An Unexpected Proposal
The suggestion came from Mu Yeong. “By the way, given where we are, it might be better to change locations before we continue this conversation.”
“Mm, I was thinking the same thing,” Yu Seongho replied, his eyes darting around the room. Mu Yeong had clearly noticed, which was why he’d made the offer. Yu Seongho accepted it without hesitation.
I tilted my head in confusion and sent a transmission to my senior brother. [Weren’t we supposed to be here at the inn to unwind and chat? Why are we suddenly leaving the inn to talk somewhere else, Senior Brother?]
[We’re heading to Lord Jeong’s place.]
[…Excuse me?]
The moment my senior brother answered that we were going to where Lord Jeong was staying, I couldn’t help but ask again, completely baffled.
Lord Jeong was one of the secular disciples who had trained at Mount Hua. He ran several escort agencies and even owned a small trading company of his own—a fairly successful merchant with quite the business empire. He had recently expanded into Sangju, which was exactly why my senior brother and I had been sent down here on this mission.
‘We’ve been staying at his house for the time being, but inviting outsiders in still feels a bit rude.’
I kept that thought to myself.
“Alright then, let’s go.”
“……”
I had no real choice in the matter. So, with no other options, I reluctantly followed my senior brother toward the grand residence where Lord Jeong was staying.
“Lord Jeong, I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but we’d like to impose on you for a short while.”
“Oh my, please come in! Don’t worry at all. Stay as long as you like and make yourselves completely at home.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
Lord Jeong greeted our group with a bright, beaming smile. The worries I’d been carrying around until now melted away like snow. Strangely enough, the way he treated me and Mu Yeong was so warm and polite that it almost felt unsettling. Considering that Lord Jeong was one of the most prominent merchants even outside of Shaanxi—someone whose influence reached deep into Shanxi—it was hard to understand.
‘Well, good is good.’
Dismissing the thought as unimportant, I followed Lord Jeong as he led us toward the inner courtyard he had prepared.
Step. Step.
I don’t know how much time passed as we walked along the outer edges of the mansion that felt more like a palace. Yu Seongho, who had been looking around curiously at the grand residence, cautiously asked me a question.
“By any chance… that person from earlier…?”
“Mm. You could say we’ve been staying with him until recently. We’re in a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“Ah, I see.”
“To put it simply, he’s a secular disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“That makes sense then…”
Yu Seongho nodded in understanding. He still looked a little uneasy, though, clicking his tongue with a quiet tch.
It was at that moment.
“Since our master said you may stay as long as you wish, please call for us whenever you need anything.”
“Thank you for guiding us.”
“It was nothing.”
The servant who had been staying at Lord Jeong’s palace-like home guided us all the way to the inner courtyard before vanishing in a hurry. The atmosphere grew a bit awkward, but Mu Yeong spoke up in a casual tone.
“Let’s head inside.”
“…Yes.”
With a soft rustle, we entered the inner courtyard and let out short gasps of admiration at the sight of the refreshments and tea set that had been prepared for us.
“As expected.”
“Lord Jeong truly lives up to his reputation.”
“To think he’d pay attention to even the smallest details like this…”
Each of us voiced our amazement as we stepped fully into the courtyard. The first to speak after that was my senior brother.
“So, I’d like to hear more about what you were saying earlier.”
“Indeed. In a private place like this, it should be fine to speak openly. Shall we continue where we left off?”
Yu Seongho cleared his throat and continued.
“In any case, warriors from the Jongnam Sect have been dispatched all the way to the vicinity of Sangju to capture the first-class experts known as Blood Wolf and Lightning Blade, who committed murder near the Jongnam area.”
“Hm, the Jongnam Sect must be in complete chaos.”
“That’s correct. Several of the elders who were absolutely furious have personally stepped forward, leading their disciples here. They’re still on their way.”
“Good heavens.”
Mu Yeong let out a small, disbelieving chuckle. Yu Seongho seemed to understand exactly how he felt and gave a bitter smile before continuing.
“Because of that, disciples of the same generation as me—including myself—have all rushed to Sangju. But then one problem arose.”
“A problem?”
