It was around the time when the evening business was winding down.
As I went down to the inn, I spotted a few drunkards chugging down their drinks. Some of them asked me to join them for a round, but I shook my head.
“Here, take this.”
Yohwan emerged from the kitchen, handing me a bundle. It was a medicinal dish she had prepared. It was said to speed up recovery if eaten when injured. As I lifted it, the Sword Saint walked out of the store carrying several boxes.
“Can I take all this?”
“Of course.”
I had sent a letter to Hongryeon and Chaejin yesterday asking if they needed anything. But the response was a lengthy letter stating that they didn’t need anything, just to come by myself.
But still, how could I visit the sick empty-handed? So, I had asked the store to set aside some popular snacks, which the Sword Saint was now carrying.
“It doesn’t seem necessary for you to go with me…”
Worried about me heading out after a long day, the Sword Saint spoke in a bittersweet tone. But what could I do? It wasn’t even that tiring.
“With the Sword Saint beside me, what could I possibly fear?”
Among the worries the Sword Saint had was the possibility of me being ambushed at night.
Since I gained my title, the number of letters I received had increased, and the Sword Saint was well aware of it.
She also knew that more people were trying to bring me into their sect.
It made the Sword Saint overly anxious.
But honestly, it wasn’t necessary to worry that much.
She sighed as she looked at me. As we stepped outside together, the wind began to wrap around us.
In that wind, there was a hint of warmth.
“Summer is just around the corner.”
As I walked the brightly lit street adorned with lanterns, the Sword Saint paused, thinking for a moment, then nodded slightly.
“Are you worried about the martial arts tournament?”
“Not particularly, no. More than that, I’m questioning whether the tournament will actually take place.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You must have realized that Lian and Yun’s skills are stronger than expected.”
Are they going to delay the tournament because of the caution about their skills shown in the last competition?
“If that happens, the reputation of Cheonhwagung will diminish greatly.”
“It’s better than defeat. They might postpone it due to some issues within Cheonhwagung.”
There could be several ways to go about it.
The Sword Saint, with a bitter smile, recounted how some sects had suggested holding a tournament with Hongseong Clan but ultimately delayed it after revealing their strengths.
The Sword Saint smiled bitterly and spoke, “You didn’t do it, huh?”
As we chatted away, we finally arrived near Hongseong Mountain.
Unlike before, there wasn’t much of a gloomy atmosphere. As we walked up the mountain path illuminated by the moonlight shining on the red goryeo apricots, we spotted Ryuhyun, a disciple of Hongseong, standing at the mountain gate.
“Eh? Master?”
“Yeah.”
“What brings you here…? Wow! Shinsan Seonja Yu Wol has come too!”
Wow, that title is really hard to adjust to.
Not hiding my awkwardness, she giggled and took what I was holding.
“Why did you bring this stuff?”
“I couldn’t come empty-handed, could I?”
“As the Innkeeper, you could’ve just come by… Anyway, let’s go up. Are you here for a hospital visit?”
“Um. Yeah.”
“Senior Sister will be happy. Chaejin too.”
“How are they doing?”
“They’ve improved a lot! They should recover within a few days.”
Hongryeon has a fracture in her left arm, and Chaejin has a broken rib. Their internal injuries aren’t ordinary either, yet they’re already on the mend.
Indeed, a master is a master.
I glanced over at the Sword Saint.
She looked deep in thought, her mouth shut tight, but when our eyes met, she jolted in surprise and forced a smile.
Ryuhyun, tilting her head at the scene, stepped up the stairs, while I spoke to the Sword Saint with a grin.
“Just because those two are recovering doesn’t mean you won’t get to see me.”
“Ugh… That’s true, but… Ah. Even if they recover from their injuries, it would be best to rest a bit more… Sigh. I guess it won’t matter if I talk about it.”
I patted the Sword Saint’s sulking back, and she gently moved closer to me.
“I’m a little, no… really sad.”
Muttering softly, the Sword Saint lightly grabbed the hem of my clothing.
Upon arriving at Hongseong, the practicing disciples welcomed us. Among them, Sayoon, all sweaty, grinned at me, and I smiled back.
“You’re working hard.”
“Hehe. Yes. I need to work harder.”
She realized her shortcomings in the martial arts competition.
And she understood the weight of people’s gazes.
Sayoon, determined to grow stronger to confront that, looked straight at me.
“And, the Innkeeper is someone I want to protect too.”
“That’s an honor.”
“I will definitely become strong like you, Master, and protect everyone!”
With clenched fists and a bold declaration, the Sword Saint chuckled softly.
