"Anyway! I have to find out. They said it might not have been completely eradicated."
"Oh, so you're also an enemy now?"
"There's probably no place in the martial world where they don't have enemies. Anyway, they say that by understanding history, we can prepare for the future. So, Ryeon, you need to study hard."
At Ryeon's words, Hwaryun made a face of disgust and shook his head, but he didn't run away from the spot.
Instead, he removed the cloth covering the bowl he had brought. At the same time, Ryeon suddenly sat up.
"Oh! It's ice!"
Hwaryun, familiar with Ryeon's drawers, found a fan and started fanning the ice.
As the cold breeze from the ice brushed against Ryeon's cheeks, her expression softened.
"Ah... Where did you get the ice?"
"I helped out a bit outside and got it."
"Huh? What kind of help, and where did you get the ice?"
"Mr. Zhu from the fabric shop said his son was sick and had bought ice. I told him I would find the herbs that would make him recover quickly in exchange for the ice."
Ryeon's eyes widened. Hwaryun, while casually fanning, kept his eyes on Ryeon's face.
"You found the herbs...? How...?"
"The symptoms were exactly the same as a kid I used to roll around with in the slums. He suddenly lost a lot of weight, turned very pale, and nothing we fed him helped. It seemed like he was going to die. A passing Taoist said that if we fed him black stone grass from the mountains, he would recover, and it worked."
"I see..."
Ryeon noticed that the cuffs of Hwaryun's sleeves were stained with a light yellow, as if he had washed off dirt.
Upon closer inspection, she could see small cuts between Hwaryun's fingers, as if he had dug with his bare hands.
"Is it still hot with the ice?"
"No, it's cool! It's really cool. It's so good. But, um, Ryeon, are you really not going to learn martial arts?"
"Out of the blue?"
Hwaryun stopped fanning and looked at her. Ryeon quickly nodded.
"I haven't memorized all the characters yet, right? They said I need to memorize all the characters before I can learn anything."
Ryeon snatched the fan from Hwaryun's hand and fanned him, trying to send a gentle flow of energy.
"Don't lie. You've already memorized them all."
But the boy pouted and shrugged. 'No, I haven't memorized them yet.'
Ryeon, about to press Hwaryun further, gave up.
Even if he's not interested in martial arts right now, he might become interested by watching others learn.
Especially since he's around the same age as Danmubee, he might change his mind by watching what the other kids are doing.
'And at this age, interests come and go.'
If he realizes he has a talent, he might find it interesting. If he still isn't interested...
'It might be a good thing, even if it's a bit of a waste.'
If he doesn't develop an interest, it means that in the future she saw, Hwaryun was forced to do something he really didn't want to do.
It would be a good thing if he could avoid doing something he hates so much.
"Then, what are you going to do with martial arts? Become the best in the world?"
Hwaryun, taking the fan back, fanned Ryeon and asked.
Ryeon, who had been pondering what to teach Hwaryun to benefit his future, was taken aback.
Hwaryun blinked, waiting for her answer. Ryeon shook her head.
"No."
"No?"
"Can you just become the best in the world because you want to?"
"Why can't you just do it? If you become the strongest in the martial world, you'll be the best."
"Um... Well, that's true, but..."
Is this the capacity of the former leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Ryeon, surprised, slowly narrowed her eyes and smiled as if comforting a child.
"It's not that simple."
"Then, why learn martial arts? To create the best family in the world?"
"...Why do you like being the best so much?"
Hwaryun blinked his large eyes and stared at her.
His face seemed to say that nothing else had any meaning unless you were the best.
'Is this the right time for character education?'
Ryeon clenched her fist and spoke carefully.
"Hwaryun, of course, it's great to become strong by working hard, but you don't have to be the best. I just want to live happily and for a long time with everyone."
"What if someone takes it away?"
"That's why... I'll work hard to be strong enough to protect my surroundings..."
"What if the best in the world tries to take it?"
