EP.53 Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (梅花劍龍). (3)
"Are you feeling alright?"
It was none other than Yeongpung asking me this.
Strange... I feel like that's something I should be asking?
To think he could have such a bright expression while being treated like a half-criminal.
For some reason, Yeongpung seemed to overlap with Paeng Woojin's appearance.
'...This unfamiliar guy gives off the scent of a madman.'
It wasn't a good feeling.
I needed to find out why he was in that state first, so I approached Yeongpung.
[How did that pretty white outfit get so covered in dirt...]
I ignored the words of the self-proclaimed Huashan Hermit Sword.
"Why are you in that state?"
"Haha, well, there were some circumstances to it."
"Young master...!"
Mooyeon, with surprised eyes, urgently approached me.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course I'm alright. I must have just felt a bit dizzy earlier."
I looked at the Huashan Sect members glaring at us from across the way.
'Who are those people?'
White martial uniforms, of course, and some of them had cloth with plum blossom embroidery wrapped around their forearms, similar to what was on Yeongpung's.
That was the mark of Huashan's Plum Blossom Sword Hands.
Those who bloomed plum blossoms at the tip of their swords based on not only talent but also relentless effort.
They were figures who had reached the rank of Huashan Sect's experts, possessing at least first-class martial prowess or higher.
"What's going on here?"
Mooyeon, who had sheathed his sword, approached me and answered my question.
"After you collapsed suddenly while talking with that person, I subdued him before anything bigger could happen."
"Subdued...? That person?"
Since he suddenly passed out while we were talking, it was certainly a situation that could be misunderstood.
But it was also strange that Yeongpung had been subdued so quietly.
Didn't he have something to interrogate me about?
From the lack of intense struggle marks, it seemed he had quietly allowed himself to be bound.
As if reading the meaning in my gaze, Yeongpung grinned.
"I had no intention of causing a dispute, as everything would be resolved once the young hero woke up."
"While forcefully stopping our carriage?"
At my words, Yeongpung smiled awkwardly.
"That is... I apologize. We also have our circumstances."
"We...?"
The Huashan Sect personnel included multiple Plum Blossom Sword Hands including Yeongpung.
The Plum Blossom Sword Hands of the Huashan Sect were a famous name, but their numbers were equally small.
There was no sect or family that had an overflowing number of first-class martial artists.
So for that many of them to be traveling together meant this wasn't an ordinary matter.
"Are those people also involved in the reason you stopped our carriage?"
Yeongpung gave a bitter smile at my question.
First, since Mooyeon should be fine, I asked him to untie Yeongpung's bindings, then approached those who were standing in opposition.
Then I slowed my walking pace and thought.
'...If I get closer, won't my qi be discovered?'
Come to think of it, the qi inside my body was the problem.
If even Yeongpung could feel it, wouldn't the other seasoned Plum Blossom Sword Hands sense it more easily?
The ghost who had been silent answered my anxiety.
[Don't worry and just go.]
'...Can you hear my inner thoughts too?'
That was a bit uncomfortable.
[Only very faintly. It's because your anxiety is so large that I can clearly sense it, so just go forward. I have a method.]
I didn't want to believe it, but with my feet already moving, I decided to trust him once and pretend to be fooled.
[Looking at the situation, I also have questions to ask you.]
'What kind of questions?'
[I'll ask those later. Isn't what you're dealing with right now more urgent?]
Eventually, I reached the front of the Huashan Sect disciple who appeared to be the representative.
[Just the fact that the Huashan Sect still exists in the Central Plains... for now, that's enough.]
"I am Gu Yangcheon of the Gu Family."
"I am Shin Hyun, the second disciple of Huashan."
"I see. Disciple Shin Hyun, may I ask what this situation is about?"
Shin Hyun made a troubled expression and glared in Yeongpung's direction.
It seemed there was some problem here too.
Had he felt their gazes? Yeongpung, now freed from his bindings, quickly ran over to this side.
"...Hehe."
Yeongpung scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly, but Shin Hyun suddenly brought his fist down on the guy's crown! Smack!
Kwang-!
"Keuaaak!"
...I thought it would be a thud or a smack, but kwang?
Along with a sound that shouldn't come from a human head, Yeongpung screamed and rolled on the ground.
"Keuuu... It hurts too much, Martial Uncle..."
"Does it hurt? I hurt more."
"You're hitting your beloved martial nephew out of love, right?"
"Want to get hit one more time?"
"...I apologize."
Shin Hyun let out a deep sigh as if the world was ending.
"Has it even been a month since your master told you not to cause trouble recklessly? Do you remember that?"
