Hyeon-wol willingly provided all the information he knew about the Blood Crow Sect.

He even declined payment, but since Seo-jun currently had money to spare, he paid generously, including a nice tip.

"Hmm… Can’t just skimp on the details after being paid," Hyeon-wol chuckled.

He promised to gather more detailed information from his records and bring it to Seo-jun later.

After that, they just enjoyed the moment, indulging in pleasant conversation.

Being the owner of a pleasure district, Hyeon-wol knew how to have a good time, and conversing with him was genuinely enjoyable.

After unwinding, Seo-jun returned to the villa and immediately grabbed one of the Namgung Clan’s martial artists he encountered.

"Do you know where the assassins we caught earlier are being held?"

"Oh, young master!"

The martial artist bowed respectfully.

"We’ve detained them in a temporary holding area in the back. We’ve conducted some preliminary interrogation, but, as expected of assassins, they’re tight-lipped. So far, we haven’t been able to extract any substantial information. But whoever they are, they won’t get away unscathed after daring to target you, young master."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"It’s nothing, sir."

After the martial artist departed, Seo-jun sent Chun-bong and Namgung Su-a off and headed to where the assassins were held.

"Why can’t I go?" Chun-bong protested.

"Because you’re still a kid."

"But you said I was an adult!"

"Enough!"

Chun-bong grumbled but eventually relented. Being a good sibling, she’d listen if her brother told her something about sixteen times.

The condition of the captured assassins was not good. Given what they’d likely been through, it was expected.

Seo-jun didn’t expect much information from them. He only needed confirmation that they were sent by the Blood Crow Sect.

"Let’s use just one of them."

"Yes, sir!"

Seo-jun grabbed one man’s head and used his Soul Absorption Technique, but this time, he deliberately touched the man's life energy.

He alternated between absorbing and releasing the man’s life force, disorienting his soul, and then poured demonic energy into the man’s head, still clutched in his grasp.

"Ghh…!"

The man’s body shook violently. His eyes rolled back, drool spilling from his mouth. Having been raised as an assassin, his tongue and vocal cords were cut, preventing him from screaming properly, making for a strange, guttural noise.

The Namgung martial artist observing from behind shuddered.

Torturing assassins wasn’t unusual, but there was a chilling aura in the way Seo-jun conducted himself. He was usually lively and gentle, but there was nothing gentle in him now.

Anyone hearing the soul-wrenching, choked screams would feel the same unease.

The martial artist straightened his posture instinctively.

Ignoring him, Seo-jun only released the assassin’s head once he saw the man’s eyes go vacant.

"Let’s see…."

He raised his index finger, waving it in front of the man’s face. The man’s eyes followed the movement mechanically.

"Follow my finger."

The man’s eyes moved busily, tracking Seo-jun's finger.

"Hmm."

Satisfied, Seo-jun nodded.

What he used wasn’t a soul-control technique but simply infused the brain with demonic energy. That alone turned the assassin into an obedient puppet.

‘As expected, demonic energy is effective.’

The assassin was now as obedient as a loyal dog.

Smirking, Seo-jun asked the man.

"So, if you’re from the Blood Crow Sect, nod; if not, shake your head. Go."

Nod.

It seemed he was indeed from the Blood Crow Sect.

Seo-jun sighed, his brows knitting together.

‘Coming all the way here just to mess with me…?’

The assassins’ origin didn’t matter, but the Blood Crow Sect itself was based in northern Shanxi near the Yellow River, in southern Mongolia.

The thought of going all the way there was already irritating.

If only he could reach the Supreme Stage sooner to save time on travel.

"Urgh…!"

While Seo-jun was mulling over this, the man coughed up blood and died. The demonic energy had permeated too deeply, killing him.

"What a waste. Even the most obedient dog gets annoying if it resists too much."

Retrieving the demonic energy from the corpse, Seo-jun turned to the martial artist nearby.

"If you need more information, should I use this on the others?"

"N-no, that’s quite alright!"

"Alright then, as you wish."

A bit of a shame, though.

 

The next morning, or rather, late morning when Chun-bong woke up, guests arrived at the Namgung Clan’s villa.

"Brother, these are my friends," Namgung Myung introduced them.

According to him, they were Mu-hye of the Wudang Sect and Cheong-song of the Cheongseong Sect.

Since they were Myung's friends, Seo-jun naturally assumed they were all men, but surprisingly, Mu-hye was a woman.

There was also a protector of some sort, a martial artist close to the Supreme Stage, who was from the Cheongseong Sect and went by Wol-mang.

Seo-jun had expected Myung to mostly associate with people from other clans, but it seemed he was close to friends from the Nine Great Sects as well.

"A brother? I didn’t know you had siblings," Cheong-song asked.

"He’s not my brother by blood; he’s my brother-in-law."

"Oh, so you have a sister? Come to think of it, I haven’t met her yet."

"You’ll get to see her today."

