The One-Branch Gathering is not Mount Hua’s business alone.

The Great Mount Hua Sect ranks among the top three of the Nine Schools and Eight Sects that steward the Central Plains’ nine provinces—behind Shaolin in the north and Wudang in the south.

How could other sects not keep a close eye on it?

Among those watchers, the Five Great Houses are certainly included.

Even the Namgung Clan of the Sword Sovereign, Namgung Ak.

“Have the chaff all been sifted out?”

The voice from within the carriage was that of a man in midlife.

The Sword Sovereign is an old man; the Alliance Leader could not have come in person.

The coachman answered quietly.

“It should be about that time, Clan Lord.”

“Mm… troublesome.”

“You must go.”

“Otherwise that old Sect Leader at Mount Hua will prove even more troublesome.”

A sigh sounded.

He was the current lord of the Namgung Clan,

the Alliance Leader Namgung Ak’s eldest son,

the Sky-Splitting Sword, Namgung Hyeong.

“Just watching is fun for me, Father.”

“Is it, Seon? Not for me.”

“Well, I get to do a friendly spar with the winner. Thinking about who I’ll face makes it pretty fun.”

It was the neat voice of a boy.

Namgung Hyeong was not alone in the carriage.

From the form of address, the boy was the Clan Lord’s son,

the Namgung Clan prodigy Namgung Seon, sixteen years old and already learning the Sovereign Sword Form.

If one slid open the carriage’s wooden shutter, one would see him:

a tall frame even at sixteen,

a cleanly cut jaw and broad shoulders.

Unlike Cheonjeong’s gentle aspect, his lines were bold and strongly set.

“Cold, Seon.”

“You’re a master at Transcendent Apex, Father. Why act cold? Circulate your inner power.”

“Ha…”

Namgung Hyeong glanced once at his whelp and let it go.

A creature far from solemnity.

Not that he was frivolous, so there was nothing to scold.

Above all, where respect was due, he gave respect amply.

But in daily bearing he relaxed this much.

To Namgung Hyeong’s eye, the attitude displeased him.

A future lord of the Great Namgung Clan ought to measure himself strictly even when no one is looking.

Yet his son possessed the Heaven-Forged Body.

A timber of the age that drinks in any martial art like silk taking water.

If one were human, one could scarcely be more of a genius in the martial ways than he.

At fifteen he perfected the Sky-Vault Unfettered Sword.

At sixteen he entered the Sovereign Sword Form.

That dazzling record could even be set against the Sword Sovereign Namgung Ak’s youth.

For that reason, Namgung Hyeong did not make much of his son’s easy manner.

More than that, the Sword Sovereign, his own father, doted on his grandson.

More than on him.

If the two of them fell into a river and only one could be saved, he would likely choose the grandson.

“…Do as you please.”

Namgung Hyeong looked out through the opposite window.

Far off, Mount Hua’s peak rose like a blade.

They would likely arrive before today’s sunset.

The One-Branch Gathering runs a day on, a day off.

It accounts for how grueling successive bouts are to body and mind.

So there was no worry even if they reached Mount Hua just before sundown.

The second day of bouts would be tomorrow.

****

By about that time,

Cheon Soyak rose early and was sweeping the Training Ground.

No one had told her to.

There were simply many petals and dust when she looked.

“Soyak. What are you doing?”

Cheonjeong, who after yesterday’s five-odd sparring matches had failed to wake early, came out with an embarrassed smile, took up another broom, and swept with her.

“You asked what I was doing, and now you’re sweeping with me.”

“Do you think I asked because I didn’t know? I asked why you were sweeping.”

“Well… because there is no one else sweeping.”

Cheonjeong broke off sweeping and patted Soyak.

Because she was admirable.

Even with such hard strength, she had not a jot of arrogance; it was something to emulate.

“Why are you sweeping, Head Senior?”

“Because you are.”

“…Is that so?”

He tapped Soyak’s forehead with the broom handle.

Soyak could have dodged or blocked, but she let it land and blinked.

Her expression said she did not know why he was doing this.

“When junior sister is sweeping, how could a Head Senior leave it be?”

“…I understand. You want to be a cool Head Senior.”

“Exactly.”

Cheonjeong chuckled.

Soyak did as well.

With the two of them sweeping, the Training Ground became clean quickly.

Yesterday had been full of bouts; today was the day of rest.

Even the merchants who sat by the outer tents could not approach the disciples on this rest day.

