Part 1,

Chapter 31. The Difference Between Sects and Clans

The eyes of Jeom-chil widened in surprise.

“W-wait a moment!”

It seemed like she had heard something wrong.

“Young Lady So-hwa said she wants to send me away?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, why would she do that? She even thought I was talented, so why…….”

Did she pity me?

An incomprehensible emotion surged, making my stomach churn, and Tang Min crooked his lips as he looked at the girl.

“That child said you’d become the best in the world.”

“Huh? That’s ridiculous……”

“Yeah, I think so too. What’s so great about that? Just by looking, you look weaker than me.”

“……”

Tang Min scrutinized Jeom-chil up and down with narrowed eyes.

“Look at this. Your gaze changes so quickly with just a single word. You’re going to take a hundred years to break your indifference. You’ve just got a bit of talent.”

As Jeom-chil’s eyes narrowed like threads, Tang Min let out a slight laugh.

“Anyway. The reason we’re sending you to another sect isn’t because you’re lacking, but rather because you have potential, so don’t cry.”

Jeom-chil roughly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Is that Wudang?”

“I can’t teach you the sword techniques of other sects, but I roughly know the characteristics of their martial arts. I’d like you to go to Wudang, but that child, So-hwa, says no. Well, there are quite a few sects that want to see you, so if you want, you can go somewhere else, but in my opinion, Wudang is perfect for you. Ahem, let’s move to another place and talk in detail……”

Suddenly, Tang Min closed his mouth and shifted his gaze toward the entrance.

A moment later, a maidservant entered. She paid her respects to Tang Min. Then, she smiled at Jeom-chil sitting next to him.

“Young Lady So-hwa wanted to meet the young lady Jeom-chil, but it seems you already had an engagement. May I know when you’ll be available?”

At those words, Jeom-chil suddenly looked at Tang Min.

The child’s gaze was clear, and Tang Min responded with a reluctant voice.

“Go ahead. We can talk tomorrow morning.”

Once granted permission, Jeom-chil quickly stood up.

But Tang Min, looking uneasy, added something unnecessarily.

“Child, Wudang is the sect for you. Wudang! No, it’s not like I particularly want to see that Taiji bear begging. I’m saying this for your future. If you choose Wudang, I’ll even give you a reward for surpassing your master……”

“Grand Elder.”

As the strange words seemed to continue, the maidservant smiled and politely turned her body.

The maidservant, with perfect courtesy, bowed slightly and waited in silence, as if waiting for his permission.

It was a clear expression of intent, more certain than any form of resistance.

Tang Min cleared his throat and waved his hand.

“Alright, alright. Go ahead. The old man was out of line.”

Jeom-chil, who didn’t understand what was being said, blinked with wide eyes and hesitated before following the maidservant’s lead.

Perhaps it was because she was wet from the rain, or maybe she was in a hurry, but she couldn’t walk properly. By the time they arrived at the pavilion, her steps had become even more awkward. The polished wooden floor was so slippery.

Walking cautiously, Jeom-chil suddenly stopped.

Beyond the corridor’s railing, a thin bamboo forest could be seen.

Among the reeds swaying like cattails, the direct descendant young lady, was there.

With more careful steps, Jeom-chil soon arrived at the spacious reception room.

“Young Lady.”

The taciturn maidservant simply called Tang So-hwa once to announce their arrival, saying nothing else. She merely maintained a neat posture, waiting for her command.

‘Does she not like talkative people?’

Jeom-chil tilted her head, trying to guess Tang So-hwa’s preferences.

‘Tang Min, the Grand Elder, talks a lot though…’

While lost in thought, Tang So-hwa turned her head.

Her long hair, flowing like silk, moved as one with her white face.

The moment their eyes met, Jeom-chil’s gaze was deeply drawn to her long eyes and red lips.

It didn’t seem like she had adorned herself much, yet there was a sense of grandeur to her appearance. She wasn’t a beauty that made the viewer feel at ease; rather, she had a striking, tense beauty that created discomfort. Jeom-chil involuntarily shrank back.

At that moment, Tang So-hwa lowered her gaze to a puddle on the floor.

“I was going to ask if you’ve been well.”

Her gaze slowly rose.

Soon, a faintly displeased voice followed.

“It doesn’t seem like you’ve been well.”

“It’s just because it suddenly started raining! I thought about washing up and changing clothes, but I was worried you’d be waiting…”

Tang So-hwa nodded slightly at those words before turning her gaze forward again.

There were no further words after that.

Jeom-chil, with her clear eyes darting around, tried to gauge the situation, but neither the maidservant nor Tang So-hwa looked at her.

After a short while, Tang So-hwa’s voice gently pressed down on the uncomfortable silence.

“You’re late.”

“It seems it’s because of the rain.”

“Why’s that?”

The maidservant smiled gently.

“It’s not that I mind getting wet, but I can’t stand it when my things get wet.”

At that answer, Tang So-hwa’s lips curled slightly.

It seemed like she agreed with the maidservant’s words.

At that moment, hurried footsteps were heard. When they turned around, an elderly man came running, panting, holding a large wooden box in his arms.

Jeom-chil, recognizing the old man, widened her eyes involuntarily.

It was the grandfather who had been watching her by the pond every day.

