The First Step Amidst Falling Snow
The curtain of pitch-black night lifted, and a bluish dawn began to seep through the gaps in the paper doors.
"……Ah!"
Jeong So-yun, who had been sleeping deeply in my arms, felt her eyelashes tremble before she jolted awake in surprise. She sat up roughly and raised a trembling hand, staring blankly at her own palm.
-Swish
She must have been startled by the unfamiliar pulse rising from her dantian and coursing through her limbs.
She clenched and unclenched her hand several times, her expression one of disbelief as she felt the flow of inner energy throughout her body.
"Th-this… what on earth…?!"
Her pale lips, drained of color, parted in shock.
Her qi sea, once depleted and withered, was not merely refilled—it overflowed with a vast, crystalline energy. The reality was hard to believe. It was a level of inner power sufficient to shatter the wall of the Absolute Peak if one refined body and mind to grasp the principles. Jeong So-yun's violently trembling eyes turned toward me, filled with confusion, joy, and deep reverence.
"How… how is this even possible…?"
I rested my chin on my hand and gave her a languid smile. Her flustered eyes wavered even more.
"What did you do to my body—"
"See?"
I gently cut her off and brushed her stiff cheek with my fingertips.
"I told you it was treatment, didn't I?"
"Eut."
A short sigh escaped her. The nape of her neck flushed crimson in an instant. The dense, heated sensations of the night before—flesh overlapping flesh again and again under the guise of treatment—must have resurfaced in her mind.
Jeong So-yun hurriedly wrapped her arms around her chest and body.
"H-hey, don't look at me like that…!"
Realizing she was completely naked beneath the dawn light, her white, jade-like skin flushed with shame.
-Rustle
I picked up the scattered undergarments from the floor and approached her without a word as she floundered in embarrassment.
Treating her like a child still clumsy at dressing herself, I slipped her trembling arms into the sleeves and tied a knot at her waist. Every time my fingertips brushed her skin, her shoulders flinched, yet she never pulled away.
-Rustle
Only after neatly arranging her disheveled collar did I slowly don my own clothes and push open the door.
-Creak
The moment the door opened, we were greeted by a white silence.
"Snow…"
Beneath the dim dawn light, the first snow of the season blanketed Cheonmok Mountain in soft layers.
The blood-soaked courtyard of the mountain stronghold, the rugged cliffs of the mountain—everything lay beneath a veil of snowflakes, wrapped in pristine white silence.
The crimson tail end of autumn had faded, and the arrival of a biting winter was felt wordlessly as Jeong So-yun and I watched the world turn pure white.
"It's beautiful…"
Jeong So-yun exhaled a white breath and gazed blankly at the sky. Cold snowflakes danced down and melted against her warm cheeks.
"…Heh."
"Ah…!"
The heat of the previous night had not yet faded. Every time her eyes met mine while we silently watched the snow, her shoulders twitched and she quickly looked away. The tips of her ears, flushed red, told me her mind was still burning with the lingering warmth of last night.
That awkward reaction only made her more endearing.
-Swish
I reached out and gently brushed away the snowflake that had settled on her brown hair.
"…!"
Though her shoulders trembled slightly, she accepted my touch without resistance. Then, as if by instinct, she slipped into my embrace, drawn to the warmth I offered against the biting morning chill.
After burying her face in my chest for a long while, Jeong So-yun slowly lifted her head.
"Um, well……"
Her face flushed, she hesitated before biting her lip as if making a decision. Her eyes grew clearer, and an unwavering light ignited within them.
"Hoo…!"
She took a deep breath and looked at me before slowly opening her mouth.
"Thank you. Truly."
Her voice trembled with emotion. But the words that followed were as firm as the roots of a great tree.
"If it weren't for you, I would have died in the dark without ever avenging my father. I will never forget this debt."
Clutching her chest, she continued her vow with renewed resolve.
"My life now belongs entirely to you. I swear on my father's name and all my pride. From this moment on, my unwavering loyalty is yours alone."
"..."
The weight of her oath pressed heavily upon my heart.
At the same time, the terrible remnants of our past life overlapped with her face.
Those sorrowful, clear eyes that had never blamed me even in the moment her head was severed. When that gaze aligned with her current determined one, a corner of my heart ached cruelly.
"..."
I stared at her in silence before shaking my head with a bittersweet yet gentle smile.
"No."
"What…?"
She blinked in confusion as I placed my hand on her head and softly stroked her tousled hair.
-Stroke, stroke
"You don't need such a grand vow. If anything, I'm the one who should be grateful."
"Grateful? Why would you—"
"So-yun. Thank you for staying alive like this."
"...?"
She didn't fully understand my words. But after seeing my expression, she asked no more, and I offered no further explanation.
The fact that our blood-stained fate had been reconnected. The overwhelming reality that she was breathing beside me—that alone mattered more than anything else right now.
