Chapter 267: Southern Sea Saintess Si Seo-woo-2
Chapter 267: Southern Sea Saintess Si Seo-woo-2
Puhwaaak!
The demon's head flew through the air, spraying blood, and tumbled away.
He who had been displaying monstrous martial prowess just moments ago was truly dead.
At that, everyone who had been watching the surreal scene with bated breath—the warriors of the Fujian Yong Clan and my party—stood stunned for a moment before erupting into cheers a beat later.
"Waaaaaah!"
"The demon is dead!"
"The Saintess has vanquished the demon!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
While the warriors of the Fujian Yong Clan cheered as if at a festival, I suddenly looked toward the Saintess.
She was gazing at the demon's corpse with a somewhat bitter look in her eyes.
Her face was so ruined that I could not readily discern her expression, but I, who had been practicing reading people's hearts under Elder Mukrang's tutelage, could tell clearly.
The fact that her gaze was deeply subdued.
Though, upon reflection, it was something I could fully understand.
She, an absolute being of the martial world, had killed the demon with my help, a green junior—would not the world continue to clamor that she had been his pawn?
And now that he was dead, there would be no chance to overturn that assessment.
I approached her, bowed my head, and apologized.
"I have brought dishonor upon the Saintess's reputation. I apologize."
At that, her face twisted.
Because her face was so ruined, even a slight contortion made her look like a demonic spirit.
I could not help but be momentarily flustered by that hideous visage.
She seemed far angrier than I had expected.
But when she opened her mouth then, I realized that it had been my misunderstanding.
Because the voice that came from her lips, unlike her face, was exceedingly gentle.
"Young hyeopgaek, you saved my life and the lives of people precious to me. An apology, after bestowing such grace? Rather, it is I who should be grateful. I am someone who knows that the lives of people are far more important than my honor or the like."
Judging by her voice, it seemed her twisted face must have been an expression of smiling.
Her face was so ruined that even her smile appeared hideous.
I felt somewhat relieved, yet at the same time could not help feeling pity for her.
At that, she opened her mouth again and apologized.
"I am sorry for startling you. I know how I appear to others when I smile because my face is like this, but I suppose I have grown so accustomed to the Yong Clan's people that I made a mistake again."
I hurriedly shook my head.
It was clearly I who had committed the rudeness by letting my expression show, yet she was apologizing—I could not have been more mortified.
"Not at all, Saintess! Please do not say such things! I..."
But after speaking that far, I could not continue to the next words for a moment.
Because the fact that I had been startled by her expression was an undeniable truth.
She undoubtedly knew it too, and I could not bear to lie and say I had not been startled at all.
So after hesitating briefly, I went on with different words.
"Personally, among all the seniors of the martial world, I have most respected the Sword Saint Elder and Saintess! It is truly an honor to meet you in person like this!"
At that, her face twisted hideously again and she burst into laughter.
"Hohoho! This handsome and martially gifted young junior even has such excellent consideration. Surely you must have made countless women weep by now? I can see it clearly without even looking."
"P-pardon?"
I was so genuinely flustered that I could not answer for a moment.
Suddenly, the faces of a certain few young ladies surfaced in my mind, and I could not even bring myself to refute it.
Then, as if my bewildered expression was amusing, the Saintess burst into laughter again.
"Hohoho! It seems I have struck the heart of the matter. To think you even have this innocent side—had I met you when I was young, I would have fallen for you as well."
It was while she continued laughing like that and I was at a loss for what to do.
Suddenly, the Yong Clan Family Head Yong Woo-shin approached us.
"I am glad to see Lady Si in good spirits."
At that, the Saintess ceased laughing and looked at Yong Woo-shin with gentle eyes as she spoke.
"I am in good spirits, perhaps because I have met an admirable and endearing junior after a long time. And... thank you for saving my life, Yong Family Head. It is thanks to you that I am still alive."
The Saintess bowed her head deeply as she said this.
At her respectful gratitude, Yong Woo-shin, at a loss for what to do, hurriedly bowed his head as well and said,
"What are you saying... It is I who should beg your forgiveness for damaging Lady Si's honor."
