A Flustered Flower and the Affinity Grind
A heavy silence descended upon the carriage.
At the sudden confession from the Sword Flower, Yeon So-o, even the usually talkative Lee Hak stared at her in sheer bewilderment. Biwol, whose face was normally an unreadable mask, frowned slightly, doubting her own ears. If the onlookers were this shocked, one could only imagine the sheer panic gripping Yeon So-o, who had just accidentally blurted out her innermost thoughts. Her eyes went wide as saucers, her mouth opening and closing like a landed fish.
"I-I mean, that is..."
This was absolutely not what she had intended to say. Where on earth had she gone wrong? In an instant, a rush of heat flooded her head, dyeing her face a brilliant crimson. Against her pale skin, the blush was painfully obvious. She cried out in a frantic rush, "N-No, it's not like that!"
"...Pardon?"
Unwol offered a slightly awkward smile, unable to fully hide his own confusion. And understandably so—Yeon So-o, who had maintained a stiff, guarded demeanor the entire time, had suddenly become flustered and confessed her love out of nowhere. Desperate to salvage the situation, Yeon So-o scrambled for words, but her mounting panic only made her stammer worse.
"It's not what you think! I was just trying to say I love—no, I mean, I appreciate you!"
"So you do not love me?"
"That's not it either! Oh, ah...?! No!"
Watching her dig herself into a deeper hole with every word, Unwol couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"Haha..."
At the sound of his laughter, Yeon So-o's face burned even hotter. Realizing that any further attempt to fix this would only make it worse, she gave up entirely and buried her face in her chest, utterly silent.
Unwol wasn't particularly displeased. After all, who would object to a beautiful woman harboring feelings for them? He was simply caught off guard. If nothing else, confirming that she held a favorable opinion of him was a relief. Sensing an opportunity, Lee Hak, who was sitting beside them, wore a sly grin and teased her.
"My dear Sword Flower? So, do you love him, or do you not?"
"..."
Yeon So-o shot Lee Hak a sullen glare, trying to keep it hidden from the others. But Lee Hak, completely shameless, immediately called her out on it.
"Haha, why the fierce glare? I merely prefer clarity, you see. First you say you love him, then you say you don't, and then you say it's not like that... I am simply dying of curiosity as to what exactly is 'not like that'—"
Unwol intervened, gently rebuking him. "That is enough. Can you not see she is uncomfortable? Lee Hak, I suggest you find a way to rein in that uncontrollable mischievous streak of yours."
Watching the exchange, Biwol nodded quietly in agreement. Seeing the ever-playful Lee Hak get scolded by Unwol brought a quiet satisfaction to her heart. In truth, back when the Blood Heaven Sect was at its peak, Biwol herself had been put in countless awkward situations due to Lee Hak's relentless teasing.
"Ahaha, I shall be careful. I had no intention of causing discomfort. My apologies," Lee Hak said, snapping his folding fan open to cover his mouth as he offered a performative bow to Yeon So-o.
However, Yeon So-o knew full well that his intentions were entirely malicious. She kept her sullen gaze fixed on him and muttered in a small voice, "...I know you did that on purpose just to tease me."
Lee Hak shrugged in mock innocence. "My, how could you say such a thing? It breaks my heart that you would misinterpret my pure intentions so."
At his shameless response, both Unwol and Biwol shook their heads in exasperation.
To ease Yeon So-o's embarrassment, Unwol quickly changed the subject. "To be honest, I have never had the chance to witness the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. If you do not mind, would it be alright if we traveled together to Henan?"
"Ah, are you saying you will accompany me all the way to the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering?"
"Yes. I would quite like to see it for myself."
Her awkwardness fading slightly, she nodded with a much softer expression. "Of course, I would be deeply grateful."
"Then I look forward to our journey. Ah, but it seems I have yet to ask your name..."
"Oh, I was so flustered that I forgot to introduce myself. I am Yeon So-o, a first-generation disciple of the Jeomchang Sect."
"Mmm, Yeon So-o. A lovely name. By the way, you look to be just under twenty. Is this your first time attending the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering?"
"Yes, that is correct. I have spent my entire life at our main sect, and even when I officially entered the martial world, I never ventured outside of Yunnan. This is the first time I have traveled such a long distance."
"I see. It must be a wonderful experience for you."
"Well, as for it being a wonderful experience..."