----------------------------------------
-Murmur, murmur
The morning at Heokpungchae burned with the heat of cleanup and reconstruction.
The thirty or so bandits who had endured Seung-pyo's cruel tyranny in silence, waiting for Jeong So-yun's return, stood in formation in the courtyard with worried faces. When they saw her walking toward them hand in hand with me, they froze in place.
"Ch-chief…? No, is it really you, Chief?"
"Your body… that energy… how on earth…?!"
Someone who had been on the verge of death the day before had undergone a transformation akin to shedding one's bones and stealing another's flesh overnight—it was enough to make their jaws drop. Not only were her wounds completely healed, but the aura radiating from her entire body was so majestic that it seemed like an entirely different person to their eyes.
"You were alive! Sob, we… we should have protected you…!"
The men, eyes reddened, dropped to their knees one by one as if on cue and pressed their foreheads to the ground. Seeing her subordinates shed thick tears, Jeong So-yun also grew emotional and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"…Thank you. Because you held on until the end, I was able to return."
After the emotional reunion, the bandits rose from the dirt and turned their gazes toward me all at once. Their eyes held reverence and respect—nothing like the sinister looks they had given me the day before.
"We heard that the young lady saved our chief."
They bowed their heads toward me and offered clumsy fist salutes.
"We will never forget this debt either!"
The rough men's worshipful gratitude. In my past life, I would have frowned and walked away, but for some reason, it didn't feel unpleasant this time.
Once the situation had settled somewhat, I called out to Yeon So-ha, who had been wearing a rather anxious expression nearby.
"Sister!"
The moment I called, the boy came running like a tail-wagging puppy and clung to my leg. I pried him off as he stuck to me and turned my gaze to Jeong So-yun.
"Take this boy to Hangzhou, where the main headquarters of the Cheon-un Merchant Group is located."
"I have to take him myself?"
"Yes. Go and explain the situation to his father, the group leader, without omitting anything. Make it clear that the attack and kidnapping were solely the doing of the former chief, Seung-pyo, and that you, the current chief, personally protected the child and ensured his safe return. If you sincerely bow your head and ask for forgiveness, they won't draw their swords without reason."
I continued with conviction, addressing her tense expression as she swallowed dryly.
"We need to give the impression that Heokpungchae resolved the problem it created with its own hands. Forming ties with a massive power like the Cheon-un Merchant Group will surely be a great help in the future."
"Hmm…"
Jeong So-yun still couldn't hide her unease as she furrowed her brows and asked cautiously.
"But I'm the chief of a mountain stronghold. Won't they arrest me or hand me over to the authorities?"
"Don't worry. It'll be fine."
I shook my head firmly.
"At this point, only we know that Heokpungchae's forces have collapsed. To merchants who turn information into money, the news that the mountain pass of Cheonmok Mountain—where bandits have been running rampant lately—is now safe is an asset beyond compare."
Merchants were quick to calculate. A massive trading group like the Cheon-un Merchant Group would instantly realize how much profit this single piece of information could bring them.
"Understood. I'll do as you say."
The anxiety in Jeong So-yun's eyes faded at my unwavering attitude.
However, Yeon So-ha, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, suddenly shook his head vigorously and stepped in front of me.
"I-I don't want to! I'm not going!"
"Hm?"
"I don't want to go home! I want to go with Sister!"
The boy grabbed my sleeve with a tearful face. His pale knuckles were white with tension.
"I may be young, but I'm smart! I'm good at calculations, I remember roads well—I'll definitely be useful to Sister! Take me with you, anywhere is fine, please?"
Why is this kid acting like this…?
I looked down at Yeon So-ha, who clung to my sleeve with a flustered expression. The emotions in his teary eyes were admiration—and a rather deep, blind affection for a child to harbor.
I reached out and gently pinched the tear-streaked boy's cheek.
'This cheeky little brat. He already knows what's pretty.'
Intelligent, quick-witted, and capable of flattery when needed. On top of that, he was the son of the Cheon-un Merchant Group. Even though he was a boy, someone with this much potential would be a great asset to my forces in the future. I couldn't deny that he was a tempting prospect.
But taking him in now would be premature. He would only be a burden at present, and it would be more beneficial for him to grow within the merchant group for my future gains.
"No. You're still too young."
"Sister……"
"Go home for now. Learn the ways of the merchant group and broaden your view of the world. Eat well, alright?"
I bent down to meet his eye level.
"When you grow into a man whom no one can ignore, come help me then. The day will surely come when you can become my strength. Let's meet again then."
"……!"
"It's too early now. Understand?"
"……Ugh, I understand."
Watching the boy pout yet nod, I chuckled inwardly.
'Well, that should be enough.'
With his handsome face and prestigious family background, young ladies would swarm around him like flies once he grew a little more. Any infatuation he held for me would soon become a fleeting memory. Besides, I had to return to being a man eventually, so I couldn't accept his feelings anyway.
