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EP.53 Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (3)

“Are you feeling okay?”

It was none other than Yeongpung asking me this.

How strange… That seems like something I should be asking!

How can he wear such a bright face when treating me like a half-criminal?

For some reason, Yeongpung seemed to overlap with Peng Woojin in my mind.

‘…That strange guy smells like a madman.’

Not a pleasant feeling at all.

I needed to find out what was going on, so I approached Yeongpung.

[Why is that beautiful white outfit covered in dirt… ?]

I ignored the words of the so-called Hwasan Sword God.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“Haha, well, there seems to be a reason for it.”

“Young Master…!”

Muyeon, with a surprised look on his face, rushed over to me.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course I’m fine, just felt a bit dizzy for a moment.”

I glanced at the people from Hwasan Sect who were glaring at us from across the table.

‘What in the world are they doing?’

In addition to their white martial robes, some were wrapped in fabric adorned with the plum blossom embroidery on Yeongpung’s arm.

That was the symbol of Hwasan’s Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

People who had nurtured their talent and tirelessly worked to bloom plum blossoms at the sword tip.

They were figures who had reached a level of mastery in Hwasan Sect, at least above average.

“What is going on here?”

At my question, Muyeon sheathed his sword and stepped closer to respond.

“During your conversation with that person, you suddenly collapsed, so we had to take control of the situation before it escalated.”

“Take control…? That person?”

It was certainly a situation that could easily lead to misunderstandings since I just fainted mid-conversation.

But Yeongpung being calmly restrained was surprising in itself.

Was there something he was withholding from me?

Based on the absence of struggle, it seemed as if he had allowed himself to be restrained willingly.

Noticing my gaze of suspicion, Yeongpung grinned widely.

“When the junior wakes up, it’ll all be resolved, so I thought it best not to escalate things.”

“Are you saying you stopped the carriage by force?”

At my words, Yeongpung awkwardly chuckled.

“That… I’m sorry. We had a reason for that.”

“We ‘had a reason’…?”

The Hwasan Sect members, including Yeongpung, were together in numbers.

While the name of Hwasan’s Plum Blossom Sword Technique was famous, their numbers were also quite limited.

There are no sects or clans overflowing with first-class martial artists.

But to have gathered in such numbers was no ordinary occurrence.

“Are those people as well involved in the reason for stopping our carriage?”

Yeongpung flashed a bittersweet smile at my question.

First, since Muyeon seemed unhurt, I told him to release Yeongpung and walked toward those facing us.

Then I slowed my pace and thought.

‘…Isn’t it a problem if I get closer and my energy is revealed?’

It dawned on me that the energy within me could be an issue.

If Yeongpung could feel it, wouldn’t other seasoned Plum Blossom Sword Technique practitioners be able to detect it even easier?

The ghost, who had remained silent amidst my anxiety, responded.

[Don’t worry, just go ahead.]

‘…Can you hear my true thoughts too?’

That was rather awkward.

[Only very faintly. Your unease is so overwhelming that I can feel it clearly, just keep moving forward. I have a method.]

Reluctantly, I decided to pretend to trust it once more.

[Seeing the situation, I also have something to ask you.]

‘What is it?’

[I’ll ask you later. For now, isn’t your concern more urgent?]

Eventually, I reached the representative of Hwasan Sect standing in front.

[For now, knowing that Hwasan Sect still exists in Central Plains is sufficient.]

“I am Gu Yangcheong from Gu Clan.”

“I am Shin Hyeon, the second disciple of Hwasan.”

“I see. May I ask what is happening right now?”

Shin Hyeon seemed troubled as he looked toward Yeongpung.

Looks like there’s some issue here too.

Was my gaze noticed? Yeongpung, whose restraints were loosened, hurriedly dashed over here.

“…Hehe.”

As Yeongpung scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly, Shin Hyeon suddenly brought his fist down on the top of his head with a thud!

Boom—!

“Ugh!”

…I expected a light thud, but a boom?!

That didn’t sound like something that should come from a person’s head.

Yeongpung screamed, rolling on the floor.

“Ugh… It hurts so much, master…”

“Does it hurt? I’m in more pain.”

“Because you hit your beloved disciple, right?”

“Do you want to take another hit?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Shin Hyeon let out a sigh that felt like the world was about to end.

“Do you remember that it hasn’t been a month since your master told you not to cause trouble?”

“…Yes.”

“You remember? Then why did you act out like this?”

