Chapter 165: Preparing for Departure
Old Man Jong’s joining was easily decided. He was someone who would willingly jump even into the fires of hell at a single word from me.
Unfortunately, Senior Jang Mun-gyeong refused the trip to the Green Forest.
“If it were for a fight, that would be one thing, but if it is for escorting, I have no interest.”
He is indeed a man with clear likes and dislikes.
“Instead, I will polish the Bright Fate Escort Agency while you are away. In any case, those points of improvement you mentioned were bothering me.”
Is there something learned from teaching? Senior Jang Mun-gyeong showed great interest in the Bright Fate Escort Agency and the Sixteen Forms.
Instead, an unexpected person volunteered to join.
“I want to go this time too.”
Out of nowhere, Sister Seol-ah volunteered to participate.
‘Why all of a sudden?’
Unlike typical female martial artists, Sister Seol-ah enjoyed a life cut off from the outside world like a sheltered young lady.
Because she tended to struggle with interpersonal relationships, she did not like interacting with strangers.
“Will you be okay?”
“My younger brother is going to a dangerous place, so I can’t just stand by and watch.”
Although she had shown a slightly flustered side a while ago, the usual Sister Seol-ah was indeed like this.
A reliable, trustworthy, and reassuring older sister.
Honestly, from my perspective, she was so reassuring that I felt a bit disappointed.
‘Come to think of it, is this my first trip together with Sister Seol-ah?’
The trip to the Green Forest, which had felt dark and depressing, suddenly began to grow exciting.
***
Baek Seol-ah’s trip to the Green Forest was surprising to Yeon Cheong-un, but it was also a major decision within the Baek household.
Han San-wol, who had exerted great influence over the family from the shadows, clutched her head at Baek Seol-ah’s declaration.
“This thoughtless filly. Ever since she asked something strange a while ago, I had a bad feeling……”
Han San-wol let out a sigh with a face that said what was bound to come had finally arrived.
She had noticed long ago that Baek Seol-ah had feelings for Yeon Cheong-un.
Though she put up the pretext of watching over her brother as his older sister, one could easily tell the treatment was different just by looking at her attitude toward her biological brother, Baek Mu-ho.
Seeing her drag her feet without revealing her feelings, she thought it would just fizzle out, but she had unexpectedly summoned courage and taken a step forward.
“Blood does not lie.”
If it was about committing an unconventional act for a man, Han San-wol also had such a past.
In her youth, Han San-wol had also ventured out into the martial world, unable to bear the confinement.
Even if she fought while suppressing her Cold-Yin True Qi to avoid revealing she was the descendant of the Pale-handed Divine Demon, Han San-wol was strong.
Her body, which had been constantly tormented by the Cold-Yin Qi since childhood, was like refined steel in itself.
It was an adverse condition that made her bound to be different from birth.
In the martial world she entered in that manner, Han San-wol met her lifelong companion.
Han San-wol was confident.
Though there had been many successors of the Pale-handed Divine Demon throughout their bloodline’s history, none had been as loved by their companion as she was!
Driven by that fulfillment, she had committed a crazy act.
She became Baek Seol-ah, not Han Seol-ah.
Originally, the descendants of the Pale-handed Divine Demon were a matriarchal society. Because a baby girl born as the first blood of the clan became the successor to the Pale-handed Divine Demon.
Incorporating that into the Baek family was Han San-wol’s own arbitrary decision.
It was the moment light shone into Han San-wol’s life, which had been nothing but black and white.
However, not everything was blissful.
The first child born to a descendant of the Pale-handed Divine Demon is always a girl. There is no exception.
The very first thing the successor to the Pale-handed Divine Demon born in that manner experienced upon entering the world was the pain caused by the severe Yin energy.
Though crying is instinctive for a newborn baby, it is different for the descendants of the Pale-handed Divine Demon. How painful must it be that the first word they learn is ‘It hurts’.
Han San-wol also experienced it. And she had to witness her child writhing in pain.
