Chapter: 407
[Miss Mi.]
The night Mo Yong-bi Yeon faced Mi Hyo-ran. It was the first time she had seen Mi Hyo-ran’s eyes widen so dramatically.
She always thought of her as a cold and unshakable person, so to see her so shaken was quite the shock.
Is it because she’s getting older?
It feels like something that used to be solid has begun to crumble a bit.
Okay.
Everyone is getting older.
It’s only natural, considering a good ten years or more have passed.
Every time she recalled that obvious truth, something unsettling stirred within Mo Yong-bi Yeon.
With great effort to conceal her emotions, she spoke to Mi Hyo-ran.
[It’s been a while, Miss Mi.]
[…You….]
[How have you been?]
The face of an old friend she hadn’t met in ages bore the marks of time.
Not in terms of skin or wrinkles, but in the aura they radiated.
Should she say it has grown a bit more refined?
Just like treasures that accrue value over time, her dear friend before her had become a more noble figure through the seasons.
Seeing that, Mo Yong-bi Yeon thought.
[That’s just unfair.]
[…Yes?]
[No. It’s nothing.]
She didn’t think he had chosen Mi Hyo-ran just for her looks.
It was because that was the best choice, after all.
In the past, she used to excuse it to herself like that.
But…
Was that really something that was only in the ‘past’?
Could it be that she still lingered in those memories?
When Mo Yong-bi Yeon was slowly being consumed by reminiscence, Mi Hyo-ran looked at her and asked,
[How have you been…?]
[Oh, me? I’ve been well, as always.]
[I tried to reach out several times. I didn’t get a reply. What happened?]
[Ah….]
That letter is likely tucked away in some corner where Mo Yong-se resides.
She had already told her master not to forward anything to her, no matter what came from the clan.
Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s stubbornness had been impeccably supported by her household.
[I’m sorry.]
The best she could say to Mi Hyo-ran was this.
She didn’t dish out excuses.
There were no excuses to give; it was the result of her own choice.
[I was just really busy.]
[Oh, is that so?]
At Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s words, Mi Hyo-ran nodded, and that was that.
Was it true, or was it too much? Such reasonable doubts and resentments were pushed to the back.
What Mi Hyo-ran expressed was trust and serenity.
Since Mo Yong-bi Yeon said so, she probably decided to believe it.
Witnessing that, Mo Yong-bi Yeon reaffirmed to herself.
She indeed couldn’t contend with her.
[…Miss Mi is still the same.]
[You too.]
At Mi Hyo-ran’s words, Mo Yong-bi Yeon couldn’t help but smile bitterly in her heart.
[You’re just as you were the last time we met.]
[…]
Since that time when they wanted to part ways after everything had finished,
Not a bit of Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s appearance had changed.
Whether it was looks or mindset, nothing had shifted at all.
Should she really be fond of that?
For Mo Yong-bi Yeon, her inability to mature at all felt somewhat loathsome.
Seeing that side of Mo Yong-bi Yeon, Mi Hyo-ran asked,
[Did you come here just to see me?]
[Um… No, I was just visiting Hanam for some business. I saw that Miss Mi was here, so I came to see you.]
[At this hour?]
[I’m sorry for that….]
[It’s alright. It’s nice to have a visitor after such a long time.]
There was a hint of sharpness tangled in those words.
Even after time had passed, Mi Hyo-ran still spoke with that familiar tone.
As she made a slightly awkward expression, Mi Hyo-ran hesitated before asking one more thing.
[So, did you come just to see me?]
[…]
[If it’s to see him…]
[No, no. I’m here just for you, Miss Mi.]
Just when Mi Hyo-ran looked like she was about to say something, Mo Yong-bi Yeon interrupted her.
[That’s not it.]
She denied it again, but…
It was a lie.
While Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s original purpose had been to arrive in Hanam and meet that person, now she had chosen differently.
Her choice changed presumably because she had met that person’s child.
Could it be that having witnessed a young man who resembled him running around had stirred her emotions?
Or maybe this was just a flimsy excuse, and she simply feared facing that person.
Even Mo Yong-bi Yeon couldn’t be sure about that.
What mattered was that she did not yet want to face him.
