"Not allowed?" Seo-jun’s short reply hung in the air, followed by an awkward silence.
A moment later, there was a soft cough before the unknown man spoke again.
"Then, I’ll wait outside. Come out when you’re ready."
"Ah, okay," Seo-jun replied, and then playfully poked Chun-bong's cheek as she snored gently beside him.
"Hey, wake up. We've got visitors."
"Mm… who’s visiting…?" she muttered.
"How should I know?"
"Who visits this early in the morning…?"
Seo-jun glanced out the window. It didn’t look like morning at all.
"It’s not morning; it’s broad daylight."
"Ugh…"
Finally, Chun-bong stirred and got up.
Seo-jun quickly checked his attire.
He was still in the thin clothes he had worn for their walk the previous day.
"Chun-bong, where are my clothes?"
"Your clothes? I threw them away; they were torn to shreds."
"What am I supposed to wear then?"
"You’ve got other clothes, don’t you?"
"They’re back at the inn."
"Oh, right…"
She still seemed half-asleep. Scratching his head, Seo-jun quickly gave up.
"Whatever, I went for a walk in these, so it’s fine."
After helping Chun-bong rub the sleep out of her eyes and putting on an outer robe, he opened the door.
"Oh?"
"It seems your condition has improved. That’s good," said the man at the door.
"Wait, isn’t that…"
The voice was familiar, stirring faint memories.
It was Elder Jong-in, the top-ranking elder from the Huashan Sect.
As Seo-jun subtly moved his hand toward his sword, a soft laugh came from behind Jong-in.
"Please don’t be so wary, young warrior. The elder didn’t come with bad intentions."
"Oh, it's you again?"
"Yes, nice to see you again," said the Three-Headed Witch, waving playfully. Nodding in response, Seo-jun glanced back inside the room.
Chun-bong was still standing there, dozing off on her feet.
"Hey, Chun-bong, you need to wake up."
"Mm…"
Rubbing her eyes, Chun-bong squinted at the visitors.
"Huh…?"
For a few seconds, she froze.
Then, as her eyes widened, she touched her face and sighed, realizing it was too late to fix her appearance.
Jong-in seemed aware of her identity, and the witch clearly recognized her face.
Switching to her ‘social mode,’ Chun-bong cleared her throat and asked, "So, what brings you here?"
"I mentioned before, I’ve come to make amends for the Huashan Sect’s mistake and offer some advice, since your friend seems to be a bit unaware of certain things about himself," Jong-in explained.
Seo-jun scratched his head, feeling a bit confused. "Why do you feel the need to offer advice?"
"......"
The conversation abruptly stalled.
This wasn’t going anywhere. Shaking his head, Seo-jun gestured outside.
"Let’s step out and talk."
Once outside, Seo-jun took a moment to inspect the building he’d been staying in.
It was quite a grand structure, with a signboard that had been hastily scribbled on, making it impossible to read.
Looking up at a small plum tree planted nearby, Seo-jun finally spoke.
"So, what’s this all about?"
"First, I’d like to clear up some misunderstandings."
Jong-in began his long-winded explanation.
In short, he had been so startled that he rushed onto the platform without thinking. When Seo-jun approached him with a menacing aura and grabbed his wrist, he instinctively unleashed his energy.
"I see," Seo-jun replied.
Did that really make sense? Why would anyone jump into a fight and try to unmask someone just because they were startled?
Something about this explanation felt off.
"Anyway, please accept this," Jong-in said, offering a small wooden box.
Seo-jun, sensing the odd energy emanating from it, opened his eyes wide.
"This is…"
When he opened the lid slightly, a fragrant scent wafted out. It was the scent of plum blossoms.
Looking at Jong-in, the elder nodded.
"It’s a Plum Blossom Pill. I brought it to help heal your internal injuries."
"Wow, thanks," Seo-jun said, quickly stashing the pill in his robe.
There was no reason to refuse. After all, this was the prize for participating in the martial arts tournament.
"So, why are you here?" Seo-jun asked, turning to the Three-Headed Witch.
She smiled slightly and removed her bamboo hat.
Her long black hair, tinged with a faint blue hue, cascaded down.
The first thing that struck Seo-jun was that she was the kind of beauty who could turn heads wherever she went.
However, her slightly squinted eyes gave off a suspicious vibe, like someone who might stab you in the back.
‘Hmm?’
His mind tingled. It felt like he was forgetting something.
What was it? Had revisiting his past memories the previous night messed with his state of mind?
Sudden flashes of that day told him there was more to the story than he had recalled.
