"Tang So-wol!!!"
"…!"
Tang So-wol, who had been about to say something, could only open and close her mouth. The voice had cut in at such an exquisite timing.
Turning my head toward the source of the sound, I saw a man in green martial robes running toward us, waving his hand in greeting.
His face bore a resemblance to Tang So-wol's.
"So-wol! So-wol! So-wol!"
The man drew closer, calling out Tang So-wol's name without pause.
Seeing the green martial robes and the face, I roughly guessed who it was, so I subtly widened the distance between us.
"Ah…"
Having roughly predicted what was about to unfold, Tang So-wol squeezed her eyes shut. The man running toward her, on the other hand, lit up like a fire and unleashed his Lightness Skill.
Whoosh!
The distance closed in an instant. The man stood before Tang So-wol, his eyes welling up with tears.
"Oh my! Your face is half its size! How much heartache have you been through!"
"…I haven't actually lost that much weight."
"My little sister! I've heard the whole story. I'm so glad you're safe! But are you really alright? Just to be sure, shouldn't you pay a visit to the Medical Pavilion?"
"I'm a little tired, but I'm not hurt, so don't worry, brother."
"Good. If you say so, then I'll believe you. I don't know what scoundrels dared to lay a hand on the blood of the Tang Clan, but don't worry. I'll make sure they regret being alive!"
"Um. They weren't scoundrels, they were martial artists of the Unorthodox Sects, you know? And they're all dead already. Young hero Cheon here helped me."
"Unorthodox Sects or scoundrels, it's all the same. Anyway, if this young hero is So-wol's benefactor, then he's my benefactor and the Tang Clan's benefactor as well. I apologize for the late greeting—there was no proper occasion. My name is Tang Cheong. Since the last Dragon Phoenix Gathering, I've been called the Dark Dragon."
Tang Cheong gives a fist-and-palm salute with a smile so bright it suits the word "fine young man."
He's a child of a prestigious family with a high nose, and someone who's earned the alias of the Dragon. Yet he seems quite down-to-earth.
I was about to return the salute and greet him in kind when Tang So-wol cut in with a cautious tone.
"Um, well. Brother, actually… there's one more thing I need to tell you…"
"Haha! You mean snacks? Of course I brought some! This big brother just returned from a mission, but I still had time to pick up the treats you like. You beg for candy every time I go out, so here I am…"
Tang Cheong pulled a small bundle from his bosom. At his utterly composed expression, Tang So-wol hopped in place.
"When was that ever relevant?! More importantly, big brother! That's not what I was trying to say! I wanted to tell you that young hero Cheon isn't just my savior—he's the betrothed Father chose for me!"
"Haha! Enough with the jokes. Betrothed already? What nonsense is that…"
"It's true."
"…?"
Tang Cheong turned to look at her with a creaking motion, like a rusted sword being drawn from its sheath.
"Be…trothed?"
"It's an honor to meet you, brother."
"Brother?!"
Tang Cheong echoed back in a dazed voice. Cheon Hwi offered him a polite fist-and-palm salute.
"I am Cheon Hwi, who has formed a good bond with young lady Tang. Please take care of me."
"What did you just say! A good bond! Surely not…!"
"What did you just say, young hero! You called me a young lady, didn't you?!"
"I did no such thing, Tang So-wol."
"…"
"…"
Tang Cheong looked at his sister as if to say, "Is that really what matters right now?" while Tang So-wol tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
Sorry, but I couldn't help it. I'd tried to keep things formal in front of my brother-in-law, but it wasn't easy.
Just as that strange standoff seemed like it would go on forever, the crowd around us began to murmur, so I spoke up first.
"Let's change locations first. There are too many people here."
"…"
"…"
Tang So-wol and Tang Cheong nodded with oddly similar blank expressions.
***
Even though she had come back from twenty years in the past, Tang So-wol was still at the Age of Twenty at this point in time.
