It was while I was munching on the Heavenly Grass that the Sword Saint Na Yerin breezed into the room with a slight rustle of the curtain connecting the two spaces.
“Is Sayoon training?”
“Well, she’s asleep.”
I recalled Sayoon’s earlier intense training. She was putting in quite the effort… I couldn’t help but worry she was overdoing it.
As I glanced toward the next room, the Sword Saint smiled slightly and asked, “Are you worried she’s overdoing it?”
“I can’t say I’m not concerned.”
“Haha! That girl is much stronger than you think.”
That much is true. After all, she had endured such pain and despair in Heavenly Bright Moon without succumbing to frustration, grinding her teeth and pushing through.
Even though things are different now, Sayoon’s resilience cannot be denied.
Nodding, the Sword Saint beamed and took a seat.
“By the way, I take it you were just at the post office?”
“You heard that?”
It seemed she was overhearing my earlier talk with Sayoon. When I asked, she coughed awkwardly and diverted her gaze.
“Um, I just happened to catch that.”
Seems she was focused on this side of things. I chuckled, and her face began to redden gradually.
“You, as a teacher, not focusing while teaching your disciple? What a terrible master you are.”
“Ugh…”
Her eyes glistened with moisture. I found myself chuckling at her sorrowful gaze.
“It’s just a joke.”
“My jokes are as fun as watching paint dry.”
“I personally find your jokes somewhat entertaining.”
I brewed some tea and set it in front of her, and as she grasped it tightly, she shot me a glare and said sharply.
“You really are a sneaky one.”
“Even a little sneakiness has its place, doesn’t it?”
“Hmph.”
The Sword Saint swiftly turned her head and took a sip of her tea. But that was short-lived; she kept glancing at me, eventually letting out a small sigh.
“Ryeon and Yoon have become much stronger. Especially Ryeon.”
Both their skills shone during the recent martial arts competition. Sayoon’s skills were impressive, but Hongryeon’s were on an entirely different level than what had been known so far.
She completed the Meteor Surge and is now challenging the Meteor Shower.
That is, she aims to approach the realm of the superhuman.
The impact of such a feat would be colossal.
“Until now, no sect has had more than one superhuman.”
After all, it’s not for nothing they’re called the ten strongest in the world.
Among countless martial artists like grains of sand on a beach, only ten are capable of wielding martial energy.
It’s that difficult, and the idea of one sect breeding two is utterly nonsensical.
Yet that’s precisely what Hongryeon is attempting right now.
“Of course, Chaejin is… remarkable too.”
“Indeed.”
“All thanks to you.”
“Haha.”
“…It’s because of you.”
“Thanks to the gods.”
As I put down my teacup, the Sword Saint looked at me. Meeting her warm gaze, I shrugged my shoulders.
“Shinsan Seonja. Possessing knowledge as excellent as a god and using it for good deeds. It’s truly a fitting title for you.”
No matter how often I heard it, that title never felt right.
When I turned my head away, the Sword Saint grinned.
“And it could also make you feel embarrassed.”
Cough. “Let’s not talk about that.”
“Hmm? That’s not something the person who just teased me should say.”
Oh, come on.
I raised both my hands, and only then did the Sword Saint seem satisfied, chuckling before letting out a sigh.
“However, having such great power also means attracting powerful enemies. I’m a bit worried. Maybe… the other sects will start to target you.”
“Targeting…”
The rising fame of Hongseong.
With both the military and government acknowledging me, and since I’m the only one officially connected to the sect after receiving the title Shinsan Seonja, it wouldn’t be surprising if other factions came after me.
At the Sword Saint’s worried remark, I shook my head with a smile.
“I can handle that part myself.”
Political or monetary attacks—I can fend those off. What’s crucial is dealing with direct attacks.
“How will you stop them?”
“Well, I plan to get some help from Moonjeong. I was thinking of getting supplies from Cheonghoe anyway. I’m considering assigning that task to Moonjeong.”
The items handled by the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild aren’t bad, but the fabrics and a few other things from Cheongho were decent as well.
Seomhwa Village is transforming into Seomhwa City, and as the population grows, more supplies will be needed.
I’m thinking of stocking the store with new items in preparation.
“Hmm…”
Mentioning Moonjeong seemed to discomfort the Sword Saint. I get it. But if both Hongseong and Moonjeong form an alliance around me, other sects will think twice before making any rash moves.
“And…”
As for the government, if I continue to provide them with intel on handling evil monsters, they’ll actually be quite pleased since they won’t have to lift a finger.
“So don’t worry about that…”
“Iron Blood Clan?”
“Yes.”
Even if I’m clueless about other issues, I have no way to deal with direct attacks.
I had heard during a chat with Cheonilhwa that the northern control might be lifted sooner than expected.
Additionally, according to Hano’s intel, it seems smuggling in the north is on the rise, so the government seems to be leaning towards a fast opening.
