Chapter 206: Arrival (4)

Gong-eop and Namgung Seon had arrived at the same conclusion.

There was no fame left for Soyak to gain from the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

She had already reached the Transformation Realm and slain a Demonic Cultist at the early stage of that realm.

What more could she possibly want from entering the Gathering?

But Soyak could not tell him.

Her reputation as a martial artist was probably sufficient already.

But if she became the champion of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering—the hope of the righteous martial world, the brightest jewel among its young talents...

even the Sword Sovereign would not be able to touch her lightly.

And frankly, she still lacked fame.

If she was going to lead the Reverse Heaven Society, raise its banner against the Martial Alliance, and fight the Sword Sovereign...

she needed more people to trust her.

More people willing to follow her.

Someday, something close to an all-out war would break out.

But an all-out war in the martial world was not the same thing the military meant by the term.

Rather than a vast battle where tens or hundreds of thousands of troops clashed...

it was closer to a race over who could take the enemy leader’s head first.

The problem was that in the martial world, the closer someone stood to the “head,” the stronger they tended to be personally.

Just as the Alliance Leader Soyak was targeting—Namgung Ak, the Sword Sovereign—was the strongest martial artist of the current age.

“What other reason could there be? Any martial artist wants to prove themselves.”

“...You were never the kind of person who cared about things like that.”

Namgung Seon did not believe her.

For someone claiming that as her reason, her voice was as detached as ever.

In hindsight, that was only natural.

Everything she was doing came from the same revenge and obligations she had always carried.

Why would her voice sound any different?

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Namgung Seon looked as though he wanted to press her further, but closed his mouth instead.

“...Come in.”

“Yes, Heir.”

The door slid open, and an attendant entered carrying a tray laden with a variety of dishes to accompany the liquor.

There were also two bottles of alcohol on the tray.

A clear, elegant fragrance had spread through the room from the moment he entered.

It was obviously expensive liquor.

The attendant arranged the bottles, cups, and dishes across the lavish dining tray, then quickly stepped back and bowed.

Namgung Seon gestured that he could leave.

Only then did the attendant withdraw from the room.

“You have no intention of telling me, do you?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Namgung Seon, at least...

was not someone she could trust yet.

All he had ever shown her was his personal strength.

That, and his arrogance and childish recklessness from years ago.

What could she possibly trust enough to tell him the truth?

“...Not even someday?”

Namgung Seon asked with an oddly forlorn look.

Soyak...

could not read the emotion hidden in his eyes.

It felt strange.

Someone wanting her trust.

“Do you want me to tell you?”

“I suppose I do.”

“Why?”

Namgung Seon silently glanced around the room.

This was a private chamber used by the Namgung Family Head for secret meetings.

And the master of the Namgung Household was, naturally, Family Head Namgung Hyeong, the Sword King.

But there was someone who could press down even on the Family Head.

Grand Family Head Namgung Ak, the Sword Sovereign and Alliance Leader.

Which meant...

everything said in this room ultimately passed through Namgung Hyeong and reached Namgung Ak.

If the information was important enough, of course.

Petty conversation could probably be suppressed at the heir’s level.

But if the people here judged something to be “information the Family Head must know,” they would report it without hesitation.

And...

if the heir harbored resentment toward the Family Head or Grand Family Head, that would unquestionably qualify as information worth reporting.

If they would report even that about the heir...

what would they do with someone who was not even a member of the Namgung Household?

More precisely...

a Transformation Realm master who had every reason to bear a grudge against the Sword Sovereign?

“You don’t have to tell me. I can’t tell you either, after all.”

Soyak picked up a piece of dried food from the tray and ate it.

Then, chewing calmly, she poured herself a cup of tea from the teapot.

Even if every martial artist near this private chamber attacked her at once, they could not harm Soyak.

Even if Namgung Seon joined them...

well.

If they managed to leave a scratch on the back of her hand, that would probably count as trying hard.

Namgung Seon knew that too.