Perhaps sensing Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s feelings, Mi Hyo-ran looked at her curiously.
[…Are you okay?]
[Of course! I’m always fine. No problem at all!]
Mo Yong-bi Yeon forced a smile, hiding a mix of emotions.
As always.
Even with all that time passing, her undulled feelings had only deepened.
She believed she had forgotten it all.
That was why she thought she could finally meet him.
But upon meeting the child who resembled him, she recognized just how wrong she was.
She realized she could still never forget him.
Thus, Mo Yong-bi Yeon couldn’t meet him.
With the mindset she had now, she couldn’t face him and greet him with a smile.
That was something she couldn’t do to either him or her dear friend.
Hiding her emotions, Mo Yong-bi Yeon continued conversing with Mi Hyo-ran.
[Oh, by the way, Miss Mi, do you know? I met your daughter earlier.]
At those words, Mi Hyo-ran’s expression shifted.
Daughter? If it’s a daughter…
[The second daughter. I think her name was Yeonseo? She’s a lovely girl.]
Mi Hyo-ran felt relieved hearing that.
What a relief!
If it was the second daughter rather than the first, she figured that nothing disastrous had occurred.
[…I’m glad to hear that.]
[Yes?]
[Oh, no. So?]
Mi Hyo-ran seemed slightly flustered, questioning the sudden mention of Gu Yeonseo.
Mo Yong-bi Yeon thought about casually mentioning that she got involved with that guy Pueng-ga, but decided to overlook that for now and continued on with something else.
[She was really pretty. Is it because she resembles you?]
[…]
Mihyoran averted her gaze at Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s words.
Seeing that, Mo Yong-bi Yeon could hardly suppress a small laugh inside.
That response, feeling a little shy, looked timeless.
[Also, I ran into a kid who’s been quite famous these days. What was his name? Guyangcheon?]
[…!]
Mi Hyo-ran’s eyes sparkled at those words, and she turned to Mo Yong-bi Yeon.
She hadn’t expected the topic of Guyangcheon to arise here.
[How did you come across that kid?]
[He resembled your husband remarkably.]
[White Lotus Sword…]
In response to Mi Hyo-ran’s calling, Mo Yong-bi Yeon could only smile bitterly.
The nickname she had been addressed by felt strangely foreign to her.
[Please don’t call me that, Miss. It feels… well, a bit strange.]
[Then how should I call you?]
[Let’s stick to how it used to be: Mo Yong or Bi Yeon sounds just fine. Heck, if it comes down to it, you could call me “that wench” or “that devilish dame”…]
[I’ll stick to Miss Mo Yong then.]
[Sure thing.]
As Mo Yong-bi Yeon delved into a past she wished to erase, Mi Hyo-ran quickly cut her off.
Such things were bound to happen when they were particularly sharp with one another.
Looking back, they must feel like memoirs now.
Um, um.
While Mi Hyo-ran may not agree, at least Mo Yong-bi Yeon felt like that.
[Anyway, I saw the kid, and he was amazing. He looks just like his father.]
[Right?]
A brief smile touched Mi Hyo-ran’s face, likely due to the praise of Gu Yangcheon.
That smile struck Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s heart specifically.
As far as Mo Yong-bi Yeon understood, Gu Yangcheon was that man’s child in the past.
She had heard that he was the son of a wild girl she knew.
So why was Mi Hyo-ran wearing that expression?
As someone devoid of motherhood herself, Mo Yong-bi Yeon was baffled by it.
One thing was certain though.
[You’ve become a mother now, Miss Mi.]
[Yes?]
Unlike her former days as a virgin, she now wore the title of “mother.”
Unlike Mo Yong-bi Yeon, who remained trapped in those times.
Was that the reason?
The image of her nephew’s eyes kept surfacing in her mind.
It struck a chord because it appeared similar to herself back then, pouring out every emotion and moment for one man.
She hoped her nephew wouldn’t meet an end similar to hers.
Then what should she do?
Would it help to persuade him?
Perhaps to tell him that such love would lead him nowhere good?
Would he take her words seriously?
Not likely.
It was a well-known fact.
Once someone reached that level of expression, it was already game over.