And the backdrop to this is that the evil monsters in the north have almost entirely disappeared.
In other words, the Iron Blood Clan currently in the north has probably completed their preparations.
It was no different than saying the preparations were complete.
“I think they will move as soon as the North opens up.”
Once the North opens and the soldiers in that territory withdraw, Blood Iron Wood will quickly advance south, alongside that evil monster, Dool.
And perhaps, they might attack Seomhwa Village right away.
“When it becomes Seomhwa Fortress, the military will send additional troops, right? So, they’ll want to attack before that happens.”
“Hmm… so shouldn’t we ask for a quicker upgrade to Seomhwa Fortress to prepare for that?”
“Upgrading to a fortress is not an easy task…”
This had to be done by the imperial family, so there was nothing I could do. Still, I asked Cheonilhwa for some bribes like yunyang and a bit of information to hurry things along.
In the end, it would become a race against time.
“I’m doing everything I can. So the rest…”
I leaned back in my chair and sipped my tea.
“I just have to trust and leave it to them.”
Since I wouldn’t be much help in the actual combat anyway.
*
Honestly, winning felt good, but the injuries were quite bothersome.
I had a fracture in my left arm and some internal injuries.
Of course, Chaejin, my opponent, wasn’t unscathed either.
The unfortunate part was that I would have to step back from his guard for a while.
“Ugh…”
And during that time, my master would be beside him.
I didn’t distrust the Sword Saint. After all, she was one of the only ten superhumans in the world, and her determination to protect Yu Wol was certainly commendable.
Too commendable, in fact.
Hongryeon, who was sitting cross-legged and focusing on recovering, let out a heavy sigh.
“Why can’t you concentrate?”
“…There’s something to it.”
Not just herself, but Chaejin, who was cross-legged beside her, was equally restless.
But blaming someone else’s family was always easier than blaming your own.
As always, Ryuhyun teased Hongryeon, and once again, she sighed as if the ground would swallow her up.
“We need to keep circulating Hongseong Divine Art to speed up recovery.”
That’s how we’ll recover faster. Ryuhyun pointed to one side. Thanks to the bodhisattva statue there, recovery had sped up; otherwise, I might have had to fight during the tournament while still injured.
“If after getting this badly hurt, we gain nothing…”
“Ugh, stop teasing me…”
In the end, unable to withstand the nagging, Hongryeon surrendered. With a sulky tone, she spoke, and Ryuhyun chuckled.
As she finished cleaning up and stepped outside, a commotion was heard from outside.
What was going on?
Hongryeon got up. The injured places hurt, but if something was happening at Hongseong Clan, she couldn’t just sit still.
As she stepped out, someone was walking up to the entrance of Hongseong.
It was Sayoon and Ryu Gang, back from their patrol.
Seeing them carrying a bunch of stuff, he must have given them something again.
With an involuntary smile she tried to hide, Hongryeon approached them.
“Ah?! Senior Sister!”
“How are you feeling?!”
“I’m fine. But what’s that?”
“Oh. The innkeeper told us to take this to you.”
“I see…”
“And this is for you, Senior Sister Hongryeon.”
Sayoon handed over a pure white envelope. Is it a letter? From him?
Her heart fluttered naturally.
“And this is for Sister Chaejin…”
“…I’ll take it to her.”
Of course. He wouldn’t send something just for her. She sighed slightly in disappointment, but what could she do? The one who falls first loses.
Receiving the letter meant for Chaejin, Hongryeon accepted the box handed by Sayoon. It was a snack easily found at the inn.
“Grandma Yohwan is really worried.”
“It’ll be fine soon. Your treasure is really helpful.”
“Hehe…”
Not being able to send a statue to the Mister became a blessing in disguise. As Sayoon awkwardly smiled, Hongryeon ruffled her hair.
Then she went back to her room with the box and the letter Yu Wol gave her.
“What is it?”
“It’s what Yu Wol gave.”
Warmth filled Chaejin’s eyes as she looked at the snack box.
As she reached for one, Hongryeon tossed her the letter from her chest.
“It’s from him.”
Chaejin quickly unfolded the letter. Hongryeon did the same.
Smiles appeared on both their faces.
“Hope you recover quickly.
Let’s meet again smiling soon.
I’ll come by tomorrow evening… If you need anything, send someone.”
“Need something?
It’s you.
I need you.”
How many days has it been since she last saw him?
She missed his scent.
Hongryeon gently embraced the letter, wanting to feel Yu Wol just a little longer.
It was just a short message, but she could sense his concern from it.
Did he think they got hurt because she allowed the spar?
She hoped not.
After a moment’s thought, Hongryeon nodded.
Yes, she should send something…
Seeing Chaejin already writing a letter, Hongryeon frowned.
This is really not what she wanted.
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