It was around the time Wudang was in the midst of dealing with the aftermath of the incident.
Immediately after the children were sent away, only Sword Empress and Ubongchugae remained.
As Sword Empress quietly waited for Ubongchugae to speak, the old man looked at her and opened his mouth.
“It has been a long time.”
How long had it been since they had last met? It must have been well over ten years, at the very least.
Sword Empress had never met Ubongchugae after the incident involving the Divine Dragon Squad.
“It has been a long time, Sect Leader.”
“Yes, have you been well all this time?”
At Ubongchugae’s words, Sword Empress smiled faintly.
“Don’t you already know everything?”
“Heh heh….”
At the faint barb in her words, Ubongchugae let out a shallow chuckle.
She was right.
Ubongchugae likely knew about most of what happened in this world.
There were countless beggars throughout the world.
And every one of those beggars served as Ubongchugae’s eyes and ears.
“I asked because I was worried about you, out of affection. Don’t dislike me too much.”
Sword Empress offered no answer, merely taking a sip of tea.
Watching her, Ubongchugae made a bitter expression.
“You still seem to hate me. A great deal.”
“That isn’t so. A great deal of time has passed.”
“Then….”
“For the sake of the members who came before, I simply believe I must not so easily change my mind.”
“...”
A chill surrounded Sword Empress, unlike when the children had been by her side.
“…I see.”
At Sword Empress’s appearance, Ubongchugae could only hold back his words, as though resigning himself to the situation.
There was nothing left to say.
At least, when Sword Empress was concerned, neither Sword Venerable nor he himself had anything more to say.
“Thank you, Sect Leader, for your handling of the children.”
“What are you referring to?”
“For letting them go without unnecessarily detaining them.”
She was referring to how he had sent away the children, who claimed to know nothing, without questioning them further.
If Ubongchugae had wanted to, he could have continued questioning them under the pretext of interrogation.
But he had not.
That was probably because he had taken Sword Empress into consideration. Of course.
“Some of the circumstances also happened to align.”
After putting together what he had been told in that brief moment,
the greatest reason was that he had judged the children to be largely innocent.
Furthermore.
“It was something I could simply ask you about, Soi.”
Sword Empress had known from the beginning that Ubongchugae’s business concerned her.
Otherwise, she did not think he would have created a situation like this.
It did not matter. If anything, this was something Sword Empress herself had also desired.
“Before that, there is something I would like to ask you, Sect Leader.”
“Go ahead.”
“Did you perhaps come all the way to Wudang because of me?”
The reason the leader of the Beggar’s Sect, who should have been busy with his duties, had gone out of his way to come to Wudang.
Could it possibly have been because of Sword Empress herself? That was what she wondered.
“Hmm.”
At her question, Ubongchugae tilted his head for a moment before answering.
“That is not the case.”
It was a denial.
“This matter was also something the Alliance Leader asked me to handle….”
Ubongchugae, who had been about to continue, suddenly closed his mouth. There seemed to be something he ought not say.
“In any case… Soi. I did not come because I had business with you.”
“Understood.”
Sword Empress showed no particular reaction to his answer.
The unfinished words bothered her, but she was certain that she would not hear the rest even if she asked.
“If that answers your question, then may I now get to the main point as well?”
“Please speak. I will listen carefully.”
Fwoom—!
As Ubongchugae spoke, Sword Empress felt a barrier of qi being raised around them.
“Wudang was thoroughly wrecked. They were always so proud of themselves, but look at them now.”
“…Sect Leader.”
At those words, Sword Empress furrowed her delicate brow.
“People died. Should you not refrain from speaking of it that way?”
Even if Baek and Jicheol had not been people Sword Empress liked,
she did not like the way he spoke about the dead.
“You are still kind.”
“…I merely.”
“But if you knew what they had lived for, you would not be acting like this.”
“...”
Ubongchugae had always known more than anyone else.
That remained true now.
“Now I will ask what I wanted to ask. Soi.”
“…Yes.”
“Tell me about the person who attacked Wudang. I heard you saw him up close.”
