My Friend Called Cheonma
Both men's mouths fell open in shock.
"This guy's from Hao Mun?"
"This bastard's the Divine Dragon?"
Another sigh escaped Jin Seo-yeon's lips.
"How long are you two going to keep insulting each other? Isn't it time to apologize?"
Yeon Sa-gu was the first to snort hot breath through his nose.
"No way! If it were you, could you even understand? Who'd ever think a so-called sacred icon of the righteous sects would be such a narrow-minded prick!"
There were figures the martial world loved to gossip about. Among them were the Ten Divine Dragons of the righteous sects and the Eight Black Dragons of the unorthodox sects—titles given to the most outstanding young martial artists.
One man whom no one hesitated to rank at the top of those ten righteous Divine Dragons. He also served as a vice-leader of one of Maelma Dan's five divisions, the one Jin Seo-yeon belonged to. His name was Namgung Sa-hyeon.
His father, Namgung Cheon-u, was said to have perished heroically twenty years ago in battle against demonic cultists while serving in Maelma Dan.
The son who followed in his footsteps had racked up dazzling achievements at a young age, earning universal recognition as a sacred prodigy of the martial world.
Unlike the fuming Yeon Sa-gu, Namgung Sa-hyeon still wore an expression of disbelief.
'To think Hao Mun has a guy like this!'
If he didn't reveal everything he was holding back, the fight's outcome was unpredictable. The opponent seemed to be hiding just as much. Among those called Divine Dragons, there were two or three on his level, but none he truly feared.
For such a man—one whose skill was impossible to measure against his own—to be from Hao Mun.
A thrill that wasn't the least bit light made his lips tremble. In this moment, it was the pure fighting spirit of a true martial artist.
"The name Yeon Sa-gu. I'll remember it."
"Why? Wanna go again later?"
"Don't you?"
Yeon Sa-gu's mouth split into a wide grin.
"Hell yeah! Of course. When?"
"I have to talk with Seo-yeon and head out right after."
He wasn't the type to back out from fear. Realizing it was a request to give them space, Yeon Sa-gu stood up.
"Fine. Can't be helped. We'll get another chance."
"Next time, let's go all out."
"You got it."
As Yeon Sa-gu left the room, a smirk crept across his face.
'Kekeke! All that training paid off. Neck and neck with a guy like that.'
The frustration piled up from getting thrashed by Mu Yun vanished in an instant.
One hailed as the pinnacle among the new generation's top experts. Now, he'd proven he could stand shoulder to shoulder with such a figure.
He'd known he'd entered the Cho-jeol-jeong realm not long ago, but the thrill of clashing blades firsthand was something else entirely.
His steps felt lighter, affirmed by the fruits of his labors.
Then, a certain someone crossed his mind, turning his gleeful smile sinister.
'Heh heh! Seomun Jin-seong, you bastard! Just wait a bit longer. I'll go crush you proper.'
The culprit who lured him to Chim-ju—the second son of the Seomun family head.
That reunion was drawing ever closer. His feet nearly flew at the thought.
Sasasak!
Meanwhile, with just the two of them left, Namgung Sa-hyeon's questions began.
Unaware of the full situation, he asked vaguely.
"I heard there was some trouble."
"...You're from Jeol-gang?"
"Wi-gyeong just told me you were here. How'd it go? Resolved?"
A wistful light briefly touched her eyes.
There was no reason to go into detail, nor did she want to reopen old wounds.
"It got sorted out fine. More importantly, why are you here?"
"I have to go somewhere."
"Where?"
He'd already decided to tell her to a certain extent.
"It's about Father."
"Pardon? Lord Father passed away long ago, didn't he?"
"There might be a conspiracy. His death... and what came before."
"...What do you mean?"
"Twenty years ago, Father was the frontrunner in the young master competition. Then something happened, and he was pushed out."
"Pardon? ...What kind of...?"