No one understood that truth better than Mo Yong-bi Yeon herself.
So, what now?
Mo Yong-bi Yeon pondered.
Might she aid her nephew while sorting out these unnecessary feelings of her own?
Indeed, Mo Yong-bi Yeon had already concocted a plan while coming to confront Mi Hyo-ran.
[So, here’s the thing, Miss Mi.]
At the sound of Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s voice, Mi Hyo-ran looked up.
From the start, Mo Yong-bi Yeon had never been adept at handling things with finesse.
Thus, the method that formed in her mind was far from refined.
As always, her approach revolved around diving headfirst into it.
Mo Yong-bi Yeon scanned Mi Hyo-ran’s puzzled expression and asked,
[Does your son need some sort of escort?]
[…Yes…?]
At the unexpectedly serious question, Mi Hyo-ran frowned.
Recalling that moment, Mo Yong-bi Yeon scratched her head awkwardly.
“What does escort even mean?”
Though she exclaimed it, she found the method rather ludicrous.
To help her nephew and forget her past by clinging to his child and experiencing reality?
Wasn’t that quite a comical plan?
Mo Yong-bi Yeon was well aware of its silliness.
“What can I do? I’ve already committed to it.”
As she had already blurted it out, Mo Yong-bi Yeon decided to let bygones be bygones.
True to her usual nature, she didn’t dwell too tightly on past mistakes.
There was, however, only one thing that truly bothered her.
At present, Mo Yong-bi Yeon was strolling around the campsite, enjoying the morning air.
“That expression was quite a sight, don’t you think?”
She recalled Gu Yangcheon’s face right after declaring that he would need an escort.
“They’re similar yet different.”
She felt more and more it as she watched him.
Unlike the father who never showed any expression at all, Gu Yangcheon showed changes very distinctly.
The way he expressed dissatisfaction in undesired situations was pretty fascinating.
In most cases, one would hold back, but Gu Yangcheon boldly expressed his emotions on his face.
As she contemplated this, Mo Yong-bi Yeon found herself pondering.
“Just what did our nephew fall for?”
Her niece, Mo Yong-hee, had to wonder what it was that caught her heart with Gu Yangcheon.
Honestly, though he resembled his father, it was only in his fierce demeanor and fierce gaze.
When it came to looks, he seemed a tad lacking compared to his father.
Of course, she cautiously backed away from this comparison after catching that first serious look from Mo Yong-hee, so she didn’t speak this thought aloud.
“His personality… well, he doesn’t seem very reserved.”
He didn’t seem like one to ramble a lot, but he wasn’t shy either.
If anything, he appeared somewhat rough around the edges, so to speak.
While rumors were often exaggerated, being labeled with a bad attitude didn’t see itself inaccurately.
So to sum it up.
He was neither conventionally attractive nor particularly charming.
His temperament was on the rough side.
He wasn’t this hulking figure either, and there were women circling around him constantly.
At the moment, all he had was immense talent and that secured future as a martial artist as well.
Through all this analysis, she figured her niece might be drawn to him due to that latter charm, though love seemed hard to come by.
“…Why, exactly?”
That was a part Mo Yong-bi Yeon found perplexing.
Consequently, even the claim of being overwhelmed by admirers felt somewhat absurd.
“If this is genetics, is it some form of inheritance?”
When he seemed to inherit not just martial prowess but that charm as well, it was one thing.
Yet no matter how she analyzed, there was little understanding to be had.
“…There’s something more, surely.”
There’s likely some allure she couldn’t see; that must have led to such positions.
Though she hadn’t seen her niece for a long time, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the child wouldn’t fall for someone lacking substance.
Mo Yong-bi Yeon recognized that nuance and found herself wishing for her niece’s favor.
Just…
“The only issue is my conscience pricking a bit…”
That dark desire to push her niece positively intertwined with wanting vicarious satisfaction through her niece’s romantic endeavors was the main concern.
But well, what’s good surely must come to good…
Mo Yong-bi Yeon moved forward, grappling with that little twinge of discomfort.
After all, since she had proclaimed herself an escort, she was currently on a hunt to locate Gu Yangcheon, her target.
Ideally, an escort should maintain a close proximity, keeping watchful eyes.
