Spring in Mount Hua (3)
Spring in Mount Hua (3)
The sun was high in the sky.
Dohwa, having slept a bit poorly last night, was seeing off Dang Gyeom, who stood at the main gate, along with Wi Ja-heon and the six members of the Nokrim Yukchae, looking a little fatigued.
Twinkle—
It was also a bit dazzling.
"Gyeom-ah, have a safe trip."
"Yes, Taesang-gaju-nim. It will likely take some time. Since I have some connections with the Sichuan Provincial Governor, I should be able to get them released with just some labor service. It will likely be related to public order."
Dang Gyeom held up a ledger.
It was a ledger containing the history of the Nokrim Yukchae's extortion and their remittances to the main residence. Thanks to the strict financial management culture peculiar to the demonic sects, it was very detailed.
"You have a lot of hard work ahead of you."
"Not at all. The elders in other regions and you, Taesang-gaju-nim, have it much harder. The Mount Hua envoys will be visiting soon, but Dohwa-nim, you don't need to go out to greet them. I've already told Myeon-i."
"Is that so...? Understood."
She had definitely told the birds to be quiet last night.
Dohwa nodded, recalling what happened last night.
Before leaving, the Nokrim Yukchae bowed deeply to Dohwa. Each of them spoke with words filled with guilt.
"You must do it yourself. As I said, I have neither the right to forgive nor anything else."
After dismissing them with that one sentence, Dohwa poked Wi Ja-heon in the back and said,
"Wi Ja-heon, I will take good care of your daughter, so go with peace of mind. You just focus on your work."
That short affirmation must have been heavier than a thousand pieces of gold to Wi Ja-heon. He bowed his head deeply and squeezed his body between the members of the Nokrim Yukchae.
He wasn't hidden.
"Then... I will be going."
"Um, Gyeom-ah."
As Dang Gyeom bowed his head, Dohwa lightly grabbed his collar. She seemed quite cautious. The tips of her white ears were a little red, and her cheeks were also flushed.
Dang Gyeom asked cautiously with a worried expression.
"By any chance, are you feeling unwell...? Or did So-young cause some kind of trouble...?"
"No, no."
Dohwa waved her hands. Combined with the spiritual aura peculiar to the Jang-i-jok, it created a strangely precious scene. Dang Gyeom tilted his head.
"Um, could you give me a little money...? I want to go see the world with the kids, but I don't have any money..."
Dohwa added excuses, rambling on.
"I, in the mountains, I didn't really need money... The trees gave me food, and my friends sometimes brought food from below the mountain, so..."
She was embarrassed.
This situation of borrowing money from a friend's descendant. It was even more embarrassing because it contrasted with her own image of having boasted that she would help them.
Dang Gyeom smiled brightly.
'How great is the debt I have owed until now. I am glad that I can be of help even in this way.'
If only she would rely on me more-
Dang Gyeom finished his unreachable thought and handed a bundle to Dohwa.
"I would be grateful if you would tell me anytime."
Tanggata became quiet. In Dohwa's hand remained a heavy pouch that Dang Gyeom had pressed into her hand, calling it 'Taesang-gaju-nim's dignity maintenance fee.' Dang Gyeom and the Nokrim Yukchae members disappeared until they were smaller than dots.
Left behind with the cold wind, Dohwa tucked the pouch into her bosom along with her embarrassment.
* * *
The land of the Central Plains is endlessly vast.
Since a single castle is the size of a nation, it is difficult for a rumor or a feat to spread beyond a single village. Therefore, in the Central Plains, information is bound to have considerable value.
For the common people who have almost no entertainment, rumors of the Gangho become a great source of amusement.
And. In the Gangho, there were those who lived off those rumors. They were the few gossipers usually called busybodies, and the Beggar Sect of the Nine Great Sects.
A corner of the marketplace.
A few beggars sitting on a straw mat that was dirty and worn out in places were whispering quietly.
"No, I'm telling you, it's not an empty word! I'm telling you, she was really prettier than a fairy!"
"That's the third time this month, Kim-hyung. Mistaking someone for a fairy only happens once or twice, does just being pretty make everyone a fairy? Just a while ago, you said that about some woman..."
"I'm telling you, this time it's real."
The beggar called Kim-hyung grabbed the other beggar's arm.
The beggar, who had been dragged to the middle of the marketplace, turned his gaze to get angry, but he saw three people. Kim-hyung said. That's them.
Unless you were a martial artist who had trained their eyes with special energy, you couldn't confirm their faces, so how beautiful must they be to do something like that— It was the moment he focused his energy on his eyes.
In an instant, the world stopped.
A sensation like a lightning bolt rushed through his brain.
"...It's understandable to mistake her for a real fairy."
The beggar who had been dragged by Kim-hyung's arm muttered blankly. A woman who emitted a noble light even amidst the dust of the marketplace. She had a white jawline slightly revealed under her bamboo hat, and a complexion as mysterious as if it were not of this world.
"Unni— have you tried this? It's a candied fruit, it's something from across the land that's been coated in syrup and hardened."
"I have never tried it."
