A Carriage Full of Trouble
If you thought about it, it was only natural.
If they were selecting members to attend the Yongbong Association, including Cheon Hye-in was an absolute necessity.
After all, she was one of the Seven Great Talents produced by Cheongwol Gate.
Due to the unique nature of Cheongwol Gate, she was someone who had earned the title of one of the Seven Great Talents without ever having competed in the Yongbong Association before.
Her talent was undeniable, and there was even a famous saying within Cheongwol Gate.
The greatest talent since the Sword Saint.
The Sword Saint, Yoo Chun-gil, the World's Greatest.
She was the most highly evaluated figure to emerge from Cheongwol Gate since his time.
As such, it was only natural that they would want to bring her to the Yongbong Association.
“...So, you want to take me along?”
“Yes. Let's go together.”
“...Haha.”
Cheon Hye-in let out a dry chuckle at my words.
“Is that really the first thing you have to say to me after disappearing for a month?”
“It's not like I can't say it.”
I acted rather shamelessly, but I was secretly gauging her reaction.
It had been exactly one month.
This was our very first meeting since I had beaten her half to death while in a state of amnesia.
Recalling that incident, I examined her closely. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have any scars; she looked perfectly fine.
“Sigh...”
Cheon Hye-in set down the sword she was holding and stared at me.
Cold sweat was dripping down her cheeks.
It was because I had suddenly appeared right in the middle of her training.
Wiping the sweat with the back of her hand, she looked at me again.
Her blue eyes, which closely resembled Wolseongeom's, were striking.
“It's fascinating that you came here to ask me this, considering how our last meeting ended.”
“What's so fascinating about it? I didn't do anything wrong. It was just a spar.”
“You beat me to a bloody pulp.”
“Well... that was...”
I gave an awkward laugh.
“I'm sorry. I had a bit of trouble holding back.”
Since I wasn't the one who actually did it, I felt incredibly wronged, but there was no point in arguing about it now.
Besides.
“You don't seem to care all that much anyway, so why don't we just move past it?”
Cheon Hye-in didn't actually seem to hold a grudge over it.
“...”
The moment she heard my words, her expression shifted.
It wasn't a pouty, slightly annoyed look, but a sudden, blank expression.
“How boring.”
Her voice was ice-cold.
I chuckled at that.
Now she was acting like the person I knew.
“Do you have any idea how difficult you've made my position?”
“I do. And that's a good thing for me.”
As a result of our spar, Cheon Hye-in's standing had been shaken.
She had been building her position within the sect solely on her reputation as a once-in-a-generation genius.
There was no one who could immediately replace her.
She was even being mentioned as one of the leading candidates to become the future Young Sect Leader.
But she lost to me.
A genius like her had suffered defeat at the hands of someone like me.
And quite overwhelmingly, at that.
In the immediate aftermath of that event, rumors must have run rampant within the sect.
I wouldn't know since I was in closed-door cultivation, but it must have caused quite a stir.
Under these circumstances, I was going as the representative for the Yongbong Association, and now I was here asking her to come with me.
It was absurd from her perspective.
“You came to ask me even though you knew all that...? What are you planning?”
“I'm not planning anything. I'm just choosing the most efficient method.”
“And that is taking me along?”
“Yes. There is no better alternative. Don't you agree, Lady Cheon?”
“Even if that's true, coming to ask me directly is a different story.”
“If you don't want to, then don't. I'll just find someone else.”
If she truly refused, I had no intention of forcing her. I just wanted a quick decision so I could look for other options.
“...”
At my words, Cheon Hye-in stared at me with an expressionless face.
I felt it every time I saw her, but she was truly cold.
A chilling aura that felt entirely different from Moyong Yeong-sun's.
Her face, a spitting image of Wolseongeom's, possessed a power that could make anyone shrink back just by staring without a smile.
“I really don't understand.”
Cheon Hye-in approached me, her voice completely flat.
“No matter how I look at it, I don't feel like I should have lost.”
Her gaze swept up and down my body.
“Why did I lose?”
“Why else? You lost because you were weak.”
“...”
Since she didn't seem to get it, I spelled it out for her.
Of course, that wasn't the real reason, but it didn't matter.
“You talk too much. You lost because you were pathetic. What is there to understand?”
