“Who is the message from?”
At Kwonma’s question, Geom Mugeuk answered honestly.
“It is a message for Soma-nim. He left the sect to grant my request.”
Kwonma was well aware of the special relationship between Geom Mugeuk and Geukak Soma.
At first, he had found their relationship quite unexpected, because he believed their personalities were completely incompatible.
But now, his thinking had changed.
The more he learned about Geom Mugeuk, the more he often sensed an indescribable loneliness from him, and he felt that loneliness closely resembled that of Geukak Soma.
“Must you go out again?”
“I believe I must.”
“Go and return safely.”
Though the greeting was brusque, it held Kwonma’s worry.
“May I ask one favor?”
Kwonma nodded.
“Please tell my father. Tell him I quietly left the sect because I have business.”
He had to let his father know, even if he told no one else.
“Why not tell him yourself?”
“I have someone I must meet.”
Kwonma spoke as though scolding him.
“Should you not meet the Cult Lord first, and then tell that person?”
“The person I am meeting is my Master’s daughter.”
“…….”
“Very well. Tell Ian I left without seeing her……”
Before he finished speaking, Kwonma turned and began to walk away.
“I will deliver your words to the Cult Lord properly.”
* * *
Ian was in her quarters.
Worry filled her face as she stood in the courtyard looking up at the sky. Just as she let out a sigh she had been holding back!
Whoosh!
A sneak attack came from behind.
*Too late!*
Realizing she could not dodge in time, she raised her Cheongangsin and threw herself forward to minimize the impact.
Thwack!
She allowed the swiftly flying palm strike to strike her back, but fortunately, her Cheongangsin protected her body.
She bounced forward, then turned around as fast as lightning and drew her Ilwol Sword.
Shiiiiiik!
Spewing a frigid aura, the Ilwol Sword flew and stopped just short of cutting the opponent’s throat.
“Young Master!”
Standing there smiling without dodging was Geom Mugeuk.
“Pass!”
That she had used her Cheongangsin to protect her body, and that she had stopped the sword without recklessly cutting her opponent, was excellent.
“What if I had accidentally cut you, Young Master!”
Her sword, gripped with immense relief, trembled.
“If you’ve reached that level, you shouldn’t pull pranks like sneak attacks.”
It meant that with his current strength, she could not kill him even by accident.
Joy filled Ian’s face as she sheathed her sword. The person she had missed so terribly was standing right before her.
“You heard I had returned, right?”
“Yes.”
“But you didn’t come see me. You’re cruel, Ian. Have you cast me aside now?”
“I went three times to see the face of the one who cast me aside. I went when you were out hunting, and two more times when you were away. What in the world was keeping you so busy!”
In the past, she would have waited until Geom Mugeuk came to see her, worried she might bother him while he was busy.
But this time, Ian did not.
“You could have at least left a letter saying you had come.”
“What for? I can just come see you again. I would meet you again like this anyway.”
“What? Did you achieve enlightenment or something while I was gone?”
Then Ian let out a sigh.
“If I had, I wouldn’t be worrying.”
“Is something wrong?”
She had been worrying greatly over Gwiyeongdae matters lately.
Once she had begun seriously running the organization, all sorts of unexpected things occurred.
Especially recently, a major problem had arisen. A conflict had broken out between Iljo led by Cheongmyeon and Ijo led by Seojin.
At first, it was a conflict stemming from a trivial quarrel between two ordinary members, but gradually it had grown until it became a conflict between squad and squad.
“I thought about intervening directly, but for now I’m pretending not to know. Yet I feel I cannot just leave it be. How dare they do this to me, their Daeju? It irritates me.”
Ian revealed her honest feelings. She would not have said this to anyone but Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk fanned the flames of that burning house.
“They’re looking down on you. Imagine if Jang Gunju were the leader. Would they dare split into factions and fight? They think you’re kind and easy.”
“Right? Ugh, I should just beat them all up.”
“Then beat them up. Why haven’t you?”
“Well…… there are the squad leaders too. I don’t think this is something I should step in for. And it’s not something that can be solved by beating them.”
Geom Mugeuk said with a smile.
“You already know the answer, so what are you worrying about?”
Ian smiled along.
*‘Why would I worry? Because I want to do well. It is an organization directly under the Young Cult Lord, an organization where I was entrusted as Daeju—how could I not care?’*
Cheongmyeon and Seojin must have their own thoughts, so they would resolve it themselves. She should think this way, but she worried the matter would spread and cause those two to fall out as well.
