In fact, it was not strange for men to talk in the same room.

However.

'The problem is that one of them is a cross-dressing woman.'

In fact, even that might not be a problem.

But.

'A strange current is flowing, so no matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like a normal situation, does it?'

Baek Yoonjun was intrigued.

Although he was startled in situations where he himself was in trouble,

it was a splendid homebody introvert-like move to be able to enjoy watching a situation where others seemed to be in trouble.

"What were you doing?"

"Th-that's... th-the junior brother was sticking to the senior sister without any hesitation, so I was giving a warning..."

At Hong Yungae's stammering excuse, Baek Yoonjun roughly grasped the situation.

'Hwaryeong was sticking to Yuhwa earlier, so was Yungae giving a warning after seeing that?'

A thought that seemed to fit roughly.

"Can't senior and junior brothers and sisters stick together a little!"

Seeing Zhuge Hwaryeong shouting at Hong Yungae's words, Baek Yoonjun became confident in his thoughts.

"Ahem! Men and women are different!"

"Senior brother is a prude!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It's what young people call an old man who is trapped in a mold like you, senior brother!"

"What? O-old man?!"

Baek Yoonjun smiled with satisfaction and stealthily closed the door.

Receiving a premonition that something would explode in the near future, he decided never to miss that moment.

And as for the original purpose of his visit.

'Let's ask later.'

He decided to find out later.

Although it was an urgent matter in Baek Yoonjun's own way, it was not a priority enough to interfere with a super fun situation.

'What could Yuhwa be doing?'

Curious about the whereabouts of Tang Yuhwa, who had contributed to this situation, Baek Yoonjun immediately moved.

Unfortunately, Tang Yuhwa was absent.

'Where did she go?'

Baek Yoonjun, who was looking for Tang Yuhwa's whereabouts while avoiding people as much as possible.

"Brother Baek, who are you looking for?"

He encountered Zhang Sanfeng.

Since his mind was focused on the purpose of finding Tang Yuhwa, Baek Yoonjun quickly asked about her whereabouts.

"Have you seen Yuhwa by any chance?"

"If you mean Brother Baek's disciple, she went out with Leader Gu."

"Leader Gu?"

"I mean the leader of the Cheongseong Sect, Gu Wolju."

"Ah?"

Baek Yoonjun was flustered by the unexpected combination.

'Was there a connection?'

He had seen her face when Tang Yuhwa was staying at Baek Yoonjun's residence in the mountains.

But they didn't seem to be that close.

'Should I look for them?'

Feeling intrigued by the combination of the two, Baek Yoonjun decided to look for them.

"Brother Zhang. Thank you for letting me know."

"Since it hasn't been long since they left, you might be able to run into them if you're lucky."

Baek Yoonjun, who was moving quickly.

'By the way, if I want to find them, I have to go outside, don't I?'

He fell into a big problem.

It was a big problem that he had to go out when it was hard to even move inside the inn.

'Should I just not go out?'

Although Baek Yoonjun's thoughts leaned towards the side that was comfortable for him.

'No matter how I look at it, it's a combination that doesn't fit, so what on earth are they doing?'

His interest continued to creep up.

'Is there a romantic feeling between them... well, the age difference is a bit big.'

Although he didn't know Gu Wolju's detailed age, at a rough glance, he was old enough to be Tang Yuhwa's father.

'Wait!'

At that time, a very ominous thought came to Baek Yoonjun's mind.

'By the way, Yuhwa talked a lot about her father, didn't she? To the point of disliking martial arts because of her father's influence!'

The thought that he had said was not the case earlier was instantly overturned in his head.

'No matter what, that's not okay!! Yuhwa!'

Baek Yoonjun couldn't even think about what was not okay.

At the ominous imagination, Baek Yoonjun's movements became unhesitating.

He timidly approached a waiter and gave him a silver coin, asking him to run an errand for a bamboo hat.

Then, as soon as he received the bamboo hat, he put it on and timidly moved his feet out of the inn.

Although it was unhesitating, since it was Baek Yoonjun's standard, from the side, it was a movement that was timid to no end.

To avoid contact with people, Baek Yoonjun took a step that was close to divine and carefully moved forward.

And at the same time, he unconsciously headed for a place with no people.

And so, to the ears of Baek Yoonjun, who was moving forward.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of hammering iron was heard.

Unconsciously turning his head, Baek Yoonjun witnessed a sight he had never imagined.