The reason behind her urgent search for Gu Yangcheon was simple:
“Didn’t he say to leave him alone at night since he’s busy training?”
It all stemmed from what Gu Yangcheon himself had stated.
She remembered the smug tone with which he proclaimed to her that no one should disturb him during training hours.
Oddly enough, rather than being bothersome or annoying, it struck her as wonderfully fitting, and she felt no ill will towards it.
This could also stem from Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s lasting indifference towards trivial matters.
It left her in an oddly cheery mood.
How curious to think that someone so brazen could suit him so well; what an odd talent indeed.
She couldn’t help but smirk at such a silly thought.
With a grin on her lips, she continued to poke around the forest.
“Where, oh where is our precious young master?”
As she wandered and searched for Gu Yangcheon,
A group in the distance captured Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s attention.
“Oh…”
Upon spotting them, Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s face lit up with glee as she darted over.
In an instant, what had looked like a far-off distance was closed in by her strides.
Thud.
“Hey!”
“Eek!!”
The woman with dark green hair was startled by Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s abrupt appearance.
The woman was Dang So-yeol, the child of the King of Poison.
In seeing this, a curious glint sparkled in Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s eyes.
It wasn’t just about how startled Dang So-yeol was.
In stark contrast, the women accompanying her didn’t appear particularly stirred.
On the contrary, it was as if they knew she was coming, rising to bow gracefully.
Mo Yong-bi Yeon gazed at the scene with intrigue.
“Well, well.”
While the Poison King’s child had a charm that wouldn’t be outdone by anyone,
She found herself dwarfed by the beauty of the two women present.
Even Mo Yong-bi Yeon was taken aback by their allure.
One had hair close to white, a blue so pale it seemed almost ethereal.
Her half-open eyes seemed fatigued yet contained a mysterious aura that was simply exquisite.
The other had golden-brown hair and dazzling golden eyes that felt like they could draw her in completely.
Each of them was a beauty who could easily be numbered among the most attractive in the Central Plains.
As she assessed them, Mo Yong-bi Yeon couldn’t help but nod internally.
“Ah, I see.”
With their unique appearances on display, she quickly identified them.
The white-haired lady was the Sword Dancer, offspring of the Sword King and his egregiously stubborn progeny.
The other was the descendant of that old man, the child named Ilteo.
“Ahh, the implication now…”
The fact that all three of them gathered here suggested they were all women chasing after Gu Yangcheon, just like her niece.
“Sigh.”
It was impossible to suppress a sigh at this sight. Wasn’t it excessive, overflowing with good fortune?
Unable to find a trace of resemblance to her father, she felt dampened by their resemblance to him.
What’s more, this girl named Geommuhee…
“Oh, she’s said to be his fiancé.”
Being engaged indicated she was currently the one with the highest chance of being by Gu Yangcheon’s side.
Contemplating this made Mo Yong-bi Yeon chuckle lightly.
“Hello, beautiful ones. Do you know who this unnie is?”
At Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s query, Dang So-yeol widened her eyes and quickly paid her respects.
“The Tang Clan’s bloodline greets you, White Lotus Sword senior…!”
Then, Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah bowed too.
“We’d like to greet you, Senior Baekryeongeom. I am Wi Seol-ah…”
“…And I’m Namgung Bi-ah.”
“Nice to meet you. No need to be so formal, just call me unnie.”
Now, those were some stunning young ladies.
Beyond just their looks, there was an air of brilliance that called to mind the past.
Especially since a woman in love tends to shine a bit brighter.
In that light, they were already shimmering dazzlingly, like a star.
Perhaps because of this,
Mo Yong-bi Yeon briefly forgot her purpose of seeking out Gu Yangcheon and felt a hint of mischief bubbling up.
“So I heard you are my nephew’s friends?”
Gasp.
Was it her title that made their shoulders tense at that? All three froze.
Once she noted that, Mo Yong-bi Yeon continued chatting away.
“You all are incredibly lucky, being friends with such beauties… Please take good care of my nephew. He seems to have inherited his father’s luck, so he can be a bit challenging, but he’s a good kid.”
“Nephew… You mean Miss Mo Yong’s nephew?”
