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Chapter 567: To Hanam.

At the moment when Wudang was in chaos, struggling to manage the situation.

Only the Sword Demoness and Woo Bongchwigae remained after sending the children away.

The Sword Demoness quietly waited for Woo Bongchwigae to speak, and the elder looked at her before opening his mouth.

“It’s been a long time.”

How long has it been? It must have easily surpassed ten years.

Since the incident with the Divine Dragon, the Sword Demoness hadn’t met Woo Bongchwigae.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Clan Leader.”

“Right, have you been well during that time?”

Woo Bongchwigae’s question elicited a slight smile from the Sword Demoness.

“Surely, you already know everything.”

“Ho ho….”

At her subtly prickly words, Woo Bongchwigae let out a shallow laugh.

Indeed, most of what happens in this world was likely known to him.

There were many beggars in the world.

And all those beggars served as his eyes and ears.

“I only asked because I was concerned, so please don’t take it the wrong way.”

The Sword Demoness merely took a sip of tea without responding.

Seeing her, Woo Bongchwigae wore a bitter expression.

“Still, it seems you hold a grudge.”

“Not at all, it has simply been a long time.”

“Then…”

“I just think that for the sake of the past members, I shouldn’t easily change my heart.”

“…”

A chill lingered around the Sword Demoness, different from when the children were present.

“…I see.”

Seeing that side of her, Woo Bongchwigae bit his tongue, as if there was nothing left to say.

At least between the Sword Sovereign and himself, there were no more words to express upon seeing her.

“Thank you for looking after the children, Clan Leader.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m grateful that you didn’t hold them back and let them go.”

It was about not probing further into the unknowable children and lightly sending them off.

If he wanted to, Woo Bongchwigae could have interrogated them on the pretext of scrutiny.

But he did not.

Perhaps it was he was letting it slide for the Sword Demoness’s sake. Of course.

“There were some circumstances that matched up.”

When he pieced together the brief reports he received.

He judged that the children were largely innocent, which was the primary reason.

Moreover.

“Besides, it would have been enough to ask So-i about it.”

The fact that Woo Bongchwigae had business with the Sword Demoness was something she already knew.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have created such a situation.

It didn’t matter. In fact, it was something the Sword Demoness also desired.

“Before that, I have a question, Clan Leader.”

“Go ahead.”

“Did you come to Wudang because of me?”

Why the owner of the Beggar Clan came all the way to Wudang during such busy times.

Was it perhaps because of the Sword Demoness herself? She wondered.

“Hmm.”

Hearing her words, Woo Bongchwigae tilted his head slightly before responding.

“No, it isn’t.”

It was a denial.

“This matter is also something the Clan Leader requested…”

Woo Bongchwigae, who intended to continue speaking, suddenly fell silent. It seemed there were things he shouldn’t divulge.

“Anyway… So-i, it’s not you I came to see.”

“Understood.”

In response to that, the Sword Demoness revealed no distinct reaction.

Although something bothered her, she firmly believed she wouldn’t hear the answer even if she asked.

“If that answers your question, can I move on to the main topic now?”

“Please do. I’m listening.”

Woo Bongchwigae’s words were accompanied by a sudden energy barrier forming around them.

“Wudang has been utterly destroyed, hasn’t it? You were so proud, and now look at it.”

“…Clan Leader.”

At that remark, the Sword Demoness frowned.

“People have died. You shouldn’t express it like that.”

Even if she didn’t particularly like Woo Baek and Ji Cheol, she was deeply disturbed by such an attitude towards the dead.

“You’re still so gentle.”

“…I’m just…”

“If you had known what wishes they held in their hearts, you wouldn’t be saying this.”

“…”

Woo Bongchwigae always knew more than others.

And it was the same now.

“Now I will ask the question I wanted to. So-i.”

“…Yes.”

“Tell me about the one who ambushed Wudang. I heard you saw them up close.”

At Woo Bongchwigae’s inquiry, the Sword Demoness felt her stomach twist uncomfortably.

Just recalling the sudden appearance of that person alone stirred up an uncomfortable feeling within her.

Those blue eyes visible through the mask.

The overwhelming energy that wafted from them.

The sheer presence that made the surrounding air heavy just by their standing there.

This was a sensation she had never felt before.

That being introduced himself and what he said was:

“Heavenly Demon….”

Hearing that name, Woo Bongchwigae whispered it low, as if it were an incantation.

“Do you know of him?”

“This is a name that has been circulating more frequently lately.”

It trickled in like a creeping shadow from the far corners of the Central Plains.

The name that a person, who had ambushed the Martial Alliance branch alone, willingly stated.

Heavenly Demon.

‘The demon sent from the sky.’

At first, she thought perhaps some naïve fool was stirring up trouble, but now that things had come this far, Woo Bongchwigae had no choice but to view it more seriously.

While the Martial Alliance branch was something they could overlook…

This time, things erupted in the Guangdong region.

Two Transformation Realm martial artists had already lost their lives today.

Moreover.

‘Wudang was ambushed.’

Now it was one of the Gu Paibang’s branches, and the leader’s sect that had suffered an attack.

