An Unexpected Proposal
There are countless masters in the Central Plains.
With so many martial artists roaming the land, it was only natural that the strong were plentiful.
Among them, the monsters who transcended the Peak Realm were known to the world as supreme masters.
Beings who had transcended humanity itself.
They were those who grew endlessly stronger through countless epiphanies and grueling training.
And among those supreme masters, the ones who touched the very heavens were called the Heavens Beyond Heaven.
The greatest of all time, Sword Saint Yoo Chun-gil, was one.
So too were the Divine Spear, Jeok Ho-myeong, and the Sword Emperor, Ui Yang-yeon.
Monsters who were said to have reached the heavens even before the Great War between Justice and Evil.
And among those ranks, there were women who stood out even among such monstrous men, hailed as great heroines.
It was not strange. Once one became a martial artist, gender became meaningless; it was a world where realm and cultivation ultimately decided everything, whether one was a man or a woman.
Among those heroines, there was one whose reputation was particularly illustrious.
The Sword Queen, Yeon Hui-seon.
She was called the greatest heroine under heaven.
A descendant of the Yeon Clan of Shanxi, she was a hero who, like the Sword Saint, had distinguished herself in the Great War.
Like the Sword Emperor, she had vanished immediately after the war ended.
She was a supreme master famous for her brilliant, mesmerizing swordsmanship, with sword paths that resembled a dance.
...This woman is the Sword Queen?
I frowned as I stared at the young woman standing before me.
Unless my ears deceived me, Yoo Chun-gil had definitely called her Yeon Hui-seon.
The Sword Queen, Yeon Hui-seon, was famous enough that even I knew of her.
Even though she had been missing for a long time, her name was still on everyone's lips.
People even said that if she had remained active, she might have competed for the title of the world's greatest on equal footing with the Divine Spear.
In fact, she might have even been considered a candidate for the leader of the Martial Alliance.
She was someone who commanded immense public respect, after all.
A woman of gentle and warm character, she had spent the war dedicating all her strength to saving people.
While Jegal Jin was the god of war and Yoo Chun-gil was the greatest martial artist, it was the Sword Queen who won the hearts of the people during the conflict.
When such a figure suddenly vanished, many were left to lament her absence.
And this woman is the real Sword Queen...?
I couldn't bring myself to believe it, even as I looked right at her.
It doesn't make any sense.
It was only natural to doubt. No matter how I looked at her, she seemed only a few years older than me.
The Sword Queen I knew of had to be at least in her sixties. It made no sense for her to look this young.
Of course, those who transcended the Peak Realm aged much slower and often looked remarkably young for their age, but this was taking it too far.
As I stood there, unable to utter a single word while staring at her—
"Ha, did she achieve some enlightenment in her twilight years?"
Yoo Chun-gil said, looking at the Sword Queen.
"She underwent rejuvenation."
"...!"
Rejuvenation.
It was an extremely rare phenomenon experienced by only a select few masters.
After reaching the pinnacle of comprehension and training, their physical bodies would actually grow younger.
To many martial artists, it was considered a dream-like miracle.
So the Sword Queen underwent rejuvenation.
If the woman before me was indeed the rejuvenated Sword Queen, then the current situation made sense.
Then, is that why she vanished all those years ago?
If it was for a reason like this, unlike the Sword Emperor, it was entirely plausible.
Hah.
Is it really possible to grow younger?
Well, I suppose it shouldn't be that surprising, considering I literally reincarnated...
At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a regressor running around somewhere.
With how things were going, anything was possible.
Anyway.
As I stared at the woman in fascination, Yoo Chun-gil spoke in a puzzled tone.
"How strange. Why would she make such a choice?"
His reaction was odd. He seemed unable to comprehend why she would choose to undergo rejuvenation.
Just as I was wondering about his reaction, Yoo Chun-gil explained further.
"Rejuvenation is useful for buying time, as you can see, but it is not a particularly good option."
It grants you more time by making you younger, but it's not a good option?
"Not only do you lose all your accumulated internal energy by pouring it into the body, but the rejuvenated body itself isn't in the best condition. It literally just buys you more time, nothing more."
Oh...
This was news to me. It wasn't just a simple matter of growing younger; it required consuming all of one's internal energy, and the resulting body wasn't even in peak condition.
Just as Yoo Chun-gil said, it seemed to be a power that literally only bought time.
"That is why, even if we achieve the necessary enlightenment, neither I nor the other old monsters ever bother to grow younger. It is a useless endeavor."
Yet the Sword Queen chose to do it...
I gazed at the rejuvenated Sword Queen, a beauty exuding an elegant aura.
"......Hmm......"
The woman let out a soft sigh.
Ah. Hearing that somewhat chilly sigh, I suddenly realized the situation.
Right.
Just now, she had clearly tried to hide her identity, but I had accidentally blurted out "Sword Queen."
I'm screwed.
I had been so fascinated by the rejuvenation that I temporarily forgot myself.
No matter how I looked at it, this was not a good situation.
"......How did this happen?......"
A cold light flickered in the woman's eyes.
"How did you know?"
Wuuuung.
Along with her words, the surrounding energy began to churn, forming a thin, dome-like barrier.
"It's an energy barrier."
A barrier to block out sound. This was bad.
"How strange. Even that child wouldn't have told you... How on earth did you find out?"
Goosebumps broke out on my skin as she drew closer.
There wasn't even the sound of footsteps. The Sword Queen simply drifted closer and locked eyes with me.
Was it killing intent? No, I couldn't even feel that.
Though there was no overt threat, my instincts screamed that one wrong move here would be fatal.
