Deep into the night, Baek Cheongyeong was crossing through the forest.
Illuminating the pitch-black darkness were fireflies. They circled around him, guiding his way.
Whenever he passed, trees and grass moved of their own accord to create a path. A path formed where no one would have imagined one could exist. Once he passed, the grass and trees returned to their original state.
How long had he walked like that?
Baek Cheongyeong stopped deep within the forest.
Ssssssh.
Though the wind did not blow, the grass swayed and the branches stirred.
Then, figures revealed themselves between the bushes. Their clothes, and even their skin, seemed one with the forest.
A man walked out from among them. This man, who felt like a slender blade of grass swaying in the wind, was named Cao Lin. He was Baek Cheongyeong's true disciple. Or rather, strictly speaking, he should be called the Wood King's disciple.
While Jin Hagun had learned the sword, Cao Lin had mastered the Wood Form Thousand Soul Technique, Baek Cheongyeong's true unique martial art.
Baek Cheongyeong spoke to Cao Lin.
"The time has come."
At his words, a faint green light flowed from Cao Lin's eyes.
"Is this not too soon compared to the original plan?"
"A variable has emerged."
"We are not yet ready."
"It cannot be helped."
"What in the world is the reason?"
Baek Cheongyeong recalled Geom Mugeuk, who had visited him over the past three days.
Geom Mugeuk had sat beside him and imitated him whittling wood.
Chattering nonsense, he had begged to be introduced to Jin Haryeong. He had also pestered him to buy drinks and snacks to share, and out of nowhere praised his appearance, remarking that his narrow, elongated eyes were utterly charming.
Now and then, he conveyed various news from the martial world. He knew much and possessed wit and insight. The lad's mouth never stopped. When with Geom Mugeuk, time flew by unnoticed.
On the third day, when the sudden thought arose that it would be nice to have such an amusing fellow as a subordinate or disciple, Baek Cheongyeong realized.
'This boy is poison.'
It was no ordinary poison. It was a poison that slowly addicted you without you realizing it was poison, leading you to death before you knew it—a poison far more terrifying than a lethal toxin that killed in an instant. Because it was a poison that killed you without you ever knowing why.
His instincts told him.
'This one knows something.'
How? I had hidden myself well. I had deceived even the Alliance Lord for all these long years.
But if he assumed that Geom Mugeuk knew about him, then Geom Mugeuk's behavior became understandable.
His instincts spoke again.
'That one smiling so amiably is a reaper who has come to devour you.'
At that, Baek Cheongyeong resolved.
'If fate has sent him to me, I shall accept it as my fate.'
Yes, a full ten years of waiting was enough. Now was the time to move.
Baek Cheongyeong handed something to Cao Lin.
It was a woman's doll he had made earlier.
* * *
Ian and Jin Haryeong stood facing each other in a field.
Their gazes were sharp. On their third meeting, they had decided to spar.
It had already been unusual to agree to become friends at their second meeting, but sparring at the third was even more so.
At first, Ian had doubted Jin Haryeong's intentions. What could the granddaughter of the Martial Alliance Lord possibly lack that she would go out of her way to befriend her?
'It must be because of the Young Master.'
To extract information about Geom Mugeuk. Or to keep her in check.
But at their second meeting, Ian had felt it. That Jin Haryeong truly wanted to become her friend.
This sparring at their third meeting was possible because she knew that sincerity. Otherwise, she would have suspected that Jin Haryeong was trying to kill her through the match.
The two women drew their swords and rushed at each other.
And the difference in their skill was clear.
Before even twenty moves had passed, the sword flew from Jin Haryeong's hand.
A surprised Jin Haryeong asked.
"What kind of martial art is that?"
The moment she asked, Jin Haryeong realized her mistake. Bluntly asking about someone's martial art right after losing a spar was unforgivably rude.
"Ah, sorry."
She cupped her fists in a polite salute.
"I have learned a fine lesson."
With an apologetic expression, Ian returned the salute.
She wanted to speak of her swordsmanship, but she could not.
The fact that she had inherited the Flying Heaven Sword Technique was not something that could be revealed to outsiders, even if the Heavenly Demon had permitted it.
"I knew you were stronger than me, but I didn't know you were this strong."
"I thought it only proper not to hide one's strength from a friend."
She had wanted to win, at least in martial arts.
She had lost to Seo Daeryong at the previous Little Dragon Tournament, and now she had lost to Ian. She kept losing to young martial artists.
'If this fight had been a life-or-death battle rather than a spar, I would be dead.'
What little comfort there was came from the fact that both of them were very close to Geom Mugeuk. Because of that, both Seo Daeryong and Ian were special people.
