A Strange Praise
“You did well.”
“…Excuse me?”
I stood there, dumbfounded by Wolseongeom’s sudden praise.
Did I hear that right?
He said I did well…?
I almost frowned without realizing it.
Was that really appropriate for the current situation? His compliment left me thoroughly bewildered.
“You did well in the duel.” As the sect leader, it was a reasonable compliment. But given the circumstances, it felt incredibly awkward.
After all…
I just beat his own daughter to a pulp.
The Moon Dance Beauty, Cheon Hye-in.
I had turned Cheongwol Gate’s star prodigy—and Wolseongeom’s own daughter—into a bloody mess.
Is this really how he should be reacting?
I was deeply unsettled by Wolseongeom praising me the moment he saw me.
Is he being sarcastic?
I wondered if he was passive-aggressively insulting me under the guise of praise, but looking at his face, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Wolseongeom had a faint smile on his face.
There was no trace of displeasure or negative emotion in his expression.
“…I did well?”
So, I asked him again to be sure.
“Yes.”
Wolseongeom nodded calmly.
“You did much better than expected. It was a pleasant surprise.”
“…Thank… you.”
He seemed completely sincere.
…Is this guy seriously out of his mind?
I beat his daughter half to death, and he’s telling me I did well?
I hadn’t just beaten her; I had absolutely thrashed her.
I heard I had punched her in the solar plexus and broken her nose. And he was praising the guy who did that?
I knew he wasn’t normal, but…
He was proving to be far stranger than I had anticipated.
Just then.
“However.”
Wolseongeom’s smile vanished instantly.
“I trust you are aware that your finishing blow during the duel was somewhat excessive. What are your thoughts on that?”
“…”
I swallowed hard. It felt as if tiny needles were pricking my skin.
The atmosphere in the room had shifted in an instant.
“…Yes. I agree that it was excessive.”
It really had been a bit much.
I had heard that I almost killed her after she had already lost consciousness.
There was only so much I could excuse.
…This is driving me crazy.
I spoke of it as if it were someone else’s doing, but it was my own actions I was accounting for.
Tension stiffened my shoulders.
I waited anxiously to see what Wolseongeom would say next.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“…?”
“…”
“…”
Amazingly, that was the end of the conversation. He didn’t scold me any further.
Satisfied with my acknowledgment, he dropped the subject entirely.
Seriously, what?
What was this guy’s deal? I thought I had him somewhat figured out, but clearly, I wasn’t even close.
What a bizarre man.
Is it impossible for a sane person to be the leader of Cheongwol Gate?
Or do they specifically seek out weirdos to put in charge?
The former leader and this current one were cut from the exact same bizarre cloth.
“Um… may I ask why you summoned me?”
If he wasn’t planning to punish me, why was I here?
At my question, Wolseongeom turned his gaze toward me.
“Did I not just tell you?”
“Pardon?”
“To tell you that you did well.”
“…Ah…?”
So…
“You called me here just to praise me?”
“Indeed.”
“…Ah. I see.”
He had literally summoned me just to say those words.
“Thank you…”
A nod.
Wolseongeom acknowledged my gratitude with a nod. Was that really all?
“…”
“…”
Seeing how silence stretched between us, it really seemed to be the end of it.
How could anyone be like this? I knew he was eccentric, but this was on another level.
Should I just excuse myself now?
Just as I was wondering what to do.
“Ah.”
I suddenly remembered something I needed to ask him.
“Excuse me, Sect Leader.”
Wolseongeom stared back at me silently.
It was his way of telling me to speak.
“I know it’s shameless of me, but I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
“Yes.”
I actually had some business with him.
“Could you write a letter to the Mt. Hua Sect for me?”
Wolseongeom’s brow furrowed slightly.
“…Mt. Hua?”
“Yes. I believe the Mt. Hua Sect will be participating in the upcoming Yongbong Association… and I have something to discuss with them.”
“What kind of discussion?”
“It concerns a relic of my master that I possess.”
“…!”
At the mention of the Sword Saint’s relic, Wolseongeom’s eyes widened.
“To be precise, the item I have belongs to the Mt. Hua Sect, while they possess my master’s relic.”
“…”
I was referring to the Black Cloak.
Honestly, I wanted to handle this quietly on my own, but there were too many complications.
For one, I doubt they’d just hand it over if I simply asked.
According to Yoo Chun-gil, the item they took was practically his symbol.
Conversely, the item I possessed was likely something of great symbolic value to Mt. Hua.
Approaching them out of the blue to suggest an exchange when I was the one holding their treasure could be dangerous.
In times like this, it’s better to be honest and borrow the sect’s authority.
I needed to frame this not as a private transaction, but as an official exchange between sects.
Instead of the Sword Saint’s successor holding it, I’ll make it look like Cheongwol Gate was keeping it safe and is now requesting an exchange.
That would completely change the weight of the request.
That was why I was formally asking Wolseongeom for this favor.