Namgung Sa-hyeon answered indirectly. He couldn't reveal everything.
"The five great clans were involved in some joint venture back then. Father had nothing to do with it originally and even opposed it, but he was forced into it. Then an accident happened, and he took the blame."
"Is that why he joined Maelma Dan?"
"Grandfather's orders. Later, as vice-leader, he fought blood cult demons and was said to have perished engulfed in flames."
"That's what you told me, right?"
"Yeah. That's what I thought too. But recently, I investigated something. To confirm, I have to go there myself."
"Where?"
"It's hard to say."
"...?"
He couldn't speak it aloud. Not to anyone in the world right now.
A place suspected as a demonic base, where his father might still be alive. No, now he was nearly certain. And not as a captive.
That's why he had to check it personally.
Now it was time to reveal why he'd come here.
Even after steadying his breath, Namgung Sa-hyeon's lips trembled faintly.
'Still... I have to say it.'
This wasn't his first confession. He'd been rejected multiple times before, and he knew the reasons well.
But now, when it might be his last chance, he had no choice but to ask again.
He let the anxiety in his heart fade from his eyes toward her. Right now, they needed to hold only his pure feelings for her.
"Won't you... come with me?"
Jin Seo-yeon shook her head firmly, just as before.
That was the best she could do to show her sincerity to a man who'd bared his heart.
"I'm sorry, but what happened here has made my path even clearer. Please don't say such things anymore."
Namgung Sa-hyeon finally brought out his last card. This conflict was why he'd come.
"If I go there, I might not come back."
"Pardon? What do you—?"
"If you change your mind, I won't go. That's why I'm here. Can't you reconsider?"
Jin Seo-yeon's eyes sank deep and heavy.
'What could make him act like this?'
He was always so earnest, never one to show emotion easily.
For such a man to say this meant the situation was gravely serious.
But this was a separate matter.
A look of regret lingered in his eyes for a while.
In moments like this, she couldn't leave even a sliver of room. He wasn't the only man who'd confessed to her.
Turning words aside out of worry for his pain would only leave deeper scars later.
A moment later, Jin Seo-yeon gave her answer with a deep sigh.
"My mind hasn't changed. You, of all people, should know that best."
"...!"
Cheong-ho Bang meeting room.
"So you're telling me to go beat him up?"
"Hey! If the gang leader just sits there while his senior squad leader ends up like this?"
"Yeon Sa-gu stepped in, didn't he?"
"It was a draw!"
Mu Yun's eyes widened.
He knew Yeon Sa-gu's skills better than anyone.
'Some young guy... and a draw?'
Just then, someone entering the room raised his voice.
"He's worth it."
"Who?"
"Namgung Sa-hyeon! You heard of him? Probably the top Divine Dragon. Kekeke!"
Mu Yun's brow furrowed instantly.
'Why's a Namgung here?'
Even among the five great clans, they were called the foremost.
More importantly, their prestige had remained unshaken a thousand years ago and now.
For a prodigy even from such a family to come seeking Jin Seo-yeon—it was bound to nag at him.
'Guess I should go see.'
He was set to head to Nae-yang tomorrow, where Cheon Ga-jang lay.
He couldn't just wait blindly for news from Maelma Dan's three divisions. This was the decision.
Anything that might cause issues had to be sorted first.
"Where's the guy?"
"Why?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow. Can't have this on my mind. Gotta find out why he's here."
Yeon Sa-gu flashed a sly grin.
"Don't worry about that."
"Why?"
"The answer was right in his eyes."
"What're you talking about?"
"What else? A butterfly come for the flower."
"...That's really all?"
Yeon Sa-gu suddenly turned playful.
"If you can't believe it, go see for yourself. Though with your eyes, you won't spot it. Kekeke!"
Yeom Jung-tak, lounging nearby, chimed in.
"Yeah. Just go beat his ass."
A chill glint flickered in Mu Yun's eyes.
