Different Minds, Different Motives
"Alliance Leader."
"Hmm?"
Abbot Goeng-ryo, who was drinking regular tea instead of his usual "grain tea," subtly rolled his eyes when Yoo Jeong called him. As the old monk's eyes darted around behind his teacup to avoid eye contact, Yoo Jeong spoke.
"I'll take care of that matter regarding the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, so please stop acting like this. You're making me feel like I've committed some sort of crime."
"Ahem, ahem. Hohoho, that is indeed a relief."
The old monk, who had been persistently avoiding his gaze, finally beamed with joy upon receiving a firm commitment.
"The Hidden Dragon Martial Library. It wasn't bad."
"Indeed. 'Even dust, when piled up, becomes a mountain,' and 'a hair's breadth of difference can lead a thousand miles astray.' Though they may not be peerless divine techniques, they will accumulate and one day blossom into enlightenment."
As the monk nodded in agreement with his own words, Yoo Jeong stared intently at him. Under that gaze, the old monk flinched.
"...Please do not tell Paeng's Kitten."
"I won't."
Abbot Goeng-ryo, a grand elder of the Mount Tai and Beidou of Wulin—the Shaolin Temple—and the Leader of the Wulin Alliance. There was only one reason why such a grand figure was so restless in front of Yoo Jeong, who was young enough to be his grandchild.
“Just tell me. If I grab Grandfather’s beard, he won't be able to do a thing.”
It was because Yoo Jeong had brought up Paeng So-eun. Just as she had confidently boasted, Abbot Goeng-ryo had maintained a thoroughly submissive attitude ever since her name was mentioned.
"Watching that child act cute is one of this old man's few remaining pleasures in life."
"Is that really alright? You are a monk, after all."
As the saying goes about entering the priesthood, aren't monks supposed to sever all worldly ties to focus on their ascetic training? At Yoo Jeong's questioning, Abbot Goeng-ryo replied with a smile.
"Hoho. Why ever not? I am already serving as the Alliance Leader in this secular world anyway."
It actually made a fair amount of sense. Yoo Jeong nodded at the response, but only for a moment. That wasn't the issue weighing on his mind.
"Alliance Leader."
"It seems you still have something on your mind."
"Yes."
Yoo Jeong recalled his recent duel. With his slender fingers, he habitually touched his lips, as if picking up a fallen flower petal.
"I met a strange person."
"Oh?"
"His skills weren't particularly outstanding, but his body was exceptionally well-developed, and his pressure points possessed an abnormal elasticity."
The person he was referring to was Byeok Sogun. During the duel they had after leaving the Hidden Dragon Martial Library, the youth seemed completely unable to feel pain. When Yoo Jeong had struck his pressure points to test this, he had encountered an unexpectedly powerful resistance.
Abbot Goeng-ryo stroked his beard as he listened. His knot-like eyes sparkled with interest, likely because Shaolin possessed a similar martial art.
"Hearing that, it reminds me of our temple's Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Washing Classic."
Yoo Jeong nodded.
"But he didn't seem to have trained in any special internal or external martial arts."
Yoo Jeong had been puzzled by the failure of his pressure point strike. He had asked for Byeok Sogun's permission and examined his pulse. However, while his pressure points and meridians were incredibly sturdy, his true qi was severely lacking, and his meridians were heavily clogged with impurities. There was also none of the Buddhist spirituality that typically manifested when one trained in a Buddhist martial art like the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Washing Classic.
"Then?"
"I suspect it might be some kind of special secret ritual."
"Hoho, that is certainly possible. Our temple also possesses several secret methods for tempering the body inside and out."
Indeed, Abbot Goeng-ryo standing right before him was the very embodiment of Shaolin's grand methods. Having mastered all of Shaolin's Seventy-Two Arts and tempered them to the absolute limit, he was unbreakable from the outside and unyielding from within. Thus, he was the Vajra Indestructible Body. Though he looked like a wrinkled old man, Yoo Jeong knew well that even sword qi could not pierce his skin. Abbot Goeng-ryo was a master of the Transformation Realm who had reached the pinnacle of both internal and external martial arts.
