The Fragile Peace
"Uncle, what are we going to play today?"
Soso, held snugly in Yoo-sung's arms, asked with pure excitement.
"Soso, you must not bother your uncle," Na Hye-mi said gently.
When Soso's face fell at her mother's words, Yoo-sung chuckled and shook his head.
"It is quite alright, Sister-in-law. Playing with Soso is the least I can do to earn my keep."
Seeing Yoo-sung's natural demeanor, Na Hye-mi did not press the matter further.
Since returning to the Heavenly Sword Academy, Yoo-sung had spent a great deal of time with Soso, who had taken an immense liking to him.
Pat, pat.
As he gently stroked Soso's hair, Yoo-sung began to circulate his internal energy with extreme precision.
This was a new habit Yoo-sung had formed since returning home. Ever since he discovered that Soso was born with the Heavenly Yin constitution, he made sure to check her condition every single day.
Though Na Hye-mi had been astonished at first, she now simply watched in silence, amazed by his miraculous control of internal energy and how much brighter Soso became in his presence.
In truth, Na Hye-mi still found it somewhat difficult to be completely at ease around Yoo-sung. She could never forget the terrifying display of power he had shown against the forces of Matian, as well as the orthodox and unorthodox martial artists alike.
'He must be even stronger now than he was back then, right?'
Even back then, he had effortlessly suppressed masters who were considered formidable. How much stronger could he possibly have become? Na Hye-mi was curious, yet at the same time, she preferred not to know. For now, he was simply Soso's uncle and the younger brother of her beloved husband.
- Is Soso alright?
At Na Hye-mi's telepathic message, Yoo-sung gave a small nod.
Her body showed no immediate issues today either. Though her yang energy was still remarkably deficient compared to others, it was not at a level that posed an immediate danger. However, having been born with the power of the Heavenly Yin, there was no telling when a crisis might strike.
'If only we could resolve this curse, she would become a once-in-a-generation martial prodigy. Especially the kind of talent the Northern Sea desperately covets.'
If the Northern Sea Ice Palace ever learned of Soso's existence, they would undoubtedly try to take her by any means necessary.
- Have you completely severed your ties with the Ice Palace?
At Yoo-sung's question, Na Hye-mi smiled and gave a firm nod.
- I am the one who hates the Ice Palace more than anyone else in this world.
Sensing the deep-seated hatred laced in her telepathic voice, Yoo-sung quietly nodded and spoke aloud. "Do the martial artists of the academy still learn the Changcheon Ten Swords?"
Bing-hwa nodded at his question. "Of course. Even if we lack an internal cultivation method worthy of supporting the Changcheon Ten Swords, we cannot easily forget our roots. For those who wished to remain at the academy, I personally taught them the Hyeoncheong-gong."
The Hyeoncheong-gong could hardly be considered a high-grade internal cultivation method. However, it was sufficient to make up for the severe lack of internal arts at the Heavenly Sword Academy.
"To be honest, I wanted to teach them more powerful martial arts, but it is difficult to trust them completely. Moreover, I judged that sharing the martial arts of the Northern Sea would be too dangerous."
"You did well," Yoo-sung agreed. "Even though Matian seems to have vanished for now, there is no telling when they might return. Furthermore, the Jianghu's gaze toward those of the demonic path remains as hostile as ever."
In fact, it might have become even worse than before. Now that the great evil known as Matian had disappeared, the martial world was in need of a new scapegoat.
Ordinarily, the hero who slew the great evil would have become the next victim. But since that target—Yoo-sung—had vanished, they would naturally be searching for another sacrifice.
'They cannot openly provoke the King of Kunlun, so the remaining, easy targets would be the demonic practitioners.'
Of course, while the majority of demonic practitioners deserved death, there were always those who maintained order and adhered to righteousness. Since even they would be branded as pure evil and eradicated, another war was bound to break out soon. He only hoped the aftershocks would not reach the Heavenly Sword Academy... but he knew it wouldn't be easy.
Unlike in the past, the Heavenly Sword Academy now possessed power and had many things to protect. "How are the surrounding factions reacting? There must be many who do not look kindly upon our sudden growth."
"Naturally," Na Hye-mi replied. "Up until last year, we clashed with them almost daily. Fortunately, things quieted down this year because of Father's outstanding breakthrough. Besides, the residents of Baekmyo County themselves are very friendly toward us."
From the very beginning, the purpose of the Heavenly Sword Academy was to protect Baekmyo County. The Sovereign of the Azure Sky, a supreme master who ruled the world with a single sword, had established a martial academy to protect his hometown of Baekmyo County. That was the origin of the Heavenly Sword Academy.