Is he a kid? Competing to see who is stronger is exactly what kids his age do.
Ryeon smiled and gently stroked Hwaryun's cheek.
"Then I'll ask my friends for help."
"You don't have any friends."
"...What do you mean, I don't have any friends?"
"I've never seen them."
"I'll have them in the future. And you are my friend."
Hwaryun's expression was both amusing and sly, hard to read.
"Weren't we supposed to be like siblings?"
"Well, yes. Siblings help each other more..."
"Even though I don't know martial arts?"
"It's not related to knowing martial arts."
"How can I help if I don't know martial arts?"
"Just being there for me is helping! It gives me strength."
"But I said I'm not learning martial arts."
"That's what I'm saying, it's not related."
Just by being alive and together, you give me strength. Ryeon said each word carefully.
But Hwaryun's eyes, looking at such Ryeon, became hazy. They seemed wistful.
As if he were looking at a naive child trying to scoop the moon out of a pond, or a child praying to the Moon Goddess.
"Ry, Ryeon?"
"Sigh..."
"Why! Why do you have that expression?"
"No, it's nothing."
Hwaryun shook his head. It was a rather adult-like gesture.
* * *
One morning, as the cicadas' chirping faded and the leaves fell, and the sweet fragrance of the golden osmanthus bloomed around Ryeon's quarters, she finally got up after much deliberation.
It was just after dawn, and the estate was completely quiet.
She quietly opened the door, and there was no one around. Her nanny was probably preparing her breakfast.
Jung Young, the warrior guarding Ryeon's quarters, looked a bit surprised and stared at her. Ryeon put her finger to her lips and said, "Shh."
"Miss... Where are you going? Your nanny hasn't come yet."
Jung Young, looking down at Ryeon and fidgeting, took off his vest.
It wasn't a particularly good vest, but he couldn't go into the young lady's room to get a coat, and he couldn't tell her to go in or not.
Ryeon smoothed out the vest, which reached her legs. She didn't really need it because she wasn't cold, but she didn't refuse his gesture and held out her hand. Jung Young looked bewildered.
"Excuse me?"
"Your hand."
"Oh! Yes!"
"I want to go to Jaejeong Hall."
"Um, now, to Jaejeong Hall, you say?"
Ryeon nodded and gently shook the hand she held, leading the way.
Jung Young, unsure of what to do, looked back at the quarters and followed her, holding her hand.
Not knowing how to deal with a child, Jung Young stumbled, but Ryeon didn't think he was clumsy.
The characters that floated up on the sleeve she had casually smoothed out proved it.
Name: Jung Young
Traits: Honesty / Perseverance / Going all the way / Tenacity
Twelve Swords of Falling City: 5 stars
Infinite Treasure: 3 stars
Flowing Star Formation: 3 stars
Talent and Five Elements: Mid-High
Concern: The reason Danmuleon woke up in the morning
Help: Believe in your perseverance and tenacity. Sometimes they can surpass innate talent.
The calloused hand he held was firm, and his eyes were clear even in the early morning.
A glance down showed that even as he walked slowly, he was practicing his footwork. He was someone who didn't slack off in training.
'How did someone like this end up guarding my quarters?'
Shouldn't someone like this be training hard to secure a position among the elite of the Danmu family, the Eighteen Flowing Stars?
'Could he have lost in some internal politics...? No, that's impossible.'
The family's situation was in such a decline that there couldn't be any power struggles.
'Is there anything I can help with?'
Ryeon secretly activated her Inner Vision. Star-like fragments floated above her eyes.
At the same time, Ryeon realized what the story she saw when she first met Hwaryun was about.
Inner Vision 4 stars is the ability to see flaws, and Harmony 4 stars is the ability to resolve disharmony. The fact that they can complement each other means...
'Seeing the flaws and finding a way to eliminate them!'
The problem with Jung Young's footwork and the trajectory of his steps became visible as she followed his footsteps.