Their next destination was the Namgung family. It was something she had mentioned before.

Seojun, staring directly at Namgung Sua, who had brought her face closer, nodded.

"Sure, why not. That sounds better."

Could he really trust the Wudang Sect?

It wouldn’t be too shocking if one or two elders there were lackeys of the Black Lotus Sect.

But what if their leader suddenly turned out to be a traitor?

Seojun didn’t know how strong the Wudang Sect’s leader was, but he wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could take on a sect leader just yet.

If he had no choice, of course, he’d fight. But for now, avoiding conflict seemed like the best option.

On the other hand, Namgung Sua’s father, the head of the Namgung family, was at least someone she trusted. Compared to an unfamiliar leader from the Wudang Sect, Namgung Sua’s father seemed like the safer bet.

"Really? Hehe, thank you. You won’t regret it."

"...Hearing that makes me feel like I’ll definitely regret it."

"No, really. I even have a leftover Changcheon Pill from what I took. I’ll give it to you."

"Uh… why?"

Seojun remembered that after getting punched in the gut by her, he had developed some strange new preferences.

But now, with her clinging to him like she was vouching for him, he couldn’t help but feel like she had some ulterior motive.

"In exchange…"

"Yes?"

Of course. Seojun stared at Namgung Sua, waiting for the catch.

"Just pretend to be my lover in front of my father, just once."

"...What?"

"You know how old I am, right?"

"Yeah, you said you’re twenty-seven, right?"

"That’s right. Honestly, it’s already pretty late."

Though martial artists tended to marry later, twenty-seven was still quite old.

Seojun could piece it together from there.

In other words, this was Namgung Sua’s last-ditch effort, her final dance as a woman.

One could even call it the ultimate female maneuver.

"Wait, did you come to the martial arts tournament to find a husband?"

"What? No! It’s not like that. If it’s fate, it’ll happen eventually, right?"

"Uh-huh…"

Seojun nodded, clearly not believing her.

Namgung Sua’s deep blue eyes reflected Seojun’s doubtful expression.

Her eyes weren’t the light blue of Westerners, but a deep, dark blue like the sky at dusk.

Who would’ve thought that someone’s eyes could look like that?

They were like jewels, and Seojun found himself staring at them intently.

"They’re really pretty."

"...What?"

"Your eyes. They look like jewels."

"Oh..."

Namgung Sua backed away slightly, her blue eyes disappearing behind her eyelids once again. She blushed faintly and looked at Seojun with a curious, almost disbelieving expression.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Haven’t your parents ever told you that?"

"They have. But only my parents."

Namgung Sua touched the corner of her eye.

"Other people... well, some find them a bit unsettling, like they’re being pierced by them."

Saying that to someone from the Namgung family? They must’ve been pretty brave.

Or maybe they were in a similar position themselves.

Seojun clicked his tongue in thought.

"Anyway, let’s head to the Namgung family. It’s not like it’s far out of the way."

"Oh, okay..."

"By the way, I was thinking we could stop by the Hao Clan along the way. Is that alright?"

"Of course. I’m just tagging along, after all."

"Tagging along, my foot."

Seojun poked the fire as he looked at Namgung Sua.

In the flickering red light of the flames, Namgung Sua swallowed nervously.

"Thanks again for fighting alongside Chunbong last time."

"Yeah..."

Thump, thump. Her heart pounded.

 

The next morning.

"Yaaawn...!"

Chunbong, stretching leisurely, noticed Seojun and Namgung Sua sitting closely together.

Fwoosh! Her eyes lit up with fire as she charged toward them.

"You ate something tasty by yourselves, didn’t you!"

She peeked over Seojun’s shoulder, but something felt off.

The usual feeling wasn’t there.

The height of his shoulders, the thickness of his torso, the feeling of his body—it was all different.

Confused, she stared at Seojun’s face in a daze, her mouth falling open.

"You... you..."

"Ah, you’re awake, Chunbo."

"Youuuu...!"

"There, there, let’s eat."

Seojun picked Chunbong up and sat her down.

But Chunbong couldn’t take her eyes off his face.

"You... you...! You got old!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Why are you so much bigger!"

"I didn’t grow that much..."

His height and face hadn’t changed drastically.

He had just gone from looking somewhat boyish to undeniably looking like an adult.

"Hehe, Golden Sword. How does he look? Handsome, right? Last night, young master Seojun became a man."

"What...!?"

Chunbong’s face turned bright red, and she started swinging her fists at Seojun in a frenzy.

"What did you do last night...!"

"Oh, this? It’s called Hwagoltaltae—Rebirth by Purging the Bones."

"Rebirth by Purging the Bones...!"

In awe, Chunbong began prodding and feeling Seojun’s body all over.

"Wow... So this is the body fit for martial arts?"

"Hey, Geum-ssi. There are people around. Be careful where you’re touching."

"It’s not a weird place!"

"Aww."

"Oh, you idiot!"

Seojun chuckled as he scooped some of Namgung Sua’s cooking into Chunbong’s bowl.

Chunbong, grabbing the bowl eagerly, began scarfing down her food.

"Yeah, eat up. Eat lots and put on some weight."

"Shut up."

Mouth full, Chunbong glared at Seojun as she chewed.

