Journey to Mount Hua
In the inner quarters of the Ju Family estate, at Ju Sang-ah's residence.
Ju Sang-ah recovered her strength in no time.
After the incident the other day, her expression had changed as well.
A faint smile now lingered on the face that had always radiated nothing but coldness.
With her heart at ease, the change showed outwardly right away.
That day, she had seen her father Ju Tae-sung's true feelings.
Ju Sang-ah found even more courage and opened up to him completely.
She asked if he hated her. If he disliked her.
If he had truly meant to cast her out.
At those words, Ju Tae-sung seemed so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.
He was the head of the family.
As the family head, he had to take responsibility for his actions and pay the price.
That rule applied even to his own blood.
Ju Tae-sung regretted it deeply.
It wasn't out of hatred.
It was simply because he had no room left in his heart.
His wife had collapsed, with no sign of recovery in sight.
While his own heart burned with anguish, the children born to Namgung I-hwa—the woman he had married without affection—kept catching his eye.
Because he disliked the wife, he gradually grew irritated by her children as well.
That was why.
He had carelessly spat out those harsh words.
Back then, there were even moments when he wished they would simply disappear.
Because they felt more like members of the Namgung Family than the Ju Family.
But to think that Ju Sang-ah had been so deeply wounded by it.
Ju Woo-jin.
Ju Sang-ah.
Perhaps the others as well.
Ju Tae-sung reflected on his actions with deep remorse.
Ju Tae-sung's voice trembled. The man who commanded the world had shrunk before his daughter.
A rough hand wrapped around Ju Sang-ah's shoulder.
Only then did Ju Sang-ah burst into the tears she had been holding back.
Because that touch was so incredibly warm.
He was the kind of man who could lower his head and admit his wrongs even to his own children.
The sight of the world's Sword Sovereign bowing his head and truly repenting melted Ju Sang-ah's heart in an instant.
He still couldn't embrace her warmly or speak to her affectionately.
But they could take it one small step at a time.
Just as they always had.
Ju Sang-ah made that resolution to herself every single day.
Did you sleep well?
I came to Ju Sang-ah's residence.
After the recent events, the number of guards protecting her quarters had increased even further.
I had been worried about her condition, but her expression suggested she was fine.
"......"
She gave a light nod in response to my question.
"How's your body?"
"Don't worry. I wasn't injured that badly."
Ju Sang-ah was spirited.
Even though she had nearly died at the hands of those demons, she looked completely unbothered.
The women of our family are all tough as nails.
I wanted to exchange a few more words, but she was so quiet by nature that a long conversation was difficult.
"I see."
I nodded and turned to leave.
At that moment, Ju Sang-ah stopped me.
"You're leaving already?"
"Yeah. I just came to check on your face and see if you were okay."
At my words, Ju Sang-ah hesitated for a moment before nodding.
It looked like she had something to say.
"Why? Do you have something to tell me?"
"No, um... I just wanted to say thank you."
She was referring to when she had been kidnapped by the demons.
"I didn't really do anything."
In truth, there was almost nothing I had done.
Once the family head drew his sword, there was nothing left for me to handle.
With those words, I waved my hand and left the place.
Since I had seen that she was doing well, that was enough.
The next place I headed was Insujeon.
To resolve the plague that would strike the Mount Hua Sect, the person who was truly needed most was none other than Yakseon.
In my previous life, after his granddaughter died, he had spent the rest of his days traveling across the country treating the injured and the sick.
Unlike acupuncturists who required a great deal of time and effort, pharmacists could produce medicine in an instant as long as they had the ingredients.
In other words, among the Two Sages of the World, Yakseon was far more effective when it came to plagues.
"Hmm? What brings you here?"
Yakseon was in the middle of inspecting ingredients in the medicine storage of Insujeon.
"Are you busy?"
"I am busy. To think that even in the Ju Family, which I thought had some leisure, things would be this hectic. Tsk tsk."
I let out a small chuckle at Yakseon's words.
In reality, Insujeon within the Ju Family was far busier than those of other families or sects.
The reason was simple: the Ju Family stood on the border of the Black Path and carried out dangerous missions every single day.
The situation at the Zhushan Archipelago was even worse.
With injured people pouring in daily, Yakseon could never truly rest easy.
"How is your granddaughter?"
"Heh heh, she's finally conscious enough to walk around a bit. Once she's recovered a little more, I'll introduce her to you."
"That sounds good."
At my answer, Yakseon stared at me intently.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Didn't you come here because you had something to say?"
"Ah, that's right."
I nodded.
"Would you come with me somewhere?"
"Huh? Where?"
"Mount Hua."
"Mount Hua? You don't mean the one in Shaanxi, do you?"
"Yes."
At my words, Yakseon immediately frowned.
"Why? There's no way you'd suddenly decide to go to Mount Hua out of boredom."
"I have some business with the Mount Hua Sect."
If I told him that a plague was about to break out and that I needed to borrow the elder's skills, he would definitely treat me like a madman.
"Business with the Mount Hua Sect? Well, since it's a matter concerning the family, I suppose I shouldn't pry too deeply."
"A plague will spread in Mount Hua. Actually, it may already be spreading even now."
"A plague?"
"It's not a simple illness. Whether it's poison or a plague... I'm not even sure if even the world's Yakseon could cure it..."
Yakseon's eyes flashed.
"You dare doubt my medical arts? Let's go right now. There is nothing in this world that I cannot cure."
