C 386
Namgung Seol moved calmly.
Even in the midst of countless people, she had a breathtaking beauty that caught the eye.
Countless men were drawn to her beauty, but not a single one made it to her.
That's because they were all blocked by unidentified martial artists in the middle.
Snow Flower Swords
This was a group formed by the followers of Namgung Seol.
They were blindly devoted to her, captivated by her ideals and beauty. They were ready to jump into the hellfire if Namgung Seol commanded.
The Snow Flower Swords disguised themselves as ordinary people and accompanied her. It looked like she was moving alone, but they were actually deployed around Namgung Seol, blocking the approach of suspicious people or those with bad intentions.
"Ugh!"
"Ah!"
The groans of men subdued by the Snow Flower Swords echoed from various places.
Namgung Seol didn't even look at them and kept walking.
A man approached her.
He was an ordinary-looking man with sharp eyes, but he had an extraordinary spirit. He exuded a chilling aura that made one's blood run cold just by looking at him.
He was Ahn Ji-san, the leader of the Snow Flower Swords.
Ahn Ji-san was a master of swift swordsmanship, and he declared himself a passionate follower of Namgung Seol after falling in love with her.
Of all her followers, he was the strongest, so it was only natural that he would become the master of the Snow Flower Swords.
Ahn Ji-san asked Namgung Seol,
"Are you all right?"
"What do you mean?"
"You seem uncomfortable."
"That's right. I don't feel well."
"Did he disturb your mood?"
"What if it is?"
"Let me deal with it right away..."
"I'm sorry, but it's not someone Leader Ahn can handle."
For a moment, Ahn Ji-san's face hardened.
It was because his pride had been hurt.
Namgung Seol looked at Ahn Ji-san and gave him a cold smile.
"Why, do you think I'm lying?"
"No, I'm not."
"Believe me. He's the most dangerous person I've ever seen."
"That... much?"
"More than that. If you pick a fight with him for no reason, it could get worse. So don't contact him without my permission."
"Understood."
"Instead, check out the woman who was with him."
"You mean the woman named Hong Ye-seol?"
"That's right. I have a bad feeling about her."
"Understood. I will investigate."
"Thank you."
"Not at all. Just give us orders anytime. We are ready to give our lives for Namgung Seol."
Ahn Ji-san's expression as he looked at Namgung Seol was full of determination. Namgung Seol gave him a small smile.
That alone was enough for Ahn Ji-san.
He bowed to Namgung Seol and left.
Namgung Seol stared for a moment in the direction in which he had disappeared.
Ahn Ji-san was a capable man.
Not only was he strong in martial arts, but he was also good at gathering information, which made him useful in many ways.
That was the reason why Namgung Seol had him as a close aide.
Namgung Seol walked on.
Her destination was a small manor north of Poyang Lake.
It was said to be small, but it was as large as three or four large mansions put together.
Guards stood at the entrance to the manor.
When Namgung Seol appeared, they raised their hands to stop her.
"Stop."
Namgung Seol stopped obediently. Then a guard, who appeared to be the leader, approached her.
"This place is not open to everyone. Please identify yourself first."
"Namgung Seol."
"Namgung?"
"I am Nam Gung-Wol's elder sister. Tell him I am here."
"Are you really Nam Gung-Wol's sister?"
"I have no reason to lie. When Wol comes out, the truth will be clear. Just let him know."
"Ah, understood."
The guard, overwhelmed by Namgung Seol's presence, hurried inside.
A short time later, the guard reappeared with Nam Gung-Wol.
"Sister!"
Nam Gung-Wol looked at Namgung Seol with a confused expression.
He had never expected Namgung Seol to come here.
"It's been a long time."
"How did you find this place?"
"Are you going to leave me outside?"
"No, let's go inside."
Nam Gung-Wol led Namgung Seol inside.
As soon as they entered the manor, Namgung Seol scanned the interior with her sharp eyes.
Numerous martial artists were visible.
Most were young and inexperienced.
They were full of passion, but still clumsy at everything.
This was the main base of the Silver Lotus Hall.
Even though they had united under the name of Silver Lotus Hall, most of the martial artists were still not used to this kind of organised life. That's why many things were disorganised and incoherent.
However, to Namgung Seol's eyes, it was all a treasure trove.
A collection of precious stones that, while still raw, could be polished to a brilliant shine.
Nam Gung-Wol's gaze deepened as she looked around the the manor.
Nam Gung-Wol, unaware of such facts, led Namgung Seol into his residence.
"Sit down, I only have tea for you, is it okay?"
"It's fine! I didn't come here for food."
Namgung Seol sat down and replied.
Nam Gung-Wol personally put water on the stove and prepared the tea.
Namgung Seol watched the whole scene without moving her eyes.
Finally, when the tea was ready, she opened her mouth.
"You've gotten used to it."
"What?"
"I remember. Before you couldn't even make tea properly with your own hands."
"Really?"
"Indeed, people only grow when they play in big waters."
"Just to make tea..."
"I'm not talking about tea."
"Ah... you mean the Silver Lotus Hall."
