After an enjoyable training session with Gu Jeol-yeop, I returned to the inn, where evening had already descended.

Sitting in the dining area, I noticed Namgung Bi-ah, who had been nowhere to be found since we arrived in Hanam, along with Moyong Hee-ah, who seemed as busy as ever. As I dragged Gu Jeol-yeop inside, Moyong Hee-ah spotted me and greeted me warmly.

By the way, Namgung Bi-ah had been watching me ever since I entered.

“You’re back?” she said.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“You must be hungry, right?”

“A little,” I admitted.

I pulled out the chair beside Namgung Bi-ah and sat down. Almost immediately, she poured water into the empty glass in front of me. I took a sip while lazily tossing Gu Jeol-yeop into a corner. He'd get up eventually when he was hungry enough.

I glanced around the inn.

“Not many people here, huh?”

It was the same as when we arrived yesterday—our group seemed to be the only guests. I wondered if the whole place had been rented out.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Namgung Bi-ah asked.

“Well, it’s just that you’re the only one I can imagine renting out an entire inn.”

“I didn’t do anything like that,” she replied, sounding genuinely innocent.

It was a reasonable suspicion. It just seemed like something Moyong Hee-ah would do—renting out the entire place for our comfort.

But since she denied it...

“Then I guess it’s just empty.”

For the record, Moyong Hee-ah had recommended this inn. She said it was a well-known establishment, and since our group consisted of members from prestigious families, finding lodging wasn’t a problem.

Honestly, if Moyong Hee-ah wanted to, she could probably rent out the entire inn without breaking a sweat.

‘It’s strange though,’ I thought. ‘This should be the time when people are starting to gather for the Shinryonggwan entrance exam, yet there’s barely anyone here.’

I figured there must be a reason for the inn being so empty, but the timing didn’t seem right. People should have been flooding in by now, with the entrance exam just around the corner.

As we waited for our meal, chatting idly, Namgung Bi-ah, who had been diligently pouring my tea and water, suddenly shifted her gaze toward the entrance.

“…Ah.”

“Hm? What is it?” I asked, following her gaze.

That’s when I, too, felt the presence approaching.

I sensed multiple figures, but one aura was familiar.

As the presences drew closer to the inn, the door burst open with a bang.

“Gongja-nim!”

A voice rang out, and a figure entered the inn, bringing a gust of cold winter wind along.

“Gongja-niiiim!”

The person, upon spotting me, rushed forward with full force. It looked like they were about to throw themselves into my arms.

However, before they could leap toward me, Moyong Hee-ah and Namgung Bi-ah swiftly intercepted them.

“Eung-ah!”

The woman, instead of landing in my arms, found herself embraced by Namgung Bi-ah instead. She shot a frustrated look at the two of them, but neither of them showed any sign of relenting.

Moyong Hee-ah let out a sigh and spoke, fanning herself nonchalantly. “A grown woman trying to jump into a man’s arms… Show some restraint.”

The woman, still held by Namgung Bi-ah, pouted and grumbled, “Unni, isn’t this a bit unfair? It’s been so long!”

“Even so… No,” Namgung Bi-ah replied firmly.

“…So mean,” the woman muttered, reluctantly stepping away from Namgung Bi-ah.

Now that her face was no longer obscured, I could see her clearly. Her thick green hair and vibrant green eyes were as striking as ever, and her hair, which once barely reached her shoulders, now cascaded down to her chest.

Upon meeting my gaze, the woman blushed slightly and smiled brightly.

“Gongja-nim! It’s been so long. I missed you so much!”

“…Yeah, it’s been a while,” I replied, a bit taken aback by the intensity of her emotions, enough to make me instinctively take a step back.

She had grown. In more ways than one.

She was taller, more mature, and the aura of youthful innocence had given way to the grace of a young woman.

This was Tang So-ryeol, the treasured daughter of the Poison King and a princess of the Tang Clan.

It had been over a year—perhaps even a little longer—since we last saw each other.

‘She’s grown,’ I thought.

It was a simple observation, but it felt fitting. Tang So-ryeol had matured significantly since I last saw her. While she had always been older than me, the difference now was more striking.

As she approached, she asked, “Did you read all the letters I sent you?”

“I did,” I replied, nodding.

“Really!?” she exclaimed, her large eyes widening even further, a mix of excitement and disbelief on her face.

“And… why didn’t you write me back?”

Ah.

I swallowed hard, realizing my mistake.

“Uh… I thought I did send a few?”

“You didn’t send any,” she replied flatly.

“…My bad.”

Tang So-ryeol’s tone was firm, a rare occurrence, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

I could have blamed the circumstances at the front lines for not replying, but the truth was, I hadn’t sent any letters even after returning home. There was no excuse.

As her expression shifted from excitement to mild disappointment, I felt even more remorseful.

“Well, have you eaten?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.

“No, not yet.”

“Great, then let’s eat.”

I awkwardly diverted the conversation, and though Tang So-ryeol sighed as if she saw through my ploy, she let it slide.

“…Alright, since we’ve met again,” she said with a small smile as she took her seat.

Just as she was about to sit down, she seemed to remember something and turned to me again.

“Oh, right, Gongja-nim.”

“Hm?”

“I’m traveling with some companions… If it’s not too much trouble, may they join us for the meal?”

“Companions? Who?”

It made sense that Tang So-ryeol might have companions. She wasn’t the type to travel entirely alone, unlike Namgung Bi-ah.

She smiled sheepishly. “Well, we happened to cross paths on the road, and we decided to travel together. They’ll be here soon.”

