Chapter v17c19

## A Certain Letter

– An Afternoon Nap

It was a late afternoon in early spring, the warm sunlight encroaching on the remnants of winter, when a letter arrived for Jin-Ryeong, the Emei’s Peak, one of the Seven Phoenixes. She was strolling through the garden with her lover, Namgung-Sang, the Thunderclap Sword Dragon, a man whose grand title, according to their senior brother Bi Ryu-Yeon, was completely at odds with his penchant for melodrama. Cheonmu Academy boasted numerous beautifully landscaped gardens, adorned with pavilions of various designs, ponds with artfully arranged natural stones, well-tended trees, and lush green grass, making them popular spots for couples. Jin-Ryeong received the letter at one such location, the Moon Shadow Pavilion.

Finding it awkward to read standing up, she moved inside the pavilion and quickly opened the letter. Her face lit up.

Who was the letter from? Could it be from another man? Namgung-Sang, whose mind was plagued by such melodramatic suspicions, had his doubts immediately dispelled by her bright smile.

“Sang, look at this. My aunt is coming here!”

Joy rippled across her delicate, milky-white face like sunlight on water.

“Your aunt… you mean…?”

Jin-Ryeong nodded vigorously, pride shining in her eyes.

“Yes, that’s her!”

That was all Namgung-Sang needed to know who it was.

“But isn’t she currently at the Emei Sect…?”

Of course, the distance between Nanchang, located by Lake Payang, and Sichuan wasn’t insurmountable. But Jin-Ryeong’s aunt was “that person,” no, “that figure.”

A legendary woman, far more renowned than Jin-Ryeong, the Emei’s Peak, one of the Seven Phoenixes. She was also Jin-Ryeong’s role model and goal. The most famous woman in the Emei Sect, a fellow disciple, and the one closest to becoming the next sect leader.

“…The Emei Goddess!”

Namgung-Sang’s voice was filled with awe. She was a figure worthy of reverence. A valiant woman, said to be the best in the Emei Sect in terms of swordsmanship, a master swordsman rumored to surpass even the current sect leader, Hye-Sim Sa-Tae, in skill, an iron lady who had captured the hearts of countless men in the martial world but remained unattached, a flower on a cliff, a star in the sky.

The Jin family, based in a major city in Sichuan Province, had long-standing ties with the Emei Sect, and the strongest bond was with Jin-Ryeong’s aunt, the Emei Goddess, also known as the Sichuan’s First Goddess, Jin Dae-Rang. She was a legendary figure who had built her reputation as a pillar of Sichuan, surpassing even Tang So-Yeon, the master of poison from the long-established Sichuan Tang Family, and Chu So-Yeong, the Sword Fairy of the Cheongseong Sect. Twenty years ago, they were known as the “Three Little Fairies of Sichuan,” competing fiercely, and even now, in their mid-thirties, their rivalry continued.

The Three Little Fairies had all settled down and started families, but even their former rivals couldn’t compare to her current fame and glory. The only flaw in her near-perfect image was that she was unmarried. There were many rumors and speculations among gossipmongers, but nothing concrete. Some even said she was still hung up on a mysterious master she had met briefly twenty years ago.

But she was a Daoist disciple, and the Emei Sect leaders had traditionally remained unmarried – it was actually forbidden by the sect rules – so it wasn’t something to be criticized. It was a flaw that only enhanced her allure. A flower on a cliff, unattainable. That image only fueled the fantasies of countless men.

“I heard she hasn’t left the Emei Sect for the past five years. Am I mistaken?”

Jin-Ryeong shook her head.

“No, that’s true.”

She hated crowds. She believed that being entangled in worldly relationships would distract her from focusing on herself, which was what truly mattered. Meeting people was exhausting for her. It was difficult to find someone who truly understood her, and most people just wanted to see her for their own satisfaction. That wasn’t what she wanted, and she wasn’t the type to express her discomfort openly. So she decided to seclude herself in the mountains.

“She hates bothersome things. Whenever she appears, people swarm her. The Emei Goddess’s fame hasn’t diminished over the years. She’s in her mid-thirties now, but… she still has a huge following. Countless suitors are begging to marry her, offering their entire fortunes.”

