Chapter 13: Seorin, Sowol.

“Let’s each go separately.”

The other three turned to look at her at the same time.

With a firm expression, Seorin continued.

“We’re skilled enough. We know the roads. There’s no need to go together.”

Chohee narrowed her eyes and raised the corner of her lips.

“Why the sudden change? Wouldn’t it be better to stick together?”

Seorin shook her head briefly.

“Maybe… going separately is what Master wants.”

No one could easily argue with that.

A quiet breeze passed through.

The leaves at the edge of the courtyard rustled.

And in that wind, all four of them recalled their master’s final words.

—From now on, each of you will go your own way.

The message had been clear.

Not just in words, but in action.

He had left without warning, and they had simply stood there, watching his back.

Seorin spoke again.

“We don’t have weapons or money. We weren’t given any time to prepare. But maybe… that was part of the plan too. To make us decide for ourselves.”

Hwaran quietly nodded.

Chohee let out a small sigh and shrugged her shoulders.

Sowol, arms crossed, fell into thought for a moment, but then, without a word, began walking in a different direction.

Seorin didn’t say anything more.

She just gave a slight nod, then quietly turned and began walking as well.

Steps that moved before words.

That was her way, and at the same time, a silent answer to them all.

“First, I’ll head to Yangyang.”

Seorin muttered to herself as she started walking.

She would take a boat from Yangyang.

Then follow the Han River northward by water to Nanyang.

From there, she’d pass through Yeo Mountain and reach Kaifeng.

It would be the fastest route.

With that thought, she began descending the familiar mountain path of Mount Wudang.

The wind was still cool, and the leaves rustled with a soft sound.

But all of it felt strangely unfamiliar.

No, more precisely, the scene overlapped with memories from the past.

The last time she walked down this path, it had been very different.

Her training robes had been soaked in blood.

Her body was covered in wounds, large and small.

Her left arm hadn’t moved, and her legs barely held her up.

But still, she had to walk.

Back then, even the idea of stopping to get up after falling felt like a luxury.

She had gritted her teeth and forced herself down Mount Wudang.

Just surviving had been enough to be thankful for.

Recalling that memory, Seorin let out a faint, dry chuckle.

Now, it was different.

There were no wounds.

And her heart—was steady and strong.

The ironic thing was, there was no longer a sword at her waist.

That empty space felt oddly out of place.

As a swordswoman, she had carried a blade for decades.

How did she end up like this—unarmed?

A small, involuntary chuckle escaped her lips.

She wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.

She had no intention of repeating the failures of her past life.

And so, with that firm resolve, she set off.

Only for Seorin to stop after just one gak (15 minutes).

“…Ah.”

Her eyes were fixed forward, but her thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

“…I don’t have any money.”

She had to take a boat.

And boat fare wasn’t cheap.

But at the moment, she had nothing in her hands.

Because of her master’s orders, she hadn’t been allowed to bring anything.

All she had was the old, worn-out training robe on her back.

That was it.

“…So how am I supposed to board a boat?”

Again, she let out a small laugh.

“…I thought things would be different this time.”

Seorin placed her hands on her hips and lowered her head.

A quiet sigh followed.

Reality always has a way of testing one’s resolve.

Seorin is, at this very moment, starving.

On the day she left, she had been in high spirits.

She still had her pride, and she felt like she could do anything.

But after wandering through mountain trails and open fields for five days without a single proper meal, pride no longer mattered.

Nothing did.

On the first day, she proudly avoided all wild animals.

On the second, she tried chewing on grass from the field… and spat it out immediately.

On the third, she found herself eyeing a squirrel—and immediately felt disgusted with herself.

On the fourth, she seriously tried to bite into an acorn, and nearly broke a tooth.

And now, on the fifth day.

Seorin stood on a hill just outside of Yangyang, deep in serious contemplation.

‘Can I even get through the city gates looking like this?’

Her hair was a mess.

Her training robe was torn, exposing one knee completely.

Her face was caked in dust.

On top of that, her back was hunched, and her steps resembled more of a zombie’s shuffle than a warrior’s stride.

Just a moment ago, a little girl passing by had tossed her a coin and run away.

That coin was now sitting in Seorin’s hand.

After a moment of thought, she muttered,

“…Where did it all go wrong?”

With those words, a hollow laugh burst out.

She felt pathetic for laughing, but even that, she couldn’t stop.

The gates of Yangyang were far in the distance.

Laborers were hauling loads, vendors bustled about with carts, and the streets were crowded with movement.

Seorin straightened her back and lifted her head.

“…Still, I made it.”

With those words, she carefully tucked the coin into her robe.

One way or another, she’d arrived.

Even if she looked like a beggar.

As soon as she stepped into the city, she headed straight toward the harbor.

She needed information first.

When the next boat would depart, where it was going, and most importantly—how much the fare was.