"Right! I never dreamed that you would create an organisation like the Silver Lotus Hall."
"I didn't create it."
"But you led it. That's what's important."
"Hoo!"
Nam Gung-Wol sighed as he sat down after brewing the tea. Then he looked directly at Namgung Seol.
"You didn't come here just to see my face."
"I've seen your face countless times, it's nothing new."
"True! You're not the type to come without a reason."
"If people like us move around for no reason, it's a waste of time."
The atmosphere grew cold with Namgung Seol's reply, and Nam Gung-Wol's expression hardened.
She had been an outsider since childhood.
She never interfered in the internal affairs of the Thousand Kingdom School and built her own world.
People called her unusual, but Nam Gung-Wol understood her.
She knew that there were no opportunities for her within the Thousand Kingdom School.
Her older brother and leader, Namgung Jin, was as power-hungry as her father. He would not allow his brothers to be the least bit greedy for his power.
Namgung Seol had known this since she was young, and had given up trying to achieve anything within the Thousand Kingdom School.
Since then, she has always wandered outside.
From then on, she was always on the outside, but she never gave up what she could get from the inside.
She took care of everything she was allowed to do in the Thousand Kingdom School, such as martial arts, mental techniques, and spiritual medicine. Otherwise, she lived outside.
There were very few people who knew what she did and how she lived.
Namgung Yugyeom, her father, and Namgung Jin might have known. No, they must have. They just didn't share the information with Nam Gung-Wol.
They were very careful people. And Namgung Seol was very much like them.
That's why Nam Gung-Wol couldn't relax even after seeing Namgung Seol for the first time.
"So, what brought you to my brother's place?"
"Silver Lotus Hall, you said? The gathering you are leading..."
"What about it?"
"Do you have any plans to hand over the Silver Lotus Hall?"
"What are you talking about, sister!"
"There's no need to raise your voice like that. I'm making you an offer, it's up to you to accept it or not."
Nam Gung-Wol felt his blood run cold at Namgung Seol's cold words.
It didn't seem like a conversation between siblings.
"So who do you want me to hand it over to, my sister or someone else?"
"You don't need to know that. You just need to make a decision."
"You really have your own way, sister. Even street vendors don't trade so ruthlessly.
Trading is based on the premise of showing each other's cards."
"That's generally the case."
"So you're saying this isn't a general case?"
"The fact that I intervened is not a general case."
"Whoa! You're still doing things your way."
"Take the emotion out of the equation, because you're the one who's going to lose if you bring unnecessary emotion into the deal."
"I refuse."
"I told you to leave emotions out of it."
"I did my best to leave them out."
Nam Gung-Wol replied sulkily. Namgung Seol glared at him.
The staring contest between the siblings continued for a long time.
Both were strong-willed and not easily bent by others, and there was no reason for them to lose first, even to their blood relatives.
Namgung Seol stood up and said,
"Alright! Let's talk again next time."
"But I have already answered."
"You're not even the leader of the Silver Lotus Hall, are you?"
"Then why did you bother to ask?"
"I need to know your opinion in order to deal with it effectively."
"Who are you so eager to work under?"
"Who the hell are you so desperate to work for?"
"Or are you trying to manipulate someone?"
"Whoa! That's a bit harsh."
"It's not harsh at all. You suddenly showing up is what's harsh."
Despite Nam Gung-Wol's words, Namgung Seol's expression didn't change at all.
"Think about it carefully anyway."
"No matter how much time passes, my decision won't change. The same goes for the leader and other people."
"We'll see about that. I'm leaving. I'll be staying in a nearby inn, so if you change your mind, you can always come back."
Namgung Seol said what she had to say and left.
He was left speechless by her unyielding behaviour.
"Who is she? The one who moved that witch......."
***
When Pyo Wol opened his eyes, Hong Ye-seol was gone.
As usual, they had explored each other passionately. After such a lavish night, she would leave as if nothing had happened.
Hong Ye-seol craved Pyo Wol like crazy, and Pyo Wol responded to her wishes faithfully.
She was more passionate than usual.
Pyo Wol knew what it meant.
"The day of execution is not far away.
Pyo Wol got up from the bed and dressed.
He had an idea where Hong Ye-seol might be.
She was probably at the workshop he had visited. If he went there now, he might be able to see her. But Pyo Wol didn't.
They were both adults.
And they both had their own clearly defined territories.
Their lives were precarious in the eyes of others, but they were living on their own terms.
He couldn't interfere if she hadn't asked for help.
To intervene any further would be an insult to her life.
Pyo Wol pushed aside his concerns for Hong Ye-seol.
Right now, he didn't have enough time to think about his next move.
He took out the ghost blade and laid it on the ground.
When his mind was troubled, his favourite thing to do was to polish his weapons.
Since his successes with the Soul Reaping Threads and Threaded Serpent Qi had increased by leaps and bounds, he hadn't needed to use it much lately. But that didn't change the fact that it was still a good offensive weapon.
Pyo Wol began to carefully wipe the ghost blade with a dry cloth.