The Poisonous Snake's Gaze
The sun rose the next day. With no particular tasks to attend to before departing the Jegal Clan for the Peng Clan of Hebei, I lay on the bed with my eyes closed, lost in thought. It was about the nature of the sword.
It was a question any swordsman who had reached a certain level and dreamed of going further would have pondered at least once. Yet my thoughts on the matter differed slightly from theirs. I had already attained enlightenment regarding the essence of the sword itself. A sword was merely a blade meant to kill people, no different from any other, and it changed only according to the will of the swordsman who wielded it.
However, the sword I was contemplating was my sword. It was not some trite question about what profound principles or truths my sword technique contained. It was a matter of whether I was truly using the sword properly.
A swordsman was one who used the sword. One who controlled the sword and projected their will upon the world through it. No matter how enigmatic or demanding the sword might be, a swordsman must never be swayed by it. I had believed the same.
But that had been nothing more than an illusion. In truth, I was far from it. My sword did not change according to my opponent's movements. It merely moved at a speed they could not follow, and even I could not properly control it. It had no fixed form. Its trajectory was unreadable even to a swordsman. While that unpredictability was a clear advantage, it also meant I could never face an opponent even slightly stronger than myself. A sword without principle or truth was like a castle built on sand.
That flaw had never posed a problem until now. That was why I had never been particularly aware of it. But the situation had changed. There existed one enemy I might never overcome, even if I poured every ounce of my strength into the fight. To surpass that being, everything had to be pushed to its absolute peak. I needed to maintain the sword's speed while simultaneously shaping its form to preserve only its strengths.
"This is difficult."
More so than any hardship I had ever faced. Yet it was a task I had to resolve quickly, no matter what. It seemed like a problem that would require countless attempts and challenges. But right now, that was not easy.
"So much to do, and so little time."
Finishing my thoughts, I rose from my seat. I strapped Mukrin back to my waist and put on the clothes I had been wearing. Namgung Jehyun and the three Namgung siblings had gone to meet with the Jegal Clan members that morning. Nearly two hours had passed since then. By now, unless Namgung Jehyun and the Jegal Clan Lord were indulging in daytime drinking, their meeting should have concluded.
Last night, while discussing the favor token with Namgung Seha, we had somehow ended up making plans for today as well. Following the same path as yesterday, I went to find the Namgung sisters.
As expected, Namgung Hye and Namgung Seha had already finished their business and were sitting on the porch, chatting idly. Namgung Seha on the left, Namgung Hye on the right, sitting side by side and exchanging quiet conversation. They looked quite close. Gazing at the heartwarming scene, I greeted them.
"Oh? It's Sowoon oppa! Hello!"
Namgung Hye greeted me brightly, waving her hand.
"Sowoon. You're later than I expected."
Namgung Seha teased me playfully from beside her.
"It's not like I'm waiting for a wife who's run away from home. I just figured you'd show up around now, so here I am."
As I approached them, I replied to her words. Suddenly, Namgung Hye let out an "Oh!" and said,
"So if I ran away, you'd wait for me from morning onward?"
"...I wouldn't wait."
Namgung Hye laughed mischievously at her own joke, then stood up. With quick steps, she darted into the room and spoke from beyond the paper door.
"Then I'll go read the book I was looking at yesterday. You two have fun."
Just like that, we were alone. Though we had originally planned to meet just the two of us, being left alone so abruptly brought a brief silence.
"You're wearing the hairpin."
I was the first to break the quiet stillness. At my words, Namgung Seha quietly touched the hairpin fastened at the back of her head and gave a small nod.
"It was pretty, so I tried wearing it today. Is that all right?"
"Very much so."
We spoke again. After exchanging trivial conversation for a while, I slowly steered the topic toward the main point.
"So, how was today?"
After responding with a thoughtful hum, Namgung Seha gave me a clear summary.
"It was really just about building camaraderie?"
In short, there had been nothing particularly noteworthy. It was disappointing news. Even if it was only the young clan heir and children, with Namgung Jehyun and the Jegal Clan Lord present, I had expected some meaningful discussion. That was why I had arranged this meeting. I let out a small sigh of disappointment, and at that moment, Namgung Seha exclaimed and spoke again.
"Ah. But that topic did come up."
"What topic?"
I responded to her words with a small question. She smiled with an unreadable, playful expression and pointed at me with her finger.
"The topic of you."
Why would they be talking about me? The question crossed my mind, but my surprise was brief. Thinking it over, it made sense that I would come up in conversation at least once. Though it sounded like self-praise, I was the youngest person in Murim history to become a Dragon-Phoenix. At the same time, I was also the first to join a force other than my own sect. Anyone with even a passing interest in Murim's major affairs would find it an intriguing topic. Moreover, they had welcomed a guest to their clan, and by coincidence, that very Dragon had accompanied the procession as a guard. It was an opportunity to satisfy their curiosity.
"So what did they say?"
I was genuinely curious. Of course, it could not have been anything particularly significant. It would not contain any useful information or stories for my daily life. Even so, I wanted to hear it. People were always curious about stories involving themselves, after all.
Namgung Seha seemed unable to recall the finer details immediately. She tapped her lips with the same finger as before, retracing her memories one by one before speaking.
"Hmm... They just mentioned lightly that you saved Jegal Soyeon on the way to Henan, and later found out you had become the Extreme Sword Dragon this time. They did not drag the conversation out for long. Since you were not there, it was just common gossip."
That was more than I had expected. I had not thought Jegal Soyeon's name would even come up. Just as I was about to move on, I suddenly worried whether this story might reach the Namgung Clan Lord someday. He was a good person, but occasionally, when he caught wind of something, he had the strange habit of calling me over under the pretense of listening to stories while actually resting. I was worrying about the retainers who would suffer his work-related scolding when Namgung Seha asked me another question.
"Ah. By the way, did Jegal Soyeon ever make any strange suggestions like asking you to join the Jegal Clan while you were traveling together?"
Jegal Soyeon's strange suggestions... I searched my memories but could not recall her making any particularly special or odd proposals. Though she had occasionally given me looks filled with desire. I told her that nothing like that had happened. She let out a thoughtful hum and said,
"I see. Understood."
Her short yet meaningful reply somehow bothered me. Swallowing dryly for no reason, I asked her again.
"What is it? You're making me anxious...."
Instead of answering kindly, she posed another question.
"If someone asked you to leave the Namgung Clan and join the Jegal Clan, what would you do?"
It was not a question that required much thought. However, the sudden nature of it suggested it was connected to her previous words. This was likely what she had been alluding to when she mentioned Jegal Soyeon's strange proposal earlier.
"Hmm... I probably would not go. Unless they offered something like the Heavenly Demon's neck."
"There's a girl right in front of me who would explode and come to cut off my head if I went."
She nodded along at first, then suddenly stopped and stared at me with a sharp gaze.
"What do you mean by that?"
I slightly turned my head to avoid her eyes and pretended not to hear her question. She let out a deep sigh and reluctantly opened her mouth.
".... In truth, Jegal Jihan showed considerable interest in you. To the point where it could be considered excessive."
Then, with a slightly worried expression, she spoke to me.
"Be careful. For some reason, Jegal Soyeon seems favorable toward you, but Jegal Jihan is not that kind of person. If Jegal Soyeon can be seen as a poisonous rose, then he is a man who can be called a venomous snake."