Chapter 122

Much later, Sa-hyeon raised his gaunt face.

Watching closely, Moyong Seo quietly placed a hand on Sa-hyeon’s back and lowered his voice.

“Wouldn’t it be so much better if you just told me quickly who on earth you’re going down to Guangdong to meet? I get my curiosity satisfied, and you get to go lightheartedly alone. Isn’t it a win-win for both of us?”

“…No, I can’t tell you that.”

Sa-hyeon answered while wiping under his nose with the back of his hand. His honest admission that he couldn’t do what he couldn’t do was stubborn beyond measure. Was it because he was born embracing all the tact that should have been allocated to his older sister? Sa-hyeon failed to notice that the smiling eyes of his one and only close friend had sunk coldly, or that a dagger was hidden in his playful voice.

But that was only for a moment; Moyong Seo laughed frivolously again and hung onto Sa-hyeon’s arm. Sa-hyeon, full of anguish and worry, sniffled quietly.

“Don’t worry too much. When we arrive, my brother and I will talk nicely to your sister. We just need to explain that everything happened because I interfered, right?”

“…….”

“I told you I even packed plenty of gifts? Twin-phoenix jade hairpins and two-strand gold hairpins to give to your sister…”

“My sister doesn’t really wear things like that.”

“…Liaoning specialty moonstones and diamonds which are good for cashing in…”

If he had prepared gifts to give Sa-yeong all the way from Liaoning, it was clearly a planned affair, not a whim. However, Sa-hyeon, who got scolded by his sister every day for being dull, hadn’t developed wits in this area, and this time too, he just shut his mouth with a sulky face without finding a single strange point.

Anyway, it was obvious he would soften up soon if left alone. Moyong Seo, who prided himself on having grasped the entire depth of the human called Lim Sa-hyeon while building friendship over four years, glanced sideways with a much more comfortable face. At the end of his gaze was a figure sitting on a horse with a straight back and an unwavering face, as if he couldn’t hear this commotion.

He looked at Moyong Seo with wise eyes and nodded slightly. Moyong Seo, having exchanged a certain signal with his half-brother, looked back at Sa-hyeon and smiled brightly.

Truly, he was a friend so kind and upright that he was undeserved for him.

***

If translated to modern terms, the Hao Sect was a sect akin to a massive errand center. Since many people working in inns or brothels belonged to it, they mainly engaged in collecting or spreading rumors secretly, delivering something, or stealing things.

Because the proportion of civilians, who were often ignored by martial artists, was large, they were often persecuted, and since their martial arts were mostly third-rate techniques scraped together from here and there, they weren’t even treated as a proper sect. The Hao Sect was just a gathering place for street lives that was needlessly large but where first-rate martial artists were hard to find.

However, this was merely a story from some twenty years ago; in the current Murim, no one could ignore the Hao Sect.

Hui, who suddenly appeared one day and snatched the position of Sect Leader, possessed an ingenious talent for commerce. He permitted merchants to join the Hao Sect and established a courier agency. Using funding power of unknown origin and armed groups, he connected the entire Central Plains with irresistible force, established bases in trading ports, and seized control of trade.

In any society, things couldn’t run smoothly without money. Money was absolute and common power. Hui and the Hao Sect, who brought in funds from across the sea as if pouring new water into the Central Plains, were now undeniably an indispensable group.

Since it became like that, it was self-evident that there would be many people seeking the Hao Sect day after day. This meant the Hao Sect was designed on a massive scale to receive numerous guests, and since it was described as magnificent in the original novel too, he had prepared his heart sufficiently…

Isn’t this… just a palace?

Of course, since it would be disrespectful to the Emperor, it was surely much smaller than the real Imperial Palace, but Cho Yoon, who had never seen even that Imperial Palace properly, reached a fairly objective conclusion. It seemed this runaway prince had built another palace of his own outside the palace walls.

“I am sorry, Master. If you enter with me, you will inevitably receive people’s gazes, but thinking you would not like that very much, I arbitrarily brought you this way. It is the most deserted gate, but it is a bit severely shabby, isn’t it?”

“Do not worry. This is enough.”

No, Sa-yeong. Your judgment was correct. We aren’t a tour group, so why would we push through that magnificent main gate swarming with people? Your teacher feels breathless just looking at the Hao Sect buildings visible over the wall right now.

Swallowing a silent scream, Cho Yoon stepped inside obediently with Cheon-oh. Sa-yeong, who followed in, locked the gate, called a passerby, entrusted the horse reins, and sent them to the stable. Seeing the simple peony knot tied around the waist, it seemed the person was also a Hao Sect member.