Dang So-yeol appeared flabbergasted at Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s words.
With a bright smile, she responded.
“What? What kind of relation are you referring to? I’m also a Mo Yong.”
“Ah, well… …”
“I’m just kidding. Yes, that’s right. My nephew.”
“Then if it’s your nephew-in-law… is it Prince Guyangcheon…?”
“Huh? Oh, that’s right. Our Yangcheon.”
With this phrase, once again, the atmosphere shifted.
Feeling a flare of discomfort, Dang So-yeol coughed, while looking perplexedly unsettled.
“Apologies for my unexpected intrusion. I came to ask something.”
“…Yes.”
“Have you seen where my nephew-in-law is? I honestly can’t spot him anywhere.”
Her soft-spoken voice carried an undertone of chill.
Even as she felt that air, Mo Yong-bi Yeon didn’t halt her words.
She was curious to see how they would react.
“If you happen to spot him, tell him to come find this sister of yours.”
Just then, as Mo Yong-bi Yeon was about to continue chatting,
“I think you might be misinformed.”
“Huh?”
A voice interrupted Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s chatter with careful precision.
Initially, she thought it was someone from the Tang Clan, but shockingly, it turned out to be the child from the Namgung family.
With the sleepy eyes and awkward speech, she had judged this girl to be on the quiet side.
Compared to when they first met, an entirely unexpected atmosphere enveloped her.
“What do you mean by that?”
“He… he is not your nephew-in-law, the student of White Lotus Sword…”
Namgung Bi-ah looked firmly into Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s eyes with her clear blue gaze.
Those eyes conveyed depths that Mo Yong-bi Yeon struggled to decipher.
“…Oh.”
Mo Yong-bi Yeon began to admire the aura she sensed from Namgung Bi-ah.
“Look at her!”
Said to be one of the promising candidates, she was vastly more profound and composed than one might expect.
What’s more,
“Combat spirit.”
Mo Yong-bi Yeon felt the glimmers of fighting spirit radiating from Namgung Bi-ah.
She bore the quietest demeanor and yet appeared the fiercest among the group.
The hint of her ire was doing its best to assert that she wouldn’t let Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s words slide.
She turned her gaze to the others.
The girl hailing from the old man’s lineage took on just as keen a gaze as the child before her.
The Tang Clan member seemed to gauge the atmosphere while showing evident discomfort.
Observing this, Mo Yong-bi Yeon couldn’t help but think,
“So precious.”
Instead of a feeling of annoyance at their audacity, she felt a whimsical pleasure surge through her.
She had once navigated similar waters in her own time.
All the memories overlapped.
Hadn’t it been with the current Sword Saint, Soyi?
There once was a time during her encounter with the late Sword Saint, where a remarkably similar scenario had unfolded.
Knowing full well that she could never win, she had been so pushed to the limit that she drew her sword against the Sword Saint.
She struggled to recall what the Sword Saint had said in that moment.
Unclear on the words, but the actions she took remained vivid in her memory.
Even if she could repeat those words, she wasn’t equipped to imitate them.
That would send shivers through her and shook thorns from the tongue.
So, Mo Yong-bi Yeon aimed to adopt her own form of wit.
“Lovely girls. Was what your older sister just said not to your liking?”
The three members recoiled at Mo Yong-bi Yeon’s inquiry.
It mattered not just the words, but the underlying meaning rippling through them.
However, to their surprise,
“Apologies. I was just trying to provoke some lighthearted jests, but it seems I overstepped. I apologize.”
With Mo Yong-bi Yeon hastily offering an apology, the ambiance around them began to dissolve.
As the eminent Baekryeongeom so easily owned up to a mistake, it appeared that there was no room to push the envelope further.
So, if they wished, they could allow it to dissolve intentions; yet regrettably, Mo Yong-bi Yeon didn’t want that.
With her eyes twinkling, Mo Yong-bi Yeon turned towards the women and beamed,
“So how about we try something fun instead of this?”
Just as the three of them began to feel curious about what she meant,
Swish.
Mo Yong-bi Yeon unsheathed her sword from its scabbard.
In that instant, a wave of martial spirit erupted from her, washing out into the surrounding woods.
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