A Familiar Face
Sometimes in life, we experience moments where the things we thought were for the best turn out to be the absolute worst. Of course, this is extremely rare, so we don't usually walk around with our guard up against such things. But... life’s crises always arrive when you least expect them. That was certainly the case for Jang So-eo and Seo Ju-hon, the rising stars of the Blood Gate Sect.
“There aren’t any seats left?”
“Sigh... This won’t do. There isn’t a better inn in this entire vicinity.”
“Are you planning on making ‘that person’ wait?”
The two rising stars swallowed their groans. They had pulled every string they could within their sect to secure this connection; if they failed to treat the guest properly and lost the opportunity, they didn't even want to imagine how their sect would look at them.
“Ugh... There’s no choice. Should we just take someone’s seat?”
“What? Is that okay? If word gets back to the Sect Leader...”
“We just have to be extra careful. Besides, wouldn’t he understand? It’s not like we’re doing this for our own comfort, right?”
Both of these rising stars were barely twenty, yet they were prodigies on the verge of entering the First-Class realm. Because of their exceptional talent, they had been coddled since childhood, which led them to cause quite a few minor incidents. In short... they were well-accustomed to such arrogant behavior.
Their hesitation was brief. After rationalizing that they weren't doing this for themselves, they began to scout for people who would voluntarily “yield” their seats. However, perhaps because the preliminary matches were being held tomorrow, there didn't seem to be anyone sitting in the inn who looked like an easy target today.
‘That one looks like a master...’
‘Tsk... That guy is from the same major sect as us.’
‘And that person... hah. They look like they’re at least a Chief of the Law Enforcement Hall...’
No matter how they looked, there was no one they could easily suppress—or who would be suppressed—by the name value of the Blood Gate Sect’s rising stars. Except for one table.
Yes. The table occupied by those countrified martial artists who were making a fuss about how they’d never eaten food like this before.
‘They must have been sent here by some small sect that gave them a bit of money so they wouldn’t look too pathetic.’
To think that such countrified brats were sitting at the top of such a high-class inn. Jang So-eo began to approach them, but Seo Ju-hon stopped him.
“Hey... Hey! That hair... They’re from the Sword Family.”
“Don’t be stupid. We have ‘that person’ behind us, so what could a mere swordsman from the Sword Family do? If anything, they’ll be busy backing away, saying, ‘It is an honor.’”
“...You’re right. That might be the case.”
Even though they were two little ruffians, they knew one thing: if they had gone around acting recklessly simply because they were hot-blooded demonic martial artists, they would have lost their heads long ago. That was why, before picking a fight, they had developed the ability to size up whether their opponent was someone they could handle at a glance.
‘They look like some country bumpkins who are just being treated to a meal by a Sword Family martial artist.’
The Sword Family martial artist was a slight concern, but... ‘Since we have that person with us, it shouldn’t be a problem.’ They looked about the same age as them, so their cultivation level couldn’t be that high. With that, Jang So-eo approached them and tossed a money pouch down.
“Give up your seats. We’re hosting a very important person. The pouch contains enough money for what you’ve eaten.”
It was a lie that the pouch contained plenty of money. There was a separate pouch filled with gold pieces given to them by their Sect Leader, but that was the sect’s public funds for hosting ‘that person.’ It was also money that would have ended up in their own pockets if there was any left over. Even if those people realized the pouch only contained copper coins and wasn't enough, it didn't matter. What could they possibly do about it? They were the Blood Gate Sect. And this would turn out to be one of the worst decisions in the lives of the two rising stars.
- FIRST-CLASS MARTIAL ARTIST DETECTED
“A... First-Class!”
No, how could this be! The two rising stars couldn't hide their shock. They had felt safe picking a fight because they were gathered with countrified-looking fools, but the dazed girl who had been staring blankly at the young Sword Family martial artist was a First-Class master?
Even among their countless reckless acts, this kind of variable had never existed. But where had they accumulated the experience to handle such situations? It was simply through trial and error, just like today. Yet, the reason they were able to stay safe was very simple. First, the fact that their backing was the Blood Gate Sect, and second...
“We apologize, Great Hero!”
“We failed to recognize a noble person...!”
It meant their waists and necks were very flexible. Pride as a demonic martial artist? Dignity as a martial artist? It was all useless. You had to survive, become a master, and grow old to afford the luxury of having dignity and pride. Even if they knew their own talent was exceptional, they knew well enough that they were still just seeds that hadn't even properly bloomed.
‘This should be... enough, right?’
They had started the fight, and the others had responded, but since they had heard that they belonged to the Blood Gate Sect, that mysterious master would surely nod and tuck her tail between her legs. ‘If that doesn’t work... we can just give them some gold...’
However, such common worldly sense did not apply to an absolute fanatic.
“Is that all your last words?”
