Chapter 32

Chapter 32

* * *

“Then… can I no longer see sister?”

Early in the morning, Hwa So-mi, who was heading toward the academy, asked Dan Woo-hyun.

Seeing the tears welling in her eyes, it seemed that parting with Namgung So-hye was very painful.

Dan Woo-hyun slowly stroked her head.

“If it is fate, you will see each other again; if not, then you will not.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

She tilted his head, expressing her confusion.

This little child could not yet understand what Dan Woo-hyun's words meant.

What was fate, and what was its absence?

From Hwa So-mi's perspective, if you wanted to meet, you met.

“Since it seemed the bond between you and that lady would not be easily severed, won't you see her again soon?”

“Wow! Really? You're not lying, right?”

Hwa So-mi cheered at the words that they could meet again. Since they had been attached to each other the entire time Namgung So-hye stayed at the manor, she seemed to have grown as fond of her as could be.

‘Still… it would have been nice if we lived together…’

Hwa So-mi muttered to herself.

Although she was not lonely since Dan Woo-hyun and Jang Sam-tae were at the manor, Namgung So-hye was a fellow female, so they shared a lot in common, and she felt an inexplicably warm feeling.

Because she was happier than ever when they were together, she wished she would live in the manor like Jang Sam-tae.

However, she did not show such feelings.

She figured Namgung So-hye must also have her own circumstances.

“By the way, how is the academy?”

“Ah, yes! It's fun!”

She replied with a broad smile. Learning was truly fun.

Although it was only the Thousand Character Classic and she had not even entered elementary learning, it was extremely enjoyable for Hwa So-mi, who had never even imagined receiving instruction at an academy.

However, a flash of bitterness showed in the child's eyes.

As if noticing that, Dan Woo-hyun stroked Hwa So-mi's head once again.

“Fitting in with others is by no means an easy thing. However, never think that they are the only people you will ever meet in your life.”

“…”

Hwa So-mi stared blankly at Dan Woo-hyun. Although she did not say a word, it felt as if he was seeing right through everything.

So-mi slowly raised her hand and grabbed Dan Woo-hyun's hand.

As she felt the warmth, she squeezed it tighter.

“Hehe, don't worry! So-mi is Father's daughter. I'll never lose heart or get pushed around anywhere. Because So-mi is strong.”

“Yes, you are a strong child, So-mi.”

Dan Woo-hyun agreed and nodded his head.

Although she was only seven years old, she was much more mature compared to children of her age. Since she had gone through hardships and adversity in her childhood, she must have matured that much.

Although it was somewhat regrettable and made her seem unstable, Hwa So-mi was Dan Woo-hyun's daughter.

Squatting down in front of So-mi, Dan Woo-hyun lightly pinched her cheek.

Feeling the pain, Hwa So-mi let out a small shriek.

“My name is Dan Woo-hyun, and you are my daughter, Dan So-mi. No matter what happens, I will protect you, so do not fear or lose heart in whatever you do, and press forward.”

At those words, Hwa So-mi… no, Dan So-mi… felt as reassured as if she had acquired an army of thousands.

She felt like she could accomplish anything, and she even gained the confidence to stand tall before anyone.

Dan Woo-hyun grinned and pinched Dan So-mi's cheek again.

“…It hurts.”

“Hahaha.”

* * *

After dropping So-mi off at the academy, Dan Woo-hyun walked down the street, enjoying the long-awaited silence. The atmosphere of the county, which had been bustling with the matter of the Black Dao Association until just a few days ago, seemed to have settled down quite a bit.

The crowded people had also decreased significantly, and only a few who appeared to be martial artists could be seen now.

The marketplace was still noisy, but it felt somewhat less crowded.

‘Come to think of it, that man Hong Won-chang must have headed to Beijing by now.’

Dan Woo-hyun, who was walking, suddenly came to a halt.

In truth, he had intended to visit Hong Won-chang and get a cup of tea, but it seemed he would have to turn back.

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun's gaze turned to the side.

There was a group of people there. Judging by the swords at their waists, they were martial artists, and the powerful momentum radiating from their bodies held a strength that was quite respectable.

Among them, one person stood out exceptionally.

Step, step.

A man who was walking along the road as if it were nothing.

He was exuding a stronger momentum than anyone he had met so far.

While Dan Woo-hyun watched him with interest, his eyes met those of the man passing by.

Zzzt!

‘W-What… was that?’

For a brief moment, Ma Dok-jin felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

It was merely a brief exchange of glances while walking down the street, but warning bells rang in his head, as if warning him to run away from this place immediately.

Would a rabbit standing before a wild beast feel like this?

Feeling cold sweat soaking his entire body, he turned his head once again.

“H-He's gone?”

The figure of the man whose eyes had met his was nowhere to be seen. Someone had clearly been there, but it felt like a dream, neither felt nor seen.

Ma Dok-jin swallowed hard and turned his gaze back.

‘It must be an illusion.’

Thinking so, he composed his mind.