She shook off the feeling of defeat, picked up the fallen sword from the ground, and sheathed it. She did not pick it up with pointless jealousy to stab her own pride. Yes, a sword belonged in its scabbard, and pride was something others kept safe for you.
"Pretty face, good personality, strong martial arts. Isn't this cheating?"
She said it like a joke, but Jin Haryeong meant it.
Then Ian threw the words back at her.
"You're the one who's heard that all her life, aren't you?"
Ian truly thought Jin Haryeong was beautiful. Because among all the women she had ever seen, Jin Haryeong was the most beautiful.
Jin Haryeong felt that Ian's words were not the victor's consolation, but sincere. It was simply wondrous that such a beautiful woman considered her even more beautiful.
That was why her steps were light on the way back.
"Ah! This path is so pretty."
"It's a place I come to when I feel stifled sometimes. My secret walking path."
As they talked about this and that on the way back, Jin Haryeong revealed her inner feelings.
"Honestly, I'm worried about my brother."
"Don't worry. Calling the Young Master here is something you'll never regret."
She had brought it up because she wanted to hear exactly that.
"You really trust your Young Master, don't you?"
"I trust him more than myself."
"Having someone you can trust so much in your life is truly a great blessing."
"Then you should trust him too."
"What?"
"Didn't you agree to be friends with the Young Master? Then trust him."
These were the very words Jin Haryeong had said to her brother.
To not half-believe Geom Mugeuk, but to believe in him completely. And now she was hearing them from Ian.
An absurd image flashed through her mind: a large fish devouring smaller fish one after another, each representing faith.
Thanks to Ian's faith, Jin Haryeong felt a little more at ease. If all of this turned out to be a scam by the martial artists, she would look like a fool taken in by a pair of con artists. The fact that she could think such a thing meant she still couldn't believe in them completely.
Yet seeing herself say this, she would deserve it even if she were deceived later.
"Let's meet again tomorrow. If you go back, who knows when we'll see each other again?"
"Sure, see you tomorrow."
Ian accepted gladly. Perhaps they might never see each other again. Or they might meet on a battlefield where they had to kill each other. That was the nature of her relationship with Jin Haryeong.
"Same time, same place."
"Sure."
Would Geom Mugeuk have known? That by introducing them to be friends, they would truly become such friends.
How long had she walked after parting with Jin Haryeong? Ian stopped and turned around due to an inexplicable chill.
By then, Jin Haryeong had already vanished from the beautiful trail.
Ian gazed at the path, unchanged from moments before, then resumed walking.
* * *
Today, too, he had gone to see Baek Cheongyeong without fail.
But he was not in the workshop. He had been there every day for the past several days; where could he have gone?
At any rate, thanks to that, he could devote the entire day to training today.
His main training was the Temporal Heaven Secret Art.
Could it be because of the Wood King's appearance?
His concentration was different from usual, and as a result, the Temporal Heaven Secret Art showed better results than his usual training.
Repeat, and repeat again. Even when his whole body resisted from boredom, he did it again and again.
Training was akin to the process of filling a huge barrel with a single drop of water each day.
You had to endure the boredom. You had to add that single drop of water, arduously produced throughout the day, to a place where no result showed. You must not sigh as you stared at that huge barrel unchanged from yesterday or today, and you had to resist the temptation to wonder if you would spend your life filling it, to stop now and seek other pleasures.
Only by enduring could you meet that one special drop among the countless ones.
Today, that special drop came in the form of the state of no-self.
Forgetting even that he was training at that very moment, his entire conscious self was immersed in the Temporal Heaven Secret Art.
The state of no-self was truly a gift from the heavens.
The trigger for this state of no-self had been Hwamugi. The thought that he might appear had heightened his concentration even further, and that had led him to the state of no-self. Water gushed into the barrel.
When ten shichen—which had felt like a brief moment—had passed.
'Finally!'
The Temporal Heaven Secret Art had ascended to a stage more effective than training martial arts in reality.
Even accounting for the time to recover depleted internal energy, training in martial arts within the Temporal Heaven Secret Art was now more effective. He had finally begun to have more time than others.
"I did it!"
The moment he confirmed this fact, a thrill ran through his entire body. He was so happy he felt he could fly. He was as happy as when he had inherited the Nine Splendor Demonic Art from his father. So happy that he hopped and jumped around inside the Spacetime Conversion Technique.
Now the true training had begun. His time would gradually increase. Because he had been learning the Temporal Heaven Secret Art within the Temporal Heaven Secret Art.
* * *
Geom Mugeuk had come out of the Spacetime Conversion Technique and was resting when Ian entered the room.
"Huh? When did you get back?"
