#64. Waiting for the Typhoon: The Great Peng (2)
Despite the overload on my body from the innate energies and Master Moyong Gang's strike, which demanded a long rest, I was forcibly awakened by my juniors.
"What the hell were you thinking? Do you even have a brain in there?!"
I'd sent Saryeon off to the Murim Academy, thinking I'd finally escape this nagging, but no such luck.
"Innate energies... I'm just floored. What if something had gone wrong..."
Wang Soso, who'd picked up a bit of martial arts and now understood the dangers of using innate energies, wouldn't stop scolding me.
"...Well, even if you'd been crippled and lost all your martial prowess, you could've just come work for our merchant group. That wouldn't have been so bad... But still, pulling off something that dangerous? No way!"
"...Whether you're regretting it or worried, can you pick just one?"
"Anyway! After the Yongbong Assembly ends, I was planning to talk to Father about it. Sure, Huashan Sect and Jeomchang Sect got added to the mix, but I'll make sure they feel the sting of the Wang family's wealth."
I had no idea what she planned to do, but it was clear that crossing the precious daughter of one of the Four Great Merchants would spell trouble for Huashan and Jeomchang for a while.
"Eldest Brother. That was too far this time. Are you in your right mind?"
Geum Pyo, who was closest to me in age among the gold-silver-bronze brothers, stepped forward as their representative.
"Saying that to Eldest Brother... isn't that a bit disrespectful?"
"They say if someone makes the same mistake three times, it's become a habit. If you pull something like this again, we'll tie you to Taeulmun's pillar and just feed you three meals a day."
At Geum Pyo's grim words, the gathered juniors all nodded in unison. When did they get so united while I was out?
"Brother. We're dead serious."
Gang Yu-seong and Jegal Cheongi stood to the side. Jegal Cheongi's eyes were bulging more than ever.
"This isn't a joke. If you keep acting like this, we'll build a mechanism array even deadlier than the Infinite Buddha's Indestructible Soul Formation and lock you inside."
"......"
With ten mouths, I still had nothing to say, so I just nodded. Should I be happy about this situation or not?
Just then, someone ignored my senses and barged in. I recognized her at once from her face, half-covered by a thin veil.
'Guess I did overdo it. I didn't sense her coming at all.'
"......"
The juniors stopped their chatter and glared at her with hostility. It was Moyong Seol from the Yongbong Assembly.
The Yongbong Assembly, originally planning to stay outside, ended up at Taeulmun due to Jongbyeokgi and Hwa Jung-san's injuries. Moving right away would have drawn Master Moyong Gang's suspicion, especially with Jongbyeokgi in such bad shape.
"Are you alright?"
"......"
Her voice was a bit more youthful than in my memories. As my head spun from overlapping recollections, leaving me speechless, Wang Soso stepped up with venomous eyes.
"That's not something the person who caused this mess should be saying, is it?"
At Wang Soso's words, the juniors openly showed their hostility. It was clear they were following her lead.
"First, let me apologize."
Moyong Seol removed her veil and politely cupped her hands in a formal bow.
"......"
The boys, who had been glaring at her, flinched at her beauty and didn't know what to do. I smirked at them and spoke.
"Can you give us the room for a bit?"
"Oppa!"
"She's a guest at Taeulmun. We should show at least basic courtesy, right?"
"But!"
"It's good to be angry, but Moyong Seol here was the one who sided with us during the Yongbong Assembly."
"......Understood."
I patted Wang Soso's head, and she nodded reluctantly, her lips pouting. She shot Moyong Seol one last glare before turning away sharply. The juniors followed her lead and filed out.
"I apologize for my juniors' rudeness."
"......No, I understand. I'd have done the same in their shoes."
In truth, Moyong Seol had been the one to hold back Jongbyeokgi and Hwa Jung-san at the assembly, yet she looked genuinely sorry, as if she'd done something wrong.
