Each to Their Own Path
Hwangbo Mujin, the young master of the Hwangbo Clan. Known as the prodigy of Shandong, he had crossed the threshold of the Peak Expert realm at the tender age of twenty.
True to the reputation of the Hwangbo Clan, famous for their bold and magnanimous nature, he brimmed with confidence. When he set out from Shandong to attend the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, he had even refused his family's escort, embarking on the journey entirely alone.
With his rugged, masculine features, he had caught the eyes of many women along the way. His confidence had only soared higher as he single-handedly crushed bands of bandits and unorthodox martial artists.
During his travels, he met a man in Henan who shared a similar standing, and the two quickly struck up a friendship.
"I am Seok Gyeol."
He hailed from the Seok Clan Manor, an estate that commanded vast wealth. Although Seok Gyeol was from a branch family rather than the direct line, he was still a worthy companion to associate with.
Martial prowess, intellect, and even a handsome appearance—Hwangbo Mujin deemed him a fitting associate. Wanting to share a drink and catch up with a friend who met his high standards, it was only natural that the two headed toward the Yellow Crane Pavilion upon arriving in Wuhan.
The Yellow Crane Pavilion. It was a place of such breathtaking beauty that legend claimed even Taoist immortals would stop by to enjoy themselves.
A feast for heroes should only be held in a place worthy of them.
But then.
"My lady, are you alright? Please, show me your foot. If it is a minor injury, I can tend to it myself. If not, I will take you to a physician."
Hwangbo Mujin saw a woman trembling on the ground and a Kunlun slave daring to reach for her foot. Flying like the wind, he struck the Kunlun slave down.
He could not tolerate a man taking liberties with a woman. It was even more infuriating that a lowly, dark-skinned Kunlun slave was the one doing it.
How dare he talk back to me.
He had been teaching the slave a lesson, but...
Hwangbo Mujin stared at the person who had suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Long, flowing black hair that reached down to the waist. A sharp, elegant nose, and blue eyes that shone like the moon hanging over a mountain peak. She was a remarkably beautiful young woman.
"Ha, you know him?"
With a sharp flick, he wrenched his wrist free. Then, he pointed a finger at the Kunlun slave, Byeok Sogun.
"If you are a woman, you must understand the importance of chastity! That shameless Kunlun slave bastard was trying to grope a lady's foot!"
"I don't."
"What?"
Brushing aside the hair that had fallen forward, the girl tilted her head.
"And from what I heard, he was only trying to help because she was hurt. If that's the case, of course he could touch her foot."
"Ha! Birds of a feather flock together. You strange wretches speak the exact same nonsense. What, are you two sleeping together?"
"Sleeping together?"
She blinked, looking genuinely confused by the term. But it was Byeok Sogun who flared up in anger. Unable to bear Yoo Jeong being insulted because of him, he shouted in indignation, blood still streaming from his nose.
"Do not insult Lady Yoo!"
"That's right. Don't speak so vulgarly to Jeong."
A voice chimed in from above. Mujin, Byeok Sogun, and even the onlookers all turned their gazes upward.
Tap. Two phoenixes descended from the upper floor of the pavilion.
"Hwangbo Mujin, you ignorant fool."
"...That piece of shit. Should I make sure he can never use his lower half again?"
"Hold back, Sohye."
"You two..."
The two women landed gracefully between him and the other two, blocking his path. Their faces were familiar.
"Eon Mi-ryeong. Dang So-hye."
Among the countless martial clans of the Murim, five stood in an unrivaled position. They were collectively known as the Five Great Clans.
Although Hwangbo Mujin's Shandong Hwangbo Clan was counted among the Eight Great Clans, their standing fell short when compared to the Five Great Clans, whose stronghold on power was absolute.
Thus, Hwangbo Mujin glared at them, his eyes burning with resentment.
He was a man who took immense pride in his lineage and his own abilities. Yet here he was, being rebuked by women of similar age and skill, but from far superior families. He despised every second of it.
Justice is on my side.
He clenched and unclenched his fists, but ultimately, he could not strike. Setting aside the disparity between their clans, he had no guarantee of victory against the two of them.
He glanced back. His companion, Seok Gyeol, was still standing a step back, merely observing. He had seemed interested when the women first appeared, but he must have realized who they were.
"Ha, whatever."
In the end, it was Hwangbo Mujin who turned away first. Spinning around with a sharp gust of wind, he stormed off.
