episode_0011

The world was always like a cold knife, and it was a very dangerous place where one wrong step could cut into a weak body.

There was nothing strange.

I don’t know who my father is, and I don’t know who my mother is.

The people around him are just other beggars who are greedy for the handful of rotten food they got from begging.

It would be funnier if each day I lived with such people was safe.

Still, I was nimble from a young age, so I was never robbed by adult beggars, but the world was never without danger.

Even the night when everyone should be sleeping peacefully was not a time of rest for her.

Since he didn’t even have a small wall to protect himself, he never slept properly to protect himself from those who revealed their lust for him or tried to capture him and sell him as a slave.

If it weren’t for the sense I had since I was young, or if it wasn’t for my skinny body due to not eating properly, which isn’t to many people’s tastes.

Perhaps he has already lost his life or been sold into slavery.

fear.

fear.

And malice.

Sayoon was extremely weak as she lived in a harsh world with no walls to protect her or pillars to lean on.

That’s why I was jealous.

Every time I sat in the gutter and looked up at the world, I saw the image of a girl the same age as me.

Unlike myself, who is nothing, I hold the large, firm hand that protects me with a face full of happiness as if it were a given.

And, the hand that caresses her with deep affection.

To Sayoon, it was something he envied more than anything else.

“At that time… It was similar to the way my father looked at me after I ate.”

When I headed to Hongryeon’s room with the letter and box sent from the post office, I couldn’t help but hold my breath without realizing it.

Sayun listened quietly in front of Hongryeon’s room.

Compared to her, who lived in the gutter and was more accustomed to the malice of others.

One day, he was led by the Sword Saint to Hongseongmun, became her disciple, and gained the power to protect himself, but he still doesn’t know much about her.

This was evaluated by sisters who know more about other people’s perspectives.

That’s why Sayun slightly closed her eyes and thought.

The conversation I hear inside is probably talking about what happened today.

okay. What happened today.

For her, who lived in the gutter and later came to Hongseongmun while holding Geomseong’s hand, the life of Hongseongmun was literally heaven.

Although the other sisters-in-law complain that it is not delicious, Hong Seong-moon’s food is literally a feast for Sayun, who has always had to eat only spoiled and shabby things.

I ended up eating a dish that was several times, or even dozens, times more delicious than that.

How about the soft porridge that soothes the stomach, and how about the crispy fried eggplant that comes afterwards?

Not to mention the Hongwol meat, which has a sweet and salty taste that gets better the more you chew it, and the Gyeryuksam, which is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, was so delicious that not only Sayun but also the other sisters-in-law were surprised.

Thinking about it again, it’s a dish so delicious that it makes my mouth water.

I remembered the look I had seen at the person who served the dish.

‘I don’t know… I don’t know.’

okay. I don’t know. But it had to be that way.

The owner of the house, Yuwol.

The gaze from a man of her age that she was unfamiliar with was so awkward that it was difficult for Sayoon to accept it.

What is certain, however, is that it was not malicious.

Sayoon was more sensitive to malice than Hongryeon, who had become accustomed to the world.

So, is that gaze simply lust?

When I was lying in bed, my sisters-in-law teasingly told me about the horrors of the world.

There are crazy, crazy people called pedophiles in the world, and those people are garbage people who only get horny for small, young children like Sayoon.

Sayoon also knew about that to some extent, so goosebumps appeared all over his body.

It’s not like there weren’t people who looked at him that way when he was in the gutter.

It’s not like there weren’t people who lured girls of the same age into their room under the pretext of a dumpling.

Of course, thanks to her ungainly body and extreme vigilance, they never touched her, but thinking about their gazes still made my spine tingle even when I was at Hongseongmun Gate.

‘But… it wasn’t like that.’

okay. It wasn’t like that.

His gaze was too warm to be considered lust, and too warm to be considered contempt.

Reflecting on the gaze he had never felt before, Sayoon recalled the voice he had heard earlier.

– At that time… It was similar to the way my father looked at me after I ate.

Father’s gaze.

The family’s perspective that he never had.

When I was in the gutter, the gaze that was exclusive to the girl I was so envious of.

