Chapter 32. Reunion (1)
"You damned wench! I told you I'd break your legs if you tried running away again!"
"Kyahhh! Go ahead, you bastard! If you think you can, just try it!"
Familiar screams and insults rang out.
When I turned my head, I saw a face I knew well.
Her complexion was pale—almost ghostly—and her body so thin that her bones were visible. Yet, despite her frail appearance, she exuded a strangely alluring presence.
Though she seemed far weaker and more vulnerable than I remembered, how could I possibly forget this woman?
Seol Lihyang.
Before my regression, she was known as the Demonic Sound Witch (Guieum Manyeo, 鬼音魔女) and had been a member of the same Ironblood Hall as me.
While her martial abilities had reached an impressive level, her true strength lay in the martial arts she practiced.
Seol Lihyang was a rare expert in Sound Techniques (Eumgong, 音功).
Sound Techniques were not only difficult to master but also incredibly unique and hard to counter. Because of this, she was one of the most valuable assets in the Ironblood Hall.
That said, calling it a "Hall" was rather grandiose, considering it was little more than a group of a dozen or so troublemakers.
The Ironblood Hall was essentially a penal colony within the Black Lotus Sect, a place where problematic individuals were exiled.
If our hall leader hadn't reached the Flowering Stage like the Black Lotus Sect Master, the group would have had an even worse reputation.
I wasn't exactly an easygoing person myself, and Seol Lihyang was infamously difficult to deal with. While we didn't get along personally, we acknowledged each other's abilities.
So why was Seol Lihyang, someone I respected, being beaten so mercilessly here?
"Ah."
Then it hit me—today was that day.
Just because someone belonged to the unorthodox factions didn't mean they were born that way. More often than not, people ended up in such circumstances due to extreme situations that forced them to make desperate choices.
Seol Lihyang wasn't inherently twisted in personality. Rather, she had been dealt a twisted hand in life.
The Ironblood Hall was full of people with similar stories, and Seol Lihyang was no exception.
I remembered a time when, after a brutal sparring session, we stole some liquor from the hall leader and shared a drink. She had opened up about her past—a story so tragic that even I, who thought I'd seen it all, found it hard to believe.
"Do you think you're special just because the branch leader pays attention to you? You're nothing but a courtesan! All you're good for is spreading your legs and flirting!"
"Oh, really? You're struggling to handle a single 'courtesan,' yet you talk so big! And why am I even a courtesan? Is kidnapping women and forcing them into prostitution the Hao Gate's way of doing things?"
"You insolent wench! Fine, I'll teach you what discipline means with that pathetic body of yours!"
The burly man, scowling deeply, stomped over to Seol Lihyang and slapped her across the face.
Puhk!
"Aaagh!"
The sound of the impact was so loud it echoed even from where I stood.
Her head snapped to the side from the force, and her frail body crumpled to the ground, unable to withstand the blow.
Unlike the earlier punches and kicks, this one had real intent behind it. The onlookers began murmuring in alarm.
But Seol Lihyang, as if to say this was nothing new, slowly lifted her head.
Her disheveled hair fell to the side, revealing her flushed, bloodied cheek.
Though it was unlikely to swell immediately, her lips had split, and blood was dripping from her nose, staining one side of her face red.
Given her malnourished state and lack of any internal energy to protect herself, the blow must have been devastating.
Still, she managed to get up, even as her body swayed uncontrollably.
Her eyes, sharp and fierce, glared silently at the man, carrying a defiance that made him flinch and take a step back.
That was the Seol Lihyang I knew.
Her fiery spirit, her unyielding defiance—it was all still there, even if her body was battered.
Seeing that familiar side of her stirred an odd sense of nostalgia.
At the same time, I instinctively reached for the sword at my waist and quickened my steps.
If my memory served me right, today was the day that would add another tragic chapter to Seol Lihyang's life.
As I pushed through the crowd toward her, the burly man, seemingly embarrassed by his earlier hesitation, stomped the ground in fury.
Thud!
"What's with that look? Do you think I haven't beaten you enough yet?"
"If I were you," Seol Lihyang retorted, her voice dripping with venom, "I'd stop flapping my gums like a pathetic idiot and throw another punch. It's not like you're good for anything else—just a spineless bastard who beat his own mother to death."
"You filthy bitch!"
The man's face twisted in rage as he raised his fist, channeling what little internal energy he had into it.
If that punch landed, Seol Lihyang wouldn't just be injured—she'd be maimed.