Jin-Ryeong seemed unusually excited when talking about her aunt. In fact, she was a devout follower of the Emei Goddess.

Know your place! She was clearly holding back those words.

To avoid such nuisances, her aunt had stopped leaving the sect five years ago. When it came to being bothersome, few creatures could rival men. They were annoying, unreasonable, and sometimes even violent due to their flawed upbringing. Their delusions, fueled by their petty sense of male superiority, were particularly irritating and exhausting.

Know your place. And why couldn’t they understand simple words?

There were those who twisted even the most direct, clear, and unambiguous answers to suit their own tastes. Communication was always a struggle, even when she was speaking in plain human language. No woman would want to be with a moron who couldn’t even hold a conversation.

“Good grief…”

Jin-Ryeong continued reading the letter, her heart filled with joy, ignoring Namgung-Sang’s exasperated sigh.

At first, it was a typical letter filled with mundane greetings. It had been a while since they last met, and she was wondering how she was doing, if her swordsmanship had improved. And she mentioned that she had recently achieved a small breakthrough in her own swordsmanship.

A small breakthrough…

‘It seems she’s achieved something significant this time. Just how far will her achievements reach…’

It was an expression she rarely used. And yet, she had used the word “small.” It was clear that something major had happened.

Jin-Ryeong sighed softly. Her goal, already high enough, refused to stay still. It kept pushing forward, breaking through its limits, without any regard for those trying to catch up.

‘Well, that’s why I admire her…’

She never stopped improving herself. She was never satisfied, no matter how much praise she received. She never settled. Her goals were simply different. So she had no interest in the praises of ordinary people. Her goal was beyond the realm of mortals.

“It seems like she’s already achieved enough.”

She was already a superhuman, even now. And yet, there was still room for improvement?

It was unbelievable. If she kept running ahead at this pace, how could her juniors possibly keep up? But Jin-Ryeong knew that expecting her aunt to show such consideration was like asking for the moon. If she saw her followers struggling or falling behind, she would simply leave them behind and accelerate, or complain, “I barely have time for my own training, how can I take care of my juniors?”

But as Jin-Ryeong read the last part of the letter, her expression changed drastically. A mixture of emotions surfaced on her face, creating a strange and complex pattern.

The joy and excitement from earlier were gone.

“What’s wrong, Ryeong? Did something bad happen? You look pale. Is there something bad in the letter?”

Namgung-Sang, alarmed by the sudden change, asked with a worried expression. He had a natural talent for worrying. He instinctively knew that this was his chance to shine.

But his concern didn’t reach her ears. It wasn’t her who was in trouble, but him, the one who was worried about her.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped her lips involuntarily.

‘What should I do about this…’

She wished it was a joke, but she despaired once again, knowing that her aunt had no sense of humor.

With another heavy sigh, Jin-Ryeong held out the letter to Namgung-Sang, her gaze fixed ahead.

Namgung-Sang stared blankly at the letter clutched in her small, delicate hand, and then at her face, which was now turned towards the ground, avoiding his gaze.

“Can I read it?”

She nodded weakly, giving him permission.

“Alright, let’s see.”

Namgung-Sang, who had been curious, eagerly took the letter and began to read.

To my dear A-Ryeong,

How have you been? I’m doing well. It’s been four years since you entered Cheonmu Academy. Four years since I last saw your smile. So I’m looking forward to our reunion even more. Your junior sister, Yu-Ran, will be accompanying me on this trip. She’s been recommended by the sect to enter Cheonmu Academy. You’re only a year apart, but there’s such a big difference between you two. I didn’t intend to keep her for so long… (omitted)…

The beginning was quite ordinary. It was a letter from an aunt to her niece, filled with love and concern, nothing out of the ordinary.

But it wasn’t that part that shocked Jin-Ryeong.

“Look at the sixth line from the left.”

Namgung-Sang, still confused, followed her instructions and looked at the sixth line from the left edge of the vertically written letter.

…So I heard from your brother that you have a lover now. That’s something to celebrate. I don’t quite understand such feelings, but I should congratulate you, right? So I’d like to meet him when I visit. As your aunt, I believe I have the duty and right to assess whether he’s worthy of being your partner. Let’s postpone the congratulations until then. As always, I trust you won’t object. I promise to do my best to live up to your trust.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Your aunt.