The sight of a newborn baby twisting its limbs and bursting into painful cries looked rather like pleading to be killed.
For a mother, it was a horror that could not be expressed in any words.
And the anger toward the enemy who imposed such a family curse pierced the heavens.
Indeed, it was also one of the biggest reasons why the mad witch known as the Pale-handed Divine Demon ran amok in the martial world.
“I cried…… even I cried a lot back then.”
A mother is someone who can give even her life if it could make her child hurt even a little less.
Performing Marrow Cleansing on the wailing child and instilling the Cold Sky Demonic Manual—the martial art that was like a family curse, now modified into the Clear Jade True Qi—Han San-wol wept endlessly.
It was also the moment when the helplessness of passing down a curse to her child and the unconditional hatred for the mysterious existence that arranged all of this was engraved in her soul.
“Will you be like that too?”
Unlike herself, Han San-wol worried about Baek Seol-ah, who had grown up gently(?) finding a sanctuary in her childhood.
Could the fragile(?) Baek Seol-ah endure the shock that even her venomous self could not bear?
Fortunately, Yeon Cheong-un, whom Baek Seol-ah had in her heart, was a deep-thinking fellow like her husband. He was indeed a man she could lean on when times were hard.
Though it was also true that he had aspects that were beyond grasp, exceeding just being suspicious.
Out of nowhere, the Vajra Iron Demonic Sovereign, one of the absolute experts of the Demonic Cult, settled in the village, and the Divine Monk of Shaolin and the Seamless Heavenly Robe Jang Mun-gyeong of the Ten Great Swords of the Realm stayed on.
“Mu-ho is also a troublemaker, but the accidents that fellow causes are out of scale.”
Each and every one of them was something that could not be easily brushed off.
Looking at Yeon Cheong-un’s path of committing adventures that might happen once in a lifetime several times within a single year, she felt that this was truly what a human sent by heaven to cause trouble looked like.
“And yet he is awfully cautious when it comes to women.”
From Han San-wol’s perspective, the ambiguous relationship between Baek Seol-ah and Yeon Cheong-un was not just Baek Seol-ah’s problem.
“Frustrating kids……”
Whichever way it was decided, it would be a painful path.
“Yes, I shall watch and see.”
Knowing that, Han San-wol steeled her heart.
“Han Yeong.”
In front of Han San-wol, who had called out Han Yeong—the leader of the Snow Shadows, a remnant of the family, and her long-time confidant—a middle-aged man revealed himself.
“Did you call for me?”
“You heard that Seol-ah is going outside, right?”
“Yes, she has indeed reached that age already.”
“Watch her back. She might be perfect when it comes to martial arts, but she is a newcomer to the martial world. She is still a child with many shortcomings.”
At Han San-wol’s request, the man called Han Yeong laughed refreshingly.
“I just need to watch her back, right?”
“Since she is a child with enough capacity to take care of her own path, just take care of it if you see her showing any foolish gaps.”
“Understood.”
With a cheerful reply, Han Yeong vanished. Along with him, several Snow Shadows in the vicinity moved to follow Han Yeong.
“With this, the debt is paid.”
Because there were many similarities to the traces of the perpetrator that her ancestors had found, she had suspected Yeon Cheong-un at one point.
Her affection for the children and the hatred engraved in her soul pushed her to take action in an excessive manner.
Although she received resentment from her beloved family because of that incident, Han San-wol did not regret it.
Even if she went back to that time, Han San-wol would verify it even more thoroughly.
But that was that, and this was this.
Since it was true she had acted against him unjustly, she indeed felt somewhat indebted.
With the intention of paying off that debt, she would back him up for now, but that was it.
The rest was for them to win on their own.
***
Looking at the faces of the group that would climb Mount Tianzi at the Green Forest’s invitation, a sudden thought came to mind.
‘Can’t we just have a fight?’
The Divine Monk and Old Man Jong. Just looking at these two made his chest feel reassured.
Suddenly, Uncle Baek Jin-seong looked small. One could call it the danger of relative evaluation.