At that, the Saintess shook her head and said,
"If I had fallen to the demon then, likely the Yong Family Head... and the lives of the others would have been in danger too. The lives of the Family Head and the people are far more precious to me than my honor. So I must be grateful to you for making it possible to protect them."
The two of them gazed at each other with gentle eyes, each saying that they themself should be more grateful.
It was a heartwarming sight just to watch from the side.
An atmosphere where even an outsider like myself could feel the genuine sincerity of caring for one another.
Yet at the same time, I could also sense a cautious attitude, as if they were keeping each other at a certain distance.
It was a strange feeling.
After watching the two for a moment, I suddenly asked Elder Mukrang.
'Those two... what do you think?'
At that, he asked back in a questioning tone.
- Hm? What do you mean?
'...Never mind.'
It seemed this kind of question was perhaps not the sort to ask Elder Mukrang.
At that, he burst into laughter and said,
- Hahaha! I was joking. Those two... they harbor deep affection for each other. But for some reason, they each hold a feeling like guilt toward the other. So they seem to be cautious around each other.
'Guilt, you say?'
- I cannot know in detail, but guilt? A sense of inferiority? It seems to be that kind of emotion.
I suddenly recalled the facts I knew about the two of them.
First, the two had begun associating with each other about six or seven years ago, when the Fujian Yong Clan had been fighting heavily against the demon's forces.
At that time, the demon's power was at its zenith, and the Fujian Yong Clan, though defeated every time, had not ceased their resistance against them.
The Saintess had gone to the Fujian Yong Clan then and begun supporting them.
At that, the situation quickly reversed.
The reason the Fujian Yong Clan had been losing until then was because they could not withstand the demon's martial force, but when the Saintess neutralized the demon's martial force, the balance of power between the two forces was overturned in an instant.
And the two forces, unable to decide victory at sea, had ultimately begun a long standoff.
Upon hearing that, Elder Mukrang spoke.
- Six or seven years... That is sufficient time for two people to look past appearances and recognize each other's true selves and develop affection. Are those two unmarried?
'As far as I know, the Saintess has not married. She has spent her life supporting people in difficult circumstances or raising orphans. However, the Yong Family Head is a married man. I heard he has two sons and one daughter. Though I also heard that he was widowed long ago and has been alone for some time.'
- Hmm, the head of a great clan like the Fujian Yong Clan did not take a second wife after being widowed? That is rather peculiar.
'Now that I think of it, it is indeed. It must not have been easy to leave the position of mistress of a great clan vacant.'
It was common for the heads of martial clan families to have several wives.
As was the case with my father, marriage alliances with surrounding powers were often necessary, and the existence of a mistress to take responsibility for the clan's internal affairs was extremely important.
So for the position of mistress of a great clan like the Fujian Yong Clan to remain vacant for several years was bound to be a highly unusual matter.
- I suspect the reason is likely because of the Saintess. Has there been no such rumor until now?
'...Not to my knowledge.'
The position of Yong Clan mistress had been vacant for several years, and the Yong Family Head was keeping close company with the Saintess.
Naturally, it was the perfect situation for gossipmongers to spread all manner of rumors.
But I had never once heard a rumor about those two.
And somehow, I felt I could guess the reason.
'Perhaps it is because of the Saintess's appearance. No one would have ever imagined that someone could harbor romantic feelings for her. Also, the Fujian Yong Clan has long been famous for not seeking to expand its power through marriage. They often marry among their own, and the family heads have often not taken more than one wife.'
- Hmm, indeed, the Fujian Yong Clan has been somewhat like that since old times. And that is part of what made it a fine place.
It was then.
The Yong Family Head and the Saintess, who had been standing apart and gazing at each other with tender eyes, turned their heads toward me as if snapping back to their senses.
Yong Family Head Yong Woo-shin spoke to me first.
"Come to think of it, I have kept my benefactor standing and talked too much about other things. Seonwoo Gongja, our Yong Clan has received a great favor from you this time. Neither the Hengshan Sect's Six Harmony Swordsman nor that demon could have been dealt with without you. I am sincerely grateful."
Having spoken thus, the Yong Family Head bowed his head deeply and cupped his fist.
The head of the great clan known as the Fujian Yong Clan, and a master counted among the finest of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World—no matter how much favor he had received, he had bowed his head to a green junior like me without the slightest hesitation.
Truly, he was an utterly unpretentious and broad-minded man.
I marveled at him once more and bowed my head in return, cupping my fist.
"To call me a benefactor is more than I deserve. Strictly speaking, I believe this is a matter for which I should beg forgiveness from you both. For I dared to use the Saintess and the Yong Clan for my private purposes. It was fortunate that the matter resolved well and benefited the Yong Clan, but had it gone slightly awry, were you two not nearly placed in danger? I sincerely apologize."
At my words, the Yong Family Head and the Saintess exchanged glances and smiled softly.
And this time, the Saintess spoke.
"Not only outstanding in martial arts and wisdom, but even his character is so humble—truly, this is a great blessing for the martial world. I, Si Seo-woo, am more joyful to have come to know the person called Gongja than I was to kill the demon. Shall we be able to see each other often from now on? I hope there will be many more opportunities to be together with you."
Then Yong Family Head Yong Woo-shin also smiled warmly and said,
"I also share the Saintess's opinion. You staked your life to slay the two villains of the South Sea for Inparang Gongja, to whom you had no prior tie—where is the private purpose in that? If that is selfishness, then I would welcome you using our Yong Clan for it, not just a few times but dozens of times. Do call on me at any time. I will come running even to the ends of the earth."
I will come running even to the ends of the earth.
Whoever said it, it was a statement that could have sounded like empty boasting.
But even those words felt sincere coming from the Yong Family Head's lips.
Listening to them, I was able to smile a contented smile that welled up from my heart.
The meaning of that smile was twofold.
First, emotionally, I was simply overjoyed to have formed ties with people like these.
They say the martial world is a place full of romance and adventure, but in reality, what fills it are tyranny and ambition, and the martial world I knew was a place rife with betrayal and trickery to achieve those ends.
Yet even in such a martial world, there still remained such true hyeopgaeks, and I had come to form good relations with them.
A warmth filled my chest.
Suddenly, I remembered the Sword Saint Elder who had returned.
'Sword Saint Elder....'
And another reason for my smile was that by putting them in my debt, I had gained incredibly powerful allies.
The purpose of this journey was to obtain the Sword God Elder's True Godly Ultimate Techniques, and also to secure a power base for Brother Pung.
And whether those two matters worked out smoothly or not, once this journey was over, we would inevitably end up in an all-out war with the Blood Cult.
There was also a high probability that we would make an enemy of the Murim Alliance as well.
Yet through this affair, one of the Three Sages of the World, the South Sea Saintess Si Seo-u, and Yong Woo-shin, the head of the Fujian Yong Clan—a symbol of righteousness itself—had told me they would help me.
Of course, that likely didn't yet refer to fighting the Blood Cult, but once they heard the story about the Blood Cult and the Murim Alliance, they did not seem like people who would turn a blind eye to it.
I slowly opened my mouth.
"Actually, there was something I urgently wished to tell you both. I was originally a Flying Dragon Squad member fighting the Blood Cult on the front lines. However...."
I began to slowly unravel the story of the front lines for them.
At first, the two of them listened with puzzled expressions, which grew progressively more grave.
I explained the whole story slowly and in meticulous detail.
The two of them focused on my tale, sometimes enraged, sometimes admiring, and when the story ended, the Saintess sighed first and spoke.
"The truth is, the reason I did not go to the front lines was because I was not particularly fond of that man, the Murim Alliance Leader Mo Yong-geom. I turned away from it, fearing that my going there would only elevate the standing of that untrustworthy person. But... the thing I was actually turning away from was not him, but the lives of countless martial artists on the front lines. It is nothing short of shameful."