At Ubongchugae’s question, Sword Empress felt her stomach grow strangely heavy.
Simply recalling the man who had appeared so suddenly
was enough to send such uncomfortable emotions surging through her.
The blue glow she had glimpsed beyond his mask.
The dreadful aura he gave off.
The presence that made even the air around him feel heavy merely by standing there.
He was a man who gave Sword Empress a sensation she had never experienced before.
And he had introduced himself with these words:
“Heavenly Demon….”
Having heard her account, Ubongchugae whispered the man’s epithet in a low voice.
“Do you know of him?”
“It is a name I have been hearing rather often lately.”
It was a name that had begun to spread slowly from the far edges of the Central Plains.
It was the name spoken by the man who had attacked a branch of the Murim Alliance alone.
Heavenly Demon.
‘A demon descended from the heavens.’
At first, Ubongchugae had thought some fool was up to a meaningless bit of nonsense, but now that matters had progressed this far, it was something he had to take seriously.
Even if the attacks on Murim Alliance branches could be overlooked,
there was also the fact that an incident had now occurred in Guangdong,
and that, as of today, two martial artists of the Transcendent realm had lost their lives after being caught up in these incidents.
Furthermore,
‘Wudang had been attacked.’
This time, one of the Nine Sects and One Clan—and the Alliance Leader’s own sect—had been attacked.
What was more, they had failed even to capture the culprit.
From the Alliance’s perspective, this could only be a grave predicament.
And if there was an even greater problem—
“You said he had tamed a monster?”
“Yes. That was how it appeared.”
The existence known as the Heavenly Demon was taming monsters.
And not merely monsters, but beasts on the level of a red monster.
Even the spread of such rumors alone would create tremendous repercussions.
The current situation was one in which they could not even properly tame a green monster.
The Alliance had made endless attempts, but had never once succeeded.
They supposedly continued to conduct experiments in secret even now, but there had still been no change.
Under such circumstances,
‘A man hostile to the Alliance can tame monsters.’
And not just any monster, but one at the level of a red monster—something that required numerous Peak martial artists to hunt.
This was not some ordinary danger.
“You said there were others besides this Heavenly Demon.”
“There was only one besides the Heavenly Demon, as far as I saw. But yes, there was someone else.”
Before the Heavenly Demon appeared, a giant had first appeared at Wudang and seized the initiative.
He appeared to be the Heavenly Demon’s subordinate, and had addressed the Heavenly Demon as his religious leader.
“A religious leader….”
Ubongchugae focused on that word. It was not a term commonly used in the Central Plains anymore.
From that word and the circumstances he had heard, he could discern one thing:
‘They are not acting alone, but possess a faction—and that faction is by no means small.’
And also,
‘They clearly harbor hostility toward the Murim Alliance.’
Having reached that conclusion, Ubongchugae sighed inwardly.
Why did it have to be now?
This was already an era of upheaval, with changes coming from every direction.
And now an existence like that had appeared as well. If he had been an ordinary figure, Ubongchugae would have dealt with him casually and moved on.
But—
‘He had reached the Transcendent realm, was it?’
If Sword Empress, of all people, had judged him to be so, there was a high likelihood that it was true.
If a martial artist had surpassed the Hwagyeong realm and reached Transcendence, the matter was entirely different.
They were the supreme beings beyond the heavens, numbering no more than twenty in the Central Plains.
Some had left the mortal world and lived quietly.
Some lived while concealing their strength, while others openly displayed their power, as though determined to uphold the law of the strong prevailing.
Yet there was one thing they all had in common.
They were all treated as walking natural disasters.
And now—
Not only had a new martial artist of the Transcendent realm appeared, but he supposedly possessed a vast faction as well.
‘This is a crisis.’
It could be nothing less than a crisis for the Murim Alliance.
In the midst of the increasingly complicated situation, Ubongchugae concealed his expression as best he could and spoke to Sword Empress.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“…I hope my inadequate explanation was sufficient.”
“I will have to ask the other witnesses as well, but what you told me was certainly a great help.”
“I am grateful.”
Ubongchugae slowly rose, and Sword Empress rose with him.
