Chapter 47
As I turned around, the children of Nether Shadow Valley followed us.
I wondered if it was really okay to go like this, but in the end, I left the place.
Pae Maseong did not return, and we first moved the mountain bandit stronghold.
* * *
In the end, Pae Maseong did not return. I could often hear news about Pae Maseong from Yeon Cheongha, who came to the new mountain bandit stronghold.
He said that Pae Maseong had met Pae Maling and that it seemed he hadn't gone to see Son Eun or the Cho family.
Pae Maling found out that Pae Maseong had had a big fight with me and had left the mountain bandit stronghold, and that our relationship had been completely severed.
Pae Maling was so angry with Pae Maseong about that that she had threatened to commit suicide if he took revenge on Son Eun or the Cho family.
Knowing how scary Pae Maling could be when she was angry, I thought that Pae Maseong must have been scared by those words.
Who wouldn't be scared if their younger sister, who was more precious and dear to them than their own life, said she would die?
Pae Maseong wanted to apologize to Yeon Cheongha, but Yeon Cheongha did not accept it.
That was already several years ago.
It seemed he couldn't come to see us because he was embarrassed, and recently, I heard that he had joined the Heavenly Demon's martial force.
It was a great thing to have joined the Heavenly Demon's martial force at that age, and stories about Pae Maseong were often exchanged within the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Sometimes, when I went down from the mountain bandit stronghold and wandered the streets, I could hear stories about Pae Maseong without much difficulty.
At those times, I would look at the expressions of the children of Nether Shadow Valley.
I was curious if they were not sad that they had parted with Pae Maseong like that.
But I couldn't read such an expression on the children's faces.
Later, I was so curious that I even asked directly.
"Aren't you sad that your connection with Pae Maseong has been severed?"
It was Jeok Soju, who would become Pae Maseong's closest aide in the novel.
"He is a person who put everyone in danger with a moment's greed. To us, he is as foolish and evil as the instructors of Nether Shadow Valley."
"That seems too cold. You'll turn your back on me so cruelly if I make a mistake too."
I said it as a joke, but Jeok Soju was surprised and watched my expression.
"How, how could that be? And we already know that you are not that kind of person, Senior Brother. We all know that when you stood up to him, your martial prowess was not higher than his. And yet, for our sake, you confronted him. And we still haven't forgotten that when we appeared, you counted our numbers to see if we had all come."
Everyone has their own things that they consider important, but it seemed that the fact that I had put their safety first had remained in those children's hearts for a long time.
"Don't think that the connection has been completely severed, and if you meet again on a good opportunity later, let go of your resentment and smile. He is a person who will be good to you until the end."
I knew that.
But Jeok Soju just smiled and didn't answer.
"Why no answer?"
"I will serve you until the end, Senior Brother."
"Why serve me? If you were born a man, you should have big dreams. Don't they say that Pae Maseong has already joined the martial force that serves the Sect Leader at close range? Pae Maseong will rise quickly, and he will be recognized by people wherever he goes. At that time, if he leads you from that position, you can also quickly rise to a high position."
"I have never wished to rise to a high position. Even if I did, it was just that those who wanted to use our strength would only shine their sharp eyes."
Hearing that, it seemed that might be the case.
"I'll use your strength too, won't I?"
I said that because it seemed that they were thinking of me as too great and perfect, and Jeok Soju laughed.
"You can do that as much as you want, Senior Brother. I have decided to become your spear and sword. We all have."
It was a somewhat grand thing to say.
It wasn't that I was thinking of trying to do something with these children, but if I just made up my mind to try something, it seemed that I could do great things.
"But Senior Brother, the family head of the Danli family and the Grandmaster of the Blood Martial Force have contacted you several times to come to the Danli family. Shouldn't you go at least once?"
"If it were an urgent matter, they would have said that there was an urgent matter. It is more important for us to become stronger ourselves than to interact with the Danli family."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Jeok Soju said and then laughed to himself.
"Why are you laughing?"
"It's nothing."
"It's not nothing. Why are you laughing?"
"It seems that the family head keeps calling you to see Miss Pae even once more and get close to her, but it seems that you are putting up too much of a wall, Senior Brother."
If Jeok Soju knew, it seemed that the other guys also knew to some extent.
"Oh my, it's my turn for dinner duty today, and I forgot."
Knowing that I was going to nag him, Jeok Soju laughed and ran away.
I had severed ties with Pae Maseong, but it was also funny to meet Pae Maling.
But what was even funnier was the fact that Pae Maling also seemed to be about to sever ties with Pae Maseong.
To the extent that the worry I had when I was looking for Pae Maling at first was put to shame, Pae Maling was really firm and seemed to have no intention of forgiving Pae Maseong.
'I left Pae Maling in their care and haven't visited once. Should I go and say hello? If I leave someone in their care and don't even check on them, the family head might be dumbfounded.'
In the meantime, the relationship with the Danli family had continued to be good, and when the Silver Wind Force, which had finished its closed-door training, passed by leading a security escort group, they would stop by the mountain bandit stronghold and unwind.
