Chapter 158 – The Orthodox Alliance (6)

Mount Hua Sect, a Taoist sect settled deep in Mount Hua, was harmonized with Mount Hua’s beautiful spectacular scenery, every view was a scene from an ink painting.

Though plum blossoms were absent, the plum trees planted everywhere with yellowed ripened plums clearly showed this was Mount Hua Sect that boasted of plum blossoms.

Walking through such picturesque Mount Hua Sect were a woman with graying hair and two young men and women.

They were Nanseol, Sun-woo, and Nanseol’s master guiding the two.

Nanseol’s master was a woman who aged gracefully wearing plain Taoist robes, and after warmly welcoming Nanseol and Sun-woo, she was guiding them to the sect leader at Sun-woo’s request.

While the three walked the stairs and paths made following the mountain’s steep slope, people they encountered looked at Sun-woo and Nanseol with various expressions.

Little ones wearing cute Taoist robes flocked together, and seeing Nanseol, waved happily, while female martial artists Nanseol’s age stole glances at Sun-woo and whispered softly.

“Oh my. Oh my. He’s handsome.”

Though fairly favorable reactions, quite wary auras were felt from several young male martial artists.

“Who is that guy?”

“Black… woman…”

If Sun-woo’s martial arts were low, he would have been bewildered, but now he could notice from their expressions and ki that they were full of jealousy.

Though Nanseol seemed completely unaware, there appeared to be many disciples within Mount Hua Sect who had crushes on Nanseol.

After the steep paths and stairs, the three arrived before a large hall with a plaza.

This hall was Jade Stream Hall that handled Mount Hua’s major and minor affairs.

In the sect leader’s room located at one side of Jade Stream Hall, Sect Leader Hwa Munsaeng, who had already received contact, was waiting for the three.

Nanseol’s master left the two in the sect leader’s room and went outside.

It was consideration for the two who came on official business.

“I’ve heard various rumors flowing. You probably came regarding those rumors. First, unfold your story.”

Mount Hua Sect’s sect leader, who had a long white beard and an appearance that seemed to shout ‘This is what a proper Taoist looks like!’, received the two’s greetings, then took the initiative to open the conversation.

At the sect leader’s consideration, Sun-woo stepped forward and explained the events so far and about finding brainwashed people at Mount Hua.

While Sun-woo explained, the sect leader also looked with some curiosity at Seolmyo that was stealthily summoned, but the sect leader deeply listened to Sun-woo’s words.

“I understand the story. I don’t know what kind of magic it is, but magic that magic practitioners at the alliance can’t break. We’ll probably have to summon the magicians buried in the mountains.”

Since it was brainwashing by psychic powers, it wouldn’t help.

However, the two who couldn’t talk about summoners couldn’t refute separately.

“Understood. I’ll permit it. However, I won’t permit wandering alone. If you wander carelessly, you might disturb disciples’ peace of training. When going through the grounds, always go together with Seol-ah.”

Sun-woo, who worried briefly at the words he couldn’t go alone, let out a sigh of relief at the following story.

Since he was going with Nanseol anyway, it was no different from before.

Mount Hua’s sect leader hadn’t yet climbed to super absolute level.

Like Sun-woo recently, he was stopped before the super absolute wall.

Unlike Sun-woo who quickly broke through the super absolute wall, many absolute martial artists were stagnating long-term without breaking the super absolute wall.

Well, seeing how the number of super absolute martial artists was so small compared to absolute martial artists’ number showed that crossing that wall wasn’t easy.

Thanks to that, the sect leader who didn’t properly know Sun-woo’s skill only roughly inferred Sun-woo’s skill from stories he heard.

The two greeted the sect leader and left the sect leader’s room.

Nanseol’s master who said she’d wait at the door wasn’t visible, and a group of old men stood in the corridor glaring at the two.

“Is it you!”

Seeing Sun-woo, one old man among the group suddenly pointed, and Nanseol made a troubled face seeing the old men and cupped her fists.

“Elders. Nanseol greets you.”

At Nanseol’s greeting, the old men immediately made warm faces, but soon turned serious and glared at Sun-woo.

“Both of you follow us. Doing this in the corridor doesn’t look good.”

When one solemn-looking old man among them spoke, the old men dragged Sun-woo and Nanseol and flocked to the large hall next door.

Sun-woo, who was seated without even being able to resist at the words Mount Hua Sect elders, couldn’t collect his thoughts at the elders’ following questions.

“What’s your sect?”

“What’s your martial arts level? Looking at you, you don’t seem like any riffraff.”

“No, his clothing is unusual, so asking where he’s from should come first.”

At the interrogation pouring out randomly, Sun-woo answered while sweating cold sweat.

At Sun-woo’s words that he was a warrior belonging to the alliance who came from the east, but his exact sect name was kept secret by the Orthodox Alliance’s instruction, the elders’ eyes sharpened.

“Oh, then you’re from that Zhuge guy’s side?”

“Well, Seol-ah’s place is there, so they met there.”

“But if it’s all secret, how do we confirm?”

“If we clash once, won’t he cough up his background?”

This time, a chaotic debate broke out among them. At the continuing stories, Nanseol had a clearly troubled expression, and Sun-woo was just bewildered not knowing what situation it was.

