The night air was clear and cold.
Bi Sa-in and Han Seol walked together through the inner courtyard of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
For her, this walk was an extension of her surprise.
Who would have imagined when she left the Ice Palace that she would be taking a stroll under the moonlight alone with the Young Alliance Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance?
“Be careful where you step.”
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion was damaged in many places from last night's battle.
Bi Sa-in felt inwardly apologetic to her for suggesting a walk in such a place, especially when she was enjoying her wine.
He had blurted out the suggestion without thinking, afraid she might ask him to dance.
“I'm sorry if I surprised you.”
At Bi Sa-in's apology, Han Seol shook her head.
“Not at all. I really wanted to get some fresh air. I drank more than I should have.”
Her face was also flushed red from the drink.
The two of them paused their steps for a moment.
The Faceless Ones on a nearby roof read the situation and discreetly moved away.
The Ice Cold Twin Blades also stood at a distance, not wanting to disturb them.
“The moon is very bright tonight.”
At her words, Bi Sa-in also looked up at the night sky.
As if such a dreadful darkness had never covered the world, the moon and stars harmonized beautifully, embroidering the night sky.
A brief, awkward silence followed.
Bi Sa-in wanted to look good in front of her.
To be cool, without misspeaking.
Perhaps because of that pressure, the words wouldn't come out right.
'I have to be relaxed! Act natural.'
The more he thought that, the faster his heart beat.
This was a new experience for him.
It was Han Seol who spoke first.
“When I received the Young Cult Master’s letter asking to meet here, I was honestly surprised. I never thought he would actually invite me to a gathering with his friends.”
If he were close friends with her, Bi Sa-in would have said this: He is a friend whose life's joy is surprising people.
"He is a friend who always keeps his word."
“The Palace received a great deal of help from the Young Cult Master last time. If it weren’t for his invitation, my mother would not have allowed me to come to the Central Plains.”
Though she said it was for helping the Ice Palace, she could feel it.
What moved her mother's heart even more was that he had thawed the frozen relationship between them.
While Han Seol was briefly thinking of the Ice Palace Master, Bi Sa-in was furtively glancing at her.
In his eyes, she was so beautiful.
Objectively speaking, Lee Ahn was much more beautiful, and Jin Ha-ryeong was also more beautiful.
But when he looked at them, he would simply think, "Ah, beautiful," but when he looked at Han Seol, his heart fluttered.
He realized for the first time that one could truly fall in love at first sight.
But he couldn't just confess to her.
No, he could confess.
But what then?
He was destined to lead the Unorthodox Alliance, and she would have to return to the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
The Ice Palace Master would never approve of this relationship.
The Unorthodox Alliance Leader would surely not think highly of it either.
‘Right, this is not the time to be distracted by a woman.’
His head thought that way, but his gaze kept turning toward her.
“Shall we go over there?”
She looked toward the path leading to the rear garden.
“Let's.”
The two of them made their way to the rear garden.
Along the way, Bi Sa-in failed to draw out any interesting conversation.
In the end, he admitted it frankly.
“I’m sorry. I’m not much of a talker.”
“It’s all right. I’m the same.”
Bi Sa-in was curious.
She had said her ideal type was a dependable and quiet man, but he couldn't tell if she had said it just to tease Geom Mugeuk or if she truly meant it.
As they walked in silence, the two stopped in front of a section where part of the wall had collapsed.
“What kind of villain would destroy such a beautiful wall?”
At her regretful words, Bi Sa-in said with a flinch.
“That was me.”
"What?"
“I destroyed it while fighting here.”
She had brought it up to break the awkward silence, but it just so happened to be the spot Bi Sa-in had destroyed.
Han Seol looked at the collapsed wall again and said.
"I think a gate would look good here."
Bi Sa-in laughed at her words, and Han Seol laughed with him.
At the sight of her smile, Bi Sa-in unknowingly turned his head away.
