A Longed-for Hometown (3)
The mountain gate of the Namgung Clan always looked like a place that should be overflowing with visitors. In reality, it was anything but. It was a space of profound silence. Most people were so intimidated by the Namgung Clan’s reputation that while they might send letters, few dared to visit in person. Guests arrived perhaps once a day, if that. Such was the mountain gate of the Namgung Clan.
Yet now, for the first time in a long while, the gate was bustling.
“Young Master Namgung, it has been some time.”
I had planned to slip in quietly at dawn to avoid drawing attention, but Namgung Jinhak happened to be strolling through the courtyard, savoring the early morning air.
“You arrived sooner than expected. The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering ended quite a while ago.”
He offered his hand first, so I clasped it. After a brief exchange, I tried to move on, only to be spotted by the Namgung warriors who had come out for early training.
“Lord Extreme Sword Dragon! Would you do us the honor of a handshake? Haha!”
“I knew it the first day I saw you—your talent was obvious from the start!”
“But if he’s a dragon now, doesn’t that mean he could be stronger than us? Tsk. Is my lifelong position in jeopardy?”
In the blink of an eye I was swept into the crowd of warriors, shoved this way and that. My clothes grew disheveled enough to look shabby, and my gear loosened.
“By the way, now that you’ve become a dragon, does that mean you’ll be leaving the Namgung Clan?”
Once the crowd gave me some space and I began straightening my clothes, someone asked the question from nearby.
I froze.
Among the Four Divine Beasts, the dragon was considered the most mystical. The white tiger symbolized unyielding will. The black tortoise represented endless patience in waiting. The vermilion bird embodied burning passion. And the dragon stood for freedom.
Even the phoenix was setting out in search of freedom. For the dragon not to do the same would be absurd. From their perspective, I must have looked like someone who would depart at any moment.
In truth, I had not the slightest intention of leaving the martial world, but that was beside the point.
Just as I was about to deny it, someone approached and spoke.
“That person isn’t going anywhere. Take your time and look your fill.”
Her long white hair fluttering, Namgung Seha drew near. It seemed she had grown a little taller during our time apart.
The Namgung warriors took a respectful step back and bowed at the waist. They were strict about separating public and private affairs, and they cleared a path for the young lady.
Namgung Seha gave them a slight nod of thanks before walking straight toward me along the opened path.
“How do you know whether I’ll leave or not?”
I asked in a teasing tone. Namgung Seha smiled softly and tugged at my collar. Then she leaned in and whispered into my ear, so quietly that even the warriors’ keen hearing could not catch it.
“If I were to break every joint in both your legs, you wouldn’t be able to leave even if you wanted to, would you? Where exactly do you think you’re going?”
A chill ran down my spine. If I joked about leaving even once more, she looked ready to summon someone to actually snap my legs, so I wisely kept my mouth shut.
I obediently tucked my tail between my legs and nodded.
Only then did a satisfied smile bloom across Namgung Seha’s face.
“So, what are your impressions of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering?”
Impressions. The moment I heard the word, a story I had meant to tell her—one I had forgotten for various reasons—rose to the surface of my memory.
The third regressor.
“Seha.”
I called her name to capture her full attention, then gently hinted at what was coming.
“I have something to tell you about that.”
When she tilted her head in confusion, I leaned close to her ear and whispered words only the two of us could hear.
“We… were not the only ones.”
...
The instant Namgung Seha heard those words, she failed to hide her shock. After a brief moment of stammering, she quickly collected herself and led me to her room.
Clack.
She bolted every door that could possibly be opened, even sending Lady Yuhwa—who had been waiting outside as an escort—far away from the room. Then she whirled around to face me and motioned for me to sit.
I obeyed. Once I was seated, she spoke.
“Explain yourself clearly.”
She leaned toward me, unconsciously pressing closer. I wanted to answer in detail, but her overly excited gaze felt somewhat overwhelming, so I gently pushed her shoulder, signaling her to calm down.