The habit of always imagining the worst first was an occupational illness from her days as a bodyguard.
Ian made her decision.
“Yes, I will simply pretend not to know about this matter. There, end of worries!”
“Then they’ll think you truly know nothing. You’ll become an indifferent and incompetent leader.”
“Then what should I do?”
“You must let them know you are aware of everything but pretending not to be. Only then do you become a leader who gives subordinates the chance to resolve things themselves. A leader who is not frivolous and does not act rashly despite knowing.”
Ian shook her head.
“It is difficult, so difficult. I thought I would do brilliantly once I became Daeju. I liked it better when I followed Young Master around without a care.”
Geom Mugeuk, who had been quietly watching her, made a surprising suggestion.
“Then let us do what you liked.”
“Huh?”
“I am leaving the sect right now. Come with me.”
Ian’s eyes went wide. She did not ask where.
“How much time do I have to prepare?”
“Half a ke.”
The moment he said that, Ian dashed into her house and began packing her things.
“You only ever see me swinging swords in the training ground, but I am a woman too! How could you tell me half a ke before we depart!”
Even as she said that, she moved like lightning, stuffing clothes and travel necessities into her leather bag.
“If we leave like this, what about the members?”
“What members? Did I have members?”
She even finished preparing to leave in less than half a ke.
“A frivolous leader who acts rashly—departure preparations complete!”
She was so overjoyed that he wondered what would have happened if he had not asked her to come.
“Are you that happy?”
“Of course.”
“You hate dangerous things, don’t you? What if a terrifying danger awaits us?”
“Tell that terrifying thing that a neurotic woman, exhausted by work and people, is coming along. Tell it that this time, it is the one that must avoid us—make sure you do.”
The two smiled at each other.
“But where are we going?”
“To Cheonhwaru.”
Ian's expression brightened even more at the fact that their destination was Cheonhwaru.
Was it because the Lord of Cheonhwaru always said kind words to her? Or was it because of that mysterious atmosphere of hers? Meeting her always put Ian in a good mood for no reason.
And so, the two who had left the sect began to run swiftly toward Cheonhwaru.
* * *
The two ran and ran.
When it was time to rest from running, they made a campfire and camped.
While Ian recovered her internal energy, Geom Mugeuk hunted animals and cooked for her, and they sat side by side by the campfire sharing stories.
These days, he was doing his best for his father, elder brother, and the Demon Venerables. But the person he ought to treat best was Ian.
“Thank you.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes, I am suddenly thankful.”
“You need not say such things; I was already planning to wash the dishes and clean up.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled at her. Being with her was so comfortable and pleasant.
“Nothing happened at Cheonhwaru, right?”
“Soma-nim has gone there.”
That one sentence was enough. This business was surely related to the Sinnyeo Jimong.
Would she indeed be a descendant of Sinnyeongung as expected?
Having recovered her internal energy and finished resting, the two began to run again.
It was a busy journey where they could not properly sightsee even once, but Ian was happy nonetheless. For if she was busy with Geom Mugeuk, she was happy being busy.
* * *
Finally, Geom Mugeuk and Ian arrived at Cheonhwaru.
In the inner courtyard of Cheonhwaru, Geukak Soma and Yeojeong, the Lord of Cheonhwaru, stood waiting, having received word.
“Welcome, Young Cult Lord.”
At Geukak Soma’s greeting, Yeojeong also gave her greeting.
“I should have come to see you. I am sorry to have made you come here.”
As expected, the reason she had asked him to come was certainly because of the Lord of Cheonhwaru.
“If Sister-in-law asks me to come, I must run over at once.”
Geom Mugeuk treated her as his sister-in-law, as always. He could not know how greatly this small title moved Yeojeong.
“This Daeju came with me.”
After greeting Geukak Soma first, Ian greeted Yeojeong, just in case bringing her along might cause trouble for Geom Mugeuk.
“I begged him to bring me because I wanted to see the Lord. It has been a while, Lord.”
The gazes of the two women looking at each other were soft.
“This warrior has become even more beautiful.”
Then Ian looked at Geom Mugeuk and spoke.
“You see? When you meet someone after a long time, they say things like this. Not immediately beating you up.”
Having roughly guessed the situation, Geukak Soma and Yeojeong smiled.
“Come, let us go inside.”
And so, the four sat facing each other in the Lord of Cheonhwaru’s quarters.
“As you may have guessed, the reason I asked my husband to invite the Young Cult Lord here was because of this.”
