Henan

After the sparring bout ended, I returned to my room to find the others already gathered there, chatting away in low voices.

"What? Sister Seomun can cleanse meridians with her feet, but she can't use her toes to pick up chopsticks?!"

"Why are you so surprised by that? The paths are different, so it's only natural."

"That's true, but still…"

"And why would you even think of eating with your feet in the first place?"

"Hehe. Sister Hwa-rin, Hyang-i was just surprised because she thought a Harmony Realm Martial Artist could do anything."

"What! …If that's the case, then I'll have to show you my might."

I let out a deep sigh toward Seomun Hwa-rin, who was taking off her beoseon while glaring at the chopsticks.

"That's dirty, so please don't."

"Eep!"

I shook my head as a startled Seomun Hwa-rin, still seated, lightly hopped about a span into the air.

"You must have sensed my presence, so why are you so surprised?"

"The presence of someone I see every day! Of course! I should let my guard down! Otherwise, I'd be exhausted all the time!"

Leaving Seomun Hwa-rin, who had used the chance from her nimble jump to rise from her spot and stomp her feet, behind, I turned my gaze toward Tang So-wol.

Seol Ri-hyang would handle that side well enough on her own.

"Surely you didn't wait here all night for me?"

"Surely not. I merely opened my eyes this morning, and everyone naturally gathered here."

"Didn't I tell you all to stop using my room as a public square, no matter where we stay?"

"But there's nowhere else to gather, is there? Ah, if you're worried that having us move early in the morning is a burden, don't be. I spent the entire night right here."

"…Why would you do such a thing?"

"Why, because I wanted to see young hero Cheon startled like this, of course."

"…"

Tang So-wol was so brazenly confident that, for a moment, I actually wondered whether her sleeping in my room was only natural.

I turned to look at Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin, who were bickering and shaking their heads at each other.

"Let's stop the games here. We're set to leave the Namgung Clan soon, so what do you all think about heading across to Henan Province?"

"I'm for it. It's the famous Shaolin Temple, isn't it? I've wanted to visit at least once. …Though I suppose I won't get to see the main hall."

"In the first place, no sect lets you wander freely except in the areas that serve as their front gates, so don't be too disappointed. Ah, of course, I'm fine with it as well. I've been interested in Shaolin's martial arts for a while now."

"Understood. Then let's just pay our respects and set out. We can ask for directions along the way."

I nodded and packed the scattered belongings into a bundle. Since I'd decided to carry more money instead of more luggage, it didn't take long.

The others, as if they'd known it would come to this, had already packed long ago.

We went out right away, exchanged greetings with the head of the Namgung Clan, and set off for Henan Province.

Henan Province is a bustling region.

In truth, in this world, what mattered more than which province was bustling was which cities held which sects and clans.

Still, the reason Henan Province carried the impression of being bustling was simple.

It wasn't the current dynasty, but past dynasties had mostly established their capitals in Henan Province.

"Did someone smear honey all over this place or something?"

Seol Ri-hyang tilted her head after hearing my brief history of Henan Province.

"Something like that. It's located at the center of the Central Plains, isn't it? Merchants had no choice but to pass through constantly, and in the process they spent money, so it naturally developed."

"Ahem. Let me add a little to that. In the much more distant past, there was plenty of good farmland, so people gathered near the Yellow River."

"Huh. So at night, does it feel similar to the neighborhood I used to live in?"

"…That's where it's different."

"Huh? You said it was a bustling area. Of course, when people gather and money piles up, theeeen… aren't there more people looking for liquor and women? I heard that's why the Haomun branch was established."

As Seol Ri-hyang said, when the floating population grows and money accumulates, entertainment is bound to flourish.

However, Henan Province was a bit of an exception.

"The Shaolin Temple is there, you know."

"Huh?"

"Just as the Tang Clan rules over Sichuan Province, Henan Province is the Shaolin Temple's territory. Everyone will be treading carefully around the monks and keeping their operations modest."