Perhaps Uncle Baek Jin-seong also felt that their prestige was beyond imagination, as he smacked his lips with an embarrassed face.
“Are other escort agencies not going?”
To change the subject, he asked, and Uncle Baek Jin-seong shook his head.
“There are many smart people in the world. Honestly, if I didn’t know this much assistance was gathering, even I wouldn’t go.”
“……That makes sense.”
Indeed, even for him, when he first heard this, he wondered what kind of crazy talk it was.
“Then what about the Chief who came from the Daejin Escort Agency……?”
“He fled long ago. He even ran away after very politely writing a letter of introduction.”
A long letter fluttered in Uncle Baek Jin-seong’s hand.
Judging by the dried ink, it seemed he had written it last night and fled immediately.
‘He is a very quick-witted gentleman.’
Indeed, that must be why he managed to handle that nameless crazy guy.
In the end, it meant the Baek Family Escort had to step forward alone.
“It’s not all bad news. No matter how this affair resolves, the Baek Family Escort’s share in future meetings will rise overwhelmingly. Along the way, we also have a justification to drag the other escort agencies by their collars.”
“The risk has decreased, but the returns have increased.”
“Exactly. The opportunity to grasp such a great justification doesn’t come anytime.”
Uncle Baek Jin-seong declared that he would take both the justification and the practical benefits.
It was indeed the experience of an adult.
‘Compared to that, this fellow Baek Mu-ho…….’
While keeping his mouth shut with a worried face, he couldn’t control the corners of his lips.
He looked just like a married man who heard his wife would stay at her parents’ house for about a month.
He was absolutely thrilled at the thought of escaping the hellish training period and enjoying freedom.
“Tsk! Like father, like son.”
Suddenly, Aunt Han San-wol appeared, glaring with wide eyes.
Since they hadn’t had a chance to open up and resolve what happened last time, Aunt Han San-wol was still uncomfortable.
‘But why the bundle?’
A well-wrapped bundle was held in Aunt Han San-wol’s hand.
For a brief moment, he wondered if she was planning to follow along.
“Take this.”
Aunt Han San-wol threw the bundle she was holding.
Catching the bundle reflectively, Baek Mu-ho was startled.
“No, why this……?”
“You packed it full of things with the intention of following secretly. Stop playing tricks; if you’re going to go, follow properly.”
“Ah, Mom!”
Baek Mu-ho screamed like a child whose secret had been exposed.
“Follow? Follow where! My skill falls short, so I can’t join that place!”
“That’s why you tried to follow secretly. Everything has been exposed, so stop pretending.”
“Ah, seriously!”
Aunt Han San-wol seemed to think Baek Mu-ho was acting.
Although he denied it, she was convinced that he definitely intended to secretly follow them when the opportunity arose.
Since the bundle, which was evidence, existed, it was reasonable to see it that way.
“Ooooh?”
“As expected, perhaps because he is Cheong-un’s friend, he has a sense of chivalry. A cool friend.”
Suddenly, Baek Mu-ho became the incarnation of loyalty.
But I could know precisely.
‘He is serious……’
In my view, the reaction Baek Mu-ho was showing now was real.
He truly did not want to go.
The reason was clear.
He had planned to secretly follow them to escape from the cold-blooded, vicious instructor, but since that vicious instructor was going along, he had changed his plan.
Of course, there was also the point that he was relieved that the safety of the party responding to the Green Forest’s invitation was guaranteed as that vicious instructor joined.
“Stop acting and just follow us, you punk.”
I placed my hand on Baek Mu-ho’s shoulder (so he couldn’t run away).
Baek Mu-ho, whose shoulder was held firmly, narrowed his eyes.
“……Hey, the corners of your mouth look a bit strange?”
“What about me?”
“It looks like they are dancing.”
Apparently, that fellow Baek Mu-ho’s expression from a moment ago had rubbed off on him.
“That is because I am your friend.”
“What nonsense are you talking about!”
Watching Baek Mu-ho shouting, everyone laughed cheerfully.