he took his seat, and everyone else followed suit.
The one who started was Chaeran. Having heard the situation on the way, did she take it upon herself this time?
Or was it because she was involved in the major and minor affairs of Moonjeong?
Everyone gathered in the meeting room quietly listened to Chaeran’s words.
“I see. So? Why isn’t the Grandmaster who punished Chaejeokyo saying anything? Chaejin. Are you planning to stay quiet?”
Under the scrutiny of countless gazes, Chaejin stood up, slightly shaking. Was she nervous?
After taking a big breath, she clenched her fist.
No longer trembling, she spoke with her characteristic confident voice.
“Chaejeokyo…”
After stumbling a bit, Chaejin’s explanation was precise.
Chaejeokyo targeted Yohwan, and intended to utilize that to research the martial arts of Amipa.
Pursuing only power, she brought shame to the name of Moonjeong, and as the Grandmaster, she was punished for it.
As she recounted everything, Doje, who had been silently listening, smiled.
“I see. Does Byeokloemun have anything to say?”
“…No, I didn’t know that girl would go this far. Even so, it was I who took her in as my daughter, taught her, and took care of her. Therefore, as her father, I must take responsibility for this incident. I will leave all my current duties and resign from all positions in Moonjeong. Also… Byeokloemun will seal off for five years and transfer everything to Moonjeong.”
The man, who had shown a gloomy countenance since earlier and had sighed repeatedly while Chaejin spoke, now looked clearly despondent.
Seeing Chaejeokyo die like this in Heavenly Bright Moon was alarming. This was the same.
“That’s quite severe. No matter how much she’s a foster daughter, her own daughter just died, and he doesn’t say a word in protest…”
“Well, isn’t that what accepting responsibility means?”
Since he took her in, taught her, and raised her, this was likely his acceptance of that responsibility.
I whispered back to Changju, who was muttering behind me.
“Sigh…”
Chaejin, who had plopped down in her seat, was shivering. Her face was flushed, and her body was still trembling from the aftereffects.
“Are you alright?”
“…Yes. Thanks to you.”
“What did I do?”
“Well, that’s just how it is.”
While they were whispering, I could hear the conversations of others. It wasn’t that they were forgiving Chaejeokyo and brushing the situation under the rug; rather, the prevailing mood was that this matter shouldn’t just be swept aside.
Had they suggested letting it go or ending it with a cover-up, I might have said something, but that wasn’t the case, so I remained silent.
“Then let’s conclude this matter here. And…”
Doje stood up. He walked over to our table and said, “As the leader of Moonjeong, I sincerely apologize for not properly teaching my disciple.”
He bowed deeply.
Changju and Yohwan were taken aback by this, but I merely nodded in return.
“Thank you for Moonjeong’s judgment.”
Slowly, he straightened up, gazing at me intently, bursting into a brief smile.
“If it’s Seomhwa Village, that means it’s where Hongseong is located. Have you met the Sword Saint, that young one?”
Young one?
Well, according to the setup, the chaos in Hongseong left Na Yerin alone, making her the clan leader, elder, and disciple by her late teens.
Considering how long she had been training her disciples, from Hongryeon to Sayoon, it made sense she would be in her thirties at most…
With her overflowing talent and well-trained martial arts and internal energy, plus her naturally youthful appearance, she would definitely seem young to him.
“Yes. I’ve met her a few times.”
“Is that so…”
Did he want to say more? He hesitated, staring at me unusually, then shook his head.
“I will certainly make amends for this matter. I don’t know if this will suffice, but if you have any requests, please tell Chaeran.”
With that, he concluded. He flashed a grin at Chaejin sitting next to me, ruffled her hair roughly, and said, “Well done.”
That was the end of him. Once he left, Chaejin started fiddling with her hair and beamed.
As soon as he exited the meeting room, Yohwan and Changju slumped down like jelly.
“Ah, whew.”
“…Unbelievably impressive. By the way, Innkeeper, are you okay?”
Even though Doje’s gaze was a bit sharp earlier, I wasn’t the type to crumble under mere looks.
I shrugged my shoulders just as Chaeran approached us.
“You heard the conversation, right? If you have any wishes, please write them down. I’ll do my best to reward you. Now, let me arrange accommodations for you all. Please, go and rest.”
Thus, our quite eventful journey in Cheongho was coming to an end.
The next morning.
In front of us, gathered for breakfast, were the items we had submitted yesterday.
“Ooooo…”
Changju was quivering with emotion as he looked at a single red brush.
It was called Blood Fire Brush.
It had been made from the fur of a monster called Chonghwa. A talismancer possessing this in Heavenly Bright Moon could use even stronger talismans.
And in Yohwan’s hand was a palm-sized dagger. At first glance, it looked ordinary, but it was also one of the magical items called Traces of Preservation.
There were many desired magical items, but rare ones were few and far between.
In Heavenly Bright Moon, possessing this would enhance the medicinal cooking effects of a medicine chef like me, so it was definitely a win for me.
There was absolutely nothing wrong.
And what I held in my hand was a silver card.
“I never thought I would actually get the Moonjeong card.”
One of the strongest among the world’s elite.
This card could allow me to freely use a Doje just once.
It had only appeared as an event in Heavenly Bright Moon, and for me, it was a powerful card that could help me avoid the worst outcome.
I had planned to use it as a bargaining chip to request a good elixir if I got rejected.
I was a bit surprised to receive a reward beyond my expectations.
“My parents said it was fine to give this to you.”
“Honestly, I thought you would refuse.”
“Haha. Didn’t my father say? He would make sure the reward for this matter would be proper.”
