"Gu... Hero?"
"Yes?"

I responded in a confused tone to Moyong Biyeon’s words. Hero? Did she recognize me somehow?

'How?'

Even if she did recognize me, the title felt odd.
"Hero"…? That wasn’t exactly the sort of title a senior like Baekryeongum would use for me.

As I stood there looking at Moyong Biyeon, who seemed to have a puzzled expression herself, she spoke up, somewhat uncertainly.

"No, that can’t be right. The hero I remember was more…"

More…?

"Handsome…?"
"…What?"

Hearing her murmured words, I snapped, unable to help myself.

'Damn it.'

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it.
I’d observed her temperament firsthand, and it was apparent she had a more fiery personality than one would assume from her appearance.

But contrary to my worries, Moyong Biyeon just stared at my face, looking perplexed.

Was she mistaking me for someone else?

'If she’s confusing me with someone from the Gu family…'

There was only one person she could be mistaking me for.
'Is it Father?'

I decided to ask her directly.

"Do you happen to know the head of our family?"
"The head of your family?"

Her eyes narrowed as she looked between me and Gu Yeonseo.

"Could it be... are you... the Little Lord of the Underworld…?"

Damn it.

I had to clench my eyes shut at the mention of that cursed nickname.
No matter how many times I hear it, I never get used to it. I vowed once more to track down whoever coined that nickname.

And to make it worse, hearing it from someone else’s mouth only made my blood boil.

"…I am Gu Yangcheon of the Gu family."

I did my best to maintain my composure, closing my eyes and tolerating it.

"Oh my..."

Moyong Biyeon stepped closer and took my face in her hands, despite my efforts to pull away.

What was this woman doing?

"So you’re… the son of the great Gu Hero?"
"Hold on… Senior, your hand…"
"Now that I look at you, I see the resemblance. Especially around the eyes… yes, the eyes…"
"Senior…?"
"Oh dear, what happened to your eye? Such a precious eye, too…"

It was as if she couldn’t even hear me as she kept squeezing my face, her eyes wild with a strange intensity.

Gu Yeonseo was watching, bewildered, seemingly as lost as I was.

Unable to bear it any longer, I shoved her hands away.

"What are you doing?"

I snapped with a hint of irritation, yet Moyong Biyeon just smiled at me, seemingly amused.

"You've got a temper, just like your father. I like that."

Instead of taking offense, she looked at me with an expression full of nostalgia, which only made me feel more uncomfortable.

As I wiped my face, I asked her again.

"Are you acquainted with the head of our family?"

"We knew each other back in the day. Though I wonder if he still remembers me."

From her wistful tone, it seemed they had some history together.
But what kind of relationship could make her act this way?

Moyong Biyeon kept looking at me with a curious, almost sentimental gaze, as if she were seeing my father through me.

As I averted my gaze, she spoke again.

"I’d heard rumors, but seeing you in person… It really is remarkable. I suppose blood doesn’t lie."

In that moment, I could feel her energy assessing me.

What the hell, was she really just scanning me outright? Unbelievable.

Inspecting someone with energy like this could easily spark a duel.

Yet Moyong Biyeon seemed unfazed, scrutinizing me. Though I didn’t like it, I tolerated it, as she had just saved Gu Yeonseo.

When she was done, surprise flashed across her face.

"Impressive… I thought it might have been an exaggeration, but…"

Though she didn’t finish her sentence, I knew she’d been about to mention my level.

'So that’s why she addressed me formally before—she thought I was someone else.'

Since I had reached Hwagyeong, she probably hadn’t expected me to be a mere disciple, which explained her attitude.

"This part doesn’t just resemble him… You might even surpass it."

"Thank you for the compliment, but I think you’re standing a little too close."

Though it sounded like praise, the proximity was uncomfortably close.
I would have preferred it if she took a few, no, a lot of steps back.

At my words, she finally took a hint and stepped back, saying,

"Sorry, I was just excited to meet you, little brother."
"…Little brother?"

The casual way she called herself my "sister" was jarring.
Sister? As far as I knew, Moyong Biyeon was at least—

'About the same age as my father, right?'

While she looked young, so did the Sword Queen, but they were both from the same generation as my father.

So, at the very least…

Calling herself my sister was, well, a bit shameless.

Of course, I refrained from commenting.

'If I point it out, she might just kill me.'

The glint in her eye suggested she wouldn’t take it well.

