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EP.7 Gathering of the Nine Dragons (1)

Gathering of the Nine Dragons.

The Sword Team is a group formed of martial artists capable of capturing the demons that burst out from the Demonic Gate.

This group is a necessity not just for the Gu Sect but also for the Four Great Clans and various small to medium factions.

The Sword Team plays a crucial role, as they can secure fame, the support of merchants, and the backing of commoners by closing the Demonic Gate.

The Gu Clan also had five Sword Teams, ranging from the One Sword Team directly under the Clan Leader to the Five Sword Team.

Thus, the Gathering of the Nine Dragons not only serves to pay respect to the efforts of the Sword Teams in closing the Demonic Gate for the benefit of the Gu Clan and the commoners of Sichuan but also marks the schedule for selecting new Sword Team members from the Gu Clan twice a year.

All clans, big and small from the region, participate in this event, meaning the direct descendants of the Gu Clan must attend.

So, it’s something I definitely can’t skip out on.

“Maybe they’ll let me off if I die?”

“Doesn’t dying come before that…?”

“Pretend to be dead?”

“If you do that, won’t you really get killed by the Clan Leader?”

No response, damn it…

As I struggled between choices, Muyeon chimed in with some added advice.

“This Gathering of the Nine Dragons is presided over by Elder Lee, and I heard that if you try to run away this time, the Young Master will really be torn apart…”

“Damn… I wonder who it is…”

Among the elders who always wanted to gobble me up since childhood, Elder Lee was particularly intense.

It was said that the only son of the Clan Leader had to do well for the Gu Clan to establish itself as a prestigious family on par with the Four Great Clans.

‘Such a sense of responsibility that even my father didn’t have.’

In a way, he’s a bit of an admirable figure, but since he’s constantly sneaking around to force education and scold me, he’s incredibly awkward.

“I’ve survived this long like an idiot, so I’m quite amazing.”

“Excuse me?”

“Just talking to myself. So, when are we supposed to leave?”

“They said it’ll be at the Cheonil Market, so it shouldn’t be too far if we take the carriage.”

“They’re collaborating with the market? Elder Lee must have really pulled some strings.”

Cheonil Market is the most famous market in Sichuan and has been a partner with the Gu Clan through three Clan Leader changes.

‘What could become of Cheonil Market in the future?’

Isn’t it just continuing as the best market in Sichuan? It didn’t seem to have any major problems.

I thought it was probably of no significance and shoved my thoughts aside. There was already plenty on my plate to deal with.

“By the way, why aren’t we leaving yet?”

It’s been a while since I finished, and the servants still aren’t ready?

I should probably say something, so I made my way to where the servants were gathered.

“How long has it been since we finished the preparations…”

I was about to complain when my mouth shut tight.

In the center of the servants gathering and chattering stood Wi Seol-Ah.

This was not the Wi Seol-Ah who used to scrape by with her unkempt hair covering her face.

She resembled the one who looked down at me just before my death.

Naturally, since she’s the same person; I hadn’t realized because of her behavior and appearance now.

Thanks to her styled bangs, her previously hidden face was now revealed.

Her translucent skin and rosy lips caught my eye.

The pale blue-tinged black eyes sparkled like jewels in the midst of a crowd.

Now that her hair was tidied up…

“Seol-Ah, you’re really so beautiful…!”

“How can someone be this pretty? Once she grows up, all the boys will be crying over her.”

“If it were up to me, I’d love to set her up with my son… huh, Young Master!”

The servants were showering praises on Wi Seol-Ah when they immediately straightened up and offered their respects upon seeing me.

As I stood there, giving her a look, the woman touching Wi Seol-Ah’s hair stepped forward to speak.

“I’m so sorry… We had to make her look a little presentable for the Gathering, but we may have gone a bit overboard…”

They had gotten so carried away with making her look beautiful that they lost track of time.

But what they did was really just tidying up her hair.

Still, it was impressive enough.

Clearly, they knew they’d messed up, so whatever I said wouldn’t matter.

Amid this, Wi Seol-Ah approached me.

She walked lightly, gazing directly at me with those jewel-like eyes, and I felt like my gaze might slip away. Wi Seol-Ah wouldn’t know what I was thinking.

Her eyes were different from the sharp ones in my previous life. Completely unlike the eyes that held countless emotions while watching me.

“Young Master, my sisters say I look super pretty!”

As Wi Seol-Ah spoke, a soft smile appeared on her face, making my heart sink.

It was even more so because it reminded me of a face I would probably never see again.

I tried to calm my racing heart but found it impossible to do so.

“Do you think I’m pretty too, Young Master?”

In the end, I couldn’t say a word, just watching as Wi Seol-Ah beamed with her full smile.

A little time was late, but everything that followed moved swiftly.

While I was chatting with Muyeon, the carriage was ready. Since only a few attendants, including Wi Seol-Ah, were going, we managed to hop on quickly.

However, before leaving, I noticed the Sword Sovereign admiring Wi Seol-Ah’s appearance, and it struck me as somewhat melancholic as he gently stroked her hair.

Soon after, accompanied by a few assigned guards, the carriage set off towards Cheonil Market.

