An Old Friend's Unexpected Visit
The lodging that the Changcheon Squad had secured was an inn named Changmu Guest House, a name remarkably similar to their own. As was common with inns south of the Luo River, the character for “martial” was prominently displayed. In Luoyang, including that character in an inn’s name was practically a certificate that the establishment possessed its own training grounds. And the Changcheon Squad had rented out the entire annex of the massive Changmu Guest House, which indeed came with its own training yard right beside it.
The exorbitant nightly rate that devoured several taels of silver per stay? Such a thing could no longer serve as an obstacle to the squad’s movements. Compared to the support funds permitted by Moyong Hye, it was no different from scooping a single ladle from a river.
In any case, when Namgung Woo arrived at the annex the squad had rented, he was greeted by a familiar face brimming with unmistakable grievance in both expression and posture.
“Miss Song. It really is you.”
The very first connection Namgung Woo had made after arriving in this world—Song Chae-ji.
Upon spotting him, Song Chae-ji’s tightly scrunched face bloomed into a bright smile as she cried out.
“Young Hero Nam!”
Namgung Woo smiled at the welcome face and was about to speak when Song Chae-ji, still clearly nursing a deep sense of injustice, whipped her head toward Yang Kvae and began venting her frustration at full volume.
“See! I told you! We’re close…!”
“Ahem… Look, I get that you’re acquainted with the Captain now, but how many scoundrels have tried cozying up to us the exact same way? And you at least seemed somewhat genuine, so I let you wait in the annex.”
“Don’t forget that I was the one who verified he was genuine. That’s my achievement.”
“Hah, Captain, just look at this. Our Changcheon Squad’s discipline has completely fallen apart. Even the precious jade of the Paeng family politely calls this Yang Kvae ‘Senior’ and treats me with respect, yet the very last member to join—the youngest—acts like this….”
Namgung Woo stepped in to stop Yang Kvae, who looked ready to start bickering with Myo-rin as well as Song Chae-ji, and calmly sorted out the situation.
“Both of you did well—Yang Kvae, Myo-rin. No one has eaten yet, right? Let’s talk over a meal. It’s been a long time since I last saw Miss Song, so why don’t we catch up while we eat? I hear Luoyang’s signature water banquet is supposed to be incredible.”
§
With twenty-four dishes spread across the table, Song Chae-ji set down her chopsticks and instead poured out the words she had been holding inside.
“I was genuinely shocked, you know! I’d been stuck training at Hangsan for so long, and the moment I finally step out, I hear a name I know popping up everywhere… But what on earth happened in just one year? You’re not the Young Hero Nam I knew at all….”
The Namgung Woo who had known nothing of the world and slept sprawled on the roadside was gone. In his place stood the center of every hot topic shaking Luoyang. And his clothes—good heavens. The plain cloth robe worn by commoners was nowhere in sight. Instead he wore a sleek Goryeo-style martial outfit and long robe that looked tailor-made. Having grown up in a rather well-off household, her discerning eye immediately recognized the exceptional quality of the fabric.
She had always known his skill was extraordinary and had expected him to become famous quickly, but seeing the reality with her own eyes still left her feeling as if the world had completely changed.
What exactly have I accomplished while hiding away at Hangsan…?
She had trained diligently during that time and reached the Peak Realm. But boasting about that here felt pointless—the average level around him was simply too high. At a glance, every subordinate he kept seemed stronger than her, not weaker. If she proudly announced she had reached the Peak Realm, what kind of reaction would she get?
They’d probably just treat me like a child…!
Song Chae-ji was twenty-one this year. She was even a year younger than Myo-rin, currently the youngest in the group, which meant she was objectively the baby of the bunch. Being treated like a child was something she had already had more than enough of at the Hangsan Sect. Even though she was a proper first-generation disciple, her young age had earned her coddling from second-generation disciples who were practically her nephews. She had only just escaped that “youngest” label with the arrival of third-generation disciples. She refused to go through it again.
Hiding her anxious feelings, Song Chae-ji spoke in the most mature tone she could manage.
“I already knew Young Hero Nam’s ability, so I did expect something like this.”
At her words, someone who could no longer stay silent opened her mouth.
“You seem to know quite a bit about Gaga, Miss Song?”
The sudden question from Paeng Ha-ryeong made Song Chae-ji widen her eyes in surprise.
“Huh? Gaga? You mean Young Hero Nam?”
“Yes. How long have you two been close? Were you childhood friends, perhaps…?”
“Ah, it’s not like that. Hmm… I suppose you could call him my savior?”
Song Chae-ji recalled the day she had picked up Namgung Woo from the street and let out a small laugh. But that smile looked entirely different to Paeng Ha-ryeong.
…Is she confident?
Having heard that the girl was a main-line disciple of the Hangsan Sect, Paeng Ha-ryeong felt her previously softened wariness rise once more. The Hangsan Sect officially straddled both the Daoist and Buddhist paths, yet unlike other Daoist sects that sometimes permitted romance and marriage for its priests, it strictly forbade relationships between men and women.
Paeng Ha-ryeong seized on that point.
“If you helped Gaga, then I must also offer my gratitude. You truly live up to the name of a female hero from Hangsan.”
“Um… half of that was a joke. Even if I hadn’t helped him, Young Hero Nam probably would have been fine on his own. And thanks to him, I received grace as well. We simply helped each other. All under heaven are comrades, right?”
