Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Value of a Word - 4
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The lodging discount wasn't a big deal for me. I had plenty of money coming in from the inn and the trading company, not to mention the steady income from renting out my paddies, fields, and properties in other cities.
So instead of boldly turning down her offer, I went into the inn with her and took a seat in the corner.
"Wh-what are you staring at?"
"Nothing. Just curious. Senior Sister Chae. Why are you here?"
Chaejin, sitting right in front of me, was the older sister of Chaeryeon—one of Celestial Moon's other protagonists—and the senior disciple of Full Moon Pavilion. She was a powerhouse known in the martial world as the Moonlight Sword.
Why would someone like her be holed up in a peaceful backwater village inn like this?
Chaejin had been staying at my inn for quite a while now. Aside from the occasional short trips out and back, she hadn't done much else—just stayed cooped up in her room.
Thinking about it, it didn't seem like she was here for a secret realm, spirit herbs, or monster hunting.
As I watched her, Chaejin subtly averted her gaze.
"Well, if it's sect business or something related to the Murim Alliance, you don't have to tell me..."
"Oh, no, it's not that. This is purely a personal reason."
Chaejin's personal reason? I took a sip of tea and pondered it. She wasn't a protagonist herself, but she played a major role in her sister Chaeryeon's main storyline.
I'm in the Sayoon Faction—I love Sayoon and know every story involving her—but that doesn't mean I never played other characters.
You have to know them inside out to trash them properly, so I'd cleared the stories for Celestial Moon's other characters too, pushing them almost to endgame specs.
That's why I cherished Sayoon even more.
After all the hell I'd gone through raising Sayoon, why were the others so damn easy to level up?
So naturally, I knew plenty about Chaejin too.
In Chaeryeon's main storyline, Chaejin was the wall she had to overcome.
Though half-sisters, both were daughters of their master, Chae Sung-ho. That made them rivals competing to inherit his Moonlight Sword Art and lead Full Moon Pavilion.
And one more thing.
She also had a deep connection to Crimson Star Sect.
"To test your skills against the Falling Sun Sword?"
Mentioning Hongryeon—the object of that deep connection—made Chaejin's eyes twitch slightly.
"Ughhhh..."
Chaejin had set Hongryeon, the Falling Sun Sword, as her lifelong rival.
And even in the Murim Alliance, the two were always clashing.
Arch-nemeses.
That was the simplest way to describe the relationship between Hongryeon and Chaejin.
But that's exactly why Chaejin was always left frustrated.
Hongryeon had a slight edge in their sparring win rate.
And one day, that win rate became an unbreakable record.
Because Crimson Star Sect was wiped out, and Hongryeon got caught in the crossfire and died.
Remembering the event where Chaejin drowned her sorrows drinking and wept for Hongryeon, I tapped the table.
"Sparring with the Falling Sun Sword isn't easy."
Right now, Hongryeon was ahead in wins. Why would she even agree to spar in that situation?
It was like the one who wins last gets the real victory. No reason to accept a challenge when you're already leading.
Chaejin knew that too—dark clouds quickly gathered on her sharp yet pretty face.
"It's not. She doesn't even take most provocations."
Yeah, with Hongryeon's personality, she'd just laugh it off unless you crossed a certain line.
"What if you poked at Crimson Star Sect? That might provoke her."
Crimson Star Sect was the line Hongryeon wouldn't let anyone cross. Touch that, and you'd see her flip out.
Chaejin surely knew that, but I found it odd she hadn't crossed it. As I stared, she gave a sly smile.
"Come on. How could I do that to fellow righteous sects? And I'm the senior disciple of Full Moon Pavilion, one of the most esteemed orthodox schools. You think I'd stoop to that?"
She saw Hongryeon as a rival, but she didn't want to betray the code of their shared righteous faction.
Fair enough. If she didn't have that pride as a member of a prestigious orthodox sect, she wouldn't have offered to teach me martial arts for a discount.
She'd have just robbed me outright or thrown a tantrum for a free stay.
Chaejin thrust out her chest proudly. Just like in Celestial Moon, her confident, haughty demeanor was beautiful and cool.
I took another sip of tea.
"If she were at the Murim Alliance, you could provoke her over work and spar..."
But Hongryeon stayed at Crimson Star Sect instead of going to the Alliance, so no chance?
I looked at her and chuckled.
That's probably because of me.
After reading the letter I sent Sayoon, Hongryeon got wary and decided she needed to train Sayoon more, so she went off hunting spirit herbs.
Of course, she couldn't just lounge around at the Alliance.
It was a hugely positive change for me, obviously.
Helping the Murim Alliance just got you pocket change anyway—they didn't move when Crimson Star Sect was truly in danger.
Well, more like they couldn't.
Iron Blood Clan hit them too suddenly...
"Anyway... I'm waiting here for a chance to spar with her. But no opportunities are coming up. I even went to Crimson Star Sect, but they turned me away at the gate..."
A deep sigh escaped her. Seeing her slumped shoulders, I felt a bit sorry for her.
"Even if you spar here, there's no official witness. What you want is an official match record, right, Senior Sister Chae?"
Not just a friendly bout or a duel to the death—unofficial sparring didn't count for her purposes.
For something to go on record, you needed a witness.
Obvious, really.
The result had to be verified.
Celestial Moon wove that into the story via the sparring arena system.
In other words, without Hongryeon going to the Murim Alliance, Chaejin couldn't get the match she wanted.
"From what I see, the Falling Sun Sword will probably stick around here for a good long while."
"Ah... that's bad."
Crunch crunch. Chaejin nervously bit her thumbnail, her face full of panic.
Yeah, a senior disciple from a prestigious orthodox sect like Full Moon Pavilion—with real influence in the martial world—couldn't wait around in the countryside forever.
