Chapter 412 : People Gathering (1)

Chapter 412: People Gathering (1)

Yong Hwarin once again felt that Nan Myeonggak was truly suited for the position of general administrator.

“In truth, we have nothing to lose. If this weren’t wartime, the Sovereign of Gyeongseon might have become a source of concern, but under these circumstances, it’s no different from having a wish-granting orb placed right into our mouths.”

Yong Hwarin couldn’t help but smile as he watched Nan Myeonggak dedicate himself wholeheartedly to Cheonjungmun.

At some point, he had become the person who valued and prioritized Cheonjungmun the most. Remembering the time when he pulled him out of the Sangwan Household, Nan Myeonggak now seemed all the more precious.

“Why are you smiling?”

“No, I think I now understand why Gijung appointed you as the general administrator of the main sect.”

“Hahaha, that’s just the Second Young Master teasing me.”

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“No. I’ve seen many general administrators across numerous sects, but I’ve never seen anyone as capable as you, Master Nan.”

Nan Myeonggak gently smiled at the unexpected praise.

“To be honest, I never thought I’d enjoy being a general administrator this much or that it would suit me. There’s a thrill in being able to control the overall flow with my own hands. It wasn’t until I came to Cheonjungmun that I discovered a talent I’d never known I had at this age.”

Yong Hwarin looked at Nan Myeonggak with warm eyes.

“Master Nan, it’s only because you never had the opportunity that you weren’t aware of your talent.”

Yong Hwarin himself had only recently come to realize that even after living fifty years in his previous life, he hadn’t known a single truth.

“I’ll take your advice to heart, Master Nan. I’ll do what I can to ensure the Sovereign of Gyeongseon stays.”

“It’s a situation where we must hold on to her, even if she says no. In one sense, it might seem sacrilegious to use the Sovereign of Gyeongseon, but I suddenly thought that perhaps she used this desperate measure to help you, Young Master Yong. Otherwise, her behavior—so insistent despite knowing it’s unreasonable—wouldn’t make sense.”

Come to think of it, it was strange that someone as rational as the Sovereign of Gyeongseon would act this way.

‘Did she really come to help me? Well, I’ll find out her intentions as we go.’

Yong Hwarin decided to take the necessary steps to ensure she remained.

In the end, the Sovereign of Gyeongseon chose to stay in a separate residence within the sect leader’s quarters and began learning Cheonjungmun’s martial arts.

However, whenever she occasionally showed up at the training hall in martial arts uniform, confusion would ensue.

But even that settled down after a day or two.

As time passed, the disciples grew accustomed to the Sovereign of Gyeongseon training in Cheonjungmun’s martial arts, and it became part of daily life.

Hae Cheollyeong paused his sword training as he sensed someone watching him.

When he turned, he saw Jo Cheonsaeng and offered a clasped hands greeting.

“I greet you, Elder.”

Jo Cheonsaeng looked fondly at Hae Cheollyeong, who showed proper courtesy despite his young age.

“You’re indeed someone our little brother could take as a disciple.”

Hearing the compliment, Hae Cheollyeong bowed his head even more.

“You flatter me.”

The Greatest Sword Under Heaven found it intriguing that Yong Hwarin’s and Hae Cheollyeong’s energies were subtly connected, yet ran on different tracks.

“Your Soaring Heavenly Dragon Twin Swords are quite interesting.”

Given that it was praise from none other than the Greatest Sword Under Heaven, Hae Cheollyeong listened intently.

In a lifetime, it was rare to receive advice from one of the Sword Debate of the Three Externals.

“Please enlighten me.”

Seeing the sincerity in Hae Cheollyeong’s eyes, which even resembled Yong Hwarin’s, Jo Cheonsaeng smiled with pleasure.

“You’ve got a good gaze, so I’ll teach you something. In the sword technique you displayed, only a single dragon was soaring.”

