Chapter v11c14: Reunion

**Reunion**

“W-What’s going on here…?”

Namgung Sang asked, dumbfounded, as he surveyed the chaotic scene. Mo Yong Hwi was equally bewildered as he observed the masterpiece that Bi Ryu Yeon had created. Finding Bi Ryu Yeon was incredibly easy. They simply had to follow the commotion after stepping out of the inn.

“What… are you doing?”

Namgung Sang asked, his eyes filled with concern. Causing such a disturbance wouldn’t benefit them in any way.

“Hmm? Me? I was just performing some rescue work. As always, the noble act of saving lives is quite tedious and troublesome.”

Bi Ryu Yeon pretended to wipe sweat off his brow.

“Are you talking about the young lady… over there?”

Namgung Sang pointed at Eun Seol Ran, seeking an explanation. He knew who she was but couldn’t understand why she was here. Bi Ryu Yeon slowly shook his head.

“No, the ones I saved are those eggs lying scattered on the ground.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“It means I saved the lives of these young fellows. Isn’t that right, old man?”

Bi Ryu Yeon’s gaze suddenly shifted to the elderly driver who had been trying to stop those troublesome young men earlier. The old man, who was driving Eun Seol Ran’s carriage, seemed momentarily startled by the unexpected question but soon burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, what would a humble driver like me know? Thank you for your help, young master!”

“Is that so? Let’s just assume that’s true for now.”

Eun Seol Ran looked at Bi Ryu Yeon curiously after his ambiguous, laughing reply.

‘What did that old driver do?’

Namgung Sang was still baffled by the situation. His mind was a swirling mass of question marks.

At that moment, a young man who had buried his face in a pile of fruit from a nearby fruit stand slowly got up. No one knew how long he had been there. His white robes were now stained with various colors from the crushed fruit. He seemed to be in pain, massaging his body and shaking his head as if trying to clear the cobwebs.

As the young man, wincing in pain, looked around, he noticed a familiar face and excitedly approached him. He must have seen him as a savior.

“B-Brother!”

The young man called out to Namgung Sang in a pitiful voice, his face a colorful mess.

“Isn’t that my second uncle’s second son, Ho? What happened to you?”

Encouraged by Namgung Sang’s concerned question, Namgung Ho pointed at Bi Ryu Yeon, hoping for revenge.

“That guy…”

Thump!

Namgung Ho, who had just regained consciousness from his agonizing pain, fell silent again after receiving Namgung Sang’s timely and appropriate intervention.

‘He didn’t hear, right?’

He quickly glanced at Bi Ryu Yeon, who seemed too preoccupied chatting with Mo Yong Hwi and Eun Seol Ran to notice them. He had succeeded!

[What happened?]

Startled by the sudden voice transmitting directly into his ear, Namgung Sang jumped as if he had seen a ghost.

[What? Hahaha, nothing happened. Nothing at all. Really, I swear it’s true!]

Panicked, Namgung Sang desperately tried to explain.

“Is that so?”

Bi Ryu Yeon’s head swiveled back, and Namgung Sang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Whew!”

Namgung Sang deserved praise for quickly rescuing his cousin from imminent danger. Of course, Namgung Ho wouldn’t understand.

* * *

**Mo Yong Hwi and Eun Seol Ran’s Reunion**

“Milady Eun, what are you doing here?”

Mo Yong Hwi asked in a voice filled with suspicion.

“Oh my, what a coincidence!”

Eun Seol Ran replied with a bright smile. Her smile was so innocent and carefree that it made Mo Yong Hwi, who had asked the question with a serious expression, feel embarrassed. Every time he saw her smile, he questioned whether she truly was a member of the dark sect. He began to reflect on his own narrow-mindedness in labeling the entire dark sect as evil.

And most importantly, the Seven Star Sword Mo Yong Hwi, whose skill was unrivaled among his peers, was completely powerless before that smile. It was as if Eun Seol Ran’s smile contained a potent poison that bewildered him.

“A c-coincidence?”

