“If you’re all here already, the meal’s still a ways off—”

Yugang, stepping lightly into the hermitage, stopped in his tracks.

The robe he was holding slipped from his hands with a soft thud.

Yu Pyo was just as startled.

It had been four years, and though Yugang’s appearance had changed greatly, there was no way Yu Pyo wouldn’t recognize the person he had been closest to.

“Sa—”

Yugang, about to call Yu Pyo Sahyung, caught himself and trailed off.

He was no longer a disciple of Mount Hua, no longer Yu Pyo’s junior in the sect.

So what should he call him now?

Lowering his gaze in brief thought, he clasped his fists respectfully and spoke.

“I greet the Shadow of the Plum Blossom Sword. It’s been a long time.”

Shadow of the Plum Blossom Sword was Yu Pyo’s courtesy name.

Though it was a polite greeting that kept a certain distance, Yu Pyo’s expression fell flat.

After asking the two elders’ leave, Yu Pyo strode toward Yugang, tak, tak, tak.

Gwangcheon watched with a faint smile, while Guyangdo’s eyes gleamed with interest.

Yu Pyo, stopping before Yugang, raised his clenched fist in one swift motion.

Yugang lowered his gaze.

Of course Yu Pyo would be disappointed in him.

When he’d decided to leave Mount Hua, Yu Pyo had been the one who tried most stubbornly to stop him.

Several times a day, he would tell him that none of their brothers or the elders of Mount Hua wanted him to leave.

That the disgrace of the Old Gate was not his responsibility.

“....”

Yugang closed his eyes.

And yet—what had he done?

Afraid Yu Pyo might hold him back, he hadn’t even said a proper goodbye, fleeing from Mount Hua as if running away.

So it was only natural if he was angry—

Tap.

“...?”

“It’s been a while, Yugang.”

Yugang opened his eyes and looked at Yu Pyo.

The fist he had expected to strike him was resting against his forearm.

“Have you been well? Hah, you’ve gotten sharper-looking since leaving Mount Hua.”

“...Yu Pyo Dojang...”

“What’s this ‘Dojang’? That sounds so cold. Call me hyung.”

Yu Pyo chuckled and ruffled Yugang’s hair.

Yugang’s dazed expression wobbled as his head was shaken.

“Hyung...?”

“That’s right! I like it! Hahaha!”

Yu Pyo burst out laughing, then patted Yugang’s shoulder with a bittersweet smile.

“I’ve missed you. I wondered how you were doing. I worried about you a lot.”

“...I’m... sorry. For leaving without even a proper farewell.”

“Seeing you healthy like this is enough.”

Watching their reunion, Seolhwa let out a short breath without realizing it.

Given Yu Pyo’s temperament, she had worried it might turn into a fight, but fortunately, there seemed to be no resentment or bitterness between them.

After their brief meeting, Seolhwa prepared to descend the mountain with Yu Pyo.

“Thank you for everything. The next time we meet, things will be different.”

Guyangdo crossed his arms and let out a short laugh.

“That’s quite the promise. Can you keep it?”

“Yes. I’m confident.”

A satisfied smile spread across Guyangdo’s face.

“The Sword Emperor has one fine granddaughter.”

Seolhwa then turned to bid farewell to Gwangcheon.

“I’ll give the Abbot your regards. I’ll tell him you’ve ended your vow of silence as well.”

Gwangcheon shook his head.

“No. I’ve only spoken; I still have no intention of leaving here. It would only cause needless confusion. Simply tell him I’m in good health.”

“Yes, Master. I will.”

The last farewell was with Yugang.

For some reason, the smile that had come naturally when she spoke with the two elders didn’t quite rise when she stood before him.

Looking at Yugang, whose regret was plain to see, she asked as if she couldn’t help herself:

“You’re really going ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) to stay here? The elders say they’ll be away for a while. Will you be all right alone?”

Yugang lowered his brows and nodded.

“I have to wait for Master. If I’m not here when they come back, they’ll starve.”

That... was a fair point.

In her time here, she’d learned that Yugang’s cooking was truly good.

“I’ve also got homework to finish.”

While Seolhwa had been training under the two elders, Yugang had also received their instruction.

Inspired by her tireless efforts, Yugang had knelt before them, begging to be trained hard as well.

She didn’t know exactly what kind of training he was undergoing, but she knew it was just as grueling as her own.

Yugang was growing at a pace even she found surprising.

“Can I send you a letter?”

“Yeah.”

“Just a moment.”

Yugang suddenly tilted his head back and whistled sharply into the sky.

