The next morning, Tang So-wol called Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin over early, asking if they wouldn't like to step out for some fresh air.
They hadn't packed anything significant, and they'd greeted Tang Jincheon just as they always did—an utterly ordinary outing on an utterly ordinary day. But.
"Hmm? For a short outing, haven't we come a bit too far? I was getting a little tired of Muhan with all its crowds, so I don't mind, but all I can see around us is road and grass."
"Ah, you're right. If we don't turn back soon, we're going to miss breakfast, Sister Tang. The clan head really enjoys having meals with you, doesn't he?"
Seomun Hwa-rin tilted her head as she looked around the road, while Seol Ri-hyang, starting to feel hungry, rubbed her flat stomach.
Walking at the front, Tang So-wol had been making small talk, but suddenly she turned around. Without stopping, she continued walking backward along the road as she spoke.
"We're heading to Hebei Province from now on."
"What? Where did you say, Sister Tang?"
"What nonsense is this? Why would Hebei Province come up now?"
"Because from now on, we're planning to run away."
Her tone was so calm and matter-of-fact, as if she were simply announcing what they'd have for breakfast.
Perhaps that was why. The two who had initially just blinked in confusion finally grasped the meaning of Tang So-wol's words a beat late.
"R-run away?! So suddenly?!"
"Why are you saying it like it's the most natural thing in the world?! Running away! And dragging me along with you…? This is the perfect way to invite another misunderstanding from the Poison King!"
"Sister Seomun, that wasn't a misunderstanding. You really did chase after me telling me to lift one leg and take a sniff, didn't you…"
"Isn't that because of you two?!"
Seol Ri-hyang, who had been startled but then started teasing, and Seomun Hwa-rin, who was playing along with it.
Tang So-wol let out a giggle at the sight of the two bickering for a moment, then continued.
"You don't need to worry too much. I left a proper letter for Father at the residence."
"Sister Tang? I'm just saying this in case, but you know leaving a letter doesn't mean you're allowed to run away, right…?"
"Cheon Hwi! You're her betrothed—why didn't you stop her instead of just standing there?!"
Seol Ri-hyang asked with a worried tone, and Seomun Hwa-rin turned her arrows of reproach toward me.
In a situation like this, there was ultimately only one thing I could say.
"There was a reason for everything."
"Everyone has their reasons."
Seomun Hwa-rin crossed her arms and stood her ground. Her posture made it clear she wouldn't take a single step until she was satisfied with my explanation.
I glanced aside and saw Tang So-wol nod. Only then did I open my mouth.
"Well. We've put enough distance between us by now, so I suppose it's time to explain. …It might take a while, so have one of these while you listen."
I pulled out a piece of candy I'd prepared in advance, and Seomun Hwa-rin snorted.
"Ha! You think I'd be swayed by some—mmph—candy?!"
She reflexively caught the candy and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes had already softened considerably.
Seol Ri-hyang watched the scene from the side, looking utterly dumbfounded. Her confusion was justified.
Even if Rejuvenation had made her body young again, Seomun Hwa-rin was around the same age as Tang Jincheon. Did it make any sense that she'd become such a simple person over a single piece of candy?
Surprisingly, it did.
Rejuvenation was certainly an incredible thing. It defied the lifespan given to a person, and it replaced the aging body that no one could escape no matter how high their realm climbed.
But Rejuvenation was not a Fortuitous Encounter bestowed by the heavens—it was something a person seized with their own strength and will.
Naturally, all sorts of side effects were inevitable.
And the greatest side effect of all was that the mind was strongly influenced by a body that was not just young, but outright childish.
Just as I was curling the corners of my mouth into a smirk at the thought that everything was going according to plan, this time it was Seol Ri-hyang who narrowed her eyes.
"Hey, Cheon Hwi. What in the world are you trying to say that you'd go this far…"
"Shh."
Of course, I was immediately subdued by Tang So-wol's hand pressing down firmly on my shoulder from behind.
"Hyang-i. I understand you have your complaints, but young hero Cheon was in the middle of speaking. We'll hear them all later. Understood?"
"Yes, yes."
Seol Ri-hyang, who was especially weak against Tang So-wol, went limp, and now the audience was finally ready to listen.
Only after exchanging a look of shared satisfaction with Tang So-wol did I open my mouth.
"Let me explain from the beginning. When my father-in-law said the atmosphere in Hebei Province was unusual, there was one thing I had in mind…"
"The more I tell you not to go, the more you want to go, is that it?!"
"…I was reminded of the time Tang So-wol was attacked on the orders of the Demonic Cult."
"Ahem."
Seomun Hwa-rin, letting out an awkward cough, popped a candy into his mouth and began to listen quietly.
***
"Well, that's how it happened."
"I see. So you're saying you want to dig up the Demonic Cult in Hebei Province together with the young ones from the Paeng and Eon Clans?"
"Yes."
"It seems too dangerous. Of course, you, Cheon Hwi, are at a level that can't be called a mere rising talent… but the Demonic Cult also has masters at the Transcendent Peak. It's just that they're looked down upon because they lack a Harmony Realm master."
Seomun Hwa-rin looked at me with worried eyes. At that blatant concern, I found myself softening and shook my head.
"You needn't worry. If the opponent were truly a Transcendent Peak martial artist, then as you said, I couldn't guarantee victory unconditionally. …That's why I brought you here, Senior Seomun Hwa-rin."
"In other words, you're saying you'll lean on this lady's shadow if things get dangerous?"
"Is that not allowed?"
"Of course not! You're more than welcome to lean on me as much as you like! …However, it's true that I'm uneasy, so how about you learn a few more of the Seomun Clan's martial arts this time?"
"If you're going to teach me something like a secret art and then claim I'm a member of the Seomun Clan just because I learned it, I'd rather refuse."