Is it really that?

Did the owner of Yuwol really look at me like that?

Sayoon felt a little warmth in her heart.

The big guy I met in the alley.

After rescuing him from danger, when I fought with a Sect master named Gakjun of the corridor, the cry that came out at the moment of crisis rang in my head.

If it weren’t for that voice, Gakjun’s awl would have been stuck in his side.

I was so nervous at the time that I forgot about it, but now that I think about it…

“It wasn’t…”

It seems that the emotion contained in that voice was not simply a fear of Sayun being defeated and putting herself in danger.

Worry about hurting yourself.

Feeling sorry for the possible danger.

Sayoon began to breathe heavily as she recalled the warm feelings that were only directed at her.

“Huuuu…”

Hongseong Shingong moves without realizing it. My tense and stiff body relaxed, and a blush appeared on my cold, stiff face.

okay.

My face gets hot like this.

It’s probably because Hongseong Shingong reacts to emotions.

She nodded slightly, opened the door slightly, and went inside.

“Hmmmm…”

As soon as I came inside and faced my sisters, the warm and strange excitement that had been tickling deep inside my heart disappeared.

Because she was too good at putting off doing things she needed to do anyway, no matter how she felt.

Therefore, even after seeing the newly received box, Sayun could not show any reaction other than a slight smile.

“What was the letter he sent so far?”

“Uh… The first line was, “Have you eaten?” The second line was to call me uncle.”

It’s a letter from someone I don’t even know.

Perhaps it was because of the enclosed eunja, or maybe it was because the content was insignificant in preparation for my heightened alertness, but my alertness was significantly reduced after just two visits.

However, the letter sent this time had content that raised Hongryeon’s alertness considerably.

That’s because what was in the temple was a map, a map of Hongseongsan Mountain.

“Where is this?”

“Hmm… It’s halfway south of Socheonbong Peak on Hongseongsan Mountain. I think it’s near Yongmeori Rock.”

“But why is there a map of this place written on the temple…?”

“Wouldn’t you like to meet?”

Ryu Hyun muttered coldly after hearing the situation from Hongryeon and Sayun.

Although she was not as good as Hongryeon, she was a capable and just warrior who caught evildoers, thieves, and monsters.

Therefore, it was not surprising to feel hostility towards pedophiles or those who tried to harass people with letters.

“It would be better to go.”

“Sister’s residence. Didn’t I say I had to leave early tomorrow?”

Ryu Hyeon asked worriedly, but Hongryeon shook her head. The person who had not revealed his identity until now might be trying to reveal his identity for the first time.

Especially these days, there are strange letters, such as provocations disguised as courtship letters sent from someone who is extremely annoying.

The situation in the martial arts world has become chaotic, and I wish Hong Seong-moon would come to prepare for that.

Some sects belonging to the Murim Alliance have recently seen an increase in monsters and thieves, so it would be nice if they could fight together.

There were often quite annoying police agencies trying to take advantage of them.

No, if that’s all, I won’t say anything.

No matter how weak Hongseongmun is, it is a strong sect with swordsmanship and Nakilgeom.

There was even a letter containing a taunt, which was a good idea even if Hong Seong-mun was ignored, telling people to be careful because such a sect might be attacked by a powerful enemy called the Iron Blood Order.

Things that would have been unthinkable before are happening in Moorim now.

so.

If you can be careful, it’s better to be as careful as possible.

But that was just his opinion, and Sayoon didn’t seem to think that way.

Therefore, as if to comfort Sayun, who was looking at the book with concern, Hongryeon briefly blurted out.

“Perhaps there is something dangerous here and you should be careful. I’ll have to check. It was sent by that ‘uncle’.”

Is it because of Hongryeon’s attitude of outwardly approving the man? As a smile appeared on Sayun’s lips, Hongryeon gently grabbed her beloved sword, Jeokil.

When Ryu Hyeon saw that, he swallowed his saliva without realizing it.

Ryu Hyeon tensed his body and said seriously, because if she catches that, it means that she will do her best for this matter.

“I will also have other disciples on standby just in case.”

“Hmm. And the youngest.”

