The Visitors from White Cloud City
The setting sun cast undulating waves of golden light across the surface of the sea. A snow-white vessel, a rare sight in these parts, sliced through the water with grace.
"Master, Unmong City is just ahead!" a handsome youth shouted from the deck, his white robes fluttering in the wind. He possessed a striking, robust appearance, characterized by long, golden curls that cascaded down his back. His eyes were a pale gold, featuring pupils that set him apart from ordinary men.
Standing at the prow, the youth let the wind whip through his hair. Bathed in the direct glow of the sunset, he looked every bit the peerless young noble—a picturesque sight capable of stirring the hearts of many young maidens.
The aura surrounding him and the others on the ship was unmistakably that of people from a flourishing metropolis. They felt entirely distinct from the residents of Unmong City, a mere coastal town.
At that moment, a middle-aged man carrying a purple guqin on his back approached the youth. He appeared to be around forty years old, tall with a slightly ruddy complexion. A dark red scar, looking like an old sword wound, ran from his left eyebrow to his temple. Perhaps because of this mark, he exuded a strange and ferocious atmosphere.
Standing to the youth's right, the man smiled. "Pacheon, it has been three years since you last saw this place. How does it feel to return to Unmong City?"
Jo Pacheon offered a thin smile in return. "A young hawk must leave the nest to realize how vast the sky truly is, and a fish must swim the ocean to understand its depth and breadth. Having seen higher heavens and wider landscapes, I look back at the nest and find it shabby and cramped. I realize now that the place I once swam was nothing more than a shallow pond. Had it not been to fulfill the three-year promise alongside you, Master, I would never have returned."
The middle-aged man burst into a boisterous laugh. His voice carried intense sound waves that pierced through the surf and vibrated into the distance. A dozen birds flying overhead faltered and plummeted into the sea. Nearby, the sailors rowing the ship winced, covering their ears in pain.
A short while later, the ship docked at the harbor of Unmong City. While the port was open to civilians, half of it served as a military harbor, patrolled constantly by the soldiers of the Unmong-wi. Waiting at Pier 1 was a luxurious carriage, embossed with a golden sparrowhawk emblem.
As the man with the guqin and the golden-haired youth disembarked, an elderly man who appeared to be a family steward greeted them, accompanied by a dozen Geum-ui-wi warriors. The visitors boarded the prepared carriage, which quickly sped away from the harbor toward the heart of Unmong City.
Inside the City Lord’s Manor.
Im Gun-hyeon, the City Lord of Unmong City who usually maintained a calm and composed demeanor, listened to the report from his second junior brother, Yeo Nak-yeon. His hands began to tremble violently before he slammed his teacup onto the floor, shattering it into pieces.
A hollow, incredulous smile played across Im Gun-hyeon’s handsome face. "My wife must not hear of this for the time being," he muttered.
No sooner had the words left his lips than a voice rang out.
"And what is it that I shouldn't know?"
A middle-aged woman of elegant and beautiful stature walked slowly into the room. She had a slightly angular face with refined features, exuding a powerful aura and a sense of strictness rarely seen in women. Though Im Gun-hyeon was in his forties and highly respected for his gentle and upright character, his momentum vanished the moment he faced his wife, Jin Ran-seo.
He stood up hastily. "It’s nothing, my dear. Weren't you preparing to welcome Senior Baek Hae-geum, the Sword Saint from Baekun City? You needn't worry about such trivial matters."
Jin Ran-seo said nothing. She shifted her gaze to the shattered teacup on the floor, then turned her eyes back to fixate on Im Gun-hyeon. Even as the dignified City Lord, he felt an inexplicable wave of dread wash over him under her direct stare. Finally, he relented.
"It seems a spring breeze has begun to blow through the heart of our little phoenix of a daughter."
Jin Ran-seo flinched at his answer, then shouted in anger. "A spring breeze? What kind of father uses such low-brow expressions regarding his own daughter?" She turned her glare toward Yeo Nak-yeon. "Senior Brother Yeo, what on earth happened?"
Yeo Nak-yeon gave Im Gun-hyeon a look of apology before recounting the events that had transpired at the training grounds.
"Im Bukjin?"
The moment Jin Ran-seo heard the name, she looked ready to explode. In the aristocratic circles of Unmong City, there wasn't a soul who didn't know the name of Im Bukjin—the ultimate scoundrel and trashy thug. No parent among the nobility would sit idly by if they heard their child was associating with such a degenerate, let alone their daughter.