“...Ha...”
I felt a sudden surge of energy radiating from Cheon Hye-in.
It was chilling. A tingling pressure instantly wrapped around my throat.
“How arrogant.”
I was slightly intimidated, but I didn't let it show.
“Arrogant? That's a strange choice of words.”
Curling the corners of my mouth, I spoke to Cheon Hye-in.
“Isn't that a word the weak shouldn't be using against the strong?”
Creak.
My words must have struck a nerve, as Cheon Hye-in's aura flared even stronger.
Watching this, I hesitated.
Should I reach for my sword?
Should I put my hand on the hilt or not?
Showing that I was ready to draw might provoke her, but I didn't trust what would happen next if I did.
So, as I held back for the moment—
“Hmm.”
Cheon Hye-in let out a soft hum.
Whoosh.
She suppressed the rising aura once more.
“...You have a point.”
She nodded as if convinced. Had she really accepted my words? It might have been an act, but I didn't care right now.
Damn, she's terrifying.
I was genuinely scared. Having fought her once before, I knew Cheon Hye-in was strong. If I hadn't possessed that power back then, I probably wouldn't have won.
Would it be any different now?
I doubted it, even after coming out of closed-door cultivation. It had only been a month.
Hadn't Yoo Chun-gil told me himself? Not to get arrogant over a mere month of training.
Even if something had changed, the difference wouldn't be night and day.
I had to constantly remind myself of that.
“The Yongbong Association.”
Cheon Hye-in furrowed her brow, seemingly lost in thought.
After a brief moment of contemplation—
“I'll go.”
Her answer came surprisingly easily.
“You will?”
“Yes. You asked me to, didn't you?”
“...Hmm...”
I had indeed asked her, but I hadn't expected her to agree so readily.
“If we go, I will be the representative, not you, Lady Cheon. We also need to be clear on our stance before the Alliance. Are you fine with that?”
“That is a bit bothersome, but it can't be helped.”
As I stood there in silence, Cheon Hye-in muttered something to herself.
“I wanted to go anyway. It seems that 'monster' might show up this time... Though having to deal with you on top of that is a bit of a pain.”
Swish.
She spun the wooden sword in her hand before securing it at her waist.
“It looks like fun, so I'll go. On one condition.”
“A condition?”
“Actually, two conditions.”
Conditions? I frowned at her words.
There was no need for me to accept conditions just to bring her along.
Just as I was about to point this out—
“First, you have to spar with me again later.”
Cheon Hye-in cut in before I could speak.
“I don't want to just let things slide like this. And second...”
I listened for now.
“Let me choose the last person we bring along.”
“...Hmm?”
That was highly unexpected.
Three days passed.
It was the day of departure for the Yongbong Association, as scheduled by Wolseongeom.
On the morning of our departure, everyone gathered in front of the carriage.
“Is everyone here?”
I asked, looking at the assembled group.
They nodded in response.
There were five of us in total, including myself.
The group consisted of me, Do-hyeong—whom I had approached first—Cheon Hye-in, and...
And.
“...I'm not sure if I should be tagging along.”
It was Cheon Ui-jin.
He spoke while looking at the others with an incredibly tense expression.
Yes, the fourth member was Cheon Ui-jin.
For the record, he wasn't my choice.
I hadn't even considered Cheon Ui-jin.
I had no intention of bringing him. While it was true that Cheon Ui-jin was a talented, first-rate martial artist...
But as a representative? I don't know about that.
Considering that Do-hyeong and Cheon Hye-in were members of the Sowol Squad, bringing along a mere second-generation disciple like Cheon Ui-jin was a bit of a stretch.
Yet, I had included Cheon Ui-jin in the group.
What was she thinking?
Because the one who suggested this was none other than Cheon Hye-in.
She had made it a condition for accepting my offer.
That she would choose the final member.
And the one she chose was Cheon Ui-jin.
Why on earth him?
I knew their relationship was terrible, so why did she make bringing Cheon Ui-jin a condition?
Though it puzzled me, I accepted it.
Cheon Ui-jin isn't a bad choice, anyway.
There might have been better candidates, but Cheon Ui-jin was still preferable.
He was easy to manage and relatively trustworthy.