Not understanding the meaning, Hae Cheollyeong looked up at Jo Cheonsaeng’s eyes.

“I’ve seen your master’s sword. There, not just one but countless dragons were desperately trying to ascend. So, must you only raise a single dragon?”

Those words struck Hae Cheollyeong like a blow to the back of the head.

He now understood where his shortcomings stemmed from.

“Is my sword path too straightforward?”

Jo Cheonsaeng found Hae Cheollyeong, who immediately grasped the meaning, so praiseworthy that he offered another remark.

“That’s right. In simplicity lies change, and within change is born new strength. Only when the Soaring Heavenly Dragon Twin Swords embody these three profound truths can they manifest true power.”

As Jo Cheonsaeng turned to leave, Hae Cheollyeong asked,

“Elder, how many dragons reside in my master’s sword?”

Jo Cheonsaeng raised an eyebrow.

“It was only after witnessing your master’s sword that I understood why it’s called the Dragon Emperor Sword.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I once asked your master if the 'Je' in Yongjegeom meant ‘Emperor’ (帝).”

This was from a conversation shortly after his duel with Yong Hwarin.

“But your master said he had always thought it was ‘Emperor’ (帝), only to realize it was actually ‘All’ (諸).”

With that, Jo Cheonsaeng leisurely disappeared.

“Not Emperor, but All...”

After falling into brief meditation, Hae Cheollyeong soon opened his eyes with an exclamation.

“So that’s it. It means all dragons are melted into the techniques. Not the dragon of a single sovereign, but a multitude of dragons running wild and playing together. That’s what makes it truly the Soaring Heavenly Dragon Twin Swords.”

In his great enlightenment, Hae Cheollyeong bowed deeply toward the direction Jo Cheonsaeng had left.

It might seem excessive to prostrate on the ground, but to Hae Cheollyeong, it was a heartfelt bow for breaking through a barrier that had blocked his path.

When Elder Masa saw Yong Hwarin bringing along Hong Ahyul, his heart nearly dropped to the ground.

He had told Yong Hwarin to leave all matters concerning Hong Ahyul to him, but in truth, he had been suffering in silence.

He had intended to bring it up with Deung Hwaun at the right moment, but his lips hadn’t dared to move, and so far, he had said nothing at all.

Yong Hwarin couldn’t help but be shocked when he saw Elder Masa bring Hong Ahyul into Cheonjungmun.

But since it seemed Yong Hwarin had become busy with the ongoing transformation of Cheonjungmun, Masa quietly left him alone. Now that it appeared all the urgent matters had been handled, he quietly came to find him.

“Welcome.”

Yong Hwarin, lost in thoughts about the war that would soon unfold, opened the window to ventilate the room upon Elder Masa’s visit.

He figured it might be good to give his throbbing head a short rest.

“Sorry to disturb you while you’re resting.”

“Not at all, Elder. I’m fine.”

As Masa sat down and spoke, Yong Hwarin replied.

“Did you come about Miss Hong?”

Yong Hwarin had already anticipated the purpose of Masa’s visit.

“That’s right. I still haven’t told Lady Deung about Miss Hong.”

“It’s not too late even now.”

“I know… but I just can’t bring myself to say it.”

“Is it because you’re afraid Lady Deung might be shocked?”

At those words, Masa flinched, as if a feeling he hadn’t even recognized himself had been exposed.

“Am I…?”

He asked himself, and upon reflection, concluded that Yong Hwarin’s words were true.

“This isn’t about what you want, Elder. What matters here is Lady Deung. I don’t believe this is something you should decide on your own.”

“Hahaha, come to think of it, you’re right, Young Master Yong. Why did I let my own feelings interfere with this issue? It’s the meeting of a mother and daughter, and here I am, an outsider getting in the way.”

Masa realized his mistake.

Until now, he had concluded that perhaps it would be happier if the two never met, and that was why he hadn’t said anything.