“We received word that not only Blood Wolf and Lightning Blade, but a large number of Demonic Path experts have been lying in ambush or gathering in the area. Even quite a few first-class experts from both the righteous and demonic factions have assembled.”
“…Is there really a reason for so many of those Demonic Path bastards to gather? So suddenly?”
When Mu Yeong asked with clear doubt in his voice, Yu Seongho’s expression grew complicated as he continued.
“From what I’ve heard, it seems the Extreme Yin Body is involved.”
“……!”
Both Mu Yeong and I widened our eyes at the same time. The moment the term Extreme Yin Body was mentioned, I realized that Yu Seongho was revealing quite a lot of information about this incident.
‘The Extreme Yin Body… It’s a constitution that contains extreme cold energy within the body, making it especially suited for cultivating ice techniques.’
Moreover, I recalled that while it granted far superior internal energy from birth, the innate imbalance made the dantian fragile and prone to breaking. Keeping that in mind, I listened carefully as Yu Seongho continued his explanation.
“To continue, after hearing the rumor, lustful devils, Demonic Path experts, and all sorts of scoundrels from every region have gathered near Unhaeng Mountain—where the target is said to have appeared—lying in wait for the Extreme Yin Body.”
“Mm…!”
“That’s why the Jongnam Sect is currently furious, but they’ve been ordered to wait in place and avoid acting rashly.”
“This is complicated.”
“Because of that, the senior and junior disciples are all on edge, taking out their frustration on each other or snapping at one another. Please understand.”
“In other words… they didn’t come here specifically to interfere with Lord Jeong’s business.”
“Correct.”
Only then did my senior brother seem to fully grasp the overall situation. He swallowed once, then immediately fell into deep thought. From what I could tell as I watched from the side, he appeared to be weighing a decision.
‘Obviously.’
After a brief pause, Mu Yeong scratched his ear once. Then, as if making a casual suggestion, he said, “Your name was Yu Seongho, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. You can call me comfortably.”
“No need to go that far…”
He cleared his throat a few times before asking in a meaningful tone, “Would it be alright if my junior brother and I participated in this matter?”
“…Pardon?”
Yu Seongho asked again without thinking. It showed just how startled he was—and I felt the same way. I stared at my senior brother in a slightly dazed state.
‘What the—making a suggestion like this without even discussing it first…?’
I had guessed something like this might happen, but I thought he would at least beat around the bush. I never expected him to suggest it so directly. Because of that, Mu Yeong’s attitude felt even more absurd to me.
So I sent him a transmission. [Senior Brother… what kind of proposal is this all of a sudden? We just finished Lord Jeong’s escort mission and were about to return to Mount Hua. And now you want to jump into an incident involving the Extreme Yin Body?]
[Why, are you scared?]
[That’s not what I mean.]
[If you’re not scared, then just stay quiet. I already discussed this with Master.]
[…….]
Internally, I thought, ‘We didn’t even send a messenger pigeon—how the hell did the Sect Leader find out and discuss this with you?!’ But I had no intention of recklessly interfering with Mu Yeong’s decision, so I stayed silent despite my disbelief.
Yu Seongho, who had been pondering the proposal on the spot, swallowed once.
“Mmm…”
‘Why are you even hesitating…?’
From the perspective of someone leading the incident, shouldn’t he be rejecting the offer? I simply couldn’t understand it. And then came an even more shocking result.
Yu Seongho seemed to have made up his mind. His eyes widened, and he answered with bold enthusiasm.
“Very well. You two may participate. However, I have one condition.”
“Oh, good. Let’s hear what this condition is.”
“Well…”
Yu Seongho scratched the side of his head awkwardly, then glanced at me and said, “……”
‘Why me?’
His gaze was fixed clearly on me. I tilted my head in confusion. Then, having firmed his resolve, Yu Seongho spoke calmly.
“I would like your junior brother to spar with me.”
“……!”
“I still remember losing to him once during the previous martial tournament. Even after all these years, I want to see whether I would still lose so helplessly.”
“Oho.”
Mu Yeong grinned. It seemed he welcomed the suggestion. But for me, sitting silently beside him, it was almost ridiculous.
I thought to myself, ‘This guy doesn’t care about his superiors’ opinions either, and he casually ignores the elders’ orders… He’s basically the same type as Senior Brother.’