### Chapter 141
Harmonic Sword Jang Cheon. (3)
It was truly a stormy encounter.
It left me with the discomfort of having swallowed a fruit bristling with thorns.
[Your grandpa always seems to like handing out bombs.]
“…What do you mean, Grandpa?”
I shuddered slightly at Elder Shin’s words.
Why did he always try to link me with the Second Elder by blood?
We didn’t even remotely resemble each other.
Of course, there might be a small trace of shared blood.
[What’s more, you got tangled up with a treasure again. Your life is nothing short of a tragic comedy.]
‘What a terrifying thing to say. I’m not entangled this time.’
Actually, it would be more accurate to say I almost got entangled.
My mind was buzzing with questions.
If the Dishonored Venerable really intended to write me a recommendation letter, why was its content so puzzling?
If he just inserted my name into a pre-written recommendation letter, was there really a need for that?
It was a written note rife with misunderstanding.
Logically, it should have been a no-brainer for him to write a new one for me.
But considering the nature of the Dishonored Venerable, that’s exactly the kind of thing he might do…
‘Did the Dishonored Venerable ever have an official disciple at all?’
The term “disciple” mentioned in the letter made me rack my brain for memories.
Yet, there were no such memories found in my mind.
Among the three Heavenly Venerables, only the Sword Emperor had an official disciple.
The Lord of Heaven was from the Namgung Clan, and while one could argue that Namgung Jin or Namgung Cheonjun could count as his disciples, no one had specifically labeled them as such.
The same goes for the Dishonored Venerable.
Could it be that he was trying to mess with the Second Elder?
‘…That’s entirely possible.’
Given all the mischief that old man had gotten into, it made some sense that the Dishonored Venerable would seek revenge this way.
But was the Second Elder truly unaware of the letter’s content?
My thoughts lingered on the final line.
– I’ve put the treasure to good use. I’ll send it through my disciple, so I hope you’ll keep it discreet.
Delivering the treasure.
That phrase felt oddly familiar.
I recalled the Second Elder’s face as he shoved a treasure into my hands before my departure for Mount Hua.
And with that, another thought crept into my mind.
“Nah, surely not.”
With a sense of foreboding, I hastily rummaged through my pockets.
I pulled out a purse that had been hidden deep inside.
It was the purse the Second Elder had given me before heading to Hanam, claiming it was an allowance.
The feel and sound of its contents were still the same.
I occasionally opened it to buy snacks for Wi Seol-Ah, and it genuinely appeared to contain nothing but money.
[What’s happening?]
Elder Shin seemed puzzled by my actions.
But instead of responding, I silently turned the purse upside down.
Clang-!
The silver coins inside clattered out, creating an unsavory noise as they fell.
I merely rolled my eyes during the chaos. It was only after all the coins had emptied out that I could heave a sigh of relief.
[Kid.]
“…Yes?”
[Did you really believe there would be a treasure inside that purse?]
“Can you really blame me?”
After everything I’ve been through, a part of me just had to check.
Fortunately, it seemed there wasn’t a treasure lurking inside.
Yeah, even the Second Elder wouldn’t stoop that low.
The incident regarding Mount Hua’s treasure could be overlooked since he did win it fairly.
[Overlooked? He won it through a drinking game!]
“Why are you the one getting angry—Oh wait, you have a perfectly good reason.”
I often forget that Elder Shin was once the leader of Mount Hua.
Anyway.
‘I’ve been overly sensitive this time.’
Even though the Second Elder had pulled a few tricks on me, there was no way he would just hand over the Murim Alliance’s treasure associated with the Dishonored Venerable…
Clang-
As I tried to gather the silver coins, my outstretched hand froze.
An unfamiliar sensation brushed against my other hand that held the purse.
I peeked inside the purse, wondering if there were any silver coins left.
“…Huh?”
[Whoa…]
Rip.
Something snagged at my fingers, and I yanked it out with force.
What emerged, alongside some loose threads, was…
“…Oh, hell.”
A ring that was so rusty, it looked like it belonged in a museum.
“Young Master Gu is running late. We’re about to start.”
Tang Soyeol said calmly while sipping her tea.
Wi Seol-Ah, standing behind her, flinched at the mention of Young Master Gu.
It was because Hongwa had warned her about the poison in Tang Soyeol’s drink.
“Maybe his preparations just took longer than expected?”
Moyong Hi-ah placed a hand on her chin as she scanned the room.
She felt the prying eyes glancing their way from all around.
The Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes always had this vibe.
The tense, greedy gazes from all around were still repugnant and awkward to deal with.
Yet, knowing that all those staring had their own hidden agendas, Moyong Hi-ah simply smiled and embraced it.
She subtly adjusted her expression, raising the corners of her mouth.
To the most charming and seductive appearance she could muster.
When Moyong Hi-ah smiled, the faces of those who had been secretly watching her softened a tad.
“You’re still impressive as ever.”
Tang Soyeol observed with genuine admiration.
“Lady Tang could easily do the same.”
She added, not entirely lip service.
Tang Soyeol also possessed her own natural charm, endearing in her unique way.
There was no doubt she knew it.
“…It becomes meaningless when the one you want is not affected by it.”
