Who is the Groom?
"Indeed. Would Lady Baek be so kind as to offer this humble Taoist some of your esteemed advice on what I should do?"
Seeing Baek So-cheong show interest, Ha Seung-ji eagerly began to explain the circumstances in detail.
"When I set out to find a groom for Yeon-ryeong, the very first condition I considered was, without a doubt, outstanding martial arts prowess."
"Of course. That is only natural."
"Thus, utilizing my position as the Sect Leader of the Kunlun Sect, I decided to send out marriage-seeking invitations to every sect I could contact."
"Ah, so you held a martial tournament for marriage."
"Exactly."
"Since it was an opportunity to become the son-in-law of the Kunlun Sect's leader, formidable competitors from various sects must have participated."
"Indeed. However, high martial arts prowess alone wasn't enough for just anyone to participate. That brings us to the second condition for the groom..."
As Baek So-cheong chimed in with appropriate reactions, Ha Seung-ji became increasingly enthusiastic, losing himself in his explanation.
"Though this humble sect suffers from its leader's lack of virtue, we are nonetheless a sect comprised of Taoists who walk the path of the righteous orthodox factions. And so... Ah, hmph."
"What is the matter, Sect Leader?"
"In the end, only about twenty righteous orthodox members and heroic martial artists arrived, allowing us to hold the tournament. Ah, please forgive me. The reason we did not send an invitation to the Sun and Moon Sect or the Young Sect Leader was simply because we did not know you possessed such high virtue..."
As he spoke, Ha Seung-ji cast tentative glances in my direction.
Does he think I'm going to resent him for not inviting me to some tournament?
To show him I didn't mind, I silently clasped my hands in a polite salute toward him.
"So, who won?"
Unable to wait any longer, Baek So-cheong urged him on, prompting Ha Seung-ji to continue with an embarrassed expression.
"In the end, the one who emerged victorious was... hmph. None other than this sect's eldest disciple."
"Pardon?"
He had gone to the trouble of holding an entire tournament to find a groom for his only daughter, only for his own disciple to win. It felt like a rather anti-climactic conclusion to me.
"Then the groom must be here. Ah, by any chance...?"
Yet, that detail seemed to intrigue Baek So-cheong even more, her eyes lighting up. Her trailing question was likely born of concern that the eldest disciple might have been the one Yu Gwan-ji had killed earlier...
"Ah, no, no. Though the deceased Do-seung was also an excellent disciple... Do-un! Stand up and greet the Young Sect Leader and Lady Baek!"
"Yes, Master."
At Ha Seung-ji's call, a man named Do-un, who had been sitting with the other disciples a short distance from our table, stood up abruptly and bowed to us.
Baek So-cheong observed Do-un, the man destined to be Ha Yeon-ryeong's partner, with eyes full of curiosity.
I had no desire to get involved, but since I couldn't avoid returning the greeting...
"Do-un, disciple of the Kunlun Sect, greets the Young Sect Leader and Lady Baek."
As I returned his greeting, I took a quick look at him.
Since Ha Yeon-ryeong seemed so reluctant to marry him, I had assumed he might be unsightly, but that didn't appear to be the case. Do-un was tall, with clean, handsome features and a well-proportioned build.
"Daoist Do-un's martial arts are superb, and as the eldest disciple of the Kunlun Sect, he surely does not lack in virtue or chivalry. Why, then, is Lady Ha so reluctant?" Baek So-cheong asked, sounding genuinely puzzled but careful with her words.
"That is precisely what I do not understand. While the tournament was underway, Yeon-ryeong seemed quite curious and secretly expectant about who her groom would be. But ever since Do-un won, she has been acting like this..."
Hearing this, Ha Seung-ji muttered in a weak voice, clearly as baffled as anyone.
Are you seriously asking because you don't know?
It was frustrating.
If Do-un was the eldest disciple of the Kunlun Sect, that meant he was the Eldest Senior Brother to the first-generation disciples like Do-seung, whom I had briefly seen earlier. That would put his age at forty-five at the very least.
While couples with significant age gaps weren't uncommon in this world...
Who on earth would be happy about being told to marry a man in his forties, more than three times her age, when she was only a thirteen-year-old girl?
I had a burning desire to point this out right then and there.
"Lady Baek. The disciples of our sect are all gruff men, and my wife passed away long ago, so there is no woman here to listen to Yeon-ryeong's troubles. Therefore, I beg of you..."
But as always, the desire remained just a desire.
Introvert trait: If a conversation threatens to drag on, even if you have something you really want to say, you usually just hold your tongue.
"Sect Leader, do not worry. I will speak with Lady Ha," Baek So-cheong said.
"Oh, thank you, Lady Baek. Thank you so very much."
Besides, there was no need for me to step in anyway. Just as Ha Seung-ji said, Baek So-cheong would handle it perfectly on her own.
The banquet lasted late into the night, but our group retired early. We left only Namgung Eon behind as our representative to catch up and share drinks with his old orthodox friends from the martial world.
Seeing how Baek So-cheong had asked for the location of Ha Yeon-ryeong's quarters before disappearing, she had likely gone straight to speak with her. I had no idea what they would discuss, but frankly, I didn't want to care. My own future was daunting enough; I had no mental capacity to worry about a stranger's marriage. After everything that had happened today, I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed.
However, I still had one task left.
I stopped by my quarters, retrieved the letter I had written beforehand, sealed it tightly, and headed toward the Taoist temple where the Kunlun disciples were staying. I could have left it to Yeongho Bin, but because of its critical importance, I wanted to handle it personally.
"I would be grateful if you could deliver this letter to the Leader of the Sun and Moon Sect as quickly as possible."
"Do not worry, Young Sect Leader."