As my mind raced to find a way out of this crisis—
"The mole near her mouth."
Yoo Chun-gil murmured, and the moment I heard it, a solution flashed in my mind.
"...The mole near your mouth."
"Hmm?"
The Sword Queen's eyes widened slightly at my words.
"You have a mole near your mouth."
I spoke hurriedly, pointing toward the mole on her face.
"My master left a description of the Sword Queen in his writings. He wrote that she was truly beautiful, and that she had a mole near her mouth."
"...I never said she was beautiful, though?"
Yoo Chun-gil protested as if he were being slandered, but I ignored him.
"......Haha."
The Sword Queen chuckled at my response.
"Is that so? He wrote such a thing? I suppose he might have. But that alone is hardly enough to prove your claim."
She was right. A simple detail like that wasn't enough. But I had one more card to play.
"Indeed. However..."
I still had another point to make.
"...Senior, as far as I know, there is no such clan as the Guangdong Mi Clan among the participants of the Yongbong Association."
"..."
The Sword Queen's eyebrows twitched at my words.
"Of course, it was possible that you came here in a capacity other than a participant."
As I always said, you can always add more reasoning after the fact. Excuses were the same.
"But since you showed this reaction to my guess, I believe that is proof enough."
"..."
No matter what my initial guess was, and even if it wasn't a perfect justification, the result was what mattered.
I had brought up the Sword Queen, and her reaction had confirmed it. In the end, I was right.
"Ha."
The Sword Queen let out a short, disbelieving laugh, seemingly at a loss for words.
Fwoooosh.
She dispelled the energy barrier around us. Did she buy it?
"I heard about you from that child, but you truly are extraordinary..."
"By 'that child,' do you mean..."
"My disciple."
"..."
Disciple? The moment I heard that, my face contorted.
"...Would that happen to be my older sister?"
"Oh my. How did you know?"
The Sword Queen's eyes widened in surprise.
Well, damn it. How could I not?
The context makes it blindingly obvious.
Bang Seo-jin had shown up saying her master was curious about me, and now the Sword Queen suddenly appeared talking about "that child."
There was only one possible answer.
It was so obvious that I had just thrown it out there, and it turned out to be correct.
...Good grief.
Bang Seo-jin is the disciple of the Sword Queen? What on earth did that woman do after running away from home?
How does one even become the disciple of a rejuvenated Sword Queen? Just what kind of turbulent life had she led?
...Though I'm not really one to talk.
Considering I had somehow ended up as the successor to the Sword Saint, I wasn't exactly in a position to judge her.
"...So... what business do you have with me, Senior?"
Hiding my fluster, I asked the Sword Queen.
"Hmm..."
At my question, the Sword Queen lightly stroked her cheek.
"...I didn't originally intend to reveal my identity when approaching you..."
Of course. Since she had no intention of being found out, she had used a fake name to approach me.
"I never imagined he would leave behind such a description..."
She smiled softly, seemingly lost in nostalgia as she thought of Yoo Chun-gil. What was with that smile? That look of subtle longing? It felt rather strange.
I glanced at Yoo Chun-gil. The old ghost was picking his nose when he noticed my gaze.
"What? What are you looking at?"
"..."
Never mind. I decided not to pry. Leaving him to his nose-picking, I looked back at the Sword Queen.
"First, I apologize. I was in a position where I couldn't freely reveal my name."
"...I understand. I will also keep your identity a secret."
"Thank you. If you hadn't, I would have had to erase you..."
"...Excuse me?"
Erase? What? ...Me?
Leaving me utterly horrified, the Sword Queen continued.
"Anyway."
What do you mean, 'anyway'? I was just about to get erased!
"The reason I sought you out is because I have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
The Sword Queen had a favor to ask of me? What could she possibly want?
I couldn't begin to guess. I waited for her next words.
"First of all,"
the Sword Queen said, looking at me.
"Would you be willing to get betrothed to me?"
"...No?"
I refused immediately.
At the entrance of Henan Province.
Amidst the endless stream of passing carriages and crowds, a gate guard was performing his duties.
Though the repetitive task was exhausting, the guard showed not a hint of fatigue. No matter who stood before him, his attitude and reaction remained unwavering.
Having received rigorous training from the Martial Alliance, his composure was as solid as a rock under normal circumstances.
He would remain unmoved whether he saw a breathtaking beauty or a legendary master. Or at least, that was supposed to be the case.
"......Heh."
The guard let out an involuntary gasp of admiration as he looked at the man standing before him.
Realizing his slip, he quickly tried to control his expression, but his inner turmoil was not so easily suppressed.
Though he forced a neutral face, his mind was filled with endless awe.
How can a human look like that...?
How could a man be so ridiculously handsome? He looked like a masterpiece sculpture brought to life.
His appearance defied common sense. In all his life, the guard had never seen anyone so good-looking.
He had seen countless renowned handsome men while guarding the gate, but this man was on an entirely different level.
Even as a fellow man, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
Staring with trembling eyes, the guard spoke.
"...What is your business here?"
At the guard's question, the man smiled.
"I came to meet someone. I was told my son is inside."
Even his voice was pleasant to the ears.
The moment he smiled, it felt as if a radiant light emanated from him.
The sighing of the women who had been stealing glances at him was loud enough to be heard.
The guard desperately tried to pretend his composure wasn't already shattered as he asked.
"I need to verify your... identity. What is your name?"
The man responded to the question.
"Ah. I am..."
The man said, pulling out a letter of identification from his breast pocket.
"Bang Cheon-ho of the Yoryeong Bang Clan."
Bang Cheon-ho, the Lecherous Sword Man.
He had arrived in Henan.