I held my tongue, feeling an unsettling presence emanating from her.

Noticing her approval, Moyong Biyeon smiled, saying to both Gu Yeonseo and me,

"Nice to meet you both. So your names are Yangcheon and… Yeonseo?"
"Yes."
"That’s a shame. I didn’t bring any money, so I don’t have much to give…"
"Oh, no…! I couldn’t possibly accept anything from Senior Baekryeongum… urk?"

Gu Yeonseo tried to refuse, but I discreetly jabbed her in the side to silence her.

She shot me a reproachful look, but I had my reasons.

'If she offers, why refuse? Just accept it.'

It was from a connection to my father, after all.
There would be no repercussions for accepting something like that.

The only things I’d reject were items that could cause trouble later.
Watching this, Moyong Biyeon laughed out loud.

"Haha! You two are quite different."

She then pulled something from her clothes and handed it to both of us.
As I took it, I wondered what it was.

It looked like jade, but I had no idea what it was used for.

"What is this?"
"It’s nothing special. Just a little gem you can put into a piece of jewelry."

Just a gem. My interest faded immediately.

Seeing my reaction, Moyong Biyeon laughed even harder.

"This kid is hilarious! How can you be so visibly disappointed?"
"I’m not disappointed. Thank you…"

"I see! Well, this has been the most fun I’ve had in a while."

Glad to see she’s having fun.
Ignoring her laughter, I stuffed the jade into my pocket.

What was I supposed to do with jade? Not exactly useful for me.

Unlike me, Gu Yeonseo seemed thrilled to have received something from Baekryeongum, an idol among female swordsmen.

Leaving her to her thoughts, I continued to observe Moyong Biyeon.

Why was she here, exactly?
After some thought, I realized it wasn’t particularly unusual.

After all, the Moyong Family Head was here as well.

I just hadn’t expected to run into her like this.

After a long look at me, Moyong Biyeon asked,

"Hey."
"Yes?"
"If you’re really the Little Lord of the Underworld, I’ve heard you get along well with my niece."

"Ah… yes."

Her sudden question caught me off guard.

So Baekryeongum had a niece…

Considering she was the sister of the Moyong Family Head, her niece must be Moyong Heea.
It seemed she knew of my connection to her.

Upon hearing my answer, Moyong Biyeon smiled and continued.

"Even if she seems a bit cold, please understand. She has a warm heart beneath it all."

I nodded.
A simple familial concern, I suppose.
Nodding along, I found myself speaking aloud.

"She’s not particularly cold."

"Eh?"

It was worth correcting.

"Seolbong isn’t a cold person. Neither outwardly nor inwardly."
"…"
"So there’s no need for me to understand her."

My relationship with her might not have been ideal in the past life.

But I knew she wasn’t a purely cold and harsh individual.

She always acted logically, choosing the most optimized path for any situation.

And she bore the burden of the consequences herself.

The decisions she made, which often involved sacrifices, were paradoxically made out of a desire to save as many as she could.

And…

'I remember the nights she cried her heart out.'

I knew that on nights when no one was around, she’d silence her voice and cry to the wind.

Moyong Biyeon seemed amused by my words, smiling.

"…Not bad. Not bad at all."

I wasn’t sure what she found impressive, but Moyong Biyeon took a step back, saying,

"Unfortunately, I have somewhere to be, so I’ll have to go. Let’s meet again sometime, okay?"

She seemed to have run out of things to say and looked ready to leave.

And she wanted to meet again…

"Sure."

It was clear I found the idea bothersome.
But I gave a polite response regardless. I could say whatever needed saying.

It seemed Moyong Biyeon interpreted my response differently.

"How can you be so blatantly bored? You’re a riot."
"…It’s a misunderstanding."

Her words, delivered with ghostly accuracy, made me flinch.

How does she know?

I was keeping a pretty good poker face.

For some reason, my reaction amused Moyong Biyeon, and she laughed again, wiping tears from her eyes.

"This has been fun. Oh, one more thing."

Was there more to say? This brief conversation had already left me feeling drained.

She was the type of person I’d prefer to avoid lengthy conversations with.

"Um…"

She seemed to hesitate, as if considering whether or not to speak. She then shook her head and said,

"Never mind."

"Alright."

"Are you not curious?"

"If you’re done, then asking would be impolite."

"Wow."

Moyong Biyeon looked at me, amused, before breaking into laughter.

To be honest, I hadn’t asked because I didn’t want to know.