It felt so bright, like looking at white snow, that he couldn't meet her gaze.
In any case, it helped to break the awkwardness.
“Oh, I've been invited to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.”
Bi Sa-in nodded calmly.
He figured they wouldn't just let the Young Palace Master of the Ice Palace go without an invitation.
“It will be fun if you go.”
Honestly, he wanted to go with her.
The words, 'Let me go with you!' truly rose to his throat.
If he just blurted them out, it could lead to a series of jokes, just like with Geom Mugeuk.
In the meantime, the two of them had circled the Heavenly Flower Pavilion building once.
'Ah, already!'
Bi Sa-in felt a deep sense of regret.
He hadn't said a single proper thing.
But he couldn't ask her to take another awkward walk.
"I enjoyed it."
“I enjoyed it too.”
Han Seol walked back toward the building where the drinking party was still going on.
“Miss Han.”
"Yes?"
Bi Sa-in hesitated for a moment before mustering his courage.
“I might try wearing martial robes in warmer colors sometimes.”
Feeling the tremor in Bi Sa-in’s voice, a slight smile touched Han Seol’s lips.
“They will suit you well.”
As she was about to turn away, she added.
“Oh, and I'm going to the Divine Sect to see my sister.”
She entered the building.
Bi Sa-in stood there dazedly for a moment before looking up at the roof and saying.
“Stop eavesdropping and come out.”
At that, Geom Mugeuk and Jin Ha-gun, who were hiding on the roof, revealed themselves.
The two of them sat side-by-side on the edge of the roof.
“Looks like we won't have to worry about the Unorthodox Alliance in the future. Their future leader is so clueless. Ugh, I almost died of frustration.”
Bi Sa-in ignored Geom Mugeuk and spoke to Jin Ha-gun.
“I expect that from him, but why are you doing this too?”
Jin Ha-gun smiled awkwardly.
Geom Mugeuk had dragged him out, saying they should go eavesdrop on their conversation, but was he really forced to come? Honestly, he came because he thought it would be fun.
Geom Mugeuk answered for him.
“Our Branch Master Jin needs to enjoy a little deviation now and then. How can he live as a warrior of justice every day?”
"This doesn't look like deviation, more like a model student being corrupted by a bad friend."
“You speak so well now? Why didn't you talk like this a moment ago!”
Geom Mugeuk showed him the wine bottle he had brought.
“Come on, get up here! I'll teach you about women! What is a woman?”
"No, thanks. I don't want to hear a lecture on that from someone who doesn't even know where his own heart is.”
Bi Sa-in leaped up and sat with them on the edge of the eaves.
His throat must have been dry, because he gulped down the wine from the bottle before letting out a long sigh.
His heart was still pounding.
No, it was pounding more now than when he was with her.
What would she think of this walk? Did he just call her out and ruin everything?
Geom Mugeuk said to Bi Sa-in.
“'I like you.' Were those words so difficult?”
“And then what?”
What solution would Geom Mugeuk have? Could he give him an answer?
This time, Geom Mugeuk drank from the bottle.
“You worry about that when it happens. You don't need to wear a raincoat today just because you're worried it might rain tomorrow, do you?”
Jin Ha-gun smiled faintly, and Bi Sa-in took the wine bottle from Geom Mugeuk and drank.
“Easy for you to say when it's not your problem.”
“That's why you should listen to those easy words.”
Bi Sa-in's hand, holding the wine, paused.
When he looked at Geom Mugeuk with a questioning expression, Geom Mugeuk answered.
"Because your own mind is too complicated right now.”
He was right.
All sorts of worries had surfaced in his mind.
The paused wine bottle tilted again.
He felt that he too didn't know what was right.
“Don’t worry. The red thread between you two hasn't been broken yet. I reconnected it with Heavenly Silkworm Thread.”
Just then, the first rooster crowed in the distance, and the light of dawn began to dimly illuminate the world.
“This night is passing too.”
