A Simple Wish
"What is your wish?"
The Sect Leader, after setting the stage, looked at me and spoke.
“Young Sect Leader, as I have just said, I intend to bestow a reward upon you for your recent achievements. Speak if there is anything you desire.”
My recent exploits must have been quite impressive.
It was surprising enough that the Sect Leader himself was declaring he would grant me a reward.
And to think, not too long ago, this very man was barking at me to prove my worthiness as the Young Sect Leader.
Considering how precarious my position as the Young Sect Leader had felt, it truly felt like a lifetime ago.
If I kept going like this, no one would ever dare covet the position of Young Sect Leader.
“Anything is fine. Gold? Treasures? Or…”
Perhaps thinking my hesitation was due to indecision, the Sect Leader prompted me again.
But I had no reason to hesitate.
“Father. Your son desires nothing grand, but…”
Because there was only one thing I had wanted for a very long time.
“If you would permit it, I wish to personally visit our sect's holy land on Mount Kunlun.”
“Meaning?”
“Exactly as I said.”
“Are you saying your only wish is to go on a pilgrimage to our sect's holy land?”
What else would a hardcore introvert like me want besides some quiet, relaxing time alone?
To be honest, just staring at a wall in the Hall of No-Mind would have been enough, but the problem was that I could no longer feel the power of the Holy Fire there lately.
And because of the recent incidents, I felt a bit reluctant to frequent the shrines near the headquarters.
So, I wanted to take a leisurely trip to a far-off holy land.
“Yes, Father. I wish to make a pilgrimage to the holy land, offer my prayers to Myeongjon, and dedicate myself to training to further elevate my mastery of the Dark Demon Scripture.”
Of course, it was only natural for the Sect Leader to be surprised by such an unexpected answer.
He probably expected me to reveal a desire for some rare item I had always wanted.
“Haha…”
The Sect Leader let out a hollow laugh, utterly dumbfounded.
He offered a grand reward for great achievements, and the reward I asked for was a "pilgrimage"!
He looked as if he were thinking, How on earth did such a model student come from my loins?
The Right Guardian, who was particularly favorable toward me among the executives of the Sun and Moon Sect, also seemed deeply impressed by my words.
The Sect Leader and the Right Guardian briefly exchanged glances, silently communicating, but the Sect Leader soon nodded, granting his permission.
There was no real reason to refuse, so it was only natural.
However…
“But I cannot allow the Young Sect Leader to travel such a long distance alone. We must assemble a guard unit.”
If I was finally going on a trip, having uncomfortable people tagging along would completely ruin the experience.
It was a problem I had anticipated, and I already had a solution.
“Yes. I will take my personal guard, Yeongho Bin, and with your permission, I would also like to bring Namgung Eon along.”
With those two, even a long pilgrimage wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
Moreover, it was highly practical.
Rather than traveling with a troop of rugged warriors, a small group of young travelers would draw far less attention, making it safer.
But the Sect Leader didn't seem satisfied with just that.
“No, they alone will not be enough should an unforeseen emergency arise. At least one First-class master must accompany you. Hmm…”
After falling into deep thought for a moment, the Sect Leader uttered an unexpected name.
An official excursion authorized by the Sect Leader.
Early in the morning, I stood before the main gates of the headquarters, the designated gathering point, alongside Yeongho Bin and Namgung Eon.
“Traveling the Jianghu has been my lifelong dream since childhood. Thanks to you, My Lord, I have finally realized it.”
Listening to Namgung Eon talk to Yeongho Bin, it seemed that in orthodox sects like the Namgung Clan, disciples were strictly forbidden from performing external missions until they reached a certain level of proficiency.
Therefore, being allowed to travel the Jianghu meant one's skills had been officially recognized.
Just looking at Namgung Eon's face made it obvious how much he was looking forward to this trip.
“Young Master Namgung. We are embarking on this journey to assist and guard the Young Sect Leader on his pilgrimage. We are not going on a picnic, so compose yourself.”
