“What is this…?”
Nam Chaehyun frowned as he surveyed the chaotic scene. Unable to contain his anger, he gritted his teeth, but the Daoist from the Daoguan approached him and intervened. After letting out a deep sigh, he calmly spoke.
“Are there any injured?”
“None. We almost had a serious problem when we let one Gangshi escape, but thankfully those people over there stopped it…”
Nam Chaehyun’s gaze shifted toward us. After looking at me for a moment, he tilted his head and asked.
“Oh dear. I apologize for not recognizing such a distinguished person. I am Nam Chaehyun, the head of Changwonguan.”
“I am Yu Wol, the innkeeper of Seomhwa Village.”
I bowed to him, and he looked a bit puzzled before letting out a brief sigh.
“Oh. The innkeeper, huh.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all. I truly appreciate your help. If innocent people had been hurt by their attack…”
Nam Chaehyun stroked his white beard and sighed. He then looked at Hongryeon and Sayoon beside me and bowed to them as well.
“I am indebted to Hongseong as well. I must thank the Sunfall Sword.”
“Oh, that’s alright. It could happen to anyone. No problem.”
“Hongseong does not demand a price when saving the powerless, but they do take compensation when saving the powerful. We cannot let this matter go unaddressed.”
He spoke decisively and turned his attention to the other martial artists standing awkwardly nearby.
As he approached to formally greet them, I picked up the bell that the Ma Gyo had dropped earlier.
When I examined it, Nam Chaehyun was impressed.
“Hooh. You have a discerning eye. That bell is called the Guiyeong. It’s used to control ghosts.”
Sayoon was taken aback by his words.
“If it controls ghosts… can it also fend off the spirits of Hongseongsan?”
“Haha! The spirits of Hongseongsan are quite famous. Well, it may not completely eliminate them, but it can certainly reduce their numbers.”
I extended the Guiyeong to Hongryeon. Seeing her stare at me with a tilted head, I repeated the gesture and took her hand, placing it on the bell.
“Huh?”
“Take it. If it can be useful in Hongseongsan, better to use it.”
“Um… but.”
“You caught the Ma Gyo, after all.”
“You’re absolutely right. Normally, the spoils of war belong to the one who captures them.”
Nam Chaehyun, along with the surrounding Daoists and martial artists, all agreed with my opinion.
While the Guiyeong was indeed a valuable item, it could have led to serious trouble if mishandled. And it was true that Hongryeon had done the most significant work in capturing the Ma Gyo.
“If it really bothers you, I can perform a purification. There shouldn’t be any evil spirits, though.”
“Um…”
“Of course, that won’t count as a reward. I will provide a separate reward.”
Nam Chaehyun spoke calmly and waved to the Daoists. When the Daoists from Changwonguan began to remove the Gangshi and clean up the bodies, Nam Chaehyun called to us and Namgoonghwa’s group over there.
“Come along, everyone.”
In Heavenly Bright Moon, if you clear such repeating events in this way, Nam Chaehyun will personally arrive to take care of the rewards.
When the event is cleared, Nam Chaehyun comes to personally collect the rewards.
So, I wasn’t particularly impressed, but it seemed like Namgoonghwa’s group was having a blast.
They couldn’t hide their excitement on their faces.
“Where are we?”
There was another excited kid next to me.
With a flushed face from excitement, Sayoon looked around in amazement, and Hongryeon gently explained.
“This is the Inner Hall of Changwoon Temple. It’s not a place just anyone can enter.”
“Has Senior Sister ever been here?”
“Well, I have. But you don’t seem that amazed?”
At Hongryeon’s gaze, I chuckled. I’ve been here a ton of times. Of course, it was in Heavenly Bright Moon.
“Hmm… I’ve never seen you look surprised before?”
“What? I’m a person too; I can be surprised. But it’s just a building, right? What’s so impressive about it?”
“Then what would surprise you?”
“If something happens that’s beyond my expectations, then I’d be surprised.”
“Oh, really?”
With a smile, Hongryeon walked leisurely.
How long did we walk? After entering the Inner Hall, Nam Chaehyun guided us to a rather impressive building and calmly said.
“When these kinds of events occur, our Changwoon Temple offers three types of rewards. The first is Danhwan Ilse. It’s from the Changwoon Pill, which heals internal injuries, so martial artists choose this one a lot.”
Saying this, he pulled out a box.
Did Namgoonghwa’s group already know about Changwoon Pill? They were all staring at it.
“The second is Changwoon Talismans. These special talismans can only be made by Changwoon Temple; having one prevents you from being affected by distractions. When you go to a hidden area, you can often feel dizzy and fail to display your true skills. This talisman can help prevent that, so keep it in mind if you’re going somewhere like that.”
Confusion filled Namgoonghwa’s group. Both the Changwoon Pill and the talismans were clearly tempting.
While they were in a dilemma, Nam Chaehyun brought out another box.
“This is a Fresh Immortal Banner… Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it to martial artists. It’s better for those involved in production.”
What he revealed was a small flag.
Its effect is the same as the treasure I just obtained, but it doesn’t require installation; just sticking it in place activates its effectiveness.
What’s even better is that it doesn’t overlap with treasures.
So from my perspective, that one was more tempting than the other two.
“Now, if you have a preference, take one.”
“Uh…”
“Well, Seomhwa Village’s innkeeper would probably want this, right? They can use it to create various things at the inn.”
“That’s right.”
Nam Chaehyun handed over the flag immediately. After grabbing it and putting it aside, Sayoon groaned and turned to Hongryeon, who shook her head.
“Such things are for your use. Make sure to get what you want.”
“Um… Mr. Nam.”
“What is it?”