Soon there was the sound of beating wings, and a hawk with a wingspan of at least a ban-jang (about 1.5 meters) swooped down, circling over their heads.

Wrapping his robe around his arm, Yugang held it out, and the hawk landed on it.

“Pretty, isn’t she? Her name’s Seolmae—Snow Plum. I trained her myself.”

Seolmae was a striking hawk with long lashes and sleek plumage.

After a brief, “Just a sec,” Yugang brought Seolmae closer to Seolhwa.

“Seolmae, this is Seolhwa. Namgoong Seolhwa. Remember her well—you’ll be going back and forth a lot from now on.”

Tilting her head as if to study her, Seolmae suddenly brushed her head against Seolhwa’s cheek.

“Ahaha, she must like you, Seolhwa.”

Seolhwa leaned back slightly to look at the hawk.

The small black eyes were fixed intently on her.

— What’s with getting chummy without my permission? If you’re going to cling to my human, you’ll have to get my approval first!

Ignoring the Imugi’s jealous intrusion, Seolhwa gently stroked Seolmae’s head.

The hawk’s black eyes slid shut, clearly pleased.

“Uh...”

It was Yugang, rather, who seemed flustered.

The Imugi, for some reason, was raising a ruckus.

Listening to Yugang mutter, She’s not usually like this..., Seolhwa burst out laughing.

****

Rustle.

Shin — “trust.”

Beopgong stared at the single character written in Gwangcheon’s reply for a long while, then looked at Seolhwa, who sat with perfect posture across from him.

The meaning of this reply was clear.

Trust. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Not “She carries no trace of the Energy of Blood,” nor “There is nothing suspicious”—just trust.

It was a response carrying even greater trust than telling him not to doubt her anymore.

Rustle.

Beopgong folded the letter neatly and set it on the table.

After a sip of warm tea, he spoke calmly.

“Have you heard his courtesy name?”

Seolhwa shook her head.

“I have not.”

“They called him the Merciless Overlord Buddha.”

Seolhwa was a little surprised.

A title meaning without mercy and without restraint hardly suited the Gwangcheon she had met.

She had expected something calmer, gentler.

“I can understand that reaction. He’s far from merciless or rough now.”

“Yes. I was a little surprised.”

“But everyone who knew him in his youth said the same.”

That he wasn’t like a monk at all—

That his strikes carried no mercy, his nature far from the Buddha’s compassion.

Even as a master teaching disciples, he was known in Shaolin as the strictest and most fearsome teacher.

Of all the disciples he’d taken, only two had stayed to the end.

What changed him was when one of those two broke the precepts and disrobed.

“My master is not one to trust people easily.”

Even with Beopgong, his other disciple, he had always kept an unbreachable wall in place.

“To have gained his trust... honestly, I’m envious.”

The full trust of a master who had closed his heart—

He was burning to ask what had happened in those fifteen days, but Beopgong didn’t ask.

He chose to follow his master’s will: to simply trust.

“Is it your wish for Shaolin to join in the Namgoong Clan’s cause?”

Seolhwa’s eyes widened slightly.

At last, they could speak without suspicion between them.

Silently thanking Gwangcheon, she brought up what she had long wanted to ask.

“I want to know why Shaolin gave Mount Hua the Great Restoration Pill four years ago.”

“That’s... difficult. It’s a matter tied to the fate of the main temple.”

“!”

Something that could affect the fate of Shaolin—

So it really is the Jade Buddha’s Palm.

“If I said I already know to some extent, would you tell me?”

“If you already know, there’s no reason to hide it.”

“Isn’t it that you’re searching for a lost item? And that you gave the Great Restoration Pill in return for receiving it?”

Beopgong fell silent.

That silence spoke volumes.

Seolhwa could feel her guess coming closer to the mark.

An artifact on the level of the Jade Buddha’s Palm was more than enough reason to give the pill.

“I’ll help you find it.”

It was impossible to retrieve it right away—

The Jade Buddha’s Palm was surely already in the hands of the Blood Demon.

But if possible, Seolhwa wanted to be involved in this matter.

I’d planned to offer to recover the item in exchange for support in forming the Martial Alliance...

But Beopgong had already expressed willingness to support Namgoong Mucheon’s plan.

The alliance’s formation was likely to proceed without major obstacles.

However—

I have to prevent Shaolin’s strength from being lost ahead of time.

Since Shaolin would be part of the alliance, she could not stand by and let its strength fall into the hands of the Blood Demon Cult.

“If you share what you know with me, I’ll tell you everything I know in return.”

“I appreciate your concern for Shaolin. But there’s something you’ve misunderstood.”

Misunderstood?

“What we’re looking for is not an object.”