Yeongho Bin said this, then eyed the bundle slung over Namgung Eon's back with a puzzled expression.
Compared to Yeongho Bin's minimalist pack—which contained only essentials like a single leather coat, some dried meat, a couple of water skins, and a fire striker—Namgung Eon's bundle looked twice as large.
Yeongho Bin pointed at one of the items and asked,
“What is this?”
“Ah, I prepared some mooncakes. I thought the Young Sect Leader might get hungry along the way…”
“And this?”
“A bottle of kaoliang liquor…”
“Tsk, tsk.”
Yeongho Bin clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I told you, we are not going on a picnic. We only pack dried meat on journeys to keep our baggage as light as possible and maximize our mobility…”
Just then, someone could be seen walking briskly toward us from the distance.
Ah, here she comes.
The person the Sect Leader had added to the pilgrimage group to guard me.
That person was none other than Baek So-cheong.
“Young Sect Leader. Have you been waiting long?”
“We have only just arrived.”
The Sect Leader's stance was that someone of at least First-class caliber had to be included.
While another well-known First-class master could have joined us, they all held positions at the headquarters, so leaving their posts for an extended period might have been a burden.
Since she was his daughter and my sister, she was also more trustworthy than anyone else.
For some reason, the Sect Leader seemed to place immense trust in Baek So-cheong, more so than his other children.
He probably also thought having Baek So-cheong along would benefit my training.
“I greet Lady Baek.”
“Young Master Namgung. It has been a while. Or is this our first time seeing each other since the banquet a year ago?”
“Back then, I was too flustered to greet you properly. Please forgive me.”
“Oh, think nothing of it. By the way, you've become incredibly dashing over the past year. You truly look like a young master of the great Namgung Clan.”
“You have also grown even more beautiful, My Lady. It would be no exaggeration to call you the greatest beauty under heaven, let alone the fairest in our Holy Sect.”
I watched Baek So-cheong and Namgung Eon exchange greetings, radiating the unmistakable aura of natural extroverts, with a somewhat sour expression.
This isn't looking very good…
It wasn't just because Baek So-cheong was a woman that I felt uncomfortable.
It was because of her recent attitude toward me.
It was incredibly difficult to maintain my persona as the cold, ruthless Young Sect Leader in front of her.
No matter how favorable my half-sister was toward me, I couldn't afford to let my true personality slip.
I eyed the luggage Baek So-cheong was carrying and spoke.
“What is in that bundle?”
“Ah, this…”
Thinking I was interested, Baek So-cheong pulled something out of her bundle with a delighted expression.
“It's tanghulu! Let's eat it somewhere with a nice view along the way.”
“Unbelievable.”
“What is the matter?”
“Do you think we are going on a picnic? We are embarking on a long journey, and we should be minimizing our baggage as much as possible… Tsk!”
I scolded Baek So-cheong, adapting the very words Yeongho Bin had used on Namgung Eon moments ago.
“Where on earth is your head…!”
The warm atmosphere instantly froze. Feeling targeted by my words, Namgung Eon sheepishly set down his bundle of mooncakes.
Though Baek So-cheong had never shown any displeasure no matter how coldly I treated her, she seemed genuinely upset this time.
Puffing out her cheeks and pouting, she set her bundle down, untied it, and pulled out a handful of tanghulu.
And then… she stuffed a whole piece of tanghulu into her mouth and began crunching on it aggressively.
“What are you doing?”
“Didn't you tell me to minimize my baggage as much as possible? So, I plan to eat it all before we set off.”
“……”
She had prepared enough tanghulu for four people, so the quantity was quite substantial.
Even so, eating it all in one go would be impossible…
“Ah, enough. Stop that.”
“Stop what?”
“On second thought, I was too harsh. How heavy could a few snacks possibly be? Just bring them along.”
“Hmph. Did seeing them make you want some?”
“I said no such thing.”
“So you won't eat any?”
“I will not.”
Baek So-cheong's words were slightly muffled because her mouth was still stuffed with tanghulu.