And it seemed she had figured that out too.

"Well then. Let’s meet again, little brother. I’m off."

"Yes, Senior."

"That last part was kind of boring."

Moyong Biyeon frowned as if dissatisfied, though I could guess why.

No matter what, I wasn’t about to call someone who was basically my father’s peer “sister.”

With a sigh, she turned and leapt away, disappearing into the distance.

Had she really left?

I didn’t sense her presence anymore, so I withdrew the Qi barrier I’d set around us.

It felt like a storm had just blown through.

"I’m completely drained."

With a sigh, I turned to Gu Yeonseo, who still seemed stunned.

"Let’s go now, shall we?"
"Ah, yes…"

Finally coming to her senses, Gu Yeonseo nodded and followed as I headed toward the inn.

"...Thanks."

"Hm?"

I turned around at the soft murmur behind me.

It sounded like Gu Yeonseo had said something, but I hadn’t caught it clearly.

I looked back at her, but she just kept her head down, following quietly.

"What did you say?"

"…It was nothing."

Gu Yeonseo avoided my gaze, seemingly unwilling to repeat herself.

What was that about?

 

Inside the inn operated by the Moyong Family, which served as one of their outposts in Hanan, Moyong Heea was quietly sipping tea by herself when someone burst through the door, surprising her.

"Hey! My little niece!"
"Aunt?"
"You’re even prettier than the last time I saw you!"

The cheerful woman who had just barged in was Moyong Heea’s aunt, someone she hadn’t seen in years.

"How did you…?"
"I heard my niece had gone through a lot. How could I not come?"

"A…?"

Moyong Heea’s aunt, Baekryeongum Moyong Biyeon, walked over and gently pinched her cheek. Then, with a look of surprise, she said,

"Wow, look at that flawless skin. Youth really is something."
"A-Aunt."
"I used to be like that too. You look more like me than your parents, honestly. You want to be my daughter instead?"

Caught off guard by the barrage of words, Moyong Heea felt her mind go blank. Ever since she was young, her aunt had been a handful.

Among the distinctive personalities of the Moyong Family’s bloodline, Moyong Biyeon had always been particularly eccentric.

As Moyong Heea struggled to keep up with her aunt’s whirlwind of words, the leader of the Baekcheongumdae appeared on the upper floor.

"What are you doing here?"

He was looking at his sister with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation.

"Hey, big brother!"
"…Sister."

Moyong Biyeon waved at him with a grin, and he felt a headache coming on.

"Long time no see?"
"What brings you here without any notice?"

"Look at you. Do I have to notify anyone to come see my family?"

Feigning offense, she looked at him, and he replied firmly.

"If you’re coming back after years of no contact, then yes, some notice would be nice."

His sister had left years ago, announcing her intention to travel through Zhongyuan.

Knowing her personality, he hadn’t stopped her. If she set her mind on something, she’d do it no matter what anyone said.

He was paying for that decision now, though, as she had reappeared out of the blue.

Rubbing his temples, he asked her,

"So, is your journey over?"
"Kind of? Oh, by the way, Family Head."

Her choice of title was disrespectful, but he let it slide. He knew from experience that pointing it out would only exhaust him.

"Yes, go on."
"That Peng brat is still as disrespectful as ever. How can he age without maturing?"
"…You ran into the Peng Family Head?"
"By chance, yeah."

"Are you alright?"

Seeing his concern, Moyong Biyeon chuckled inwardly. Blood was blood, after all.

"Oh, this sister is fine…"
"No, I was asking if the Peng Family Head is alright."
"…What?"

Taken aback, she stared at him, unable to believe it. He noticed but didn’t retract his words.

He knew all too well how things could spiral if his sister lost her temper.

"No, we didn’t fight. We just exchanged a few words."
"Well, that’s a relief."

She sighed and pulled out a chair, plopping down with a thud.

"He used to be cute, but he’s gotten weird as he got older."
"Sister, you haven’t changed a bit."
"Really? Thanks for the compliment."
"That was an insult."

When would she ever mature?

It would be nice if she took her own advice about growing up, instead of lecturing the Peng Family Head. Despite the years apart, she was just as she had always been.

Moyong Biyeon shot him a look, then sipped the tea Moyong Heea had made earlier.

"By the way, niece."
"Yes, Aunt?"
"That kid isn’t so bad."

"Huh?"

Moyong Heea looked surprised by the sudden shift in conversation, prompting Moyong Biyeon to continue with a grin.