More than anything, Song Chae-ji was dizzy from the repeated use of the word “Gaga.” She and Namgung Woo had no special relationship, yet in less than a year he had already found himself a lover—and of all people, the daughter of the Hebei Paeng family!
A strange sense of betrayal washed over her.
“You were a great help back then, Miss Song. Thanks to you, I was able to meet the Yopyeong Escort Company and eventually reach Beijing. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
“Eh… is that how it is?”
Namgung Woo’s words were a roundabout defense of Song Chae-ji. He was telling Paeng Ha-ryeong that her meeting the Paeng family in Hebei had only been possible thanks to Song Chae-ji, so she should stop being so prickly. Having reached the level where she could read his mood from the slightest difference in his gait, Paeng Ha-ryeong immediately understood his meaning. She withdrew for the moment and picked up her chopsticks.
Then she began moving the dishes farthest from Namgung Woo’s seat and placing them in front of him.
“By the way, did you come alone, Miss Song?”
“Me? No. I came with my master.”
“Eulju Jinin?”
Namgung Woo recalled that during her introduction before the spar with the Black Bear Gang, Song Chae-ji had mentioned learning from Eulju Jinin.
Song Chae-ji looked as if she had received an unexpected gift, her face a perfect mix of joy and surprise.
“Oh, you remembered?”
“How is So-dang doing these days?”
“She’s doing great. Actually, So-dang has been missing Young Hero Nam quite a lot. Do you have any plans to visit Shanxi sometime? If you come, I’ll make sure to treat you properly this time.”
“I’d love to, but it will be difficult.”
“The rogue warrior unit must keep you very busy. Especially since you’re even involved with the Murim Alliance.”
Song Chae-ji knew Namgung Woo’s real name, but he deliberately avoided bringing up anything related to it. Song Chae-ji had her own life and the organization she belonged to. This distance felt just right for their relationship.
“You seem quite busy yourself, Miss Song. Coming all the way from Hangsan to Luoyang. Are you here to participate in the martial tournament during the Alliance Conference?”
“Not exactly. My master said she had business at the Murim Alliance, and my family also asked me to check on news about my uncle who’s there, so I tagged along.”
“Your uncle is at the Murim Alliance?”
“I don’t know the details. He’s always kept a distance from the family.”
Song Chae-ji explained that she had only met him a few times as a child and grumbled that she worried about what she should even say when they met.
“Still, since I’m already here, I plan to enter the martial tournament before I leave.”
Just as the topic was about to shift fully to the tournament, a knock sounded at the door followed by a voice. The distance from the door to their table was considerable, yet the speaker had infused their voice with inner energy.
“Forgive me for disturbing your rest. Might a girl named Song Chae-ji have come this way?”
“Ah! It’s my master! She said she’d be late, but already…”
Having meticulously picked at the food while talking and nearly finished her meal, Song Chae-ji jumped up in a hurry.
“No need to rush. Just invite her inside.”
Namgung Woo projected his voice with inner energy just as the visitor had done. Once permission was granted, a female Daoist who appeared to be in her forties entered with refined poise.
The female Daoist, whose face showed the faint beginnings of wrinkles, saw her disciple sitting before a table laden with an entire Luoyang water banquet and deepened those wrinkles with a sigh.
“Infinite Buddha… I wondered why the child who said she would only show her face for a moment was taking so long…”
Although the Hangsan Sect embraced both Daoism and Buddhism, it seemed Eulju Jinin leaned more toward the Buddhist side. Or perhaps Song Chae-ji’s behavior required Buddhist mercy more than Daoist discipline.
“Ah, Master, that’s not it…”
“It has been a long time since I last saw her, so I insisted she stay for a meal. I apologize for keeping her so late.”
“Not at all. It seems my disciple has imposed on you. I am the one who should apologize for intruding during your meal.”
Eulju Jinin showed impeccable courtesy even to the much younger Namgung Woo. Unlike the fraudulent female spellcaster Myo-rin, this was what a genuine, orthodox female Daoist looked like.
“The hour is late. Would it be acceptable if I take my disciple and return now? If you have more to discuss later, please send word to the Nokmu Guest House. We will be staying there for the time being.”
“We will do so.”
Eulju Jinin narrowed her eyes as if to give Song Chae-ji a stern word, but when she saw the girl’s fidgeting hands, the frown between her brows smoothed out again. She had always ended up letting it slide, and it seemed today would be no different.
Just once. Last year she had severely scolded the girl for claiming she would only be gone a short while, only to end up dueling an entire Black Path faction. The reason she had come out today was precisely because she feared her disciple might cause another incident like that.
“Young Hero Nam, I’ll be going now. You’ll be staying in Luoyang during the Alliance Conference, right? Let’s meet often!”
Dragged along by Eulju Jinin’s hand, Song Chae-ji left the Changmu Guest House.
The members of the Changcheon Squad had been bursting with questions about Song Chae-ji, but after finishing their meal and clearing the table, they no longer had the chance to ask. Namgung Woo had begun to speak.
“I received an escort request from the Murim Alliance, but I turned it down.”
Everyone gathered here possessed the discernment to separate public duty from private matters. The moment Namgung Woo mentioned a request, they all straightened their postures and began listening with grave attention.
“First, I’d like to share my thoughts on the matter.”