Relieved by that smile, Seolhwa pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed.

“How is your body feeling?”

“Good. The Head of the Medical Hall just applied some ointment, and whatever it was, it made my back feel really cool. I should ask her what it was later.”

Yu Gang let out a cheerful laugh, clear as a bell. But perhaps due to the pain, it was not as bright as it used to be.

The laughter faded slowly, and his face darkened. Though his lips still held a faint smile, his expression had grown heavy.

“Are you worried?”

“...Huh?”

“About your sect.”

“Ah...”

Fidgeting with his fingers and wearing a somber look, Yu Gang gave a quiet nod.

“Yes. I wonder if the Sect Leader is alright... if Master is worrying about me... if the whole sect was thrown into chaos because of me.”

He had wanted to bid farewell to his master, Elder No Moon, before leaving Mount Hua. But he had not been able to.

It was because Seolhwa’s words—“Do not trust anyone”—kept ringing in his head. So Mount Hua had probably erupted in panic over his sudden disappearance.

‘I need to return to Mount Hua quickly.’

The problem was, the Namgoong Clan was not in a position to lend help to Mount Hua either.

Many had been injured in the battle at Suro Stronghold, and the aftermath was keeping everyone busy. In such a state, asking for assistance for Mount Hua felt impossible.

“Do not worry. I already sent a carrier hawk to Mount Hua.”

“...What?”

Yu Gang stared at Seolhwa in surprise.

“You sent... a hawk?”

“I sent it the moment I returned to the clan. I informed them that we rescued and are protecting the disciple of Mount Hua who was being held at Suro Stronghold.”

Though he was grateful that she had considered Mount Hua’s situation amidst such chaos, Yu Gang could not help but feel a little flustered.

“B-But... does that not mean everyone will find out I am here, at Namgoong? Are you alright with that?”

“I made sure to say we rescued you from Suro Stronghold. They will not know you were coming to Namgoong in the first place. And besides...”

“...?”

“This actually works in our favor. It gives the main house a formal reason to visit Mount Hua.”

To meet the Sect Leader, she had originally planned to wager the Golden Dragon Jade Blood Treasure as a bargaining chip.

But now, there was no need.

“If we rescue a disciple of Mount Hua who was held captive, protect him, and even escort him back... Mount Hua would not be able to turn away their benefactor.”

Mount Hua was a Daoist sect that valued grace and favor.

“Wow...”

Yu Gang let out a breath of sincere admiration.

In truth, he had only ended up at Suro Stronghold because he had followed after Hwarin, who had been kidnapped.

Yet somehow, Namgoong had spun the situation to make it seem as if they had saved him—and now stood as Mount Hua’s savior.

“You really are...”

Shameless. Like a dark warrior of the underworld.

To twist a situation like this into an advantage—Yu Gang would never have thought of such a thing.

“What? What am I?”

“...Nothing.”

What an anticlimax.

“Mount Hua has already sent a reply.”

“Already?”

“I used the fastest hawk.”

It did not take long for the carrier hawk to reach the Namgoong branch in Shaanxi, and from there, for a letter to be sent to Mount Hua.

Mount Hua, it seemed, had been searching desperately for their missing disciple—Yu Gang. Their response had come quickly.

“They are sending someone. Most likely, it will be Maeyoung Sword.”

One of the three who had visited Namgoong during the previous trip. Yu Pyo, the Maeyoung Sword.

Someone the Namgoong Clan recognized by face—he was the most likely candidate.

“It will take about seven days for the envoy to arrive. In the meantime, focus only on recovering. You may be fine now, but the longer we wait, the less favorable it becomes for your Sect Leader.”

Yu Gang nodded.

He had been worrying over how to bring the matter up, but now felt relief wash over him.

Still, one thing continued to nag at him.

“Do you think... it will really be alright?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I still do not know who those men were—the ones who attacked me. What if they show up again?”

“There is no need to worry about that.”

Seolhwa curved her lips slightly, as if telling him to rest easy.

“My grandfather will be accompanying us.”

Nothing could have been more reassuring. If the Sword Emperor was coming along, what was there to fear?

At last, the unease Yu Gang had carried inside him began to dissolve.

What a relief.

He had feared that, with the Namgoong Clan busy handling their own affairs, and with Mount Hua’s behavior during their last visit having been somewhat disrespectful, perhaps no help would come.

Yet despite all that, Namgoong—no, Namgoong Seolhwa—had placed Mount Hua’s needs above all else.

In truth, she had been the one most harmed during their previous visit. And yet, she was the one now moving forward as if this were her own burden.

He was truly grateful.

“Hey.”

“...?”

