Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: The Backer of the Peak Expert (5)
The Ming Cult was expanding its forces at a breakneck pace.
Countless unorthodox factions, swept up in their momentum, were successively absorbed, unified, and ultimately subdued.
The group led by Yeongcheon grew stronger with each passing day, and the martial artists of the Central Plains could feel the tension of the impending storm on their skin.
It was only recently that they began to be called not the Ming Cult, but the Demonic Cult.
The anxiety that a cataclysm rivaling the fall of the Namgung Family might erupt at any moment grew thicker by the day.
In such circumstances, the news that two new peak experts had emerged among the later-generation talents shook the entire martial world.
At a time when everyone was gripped by unease, that story was like rain falling on parched earth, soothing people's fears.
Breaking through the wall to the transcendent realm was truly rare.
Even among those source experts, they came from both righteous and unorthodox sects without distinction, so the fact that two warriors affiliated with the Murim Alliance had pierced that wall was even more precious good news.
And among them, the one who drew the most attention by far was...
...the champion, Flying Heavenly Phoenix Dang Soran.
"Thank you. Yes, I will strive even harder."
Dang Soran was receiving the honor of the victor with her whole body at the front of the cheering procession.
The streets on both sides were packed with merchants, children, elders, and martial artists with no room to spare. Some tossed flower petals, while others shouted her name at the top of their lungs.
Red and yellow paper flowers fluttered through the air, cascading down onto Dang Soran's shoulders and head.
Behind her, Shaolin monks bearing the Tang Clan banners marched in orderly ranks, each flag gleaming in the sunlight emblazoned with the prestige of the Tang Clan of Sichuan. Drums and gongs resounded, blending with festive cheers in a strange fervor that enveloped the streets.
The faces of the Tang Clan retainers following the Shaolin monks were filled with deep pride.
Behold, that is our young lady.
She is our mistress, they seemed to proclaim as they too raised their voices to heighten the atmosphere.
The new title bestowed upon the champion: Flying Heavenly Phoenix.
A phoenix soaring through the heavens.
Just one step away from reaching her original moniker, Flying Heavenly Consort.
"Haa."
I let out a sigh.
Sometimes, it felt like this world was flowing exactly as fated.
The details had changed here and there, but Yeongcheon's group was still building its power.
They had held the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly to soothe the people. The characters had grown closer, aside from Namgung Yeon...
Even the titles had evolved similarly.
I could sense that the time when the righteous sects and the Demonic Cult would clash head-on was not far off.
In this situation, two worries lingered in my mind.
One was... Namgung Yeon's situation.
I'd already written the letter. Later, I'd ask Dang Soran to deliver it to her.
Do whatever it takes to grow, please. Without you, things are really tough...
My greatest hope was crushing the most violently, leaving me sighing deeply.
The second worry was that, as war drew nearer, I felt an anxiety different from before.
In the past, I wouldn't have cared at all.
That's why I'd lived quietly on the outskirts of Mount Emei.
But now, that was becoming difficult.
The uncles.
And Cheongwol, Dang Soran.
Even the Emei nuns whose faces I'd grown familiar with.
The Poison King of the Tang Clan of Sichuan. Mugeol. Muwol Satas.
Hao Gate's Wi-chang hyung, the dumpling shop uncle whose life I'd saved with divine skill—they would all be swept up in that war. The thought stirred a deep unease from the pit of my stomach.
I still wanted to push them away, and that wasn't empty talk, but neither did I wish for them to die.
Above all, with Cheongwol and Dang Soran, I'd given so much of my heart through our playtime, and that trembling feeling was growing stronger.
Should I think of it positively?
At the very least, I firmly believed Cheongwol, who would kill Dang Soran in the original story, wouldn't fall to corruption going forward.
And Dang Soran had reached the transcendent wall sooner than fated, so she might survive too.
"...Haa."
But one thing was certain: that uncomfortable feeling persisted.
I sighed as I watched Dang Soran walking demurely at the very front of the procession.
I also saw the proud expressions of the Tang Clan retainers honoring her.
So... that bitch wants to keep doing SM with me?
Pretending to be demure, pretending to be the future of the righteous sects... but behind the scenes, she's a pervert who wants to be a masochist?
She gets happy when tormented?
She wants to play together even while hiding it from Cheongwol?
"I'm going crazy."
This was a new form of pressure.
All the events had concluded, and we set off on the journey home.
"Uncle, are you okay?"
"Yes. Thanks to you." "Gayeong... Seejin, I don't know how to repay this debt."
"What debt? I'm just returning what I received. The dumplings you and Gayeong gave me more than cover it."
"...You rascal."
The dumpling shop uncle wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.
As he opened his arms in gratitude, I lightly hugged him and patted his back.
After pulling away, he spoke.
"But surviving leaves a bittersweet taste. The betrothal to Gayeong was fake, but on Mount Emei, it was real. I've spoken with Jang Cheolyu, so if his face glows but have a partner, they can live happily ever after. But not you. With the betrothal broken, your reputation is ruined too, and you did it for my sake..."