“About that flag. Would having two double the effect?”
“Not exactly, but the effect does increase a little.”
“In that case…”
Sayoon immediately chose a flag. Hongryeon also picked a flag and handed it to me.
“No need for that.”
“Come on, you should at least take something!”
“Of course!”
Well, how thoughtful. Just pick what you need.
I glanced at Nam Chaehyun, but he remained stoic.
No changing after picking.
Even in Heavenly Bright Moon, once you choose an item and a reward, it’s yours forever, no matter what. He was the same here.
“A person’s choice is very important.”
Wow, he’s sharp!
In the end, I got three flags today.
“And the Nakyul Sword that defeated the demonic cultivator. I’ll also give you this.”
What Nam Chaehyun handed me was a small jade case. Inside, there was a medicinal pill.
“Cheongun Pill?”
“Right. It’ll help heal internal injuries a bit. And if you’re low on internal energy, it will restore some.”
Hongryeon, already in the know, didn’t keep it to herself but instead handed it to me.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Who knows when something like this will happen again? Keep it for emergencies.”
I’m not sure how often I’ll be in danger, though.
Isn’t it better for someone like Hongryeon or Sayoon, who fights more often, to have it?
But she insisted again, and in the end, I had no choice but to accept it.
“Um, thank you very much.”
As I stepped out of Changwoon Hall, Namgoonghwa and her party, who were waiting at the entrance, approached.
“Honestly, I should be the one thanking you. I only grasped martial arts at a superficial level. If there had been one more Gangshi, I would have been unable to stop it. If you hadn’t stepped in without hesitation to help the Taoist masters, there could have been serious damage.”
I bowed to them, and they hurriedly bowed back.
Just as the simple greetings were wrapping up, Namgoonghwa cut the threads attached to her sword and held it out.
“If you happen to come to Habhi, please make sure to stop by our sect.”
“Hmmm…”
I probably won’t have a reason to go.
But how can I outright refuse such a gift?
As I politely accepted it, the others behind her also offered their tokens.
“If you come to Towoldang…”
“When you visit Jinharyeong, please be sure to stop by our palace.”
“If you come to Yangju, please drop by the Magajiang.”
As I put their gifts into my pocket, Namgoonghwa turned to Hongryeon. After giving her a slight nod, she glanced at Sayoon standing next to her and grinned.
“Since you’re still a junior, can I say something as a senior?”
“Of course!!”
“Make sure to hold onto the spirit of the righteous sect that Hongseong possesses. Um… and.”
She reached out and lightly patted Sayoon on the shoulder.
“You were impressive earlier!”
“Oh, ahahaha…”
Sayoon’s face flushed.
Guess she was jubilant about being recognized by a master from another prestigious family.
As others chimed in as well, Sayoon’s face nearly exploded from blushing.
“Alright, alright. Our little junior is going to collapse. Let’s call it a day. And send my regards to the sect. I hope you look forward to visiting the Murim Alliance too.”
“Please send my regards to Sehan. You should look forward to coming to the Murim Alliance as well.”
Finally, after Hongryeon stepped in, they backed away, smiling.
“Ahahaha… I’m so embarrassed.”
“You received the recognition you deserve. If you keep stacking up things like this…”
I glanced at Hongryeon.
“You’ll end up like the Falling Sun Sword.”
“Come on. You gotta be even more amazing than me.”
“…I guess I’ll have to work hard.”
I laughed at Sayoon, who clenched her fist and steeled her resolve.
You can do it. Absolutely.
It was around the time people were busy working when we finally emerged from the Eight Immortals Village.
Since I took some time to look around after going up to the Changun Pavilion around sunrise, it took a bit longer to come down.
However, seeing Sayoon who looked pretty excited made me feel warm inside and light-hearted.
The journey back was not much different from when we went to Changun Mountain.
Resting at suitable spots, moving at a good pace.
Of course, it would probably take until dawn to reach if we moved like this, but who cares.
As we leisurely made our way and the sun set while the moon rose…
Sayoon started dozing off, looking tired.
“Let me sleep a bit.”
“Guess that’s what you should do.”
Seeing her just nodding off while sitting must have made Hongryeon feel sorry for her. She laid Sayoon down on a blanket she spread on the ground. Sayoon must have been really tired; even shaking her didn’t wake her up.
Hongryeon, smiling gently at her, got up lightly and sat next to me.
“Falling Sun Sword. Why don’t you sleep too if you’re tired?”
“Um…”
Hongryeon didn’t reply. Instead, she fiddled with her lips, seeming to be in thought before shaking her head.
“Can’t we say we’ve gotten a bit closer now? We’ve done a lot together. And we’ve known each other for a while…”
“Are you saying I should call you by your name?”
“Yeah. I feel like it’s time for that. Chaejin doesn’t call me by a nickname.”
Well, Chaejin is someone I met through a contractual relationship. But it seemed like Hongryeon was dissatisfied with that.
“That’s true, but… alright. I guess I’ll start calling you by your name now…”
It wasn’t really a problem, so I nodded vaguely, but she didn’t move to the back.
“…Ahem. Hongryeon, how about you sit in the back?”
For a moment, Hongryeon stared at me silently. And then…
“…Ahaha.”
She giggled softly and nodded.
“…Got it.”
And, in a way she hadn’t spoken before, she addressed me respectfully, looking into my eyes.
Then, beaming with a bright smile, she spoke in a soft tone.
“Are you a bit surprised now?”
I couldn’t deny it, which frustrated me.
Who would’ve thought she’d switch to a respectful tone here?
With a mischievous grin, Hongryeon chuckled a few more times in my gaze before turning to the star-filled night sky.
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