It has been several days since Ho Cheon-an has been lying down.
“Should I put it here?”
“Yes, please.”
Seo Mun-yeon looked at Hyeok Gi-rin, who had been following her around to help with various tasks. A smile she didn’t even realize was on her lips appeared.
Seeing Hyeok Gi-rin trying hard to do anything with bright eyes made her feel unexpectedly proud.
“This bowl is this way, right?”
Seeing Hyeok Gi-rin’s proud expression, as if to say they could do it without being told, Seo Mun-yeon happily continued to handle household chores with Hyeok Gi-rin.
As usual, with more people around, various incidents had come up.
Seo Mun-yeon turned her head to ask Hyeok Gi-rin where the wide bowl she used yesterday was, only to pause as she saw Hyeok Gi-rin gazing at Ho Cheon-an.
Those eyes were unmistakably filled with affection for Ho Cheon-an.
Seeing Hyeok Gi-rin nodding as if determined while looking at Ho Cheon-an made Seo Mun-yeon’s heart feel heavy.
Seo Mun-yeon liked Hyeok Gi-rin.
She couldn’t help but wish for a younger sister like that.
Although anger boiled up at the reckless actions of Brain Knife Outcast Ho Cheon-an, thinking of Hyeok Gi-rin made her feel she could generously offer up the Array Formation.
The reckless deeds of the Brain Knife Outcast made her blood boil.
But if she could reap a good reward, it was not something she couldn’t overlook.
However, because Hyeok Gi-rin was appealing to her, Seo Mun-yeon ultimately decided not to give them the Array Formation.
While she could offer up a few ordinary Array Formations, the one Ho Cheon-an and the others needed was definitely not ordinary.
Seo Mun-yeon glanced over at Ho Cheon-an, who was with Dokgo I-seol.
He was someone she didn’t want to see, but being in the middle of her house, she had no choice but to see him if she moved around.
“Hmm.”
“Hehe, why do you say that?”
Dokgo I-seol subtly grasped Ho Cheon-an’s sleeve, while Ho Cheon-an wore a perplexed expression at Dokgo I-seol’s actions.
“Is it really necessary to grasp the sleeve?”
“It’s my duty to watch over you, what can I do?”
Dokgo I-seol’s eyes sparkled dangerously.
“If I could, I would have pressed you down so you couldn’t go anywhere.”
“…”
Seo Mun-yeon watched the two with a mix of disbelief as they had their flirtatious antics.
Hyeok Gi-rin was working hard to help Ho Cheon-an, yet here he was idly chatting with another woman?
Did he not realize how absurd this looked? As Ho Cheon-an subtly avoided Seo Mun-yeon’s gaze, Dokgo I-seol casually greeted him, and she shook her head in exasperation.
Seeing the shameless person lying around in someone else’s house get caught in a romantic situation irritated her even more.
This guy had a real talent for turning a person’s demeanor upside down.
Fueled by her rising irritation, Seo Mun-yeon stormed off to the workshop.
BANG!
Lighting the furnace in the workshop, Seo Mun-yeon heated the metal with a hammer. Generally, she would wield the hammer to create tools that replenish the Qi of the gold used in the Array Formation, but today it was just a means of venting her frustration.
After all, she couldn’t just hit people with the hammer when she was angry.
“Annoying!”
BANG! BANG!
Instead of striking Ho Cheon-an, she pounded away at stakes, sighing as she looked at the unrecognizable metal stakes.
What was she even doing?
Seo Mun-yeon plopped down and let out a long sigh.
Despite having confidence in her skills as a Master of Formation, she felt weak and helpless, unable to drive out just one unwelcome guest.
She thought of Jegal Yeong-myeong, who sent Ho Cheon-an’s group here.
And then, one particular person came to mind.
Her heart thumped hard. The painful memories she had managed to compartmentalize sneaked back in and overwhelmed her.
To avoid being swept away by that wave of memories, Seo Mun-yeon struggled to fend off those thoughts.
…What kind of Master of Formation is she anyway?
Without even knowing why certain things were taboo, thinking that she could overcome those taboos if it were just her, or even both of them, was just naïve arrogance.
She was merely a fragile girl who couldn’t even handle her own wounds properly.
“Oh, is this your workshop?”
The one who pulled Seo Mun-yeon from her depths of despair was none other than Tang So-yeol.
