Chapter 14

Ironflight Pavilion stood closest to the Sect Leader’s residence and was reserved for the Iron Sword Sect’s most important guests.

Its facilities were naturally excellent, but its security was even more impressive.

Yet not a single guard could be seen.

Jegal So-myeong was currently staying there, and he was personally examining the condition of the man who had dragged the Iron Sword Sect’s reputation through the mud.

Because of that, not one warrior volunteered to guard the pavilion.

“……”

Seong Mo-ran paced around Ironflight Pavilion, repeatedly letting out quiet sighs.

It was not because she feared that relations between the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance had worsened.

It was because of the man Jegal So-myeong was treating.

Jin So-un had dealt the Iron Sword Sect a blow so devastating that even burning the entire estate to the ground might not have caused as much damage.

“Haa……”

Seong Mo-ran sighed, unable to understand her own emotions.

She had felt a strange sense of kinship as she watched him corner Seong Mo-hyeon.

His movements had not relied on superior internal energy or advanced techniques. They had been filled with adaptability earned through relentless effort.

Only Seong Mo-ran, who had worked tirelessly to find a way to defeat Seong Mo-hyeon without relying on internal energy or superior martial arts, could fully understand that.

And then there had been his resolve.

Pay the price!

Pay the rightful price for the vile acts committed by you and your descendants!

He had shouted for justice even while vomiting blood.

Then…… I will collect the price in blood.

Even knowing he was no match for the Iron Sword Sect Leader, he had been prepared to risk his life.

Her grandfather, father, brothers, and the entire Iron Sword Sect had been driven into a terrible position.

Even so, Seong Mo-ran had been unable to take her eyes off Jin So-un as blood poured from his mouth and his eyes burned with determination.

‘Just what is it about that man……?’

He was her enemy.

Yet whenever she looked at him, her heart pounded violently and a faint ache spread through her chest.

When he finally proved his innocence and collapsed, she had nearly run toward him without realizing it.

She had barely managed to stop herself.

“Huu……”

What was she supposed to do?

Their relationship was no longer one that allowed her to approach him out of simple curiosity.

They were enemies now.

Even knowing that, she could not understand why she continued lingering outside the pavilion.

‘No. I cannot remain here.’

Seong Mo-ran gritted her teeth and turned to leave.

At that moment, the door opened.

Jin So-un stepped into the courtyard with a pale face, carrying the Ninefold Sword.

Seong Mo-ran quickly looked away, determined not to meet his eyes.

“……”

Step. Step. Step.

But he simply walked past her as though she were not there.

The heart she had only just calmed began pounding again.

“You were too reckless.”

The moment she spoke, she regretted it.

But the words had already escaped.

Jin So-un stopped and turned a cold gaze toward her.

The look in his eyes made her chest ache even more.

“What was reckless?”

“The duel…… Why did you take it so far?”

“……Are you saying I should have quietly endured their humiliation?”

“No. That is not what I meant……”

Words that did not reflect her true feelings kept slipping out.

But she did not understand her feelings well enough to express them properly.

Jin So-un stepped closer.

Without realizing it, Seong Mo-ran stepped back.

“Were you right?”

“……Pardon?”

“I asked whether you were right.”

His gaze remained cold.

“My father knelt before your sect. I vomited blood, refused to endure the humiliation, and challenged your grandfather with my life at stake.”

He took another step.

“After everything that happened, can you still take pride in the Iron Sword Sect and claim it is not a vile faction?”

“……”

Seong Mo-ran bit her lower lip.

She had no answer.

Would saying she had known nothing excuse her?

Would claiming it had nothing to do with her allow her to escape responsibility?

More importantly, would such excuses heal the wounds inflicted upon the man before her?

Could she excuse herself by saying she didn’t know anything?

 

Those thoughts kept circling endlessly in her mind.

“……I am sorry.”

Twenty years ago, the Iron Sword Sect had humiliated his father in the same way. Now, twenty years later, they had done it again.

If she had been in his place and suffered the same humiliation, would she have been able to forgive them?

Could she simply let it go?

She did not think she could.

“I understand. Please raise your head.”

“Pardon?”

Seong Mo-ran looked up, wondering if she had heard him correctly.

