The Mount Waylong of the Samun Hyun was not far from the House of Jegal.
Even on a regular cart, it was a one to two-day journey.
I looked up at Waylong Mountain.
How should I put it? I thought it would be a majestic mountain with an incredible Master of Formation hiding within, filled with abundant Qi, but Waylong Mountain was the complete opposite.
Generally, mountains that aren’t grand in scale don’t get special names.
Yet, Waylong Mountain was so small that I thought it was odd that it even had a name.
It was just a neighborhood hill that anyone who hadn’t learned martial arts could reach the summit within half a day.
So, a Master of Formation who had achieved greatness was hiding in this Waylong Mountain.
I also questioned the manner in which such a remarkable Master of Formation’s information was conveyed; surely, the veteran of the Martial World could have no inkling of who this high-profile Master of Formation was.
Of course, despite such questions, I kept moving my feet diligently.
However, the atmosphere of our group as we climbed the mountain… well, it wasn’t particularly good.
The common goal of forming a formation was becoming a problem instead.
We had worked hard and sweated buckets, yet instead of achieving that goal, we kept hitting walls, making it odd for the mood to be upbeat.
When cooperation leads to overwhelming failure, it’s bound to cause cracks in the bond.
Under normal circumstances, this would be the relaxing time when Hyeok Gi-rin and Black Cat would be chattering away, and Tang So-yeol would be happily discussing the scenery, but no conversation passed among us now.
Everyone just kept their mouths shut and focused on the search.
I lightly gripped the Gakmun-pae in my hand.
I hoped it would be the solution to our predicament.
Just as I was lost in thought, the Qi around the Gakmun-pae began to ripple.
“Senior Ho.”
“Yes. I can feel it too.”
It wasn’t just me; the highest ranked among us, Hyeok Gi-rin, responded. She moved according to the flowing energy of the Gakmun-pae, like it was guiding her.
Before long, the surrounding scenery changed.
Instead of a mountain filled with dense underbrush and trees, a grassy field unfolded.
“Hmm.”
I let out a groan filled with confusion. The sudden change in surroundings was surprising, but this was the kind of skill a Master of Formation capable of achieving great things could easily wield.
The reason I groaned was that the energy flowing through the Gakmun-pae had completely vanished.
As if it had allowed only up to this point.
“The reaction from the Gakmun-pae has disappeared.”
“Hmm… What do we do?”
I couldn’t really respond to Black Cat’s murmuring. The grassy field looked safe at first glance, but considering this was within a formation, moving recklessly could be dangerous, even while searching separately.
So, we decided to just wait for a change.
After some time passed, Dokgo I-seol suddenly spoke up.
“Could it be that Jegal Yeong-myeong has deceived us?”
Yeo Il-ye shook her head.
“There’s really no reason for that, is there?”
“After all, not everything in the world turns on clear reasons.”
Yeo Il-ye frowned slightly.
“Didn’t we come all this way on the clue given by the young hero Jegal Yeong-myeong? It seems strange to start doubting just because our steps paused for a moment.”
“We should keep the possibility open. It’s not right to trust blindly, is it?”
Dokgo I-seol didn’t back down easily.
“From the start, it’s unclear why Jegal Yeong-myeong helped the Brain Knife Outcast.”
“Didn’t you feel a demeanor from Jegal Yeong-myeong that felt more apologetic than sinister? Since you couldn’t achieve results, didn’t he secretly help us?”
“That very point is suspicious. What on earth do we have that’s so important that they’d deceive their clan to help us?”
“…That is.”
“A simple act of goodwill seems too significant, doesn’t it? Moreover, considering how he deceived others from the House of Jegal at the end, I can’t fully trust the manner in which he treated us.”
Amid the sharp confrontation between Yeo Il-ye and Dokgo I-seol, Hyeok Gi-rin interjected.
“There’s no good in raising our voices like this, is there?”
“…I apologize.”
“…So do I. I reacted too sensitively out of frustration.”
