The Moon Dance Beauty
How should I put it?
The very first impression I got upon seeing the woman was simple.
'She's pretty.'
Crazy pretty, actually. That was the first thought that crossed my mind.
I hadn't seen many women in my life, but she was easily one of the most beautiful.
If I had to compare, she was on par with Yeong-sun. That wretched girl.
'Her personality was absolute trash, but she did have a pretty face.'
Though I did run away because I was terrified of her crazy temper. Anyway.
Judging by those standards, the woman standing before me was ridiculously beautiful.
However.
'Beauty aside... I have a bad feeling about this.'
I hadn't pegged her as a crazy bitch for nothing.
A chilling sensation was creeping up the back of my neck.
Asking if I knew who she was the moment we met? How on earth was I supposed to know that?
"...Uh... No. I have no idea."
"Oh, really?"
Her bright, beaming smile was strangely spine-chilling. She was gorgeous, yet I felt an instinctive urge to keep my distance.
And the reason for that was...
'The Moon Eye.'
The Moonmaster. And a possessor of the Moon Eye, just like me. The woman's brilliant blue eyes made that fact abundantly clear.
"Hooh."
As if confirming my thoughts, the old man floating behind me let out an impressed hum.
"A remarkable talent indeed."
My eyebrows twitched at the old man's high praise.
'The same guy who looked at the Small Blue Sword and merely called him "not bad" is calling her a remarkable talent?'
His evaluation, which had been so stingy toward the Small Blue Sword, was incredibly generous when it came to this woman.
It bothered me more than I cared to admit.
'Especially since he never hesitates to call me a blockhead or an idiot.'
Of course, I couldn't really argue back because his insults were technically true.
I let out a quiet sigh and shook my head.
"Hmm, I wonder why you don't know..."
The woman tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.
"Do you really not know?"
"Why, should I? Have we met before?"
"We haven't, right?"
"Then how would I know you, lady? Do you know me?"
"Of course I do. I know you very well."
*Tap.* She took a step closer.
"You are the successor of our great Sword Saint... and the precious young master of the Yo-ryeong Bang Family, aren't you?"
"Precious young master."
I almost snorted at a title I hadn't heard once in my entire life.
"Well, now... you certainly did some strange background research."
It was completely wrong. Yet, in a way, it wasn't entirely incorrect either.
"But do you really not know who I am?"
she asked. The blue eyes staring at me felt like a clear, open sky.
They were the same Moon Eyes, but they felt entirely different from Wolseongeom's eyes, which resembled the deep, dark ocean.
Did I know who she was?
I pondered how to respond for a brief moment before speaking.
"The Moon Dance Beauty."
"Oh my."
The woman smiled, seemingly pleased with my answer.
"So you did know after all."
"...It would be stranger not to know you, wouldn't it?"
I wanted to play dumb if possible, but honestly, I had recognized her the instant I saw her.
In fact, it would be stranger for anyone in the Murim not to know her right now.
'The Moon Dance Beauty, Cheon Hye-in.'
She was the daughter of Wolseongeom Cheon Seong-hwa, the older sister of Cheon Ui-jin, and...
'One of the Seven Great Talents.'
Unlike the Small Blue Sword, who was merely said to be "comparable" to them, she was a genuine member of the Seven Great Talents.
'Moreover, if the rumors are true...'
She was hailed as the most talented genius in the history of Cheongwol Gate.
Anyone who had witnessed Cheon Hye-in's sword dance even once would say the same thing.
That she was the brilliant hope of Cheongwol Gate in the absence of Yoo Chun-gil.
That was the kind of monstrous talent she possessed.
And such a woman...
"Why did you come to see me?"
"Well, I heard the successor of the great Sword Saint had arrived... and I simply couldn't help myself."
I narrowed my eyes at her innocent smile.
She had a face that could easily bewitch countless men, but it left a foul aftertaste.
"So, what is your impression after seeing me?"
"Hmm..."
Cheon Hye-in pondered my question for a moment before replying.
"You're decent."
It was a flat, underwhelming evaluation.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
There was no way. I stared back at her, my gaze growing colder.
"Is that all?"
"Yes. Did you need something more?"
"No, not really... It's just strange."
"Strange?"
"Yeah."
Cheon Hye-in wore a puzzled expression at my remark. Looking at her, I continued.
"Then why are you acting like this with me?"
"Pardon?"
"Putting on such a ridiculous act just to meet someone you think is merely 'decent.'"
"..."
A flicker of hesitation crossed Cheon Hye-in's eyes.
"I get that you came here to nose around for something... but I'm pretty tired right now. You know I just arrived today, right? I don't really feel like playing games, so I'll just ask you directly."
I was exhausted and holding back the urge to just collapse onto a bed. I didn't have the energy to beat around the bush.
"What do you want from me?"
No answer came. Instead, I watched.
I watched as the smile slowly vanished from Cheon Hye-in's face, transforming her into an entirely different person.
"Ah, dear."
Her clear, melodious voice dropped to a much lower register.
It was remarkably deep for a woman.
"How did you know?"
Her tone had shifted completely. Her voice was now entirely devoid of emotion.
Amusingly, hearing that actually made me feel a bit more comfortable.
"Know what?"
"How did you know I was acting?"
"What do you mean, how? It was obvious."
Since she had dropped the formalities first, I did the same. Why do all geniuses speak so informally without a care for the other person's feelings?
I really didn't get it. Is talent inversely proportional to personality?
"Obvious?"
"Yeah. Painfully obvious."
"That shouldn't be possible."
I almost burst out laughing at her response. Where did she get that sheer confidence from?
"You must have a lot of faith in yourself, seeing how sure you are."
"..."
"It certainly wasn't bad. Ah, right."