The thought of her precious daughter harboring feelings for a human waste like Bukjin made Jin Ran-seo feel as if the world were ending. However, as a member of a prestigious noble family, she reined in her emotions.
"Where is Jin now?" she asked.
"I had brought her back to the official residence," Yeo Nak-yeon replied, "but after her bath, she insisted she had to stop by the academy..."
"She clearly wants to avoid the people coming from Baekun City. Truly, she grows more disobedient by the day." Jin Ran-seo narrowed her eyes at her husband. "What are you doing? Go to the National Imperial Junior Academy this instant. Bring our daughter back yourself. Senior Baek is one of the Three Great Swordsmen of Baekun City. It is unthinkable for her to be absent when such a person visits Unmong City!"
"I understand." Im Gun-hyeon offered an awkward smile and stood up immediately.
"Hurry! Do not let her have her way!" Jin Ran-seo added.
Without another word, he left the manor to fetch his daughter. Jin Ran-seo watched his retreating figure, shaking her head in disbelief. Just then, a servant entered to deliver a report.
"Madam, the guests you sent Steward Hwang to meet have arrived at the main gate."
"Senior Brother Yeo, Master Baek has arrived. Let us go out and greet them together." Yeo Nak-yeon nodded and followed Jin Ran-seo to the entrance.
Outside the main gate of the Im family manor.
The massive gate, crafted from rosewood and supported by golden pillars, was easily twenty feet wide. On either side of the gate, which resembled a fortress entrance, stood warriors clad in red breastplates. Their auras were fierce and valiant, suggesting they were the elite of the elite.
Since there were no stairs inside the gate, carriages could drive directly into the courtyard once the doors were opened. However, only a handful of people in all of Unmong City possessed the right to pass through these gates in a carriage.
The carriage bearing the golden sparrowhawk emblem passed through the gate and came to a halt in the front yard. Jo Pacheon, the youth of exceptional beauty, stood behind his master and turned his head to survey the manor. His face held an expression of calm confidence.
Three years ago, when Jo Pacheon had stood in this very spot, he hadn't dared to even lift his head. He had stood there with feelings of envy, like a shabby passerby looking in. But seeing it again now...
Hmph. It’s not what it used to be.
The gates of the manor, which had lost their former power and luster, seemed like nothing more than ordinary doors to him now. In three years, he had gained the right to look down upon everything in this small city. And that included everyone within it.
"Grandmaster Baek, you must be weary from your long journey."
Jin Ran-seo, the mistress of the manor and once the greatest beauty of Pung-eo-haeng-do, led a group of officials and servants out to meet them. Her attire and posture were impeccably refined and dignified. She wore a soft smile, as gentle as a warm spring breeze.
Baek Hae-geum offered a curt, arrogant nod. Jo Pacheon shifted his gaze, scanning the area around Jin Ran-seo. Slowly, the smile faded from his face.
Does she not even dare to show her face? The 'Little Phoenix' of Unmong City remains arrogant even before the people of Baekun City. How laughable. Does she think she’s superior just because she grew up in luxury in this pathetic province? Does she truly believe she stands above the supreme prestige of Baekun City, the holy land of the Hundred-Year Sword Path?
"Grandmaster Baek, this way, please," Jin Ran-seo said, guiding them.
"By the way, I do not see City Lord Im?" Baek Hae-geum asked as they walked.
Jin Ran-seo replied with a smile. "A small matter arose regarding our daughter at the academy, so he stepped out briefly to handle it. He will return shortly, so please do not worry. There will be a banquet in your honor this evening."
"Will the young lady also be attending the banquet?" Jo Pacheon asked, unable to contain himself.
Jin Ran-seo turned her head slightly to look at him. She said nothing as she observed the youth, who was brimming with spirit and a touch of self-importance. Though she was a woman who practiced no martial arts, Jo Pacheon felt his heart throb with a sudden, intense pressure under her gaze. He felt like a child caught doing something wrong.
Feeling the weight of her stare, Jo Pacheon quickly added an explanation. "It’s just that Senior Brother Wei asked me to convey his regards to his fiancée, Lady Im, on his behalf. I have also brought a gift he prepared for her. He insisted that I deliver it to her personally."
Jin Ran-seo turned her head back to the front and offered no reply. Baek Hae-geum acted as if he had noticed nothing at all as they were led into the main hall of the manor.