Yeon So-o mentally retraced her steps on the journey so far. First, there was the incident at the tavern where she was surrounded by a pack of lustful bastards throwing vulgar remarks her way, which ended in a massive brawl where she broke their arms and legs. Then, in a town she had never visited before, she had tried to get her weapon serviced only to be completely ripped off, prompting her to trash the damn blacksmith's workshop. While eating at a restaurant, someone had tried to slip an aphrodisiac into her food, leading her to turn the place upside down and engage in a bloody sword fight with the local thugs behind the scheme. There was also the night she lost her way and had to sleep under the stars in the mountains for a whole day, during which a bug crawled into her mouth—and because she happened to be dreaming of food, she had chewed and swallowed it. And finally, today, trying to save a bit of coin by taking a cheap carriage, only to almost get captured by bandits. Honestly, none of these could be described as "wonderful experiences."
Of course, she had thoroughly exacted vengeance on every single bastard who crossed her, but with trouble brewing everywhere she went, she was honestly starting to feel exhausted. With a shadow falling over her face, Yeon So-o spoke.
"To be honest, perhaps because I set out alone without any companions, it feels as though I have encountered nothing but hardships."
In truth, the state of public order in the martial world was abysmal. As the imperial court's authority waned, security in regions outside the capital deteriorated rapidly. Furthermore, the principle of non-interference between the government and the martial world, born from the Demonic Cult's massive assault on the imperial palace, had allowed martial clans to act like local warlords. Consequently, there were countless regions where even a grown man traveling alone at night could vanish without a trace, swallowed up by crime. And yet, a woman of peerless beauty had set out into this chaotic world entirely on her own. Only a martial artist of the Peak Realm like Yeon So-o could have survived this long. Even then, had she not just nearly met her match today against a bandit who had reached the rare Transcendent Realm? Thus, Yeon So-o could not easily agree with Unwol's optimistic outlook. She offered a vague, evasive reply. "It seems traveling the martial world is not quite as romantic as they make it out to be."
Back in Yunnan, the Jeomchang Sect's influence was absolute. Simply wearing her sect's uniform was enough to keep trouble at bay. But the moment she crossed the provincial border, she was no longer just a sect disciple; she was one of the Five Flowers of the Martial World, renowned as the most beautiful women in the Central Plains. Traveling alone, she was an inevitable target for those with dark, lustful designs. After all, the world was full of fools who would gladly throw away their futures just to satisfy their immediate desires. Hearing her reply, Unwol offered a gentle smile.
"Bad memories become valuable experiences, while the ones we wish to keep become cherished recollections. You do not have to view everything so negatively."
Bad memories are experiences, and good ones are recollections.
Yeon So-o was not an emotional person by nature, and she rarely reacted to simple platitudes, but these words struck a chord within her.
"Indeed... hearing you say it that way, perhaps they were good experiences in their own right."
As her expression brightened, Unwol smiled warmly. "In my view, there is no inherent good or bad in this world. There are only events that occur. Everything depends entirely on how one chooses to perceive them."
Pondering his words, Yeon So-o nodded and asked, "Mmm, those are truly profound words. Have you perhaps studied at an academy?"
She asked because Unwol's words carried a philosophical depth rarely heard from ordinary people of this era. In truth, Unwol was merely parroting motivational videos he had watched back in his modern life. However, in this era, where very few had the luxury of a formal education or the time to read books, such insights were incredibly rare. After all, why would martial artists striving to hone their swordplay, or commoners working day and night just to survive, waste their precious leisure time on dense, difficult texts? Such intellectual pursuits were reserved for wealthy scholars with money to burn.
"Mmm, an academy. I did learn a few things at a somewhat similar establishment, though I do not believe it is anything worth boasting about."
At his humble reply, Yeon So-o's estimation of him rose even higher. Personally, she had always been drawn to intelligent individuals from whom she could learn.
"I knew it. From the moment we first spoke, you carried an aura quite different from the others. Now I see why."
"Haha, I appreciate the kind words."
Before she even realized it, the awkward tension on Yeon So-o's face had melted away, replaced by a natural, warm smile. Seeing this, Unwol cheered inwardly.
Yes! The affinity grind was a success!
He truly believed that this time, he might actually be able to avoid the final boss route. In his previous attempt, his sheer inexperience had led him to commit acts befitting a true villain. Overwhelmed by heartache midway through, he had simply let things spiral out of control, ultimately leading to utter ruin. But this time, a powerful conviction washed over him: things would be different.
Naturally, Yeon So-o harbored similar thoughts toward Unwol.
I must bury that embarrassing first impression and leave a good one.
He was clearly someone with deep ties to the leader of a massive merchant group, yet she had blurted out absolute nonsense to him right off the bat. Just when she thought she had ruined everything, things had miraculously taken a turn for the better. She was determined to seize this opportunity to cultivate a strong relationship—a favorable guanxi—with him.
...And who knows what might happen between a man and a woman?
Of course, there was a slightly different, more personal feeling mixed in as well. With those thoughts lingering in the air, the carriage carrying Unwol's party and Yeon So-o rattled onward toward Hubei.