Seolhwa lowered her gaze.

When she thought of the Fourth Blood Lord, her stitched right arm throbbed.

“Because that wasn’t his full strength.”

Gong Cheon’s expression iced over.

“You’re saying his realm is Heaven Beyond Heaven?”

“No. His realm is likely Flowering. But Hwaoru has many methods that let you exceed your limits for a time.”

The Fourth Blood Lord never once employed Blood Qi.

He hadn’t taken even the Bloodburst Pills that raise one’s realm.

“If I had chased him there, with luck I might have caught him—but most likely, I wouldn’t have.”

Once Gong Cheon appeared, the Fourth Blood Lord fled not long after.

He had recognized he was no match for Gong Cheon.

Had he chosen to run while employing Blood Qi or Bloodburst Pills, Gong Cheon would not have been able to catch him.

“In that moment, I judged it right to prioritize the wounded over giving chase.”

Golden Lotus Rain and Tang Hojin, who had aided her, had been caught up in the battle; whether they lived was unknown.

Chasing someone she could not be sure to catch—she judged it better to tend to the injured.

“Too many were hurt because of my mistake.”

She had saved So-and-so and killed Mo-wol.

You could say she had achieved her objective, but she could not say she had won the engagement.

This exchange had been closer to being dragged along than taking the initiative.

“I had to protect those who remained.”

At Seolhwa’s answer, Gong Cheon nodded.

When he arrived in the ravine at the Alliance Lord’s request, the situation had been dire.

Panic-stricken figures fled, ringed by more than a hundred Jiangshi, and above them a massive boulder, wavering as if it would drop at any instant.

Seeing her hold that boulder up by sheer internal power, Gong Cheon felt both admiration and sorrow.

To others, she might be only the chieftain of the Unorthodox—dark god of the night, the Shadowless Demon God—but to his eyes, beneath the mask, he saw the lone girl fighting all by herself.

Tuk.

“?”

Gong Cheon’s hand came to rest atop Seolhwa’s head.

Not only Seolhwa, but Yu Gang and the Hao Sect Lord, too, stared in surprise.

“You’re doing well.”

Gong Cheon gently, gently smoothed Seolhwa’s hair.

A young girl pulling off what even grown adults could scarcely manage—she drew his pity and his pride.

“...Thank you, Master.”

“Good that I wasn’t late.”

Gong Cheon smiled with kindly warmth and lowered his hand.

“So—is this settled?”

Seolhwa shook her head.

“Since you’ve come, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

“What remains?”

Seolhwa’s eyes steeled again with resolve.

****

As Gong Cheon stepped out of Seolhwa’s room, someone approached as if waiting.

“...Master.”

Former Protector Monk Beoprang.

Once Gong Cheon’s disciple—now the man called King of the Green Forest.

The Green Forest War King.

“It has been a while.”

Gong Cheon met him without surprise, as if he had known.

When he’d reached the ravine he had already seen him there; this meeting had been expected.

In truth, the one startled by Gong Cheon’s sudden appearance had been the Green Forest War King.

“...”

The War King’s gaze fell to Gong Cheon’s left sleeve, trailing empty.

‘Master Gong Cheon was in danger. By a stroke of fate the Shadowless Demon God was there to help, and though his life was spared, he lost an arm.’

Words from the Shadowless Demon God he had found near-impossible to believe—now confirmed before his eyes.

He had not doubted the Shadowless Demon God, and yet, he had still wished it not so.

“Rang.”

When he left Shaolin he had been stripped of the rank of Protector Monk.

His name had become Rang, and once he earned the sobriquet of Green Forest War King it had been all but forgotten; it had been a very long time since he’d heard it spoken.

“...Yes.”

One of the Ten Great Masters of the world—the Green Forest War King—was a giant of a man, yet at this instant he looked exactly like the young disciple about to be scolded.

Seeing his disciple seem almost dispirited, Gong Cheon gave him a cool, easy smile.

How Beoprang had become the Green Forest War King—Gong Cheon already knew it all.

How, after being expelled from Shaolin and lingering, hovering, he had crossed paths with bandits and quarreled with them—how, fighting because he believed them a threat to Shaolin, he had one day found himself king of the Green Forest.

Beoprang had broken the precepts and committed a sin he ought never have—but he had been a boy who loved Shaolin more than anyone.

“Shall we walk a while?”

“...Yes.”

With his remaining arm set behind his back, Gong Cheon strolled forward, unhurried.

Watching him blankly for a beat, the Green Forest War King’s lips slowly curved.

He quickened his pace a little and followed close behind.

“The evening air is lovely today, Master.”

****

“Then I’ll take my leave. I’ll send a message slip to the Sub-Unit Lord that the Union Lord departs at dawn.”

“Please look after the wounded.”

The Hao Sect Lord bowed to Seolhwa and withdrew.

With Gong Cheon and the Hao Sect Lord gone, only Seolhwa and Yu Gang remained in the room.

Srrrk—

The Imoogi’s tail slid quietly out through the window.

Through the slight opening where the Imoogi had gone, the light of the afternoon glow spilled in.

As she watched it for a moment, she felt a gentle hand close over her own.

That hand carefully drew back her sleeve and lightly brushed the wound wrapped in bandages.

“It hurts.”

Seolhwa glanced at Yu Gang.