She immediately drew back. Having steadied her racing mind, she began asking questions one by one in a measured tone.
“First of all, what exactly did you mean by that?”
To her straightforward—and arguably most crucial—first question, I answered briefly.
“Exactly what I said. We were not the end.”
I held up three fingers in front of her eyes, emphasizing the meaning of the third.
“There is a third.”
It was not merely a number. She understood at once that the word referred to something that could not be spoken lightly—a regressor.
She immediately asked for the identity of that third.
“Who was it?”
“The First Elder of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Heavenly Flame.”
It was a name and face she likely knew. The Ten Venerables of the Demonic Cult would have been among her highest-priority targets to monitor. That was why Namgung Seha’s face clouded slightly; she understood the sheer power each of them possessed.
“She is no longer an elder of the Demonic Cult. She was serving as a shrine maiden for the Baehwagyo. It really doesn’t suit that fanatic of the Heavenly Demon.”
Recalling the moment her flames had blazed, I reached out and momentarily blocked her view. Her snow-white hair fluttered from the palm wind.
“She was strong. Unlike us, she had lived far longer and had already reached the Transcendent Realm. If she had truly harbored killing intent, this mere release of inner energy would have reduced us to ashes.”
The phrase if she had harbored killing intent meant, in other words, that she had not directed any toward me.
She seemed to grasp the implication. After pondering it briefly, she asked, “What did she do to you?”
I considered how to answer, but no matter how I thought about it, there was only one way to describe it.
“She burned my whole body with flames, then suddenly struck with tremendous firepower.”
“You barely made it back with all your limbs intact.”
I shook my head at her assessment, denying it.
“She sent me back with all my limbs intact.”
A sudden headache throbbed at my temples. A corner of my chest ached, and I complained almost petulantly.
“It turns out I was far more lacking than I realized.”
I laid out every problem weighing on me. She listened, sometimes offering empathy, sometimes scolding, sometimes criticizing.
After hearing it all, she finally said, “Your point about swordsmanship seems correct. The current style is so fast and difficult to control that its unpredictability is an advantage, but beyond that, it has no other merits.”
“If you prepare proper forms and use them in tandem, it may feel a little complicated and difficult at first, but it will definitely benefit you later.”
After those words, the atmosphere settled remarkably. In that quiet, there was nothing to do but remain silent.
I was the one who broke it.
“Oh, right. That Flame gave me a few gifts.”
I took out Seolhon, still slung over my shoulder like baggage, Mukrin at my waist, and the box of Daehwandan I had kept carefully hidden in my robes.
“This is yours.”
I handed her Seolhon. Namgung Seha grasped the scabbard and hilt, then drew the blade. For a moment, as a swordswoman, she could not help but be captivated by the famous sword brimming with cold energy and keen sharpness.
She then peeked inside the Daehwandan box beside her and gasped in shock. She carefully closed it, pushed it back toward me, and drew a firm line.
“Are you planning to wage war on Shaolin?”
“It’s fine. No one will know if you eat it.”
At my brazen remark, the startled Namgung Seha barely regained her composure.
“Huu… Yes. It’s not as if we can return it anyway.”
She pointed at Seolhon and the Daehwandan box and asked, “Where did you obtain these?”
“She said she raided Tushinryeong. She probably looted everything else while she was at it.”
I unconsciously stroked Mukrin at my waist. Even after spending a year apart, the sensation was as familiar as if ten years had passed.
“…She is not hostile toward us. Actually, I’m not even sure about that.”
To be honest, aside from the third regressor, there were many things I still did not know. There were countless reasons to worry. There might even be a fourth or a fifth. The third might have hidden motives and could one day turn a blade on us without warning.
I looked at Namgung Seha, let out a low groan, and spoke amid a flood of thoughts.
“What is certain is that we must do the best we can with what we are able to do right now.”