The three of them felt a sense of regret.
They knew that when the sun rose, they would each have to go their separate ways.
If it were up to them, they would want to hang out for days on end, but that was impossible.
They were all important and busy people.
And above all, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion needed to be repaired.
“Ah! I want to play more! I want to keep playing!”
Geom Mugeuk’s shout cut through the dawn air, speaking for them all.
The next morning, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress served them a final meal.
Everyone had drunk too much the night before, and the hangover soup she had carefully prepared was delicious.
After the meal, they bid a reluctant farewell.
It wasn't just the three friends; their subordinates were also sad to part.
They knew that such opportunities would not come often in their lives.
They thought that a moment when they might have to point their swords at each other could come sooner.
Geom Mugeuk said to Jin Ha-gun and Bi Sa-in.
“If you're in danger in the future, don't hesitate to call me. You know? Not calling because it's dangerous isn't friendship.”
At Geom Mugeuk's words, Bi Sa-in threw a parting joke.
“If another dreadful fellow like the one we fought appears, I will be sure to call you.”
Geom Mugeuk flinched and took a slight step back.
“In that case, you can call Branch Master Jin first.”
Bi Sa-in said his goodbyes to his two friends and also politely thanked the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
Thanks to their protection yesterday, he was able to unwind with his men.
And today, his most difficult farewell was with Han Seol.
Of course, he showed no sign of it on the outside.
"I hope you enjoy your tour of the Central Plains and return safely.”
“Thank you. Please take care of yourself as well, Young Alliance Leader.”
Bi Sa-in, who was about to turn away, suddenly spoke.
“You are welcome to stop by our Alliance headquarters on your way back. There are many scenic places nearby. If you let me know when you are in the area, I will come out to meet you.”
After blurting out the words quickly, he turned away.
He had said something he had been debating whether to say or not.
'Ah, I've done it now.'
He caught his breath after turning away.
To say that in front of so many people.
To avoid revealing his embarrassment, he walked away briskly without even hearing her reply.
He walked so fast that even the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Path were flustered and hurried to follow him.
Just then, Han Seol's voice came from behind him.
"I will."
In that moment, Bi Sa-in stopped and turned to look at her.
Han Seol smiled and said.
“I'll stop by on my way back.”
Bi Sa-in was so happy that he had to force himself to keep his face from breaking into a bright smile.
From his expression, Han Seol read his feelings.
“I will see you then.”
With that, Bi Sa-in and the Thirteen Wolves of the Unorthodox Alliance departed.
Geom Mugeuk resisted the urge to send him a telepathic message and tease him, wanting to let him fully savor this moment of happiness.
Instead, he sent a telepathic message to Jin Ha-gun.
-He’s a player, you know.
Don’t you think he's fooling us?
Jin Ha-gun smiled at the message.
From what he could see, all three of them were far from being players.
Geom Mugeuk said his goodbyes to Jin Ha-gun as well.
“I’ll be expecting good news.”
Jin Ha-gun knew what this meant.
It meant the news that he had officially become the successor.
Yes, he too wanted to share that news with Geom Mugeuk and Bi Sa-in.
“Even if it turns out to be bad news, I won’t have any regrets.”
Jin Ha-ryeong watched the two say their goodbyes in silence.
She too felt a sense of regret.
If she could, she wanted to go to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect with Han Seol, but that was impossible.
It hurt her pride to feel like she was just hovering around Geom Mugeuk.
Just then, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress approached her as she stood apart.
“Miss Jin.”
“Ah, Pavilion Mistress. Thank you for your kind words yesterday.”
“I had a wonderful time as well.”
While they talked at length yesterday, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress had more or less guessed her feelings for Geom Mugeuk.
No, Jin Ha-ryeong had intentionally revealed her feelings, using her intoxication as an excuse.
She wanted to confide in someone about her feelings.
Not someone close to her, but someone she might never see again.
