Chapter 13: Meeting the Future Supreme Master of the Martial World (3)

Yong Hwarin spoke quietly.

“I’m just a traveler passing through Mount Wudang.”

When he didn’t reveal his origins, the girl stared at Yong Hwarin in silence.

“Hmph! I don’t want to talk to someone who can’t even say where they’re from.”

She assumed Yong Hwarin was some lowborn martial artist’s child and turned her attention back to Ha Cheolryeong.

“You have two choices. Sell me that cat for money, or I’ll just take it from you.”

Even Hae Deokgong couldn’t carelessly interfere with a direct member of the Jaegal Clan, so he remained silent.

Yong Hwarin looked at Ha Cheolryeong and said,

“Young lady, you seem unaware there’s a third option.”

“A third option? What would that be?”

“What if that cat escapes? What would you do then?”

Yong Hwarin glanced at Ha Cheolryeong, who immediately caught on to his meaning.

Then he released the white cat he had been holding.

“Baekseol, run.”

At Ha Cheolryeong’s command, the white cat bolted up the mountain like a flash.

Seeing that, the girl scowled and barked at her bodyguards.

“Catch it!”

At her command, three bodyguards shot off like lightning in the direction the cat had disappeared. Just by their movement skills, it was obvious they were nearly first-rate martial artists.

‘Impressive. Each of her guards is a first-rate expert.’

“You think you’ll be fine after meddling in my affairs?”

The girl snapped at Yong Hwarin.

“The cat ran away, so just catch it. If you catch the runaway cat, that child won’t be able to stop you. That way, young lady, you’ll get what you want without ruining your reputation.”

To the girl, Yong Hwarin’s words sounded reasonable.

Forcibly taking it would never result in a good rumor.

Besides, she didn’t believe her guards could possibly fail to catch a mere cat.

With that in mind, she thought perhaps the young man had helped her and gave a bright smile.

“Thanks for the help.”

Leaving behind only those words, she withdrew and sat on a rock.

About half an hour later, the bodyguards returned empty-handed.

“The cat?”

At her question, the three guards looked embarrassed as they responded.

“Well… it was so fast, we lost it.”

“You’re telling me the renowned warriors of the clan couldn’t catch a single cat?”

“That wasn’t an ordinary cat. It even dodged our sword strikes—it must be a spirit beast.”

Not even a tiger could evade a master’s sword.

If a wild cat could dodge the strikes of first-rate experts, it clearly wasn’t an ordinary beast.

“Really?”

Hearing that, she wanted the white cat even more.

“If I catch it, it’s mine from then on.”

The girl glared at Ha Cheolryeong as she said that.

Ha Cheolryeong simply gave a slight smile, clearly believing in the cat.

He looked like someone who knew no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn’t catch it.

“I’ll be staying at Wudang Sect. The three guards are to continue tracking that cat.”

At the girl’s words, the three guards once again set off toward where the cat had disappeared.

“Let’s go.”

She swept her gaze across Yong Hwarin and the others, then turned toward Wudang Sect without even a proper farewell.

Everyone was speechless at her arrogant behavior, but they didn’t bother to argue—most noble clan heirs acted like that anyway.

Mo Biyoung spoke to Yong Hwarin from the side.

“If she’s the youngest of the Jaegal Clan, she must be Jaegal Yohye. They say she’s the biggest headache for the clan head. I’ve even heard they call her the ‘Jaegal Witch’.”

One could only imagine how much suffering led to her earning such a nickname.

Mo Biyoung added,

“She might be their greatest concern, but they trust her the most too. She’s one of the Jaegal Clan’s New Three Brains. That’s how she became the sub-leader of the Intelligence Pavilion, outshining even other clan geniuses. You can tell at a glance—she’s not an ordinary girl. Even without martial training, her presence feels like someone who has mastered the arts.”

Public opinion on Jaegal Yohye was sharply divided. She’d done things no ordinary person could imagine.

Now that the Jaegal Clan warriors had gone off to catch Baekseol, Ha Cheolryeong was clearly uneasy.

“It’s okay. I don’t think they’ll catch your Baekseol. They don’t even know where to look.”

Yong Hwarin tried to comfort Ha Cheolryeong.

He played with him, climbed the mountain together.

The Two Wook Sword Demons and Mo Biyoung didn’t understand why the future Sect Leader was idling in a place like this, so they just sat idly in the hut, indifferent.

But Hae Deokgong was simply grateful to Yong Hwarin.

His grandson, who’d never interacted with outsiders, was being treated warmly, like a big brother.

“This here’s liquor I brewed from fine medicinal herbs.”

As Hae Deokgong brought over a jar of liquor, one of the Two Wook Sword Demons sprang to his feet.

“Oh, you didn’t have to…”

Though his words said otherwise, he snatched the jar right away.

He uncorked it, inhaled the aroma, and exclaimed,

“Oh, it smells wonderful. Would you like a drink?”

“No, the two of you enjoy it.”

Grinning wide, he poured himself a full cup and drank. Mo Biyoung, unable to stand the sight, walked toward where Yong Hwarin and Ha Cheolryeong were playing.