What had happened with that woman? Or was it just PTSD?
His head throbbed, and he couldn’t help but frown.
‘Well… It probably wasn’t that important.’
Seo-jun ran a hand across his face.
"Ah, I wasn’t expecting that reaction," the witch said.
"No, I just felt a bit dizzy for a second. But even with the hat off, I don’t recognize you."
"You wouldn’t. I haven’t been very active outside."
Even if she had been, Seo-jun doubted he’d have recognized her. Still, he nodded.
"Ah, okay."
"My name is Namgung Sua."
"Oh, alright."
Namgung Sua tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled.
Chun-bong, on the other hand, reacted immediately.
"Namgung? What’s the Namgung family doing here?"
Her formal tone was back in full force.
Jong-in chuckled and explained.
"After you were taken to the clinic, this young lady came by, saying she had a slight connection with you and wanted to help. But since the situation had already been resolved, she decided to accompany us instead."
"Ah…"
Chun-bong nodded, though her expression remained skeptical.
Ignoring her reaction, Namgung Sua turned to Seo-jun.
"May I ask your name?"
"Sure."
"What?"
"I said, sure."
Chun-bong’s response was curt.
Seo-jun chuckled and patted her on the head.
"This is Chun-bong, and I’m Lee Seo-jun."
"So you’re the famous Lee Seo-jun? Did you know that your name is all the talk of Huayum City?"
"Nope."
"Ah…"
The conversation came to a sudden halt, leaving Namgung Sua looking a bit awkward.
Jong-in chuckled softly and stepped forward.
"I have some matters I’d like to discuss with these two. Would you mind waiting?"
"There’s no need. I was just worried about your condition, so I’ll be on my way now. Take your time."
"Understood. Take care."
Namgung Sua gave a small bow, put her bamboo hat back on, and left.
Seo-jun couldn’t help but wonder why she had bothered coming in the first place.
"Shall we go inside? There’s something important I need to discuss."
Seo-jun wasn’t sure why they had stepped outside only to return indoors now.
"Oh, I almost forgot something."
Just as they were about to head back inside, Namgung Sua returned.
She approached Seo-jun and held something out to him.
"This is the Namgung family’s secret Golden Wound Salve. It’s very effective. Please accept it as a gift."
Seo-jun hesitated for a moment before taking it.
"Thank you."
"My pleasure."
As she smiled, a faint wisp of internal energy escaped between her lips, barely noticeable.
Seo-jun instinctively wanted to dodge, but realizing it was in the form of sound, he allowed it to pass by his ear.
[Elder Jong-in is not to be trusted. Be careful.]
It was an encrypted message, transmitted directly to his ears.
Seo-jun glanced at Namgung Sua as she gave him a small wave.
"See you next time?"
After Namgung Sua had finally left, they returned to the room and sat down. Jong-in began to speak again.
"Your last name is Lee?"
"Yes."
"Hmm…"
Stroking his beard, Jong-in glanced at Chun-bong.
After a moment of hesitation, he spoke cautiously.
"Please don’t misunderstand me. I have no ulterior motives for what I’m about to say."
"Okay."
"I know I said I wouldn’t pry into your identities, but I’m already aware that this young lady is from the Shingeom Geumga (Divine Sword Geum Family)."
Click—
Seo-jun’s hand immediately moved to his sword, but Jong-in quickly waved his hands.
"I don’t mean any harm! At my level, there are certain things you naturally come to know. I only mentioned it because there’s no point in us both pretending not to know."
"So?"
Jong-in furrowed his brow slightly.
"How did I end up in this situation…?"
Seo-jun understood.
At that level of mastery and with his age, it was natural for Jong-in to have become a bit of a know-it-all.
With his high position and overwhelming strength, there wasn’t much he couldn’t do.
As people age and their minds become more rigid, that authority adds to their sense of entitlement. It was inevitable for him to act this way.
Still, considering Jong-in’s demeanor, he wasn’t the worst elder in the martial arts world. Seo-jun could only imagine what other elders might be like.
‘Wait.’
Didn’t Namgung Sua say something about Jong-in being untrustworthy?
Seo-jun couldn’t take Namgung Sua’s words at face value, but assuming Jong-in was the representative of all elders in the martial world might be a rash judgment.
Who knows?
Maybe there were old elders within the Huashan Sect who peacefully played chess and laughed heartily together.
Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
If Jong-in ever got angry and decided to draw his sword, things could get dangerous.
Seo-jun decided it would be wise to hold back until he was strong enough to deal with it.