He entered her workshop without a hint of hesitation. Seo Mun-yeon stared at him blankly.
“Is this the kind of stuff you use? The equipment is quite lacking compared to your skills.”
Tang So-yeol looked at the crooked stakes resembling something a three-year-old would make and the Faith Formation tools stacked in a corner without hesitation.
Without a moment’s thought, he tossed the stake into the furnace and pumped the bellows.
WHOOSH!!
Seo Mun-yeon’s eyes widened. Though she had always worked with that furnace, she had never imagined it could produce such heat.
In an instant, the stakes glowed crimson. Naturally taking the hammer in hand, Tang So-yeol placed one of the glowing stakes onto the anvil.
BANG! BANG!
In the blink of an eye, the stake regained its shape and was tossed into a water bucket to cool down.
SIZZLE!!
Seo Mun-yeon lightly touched the completed stake with her finger.
The stake pulsated as if it were alive, with rich veins coursing through it. Seeing how much better Tang So-yeol’s stake was compared to several she had made, she couldn’t help but admire it.
“…I expected someone from the Tang Clan would have good craftsmanship, but I didn’t think it would be this impressive.”
“Since I was born in the Tang Clan, I had to either master hidden weapons or poison well, or I had to be good with metal. It’s just that martial arts never appealed to me.”
Tang So-yeol replied casually while lighting a cigarette.
“I can make various tools for you, so how about giving me the Array Formation in exchange?”
“No way.”
Seo Mun-yeon’s firm rejection made Tang So-yeol smirk.
“I think I’m among the best craftsmen in the world and this is a pretty decent offer, so why so stubbornly refuse?”
“….”
Seo Mun-yeon sealed her lips, and Tang So-yeol just nodded at that.
“Alright. If you change your mind, feel free to tell me anytime.”
As Seo Mun-yeon watched Tang So-yeol leave her workshop, she touched the stake he made.
Was it her mistake?
She gazed through the gap of the door that Tang So-yeol closed casually, looking out at the yard. There was Ho Cheon-an, quietly listening to Hyeok Gi-rin’s chatter.
“Haaaa…”
If she could explain why she couldn’t pass on the Array Formation, would they just back off?
Seo Mun-yeon was already guessing the answer.
No way.
They would be more determined than ever to rush in thinking they could handle it.
Just like she and Jegal Yeong-myeong’s brother, Jegal Seong-chan once did.
There are countless events in the world that surpass imagination, and until one experiences them, it’s impossible to understand their gravity; still, they would believe they could succeed and charge forward.
With a heavy heart, Seo Mun-yeon started preparing dinner.
Seeing this, Hyeok Gi-rin stood up. She cast a lingering look at Ho Cheon-an.
While gazing at her, Seo Mun-yeon unknowingly spoke up.
“Is that person really that great?”
Hyeok Gi-rin’s face flushed red like a tomato in an instant. Watching Hyeok Gi-rin like that, Seo Mun-yeon’s irritation flared up again.
“Needing an Array Formation means you intend to hunt an Entity. Is it really necessary to risk dangerous Entity hunting for someone like him?”
“Ah, will you listen to me?”
Looking at Hyeok Gi-rin’s flushed face, Seo Mun-yeon felt a twinge of regret. She had kept a tight lid on the story behind Ho Cheon-an and his gang until now, but her heart wavered, revealing a vulnerability.
‘What the heck, let’s go for it.’
Seo Mun-yeon thought it might be for the best.
She couldn’t keep up this stalemate forever.
Above all, as her feelings grew for Hyeok Gi-rin, the current situation felt increasingly uncomfortable. It seemed like only Hyeok Gi-rin and the other girls were suffering while Ho Cheon-an just lazed around.
If anyone should be worried, it should be that reckless fool Ho Cheon-an, not everyone else.
“To respond to the Blood Sect, the Array Formation is absolutely essential.”
“…What?”
Though Hyeok Gi-rin hid Ho Cheon-an’s background and the bloodline’s envoy information, just mentioning the Moyong Clan brought forth gravitas that exceeded Seo Mun-yeon’s expectations.
Rumors about Brain Knife Outcast Ho Cheon-an had surfaced indicating he became powerful too quickly, and Seo Mun-yeon had heard those rumors too.
After meeting Ho Cheon-an, she believed his rapid advancements were due to the dedication of the other girls.