"Hmm. Even so, I doubt they'd be that cautious in the far-flung corners."

"Even in Henan, the outskirts don't draw crowds, so it'd be hard for entertainment to flourish there."

"That's true."

Seol Ri-hyang nodded as if convinced. Then it was Tang So-wol's turn to ask me a question.

"Then, do you plan to head straight for the Shaolin Temple?"

"No. Coming all this way just to see the Shaolin Temple would be a waste. Henan may lack places for fun, but it has plenty of sights to see. As I said before, there are remnants left behind by the dynasties of old."

"Well, I wasn't planning to let you enjoy any nightlife anyway, so this works out perfectly!"

"…Let me make one thing clear first. I never said I would go."

"And I was just speaking hypothetically?"

Tang So-wol smiled brightly, the corners of her mouth curving upward. Yet her eyes held not a trace of mirth, which was somewhat chilling.

I swallowed hard and changed the subject as naturally as I could.

"If we keep following this road, we should come across a decent-sized town. If there's a merchant caravan there heading toward our destination, we can travel with them. If not, we'll just ask for directions."

"Yes. That sounds good."

For some reason, even though the road was plenty wide, Tang So-wol pressed close enough that our shoulders touched. As we walked like that, a memory from before the regression suddenly surfaced.

The time when even the belated Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance couldn't stop the Heavenly Demon and was pushed back helplessly. The era when all the martial artists fighting across the land were eventually forced to retreat to Hebei Province.

As one of the Lord of the Black Alliance's close associates, I had been sent on all sorts of missions since the early days of the Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance, so I was a fairly well-known figure.

Of course, I wasn't on the level of the few remaining Harmony Realm martial artists—Poison Lady Tang So-wol, for instance—but at the very least, any martial artist from the Unorthodox Sects would have recognized my name.

I had marched into countless battlefields and dragged myself back alive, sometimes even putting in a decent showing, so it was only natural.

And surviving that long in the Unorthodox Sects meant strength, so it was inevitable that all sorts of people would latch onto me.

Back then, some would come carrying chests full of Gold Coins that had lost all meaning to me, while others would offer suspicious Spiritual Medicines of unknown origin or martial arts stolen from clans that had been exterminated.

But the most common of all were the women who offered themselves up as the object of the transaction.

It wasn't as if I had feelings for them or anything. They simply latched onto a strong person, hoping to enjoy a measure of safety and a bit of power that wasn't quite power.

And among the female martial artists of the Unorthodox Sects, quite a few had mastered the art of seduction.

There must have been some who approached me with the intention of slowly unraveling my judgment and bringing me under their control.

But not a single one ever achieved their goal… and that wasn't because I was particularly ascetic or possessed some paranoid vigilance.

It was because of Tang So-wol, who clung to me just like she does now.

Back then, I simply thought, "She's lost her family and grown lonely," or "She's a person with so many questions."

But looking back now, she was simply using all her strength to keep others at bay.

And when I still didn't catch on, she outright grabbed my hand and placed it on her waist.

Even I, dense as I was, would have to notice how Tang So-wol felt about me by that point.

"Hmm."

"Why are you suddenly doing that, young hero Cheon?"

"Hmm…"

"If it's because I'm too close and it's uncomfortable…"

After a moment of deliberation, I nodded. This much should be fine.

This time, I was the one to reach out first, placing my hand on Tang So-wol's waist as she let her shoulders droop with a hint of disappointment.

She had been about to pull away, but instead she pressed herself against my side as if melting into me.

In that instant, her scent flooded my nose, and along with the warmth, a soft sensation spread across half my body.

"Oh my?"

Tang So-wol's face, which had momentarily worn a puzzled expression, flushed slightly. She tried to keep her voice calm, but the faint excitement hidden within was hard to miss.

Tang So-wol shrugged her shoulders with a silly grin.