“…I’m sorry. But the situation is the situation, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the situation is the situation. To be precise, it’s our situation. Do you think others will understand that?”

At Shin Hyeon’s words, Yeongpung shut his mouth.

But Shin Hyeon had no intention of stopping as he continued.

“You are a person of the sect before you are a martial artist. Everyone knows your talents are exceptional, but that doesn’t mean you should be arrogant and haughty.”

“…Yes….”

“That’s the words of no one other than the Sect Leader. Even if everyone praises you as the Sword Dragon, you must realize not everyone in the world is on your side.”

“I’m sorry.”

“…Alright.”

Ignoring the gloomy Yeongpung, Shin Hyeon approached me and bowed his head.

“Our disciple has caused trouble.”

With such a scene, I had nothing more to say.

‘He might have done this on purpose to corner me…’

Is he holding a sword, or is he adamant in cutting me down with words?

[Not a bad stratagem.]

What’s not bad? What could be so “not bad?”

I let out a sigh in this awkward situation.

“…If you are done lecturing, I would like an explanation of the situation as well.”

I asked Shin Hyeon.

Something seemed to have gone awry, but I needed to know.

They had already stopped our carriage, so we needed to hear their side of the story too.

After a brief pause, Shin Hyeon seemed to organize his thoughts and opened his mouth again.

“…Recently, there have been frequent incidents of Hwasan disciples going missing.”

“Hwasan, you say?”

“Yes, most of them are Sword Team members active outside the sect.”

So, they are talking about the Hwasan Sword Team and the Plum Blossom Sword Team.

‘…But missing?’

Although fatalities often occurred when the Sword Team confronted the Demonic Gate, to the extent of sending a search party means it was quite serious.

On top of that, to involve Plum Blossom Sword Practitioners in the search party.

“The situation didn’t seem good, so we were conducting an investigation.”

“This place is quite far from Shanxi, isn’t it?”

We would still have quite a distance to reach Shanxi.

But for Hwasan practitioners to come all the way here to search?

Shin Hyeon let out a wry smile at my doubts.

“…That’s something difficult to explain to outsiders.”

“In that case, I understand.”

It appears something is going on, but it seems unnecessary to pry about it.

If I hadn’t heard of such occurrences in a previous life, it likely wouldn’t be a major issue.

“Anyway, it seems while returning from a mission, our disciple sensed something and deviated from the ranks, causing a problem.”

Hmm…

So he sensed something in the mysterious carriage and abruptly blocked it.

If it was a situation where disappearances were happening, I could understand, but for simply acting on a whim, he deserved a scolding.

I inquired with Shin Hyeon.

“What is your assessment of the carriage?”

At my question, Shin Hyeon cleared his throat and spoke carefully.

“I believe it would be impossible to misinterpret, as I have clearly sensed it herein.”

Shin Hyeon pointed to the carriage I was riding in.

“If you permit, I would like to conduct a brief investigation.”

“Are you sensing something from that carriage?”

“Yes.”

“…Yeongpung claimed he felt some energy from my body as well. Did you not feel anything like that?”

“From the junior, you mean?”

Shin Hyeon closely inspected me upon hearing my words.

He seemed to feel a very faint energy brush past my body, and I didn’t resist as it was likely confirmation.

Shin Hyeon turned his head toward Yeongpung. He seemed to have felt nothing.

“Yeongpung, what exactly did you sense?”

Yeongpung also glanced at me for a moment before furrowing one eyebrow.

“Um, why isn’t it coming through… I clearly sensed it before…”

“Don’t make excuses.”

At Shin Hyeon’s stern reprimand, Yeongpung flinched.

He quickly responded in a smaller voice.

“…Yes, I’m sorry. I must have been mistaken.”

“If your lack of perception led to the rudeness, you shouldn’t apologize to me.”

Hearing Shin Hyeon, Yeongpung straightened his posture and bowed toward me.

“I apologize. Junior, I acted rudely….”

“It’s okay.”

I accepted the apology and contemplated.

The energy that had felt so apparent now disappeared.

To my confusion, the ghost chimed in.

[Didn’t I tell you I had a method?]

As stated, I didn’t know what method was at work, but the energy I had been anxious about had peacefully receded into my lower Dantian.

It seemed the most concerning part had passed smoothly.

Once I steadied my breath, I spoke to Shin Hyeon.

“There’s no need to search that carriage.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I know what the energy you’re sensing is. Please wait a moment.”