Unless his grandfather, Namgung Ak, the Sword Sovereign, appeared in person, threatening her was meaningless.

And he could hardly summon his grandfather over something like this.

“Then I guess we’ll have to cross swords.”

“Yes.”

Namgung Seon sighed and threw back his cup of liquor.

He had known from the beginning that it could not be avoided.

He had merely hoped to delay the result, if only a little.

“...Damn. I think I finally understand how my father feels.”

Soyak did not press him about that.

There was nothing to gain from involving herself in the Namgung Household’s family affairs.

Namgung Seon, however, felt utterly miserable.

Objectively speaking, someone of his level truly did stand at the very peak of the young talents.

At twenty years old, he had reached the very end of Transcendent Apex.

Failing to reach the Transformation Realm was hardly something anyone should criticize him for.

The problem was his grandfather.

Namgung Ak himself had not reached the Transformation Realm at twenty.

And yet he demanded it of his eldest grandson.

Because he was the number one swordsman under heaven, he wanted his eldest grandson to be the number one young talent under heaven as well.

But Namgung Seon had failed to become that.

Even though he possessed the Heavenly Martial Body.

Even though he had reached the very end of Transcendent Apex at twenty.

Because somewhere in the world...

there existed one talent who shone even brighter than he did.

Whether she understood the turmoil Namgung Seon was struggling to suppress or not, Soyak lowered her teacup.

Then she quietly studied him.

“...Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I was wondering whether even you have to watch your grandfather’s moods.”

“My grandfather is the Alliance Leader and the number one martial artist under heaven. How could I not?”

“Is that so?”

Namgung Seon stared at Soyak in mild disbelief.

Ignoring him, Soyak straightened her clothes and rose from her seat.

“You’re leaving already?”

“The conversation you and I need to have was never going to be one like this, was it?”

In the end, martial artists spoke through their swords.

Whatever needed to be said, say it with a sword on the sparring stage.

Understanding her meaning, Namgung Seon let out a hollow sigh.

In the end, they would have to collide.

Words would not settle anything.

Perhaps it might have been different if they could speak openly with one another...

but their relationship was far too distant for that.

There were circumstances that made trust impossible.

The Sword Sovereign’s eldest grandson.

And someone who bore a grudge against that very Sword Sovereign.

Namgung Ak himself probably knew what Soyak’s goal was.

But he would not have told his grandson.

That was the kind of man he was.

His own people were precious to him.

Everyone else’s lives were merely coins.

Coins he would willingly spend to obtain whatever he wanted.

And with those “coins,” he placed what he desired into the hands of his own people.

...Even when it was not what they truly wanted.

“...Right.”

“Then I’ll see you at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”

Soyak could feel countless gazes fixed on her.

Assassins.

Blades hidden within the walls and ceiling of this private chamber.

Night-Heaven Wanderers of Night-Heaven Hall.

Whether Namgung Seon knew about them, or even realized they were hiding here, did not matter.

What mattered was his status and circumstances...

and the fact that Soyak had detected every last one of them.

Assassins no longer threatened her.

If anything, it was they who stiffened as Soyak’s gaze calmly traced over each of their hiding places one by one.

As a Heavenly Killing Star, Soyak was exceptionally sensitive to killing intent.

No matter how thoroughly assassins concealed theirs, her sense for energy had grown sharp enough to detect them now.

Yet even when Soyak reached the sliding door and stopped before it, the door did not open.

She sensed someone standing on the other side.

Soyak grasped the handle and tried to open it, but the door refused to move.

Someone beyond it was holding it shut.

To keep her from leaving.

“...Let her out.”

Namgung Seon muttered with a sigh.

Only then did the force holding the door closed disappear.

Even if blades were drawn here and blood was spilled, it would not be Soyak’s blood.

Namgung Seon knew that better than most.

He had crossed swords with her once before, even if they had both been children then.

“Then I’ll see you next time.”

After a brief bow, Soyak slid the door open.

At either edge of the doorway stood men who looked at least two heads taller than Soyak—