-Leader, we found their location.

-Where is it?

-Twenty li north of Yueyang, they are currently heading toward Hubei.

Ma Dok-jin, coming to his senses, nodded and smiled. He had already erased the incident from a moment ago from his mind.

Right now, his mind was filled only with thoughts of the Five Swords of Hunan, who were said to have wiped out the Black Dao Association.

‘Let us see just how great those bastards are.’

He grinned and leapt forward.

In an instant, his body vanished like the wind.

“…”

Dan Woo-hyun watched that scene from a distance.

The man with the uncommon momentum piqued his interest. For he could feel at once that the man was not some low-class ruffian, but someone who had truly walked the path of martial arts.

Humming, he stroked his chin and chuckled.

“Twenty li to the north?”

No matter how great one's martial prowess was, eavesdropping on a sound transmission was by no means an easy feat.

However, to Dan Woo-hyun, it seemed easier than breathing.

With a smile on his face, he looked toward the north.

It seemed like something interesting was about to happen.

* * *

It was after they had walked for about one shijin from Yueyang toward Hubei that Namgung So-hye began to think something was strange.

The power that the Five Swords of Hunan had displayed previously was a high-level martial art that Namgung So-hye could not even begin to fathom.

Because of that, she could not make sense of the current situation at all.

“Pant… pant…”

“Hmph…!”

“Gasp…”

Just one shijin into the journey, the five men known as the Five Swords of Hunan were breaking out in cold sweat and breathing heavily.

Although the man named Ma Il-woong managed to maintain a decent state, sweat still trickled down his forehead all the same, and his breathing through his nose was quite ragged.

‘What is this?’

Namgung So-hye knitted her fine eyebrows.

She looked closely at the Five Swords of Hunan, wearing a puzzled expression.

‘Could it be… No, there's no way…’

She forced an awkward smile, trying to deny the thoughts rising in her head. For it made no sense that people possessing such great martial arts would lack physical stamina.

“Shall we… take a rest?”

“Ahem! If the young lady is struggling, we can do that. Although we would be perfectly fine walking for three days straight…”

“But why are you sweating so much…?”

At Namgung So-hye's question, the Five Swords of Hunan were startled.

They had set up the scam perfectly. They had completely deceived that lady. However, they had never expected that she would walk for an entire shijin without resting on those slender legs.

Furthermore, she was so fast that even keeping up was difficult.

“Ahem! It is just that my body has not been in good condition lately. Do not pay it any mind.”

At Ma Il-woong's words, a snort of laughter leaked from the side. Flinching at the sound, Ma Il-woong glared sharply and looked at Namgung So-hye.

“What is so funny!”

“I just wondered if people with such high martial arts would get exhausted after walking for only a single shijin.”

“Ugh! Who is exhausted! Can't you see that we are still full of energy and vigor? To the point that we could strike down and kill any bastard who comes at us in a single blow.”

“I suppose so, but… hmmm.”

If that palm force from last time was not a lie, that was.

She wanted to say those words, but Namgung So-hye kept her mouth shut.

It was not that she doubted what she had witnessed with her own eyes.

However, because their previous encounter had been so brief, she had let it slide, but spending this much time together was bound to reveal a few strange points.

“Perhaps… is it because you are not used to walking? Should we just travel using the lightness art?”

“Heh?!”

“Gasp!”

There was a clear difference between using internal energy and not using it. If they had been using internal energy in their daily lives until now, it was somewhat understandable that they lacked physical stamina.

If so, they could simply unfold their lightness art and advance.

However, the complexions of the five turned pale blue.

The moment Namgung So-hye grew even more puzzled upon seeing that.

Suddenly sensing a strange presence, she gripped her sword and lowered her stance.

Clang, clang, clang!

Three hidden weapons targeted her.

However, with a swift sword-drawing technique, the flying hidden weapons fell to the ground without fail.

“Hidden weapons!?”

“W-What!”

It was the Five Swords of Hunan who were flustered by Namgung So-hye's shout.

Hidden weapons? Hidden weapons? Why on earth did they fly in all of a sudden?

Fear seeped into their entire bodies.

Rustle!

At the same time, masked men revealed themselves.

Although there were only ten of them, holding all kinds of weapons in their hands, they did not seem like ordinary experts at a glance.

The dense killing intent pressured the air, making it impossible to even breathe.

“M-Martial Sovereign Castle!”

At Namgung So-hye's subsequent shout, the faces of the Five Swords of Hunan turned ash-white. Was Martial Sovereign Castle not the place where the absolute best experts of the unorthodox path gathered?

However, the surprise did not end there.

Step, step.

The heavy sound of footsteps jolted them to their senses.

Soon, the moment the owner of the footsteps revealed himself, cold sweat broke out on Namgung So-hye's forehead.

“M-Ma Dok-jin…!”

Ranked fiftieth in Martial Sovereign Castle.

It was the appearance of Ma Dok-jin, the Hegemonic Saber.