"Disciple. You are doing well."

Next to Tang Yuhwa, Gu Wolju was giving advice like a sports instructor, guiding the ironwork.

Clang! Clang!

Tang Yuhwa was hammering the iron in time with that advice.

Baek Yoonjun unconsciously hid his body nearby and watched the scene.

'Unexpected.'

The sight of Tang Yuhwa performing blacksmithing came as a surprise to Baek Yoonjun.

It was even more so because her physique was small and her motor skills were almost non-existent.

"It's a good thing you learned martial arts. Otherwise, you wouldn't have had enough strength to hammer the iron properly."

Of course, now, since she had learned martial arts as per Gu Wolju's advice, she did not lack strength.

"Phew."

Tang Yuhwa continued to hammer the iron in time with Gu Wolju's advice.

"Now!"

"Yes."

She dipped the iron she had been hammering for a long time into the water in time with Gu Wolju's advice.

'Hmm, but what are they making?'

Since he had learned the Heavenly Records, which contained all sorts of miscellaneous skills, Baek Yoonjun had a considerable knowledge of blacksmithing.

Even from Baek Yoonjun's perspective, he could not predict at all what Tang Yuhwa was making now.

"Umm. It's difficult."

"Let me help you."

Tang Yuhwa and Gu Wolju began to combine what they had just made with what they had made in advance.

Seeing that, Baek Yoonjun.

'Aren't they a little too close? Yuhwa, do you really like someone your father's age?'

He began to dig in his mind-image.

Images of Tang Yuhwa laughing and playing with Gu Wolju, who was her father's age, passed through his head.

That image continued, turned into a sticky burn, and eventually led to a wedding scene.

'I oppose this marriage!!'

Baek Yoonjun intruded on the picture in his mind-image and made a mess.

Of course, since he didn't have the courage to make a mess in reality, he had only imagined it.

And so, as Baek Yoonjun was recalling all sorts of gloomy thoughts in his head.

"It's done. You've worked hard, disciple. I was flustered when you suddenly asked me to teach you blacksmithing, but seeing you do it, you have outstanding talent."

"You've worked hard."

It seemed the work was finished.

Whether that was the case or not, Baek Yoonjun was immersed in all sorts of gloomy imaginations, shedding tears of blood in his mind-image.

'I didn't see Elder Blacksmith that way!! Reaching out to a girl who is his daughter's age?! I'll spread rumors all over the village below!!'

Since he was an acquaintance and not a villain, Baek Yoonjun could not even imagine cutting him down.

And so, as Baek Yoonjun was digging in his mind-image, Tang Yuhwa, holding the finished product, approached Baek Yoonjun.

Baek Yoonjun flinched and was about to leave the place, but.

"Master."

Since Tang Yuhwa was approaching, recognizing him accurately, he was flustered and froze on the spot.

"Master, this."

Tang Yuhwa held out the finished product to Baek Yoonjun.

"Are you giving it to me?"

"Yes."

Baek Yoonjun carefully received the item that Tang Yuhwa held out.

Then he carefully examined it.

A cylindrical object.

Its purpose was not easily predicted just by looking at it.

"What is this?"

"A needle case."

"A needle case? It's certainly round, but isn't it a little big?"

"I'll teach you how to use it."

Tang Yuhwa took the needle case from Baek Yoonjun, turned the top part to open it, and then filled it with needles.

"You fill it with needles like this."

And so, Tang Yuhwa, who had filled it with needles, fixed the needle case to her wrist with a strap and then held it out towards the wall.

"And if you do this."

Then she pulled the strap attached to the needle case.

Pssh.

With a very small sound, a needle was fired from a small hole in the needle case and then stuck into the targeted wall.

"A needle comes out."

Only then did Baek Yoonjun realize what Tang Yuhwa had made.

An item that not only stored needles but could also fire them.

'Isn't this a hidden weapon?'

No matter how he looked at it, it was an item that looked like a hidden weapon.

Baek Yoonjun was puzzled.

He couldn't predict at all why Tang Yuhwa, of all people, had made a hidden weapon.

'Is there a change of heart?'

Although it was a welcome change for Baek Yoonjun, the sense of incongruity was too great to accept it as it was.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who had been imagining all sorts of things in his head.

"Isn't this a hidden weapon?"

In the end, he decided to ask directly.

Although it was a big decision for Baek Yoonjun to ask a question, even if it was a close acquaintance.

"A hidden weapon?"