“You are saying Mt. Hua has his relic.”
“Yes. According to my master’s final wishes, they had agreed to swap items long ago. But given the current circumstances, I believe it is time to retrieve it.”
“…Hmm.”
A look of doubt crossed Wolseongeom’s face.
“Why are you only telling me this now?”
Why wait until now instead of mentioning it from the start?
It was a reasonable question, and one I had fully anticipated.
My prepared response was simple.
“I wasn’t sure if Cheongwol Gate could be trusted.”
“…!”
I said it flat out.
I hadn’t been sure if the sect was trustworthy.
There were two intentions behind my blunt words.
First.
It was a plausible excuse and explanation coming from an outsider.
And second.
It was a test.
I wanted to gauge Wolseongeom’s reaction.
I didn’t trust Cheongwol Gate.
I needed to see how he responded to that statement.
Let’s see.
Are you connected to Yoo Chun-gil’s death?
If he suspected that my distrust stemmed from Yoo Chun-gil’s death, he might show even a microscopic reaction.
And if he did…
Then there’s a high probability Wolseongeom is deeply involved in it.
One way or another, Wolseongeom might have had a hand in it.
I watched his face closely after speaking.
He seemed to ponder it for a brief moment, and then…
“I see. Very well.”
He simply nodded in understanding. That was it.
…Tsk.
I hid my slight disappointment.
That was ambiguous.
It was a reaction that made it hard to tell either way.
It didn’t look like he was involved, but…
It’s too early to say.
I couldn't be certain yet.
“I will send a letter to the Mt. Hua Sect regarding this matter.”
“…Thank you.”
I bowed politely.
We didn’t speak any further.
I could have found more things to say, but…
“I will take my leave now.”
“Go ahead.”
My mind was a bit too cluttered to continue the conversation, so I wanted to get out of there.
After leaving the Sect Leader’s quarters, I walked slowly, biting the tip of my thumb.
It’s so ambiguous.
I replayed the conversation in my head.
Is Wolseongeom really unrelated?
Wolseongeom was my prime suspect for Yoo Chun-gil’s murder.
But judging by his reaction just now, the likelihood of his involvement had dropped.
Though it’s too early to judge based on just this.
It was something I needed to ponder deeply.
As I racked my brain, groaning inwardly…
That damn old man doesn’t seem to care at all.
Yoo Chun-gil, the actual victim of the crime, hadn’t said a single word. He was just floating lazily through the air.
Damn it.
It was incredibly frustrating.
If he was going to be that indifferent, I felt like I shouldn’t bother caring either. But…
I don’t have that luxury.
If he really was murdered, I couldn’t just ignore it.
If the culprit was still inside Cheongwol Gate, I would be a massive thorn in their side.
Regardless of their motive for killing the Sword Saint…
The mere existence of his successor would pose a threat to them.
They might already be targeting me.
They might try to get rid of me before I became too much of a hassle.
Knowing that, I had to investigate this matter one way or another.
But that guy is so distracted by something else that he’s not even paying attention.
Yoo Chun-gil had been lost in thought, silent as a grave, as if something was bothering him.
How could he be so detached?
Does he just trust me to handle it?
Since I knew my own life was on the line if I didn’t act…
…was he staying quiet because he knew I’d have to move anyway?
…Knowing that old man’s personality, it’s highly likely.
Considering how sly and manipulative he was, it wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Damn it all.
Who could I blame?
It was my own fault for making a deal with this devil just to survive.
When will I finally be free of him?
I had reached the Peak Realm. Since the old man held my leash, I had no choice but to move—
I stopped.
I halted mid-stride as a thought struck me.
Am I really doing this because I have no choice?
I questioned myself.
Was I truly doing this against my will?
“…”
Ironically, the answer came to me instantly.
Because it wasn’t actually against my will.
I’m doing this because I have something to gain.
Following Yoo Chun-gil’s guidance brought me immense benefits.
I was moving because I knew that.
Calling that “forced” would be a stretch.
“Sigh.”
I let out a deep sigh. That finally got a reaction out of Yoo Chun-gil.
“Child, what is the matter?”
“…It’s nothing. I just realized my situation a bit more clearly.”
“Hmm?”
Yoo Chun-gil tilted his head, finding my answer strange, but I kept walking without saying anything more.
For now, my priority was to finish what I had started.
After walking a bit further, I arrived at my destination.
It was the same place I had visited just yesterday.
“Ah, you’re here.”
As I stepped inside, I saw someone flinch upon seeing me.
A giant of a man, easily over seven feet tall.
“Good morning.”
I greeted him with a smile.
“Squadron Leader.”
“…”
Seeing my smile, the Sowol Squadron Leader awkwardly averted his gaze.
I followed his gaze and continued.
“We have something to discuss, don’t we?”
Grit.
The Sowol Squadron Leader ground his teeth.
A look of sheer frustration was written all over his face.