“I’m sorry for being late, Young Lady. I was in a rush to repackage it, and that caused the delay.”

The old man quickly approached Tang So-hwa’s desk and placed the box down.

Tang So-hwa, looking at the wooden box in front of her, slid her gaze to Jeom-chil.

“Jeom-chil.”

“Yes?”

“Come over here and open it.”

“Huh?”

Tang So-hwa smiled.

“In the Tang Clan, when starting practical training, we receive Elder Yun’s weapon. Elder Yun knows how to calculate wind resistance according to body movements.”

The Tang Clan had many blacksmiths superior to Elder Yun. Some could make the same materials harder, while others could forge them thin enough to tear a thousand threads with a touch.

However, when the martial artists of the Tang Clan graduated from using the wooden practice swords, they would first receive the weapons brought by Elder Yun from outside.”

Elder Yun was a craftsman who used to make the swords that dancers held when performing sword dances. It was said that movements became smoother when one held Elder Yun’s sword, so Elder Yun had a high reputation even outside of Sichuan.

When someone asked Elder Yun the secret, he talked about human movement.

He said that everyone has different muscle mass and skeletal structure, so their movements would naturally differ. He merely observed movements to determine the weight of the sword and adjusted the wind resistance accordingly.

Hearing that story, the previous clan head of the Tang Clan became curious and brought Elder Yun to the clan. Given the Tang Clan’s closed-off structure toward outsiders, it was quite an extraordinary decision.

The former clan head had Elder Yun make swords to correct the movements of the young martial artists, and it brought great results.

Receiving Elder Yun’s sword was a privilege reserved only for members of the Tang Clan, but Tang So-hwa obtained her father’s permission to borrow Elder Yun’s hand.

Yeon-ah, having used a sword that didn’t fit her, had developed unnecessary calluses on her hands, and her body’s balance was off, making Elder Yun’s help necessary.

Elder Yun smiled as he observed Yeon-ah, who was standing still, and opened the box for her.

“Once you enter Wudang or Mount Hua, you’ll likely receive a sword from those sects. However, the swords from the sects and the one you’re holding are of different shapes, so it would be good to get used to a light sword like this.”

Yeon-ah, as if entranced, approached and examined the sword. Her large eyes widened in surprise at its thinness, which was less than half of the sword she had.

“… Is this mine?”

“Yes. It’s your sword.”

A deep silence settled after Elder Yun’s words.

Yeon-ah, with a confused expression, didn’t know what to do. Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, Elder Yun glanced at Tang So-hwa.

“Young Lady, may I explain a little?”

“Go ahead.”

Once granted permission, Elder Yun took the sword out, as if waiting for this moment.

Swiing.

The blade, shining white as it emerged from the dark green scabbard, caught Yeon-ah’s eyes, causing them to sparkle.

Elder Yun held the sword with his right hand and then with his left hand, speaking.

“Looking at you, young lady, you’re both a right-handed and a left-handed swordsman. The grip strength in both hands is similar, and seeing how quickly you move the sword, even though it’s large, your arm strength doesn’t seem bad either. However, perhaps because of the weight, you have a habit of putting excessive force into your movements when wielding the sword, which leads to a great waste of overall muscle. If you move with less force, your speed will increase, and you’ll be able to endure longer. So, this sword is……”

Elder Yun, as if waiting for this moment, rambled on while explaining.

Yeon-ah, entranced, listened intently to the old man’s words. The young girl, like a chick, kept nodding her head, not taking her eyes off the sword.

Seeing the excited craftsman and the thrilled young swordman, Tang So-hwa couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

Even though she’s young, a swordsman is still a swordsman.

When Elder Yun encouraged her to lift the sword, Yeon-ah hesitated before carefully gripping the sword in her hands.

In that instant, Yeon-ah’s expression changed.

When she lowered the tip of the sword to the ground and gave it a slight flick, the blade twisted and reflected the sunlight.

Even with such a small movement, the atmosphere grew sharp in an instant.

She had unconsciously infused the sword with killing intent.

Whether he was pleased with that reaction, Elder Yun asked with an unconcealed smile,

“It’s light, isn’t it?”

“… Yes. It doesn’t feel like I’m holding anything.”

“Heh, normally, one swings the sword with that kind of feeling. You’ve been carrying a sword that’s too large for you. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Everything has two sides, so where there’s a downside, there’s an upside. Your strength has improved, so now it would be good to focus on learning to control your movements more precisely.”

Yeon-ah seemed eager to try moving the sword properly, twitching with excitement.

Tang So-hwa, watching the scene, stood up from her seat.

She had heard that Yeon-ah hadn’t rested since arriving at the Tang Clan.

Now that she had a new sword in hand, how much would her body itch to practice?

It seemed like she should send her off quickly to let her swing the sword.

Tang So-hwa, understanding the situation, decided to give a subtle hint.

“You may go now.”

“Huh? Already?”

Tang So-hwa nodded.

But to her surprise, Yeon-ah, who had seemed ready to leave with excitement, furrowed her brows.

“Perhaps… do you have any more words for me…?”

Words?

Was there something she was supposed to say?

As she organized her thoughts, wondering if she had missed something, Yeon-ah’s eyes suddenly turned red.

“I… don’t understand you, Young Lady.”

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