Two individuals born with stellar Qi, along with disciples of the Tang Clan and the Jeomchang Faction. And not to mention Hyeok Gi-rin, who possessed a charming yet profound Qi. With all these helping hands taking care of Ho Cheon-an, it was no surprise he was achieving results quickly.
So, Seo Mun-yeon had assumed the reason Ho Cheon-an’s group needed the Array Formation was to assist in his success through Entity hunting.
But that assumption was incorrect.
In the midst of all the rumors surrounding the Brain Knife Outcast, the part she needed to pay attention to was also wrong.
The rumors of the Shengsu Faction floated to her mind.
There were whispers that a member of the Moyong Clan became a monster due to the Blood Sect’s demonic arts.
When she heard those rumors, Seo Mun-yeon was shocked by the fact that the Blood Sect was stirring again, but that was all.
The fact that someone from the Moyong Clan had fallen into the Blood Sect’s demonic arts was shocking news, yet in the Martial World, incidents of individuals mastering demonic arts for power weren’t uncommon.
The notion that a person had transformed into a monster sounded like the typical exaggeration found in rumors.
While it’s rare for someone’s physique to change due to mastering demonic arts, it’s certainly plausible, and if an expert were to fall into demonic arts and run amok, they would be a significant threat.
But to think that this monster attempted to turn people into Entities.
And the reason for attempting to turn people into Entities was that the Blood Sect knew how to control Entities.
Seo Mun-yeon approached Ho Cheon-an with a grim expression.
“Is it true that you’re involved with the Blood Sect?”
“Yes.”
Upon Ho Cheon-an’s answer as he rose to his feet, Seo Mun-yeon’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Are you out of your mind? You plan to face the Blood Sect, which is at the peak of the Left Path?”
“…There are circumstances.”
“Sigh… Right. There must be circumstances. I’m sure you have circumstances that I’m unaware of, and you’ve given this careful thought, but I can’t make sense of it, even if I think a hundred times.”
Seo Mun-yeon let out a long sigh. Yes, there must be circumstances for making such an insane choice as facing the Blood Sect.
However, it was not something that could just be summed up with one word—circumstances.
“With just this number of people, in a situation where backgrounds differ entirely, you plan to form an Array Formation to confront the Blood Sect’s Entities? If you’re being targeted by the Blood Sect, you should have sought refuge in a large faction. There must be at least one Sect that wishes to take you under its wing. Why are you planning to confront them with these people? What about their safety?”
Even if the members of her party were commendable in caliber, taking them against the Blood Sect was akin to throwing eggs at a rock.
Not only the power of Entities but the Blood Sect, as a key player in the Left Path, possessed terrifying strength.
To think of dragging everyone into that situation was absurd.
Confronted with Seo Mun-yeon’s rightful fury, Ho Cheon-an found it hard to respond.
“…That’s…”
He had decided to stay with his group but knew very well the danger of confronting the Blood Sect.
Ho Cheon-an felt guilt for drawing his companions into this because of his circumstances, unable to refute Seo Mun-yeon’s words.
As Ho Cheon-an hesitated to answer, Yeo Il-ye, who was nearby, spoke up.
“We’re prepared.”
“…Prepared, huh?”
Seo Mun-yeon sighed as she examined Yeo Il-ye’s determined eyes. She too had once felt the same way. There was a time when she thought she could conquer any obstacle to be with a loved one.
Seo Mun-yeon looked at Hyeok Gi-rin. She was wearing a guilty expression due to the argument, but the resolve not to back down was evident in her gaze.
“Fine.”
Seo Mun-yeon nodded.
She had definitely kept her mouth shut and didn’t want to pass on the Array Formation. After all, there are times when ignorance is bliss, and some things can’t be fully grasped without experience; imagination and reality seldom align.
However.
‘If I keep silent like this, an even worse situation will arise.’
Without the Array Formation, the group would be left defenseless against the Blood Sect’s threat.
Seo Mun-yeon looked back at Hyeok Gi-rin and scanned her companions.
They were all too precious to be caught up in a nonsense like this.
Thus, she decided to change her mind and let them know the Array Formation.
She was disinclined to give them a hard time, but it was better than leaving them to their fates.
“From tomorrow, I will teach you the Array Formation that can integrate your unique Qi into a single entity.”
Seo Mun-yeon looked at the group and glared at Ho Cheon-an as she spoke.
“Don’t regret it.”