He's not wrong. People will point fingers: it broke so soon, there must have been some flaw.
They'll whisper that it was my issue since Gayeong is pairing with Jang Cheolyu.
It didn't matter.
"What are you worrying about? I'd only care if I had a reputation to ruin. Who would like Han Seejin, the Emei beggar? An orphan beggar who works leather and smells—it's a miracle they didn't freak out. I'm just returning to normal."
"..."
"I'll find my own match. It wasn't just a day or two that I'd have starved without your dumplings, Uncle. I've grown well on that until now, so I'll live repaying that debt. If you're truly sorry or grateful, live long. If you suddenly collapse from a new illness and die here, that would be truly hollow."
The dumpling shop uncle chuckled at my words and stroked my arm.
"...is that why Gwak Du protected you so fiercely and bet on you? You're the first he's shown affection to like that. A gem was under my nose, and I didn't see it. Gayeong should have liked you."
"I don't like Gayeong! It would have been painful for both of us."
"No, what's wrong with our Gayeong to—"
"Hey, calm down. I was joking."
I soothed the uncle and helped him deeper into the carriage.
I draped a blanket over him and stepped out.
Gayeong stood outside.
She smiled once and hugged me.
I lightly patted her back in return, but then I locked eyes with Cheongwol watching me intently from afar.
Her gaze was a bit chilly, laced with a hint of displeasure.
"_"
I awkwardly withdrew my hand and scratched the back of my head.
Gayeong then climbed onto the carriage.
I pretended not to see Cheongwol and approached the uncles.
"Uncles. All done?"
"Yes. But Seejin, I'm starting to understand why you acted like such a fool."
"What do you mean?"
"I never imagined Cheongwol Sojeo making such a scary face... just for lightly hugging Gayeong?"
"_"
I changed the subject.
"But why haven't we departed yet?"
"We're waiting for the Tang Clan of Sichuan."
"...Why them?"
"The Holy City is on the way to Mount Emei, so we should travel together. Why go separately in these turbulent times? We're the stars of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly; we need to go even more safely."
It seemed like a perfectly reasonable decision, but my head was already starting to throb.
Others might feel at ease, but I saw a bed of nails ahead.
Soon after, the Tang Clan of Sichuan arrived.
I sat on a nearby tree stump and watched them approach.
Dang Soran craned her neck, searching for someone.
Feeling the tedious schedule beginning with her glance, I steeled myself.
Soon, our eyes met.
"_"
"_"
But surprisingly, that was it.
She didn't approach chattering as usual; we just made eye contact.
Perhaps with so many eyes around, she was wearing her mask.
In front of others, Dang Soran cared about her reputation.
As the Flying Heavenly Phoenix, she maintained the demeanor fitting her title.
Seeing her like that, I finally felt she was older than me.
Two years my senior.
Chewing on that complex fact, I stood from my seat.
Still, it was a relief, in a way.
Maybe because I told her it's fine to hide our relationship from Cheongwol?
I even thought we might live more smoothly than before.
The journey back to Mount Emei was long; if those two bickered from the start, I wouldn't have lasted.
Four days into the journey home.
Dang Soran's gaze drifted there again.
Toward Han Seejin.
She tried not to care, tried to act in line with her reputation in front of all these people... but whenever she came to her senses, her eyes sought Han Seejin.
The moment she saw him, she gritted her teeth.
She knew it would hurt, yet she always regretted it.
Today too, Cheongwol was firmly at Han Seejin's side.
Despite being a nun, Cheongwol showed no intent to hide her closeness with him, sticking to his side and chattering away as they walked.
She strode shoulder-to-shoulder with him as if it were the most natural thing.
No one around pointed it out.
Cheongwol wasn't smiling outright, but her expression showed she relished the situation.
She stared piercingly at Han Seejin's profile before leaning close to his ear and whispering something, even though no one could overhear.
Dang Soran frowned slightly.
A bizarre irritation and frustration burned in her chest.
She knew this was how it had to be.
Han Seejin had chosen Cheongwol, not her.
If she didn't want to lose her connection to him, she had to behave for now.
As she'd insisted to him, they had to keep their relationship secret from Cheongwol.
If she couldn't, Han Seejin might cut her off decisively in front of Cheongwol.
Then it would truly be irreversible.
She had defeated Cheongwol in the duel, so why did she feel defeated by her?
Dang Soran couldn't understand. Victory, yet loss.
...If I won, shouldn't Han Seejin be mine?
At that moment, Han Seejin burst into hearty laughter from afar. Cheongwol covered her mouth and smiled demurely alongside him.
Unable to bear it any longer, Dang Soran whispered.
"Mugeol."
"Yes, miss."
Mugeol quickly approached Dang Soran.
Dang Soran nodded toward Han Seejin and said.
"Go interrupt them over there."
"...Pardon?"
