[There is little known about Shinuie. He’s far too elusive.

But there are rumors that he is an acquaintance of the Ten Thousand Mile Wanderer. Though, the Wanderer himself is just as elusive....

I apologize for being unable to assist further.

I will send another letter if I uncover any new information.]

Fwoosh—the flames devoured the Hao Gate Leader’s letter.

Tap, tap. Seolhwa lightly drummed her fingers on the table, lost in thought for a moment, before pulling a palm-sized box from the drawer.

When she opened it, the fragments of jade tokens she had found in the Ten Thousand Mile Wanderer’s secret cave clinked softly.

Seolhwa picked up the fragments, one in each hand, and fit them together.

The pieces clicked into place perfectly.

It must have originally been a round jade token divided into three parts—one side still missing, leaving an empty gap.

“The Ten Thousand Mile Wanderer, huh...”

These two jade fragments were the only clues she had regarding the Wanderer.

No, there was one more.

The short inscriptions that had accompanied the fragments:

[I have obtained the first fragment of the world.]

[I have obtained the second fragment of the world.]

Meaning the final one would be—the third fragment of the world.

“Would it be faster to find the Wanderer... or to find Shinuie?”

But was either of those even possible?

At the very least, finding Shinuie seemed impossible.

Even the Blood Demon Cult, with the might of the Hao Gate under their control in her previous life, had never managed to track him down.

The Ten Thousand Mile Wanderer...

Seolhwa stared at the perfectly aligned fragments for a while, then grabbed a cord and threaded it through the holes in the pieces.

Who knew when she might return to the Wanderer’s secret cave? She decided to keep the fragments around her neck.

She was tucking them beneath her clothes, making sure they stayed hidden, when—

“Young Miss, it’s time to head out!” 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Yeoyul’s voice called from outside.

Seolhwa packed her belongings and stepped outside.

Today was the day of departure for the gathering.

The fourth gathering was to be held at the Zhuge Clan estate in Hubei Province.

Namgoong Cheongun was already waiting for her.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go. Grandfather is waiting.”

The clan gathering was a major event where all direct descendants of the great families attended.

From Namgoong Mucheon, the Clan Head, to Namgoong Cheongun, along with Cheonghae, Cheongsan, and their families.

With all the direct lines moving together, the sheer number of people, luggage, and attendants was overwhelming.

In the meantime, the main estate would be guarded by Namgoong Mugang, Master of the Martial Arts Hall and Namgoong Mucheon’s younger brother.

“Travel safely! Don’t worry about the main estate!”

Namgoong Mugang, Seop Mugwang, the division commanders, and elders all came out to see them off.

Choryeon, now back as Head of the Medical Hall, was traveling with the direct family members.

With assassins still targeting her, the safest place for her was beside Namgoong Mucheon.

“Sister, look! If you press here like this...”

Hwarin was eagerly showing off a mechanical device she had made, having insisted on boarding Seolhwa’s carriage to demonstrate it.

That much was expected from Hwarin.

But—

“Hwarin, don’t mess with that inside the carriage. You don’t know where the poison darts might fly.”

“There’s no poison on them.”

“So the darts are loaded?”

Why was Ung in her carriage too?

The Fat Imugi was off with Yeoyul.

It seemed Yeoyul had won the Imugi over with endless treats and affection.

In that case...

Seolhwa tilted her head slightly.

“Where’s Father?”

“Oh, Uncle is in our carriage, Big Sister. He said he wanted to talk with Father.”

Hwarin mumbled as she fiddled with her contraption.

“Our dad’s not with us?”

“Uncle Cheongsan’s riding with us too.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Aunt kicked him out. Said he was annoying.”

“Ah.”

Hwarin nodded knowingly, as if that explained everything.

After returning to the Namgoong Clan, Seolhwa had learned something surprising—the person most different from her past life memories was without question Namgoong Cheongsan.

In her previous life, as the successor to Namgoong Mucheon, he had carried a weight about him.

He was hot-tempered, yes, but the position of Namgoong Clan’s head had given him authority, and he had been a respected martial figure.

But now—

“Bwahaha! Brother, why are you mad over this? I’ll just make another one!”

“Silence. Do you even understand the mechanics of that device...?”

“Haha, stop fighting. What will the kids think if they hear you?”

Loud voices carried from Namgoong Cheonghae’s carriage at just the right moment.

“Seriously, Brother, what’s more important? That machine, or your beloved little brother? Come on, you like me better, don’t you?”

“The device.”