In the letter, I briefly explained how we had encountered the eccentric Gwangheo Sanin and the circumstances that led to our visit to the Kunlun Sect. I did this out of concern that Yu Gwan-ji might rush back to the Sect Leader first and paint us in a bad light. I kept the details regarding Gwangheo Sanin Yu Gwan-ji vague, as it was a matter I would ultimately have to explain in person anyway.
We might end up facing each other in a confrontation, but I was confident I could convince the Sect Leader that my judgment had been correct. Well, was I really confident? Still, the Sect Leader would surely listen to me. Though I felt anxious, I believed I could make it work. After all, this was the Kunlun Sect, one of the prestigious orthodox factions. If I could establish a friendly relationship with them for the sake of the Sect Leader's grand ambition to unify the realm, he would undoubtedly agree that I had made the right call. From what I had seen of him so far, the Sect Leader was surprisingly pragmatic and rational when it came to his grand designs.
Now, I really need to rest. I'm on the verge of collapsing.
It was as I finished my business and was heading back to the guest house where our group was staying.
"My Lord."
"Shh."
From a pavilion beside the path, the low murmurs of Kunlun disciples drifted over. The reason Yeongho Bin had signaled me, and the reason I had silenced him, was because the conversation they were having was highly unusual.
"I never expected that brat Yeon-ryeong to act like that in front of the Sect Leader. Eldest Senior Brother, aren't you furious?"
"Do not speak of it."
"The Sect Leader spoiled her too much because she's his only daughter, so she's lost her manners. Honestly, once Eldest Senior Brother becomes the Sect Leader of our sect in the near future, better marriage prospects will be lining up. Isn't that right, Fifth Senior Brother?"
"Exactly. That girl Yeon-ryeong is as gruff as a man, tall and lanky with absolutely no feminine grace. If she misses out on this marriage, she'll surely never find a husband and live alone forever. She does have some talent in martial arts, so perhaps that's for the best. Heheh."
I hid myself in the shadows, listening intently to their conversation. Yeongho Bin looked at me, seemingly taken aback. His expression seemed to ask if eavesdropping on others was truly fitting for a great man...
So what? I'm the Young Sect Leader of the Demonic Cult.
"Eldest Senior Brother. No matter how I look at it, isn't this marriage too much of a loss for you? Why not call it off even now?"
The voices definitely belonged to the eldest disciple, Do-un, and his junior brothers. Hearing them speak so carelessly about the Sect Leader's daughter—the woman who was to become Do-un's wife—was grating, but up to that point, it wasn't a major issue. That was, until Do-un spoke again.
"It seems my junior brothers are utterly clueless about how the world works."
"What do you mean, Eldest Senior Brother?"
"Think about it. The Sect Leader treasures his daughter like his own life. If some outsider marries Yeon-ryeong instead of me, what do you think will happen?"
"What would happen?"
"I, who have suffered and trained in this sect all this time, will be left staring blankly like a dog that chased a chicken in vain. It's as clear as day that the Sect Leader would pass his position to his son-in-law."
"Would he really go that far?"
"The fact that you even ask that proves how naive you are. Not to mention, you clearly don't know what kind of man the Sect Leader is..."
"H-Heavens... Then you calculated all of this before even proposing the marriage, Eldest Senior Brother?"
"Of course. Why else would I betroth myself to such an unruly, tomboyish brat? Just watch. Once I marry Yeon-ryeong and inherit the position of Sect Leader in a few years..."
"And then?"
"I will kick both the Sect Leader and Yeon-ryeong right down the Kunlun Mountains, and marry the daughter of a high official or a wealthy merchant. From then on, it will be like a tiger growing wings. This Kunlun Sect will truly rule the world."
"As expected, Eldest Senior Brother's foresight is truly profound! We are in awe."
"Once that happens, all of you will rise in the world and enjoy wealth and glory. There will be no need to cultivate the Dao in some mountain corner eating nothing but wild greens."
The Kunlun disciples, who had been keeping their voices low until then, began to laugh heartily, no longer caring who might hear them.
Leaving their laughter behind, I slipped away from the pavilion and walked back down the dark path toward the guest house. Yeongho Bin remained silent, and I had nothing to say either. Having unintentionally witnessed the true faces of the eldest disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect and his junior brothers, I could only feel a bitter pity. I felt sorry for the young girl, Ha Yeon-ryeong, who was forced to marry a man with such insidious intentions...
Wait. Did she really not know his true colors?
It occurred to me that perhaps the reason Ha Yeon-ryeong rejected the marriage so fiercely wasn't just because of the age gap. What if she already knew Do-un's true nature? What if she couldn't bring herself to tell her father out of fear of breaking his heart, and was being forced into the marriage anyway?
This wasn't just a wild guess. Having grown up in the Kunlun Sect alongside these disciples, she was highly likely to know the true character of Do-un, something even her father, the Sect Leader, remained blind to. If that was the case, she was truly a pitiful child.
By the time these thoughts crossed my mind, I had arrived at the guest house. And there, waiting for me alongside Baek So-cheong, was an unexpected guest.
Baek So-cheong looked glad to see me, but her expression held a trace of unease as she spoke.
"Young Sect Leader. I know you are tired, but could we speak for a moment?"
"Hmph... What is it?"
"Lady Ha has an urgent request for you. It is a difficult favor, but... Lady Ha, please tell him yourself."
"Yes..."
Ha Yeon-ryeong kept her head bowed, hiding behind her short hair, hesitating for a long time as if the words were too heavy to speak. I felt a tight, anxious knot form in my chest. I had no idea what these two women had been plotting in my absence.
"Young Sect Leader... Actually... I do not wish to marry Senior Brother Do-un. And so..."
Finally, Ha Yeon-ryeong lifted her head and looked at me. Her face was as red as a ripe apple, and her voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Could you... become my husband, Young Sect Leader?"