The old monk gazed at Yoo Jeong with deep, profound eyes.
"But what is your reason for wanting to find this out?"
"...It started as mere curiosity, but something about it has been bothering me."
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
I'm usually quite confident in my memory.
He couldn't clearly recall where he had encountered it before. Since that kind of nagging itch only made one more frustrated, he had sought Abbot Goeng-ryo's wisdom.
However.
Clack.
"That is something I cannot speak of."
At the words spoken as the teacup was set down, Yoo Jeong's eyes narrowed. Not that he didn't know, but that he cannot speak of it. That meant there were circumstances involved, which in turn meant the Abbot knew exactly who Yoo Jeong was talking about.
How?
The question arose, but only for a moment. Yoo Jeong took a sip of the tea in front of him and thought.
The Hidden Dragon Martial Library.
Even though he had been introduced by an acquaintance, it was still a place where the secret manuals of various sects were kept.
A report must have been made to some extent.
What kind of story lay behind this that even the Alliance Leader knew about it and kept it a secret? Though curiosity flared, Yoo Jeong did not pry. No matter how friendly the old monk acted, he was still the Leader of the Wulin Alliance. It was necessary to maintain boundaries.
Yoo Jeong set down his teacup, letting go of his thoughts along with the tea.
"I understand."
"I will send someone soon to inform you of the plans for the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering."
"..."
"You aren't going to harbor a grudge and change your mind, are you?"
"What do you take me for?"
"Hoho. The hearts of young girls are like reeds in the wind, after all."
"Sigh."
Glare—
Giving him a fierce glare, Yoo Jeong spun around and swept out of the room. Hearing the voice behind him shouting that he absolutely must participate, Yoo Jeong changed his mind.
I'm definitely telling So-eun.
He resolved.
And a few days later, Yoo Jeong realized exactly why Abbot Goeng-ryo had trembled so much.
***
"Hmph!"
Yoo Jeong wore a troubled expression. This was a rare sight. Although his emotions had fluctuated a bit more recently, he was fundamentally of a calm and composed temperament. Furthermore, because he possessed high martial prowess and prided himself on being quite clever, he rarely found himself flustered.
“Miss Yoo, does cold blood run through that skull of yours?”
Diverting the opponent's gaze and flustering them—using the opening created by that distraction was the core of the Tang Clan's assassination arts. However, since it showed no signs of working on him, she had apparently lost her temper. It had been so bad that Dang So-hye had actually cursed in the middle of their duel.
Since that day, Dang So-hye had made it her goal to fluster Yoo Jeong. However, someone else had achieved that goal before her.
"Won't you get down now?"
"Hmph!"
The girl who had barged in at the crack of dawn as usual and occupied his bed was Paeng So-eun. With her arms crossed, she was completely ignoring Yoo Jeong, even letting out huffs of annoyance.
"I said I was sorry."
He offered an apology once more, but So-eun didn't even spare him a glance. Yoo Jeong brushed back his loose hair and let out a deep sigh.
"...I just thought it was a pretty title."
At the sound of his sigh, her head slowly turned. So-eun pouted her lips and spoke. The title. That was the root of the problem.
"I didn't know you were the one who came up with it."
"Still, how could you get so angry?"
"That was because the Twin Butterflies kept teasing me."
"Is 'Blue-Eyed Sword Princess' funny to you?"
Urgh. A strange groan escaped Yoo Jeong's lips.
Blue-Eyed Sword Princess. That name wasn't funny. It was... deeply painful!
Of course, the name itself suited Yoo Jeong so perfectly that anyone who saw him would nod in agreement. A beautiful lady with blue eyes carrying a sword. However, internally, he was strictly a man.
Yoo Jeong was utterly dismayed by the fact that his very first title contained the character for "Princess." But what was he supposed to do? Go around shouting that he was actually a man?
They'd only look at me with pity.
“Tsk, tsk. Such a shame. He looks so normal, but what went wrong with his head?” It was glaringly obvious that people would react that way.
The Flower-Seeking Twin Butterflies.
