“What brings you here today?”
“I just came to check up on my younger sibling as an older sister would.”
The atmosphere around Julu was truly tense. The warriors of the Sanghwa Clan looked ready to draw their weapons at any moment, and the martial artists brought by Yoran were also keeping a watchful eye on the Sanghwa warriors.
The subordinates exchanging deadly glares seemed poised for a fight at any moment.
But the most intense stares were exchanged between I-seol and Yoran.
As Yoran met I-seol’s burning gaze, the long-standing resentment within her seemed to fade away. It was refreshing to see that smug face, often praised for its beauty, twist in anger.
Yoran looked at Yongji Maeng, who was standing next to I-seol.
“Oh ho ho ho! So you’re the one that I-seol brought along?”
“…I am Yongji Maeng.”
Yoran fanned herself, her eyes sparkling as she observed Yongji Maeng. Currently, Yoran was at the Peak Stage, straddling the line between peak and peak perfection.
Yet even Yoran couldn’t fully gauge Ho Cheon-an’s level, indicating that Ho Cheon-an’s control over their Qi was exceptionally high.
‘So that’s why that girl is keeping a close watch on him.’
Yoran’s smile grew wider.
“Yongji Maeng, let’s cut to the chase. Is there anything you need?”
“Dokgo Yoran! You’re crossing the line!”
Sssssss!!!
I-seol’s energy exploded outwards. As everyone hesitated at the overwhelming aura being emitted, Yoran also released her Ki to counter I-seol’s.
“I will treat you with a level of respect different from I-seol. Do you need swordsmanship? Then I’ll grant you the Thirty-Two After Sword Technique. Seeing as your Qi looks pure, it seems you’ve either taken spiritual medicine recently or haven’t taken any for a while. I’ll grant you the Thunder Commanding Technique.”
“Dokgo Yoran!”
“Oh ho ho ho! Little sister, why are you so angry? I’m just offering support to the promising martial artist from the Dark Dragon Sect.”
Tzzzzzzzz!!!
Energy started to stream upwards from the fan I-seol held. It was the sign of strong energy rising. Yoran’s subordinates positioned themselves in front of her, ready for any eventuality.
“Yongji Maeng! Think carefully. Do you really understand why my sister is stuck in this little Julu? It’s because there’s no place for her in the Dark Dragon Sect, so she’s stuck playing around in this tiny place, isn’t it? Even if you follow her, will it really help your future?”
“How dare you!”
As I-seol roared in anger, she was about to unleash her energy.
“Though I appreciate the offer, I won’t accept it.”
Yongji Maeng’s response halted I-seol’s movements, which were just about to unleash her power. The Sanghwa warriors, who were about to draw their weapons, stopped as well, and the new entrants of the Seohwa Sect, who had been hiding in the corners, looked at Yongji Maeng.
“…Hmm. Fine. You really know how to increase your worth.”
Yoran was slightly annoyed but decided to concede this once. After all, she would get to enjoy the current situation where I-seol was fuming.
“Alright, how about this? If you follow me, I’ll officially appoint you as a disciple of the Dark Dragon Sect. If your skills allow it, you could become an assistant leader or even the leader right away.”
Seeing I-seol bite her lip, Yoran smiled.
“Doesn’t your pride hurt? A martial artist of your caliber has to go through a dangerous entrance exam while rolling around without any certainty! Proving one’s skills requires a suitable stage! The stage that I-seol can offer is nothing more than a dangerous and pitiful one that no one would recognize. So let me provide you with a proper stage, like the assistant leader’s exam or the leader’s exam!”
I-seol clenched her fist. Yoran’s attempts to poach her subordinate right here in her territory was infuriating enough to make steam come out of her ears, but she couldn’t match Yoran’s offer.
I-seol could easily chase Yoran away if she used her strength.
But even if she drove Yoran away, she couldn’t stop Yongji Maeng’s heart from changing.
I-seol turned her head toward Yongji Maeng.
Even in a situation like this, Yongji Maeng maintained an indifferent expression that was impossible to read.
‘You don’t show any signs of wavering, even at this moment.’