“You could request private support from the Doje. Would that be alright?”
“Well…? It seems to me that the Innkeeper wouldn’t freely use this card, and that’s probably why my father allowed it, right? Anyway, you said you’re leaving today, right? Shouldn’t you be getting ready to depart soon?”
That’s true.
I wanted to at least say goodbye to the Doje, but they were busy with the aftermath of this matter.
After hearing that they wanted me to visit again later, we climbed into the carriage.
When we came, Chaejin had been sitting alone in the back seat, but now there were four of us.
As I looked at the group huddled together in the back seat, I grabbed the reins again…
Huh?
Why are there four of us?
I looked back again and asked the unexpected figure of Chaeran sitting there.
“Why are you there?”
“Oh. I didn’t mention it. I was planning to challenge a secret realm.”
“And?”
“It’s a secret realm that’s a bit further down from Yangwi Mountain… so I thought we could go together since you’re passing by. You’re riding in a caravan, right?”
Chaeran pulled a piece of paper out of her bag. Goodness. Isn’t that even more precious than what I have?
“It’s Moonjeong. Moonjeong. Easy to get a caravan pass, you know.”
Saying this, Chaeran lightly clapped her hands. Then, outside, the White-clad warriors were quickly getting into position.
“Having some escort isn’t bad, right?”
“You already have Chaesoja for that.”
“Haha. That’s true. But it’s nicer to go together, right?”
With a beaming smile, Chaeran said this, and Chaejin let out a deep sigh.
Well, since it was a journey on a caravan, there wouldn’t be any real danger.
Of course, it’s not like monsters or bandits wouldn’t show up near the caravan, but the caravan guards were patrolling the area.
Because of that, the number of monsters or bandits was significantly reduced compared to regular roads.
For that reason, having the Moonlight Guards accompany us on this trip felt a bit excessive, but they were quite dedicated to their duty.
Once we arrived safely at the caravan’s campsite as evening fell, our group came to a halt.
First, we needed to eat dinner, so when I went to prepare a campfire, one of the Moonlight Guards quickly came up and started making it.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
The polite reply from the Moonlight Guard retreated. After that, the other Moonlight Guards prepared the camp.
Hmm. I have nothing to do.
Feeling a bit awkward, I looked at the sunset sky.
It was about time for some training…
“Okay. Shall we have some fun training today?”
“Let’s do it.”
Sure enough, Chaejin came up to me and took her stance in front of me.
In the meantime, Chaeran, who had been directing the Moonlight Guards in preparing the camp, tilted her head and started approaching us.
It began.
“I heard from my sister. Apparently, Chae is learning Tai Chi?”
“That’s right.”
“Make sure to learn well. My sister’s skills are really good.”
And I squatted in front of the campfire.
The way she was watching me with her sly fox-like smile was a bit nerve-wracking, but who cares!
“I’m going to start. First is the Primordial Harmony.”
Chaejin, not seeming to mind, stood in front of me as usual.
Her outstretched right hand was light as if holding a cup. Simultaneously, Chaejin twisted her right hand and slowly extended her left hand, which had been resting at her waist.
In response, I also extended my right hand, and naturally, it touched Chaejin’s right hand.
“…Ugh!”
The moment our fingertips touched, Chaejin’s hand shot up to the sky. Huh? This isn’t Primordial Harmony, is it?
I looked at Chaejin, who seemed flustered and hesitated.
“S-Sorry.”
“No. Is there a problem?”
“Phew… Really, it’s nothing. Let’s start over.”
Once again, her right hand was extended. This time our hands touched and didn’t part. However, the fingertips trembled differently than usual, as if she was trying to teach me a new technique.
“…Are we not doing it?”
“Of course! Alright! Tai Jung Gi Ho. The Tai Chi moves naturally follow the flow. That momentum is as fierce and wild as a tiger, but ultimately it leads to gentleness. Think carefully about the movements of the willow.”
Her teachings were clear, even though her tone was a bit higher than usual.
The movement of the willow. Like swaying in the wind, Chaejin’s right hand wobbled, and in sync, my right hand trembled too.
Slowly but surely,
Chaejin’s movements and mine were becoming one.
“They say it’s similar to the great river, which flows gracefully despite its might. That is ‘flow’ (流), and it leads to ‘gentleness’ (柔). You could say that Chae’s goal in Tai Chi is to move like a river.”
“Seeking gentleness within strength, is it?”
“Yes. They say ‘Water is the source of all things,’ right? Water freely changes to fit everything, making it the essence of gentleness.”
While speaking softly, Chaejin’s hands moved quickly.
Like a river, swiftly.
Like a river, strongly.
Like a river, gently.
Given that one motion must hold countless meanings, even with Chaejin, the best Tai Chi instructor out there, mastering it was no easy feat.
But there she was, smiling as usual, teaching me.
“Ugh.”
“You can connect other techniques from here. It’s a form of Golden Water Technique… called Samwon-soo. Chae’s Tai Chi pairs really well with Golden Water, so practice it when you can. From what I saw the last time you fought, you seemed weak in Golden Water.”
“I never learned it, so of course, I’m weak.”
“Hehe. I’ll keep teaching you. Remember? I won’t allow you to leave the mountain until you prove your skills.”
Chaejin seemed to be having quite a good time, her face beaming with smiles, and from then on, our training continued as usual.
While we were taking a short break from training, I turned my head towards the feeling of a gaze coming from the campfire.
Was she laughing, surprised, or was it disbelief?
It was hard to express, but Chaeran was staring blankly at Chaejin with her mouth open.
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