Namgung Sua giggled at the sight.

"Looking at you two like this, you seem like father and daughter."

Then she paused, pretending to have a sudden realization, and covered her mouth with her sleeve.

"Does that make me the mother, Gaga?"

"No, no, sister. Gaga is a bit much."

Calling him “oppa” was already a stretch.

"Calling you ‘Seojun-rang’ just doesn’t sound right either."

"You could just call me by my name."

"You mean like ‘Seojun’? Just like that?"

Hmm… Namgung Sua pondered for a moment, then smiled mischievously.

"Seojun, come into your sister’s arms..."

"Stop it! Stop! Just stop already, please!"

Chunbong couldn’t take it anymore and exploded.

"Aww, did our Chunbong get mad?"

"Why are you encouraging her!? Don’t accept that kind of nonsense!"

"Whaaaat?"

"Screeeeech!"

Anyway, it was time to head out.

 

The group changed course slightly, heading through Hunan before making their way to Anhui.

Seojun wondered briefly if the Hao Clan was technically part of the unorthodox factions, and if they even had a branch in Hunan. But Namgung Sua assured him that the Hao Clan was everywhere.

Even in Kaifeng, the front yard of the Beggars’ Sect, which was practically the information hub for the righteous factions, the Hao Clan had a presence. It was quite impressive.

Perhaps the Hao Clan was treated as a neutral group rather than strictly unorthodox.

"Still, if we’re passing through Hunan, wouldn’t it be better to request information from the Beggars’ Sect instead?"

Namgung Sua asked, but Seojun shook his head.

"The Hao Clan is better, right?"

"I’ve heard that the Beggars’ Sect has more accurate information."

"But they’re beggars. At least the Hao Clan has actual jobs. How can you trust the information of people whose job is to just lie around all day...?"

"Uh, young master? You should probably never say that in front of the Beggars’ Sect."

"Of course. I’m nothing if not polite."

Chunbong, cradled in his arms, snorted.

"Polite, my foot. Who was it that called them ‘breast-brains’?"

"The old Seojun is dead. The newly reborn peak Seojun now lives on!"

"Sigh."

Anyway, they ran diligently.

But Hunan didn’t seem to be getting any closer.

"I thought Hunan was supposed to be nearby!"

"It is nearby."

By the standards of the martial world.

They even stopped by a suitable town to buy clothes and a new sword, yet Hunan was still nowhere in sight.

It turned out they had to run for several more days.

Finally, upon arriving in Hunan, they booked rooms at an inn and set off to find the Hao Clan.

"How many rooms?"

The innkeeper asked, and Seojun responded.

"Uh, two rooms."

"I could share one with you, though."

Ignoring Namgung Sua’s suggestion, Chunbong spoke up.

"Two rooms. No meals required."

"Here are your keys."

After paying and taking the keys, the group left their belongings in the rooms and immediately headed out into the streets.

Hunan was on the outskirts, but since the Songshan Mountain and Shaolin Temple weren’t far, the city was quite large.

"How are we supposed to find the Hao Clan here?"

Scratching his head, Seojun stared at the bustling crowd.

"Most of the Hao Clan branches hang black flags outside."

"And how are we supposed to find that here?"

"Hehe, let me show you the ropes, since I’m your senior here."

Namgung Sua, who had been observing the people around them, suddenly moved.

Swoosh

Her movement was direct, but her footwork was smooth and fluid.

As Seojun marveled at her lightning-like steps, Namgung Sua weaved through the crowd and grabbed a child by the wrist—a pickpocket.

"Sh*t! Let go of me!"

The child struggled, but no one around seemed to care.

The boy, however, went silent when he saw what Namgung Sua pulled out of her sleeve.

"Do you know where the scary adults are? I have a gift for good children."

The shiny silver coin in Namgung Sua’s hand made the boy gulp.

"Uh… if you go down that alley over there, on the other side of the street…"

"Good boy."

The boy, taking the coin, smiled brightly and bowed his head.

"Thank you, hero! Oh, but be careful! There are really scary people over there!"

"Thank you. Hide the coin well and go get yourself something tasty."

"Yes!"

The boy ran off, and Namgung Sua approached Seojun with a smile.

"See?"

Seojun clapped his hands in admiration.

"But couldn’t you have just asked him where the Hao Clan was? Aren’t pickpockets usually affiliated with them?"

"Children often don’t know such things. Besides, isn’t it nice to do a good deed while we’re at it?"

Namgung Sua smiled as she stroked the large sword on her back.

"Oh…"

Seojun whispered into Chunbong’s ear.

"So basically, she’s saying she’s going to slice the necks of all those ‘scary adults,’ right?"

"Yeah. You better be careful. She’s a dangerous woman."

"Gasp…! Scary sister…!"

"Oh, just die already!"

Pow, pow, pow! Chunbong pounded him.

Laughing, Seojun scooped Chunbong up.

Maybe because his body had grown, but she fit snugly in his arms, more comfortably than before.

"Let’s go, Geum Chunbong! Today, we are righteous warriors of the martial world!"

"Sure, and tomorrow you’ll be enemies of the martial world, right?"

"What…!"

That wasn’t the plan.

"I just want to live happily with my dear Geum Chunbong forever and ever."