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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The world was always like a cold blade. One misstep, and her frail body would be cut to pieces; it was a dangerous place.
It wasn’t strange.
She didn’t know who her father was or her mother.
All she had were other beggars who coveted the handful of rotten food she begged for.
If the days she lived with them were safe, that would be a joke.
She was nimble from a young age, so she never had anything stolen from her by the adult beggars, but the world was never not dangerous.
Even the night, when everyone should be sleeping peacefully, offered her no respite.
Without even a wall to protect her, she never slept soundly, not even once. She had to stay vigilant to protect herself from those who leered at her with lust or tried to kidnap her and sell her into slavery.
If not for her sharp instincts, honed from a young age, if not for her emaciated body, unattractive due to constant hunger…
She might have already lost her life or been sold into slavery.
Fear.
Terror.
And malice.
Sayoon was too weak to survive in a harsh world without a wall to protect her or a pillar to lean on.
That’s why she envied her.
The girl her age whom she saw every time she looked up at the world from the gutter.
Unlike her, who was nothing, the girl was always beaming, holding onto a large, strong hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And the hand that caressed her with warmth and love…
Sayoon envied that more than anything.
“It… was similar to how my father looked at me after I finished eating.”
She couldn’t help but hold her breath as she approached Hongryeon’s room with the letter and the box sent from the Courier’s Guild.
Sayoon listened quietly outside Hongryeon’s door.
She, who had grown up in the gutters and was more accustomed to the malice of others,
She, who was brought to the Hongseong Sect by the Sword Saint, became her disciple, and gained the power to protect herself, but still didn’t know much about the world,
trusted her senior sisters’ judgment on people’s gazes.
So, Sayoon closed her eyes and listened intently.
The conversation inside must be about what happened today.
Yes, what happened today.
For her, who lived in the gutter, then came to the Hongseong Sect through the Sword Saint, life at the sect was nothing short of paradise.
The other sisters might have grumbled about the food being bland, but to Sayoon, who had only ever eaten spoiled scraps, the food at the Hongseong Sect was a feast.
She was eating dishes that were many times, no, dozens of times more delicious than what she was used to.
There was the soothing porridge, the crispy fried eggplant…
Not to mention the Red Moon Meat, filled with a savory aroma and a sweet and salty flavor that lingered on the palate, and the crispy on the outside, tender on the inside Chicken and Ginseng, which was so delicious that it surprised not only her but also the other sisters.
Just thinking about it made her mouth water.
The image of the man who had served her those delicious dishes, and the look in his eyes, flashed through her mind.
‘I… don’t know.’
Yes, she didn’t know. But she couldn’t help it.
Yu Wol, the innkeeper.
The gaze of a man of that age, unfamiliar to her, was so awkward that Sayoon found it hard to process.
But she was sure it wasn’t malicious.
Sayoon was even more sensitive to malice than Hongryeon, who was well acquainted with the world.
Then, was it simply lust?
When they were in bed, her senior sisters had playfully warned her about the dangers of the world.
They told her about crazy people called pedophiles, scum who only got aroused by small, young children like her.
Sayoon knew about it, and the thought sent chills down her spine.
After all, she had seen those lecherous gazes directed at her when she was living in the gutter.
She had seen men who tried to lure girls her age into rooms with the promise of a single dumpling.
Thanks to her thin body and her constant vigilance, they never laid a hand on her. But even now, being in the Hongseong Sect, the thought of those gazes made her shudder.
‘But… that wasn’t it.’
Yes, that wasn’t it.
His gaze was too warm to be lust, too comforting to be contempt.
As she recalled that unfamiliar gaze, a voice she had just heard echoed in her mind.
“It… was similar to how my father looked at me after I finished eating.”
A father’s gaze.
The gaze of family, something she had never known.
The gaze that belonged solely to the girl she had envied so much back in the gutter.
The gaze of a family she never had. The gaze solely reserved for those girls she envied from the gutters.
Could it really be that?
Could Innkeeper Yuwol really be looking at her like that?
A corner of Sayoon’s heart felt a flicker of warmth.
