A New Beginning
The inn in Hongho County. When Namgung Woo returned, the Yang brothers were waiting for him right in front of the door, though it was impossible to tell how long they had been standing there. Seeing Namgung Woo approach side by side with Paeng Ha-ryeong, the twins opened the inn door as if they had been appointed gatekeepers.
"You've arrived."
"Let's go up to the room and talk."
"Understood."
Yang Kvae answered with a grin that carried a hint of mischief. The moment they stepped into the room that served as Namgung Woo's private quarters, Yang Kvae's question came flying straight at him.
"So you've finally made up your mind?"
The Yang brothers had known from the start that Namgung Woo was of the Namgung clan. Watching him leave the inn with Paeng Ha-ryeong, his expression resolute, they had roughly guessed what he intended to do. The twins had entrusted their lives to Namgung Woo. He did not hide anything and answered directly.
"That's right. From now on, our goal is the restoration of the family."
"Kuh… I've been waiting so long for the captain to say those words, my neck was about to snap. A man—nay, a true hero—born into this world ought to charge into the martial world with a single blade at his waist. Even if he can't reach the steps of the Son of Heaven, he should at least shake the heavens themselves, shouldn't he?"
"Brother, are you some kind of imperial tutor now? The steps of the Son of Heaven, my foot. Still… you're not entirely wrong."
The Yang brothers responded with wholehearted enthusiasm to Namgung Woo's declaration. Their father had lived and died as an ordinary vagabond. Following in his footsteps, the twins had become wanderers themselves, yet they had always considered themselves proper martial artists and members of the murim. They trained their martial arts, raised their realms, and dreamed of shaking the world with their prowess and winning fame. How could they lack ambition as martial artists?
Paeng Ha-ryeong narrowed her eyes as she watched the twins react as though they had been waiting for this moment all along.
"So the two of you knew all along. Gaga's secret."
Yang Kvae answered with his usual brazen cheer as Paeng Ha-ryeong puffed out her cheeks, clearly intending to voice her displeasure.
"Don't be too upset with us. We're sort of like disciples, after all—bound to the captain by fate. That said, what should we call you now, Junior Paeng? Should we say 'Matriarch'?"
"Matriarch…"
Paeng Ha-ryeong repeated the word under her breath, her half-lidded eyes snapping wide open. She cleared her throat with a deliberate cough, then withdrew her sharp gaze and spoke.
"Well, the two of you did become acquainted with Gaga before I did. I understand. Of course."
The thought that someone who accepted the title so easily could truly become the matriarch flashed through the twins' minds. Before they could dwell on it, Namgung Woo cut through their playful exchange and steered the conversation back to business.
"That aside, we won't be participating in the war any longer. We're heading straight for Luoyang."
"Luoyang?"
"Indeed… We should pay a visit to the Murim Alliance at least once. Though there is no need to rush."
"Right you are. In any case, the fight between the Namgung and Dokgo families is between the two of them. Even if we inform the Alliance, we can't expect much support, Captain."
At the twins' reaction, Paeng Ha-ryeong realized that Namgung Woo had mentioned going to Luoyang to her first. A small smile tugged at her lips. It was childish, she knew, but the fact that he had thought of her first made the corners of her mouth curl upward of their own accord.
Without seeing the expression on Paeng Ha-ryeong's face beside him, Namgung Woo answered the twins' question.
"The Murim Alliance is one thing, but there's also a survivor of the Namgung family there. Information confirmed by the head of the Jegal family himself."
"If the Jegal patriarch has vouched for it, then there's no room for doubt."
"Wait, but why would the Jegal patriarch share that information with the captain…? Don't tell me you told him yourself?"
"It just happened that way. Dongbang Hwa of the Banunbang saw my martial arts and figured out my lineage."
When Namgung Woo explained how Jegal Chong had learned his name, the three of them accepted it without question.
"If it's the Fallen Immortal Dongbang Hwa, he's practically living history of the murim. It wouldn't be strange for him to recognize the Namgung family's techniques."
