Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Uninvited Guests Always Crash the Banquet (2)

San-wol Manor was a modest estate located on the outskirts of Yoyang. It was one of the properties belonging to Sa-ma Gyeong-won, the master of the Yoyang Sword Gate.

"How pleasant."

Han So-yu murmured as she surveyed San-wol Manor.

As befitting the estate of Yoyang's overlord, Sa-ma Gyeong-won, San-wol Manor was immaculately maintained and beautifully landscaped. Thanks to this, the martial artists of the Mount Hua Sect were able to rest in comfort.

Receiving meticulous hospitality and resting thoroughly, the fatigue accumulated during their journey had washed away.

"I wish my senior brothers and sisters could have been here too."

She regretted that Mu-gyeong and Un-gyeong had been unable to come with them. But Han So-yu knew better than anyone that it could not be helped.

Mu-gyeong was the senior disciple who would lead the next generation of the Mount Hua Sect, and Un-gyeong was the prodigy who would help Mu-gyeong restore the sect to its former glory. If they were to leave their posts, the Mount Hua Sect's operations would suffer a serious blow.

They were already the pillars of the sect. They were central figures who could not, and should not, leave their positions lightly.

Han So-yu had come here in their stead. She could not help but feel the weight of that responsibility.

It was then.

"Martial Sister."

Suddenly, a familiar voice broke her reverie.

Han So-yu turned her head and saw Myeong-gyeong.

"What deep thoughts are you lost in? I called you several times and got no answer."

"Just this and that. But what is it, Junior Brother?"

"Nothing in particular."

Myeong-gyeong smiled brightly.

Looking at him, Han So-yu shook her head slightly.

Myeong-gyeong, who had become a first-generation disciple late in his training, was brimming with curiosity. Even after entering San-wol Manor, he was itching to go outside at every opportunity.

It seemed he had tried to endure for a day, but in the end, his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"You want to go out?"

"Wouldn't Martial Sister like to see the city of Yoyang?"

"Well…"

"Come on. Let's go together, Martial Sister."

"Sigh!"

At Myeong-gyeong's innocent words, Han So-yu let out a soft sigh. But she quickly nodded. She recalled Sage Hyeon-geom's instruction to allow Myeong-gyeong to gain as much experience as possible.

"All right. Let's go."

"Thank you, Martial Sister!"

Myeong-gyeong's face lit up. His joy lifted Han So-yu's spirits as well.

The two walked side by side as they exited San-wol Manor. Their destination was the bustling downtown of Yoyang.

Myeong-gyeong looked around and spoke.

"There are so many people here."

"All the eyes of the Murim are focused on this place. It can't be helped."

"Because of the Martial Alliance?"

"Shh!"

"Ah! It's still a secret, isn't it? I'm sorry."

"It will be known soon enough, but we still need to be careful for now."

"I understand."

Myeong-gyeong nodded obediently.

Though his martial arts were formidable, Myeong-gyeong was still more innocent than not. That was why he needed even more care and guidance.

In Myeong-gyeong's demeanor, Han So-yu saw the image of someone.

The image of a boy who had now been forgotten within the Mount Hua Sect.

'Cheong-gyeong.'

Thinking of him, she could not help but feel a lingering melancholy in one corner of her heart.

'When I return to Mount Hua, I should visit Sage Hyeon-so.'

She had not once visited Sage Hyeon-so's residence, always using busyness as an excuse. But Han So-yu knew. That it was nothing more than an excuse.

The truth was, she was afraid to face him.

Han So-yu knew well how deeply Sage Hyeon-so had cherished and loved his disciple Cheong-gyeong.

She did not have the courage to face the immense sense of loss he must have felt. That was why she had been avoiding him until now.

It was not only Han So-yu who felt this way.

Any disciple of the Mount Hua Sect—and particularly any first-generation disciple or above—would feel the same as she did.

"Martial Sister, let's go over there."

Once again, Myeong-gyeong's voice broke her reverie.

The place Myeong-gyeong pointed to was a fairly large restaurant near Dongting Lake. It was packed with customers.

The voices of the patrons filled the street, and a vitality that was difficult to describe emanated from within.

Myeong-gyeong was naturally drawn to such places.

"All right. Let's go."

Han So-yu followed Myeong-gyeong's lead.

"Welcome!"

The moment they entered the restaurant, a server greeted them.

"Are there any seats available?"

"There are some in the back, but as you can see, it's a bit noisy. Will that be all right?"

"That's fine."

"Then please follow me."

At Myeong-gyeong's response, the server led the way with a broad smile.

The server led them to a corner of the restaurant. As he had said, it was extremely noisy.

But Myeong-gyeong looked rather pleased. Han So-yu, on the other hand, let out a soft sigh.

"What would you like to order?"

"One noodle soup and one roast duck, please."

"Very well. Please wait a moment."

The server hurried to the kitchen.

After placing the order, Myeong-gyeong looked around with a curious expression. At every table, numerous patrons sat gathered in conversation.

Among them, the conversation of the merchants at the nearest table was particularly clear.

"Isn't it absolutely extraordinary?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Fist Demon, of course."

"Ah! The Fist Demon."

"He's completely unstoppable, isn't he?"

"Such a villain is extraordinary? Are you out of your mind?"

The gaunt merchant rebuked the stout merchant who had spoken first. But the stout merchant replied with a nonchalant expression.

"What? Do you disagree?"