After the Tang Clan's Extermination, her hair had turned white, and as her poison art deepened, her eyes—which had glowed green—had darkened back to black.
But the soft curves visible even beneath the loose Tang Clan uniform, the overall impression of her features, and even her voice were not much different from how I remembered her.
Yet that didn't mean I knew everything about Tang So-wol.
After all, the Tang So-wol I knew was the one who had lost everything to the Demonic Cult.
Naturally, I knew almost nothing about her family.
At best, I could only guess from the rumors that reached me how heroic the Poison King's final moments had been, and from Tang So-wol's own stories, how much her brothers had cherished her.
And it was only now, standing face to face with Tang Cheong, that I realized how much more they cherished Tang So-wol than I had ever imagined.
As we retraced our steps back along the path we had come, Tang Cheong—who had been smiling at me so warmly just moments before—suddenly turned to me with a face like he had just run into a thief.
"That thing you said earlier—is it true? That you're So-wol's betrothed?"
"Yes."
"That can't be. Did Father really approve of that?"
"…"
Why would he say "that can't be" at a moment like this? I was momentarily taken aback, but I nodded anyway.
"That's right. We haven't held the engagement ceremony yet, but the Poison King himself brought up the matter."
"So it really is because of the Poison Spirit Constitution. Well, regardless, let me introduce myself once more. I am Tang Cheong — the young head of the Sichuan Tang Clan and So-wol's older brother."
"I've heard much about you. My name is Cheon Hwi."
"Oh! So So-wol really did talk about me?"
"…Actually, that was a lie."
"Eish."
Clicking his tongue, Tang Cheong kicked a loose stone lying nearby. Whether some mystery of the Hidden Weapon Art was woven into the kick or not, the stone flew in a bizarre arc and embedded itself deep into a nearby tree.
The power and precision were enough to make one wonder if he was subtly flaunting his martial level.
The realm Tang Cheong was giving off was a fully mature Peak Realm. Naturally, even at the same realm, he would be incomparably stronger than the Hundred-Kill Blade Master I had faced the other day.
That was only natural—since his realm had been achieved through the orthodox sects' martial arts, there would be no major flaws, and at the Peak Realm, even at the same level, there was a considerable difference between one who had just entered and one who had fully matured.
After grumbling for a while, Tang Cheong broke into a wide grin.
"Right. Father bringing it up first means he must have had his reasons. It's true that our Tang Clan has received great help from you, young brother."
"That's about right. Thanks to this incident, I was able to receive an offer beyond my worth."
"Haha! If the opponent is my little brother, then no matter what man you bring, he'd be beyond your worth—so don't worry about that part!"
"…"
I turned my head silently to look at Tang So-wol, my gaze asking whether he was always like this.
Noticing my stare, Tang So-wol, as if she could no longer hold it in, covered her face with both hands and nodded.
Her ears, peeking out from beside her plump cheeks, had turned bright red in that short span of time.
So that's just the kind of person she is.
"More importantly, can you tell me in detail what happened to my younger brother? I rushed over the moment I heard the urgent report, so I don't know the exact situation."
"That's not difficult. To begin with, let me start with the story of how I kidnapped Tang So-wol…"
"Wait. What did you just say?"
"…Young Lady Dang?"
"No! Not that — the kidnapping! What do you mean by speaking of it in such a casual tone?!"
"I had no choice. Tang So-wol wouldn't listen to a word I said."
"Including that part! Explain everything from the very beginning, without leaving out a single detail!"
"Understood. Then this time, I'll start with the reason I left my hometown…"
"Skip that part! Start from the moment you first met So-wol! Explain from there!"
I shrugged at the sight of Tang Cheong bellowing at me.
Well, he wasn't asking for much.
For now, I began with the story of how I first discovered Tang So-wol, just as he wanted.
.
.
.
.
.
"That's what happened."
"You subdued So-wol and kidnapped her? You just happened to find a purple poison-nurturing herb? Thirty Unorthodox martial artists? And one of them was a Peak Realm master at that?"