Yet, those two women had poured oil on the fire regarding Yoo Jeong's predicament. Since a fierce clash of blades had broken out under the pretext of a duel, Yoo Jeong believed he was not at fault.
I shouldn't have said that, though.
Indeed, Yoo Jeong had only executed a justified punishment—at least, until he started badmouthing the person who had created the title after their duel.
Yoo Jeong, who had been ranting with a face flushed with embarrassment and flailing his arms, only stopped his tirade when he heard a soft whimpering sound from behind him.
"I... since people were curious about you, I said a lot of good things. I spent so much time thinking hard to give you a cool title..."
Paeng So-eun hugged her knees and buried her face in them. Her resentful gaze and mumbled voice were highly effective weapons against Yoo Jeong, who had a soft spot for children.
Yoo Jeong massaged his temples before sitting down beside her. When he gently stroked her hair, just as he used to do with his master, So-eun's eyes widened.
She didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned her head closer, as if asking for more pats.
As he continued to stroke her hair, Yoo Jeong spoke softly.
"I'm sorry."
She had a petite build, unusual for a martial artist, along with a cheerful personality and a burning passion for martial arts. Though her hair color was different and she was larger than his master's child-like form, she was a child who constantly reminded him of his master.
She's like the first younger sister I've made in the Wulin.
Since he couldn't claim to be entirely blameless, Yoo Jeong apologized once more.
The girl, who had been enjoying his touch like a lazy cat, asked quietly.
"Are you not mad anymore?"
"Yeah."
"Then will you use the title?"
Blue-Eyed Sword Princess. Yoo Jeong repeated the name in his mind.
They really are like grandfather and granddaughter.
One tells him to claim the title of Sword Empress, and the other tells him to call himself the Sword Princess. It was a complete dilemma.
After a brief hesitation, he finally nodded with a bitter smile.
"Yeah. So you should stop being mad too."
"Then I have a condition."
"A condition?"
There was more?
"Grant me one favor."
So-eun slowly lifted her head to look at Yoo Jeong. It was a glaringly obvious, sly scheme. Yet, finally understanding why she was called "Paeng's Scaled Kitten" and why Abbot Goeng-ryo doted on her so much, Yoo Jeong let out a chuckle.
"What favor?"
"Promise me you'll do it first."
Without releasing her arms from around her knees, she extended just one hand. It was a clever tactic to secure a firm commitment. However, Yoo Jeong didn't find it detestable.
Because it reminded him of his master, who used to stick out her pinky finger and say, “Then you have to make me meat dishes!”
"I promise."
As soon as they hooked pinkies to seal the promise, So-eun let go of her knees and sprang to her feet. Her braided hair, which reached down to her waist, swayed energetically.
"Alright! I won!"
"Huh?"
"Jeong, don't you dare forget your promise!"
With a hearty laugh, Paeng So-eun gave him a final warning and dashed out of the room. She disappeared without even pestering him for a duel like she usually did. Yoo Jeong was left utterly flabbergasted by her sudden change in attitude.
Ah. I've been played.
Ripples formed in his blue eyes. I won, she had said. Who on earth was she competing against?
There was no need to think long. If he had to name the people in the Phoenix Squad who would place a bet on him, Yoo Jeong could name three without a moment's hesitation.
The Flower-Seeking Twin Butterflies, and Paeng's Scaled Kitten.
He pondered. What on earth could they have bet on? When he arrived at a certain conclusion, his crescent-shaped eyebrows trembled. No matter how many times he thought about it, only ominous possibilities came to mind.
First, I need to get out of here.
Yoo Jeong resolved to flee. However...
"Miss Yoo. We heard from So-eun."
"Hello, hello."
The door burst open, and two women walked in. They were the Flower-Seeking Twin Butterflies. Cruelly, the heavens had allowed his opponents to move faster, leaving Yoo Jeong to do nothing but let out a hollow laugh.
I'm sorry, Alliance Leader. For telling on you to So-eun.
He apologized to Abbot Goeng-ryo in his heart.
I miss you, Master.
Thinking of his master, who seemed like an absolute angel compared to So-eun, he was dragged away by the two women. It was the day before the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.