Because of his naturally free-spirited temperament and hatred of restraint, the Sovereign of the Azure Sky never turned away those who came, nor did he hold back those who wished to leave. Although his martial arts were peerless, they were incredibly difficult to pass down properly. Consequently, most people who visited the Heavenly Sword Academy left in disappointment.
Of course, those who had nowhere better to go or wished to settle down in Baekmyo County remained. In the meantime, as the academy's influence grew rapidly under Na Hye-mi's shrewd management, conflicts, both big and small, began to arise.
"The most prominent of them is the Cheondo Gate."
The Cheondo Gate. A mid-to-small-sized sect located not far from Baekmyo County, it claimed to walk the line between orthodox and unorthodox. Ironically, its roots lay within the Heavenly Sword Academy. The Sovereign of the Azure Sky had been talented with the saber as well as the sword, and he had passed down a single saber technique to the founder of the Cheondo Gate. That was how their sect began. Yet, forgetting that ancient debt of gratitude, the Cheondo Gate now constantly sought an opportunity to swallow the Heavenly Sword Academy.
"Is the current master of the Cheondo Gate still Kwak Yoo?"
"Yes. He, too, has reached the Transformation Realm, just like Father."
Yoo-sung fell into deep thought at Na Hye-mi's reply. Once, Do Sang-woon and Kwak Yoo had been inseparable friends, but their relationship began to fracture with the appearance of Dang So-ryung. It was a common tale of romance; Kwak Yoo's pride had been deeply wounded when Dang So-ryung chose Do Sang-woon over him. Since then, their friendship had shattered, and the bitter ill will persisted to this day.
"It is rather embarrassing, but it seems a bit of ill will has formed because of me as well."
"I suppose so. Kwak Young is not the type of man to stay quiet after seeing your beauty."
Since Kwak Young had been notoriously lustful since childhood, this came as no surprise.
"And other than them?"
"Have you heard of the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild?"
"I have heard of them. A mid-sized merchant guild operating between Sichuan and Nanman. I heard their recent growth has been quite fierce."
"The successor of that guild is Sister's husband."
"Sister married into the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild?"
This was quite surprising. No matter how much the Heavenly Sword Academy had grown recently, it should have been difficult for them to form a connection with a prominent guild like the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild. What was even more surprising was that they had married before the academy's recent rise. He was curious about the story behind it.
"She will be visiting soon, so you can talk about it in detail then," Na Hye-mi said.
Yoo-sung quietly nodded. As he was listening to the surrounding affairs from Na Hye-mi, his father and older brother returned to the academy. The two had been searching the nearby area after a villager reported a wild beast intrusion the previous night.
In truth, this was not a matter that required the master and the successor of the academy to step forward personally. They could have simply sent a few ordinary martial artists to survey the area. Yet, the two had insisted on personally scouting the vicinity and clearing away any traces of the wild beasts. When it came to helping the local residents, they never cut corners.
'In this aspect, they haven't changed at all from the past.'
Seeing them continue to help the people of Baekmyo County without change, despite their newfound strength, put Yoo-sung's mind at ease. Unlike the countless martial artists who changed overnight as they grew stronger and more famous, these two remained exactly the same. Their unwavering attitude was precisely what Yoo-sung had missed so dearly.
At that moment,
With the echo of the voice left by the master of the fortuitous encounter ten years ago, Yoo-sung slowly began to blend back into the life of the Heavenly Sword Academy.
Two months had already passed since Yoo-sung's return. During that time, he had naturally integrated back into the academy.
The academy members, who had been awkward around him at first, gradually began to converse with him, and Soso continued to follow him everywhere. Every day was filled with happiness and peace.
Just as he was starting to find joy in a daily routine that began with bright laughter rather than screams and despair, misfortune struck—as it always did—without warning.
A heavy silence descended upon the Heavenly Sword Academy, which had been filled with laughter only the day before. Soso, who had been groaning in pain since the early hours of the dawn, had finally lost consciousness.
Unlike the panicked Yoo-sung, the family members calmly gathered around Soso, efficiently carrying out their respective tasks with practiced ease.
"Son, go and dilute the Fiery Heat Pill."
"Yes, Mother."
At Dang So-ryung's instruction, Do Yoo-chan walked outside with a tense expression. His face was dark as he dropped the Fiery Heat Pill into the cauldron that Ho-sung had prepared in advance.
