Diverging Currents – 2
At those words, the peak masters of the Jeonghyeop Sect looked shocked and asked back,
"Did you say the Hangsan Sect of Shanxi Province?!"
The Hangsan Sect, along with Sichuan's Emei Sect and Zhejiang's Sword Pavilion, was one of the only three nun-led sects in the martial world.
It was also famous for its martial arts, known to be the natural nemesis of the Blood Sect's demonic techniques.
Heo Gyeong answered firmly,
"That's right. As you all know, the Hangsan Sect's arts are in direct opposition to those of the Blood Sect. Which is why I propose that here and now, Lady Yeonhae herself confirm for you that you are not cultists."
The sudden proposal left the Jeonghyeop masters speechless.
They had all heard before that someone trained in Hangsan inner arts could discern a Blood Sect warrior.
But to be tested so abruptly, and by someone claiming to have inherited Hangsan's full legacy, was more than they had expected.
Of course, Hae Cheongyeon's claim was a lie.
But since she was a woman, and her mysterious beauty gave her an air of credibility, the warriors of Jeonghyeop found themselves half-convinced despite their doubts.
One Jeonghyeop master finally asked suspiciously,
"How are we to trust you, Sect Master Heo? Could this not be a ploy to brand us Blood Sect fiends?"
Heo Gyeong only smiled easily, replying with words Hae Cheongyeon had scripted for him.
"To slander you? Why would I bother?"
His rhetorical question left the Jeonghyeop men uneasy.
"You still don't understand, do you? The Jeonghyeop Sect you once belonged to no longer exists. Its headquarters has already fallen to Cheongseong and the Tang Clan. To the martial world, you are now nothing more than the Blood Sect's lackeys."
At this, one Jeonghyeop master shouted in anger,
"We are not lackeys of the Blood Sect!"
Heo Gyeong replied calmly,
"I want to believe that as well. Don't you see? I am offering you the chance to prove it. I, who fought you with my life, am now offering to attest that you are not cultists."
A heavy silence filled the council chamber.
The Jeonghyeop masters now understood: nothing could clear their names more decisively than testimony from the very enemy they had battled.
And there was no downside to accepting his proposal.
Another finally asked,
"But what if this is revenge? What if you pretend to test us, only to attack us mid-way?"
Heo Gyeong let out a short laugh.
"Do you not see how many we are? Six. Only six. Do you truly fear six people would dare harm you here, in front of over a thousand warriors standing outside?"
It was true.
The Jeonghyeop still had the advantage in numbers inside the chamber, and beyond that, the gathered warriors would never allow such an obvious trick.
There was no risk to them.
Then, in a weary voice, another asked,
"Why give us this chance, Sect Master Heo? Even if it was the Blood Sect's scheme, it is true your own brother fell to our blades."
At this, Heo Gyeong ground his teeth as though in hate and said,
"Yes. I lost my brother. That is precisely why I came here. Because I will never forgive the Blood Sect for making me lose him!"
Then he swept his fierce gaze over the Jeonghyeop masters.
"I swear this: if even one among you is revealed to be a Blood Sect fiend, I will tear him apart with my own hands."
Though following Hae Cheongyeon's script, his words carried heartfelt conviction. The Jeonghyeop masters found themselves persuaded.
They nodded.
It was understandable, and they were grateful enough that his hatred was directed toward the cultists, not them.
When no objections remained, Heo Gyeong spoke again.
"Good. Then let Lady Yeonhae examine you one by one—"
It was then.
Two Jeonghyeop masters, exchanging the briefest glance, suddenly sprang like lightning.
Flash!
"What?!"
"Brother Jang?!"
"What are you doing—?!"
Their sudden movements shocked everyone. But it was too sudden for the Jeonghyeop masters themselves to intervene.
Shuack!
Thud!
A spear, thrown like a bolt of lightning, pierced one man clean through the back and pinned him to the wall.
It had come from Seolpung, the second of the Five Falcon Siblings, the Spear of the Reincarnated Dragon.
He had been waiting for this.
Without even checking where his spear had landed, Seolpung lunged like a predator, moving with impossible speed.
As one man crashed through a window to escape, Seolpung seized his ankle in a crushing grip.
Crack!
"Gaaahhh!"
The man screamed as his ankle shattered, then was yanked back into the chamber, immobilized with a single pressure-point strike, and hurled to the floor.
Thud!
"Khhuuk!"
The Jeonghyeop masters could only stare, speechless.
It was shocking enough that their comrades had tried to flee—but even more incomprehensible was the blinding speed Seolpung had just displayed.
Only Heo Gyeong, who had already witnessed his true skill, allowed himself a savage grin at the captured cultists.
"Well done, Master Spear. So, you've finally revealed yourselves—mongrel dogs of the Blood Sect!"
That day, Heo Gyeong eradicated the Blood Sect's infiltrators still hiding within the Jeonghyeop Sect.
The remaining Jeonghyeop warriors thanked him, then dispersed, unwilling to form any new faction.
Heo Gyeong was satisfied.
As Hae Cheongyeon had promised, the remnants would not gather into a force that could threaten the Sword Gate Sect.
***
Later, back in the Sword Gate Sect, in a secluded chamber, Hae Cheongyeon read the message Sak Muhun had sent.
