episode_0031

***

This guy was different.

He wasn’t a fool who cried out for his family’s honor,

He wasn’t a crazy person who was obsessed with becoming stronger.

A guy who just lives life as it goes by.

Even when he came in as his student, he wasn’t particularly impressed.

He was also so arrogant that he would criticize everything his heavenly teacher said.

-What are you looking at?

– Hehe, don’t you know it when you see it? I’m looking at the sky.

He was talking nonsense like a Taoist bastard, so I smashed his head a few times and he became more obedient.

She cared about her student.

Such a strange person. Because I have never met you in my life.

He didn’t try to impress, and he didn’t aim for the top.

He did not try to achieve something or covet something.

I just trained silently next to her.

-Why are you learning martial arts?

– Are you asking because you don’t know? I learn because my teacher tells me to.

The sound made me go limp.

Two years of time spent with him like that.

The priest’s time, which seemed to last forever, suddenly came to an end one day.

-Open your eyes! Open your eyes!

– Oh, it hurts. I thought I got used to it.

The trace of a sword piercing the chest. She could only watch with her own eyes as dark red blood welled out from the traces.

– Master. Ah, Master.

– Don’t say it! Take a deep breath and collect your bets! hurry!

– late. Danjeon has already been destroyed.

– iced coffee…

His Danjeon was empty. When she confirmed it, she made a sound full of despair.

– Do not cry. Master.

The disciple touches his own tears with his fingertips.

Even as the flame of life is dying out, the disciple smiles brightly and speaks.

– Master, we will meet again someday.

***

“……”

Cheonma’s back was damp with cold sweat when she woke up from bed.

Is it because of Seo-hwa and Seo-hwa who slept hugging each other? She put it away still in her arms and cleared her throat.

“Are you outside?”

“Yes, yes. Teacher.”

The little lunch attendant approaches at a slow pace.

“Are you on duty today? What did you say your name was?”

“It is called Yeonhwa.”

“Okay. What time is it now?”

“This is a congratulatory poem.”

“I can’t sleep, so please bring some light refreshments.”

“Yes.”

After a while, Yeonhwa, who was very stiff, creaked and brought refreshments.

“You too, sit here.”

She called out to the servant girl who was about to turn to leave.

“Yes? But.”

“Do you want me to say it twice?”

“……”

Cheonma chewed on a cookie made with melted sugar and took a sip of tea.

Yeonhwa didn’t know how to act in this situation, so she shook her butt a few times but couldn’t do anything special.

“Would you like to eat it too?”

Cheonma asked if he was worried that he was looking at his hands.

“Je, how could I? That’s the leader’s food.”

“It is my food, so it is my heart to give it to you. Eat. If you don’t eat it, I will personally put it down your throat.”

“I will eat it gratefully.”

She picked up the cookie with trembling hands, turned her head and put it in her mouth.

A subtle sweetness spread in my mouth.

“Okay, let’s talk about something. What would be a good story?”

Come on, tell a funny story. As Cheonma spoke with that feeling, Yeonhwa rolled her eyes here and there and chose a topic.

The Cheonma must have found it amusing and opened her mouth first after watching it.

“That’s it. I’ll tell you the story, so you just listen. I’m going to tell you a story about my student.”

“Are you talking about the leader’s disciple?”

“Yes, this is the story of a very ugly student.”

Even as she said that, she kept a smile on her face.

Yeonhwa had an unholy thought that it was like the laughter of a chaste girl in love.

***

Soft moonlight illuminated the room through the window.

“……”

Namgung So-yeon woke up and glanced at the scenery outside the window and looked at the bed on the other side.

“Kooo~~”

Inho was asleep, snoring loudly.

He seems to be sleeping very soundly, and sometimes he even scratches his stomach with his hand.

She didn’t think it was ugly or indecent.

Rather, I thought it was a more eye-catching charm.

She continued to observe him with her eyes wide open, like a cat looking at a strange toy.

The only men she has met so far are all martial people.

They were people who chanted righteousness, cooperation, and loyalty.

His pride was so strong that even the smallest thing would lead to a life-or-death situation.

She thought that was foolish.

In that sense, she found Inho fascinating.

Although he doesn’t look like a martial artist, he has a well-trained body.

Although he seems to have lived a rough life, he sometimes feels deep knowledge.

An unknown person shrouded in mystery.

“He’s a fun person.”

Why on earth was he captured by the Demonic Cult?

Could it be that he is a precious child somewhere?

Think about it like that.

That’s why I proposed the Murim Alliance. There will be many means to help him.

So it is true that I am worried.

‘If you are chasing Prince Kang from the Demonic Cult….’

