It was both soft and heavy, yet warm and comforting.

The truth of all things in the universe—where exactly does it lie? It was within arm’s reach.

This massive force, comparable to Chunbong’s chubby cheeks.

Seo-jun’s soul reached out into the universe, stretching his hand toward the truth of all existence.

“I had no idea you carried such pain, Young Hero. I always thought you were just a cheerful person… I’m sorry I didn’t understand.”

“Uh… no? Thank you?”

“Hehe, is that so? My mother used to do this for me sometimes. I always found it so comforting.”

“Oh… I see.”

So that was hereditary. As expected of the Namgung family. I may not know what Namgung’s patriarch looks like, but now I understand how he could reach such a high level.

If the Shin Sword Gold family has chubby cheeks… then the Namgung family has… well, you know!

Only after Namgung Sua pulled away did Seo-jun finally come back to his senses.

“Huff…!”

“Grr…!”

A thoroughly pouting Chunbong glared at him menacingly.

“Uh-oh…”

“By the way, can I ask you something, Gold Mae?”

“…What is it?”

Chunbong replied gruffly.

“What’s your real name?”

“My real name? What are you talking about? My name’s Gold Chunbong… Huh?!”

Chunbong gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

“Seo-jun…! This is all your fault…!”

“What? How?”

“You keep calling me Gold Chunbong all the time…!”

“You can’t go around using your real name!”

“You could at least use it when it’s just the two of us!”

“But Gold Chunbong sounds so perfect!”

“Ugh…!”

“Ack…!”

“If you call me ‘Murasaki,’ I swear I’ll kill you…!”

Seo-jun burst out laughing.

Chunbong let out a deep sigh, finally revealing her real name.

“Hee. My name’s Geum Hee.”

“Hee… That’s a pretty name.”

“Yeah, it is. But this jerk doesn’t seem to think so.”

Seo-jun, who was pointed at, started bouncing in frustration.

“I said it was a pretty name!”

“Then call me Hee for once!”

“Eh… I don’t wanna.”

“Grrraaaaah…!!”

What a spectacular shout! It reminded him of Kim Kyung-ho, a legendary rocker from her demon days.

As Namgung Sua chuckled at Chunbong’s tantrum, she returned to her seat.

“Still, it’s quite surprising. Talent… Can something so absurd really be called a talent?”

“Huh? Oh, that? I guess so?”

“So, in the duel at Huayinyuan, you used that talent to copy the plum blossoms of Mount Hua and even my Sky technique?”

“Uh… well….”

Seo-jun scratched his head.

Namgung Sua giggled softly.

“I’m not criticizing you. Honestly, it wasn’t an exact copy, so no one could tell.”

“Right?”

“But if people found out, it would be a big problem. Mount Hua might issue a warrant for your capture…”

“Gasp!”

Namgung Sua looked at Seo-jun, who was pretending to be shocked, and raised one finger with a smug expression.

“But the Namgung family won’t care.”

“Really? For real?”

“Of course. The Namgung family isn’t that petty.”

Chunbong, panting beside them after her outburst, nodded in agreement.

“Huff… Yeah, that’s true… If you’re looking for the most trustworthy faction among the righteous ones, it’s the Namgung family.”

“Is it that trustworthy?”

“Yeah, so….”

Chunbong glanced over at Namgung Sua.

Understanding her gaze, Namgung Sua nodded, and Chunbong continued speaking.

“The Namgung family is famous, you know. It’s called the ‘Sword Family.’”

“What?”

“There’s a saying that it’s a miracle the Namgung family lineage even continues.”

This was because their members, particularly the patriarchs, were known to be obsessed with their swords to the point where people joked they were married to them.

Of course, this was just a humorous remark.

The direct descendants of the Namgung family were notorious for caring about nothing but their swords, but once they found a lover, they tended to shower them with the same love they had for their weapons.

That’s why the Namgung family rarely produced high-level warriors.

As soon as they found a lover, they’d focus all their attention on them, completely neglecting their swords.

“But the current Namgung patriarch is one of the most likely to reach the pinnacle.”

“Why’s that?”

Chunbong closed her mouth, instead looking over at Namgung Sua.

With a bitter smile, Namgung Sua answered.

“My mother passed away quite a while ago. She left behind her sword.”

“…”

“So, my father seems to think of that sword as my mother. He never lets it out of his sight, not even for a moment. Because of that, his martial prowess has grown rapidly.”

There was a strange expression on Namgung Sua’s face as she spoke about her family. Her lips curled into a self-deprecating smile as her face drooped. It made Seo-jun feel sorry for her.

Absentmindedly, Seo-jun reached out and patted her head, just as he did with Chunbong.

“Oh, wait.”

Realizing his mistake, Seo-jun tried to withdraw his hand, but Namgung Sua grabbed it.