"You know, that boy you’re chasing after? The Little Lord of the Underworld, was it?"
"...!"
"He’s pretty entertaining."

"...Aunt. Did you meet Lord Gu?"

Moyong Heea’s eyes widened at the revelation that her aunt had met Gu Yangcheon. It was completely unexpected.

"How did you two meet?"

"Eh? Just happened."

Seeing her niece’s expression, Moyong Biyeon couldn’t help but smile.

'Oh, this…'

That look was all too familiar. It reminded her of herself, of the way she had looked when she was caught up with someone in her own past.

'What would you call this?'

And the families were even the same. Was this fate, perhaps?

As she thought about the boy she’d met earlier, she felt a wave of nostalgia.

'He’s so similar.'

He was so much like the man she had once loved with all her heart. Being his son, perhaps it was inevitable.

His appearance didn’t match exactly, but the defining features were there, especially that unique gaze.

'Not sure about his looks, but his talent seems to have surpassed his father’s.'

It seemed he had inherited, if not surpassed, the talent of his father, who had been hailed as a prodigy.

'…He’s reached Hwagyeong, right?'

Though she wasn’t entirely sure, his energy was undeniably powerful, far beyond what one would expect of a late-stage martial artist.

Still, the energy he was emitting was unlike anything she had encountered before.

'I thought the rumors were blown out of proportion, but it turns out they were underestimating him.'

The boy had left her with much to think about.

Not just about him, but also about her niece, who seemed to be chasing after someone so reminiscent of the man she once loved.

'At least it’s better this time, I guess?'

After all, unlike him, this boy didn’t seem to be surrounded by romantic rivals. He wasn’t the sort to attract endless attention, judging by his looks.

As she mused over these thoughts,

"That damned brat… No, did you say you met with the Gu family’s descendant?"

The Family Head’s question interrupted her thoughts, as he couldn’t overlook that detail.

Seeing his face, Moyong Biyeon burst into laughter.

"Looks like you still haven’t shaken that attitude."

It reminded her of when he used to pick fights over some unknown guy she was chasing.

Of course, the results had been…

'He ended up a bloody mess.'

She recalled a young Family Head who couldn’t even lay a finger on her.

She had always been on a completely different level.

Thinking of his daughter now, she wondered if he had stayed quiet knowing this was happening.

Probably not.

As that thought crossed her mind, she turned to him and asked,

"Family Head."
"Yes…"
"You didn’t go and meet him, thinking you could set him straight, did you?"
"…"
"No, surely not. You wouldn’t do that at your age, would you? Not as the Family Head?"

Moyong Biyeon looked at him expectantly, but he merely clenched his lips shut. She scowled in response.

"You…"

"Enough with the nonsense. Just tell me why you’re here."

He tried to change the subject, but she looked at him in disgust.

Why were Family Heads always like this, whether it was the Peng Family or her own brother?

"As I said, I came to see my niece."

"Oh, sure you did."

"You little—"

The old temper was about to flare, but she held back, remembering her niece was present. She couldn’t curse him out in front of his daughter.

Barely keeping her temper in check, Moyong Biyeon sighed deeply and pulled something from her sleeve.

She hadn’t come here just to visit; there were things she needed to take care of.

"Here."

"What is it?"

He took the item from her hands. It was a letter.

He was about to open it when—

"It’s a letter from the Ice Emperor."

Her words froze him in his tracks.

The Ice Emperor.

The ruler of the frozen Northern Sea, the master of the Ice Palace.

The father of the woman who had once been his own half.

The Family Head stared at her in disbelief.

"How… how did you…"

"Don’t let it show, and read it discreetly. Our niece here is as sharp as I am."

Despite the serious tone of her voice, Moyong Biyeon wore a bright, carefree expression.

After finishing the tea in one gulp, she stood up.

Seeing this, Moyong Heea looked at her with wide eyes as Moyong Biyeon addressed her.

"I’ve made my appearance, so I’m off."

"Huh? You’re leaving already?"

"I’ll just be gone a little while. I’ll be back soon."

Moyong Heea looked a bit disappointed. Moyong Biyeon almost considered staying, finding her niece adorable.

"I have someone to meet."

But she had to go.

The letter was part of her purpose here, but ultimately, she had come to meet "that person."

Moyong Biyeon was not one to delay important matters.

She began walking, her destination the place where the Gu family’s people had gathered.