"It's all settled now, isn't it? I was rude too, so we don't need to feel bad about it anymore."
Seeing her sad expression was torture for me. Fortunately, she seemed to get my point and nodded.
"Then, may I say something?"
"Go ahead."
"In your spar with Hwa Jung-san, why did you push yourself so hard like that?"
"......"
"From what I saw, you clearly had him overwhelmed. Was I wrong?"
It felt like a cherished memory was resurfacing. 'This is who she was.'
Righteous and fair. Even though coming here to talk must be uncomfortable given her Yongbong Assembly ties and the incident, she didn't hesitate to question what was wrong. In my past life, her leaving the assembly stemmed from clashing with Hwa Jung-san over Hong Moon-gi's qi deviation.
"You saw right."
"If I was wrong... Huh?"
"Hero Hwa wanted to see the Taeul Sword Lord's sword forms, so I obliged him."
"......"
"Even when Hero Jong interrupted, I could've ended it moderately, but I didn't—on purpose."
Moyong Seol's face flushed with bewilderment at my shameless admission. She was still just a young woman in her early twenties.
"Why...?"
"My juniors were watching."
"......"
"The sect elders were watching too. In front of everyone, he openly mocked Taeulmun by bringing up the Taeul Sword Lord."
"......"
"Sure, that mockery became reality now, but wasn't Hero Hwa invoking the Taeul Sword Lord just to ridicule Taeulmun?"
Moyong Seol's expression grew complicated.
"As a kid, I never told anyone I was from Taeulmun. I was ashamed of it."
"......No, wait a..."
She glanced at the door, looking flustered and unsure. Not knowing why, I just continued.
"Hiding it out of shame made me hate it, and hating the sect made me resent my juniors and elders too. But they're all like family to me."
This was my story, drawn from my past life. Something she'd wanted to hear back then, but I could never say.
"That's why. So that I, my juniors, my sect elders wouldn't hate Taeulmun. So we could take pride in belonging to it. So we could cherish the people of Taeulmun."
"......"
Moyong Seol blinked repeatedly in confusion. It must be utterly foreign to her still. Only someone who's lost everything could feel this way.
"Yes, it was reckless. Standing against the whole Yongbong Assembly was wrong too. For that, I apologize to you, Miss Moyong Seol. But if it happens again, I'll do the same. To protect my precious people—even if it costs my life."
"......"
Moyong Seol's face turned bright red, her expression dazed. She seemed flustered. Had I pushed too hard? But she was someone I'd missed so much. I didn't want to leave her with bad memories.
I was about to shift to lighter topics when—
"Waaah!"
"Waaah!"
"Sob sob!"
The juniors I'd thought had left came rushing back, bawling.
"Eldest Brother! I swear I won't resent Taeulmun!"
"Eldest Brother! I'll act just like you did!"
"Oppa! I'll protect you too!"
"Brother! We'll make a perfect mechanism array no one can breach!"
Pushed aside by the surging juniors, Moyong Seol recovered her composure, nodded, and left.
"Ah, wait... Miss Moyong... we weren't done talking..."
"Eldest Brother!!"
"Eldest Brother!!"
"Oppa!"
"Brother!"
I wanted to escape, but my body wouldn't cooperate.
#
Leaving the hall, Moyong Seol tried to calm her pounding heart.
'Why is this happening?'
It wasn't the first time, which only made her more flustered. It had started the moment Jin Sowoon swung his sword at Jongbyeokgi intruding in the spar—her heart racing wildly. That gaze, those lips, that resolve—they were burned into her mind.
As a child traveling with her grandfather, she'd witnessed him face black path masters without flinching, even sensing defeat. His unyielding dignity had imprinted as the ideal warrior in her young mind. Over years of training and meeting people, she'd realized no one—not even herself—could match it, and gave up searching.
Yet she'd seen it here, of all places, at Taeulmun.