Leaving behind Seok Gyeol's calls of "Brother Hwangbo!" and Dang So-hye sticking her tongue out at his back, he headed not toward the Yellow Crane Pavilion, but toward the Wulin Alliance Headquarters.
I need to train.
Even though he had been outnumbered, they were still women. The fact that he had retreated without being able to subdue them was a deep humiliation.
I must push myself further.
Unless he drenched himself in sweat, his anger would keep him awake all night.
As he walked, his mind remained entirely fixed on the confrontation. If I had struck like this... If I had used the Five Elements Fist instead of the Three Heavenly Kings Fist and the Heavenly King Steps... He was completely absorbed in a mental sparring match against the Eon Clan's fist techniques and the Tang Clan's hidden weapons.
Then, suddenly, Hwangbo Mujin froze in his tracks.
In the mock battle playing out in his mind, his opponents had been Eon Mi-ryeong and Dang So-hye. But at some point, the presence of the blue-eyed girl had loomed over them.
Only after the chilling realization that he could not defeat her no matter what he did did Hwangbo Mujin finally understand.
She had caught his fist—which had been fully charged with true qi—as if it were nothing. Yet, he had felt absolutely no presence from her, which was why he hadn't even instinctively guarded against her.
He whipped his head back. He was already quite far from the Yellow Crane Pavilion, and they were no longer in sight.
Staring blankly in that direction, he muttered in sheer bewilderment,
"Who on earth is she?"
"Blue-Eyed Sword Princess."
"Hello."
On the day of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. An unexpected yet familiar guest visited Yoo Jeong's room while he was checking his luggage. A young girl peeked her head through the slightly open door. It was Paeng So-eun, "Paeng's Scaled Kitten."
The name she had just uttered was the nickname she had personally coined for Yoo Jeong. When Yoo Jeong simply nodded and even waved his hand, her face filled with surprise.
Then, with a bright grin, Paeng So-eun stepped into the room. Looking at her, Yoo Jeong said,
"We can't spar today."
"I know. The Path of Righteousness starts today."
The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering was not merely a social event for eating, drinking, and feasting. It was divided into several stages, the first of which was an event called the Path of Righteousness.
The participating martial artists were randomly grouped to travel toward a designated destination, performing righteous deeds and building camaraderie along the way. It was an event designed to prevent the young elites from only mingling with those they already knew. That was the Path of Righteousness.
"I heard the members of the Phoenix Squad aren't participating."
"Yeah."
He had first heard this yesterday from the Twin Butterflies. Not just the Phoenix Squad, but other military units of the Wulin Alliance also had many young experts of the younger generation. None of them would be participating in the Path of Righteousness.
"Someone has to stay behind and do the actual work."
"It always looked like you guys were just playing around, though."
"Ugh, no we weren't!"
When he teased her, recalling how she always came by to ask for spars and play pranks, she reacted vehemently. Her braided hair swayed vigorously as she shook her head. The sight of it, resembling a cat's tail, tempted Yoo Jeong.
Should I pull it?
Of course, having been scolded thoroughly for it before, he didn't actually do it. Instead, he gently patted her head, and So-eun closed her eyes happily, letting him stroke her hair.
"Did you come to see me off?"
"Yeah. And to give you something."
With a proud huff, So-eun took a step back. They say cats bring mice or birds to their owners. Yoo Jeong watched her with an amused expression, wondering what "Paeng's Kitten" had brought him.
"Here!"
"This is..."
The object she held out was a hairpin. It was a beautiful hairpin that shimmered with a brilliant blue light, matching the color of Yoo Jeong's eyes.
—So-eun has been eyeing that hairpin for a few days now.
"Isn't that the hairpin you won from a bet?"
"Ah! You heard from the older sisters."
"Only that you were eyeing it."
"That's right. I thought it would look perfect on you. I tried to find a similar one, but I couldn't. They said it's incredibly rare. So, in the end, I won it through a bet."
Holding the hairpin, Yoo Jeong fell into thought.
I thought she had sold me out for a hairpin.
But it turned out to be a gift meant for him all along.
"During this time..."
Yoo Jeong, who had been staring blankly at the hairpin, raised his head. There stood So-eun, adopting a remarkably solemn posture as she clasped her hands in a martial salute.
"Thank you for all your guidance. I am truly grateful."
Looking at So-eun, a wave of emotion washed over Yoo Jeong.
Guidance...
Did Master feel the same way when she saw me manifest sword qi for the first time?