They hadn’t even captured or identified the culprit, which made things even more difficult for the Alliance.

What’s worse?

“They said the Demon Beast was tamed.”

“Indeed, that seemed to be the case.”

The existence of the Heavenly Demon taming a Demon Beast.

Moreover, it was said to be of Red Demon Beast caliber.

This was bound to cause a huge uproar in the world, merely by the rumor spreading.

They couldn’t even properly tame the Green Demon Beasts currently.

Despite countless attempts within the Alliance, there had never been a success.

Even now, studies continued in secret, but no changes were observed to date.

In such a situation.

‘An adversary of the Alliance can tame a Demon Beast.’

One that only a group of top-ranked martial artists can hunt down.

This was nothing less than a dangerous situation.

“Excluding the Heavenly Demon, there were others you mentioned, right?”

“Yes, aside from the Heavenly Demon, there was only one other person, indeed.”

Before the Heavenly Demon appeared, a large figure had already made his move to maintain the initiative towards Wudang.

He appeared to be a subordinate of the Heavenly Demon and referred to him as ‘Cult Leader.’

“Cult Leader, huh…”

Woo Bongchwigae focused on that term. It was a word not commonly heard in the current context of the Central Plains.

One point gleaned from that term and situation was:

‘This isn’t a lone individual; it signifies a faction and that faction isn’t small.’

And.

‘They are clearly adversarial towards the Martial Alliance.’

Having rationalized it, Woo Bongchwigae sighed inwardly.

Of all times, why now?

It was a period of immense change, transitioning towards a time that could be termed a tumultuous era.

But to have such beings arise now—in any ordinary circumstance, if they were merely ordinary figures, they might have been easily dismissed.

‘It was referred to as a Transcendent Realm, wasn’t it?’

If the Sword Demoness, someone who is no one but herself, judged it this way, the likelihood was high that it was true.

If it was a martial artist who had transcended beyond transformation, the matter changed entirely.

These were individuals who, even within the Central Plains, were few and far between, numbering less than twenty.

Some lived quietly apart from worldly matters.

Others lived hidden away, and there were those who seemed to proclaim their strength in contradiction.

There was one commonality among them all.

They were regarded as walking natural disasters.

In such a context.

Not only had a new transcendent being appeared, but they were also said to possess an enormous force.

‘This is a crisis.’

This was clearly indicating a crisis for the Martial Alliance.

In the midst of this tangled situation, Woo Bongchwigae managed to conceal his expression and spoke to the Sword Demoness.

“Thank you for sharing.”

“…I hope my inadequate words proved helpful.”

“I’ll have to ask other witnesses too, but it surely was quite the help.”

“Thank you.”

Woo Bongchwigae slowly rose, and the Sword Demoness followed suit.

“I’ve already conveyed the message to the Clan Leader. This incident shouldn’t cause any inconvenience for you.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’ve received the Clan Leader’s assurance that there won’t be any complicating issues concerning the attack related to the Treasure.”

“…!”

“In fact, as we sustained damage from our visit to Wudang, speak with Dohwa about the agreement related to this matter.”

As Woo Bongchwigae mentioned Maehwa Seon, the Sword Demoness respectfully lowered her head toward him.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Ho ho… It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so this much is only natural.”

With that, Woo Bongchwigae took the lead and moved on.

As he turned around, the unique ease he usually carried had vanished.

The eyes that emerged beneath his long eyebrows were sharp as knives.

‘Heavenly Demon, huh.’

Within the fractured fragments of time, he muttered the unwelcome name of a typhoon.

Not good.

It seemed he had to investigate further.

“…I should contact Shin-an soon.”

The reestablishment of the Divine Dragon must happen as soon as possible.

With that thought, Woo Bongchwigae continued on his way.

His destination was to where the Wudang’s Sword Master, the owner of the Alliance, resided.

On a spring day.

At the Baekhwa Sect’s Hanam branch, someone was hurrying seemingly in a rush.

With each delicate step the woman took with her long legs, a subtle fragrance of flowers wafted around.

The floral scent spread alongside an unknown chill in the air.

As people caught sight of her, they lowered their heads to greet the woman.

“Honored to meet the Branch Leader!”

“Honored to meet the Branch Leader…!”

As they hurriedly greeted her, the woman waved her hand lightly as she passed by.

Many watching her back were left in awe.

“Wow… The Branch Leader is beautiful as ever today.”

“Indeed. She seems particularly lovely today.”

“Was she ever not pretty?”

“That’s a valid point.”

The men, with dazzled expressions, kept chatting away.

How could they not? The newly assigned Branch Leader of the Hanam region from last year was far too young and astonishingly beautiful, in their eyes.

And even more so.

“It’s not just about beauty. She’s highly competent in her work as well.”

“She’s supposed to be quite far from adulthood. How is she so capable…?”

She was said to have just barely crossed her mid-twenties.

Yet the newly arrived Branch Leader was exceptionally skilled.

Originally, the Baekhwa Sect would appoint only those with outstanding talent to the Branch Leader positions, but—

This time, people were saying she was unprecedentedly exceptional.

While all this chit-chat was taking place, one man added a comment.