Clan Head Yong Woo-shin also let out a deep sigh and said,
"I thought that we, fighting the Demonic Sovereign, were holding back the greatest evil of the martial world. But now I see, he was merely a minor evil. I was holding onto a petty evil while ignoring a true atrocity."
Afterwards, the two of them spoke in unison, promising that on the day the fight against the Blood Cult began, they would set aside all other matters and rush to my aid.
And that was, without a doubt, the greatest outcome I could have gained from this affair.
***
After the conversation ended, the Saintess and the warriors of the Fujian Yong Clan had to return to the Yong Clan immediately.
That was because, with the Demonic Sovereign vanished, they planned to attack Daenam Island and wipe out his subordinates in one fell swoop before they could scatter.
Before they left, they asked if there was anything they could do for me.
After a moment of thought, I asked the Saintess if she could perhaps clear away some of the collapsed ravine's debris.
It was to find Jin Tae-do's corpse, which was buried underneath, along with the White Tiger Sword and other items.
Originally, I had been prepared to give up on Jin Tae-do's corpse because I simply couldn't fathom how to retrieve it.
But Elder Mukrang had advised me, as if confirming something for me.
- Ask the Saintess for the favor. For a martial artist of her level, clearing such debris is not a difficult task.
So I asked her on the off chance she might be willing, and she nodded readily.
"Understood. Now that I think of it, you'll likely need his body to convince the people of the Hainan Sect as well. I should have thought of it myself before you even spoke. I am sorry. At my age, my thoughts are still so slow. I wonder when I'll ever become a proper person. To think that someone like me is called a Saintess—it's truly preposterous."
And with that, she made me an offer.
"Until you meet with the people of the Hainan Sect, I will stay by your side, Gongja. Though my title may be hollow, wouldn't my presence help temper their anger somewhat?"
I was amazed at her consideration once again.
She was telling me she would remain, to prepare for the moment I revealed to the Hainan Sect people that I was not Inparang.
In case their anger became excessive, she would be there to block it.
I bowed my head deeply and expressed my sincere gratitude to her.
"Thank you. You say otherwise, Seonbaenim, but from what I see, no title seems to suit you as well as the Saintess does. I am truly grateful for your consideration even of such minute details. But there is no need for you to stay on my account. If they rage, then I believe soothing that rage is also something I must do."
At my polite refusal, the Saintess, who had been looking at me for a moment, contorted her face into that hideous expression again.
Though I was still not quite used to it, I now knew well that expression was a smile.
She opened her mouth to speak.
"I am raising a few children."
This was something I knew well.
That the Saintess gathered orphans she formed connections with and raised them was a famous story.
"...I have heard of it as well. Although, I believe it is more than just a few."
From what I knew, it was at least several dozen.
The Saintess, her face contorted hideously again, replied.
"It is a little more than that. More importantly, if you ever have the time, would you consider spending some time with those children? I believe seeing an older brother figure, a hyung they can look up to, would have a good influence on them."
"Ah!"
She was saying that she thought I would be a good role model for the children.
It was embarrassing to receive such excessive praise from a revered hyeopgaek like the Saintess.
I answered with an awkward smile.
"Isn't the most admirable person in the world standing right here? But, if I can be of any help, I will gladly visit."
Satisfied with my answer, the Saintess went off to clear the debris.
And everyone, myself included, could only watch in sheer shock at the method she used to clear it.
All she did to move it was go near the rubble and wave her arms about.
And then, an astonishing thing happened.
The debris around her began to fly away as if caught in a dragon whirlwind.
Whether it was a small pebble or a massive boulder, it was all the same.
She began to walk slowly back and forth across the ravine, sending the debris flying to the edges like that.
And so, the rubble that had filled the ravine flew away, and her figure gradually moved lower and lower toward the ravine floor.
At first, I watched the scene blankly, then soon burst out laughing in sheer incredulity.
"Ha, good heavens...."
It was a stupefying sight.
I had been proud, thinking I could now match even the Thirty-Six Stars of the World to some degree, but the heavens above the heavens were still that high....
I had once seen Poisonous Eyed Ghost Sword Seo Il's Telekinesis, but the Saintess seemed to be on an entirely different level from him.
