Murim Debut (7)
"...Are you serious?"
Jang Dal asked cautiously, staring at him like he was a madman.
Hyeonho let out a quiet chuckle. It was the mocking cry of a fox sneering at a human.
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But the important thing is, there's no benefit in getting any more involved."
Hyeonho, now struggling even to stand, staggered as he whispered his advice to Jang Dal.
"And that Namgung Soso girl? Boy? Hard to tell. Anyway, someone who was supposed to die today survived thanks to a benefactor. She's got a strong fate."
Hyeonho's squinted eyes slowly opened, revealing pitch-black pupils like the dead of night.
"...Pull out of this now. That's the best advice I can give a customer who's bought my wares as a merchant."
Jang Dal wanted to yell at him to stop spouting nonsense, but he was overwhelmed by Hyeonho's spirit—coughing up blood just to offer this counsel. No words came out.
"......"
"What to believe, what to choose—that's everyone's right and freedom."
Hyeonho gave a bitter smile and a farewell to Jang Dal, who had fallen silent and ended the conversation.
"...Well then, I'll make my escape first. I'll be laying low for a while, so even if you look for me, you won't find me."
With those words, Hyeonho's body was sucked into the shadows and vanished.
"What the—?!"
It happened in an instant. Stunned by the unbelievable sight, Jang Dal blinked his one remaining eye, but nothing changed.
Was he under some illusion? He bit his tongue lightly to check, but still, nothing changed.
A chilling, uneasy sensation crawled up his spine.
...It felt like he'd been bewitched by strange forces confounding the gods.
Inside the room, watching Soso regulate her energy not through meditative fasting but through qi circulation and breath adjustment, Mancheon had one question.
...Her body's full of yin energy. Her constitution?
He couldn't tell if she'd learned the Namgung family's signature inner arts, Cangqiong Dayan Divine Skill or Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Skill, but neither was inherently yin-natured.
Cang and Tian. With Taoist terms like "cangtian" in their martial arts names, the Namgung family was influenced by Daoism.
Daoist inner cultivation methods fundamentally carried yang properties or pursued yin-yang harmony. They didn't fill the body with pure yin energy like that.
...But thinking about it, he'd learned two himself: Quanzhen Orthodox Inner Cultivation Method and Immovable Heart Method.
Soso might have learned an additional one suited to her.
He admired her solemn yet cute face as she breathed quietly with eyes closed.
Despite her small frame forcing the Emperor Sword Form and calling herself a man, she looked nothing but a pitifully beautiful girl.
Fragile, yet bearing a heavy burden.
As he stood guard, lost in such thoughts, Soso finished her session. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing calm gray irises.
"...Thank you for standing watch over my injured body."
"You overexerted yourself with the Emperor Sword Form on a wounded body to save me in the first place, messing up your qi. This much is the least I can do."
"You don't boast of your own merits but tend to others in crisis. Young Master Sima, you're a true hero."
Her childlike gaze, full of hero worship, pricked at his heart. It was burdensome.
He appreciated the kind view, but honestly, it was overpraising him.
No idea what she thought, but "hero," "righteous man"—those didn't suit him.
He just did whatever the hell he wanted. Learned what he fancied, laughed when he felt like it, cried if he wanted, saved who he chose.
That's how he'd lived freely. And somehow, it led to good outcomes.
...But explaining all that inner truth would be uncool, so he smoothly changed the subject.
"Thanks for the praise. But we're even—saved each other's lives. No need for all the 'young master' and 'young hero' formality. How about we call each other brothers?"
It wasn't just to shift topics. His growing interest in Soso naturally extended to Namgung martial arts.
Ahead, he'd learn Cangqiong Wuya Sword Art, Emperor Sword Form, the enchant that wraps lightning qi around the blade—Heavenly Thunder Qi, and more Namgung secrets from her.
All that "young master" stiffness would be awkward and inconvenient.