The Lord of Cheonhwaru brought out a jade box.
Carefully opening the lid, inside was the Sinnyeo Jimong. She had kept it very preciously.
“I received what you sent and have kept it stored away as it was until now.”
From the Lord of Cheonhwaru’s gaze as she looked down at the Sinnyeo Jimong, Geom Mugeuk could feel it—that she knew what this object was.
*My intuition was right.*
She was undoubtedly a descendant of Sinnyeongung.
“Young Cult Lord, do you know what this is?”
“It is the Sinnyeo Jimong.”
“So you sent it knowing what it was.”
When Geom Mugeuk sent the Sinnyeo Jimong through Geukak Soma, she could not describe how surprised she had been.
Geom Mugeuk added an explanation regarding the Sinnyeo Jimong.
“I only know that it is the divine object of Sinnyeongung, said to have been destroyed along with Cheonoigung three hundred years ago. I do not know exactly how it is used.”
The Lord of Cheonhwaru asked Geom Mugeuk again.
“Then why did you send this to me?”
Geukak Soma sat by and silently watched the two. He felt that the deep bond between himself and Geom Mugeuk now extended even to Yeojeong.
“I discovered this divine object by chance in a report from the Murim Alliance. And the moment I saw it, I thought it belonged to Sister-in-law.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“I suddenly remembered Sister-in-law seeing people’s fates.”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned to Ian beside him.
“At that time, you saw this Daeju’s fate. That is why I thought perhaps Sister-in-law might be a descendant of Sinnyeongung.”
He had already heard the answer from the Lord of Cheonhwaru’s expression. If it were not so, she would have denied it at once. Yeojeong said nothing.
Soon, a surprising secret flowed out.
“You saw correctly. I am a descendant of Sinnyeongung.”
After speaking to Geom Mugeuk, Yeojeong looked at Geukak Soma.
Geom Mugeuk could tell. That she was revealing this fact to Geukak Soma for the first time as well.
“I did not deliberately try to deceive you. I had resolved to forget forever that I was a descendant of Sinnyeongung. I only learned this time as well that the force behind this matter was Amheukgung.”
Geukak Soma was not shaken in the slightest, his gaze showing that her identity did not matter to him at all.
The Lord of Cheonhwaru’s gaze turned toward the Sinnyeo Jimong.
“This Sinnyeo Jimong is the divine object passed down to a Sinnyeo capable of prophecy. I understood it was lost long ago, yet it was in the Murim Alliance.”
And then a surprising remark followed.
“With this, one can make prophecies.”
The Lord of Cheonhwaru raised her head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
“That is, if I am a Sinnyeo capable of receiving prophecy. Even among those of the Sinnyeo bloodline, I understand there are far more who cannot receive prophecies.”
Geom Mugeuk recalled the appearance of the Sinnyeo from three hundred years ago. Her appearance with her eyes covered by the Sinnyeo Jimong.
Knowing the future, being one who prophesied—she was by no means a happy figure.
“I did not give this so that Sister-in-law would receive a prophecy. I simply returned it because it is yours. You may keep it stored in that box forever, or burn it right here and now and forget about Sinnyeongung forever—it does not matter to me.”
The Lord of Cheonhwaru looked at Geukak Soma. Geukak Soma nodded once as if to tell her to decide for herself.
The Lord of Cheonhwaru slowly took out the Sinnyeo Jimong.
“Honestly, I was curious whether I was someone who could receive prophecies or not.”
That was not actually the reason. If it was fate that Geom Mugeuk had sent her the Sinnyeo Jimong? She felt she must not avoid this fate. Even for Geukak Soma’s sake.
“And if the heavens were to grant me a prophecy, what kind of prophecy it would be.”
The moment the Sinnyeo Jimong entered her hands, the mysterious aura she felt grew even stronger.
The Lord of Cheonhwaru carefully covered both eyes with the Sinnyeo Jimong.
Geom Mugeuk felt the aura rising all around her body.
A suffocating silence. Geom Mugeuk, Ian, and Geukak Soma held their breath and watched her.
How much time passed that way?
The Lord of Cheonhwaru removed the Sinnyeo Jimong.
Surprise dwelt in her pupils as she slowly opened her eyes.
“I saw a certain scene.”
It meant a prophecy had been granted. Surprisingly, she was a Sinnyeo who could deliver prophecies.
The Lord of Cheonhwaru’s trembling gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.
“There, I saw the Young Cult Lord.”