“I have already informed the Alliance Leader, so this matter will not cause you any inconvenience.”
“What do you mean?”
“I received the Alliance Leader’s assurance that the attack concerning the strange artifact—and this incident—would not become more complicated for you.”
“…!”
“Rather, since Wudang came under attack and suffered damage, discuss the matter of compensation separately with that Dohwa fellow.”
When Ubongchugae brought up Plum Blossom Immortal, Sword Empress lowered her head slightly in thanks.
“…Thank you for looking after us.”
“Heh heh… It has been a long time since I last saw you. The least I could do was this much.”
With that, Ubongchugae began walking first.
After turning his back, the ease characteristic of Ubongchugae had vanished.
The eyes beneath his long brows were incomparably sharp.
‘The Heavenly Demon.’
In this time when he was barely piecing together the fragments,
he repeated the name of an unwelcome storm.
This was not good.
It seemed he would have to investigate in advance.
“…I suppose I should contact Sinan.”
The Divine Dragon Squad had to be reestablished as soon as possible.
Thinking that, Ubongchugae continued on his way.
He was headed toward the place where the master of the Alliance, the Wudang Sword Immortal, was staying.
******************
One day in spring.
At the Henan branch of the Hundred Flowers Merchant Guild, someone was walking hurriedly.
Each time the woman moved forward lightly on her long legs, a delicate floral fragrance brushed past.
The scent of flowers spread through the surroundings together with an inexplicably chilly breeze,
and everyone who saw her lowered their heads in greeting.
“Greetings, Branch Director.”
“Greetings, Branch Director…!”
The woman gave those offering their respects a light wave of her hand as she passed,
and many people expressed their admiration as they watched her back.
“Wow…. The Branch Director is beautiful today as well.”
“Indeed. She seems especially beautiful today.”
“Was there ever a day when she wasn’t?”
“That is true as well.”
The men continued speaking with dazed expressions.
They could hardly help it. The new Branch Director of the Henan branch, assigned the previous year, was far too young in the men’s eyes.
And far too beautiful.
Not to mention—
“She isn’t merely pretty. She is good at her work as well.”
“I heard she still has quite some time before reaching thirty. How is she so capable…?”
They had heard that she had only just reached her mid-twenties.
The new Branch Director of the Henan branch was exceptionally competent.
The Henan branch had always selected only outstanding talents from the Hundred Flowers Merchant Guild to appoint as branch directors,
but people said this appointment was unprecedented.
As those words passed back and forth, one man added:
“Wasn’t she already famous? She is from one of the Four Great Families, so I suppose that makes sense.”
“Oh, come on. Do you have to ruin the mood?”
“No, I only say that because it is unusual. I was wondering why someone from one of the Four Great Families, one of the world’s Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes, came to the Hundred Flowers Merchant Guild.”
At those words, everyone nearby fell silent.
It was something they had all been curious about.
Just then—
“Ah, I have heard about that.”
A young man who had been diligently carrying documents spoke up as though he knew the answer.
Everyone’s gazes focused on him. The young man was the newest member of the Henan branch.
“You heard? Heard what?”
“Why the Branch Director came to the Hundred Flowers Merchant Guild.”
“How did you hear that?”
When everyone asked in surprise, the young man answered with a composed expression.
“I asked her.”
“You asked…? Whom?”
“The Branch Director.”
At his answer, everyone stared at the youngest member in utter shock.
“…That fellow must be completely insane. He asked her that…?”
“Was I not supposed to ask?”
“Oh dear, no one talk to him. We need to distance ourselves from him starting now. Judging by the look of him, he won’t be here much longer anyway….”
“What? What are you talking about?”
The youngest asked what they meant, but his seniors deliberately ignored him.
He seemed like the sort who would be transferred to another branch before long, so they had to distance themselves from him now.
“Anyway…. So what did the Branch Director say?”
The youngest wore an expression full of lingering discomfort,
but fortunately, he answered.
“What did she say again…? Ah.”
The youngest seemed to remember something and quickly continued.
“She said, ‘I’m taking lessons on how to be a daughter-in-law.’”