And before she could even finish that thought.

“Hey, you. Yeah, you.”

A shadow stepped in front of her.

When she looked up, three men stood there, clearly thugs.

Greasy hair, tattered clothes, and expressions that screamed trouble.

“Don’t see many girl beggars around here, huh?”

The one in front sneered as he spoke.

Behind him, the other two chuckled crudely.

Seorin simply stared at them blankly.

As if there wasn’t even a reason to reply.

“Hey, say something. What, you mute or what?”

She glanced toward the harbor for a moment, then looked back at them.

And then, she smirked.

A little while later.

“AAAAAAGHHHH!!”

The alley behind the harbor echoed with screams.

The three thugs were plastered to the wall like frightened cats, their bodies covered in bluish bruises.

Their clothes were torn, their hair disheveled, and one of them had both hands raised, crying in earnest.

“We’re sorry… we just… we just wanted a few coins, that’s all…”

In front of them stood Seorin, holding a wooden club.

Her training robes were completely torn, her face covered in dust and dirt, and her cheeks slightly sunken from hunger, but her eyes burned with cold, sharp life.

Seorin slowly leaned the club against her shoulder and spoke.

“I’m guessing you bully people like this all the time.”

The three thugs clenched their eyes shut, shaking their heads vigorously without saying a word.

“Hah, so you’re not even gonna answer, huh.”

Seorin smirked and tapped the club against the ground.

At the sound, all three thugs flinched at once.

“Alright then. Starting now, I’m going to turn you into proper human beings.”

At that, one of the thugs spoke up in a near-sobbing voice.

“No, please… we’re really fine just the way we are—”

Just then, a loud and mighty sound echoed from Seorin’s stomach.

Grrrrrowl.

In an instant, the mood twisted in a strange way.

All three thugs’ eyes shifted simultaneously to her stomach.

Seorin very slowly turned her head to look at them, and with a completely straight face, without a hint of embarrassment, asked.

“…You guys got any money?”

Her face was full of genuine sincerity.

On the fifth day since their departure, Sowol appeared confidently in front of the city gates of Hyeongju.

Her training robes were torn and dirty in places, but her face was spotless, and her hair was surprisingly neatly tied back.

In fact, she looked not just fine, she looked like she had even gained a little color in her cheeks.

Holding a twig in her hand, she casually waved to the guards at the gate.

“Hello there~ Just passing through~”

One of the guards blinked at her in confusion, then, stunned by her brazenness, simply stepped aside and let her through.

She looked so completely at ease that he just assumed she must be a local beggar girl.

Sowol hummed a tune as she walked into the city.

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in her steps.

And for good reason.

The entire journey, she hadn’t gone hungry.

In fact, she hadn’t even had time to skip a meal.

On the first day, she ran into a plump mountain rabbit in the forest.

She didn’t hesitate—threw a stone, and caught it cleanly.

On the second day, she spotted fish by the riverside.

Catching them by hand was difficult, but with a stick and some stones, she crafted a makeshift spear, and surprisingly, it worked.

On the third day, she foraged for plants in the fields.

They were a bit bitter, but the scent was familiar.

She remembered sneaking them behind Master’s back once, and getting a stomachache.

This time, she cooked them.

They were edible.

On the fourth day, she found some strange-looking mushrooms.

A few bites made her dizzy, but she recovered quickly.

The taste was pretty good, and she didn’t mind the warming sensation in her body.

And now, on the fifth day.

She stood in front of Hyeongju’s gates, her face full of energy.

Stretching lightly, she murmured,

“Mmm~ Ate well, slept well… Maybe I’ll look around Hyeongju a bit, then head toward Hankou?”

She glanced around briefly, then headed straight for the market.

Her eyes were focused, her steps light and nimble.

“Wonder if there’s anything tasty around here~?”

Strangely enough,
the word training had long since disappeared from her thoughts.

Half an hour later.

In a back alley on the outskirts of Hyeongju, where old warehouses were gathered in a dusty row.

Sowol leaned against a wall, quietly chewing on a dried sweet potato.

One of the locals—feeling pity after watching her drool over food at a cart, had handed her the sweet potato.

And now, as she snacked peacefully, a few beggars approached her.

Wearing ragged robes, faces covered in grime.

The one in front gave her a once-over and spoke.

“You don’t know this is our turf, do you?”

Sowol didn’t respond.

She simply kept chewing on her sweet potato, and slowly raised her gaze.

“You’d better scram. If you’re new, learn your place—”

“…Hmph.”

Sowol finished chewing, then let the dry twig she had been holding fall to the ground with a soft thud.

And slowly—very slowly—she stood up.

She didn’t lower her stance.

She didn’t flare her aura.

She just smiled, coldly.

And the moment that smile spread across her face, the beggars’ expressions began to stiffen, ever so slightly.