Sharp-witted Muyeon was already approaching me with a box in hand from inside the carriage.

I opened the box containing a treasure for the disciples to show them.

“This is…!”

Yeongpung was the quickest to react, followed closely by Shin Hyeon.

Though it was a little delayed, even the other Hwasan sect members behind shared the same reaction.

“It’s Plum Blossom Love Stone.”

As I slightly loosened the cloth, a sudden gust of plum blossom fragrance filled the air, and together with it, a radiant light of pink energy spread out.

Surprised, Shin Hyeon spoke in an astonished tone.

“How… do you have this, Junior?”

He seemed to think it could not be a counterfeit.

Indeed, no artisan in the world could replicate something like this perfectly.

That was why it was called a treasure.

“…We were on our way to return it to Hwasan Sect as it was temporarily kept in our clan.”

“From your clan… you say?”

How should I explain this…?

It’s not something I could say, “Our clan elder happened to win it in a drinking bet with your sect’s treasure” now, could I?

Yeongpung, who had been watching, interjected.

“This is the item the Sect Leader lost during a gathering, right…?”

“Shut your mouth…!”

“….Yes.”

“….”

Ah, so you knew too.

That makes it easier, so I have no more to say.

Shin Hyeon also looked slightly flushed with embarrassment.

After all, it had been the Hwasan Sect Leader’s slip-up…

‘…We have a similar situation here.’

What kind of gathering was that crazy Elder Iizang attending that he could do such a thing with Hwasan’s Sect Leader?

Curious, yet I didn’t want to know.

“…In any case, that’s why we happened to be on our way to Hwasan Sect.”

“…I see.”

We both had too much to say, but we couldn’t voice any of it.

It was obviously a situation where we would just be spitting on our own faces.

Shin Hyeon cleared his throat several times.

It was likely an attempt to change the atmosphere.

“Anyway… If that is the case, we happened to be concluding our search and were on our way back to Hwasan, so the treasure is now in our hands…”

“That’s not acceptable.”

Shin Hyeon’s eyes widened slightly at my firm refusal.

If it were up to me, I would happily hand it over and retreat, but the return of the treasure was merely a side note.

My primary goal was to bring my sibling back.

Above all.

“This is something given to me to return directly to the sect leader, so even if you are Hwasan practitioners, I cannot easily hand it over.”

“Hmm.”

Shin Hyeon let out a low groan at my words.

Perhaps he didn’t anticipate such a response, or was he lost in thought.

Finally, it seemed he quickly gathered his thoughts and followed up.

“…I understand. However, having seen the matter of the sect’s treasure, we are unable to leave easily, and since our paths seem to align, I ask you to permit us to accompany you.”

Is he saying that if I’m not going to hand it over, at least come along together?

I nodded at Shin Hyeon’s request.

Knowing the treasure would lead to this conclusion was anticipated.

‘…At least as long as the energy from the treasure doesn’t leak and expose me.’

It would’ve been quite troublesome if that was discovered.

[Heh heh, I knew it was like a pig feasting. I wonder how you would have managed if I hadn’t been around, tsk tsk.]

…For a ghost to suddenly blurt that out from nowhere, I wish he would be quiet. Unfortunately, it seemed like the ghost had no such intent.

[Hwasan… if each child is this powerful, then the main sect must be no different.]

There was a tone of admiration there.

While my blood was boiling with anxiety, it felt stifling.

“Excuse me, may I ask just one thing?”

The one who quietly intervened during the discussions was Yeongpung.

Shin Hyeon glared at Yeongpung for interrupting, but Yeongpung ignored it lightly.

Seeing that, fire blazed in Shin Hyeon’s eyes.

“This brat…”

“No, there’s something really important here…!”

With that, I turned to Yeongpung.

“What are you talking about?”

“Junior’s clan is Gu Clan, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“…It’s the same as the Gu Clan in Shanxi, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

As I confirmed it, Yeongpung’s expression grew increasingly intricate.

…What on earth is he asking about?

“…Master.”

“Why would you ask that….”

Shin Hyeon’s voice sounded anxious that this brat might cause trouble.

But then the following words made Shin Hyeon’s expression mirroring Yeongpung’s.

“If they’re the Gu Clan from Shanxi, then they belong to the master’s clan, right?”

“…!”

At Yeongpung’s words, Shin Hyeon and even the other Hwasan martial artists behind turned their eyes toward me.

With far more intense gazes than when they stared at the plum blossom stone.

…What is going on with them?

 

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