Get Going, You Brat! (3)
Han Cheong-un and Tang Jin left Mount Hua.
They departed with light hearts, as if they had nothing left to do there.
To outsiders, Mount Hua seemed unchanged, but internally, the atmosphere was thick with tension.
Rumors had spread that Elder Hyeon-myeong had incurred the Sect Leader's wrath and was undergoing severe punishment.
In the eyes of the Mount Hua disciples, their Sect Leader was not a man who angered easily.
However, once his temper flared, mercy was out of the question.
Fearing that they might catch the sparks of his fury, everyone kept their heads down, watching their words and actions.
In short, it was like walking on thin ice.
Amidst such tension...
"What? Is that true?"
"So they say, Senior Brother."
"Unbelievable. This is truly a blessing for Mount Hua."
"Hahaha..."
A joyous event had occurred on Mount Hua.
One of the sect's elders, who had been on the verge of death from a terminal illness, had made a miraculous recovery.
It was Hyeon Yu-seol, the master of Baek Su-ah.
Furthermore, she hadn't just survived.
She had broken through her limits and achieved Rebirth.
In the process, her illness had naturally been cured.
For Mount Hua, which had been wrapped in daily tension, this was the first piece of good news in a long time.
"Congratulations, Junior Sister."
"I was merely fortunate, Sect Leader Senior Brother."
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal had personally visited Hyeon Yu-seol's residence.
For once, he was genuinely overjoyed.
Haha... What a joyous occasion.
He had heard the reports, but seeing her in person, she looked as if she were standing on the very threshold of the absolute realm.
Even before this, Hyeon Yu-seol had possessed sword skills that ranked among the very best of Mount Hua's elders.
Now, she had overcome the threshold of death and grown even stronger.
For the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, who had recently purged the Third Elder, Hyeon-myeong, Hyeon Yu-seol's return was a stroke of heavenly luck.
In her current state, she was more than capable of filling the void left by Hyeon-myeong.
"Infinite Daoist Blessings... This is truly the protection of heaven."
He laughed heartily.
Then, looking at Baek Su-ah, who was sitting a step away, he said,
"You must have suffered a great deal of worry."
"Not at all, Sect Leader."
"Hahaha! A joyous day indeed, a joyous day!"
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal rejoiced without any reservation.
Afterward, various conversations flowed between the two.
"Seeing you look so young again, Junior Sister, brings back old memories. I wonder if this will create another wave of lovesick men in Hua-eum."
At his joke, Hyeon Yu-seol covered her mouth and smiled.
"You are teasing me, Sect Leader Senior Brother. What nonsense, speaking of an old crone like that..."
"Do you not look in the mirror? Who on earth would call you an old crone now?"
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal laughed boisterously.
When a martial artist undergoes Rebirth, their body is restored to its absolute prime.
In Hyeon Yu-seol's case, that prime was her mid-twenties, and as a result, she had naturally regained her youth.
Her appearance now was like a plum blossom in full bloom.
She possessed gentle features and a voluptuous figure that even her loose Daoist robes could not fully conceal.
Whenever she smiled, it felt as though plum blossoms were bursting into bloom, bringing spring along with them.
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal looked at Baek Su-ah and asked,
"Do you know your master's moniker from her youth?"
"I have never heard it, Sect Leader."
"She was called the Plum Blossom Jade. Hahaha. She was truly fair. Yes, beautiful indeed."
"That is a story from the past, Sect Leader Senior Brother."
"There was no shortage of men who climbed this rugged Mount Hua just to catch a glimpse of your face."
"Even now, there are quite a few who do the same just to see my disciple."
"Hahaha! If all goes well, master and disciple will have held the title of Shaanxi's Number One Beauty across two generations. That, too, is an honor for our Mount Hua."
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal stroked his beard, laughing merrily.
After offering more warm words, he stood up.
"If you need anything, just speak. With my authority as Sect Leader, I will grant almost anything."
"Thank you. In fact, I will have an urgent request for you soon."
"Hahaha. Very well. I shall look forward to it."
Once the Sect Leader departed, Hyeon Yu-seol let out a long sigh.
"Whew, this is rather exhausting."
Having to accept the flood of congratulations one by one brought a wave of mental fatigue, regardless of her newly rejuvenated body.
