Even Dragons Are Equal Before the Head (4)
Jegal Sua returned to the spectator seats, back to her usual self. Her neatly unbound hair was now tied back tightly into a single ponytail. The makeup on her face had been wiped clean, and she wore simple, lightweight training clothes. She hadn't forgotten the red headband on her forehead either.
"Did you say a proper goodbye to the youngest young master?"
Ilhyang asked the moment she sat down.
Jegal Sua gave an awkward smile and replied, "Y-yeah."
She wasn't sure whether to say she'd greeted Namgung Daeso properly or not, given what had just happened between them.
Jegal Sua reached up and fiddled with her hair. Then she recalled the scene from moments ago.
—I, I think I should go now.
She'd said it without ever looking up at his face.
—Alright.
The instant she heard his reply, she'd bolted out the door. After that, her mind had gone completely blank.
She wished someone would just smash her in the head and make it all clear.
'Haa...'
Letting out a sigh, Jegal Sua simply let her gaze drift toward the arena.
Ihyang and Samhyang watched her carefully, seeing how she was focused solely on the matches, and spoke up cautiously.
"He's a good guy, right?"
"You heading back to the Jegal family?"
At first, they'd pushed her pretty hard to stay with the Namgung Clan, but they'd left the final decision to her. Because they believed that was the right thing to do.
"Well..."
That's why Jegal Sua had gone to see Namgung Daeso herself—to ask him about it. And to thank him while she was at it.
But in the end, she hadn't been able to ask the most important question.
Jegal Sua still hadn't made up her mind.
Then came the quiet continuation of her earlier words, in a voice so soft it might slip by if you weren't listening closely.
"I think I'll stick around a little longer..."
At her answer, Ilhyang and the others just gave her bright smiles without saying a word.
To outsiders, Jegal Sua's behavior might have looked shy and lacking confidence.
But Ilhyang, who was the most confident person in the Central Plains when it came to medicine, said,
"If you're feeling sick anywhere, don't hold back—tell me."
They already knew exactly how she'd been treated back home.
Samhyang, who had enough money to feed three generations without worry, added,
"If you're short on cash, just say the word anytime. The young master’s great and all, but he's a bit of a tightwad."
What she'd just said could be called a tiny spark of courage.
"If you find something you want to do, let us know."
With those words from Ihyang—the Namgung Clan's chief strategist—the three fell silent. They simply waited patiently for Jegal Sua's next words.
She was still a tiny chick, fluffy with downy feathers. It had wings, but it couldn't fly. No one had taught it how.
"Yeah..."
The chick took its first step out of the nest on its own.
Ilhyang and the others smiled brightly once more.
And this was something Jegal Sua didn't know.
'Looks like the young master gave her a good whack on the head, huh?'
'Yup. Look how deflated she is.'
'Let's pretend we don't notice.'
'Yeah!'
They beamed at Jegal Sua every time their eyes met.
'Eyes met again.'
'Smile! Hehe!'
'Smile! Hehe!'
'Smile! Hehe!'
* * *
Meanwhile.
"Who the hell was that woman just now? There are as many weirdos in the world as there are stars in the sky."
I shook my head at the exit from the waiting room and started walking. There was still one unresolved matter.
Yu-han stepped in front of Jaming once more.
"I'll return these."
In his hand were the Jaso Pills that Jaming had given him earlier.
"Tsk tsk, what a waste."
After shooting her master a glare, Yu-han turned politely to Hae-mu, the great elder of the Hwasan Sect.
Hae-mu eyed Yu-han's actions with puzzlement.
"Why?"
"Because they're not mine. They belong to Hwasan, don't they?"
"That's true, but why give them back?"
"That's why—they belong to Hwasan..."
"Jaso Pills are the sect's supreme elixir, granted only to the sect leader."
"Yes, I know."
Which was exactly why he had no reason to accept them.
"I'll return them. I'm no longer a disciple of Hwasan."
At that moment, Hae-mu and the others looked troubled instead.
That was the very reason they'd rushed here in the first place.
Honestly, they hadn't even known the Jaso Pills were missing—four of them, no less.
They'd been quite shocked when they first saw them in Yu-han's hand.
Hae-mu's gaze shifted to Jaming.
She was the only one bold enough to pull off something like this so casually in Hwasan.
Not that the culprit seemed to realize what a massive crime she'd committed.
Stealing the sect's sacred treasure, a Jaso Pill, was a grave offense. Even for the sect leader, there'd be punishment—severe, but inevitable.
As gazes naturally turned her way, Jaming spoke up.
"Great Elder, I have something to discuss with you."
Yu-han tried to stop her master, unsure what new mess she'd cause this time.
But she couldn't.
The look in Jaming's eyes as she met her gaze was subtly clear and deep—nothing like the usual drunken haze.
She shows her true spirit in the dumbest places. Then and now.
With a sigh, Yu-han stepped back.
Jaming stood before Hae-mu.
"I thought things between us were settled, but was that just my illusion? Or are four Jaso Pills really that precious?"
Yu-han nearly nodded. They were Jaso Pills, after all.
But Hae-mu's unexpected reply came.
"No, they're not."
Yu-han, who had expected him to lament the loss, widened her eyes in surprise.
Jaming was equally shocked; she'd half-expected him to make a fuss. She didn't show it, though.
Before the Sawangjeon began, Jaming had made a promise: if Yu-han didn't perform well, she'd step down as sect leader. Specifically, she had to reach at least the semifinals.
But Yu-han had been eliminated in the first round.
"Then step aside. There's no reason for this old man to stay in Hwasan any longer."