Enticing the extremely prideful and curious Yakseon was as easy as eating cold porridge.
In truth, I didn't know the exact time when the plague would break out in Mount Hua.
I only knew that it would be around this time.
Even so, there was only one reason I wanted to go there.
The elite force of the Demon Cult that had infiltrated the Mount Hua Sect.
They would sweep away the weakened Mount Hua Sect in one fell swoop and seize control of it in the blink of an eye.
I planned to find them, cut them all down, and completely thwart their scheme.
Of course, since they had already infiltrated the sect, I would have to handle the matter with extreme caution.
I immediately began packing my travel bag.
Since it would be a long journey, it was only right to bring plenty of travel funds.
After gathering my things, I headed straight for Geomhonjeon.
It was to report to the family head.
"I was just about to call for you."
As soon as I entered Geomhonjeon, my father approached me.
A heavy aura swept over me, piercing through my entire body.
It seemed he checked on my condition like this every single day.
"Me?"
"Yes. It seems everyone at the Dragon Phoenix Conference has been talking about you."
Though it didn't show on his face, for some reason my father's voice was different from usual.
How should I put it?
Softer, perhaps?
Of course, the difference was so subtle that one wouldn't notice unless paying close attention.
"They say you crushed the Namgung child and made the Peng Family's daughter faint with a single strike?"
"Ah..."
So that was it.
"And on top of that, you even received the sword of Mount Hua..."
The corner of Ju Tae-sung's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
The sword of the Ju Family had once again shaken the world by toppling both a sword clan and a sword sect.
How could he not be proud?
The worthless scoundrel who had done nothing but drink and chase women every day had now brought the children of prestigious martial families to their knees.
Moreover...
"Mount Hua has officially invited you."
"......"
Huh?
What a coincidence.
"They invited me? The Mount Hua Sect itself?"
"Yes. The sect leader says he wants to see you in person."
Ah, I could understand the reason.
It seemed Byeok Gong, who had stayed with me until the end, had delivered a message to the sect leader.
"What an incredible coincidence."
"Hm, so you were planning to go to Mount Hua anyway?"
"Yes."
"The reason is those bastards, I assume?"
I nodded at my father's words.
"Will you be alright on your own?"
"There won't be any problems."
"I see."
My father's reply was short.
He nodded and turned away.
"Shaanxi is firmly within Mount Hua's territory. We cannot station Ju Family warriors there without permission."
"Yes, I understand."
No matter how much they were both part of the Righteous Path, encroaching on each other's territory was extremely dangerous.
After all, warriors were still human. A single mistake could easily lead to bloodshed.
"Furthermore, if any issues arise, it could escalate into a major conflict between our family and the sect."
"Understood."
I felt a slight tension.
However, contrary to my worries, my father patted my shoulder once and nodded.
"If it looks like things are getting out of hand, don't hesitate to fire a signal flare."
"Yes...? A signal flare?"
Did that mean he would have people waiting nearby?
After saying that, my father turned his back.
He then sat down at his desk and immediately focused on the piled-up work as if nothing had happened.
Seeing that, I couldn't ask any more questions.
We set out immediately.
A carriage was prepared at once, and Yakseon, Muyoung, and I climbed aboard.
"It's been a while."
I greeted the coachman warmly.
He was the man who had formed a connection with me back at Kunlun Mountain and had since become the family's exclusive coachman.
His skill with the horses was so outstanding that he was apparently swamped with work these days.
"Yes, Young Master. I will take you there safely."
Even so, his ever-present smile put people at ease.
We had just boarded the carriage and arrived near the main gate when it happened.
"Stop."
A figure stood with one hand resting on her waist, stopping the carriage as if she had been waiting.
"Huh?"
It was Ju Seung-gyeong.
She approached me with a smile.
"Where are you going?"
"Well... why?"
This was ominous.
She was carrying a travel bag just like me.
"You're going to Mount Hua, right?"
"......"
How on earth did she find out?
"Let's go together."
My ominous premonition had become reality.
"What are you going to do there, Sister?"
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I get to witness the swords of Mount Hua."
Was Mount Hua just any ordinary sword sect?
One of the Three Great Sword Sects of the Central Plains, Mount Hua was even more renowned than the Namgung Family when it came to swordsmanship.
"Hmm."
Having one more person join the group wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Then, from the corner, Mong Yeo-rin lifted her head.
"I'm coming too. I can't stand living with a debt hanging over me."
"Debt...?"
"You saved me, remember? That's the debt I'm talking about."
Her eyes were sincere.
It was a declaration that she would join not as baggage, but as a comrade.
I pressed a hand to my forehead.
Mong Yeo-rin could not come.
This woman was essentially a walking explosive.
There was no telling when, how, or where the Blood Cult might strike. This was ridiculous...
"I already received Father's permission."
"......"
Ah, from Father?
I instantly understood why he had told me to fire a signal flare without hesitation if things got dangerous.
He had already known where I was going.
"Sigh, seriously..."
What could I do?
I had no choice but to accept it as fate.
Perhaps Father was even using Mong Yeo-rin as bait to draw out the Blood Cult.
If it was him, he was more than capable of such a thing.
In the end, I had no choice but to let the two of them into the carriage.
What had started as a party of three had suddenly grown to five.
"...Let's go."
The wheels of the carriage began to roll slowly toward the Mount Hua Sect in Shaanxi—one of the Three Great Sword Sects of the Central Plains.