While the two chattered, Mu-hye and Wol-mang were staring at Seo-jun.

"Is there something on my face?" Seo-jun asked.

"No, it’s nothing," Wol-mang replied, tipping his hat slightly.

He had been trying to sense Seo-jun’s aura out of curiosity, but he couldn’t discern anything, which only intrigued him further.

Though he didn’t appear to be an ordinary person, Wol-mang couldn’t gauge Seo-jun’s level, suggesting he was either far above him or possessed unique martial skills.

Seo-jun dismissed the stares and focused on an approaching presence.

Light, adorable footsteps—it was Chun-bong.

Quieter and more graceful footsteps followed, belonging to Namgung Su-a.

As Seo-jun continued to stare, the others turned their attention in the same direction.

"Ah, here they come."

Namgung Myung smiled and introduced them.

"This is my sister."

"Oh, are these your friends?"

"Yes, sister."

"Nice to meet you, I’m Namgung Su-a."

"And this is my brother-in-law."

"I’m Chun-bong."

"Chun-bong…?"

Cheong-song looked at Namgung Su-a and then at Chun-bong, muttering absently.

"…Small."

Chun-bong’s face soured at the unintentional remark.

"What exactly is small?"

"Well, your height… Ah! My apologies."

Realizing his mistake, Cheong-song quickly apologized. Chun-bong, who had suspected he was referring to her chest, generously forgave him.

"It’s fine."

"Haha, thank you. I really need to control this thoughtless mouth of mine."

Cheong-song had narrowly avoided disaster.

"Well then, instead of standing here, shall we go inside and chat? …Hm?"

Namgung Myung, about to lead them in, noticed something odd.

"Mu-hye, is something wrong?"

"I can’t sense this one’s level either."

Mu-hye was staring intently at Chun-bong. Chun-bong responded with an unimpressed glare.

"She looks young, but her level is higher than mine? Or maybe her martial arts are just unusual?"

Chun-bong scoffed instead of answering.

Although Chun-bong’s level was slightly higher, the difference wasn’t too significant.

Mu-hye’s inability to gauge Chun-bong’s level was due more to the hidden technique Seo-jun had created for her, designed to obscure her Cheong-un Divine Art.

But Mu-hye couldn’t have known that.

"Interesting."

Without any expression, Mu-hye approached Chun-bong and suddenly reached out to grab her wrist.

Wham!

Instead of grabbing Chun-bong’s wrist, she found Seo-jun’s fist buried halfway into her forehead.

"Urgh…!"

Mu-hye’s body shook, her head partially embedded in the ground.

With eyes gleaming red, Seo-jun glared down at her.

"What is this?"

A chilling aura filled the air, the tension thick as though he might draw his sword at any moment.

Although he didn’t show it, Seo-jun was still on edge from his recent encounter with the assassins.

Namgung Myung hurriedly intervened.

"My apologies, brother-in-law! My friend here usually lacks common sense… Although, not to this extent…."

"Mm."

Mu-hye clambered back up, rubbing the massive bump on her head.

"Ah… In hindsight, that was indeed rude. My apologies."

Mu-hye seemed genuinely dazed as she bowed her head, apparently unaware of her actions.

Watching her, Seo-jun nudged Chun-bong in the side, signaling her to handle it.

Chun-bong stared at Mu-hye for a moment before nodding.

Honestly, this was less offensive than Seo-jun’s “female quota” remark.

It wasn’t a big deal if someone just tried to grab her wrist.

Real danger would come only if she allowed someone’s inner energy to enter her body, but mere contact was harmless.

At most, it would lead to an exchange of internal energy or result in a minor confrontation.

Of course, it was still rude and potentially dangerous, but spending time around Seo-jun had raised her tolerance.

The bar for what counted as an insult had been set absurdly high.

If it had been her brother, though, that might have been a different story.

"I’m fine."

"Thank you."

Mu-hye dusted off her head, then bowed to Seo-jun as well.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not acting on impulse. Sometimes I act before I think."

Seo-jun observed her and scratched his chin.

‘What an odd person.’

She seemed mentally absent.

And yet, she’d managed to lessen the impact of the punch by moving her head slightly in a circular motion.

It looked amusing, but if she hadn’t done it, her skull would have been shattered.

He had intended to crack her head, after all.

Seo-jun now had a general impression of this Mu-hye.

Either she was so absorbed in martial arts or simply born without much common sense.

As a disciple of the esteemed Wudang Sect, one of the greatest martial sects, she likely hadn’t faced much opposition.

Since she seemed to lack malice, he decided to let it slide.

"Well, if that’s the case."

Seo-jun waved dismissively and made eye contact with Wol-mang.

He was the man who had reacted as Seo-jun threw his punch.

He seemed curious, watching Seo-jun with interest, though he hadn’t been quick enough to intercept the punch.

‘Martial artists… They’re all strange.’

Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun waved them off as he turned away.