I explained in all sincerity, but the look I got in return was one you'd give a con artist.
"Unbelievable. Do you really think that's possible? You might as well say you knew about the Poison Spirit Constitution because it came to you in a dream."
"How did you know? One day I had a terrible nightmare, and when I woke up, the Oral Formula for the Poison Spirit Constitution was still etched in my mind."
"What?"
Tang Cheong furrowed his brow. Seeing how displeased he looked, I hastily poked Tang So-wol in the side.
Poke, poke.
Tang Cheong's gaze grew even sharper, but it didn't last long. Because Tang So-wol opened her mouth.
"Haa. That part just now was nonsense, but overall, the young hero is right, brother. It sounds utterly absurd, but I experienced all of it. You arrived near the end of the battle, but Father was there too."
"That really was a close call. I'm truly relieved you're safe!"
"…Brother, you asked me about this, but it seems you don't believe a word I say?"
"Because it's that ridiculous a story."
"I seem to recall that Tang So-wol spoke to you with a rather different attitude."
"That is only natural. If you cannot trust your family, who can you trust? In that sense, since you call me brother, I shall call you young brother… But you and I are not yet at the point where I should call you brother-in-law, are we?"
"…"
He was so brazen about it that rather than feeling hurt, I found it almost amusing.
Tang Cheong nodded with a pleased expression, then carefully opened his mouth.
"What is your family background, young brother? Your sect? You look quite young—how old are you? And where are you headed now?"
He spoke cautiously, yet he asked everything he wanted to ask.
"When I came to my senses, I found myself cast out into the world with nothing but my body. I have no family. No sect either. I am fifteen this year… and as for where I am going, it is the training ground assigned to me."
The answer flowed out without hesitation. It was not Tang Cheong who reacted to it, but Tang So-wol.
"What? Young hero Cheon's training ground?"
"That's right. Weren't you about to suggest a sparring match with me a moment ago? This works out well."
"We-ell. That's true. But that was only to get the two of us alone…"
"Alone? My, my. To think you had such a sly scheme in mind."
"I have no intention of doing anything sly."
"Then what was it you intended to do?"
"Everything except sly things, perhaps?"
"Oh."
As we walked along, exchanging wholesome conversation in that sort of manner, Tang Cheong was looking at Tang So-wol with eyes that held a complex, subtle emotion—part pride, part wistfulness.
"So it's come to this after all. I suppose it's only natural—she can't remain a child forever."
"…Brother? I only said I was thinking of a sparring match, didn't I?"
"A sparring match! Right! Why didn't I think of that!"
Tang Cheong's drooping shoulders straightened, and a spark of vitality returned to his half-lidded eyes.
He fixed his gaze on me with a rather fierce aura and opened his mouth.
"You there, young brother. Care for a sparring match with me as well?"
"I decline. You're not planning to end this with a sparring match, are you?"
"What do you take me for? I am Tang Cheong! The young head of the Sichuan Tang Clan and a rising talent renowned as the Dark Dragon!"
"Impressive. I am but a prospective live-in son-in-law of the Tang Clan, and I have no alias to speak of yet."
"Hmph! Fine. If you spar with me, I'll give you a spiritual medicine regardless of the outcome. How about it?"
"A tempting offer, but I've already received and consumed a Hundred Poisons Clear Blood Pill, so I doubt I'll need any other spiritual medicine for a while."
"Already?! Who on earth—… No, if spiritual medicine won't do, how about a new sword? The Tang Clan's smiths are all exceptional."
"A sword?"
I looked down at the sword dangling at my waist.
It wasn't a terrible weapon, since I'd taken it from the Jeoksa Faction's sect leader, but it was nothing compared to a Tang Clan sword.
What's more, because I'd only fought with it and never properly maintained it, the blade was starting to chip.
"Alright. Let's do it."
I was already starting to look forward to it.