This Is the Truth
“...Hoo. To think even Cheongmyeong would die.”
Cheongmyeong had been killed by those treacherous Blood Cult bastards.
That was the truth.
With every sigh he let out, Teacher Raeji’s wrinkles seemed to deepen.
He lowered his head and deliberately went on, stumbling over the words as if he were trying to look even more worn down than he already was.
“What a pity. I could barely take care of myself, so I wasn’t able to help in time.”
“If Cheongmyeong died, then it must have been dangerous indeed. Who could possibly blame you for that?”
“......”
He nodded as though he understood perfectly, then closed his eyes and fell into thought.
For a while, he said nothing.
“You must have suffered terribly.... Let me say this clearly: you made the right choice. In a situation like that, the most important thing is for even one person to survive and bring back the information.”
A deep sadness seeped from Teacher Raeji’s face.
“......”
Suffered terribly?
Had there even been anything like that?
“Thanks to you, we learned the Blood Cult’s movements, so they were probably able to close their eyes in peace too.”
Teacher Raeji nodded and offered his consolation as if he were reminiscing about some long-ago memory.
I stayed silent, giving him the chance to let his imagination run wild.
“The outcome would’ve been the same no matter who went, so don’t worry about it too much.”
“I understand.”
Lost in thought, he looked out the window and continued, “Sojin, I can tell because I’ve been through the same kind of thing. It wasn’t your fault, so cheer up.”
This was starting to feel rather burdensome.
“Thank you for your concern, Teacher.”
“Looks like I’ve kept you too long. Go and rest.”
“Aren’t you saying that for my sake? I don’t mind at all.”
Raeji looked apologetic as he took a small wooden box from the shelf and set it on the table.
“In any case, good work. Sojin, this is the Blood Severing Pill I promised you.”
“It hurts my heart to think I’m the only one receiving it, but since it’s the reward for all the hardship we went through together, I’ll gratefully accept it.”
It had been a mission tainted by the Blood Cult’s influence, so I had even prepared myself for the worst-case scenario of not getting paid at all.
Fortunately, he had already taken the advance.
Teacher Raeji gave a faint smile, then coughed awkwardly and continued, “Ahem.... The Jin family’s True Energy Method should be a yang-based heart technique, yes? If it’s difficult for you to absorb spiritual medicine, I can swap i—”
Blood Demon Pill and Blood Severing Pill both...? This guy’s gone completely insane.
I quickly seized the box.
“I’m fine, Teacher. Thank you for your concern, but this disciple will take his leave.”
The thing in my hand felt immensely reassuring.
*
*
*
Near Bongmyeon in Henan,
“Ha! Hup!! Yah!!”
“Kuh...!”
He barely managed to block the blow that came crashing down from above, but he couldn’t dissipate all of the impact.
He had enough internal energy, but his realm was still too crude.
Two men were showing off their martial arts as they sparred with the intensity of real combat.
Then a high-pitched voice rang out from behind.
Clap clap—
“I’m thirsty.”
She clapped and called out.
At the sound drifting out from inside the tent, everyone’s gaze turned toward one person.
“......”
Before he knew it, he had lowered his sword and was biting his lip hard, saying nothing.
“Can’t you hear me? I said I’m thirsty.”
Again with this.
“Namgung Jin-nim.... Lady Tang Soyeong is calling for you.”
At the words of the man fighting beside him, Namgung Jin exploded in anger.
“She said she was thirsty—why are you telling me? Tell her to come get it herself! And I’m the squad leader!! What are all of you doing?!”
He stomped in place and flailed furiously.
But no one looked at him strangely.
“We... You know how it is, don’t you? Even if we go, she just finds excuses and sends us back until Namgung Jin-nim goes himself. That woman is that kind of woman....”
“...Tch.”
He clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles whitened, enduring the surging anger.
By now, his hand was covered not only in calluses, but in scars as well.
I’m a descendant of the Namgung clan. How the hell did I end up suffering this humiliation?
He was in a very difficult position.
He had been marked as the Namgung family’s next heir, but there were no shortage of people aiming for that seat.
Just look at his half brothers; weren’t they all watching for any opening they could exploit?
If word of this reached the main household, he might even lose his claim to succession.
Not yet... not yet.
That was why he was grinding his teeth and holding himself back.
“Namgung Jin-nim! A letter has arrived for you!”
“What? From whom?”
A letter? Could it be?
He unfolded the letter handed to him by the squad member and read it quickly.
Then his expression brightened more than I’d ever seen it.
“Did something good happen?”
“Yes.”
His eyes were fixed on Tang Soyeong’s tent.
*
After greeting the teacher, I headed straight for the back entrance.
I was planning to go into the training room and devote myself to cultivation for a while.
If I was lucky, I might be able to coax two more blossoms into bloom.
I clenched my fist.
Inner energy gathered in my right hand in an instant, but my expression remained sour.
Still not enough.
It was only natural that I wasn’t satisfied.
I still hadn’t even accumulated the level of internal energy expected of an ordinary cadet.
But at this rate, it won’t be long.
As I walked toward the back gate, a man and a woman came into view.
No—more accurately, they were blocking the way.
“Young lady, could you spare a moment? It would only take time for a cup of tea. What do you say...?”
