“And so?”
Tianhui looked at Yongjugae.
Seeing how he handled his internal energy earlier and the speed at which he gathered it, Tianhui had thought he was no ordinary person.
‘Though I didn’t know he was the Lord of the Beggars’ Sect.’
However, he felt no particular excitement beyond that.
“So I should bow my head just because you’re the Lord of the Beggars’ Sect?”
“Y-Young Hero?!”
Xuejian was appalled by Tianhui’s nonchalant response, but Yongjugae, the person in question, nodded his head in great satisfaction.
“Indeed, a martial artist of the murim should have such spirit.”
“Haa. Even I don’t know anymore.”
Stuck between the two, Xuejian rubbed his aching head and stepped back.
“Good decision. Leave at once.”
“Haa, when should I return?”
“Come back after one incense stick’s time.”
Nodding, Xuejian approached Tianhui and whispered in his ear.
“Will you be alright?”
Tianhui glared straight at Xuejian.
“What will you do if I’m not alright?”
“That is... I’m sorry.”
Xuejian smiled bitterly.
“More importantly, there isn’t anyone else calling for me somewhere else, is there?”
“This is the last of it. After this, I will guide you to the Huashan Sect’s quarters where you will stay during your time at the Wulin Alliance.”
“That’s fine then.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“I didn’t say I understood.”
“Haha.”
Smiling awkwardly, Xuejian glanced at Yongjugae.
“But if by any chance you change your mind, Elder, it might get delayed...”
“No, don’t worry about that.”
Yongjugae said firmly.
“Then that’s a relief.”
Xuejian said with an exhausted face.
“Then I will take my leave.”
Xuejian went up the stairs, and shortly after, the moment his presence was felt leaving through the door, Yongjugae opened his mouth.
“Then shall we begin our conversation?”
Instantly, the atmosphere in the room changed.
“First of all...”
Pausing for effect, Yongjugae pulled out a scroll from his robes.
He then tossed it onto the floor and unrolled it.
*Roll, roll—*
Pointing at the long unrolled paper with his index finger, Yongjugae spoke.
“Read this.”
Tianhui’s gaze calmly scanned the densely written text.
‘What is this?’
Half-closing his eyes, he glared at Yongjugae.
“...Information about me?”
“That’s right.”
From the Wuyue Zhihui five years ago to the recent incident at Baiguicheng.
He flinched at the words written at the end.
The fact that he was staying at the Wanjuge, and even that Chijian and Xuelan were receiving instruction.
Even information that would be hard to know unless one was a Daoist of the Huashan Sect was detailed meticulously.
“So why did you show me this?”
Tianhui’s voice sank coldly.
Thinking that the Yongjugae before him knew so much about him didn’t sit well with him at all.
“This is all the information I’ve gathered about you up until now.”
Yongjugae scratched the back of his head with a displeased expression.
Sprinkling dandruff everywhere for a moment, he clicked his tongue openly and stared at Tianhui.
“If it were an ordinary martial artist, I pride myself on being able to gather every event from their birth to the present, but looking into you was almost as hard as looking into a figure of the Imperial Family. I went through quite a lot of trouble.”
Yongjugae’s expression was reluctant.
Ever since Zhenhai had told him about Tianhui’s information, he had tried to gather every detail, but that was all he could manage.
“The reason I called you was because I wanted to confirm things about you properly. Just who are you to speak so confidently between the Huashan Divine Sword and the Feiyan Sword Army, and what kind of martial arts do you possess to have completely shattered the gates of Baiguicheng in a single day? And also, why are you trying to erase information about yourself.”
“You speak complicatedly, but in the end, you just wanted to know my skills, right?”
“To cut it short, yes.”
Feeling sheepish, Yongjugae rolled the scroll back up.
“And I’ve confirmed enough today.”
The moment those words ended, an amazing thing happened.
*Flames roared—*
Flames erupted from the scroll Yongjugae held in his hand.
It was the Sanmei Zhenhuo.
“With this, information about you no longer exists in the world except inside my head.”
Tianhui’s eyes revealed a hint of surprise.