She glared at me in that state, then wrapped the remaining tanghulu back into the cloth and slung it over her shoulder.
“Don't ask for any later. I'm only going to share it with Warrior Yeongho and Young Master Namgung.”
“Do as you please.”
“Warrior Yeongho, Young Master Namgung! You both heard him, right? The Young Sect Leader clearly said he won't eat any, so you must not share with him later under any circumstances. A man's word is his bond, understood?”
“Yes… My Lady.”
“Ah, enough of this. Let us depart. The sun will set before we even hit the road.”
“Fine, let's go!”
Baek So-cheong's face lit up with a smile again as she picked up her light travel pack and her bundle of tanghulu, heading toward the main gates of the headquarters.
She was in high spirits, taking light steps and even humming a tune.
Namgung Eon cast a cautious glance in my direction before slinging his mooncake bundle back over his shoulder and following her.
Thinking back, I might have been a bit too cold over some silly tanghulu.
“My Lord. If you do not eat, I shall not eat either.”
“There is no need for that. You should enjoy it.”
“Yes, My Lord!”
Even if I was the Young Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult…
Surely, on a day like today, it was fine to indulge in a little lightheartedness.
The Hundred Thousand Mountains, where the headquarters of the Sun and Moon Sect was located, connected directly to the Kunlun Mountain Range stretching far to the west of the Jianghu.
Our group walked straight along the mountain range toward Mount Kunlun.
There were no roads wide enough for horses, but because travelers occasionally journeyed to and from Mount Kunlun, a faint trail had been worn into the earth.
The scenery really is beautiful.
The view of the Kunlun Mountain Range looking down from the ridges was absolutely breathtaking.
Even back in my original world, I had always enjoyed hiking.
Climbing mountains and looking down at the scenery was one of the few active hobbies I possessed as an introvert.
Whenever I hiked without a single thought in my head, my stress would melt away, and my energy would be restored.
Of course, I usually preferred hiking alone, but today, hiking with others wasn't so bad.
“So you have five brothers?”
“I am the youngest of five brothers. I also have three older sisters and one younger sister.”
“It must be nice to have so many siblings.”
“My father believes that having many children is also a source of strength for the clan. He himself had no brothers, only one younger sister…”
This was because Baek So-cheong and Namgung Eon only exchanged occasional small talk, and no one bothered me.
At this rate, I could confidently say this party was exceptionally well-structured.
“My Lord. I believe this would be a suitable spot to have a meal.”
Our guide, Yeongho Bin, stopped and made the suggestion as he looked up at the summit of a nearby peak.
There was a wide boulder beneath a massive tree, making it the perfect place to sit and rest.
“Let us do so.”
The group sat down.
After hiking for several hours, sitting down and taking a sip of water made the panoramic view below look even more spectacular.
Looking out at the endless peaks rolling like waves, my chest felt light, my mind cleared, and a surge of courage welled up within me, making me feel as if I could accomplish anything.
Was this what they called the noble spirit?
Our destination was the ancient holy land of the Ming Sect on Mount Kunlun.
Although we still had a long journey of several days ahead of us, it already felt as though I had achieved the purpose of this trip.
Eating the dried meat Yeongho Bin had brought, I wanted for nothing.
Well, except for just one thing.
“Sister…”
“?”
“Give me a piece of that tanghulu.”
“Pardon?”
“The tanghulu. A big one.”
“Ah, haha, hahahaha!”
At my words, Baek So-cheong burst into a fit of laughter so intense that tears welled in her eyes.
Namgung Eon, who had been walking on eggshells due to the pride battle between the Sect Leader's children, happily pulled out his mooncakes and set them on the boulder.
Even Yeongho Bin didn't scold Namgung Eon this time.
“See? What did I tell you? I knew you'd want some!”
“Silence! Stop your chatter and hand it over at once!”
“Yes, right away, My Lord Young Sect Leader!”
On this day, there were three people around me, and not a single one of them knew my true self.
My social battery was slowly draining, but for some reason, the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant.