A Storm in the Making
"How was he?"
The night had begun to deepen. Sitting on the wooden veranda of his quarters, Wolseongeom spoke.
The one listening was, naturally, his bodyguard and the leader of the Sowol Squadron, the Sowol Leader.
"To what are you referring, Moonmaster?"
At the Sowol Leader's reply, Wolseongeom let out a soft chuckle.
It was so faint that one might have missed it entirely if they were not paying close attention.
"That is unlike you. You already know the answer, do you not?"
"..."
The Sowol Leader remained silent. The Moonmaster was right.
In truth, the Sowol Leader knew exactly what Wolseongeom was asking.
He simply did not wish to answer.
"Are you speaking of Young Master Bang?"
Wolseongeom was asking about the Blue Moon Sword Dance demonstration that afternoon, and about Bang Seong-yeon, whom they had observed.
"How did you see him?"
Wolseongeom asked without hesitation, and the Sowol Leader fell silent for a moment.
He pondered how to respond, but in the end, only one answer came to mind.
"...He possesses extraordinary talent."
The Sowol Leader admitted it. The boy possessed something far greater than he had anticipated.
And this was something Wolseongeom acknowledged as well.
How could he not?
"Since he is said to be eighteen, he must be the youngest in the history of Cheongwol Gate."
"...Yes."
The former Moonmaster, Yoo Chun-gil, was twenty-three.
Cheon Hye-in, who until recently had been called the youngest, had successfully joined the Sowol Squadron at twenty.
Bang Seong-yeon, joining at eighteen, was indeed the youngest ever.
Moreover...
"He even claimed victory in the Blue Moon Sword Dance. In a way, it is an achievement even more impressive than the Old Master's."
Considering that Yoo Chun-gil had defeated a Sowol member to rise at twenty-three, Bang Seong-yeon could be seen as superior.
Especially since his opponent was not some raw recruit, but an active elite.
However, there was one thing that bothered the Sowol Leader.
"...However, had his opponent been Do-hyeong instead of Seom Seong-gyeong, the outcome might have been different."
He believed that if Seong-yeon had faced Do-hyeong, the true youngest member of the squad, the tables might have turned.
Do-hyeong was a special existence even among the current Sowol members.
Hearing this, Wolseongeom chuckled.
"Sowol Leader."
"Yes, Moonmaster."
"Even if that were the case, are you certain the result would have been different?"
"..."
The Sowol Leader did not answer. Seeing this, Wolseongeom took a sip of his tea and added,
"At least, I cannot be so sure."
"...Moonmaster."
"The sword he displayed holds that much value. You cannot deny this either, can you?"
"..."
The Sowol Leader ultimately kept his mouth shut.
At the same time, he recalled the sword Seong-yeon had wielded.
The vertical strike brought down upon Seom Seong-gyeong.
Night Moon.
The second form of the Blue Moon Sword Dance, a technique depicting the moon rising over the night.
A strike infused with one's soul carried such an overwhelming presence that it obscured the opponent's vision.
It was said that the opponent would feel as if the night itself had collapsed upon them.
And the blade approaching through that darkness was like a crescent moon.
Thus, it was named Night Moon.
"It was, without a doubt, a sword perfect enough to reach his level."
"...Moonmaster. That is going too..."
"Do you think otherwise?"
"Young Master Bang's sword was indeed remarkable, but even so, I do not believe he can be compared to the Old Master."
He was talking about the Sword Saint, of all people.
How could a youth not even twenty be compared to the one who saved the world and became the very symbol of Cheongwol Gate?
Even if he is indeed the Old Master's successor.
The Sowol Leader could not accept that.
He absolutely refused to accept it, yet...
...that sword.
He had to admit that the Night Moon Seong-yeon displayed was an extraordinary sword.
And the same went for the words he had spoken.
'Ponder deeply and pursue what kind of moon you will unfold.'
It was a phrase the Sword Saint had repeated until his breath ran dry during his lifetime.
Pursue the moon when they were already busy enough learning and refining their swordsmanship?
The disciples had often agonized over it, unable to comprehend its meaning.
But now, I know.
Barely. Only barely.
Only after reaching this height and raising his realm did he begin to understand the Old Master's words.
...Yet he seemed to know it already.
Bang Seong-yeon already seemed to grasp the essence of those words.
Otherwise, he could never have executed such a strike.
Truly, a terrifying talent.
It was a mystery how someone with such talent had remained a second-rate martial artist.
But seeing him in person made it clear.
The rumor of him defeating the Young Azure Sword was no exaggeration.
Regardless of his cultivation realm, the sheer presence Seong-yeon displayed made his victory over the Young Azure Sword entirely plausible.
It would have been different had he faced his older brother instead of the Young Azure Sword, but he is outstanding nonetheless.