Thinking back on it, Namgoong Cheongsan wasn’t suited to be Clan Head.

He wasn’t someone who should lead or command others—he was someone who should support from behind.

How hard must it have been for someone like him to struggle alone, trying to hold together a crumbling family?

Perhaps it was only possible because he had a wife who believed in him.

“You understand, right, Sisteri?”

“Hm?”

Lost in thought, Seolhwa turned back toward Ung and Hwarin.

The two were staring at her.

“Sorry, I wasn’t listening. What did you say?”

“At the gathering banquet, you have to stay with us.”

“Why?”

“Not all heirs of prestigious families have good character. Some idiots ride on their family’s name like it’s their own strength. Best to avoid them.”

“And it’s your first gathering, Sister. You should stick with us—”

“There are people who don’t like me.”

Ung and Hwarin’s faces showed their discomfort.

They were still young and unable to hide their emotions.

Seolhwa let out a soft laugh.

Having spent years surviving the backstabbing Blood Demon Cult, she could read this much easily.

“What’s the reason?”

“It’s not that, Sister...”

“They heard you spent your childhood in a brothel district.”

Hwarin flinched, smacking Ung’s arm, but Ung didn’t back down.

“Big Sister, you need to know. Who knows how they’ll act when they see you? Better to be prepared, Hwarin.”

“I know, but... if we block them from approaching her, it’ll be fine!”

“It’s alright.”

Seolhwa nodded at Ung.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“It’s only natural.”

“And you two don’t need to worry about me. Handle your own business.”

“But...”

“I’ll be fine.”

Seolhwa patted Hwarin’s sulking head gently.

She knew they’d still worry, but truthfully, she didn’t care.

The heirs from other clans would be about her age anyway.

A bit of childish jealousy wasn’t even worth considering.

Should be interesting.

With a light heart, Seolhwa gazed out the window at the passing forest.

****

Xiangyang, Hubei Province.

The streets leading to the Zhuge Clan’s estate were overflowing with flowers, welcoming the prestigious families arriving for the gathering.

The people of Xiangyang lined the streets, waving flowers and watching the noble procession.

“Are all those people from the Namgoong Clan? That’s a huge group...”

“That’s the Sword Emperor, right? You can feel his presence even from here.”

“Who’s that handsome young man?”

“That’s Young Master Namgoong Cheongun, next to him is Young Master Cheonghae. I heard the third son’s the biggest of them all.”

“They’re all ridiculously good-looking...”

At the Zhuge Clan estate, Clan Head Zhuge Semun stood waiting for them.

“Welcome, Elder Sword Emperor. It must have been a long journey.”

“Thank you for the warm welcome. How have you been?”

“Fortunately, no major troubles. My father has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

“How is Cheongsong?”

“He’s improved greatly, thanks to the herbs your clan provided. We are truly grateful.”

Namgoong Mucheon and Zhuge Semun exchanged greetings, then Mucheon followed him to meet the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan.

The Zhuge Clan steward remained to guide the others to their accommodations.

“Have any other families arrived yet?”

At Namgoong Cheongun’s question, the steward replied:

“The Tang Family from Sichuan arrived two days ago. The Murong Family arrived this morning, around the hour of the Snake (9 to 11 AM), and are currently resting.”

“The Tang Family is always so diligent.”

The official meeting wasn’t until the following day, yet as usual, the Tang Family had arrived early.

“This way, please.”

The guest residence prepared for the Namgoong Clan was enormous.

Lowering his voice, the steward whispered:

“Our Clan Head ordered that the Namgoong Clan be assigned the finest guest residence.”

He chuckled softly.

“Our Clan Head is truly grateful for the Grand Elder’s recovery.”

“Thank you for the hospitality.”

“Please rest well. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call.”

With that, the steward departed.

The Namgoong Clan members unpacked and settled into their quarters.

The banquet wasn’t until the next evening, giving them plenty of time to rest.

Seolhwa immediately grabbed her sword.

Startled, Yeoyul asked:

“You’re going to train, Young Miss? You’re not going to rest?”

“My body’s stiff from sitting in the carriage. I’ll rest while I train.”

“...Excuse me?”

Rest while training? What did that even mean?

“Since we’re here, maybe you could explore the streets a bit—”

“Not really curious.”

She’d visited Xiangyang several times in her past life.

All that awaited her out there were unwanted memories.

“Still—”

“I’m heading out.”

But just as Seolhwa reached the door—

“Big Sister! Let’s go outside together!”

A bright, innocent voice caught her ankle like a snare.