But thanks to Yong Hwarin’s words, he realized he had no right to make such a decision.

“Haha, really… I’ve been a fool all this time.”

To that, Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“Elder, I think wise people become foolish when they begin to care for someone. In my opinion, you have feelings for Lady Deung.”

Masa was one of those people who hadn’t accurately grasped their own emotions.

It was a common shortcoming among martial artists who had devoted their lives solely to martial arts.

Upon hearing Yong Hwarin’s words, Masa fell silent like a martial artist entering meditation in search of realization, looking up at the sky in deep thought.

‘I suppose I should leave Elder alone until he truly understands his own feelings. After that, he’ll be able to handle it himself.’

Yong Hwarin’s heart felt lighter.

Not long ago, Masa and Deung Hwaun had come to an agreement and eliminated the Yin-Yang Twin Elders. After that, their relationship had become noticeably closer.

As their bodies drew near, so too did their hearts.

And so, Masa had been worried that Deung Hwaun might be hurt because of Hong Ahyul.

Yong Hwarin quietly stepped away, leaving Masa deep in thought.

Seok Unjeong stopped his training and, for the first time in a while, rode out on horseback beyond the gates of Cheonjungmun.

He thought galloping across the land might help ease the suffocating feeling in his chest.

But the faster he rode, the more clearly he realized the source of that suffocation.

He let out a long sigh.

‘Ah, Father and I are both fools. My father, unable to confess his feelings to Lady Deung, and me, waiting hopelessly for news of Young Master Geum… we’re not so different.’

Seok Unjeong looked unwell, like someone love-sick and suffering.

At first, after Geum Yujin left, he had thrown himself deeper into training.

He believed that immersing himself in cultivation would help him forget his longing.

But only now did he understand that the more one tried to forget such longing, the more it grew, like a snowball.

As he gazed toward the distant horizon, Seok Unjeong spotted someone and climbed up a tree like a monkey.

It was a level of agility the old Seok Unjeong couldn’t have even imagined.

From atop the tree, he enhanced his vision as he saw that it was a large group of people and carriages approaching.

Seok Unjeong’s cultivation had recently surpassed a full gapja, reaching the level of a top-tier expert.

After mastering the Black Tortoise Supreme Yin Arts, his cultivation had not only increased rapidly, but he had also been supported in his growth for a long time by the Ten Disciples of Cheonjung.

On top of that, he had recently taken a spiritual pill and even consumed elixirs that Geum Yujin had left behind, gaining astonishing daily progress in his power.

Because of that, the Black Tortoise Supreme Yin Arts he now performed had surpassed the level that Geum Yujin had once shown.

Seok Unjeong hoped that the approaching person might be Geum Yujin, but upon confirming that it wasn’t her, a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

“It’s not her.”

But when he saw the face of the person leading the group on horseback, he brightened with a wide smile.

“It’s Sister Ungyeong!”

The person leading the approaching group was Hwae Ungyeong, who had treated him like a real younger brother during their time at the Heavenly Sea Trading Company.

Seok Unjeong soared toward Hwae Ungyeong like a bird taking flight.

Watching the wagons entering Cheonjungmun, Yong Hwarin spoke in surprise.

“What is all this?”

Hwae Ungyeong smiled at Yong Hwarin.

“It’s a gift from my father to you, Young Master Yong.”

“What kind of gift is this much? There are more than fifty wagons.”

“My father thought you’d need military supplies, so we brought them.”

The wagons contained not only grain, but clothing and blades as well.

It couldn’t have been easy to transport all that, so it was impressive they had made it this far.

Most of the escorts were from the Heavenly Sea Escort Agency, whose faces Yong Hwarin recognized.

“We greet the Sect Leader.”

The escorts all bowed in unison to Yong Hwarin.

Some were the same escorts as before, and others were warriors from the Bloodgreen Battalion.

“You’ve all worked hard. Go on inside, rest up, and get something to eat.”