There were children of Nether Shadow Valley who were interested in the Silver Wind Force, so they had followed the security escort as temporary security guards a few times.
The Grandmaster of the Silver Wind Force and the members were immediately interested in the children and were eager to recruit them into the Silver Wind Force, but the children always decided to stay at the mountain bandit stronghold in the end.
No matter how many good points they listed about going to the Silver Wind Force, it was the same.
'The kids might follow the security escort in the future, so should I go and ask them to look after them well, just in case?'
Now, there was no need to worry about the children just because I wasn't there.
Since I had fed them good pills with the money I had saved up, raised their internal energy, and taught them, they would be able to protect the mountain bandit stronghold without any problems even if I emptied it.
When I talked about that while we were all having dinner, the guys somehow smiled weakly.
"Why are you all smiling like that?"
"It's nothing."
The way they answered, 'It's nothing,' was similar to when Jeok Soju had spoken.
* * *
The Danli family, which I had visited after a long time, had changed a lot from when I had last seen it.
There were several newly built buildings, and their scale was also enormous.
Seeing that, I realized that a considerable amount of time had passed since I had not visited this place.
My age was already twenty, so a really long time had passed.
The outer hall martial artists and I didn't recognize each other, so we hesitated, and only after I gave my name did we manage to communicate.
"Socheong? You're that small and agile Ya Socheong? That Socheong has grown up like this?"
He said that so loudly that people from other places also ran to where I was.
People who knew me ran over from various places, and I was busy greeting the people I was meeting after a long time.
I met Yeon Cheongha, went to the family head's residence and talked with the family head for a long time, and then went to the Silver Wind Residence and spent time with the people there.
Since I was here, I had to see Pae Maling, but it was awkward to ask where she was, so I couldn't say anything, and then Yeon Cheongha came to the Silver Wind Residence.
He was not alone.
"..."
A young lady who was not lacking in the words 'peerless beauty' was walking alongside him, and for a moment, I was so dazed that I couldn't think of anything.
The pure white martial arts uniform worn by the family head's guard was fluttering in the wind, and it was truly a picturesque sight.
"Socheong, you're drooling."
If Yeon Cheongha hadn't said that, I think I would have really been lost in a daze.
"It's been a long time, brother. How could you not come even once? If you hadn't come this time either, I was thinking about whether I should go with the Silver Wind Force when they go on a security escort next time."
Pae Maling?
Pae Maling?
As I was looking at her with a 'no way' face, she continued.
"It seems you don't even recognize who I am."
"How could that be? Why wouldn't I recognize you, Maling?"
"It seems you didn't miss me at all, brother."
"How could that be? That's absolutely not true."
I was genuinely surprised. When did she change so much?
She had become unrecognizably beautiful and mature.
"I'm kidding. I really wanted to see you a lot. I'm also good at martial arts now. I even have my own real sword. It's been a long time, but I'm only now getting to brag."
While Pae Maling was talking, Yeon Cheongha disappeared first, and then the Silver Wind Force martial artists who had been in the Silver Wind Residence also left one by one.
And at some point, only the two of us were left in that place.
"First, I want to apologize on behalf of my brother for his mistake. I heard that many people could have been in danger because of my brother."
"Did you believe that as soon as you heard it?"
Since that was also a strange thing, I asked, and Pae Maling laughed.
"Isn't it something that you can figure out if you just think about it a little? It seems that my brother also didn't have the capacity to think straight at that time after hearing that I was alive."
"Yes, you don't have to talk about that anymore."
"It's been a long time since we've seen each other. How about we go to a teahouse and talk over some tea?"
"Aren't you busy?"
"Fortunately, I don't have anything busy today."
Since I had come down after always being at the mountain bandit stronghold, I thought it would be good to spend some time at a teahouse after a long time, so I calmly nodded.
"I'll treat you, brother. Thanks to you, I was able to join the guard, so I wanted to treat you to a big meal anyway."
"If you were going to treat me to a big meal, a cup of tea won't do."
At those words, Pae Maling laughed with a clear sound.
Since we were at it, we went outside together, and everyone who saw us gave us a meaningful smile.
I was worried that Pae Maling's feelings might be hurt, but Pae Maling rather seemed to find it amusing and would smile back at them.
"Are people treating you well? Is it bearable to live here?"
"Is the person who is worried about that only coming now after not coming even once until now?"
"I was a little busy too."
"I was just kidding. I've been hearing news about you all the time. I tried my best to be praised somehow so as not to bring shame to your face. So now I'm also being recognized in my own way."
She was still young, and it must have been by no means easy for a woman to practice the martial arts taught by the family head, and I had been thinking that she was amazing even without that.
"It's okay to bring shame to my face, so you can also be lazy and take a rest."
"I can't do that. The family head has said several times that I am the only one you have trusted and entrusted."
It wasn't that I had trusted and entrusted her; it was just that there was no one else to entrust her to, and it seemed that the family head had given it too much meaning.
In any case, I didn't dislike talking with Pae Maling, who had a strong sense of responsibility and a great will, and I headed to the teahouse, talking cheerfully.
(End of Chapter)