"It's called Bingtanghulu (candied hawthorn). It's sweet, so if you eat too much, your stomach will hurt. Your teeth will also go ouch. It tastes good."
The women chatting in front of the candied fruit stall.
"A, aren't those two the Wulin Five Flowers..."
"That's right. They are Gahwa and Chohwa. The precious daughters of the Sichuan Tang Clan leader and the Jegal Clan leader."
"But— why do those two look like they've faded...?"
The beggar rubbed his eyes vigorously.
They are called the Wulin Five Flowers, the five who are discussed as the most beautiful among the rising stars of the Gangho martial arts world. Flowers on a cliff that many men want to pick or hold at least once.
Their beauty is enough to spread across several castles.
Why.
'Do they not measure up to that one woman in the center...?'
It can only be called strange. It was as if the scent of flowers was wafting in all directions. It was as if flower rain was falling from a clear sky. In the bustling marketplace, only they were distinct.
Well, you have to be able to approach them to harbor dark intentions.
If they are that noble, you only feel a sense of divinity.
It's no wonder Kim-hyung mistook her for a fairy.
He said.
"This is also a top-grade report..."
"Since it's worthy of being called the greatest beauty in the world, it's definitely top-grade. I will report it."
The number of top-grade reports handled by the Beggar Sect increased by one.
Dohwa felt a strange sensation and looked back, but she only saw two beggars running away quickly, so she turned her gaze back to the stall.
"I, is this really that expensive...?"
"Yes. For one nyang of silver, it's on the cheaper side compared to other places."
Dohwa hesitated in front of the stall. The money in the bundle was about one hundred nyang of silver, but to think a few fruits like this cost one nyang of silver.
"It is expensive..."
Even so, she couldn't show stinginess in front of her friends.
Dohwa made up her mind and bought the skewers.
Dohwa took a bite of the Bingtanghulu, the red grape vine fruit skewer that So-young handed her. Tart flesh burst out from between the crispy sugar coating.
"Ah...! It's sweet. Very much so."
An intense sweetness that numbs the tip of the tongue.
It was different from the neat sweetness of the ripe wild grapes or honey that Malaeung, the Peacock, or the Fox used to bring; it was a flashy taste where you could directly feel that a human had crafted it by hand—
Her lips were tingling, and the natural scent of the fruit was buried in the excessive sweetness, but for some reason, she felt good.
"There are many accessories too. I think it would suit you well if you wore a hairpin, Dohwa-nim. Jade color would suit you."
"Next time, let's go eat dumplings and rice cakes too! There's a dumpling house in Tanggata, and their Sichuan pepper dumplings are really delicious. They're spicy and numbing, but—"
So-young and Yuryeon were actively chatting around her.
The noisy sounds of people could be heard from all sides.
It was noisy like last time, and her head was still ringing. Nevertheless, there was a strange sense of stability. The feeling of people living. Dohwa folded her ears, letting the sounds flow past, and thought.
'It's nice.'
Dohwa said.
"Let's go anywhere. I heard Yuryeon has to go to the Jegal Clan tomorrow."
"That's right, it's a shame."
"So, shouldn't we play now."
* * *
Mount Hua, one of the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains.
One of the mysterious places of the Gangho where the rocky mountain, which rises as if the earth is supporting the sky, is beautiful.
It is also famous as the mountain where the Mount Hua Sect, which discusses the best of the Taoist sects along with Wudang among the major sects called the Nine Great Sects, has settled.
It is also famous for the fact that pilgrims never cease, but today was different.
Seohyeon-bong, where the Mount Hua Sect leader resides.
Not a single disciple can be seen on the stairs carved out of the mountain. Even those who were occasionally encountered kept their heads down and silenced their footsteps as if they were chief mourners.
Thump—
The sound of footsteps rang out loudly.
It was not a sound that would ring out on an open mountain peak. Because the internal energy was deep, the sound was lingering around, and one could tell the level of the owner of the footsteps.
It is a Martial God.
Whoosh.
The clouds hanging on the mountain top retreated as if in obedience. They followed behind the footsteps.
It became long like a dragon's tail in an instant.
The Namgung family head stared into the void and muttered in a low voice.
"Mount Hua Sect leader Yayul-hyeon, welcome this family head."
It was sharp like divine punishment. It felt like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky. A pink light drew a line and was engraved under his footsteps. Yayul-hyeon kicked open the Sect Leader's hall and stood before him.
"F-first, I will offer my apologies—"
"Even if you bring the whole world, it cannot compare to her, so this is the same as insulting the Heavenly Emperor."
"It is truly a misunderstanding! I have never ordered to pressure the Tang Clan! Rather, I wanted to form an alliance, so through an envoy, I sent Jaso-dan and—"
"Because this family hoped that Dohwa-nim... the Supreme Deity, could stay comfortably, we named it Namgung, the palace of the southern sky. This is ignoring this family."
Whoosh—
The air was swept away. As if hidden by the early rising moonlit night, the sun faded and disappeared. A subtle sword light replaced the sun, drawing a round halo of light.
"This is a challenge to this Heavenly Palace."
The Namgung family head drew his sword.