"Why's everyone pushing this vibe?"
Yeon Sa-gu drove the nail home.
"When you're in a bad mood, beating someone up's the best fix."
"...You?"
"This fucker for real! I'm outta here tomorrow!"
"...!"
This time, he had to backpedal. He needed their help like a mountain.
A short while later, at the manor across from Cheong-ho Bang.
"He already left?"
"Yes. Said he had urgent business. Why?"
"No, just..."
Jin Seo-yeon bowed her head lightly.
"I'm sorry. Because of me. I'll apologize to Squad Leader Yeom myself."
"No need. Blame his own damn eyes. Forget it."
Jin Seo-yeon had been on her way to see Mu Yun anyway.
Knowing he'd leave tomorrow, she had to depart too.
But first, there was something to tell him.
"I've gone over the heart method thoroughly, but..."
"Yeah?"
"The more I look, the more astonishing it is. How could anyone conceive of this?"
"What's got you so worked up?"
"At first, I was baffled. As you saw, it doesn't specify qi circulation meridians."
"It lets the body find its own path."
"Right. It seemed too risky, so I nearly quit. But I couldn't understand how you'd gone that far, so I tried it. And my body knew. It found the path that fits me."
"Yu-seon found hers that way too."
"I get it now from experience. Circulating qi in sync with dance naturally builds inner power."
"It's a fusion of seated and moving meditation, so that's why."
"Exactly. But what shocked me more came next."
"What?"
Her flushed cheeks betrayed genuine excitement.
"Once it finds the fitting path, more flows emerge one by one. Pursuing them leads to higher realms. I can't see the end, but there are several stages above mine. Calling this a peerless heart method isn't an exaggeration."
She poured out more excited explanations after that.
As time passed, Mu Yun's faint smile deepened.
He pictured the woman who'd grin ear to ear seeing this.
'Yu-seon. No need to worry.'
Jin Seo-yeon couldn't help but elaborate, intentionally or not.
She'd grasped the core meaning of Baratanaati Am Simbeop's bold movements.
'Protecting a woman's body—especially around the ha-eum-hyeol (lower yin acupoint, near the womb). How to even bring this up?'
She didn't know Mu Yun's true prowess. She'd heard none of Chim-ju's rumors.
'He's surely passing it to a cherished woman.'
She had to warn her without spelling it out—too embarrassing to mention directly.
That made her circle around, drawing it out.
Mu Yun's subtle smile grew warmer.
Her sincerity in trying to convey what she'd discovered shone through.
'She qualifies as Aunt So-ryeo.'
Plus, she could unravel it fully on her own. Except for the middle dantian arts.
Jin Seo-yeon grew urgent.
"There's more. Circulating qi through the meridians around the wi-jung-hyeol (crook of the knee)..."
"...!"
Her fervent explanation continued for a good while longer.
At the same time, in the woods on Chim-ju's outskirts.
"Squad Leader Dang!"
"Yes, Division Leader."
"We should request reinforcements from Ha Hu Sega. You go."
Dang Seo-ha hesitated before speaking.
"Their numbers aren't trivial. If I leave too..."
Division Leader Jeong-won gave his usual faint smile.
"We're not fighting. Without them, we can shake pursuit. Reinforcements are the issue. Ask Ha Hu to block their rear—that's best for now."
Dang Seo-ha finally rose.
"...Got it. Everyone, stay safe."
Vice-leader Paeng Jung-ho's hand reached for her shoulder.
He had to reassure his subordinate—and lover.
And entrust her with a message.
"What's to worry when it's just grabbing one? More like, they might block that route. If so, come straight back."
Dang Seo-ha stuck out her tongue and wagged it teasingly, as usual.
"Vice-leader. You still see me as a kid?"
His usual smile was the answer.
"Yeah. Big ol' troublemaker. But I trust you."
"...!"
Dang Seo-ha's form shot toward Chim-ju.
Papap!