Chapter 146
The situation was quickly brought under control.
“Surrender! We surrender!”
The moment the Chief of the Pleasure Pavilion died, the fight was over. Just as soldiers surrender when their enemy general is beheaded in a war, the martial artists of the Pleasure Pavilion also lost the will to fight once their leader was dead.
And Liyeon also played a major part in making that happen. While I was fighting the Chief, he had gone over to the Sacred Flame Sect’s side and helped them deal with the Pleasure Pavilion’s experts.
Until then, the Sacred Flame Sect had strangely been getting pushed back, but once Liyeon joined the melee and helped them, the situation began to turn around again, and they were eventually able to seize the advantage.
The members of the Sacred Flame Sect were delighted. They couldn’t exactly celebrate wholeheartedly since many of their comrades had been injured, but they still looked relieved to have survived a battle in which they had put their lives on the line.
The members thanked Liyeon for helping them during the battle. Some even took his hands and expressed their gratitude. What surprised me was that Liyeon simply let them do as they pleased.
Once things around us had settled down, I casually walked over to Liyeon. Then I looked at him and grinned.
“Wow, you’ve become quite the hero, haven’t you?”
Liyeon glanced at me and slightly furrowed his brow.
“That would be you, not me.”
“What did I do? All I did was put my spoon on a meal Lady Ayoung had already prepared. You, on the other hand, fought several experts, didn’t you? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Not particularly. What about you…”
“Hmm?”
Liyeon hesitated for a moment before asking.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course! Didn’t you see me earlier? I was practically flying around while fighting that bastard of a Chief…”
“Your body isn’t in very good shape even now.”
“…….”
I couldn’t help but flinch.
‘How did he know?’
Just as Liyeon said, my physical condition wasn’t particularly good. There had been a lot of things going on before I got here, after all.
Even if we set aside the fact that I hadn’t been able to rest properly because I had hurried out of the cave, the wound on my back hadn’t completely healed either. And I had fought a powerful opponent in that condition. How could I possibly be fine?
Even now, my legs were trembling, and I wanted nothing more than to collapse flat on the floor, but I could at least stand there while pretending I was fine.
It was all thanks to Dangmugwon.
‘They say it’s Yi Rou Zhi Gang.’
The soft can overcome the strong.
Dangmugwon might appear weak compared to ordinary martial arts because its momentum was shallow and flexible, but it was by no means an easy martial art.
One had to exert force while adhering to the principles of emptiness and looseness. Once one understood these principles, no matter how much force an opponent exerted, it could be gently redirected or made to strike empty space.
However, since I wasn’t an expert who had mastered Dangmugwon, there was a dangerous aspect to it as well. If an expert with deeper internal power than mine had used a powerful martial art, I might have been defeated. When the level of martial arts was similar, the depth of one’s internal power determined the outcome.
‘Fortunately, the Chief wasn’t that strong.’
In any case, my body hadn’t suffered any major damage, but it was true that fighting the Chief had exhausted me. However, admitting that outright would hurt my pride.
I thought for a moment before smiling brightly.
“Well… it’d be a lie to say I’m completely fine. But I’m really okay! I’m not particularly injured anywhere, and a little fatigue is something I’ll recover from after sleeping for a night.”
“…….”
“And what about you, Young Master? Look at this, huh? Didn’t you get cut here? How about worrying about your own body before worrying about me?”
“This much is…”
Just as Liyeon was about to protest…
“You were here.”
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind us.
Thinking this was my chance, I quickly turned my head. I could feel Liyeon’s displeased gaze, but I deliberately ignored it and focused on the person in front of me.
Then my eyes widened.
“Miss!”
It was Baek Seol-yeong.
Baek Seol-yeong had been busy running around ever since the Chief died. Before she could even respond to my joke about “preparing to give herself to me,” she had to turn away after seeing a member of the sect urgently looking for her. After that, she seemed to have been too busy giving various orders to catch her breath. So I thought we might only meet again later, but she had appeared sooner than expected.
I was a little surprised, but I needed an excuse to escape Liyeon’s continued interrogation anyway, so I asked her happily,
“What brings you here? Have you finished the urgent matters you were handling?”
“Not yet. Still, I thought it only proper to come and greet the great heroes who have shown our sect such immense kindness.”