So far, there are no signs of tracking him, but it would be difficult if someone came after him.

This is because protecting ordinary people who do not even know martial arts and going all the way to the Murim Alliance is a very difficult task for her.

‘You have to go as inconspicuously as possible.’

Hoping that her future journey would be smooth, she lay down again and went to sleep.

◦ at

‘hmm. It might be a little annoying.’

Unfortunately, the night was long.

***

“Um….”

“Why are you doing that?”

Even though I had a good night’s sleep, my body felt groggy.

My body feels heavy and my head shakes, making me feel like I have mild body aches.

Well, I did overwork my body.

“No, it’s okay.”

“Yes. If you are unwell, please let me know.”

I know very well that there has already been a lot of delay because of me, so I decide to endure as much as I can.

We were going over the hill, and unlike when we were on a wide road, today it was deserted.

The only people I met while going over the hill were two cart sellers.

The summer sun was shining brightly and sweat poured down like rain.

It seems like I’m sweating a lot because it’s so hot?

I also get the illusion that my eyes are slightly out of focus.

“There, wait.”

A loud voice is heard, and three or four people block our path.

Oh, no way. It’s such a cliché appearance.

“What’s going on?”

When Namgung So-yeon asks the person at the front of the group, the person at the front smiles brightly and says,

“Did you dare to try to cross this hill without showing any sincerity to Chae Gang, the owner of this mountain?”

“Sojeo, it looks like a bandit.”

“Yes, I guess so, right?”

When I whispered, she also responded as if she had seen a butterfly while walking down the street.

Honestly, I’m not that scared. Although his skills could not be confirmed, it was Namgung So-yeon who single-handedly invaded the Demonic Cult to assassinate the Heavenly Demon.

Is there any need to be afraid when she is your companion?

Or perhaps I am now detached from death.

“I don’t want to make a fuss, but can you just let us go?”

When Namgung So-yeon spoke to them with a bright smile, applause erupted from over there.

“Khahaha! A pit of blood who learned a little bit of martial arts at a dojo doesn’t know fractions.”

“We’ll kill the guy behind him right away and spend the next four years on body maintenance.”

That was their last will.

***

Excluding the Heavenly Demon, if you were to choose the person in the Black Heavenly Church who is most skilled at infiltration, assassination, and tracking, everyone would unanimously say that it is the Young Demon.

Many powerful people lost their lives at her hands, and 80% of them died without even knowing that they were dying.

The reason people from the political faction were afraid of her was that no matter where she was hiding, they would always find her.

Even if the person’s residence was moved with utmost secrecy, it would be discovered in less than half an hour, and even if an escort was provided, in two days the object of protection would be a cold corpse.

For her, being tracked meant that she would die soon, and some even said that it would be better to go and beg for mercy in person.

It was a piece of cake for her to follow the traces left behind by In-ho.

Yeongma, who had followed them all the way to Sacheon, gave a few coins to Jeomsoi in the guesthouse, and after hearing which direction they were heading in, he immediately followed them.

As if his promise to Cheonma was not a bluff, Yeongma came close enough to grab the backs of Namgung So-yeon and In-ho and the others.

“Umm…”

Unlike the traces on the wide, flat road, today the traces have been sparsely erased and remain on a deserted road.

“I thought there would be quite a talented group of people… but I never thought it would be like this.”

This was clearly an action in anticipation of a chase.

If we were to fight, she thought, she would have to be careful.

As I continued further down the road, the fishy scent of blood stung my nose.

“Are they bandits? It was handled neatly.”

There was only one sword wound on the bodies of the fallen bandits.

With a sword wound of this magnitude, there would not have been any blood on the sword.

“About an hour from here.”

She muttered as she put her finger into the wound to check its temperature.

She took a deep breath, wrapped her arms around her body, and stamped her feet loudly.

***

“Prince Kang. Come to your senses.”

Namgung So-yeon was walking down the road with In-ho on her back.

When she looked back after taking care of the bandits, In-ho was lying on the floor, breathing heavily.

Since his condition looked bad and he was sweating profusely, she put him down and started running to find a nearby clinic.

‘I guess you’ve overdone it. Even if I didn’t urge you.’

Feeling a bit of responsibility, she felt a rush of energy as she tried to rush even further.

“……”

She placed the seal in the shade of the tree and drew her sword.

– Sreung

A clear sword sound rang, and she aimed the sword in the direction where the bushes were thick.

“Please come out.”

“……”

Soon, a woman with short black hair appeared from the other side of the bush.

“Young Demon…!”

When Namgung So-yeon muttered after seeing her, Youngma returned the greeting with a polite, blunt expression.

“It’s been a while. Brain sword.”