At Baek Yoonjun's question, Tang Yuhwa tilted her head.

It was a look as if she had heard something she had never expected.

Baek Yoonjun was puzzled.

At Tang Yuhwa's appearance, which seemed very displeased, his head spun.

'She says it's not a hidden weapon? No matter how I look at it, it only looks like a hidden weapon that you hide in your sleeve and then stab with.'

No matter how he looked at it, it only looked like a hidden weapon.

'Since it only looks like a hidden weapon no matter how I look at it, let's try to look at it more broadly for now.'

In the end, Baek Yoonjun decided to go back to the fundamental problem.

'Given Yuhwa's tendency, the possibility of her making a hidden weapon with her own hands is low. Then the possibility of it not being a hidden weapon is high?'

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who had rethought from the fundamentals.

'Could it be?!'

He was able to see the item, which only looked like a hidden weapon no matter how he looked at it, from a new perspective.

"Is this a tool for placing needles?"

"That's right."

Seeing Tang Yuhwa's definitive answer, it seemed the answer Baek Yoonjun had come to was correct.

But Baek Yoonjun, who had said the answer, was dumbfounded and could not continue to speak.

'No, no matter how I look at it, it's a hidden weapon.'

Whether Baek Yoonjun thought so or not, Tang Yuhwa continued to speak.

"Acupuncture has a large individual difference. But if you use a device, anyone can place needles like a skilled doctor."

Her speech was longer than usual, and since it was imbued with vitality, it seemed she was quite confident.

"Of course, there are still problems like miniaturization or accuracy control. Still, I've confirmed that there is a possibility with this."

Seeing Tang Yuhwa's lively gaze, Baek Yoonjun could not bring himself to say, 'No matter how I look at it, it's a hidden weapon.'

"This is the starting product. Although there are still unstable parts, I think Master can use it usefully. I hope you'll accept it."

Tang Yuhwa untied the needle case wrapped around her wrist and held it out to Baek Yoonjun.

Baek Yoonjun quietly accepted the needle case.

Although it was definitely a hidden weapon no matter how he looked at it.

'Brat.'

Although it didn't show on the outside, Baek Yoonjun was quite moved.

Although he had raised several disciples so far, this was the first time he had received a gift so directly.

"Right. What is the name of this?"

"It's the Heavenly Medicine Needle Case."

Although Baek Yoonjun thought the name Heavenly King Needle Case would be more fitting, he did not say it out loud.

"Thank you. I will use it well."

"Ah, Master. There's more to explain about the functions of the Heavenly Medicine Needle Case."

Tang Yuhwa grabbed Baek Yoonjun's wrist, who was giving his thanks, and began to explain the features of the Heavenly Medicine Needle Case.

"The Heavenly Medicine Needle Case can classify needles coated with various medicines and use them immediately when needed."

'So that means you can use the necessary poison at that time, doesn't it?'

"If you use the multiple launch function, you can place needles in several places at the same time. Even an unskilled doctor can do one person's share with this."

'...That means you can send several guys to the other world at once, doesn't it?'

From Baek Yoonjun's perspective, no matter how he looked at it, it was a murderous hidden weapon that only an assassin would use, but he did not say his thoughts out loud.

Just.

"Thank you."

He simply said a word of thanks.

In fact, Baek Yoonjun was very grateful.

Although it was a hidden weapon no matter how he looked at it, it was true that it was a useful item, and he was grateful for the gift itself.

"If I make a more improved one, I will give that to you too."

"Thank you."

Although the thought 'How much more of a heinous item are you going to make here?' came to Baek Yoonjun's mind, he did not say it out loud.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who had received the gift.

'But did Yuhwa come here to prepare my gift?'

The event from before came to his mind.

'I was having a ridiculous thought, wasn't I?'

And so, as his thoughts reached the past, he became very ashamed of himself.

'While Yuhwa was struggling and sweating to make my gift, a guy like me was having a ridiculous misunderstanding!'

Baek Yoonjun's mind-image digging began again.

Becoming very ashamed, Baek Yoonjun wanted to leave this place immediately.

Fortunately, there was a suitable excuse.

"I want to test the Heavenly Medicine Needle Case right away. Then, I'll see you at the lodging later."

"Okay."

Baek Yoonjun quickly left the place.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who had parted with Tang Yuhwa and entered the street.

"Die!"

"You die!!"

He saw a sight that gave him a strangely familiar sense of incongruity.

(End of Chapter)