Such was the sword Bang Seong-yeon had shown.
And because of that...
"He is dangerous."
The Sowol Leader was all the more wary of Bang Seong-yeon.
"Hmm?"
At his words, Wolseongeom wore a peculiar expression.
It was a silent pressure demanding further explanation.
"Not only is he aware of his own talent, but his confidence in his own strength surpasses anyone else's."
I am right, and you all are wrong. The attitude Seong-yeon displayed during the duel left exactly that impression.
"To call it arrogance would ignore the fact that he has the skill to back it up. But with talent of that caliber, he is bound to become the eye of a storm."
The world craved and yearned for geniuses. After the Sword Saint passed away, who would ascend to the vacant throne of the World's Greatest?
Furthermore...
Does a genius rivaling Yoo Chun-gil truly exist?
That was the question currently drawing everyone's attention.
The very title of the Seven Great Talents had been born from such expectations.
In such a situation, the emergence of the Sword Saint's successor, Bang Seong-yeon...
"The Nine Sects and One Gang, as well as the Five Great Clans, will make their moves."
"..."
The Sowol Leader silently agreed with Wolseongeom's words.
They would move, one way or another.
No, perhaps they were already in motion.
Which meant...
"Those factions are notoriously slow to act, yet Bang Seong-yeon is outstanding enough to stir them."
"Moonmaster..."
"You said it yourself. Arrogance without qualification is poison, but his pride is merely a reflection of his capability."
"Do you truly intend to embrace Young Master Bang?"
"Embrace him?"
Haha.
Wolseongeom burst into a dry laugh.
"He has already joined the Sowol Squadron. Moreover, did he not declare with his own mouth that he would take the position of Young Moonmaster?"
"But..."
"I am curious about you right now."
Wolseongeom's blue eyes turned toward the Sowol Leader. Under the gaze of those eyes that seemed to hold the moon, the Sowol Leader was forced to lower his gaze.
"What reason does the current Cheongwol Gate have to reject Bang Seong-yeon?"
"..."
"The eye of the storm? Since when did we fear such things? Or do you think his ambition for the position of Young Moonmaster is wrong? Surely not."
Wolseongeom smiled. The meaning behind that smile was far from warm, forcing the Sowol Leader to swallow a groan.
"If he has the qualification, he will take it. If he does not, it will simply be taken from him."
No matter how brilliant his talent, or even if he were of his own blood, it mattered not.
It would be handed to the one who was more worthy.
Wolseongeom spoke as if issuing a warning.
"I respect your reservations about him, but since he is now your subordinate, I expect you to observe him rationally. This is not a request."
"...I will keep that in mind."
At the chilling, heavy tone, the Sowol Leader barely managed to nod.
Looking at Wolseongeom's expression, he was certain.
It is too late.
Bang Seong-yeon had already caught the Moonmaster's eye.
There was no point in saying anything more.
Besides...
...nothing the Moonmaster said was wrong.
Even if Bang Seong-yeon was a dangerous entity, there was no reason for Cheongwol Gate to reject him.
The Sowol Leader's distrust of him was ultimately born of his own stubbornness.
...Even so.
The Sowol Leader was willing to concede many things, but there was one thing he would never accept, even in death.
He cannot be compared to the Old Master.
He would never place him on the same level as the Sword Saint.
This conviction would remain unchanged until his dying breath.
Just as the Sowol Leader made this vow to himself...
"What of the task I ordered?"
At Wolseongeom's question, the Sowol Leader's eyes widened.
"I actually just received word. I have compiled the information you requested, Moonmaster."
He had momentarily forgotten about it while discussing Bang Seong-yeon.
The Sowol Leader hurriedly pulled something from his breast pocket.
It was a few letters.
"These are letters containing information on the Yoryeong Bang family, along with some more detailed reports, but..."
The Sowol Leader trailed off as he handed them to Wolseongeom.
"...there was something rather peculiar written in them."
"Peculiar?"
Wolseongeom took the letters and immediately unfolded them.
As he slowly read through the contents...
"...Hmm?"
His eyes widened slightly at a certain passage.
"There seemed to be nothing suspicious regarding the Bang Family Head or his older brother, but the issue is..."
The Sowol Leader spoke, watching Wolseongeom's widening eyes.
"...regarding his sister."
* * *
"...This is driving me crazy."
I muttered, staring up at the high-riding moon.
"Absolutely out of my mind."
As I repeated the words with a shudder, the ghost beside me reacted.
[Why do you keep muttering so noisily? Just go to sleep already instead of being a nuisance.]
Glaring at the clicking tongue of the ghost, I snapped back.
"Whose fault do you think this is? And what? A nuisance? Why does it bother you when you don't even sleep anyway? You're not even human."