Better as close bros: eat together, hit the sauna, teach martial arts, refine each other.
The ideal Murim friendship. Plus, sworn brothers meant no issue sharing family secrets.
...Or not.
At Mancheon's sly suggestion of brotherhood, Soso sighed, her face clouded with worry—not dislike, but concern for him.
"You've already earned needless grudges helping me. No good in getting more tangled with me."
Sincere advice from her wish that unrelated people not get hurt in her messy family affairs.
But needless advice.
"That's not for you to worry about, Brother Namgung."
With a nonchalant face, he punched through the wall. Casually closed the distance.
"Karma builds between people—it's natural. If you hate grudges, hide in the mountains forever."
Staying in the secular world, grudges pile up on their own.
His breezy, arrogant words mocked her concern. Soso looked up at him.
For some reason, it felt like a cool breeze brushed her cheek.
Suddenly, she realized why she'd stared so hard at Mancheon at first sight.
The moment he entered the stuffy inn, a refreshing wind had blown in.
"So quit worrying and call me Brother Sima from now on."
What a frank, unpretentious man. A faint smile touched Soso's worried face.
Amber eyes sparkling like stars met calm gray ones reflecting the moon.
Mancheon extended his hand first. Now it was Soso's turn to step forward.
"Um... Young Master Sima, there's something I need to tell you."
So, for the first time, she shyly whispered a fact to this newfound friend.
Long story short: Soso was nineteen—older than him.
Not Brother Namgung, but Brother Namgung. Or Sister Namgung?
As he pondered that, watching Soso hunt for fever medicine for the Late Talent experts in Dang Mi-rang's room, she tilted her head at his gaze, puzzled.
Not intentional, but every gesture evoked a small animal—adorably cute.
The blue dawn when the moon fully hid and the sun began to peek.
Ohae had Jegal Yang, playing dawn baduk, stand guard as she trained in her inner world to wield the dragon's power—a battle for control of her body.
A bizarre space: star-filled night sky and endless clear sea.
There, a massive serpent nearing dragonhood and a blue-eyed girl glared at each other.
The half-dragon's roar shook the world. Her body trembled.
But Ohae didn't flee.
...After all, at just thirteen, Mancheon had faced this monster to protect her when she lost control to the dragon's power.
Her sea-like blue eyes flashed, gaze scattering light.
Fail to master the dragon's power, and she couldn't meet Mancheon. She'd hurt him again.
So she didn't look away. Didn't give up.
To meet Mancheon, she crossed the sea toward the half-dragon.
To reclaim lost warmth, to reunite with her other half, she'd grown strong.
Never separate again. Because Ohae was Mancheon's, and Mancheon was Ohae's.
Mancheon Guae.
Sensing danger, the half-dragon lashed its massive tail into the sea to check her, but Ohae ignored it.
Half-dragon vs. human. No point dragging it out on stamina.
Go strong from the start.
Left foot forward, slightly bent. Hands circle to gather inner power.
Two dragons coiled around her arms.
Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms — Repentant Dragon Has Regret
The two dragons roared massively, coiling and charging the half-dragon.
Irresistible overwhelming force—a massive qi mass beyond palm, becoming a wave.
Dragon Subduing Twin Waves.
The resonating qi waves tore the half-dragon apart.
The match ended there.
At just shy of sixteen, the young genius who'd shattered first-rate walls to reach Peak opened her eyes slowly.
Clear blue eyes like morning sea illuminated the world.
And Jegal Yang dropped his baduk stone in shock.
"...Gotta tell that Mancheon punk not to get cocky."
Jegal Yang, who dismissed most talents, had no choice but to acknowledge this.
"I, the strongest of the Top 10 Masters, Jegal Goeryong, acknowledge you. Ohae, you are—"
The current self-proclaimed world's best spoke words of admiration to the future world's best.
"The genius among geniuses who deceives the heavens and subdues the seas."