To be honest, the former is the real reason.
Compared to the troublesome but powerful Cheon Hye-in...
An obedient and gentle Cheon Ui-jin was much easier for me to handle.
That was why I had agreed to Cheon Hye-in's condition in the first place.
“It's fine. The Moonmaster has already given his permission.”
I reassured the anxious Cheon Ui-jin.
“...Even the Moonmaster?”
“Yes.”
Naturally, I had already obtained Wolseongeom's approval.
When I went to inform him right after finalizing the roster, he had simply nodded with his usual expressionless face.
And so, the day of departure arrived.
As I stood waiting with my arms crossed, looking at the carriage, I felt eyes on me.
It seemed like all the martial artists of Cheongwol Gate were watching us.
It had been years since Cheongwol Gate last participated in the Yongbong Association.
It was something that hadn't happened once since the Alliance banned them.
Yet, the Trustworthy Spear had used his authority to secure their permission.
Since they were now participating in such a grand event, it was only natural that they drew attention.
I tried my best to ignore the stares and kept my eyes on the carriage.
At that moment—
“It is about time to board, young master...!”
The driver, Chu-dong.
Or rather, Ui Yang-yeon, the Sword Emperor in disguise, spoke to me.
...I have to travel with this guy again?
For some reason, the one-armed Sword Emperor was still hiding his identity and acting as our driver.
It seemed he would be driving us this time as well.
My stomach is going to be in knots again.
I could already foresee how tense I would be throughout the entire journey.
How had it been when we traveled from Sichuan to Henan? I hadn't even been able to sleep properly.
And now, once again...
The mere thought of walking on eggshells around the Sword Emperor made it hard to breathe.
“Young master? Are you alright?”
“...Ah, yes. I'm fine, old man. Just a brief spell of dizziness.”
“Oh dear... and you're so young...”
“...Go ahead and get in first.”
At my word, the others boarded one by one. Perhaps because of the size of our group or the importance of the event, they had prepared a fairly luxurious carriage.
As another person passed by me...
“...By the way...”
The young man stopped and spoke to me.
“...Am I going too?”
It was Dang Cheon-il, the fierce-looking son of the Poison King, Dang Gyeong-ak.
He wore a bizarre expression as he questioned me.
“Why me...?”
A member of the Dang Clan riding in a carriage with Cheongwol Gate to the Yongbong Association.
It was an incredibly bizarre sight, but...
“What, did you want to stay behind by yourself? If you want to take your lessons, you have to tag along.”
“...”
To learn the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky, Dang Cheon-il had no choice but to follow.
“Since we couldn't do any lessons for a month, we need to pick up the pace now.”
“That was because you went into closed-door cultivation—”
“What?”
“...Nothing.”
With a face full of discontent, Dang Cheon-il climbed into the carriage.
I had to admit it was a strange situation, but what else could I do?
The Poison King will understand.
Probably.
Believing that to be the case, I nodded to myself and looked around.
I glanced in the direction of Wolseongeom's residence.
Is he not showing up?
Even though his own children and disciples were setting off for the Yongbong Association, Wolseongeom was nowhere to be seen.
I had been told beforehand that he had other matters to attend to and that we should leave on our own.
I knew he was busy, but still.
Wouldn't a normal father at least come out to see them off?
I thought about it for a moment, but then shook my head.
Whatever.
If he wasn't coming, he wasn't coming.
With that thought, I boarded the carriage as well.
“May we depart?”
“Yes. Please.”
I replied to Chu-dong.
At my response, Chu-dong urged the horses forward with a crack of his whip.
Neighhh!
The horses whinnied, and the carriage began to roll.
...Here I go again.
I suppressed a sigh and looked out the window.
Barely back from Sichuan, and I was already heading out again.
And of all places, the Yongbong Association?
It was an event I never thought I would have any connection to.
Prestigious clans and renowned sects.
To think I would be going as a representative to a place I thought was reserved only for the most illustrious figures.
Life truly was unpredictable.
...So please, let this end without any major incidents.
I prayed and prayed for a peaceful trip, but...
As always.
“Draw your sword, Young Sword Saint! I must see for myself just how formidable you truly are!”
I was an incredibly unlucky bastard.
Damn it all.