After exchanging greetings, the two of them stood side by side, watching Geom Mugeuk and Jin Ha-gun converse.
Then, something suddenly welled up inside Jin Ha-ryeong's heart.
At this moment of farewell, she blurted out words she hadn't said even at the drinking party.
“Until now, I have always been the main character. The granddaughter of the Martial Alliance Leader, Hubei's Number One Beauty, wherever I went, I was always at the center. When I spoke, people listened, and all eyes were on me. It’s still like that. But…”
She paused, unable to continue, then added with a sigh.
“Throughout the entire drinking party yesterday, I felt like I had become a supporting character hovering around the protagonist.”
These were words she could never say to anyone else.
But for some reason, the words inside her came out easily to this Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress.
She had felt it since yesterday; there was a strange sense of trust that she gave off.
After a brief pause, the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress asked.
“What do you think when you see the Young Cult Master? Does he seem like the protagonist?”
“That person is always the protagonist.”
"Is he, really?”
"What?"
Geom Mugeuk, having finished his farewells with Jin Ha-gun, was now talking with each of the Demon Slaying Branch warriors.
He was joking with them, saying that the Demon Slaying Branch Master had become too cool lately and it was intimidating.
In that moment, Jin Ha-ryeong understood what the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress meant by those words.
'Ah, now that I think about it, that person is always trying to make others the protagonist.'
Come to think of it, it was the same when he first met her.
He had been Seo Daeryong's servant.
“He may seem like the sun, but I think the Young Cult Master is a person like the wind.”
Suddenly, an image of Geom Mugeuk drinking alone surfaced in Jin Ha-ryeong's mind.
She didn't know why such an image appeared.
The Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress looked at Jin Ha-ryeong.
“If you, Miss Jin, choose a journey with the wind, it will be very difficult from now on. But it won't be because of a pretty heart, nor because of your respective statuses. It will be because the wind cannot be caught in your hand.”
Jin Ha-ryeong stared silently at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Mistress with trembling eyes.
Her words were like a signpost for her complicated heart that had lost its way.
“Is it alright if I come to visit again? Alone, next time.”
“Anytime.”
Jin Ha-ryeong bowed her head respectfully to express her gratitude.
Then, she spoke loudly to Jin Ha-gun.
“Brother, this farewell is too long! Let's go.”
She also spoke cheerfully to Geom Mugeuk.
“Take good care of Miss Han!”
She bid farewell loudly to Han Seol as well.
“Miss Han, not all men in the Central Plains are that talkative. Please don’t misunderstand!”
And so, Jin Ha-gun, Jin Ha-ryeong, and the Demon Slaying Branch also left the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
And now for the final farewell of the day.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon and the Faceless Ones said they would remain at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
“Please go on ahead. I will stay a little longer at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion before returning.”
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon would stay behind to rebuild the damaged Heavenly Flower Pavilion and set up his own defenses to prevent such an incident from happening again.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon returned the freshly washed Supreme Heavenly Silkworm Thread.
As Geom Mugeuk wrapped it around the hilt of his Black Demon Sword, he said.
“We survived this fight as well.”
Then, a quiet sincerity flowed from the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
“It was an honor to fight alongside you.”
Geom Mugeuk also conveyed his sincerity to him.
“I was able to live thanks to you, Laughing Demon.”
Geom Mugeuk bowed respectfully with the courtesy due to a Demon Sovereign.
“Then I will see you at the Main Sect.”
At that, the Faceless Ones lined up behind the Evil Heart Laughing Demon also bowed in unison with the courtesy due to the Young Cult Master.
The eyes behind their masks were smiling.
Eyes full of goodwill.
The Faceless Ones would surely not be excluded from the gains of this journey.
After bidding farewell to everyone, Geom Mugeuk turned back to Han Seol.
“Well now, shall we go and taste the spiciest, most stimulating, and most dangerous flavors in the Central Plains?”