Still, his way of handling Hwa Jung-san had flaws. She'd come to question it, but his brazen admission and the reasons behind it... His words halted her reason again, setting her heart ablaze.
'What is this?'
Even as she couldn't comprehend yet somehow understood, replaying his words—
"Sis!"
Her thoughts snapped, and she scowled.
"......You!"
"Eek! Eek!"
Seeing her step into Chuhon Footwork, Moyong Jaehwa panicked and retreated with his own steps. But he couldn't escape Moyong Seol's footwork, honed to the level where her nickname "Iron Sword" fit.
Her arm wrapped around his neck.
"You should've told me if you were coming with Grandpa!"
"Agh...! It hurts! How was I supposed to know you'd be here?!"
Finally wriggling free, Moyong Jaehwa rubbed his neck.
"Ugh... Seriously, take that inner core already... Anyway, where you coming from? They say this is Hero Jin Sowoon's place."
"......Right. Just met him."
"Huh? Already? You knew?"
"Knew what?"
"That Hero Jin Sowoon saved Father."
"......? What are you talking about?"
Moyong Jaehwa tilted his head. As he explained everything—the events so far, how they ended up at Taeulmun—Moyong Seol's face paled.
"......You didn't mess up with Hero Jin Sowoon in the meantime, did you?"
"......"
Moyong Seol went ashen, her pale skin standing out even more.
"You didn't mess up with him, right?"
No answer even to repeated questions. Moyong Jaehwa started rationalizing it himself.
"Nah... No way. Sis wouldn't screw up with the guy who risked his life for Father, right?"
"......"
Moyong Seol still had no response.
#
The juniors wouldn't stop crying for ages.
"What the hell is this racket?"
Gang Chaeseok stormed in, face twisted in annoyance.
"Did someone die or what?"
"N-No, Division Lord!"
"It's Oppa! It's Oppa!"
"Sob sob."
The juniors babbled incoherently between sobs. Not knowing the full story, Gang Chaeseok's irritation boiled over. What a mess.
I just wanted to crawl back to bed.
"Jin Sowoon. Come out. The Sect Lord calls for you."
"......Yes."
But I couldn't.
"......Be careful, Eldest Brother."
This time, the juniors sensed the mood and backed away slowly. At last, Taeulmun's longest-standing promise was about to be fulfilled.
#
"......"
On the way to Daehyeonjeon, Gang Chaeseok walked with a stony face, silent. I could understand his feelings. As Taeulmun's strongest, he'd always faced the high walls of the martial world as our representative. No words came easily in this situation.
All of Taeulmun's elders had gathered in Daehyeonjeon.
"Disciple Jin Sowoon greets the elders."
"......"
Sect Lord Hong Moon-gi, the elderly elders, and the division lords who upheld Taeulmun—their expressions mirrored Gang Chaeseok's.
"......"
The solemn, heavy silence dragged on. Who would speak first? Even I, delivering the Taeul Sword Lord's promise, and Taeulmun's people receiving it, didn't know how to react to this unprecedented event.
"......"
I waited quietly in the silence for their thoughts to settle. Hong Moon-gi, hands clasped over his mouth, stared at me from the farthest seat with the most conflicted eyes.
"Jin Sowoon."
The moment his heavy voice broke the quiet, I prepared for the expected question.
"Yes."
"Is it true you threatened the Windbreaker Sword Saint, asking if he wanted to taste a warrior's fist?"
"Yes. It was exactly as the Taeul Sword Lord—Huh?"
I tilted my head mid-answer, sensing something off.
"Threatened the Windbreaker Sword Saint, asking if he wanted to taste a warrior's fist? Is that true? Is that how I taught you?!"
Hong Moon-gi the Sect Lord, the elders, the division lords—all stared in shock, as if wondering where such a madman came from. Especially my father, far off, miming slitting his throat with his thumb.
The face of the one who'd caused this instantly flashed in my mind.
'This damn old man!!'