"You there. What exactly were you doing in that room that it took you this long… Hm?"
Tang Jincheon, who had been narrowing his eyes, paused for a moment before letting out a dry laugh.
"Hah, really. I'm at a loss for words. With this, even if I wanted to scold you, I wouldn't know what to say."
"Father-in-law, you brought back a Gongjin Pill from the Haomun, didn't you? It's all thanks to that."
"Well. It's true that the Gongjin Pill is a fine spiritual medicine, but it has no function beyond enhancing internal energy. …When did it start?"
It had been long ago.
I couldn't very well say that, so I let out a bitter smile and gave a vague excuse. After all, I had shown a glimpse of my Sword Qi the other day.
"I had already grasped the fundamentals through exchanging blows with Demonic Cultists. Then, after going through real combat until I collapsed from exhaustion, it became ingrained in me whether I liked it or not."
"Honestly, it's hard to believe. How many people your age have achieved such a martial level? Even I wasn't at that point."
"I'm still only half-baked. I have the enlightenment and the internal energy, but my body can't keep up with them."
"That much can't be helped. The only way is to train properly over time."
Tang Jincheon let out a snort of laughter and gestured toward the two men and women behind him, continuing his words.
"This time, I was thinking of assigning proper escorts in case you went somewhere and came back injured again, but perhaps it was a pointless effort."
"That's…"
"I'm joking. Even if you refuse, I plan to keep them with you, so don't try to shake them off and leave."
"I'll keep that in mind."
As I nodded, Seol Ri-hyang, who had been exchanging brief greetings with Tang So-wol, approached.
"Cheon Hwi. About what you said earlier—I don't fully understand, but… you've gotten stronger, right?"
"That's right."
"Congratulations. And, um. Come back safely."
"Even you're saying that now?"
"I heard you come back injured every time you go somewhere."
"…I can't deny that."
Even before taking the Gongjin Pill, I wasn't at a level where I'd go around getting beaten up wherever I went. But what could I do when things played out that way?
It was a bit unfair to think about how I appeared in others' eyes, but the truth was the truth, so I decided to change the subject.
"Make sure you train properly in the meantime. If you push yourself alone like last time again, you'll only end up hurting your body, so be careful."
"I already got scolded once last time. It won't happen again, so I'm fine."
"Then that's settled."
I nodded and then looked at the middle-aged woman standing a bit behind us, watching this way.
Her face wasn't unfamiliar. We had exchanged brief greetings at the banquet after the engagement ceremony.
I couldn't remember her name… but she was definitely the Vice-Captain of the Poison Blood Squad.
"Surely the Vice-Captain isn't the one assigned to guard us?"
"Given how outstanding the two of you are in martial level, one would need to be at least a vice-captain to dare claim the role of your escort."
If the Dark Soul Squad is where those who primarily use hidden weapons gather, then the Poison Blood Squad is a Martial Force Unit of martial artists who primarily practice poison art.
Naturally, one must be at least first-rate to enter, and those at the level of vice-captain are ones who have reached the mature Peak Realm.
From the fact that he was assigning such a force, I could tell how much Tang Jincheon cherished Tang So-wol, and how anxious he had been during the period when contact was lost.
He must be telling us to return safely from this journey to the martial world this time.
Perhaps he didn't say it outright, but just like when Tang So-wol first left for the martial world, there are probably those who secretly report our movements to Tang Jincheon.
It's not like we're going anywhere dangerous, so it should be fine.
Leaving the Tang Clan and heading toward Shaanxi Province. There was no reason to rush this time, and since this was nominally an extension of Tang So-wol's unfinished journey into the martial world, we didn't take a carriage.
We traveled on foot at an ordinary pace, carrying only what could fit into a single travel bag.
Of course, with a well-stuffed money pouch, it would hardly be an ordinary trip.
How long did we walk like that, chatting idly with Tang So-wol? It was around the time Chengdu was beginning to feel small in the distance.
The vice-captain, who had been following a couple of steps behind, sidled up and asked.