"Actually, the fact that Dokgo Bin—or whoever that Dokgo family person was—didn't notice is more surprising, isn't it?"
"She was young. Being a direct descendant, she probably wasn't mobilized for the pursuit order either."
After lightly touching on the events at Guya Manor involving Dokgo Bin, the Yang brothers simultaneously shifted their gazes to Namgung Woo's waist, as only twins could. At the end of their line of sight hung the sword forged from the horn of the Mangcheonhu, crafted by the master of Guya Manor. Since the topic of Guya Manor had come up naturally, their attention naturally followed.
Namgung Woo noticed their stares and placed a hand on the sword's hilt.
"I was planning to talk about that anyway."
Originally, Namgung Woo had entrusted the sword he commissioned from Guya Manor to Hwaseong Temple. In exchange for bringing the temple's monk Geumsin to participate in the Battle of Unmong, Hwaseong Temple was to receive the sword from Guya Manor on his behalf and deliver it safely. That had been the agreement between Namgung Woo and the abbot Hangwi.
Namgung Woo gained a trustworthy organization through which to receive the sword, while Abbot Hangwi secured a powerful new ally for the Jegal family—their mutual ally—while also giving Geumsin, who was more warrior than monk, an outlet for his battle lust. It had been a mutually beneficial transaction, rational and satisfying for both sides. And in the end, both parties had achieved what they wanted. Namgung Woo received the sword without issue, and Hwaseong Temple had brought Namgung Woo into the fight, leading their ally, the Jegal family, to victory.
Yet there remained something that made parting ways on such a clean transaction feel somewhat unsatisfactory.
"So who exactly was that woman?"
That was the identity of the woman who had delivered the sword to Namgung Woo in Hangwi's stead.
"I don't know. Even Hwaseong Temple claimed they had no idea."
According to Hwaseong Temple, she had appeared out of nowhere, taken the sword by force, and disappeared. In the end, everything had been resolved, but strictly speaking, Hwaseong Temple had failed to uphold their end of the contract. Namgung Woo personally had no intention of holding it against them, but it seemed Hwaseong Temple could not simply let it pass.
"In any case, it seems we need to deal with this first."
Namgung Woo set Hwaseong Temple aside for now. His real target was the suspicious female Taoist who had been following them all this time. He intended to address her properly here and now.
"That female Taoist… I don't think this is the first time she's been involved with us."
"What?"
Paeng Ha-ryeong reacted immediately to Namgung Woo's words.
"D-Don't tell me she's someone Gaga already knew…?"
"It's not like that. Even if she knows me unilaterally."
"Then shall we go confirm it with that female Taoist right away?"
"No."
Even before speaking with Paeng Ha-ryeong, Namgung Woo had already decided the order of his future plans. First was Paeng Ha-ryeong. And second was…
"We need to settle things with Hwaseong Temple first."
§
The very next day, when Namgung Woo sought out the people of Hwaseong Temple and met with them, Abbot Hangwi's first words were the same as before.
"I am truly ashamed, Great Hero."
"It's fine, Abbot. The sword was delivered properly, wasn't it?"
"That immortal maiden did deliver the sword safely to you, Great Hero, but if she had been one of the Banunbang's people, Hwaseong Temple would have failed to keep its promise to you. Even if you, Great Hero, were to show great generosity, how could we simply overlook our own mistake?"
Hangwi bowed his head, genuinely apologetic. When Namgung Woo continued to insist it was fine and helped him up, Hangwi spoke the words he had prepared.
"It may not be much of an apology, but what do you think of letting Geumsin continue to follow and assist you, Great Hero?"
"Geumsin?"
Geumsin was certainly a talented individual. Though he had reached the age of thirty without being counted among the rising stars, he was a fully matured Peak Realm expert who would be considered an immediate asset to any organization. Yet the thought that Geumsin had already fulfilled his role and it felt wrong to make him shoulder the responsibility instead crossed Namgung Woo's mind.