I recalled the words she had used on me and threw them right back.
"It was decent."
"..."
"Just about that level."
When I returned her own words, Cheon Hye-in's delicate brow furrowed, though only for a fleeting second.
She quickly smoothed out her expression and spoke.
"You're interesting."
"And you're incredibly rude."
"I only came to take a quick look today... but it seems I made the right choice."
Cheon Hye-in suddenly turned around, throwing one last comment over her shoulder.
"I like you. See you later."
"Saying such creepy things so casually. See you later, my foot."
I barely managed to swallow the curses rising up my throat.
Right then.
"Sister...!"
Someone burst into my quarters. It was Cheon Ui-jin.
He looked completely out of breath, as if he had run here in a desperate hurry.
"...What do you think you are doing?!"
Cheon Ui-jin raised his voice at Cheon Hye-in, looking visibly angry.
'Damn it... If you were going to show up, you should've done it sooner.'
What was the point of showing up now when she was already leaving?
I felt annoyed by Cheon Ui-jin's late arrival. Meanwhile, Cheon Hye-in walked past him, completely ignoring his presence.
"Sister!"
Cheon Ui-jin stepped in front of her to block her path, but...
"Move."
"...!"
"How dare a useless fool stand in my way?"
Her chilling voice pierced straight through Cheon Ui-jin.
'Wow. Calling him useless.'
A guy like him was talented and good-looking, yet he had to listen to that kind of abuse.
Cheon Ui-jin froze like a statue, clearly devastated by her words.
Without even glancing back at her brother, Cheon Hye-in walked right out.
She was like a literal hurricane of a woman.
"...Are you alright?"
I approached Cheon Ui-jin and asked, which finally snapped him out of his daze.
"...Young Master Bang, I am so sorry."
"No, it's fine... You don't need to apologize."
If anyone should be apologizing, it was that crazy bitch, not Cheon Ui-jin.
'Both the father and the sister are so cold.'
Both Wolseongeom and Cheon Hye-in seemed to look down on Cheon Ui-jin.
Was he adopted? The thought crossed my mind for a second, but...
'Though that would be ridiculous.'
Considering how much the three of them looked alike, they were definitely related by blood.
There was clearly some deep-seated issue here...
After noting that, I asked Cheon Ui-jin.
"Was that crazy... I mean, was that lady your older sister, Young Master Cheon?"
"...Yes, she is."
I already knew, but I asked anyway to confirm something.
'He's terrified.'
Cheon Ui-jin showed clear signs of anxiety the moment his sister was mentioned, and I wanted to verify that reaction.
'Anxiety... or more accurately, fear?'
A younger brother fearing his older sister. I suppose it was somewhat similar to how I feared the wild beast I called my older sister back home, but...
'The vibe is completely different.'
This was raw, genuine terror. It went far beyond a simple sibling rivalry.
There was definitely a major problem here, but...
'I don't really care.'
Honestly, digging into their family drama sounded like too much work.
It was enough just to be aware of it.
The important thing here was...
'She's keeping an eye on me.'
That terrifying woman was paying attention to me.
'Tsk.'
The greatest genius in the history of Cheongwol Gate.
And the leading candidate in the ongoing competition to become the next sect leader.
That background alone was troublesome enough. But the biggest problem was...
'Cheon Hye-in is...'
...far more sinister than I had anticipated.
And in the worst way possible.
A day passed just like that.
My body had been so exhausted that I collapsed onto the bed and slept off all my fatigue.
The room was warm, and the bed was soft.
This was why one needed to succeed in life. Only then could you enjoy this kind of comfort forever.
Having spent the last few days cramped inside a carriage, the contrast was even more striking.
After eating my fill and indulging in some rare laziness, I waited.
Around noon, I tidied myself up and headed out.
"Did you rest well last night?"
"Thanks to your hospitality, yes."
I was at the quarters of Wolseongeom Cheon Seong-hwa, whom I had met just yesterday.
"I am glad to hear it was to your liking."
"Thank you for your consideration."
His expression and tone were identical to yesterday's. Yet, looking at him, I couldn't help but tense up inside.
People with such placid faces were usually the ones who slipped daggers into their words without batting an eye.
"I hear you met my daughter yesterday."
True to form, he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
"Ah, yes. I did."
"How was she?"
"Well... she was certainly a unique person."
I wrapped my words in as much sugarcoating as possible.
No matter how crazy she was, I couldn't exactly call her a rabid bitch right in front of her father.
"Unique... I see."
Upon hearing my reply, Wolseongeom simply nodded once. That was the end of his questions regarding Cheon Hye-in.
'Well, that was simple.'
Even if he had pressed further, there wasn't much I could have said anyway.
The only things I had gathered from that brief encounter were...
'Cheon Hye-in is out of her mind, and Cheon Ui-jin has some history.'
...just about that.
And neither of those were topics I could bring up to Wolseongeom.
Especially not in this setting.
'There are so many of them.'
There were several other people seated in the room besides Wolseongeom.
Most of them were unfamiliar faces.
There were both elders and middle-aged men. What caught my attention was that all the elders possessed blue eyes.
"The reason I have summoned you here, Young Master Bang, is simple."
Just as I was quietly observing everyone, Wolseongeom spoke up.
"While we are grateful that you returned our sect's treasure..."
"Yes."
"...even taking that into account, there is something we must verify."
I quieted my breathing at his words.
I already knew what he was going to ask.
"Looking at the cultivation method in your body and the eyes you possess, it is clear you are connected to our sect... but that alone is not quite enough."
I suppressed the tension rising to my throat and braced myself.
"Therefore, I must ask."
This was it.
"How did you come to inherit his legacy? We would like you to tell us."
It was time to spit out the absolute nonsense the old man and I had spent days preparing.