Moyong Hi-ah seemed to know who Tang Soyeol was referring to.
There was no way she wouldn’t.
She had seen Tang Soyeol openly pursue him throughout this trip.
“…You still have that unique taste in men.”
What did Tang Soyeol find appealing about that intimidating boy’s face?
‘He was, in all fairness, quite unique.’
It was the first time Moyong Hi-ah encountered someone who seemed indifferent to her existence.
The Gu Clan’s Young Master emitted a vibe like a great wall…
An implication not to get too close.
‘Is it because he’s already surrounded by girls?’
Moyong Hi-ah shifted her gaze to a different direction.
Fixated on the woman who caught everyone’s attention.
‘Namgung Bi-ah…Was that her name?’
A relative of the Namgung Clan and the older sister of the Lightning Dragon.
It was her first time seeing her.
Despite frequent interactions with the Namgung Clan, she had only heard of her existence, never more than that.
‘She’s stunning.’
Just like the striking Lightning Dragon, his sister held an equally captivating presence.
Moyong Hi-ah had no qualms about her stealing most of the spotlight.
Namgung Bi-ah’s beauty justified it.
A hint of jealousy flickered within her, but there was no time to dwell on such things.
Moyong Hi-ah carefully initiated a conversation with Namgung Bi-ah.
“I don’t see your younger sibling.”
Namgung Bi-ah shifted her vacant gaze upon hearing Moyong Hi-ah.
“…He’ll arrive shortly.”
“Pardon?”
For some reason, Namgung Bi-ah looked even more fatigued than usual.
‘He will come soon?’
Did they arrange to keep in touch since they were siblings?
‘This is more challenging than I thought.’
Moyong Hi-ah let out a silent sigh.
She had been trying to grow closer to Namgung Bi-ah recently, but she couldn’t learn anything about her.
Amid her training and sleeping, she seemed to spend most of her time with her fiancé, the servant behind her, or Tang Soyeol.
‘What a waste for someone with her looks.’
In a way, she appeared busy, but realistically, it was rather a leisurely life.
Moyong Hi-ah couldn’t help but envy that.
‘I lack the time for this.’
I didn’t have the time to refine my martial arts or express my feelings in a love affair.
‘Where on earth is the Lightning Dragon?’
Thus, I needed to enlist the Lightning Dragon’s cooperation as quickly as possible.
And also, the assistance of the Namgung Clan.
Namgung Bi-ah quietly observed Moyong Hi-ah.
Then she softly asked Wi Seol-Ah, who was standing behind her.
“…Your legs, do they hurt…?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you want to sit…?”
Namgung Bi-ah seemed worried about Wi Seol-Ah, who stood behind her.
“Sis, like I said earlier, that’s not permitted.”
Tang Soyeol sighed as she addressed Namgung Bi-ah.
“But…”
“I understand your feelings, Sis, but allowing a servant to sit here wouldn’t reflect well on Young Master Gu at all.”
Under normal circumstances, Gu Yangcheon didn’t mind sharing his seat or meals with anyone, including Wi Seol-Ah, or escorts.
However, in this situation, they couldn’t afford to indulge in such behavior.
“…Okay.”
Namgung Bi-ah reluctantly relented upon hearing Gu Yangcheon’s name.
It seemed that as long as it was about Gu Yangcheon, she would agree to anything.
‘I can’t believe someone can change so dramatically.’
In just a few months, Namgung Bi-ah had become much brighter and more talkative.
To think it was solely due to Gu Yangcheon made Moyong Hi-ah feel bittersweet.
Tang Soyeol continued to gaze at the entrance, protruding her lower lip.
“Seriously, when is he going to show up…”
She was worried about the tardiness of Gu Yangcheon.
It felt like he was taking far too long.
“Fortunately, the Alliance Leader is also running late…”
There seemed to be a slight delay in the event.
Thanks to that, it appeared that Gu Yangcheon might just avoid the disastrous mishap of walking in late to the gathering.
“Still, it’s odd for the Alliance Leader to be delayed too.”
Moyong Hi-ah spoke out, nodding her head in agreement with Tang Soyeol.
Every year, the Alliance Leader would step forward at the start of the gathering to deliver a speech.
And the Alliance Leader was rarely ever late.
In fact, he often arrived a bit early.
Given the gathering of noble bloodlines from powerful clans, the Alliance Leader knew he had to be punctual.
“Perhaps something held him up—”
“He should be arriving soon.”
Tang Soyeol frowned after hearing a voice that interrupted her.
It was clear that it wasn’t one of their group who spoke, but an outsider.
Tang Soyeol directed an inquisitive glare toward the voice.
When she looked over, there stood a boy sporting an awkward smile.
His gentle and handsome features radiated a kindness that made it seem as though he was always smiling, even when he wasn’t.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to cut in… But I happened to overhear something I know well.”
“Before you speak, it would be nice if you introduced yourself first.”
Despite Tang Soyeol’s somewhat testy demeanor, the boy’s smile remained untouched.
He briefly bowed before politely introducing himself in a refined tone.
“I regret my rudeness and lack of decorum. I am… ”
It was as if a cold breeze blew in with his words.
“Jang Seonyeon.”
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