“A greeting…?”
“Allow me to introduce myself properly once again.”
Baek Seol-yeong clasped her hands together.
“My true name is Baek Seol-yeong. Though it is somewhat embarrassing, I am also known as the Sacred Flame Maiden, and I currently lead our sect in place of the Sect Master. I sincerely thank you, great heroes, for saving our sect from danger.”
Then she bowed deeply.
As Baek Seol-yeong bowed, all the members of the Sacred Flame Sect around her bowed in unison as well.
Feeling burdened by their overly formal display, I hurriedly waved my hands.
“That’s enough, that’s enough. What did I even do to deserve this? It’s making me uncomfortable, so please, all of you, stand up.”
“What do you mean, what did you do? If it weren’t for you two, our members might have met their end here. We would also have missed the perfect opportunity to deal with the Pleasure Pavilion.”
“Even so…”
“You even rescued the members who were imprisoned.”
I looked at her in surprise. Then I realized what she meant and nodded.
“You heard about that.”
“Yes. One of the members told me what happened. They said they were able to escape safely and reach a secure place thanks to your companion’s help, and they asked me to convey their gratitude.”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
“And they aren’t the only ones. I’m incredibly grateful as well. In truth, I was most worried about their safety, but thanks to you, I can finally breathe a little easier. And you even saved me. I’m truly so grateful that…”
Baek Seol-yeong’s expression suddenly darkened. She hesitated for a moment, as though choosing her words, then lowered her head deeply and continued.
“I’m truly… nothing but sorry.”
“…….”
“It was because of my recklessness that I put you in danger. Deceiving you was already a sin I could never repay, and when I heard that you had gone missing, I regretted it so deeply…”
“…….”
“Even if you had changed your mind and refused to help us, I would have completely understood. Yet you repaid our resentment with kindness.”
“…….”
“I don’t know how I could ever repay your kindness. Even my life would not be enough… However, I humbly ask that you please do not hold the members responsible. I alone was responsible for everything that happened, so please allow me to bear the burden myself.”
With that, she bowed deeply once again.
She looked so genuinely sorry, even appearing tense, that as I looked down at her, I couldn’t help but smile faintly.
‘So that’s what she was talking about.’
Baek Seol-yeong was probably worried that I would take out my anger on the members.
It was true that they had deceived me, and it was also true that I had nearly gotten into danger because of them. If they had used me for their own benefit, I might have gotten quite angry too.
But…
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m not that angry.”
“But…”
“To be honest, I was disappointed. You asked us for help while hiding something important from us. If you had told us the truth and discussed it with us, there might have been another way.”
“…It was because of my inadequacy.”
“I do regret that aspect, but… that’s all. What you did was ultimately to save people, wasn’t it? To save your fellow members, and ultimately, other people as well.”
“…….”
“I don’t particularly dislike someone who is willing to take responsibility for the sake of others. In fact, I like that good side of you. So…”
I smiled brightly and said,
“You don’t need to feel so sorry. I’m the one who should sincerely thank you for apologizing.”
“Great hero…”
Baek Seol-yeong looked at me with trembling eyes. Then, as though suppressing something, she squeezed her eyes shut before opening them a moment later and giving me a faint smile.
“Thank you. Truly.”
I smiled back and spoke lightly.
“You don’t have to say that anymore. Did you perhaps hide something else from me? If so, tell me everything now. I’m in a good mood today, so if you tell me obediently, I’ll forgive you.”
“No, no. There’s nothing else I’ve hidden. I’m simply so sorry and grateful.”
“I told you, you don’t have to be.”
“I know what you said, great hero. Even so, if I don’t acknowledge my mistakes and reflect on them, I cannot improve. But I still don’t feel comfortable simply letting this go… Is there perhaps anything you want?”
“Hmm?”
Baek Seol-yeong spoke seriously.
“If there is anything you need my help with, please tell me at any time. I swear on the name of the Sacred Flame Maiden that I will help you with anything.”
At those words, I was about to casually say, ‘It’s fine,’ but I suddenly stopped.
Because a thought flashed through my mind.
‘Actually, there is.’
Something I needed.
Namely, to meet the Sacred Flame Sect’s Sect Master. So that I could find out whether the Sect Master was connected to the Guangjin Sect.
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