"By the way, you mentioned heading to Shaanxi Province—is there anything in particular you'd like to see or any place you'd like to visit?"
"Since we're going to Shaanxi, I thought I'd take a look at Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua."
The spiritual medicine I had heard about in my previous life was said to be in a cave on Mount Daemang, just below Mount Zhongnan.
If I was heading for Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua, it would be natural to stop by along the way.
After hearing my story, the vice-captain hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"First, I'd like to ask that you speak comfortably. You're officially a member of the Tang Clan now, and while you speak comfortably to the young lady, it's a bit burdensome when you address us with such formality."
"If that's what you prefer. Though I recall Tang So-wol also used formal speech with you, Vice-Captain."
"The young lady uses formal speech with everyone, so that's fine."
"…"
So that was the reason.
"Then I will send a letter ahead to the Zhongnan Sect and the Mount Hua Sect. It isn't difficult to prove Young Lady So-wol's identity, but if we simply show up unannounced, it could be awkward for both sides."
"Wait. I was only planning to take a look around the mountain pass."
Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua had been famous as sacred mountains since ancient times.
Moreover, the current Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect were enjoying their heyday as the representative sects of Shaanxi Province.
It wasn't just one or two commoners who flocked there drawn by their reputation, and I had thought I might mix in with them and take a look around myself…
"I'll be moving with you, so I think it would be best to send a letter and offer a proper greeting."
"Hm?"
The Sichuan Tang Clan was a member of the Five Great Families. Naturally, they maintained good relations with the other Orthodox Sects, and the Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect were no exception.
But the daughter of the Tang Clan had come all the way to the lower village and left without so much as a greeting?
No one would say anything outright, but it could come across as a bit rude.
"…Is that so?"
"That's right. Of course, if you say you simply want to quietly admire the mountain and leave, there's no need to worry about it taking long."
"The affairs of the Orthodox Sects really are complicated."
"You'll get used to them in time."
As I scratched my head, Tang So-wol, who had been giggling behind her hand, suddenly spoke up as if something had just occurred to her.
"Oh, even if we only stop by the Zhongnan Sect for a quick greeting, would it be all right to visit Mount Hua Sect for a while? I have a friend there, and I'd like to see her face after all this time."
"It doesn't matter. We'll send the letter anyway."
After that, just as I'd said, we sent the letter at the next village and made our way toward Shaanxi, taking in the sights along the way.
It seemed that, since Tang So-wol's first foray into the martial world had ended with my kidnapping her, there were plenty of things she wanted to try.
For my part, I trained my Light-Body Technique while we traveled, practiced drawing out Sword Qi whenever I had a spare moment to get more accustomed to my greatly expanded internal energy, and watched Tang So-wol beam with delight up close. I was able to enjoy the journey in my own way.
Of course, not everything was pleasant.
Why else would they send those who had reached a certain age and built up their skills out into the martial world?
It was to see the world and gain real combat experience.
In other words, it meant that in the Central Plains' martial world, large and small incidents were constantly breaking out, forcing one to gain practical experience.
There were swindlers who preyed only on the naive-looking ones who seemed to be making their Murim Debut, and there were times when we got caught up in disputes between other martial artists even while quietly eating at an inn, and after leaving Sichuan Province, we even ran into bandits.
Of course, most of them were handled at the level of the vice-captain, who was our escort, but occasionally, either I or Tang So-wol had to step in.
If it wasn't dangerous, there was no reason to kick away a real combat opportunity that had come rolling in on its own.
After traveling for a long while like that, we finally arrived at a village near Mount Daemang. It was my first time seeing it with my own eyes, but its location and surrounding terrain matched the stories I had heard exactly.
It happened to be around the time the sun was beginning to set, so I pointed at the small village and spoke.
"We'll stay there for the night."
"Yes. It's in a perfect spot. …Come to think of it, it seems like a village appeared whenever we were getting tired or when the sun was setting. Am I remembering correctly?"