"Quickly. Go bother those two."
"_"
Mugeol hesitated with a bewildered expression, as if he hadn't fully grasped it, then slowly moved away.
But Dang Soran's heart remained fixed in place.
"Now they say to walk separately. Trying to spread rumors everywhere?"
"...So what? Should we hide our relationship forever?"
"Why forever?"
"We'll be together forever. People will find out eventually that I'm close to the 'Lan Leader'?"
"...Do we really need them to know early?"
Even as I spoke, I felt like a fool.
But I couldn't help it.
Perhaps every time the Demonic Cult grew stronger, some unconscious part of me screamed not to get entangled with these people.
The moment I recognized that, I realized I was doing something foolish.
I took back my words.
"No. Just stay by my side."
If Cheongwol had no intention of hiding it, maybe hiding was already pointless.
With those words, Cheongwol's face visibly brightened.
She smiled, then kept fiddling with her bangs.
More precisely, her forehead.
The spot where I'd kissed her before.
"_"
"_"
An awkward atmosphere bloomed, and we fell silent.
"Hey, hey."
The silence-breaker appeared then.
A Tang Clan warrior, Mugeol, wedged himself between us and pulled us apart.
Cheongwol asked in bewilderment.
"What's this about?"
Having separated us, Mugeol surprisingly wore a blank expression.
As if he had no idea what he'd just done.
I asked too.
"Mugeol hyung, what's going on?"
We'd seen each other often, so I'd taken to calling him hyung on my own.
Mugeol replied.
"It's... well, I came to interrupt."
"Interrupt what?"
"...I don't know either. But I came to interrupt anyway. Stop it, both of you."
"So what are we stopping?"
"...I don't know."
What the hell?
As I stared at him, Dang Soran.
Her sharp gaze fixed on Dang Soran.
Only then did I realize it was Dang Soran's order, and I pitied Mugeol.
"...Hyung, thanks for your hard work."
Mugeol just squeezed his eyes shut, saying nothing.
Mugeol retreated shortly after.
But the provoked Cheongwol had no intention of calming down and asked me.
"...Clan Leader. So what happened that day?"
"When?"
"The day you were dragged off by Dang Soran. Did she pay you?"
I let out a deep sigh and said.
"Don't worry. Nothing happened. She offered money to play, but I refused."
"R-Really?"
"...Yeah."
The first rule for keeping peace with women.
Lie absolutely.
Being honest versus saying useless things is a fine line, but yields completely different results.
Telling Cheongwol honestly now, she gave me a whole box of gold. We're gonna play behind your back. She wants gifts too, isn't honesty—it's useless blabber.
Cheongwol already blamed herself for my money loss; pressure would just make her lash out more.
I'd decided to trust Cheongwol, but that didn't mean I'd act recklessly.
Promising trust then endlessly provoking with brutal honesty would be idiotic.
"So, let's gloss over it with a white lie."
Look at her now.
One lie from me, and a satisfied smile bloomed on Cheongwol's face.
"Clan Leader, thank you."
"Yeah. So, can you walk separately for a bit now?"
"Why?"
"Well... Haa. No. I need to change my thinking too..."
I set aside my needless worries and steeled my resolve.
Yeah, what could go wrong?
"...Yeah, I knew something was off."
Dolgo Jinmuk thought, wearing his human skin mask flipped over.
He'd been masquerading as a Tang Clan retainer for several days now.
Among them, what he'd particularly observed with interest were... the two hottest among the later-generation talents.
Dang Soran and Cheongwol.
Both had been struggling with deep heart demons, yet in no time, they'd ascended to peak expert status.
Not just one, but two.
It was too suspicious to call anything else.
Cheongwol's unyielding persistence despite killing so many was odd too.
That nagging doubt had steadily tormented Yeongcheon, remaining unresolved even within the Ming Cult.
Dolgo Jinmuk had felt that incongruity facing Cheongwol himself.
He knew she endured due to some mental fortitude.
It might be nothing special, but conversely, it could finally hinder the Ming Cult's grand cause.
Thus, Dolgo Jinmuk had risked it all to infiltrate the Murim Alliance warriors.
Slipping unnoticed into this procession boating at least three peak experts.
Had even one surpassed him in cultivation, he wouldn't have dared.
But fortunately, he was still the strongest here.
They might kill him if they attacked together, but hiding quietly was feasible.
And the results were clear.
Meticulous observation over days had confirmed it.
Dang Soran and Cheongwol were both circling one man.
A youth called Han Seejin.
The backer behind two peak experts was one man.
This was an enormous discovery. The other five companions would shudder at this fact.
Dolgo Jinmuk grinned tremendously.
...It was you. You were the center.
"Hey, you fool! Hold the reins properly!"
At that moment, someone smacked Dolgo Jinmuk's head and yelled.
It was one of the Tang Clan retainers.
Dolgo Jinmuk gritted his teeth, then forced a laugh and said.
"Sorry!"