He wanted to shout, ‘That’s impossible!’, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it in front of her innocent, smiling face.

“How come you’re here?”

It was the same question, but this time it carried an underlying message, ‘Don’t play games. Answer me honestly.’

“I’m on vacation. Sometimes, when you travel, your paths cross. Isn’t that a great opportunity to make companions? I heard that Mount Hua is a good travel destination with many scenic spots.”

Eun Seol Ran continued to emphasize their ‘coincidental’ encounter.

“It’s true. There’s no better travel than a journey with good companions.”

The old driver, intervening, chimed in.

“S-Surely not…?”

Mo Yong Hwi stammered, unable to think of what to say. Eun Seol Ran slowly nodded.

“Do you really intend to travel with us?”

Mo Yong Hwi, flustered, raised his voice.

“Is that not allowed?”

Eun Seol Ran’s obsidian eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at him pleadingly. It was one of the most fearsome techniques in the world: the Beauty Trap. Its effectiveness was amplified when used by a stunning beauty like Eun Seol Ran.

“Young Master Mo Yong!”

His handsome face, usually expressionless, turned as red as autumn leaves at her heart-wrenching voice.

Even the model student, the ice block, the wooden plank, Mo Yong Hwi, was powerless against her doe-eyed gaze.

‘Do I secretly want to travel with her?’

He shook his head, trying to dispel the absurd thought.

“I’ll… I’ll ask the elder.”

The most brilliant talent in the martial world, the Seven Star Sword, had admitted defeat.

‘Such skillful manipulation!’

Bi Ryu Yeon nodded in admiration.

“Lucky you! A pretty girl to cheer you on.”

Yeomdo teased, making Mo Yong Hwi uncomfortable.

“T-That’s a misunderstanding.”

“What misunderstanding? The evidence is standing right here. Did every misunderstanding in the world die?”

Yeomdo’s words added to Mo Yong Hwi’s discomfort. He was completely out of his element.

“What should we do?”

Namgung Sang asked Yeomdo on behalf of the flustered Mo Yong Hwi, his eyes pleading for advice and consent. Yeomdo suddenly felt like slapping him. Leaving the decision to Yeomdo with his pressured gaze!

It was as if he was saying, ‘I don’t want to take responsibility. You decide and take the blame.’

Yeomdo found Namgung Sang’s attempt to shift responsibility extremely annoying, as was Mo Yong Hwi’s silent support of Namgung Sang.

However, there were too many witnesses to punish them. ‘You little brat, just wait!’ Yeomdo thought, harboring resentment towards Namgung Sang. No one knew that this incident doubled the amount of training the Jujakdan would have to endure the next day. And the Jujakdan remained oblivious.

“So, this young lady from the Demon Heaven Pavilion has something to do at Mount Hua, and she wants to travel with us for safety. Did I get that right?”

Yeomdo asked, gazing at Mo Yong Hwi.

“Yes.”

Mo Yong Hwi nodded.

“So this Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion girl wants to travel with us to Mount Hua, where we’re going to face off against others from the Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion?”

“Y-Yes.”

Mo Yong Hwi and Namgung Sang’s expressions hardened.

‘Are you all crazy? What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Do you want me to rip your mouths apart?’

Under normal circumstances, Yeomdo wouldn’t have hesitated to say those words. However, various factors were at play right now. First of all, Eun Seol Ran was one of the Four Beauties of the Dark Sect.

‘She’s a beauty…’

There were too many factors to simply reject her request. He was a man, and as such, he felt obliged to protect a beautiful woman. Yeomdo made a rational decision.

‘Fine! We’ll take her with us! It’s not like the sky will fall because of this. It’s not a big deal! And she’s stunning!’

It was a universal and valid reason. No one could argue against such a logical and rational explanation.

“Alright! I agree.”

“Oh my! Thank you, Elder!”

Eun Seol Ran suddenly rushed towards Yeomdo, and before anyone could react, she embraced him.