"Ah. So that was your intention from the beginning."
"Ahem. So it showed?"
"I found it a little strange from the start. You deliberately sought me out to send Geumsin away, didn't you?"
"…That was one of the reasons."
Hangwi gave a bitter smile and continued.
"Geumsin is a child I took in. But his aptitude lies more with the martial path than the Buddhist one."
"So you want to send him into the murim through me?"
"That is correct. I believed that if it was you, Great Hero, you would be able to control Geumsin while allowing him to travel the martial world as he wished."
Geumsin's temperament was closer to that of a warrior than a monk. If he remained at Hwaseong Temple, he would only feel endlessly stifled and spend his days looking for an opportunity to leave. In that case, it would be better to send him away. Entrust him to someone reliable and let him roam the jianghu to his heart's content. Even if Geumsin preferred the martial path, the Buddhist teachings were not entirely absent from his heart. He would surely accumulate good deeds while traveling the martial world and follow the teachings of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. That would be beneficial to the world as well. That had been Hangwi's thinking.
But Namgung Woo's answer was already decided.
"If that is the case, then you have come to the wrong person, Abbot."
"Great Hero…"
"The place around me is a battlefield. I know Geumsin's skills as a Peak Realm expert are considerable. But that alone won't be enough to guarantee survival. Things will become far more dangerous from here on. It could drag in not just Geumsin alone, but the entire Hwaseong Temple."
Namgung Woo rose from his seat without waiting for Hangwi's reply. It was a clear declaration that he would not continue the conversation.
"And do not try to use me under the pretext of an apology. I showed you courtesy as a senior and elder of the jianghu, but I found it quite unpleasant."
Passing by the stiff Hangwi, Namgung Woo opened the door.
"Our contract ends here. I would prefer we not argue about it any further."
When he stepped out of the room, the gazes of those waiting outside turned to Namgung Woo. Among them was Geumsin.
"Captain…"
Namgung Woo suppressed his irritation. Geumsin had done his best. Despite being an elder, he had treated Namgung Woo with utmost respect as his captain and fulfilled his role faithfully. Showing his emotions to him would only be taking out his anger.
Namgung Woo took a deep breath to shake off his feelings, then faced Geumsin with a smile.
"You have worked hard these past days, Monk."
"…I am ashamed. I never imagined the abbot would think that way…"
"There's no need to apologize in his stead."
"But…"
"More importantly, please look after Abbot Hangwi. I may have spoken too harshly."
Realizing that Namgung Woo's mind was made up, Geumsin hesitated with a complicated expression before bowing his head and entering the room where Hangwi waited.
Turning to the remaining members—the Yang brothers and Paeng Ha-ryeong—Namgung Woo spoke.
"Let's go. We have one last matter to settle."
The place the four members of the Changcheon Squad headed toward was not far. The female Taoist had been given lodgings at a nearby inn for surveillance purposes. And the woman they faced was the same female Taoist. Though they had yet to exchange names, Namgung Woo was already growing somewhat accustomed to her presence. It was a distinctive aura that was hard to forget once felt—a pure and clear energy overlaid with something strange that writhed beneath it.
Namgung Woo observed the female Taoist. Her attire was… the kind that invited many comments. Paeng Ha-ryeong beside him had already raised her guard to the maximum, her eyes narrowed with tension.
"We haven't even exchanged names yet, but let's start with this first. What is your purpose?"
"My purpose, you say."
The female Taoist had sharp eyes and a husky voice that suited her cold yet striking appearance. With a rustle, she rose to her feet, her wide-sleeved robe swaying. It was quite an elegant posture. The contrast with her somewhat disreputable clothing only heightened the sense of dissonance.
Gulp. The sound of someone among the Yang brothers swallowing echoed at the same moment the female Taoist moved swiftly. Thinking it was an ambush, Paeng Ha-ryeong tried to act faster than anyone else, but the female Taoist's action was one step ahead. She dropped to the ground and performed a full prostration!
"Please save me!"