The imposing man she encountered in the alleyway. After rescuing him from danger and facing Gakjun, the skilled swordsman from the Demonic Faction, his desperate cry at the critical moment resonated within her.
If not for that voice, Gakjun’s blade would have found its mark, piercing her side.
She had been too tense then to truly process it, but now, in retrospect…
“It wasn’t…”
The emotion in his voice wasn’t simply fear for his own safety, fear that her defeat would put him in danger.
It was concern for her well-being.
Anxiety that she might get hurt.
Recalling that warm feeling, directed solely at her, Sayoon’s breath quickened.
“Haa…”
The Hongseong Style technique activated within her, unbidden. Tension seeped from her stiff body, replaced by a gentle warmth that brought a flush to her previously pale cheeks.
Right.
The heat in her face… It must be the Hongseong Style reacting to her emotions.
With a small nod, she gently opened the door and stepped inside.
“Hmm…”
As she rejoined her fellow disciples, the warm, strange flutter in her chest subsided. No matter how she felt, she was too dutiful to neglect her responsibilities.
So, when she saw the newly arrived box, Sayoon managed to maintain a serene smile, betraying nothing of her inner turmoil.
“What did his previous letters say?”
“Um… the first one just asked if I had eaten… The second one told me to call him ‘Mister’.”
The letters were from a complete stranger.
Perhaps due to the enclosed silver, or because the mundane content allayed their initial wariness, their vigilance had lessened considerably after just two letters.
However, the content of this letter was enough to raise Hongryeon’s guard once more.
Inside the envelope was a map – a map of Hongseongsan, no less.
“Where is this?”
“Hmm… Looks like the southern slope of Socheon Peak on Hongseongsan, near the Dragon Head Rock.”
“But why send a map of this specific location…?”
“Maybe he wants to meet?”
Ryuhyun, having heard the details from Hongryeon and Sayoon, muttered coldly.
Though not as renowned as Hongryeon, she was a capable and righteous martial artist who had faced her share of villains, bandits, and monsters.
It was only natural for her to be wary of those who preyed on children or those who used letters to toy with others.
“We should go.”
“Senior Sister, didn’t you say we had to leave early tomorrow?”
Ryuhyun asked, concern evident in her voice. But Hongryeon shook her head. This could be the first time their anonymous benefactor chose to reveal himself.
Especially considering the recent influx of strange letters. Provocative messages disguised as love letters from bothersome individuals…
Warnings about the current unrest in the Murim, suggesting Hongseongmun should intervene…
Requests from various sects within the Murim Alliance to join forces against the rising tide of monsters and bandits…
They had been receiving an alarming number of letters from those seeking to exploit them.
It wasn’t just that.
Despite its limited resources, Hongseongmun was a powerful sect, boasting both the Sword Saint and the Sunset Sword.
They had even received a letter, bordering on insult, cautioning them against the formidable Iron Blood Group, as if Hongseongmun was incapable of handling such a threat.
Unthinkable events were unfolding within the Murim.
Therefore…
It was best to err on the side of caution.
However, this was her own perspective. Sayoon didn’t seem to share her concerns.
Sensing Sayoon’s apprehension as she gazed at the letter, Hongryeon said reassuringly,
“Perhaps there’s some danger there, and he’s trying to warn us. We need to check it out, especially since it’s from ‘Mister’.”
Perhaps reassured by Hongryeon’s acceptance of the mysterious ‘Mister’, a faint smile touched Sayoon’s lips. Hongryeon discreetly reached for the hilt of her treasured sword, 적일 (赤日), Crimson Sun.
Witnessing this, Ryuhyun couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
Hongryeon drawing her sword meant that she was prepared to engage in a fight. Tensing her own body, Ryuhyun spoke resolutely.
“I’ll have the other disciples stand by, just in case.”
“Right. And Sayoon,”
“Yes?”
“You should come too. We can’t be too careful.”
The chances of encountering the letter sender at the designated location were slim.
There was no mention of a specific time or date.
However, they couldn’t discount the possibility. If he was indeed there, Sayoon deserved the opportunity to meet him.