Yoo-sung approached Yoo-chan's side and asked, "Does this happen often?"
"At shortest, once a month. At longest, once every three months. It has been our daily reality ever since Soso turned two."
With a bitter smile, Yoo-chan handled the Fiery Heat Pill. The Fiery Heat Pill was an internal medicine manufactured exclusively by the Tang Family, designed to boost bodily heat upon consumption. It was primarily used by adults who needed to restore warmth after a sudden drop in body temperature.
In Soso's case, consuming the pill raw would likely cause severe complications. Fortunately, Dang So-ryung, being from a branch of the Tang Family, was able to properly dilute and balance the medicine, which provided immense relief whenever Soso suffered like this. Of course, it was far from a complete cure for her affliction.
"Hmm." Yoo-sung quietly observed Yoo-chan's movements, thinking that he might have to take over this task in the future.
'I am still lacking in these matters.' He had only ever learned how to kill, never how to save. To him, taking a life was as natural as breathing, but saving one was a concept he could barely visualize.
Though countless methods to save Soso flashed through his mind, he hesitated to act. He could not predict what kind of adverse side effects might occur if he interfered with Soso's still-developing body.
Watching silently from Yoo-chan's side, Yoo-sung stared at Soso as she gradually regained stability after consuming the diluted medicine. He wondered how long these Fiery Heat Pills could continue to protect her. Moreover, since the pills could only be manufactured by the Tang Family, securing a steady supply would not be easy.
"Who brings the Fiery Heat Pills?"
It was Dang So-ryung who answered Yoo-sung's question. "Yoo-mi and Son-in-law Ha go through a great deal of trouble for them."
Having already heard about this from Na Hye-mi, Yoo-sung simply nodded in agreement. However, he still had many questions. 'The leader of the merchant guild is highly ambitious. Why did he so readily accept Sister as his daughter-in-law?' Was it truly because he had completely abandoned his eldest son, as the rumors suggested? Even so, there were too many things that didn't make sense. He could have easily forced his son to marry someone of far higher standing than Do Yoo-mi.
While Yoo-sung was pondering over Do Yoo-mi's husband, Soso's recovery allowed the Heavenly Sword Academy to return to its peaceful daily routine. And so, time passed.
"Uncle!!! Auntie is here!!"
"Auntie?"
To Soso, her only aunt was Do Yoo-mi, who had married into the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild.
"So Sister has arrived."
With a grin, Yoo-sung scooped Soso into his arms and set off to find Do Yoo-mi.
"Yoo-sung is back?"
The woman was taken aback, but she could not hide her rising joy. She was none other than Do Yoo-mi, who had left the academy years ago after marrying the successor of the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild.
"When? When did he return?"
As her initial joy subsided, Do Yoo-mi's anger toward her younger brother flared up. She was particularly furious because she had been the last one to see Yoo-sung before his disappearance. If only she had held onto him back then, she wouldn't have had to live with a heavy heart all these years.
"It's been a while, Sister. I'm home."
"You... You bastard!!"
Do Yoo-mi glared at Yoo-sung, who had appeared while holding Soso, and screamed. Soso flinched in Yoo-sung's arms, but Do Yoo-mi was too overwhelmed with emotion to calm herself down.
Only after delivering a harsh scolding about his sudden disappearance did Do Yoo-mi finally reveal the reason for her visit to the Heavenly Sword Academy.
"There is a problem with securing the Fiery Heat Pills."
The Fiery Heat Pill was a medicinal pill that temporarily replenished Soso's deficient yang energy. As an item distributed by the Sichuan Tang Family, Do Yoo-mi, who traveled between Yunnan and Sichuan, had taken charge of procuring it.
"Why all of a sudden?"
At Dang So-ryung's worried expression, Do Yoo-mi let out a heavy sigh.
"It is because of the Baekrang Bandits. They suddenly broke our agreement and have begun provoking us. Their movements are highly unusual."
The Baekrang Bandits resided on Baek Mountain, a range that anyone traveling between Baekmyo County and the rest of Sichuan had to cross. Under the previous bandit chief, travelers could pass through Baek Mountain without much trouble as long as they paid a reasonable toll. However, ever since the chief changed, the atmosphere had reverted to its former, hostile state.
"Even so, such blatant provocation makes no sense."
"They must be targeting something," Dang So-ryung murmured.
"Most likely. My husband went ahead first, but... we need help."
Yoo-sung, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "Why should our academy help with the Cheonhyang Merchant Guild's affairs? Doesn't Brother-in-law have his own men?"