Geom Mugeuk had been training inside the Spacetime Conversion Technique the whole time, so he seemed to have assumed she had gone out and returned.
"Young Master. Did you by any chance meet Lady Jin?"
"No. Why?"
"We promised to meet today, but she didn't show up."
"Is that so?"
"Could something have happened? She's not someone who would break a promise."
"And she didn't send someone to give notice?"
"No. That's why I'm worried and concerned."
He recalled that Baek Cheongyeong had left his workshop. She wasn't someone to break a promise, and he wasn't someone to leave the workshop. By coincidence, both situations had occurred simultaneously.
"When did you last meet?"
"Yesterday afternoon."
"Where?"
"We met in a field to the west and sparred."
"And then you parted?"
"We took a walk along a trail together and then parted ways."
"Was there anything strange then?"
At that, Ian conveyed what had been bothering her with a slightly uneasy expression.
"On the way back, something felt off, so I did look back."
Another suspicious circumstance was added. If Ian had sensed something at her level, something must certainly have happened.
And then, the final event that completed this unease occurred.
From afar, he could feel countless martial artists surrounding the residence. If such a large force was surrounding the residence, they would be Martial Alliance warriors. Geom Mugeuk could guess what had happened.
"If it was a trail, there must have been many trees around, right?"
If it was Baek Cheongyeong in the forest, he could have deceived Ian's eyes and kidnapped her. Because right now, the only one who would kidnap her was Baek Cheongyeong.
'It wasn't a probing attack, but a decisive strike.'
At Geom Mugeuk's grave expression, Ian asked worriedly.
"Lady Jin will be alright, won't she?"
"For now."
After kidnapping the Martial Alliance Lord's granddaughter, there was no way to resolve this matter smoothly. That meant he intended to see it through to the end, one way or another.
Fortunately, Baek Cheongyeong was a cautious man. Even if he would kill her in the end, he was not the type to kill from the very beginning. But if they could not rescue her in time, her life could not be guaranteed.
'What does he want? To kill me? Or?'
How on earth did he plan to deal with the aftermath?
"The Martial Alliance warriors will descend upon us soon."
"I felt it just now too."
Geom Mugeuk opened the door and went out to the courtyard.
After lifting her mask to cover her face and pulling down her bamboo hat, Ian followed him out.
Dozens of experts surrounded the place from all sides, layer upon layer. The pressure was no ordinary thing.
It was the first crisis Ian had faced since coming to the Central Plains, but she remained calm. Because she was with Geom Mugeuk, her mind was astoundingly at ease.
Shortly after, a group of martial artists entered the courtyard.
Leading them was Martial Alliance Lord Jin Paecheon. High-level warriors guarding the Alliance Lord followed behind him.
"It has been a while since we last met."
But Jin Paecheon asked bluntly instead of returning the greeting.
"Where is Haryeong right now?"
When he had come and why were not important. Right now, Jin Haryeong was Jin Paecheon's priority.
"I do not know."
"I shall ask again. Where is Haryeong right now?"
It felt as though Jin Paecheon's furious aura would burst forth at any moment. Had it not been for their past ties, he would have already attacked to subdue Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk sent a voice transmission to Jin Paecheon.
—Alliance Lord.
—Why do you send a voice transmission instead of speaking?
—Because that man's eyes and ears may be in this place.
—Who?
—Baek Cheongyeong.
In an instant, Jin Paecheon's expression hardened.
—Do you even know who he is?
—Yes, he is the master Young Master Jin studied under for ten years. Young Master Jin sensed danger from that master and asked me for help.
Jin Paecheon wore an expression of disbelief. How could he believe it? That his own grandson had sensed danger from his master and asked the Demonic Cult's Young Master for help.
—It may be hard to believe, but it is the truth. Where is Young Master Jin now?
—He has gone out to handle matters regarding the Demon Extermination Corps.
—He even timed it to match Young Master Jin's absence. He would have wanted a clash to occur between you and me right here.
—At the time Haryeong disappeared, that man Baek Cheongyeong was with me.
Now he knew why Baek had not been in his workshop. He had been with the person who could most certainly clear him of suspicion in this incident. Which meant he had a subordinate capable of kidnapping her.
—He planned this quite well, but Baek Cheongyeong overlooked one decisive fact.
—What is that?
—That the Alliance Lord trusts me.
Jin Paecheon asked coldly.
—Why do you think I trust you?
—Because you know that if I had orchestrated this, I would never have found myself in such a situation. Just as before, you must trust me this time as well.
Geom Mugeuk looked at Jin Paecheon with exceptionally clear eyes and added calmly.
—This time as well, only I can rescue Lady Jin.