What is he doing here?
He was a tall man with sharply cut features and an air that flowed about him like perfume.
Wei Shiyun, the son of the Martial Alliance Leader.
He was still an irritating bastard.
There weren’t a single normal one among the Martial Alliance’s elite youths.
I didn’t know what pointless nonsense he was up to, but I wished he’d just get lost.
Hidden behind the man’s bulk, a woman’s soft voice drifted out.
“No... I don’t want to... Please stop...”—
It was an oddly familiar voice.
“Hahaha! Young lady, to lie again like that... you really are quite shy. Please, speak comfortably.”
“I’m not lying. It’s really difficult for me...”
“If you keep lying, this will become a problem. Come now.”
Was he insane?
The way he kept pressing her when she was clearly saying no was just beyond words.
This was happening at the back gate, where people came and went constantly, and whether the others were pretending not to notice or truly didn’t know, I couldn’t tell.
The other academy students were already fleeing the scene as if they’d rather run than get involved.
“......”
The righteous up-and-comers were just going to leave a weaker person there and run?
I supposed I could understand it.
The Martial Alliance Leader’s name carries a lot of weight.
Since he was the leader’s son, they probably wanted to avoid being dragged into any ugly trouble.
Still, I had no idea where Guyang Jihee or the others were, allowing him to wander around alone.
It didn’t seem like that status-obsessed, ostentatious woman would just sit by and watch this happen....
Had something come up?
In the end, I slowly shook my head.
It’s none of my concern.
I wasn’t free enough to worry about other people’s private affairs.
Right now, the priority was building up my internal energy in the training room.
I’d handle this the easy way.
“Move.”
I deliberately let my footsteps be heard as I approached.
“How dare you speak to me like that! You—?”
Sure enough, he reacted immediately.
“It’s me.”
Wei Shiyun turned his head to look at me, narrowing his eyes before curling his lips into a thin, sneering smile.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Jin family’s Cheon Sojin? I don’t know what face you’re using to keep attending Jeongdo Academy after being cast out by your family....”
“Get out of the way and scram.”
As I tried to brush past him, a cute girl with green hair that flowed down to her waist lifted her head.
“Sojin-nim?!”
Our eyes met as she called out to me brightly.
The woman the bastard had been pestering was a very familiar girl.
“...Ju Yeonhwa.”
Her blue-green eyes were clear and deep like a lake.
“S-Sojin-nim! I was scared.... T-This person kept coming at me even though I said no...”
Yeonhwa came trotting over and hid behind me, then looked up at me with a faint smile.
As the heir to the Seongcheon Sword Art,
her skill was not something even someone like Wei Shiyun, one of the most highly regarded late-generation disciples, could casually belittle.
Still acting?
I knew her intentions were good, but when would she finally stop this ridiculous little play?
“Cheon Sojin, what business do you have here? I asked the young lady for a date first.”
Unaware of the fact that she had approached me first, Wei Shiyun blew up in a rage.
Idiot.
I should be the one getting angry here. Did he have no shame at all?
“Sojin-nim, that man... he’s scary. You’ll help me, won’t you?”
As the bastard barked at us, Ju Yeonhwa trembled and clung to my arm as if to show it off.
“......”
A soft, squishy sensation touched me.
Yeonhwa stuck out the tip of her tongue and looked up at me with glittering eyes.
Then she buried her nose in my arm and inhaled.
“Huuup—haaah.... Sojin niiim....”
A strangely flushed face and rough breathing drifted into my ear.
Something’s off with her.... Was she always like this?
“Get off me now!! I understand that you want to show off in front of the young lady, but keep it up and you’ll be in serious trouble.”
Even though I wasn’t the one clinging to her, he seemed irritated by the sight of it and drew his sword, pointing it at me.
As the son of the Martial Alliance Leader, he had polished internal energy surging at the tip of his blade.
He was living up to his name, at least.
“......”
Given the current situation, a head-on fight was out of the question.
But I had no intention of wasting my time on this kind of fool either.
“You know who I am, don’t you? I’ve got no intention of chasing after a coward. So disappear.”
I glanced at Ju Yeonhwa, only to find her face bright red, drooling at the corner of her mouth.
The two of us, and he—huhu.... Just what a sinful woman I am...
Was she imagining some ridiculous scene where I competed with Wei Shiyun over her?
“Hoo....”
A deep sigh slipped out.
I’d already wasted two minutes.
“Cheon Sojin, even generous me can’t give you much time. Do you think I won’t be able to swing this sword? If you don’t let her go quickly...”
I didn’t like the way Wei Shiyun assumed I’d panic and run despite having no intention of actually swinging his blade.
He couldn’t attack even if he wanted to, not if he cared about his reputation.
Sojin-nim will fight that man for me, and then, huhu...
Ju Yeonhwa, too, was letting her imagination run wild, convinced I’d fight for her.
I tightened my grip.
“Kya...”
“Cheon Sojin! W-What are you doing right now...!!”
Wei Shiyun’s eyes widened as he stammered.
Soft.
If she was asking for help, then I ought to help her.
It wasn’t difficult.
I just chose the method.
“Why?”
Soft.
“Kyaaaaaaaaa!!”
Ju Yeonhwa’s face turned red as a ripe apple.
##
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