“Why is this…?”

The obtuse Namgung-Sang couldn’t understand why this sentence had made her face so pale. Having a dull boyfriend could be quite troublesome for a woman.

“Sigh…”

Jin-Ryeong let out another heavy sigh, hoping to lighten her heart, but it didn’t seem to have any effect. She had lost count of how many times she had sighed.

“It means she’s going to test you.”

“Test? As in, asking questions, giving tasks, or evaluating my knowledge and skills through a set procedure?”

“Yes, that kind of test. It’s also called an examination… but that’s not important right now.”

She almost got caught up in his train of thought. Was she becoming like her senior brother, picking up his bad habits?

“The linguistic definition of the word isn’t important. What matters is the essence. The name doesn’t reflect the essence. You know that, right?”

He didn’t, but if he did, he would have realized the gravity of the situation before she explained it.

“To put it simply, Sang, you’ve been given the glorious opportunity to cross swords with the Emei Goddess. Along with the honor of possibly dying by her sword.”

“Y-you don’t mean…?”

No matter how glorious it sounded, he wasn’t interested in becoming a skewered piece of meat on the tip of her sword. It wouldn’t even taste good. But would she really go that far? He still had his doubts. It was an extreme act, completely contrary to common sense. He couldn’t imagine someone like the Emei Goddess doing such a thing. Jin-Ryeong immediately sensed his naivete. He was jumping to conclusions based on his limited understanding, ignoring the reality.

“She might. No, she definitely will. No matter what. She’s not interested in weak men. And she doesn’t like strong, but stupid men either. One thing’s for sure, she always keeps her word.”

In short, she was picky.

“Do you think I’m not good enough?”

Namgung-Sang was quite confident in his skills, even though he was surrounded by monsters. He wasn’t bragging, but he was one of the Nine Dragons, along with Jin-Ryeong, and he was the leader of the Vermilion Bird group, even if he was Bi Ryu-Yeon’s lackey. He had never felt inferior to his peers in terms of skill, at least not recently. Except for a few inhuman monsters.

“I can guarantee that you won’t pass her test in your current state.”

It was an instinctive certainty. But her absolute confidence hurt his pride. He was a man, after all, and he had his pride.

“You don’t mean…”

He wanted her to deny it. But Jin-Ryeong had no intention of distorting reality with empty comfort. Her firm answer reflected her resolve.

“No. She’s capable of it. And she has a bad habit.”

That habit was always the culprit behind turning small problems into mountains.

“Bad habit?”

“She doesn’t hold back. She always goes all out. In a good way, she’s serious. In a bad way, she’s ruthless. She won’t go easy on you, even if it’s you.”

But ironically, that “bad habit” was also the driving force behind her success.

Even though Namgung-Sang was one of the Nine Dragons, known by the grand title of Thunderclap Sword Dragon, he knew he was no match for the Emei Goddess, who had been tested and proven countless times in the harsh world of martial arts.

“Do you think you can withstand her barrage of attacks? Her Seven Transformations Ten Thousand Variations – so called because it contains ten thousand variations within seven transformations? The swordsmanship of Jin So-Ryeong, the Emei Goddess, the only female swordsman among the Five Great Swordsmen?”

Yes, Jin So-Ryeong, the Emei Goddess, was the only woman among the Five Great Swordsmen, a testament to her exceptional talent. In other words, she was a peak swordsman, on the same level as Master Bing Geom. She was a star beyond Namgung-Sang’s reach.

“…I guess that’s impossible?”

“Oh, you’re surprisingly accepting of it.”

“There’s nothing to gain from denying reality.”

Namgung-Sang sighed softly.

“Is that something Senior Brother said?”

“Yes. He drilled those words into my head.”

“…We’ve all been there.”

The present was built on the foundation of the past, and the present became the foundation for the future. No one could escape the cycle of history. To deny one’s present self was to escape reality, and there was no applause for those who abandoned the stage of life, not even from the gods. But the path of self-cultivation was long and arduous.