Seeing that there was no lie in his words, his pupils did not waver, and his breathing remained steady.
“What’s the reason for doing this?”
The answer popped out immediately.
“I hope you will forget the discord between the Huashan Sect and the Beggars’ Sect surrounding the Meihua Jianxia in exchange for erasing this information.”
Saying that, Yongjugae blew away the ash and met his gaze.
‘What? Was that it?’
Tianhui grasped the situation immediately.
Nipping in the bud a grudge that would become complicated in the future.
Hadn’t such proposals occurred occasionally within the Tianmo Shenjiao in the past?
But a question arose.
“But why are you doing this only now? There should have been plenty of opportunities to clear the discord before.”
Yongjugae laughed heartily.
“Just as you said, there were many opportunities to clear it at any time. But back then, there was no need to do so.”
“You’re ignoring us quite a bit.”
“That’s how it was back then.”
Tianhui’s eyes narrowed.
Yongjugae wasn’t hiding at all that he had looked down on the Huashan Sect.
As if it was natural.
‘Even though we’re part of the same Nine Sects and One Faction, to ignore us to this extent...’
He had vaguely felt that the Huashan Sect’s prestige had fallen to the ground, but he hadn’t thought it would be to this degree.
“Then is it different now?”
Tianhui asked, staring at Yongjugae.
The reason he had invited him was simple.
Whether it was worth clearing the discord with the Huashan Sect or not.
He wanted to confirm it directly.
“Of course it’s different. With the Huashan Divine Sword who destroyed Baiguicheng, and even you there, how could it not be different? On top of that, the Alliance’s circumstances are complicated...”
Yongjugae scratched his greasy hair with a deeply complex expression.
“Before the Huashan Sect becomes even stronger, we must quickly eliminate any seeds of discord that might sprout.”
“Your decision is faster than I expected. I thought you’d observe the situation a bit longer.”
“Originally, that was the plan.”
Yongjugae stared straight at Tianhui.
“Since you saw through the Feitian Wuying Shenfa, there’s no need for that anymore.”
“Feitian Wuying Shenfa?”
Tianhui stroked his chin, recalling the movement technique that had suddenly shot up from below earlier.
“Ah, that bizarre body technique?”
“You saw through its true form without even knowing what the Feitian Wuying Shenfa is?”
“There wasn’t much to call a true form.”
“What do you... No. Enough.”
Yongjugae waved his hand dismissively and spoke.
“Then the deal is done with this. There is no longer any discord between Huashan and the Beggars’ Sect.”
“I don’t know what the others will think besides me, though.”
Tianhui threw cold water on his words.
But Yongjugae chuckled as if wondering what he was talking about.
“Huashan will absolutely never have a different opinion from yours.”
* * *
After finishing his deal and parting ways with Yongjugae, Tianhui, guided by Xuejian, arrived at the pavilion where the Daoists of the Huashan Sect were staying.
“If there are any problems, please come find me.”
Xuejian bowed to Tianhui and left.
“...This is the Huashan Sect’s quarters?”
Tianhui muttered with an unsatisfied face as he looked at the pavilion right in front of him.
The pavilion was dilapidated and gloomy.
Like a pavilion that had been used and then abandoned.
It stood in stark contrast to the other pavilions he had seen while walking the streets with Xuejian.
‘So this is the extent of the Huashan Sect’s standing in the Wulin Alliance right now?’
Just as Tianhui was glaring at the pavilion.
“Hm?”
A voice came from above.
Raising his head, he saw a familiar face wearing a bright smile on the second floor of the pavilion.
“If it isn’t Tianhui!”
A middle-aged man with a tired complexion leapt down.
At that moment, the plum blossom-shaped sword tassel at his waist swayed.
It was a tassel only worn by the Meihua Sword Guards.
Landing softly in front of Tianhui with fluid movements, he smiled brightly.
“I received a letter saying you were coming, but you arrived faster than expected.”
“It’s been a long time.”
Tianhui returned the greeting.
He was Xianzhen, who had been sent to oversee the Meihua Sword Guards.
“Hoho. You’ve grown taller again.”
