The White-Haired Ghost Flower of Henan’s Black Merchant Sect (5)

I took Jeong Gwang and his son Jeong Mu-so and headed for the Song-gye-mun in Yueyang.

It wasn’t far from Wuchang. More importantly, it was a place where the two of them could stay without worry.

Jeong Gwang had barely rested, but he seemed unwilling to show any weakness in front of his son. He squeezed out his inner energy and moved on his own two feet.

He even carried the boy on his back.

Seeing something like that, I couldn’t help but think how incredible a father truly was.

When will a day like that come for me?

"No way, Limju! It’s been so long!"

"Have you been well? You look bright and healthy, so I assume everything’s been fine."

"Haha. It’s all thanks to your grace, Limju. By the way, who are the people with you?"

I introduced them simply.

"These are people the sect leader will need to look after for a while. Greet him. This is Jeong Gwang and his son, Jeong Mu-so. ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And this is Song Jong-dae, the sect leader of the Song-gye-mun."

At my introduction, the two men exchanged polite greetings.

"Then, Jeong Gwang. Stay here until I return. I’d like nothing more than to sit down and hear your full story right now, but the matter with the Black Merchant Sect comes first. I’ll finish that and come back. Sect Leader Song, I’ll be counting on you."

"Understood, Limju."

As I turned to leave, Jeong Gwang called out to me.

"Silent Sword Forest Lord."

"Hm?"

"That man calls himself the Mu-je, the Martial Emperor. What he desires is the complete unification of the Murim."

"Hmm. Mu-je, you say? That’s surprising. Can someone just casually use a title like ‘Emperor’? The imperial palace won’t sit still for that."

"He has never revealed himself to the world. How could they condemn what they do not know?"

"Is that so? Then he has no connection to the imperial family?"

"As far as I know, none."

"That’s unexpected. All right. I’ll come back later and hear the full story. Organize everything properly."

"Understood. And… allow me to greet you properly. Thank you, Limju."

With that, ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jeong Gwang clasped both hands together and bowed deeply.

It was a greeting filled with genuine sincerity. The dark shadow that had lingered on his face had faded considerably.

I returned the gesture with a nod and left the Song-gye-mun.

The journey back to Mount Hua felt light on my feet.

A man on the verge of the Transformation Realm. A father who had reclaimed his son held hostage.

Leaving Jeong Gwang with the Song-gye-mun would prove helpful in many ways.

The more talented people, the better. And if they were trustworthy, even better.

Honestly, I had no idea how things would turn out. Still, just knowing what he knew was already a gain.

But… Mu-je?

What kind of man was he? From the way Jeong Gwang spoke, it seemed even he didn’t know much.

Anyway, by the time I returned to Mount Hua, the sun had not yet set.

Amazing. I had gone all the way to that distant place and back, yet the sun still hung in the sky.

I really was treating this vast land like my own backyard. Would anyone believe me if I told them?

When I arrived at Mount Hua and stopped hiding my presence, Baek Dan-yeong quietly emerged from the direction of the Golden Heaven Palace.

She looked like a cat that had just spotted its caretaker.

Her eyes seemed to ask, Are you going to give me a treat?

Then, she slowly drew her sword.

"No. I told you, didn’t I? We’re heading to the Black Merchant Sect at midnight. Didn’t you hear me say to stay in peak condition?"

She shook her head.

"Right. If you understand, then rest more. You can swing your sword as much as you want later."

But Baek Dan-yeong simply stared at me intently.

"Do you want to warm up at least?"

She nodded eagerly.

Good grief. It was like reading her mind.

I had to admit, my ability to understand her intentions was impressive. Truly.

"Fine. Then… let’s keep it light. Just light exercise. Don’t overdo it. I’ll stop it myself if it gets too much."

At that, color bloomed on Baek Dan-yeong’s face as she took her stance.

Sigh. Well, a light warm-up should be fine. She didn’t look like she’d back down easily anyway.

After sparring with her for about half a shichen, Baek Dan-yeong finally sheathed her sword with a satisfied expression.

Was it really that enjoyable? Well, I suppose that’s why she acted this way.

"Baek Dan-yeong. Are there any spare Mount Hua uniforms left? I’d like one too."

Her eyes widened, and she dashed off somewhere.

When she returned, she was carrying an armful of uniforms.

"I only need one set."

I muttered, but she didn’t seem to care. She simply stared at me, clearly eager to see me wear it.

"Are you planning to watch me change?"

She looked startled, then quietly turned around.

Honestly, the way she acted was so innocent, yet so adorable.

After changing into ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Mount Hua uniform and resting a little longer, midnight finally arrived.

Baek Dan-yeong and I set off for the Black Merchant Sect.

The moment we left Mount Hua, her face hardened.

This was the path of revenge. Her expression was cold and devoid of emotion.

Still, it wasn’t the eerie, ghost-like face I had seen the first time. That was a relief.

When we arrived near the Black Merchant Sect, Baek Dan-yeong quietly burned with resolve.

A quietly blazing flame of vengeance. Yet the hotter it burned, the colder it felt.

Was this what they called a woman’s grudge? Feeling it this close sent chills down my spine.

"You’re going to deal with the Black Merchant Sect Leader first, right?"

Baek Dan-yeong nodded. It was a heavier nod than before.

"And there were two more, weren’t there?"

She nodded again.

"You go in and deal with them. I’ll make sure none of the rest can even get close to you."