"...Yes."
"You remember? Then did a person who remembers act alone like this?"
"...I apologize. But the situation is the situation, isn't it?"
"Yes, the situation is the situation. To be precise, it's our situation alone. Do you think others would understand that?"
Yeongpung fell silent at Shin Hyun's words.
But Shin Hyun had no intention of stopping and continued speaking.
"Before being a martial artist, you are a person of the Dao. Everyone knows your talent is outstanding, but I told you not to be conceited and arrogant because of it."
"Yes..."
"These are the words of none other than the Sect Leader. Everyone calls you Sword Dragon and praises you, but you must realize that not everyone in the Central Plains is on your side."
"I apologize."
"...Alright."
Leaving the sullen Yeongpung behind, Shin Hyun approached me and bowed his head.
"Our martial nephew has caused you trouble."
When they go that far on their side, I had nothing to say from my side.
'Though I'm sure he killed him with words like catching a rat, aiming for exactly that.'
Was his intention to beat him so that I wouldn't have to?
[Not bad.]
Not bad what? What's not bad about this?
In this awkward situation, I blew out a breath through my nose and spoke.
"...If you've finished speaking, I would like you to explain the situation to me as well."
I asked Shin Hyun.
It seemed like something had blown up, so I needed to know.
They had even blocked our carriage that was going fine, so our side needed to hear the circumstances too.
Shin Hyun, who paused for a moment at my question, seemed to organize his thoughts quickly and opened his mouth again.
"...Lately, there have been frequent disappearances of Huashan Sect disciples."
"Huashan, you say?"
"Yes, mostly they are members of the Sword Squad who operate outside the sect."
Sword Squad of Huashan would mean the Plum Blossom Sword Squad.
'...But disappearances?'
While it was common for Sword Squad members to lose their lives defending against the Demonic Boundary Gate, for the Huashan Sect to send out a search party meant it was quite a big deal.
Even including Plum Blossom Sword Hands in the search party.
"The situation seemed bad, so we were in the middle of searching."
"This is quite far from Shaanxi, though."
We still had much further to go before reaching Shaanxi.
But the Huashan Sect members who were active in Hwaeum-hyeon came all the way here to search?
Shin Hyun gave a bitter smile at my question.
"...That part is difficult to tell an outsider."
"Then, I understand."
It seemed like something had happened, but there was no need to ask.
Considering I hadn't heard of such a thing in my past life, it probably wasn't that big of a deal.
"...Anyway, on our way back from the mission, our martial nephew sensed something and left the formation, which seems to have caused the problem."
Hmm...
So he sensed the qi of the Huashan Sect from an unknown carriage and just blocked it.
In a situation where disappearances were occurring, that could happen, but the fact that he acted first and thought later was deserving of a scolding.
I asked Shin Hyun.
"What do you think, Disciple?"
At my question, Shin Hyun cleared his voice and spoke carefully.
"After coming this far, it seems there can be no mistake. I can definitely sense it."
Shin Hyun said so and pointed at the carriage I had been riding.
"If you permit us, we would like to search for a moment."
"Are you sensing it from that carriage?"
"Yes."
"..Disciple Yeongpung also said he sensed some kind of qi from my body. Don't you sense that?"
"From the young hero, you say?"
Shin Hyun heard my words and examined me carefully.
I felt a very faint internal energy brush past my body. Since it was qi sent to confirm, I didn't resist.
Shin Hyun turned his head toward Yeongpung. He seemed to feel nothing.
"Martial Nephew Yeongpung, what exactly did you sense?"
Yeongpung also watched me for a moment, then quickly frowned.
"Huh, why can't I sense it... I clearly felt it earlier..."
"Don't make excuses."
At Shin Hyun's firm admonition, Yeongpung flinched.
He answered in a noticeably smaller voice.
"...Yes, I apologize. It seems I was mistaken."
"If you committed a rudeness because of that, you should apologize to me, not to myself."
Hearing Shin Hyun's words, Yeongpung straightened his body and bowed his head toward me.
"I apologize, young hero. I committed a rudeness..."
"It's fine."
Accepting the apology, I thought.
The qi that was so obvious before can no longer be felt.
As if to answer my question, the ghost spoke.
[Didn't I say I have a method?]
It was exactly as he said.
I didn't know what method he used, but the qi that had been hovering outside my body quietly went inside my dantian and hid itself.
I was glad that the part I was most anxious about seemed to pass smoothly.
After taking a breath, I said to Shin Hyun.
"There's no need to search the carriage."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"I know what qi you're sensing. Please wait a moment."