“That... big bro—wait, hang on!”

As Seolhwa reached for an acupoint, Yu Gang flailed and jerked back, hands raised in surrender.

“Y-You do not have to call me ‘big brother’ anymore! I am fine with it now! That is what I wanted to say...!”

Seolhwa’s hand slowly lowered.

Yu Gang awkwardly straightened himself, wearing a sheepish smile.

“Truth is, I kind of looked up to you.”

“...What?”

“You are two years younger than me, but you always step forward and solve things like an adult.”

Whether it was when she stood up to his master, Elder No Moon, or when she was captured by the raiders of Suro Stronghold, or even when she threatened Meng Deungho into stopping the battle.

She had always acted like an adult.

To Yu Gang, an adult was someone who stood at the front and accomplished things he himself could not.

Adults were unreachable. Their world was different from that of children.

But she was different.

She stood as their equal. She never shrank back simply because she was young.

“Watching you... it made me feel like such a child. Maybe even a little pathetic. I think that is why I insisted on being called ‘big brother.’”

He acknowledged that it had come from a petty place. And once he admitted that, it made him feel a little ashamed.

“So it is alright now. I am sorry for being stubborn. And... thank you for putting Mount Hua’s matters first.”

As he said those words, Yu Gang’s gaze was noticeably firmer than before.

They say people grow when they go through hardship.

It seemed that what happened at Suro Stronghold had become a major turning point for him.

‘Well, it was his first real journey into the martial world when he visited the main house last time.’

What happened at Suro Stronghold must have been a great shock to him.

Seolhwa gave a quiet nod.

Watching the growth of someone who had once stood as her opponent in her previous life—there was something not altogether unpleasant about it.

“So am I.”

A faint, cool smile touched her lips.

“Thank you for saving me.”

****

“Is he inside?”

At Seop Mugwang’s question, the Head of the Black Dragon Division, stationed before the Patriarch’s Hall, gave a nod.

“He is.”

“How is he doing?”

“Well, the same as ever. He tries not to show it, but just being near him feels like there’s a blade pressed to the back of your neck. It would be impossible not to notice.”

Even the Chief Inspector had made up an excuse and left the premises.

Approaching the Patriarch in his current state was not much different from asking to be killed.

Seop Mugwang clicked his tongue and scratched his head.

The entire Patriarch’s Hall felt as though it was shrouded in a baleful aura, and it left him uncomfortable.

“Go on in.”

“You are ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) sending me to the afterlife, are you?”

“He would not kill you. Not the Division Commander of the Bipung Division.”

“That is a rather groundless confidence. I am the one going in—why are you the one so sure?”

“You will see for yourself. In any case, you have something to report, do you not?”

“True.”

“There you have it.”

The Chief Inspector had already been gone for about an hour, and it was time someone checked on the Patriarch’s condition.

If anyone was suited for the task, it was the Commander of the Bipung Division.

Srrk—

The Head of the Black Dragon Division personally slid open the doors to the Patriarch’s Hall.

Scratching at his head, Seop Mugwang looked up at the foreboding building before stepping inside.

The closer he got to the office, the more the oppressive energy that had been present from a distance grew into something almost feral.

Throughout the corridor, Namgoong Mucheon’s fury raged in silence, like a storm held barely in check.

But Seop Mugwang understood. This—this was only what leaked out because the man was restraining himself.

“Brother. It is Mugwang.”

From beyond the door came a response: “Enter.”

Seop Mugwang stepped into the office.

The moment he opened the door, the stench of blood hit him in the face, and he grimaced.

“You have not washed?”

“I have. It is just seeped into my skin. I personally cut down a few men these past days, and it seems their grudges have stuck to me.”

“Grudges, my ass. They died because they deserved it.”

The rot festering inside the Namgoong Clan had been worse than anyone realized. The infection had festered so long it was eating through flesh—and the fact that they had failed to notice it until now was itself a disgrace.

As Patriarch, Namgoong Mucheon had executed the culprits with his own hands—driven by guilt and fury at having failed to lead his clan properly.

No excuses. No appeals.

Embezzlement was met with confiscation.

Abuse of authority was met with heavy penalties.

Treason was met with death.

They had received punishments befitting their crimes.

Beyond the clan walls, critics accused Namgoong of barbaric cruelty—but within the clan, not a single voice called it excessive.

If anything, the event had made Namgoong Mucheon more feared, more respected. It had reminded everyone of the true spirit of Namgoong.

Now, with weariness etched into his face, Namgoong Mucheon pressed his fingers to the corners of his eyes and finally opened his heavy mouth.

“Cheonghae said he will forfeit his candidacy as the successor.”