"That's right. Unless it's located in a remote area or was built deliberately, it's only natural for another small village to exist within a day's travel."
"How fascinating."
"What is? A person's stride and stamina haven't changed much from the past to now. It's only natural that villages formed this way. Of course, if one were to use Lightness Skill or travel by mount, things wouldn't line up so neatly."
At my words, Tang So-wol tilted her head in thought.
"Still, I expected there would be at least a few times we'd have to sleep outdoors, or times when we'd miss the timing and have to hastily use Lightness Skill before the sun went down."
"Ah, that part is thanks to our guide's skill."
I chuckled and pointed at the vice-captain, who was still quietly following us from behind.
Receiving mine and Tang So-wol's gaze, the vice-captain gave a silent nod.
"It's because I traveled around Shaanxi Province often in my youth."
"Heh. So the vice-captain began his martial arts journey around Shaanxi, did he?"
Come to think of it, Tang So-wol had gone to Hubei instead of Shaanxi. The original plan, if I recalled correctly, was to pass through Hubei, Anhui, Henan, and Shaanxi before returning to Sichuan Province.
In effect, she had expected to tour seventy percent of the Orthodox Sects' territory before being kidnapped on the spot, so it was understandable that she was still excited even after leaving the Tang Clan some time ago.
The Vice-Captain of the Poison Blood Squad wore a wistful expression at Tang So-wol's words and nodded.
"That's right. At the time, I was about to join the Poison Blood Corps, so I wanted to take one last free look at the world."
"Wow. What was Shaanxi Province like back then?"
"Fashions change, and buildings I'd never seen appeared, but surprisingly, there wasn't much difference. Martial artists still fought day in and day out, and the powerless got caught in between and suffered."
"Ah… I don't think we ran into anything that bad on our way here."
I shook my head lightly toward Tang So-wol, who was blinking her eyes.
"That's because we weren't there to see the aftermath."
"The aftermath, you say?"
"Yes. After that brawl broke out at the inn, who do you think paid to fix the broken building and furniture?"
"The martial artists who broke them, of course."
"But what if that person is already dead?"
"Hmm. Then they'd contact the sect or family they belong to."
"And if that sect refuses? It wasn't their own members who went and caused a ruckus—things got broken while fighting with others. If it were me, I'd shift the blame. Especially when my own people are the ones dead or injured."
Even if that weren't the case, the sect in question might have already suffered near-extermination at the hands of another sect they'd had a dispute with, leaving them with no means to compensate.
Or perhaps the place was simply so far away that it would be difficult to appeal their grievance.
Of course, the government office would try to mediate on their behalf, but… they wouldn't be able to recover the full extent of their losses.
"Above all, to common folk, those who have mastered martial arts are objects of fear. It wouldn't be easy to even bring up the matter of demanding compensation."
"Ah."
Was this something she'd never considered, having been born and raised in the Tang Clan—a family strong enough to rank among the top five in the vast Central Plains martial world, and one that had upheld its prestige as an Orthodox Sect with that very strength?
As if finally realizing something, Tang So-wol gaped blankly. I counted off on my fingers and briefly listed what had happened so far.
"Besides that, the fact that there are bandits means someone has already been robbed by them, and the fact that con artists aren't starving and keep swindling people means there are already quite a few who've fallen for their tricks."
"Strength isn't the only kind of power…"
Tang So-wol nodded, looking a bit deflated. Perhaps he felt sorry for her, because the vice-captain gave a faint smile and spoke up.
"But it's not all bad things. I met my current husband during my travels through the martial world."
"Really?"
"It's true. I ran out of travel money along the way and was badly injured while escorting a merchant caravan. The son of the physician who treated me then…"
The vice-captain began recounting her past in a calm voice.
Watching Tang So-wol's eyes sparkle again after she'd grown so somber, I felt a little guilty for having only mentioned the negative side.
And so I watched in silence as Tang So-wol focused on the vice-captain's story.
Hmm?
Suddenly, a way to naturally lead them to the cave where the Spiritual Medicine was hidden came to mind.