"Let me ask you directly. With a surname like Lee, you don’t seem to be a direct descendant of the Shingeom Geumga. Have you considered joining the Huashan Sect?"
"No, not interested."
"…I see."
"Was that really such an important question?"
"It’s related. I’m impressed by your talent and wanted to offer you a place in our sect."
"Oh…"
Was this heading toward a martial arts obsession plotline?
Like, "All the martial sects are obsessed with me."
"Anyway, to continue, do you know anything about the term ‘Killer Star (살성, Salseong)?’"
"Killer Star? Like the ‘Heavenly Killer Star’?"
"The Heavenly Killer Star!"
Chun-bong jumped to her feet.
Jong-in quickly calmed her down.
"It’s not the Heavenly Killer Star, so there’s no need to panic. I haven’t heard any reports of such a star rising in recent decades."
"Phew… That’s a relief."
"Why? What would happen if it were the Heavenly Killer Star?" Seo-jun asked.
Chun-bong shook her head vigorously.
"It would be a disaster. Whenever major bloodshed happens in the martial world, if you trace it back, about half the time, it’s connected to the Heavenly Killer Star."
"What?"
Seo-jun rolled his eyes out of courtesy.
‘But I came from another world. Would that even apply to me?’
From what he’d heard, a star appeared in the sky when the Heavenly Killer Star was born, but if that were the case for him, the star would’ve appeared on Earth, not in the martial world.
Either way, he decided to let it slide. Better safe than sorry.
Jong-in continued his explanation.
"The Heavenly Killer Star, as the name suggests, is someone cursed with a violent fate, turning them into a madman obsessed with bloodshed. The Killer Star, however, is different. It can be congenital or developed later in life."
To summarize, the Killer Star is someone whose bloodlust rises to the point of madness, making them a lunatic.
So basically, Jong-in was calling him a madman.
"And what does being a Killer Star have to do with joining the Huashan Sect?"
"In a way, the Killer Star can be seen as a form of qi deviation. Since you can’t control it yourself, wouldn’t it be easier if you had the support of a martial sect?"
"Hmm."
"Furthermore, if you attempt to break through to the next level as you did before, the overflow of demonic energy could be catastrophic. It would be wise to take precautions."
"Hmm."
Seo-jun thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"I’ll think about it."
"…Very well."
Jong-in rose from his seat. He then turned to Chun-bong, speaking in a gentle tone.
"As I mentioned before, if you ever need assistance, feel free to come to us. As long as it’s within my power, I’ll do my best to help."
"Yes…"
With those words, Jong-in gave a brief nod and left.
After waiting until he was gone, Seo-jun finally spoke.
"Do you know that guy?"
"No."
"Then why is he acting like that?"
"No idea."
"Do you know anything?"
"I don’t know, you idiot!"
Chun-bong lunged at Seo-jun, furiously delivering a flurry of ‘cat punches’ to his stomach.
"If an elder shows up, you should’ve told me sooner!"
"I didn’t know either!"
"Ugh…!"
Exhausted from all the punching, Chun-bong collapsed into Seo-jun’s arms, panting.
"Anyway… you should hurry up and take that."
"This?"
Seo-jun pulled the wooden box from his robes.
"Yeah. You need to heal your internal injuries."
"I’m already healed."
"Even if you are, take it."
"I was going to give it to you."
Chun-bong raised an eyebrow.
"If you try that again, I’ll be really mad this time. That medicine was given to you to heal your injuries. I can win the tournament and get my own, so you should take it."
"Hmm…"
As Seo-jun hesitated, Chun-bong quickly retreated, hiding in the corner of the room, glaring at him with sharp eyes.
"I told you I’ll get mad! Take it now!"
"Okay, okay."
There was no helping it.
If he forced her to take it, she looked ready to throw it up immediately.
On second thought, it was probably better this way.
Who knew if the medicine was really trustworthy enough to give to Chun-bong?
Even though there was little reason to suspect poison, given that Namgung Sua had seen Jong-in hand it over in person, Seo-jun wasn’t willing to take chances.
If Jong-in had wanted to kill him, he could have just struck a deeper blow earlier.
Even if the pill were poisoned, Seo-jun figured he could probably detoxify it himself.
If not?
Well… it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
Click—
When he opened the wooden box, a sweet floral fragrance filled the air.
Come to think of it, it was the first time he had ever taken a high-grade elixir like this. Setting aside his suspicions, maybe this could be the key to unlocking something new.
Seo-jun picked up the faintly purple pill and tossed it into his mouth.
Gulp—
It tasted… purple.