“Yes.”

“You should go too. Just in case you don’t know.”

Of course, it was unlikely that anyone would have sent the letter there.

Because the time and date were not written down in the first place.

But there is a what if.

If there really was someone there who sent this letter, Sayun had every right to meet him.

Whether he is evil or not.

“Okay.”

Hongryeon relieved Sayoon of her tension by stroking her head, who nodded with a very nervous expression, and got up from her seat as Sayun left.

“If this person is the one who mocks Hongseong, I will turn him into a star fragment.”

The expression of the immature sister-in-law, who was always cheerful and made people blush with her low-quality jokes, turned into Hongryeon, the female martial arts master of Nakilgeom.

Facing it, Ryu Hyun slightly clenched his fists.

I thought maybe I should open the world of death today.

I had my students standby just in case, but there was no need for everyone to go.

This book itself may be an attempt to divide the number of disciples in Hongseongmun.

That’s why the ones who move are Hongryeon and Ryuhyeon. And it was just Sayoon.

The place I need to go to is Hongseongsan Mountain anyway. For them, it is literally no different from their front yard.

Although the area written on the map was not often visited, there were many ways to deal with an emergency.

So the three quickly moved to the location written on the map.

There I looked at it in silence, at a loss for words.

“This… is a secret area, right?”

“Uh. I think so.”

As they went down the road hidden by overgrown bushes and vines, what they saw was more absurd than they thought.

The entrance of a large building slowly revealing a red aura.

Secret area.

The other side of the world that can only be created by a select few among those whose state reaches the sky and whose will is high.

I don’t know why this was created, but the Murim people placed great importance on secret areas.

The secret world is a place of challenge.

When the challenge within him was overcome, the challenger was able to achieve something worthy of it.

Whether it is an elixir that increases endurance or a martial arts skill suitable for trials.

Either that or a cavalry with power that cannot be reached by human power.

The question is, why is that secret place here?

“Oh my god. There has to be a degree of darkness under the lamp…”

Even though this place is not often visited by Hongseong students and the entrance road is hidden, how could you miss this?

When I was in the Murim League, I laughed out loud when I heard the story that Cheonil Jinin, the third great ancestor of the Shaman faction and a fable and good man, had discovered a secret world that turned out to have been created before he went to the top.

No, how long has it been since the Shaman faction has been established in Mt. Wudang, and have they discovered it now?

But that is what they experienced.

How much people will laugh when they hear this from the Murim Alliance and the Shaman faction.

She held her throbbing head.

“Shall we go in first? I need to find out what kind of place it is…”

“Umm.”

Hongryeon nodded slightly and placed her hand at the entrance to the secret world. At the same time, a dusky red energy surrounds her hand.

-Who are you?

“What?”

A soft voice. A strict, solemn and serious voice.

Hongryeon muttered softly as she remembered that there were secret places that only those with the qualifications could enter.

“I am one of the inspectors of the Murim Alliance’s inspection department, and my fellow martial arts comrades call me Nakilgeomyi. As a great disciple of Hong Seong-moon, Hongryeon desires infinite development and glory for Hong Seong-moon.”

Her answer and red energy were directed at Ryu Hyun.

-Who are you?

Ryu Hyeon, who was embarrassed, also responded similarly, and the red energy moved again and reached Sayun.

Sayun kept her mouth shut. Unlike the women before her, she had only one thing to offer.

-Who are you?

“…This is Sayun, Hong Seong-moon’s disciple.”

At the end, the red energy is sucked into the secret world.

-Kugugung…

At the same time, the stone door that was tightly closed opens.

When they were surprised by that and retreated.

Seokmun let out his last voice as if it was obvious.

– You are people who have learned the Hongseong Shingong and have legitimate qualifications. This is a secret area left behind at Hongseongmun Gate.

That solemn voice was enough to make all three, including Hongryeon, think the same thing at the same time.

That the ‘uncle’ who knows Hong Seong-moon’s secret secrets that even Hong Seong-moon didn’t know about may not be such a dangerous person.

That’s because Hong Seong-moon’s enemies can’t recover what Hong Seong-moon lost.