She frowned, deep in thought.
For the matter of the women once held by the Demon General was something even she could not easily control.
Seonu Jin might have prepared some kind of countermeasure, but no matter how capable he was, it was hard to believe he had any special plan in place.
What was worse, the fame of the Five Falcon Siblings had grown far beyond what she had expected.
If Jegal Jigang began a proper investigation into this incident, there was no way he would simply let them go.
It would not take him long to discover that the so-called siblings from Zhejiang Province had no actual connection to Zhejiang at all.
Letting out a faint sigh, Hae Cheongyeon muttered,
"I must return to Father's side quickly…"
While they had been outside, her father, the Sword Saint Hae Unbaek, had nearly seized full control over the front lines.
To escape Jegal Jigang's gaze, the best course was to return to the front as soon as possible.
That battlefield, once a land of death, had somehow become the safest place for them.
But there was one problem.
Seonu Jin and Bisa-yeong.
Though rumors had not spread, it was obvious they had played a decisive role in the fall of the Jeonghyeop Sect.
And yet, days had passed since that collapse, and still they had not returned.
Even Hae Cheongyeon, who had always believed in Seonu Jin without wavering, now found herself worrying.
We should have arranged a way to contact each other somehow…
She bit her lip in belated regret.
It was a mistake not to anticipate being separated this long.
If only she could have told him that the Jeonghyeop Sect Master was none other than the Blood Sect's Young Demon Lord, Sawon-yang…
Normally she could never understand people tormenting themselves with useless, ominous thoughts.
Yet now, she found herself overwhelmed by them.
What if, not knowing Sawon-yang's true identity, they had recklessly confronted him?
What if, struck by misfortune, they were gravely wounded and unable to move?
What if… he could never return again?
Cheongyeon buried her face in her hands, trying to push back the flood of thoughts.
"What a foolish mess I've made of myself…"
She despised it—wasting time in irrational, self-tormenting fantasies.
She forced herself to assess the situation as coolly as possible.
The chance that Seonu Gongja or Bi Gongja met with disaster… yes, it isn't small. It's quite possible, in fact.
The conclusion made her heart plummet, but she steadied herself with clenched teeth.
Even if something has happened to them, I cannot linger here. With the Martial Alliance's investigation force likely to descend, I must leave no later than tomorrow.
Resolving herself, Cheongyeon was suddenly seized by a sharp pain in her chest.
Her rational judgment was one thing—but her heart refused to accept it.
Her heartbeat pounded painfully, constricting her breath.
"Haa… haa… fuuh…"
She steadied herself with deep breaths, then gave a hollow laugh.
I… care this much?
It was absurd.
She had thought her feelings for him were nothing more than heightened curiosity.
Cheongyeon decided she could no longer stay in her room.
She needed open air. She needed to breathe.
When she stepped out into the Sword Gate Sect's training yard, the squad members who had gathered there waved and called to her.
"Sis! Over here!"
"Come join us, lady! We were just betting on why those two are so late!"
Their cheerful expressions suggested they had been making wagers about the two men's tardiness.
Cheongyeon felt a pang of self-reproach.
Who is more pathetic—these squadmates who laugh without a care, or me, who cannot even trust him as they do?
As she thought so, she suddenly gasped and cried out,
"Seonu Gongja?!"
Her squadmates, startled by her exclamation, all turned their heads—
—and there, vaulting over the wall, were Seonu Jin and Bisa-yeong.
The entire squad lit up with smiles and shouts.
"Jin! Sa-yeong!"
"Bi Gongja! Seonu Gongja!"
"You scoundrels! Why are you so late? We've been waiting forever!"
"We were so worried about you!"
They all rushed forward, surrounding the pair with laughter and scolding affection.
Seonu Jin and Bisa-yeong returned their warmth with broad, relieved smiles.
"Sorry for being late, captain, everyone. We had some things to check on. You're all well, I hope?"
"I wanted to come back sooner, but Jin kept dragging his feet," Bisa-yeong teased.
Cheongyeon, too, broke into a smile brighter than any she had ever shown before and ran toward them.
But then—something made her stop in her tracks.
Her smile slowly faded.
"Eh? What's this? Seonu Gongja, don't tell me you were busy charming women even over there?"
"What? Is that true? You kept us waiting because you were flirting?!"
"Ha! Why not? The maidens of the Emei Sect were gazing at him so tearfully that even I pitied them."
"No way! That's too much! He's the enemy of all women now!"
"Oh? So that's how you're going to play it, Sa-yeong? Then I've plenty to say about you too."
"Eh?! N-no, that's not what I meant—!"
Cheongyeon stood apart, silently watching.
She saw Seonu Jin laughing, surrounded by his comrades, chatting merrily without needing her presence.
And she saw his eyes, glancing now and then—cautiously, tenderly—toward Na Seo-yu.
Cheongyeon saw it clearly.
The gaze that had once lingered on Captain Seolpung now shifted, ever so carefully, to Na Seo-yu.
He glanced at others, at her as well, but the longest, gentlest look always fell upon Seo-yu.
Watching that cautious, affectionate gaze, Hae Cheongyeon felt tears threatening to fall.
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