“She was already quite famous, wasn’t she? Coming from the Four Great Clans, it’s not surprising.”

“Oh my, you must be joking.”

“Not at all—it’s unique! Why on earth would a person of the Four Great Clans come to the Baekhwa Sect?”

Such discussions prompted silence among the others nearby.

Indeed, it was the element of intrigue everyone was curious about.

At that moment.

“Oh, I’ve heard something.”

The young man busily shuffling papers spoke up with a knowing look.

All eyes were suddenly focused on him. The young man was the youngest member at the Hanam branch.

“You heard? What about?”

“I know why the Branch Leader came to the Baekhwa Sect.”

“Really? How would you know?”

The others questioned in surprise, and the young man replied nonchalantly.

“Because I asked her.”

“You asked her…? Who did you ask?”

“The Branch Leader, of course.”

With that answer, gasps arose, and all stared at the youngest in shock.

“…Is that kid crazy? He actually asked her…?”

“Is it forbidden to ask…?”

“Hush everyone. Don’t get involved with him. I reckon he won’t last long here….”

“Wait? What are you all talking about?”

The youngest, bewildered, questioned the seniors, but they purposely ignored him.

Not long after, it seemed like this guy might soon find himself moved to another branch, so it was better to distance themselves now.

“Anyway… So, what did the Branch Leader say?”

The youngest had a peculiar expression filled with unease.

Fortunately, he provided an answer.

“What did she say…? Ah…”

It seemed he suddenly recalled and continued speaking.

[She’s taking lessons on becoming a daughter-in-law.]

Hearing this, the men collectively made strange faces.

Soon after.

“Ugh! I was such an idiot for believing it!”

“I can’t believe you asked! What a fool.”

“Really…?”

“There’s no way the Branch Leader would say something like that. This kid might get in trouble.”

“Nah, for real….”

“Just shut up and get to work. You’ve wasted enough time already.”

“…”

With that outburst from the others, the youngest was left looking wronged.

While leaving the youngest behind.

The young Branch Leader hurriedly walked to meet someone.

Rustle.

Amidst the sound of parchment being turned, the Branch Leader of the Baekhwa Sect’s Hanam branch, Moyong Hi-ah cautiously took a bow before her visitor.

“Honored to meet you, Clan Leader.”

With her formal greeting, the person seated at the table lifted their head.

“Have you been well?”

The tone was cold, lacking warmth.

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

Facing Mi Hyo-ran, the head of the Baekhwa Sect, Moyong Hi-ah felt her throat tighten.

Mi Hyo-ran organized the letter she was holding and continued speaking.

“You’ve done well. For nearly half a year, you’ve accomplished this much. Impressive.”

“…Thank you.”

Moyong Hi-ah swallowed hard while observing Mi Hyo-ran.

There was something she learned from her over the past few years.

If Mi Hyo-ran started with good words, it meant there were more prepared criticisms to follow.

“However.”

As expected, Mi Hyo-ran’s gaze turned serious again.

“There are some issues reported regarding your oversight, and there are some areas of handling that are lacking.”

“…I will rectify them as you point out.”

“Words alone won’t suffice; I’ll prepare a list for you to go through tomorrow. Please take your time looking it over.”

Upon hearing Mi Hyo-ran’s words, Moyong Hi-ah sighed inwardly.

She had thought everything was handled perfectly. Apparently, Mi Hyo-ran still saw shortcomings.

This was frustrating.

Did she perhaps sense something from Moyong Hi-ah’s expression? Mi Hyo-ran subtly smiled without anyone noticing.

“By the way, I heard you have surpassed a barrier. Is that true?”

Taken aback, Moyong Hi-ah widened her eyes at Mi Hyo-ran’s words.

She hadn’t thought she would be aware of it.

Indeed, Moyong Hi-ah had crossed into a new realm around three months ago.

It was a remarkable achievement made shortly after resuming rigorous training.

“Ah… Yes.”

“Congratulations. You’ve been working hard despite your busy schedule.”

“Thank you.”

Moyong Hi-ah struggled to keep her excitement at bay at Mi Hyo-ran’s compliment.

She couldn’t dare showcase her excitement in front of her; never would she allow such a display.

Just then, Mi Hyo-ran handed something to Moyong Hi-ah.

“It’s not exactly a congratulatory gift, but I have something for the Branch Leader.”

“Yes?”

Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes widened even more as she took the letter.

“It’s an important matter, but can you manage it?”

“Ah! Of course. I can handle it.”

Moyong Hi-ah smiled brightly at Mi Hyo-ran’s indication that she would assign her an important task.

It was a sign of her trust.

With delight, Moyong Hi-ah unfolded the letter, and as she read it, she froze.

Then, her eyes locked onto Mi Hyo-ran.

“…Clan Leader, what is this…?”

Moyong Hi-ah asked, her eyes trembling.

There was no way around it.

The signet on the last line of the letter revealed it belonged to the North Sea Ice Palace.

Moreover, the contents of the letter spelled trouble.

It stated that the Young Princess of the North Sea Ice Palace would be visiting the Central Plains and wished to entrust the arrangements to the Baekhwa Sect instead of the Martial Alliance.

 

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