The sunset had fallen across his long lashes as he looked down at her injured arm, setting them agleam.

“It would. The wound is deep.”

He lifted his gaze to Seolhwa.

For some reason, he looked a little angrier than usual.

“Why did you say you were fine? You’re not.”

Seolhwa looked down at her arm, expression steady.

She wasn’t used to pain, but she was used to being hurt.

In her previous life she had known no pain; she had never learned how to show it.

Perhaps that was why.

Hiding came easier than showing; concealing, easier than revealing.

Yu Gang, looking at her lack of answer, let out a short breath and carefully straightened the sleeve he’d rolled up.

“If it hurts, say it hurts. If it’s hard, say it’s hard. If you’re afraid...”

“Don’t do that again.”

“...”

Yu Gang’s hand halted.

He raised his eyes to Seolhwa again.

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t try to die in my place again.”

Four years ago, and now.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yu Gang had thrown himself in front of her.

“I don’t want to watch you die because of me.”

No—whether Yu Gang or anyone.

She did not want to see someone die in her stead.

Yu Gang smiled, light, and went on straightening her sleeve.

“Did you know?”

“?”

“You owe me a wish.”

Seolhwa frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

She told him not to try to die in her place, and now—what wish?

“You promised. If I beat you, you’d grant me a wish.”

“When did you ever beat—ah...”

The tournament.

“Don’t tell me you think you won that.”

“A win is a win.”

Yu Gang set Seolhwa’s arm back on the table with care and sat up straight.

Even seated, he was a full head taller; Seolhwa had no choice but to look up at him.

“I forfeited. If it had gone on, I would have won.”

“A forfeit is a loss. That’s why I became the Demon-Slaying Corps Commander.”

“...”

He wasn’t wrong; Seolhwa could not bring herself to refute it, and her face creased.

“You’re not going to ask for something cowardly with such an unfair result, are you?”

“It was a fair match. I’ve a clear conscience—and I’m rather fond ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) of being shameless.”

Yu Gang rubbed his chin with mock gravity.

Seolhwa had tried to needle his pride into voiding the wish, and his brazen cheek only deepened her scowl.

At her reaction, Yu Gang chuckled, low.

“...What do you want?”

“Let me save you all I want.”

“...What?”

Yu Gang lightly took Seolhwa’s hand resting on the table.

“It’s my instinct to jump when you’re in danger. The one I like could die before my eyes—how am I supposed to stand there and not jump?”

As he said it, Yu Gang’s expression turned quietly earnest.

In his heart, he wanted to keep her safe.

To draw her into his arms and keep her from ever being placed in danger, from ever coming close to where she could be hurt.

To place her somewhere safe and watch over her.

But if he did that, Seolhwa would try to leave him.

She was not a woman used to being protected.

She was a woman who only felt at ease when she took the lead herself.

Knowing that, he simply searched for what she needed and helped, from behind.

He kept to her side.

“I won’t stop you. I’ll try my best to help you do what you mean to do. But...”

Yu Gang clenched his fist, hard.

The ravine, where she had nearly died, flashed through his mind; the world tilted.

“Don’t tell me not to jump in. Let me at least do that.”

“...”

Seolhwa stared at Yu Gang, blankly.

Not a wish to protect his own life—but a plea not to stop him from protecting someone else’s.

To spend the wish he’d managed to earn on such an absurd request—

“...No.”

Pressing down a sigh, Seolhwa forced out her answer.

Naturally, Yu Gang objected.

“It’s a wish.”

“I don’t intend to place my life in someone else’s hands.”

If she did that, she would hesitate in battle.

If she thought someone else’s life hinged on her choice—

If that life were yours, all the more.

“Ask for something else.”

Seolhwa turned her eyes aside.

“Not that... I’ll grant you anything else. Name another wish.”

To say she’d grant a wish and then tell him to make it another—she herself thought it sounded unreasonable, when she felt a touch on her cheek.

“...?”

Seolhwa looked up at Yu Gang in surprise.

“Anything?”

Her gaze quivered fine as dust.

Yu Gang’s face had drawn close without her noticing.

Up close, his clear eyes held the sunset and gleamed.

It felt like facing the surface of still water.

“Truly?”

Why did his voice sound lower, deeper than usual?

“...”

Seolhwa bit down hard on her lower lip.

Yu Gang’s gaze dropped to that lip.

A rough fingertip brushed across it.

It was a ticklish, scratchy touch.

His eyes, which had lingered there a moment, rose slowly to meet hers.

“You pretend to be too much of an adult.”

“...”

“But the truth is, you’re this soft.”

Yu Gang let his hand fall and stood.

Seolhwa sat, stunned, not even thinking to see him out.

“Ah—Mount Wudang. I’m going, too. You said you’d leave at dawn, didn’t you?”

“...What?”

Seolhwa had asked Gong Cheon to go with her to Mount Wudang.

With the Beggar’s Union’s matter settled to a point, they had to hurry to Mount Wudang.

“That arm—it was the Shadowless Demon God who was injured. It has to be hidden. I’ll help.”

“What about Miss Geum and Lord Tang?”

“Who knows.”

Yu Gang’s tone flipped in an instant, and he smiled.

“I’m sure the Union Lord will see to them properly, won’t she?”

It was the bright smile that was his usual self.