Baek Su-ah spoke to her.
"Shall we stop receiving guests for today?"
"Yes, let us do that."
"Understood, Master."
Baek Su-ah hung the 'No Visitors' plaque at the entrance of the path leading to the cottage.
This would ensure no more guests came today.
Returning to the cottage, Baek Su-ah saw her healthy master holding a sword in the courtyard.
It was a sight she hadn't seen in a very long time.
Master holding a sword...
It felt fresh, yet it made her incredibly happy.
She had never dreamed that her master's illness would actually be cured.
If not for the Stalactite Nectar Han Cheong-un had provided, her master would probably still be struggling just to sit up.
Seeing her master healthy brought tears of joy to her eyes.
And yet...
"..."
A corner of her heart felt completely hollow.
She knew the reason all too well.
It is a lingering attachment.
Letting out a sigh heavy with worry, she stepped into the courtyard.
Her master, sword in hand, spoke.
"Su-ah."
"Yes, Master."
"Let us spar for the first time in a while."
"...Yes, Master."
It had been a long time since they last crossed blades, but sparring between master and disciple was common enough.
However...
"Hmm..."
The moment their swords aligned, Baek Su-ah felt it.
The aura radiating from her master was extraordinary.
Just facing her, she felt a sharp, blade-like pressure piercing her skin.
Furthermore...
"I shall make the first move."
Her master took the initiative.
Normally, in a spar between master and disciple, the disciple was expected to strike first.
The moment her master swung her sword, plum blossom petals bloomed before Baek Su-ah's eyes.
Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom
It was her master's signature technique.
Baek Su-ah responded with the exact same form.
The plum blossom sword qi blooming between the two of them soon filled the courtyard with a flurry of petals.
Amidst the storm of flowers, Baek Su-ah thought,
I can do this.
Had she been resting for too long?
Her master's sword lacked a bit of its usual sharpness.
Baek Su-ah slipped through the gaps in her master's sword qi, carving out an advantageous position for herself.
If she broke the form here and followed up with a counterattack, she could seize the upper hand.
But then...
Whoosh.
What was that?
Her master thrust her open palm forward.
A palm strike? No, there was no movement of qi at all.
Then what was—
"Ah!"
Baek Su-ah reflexively turned her head at the sudden stinging sensation in her eyes.
And then...
Slide.
Seizing that fatal opening, her master's cold blade came to rest against her throat.
"I win."
"...Master?"
She was dumbfounded.
Winning or losing aside, what just happened was...
"Master... What you just did..."
"I threw dirt in your face."
She admitted it with utter confidence.
An elder of Mount Hua, who had even achieved Rebirth, proudly admitting to throwing dirt during a spar with her disciple.
"..."
As Baek Su-ah stood there with her jaw dropped, Hyeon Yu-seol sheathed her sword and spoke.
"Tsk, you still don't know what real combat is."
"Excuse me?"
"It is the swordplay of a typical greenhouse flower."
"...Excuse me?"
Wow, this was unfair.
Truly unfair.
Of course, to others, she might look like a sheltered flower.
But before her regression, she was a veteran of the battlefield who had survived two Great Wars between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions.
Especially during her time in the Annihilation Squad, fighting bloody battles on the front lines was her daily routine.
She had fought on land, on water, in the air—and even in the battlefield of love.
There was no type of warfare she hadn't experienced.
And yet, she was being treated like this?
Should I show her what I've got?
If she wanted to, she could pull off tricks twice as dirty as throwing dirt.
As Baek Su-ah stood there pouting, Hyeon Yu-seol spoke.
"A mighty pillar cannot grow inside a flowerpot."
"..."
"Go out into the world and learn."
Baek Su-ah's eyes widened.
"Master, does that mean...?"
"Go."
"..."
"And catch him."
"...!"
"A man like him is bound to have many women targeting him. Going first and securing the spot next to him is the best move."
Her eyes sparkled.
As expected of her master.
She truly knew how the world worked.
Deeply moved, Baek Su-ah knelt on the spot and spoke in a voice filled with emotion.
"Master. Your unworthy disciple, Baek Su-ah, shall witness the wider world and grow—"
"Just go already, you brat!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Baek Su-ah dashed away in a hurry.
Watching her retreating figure, Hyeon Yu-seol chuckled.