“Do I know them?”

Her reaction suggested I might.

Tang So-ryeol hesitated for a moment before replying, “Maybe…? You might, but then again, you might not.”

“What does that even mean?” I asked, slightly confused.

Before I could dwell on it any longer, a presence outside the inn caught my attention.

“…!”

All at once, my body tensed up. Something was off.

Tang So-ryeol began to say something, but I couldn’t hear it anymore. My focus was entirely on the figures approaching the inn.

‘No way…’

My eyes narrowed as I stared at the door.

Thump.

Thump.

My heart pounded loudly, as if signaling the tension that now filled the air.

Creak.

The door to the inn slowly opened, and figures began to enter.

Step.

Step.

The first figure wasn’t large, and their footsteps were light, almost soft, yet to my ears, they sounded thunderous.

A man with dark hair and dressed in black entered.

At a glance, he seemed no older than Hidden Dragon, but that wasn’t the whole story. His outward appearance couldn’t reveal the depth of his true self.

Our eyes met.

‘…Shit.’

Those dark, inscrutable eyes sent a chill down my spine.

Even though it had been a long time, I recognized that terrifying gaze from my previous life.

The man clearly recognized me as well, locking eyes with me, his gaze unwavering.

A cold sweat threatened to break out as I felt the tension climb from the base of my spine to the top of my head.

The seconds stretched like minutes, my breath faltering slightly.

Just then, a voice broke through the silence.

“Brother! Why are you just standing there?” a young girl’s voice called out, breaking the spell.

The man shifted his gaze toward the girl, who had followed him into the inn.

“We should at least show some courtesy since Lady Tang invited us to join,” the girl added, pouting as she lightly pushed him from behind. He didn’t budge, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“That’s them,” Tang So-ryeol said, sounding pleased. “You recognize them, right?”

I cleared my throat awkwardly.

“…Those people?”

“Yes, you do know them, don’t you, Gongja-nim?” she asked, smiling brightly.

I knew them all too well.

Especially the black-clad man.

I had nearly died at his hands in my past life. How could I forget him?

The man, led by the girl’s prodding, began to walk toward me, his gaze once again locking onto mine.

It was impossible to tell what was going through his mind, but the pressure emanating from him was undeniable. I swallowed hard, recognizing the weight of the presence before me.

‘Damn it…’

I hadn’t expected to meet him so soon.

No, I knew this meeting was inevitable, but I hadn’t thought it would happen here, now, in this moment.

This man was none other than Bi Eui-jin, known as Dueling Dragon, a famed Posthumous Disciple.

But I knew his true identity.

A monster in disguise, pretending to be a young dragon.

One of the Three Sovereigns of the martial world.

The very man who had crushed countless demon armies with a single strike before the rise of the Heavenly Demon.

The ruler of the West.

The Warlord, Bi-joo.

He had come, just as he said he would.

 

   ******************
 

The sound of chirping birds echoed softly through the thicket.

On the quiet forest path leading to Hanam, only the whispers of birds filled the air.

A lone figure sat by the riverbank, her form mostly obscured by the voluminous folds of her wind-swept cloak. Though her face was hidden, the elegant curves of her figure hinted at her identity as a woman.

She dipped her hand into the cool river water, taking a brief sip to quench her thirst before retrieving her sword and continuing her journey. Despite the harsh winter wind swirling around her, she did not feel the cold.

Perhaps it was the warmth she felt within herself—a gentle flutter of anticipation that kept the chill at bay.

‘Just a little more.’

She was close now. Very soon, she would reach him.

The thought of seeing him made the cold irrelevant. She smiled faintly to herself at the oddity of such a notion but paid it no mind.

What mattered was that the man she wished to see was waiting somewhere within the city’s walls, now visible in the distance.

As she walked with a light step, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a small black jade the size of her thumbnail. She glanced at it briefly before placing it in her mouth and swallowing it whole.

Her master had told her she could chew the jade if she preferred, but the bitterness was too much for her. No matter how much time passed, she still hated bitter things and preferred sweets. Though, she hadn’t eaten anything sweet recently unless it was something he had given her.

Swallowing the jade with a wince, she resumed her stride, undeterred by the gusts of wind brushing against her.

Suddenly, the woman stopped, her sharp, golden eyes scanning the forest ahead.

She stood still for a moment, her gaze locking onto something unseen in the distance.

With a soft, fluid motion, she unsheathed her sword.

Sring.

And then—

Swish.

With a slow, deliberate movement, she slashed her sword downward. Though her swing was leisurely, a faint golden line appeared in the air, a subtle mark of her power.

Tuduk!

From somewhere among the trees, there was the sound of something falling.

She walked calmly toward the source of the sound, where a man now sat, coughing violently.

The woman approached him, her expression calm—almost cold. It was clear that she had known he was there all along.

“Who are you?” she asked, placing the tip of her sword at the man’s throat.

Her voice was soft and melodic, but the energy radiating from her was anything but gentle. The man, still recovering from his coughing fit, glanced up in alarm.

“I-I’m from Shinryonggwan! From Kunlun!” the man—Jo Wi-seok—exclaimed in a panic.

At his words, the woman’s expression shifted subtly.

Shing, clink.

She retracted her sword and stepped back.

“Shinryonggwan…”

She repeated the name softly, her eyes closing briefly as if savoring the sound.

Finally, she allowed herself to relax. The long journey was over.

There was only one thought that remained in her mind.

Soon.

Soon, she would see him again.