I-seol recalled the image of Yongji Maeng rolling the dice, calling for the next round. Even in the midst of the enemy camp, where one’s head could be on the chopping block at any moment, Yongji Maeng had shown their abilities and crushed their opponents effortlessly.
Not even in the face of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the leader of a major sect led by an expert, Yongji Maeng did not show a single sign of wavering.
Watching Yongji Maeng, I-seol thought to herself.
‘Can I really take this person in and have them as my subordinate?’
The conflict within I-seol soon manifested in her actions.
Though she watched Yongji Maeng take a few steps forward, she could neither grab nor stop them, instead extending her hand awkwardly. I-seol clenched her ambiguously extended hand as she bit her lip while watching Yongji Maeng’s back.
In her heart, she wanted to forcefully keep them close, but—
Would she really be able to stop Yongji Maeng by blocking their path?
Caught up in such thoughts, I-seol lowered her head.
“Ho ho ho ho!! You’ve made the right choice!”
Yoran burst into laughter. Seeing the proud and aloof I-seol bow her head in distress gave her a feeling as if ten years’ worth of resentment had melted away.
Now that she had Yongji Maeng, she could always look forward to seeing that expression from I-seol!
That alone made the compensation promised to Yongji Maeng feel worth it.
“Lady Yoran, I will have to decline your offer.”
Yoran froze in place, still laughing.
“What… did you say?”
Yoran seemed unable to believe it, stammering in disbelief.
“Ah, no…! Why? Is the compensation insufficient?”
“It’s more than enough; I don’t need it.”
Following Yoran, where would it lead? Probably rolling around in comfort in the Dark Dragon Sect’s main office.
If she officially registered as a disciple of the Dark Dragon Sect, any chances to target the Sokryeong Sect would be completely lost.
Yoran’s offer was generous enough that almost anyone would take it if they were just looking for a wandering position in the Dark Dragon Sect, but she wasn’t anyone.
“…Yongji Maeng! I will ask one last time. You turned down my generous offer despite valuing your skills?”
Yoran’s eyes trembled furiously. Surely… was this not a disgrace?
It wouldn’t be odd to think that invading someone else’s territory to try and recruit people and failing despite offering good terms would be a humiliation.
In truth, it wasn’t necessary for her to be I-seol’s subordinate.
That is, until just a moment ago.
“I… am a bit foolish by nature, so I’m comfortable climbing up from the bottom.”
“…What did you say?”
Yoran had been told that I-seol had no power within the Dark Dragon Sect. That’s why she couldn’t exempt her from the tests.
In the end, being under I-seol meant I-seol would have no choice but to send her out to attack the Sokryeong Sect, whether she liked it or not.
“Therefore, please forgive me for not being able to join you.”
“…Yongji Maeng! I will not forget you!”
Yoran glared at me with eyes full of resentment.
“Let’s see how long you can last!”
“Now that you’ve stated your business, you may leave.”
I-seol raised her hand as if to protect me. Her lips were twitching slightly; it seemed Yoran’s embarrassment brought her some satisfaction.
The way she looked at me felt so sweet, as if honey was dripping.
“I’m leaving!”
Yoran looked like she wanted to kill me on the spot, but eventually, she seemed to realize there was no way out and spat her teeth as she retreated.
As Yoran and her subordinates left like the tide, a silence fell over Julu.
Once I-seol confirmed that Yoran’s subordinates had left, she turned to me.
“You are… truly an enigma.”
Not having anything to say, I lightly lowered my head, sensing I-seol’s movement. Just as I attempted to follow her, I-seol lightly raised her hand to stop me.
“That’s enough. Now that I know your thoughts… there’s no need to stay close any longer.”
I-seol continued speaking without changing her posture.
“Yongji Maeng.”
“Yes?”
“Become the leader of the Seohwa Sect.”
“What do you mean by that…”
“Prove yourself from the ground up as you wish. Just as you have believed in me… I will believe in you as well.”
I-seol glanced my way slightly. Perhaps the excitement from facing Yoran hadn’t faded, as a slight blush was evident on her cheeks.
“Don’t let me down.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I replied with determination.
Finally.
I was now able to head towards the Sokryeong Sect’s territory.