So-yul didn't care at all whether they apologized or not. What mattered was that these people, who didn't know their place, had made the smile disappear from her Heaven’s face. That was all.
“Gr... Great Hero, please calm down... as a small token of my apology...”
It was just as Seo Ju-hon was tearing up and trying to pull the money pouch from his robes.
Whoosh!
With a chilling sound, a sharp blade grazed right in front of his eyes. It was a killing blow. If he hadn't been a martial artist on the verge of the First-Class realm, his head would have flown off. In that moment, the words of a kind Elder flashed through his mind:
— Hah... Hah! In our sect... there are madmen who don't care about the sect... scattered everywhere! Watch your words... Ah! Elder! I couldn't even understand your vast, ocean-like intentions, and I acted stupidly and met a madman! What should I do? Please... forgive me for dying before you, having stained the sect’s reputation!
Just as Seo Ju-hon was about to bid farewell to this life, Jang So-eo’s voice pulled him back.
“Gr... Great Hero, please calm down! The noble, Peak First-Class person we serve will be up here soon! If you stop now, we can pretend this never happened...”
Seo Ju-hon chimed in, “That’s right! You... you seemed to admire that Sword Family martial artist! That person could end up in a lot of trouble!”
At that, So-yul twitched. She seemed to react to the words that the Sword Family martial artist could be in trouble.
‘The... the killing intent!’
‘It’s decreased!’
The two rising stars had the same thought at once and let their guard down. Please... let that Sword Family martial artist be a person of common sense, not a madman like her! Let them listen to us! Let them send us away nicely and just handle this by protesting to our sect!
Fortunately, the young Sword Family martial artist, unlike that madwoman, seemed to be a person of common sense, just as they had hoped.
“In trouble? Because you are the Blood Gate Sect?”
“Th... That’s impossible! No matter how great the Blood Gate Sect is, it can’t compare to the Sword Family, can it?”
It was a rather pathetic way to handle things, but there was no choice. Their lives were more important than the sect’s honor. The sect would understand. Probably... at least they wouldn't kill them. Demonic martial artists would do whatever it took to achieve their goals. Selling the sect’s honor was... honestly, it was a fact that they had less prestige than the Sword Family anyway.
The young Sword Family martial artist continued, “Then?”
“Ahem... Don’t be surprised when you hear this. The noble guest we are currently serving is on the first floor... and that person is none other than the Sword Family’s Swift Sword Sect’s...”
It was just as Seo Ju-hon was about to continue that a martial artist with a familiar face entered the floor where the incident had occurred.
“Is there perhaps no seating? I came up because you were late coming down.”
“Young Sect Master! It’s Jin A-rin!”
***
Seo-ah wasn't taking this situation as seriously as she had thought. She was just in the mindset of listening to what they had to say. The rising stars’ mistakes weren't small, but weren't they not crimes worthy of losing their heads? Seeing them bow their heads immediately after checking So-yul’s cultivation level also contributed to Seo-ah’s relaxed observation.
If they had held their heads high and scolded them instead... their heads might have flown off.
‘I should just scare them a bit and stop So-yul.’
However, she had no intention of being looked down upon. Seo-ah knew better than anyone that there was nothing more stupid than being looked down upon by others in the Demonic Murim. So... she planned to stop So-yul in the middle if she threatened them appropriately. That was, until these words came out.
— That’s right! You... you seemed to admire that Sword Family martial artist! That person could end up in a lot of trouble!
They seemed to think she was just a mere swordsman of the Sword Family. No matter how much of a mere swordsman she was, it was rare for ‘trouble’ to happen to her ‘outside.’ Yet, they were saying she could be in trouble? ‘Do they have powerful backing...?’ If that powerful backing held a grudge against them? If she made a mistake like she had in the past because of it? ‘What should I do...?’
She was debating whether to cut their throats again or reveal that she was the Sword Saint’s disciple and suppress them with authority while exchanging questions and answers. That was when the martial artist with the familiar face arrived, along with Seo Ju-hon’s timely introduction.
“Young Sect Master! It’s Jin A-rin!”
As Seo Ju-hon suddenly said that, Jin A-rin wore a confused expression, just about to ask what was going on, when her eyes met Seo-ah’s.
“Oh! Seo-ah! It’s been a while! What a coincidence! Haha. We were supposed to meet tomorrow...”
“Th... That... Jin A-rin? Ar... are you acquaintances?”
“Of course! My only close friend! The adopted daughter of the main family head! The disciple of the Sword Saint! Do you mean to tell me you don’t know the Young Sword Saint, Jin Seo-ah?”
The two rising stars didn't know what to say and clamped their mouths shut. Then, Jin A-rin’s expression, having noticed something was wrong, gradually hardened...
“Surely... you haven’t been rude to my close friend, have you?”
At Jin A-rin’s sentence, which sounded like a death sentence, the faces of the two rising stars turned pale.