That was why the Third-Generation Hall was quiet.

So it should have been…

“Father!!”

A thunderous cry of father-and-son reunion shook the Hall.

Cheongu and some middle-aged man were meeting in rapture.

“Oh, my boy! Have you been well!”

“Your boy is always well, Father!”

The owner of the Silver Road Trading Company, and Cheongu’s father—

Chairman Gil Chaeseong.

“Your courtesy name is Cheongu?”

“Yes, Father!”

“Oh, my boy has even become a disciple of Mount Hua’s main sect!”

It had been quite a while since he received his courtesy name and joined the Third Generation.

But as the owner of a merchant house, he had doubtless been busy circling all the Central Plains.

“And over there! That’s our Head Senior and the new youngest!”

Cheongu’s finger pointed to Cheonjeong and Soyak.

A declaration that left no time to escape.

In truth, both Cheonjeong and Soyak were already worn out by this overwhelming exuberance.

“You two friends there. Come here. You’re our Cheongu’s friends?”

“Not friends—Head Senior and junior sister, Father!”

“Oh my, how adorable! Oh my, how adorable!”

Soyak’s face grew steadily paler.

Cheonjeong quietly stepped forward first and bowed.

Then, with practiced skill, he laid out a harmless lie.

“Our youngest is unwell. We should see to her. May we take our leave?”

Cheongu was quick if anything—certainly not slow.

Above all, Soyak had the look of someone sickly at a glance.

She had no real health issue…

but a small, thin body, a slender build, and skin so pale it seemed fragile as paper.

It was understandable to mistake her for sickly.

“I almost sat you down calling you my son’s friends without reading the room. Go on, quickly, quickly!”

“Your consideration is appreciated, sir.”

Cheonjeong swiftly offered the fist-salute, then returned to Soyak.

Then, as if to support her, he gently drew her into his arms.

“Let’s go, Soyak.”

“Head Senior… you truly are skilled at lying.”

“Shh. And with it, did we not receive grace that saves life?”

“I cannot gainsay that…”

So Cheonjeong took Soyak and walked slowly down Mount Hua.

At the mountain’s foot lay Huaeum County.

Ordinarily, Third Generation disciples may not pass beneath Mount Hua’s Plaque.

It is to prevent them from roaming about outside at will.

But during the One-Branch Gathering it is different.

Limited to within Huaeum County…

the Third Generation disciples competing in the Gathering may descend.

So Cheonjeong could take Soyak down.

Only, as they went, Soyak glanced up at him and asked,

“…I don’t know the lower town well.”

“Do you now. Nor do I. As long as we don’t go far, we can find our way back, can we not?”

“We must return before sunset… right?”

“Right. Let’s go down and eat something Mount Hua doesn’t serve.”

Cheonjeong chuckled and patted Soyak.

The supporting arm had already been withdrawn.

They were halfway down the mountain; there was no need.

After they went down for quite a while,

their steps finally reached the great gate hung with the Great Mount Hua Sect’s Plaque.

The carriages of merchant houses that had already come stood in ranks across the foot of the mountain.

“Many have come, it seems.”

“Mount Hua is not a mountain you can ride up by carriage…”

And then, another carriage approached from afar.

A huge, heavy coach raising a cloud of dust.

Hitched to four horses; not an ordinary expense.

“…The first day has already passed, though?”

Cheonjeong tilted his head.

It was rare for people to arrive after the first day’s bouts had gone by.

Especially as the second day did nothing at all.

Most would rest off the road fatigue and climb Mount Hua on the third day.

“Head Senior, that crest…”

Cheon Soyak recognized it first.

And her body went still.

It was the crest of the Namgung Clan.

“The Namgung Clan, eh. Judging by four horses pulling that carriage, the Clan Lord himself has come.”

Soyak clenched her small fist tight.

She bore no grudge against the Namgung Clan per se.

But she did against the Sword Sovereign, Namgung Ak.

Is only the hand that thrust the blade into a heart an enemy?

If there was one who ordered it, he too is an enemy.

If she would kill the Sword Sovereign, she would have to overleap the Namgung Clan’s fortress.

Even if she gathered a power of her own…

it should be she who stands at the van to topple the Clan Lord of Namgung—or his child.

Before long, the Namgung carriage halted.

And its door opened.

Down stepped one middle-aged man and one youth.

Clan Lord Namgung Hyeong and Young Clan Lord Namgung Seon.

“You there—disciples of Mount Hua?”

Chapter 22

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