The two exchanged appropriate apologies in light of the atmosphere, but it was clear they had no intention of accepting the other’s argument.
The atmosphere grew even colder.
In that uncomfortable silence where no one dared to speak, Tang So-yeol suddenly broke the silence.
“So, have you all enjoyed yourselves enough?”
As he lit his tobacco pipe filled with herbs, he was staring intently at a specific point.
Had Tang So-yeol, with the spirit of Goomun, seen something in the distance?
“Well, we didn’t exactly grab each other by the hair and have a brawl, but if you’ve enjoyed a good fight, it’s time to show yourselves.”
As Tang So-yeol leisurely took a puff from his pipe, no answer returned.
“Or do you intend to set this whole grassy field ablaze with ashes from this tobacco?”
“Oh dear.”
Finally, there was a reaction.
The space Tang So-yeol had been looking at seemed to ripple, and then a figure appeared.
A woman who appeared to be in her thirties.
The first thing that caught the eye was a tear mark beneath her eye.
After noting the tear mark, the next thing that caught the eye was her stylish attire. It looked like something a fashionable lady from the city would wear.
It was rather extravagant for the appearance of a Master of Formation, who usually has a strong sense of living simply alongside nature.
If it weren’t for the Gakmun-bong she was holding and Tang So-yeol’s confident gaze, one might think she was the head of a clan seeking to hire a famous Master of Formation.
“So, I thought that the young hero Yeong-myeong had come, but it turns out to be an unwelcome guest.”
“Still, a guest is a guest.”
Tang So-yeol grinned widely.
“Well, since I’m sitting around with time to kill watching others fight, why don’t I entertain this guest?”
“Senior… could you please be a bit more polite?”
Tang Do-yeon chided, but Tang So-yeol was as nonchalant as ever.
The Master of Formation stared at Tang So-yeol’s demeanor and sighed.
“I brought the young hero’s token, so I’ll listen to your story.”
As the Master of Formation woman swung her Gakmun-bong, waves rippled like paint spreading, revealing a house.
In that moment, I felt a sense of reality from the move she made.
Typically, when passing through a formation, the Seong-ro is established to guide people.
Any step away from the designated Seong-ro poses the threat of being caught up in the formation.
Why do Masters of Formation insist on guiding people through such inconvenient and dangerous means?
Because even a Master’s correction of an activated formation isn’t an easy task.
Rather than shaking the formation to let a few people pass, they force people to move within the constraints of the formation.
However, this Master of Formation before me changed the formation entirely.
It was likely easier for her to shift the formation than to clarify the Seong-ro to us.
Indeed, her skills were of a different caliber than those of ordinary Masters of Formation.
“Come in.”
As I observed the calm figure of the Master of Formation turning to enter the house, I made a resolve.
No matter what, I had to get this person to teach me the formation.
“I’m Seo Mun-yeon.”
To my surprise, the Master of Formation was not from the House of Jegal.
“Nice to meet you. I am Ho Cheon-an, the Brain Knife Outcast.”
“Oh.”
Seo Mun-yeon’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
“So you’re the famed Brain Knife Outcast.”
“Have you heard anything about my reputation?”
“Of course, I have.”
I secretly sighed in relief. It might be a bit awkward to say, but I currently have a mostly positive reputation.
If she had heard of my reputation, it was likely a positive perception…
“I heard rumors that you carry a cart full of women around. It was quite interesting.”
…Not quite.
“Pardon?”
“I thought it was amazing that you could turn enemies like Jeong Cheol into allies while charming women too.”
“…No.”
“I thought you must be a handsome man who could charm women just by making eye contact, but in reality, you’re quite ordinary.”
“Pahahahaha!!”
Tang So-yeol burst out laughing.
Hey there, Tang Clan, catch the hint already.
As I shot Tang So-yeol a cold glare, he cackled back at me.
“Well, it’s not completely wrong, is it? Reflecting on it, you’ve certainly been busy charming them… heh.”