Mooyeon, who was quick to catch on, was already coming to me with a box from inside the carriage.
I opened the box containing the precious artifact and showed it to the disciples.
"This is...!"
The quickest to react was Yeongpung, and next was Shin Hyun.
Though a bit late, the other Huashan Sect members behind also showed the same reaction.
"It's the Plum Blossom Love Essence Stone."
As soon as I slightly unwrapped the cloth, the plum blossom fragrance that swept out, and soon the light pink qi that shone together spread simultaneously.
Shin Hyun, who saw the precious artifact, asked with a flustered voice.
"How... how do you have this, young hero?"
He didn't seem to think it was a fake.
Right, no craftsman in the world could make such an identical item.
That's why it's called a precious artifact.
"...I was on my way to return it to the Huashan Sect, as my family was temporarily holding onto it."
"From the young hero's family... you say?"
How should I explain...
I couldn't possibly say, "Our family elder won it in a drinking game from your sect, you see."
Yeongpung, who was watching, interjected.
"This is the one the Sect Leader lost in a drinking game when he went out to a gathering..."
"Keep your mouth shut...!"
"...Yes sir"
"...."
Ah, so you guys knew too.
Then the explanation was easy, so I had nothing more to say.
Shin Hyun's ears were also slightly red, probably because it was an embarrassing matter.
Well, on their side, the Sect Leader who represents Huashan had committed that act...
'...Our side is the same though.'
That Second Elder, that crazy old man, what kind of gatherings does he go to that he can do such things with the Huashan Sect's Sect Leader?
I was curious, but I tried not to find out.
"...Anyway, in such a situation, we happened to be heading to the Huashan Sect."
"...I see."
We both seemed to have a lot to say, but couldn't bring ourselves to say it out loud.
Anyone could see it was a situation of spitting in one's own face.
Shin Hyun coughed repeatedly.
It must be to change the mood.
"Anyway... if that's the reason, we happen to be on our way back to Huashan after finishing our search, so the precious artifact, you can now give it to us..."
"That won't do."
Shin Hyun's eyes widened slightly at my firm refusal.
If it were up to my heart, I would have just handed it over and returned, but returning the precious artifact was a secondary matter.
The main purpose was to pick up my younger sibling.
And above all.
"This is something I received with the instruction to hand it directly to the Sect Leader, so even if you are disciples of Huashan, I don't think I can easily hand it over."
"Hmm."
Shin Hyun let out a low groan at my words.
Perhaps because it was an unexpected statement, or maybe he had a lot on his mind, I couldn't tell.
Shin Hyun, who quickly organized his thoughts this time as well, immediately continued speaking.
"...I understand. However, having seen the sect's precious artifact, we also cannot easily step away, so if you say you're going the same way, please allow us to accompany you."
If I won't give it, he's saying at least let's go together.
I nodded at Shin Hyun's words.
I knew this would happen once the precious artifact was shown.
'...It's enough that they didn't find out we stole the qi of the precious artifact.'
If that had been discovered too, it would have been more troublesome than expected.
[Hahaha, I knew from when you gorged like a pig. Tsk tsk, what would you have done without me.]
...To think the words he suddenly spits out are like this, I wish he'd just stay quiet. Unfortunately, the ghost seemed to have no intention of doing so.
[Huashan... If each of the children is this formidable one by one, the main sect must surely be no different.]
It was a voice soaked in sentiment.
While a person is dying of thirst in blood, he's being like this in his head, making me feel frustrated.
"Um, may I ask just one thing?"
It was Yeongpung, who had been quiet, who interjected as the conversation was coming to an end.
Shin Hyun glared at Yeongpung for tactlessly interrupting, but Yeongpung easily ignored it.
Seeing that, flames rose in Shin Hyun's eyes.
"You brat..."
"No, really, it's because there's something important...!"
At Yeongpung's appearance, I asked.
"What is it?"
"You said the young hero's family is the Gu Family, right?"
"Yes."
"...You're saying it's the Shanxi Gu Family, correct?"
"...Yes."
As I affirmed, Yeongpung's expression grew increasingly subtle.
...Why is he asking about our house?
"...Martial Uncle."
"What is it..."
Shin Hyun's voice was an anxious one, wondering what this kid might cause trouble with.
But at the words that followed, Shin Hyun's expression became exactly the same as Yeongpung's.
"If it's the Shanxi Gu Family, isn't it the family of the Martial Aunt?"
"...!"
At Yeongpung's words, not only Shin Hyun but also the other Huashan Sect martial artists behind focused their gazes on me.
With a much more intense look than when they saw the Plum Blossom Stone.
...What, why are they acting like that?