All Yoo Jeong had done was offer a few pointers here and there during their spars. Calling it "guidance" felt a bit too grand.
Yoo Jeong looked at So-eun with a complex expression.
Hwayeolluju had also expressed her gratitude to him. However, the vengeance for the Haomen was not something Yoo Jeong had set out to do of his own volition.
On Mount Hwang, Yoo Jeong had acted out of his own desire to uphold righteousness. Yet, instead of gratitude, he had earned resentment.
Seeing someone offer pure, unadulterated gratitude for something he had done entirely of his own free will... it sent a strange, ticklish sensation through his chest.
And so—
"Ah! Hey! What are you doing? I was being serious for once!"
"This suits you much better."
Yoo Jeong roughly ruffled So-eun's hair. Her braided hair shook wildly from side to side, and So-eun hissed like an angry kitten. Finding the moment incredibly delightful, Yoo Jeong let out a rare, hearty laugh.
"Thank you."
"Why aren't you saying you'll wear it?"
"...I'll treasure it."
"No, come here."
As if retaliating for the head-ruffling, So-eun quickly slipped behind Yoo Jeong. She reached up and began to handle his hair. Her touch was highly practiced, likely from years of braiding her own hair. Normally, Yoo Jeong would have dodged and refused such contact.
But since I received such a nice gift...
"Just for today."
"Why? It looks so good on you."
"I don't know how to style my hair like this."
With his neck completely exposed, he felt an odd, tickling sensation, causing him to gently rub his nape as he spoke.
"Mmh, yeah. Fair enough."
Having finished styling his hair, Paeng So-eun thoroughly inspected his neck and hair.
"I think I kind of understand how the older sisters feel now."
"What?"
"Nothing! It just looks really, really good on you."
She had left some strands framing his face, while sweeping the rest upward and securing it with the hairpin. Reflected in the bronze mirror, Yoo Jeong looked a bit more mature.
"It matches your eyes, so it looks even better."
"I'll only wear it today, but I'll make sure to keep it safe."
"No, no! It's incredibly sturdy. Sister Dang said it can even block sword qi, so you can even use it as a hidden weapon if you need to."
"This can block sword qi? Impressive."
"Yep!"
As if taking the praise for the hairpin as a compliment to herself, Paeng So-eun smiled proudly.
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah."
"Have a safe trip."
Sitting on the edge of the bed just like any other morning, Paeng So-eun waved her hand.
"We're sparring again when you get back!"
"Alright."
Yoo Jeong left the Alliance headquarters in high spirits. However, it didn't take long for his mood to plummet.
"You Kunlun slave bastard. We meet again."
"I am not a Kunlun slave. I have a name: Byeok Sogun of the Byeok Clan."
"Ha! Even a piece of trash like you gets to participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering?"
In an inn located on the outskirts of Wuhan, seven young men and women were seated. Two faces familiar to Yoo Jeong were glaring at each other, while the rest watched the confrontation with amused interest.
"Enough."
A cold voice rang out. This was a group already destined for discord. Like it or not, they were the people he would have to travel with for the next month. Thus, Yoo Jeong decided to establish dominance right from the start.
"Lady Yoo."
"You..."
Byeok Sogun and Hwangbo Mujin were the first to react. One by one, the other members also turned their gazes toward Yoo Jeong.
Their eyes gleamed as they took in Yoo Jeong's striking appearance. One of the men asked with a sly grin,
"You look like the young lady I saw yesterday. What brings you here?"
"You're asking the obvious."
"...Haha, well now. Quite sharp, aren't we? Might I ask which clan you hail from?"
Yoo Jeong let out a dry chuckle, causing the man's lips to twitch slightly.
"Were you never taught to finish your sentences properly?"
"My lady."
The man slammed his hand on the table and stood up. At that exact moment, Yoo Jeong released his true qi.
"Urgh!"
"Gah... W-what is..."
"I am..."
Yoo Jeong's icy gaze swept over every single person gathered in the room.
"...the one who will be guiding, protecting, and managing you all during this Dragon and Phoenix Gathering."
Just as the standing man's legs began to wobble and everyone's faces turned deathly pale, Yoo Jeong withdrew his internal energy.
"My name is Yoo Jeong."
The group stared at Yoo Jeong with dazed, wide eyes. Byeok Sogun was no exception.
Yoo Jeong lightly tapped the hilt of Cheonru secured at his waist and spoke.
"Unless you're all starving, shall we head out immediately?"