Hae-mu's eyes slowly turned to Jaming.
The Jaming he knew had always seemed deflated, lacking confidence.
'She's changed.'
But.
'Maybe this is her true self.'
Thinking back, even as sect leader, Jaming had never truly dominated the disciples.
Yet everyone had followed her without complaint.
Even in unavoidable circumstances, holding the position of leader in one of the Nine Great Sects required real qualifications.
Hae-mu frowned. He didn't like the current situation.
Things had gone exactly as he'd hoped: Yu-han eliminated in round one, and now he'd soon become Hwasan Sect leader.
He should be the happiest person here.
Yet...
Why had he blocked Jaming's path?
"You cannot leave."
Yeah. He knew the answer without asking.
If he hadn't seen it, maybe. But he had.
Yu-han versus Namgung Daeso in the first round of the Sawangjeon proper matches.
After that, his heart had started pounding again.
Plum blossoms blooming enough to blanket the sky. Purple energy surging upward.
How could any Hwasan disciple's heart not race at that sight!
"My heart raced."
He hated admitting it. Even now.
Hated saying it out loud.
But he had no choice.
He just wanted to see it again.
Those plum blossoms.
"Please lead us once more as Hwasan's sect leader."
Hae-mu bowed his head. The elders behind him felt the same and bowed as well.
Yu-han's eyes trembled at the sight.
Jaming's eyes, meanwhile, remained calm.
Still bowed, Hae-mu continued.
"If you wish it, I will leave Hwasan."
"Great Elder!"
"How can you decide..."
The elders who'd bowed shot their heads up in shock. But they couldn't finish their words.
Hae-mu was still bowed.
He meant it.
At that moment, Jaming spoke.
"Everyone in Hwasan knows you care for the sect more than anyone."
Everything Hae-mu had done stemmed from love for Hwasan.
Because it was all genuine, the sect had trusted and followed him.
"And you're bowing to the wrong person. I have no right to your answer. I'm no longer Hwasan's sect leader."
Jaming looked back at Yu-han.
Yu-han met her master's gaze with confusion.
Jaming smiled kindly and continued.
"You probably came here for Yu-han, not me. Isn't that right?"
No reply came, but in this situation, silence was affirmation.
"So I'll leave the answer to my disciple. That alright?"
"M-Master!"
Yu-han cried out in surprise.
Hae-mu remained bowed, silent—another affirmation.
"No need to be so shocked. It's just like the beginning."
Jaming looked straight into her startled disciple's eyes without flinching this time.
Out of her own greed, the child had gripped a sword and shed tears.
Why hadn't she seen it properly then?
No—she'd deliberately looked away.
The child had probably screamed it silently all along, even if not in words.
Spotting that was an adult's role, but what kind of master was she? A total quack.
"Whatever you decide, this master will be with you."
If Yu-han wanted to leave Hwasan, she would too.
"So choose what you want, purely."
Jaming now fully turned her back on Hae-mu, facing only Yu-han.
"No need to mind others."
Adults don't force. They don't even point the way when a child wants to move forward.
"You can be even greedier than now. Even if that path fails, I'll be with you. This time, we'll endure it together."
That's what family is.
Adults wait for the child to walk on their own—and stay by their side. Sometimes giving a gentle push when they hesitate.
She hadn't done something so simple until now.
"I, I..."
I was hiding behind the waiting room wall.
I'd planned to jump out if the Hwasan elders showed up aggressively.
That cautious peek had turned me into a lurking rat.
'I was gonna intervene if they got pushy.'
Everyone had lifted their heads now—except one still bowed.
'That's Hwasan's great elder.'
Before regression, he'd taken the sect leader position after Jaming died.
Not a low seat by any means, but for such a man to bow like that? No easy feat.
'Huh. Hwasan ain't half bad.'
I leaned against the wall, waiting for Yu-han's answer.
If she chose to leave and they tried to stop her, that's when I'd step in.
Finally, Yu-han spoke.
"I like Hwasan."
It hadn't always been bad with her seniors.
Things soured once she started training and outdid them.
At first, she just hated them blindly. But during her solitary confinement, she'd realized their attitude was natural.
She'd always regretted not facing them properly back then—maybe the future would've been different.
Yeah, the beginning might've been out of her control.
But the moment she gripped the sword and bloomed plum blossoms, something became her second favorite in the world after her master: Hwasan.
She just loved it. Swinging the sword all day. Imagining the plum blossoms at its end.
Loved that it was the Hwasan sword her master cherished.
Now...
'What I want most.'
Her heart was filled with the desire to bloom plum blossoms that wouldn't yield even to Namgung Daeso's terrifying single strike.
Frankly, gains and losses like that didn't matter now—unlike in her past life.
She just wanted to bloom them.
"I'll bloom the plum blossoms."
What she wanted most right now.
Greed!
"Plum blossoms that never lose."
Her master had suggested leaving Hwasan.
Probably not her true feelings.
And Yu-han still had so much Hwasan swordsmanship she wanted to learn.
"I'll stay in Hwasan Sect."
Yu-han made her choice.
Hae-mu slowly raised his head.
And his first words were:
"Uh... not the best time to bring this up, but about earlier. Those plum blossoms in the first round—can you tell me how you did it?"
Yu-han grinned and replied,
"Watch and see."
I turned back the way I'd come.
'Kuh~~! Sword ghost is sword ghost, alright.'
Cuts ties clean as a blade.
At that moment!
Shwaaaaa!
An enormous surge of energy exploded from the arena direction.
'This energy!'
I hurried toward the arena.
It was Third Brother's aura.