Before my regression, this was the day she lost an eye, became lame, and was rendered infertile.
Though she claimed it didn't bother her, knowing her prickly demeanor, it was likely a lie.
We may not have been friends, but we were comrades who fought side by side. I knew more about her than I wanted to, and I couldn't stand by and watch.
"That's far enough."
"What—"
Sreung!
Before he could finish his sentence, my sword was drawn and pointed at his neck.
Perhaps because he was merely a second-rate martial artist, he froze, trembling, unable to respond properly.
I gestured with my chin.
"Leave her. If you do, I'll let this slide."
"What business does the Tang Clan's son-in-law have with a woman like this?"
"Oh? So you know me?"
"Of course. While I may have shown you a disgraceful side, I've been with the Hao Gate for over twenty years. Naturally, I'm aware of who our esteemed guests are."
The man, who had been acting like a thug moments earlier, quickly adopted a servile demeanor.
Well, anyone who survived this long in the Hao Gate wouldn't be a simple brute.
I nodded and pressed my sword slightly against his neck, drawing a thin line of blood.
"If you understand, then leave quietly."
"That's… difficult. You see, this woman has caught the eye of the Hao Gate's branch leader here in Guangzhou."
"And why should that concern me?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm not obligated to care about some branch leader's whims. I don't answer to the entire Hao Gate, let alone him."
"If you're saying this with the Tang Clan's backing in mind, I urge you to reconsider. Surely you haven't forgotten the favor the Hao Gate extended to the Tang Clan."
He emphasized the words favor and Tang Clan, clearly trying to remind me of the alliance between the two.
Indeed, the Tang Clan had received significant support from the Hao Gate during this mission, and the Tang Clan valued reciprocating favors.
For a moment, I hesitated.
Was it truly right for me to intervene in this matter?
From a purely pragmatic perspective, helping Seol Lihyang was a losing proposition.
Even if she became a peak-level martial artist someday, it wouldn't justify jeopardizing relations with the entire Hao Gate.
Moreover, her talent had always been fueled by her resilience in the face of suffering.
If I intervened now, would she ever reach the level I remembered?
But...
I recalled the drunken ramblings she shared during our time in the Ironblood Hall.
I remembered the Ironblood Hall leader's words: "Don't just survive for survival's sake."
I thought of Tang Sowol, who once said she wanted to show me a different kind of world.
Those memories made my decision clear.
"I appreciate the Hao Gate's assistance to the Tang Clan," I said, sheathing my sword for a moment.
"But that's also the only reason you're still alive."
With a sudden burst of internal energy, I swung my sword upward.
Puhk!
The short distance limited the force, but the qi-infused blade dug into his chin, rattling his head.
His focus blurred, and he slumped to the ground unconscious.
Thud.
I glanced at his fallen body before turning my gaze to Seol Lihyang.
Though she looked much younger than the version I remembered, her overall features were the same.
Her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were torn, revealing bruises that had clearly been there for some time.
Her sharp, upturned eyes—usually fierce—were now clouded with confusion.
Despite her wariness, she scrutinized me carefully.
I let out a dry laugh.
"Seol Lihyang, right?"
"That's… right. And you are?"
Her tone wavered as she hesitated between informal and formal speech.
It seemed I had no justification for intervening.
Or rather, any justification I had was buried with the passage of time.
But I needed a new reason—one that both she and the Hao Gate observers in the crowd could accept.
I paused, recalling bits of her tragic story she had once muttered drunkenly. Twisting it slightly, I spoke.
"When I was young, I received great help from your father, Seol Dae-in."
"What?"
"I'm here to repay that debt."
"...That man? That can't be… No, that's impossible."
"Feel free to speak casually. I don't expect formalities from the daughter of a benefactor."
"Oh, uh… okay."
Seol Lihyang nodded hesitantly, still confused.
It was no surprise. Her father had gambled away his fortune after her mother's death, eventually selling her to a brothel.
Using the money for gambling, he disappeared, leaving no trace.
It was a convenient lie, but one she clearly found hard to believe.
Still, it served its purpose.
I raised my voice toward the crowd.
"I am Cheon Hwi-da of the Sichuan Tang Clan! If someone guides me to the Hao Gate's Guangzhou Branch Leader, I will ensure they are well rewarded!"
A moment of silence followed, before several individuals—likely Hao Gate members—rushed forward to offer their assistance.
***
The conversation with the branch leader didn't go well.
So I kidnapped Seol Lihyang.
"…I'm screwed."