[What...? You little!]
Yoo Chun-gil flared up, his face contorting, but I wasn't going to back down this time.
"If you've caused a mess, please at least keep your mouth shut."
[A mess? Like hell it was! I went through all the trouble of taking over your body and resolving the matter, and now you tell me to shut my mouth?]
"How is that resolving it? You just cleaned up your own mess."
And he had made such a massive mess that no matter how much I cleaned, there seemed to be no end to it.
The real problem is that just when I think I've finally cleaned it up, another one pops out.
I grit my teeth and clear one, only for an even bigger disaster to strike.
At this rate, I might as well just die.
"Seriously, what were you thinking?"
I clutched my head. I felt like I was going to pull all my hair out, but I had to vent somehow.
[I mean, you got to eat something incredibly good, so why are you throwing such a fit?]
"...Good, my foot. If they find out, I'm completely finished."
The reason I was thrashing about like this right after the Blue Moon Sword Dance ended was simple.
"Why did you have to steal the pill meant for the next Moonmaster...!"
The Blue Moon Pill that Wolseongeom was supposed to consume. The problem was that I had greedily swallowed it down.
And on top of that...
"What do you mean it can't be made anymore? That's insane."
He said the one I ate was the very last Blue Moon Pill.
Even if it was possible in the past, it was no longer possible to manufacture now.
And the reason for that was...
"You're the only one who knows the recipe...? Why? Just why?!"
The problem was that only this ghost knew the recipe for the Blue Moon Pill.
Hearing my words, the ghost—no, Yoo Chun-gil—picked his nose and spoke.
[The recipe for the Blue Moon Pill is originally passed down only to the Moonmaster.]
"But the current Moonmaster, Wolseongeom, doesn't know it."
[Well, of course he doesn't.]
Yoo Chun-gil flicked away a booger and added,
[Because I died before I could teach him. Hehehe.]
"..."
I rubbed my face repeatedly at his words.
This was absolute madness.
You're proud of that, aren't you?
Why was he cackling like it was the funniest thing in the world? I was practically dying of anxiety here.
What happens if I get caught?
I didn't know the details, but it would definitely be a massive pain.
Should I say I found it in that damn cave again? That excuse usually worked best.
Well, as long as I don't get caught...
Keeping my mouth shut and staying quiet was the best course of action.
Just as he said, if I didn't get caught, it wouldn't matter.
It was just that if I did get caught, things would get extremely ugly.
"...Sigh."
With a deep sigh, I lay back.
"Ah, my life."
How did I end up like this?
After my life was saved by a ghost, I woke up to find myself not only admitted into Cheongwol Gate but even placed in the Sowol Squadron.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, and while others might look at it as a stroke of good fortune...
It feels like walking on thin ice.
A position obtained without proper qualification was always unstable and exhausting.
The constant fear of being exposed gave me a splitting headache.
...What do I do starting tomorrow?
Even if I survived today, how would I survive tomorrow?
No ideas came to mind.
I did obtain these incredible eyes, but...
Eyes that could foresee the opponent's sword path.
I didn't know the exact mechanism behind it, but it was indeed an immense power.
If only I could control it properly.
"...Tsk."
The problem was that I could barely even take care of myself.
It's great that I joined the Sowol Squadron, but...
One slip-up, and I'd be exposed.
Then everything I had built up would crumble in an instant. If only to prevent that...
I need to get stronger, even if just a little.
I had to build up my strength.
Only then could I establish a firmer justification and avoid falling into situations like the one earlier.
The Moon Dance Beauty.
I clenched my fists as I pictured Cheon Hye-in's face.
That crazy bitch.
She had been toeing the line, but this time she crossed it completely.
Damn it.
I had managed to get through it somehow with Yoo Chun-gil's help, but it looked like she would keep acting like this in the future.
What should I do?
How should I move when that time comes?
I tried to ponder it, but at that moment, exhaustion washed over me.
My body was thoroughly drained from the aftermath of the possession.
Perhaps because I was lying in bed in such a state, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
...I need to sleep first.
Forget plans, I need to sleep right now. I'll think about the rest when I wake up.
Besides, any plan I made would be flimsy without the most crucial element.
What did I need for my plan right now?
As I said earlier...
I need strength.
Even if it isn't overwhelming power, I need at least a decent amount.
But how do I acquire it?
Is there some way to get strong in a short period of time?
If such a method existed, I would have used it long ago.
Unfortunately, I knew of no such shortcut.
Seriously, life is so damn hard.
I don't know why both my past life and my current one have to be this difficult.
Absolutely nothing goes my way.
With those thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.
And the moment I opened my eyes...
"Where on earth am I now...?"
I was standing in an unfamiliar, pure white space.