"Even without Dragon Eyes, a parent can see right through their child's heart."
Baek Su-ah ran.
Now that she had her master's permission, what was there to hesitate?
She cast aside all lingering doubts and sprinted toward Han Cheong-un.
She would go to him, apologize, and stay by his side.
And... and...
I will confess my feelings too.
Her master was right.
In romance, securing the spot first was crucial.
She had to claim the seat next to him before other women clung to him, preventing the chaotic mess that had occurred before her regression.
This was also for the sake of the entire Jianghu.
There wasn't just one or two women who had clung to him.
Considering the fierce political struggles that had erupted from those complicated rivalries, it was best for her to claim the spot quickly.
Yes, this was for the peace of the Jianghu.
Alright. Let's go.
Having completed her self-justification, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her to catch up with Han Cheong-un.
After asking around for his description, she located the inn where he was staying.
But when she arrived, what she saw was...
"Husband, say ah~"
"Lady Tang. You don't have to do this..."
"Hurry. Say ah~"
What on earth was this?
A white-haired beauty, stunning enough to instantly draw everyone's gaze, was clinging tightly to her man (?).
It wasn't the dull white hair of old age.
It was a translucent, radiant white, paired with the supple skin of youth.
She seemed to glow just by existing.
Her presence was...
"Oh, you're here?"
"Vice... No, Vice Sect Leader. What is that?"
At Baek Su-ah's question, Tang Jin let out a sigh and said,
"She is my younger sister."
"Your sister... Ah!"
Baek Su-ah remembered.
The tragic woman who had vanished after the Tang Family Massacre, only to reappear as a notorious mass murderer in the Jianghu.
The Heavenly Killing Poison Flower.
The terrifying woman who had slaughtered countless people, regardless of whether they belonged to the Orthodox or Unorthodox factions, was Tang Jin's sister.
And that very woman, who had once struck terror into the heart of the Jianghu, was now...
"I said say ah~! If you don't, I'm going to pout."
"Vice Sect Leader, do something... Oh? Lady Baek, you're here."
Yes, she was here.
She was a step late, but she was here.
"Haaah..."
Baek Su-ah let out a deep sigh and thought,
Life is really not easy.
The four of them gathered in one place.
Having rented a private room in the inn for a meeting, Han Cheong-un cleared his throat and spoke.
"Ahem. First, let's introduce ourselves. There's no need to introduce myself and the Vice Sect Leader..."
"I am Baek Su-ah, a first-generation disciple of Mount Hua."
"I am Tang Seo-yeon, daughter of the Tang Family. I am full siblings with Brother Tang Jin here."
Being full siblings with Tang Jin meant she was the precious, beloved daughter of the Tang Family Head.
Her status was far more prestigious than that of a common first-generation disciple of Mount Hua.
"Then, in terms of generation, should we consider you equivalent to a third-generation disciple of Mount Hua?"
Baek Su-ah was not one to back down easily.
Of course, Tang Seo-yeon had never been officially active in the Jianghu, and considering the nature of noble families where generation was often calculated by age, it was technically a plausible comparison, but...
"Ah, I'm still young, so I don't know much about those things. The elders in my family seem to care about them, but I never really understood it."
I'm young, and you're old.
"I see. You are indeed young. An age where you still need to be protected by your family."
Go home, you brat.
"Still, I'm old enough. For a woman of a noble family, it's an age where I could have married long ago."
No way. I'm going to marry Husband.
"Hohoho..."
"Hohoho..."
Listening to the conversation of the two women, who held poison and daggers on the tips of their tongues, Tang Jin already felt exhausted.
I expected this from the moment Seo-yeon suddenly showed up, but this is far more exhausting than I thought.
Tang Jin had absolutely no desire to get involved in this dog-eat-dog romantic squabble.
If even he, watching from the sidelines, felt this way, how must Han Cheong-un, the man in question, feel?
He stole a glance at Han Cheong-un...
Huh? This bastard is smiling?
How was that even possible? The answer to his question was quickly revealed.
"Hahaha. It is truly wonderful to see you two becoming close friends so quickly."
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
And in Han Cheong-un's case...
Wow. He doesn't know? He seriously doesn't get it?
Indeed. He was a man who was hopelessly, utterly dense.