"Enjoy yourselves."

"Brother-in-law! I’m really sorry!"

"Oh, enough. You didn’t do anything wrong."

Namgung Myung, bowing profusely as if he had committed a grave sin, was gently rebuffed by Seo-jun.

Mu-hye, who had been observing Myung’s apologetic bowing, seemed to think for a moment before also bowing.

"My apologies."

 

Once inside his room, Namgung Myung let out a sigh of relief.

Cheong-song and Mu-hye were both decent people, but having grown up within their sects, their sense of etiquette could be a bit skewed.

As members of the Nine Great Sects, they had limited interaction with the outside world, which wasn’t too strange.

For the Nine Great Sects, such quirks weren’t major issues.

But this time, the situation had nearly gone too far.

If Mu-hye had suffered serious harm, it could have created significant tension between Wudang and the Namgung Clan.

Although Seo-jun had the moral high ground, it could complicate matters if Wudang argued it wasn’t grounds for lethal action.

More than anything, both Seo-jun and Mu-hye were dear to Myung.

He didn’t want to see a complete falling-out between them.

"Mu-hye, as I’ve told you before, acting impulsively will get you in trouble one day."

"Yes. I agree. I also apologize for putting you in an awkward position."

"It’s fine…."

Mu-hye, rubbing the bump on her head, touched her neck gently.

"I honestly thought I’d be beheaded right there."

"He cherishes his younger sister greatly. If you do something like that again, who knows what will happen. Next time you see Miss Geum, think carefully before acting. Understood?"

"Good advice."

Listening to their conversation, Cheong-song suddenly asked.

"Miss Geum, you say?"

"That’s right."

"Then her name is Geum… Chun-bong? Hmm…."

"...Inviting you all to the villa may have been a mistake."

"Oh, come now. Unlike her, I wouldn’t say anything in front of her."

"Ha… Never mind."

Namgung Myung, shaking his head, took out a tea set and began brewing tea.

Although all three enjoyed drinking, it felt a bit inappropriate to start drinking in broad daylight.

Moreover, since Mu-hye had just made a mistake, it didn’t feel right to drink in the villa.

Myung reminded Mu-hye once more.

"Miss Geum is a good person, so next time, offer an apology and have a proper conversation. You never know; she might see you in a better light."

"Alright, I will. By the way, is Miss Geum strong?"

"Is this the time to be asking that…? Well, you’ll probably encounter her at the Yongbong Gathering."

"She must be strong. Do you think she’ll compete in the preliminaries?"

"Yes. But don’t you skip the preliminaries?"

"I’ll be entering the preliminaries myself."

"What? Why?"

"Why pass up a chance to fight?"

"What are you even…?"

Namgung Myung and Cheong-song looked at Mu-hye as if she were a curiosity.

But Mu-hye only stared blankly into the distance.

"Yongbong Gathering… I wonder if there will be worthy opponents…"

She sipped her tea and shuddered, feeling the painful bump on her head.

"...This might last a few days."

Well, if it helped her stay focused, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing, Myung thought to himself.

 

Finally, the day of the Yongbong Gathering’s preliminary registration arrived.

Fortunately, Chun-bong didn’t need to elbow her way through the masses to register.

After all, having the Namgung Clan on her side had its perks.

A discreet word to the organizers through the Namgung Clan allowed Chun-bong’s name to be registered without issue.

‘Ah, the taste of power….’

Chun-bong planned to reveal her name as Geum Hee once she reached the main stage.

It would certainly leave a lasting impression.

The announcement would ring loud and clear.

“Geum Hee of the Golden Sword Clan!”

People who believed the Golden Sword Clan was extinct would be stunned.

At that moment, the dignified Geum Chun-bong would step forth and proclaim grandly…

‘Geum Chun-bong enters!’

All of the martial world would remember her epithet.

Adorable yet fierce, Geum Chun-bong.

An unforgettable name.

While chuckling to himself, Seo-jun placed his hands behind his back and addressed Chun-bong and Namgung Su-a.

"Alright, to make that happen, we must avoid any embarrassing losses in the preliminaries, correct?"

Although it was unlikely, one could never be too sure.

After all, who knew if another irregular like himself might appear out of nowhere?

"Do you really think there’s another like you in the martial world?"

Chun-bong scoffed, and Namgung Su-a chuckled at her reaction.

"Even if not quite like Seo-jun, hidden masters sometimes emerge unexpectedly. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared."

"But why are you here, sister?"

"Hm?"

"You’re entering directly in the main event."

Chun-bong cast a wary glance at Namgung Su-a. Although she had lost to her before, this time, she was determined not to lose.

In fact, she was determined not to lose to anyone.

The Great Rejuvenation Pill….

A valuable elixir she might never obtain outside the Yongbong Gathering.

This was an opportunity she absolutely couldn’t let slip by.

It was a gift she’d already reserved for her dear brother.