Sa-yeong, having finished a series of follow-up tasks, began to guide Cho Yoon while chattering ceaselessly. The pure pride embedded in her grown-up face was cute and commendable.

“As you know, Master, I lived in Guangdong when I was very young, and even then, there were rumors that the Hao Sect was a separate world. But they say it is now a whopping five times larger than back then! But it seems they really do need a lot of people. Every day, people make a fuss asking to find this, tell them that, or let them meet the Sect Leader, standing in lines… Look. That is the exclusive dormitory for Hao Sect members, isn’t it huge? That building is only pretty and luxurious on the outside; it is just an overtime hell. They say zombies walk around every morning. Just work day and night… Ah, Master can stay in the annex built separately for distinguished guests. The Sect Leader said he would leave that place empty solely for Master’s exclusive use.”

“I intend to stay only briefly, so there is no need to be so concerned.”

“There is no guest as precious as Master. Even if the White Chivalry Alliance Leader came, we couldn’t give him that place.”

Did her brazenness increase while we didn’t meet? She was originally a kid who spoke cute words well, but perhaps because she hung out with the affable Hui for a long time, she kept making Cho Yoon melt. Unlike her mouth spitting out words not to be wasteful for no reason, Cho Yoon, soaked in happiness, was busy fanboying internally without even realizing that Cheon-oh had been silent since earlier.

“I am staying in the building where the Sect Leader stays, but while Master is staying, I plan to be in the annex together. Of course, if Master permits.”

“Do as you like.”

“Thank you, Master! I looked around while organizing it myself, and the rooms won’t be lacking. Ah, and this. Please give me your hand for a moment. Cheon-ah, come here too.”

Sa-yeong took out two knots from her bosom.

They were peony-shaped knots with amber threaded in the center, similar to the one hanging on Sa-yeong’s waist.

Sa-yeong tied the knot on Cho Yoon’s wrist extended beyond the face veil, making it into a bracelet, and spoke in a proud tone.

“As long as you have this, even if you walk around inside the Hao Sect freely wearing a bamboo hat like now, no one will look at you suspiciously, Master. You can enter the Library Pavilion and the Treasure Hall too. The Sect Leader has a collecting habit, so the joy of looking around will be quite good.”

“Is it alright to open such places carelessly?”

“The Sect Leader rather said it would be good if there was something Master liked. If you see something you want, please tell me without hesitation. No, it is fine to just take it. But doing this hides the knot behind the face veil, so it won’t be visible well. What should I do? Shall I reattach it to the brim of the bamboo hat?”

“It is done.”

Cho Yoon answered concisely and withdrew his hand. Just having his disciple put a gift she made herself on his wrist made his happiness pierce the sky already. He intended to wear it for life, paying attention so it wouldn’t wear out.

Whether knowing the true heart of the master who was outwardly cold beyond measure or not, Sa-yeong roughly handed another knot she was holding to Cheon-oh and asked about something that suddenly caught her eye.

“Is that thing on your waist your sword?”

“Yes, Senior Sister. Master prepared it for me.”

“It looks familiar somewhere…”

Sa-yeong, looking down at Cheon-oh’s sword while holding her chin and frowning, threw short questions in succession.

“What is its name?”

“White Rainbow.”

“I don’t see red, so is the blade a different color? Can you show me?”

“It is not the character red Hong (Red), but the Hong of a rainbow. I can show you, but I prefer indoors rather than outdoors.”

“The White Rainbow of ‘White Rainbow Cleaving the Sun’? Haha, Divine Grace (Cheon-eun) or Natural Disaster (Cheon-jae)—that is just like you.”

Sa-yeong, laughing refreshingly but strangely cynically, turned sharply and led her master energetically. Cho Yoon, who watched nervously fearing Sa-yeong might feel sad that she didn’t receive a similar gift—not counting the mountain of medicinal herbs she sent over several years and the elixirs she brought this time as if natural—moved his steps following Sa-yeong.

Cheon-oh stopped for a moment and stroked the sword hilt with one hand. His gaze was directed at the backs of his senior sister and master slowly moving away.

From the moment his master wiped the blood from this body, from the moment he returned with his back to the flames, from the moment the vague doubt he harbored reunited with his senior sister, from the moment he heard his master’s secret, from the moment he received the sword—it became a clear form and kept binding Seomun Cheon-oh.

Am I truly special to him?

The master who was walking ahead looked back slightly at Cheon-oh as if asking why he wasn’t following. Following helplessly behind him at that, Cheon-oh kept swallowing the raw emotions trying to burst out of his mouth.

He wasn’t confident yet.

About anything.