"What? Would young hero Cheon prefer to walk in some discomfort? As your betrothed, I can hardly refuse to keep you company, can I?"

"You may speak frankly."

"You were the one who tempted me first, so don't take your hand away until I'm satisfied."

"…"

I let out a dry laugh at her more blatant answer than I'd expected and nodded.

I was a little embarrassed, and the gazes of Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin were weighing on my mind as well.

However things stood, I was satisfied with how it had gone, so I continued wandering here and there across Henan Province, enjoying myself in much the same fashion. How long did I keep that up?

I'd seen everything there was to see, so I gradually turned my course back toward the Tang Clan by way of Shaolin Temple, as I'd originally planned.

…And, as if it had been waiting for just that moment, I got swept up in an incident.

"Listen here, monk. Would you spare a little alms for this poor bandit?"

"…I don't have much grain to spare, but I could part with a little."

"Kuhahaha! I don't want your grain—I want your necks! And everything loaded on that wagon, hand it over!"

A hulking man draped in wolf hide let out a mocking laugh. Taking that as their signal, the other bandits who'd been hiding in the underbrush burst out from every direction.

A merchant begged for his life in terror. A mule ran wild. And an old monk leaning on a staff, standing firm before the bandits with a resolute expression, was surrounded in an instant.

The distance between us was considerable, and perhaps it was because Seomun Hwa-rin had sensed something amiss and erected a Qi Barrier around us.

They hadn't noticed us at all from over there.

Thanks to that, I could calmly observe from afar and understand the situation.

"Green Forest bandits."

"Cheon Hwi. Do Green Forest bandits usually dare to trespass this deep into Orthodox Sect territory?"

"The Green Forest is famous for its scale and martial level, but also because they rob everyone indiscriminately—Orthodox and Unorthodox alike."

"They're insane."

"They're a tribe that competes over who's crazier, so don't say that in front of them. They'd actually take it as a compliment."

"What is that?"

Seol Ri-hyang was dumbfounded. Seomun Hwa-rin, on the other hand, looked quite startled.

"Good heavens! The Green Forest I remember was a reasonably sensible bunch of bandits—as long as you paid the toll, they'd let you pass peacefully, whether you were a commoner or a martial artist!"

"That's how it used to be, they say. But recently, the head chief changed, and I've heard it's not uncommon for them to massacre entire merchant caravans, claiming they're avenging brothers who were hunted down in the name of righteous deeds."

"At that rate, aren't they just hastening their own doom…?"

"Yes. That's why these days, among the rising talents, hunting down the Green Forest is considered the most praiseworthy feat."

Tang So-wol brought up the stories she'd heard at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.

Whether Seomun Hwa-rin was shocked by the generational gap or not, she seemed to be wary of the Green Forest bandits before her eyes—and of the one-sided slaughter that was about to unfold.

"Young hero Cheon…"

"I know. I promised I wouldn't stick my head into troublesome matters first, but I can't just stand by while innocent people are about to die right before my eyes."

I nodded and leaped straight into the middle of the Green Forest bandits.

"Oh no."

"Heh?"

Perhaps it was because I'd had my arm wrapped around Tang So-wol's waist nearly every day for the past few days. I fell, accidentally pulling Tang So-wol into an embrace with me.

…Well, it would be over soon enough, so it should be fine.

While the flustered Tang So-wol blinked her green eyes.

I pushed the Crazy Wolf Life-Stealing Art to its absolute limit, flooding the area around me with thick killing intent.

Now that I could crudely mimic Intent, my killing intent had grown even more vicious.

The Green Forest bandit who looked like their leader was at most at the Peak Realm, so I could subdue him in a single strike without even needing to swing my sword.

Indeed, under the killing intent that dominated the entire area, the Green Forest bandits all turned pale and scrambled to clutch at their own necks.

…All except for one.

"Stop!!"

"?"

It was an old monk who had stepped forward to guard the merchant caravan, having walked right into the domain of my killing intent.

How is he unharmed?