“Keep going.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

For a while, he continued patting her head.

•  

To change the mood, Namgung Sua started talking about how the Namgung family would be shocked if Chunbong’s identity as a member of the Shin Sword Gold family was revealed. She joked about how people would line up just to get a glimpse of her face.

Seo-jun, lulled by her soft voice, eventually dozed off.

It was practically ASMR—there was no way he could stay awake.

After confirming that Seo-jun was asleep, Chunbong sighed and patted the seat next to her.

“Sis, come sit here.”

“Oh…”

Namgung Sua smiled softly and sat next to Chunbong.

“So you’re finally calling me ‘sis’ now?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Snorting, Chunbong stared intently at Seo-jun’s sleeping face.

“That guy’s such an idiot.”

“Excuse me…?”

“Every time I see him, I get so anxious. He needs someone to lean on.”

“But isn’t that what you’re here for, Gold Mae?”

“No, I can’t be that for him. To him, I’m just the little sister he has to protect, not someone he can rely on.”

Chunbong felt proud that she could at least be a mental support for Seo-jun.

Her mere presence was enough to suppress his inner demons. That was no small feat.

“But do you think he’ll show his vulnerable side to me? Never. He’ll bottle it up inside, then do something reckless again.”

“That’s…”

“That’s why you need to be the one he can rely on, Sis. You need to be his pillar.”

“…I’m not that great of a person.”

Chunbong scoffed softly.

“You don’t need to be great. Just being by his side is enough. But…”

Her eyes suddenly took on a sharp glint, her platinum-colored pupils glaring into Namgung Sua’s soul.

“If you betray him, I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the earth and kill you.”

Namgung Sua smiled awkwardly, feeling the pressure on her chest.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m from Namgung.”

“…Yeah, right.”

Chunbong sighed, stood up, and walked over to Seo-jun’s side.

“Just don’t cling to him too much…”

Thud. Chunbong froze in place as she met Seo-jun’s open eyes.

“Gyaaaaah…!!!”

She was so startled she nearly collapsed from the shock, gasping for breath as she glared at Seo-jun.

“Wh-when did you wake up?!”

“Right around ‘that guy’s such an idiot.’”

“You…! You were awake from the beginning, weren’t you?!”

“Well, yeah. I’m so blessed to have a little sister who cares for me so much…”

“Gah! Die…! Just die…!”

Chunbong leaped into the air and body-slammed Seo-jun in the stomach.

“Die! Die already…!”

“Please, sis…! Show mercy…!”

“You little…! Asking for help from someone else now?!”

“What do you even mean by—owww…!”

Seo-jun got beaten up—badly.

•  

The next day, as they packed up their camp and headed toward the inn, Seo-jun suddenly had a thought.

“Wait a minute… Isn’t this like… a half-orphan party?”

Slap!

Seo-jun slapped his own cheek, startled by his own thoughts.

No matter how you look at it, that was not something a decent human being should think.

“…What are you doing?”

“Oh, I just love my sister Chun—urk…!”

“Just die already…!”

They strolled leisurely, arriving at the inn around noon. Instead of heading straight to their rooms, they sat in the dining area to discuss their plans.

“So… we’re going to the Namgung family, but… should we stop by Hao Gate again first?”

Chunbong raised an eyebrow at Seo-jun’s suggestion.

“Hao Gate? Why there?”

Seo-jun looked around carefully and released his Qi to ensure no sound would escape beyond their group.

 

"Even though Jong-in joined the Black Lotus, no one else knows that. Now, he's gone missing suddenly, so wouldn't it raise suspicion?"

"And you're planning to ask Hao Gate about it? If you’re not careful, rumors will spread that we’re the ones responsible."

"Nah, you just need to approach it the right way."

Seo-jun smiled and looked over at Namgung Sua. She tilted her head slightly.

"Of course, Nuna would handle it. I’m not good at this kind of thing."

"Me? Really?"

"Yes. Since you’ve been educated by the Namgung family, you’re probably good at these things, right?"

"Hmm."

Namgung Sua pondered for a moment, while Chunbong also appeared deep in thought before nodding.

"Yeah, in this situation, Nuna is the best option."

"Is that so? Well, I have one condition."

"A condition?"

"Yes."

Namgung Sua stared intently at Chunbong.

"Gold Mae, let me touch your cheek just once. It’s rare to see someone praised so highly by the Young Hero."

"Hmm, that's true."

Seo-jun nodded.

"But Nuna, you need to get my permission for that. Those cheeks are mine."

"What? Since when were my cheeks yours?"

"What do you mean 'since when'? They’ve always been mine."

"Shut up."

Chunbong snorted and looked back at Namgung Sua.

"Fine, but I have one condition too."

"Really? I’m okay with that."

"Let me touch those lumps of yours. I’ve always wondered why guys are so obsessed with them. I need to find out for myself."