“That’s right. I hope you’ll show me a day when you surpass me. Until then, ‘I’ll’ stay by Yu Wol’s side. Of course, I’m not planning on losing either.”
“I hope so. Until then, I’ll stay by Yu Wol’s side. Of course, I have no intentions of losing either.”
“Yes? Ah. Yes.”
The Sword Saint looked at me intently and spoke with a confident tone.
That’s kind of a piercing gaze you’ve got there.
Seoyoon tilted her head as if she still didn’t understand the meaning behind those words, but she just smiled brightly.
“Well then, after visiting, I’ll head back on my own… You all should continue your training.”
“Yes!”
The Hongseong disciples, who had gathered in droves, headed back to the training ground. The Sword Saint watched them warmly and shrugged her shoulders.
“Aren’t they such good kids?”
“Indeed. Good students are under good masters… You can be a bit prouder.”
The Sword Saint was feeling so good that you could almost hear the sense of pride in her voice. After patting my arm, she gently tugged at her clothing.
“Are you going to keep saying such heart-fluttering things?”
“Hahaha… It’s just my mouth getting ahead of me. Now, shall we be off?”
“Hmm. Let’s go.”
As we followed the Sword Saint’s guidance, we arrived at a building that radiated a soft energy.
Is this the power of the bodhisattva that Seoyoon possesses? Along with the feeling of Buddhist energy, I sensed my stamina recovering.
Surely, it’s a treasure-worthy item, right? The effectiveness seems quite broad.
It looks like the recovery speed for both stamina and internal energy is also quite good…
If I receive it from Seoyoon, I’ll have to return it later. It wouldn’t be of much use to me anyway.
“Ah? Welcome!”
As I entered, Hongryeon, who was sitting cross-legged, opened her eyes and stood up.
I tried to stop her from approaching and moved closer myself.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m much better. I should be able to go down in a few days.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to recover a bit more?”
The Sword Saint, who had set down a box behind us, spoke in a warm voice. Hongryeon brightened up and lightly responded.
“No, no. Since Master is working hard, I need to hurry and go down.”
“No, no. I’m not working that hard.”
“Oh dear. You still need to watch over the disciples’ training, you know? Other students are also hoping to learn from you!”
“Hoh ho ho. You always teach them and suddenly act like this?”
“Uhuhuhu. The skills of my junior sisters have improved a lot.”
The bond between master and disciple is truly lovely.
While they were both smiling at each other, the door opened, and a beautiful woman with black hair entered.
“Ah? Innkeeper~!”
It was Chaejin. Had she just come back from the bathroom? The moment she saw me, she rushed over and hugged my arm, looking up at me.
“U… I missed you… Ugh, ayayay…”
“Are you feeling any better? You should take it easy.”
Looks like her ribs haven’t healed yet. I sent her up to the bed as I smiled at the two of them.
“Anyway, I’m glad you both seem to be getting better.”
“Ugh. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“…I’m sorry.”
They both had some guilt written all over their faces as they apologized. I shook my head at them.
Sure, it stings that they got hurt, but if they learned something and grew from it, that’s way better than getting hurt for nothing.
“You got that, right? By the way, Yohwan gave us something.”
As I unfurled the bundle, a few dishes came out. The two of them awkwardly smiled at the sight, and I set it all on the table.
“Did you have dinner yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“Good. Go ahead and eat.”
I backed away with the Sword Saint and watched them chow down.
After they demolished quite a bit of food, I gathered the empty plates and stood up.
“Well then, I’ll be heading back.”
“Huh? Are you leaving already?”
I nodded at their disappointed faces.
If I stayed, they wouldn’t be able to rest properly. They need to relax and breathe to really benefit from that Bodhisattva’s effect, so it’s better for me to leave quickly.
“I just hope you both get better soon.”
“Ugh… Alright.”
In the end, Hongryeon and Chaejin nodded, and once they settled into a meditative pose, I stepped outside with the Sword Saint.
“…Those guys. They’ve gotten stronger.”
“Since the last martial arts tournament…”
“Not like that. They’re still growing even while recovering.”
“Oh. Is that so?”
“They have talent, purpose, and willpower, so they can only get stronger. While they can’t move properly due to their injuries, they’re getting stronger through meditation and recovery…”
The Sword Saint said decisively.
“Before long, they’ll hit a wall.”
A wall.
Are we talking about the threshold of becoming a transcendent being?
Countless martial artists have faced despair at that wall and fell into despondency.
After a moment of thought, the Sword Saint said,
“At that time, can you help them? Just like you helped me…”
Of course, I should!
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