Chapter 66: Chapter 66
“Haha, Miss. I’ve heard the stories. But seeing you in person, the descriptions did you no justice.”
“Uh… thank you.”
While Jegal Sang went to speak with the Alliance Lord and other leaders, Jegal So-mi had claimed a seat among the rising stars, half-listening, half-ignoring.
‘I’d rather re-read Agent 103’s dispatches all night.’
The surroundings were loud and raucous. Rising stars with grand titles like Dragon and Star came to converse, but none of it interested her.
Understandable. She was a woman who listened to field reports from Hidden Pavilion operatives fighting for their lives. Listening to newly-minted twenty-somethings boast was hardly thrilling.
The Hengshan Sect’s rising star currently pontificating was no different.
“Haha, I told the bandits of the Greenwood. Withdraw at once. Or taste the blade of Hengshan’s Little Dragon.”
“Oh, and then? What happened?”
“My presence here is the answer, isn’t it? Heh.”
“Hahaha! Magnificent, Little Dragon of Hengshan!”
Magnificent? He’d faced a handful of mountain bandits. Anyone would think he’d caught the Greenwood King.
Everyone thrust their thumbs up in praise.
Jegal So-mi turned her head sharply. She’d rather float a boat on Dongting Lake and compose poetry.
Listening elsewhere didn’t help. One tedious, predictable hero tale after another.
“Why does everyone humor this?”
Jegal So-mi grumbled under her breath and reached for a wine bottle to pour herself a drink.
“It’s mutual back-scratching. I listen to theirs, they listen to mine.”
A cute sunflower with a short bob across from her offered an answer. A woman resting her chin on both hands, grinning brightly.
“Young Hwa-jeong!”
Jegal So-mi set down her cup and brightened.
“It’s been ages!”
Her name was Young Hwa-jeong.
Round eyes that were particularly lovely. Like Jegal So-mi, she was one of the Martial Four Flowers.
Her alias: Beggar Flower.
Unlike her refined features, her clothing was worn and stained.
Eyes that seemed to hold interest in tens of thousands of worldly concerns.
Yes. The flower of the Beggars’ Sect, tougher than a dragon in a creek.
More precisely, the granddaughter of the Supreme Sect Leader, one of the Divine Five, the Northern Beggar.
And Jegal So-mi’s closest friend.
“What happened? You said you weren’t coming today.”
When Jegal So-mi expressed deep relief at finding a savior, Young Hwa-jeong collapsed onto the table and muttered.
“Long story. I’ll have to stay up tonight. Comfort me. It’s been brutal.”
“Night’s for staying up.”
Jegal So-mi gripped Young Hwa-jeong’s hand tightly. Covered in grime, yet she held on as if never letting go.
Young Hwa-jeong always appreciated Jegal So-mi’s unpretentious nature.
“But what was that about? Back-scratching?”
“You really haven’t changed. You’d rather know that than hear my news?”
“Priorities. And you know I can’t stand not knowing.”
At Jegal So-mi’s relentless questioning, Young Hwa-jeong smirked.
“Nothing special. See over there? The moment Hengshan’s young hero finished, the young master of the Spear Sword Gate started his turn.”
True enough. Jegal So-mi looked with wide eyes, and the group’s conversation became clear.
‘Compared to Hengshan’s Little Dragon, it’s embarrassing, but my story involves capturing the Ghost Sword of Xiaxiang in Shandong. I am the Death-Defying Blade Guest.’
‘A new star of the righteous path has appeared! So it was you, young hero!’
The same old predictable cycle. Jegal So-mi immediately closed her ears and asked.
“But why?”
“He wants to be called the Death-Defying Blade Guest from now on.”
“What?”
“What else is an alias? Others have to call you that for it to stick. So he’s getting them to use the one he wants.”
“How does that work? Then what about the Ghost Sword of Xiaxiang? That should be real.”
“The Ghost Sword of Xiaxiang County in Qufu, Jining, Shandong? Even the grandfathers wouldn’t know. Might be an actual ghost.”
Hah. The analogy was dead-on. If the Northern Beggar or Jegal Sang didn’t know, then truly no one did.
“Anyway, that’s how it works. They take turns propping each other up, spreading rumors, building reputations one at a time. Gatherings like this are rare. For rising stars, it’s a golden opportunity to make names for themselves.”
I see. Made perfect sense. Her interest dropped accordingly.
Jegal So-mi drained her cup and finally asked how she was.
“But seriously, what happened? You said you couldn’t leave Beijing today.”
“Someone asked me to bring them. So here I am.”
“Who?”
“Right there. That man.”
Young Hwa-jeong pointed with her wine cup at a man just entering.
Deep blue Huashan robes. Pale skin. Features prettier than most women, and tall.
Especially those eyes, seemingly indifferent to everything, strangely provocative.
Women whispered everywhere. All eyes gravitated toward him.
“Who?”
When Jegal So-mi asked in surprise, Young Hwa-jeong teased with a sidelong glance.
“Why? Interested?”
“Stop messing around.”
“Well. What should I call him? The hottest oddity among the rising stars of the Huashan Sect?”
“Oddity?”
“You’ll see.”
Young Hwa-jeong giggled and gestured with her chin. Jegal So-mi blinked her round eyes and turned her head.