"...Ah, right. The innkeeper Yoo can be the witness."
"Huh? Me?"
"You're not biased toward Crimson Star Sect or Full Moon Pavilion. And you're not even a martial artist."
"I'm from Island Flower Village, for one..."
And a Sayoon Fan. I'd totally be biased toward Crimson Star Sect.
As I eyed her, Chaejin winked one eye and flashed a seductive smile.
"But you've learned Full Moon Pavilion's entry-level art, Subtle Taiji Fist. So you're kinda one foot in our door."
"Does that count?"
"Of course~!"
Pleased with her own brilliant idea, Chaejin snapped her fingers and grinned mischievously.
To me, it seemed like the worst possible move.
"Whatever. We can set that aside. I'll give you the discount—minus the cost of Full Moon Pavilion's entry technique."
"Oh~! Thanks. Then I'll teach you my best while I'm here. Great opportunity, learning from me, the Moonlight Sword Chaejin."
"If I wanted to become a martial artist."
"Hmph. You think chances to get intensive training from me come around often? Be grateful."
I snorted at her, and Chaejin stuck out her tongue with a cheeky grin.
"Anyway. Even if I agree to witness, you've overlooked the most important part."
Yeah. The problem was Hongryeon. If she just said no, that was that.
So how did she plan to lure her in?
When I asked, she grinned wickedly.
"There's ways."
What ways?
Feeling uneasy at her smirking face and the way she eyed me, I cut her off first.
"If you're thinking of using me to provoke her, forget it. The Falling Sun Sword and I aren't as close as you imagine."
"...Huh? Really?"
I knew it.
"No."
She must've gotten weird ideas from that last encounter.
Hongryeon and I weren't like that. How could we be, after meeting just a couple times?
When I flatly denied it, Chaejin—cocky just moments ago—lost all her swagger and started fidgeting anxiously.
"Wait, then this is totally ruined...?"
I smirked at her crestfallen face.
Tough luck.
Looking like the world had ended, Chaejin slunk back to her room. I headed to mine too. Whether she moped or not, my tasks didn't change.
I went to my room to work, finished up focused, then my thoughts wandered—as usual—to Sayoon.
The reason Sayoon was stuck right now was probably because she hadn't triggered her enlightenment event.
I figured Crimson Star Sect's training would get her past it, but apparently Hongryeon hadn't guided her that far.
Just teach her outright.
"Well... if she keeps fumbling, I'll have to teach her..."
But if she was struggling this much, maybe it was better to toss her a hint?
I recalled the koan from Sayoon's enlightenment event.
Drip-carving stone.
Like water drops piercing rock through steady persistence.
If that was the first koan, the second was about knowing when persistence had limits, when to stop honing.
After Crimson Star Sect's destruction and the massacre of her sect family, Sayoon's rage drove her to train until she vomited blood.
She collapsed from overdoing it, and a physician who saved her gave her the second koan: "Seeing the moon, forget the finger."
Don't stare at the finger pointing at the moon.
See the essence.
Is it revenge you want? Or to carry on Crimson Star Sect's will?
Blinded by fury over her sect's fall, she'd nearly forgotten Crimson Star's teachings. That one phrase enlightened her, letting her finally master Meteor Fist properly.
"The question is whether this will enlighten Sayoon..."
From her last letter, I could tell she'd take mine seriously.
But would sending it actually trigger her enlightenment?
"Well..."
If not, the pro min-maxers would cover it.
Don't obsess over what I can't control right now.
Even if you wring a chicken's neck, dawn comes. Morning sun rose as always.
I woke a bit earlier than usual and headed to the backyard.
To practice Five Animals Frolic.
"Yaaawn... Ah, Master. You're exercising already?"
"Yeah."
I gave a casual reply to the errand boy greeting me and slowly moved my body as Do-in and Sayoon had taught me yesterday.
A servant watching from the corner with a broom muttered in wonder.
"But can you really build inner power just from that? Like martial artists flying through the sky?"
"Well... probably?"
But it wouldn't spike your power dramatically like supreme arts later on. No steep climbs like demonic arts either.
Just steady accumulation, like stacking stones into a tower.
By the time I finished one round of Five Animals Frolic, my body was nicely warmed up.
I considered doing Subtle Taiji Fist again, but breakfast prep was busy—later for that.
"...Why are you just playing house?"
"Huh?"
Déjà vu? Felt like I heard something similar yesterday.
I looked up. There was Chaejin—not in her usual skin-tight outfit, but a baggy skirt to the knees and thick outer robes.
In Celestial Moon lore, she was weak in the mornings, and sure enough, her sleepy face lacked its usual provocative sharpness, looking sulky as she glared down.
And then.
She jumped down like it was nothing, just like last time.
"You. If you've entered Full Moon Pavilion, shouldn't you start with the entry art, Subtle Taiji Fist? Why Five Animals Frolic first? No, why only that and done? When people talk, look them in the eye!"
Even with her drowsy face, she couldn't hold back her irritation.
She grabbed my cheeks and yelled. I stayed calm and replied.
"When jumping down in a skirt like that instead of your usual clothes, you should be more careful."
"What do you mean—ah!"
Skirt, jumping from above.
Of course it'd flash.
A top-tier martial artist, ruthless and cold in battle, always poised and aloof.
But these airheaded moments created the gap that made her popular in Celestial Moon—and here she was, doing it again!
"...You saw?"
Chaejin mumbled sheepishly, face beet red.
I mean, her usual outfit was sexier anyway, so what...
Anyway.
"I'm a gentleman. I closed my eyes."
Seemed to satisfy her; her embarrassment eased a bit.
Though her flushed cheeks were still far from normal.