Yong Hwarin was having a sparring match with Ha Cheolryeong using wooden sticks. From Ha Cheolryeong’s stance, Yong Hwarin immediately realized he hadn’t been training just a day or two.

‘The young master’s skills have improved incredibly fast. His progress is astonishing day by day. At this rate, I won’t have anything left to teach. Genius really does leap over time and understanding at a rate ordinary people can’t imagine… but this is something else.’

Yong Hwarin had been born frail and couldn’t train properly, but his martial talent had always been extraordinary.

Now that he was training like his life depended on it, his skills had to improve.

On top of that, with fifty years of experience from his past life, he could understand ten things from hearing just one.

A young man and a fifty-year-old would never perceive the world the same way.

Knowing Ha Cheolryeong would become a future master, Yong Hwarin tried to win his favor. In ten years, Ha Cheolryeong had the potential to become one of the greatest in the Central Plains.

Thinking it best to build a bond early, he treated him warmly like a big brother.

After a bout of sparring, Yong Hwarin spoke.

“If you ever have nowhere to go, come to my home. I live at Heavenly Central Sect, near Haeun County by Yongjung Mountain in Henan.”

Ha Cheolryeong, having spent several days with him and grown close, didn’t resist.

“Okay, I will.”

Yong Hwarin smiled, patting Ha Cheolryeong’s head.

At first, he treated him well to win over the future best master, but now he genuinely thought of him as a younger brother.

“Alright, let’s go eat.”

*

At mealtime, one of the Two Wook Sword Demons roughly prepared food.

Despite appearances, the two were gourmet cooks and always handled the cooking when traveling.

They were used to hunting and cooking wild game, so Yong Hwarin and Ha Cheolryeong had been eating well for several days.

Expecting the usual, Yong Hwarin headed to the kitchen, but a chilling killing intent drifted through the air.

“Hmph! Someday, I’ll catch that cat and skin it!”

The girl snapped as soon as she saw Yong Hwarin.

“Why are you leaving instead of searching more?”

With a smile, Yong Hwarin asked.

“I can’t stand the sight of you! I have a mission now, so I can’t waste time—but I’ll be back to catch that cat!”

Her bodyguards had searched for days without finding even a trace of Baekseol, so she was fuming.

“Take care on your way.”

Yong Hwarin politely gave her a martial greeting.

“Will you at least tell me where you’re from?”

Like someone planning revenge, she asked sharply.

“I’m from a small martial hall in Henan—you wouldn’t know it, young lady.”

When he refused again, she bit her lip slightly and turned away.

“Let’s go.”

Still, having been raised by a noble clan, she didn’t throw a tantrum. Arrogant as she was, she maintained basic courtesy.

Yong Hwarin hoped not to run into that girl again, even if he visited the Jaegal Clan. The clan was vast, so it was unlikely he’d meet the clan head’s daughter—even if his betrothed lived there.

After provoking her like that, he didn’t know what would happen if they met again.

It was foolish to expect no consequences after enraging someone known as the Jaegal Witch.

But that was where Yong Hwarin miscalculated.

Jaegal Yohye would never let things end with just her looking like a fool.

“Once they’re gone, find out who they are. Ask the old man and the boy.”

The guard didn’t even respond to her cold order—just nodded. He knew how furious Jaegal Yohye was.

After she left, Yong Hwarin once again searched the place where Hae Deokgong had unearthed the wild ginseng.

Even after combing the area thoroughly, he couldn’t find a hidden cave.

‘So it’s not here.’

He felt discouraged, as if he’d wasted his efforts again.

‘Can’t just spend forever looking for a cave. Other than the demon-suppressing stone, nothing’s going right.’

He was reminded once again that just knowing the future didn’t mean things would go as planned.

As the sun set, he figured he’d spend one more night in Hae Deokgong’s hut and started preparing to leave.

*

On departure day, Yong Hwarin woke early to begin breathing meditation and martial practice.

Mo Biyoung, seeing him diligently train from early morning, smiled.

Most of his day was spent honing his martial arts.

Inspired, Mo Biyoung felt like preparing a meal for him for the first time in a while.

Though she had never been much for cooking while training martial arts, she believed she could do better than the Two Wook Sword Demons.

After finishing his training, Yong Hwarin headed toward a well about a hundred paces from the village to wash off his sweat. When he arrived, he saw Ha Cheolryeong pacing anxiously.

He’d come to fetch water, but now looked tearful after finding something.

“Cheolryeong, what’s wrong?”

“Hyung… Baekseol must be hurt.”

In his palm was a clump of white fur stained with blood.

There was no doubt it belonged to the white cat.

‘So those Jaegal Clan warriors really hurt Baekseol while trying to catch her.’

“She should’ve come home by now. If she hasn’t, she must be seriously wounded.”

Seeing his distraught face, Yong Hwarin asked,

“Do you know where Baekseol’s den is?”

“Her den?”

“Yeah, the place where you first met her.”

“Yes, I know.”

Most animals, when injured or near death, instinctively return to their birthplace. That was their nature.

Knowing that, Yong Hwarin asked where Baekseol had lived.

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