“Wow! How magical! It’s moving!”

As soon as we got in the carriage, Wi Seol-Ah was thrilled by the scenery flying past us.

She exclaimed that the trees were moving quickly. When another attendant corrected her saying it was the carriage moving fast, she became even more excited.

Wi Seol-Ah, already cute, seemed even cuter now as her appearance transformed.

It should only take about two hours to reach Cheonil Market by carriage. In that time, I planned to catch up on some sleep.

With plans swirling through my head, my sleep schedule had been horrifically inadequate lately due to training until dawn.

In the meantime, noticing Wi Seol-Ah getting a little rowdy, I handed her some rice cakes to quiet her down and immediately tried to sleep.

The carriage sped along and soon arrived at Sanwolv County, where Cheonil Market was located.

The streets were bustling with what was apparently the largest festival in Sichuan, and crowds of people were evident everywhere.

This was a sign of street vitality and an opportunity for nearby merchants.

Of course, it was meaningless to me.

‘…I planned to finish this quickly and get to training.’

I had been acutely aware of my deficiencies in training since my reincarnation.

Though my body throbbed with sudden exertion, it was a necessary sacrifice for the future.

If I didn’t do it, there was a chance I might perish.

As we passed through the crowd and approached Cheonil Market, people gathered in front to greet me.

A somewhat stocky middle-aged man was draped in a golden silk cloth emblazoned with “Cheonil” (천일).

He introduced himself as Cheon Yi-sil, the head merchant of Cheonil Market.

“I am Cheon Yi-sil, the head merchant of Cheonil Market. It is an honor to meet the little star of the Gu Clan.”

“I am Gu Yangcheong of the Gu Clan.”

Cheon Yi-sil glanced behind me and widened his eyes for a brief moment at Wi Seol-Ah but quickly shifted his focus back to me, displaying a practiced look as a merchant.

“Though Elder Lee has not yet arrived, Young Lady is resting after unpacking. Shall I guide you to unpack first, Gu Prince?”

“…Um, that sounds better. I appreciate it.”

Cheon Yi-sil offered to personally guide us.

He mentioned it was a guest residence inside the market, and while I remembered that Cheonil Market was sizable, it felt grander now after my reincarnation.

‘Could it possibly be larger than the Gu Clan?’

Certainly, the Clan Leader’s personality might mean it was purposefully kept small.

Gu Yeonseo had already arrived.

She must have unpacked her belongings by now and probably wouldn’t step out until the Gathering began.

Gu Yeonseo definitely disliked me. I felt like unpleasantness would arise if we bumped into each other.

For that reason, it was a relief to think that I wouldn’t have to expend unnecessary energy on a confrontation.

‘Surely there’s no way I would run into her by bad luck.’

…But that’s just the sort of luck that often catches people off guard.

As we headed toward the residence, I encountered Gu Yeonseo, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, almost like a ghost.

“Why must I see such a vile face as soon as I arrive?”

Her immediate remark upon seeing me was not what I had hoped.

“Hello, older sister.”

“Don’t greet me, it annoys me.”

Why is she acting like I shouldn’t even breathe around her?

Clearly, my greeting displeased her, given the irritation in her voice.

“I won’t be causing a scene during the Gathering, but please refrain from dragging the family name through the mud; that’s just disgraceful.”

“I’ll be hiding away and quietly passing through, so don’t worry.”

“Who’s worried…?”

Gu Yeonseo snapped at me, then looked at Wi Seol-Ah with surprise before grimacing.

Then she glared at me with eyes even more disdainful than before.

“People say old habits die hard, but can’t you even stop messing around now that you’re here?”

“…What are you suddenly going on about?”

“I thought you’d changed a little, but it seems people never really change.”

She mumbled to herself before drifting past me.

What’s with the sudden outburst…?

It was more like the guide, Cheon Yi-sil, was breaking out into a cold sweat from the tension.

Unable to handle the atmosphere, Cheon Yi-sil said, “Yes, I’ve heard siblings tend to bicker. I used to fight with my sister when I was a child…”

“….”

No need for the consolation, really…

After a short time following the guide, we reached our residence.

It was spacious, enough to rival my personal residence in the Clan, and it was well maintained.

While I would have liked to rest a bit more, time was running short before the Gathering started, so I moved quickly.

The hall for the Gathering, made under the direction of Cheonil Market, boasted considerable size.

They said the bigger the venue for merchants means the greater their wealth, and this place was indeed vast.

‘Isn’t this a bit too big for that?’

“Wow…! This is incredible! I’ve never seen anything this big!”

For once, I agreed with Wi Seol-Ah’s statement.

Anyone looking around might assume this was hosted by the Martial Alliance.

The first day’s festivities would be a celebration laying out a feast for the members of the Gu Clan’s Sword Teams.

On the second day, much awaited by the public, would be a competition to select the new members of the Gu Clan’s Sword Teams.

Fortunately, blood relatives would not be participating in the competitions.

My role here was merely to observe.

“Just observing, so there shouldn’t be any trouble, right?”

I sincerely hoped for that.

 

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