Baek Dan-yeong stared at me for a moment, then gave a quiet smile.

It was a chilling smile. Yet somehow, it felt warm.

"Then let’s go."

I pulled up my mask as I spoke. Baek Dan-yeong took the lead and leapt forward.

In an instant, the woman was ahead of me. And with a single strike, the main gate of the Black Merchant Sect shattered.

Yes. That was exactly what a main gate was for—to be broken by intruders.

Baek Dan-yeong strode boldly through the broken gate.

The Black Merchant Sect’s warriors rushed out at the commotion.

They held their swords ready but hesitated, unable to charge.

A few, overflowing with fighting spirit, rushed in anyway. But their blades couldn’t even graze the hem of Baek Dan-yeong’s clothes.

Because I blocked them.

I had said I would prevent them from even getting close. So I did.

With every swing of my sword, those who charged were sent flying into the distance. Soon, no one dared step forward.

They tried to form a clumsy encirclement, shuffling about, but the sharp aura radiating from Baek Dan-yeong stopped them cold.

When she reached the largest hall of the Black Merchant Sect, she stopped and called out in a clear, ringing voice.

⚔ PROCLAMATION OF REVENGE ⚔

"Black Merchant Sect Leader, Vanguard Blood Ghost Sa Gyeong-won! Come forth and face the last successor of Mount Hua!"

It was the longest sentence I had heard from her since we met.

At her voice, the Black Merchant Sect Leader emerged from the crowd.

Seeing him, the warriors regained their courage and tried to surround Baek Dan-yeong.

I lightly swung my sword. A large circle was carved deeply into the ground in front of the approaching warriors.

"Anyone other than the Black Merchant Sect Leader who crosses this ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠line will be cut down immediately."

My voice, infused with inner energy, rang out powerfully.

The warriors froze, unable to take another step.

They knew. They knew exactly what would happen if they crossed that line.

The Black Merchant Sect Leader, seeing this, clenched his teeth in despair.

He must have realized that today would be his last.

At this point, there was nothing he could do.

No matter how much he belonged to the unorthodox path, fleeing from an opponent who had come all the way into the heart of his sect to challenge him would be social suicide.

His reputation would plummet, and he would never be treated with respect again.

Therefore, the Black Merchant Sect Leader had no choice but to step inside the circle. Like a cow walking into the slaughterhouse.

Baek Dan-yeong watched him enter, then quietly raised her sword and extended it in a salute.

The Black Merchant Sect Leader grimaced, closed his eyes tightly, and reluctantly drew his own sword.

He probably hadn’t been this timid when he led the attack on Mount Hua all those years ago.

Because of that, the outcome of this fight was already decided—regardless of their realms.

Baek Dan-yeong and the Black Merchant Sect Leader moved almost at the same time.

But that didn’t mean they were equals.

The Black Merchant Sect Leader’s sword became disordered after just one exchange, and he nearly lost his life on the second.

He barely deflected the third strike. And that was it.

The sword of Mount Hua that Baek Dan-yeong thrust forward pierced straight through the Black Merchant Sect Leader’s heart.

A vivid red flower of blood bloomed across his chest.

The Black Merchant Sect warriors who had been watching turned pale with disbelief.

They must have known their leader wasn’t that strong.

But they clearly hadn’t expected him to fall so pathetically.

A duel that didn’t even last five exchanges. No—it could hardly be called a duel. It was a one-sided execution.

Baek Dan-yeong pulled her sword from his heart and immediately flew toward the next man she had marked.

The warriors screamed and scattered.

One man, caught off guard, received the full brunt of Baek Dan-yeong’s icy fury.

I had forgotten his name. Regardless, he was one of the men who had joined the attack on Mount Hua.

He died in a single strike, unable to block even one blow.

Baek Dan-yeong immediately moved again, piercing another man through the throat.

In the blink of an eye, she had executed everyone who needed to be punished. She flicked her sword to shake off the blood.

I raised my voice and shouted loudly.

⚔ SECT ANNOUNCEMENT ⚔

"As of this moment, the Black Merchant Sect has been destroyed! Leave this place immediately! If anyone remains here by the time the sun rises, they will follow their sect leader to the afterlife!"

I nodded slightly to Baek Dan-yeong.

She sheathed her sword, turned around, and walked back toward the broken main gate.

For a martial artist to sheath their sword in front of enemies meant that those left behind were no longer worth cutting down.

It was an act of humiliation.

But in this situation, it could also be seen as mercy.

Baek Dan-yeong was not a bloodthirsty murderer who enjoyed killing.

She was simply carrying out her revenge.

No matter how deeply the Black Merchant Sect had been involved in Mount Hua’s destruction, she was not cruel enough to slaughter even those who had nothing to do with that day’s events.

We left the Black Merchant Sect through the shattered gate without any further interference.

Baek Dan-yeong stopped for a moment, closed her eyes, let out a deep sigh, lowered her head, and offered a short silent prayer.

Tears flowed down between her white strands of hair.

I hesitated, then walked over and gently patted her shoulder.

She flinched in surprise, then looked at me and gave a faint, tired smile.

This had always been something she endured alone in solitude.

Now that someone stood beside her, it seemed to bring her considerable comfort.

"Let’s go back. By the way, where do you usually stay?"

At my question, Baek Dan-yeong looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, gently grabbed my sleeve, and tugged.

The White-Haired Ghost Flower of Henan’s Black Merchant Sect (5)

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