When I glared at her suspiciously, Seomun Hwa-rin clicked her tongue as if disappointed.
"Tsk! Then just learn a few of this lady's Golden Capture Techniques. If you agree to that, I'll gladly help you."
"If it's something like that, well…"
When I reluctantly nodded, Seol Ri-hyang shook her head and asked Tang So-wol.
"Sister Tang. Is it that I still don't know much about the martial world? Or is this situation strange?"
"Of course, it's the situation that's strange. Normally, there are plenty of people who would gladly give their entire fortune just to learn even one thing from an absolute master like Sister Hwa-rin. …But Hyang-i, are you alright?"
"Me? Hmm. It's not like I can just turn around and go back alone after coming all this way, right? And I'm sure I was called here because I was needed. What should I do, Sister Tang?"
"Ah, um. Real combat experience against a suitable opponent…?"
"?"
Seol Ri-hyang tilted her head for a moment before finally realizing the reason she had been brought along.
"Um, I won't actually be much help, but is it just to gain some experience?!"
"Hmm. Young hero Cheon? Since Hyang-i will be coming along as well, let's set off."
"Sister Tang? Sister Tang?!"
Brushing off Seol Ri-hyang's plea-that-wasn't-quite-a-plea as she tugged and gently shook Tang So-wol's sleeve, they all headed to the inn that was their meeting place.
There, Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye were already waiting, and their attire was a little different.
The martial robes bearing their clan's name—which they usually wore with such pride, practically showing them off to everyone around—were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, they wore plain black martial robes with no patterns or characters embroidered on them.
Well, Tang So-wol and I are still wearing the Tang Clan's green martial robes, so we'll need to change into new clothes before we leave this place.
Adding one more task to my mental list, I gave the two of them a light wave.
"Did anything happen on your way here?"
"Nothing happened. Nothing at all, but…"
"I just can't be sure this is really the right thing to do."
Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye let out sighs with heavy expressions.
They had no qualms about deceiving their families and meeting in secret, but apparently, running away without a word just to see a bit of the world was what weighed on their minds.
I gave Peng Woo-jin's shoulder a light pat to comfort him.
"It's fine. We're just hiding our identities while we travel—we'll continue our investigation in Hebei Province, won't we? We might not know the area, but for you two, it's like stepping out your front door for a stroll."
"That's exactly why we're worried! If we're unlucky, we might run into someone who recognizes our faces!"
Peng Woo-jin flared up, then let out a deep sigh. His gaze finally turned to Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin behind me.
"I heard you had companions… Are those the two? One of them looks familiar."
"That's Lady Cheong-eum Binghwa. I've heard she's a close junior sister of Flying Butterfly Poison Peak, and that her talent was so highly regarded that she's lived as a retainer of the Tang Clan since childhood. The other one is…"
Following Eon Ga-hye's words, the gaze that had briefly rested on Seol Ri-hyang now shifted to Seomun Hwa-rin.
Perhaps startled by Peng Woo-jin's large frame even while seated, Seol Ri-hyang quietly stepped behind me.
In that moment, something seemed to dawn on Peng Woo-jin. His eyes widened as he rose from his seat.
"Surely you're not Senior Baekbal Nachal?"
"…It is true that this one is called by that alias, though it is not one I particularly care for."
"My apologies. I heard through the Murim Alliance that you have decided to walk the path of the Orthodox Sects once more, just as the Seomun Clan did in the past."
"Ahem. That is so."
"Still, I cannot address a senior of my father's generation by name. What should we call you?"
"…"
Peng Woo-jin's attitude was extremely courteous, a stark contrast to his large frame. In truth, that was the proper attitude to have.
After all, he was one of the few Harmony Realm martial artists in the entire Central Plains, and despite his youthful appearance, he had been active in the martial world for a very long time.
No matter how confident he was, it was only proper for a rising talent to show such deference when facing Seomun Hwa-rin. Proper, yes… but our group did get treated a bit shabbily by her.
Part of it was because we had first met her like newly made friends, and in my case, I had shared meals with her for a long time in my previous life, so I felt close to her.
Above all, Seomun Hwa-rin herself never put on airs in front of us, so that was how we treated her.
"Ahem. Ahem."
"…"
Seomun Hwa-rin shrugged her shoulders as if to show off, glancing between me and Peng Woo-jin. She didn't say anything, but it was clear she meant: this is the kind of person I am, so treat me well from now on.
After giving me a look that was more than just a hint, Seomun Hwa-rin slowly opened her mouth.
"I have decided to help you as well, so we will be seeing much of each other for a while. As long as you don't call me Nachal, feel free to address me however you like."
At that, Eon Ga-hye spoke up in place of Peng Woo-jin, who had paused to think for a moment.
"We are grateful that you would step forward for us, whom you have never met before, Elder. We may not be able to borrow the strength of our clans for a while, but we will do our utmost to see that you are not inconvenienced."
"Ah, Elder…?"
A sullen expression. And Seomun Hwa-rin looking this way with wistful eyes.
See? I knew it. She'd be hurt if we actually treated her like an elder.
I smirked at Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye, who were both bewildered by Seomun Hwa-rin's reaction.
"By now, my father-in-law, and the Blade King and the Fist King as well, must have found the letter we left behind. We'll be a bit hungry, but let's skip breakfast and set out right away."
The road to Hebei Province was long.
.
.
.
.
.
Not long after leaving Muhan City and arriving in Hebei Province.
We headed to the small house where Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye would occasionally meet in secret to share the results of their investigations.
But all that remained there was a burned-out village that everyone had fled, and a few charred black house sites. However.
"…The traces of the Demonic Cult."
It seemed this wasn't simply a matter of bad luck.