"Ugh…!"
But the boy, who had been staring at the ground with teary eyes, suddenly lifted his head as if making a great decision.
"Then promise me."
Yeon So-ha solemnly extended his pinky finger toward me.
"When I become an adult, you'll definitely come get me. No pretending you don't know me."
"Haha, well now. This is the kind of vow you'd extract from a lover heading off to war."
"I-I'm being serious!"
"Alright, alright. I got it."
I smiled and hooked my pinky around his small one.
"I promise. Until then, you become a fine man too."
"Hehe, definitely, definitely!"
The moment our fingers intertwined, the boy's face lit up. Thinking I had secured a useful card for the future with such a simple promise, a smile also bloomed on my face.
After calming Yeon So-ha, I turned my gaze to Jeong So-yun.
"After dropping the kid off, take the remaining subordinates and head to Shanhaiguan in Hebei."
"Abandon Heokpungchae?"
Jeong So-yun's eyes widened.
A natural fortress that even the government troops couldn't easily covet due to its rugged terrain. Ordering her to abandon Cheonmok Mountain and move to an unfamiliar land with no ties was a command she would find hard to accept.
"Yes. You have to give it up."
But I shook my head firmly.
"The man in the blood-red robe. You said he was sent by an unknown dark faction, right?"
"Uh, yeah. That's right."
"Now that he's dead, they won't stay quiet. Even if it's not them, with your forces this weakened, those who once feared Heokpungchae because of the Green Forest King's protection will start drawing their swords one by one."
In my past life, Heokpungchae had indeed met its end at the hands of a punitive force formed by a large-scale government army and nearby orthodox sects.
"It's Gaksan at Shanhaiguan. There's an old, abandoned brothel there. It may look like it's about to collapse, but the framework is solid. We'll make that our new base."
The site of the natural jade pavilion. That place would be the only ark to shield us from the storms of the chaotic times ahead.
Ah, and there was one more important thing.
"And if a woman named Baek Mo-ran is there, mention my name to her."
"Baek Mo-ran?"
"Yes. Rebuild the place with her. If you say my name, she'll trust you."
Though she looked puzzled at the unfamiliar name, Jeong So-yun soon erased her hesitation and nodded firmly.
"Understood. My life and pride already belong to you. I'll follow whatever you say."
With a determined gaze, she suddenly looked at me with wavering eyes.
"But what about you? You're not coming with us?"
Even as she tried to hide it by averting her gaze, her voice was thick with reluctance to part from me.
"I have something to take care of in Luoyang for a while."
The secret manual of Cheonseokyanghwanheojeonggong. Nothing was more important than obtaining it and returning to a man's body.
"It won't take long. I'll join you around the third month of spring when the flowers bloom. Take care of yourself until then, alright?"
With those words, I took a step closer to Jeong So-yun. At a distance where we could almost touch, I brushed my lips against her earlobe and whispered softly.
"And when we meet again, if you've fully made the energy I gave you your own…"
"…H-huh…?!"
"Then, as a reward, I'll let you taste a pleasure far more ecstatic than last night."
"...!!!"
At the secret promise, the nape of Jeong So-yun's neck flushed crimson like a burning sunset. The sound of her heart pounding as if it would burst was clearly audible.
And before her flustered, parting red lips could form a word, I pressed my lips gently against hers without giving her a moment's gap.
-Chu
"Eup?!"
In a silence where the world's noise seemed erased, a kiss that was short yet felt eternal continued.
When our lips parted, Jeong So-yun stared at me with wet eyes, breathing heavily.
"Haa, haeut…! You, until the very end…!"
"Kuk kuk. Wait quietly."
I responded to her dazed state with the clearest smile I could muster. After brushing her flushed cheek once, I turned away without lingering.
-Step, step
White snowflakes still drifted from the sky. My footsteps across the snow-covered field felt as light as feathers.
I had safely formed the first bond among the Twelve Yo-hwa and laid a solid foundation for the future. Now, if I headed to Anhui to meet the second of the Twelve Yo-hwa and then retrieved the manual buried in Heokryeonsan, I could finally catch my breath.
"Alright, next destination is Anhui!"
Just as I was about to dash across the snowfield, painting a hopeful future—
-Zap
"……Eut?"
My feet stopped as if glued to the ground. A heavy, sticky pain surged up from deep in my lower abdomen without warning.
It was different from the pain of qi deviation that twisted the dantian. It felt like something was pulling downward from inside my stomach—an unpleasant weight. An unfamiliar yet deeply uncomfortable sensation.
"What is this?"
I rubbed my lower abdomen as cold sweat trickled down from the pain.
'Did I overexert myself? No, that doesn't seem right…'
Whatever it was, the pain was annoying but bearable. Once I reached Anhui, I should stop by a physician.
-Step
Shaking my head, I resumed walking.
The footprints I left on the snowfield were slightly deeper and heavier than before.