Was that all?

Was he really accepting her apology so easily?

His calm response only made Seong Mo-ran feel even more ashamed.

“Miss Seong, you are the first person from the Iron Sword Sect to apologize to me. You will probably also be the last.”

“……Is an apology from me truly enough?”

“We cannot allow this cycle of resentment to continue forever, can we?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you truly regret what happened today—even if you feel only the smallest amount of guilt—then please change the Iron Sword Sect. Make sure it does not remain the kind of sect it is now.”

Jin So-un smiled faintly.

“If you do that, perhaps the Taeul Sect and the Iron Sword Sect may one day stand beside each other as allies.”

An unfamiliar emotion rose within Seong Mo-ran’s heart.

Yes.

This was the kind of person he was.

This was Jin So-un.

Her elder brother and grandfather had both failed to say that one simple word: sorry.

That was why everything had come this far.

The guilt already weighing on her heart mixed with gratitude and sorrow until she could no longer hold it back.

“……I am truly sorry.”

“Tears do not suit a warrior.”

His gentle voice eased the tension in her heart, and Seong Mo-ran quickly wiped away her tears.

“Is your body all right?”

“The qi and blood in my body were thrown into disorder when I was struck by that violent wave of qi. They have not settled yet, so I will need some time to recover.”

“…….”

“Please do not worry too much. The Taeul Sect’s heart method is pure and stable. If I rest and recuperate for about a year, I should make a full recovery.”

“……A-a year?”

“Yes. I will not be able to take the Murim Academy entrance exam properly, but failing to graduate from the academy will not ruin my entire life. Haha.”

A year was an incredibly precious amount of time for a warrior who had not even reached the age of twenty.

By the time Jin So-un recovered, a wide gap might have opened between him and the young warriors of the Iron Sword Sect. He might even fall behind the disciples of the Taeul Sect.

And yet, after hearing a single apology from her, he showed no anger or resentment.

To Jin So-un, hardships like this were nothing.

No—perhaps he could remain so calm because he had already endured far greater hardships in his life. Compared to those, his current injury was hardly enough to shake him.

While waiting for Jin So-un in the courtyard, Seong Mo-ran had wrestled with a decision.

Should she give it to him or not?

Now, she finally had her answer.

After hearing what he had said, there was no longer any reason to hesitate.

It was something she had received only because she was a direct descendant of the Ghost Sword Immortal Elder.

It was so precious that even she had not yet dared to consume it.

Seong Mo-ran took it out.

“What is this?”

“No matter what happened, I am still a member of the Iron Sword Sect. Something this small cannot make up for what we have done, but please accept it as a sign of my sincerity.”

She carefully held out the wooden box.

“I do not believe this is enough to compensate you for the Iron Sword Sect’s actions. I am only giving it to you because I hope that, just as you said, the Taeul Sect and the Iron Sword Sect can build a better relationship in the future, Young Master Jin.”

Jin So-un stared at the wooden box for a moment before slowly accepting it.

“The burden you must carry as a member of the Iron Sword Sect may be even heavier than the one carried by those of the Taeul Sect. Even so, I will gratefully accept your sincerity.”

Why had she been born into the Iron Sword Sect?

And why had he been born into the Taeul Sect?

For the first time, Seong Mo-ran bitterly resented the circumstances of her birth—something she had never felt even because of Seong Mo-hyeon.

“I hope that the next time we meet, we can greet each other with smiles.”

Her voice trembled.

Jin So-un finally gave her a faint smile.

“I hope so too.”

We left the Iron Sword Sect on the third day.

Naturally, no one came to see us off.

Since I was injured, Kang Chae-seok carried the Ninefold Sword in my place. He wrapped it tightly in cloth, hugged it to his chest, and even slept with it throughout the night.

During the entire day-long journey back to the Taeul Sect, he never once let it leave his side.

“Still, taking it into the toilet with you is a little excessive, is it not?”

“What if someone steals it while I am in there?”

“Do you not know? Throughout history, the toilet has been the second most common place for assassinations. Even one of the Ten Greatest Masters under Heaven would lower his guard while straining on the toilet.”

“…….”