Xianzhen looked up at Tianhui and laughed.
He was a man who had spent most of his time at the Wulin Alliance leading the Meihua Sword Guards for a long time, but occasionally returned to Huashan to exchange greetings.
“But I heard Senior Brother Xiandao was coming too...”
“Fourth Uncle went to meet the Wulin Alliance Leader.”
“I see.”
Xianzhen’s frown deepened.
“...Then he might end up staying there constantly.”
Muttering, he let out a sigh.
“Haa. I was hoping to get help, but it can’t be helped.”
Speaking bitterly, he turned his head to look at Tianhui and smiled.
“But it’s just as well. The Meihua Sword Guards had all returned and were in the middle of a meal. Especially Jianlei; he’s been constantly looking forward to meeting you.”
‘Jianlei?’
Tianhui racked his brain.
Then he remembered the daohao.
“Are you talking about Eldest Senior Brother?”
Xianzhen nodded.
“Let’s go.”
Tianhui followed Xianzhen, who was walking ahead, toward the pavilion. Stepping on the creaking floor, Tianhui’s eyebrows twitched.
‘Is this a quarters or a ruin?’
Looking dissatisfied at the dilapidated state of the pavilion, which was worse than an inn, he kept walking until Xianzhen came to a stop.
“It’s here.”
*Rattle—*
When the closed door was opened, people sitting around a large round table came into view.
“You’re he... Hm? Junior Brother Hui?”
The tall young Daoist who was greeting them on behalf of the group stood up abruptly from his seat.
At his words, the Meihua Sword Guards who were eating also looked at Tianhui with surprised eyes.
“Junior Brother Hui?”
“Is it really Junior Brother Hui?”
The eyes of the four seated Meihua Sword Guards grew round.
They exclaimed in surprise at the sight of the robust young man, completely different from the Tianhui they knew.
“Is your body healed?”
“Are you okay now?”
Just as their commotion was about to grow louder.
“Everyone, quiet down.”
The young Daoist who had stood up first spoke with force, ending the commotion.
‘That person must be Eldest Senior Brother.’
The one presumed to be Jianlei walked over.
“You must have worked hard coming here. Oh right! This is no time for this. You must be hungry from coming all the way here, so take a seat in the empty chair.”
Just as he said, Tianhui, who was indeed hungry, sat down in the chair Jianlei pointed to.
“Long time no see, Junior Brother.”
“Is your body fine now?”
Just as everyone greeted him as soon as he sat down.
“I know everyone has a lot of questions, but restrain yourselves. Junior Brother Hui must have accumulated fatigue from his journey to the Wulin Alliance.”
Jianlei stopped them.
The Meihua Sword Guards looked disappointed, but soon focused back on their meal.
It was an astonishingly quick resolution.
‘They obeyed so readily; he must have quite a bit of popularity?’
He glanced at Jianlei.
Feeling his gaze, Jianlei briefly made eye contact and smiled with his eyes.
‘Well, let’s just eat first.’
Tianhui immediately picked up his chopsticks.
A short while later, finishing the meal.
“Junior Brother Hui.”
Jianlei approached.
He spoke a step ahead of the Meihua Sword Guards who were waiting eagerly around to talk to Tianhui.
“Follow me. I’ll show you the room you’ll be staying in while you’re at the Wulin Alliance.”
Guiding him to the very last room among the many rooms on the second floor, Jianlei glanced to the side and spoke.
“This is the room you’ll be staying in. And my room is right across, so come find me anytime if anything happens.”
Saying that with a gentle smile, Jianlei went into his room.
Watching him, Tianhui also entered his assigned room and lay down on the bed.
*Flop—*
‘At least there’s a bed.’
As he lay down, his eyes naturally closed.
*Rustle—*
Tianhui, who had been sleeping for a while, flinched.
‘This presence...’
In the silent dead of night, Tianhui slowly opened his eyes at the approaching human presence.
“Junior Brother, are you awake?”
He turned his head towards the voice.
On the windowsill where the moonlight shone, Jianlei was shaking a small liquor flask and spoke.
“How about it? Would you like a drink too, Junior Brother?”