* *
There was something unexpected about the Sokryeong Sect’s attack.
“My siblings will all get involved when we go to attack the Sokryeong Sect.”
The fact that the operation to attack the Sokryeong Sect was tied to the heir selection trials.
Ah, that’s why Yohwa had been acting so wildly yesterday. It was too big a sacrifice and promise for barely salvaging her pride, but considering cutting off a key piece of a rival, it seemed worth the investment.
“Then I shouldn’t be too greedy.”
“Exactly. You have to consider the worst-case scenario of being interrupted too.”
What I-seol wanted wasn’t so much about taking a chunk of the Sokryeong Sect’s territory but rather creating some chaos.
The longer the tail, the more likely it gets caught.
If the Dark Dragon Sect occupies the territory of the Sokryeong Sect, no matter what safety measures are taken, the points of connection would inevitably be revealed.
Well, given that I-seol didn’t have any backing, she wouldn’t be able to maintain the land even if she swallowed it up.
“Don’t make a big deal out of trying to achieve great things. Just causing a bit of disturbance should be enough.”
“Understood.”
I nodded at I-seol’s advice.
“Do you understand? Don’t charge at strong opponents; focus solely on creating chaos.”
“Yes.”
“Phew… I really worry if that will be possible.”
I-seol looked at me with concern, as if she wasn’t assured.
“Don’t worry. I might say this myself, but my intuition is quite good.”
“That’s not what I mean… Even if you encounter unwarranted trouble, make sure to bow your head adequately… Haa. I suppose you wouldn’t do that.”
I-seol looked at me as if I were a child left by the riverside.
“I know your temperament well, but temporarily bend that stubborn back. You have nineteen members of the Seohwa Sect behind you.”
Clearly, I-seol didn’t trust me much, emphasizing the need for flexibility repeatedly.
Was I really that untrustworthy? I hadn’t done anything particularly reckless.
All I had done was combine some split dice to create mischief while I was away and told Yoran to scram when she showed up.
Hmm.
It seemed it was unreasonable for her to let her guard down.
“…I’m sorry.”
Recalling the past actions, I had nothing to say and fell into silence, suddenly making I-seol apologize.
“Pardon?”
“I know that while you chose me, I keep on forcing you to betray yourself and bend, which might upset you.”
“No…”
“All I can do is worry like this… I fear I’ve crossed the line.”
I-seol’s shoulders dropped. Why was she suddenly like this?
After a moment of silence, she seemed to interpret that silence as dissatisfaction.
Why was she apologizing for such a trivial matter? Was she still affected by Yoran’s incident?
“Please forgive me for being a foolish leader who only demands sacrifice from her subordinates.”
Seeing I-seol, who usually appeared proud and haughty, suddenly deflate like this struck me how vulnerable her position actually was. I had never quite grasped it before because of her usual authoritative demeanor and her exceptional capability.
She undoubtedly had the highest martial strength among Dokgo Yeongcheon’s children, but she lacked the supporting forces behind her.
As she lacked influence, of course, she couldn’t offer anything to her subordinates.
Were the promises Yoran made yesterday even based on her capabilities? Of course not; Yoran’s maternal family’s influence was supporting her to become the Dark Dragon’s sub-lord.
It seemed the inability to provide support while sending her subordinates into dangerous situations gnawed at her heart.
“There’s nothing to forgive.”
“However…”
“Considering everything, I remain beside Lady I-seol. So, there’s no need for you to apologize.”
I-seol looked at me with trembling eyes.
Her greatest strength was her own martial capability. Yet since she couldn’t act directly and had to solve issues with her subordinates’ strength alone, it was inevitable for her to feel powerless and anxious.
“That’s all I ask, trust me and leave it to me.”
“…Is that so?”
I-seol’s gaze seemed to lighten up a bit. After staring at me with curious eyes for a while, her spirits lifted slightly, and she squared her shoulders.
Though the momentum didn’t completely return, it was a bit closer to the usual I-seol.
“I’ll trust you. Yongji Maeng, show me results.”
“Yes, my lady!”
That afternoon, I and the nineteen new entrants of the Seohwa Sect set out toward Okgyo, the territory of the Sokryeong Sect.