"He destroyed the West Heaven Mountain Stronghold and inflicted great damage on the Crimson Cliff Mountain Stronghold. And now he has even killed the master of the Hyungsang Sect. He is clearly a great demon who will bring harm to the Murim. I cannot fathom why the Nine Great Sects do not rid the world of such a monster."

"Hmph! And do they have the ability?"

"Ability? If the Nine Great Sects lack ability, then what sect has it?"

"What have the Nine Great Sects done recently? After the great war against the Demonic Cult, they have done nothing but protect themselves. Can such people truly deal with the Fist Demon with their full strength?"

"Hmph! In the end, the Fist Demon is merely a single individual. Such a man cannot possibly challenge the Nine Great Sects, who stand at the pinnacle of the current Murim."

"You seem to have forgotten. Nam Hak, the senior disciple of the Kongtong Sect—one of the Nine Great Sects—was humiliated by him. If a few more years pass, he will surely achieve an attainment that surpasses the Grandmasters of the Nine Great Sects."

"Nonsense."

"Then shall we make a wager?"

"Very well! Let's wager."

The merchants' voices stimulated Myeong-gyeong's nerves.

He murmured in a low voice.

"The Fist Demon…"

"That name has been heard quite often lately."

A look of interest surfaced on Han So-yu's face as well.

Since entering Yoyang, the nickname she had heard most often was the Fist Demon.

The servants and warriors who managed San-wol Manor, as well as countless others, were all talking about the Fist Demon's martial prowess.

Though martial artists of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families were converging on Yoyang and Dongting Lake, to the people who actually lived here, the man called the Fist Demon was the bigger topic of conversation.

Whenever two or more people gathered, they talked about the Fist Demon, and the entire street was filled with his story.

What captured interest above all else was that he had defeated Nam Hak of the Kongtong Sect.

Nam Hak was one of the Azure Dragon.

He was a man who was recognized as a member of the Azure Dragon, just like Myeong-gyeong. By defeating such a man, the Fist Demon had earned a blazing reputation.

As a member of the Azure Dragon himself, Myeong-gyeong could not help but feel unsettled.

Moreover, his Master, Sage Hyeon-geom, had instructed him to subdue all of the Azure Dragon and proclaim the greatness of the Mount Hua Sect to the world.

"He, too, is one I must defeat."

Watching the competitive fire blaze in Myeong-gyeong's eyes, Han So-yu wore a troubled expression.

Behind that innocent face lurked a fierce competitiveness and a combative nature.

This had not been Myeong-gyeong's original personality. It was a temperament that had been forged after the fact.

By Sage Hyeon-geom himself.

Though he was her Martial Uncle, there were times when he was nothing short of terrifying.

'What on earth is Martial Uncle trying to do…?'

The product of Sage Hyeon-geom's obsession.

Every time Han So-yu looked at Myeong-gyeong, she had that thought. But she never allowed it to pass her lips.

After all, Myeong-gyeong was her junior brother and the future of the Mount Hua Sect.

Shortly after, the food arrived.

The noodle soup was clean and simple, and the roast duck was light and savory.

'I should bring others here sometime.'

Han So-yu thought this as she picked up her chopsticks. Myeong-gyeong also tasted the food with a faint smile.

"It's delicious."

"Mm!"

"What kind of person was Senior Brother Cheong-gyeong?"

"Hm?"

At Myeong-gyeong's unexpected question, Han So-yu stopped eating.

Myeong-gyeong smiled as he watched Han So-yu blink.

"I just heard about it by chance. That there was a man named Senior Brother Cheong-gyeong. He was someone who was here before I became a first-generation disciple, and I heard he was particularly close to you?"

"Sigh!"

At Myeong-gyeong's innocent question, Han So-yu let out a soft sigh.

She had never dreamed she would hear Cheong-gyeong's name from Myeong-gyeong's lips.

For some time, the name Cheong-gyeong had been something of a taboo within the Mount Hua Sect. The disciples were reluctant to mention it and simply treated him as though he had never existed.

"Who told you about it?"

"I told you, I just happened to hear it. But whenever I ask about it, everyone has the same reaction as you, Martial Sister."

"What reaction?"

"The expression that says you heard something you shouldn't have. That exact expression right now."

Han So-yu's pupils were trembling, and her teeth were clenched. It was an involuntary reaction.

Myeong-gyeong watched Han So-yu's face with evident amusement.

It was not often that cracks appeared in Han So-yu's usually composed expression.

Myeong-gyeong was enjoying the novelty of the experience.

After a long while, Han So-yu finally managed to speak.

"Cheong-gyeong is… the Mount Hua Sect's sore finger. No, I suppose I should say a finger that has been cut off."

"I'd like to hear more."

"Later."

"What?"

"I don't want to talk about it yet. Not yet… Just know that much."

"I see?"

"I'm sorry!"

"No, it's quite all right."

Myeong-gyeong smiled and shook his head. But his curiosity remained.

'Well, I'll find out eventually. It's not exactly important.'

While Myeong-gyeong was convincing himself—

"Sister! Martial Uncle!"

Suddenly, the restaurant door burst open and a second-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, Won Yul, rushed in.

"There you are! I've been searching every inn in Yoyang without knowing you were here."

Seeing him rush in breathlessly, the two looked at him with puzzled expressions.

"What is it?"

"There's been a disaster."

"A disaster?"

"The martial artists of the Northern Peng Family, who were on their way here, have been ambushed and suffered near-total annihilation. Grand Sage Hyeon-mu has ordered you to come at once."

The two rose without another thought.