Regardless of whether he was friend or foe.
“I understand.”
Sayoon nodded, her expression tense. Hongryeon gently ruffled her hair, hoping to ease her anxiety, before rising to her feet as Sayoon departed.
“If this man dares to mock Hongseong, I’ll reduce him to stardust.”
The normally boisterous senior sister, known for her crude jokes and carefree demeanor, vanished, replaced by the formidable Sunset Sword, Hongryeon, a true master of the Murim.
Witnessing this transformation, Ryuhyun clenched her fists.
Perhaps bloodshed was inevitable.
While she had instructed the other disciples to stand by, there was no need for all of them to go. This letter could be a ploy to divide their forces.
Therefore, only Hongryeon, Ryuhyun, and Sayoon set out.
Their destination was Hongseongsan, their own backyard, so to speak.
Though the area marked on the map was rarely frequented, they were confident in their ability to handle any situation.
The three women quickly made their way to the designated location.
There, they stood speechless, staring at what they found.
“This… This is a Secret Realm, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, looks like it.”
Following a barely discernible path, concealed by overgrown vegetation and tangled vines, they stumbled upon something far more astonishing than they had anticipated.
A massive stone gate, emanating a faint crimson glow, stood before them.
A Secret Realm.
A hidden dimension, a pocket of reality accessible only to those whose martial prowess had reached the pinnacle, whose understanding of the world had surpassed the limitations of ordinary men.
While the purpose of their creation remained shrouded in mystery, Secret Realms were revered within the Murim.
They were places of challenge.
Those who overcame the trials within were rewarded handsomely.
Be it rare herbs to enhance one’s internal energy, powerful martial techniques, or…
… artifacts imbued with unimaginable power, beyond the reach of mortal men.
The question was, why was a Secret Realm located here?
“Unbelievable… We’ve been overlooking this right under our noses…”
Even if this area was rarely visited, even if the entrance was hidden… how could they have missed this?
She recalled a time when she was with the Murim Alliance, laughing at the news of a newly discovered Secret Realm on Mount Mu dang, a creation of the legendary Cheonil Taoist, one of the three great elders of the Mu dang Faction, who had ascended to immortality.
How could they have only just discovered it, after all these years of the Mu dang Faction residing on Mount Mu dang?
And now, they had encountered a similar situation themselves.
She could only imagine the amusement of the Murim Alliance, of the Mu dang Faction, upon hearing this news.
She massaged her temples, trying to soothe her growing headache.
“S-should we… go in? We need to see what it’s like…”
“Hmm.”
Hongryeon nodded slightly, extending a hand towards the gate. A faint crimson glow enveloped her hand.
[Who are you?]
“Huh?”
A deep, resonant voice. Stern, authoritative, and undeniably ancient.
Recalling that certain Secret Realms restricted access to those deemed worthy, Hongryeon replied in a clear, steady voice.
“I am a member of the Murim Alliance’s Surveillance Division, known throughout the land as the Sunset Sword. As the senior disciple of Hongseongmun, I strive for its endless prosperity and glory. I am Hongryeon.”
The red glow shifted, now encompassing Ryuhyun.
[Who are you?]
Startled, Ryuhyun replied similarly. The glow moved again, settling on Sayoon.
Sayoon’s lips pressed together. Unlike her companions, she had only one claim to offer.
[Who are you?]
“…I am Sayoon, a disciple of Hongseongmun.”
With that, the crimson glow retracted, flowing back into the gate.
Rumble…
The massive stone gate shuddered, slowly grinding open.
The three women stepped back, startled.
As if stating the obvious, a final pronouncement echoed from the gate.
『As you have mastered the Hongseong Style, you possess the rightful qualifications to enter. This Secret Realm belongs to Hongseongmun.』
The solemn declaration resonated through them, prompting the same thought in each of their minds.
Perhaps the ‘Mister’ who knew about this lost Secret Realm of Hongseongmun, a place unknown even to the current sect members, wasn’t an enemy after all.
It was unlikely for an enemy to help them reclaim what they had lost.
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