“W-Well, you… you didn’t have to do that…”

Yeomdo’s flustered, awkward, yet shy reaction was also unexpected. But he didn’t seem to dislike it.

“So superficial!”

The female disciples muttered their disapproval, but no one paid attention.

In this way, the 54-person Cheonmu Academy delegation increased to 56, with the addition of a companion and a driver.

“Is that your carriage outside, milady?”

Binggeom was sitting on the second floor of the Shunping Inn, by a railing that offered a view of the street. He maintained a polite demeanor and spoke formally to Eun Seol Ran, unlike Yeomdo, who was casual with her. Binggeom believed he was more dignified and considerate. After all, she was an investigator representing the Black Heaven Alliance. Treating her like an ordinary disciple was unthinkable. However, he seemed to be the only one who cared about that fact.

“That’s a fine carriage.”

“Thank you.”

“The more I see, the more I think you are an extraordinary woman.”

“Oh my, what could be extraordinary about a simple woman like me? Hahaha.”

The definition of “simple” seemed to have changed drastically. Binggeom glanced at the driver on the driver’s seat and continued.

“No, that’s not true at all. A simple woman wouldn’t have such an extraordinary driver. It’s absurd.”

The driver’s body tensed subtly, but Binggeom, focused on Eun Seol Ran, didn’t seem to notice.

“Oh my, you flatter me. Even if my driver is skilled, it’s only in handling a carriage. Well, it is true that finding a skillful driver like him is as hard as catching stars from the sky. I’m quite lucky.”

Eun Seol Ran replied with a bright smile, showing no signs of anxiety.

“These days, a skilled driver alone can’t guarantee a safe journey. Times are turbulent, and the martial world is a dangerous place.”

“……”

Eun Seol Ran fell silent. Despite his smile, Binggeom’s gaze was sharp, noticing the subtle tension in her demeanor.

‘Truly a discerning elder!’

Binggeom was not someone to be underestimated. She had to be more cautious.

“We can’t travel with a carriage, so you’ll have to leave it here or sell it. Otherwise, you can’t travel with us.”

“Yes, elder, you’re absolutely right.”

Eun Seol Ran responded without hesitation. She had been aware of this from the beginning.

Yeomdo looked around, his voice demanding attention.

“Now that everything is settled, I won’t tolerate any more interruptions to my meal!”

He resumed eating, and the others followed suit.

Crash!

The main entrance of the Shunping Inn burst open with a loud crash. The hinges were shaken by the powerful impact.

“Where’s the bastard who insulted the Eight Great Families earlier? Come out now! I’ll teach you a lesson! Get out here! Beg for forgiveness on your knees, or you won’t live to see tomorrow!”

A commotion erupted. A young man dressed in black martial attire had stormed into the inn, screaming.

“Come out, you coward! I, Tang Cheol Ak, the Swift Hand of the Sichuan Tang family, will be your opponent!”

It seemed this young man was older than those five brats from earlier.

“……”

Following Yeomdo’s stern warning, an eerie silence fell over the inn. The silence was so profound that one could have heard a pin drop. Judging by his aura, he was more skilled than the five morons earlier, but he had chosen the wrong place to pick a fight.

‘Dang Sam must have failed to teach his kids proper manners!’

Bi Ryu Yeon thought.

“Huh? Huh?”

Tang Cheol Ak, who had failed the Cheonmu Academy entrance exam three times, quickly realized something was wrong. Everywhere he looked, he saw cold, piercing eyes staring back at him. He felt himself shrinking.

Clatter!

The red-haired man’s chopsticks fell onto the table, resonating throughout the silent inn.

“RAAAAAAAAAAAWR!”

Yeomdo’s anger, suppressed until now, had finally exploded.

“What kind of unmannered brat are you? Didn’t your family teach you table manners?”

As Yeomdo unleashed his fury, his hand moved with blinding speed.

‘Aaaaaaaah…’

Tang Cheol Ak’s mind turned blank, overwhelmed by the blinding white light. He was then reduced to white ash, dispersing into the air without a trace.