“Seon-yu. I told you not to attend today.”
The oddity of the Huashan Sect, Seon-yu, had arrived late to the Scholars’ Assembly.
He was surrounded not by women but by men. Specifically, first-generation disciples of the Huashan Sect.
“…”
“Not answering? Is my word a joke to you now?”
A fairly masculine-looking man raised his voice. His Daoist name was Seon-gwang. His alias was Plum Blossom Dragon. One of the top ten among the rising stars and the senior first-generation disciple.
Next year he’d turn thirty. A full eleven years older than Seon-yu.
But from his expression, he’d been bottling up resentment toward the younger disciple for some time.
“…If it were funny, I would have laughed.”
Somehow, the reason felt obvious.
“What?! You little…!”
Plum Blossom Dragon lunged to grab his collar, but other disciples blocked him.
“Senior brother, there are many eyes here.”
“Yes, please endure. You know Seon-yu is always like that.”
“Let go. He’s disrespecting me right now!”
Seon-yu. Is that really true? The disciples glared as if demanding an apology.
Seon-yu calmly parted his crimson lips.
“…It does seem that way.”
“AAAAAGH!”
“Senior brother, please!”
“You’re getting arrogant! Fine. Right here, in front of everyone. Let’s settle this properly today!”
“…Even if we do it again, the result will be the same.”
“Seon-yu, that’s enough! Are you trying to humiliate the Huashan Sect?”
At his senior brothers’ pleas, Seon-yu gave a short bow and stepped inside.
The disciples hauled the rampaging Plum Blossom Dragon outside.
“What did I just watch?”
Jegal So-mi blinked her large eyes at the incomprehensible scene. Huashan might be free-spirited, but still. How could this happen at a public gathering…
“That’s why you should get out more. They’re famous lately. Look. Nobody finds it strange.”
At Young Hwa-jeong’s words, Jegal So-mi belatedly scanned the room. Everyone had already lost interest and returned to their own conversations.
“His Daoist name is Seon-yu. The only disciple taken in by Hwa-pyeong-ja. As you know, the great hero’s dantian was damaged from injuries in the War of the Righteous, Unorthodox, and Demonic. So he’s not a direct disciple or a prized talent. Just a registered disciple.”
As Young Hwa-jeong provided his background, Jegal So-mi turned back to meet her eyes.
Not a direct disciple learning martial arts from the master. Not a prized talent receiving full support.
Just a registered disciple with his name on the roster. And he behaved like that?
“His first alias was Jade Sword, because he was handsome. Being a registered disciple, it wasn’t widely known, but it spread quietly among female heroes.”
“I didn’t know.”
“The alias Jade Sword didn’t last long. It changed quickly to Ten-Second Man.”
“Ten-Second Man?”
“No matter who tries to flirt, he cuts them off within ten seconds. So among ourselves, we just call him…”
Hah. She burst out laughing in disbelief. What kind of alias was that? And they called him Jade Sword?
Young Hwa-jeong smirked too, then drank straight from the bottle, gulping, and continued.
“Khh. Anyway, before that incident, he was just a pretty face with no social skills at Huashan. But recently, everything changed after the incident.”
“The incident?”
“You saw it just now. Plum Blossom Dragon losing his mind.”
She’d seen it. So absurd she couldn’t believe it. In the righteous path, where propriety and courtesy were paramount, what kind of spectacle was that?
But.
“He lost. To Seon-yu. Ten times.”
“WHAT?!”
Jegal So-mi shrieked. She immediately checked the surroundings and covered her mouth with a delicate hand.
The most surprising thing she’d heard all day.
Plum Blossom Dragon. Who was he?
Hot-tempered, yes, but among the top ten rising stars. A direct disciple acknowledged by the Huashan Sect Leader.
In short, the future sect leader.
And he’d lost to a mere registered disciple?
“Believe me?”
“I have to. You’re my intelligence source.”
“Good heavens.”
Jegal So-mi shook her head vigorously. Even in the Gangho, where strange things happened daily…
A direct disciple losing to a registered disciple was genuinely shocking.
“Now I understand. He must see nothing but red.”
Jegal So-mi clicked her tongue and surveyed the path Plum Blossom Dragon had left with sympathetic eyes.
The rumors had spread. Total humiliation. The Huashan Sect must be in an uproar.
“But shouldn’t they at least promote him to prized disciple now? Why is he still a registered disciple? He’s a first-generation disciple, so the justification is solid enough.”
When Jegal So-mi voiced her question, Young Hwa-jeong flicked her index finger as if to say “exactly” and replied.
“He wants to leave the sect.”
“WHAAAT?!”
The room went quiet. Everyone stared at Jegal So-mi, who’d jumped to her feet. Face burning crimson, she gritted her teeth, smiled, and clasped her hands in apology to all directions.
Then sat back down and asked in the quietest voice possible.
“No, why?”
“Don’t know. If you’re curious, ask him yourself.”
“Why would I?”
“You’re the one he asked me to find.”
“Huh?”
The moment Jegal So-mi asked in bewilderment, a large figure appeared standing directly behind Young Hwa-jeong.
Cold enough to seem indifferent. Thick eyelashes. A nose bridge as if sculpted.
A face of absolute perfection.
The oddity of the Huashan Sect.
Seon-yu.