“…”
After a sigh, I turned to Seo Mun-yeon.
It was clear she was glaring at me in a rather hostile manner.
Why was this woman so adversarial towards me?
Could it be she was scorned by a playboy?
I quickly dismissed the thought.
Given Seo Mun-yeon’s looks and abilities, if men were after her, she wouldn’t be facing rejection.
Regardless, sensing that prolonging the conversation would lead to trouble, I quickly spoke up.
“…I came to see you at the introduction of Jegal Yeong-myeong, Master Seo Mun-yeon, to request your help in crafting a successful talisman for those here.”
As soon as I mentioned this, Seo Mun-yeon’s expression hardened for an entirely different reason.
Unlike earlier, where she looked at me distrustfully, now her expression seemed as if I had stabbed her in the guts.
“…Did Yeong-myeong send you here because of that issue?”
“Indeed. Young hero Jegal Yeong-myeong seems to believe you would have some insights.”
Seo Mun-yeon bit her lip.
“…What are your intentions, Yeong-myeong?”
The emotions whirling in Seo Mun-yeon’s eyes, filled with various feelings, suggested there was some undisclosed story between them.
For a while, she silently pressed down her emotions before finally speaking.
“I refuse.”
“May I ask why?”
“There’s no need to elaborate. Creating a successful talisman that integrates the Qi from the Brain Knife, the authentic Daoist sect’s Qi, the poison of the closed Tang Clan, and the raw power of the Outcast Faction is impossible.”
Is that so?
“So you mean there are alternative methods that might yield success?”
Seo Mun-yeon’s eyes went wide as she closed her mouth, confirming the point.
I knew I wasn’t well-versed in formations. I couldn’t even perform the simplest of formations myself.
But I have a wealth of knowledge accumulated while exploring the Martial World.
While I may not be qualified to compete directly in a knowledge duel against a brilliant Master of Formation, I could at least grasp clever wordplay to some extent.
I felt certain as I observed Seo Mun-yeon’s expression.
If she had no answer, she could have simply said so. Why was she engaging in clever word games?
It was likely because she held the key to resolving our issue.
Jegal Yeong-myeong was well aware of that and, thus, introduced us to Seo Mun-yeon.
Seo Mun-yeon also displayed signs of perceiving Jegal Yeong-myeong’s intentions and showed hints of mild betrayal—enough circumstantial evidence to convince me.
Did she think denying it was pointless?
“Even so, I have no intention of helping construct that formation, so kindly leave.”
Instead of offering excuses, Seo Mun-yeon chose outright refusal.
“Is that so?”
What might be the story behind her? What’s the relationship between Seo Mun-yeon and Jegal Yeong-myeong? Why does she dislike me?
I couldn’t figure any of it out, but one thing was clear.
I had to extract the formation from Seo Mun-yeon by any means necessary.
Hence, I adopted a firm demeanor.
I lay flat on the ground.
“…What on earth are you doing?”
“I’m refusing your refusal.”
As I calmly stated this, I caught the look of utter disbelief from Seo Mun-yeon.
“You’re rejecting my outright refusal without even discussing terms?”
That was the moment when Seo Mun-yeon’s martial arts realm was at the peak.
Her power was plenty enough to defend herself in this Martial World, but it wouldn’t be enough to kick me out of my place.
What can be done if she’s annoyed?
If you’re frustrated, you should’ve trained harder in martial arts.
This is the Martial World, and in the Martial World, the person with higher martial skills is king—that’s what it means.
I sprawled out on the ground, arms and legs spread wide. The sensation of forming a perfect “大” character brought a sense of comfort.
Lying around in someone else’s room like this?
Now that’s real relaxation.
I felt Seo Mun-yeon’s tension at my behavior while I closed my eyes.
I figured that after taking a deep nap, her mind would calm, and we could start our conversation from there.
“…Are you really sleeping, Senior?”
“Here we go again.”
I let the murmurs from my teammates, filled with incredulity, escort me to sleep.