Only after I said that did Kang Chae-seok finally agree to leave the Ninefold Sword outside whenever he used the toilet.

Meanwhile, rumors of what had happened reached the Taeul Sect before we did.

However, no one there believed them.

The Iron Sword Sect was not very far away, so sending a messenger just to confirm the news would have been a waste. Besides, the rumor sounded far too unbelievable.

As a result, everyone simply pretended they had never heard it.

That changed the moment they saw Kang Chae-seok enter the sect while clutching the Ninefold Sword in his arms like a beloved lover.

The Elders and Hall Masters immediately gathered in the Great Mysterious Hall. When they confirmed that it truly was the Ninefold Sword, they embraced one another and burst into tears of joy.

Ever since the rise of the Iron Sword Sect, the Taeul Sect had endured nothing but humiliation and sorrow.

At last, one hundred and fifty years of resentment had been washed away.

It was not only the Elders who celebrated. Even the young junior brothers of Busaeng Hall hugged one another and shouted with joy.

There was no way such a wonderful occasion could pass without celebration.

The Elders stormed into the Outer Hall and demanded that a grand feast be held.

However, my father was as stingy as a rusted lock. He insisted that the sect did not have enough money and suggested holding a simple dinner instead.

“How can you say that? This is the Ninefold Sword that Jin So-un, a disciple of the Taeul Sect, risked his life to retrieve!”

Even Sect Leader Hong Mun-gi joined in and tried to persuade Jin Tae-san, the Outer Hall Master.

However, my father remained as stubborn as a mule.

“I risked my life as well, and so did the Swift Blossom Hall Master. Are none of you worried that a single feast will leave the children eating poor side dishes for the next six months?”

“This is not an ordinary occasion! So-un has restored the honor of the Taeul Sect.”

“I know that. Good grief. That is why I am saying we should settle for a simple dinner.”

“……Then I will pay for it myself.”

Jin Tae-san stood in the way of the feast like Zhang Fei guarding Changban Bridge. In the end, Hong Mun-gi had no choice but to dip into his personal emergency funds.

Seeing the Sect Leader do so, the Elders and Hall Masters also contributed their own spending money to cover the cost of the feast.

“Father, our finances are not actually that bad, are they?”

I had gone through the sect’s ledgers countless times, so I knew roughly how much money we had.

Father smiled proudly.

“Thanks to me, we managed to drain the Sect Leader’s and the Elders’ secret savings. How dare they try to use the sect’s money to eat, drink, and have fun?”

“…….”

When news of the feast reached the Gyeryong Merchant Guild, Gye Yeon-seok rushed to curry favor with us. He offered to personally provide two cows, five pigs, and ten jars of liquor.

His usual arrogance and haughty attitude had completely disappeared.

When the members of the Taeul Sect had been prepared to fight to the death at the Iron Sword Sect, Gye Cheol-yeong had quietly slipped away.

Because of that, Gye Yeon-seok could no longer hold his head high before us.

It was also decided that two of the three Iron Heart Pills received from the Iron Sword Sect would go to Sa-ryeon and me. The last one would later be awarded to a disciple who showed exceptional progress.

Desperate to recover some of his lost standing, Gye Yeon-seok met privately with the Sect Leader.

He offered the Taeul Sect three inns in exchange for giving the remaining Iron Heart Pill to Gye Cheol-yeong.

However, Hong Mun-gi’s expression turned cold. He warned Gye Yeon-seok that if he ever made such an absurd suggestion again, Gye Cheol-yeong would be expelled from the Taeul Sect.

“Madness. Utter madness. Just how valuable could one Iron Heart Pill possibly be?”

“Still, thanks to it, the junior brothers of Busaeng Hall are training harder than ever.”

“You little wretch! Three inns in Hefei would earn enough money to buy five Iron Heart Pills every year! How could I not be furious?”

“If you are going to complain that much, you should at least wipe that smile off your face.”

“What did you say, you brat?”

“I am heading out for a while.”

“Where are you going now?”

“I am tired of hearing Father talk about money all day, so I am going to earn some.”

“You brat! What kind of money could you possibly earn?”

“I will be back.”

At last, the time had come to sever the Gyeryong Merchant Guild’s ties with the Taeul Sect.

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