I felt I could now understand instantly why Ghost Sword was ranked the lowest among the absolute beings known as the Fifteen.
After watching that sight dazedly for a moment, I suddenly snapped to my senses and looked at Clan Head Yong Woo-shin.
He, too, was watching the spectacle as if completely entranced.
Though whether he was watching the spectacle itself, or the woman herself, I could not be certain.
I approached him and spoke.
"Yong Gaju-nim, may I have a word with you for a moment?"
"Huh? Ah, Seonwoo Gongja. Of course, it is fine."
He seemed a little disappointed that he had to stop watching the Saintess's divine might, but he soon smiled brightly and followed me to a secluded corner.
He looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked,
"What do you have to say that requires coming to such an out-of-the-way spot?"
I gazed at him for a moment, then took out the Dragon Sword.
"Now that the Demonic Sovereign is gone, the Saintess no longer has any reason to stay at the Yong Clan, does she?"
"Huh?! Ah, well, that is...."
At my words, his face instantly went pale.
It seemed that thought had not once crossed his mind until now.
I continued to ask him,
"Perhaps she could even leave right this moment. In truth, is there any need for the Saintess herself to go to punish Daenam Island when the Demonic Sovereign is no longer there?"
He answered with a flustered expression.
"W-Well, I suppose that is true."
"As I thought. Then, may I escort the Saintess away right now?"
At my question, he could not answer immediately.
But after hesitating for a moment, he eventually let out a sigh and nodded heavily.
"If the Saintess has decided to leave, then of course she must go, mustn't she?"
At his reply, I let out a deep sigh.
And I asked again.
"Is that truly, sincerely what you want?"
Only then did he seem to sense that there was an intent behind my question.
He asked me with a mix of slight bewilderment and wariness.
"...What do you mean?"
I spoke to him with earnest eyes.
"Someone once said that only the courageous can win a beauty. Yong Gaju-nim, is the Saintess beautiful to you?"
At my question, he was completely thrown off guard and just stood there with his mouth hanging open for a moment.
To him, I asked once more.
"Or is it that she is not a beauty, and that is why you've never mustered the courage until now?"
"Wh-What! She is...."
His lips quivered a few times, but in the end, he gave no answer.
He had probably tried to deny my words but found he could not bring himself to say them.
This might very well be excessive meddling.
No matter how broad-minded he was, it was not a fitting thing for a green junior like me, one he had only just come to know, to say.
But even knowing that, the reason I deliberately brought this up was because of my memories from my past life.
In my past life, those two had never gotten together, even by the time I died.
And it was not as if they married other people, either.
Their feelings for each other seemed so deep that even I, having only briefly observed them from the side—without needing Elder Mukrang to confirm it—could easily notice.
And yet, the story was that those two would not come together for nearly ten more years.
And from what I observed at their side, the reason seemed to be this sense of distance, born from caring for each other too much.
I am no great expert on relationships between men and women, but the cautious attitude of those two was so extreme that it made even me feel frustrated.
That was why I had chosen to step forward, out of line as it might be.
"I do not quite know why you hesitate, Yong Gaju-nim. But I think I know well enough why the Saintess hesitates. Even after making what was meant to be a smiling face, she apologized to me. That must mean she carries a deep emotional wound regarding her appearance. So she would never dare to even consider expressing her affection for you, Yong Gaju-nim."
At that, Clan Head Yong Woo-shin asked me with a look of utter shock.
"The Saintess... has affection for me?! Is that truly so?! No, even if it were true, how do you know that?"
I let out a heavy sigh and answered.
"Haa, they say that affection is something utterly impossible to hide, and that only the two people in question remain unaware of it in the whole world. How do you suppose I knew that you, Yong Gaju-nim, harbor affection for the Saintess?"
With a blank expression, he could not find any more words.
And I, too, had to end my talk there.
Because the Saintess had finished clearing all the debris from the ravine.
I decided to leave it at that.
If even after me saying this much, the two of them still did not get together, then that must simply be their fate.