When the hall became noisy, Seolmyo, who had been yawning on Sun-woo’s shoulder, frowned, then quickly got down from his shoulder and left the hall.

Thanks to the chaotic situation, no one except Sun-woo noticed Seolmyo leaving the hall.

Shortly after, when the elders’ conversation seemed to increasingly go off track, the dignified-looking elder who led the party to the room spoke again.

“Stop the useless talk with a person before you.”

At his words, all other elders became quiet.

“I’ll ask directly. Where did you meet Seol-ah, and is the trust between you two certain now?”

“Ugh, asking stuffy questions again.”

Though a grumbling voice was heard from one side at his question, everyone’s eyes sparkled while looking at Sun-woo’s mouth.

Only then could Sun-woo know what they were misunderstanding.

They seemed to mistake Sun-woo as the man Nanseol brought. Nanseol’s face also turned bright red.

It was when Sun-woo tried to clear their misunderstanding.

The hall door burst open and an angry woman’s voice was heard.

“You old men seem to have nothing to do! Stop the absurd misunderstanding and all go back.”

Nanseol’s master entered the hall and snapped at the elders.

“Eh? Nanseol didn’t bring a groom candidate? We were going to interrogate properly and if he’s a wrong guy, beat him up and chase him away?”

At the second elder who seemed frivolous’s words, other elders slightly turned their heads.

His words further stoked Nanseol’s master Plum Flower Immortal’s anger.

“He’s a warrior who came on business from the Orthodox Alliance. Quickly apologize and go back!”

At her shout, the elders were frightened and roughly apologized to Sun-woo and stealthily left the hall.

“Seol-ah, show your face later.”

The dignified-looking elder left final words to Nanseol, and feeling like they fought a war, both Sun-woo and Nanseol sighed.

When the elders left, Nanseol’s master Plum Flower Immortal Hong Jeongin gestured for the two to keep sitting, then personally prepared tea for them.

Shortly after, when warm tea fragrance enveloped the hall and the two’s expressions seemed relaxed, Plum Flower Immortal opened her mouth.

“I apologize. I didn’t expect martial brothers to barge in while I left at the sect leader’s instruction. I’ll apologize on their behalf.”

The sect leader, elders, and Plum Flower Immortal were all martial siblings of the same generation.

Seeing how the elders all instantly yielded to Plum Flower Immortal’s words, the quiet-looking Plum Flower Immortal apparently reigned as a power among the elders.

“A moment ago I had children gather disciples. If you rest a bit, everyone except disciples training in the mountains will gather before here. I don’t know what business it is, but that should be sufficient, right?”

The sect leader seemed to have given separate instructions through sound transmission. At Plum Flower Immortal’s words, Sun-woo nodded to express gratitude.

“That matter seems settled, and Seol-ah, you’ve worked hard too.”

Hong Jeongin, who tapped Nanseol’s hand and gave words of comfort, soon looked intently at Sun-woo.

“Already the second meeting.”

At Plum Flower Immortal’s words recalling the memory of meeting at Mount Hua Sect’s main gate in the past, Sun-woo couldn’t help but tense again.

“From Seol-ah’s letter, you were separately apart, but how did you come together?”

At Plum Flower Immortal’s words subtly probing, Sun-woo couldn’t help but flinch inwardly.

Moreover, differently from dealing with other people, he became several times more nervous, so Sun-woo could only answer extremely carefully.

“We met on the way back to the Orthodox Alliance. After that, Strategist Zhuge gave us the same mission, so we’ve been moving together these past few days.”

Though Plum Flower Immortal nodded at Sun-woo’s words, at her appearance staring intently, Sun-woo couldn’t tell at all what she was thinking.

Moreover, Nanseol was deeply bowing her head like someone who committed a crime, making it impossible to get help.

An awkward and uncomfortable situation continued briefly.

At her subtly probing questions, Sun-woo answered flustered, and again awkward silence continued.

Fortunately, the awkward situation didn’t last long. News came that people were starting to gather outside.

“Regrettable, but let’s go out.”

Making a truly regretful expression, Plum Flower Immortal rose from her seat, and Sun-woo let out a great sigh of relief inwardly.

Many people were gathering before the hall. Young martial artists and middle-aged Taoists were gathering with puzzled expressions, and disciples who saw Nanseol sent greetings to her with happy faces.

“Where did Seolmyo go? Don’t we need to call it again?”

Nanseol, who barely collected herself, seemed to only now notice Seolmyo’s disappearance.

However, instead of answering her words, Sun-woo looked toward the direction where Mount Hua’s main gate was located far away.

“It seems to have found one.”

Seolmyo, who left the hall and wandered Mount Hua, seemed to have found a brainwashed person.

Sun-woo, who received Seolmyo’s signal, left words to Nanseol and immediately lifted his body into the air.

“I’ll go first. Follow after.”

After making his body light with magic, his appearance shooting by spouting internal energy backward was like a missile being shot.

Several Mount Hua Sect disciples who sensed his aura looked with surprised eyes at the direction he shot, and Nanseol also urgently used light-body technique and flew her body following Sun-woo.

“He was a far more amazing man than expected. Well, Seol-ah’s eye for men is incredibly high…”

Nanseol’s master made a pleased smile looking at the direction the two disappeared.