That was what he said she had told him.
The men who heard this were forced to make a collectively bizarre expression.
Before long—
“Damn it! I’m the idiot for believing you!”
“Lying about asking her, too, weren’t you? Tsk, tsk.”
“Pardon…?”
“The branch master couldn’t possibly have said something like that. You really want to get scolded, don’t you?”
“No, it’s true—”
“Shut your mouth and get back to work. We’ve only wasted time. Tsk, tsk.”
“…”
The youngest, having been subjected to a barrage of angry voices from the men, could only make an aggrieved expression.
Leaving him behind,
the young branch master hurried away and soon found herself facing someone.
Rustle.
Amid the sound of a letter being turned, Moyong Huia, branch master of the Baekhwa Merchant Association’s Henan Branch, cautiously paid her respects to the person before her.
“I greet the association master.”
At the neatly delivered greeting, the person seated at the desk lifted her head.
“Have you been well?”
Her cold tone carried little emotion.
“Yes, Association Master.”
The person Moyong Huia was facing was none other than Mi Hyoran, master of the Baekhwa Merchant Association.
Mi Hyoran整理 the letters in her hands and continued speaking to Moyong Huia.
“Your results are good. To have accomplished this much in nearly half a year… It’s impressive.”
“…Thank you.”
Moyong Huia swallowed dryly as she looked at Mi Hyoran.
Over the past several years, while learning from her, she had discovered something.
When Mi Hyoran began with words of praise, it meant there were more words prepared to follow.
“But.”
As expected, Mi Hyoran looked at Moyong Huia and continued.
“There are several problems in the report. And some of the parts you handled were disappointing as well.”
“…If you point them out, I’ll correct them.”
“Words alone won’t be enough, so I’ll organize those parts separately and give them to you by tomorrow. Please look them over carefully.”
Hearing Mi Hyoran’s words, Moyong Huia sighed inwardly.
She had thought she had handled everything perfectly. Yet Mi Hyoran still seemed to find shortcomings.
It was disappointing, to say the least.
Perhaps she had read something in Moyong Huia’s expression, because Mi Hyoran gave a small, unseen smile before speaking.
“By the way, I heard that you’ve broken through the wall. Is that true?”
At Mi Hyoran’s words, Moyong Huia widened her eyes in surprise.
She had never imagined that Mi Hyoran would know.
In truth, Moyong Huia had surpassed the Peak realm around three months ago.
It was a remarkable achievement she had accomplished not long after resuming her cultivation.
“Ah… Yes, that’s correct.”
“Congratulations. It seems you worked hard despite how busy things were.”
“Thank you.”
Moyong Huia held back the corners of her mouth, which threatened to rise at Mi Hyoran’s praise.
She must not make a spectacle of herself. Especially not in front of her.
At that moment, Mi Hyoran handed something to Moyong Huia.
“It’s not quite a congratulatory gift, but… I have something to give the branch master.”
“Pardon?”
Widening her already enlarged eyes even further, Moyong Huia accepted the letter.
“It concerns an important matter. Do you think you can handle it?”
“Ah! Of course. I can do it.”
Rather than feeling burdened by Mi Hyoran’s announcement that she was assigning her a task, Moyong Huia smiled as though she were pleased.
If Mi Hyoran entrusted someone with an important matter, it was because she trusted them.
This was one way of acknowledging someone.
Looking at Mi Hyoran, Moyong Huia unfolded the letter with obvious delight. But as soon as she read its contents—
She froze.
She stopped moving as she looked at the letter’s contents and the seal stamped upon it.
Then she looked at Mi Hyoran.
“…Association Master. This is…?”
Moyong Huia stared at Mi Hyoran with trembling eyes.
She could not help it.
The seal stamped at the end of the letter belonged to the North Sea Ice Palace.
Moreover, the contents of the letter presented another problem.
In essence,
it conveyed news that the North Sea Ice Palace’s young lady would be visiting the Central Plains.
It also stated that they wished to entrust her guidance not to the Murim Alliance, but to the Baekhwa Merchant Association.