Chapter 556: Like the Sun, Like the Wind

TL: FoodieMonster007

The night air was clear and cold.

Bi Sayin and Han Seol walked together through the inner garden of the Thousand Flower Palace.

For her, this walk was yet another surprise. When she left the Ice Palace, who could have imagined she would be taking a moonlit stroll alone with the Evil Alliance Young Alliance Chairman?

"Watch your step there."

Parts of the Thousand Flower Palace were destroyed from last night's battle. Bi Sayin felt inwardly sorry for asking her to take a walk in such a place, especially when she had been enjoying her drink. He had suggested it so thoughtlessly, afraid she might ask him to dance.

"I'm sorry if I startled you."

At Bi Sayin's apology, Han Seol shook her head.

"No, it's alright. I really wanted to get some fresh air. I drank more than my limit."

Her face was also flushed red from the alcohol.

The two of them paused their steps for a moment. The Faceless Warriors on a nearby roof tactfully moved away. The Cold Ice Dual Swords also stood at a distance, not wanting to disturb them.

"The moon is so bright tonight."

At her words, Bi Sayin also looked up at the night sky. The moon and stars harmonized tonight, beautifully embroidering the sky, as if to make one wonder when such a terrible darkness had ever covered the world.

A brief, awkward silence passed between them.

Bi Sayin wanted to make a good impression on her. He wanted to be cool and avoid misspeaking. Perhaps because that desire was a burden, the words just would not come out.

I have to act comfortable! Naturally.

The more he thought that, the more his heart pounded. This was the first time he had experienced something like this.

Han Seol was the one who spoke first.

"When I received the Young Cult Leader's letter asking to meet here, I was honestly surprised. I never thought you'd really invite me to a gathering with your friends."

If he were close to her, Bi Sayin would have said this. He's a friend whose joy in life is surprising people.

"He's a friend who always keeps his word."

"Our palace received a great deal of help from the Young Cult Leader last time. If it weren't for the Young Cult Leader's invitation, my mother wouldn't have allowed me to come to the Central Plains."

Although she said it was because he helped the Ice Palace, she could feel that what had moved her mother's heart even more was how he had thawed the frozen relationship between them.

While Han Seol was briefly thinking of the Ice Empress, Bi Sayin was sneaking glances at her.

To his eyes, she was so beautiful. Objectively speaking, Lee Ahn was far more beautiful, and Jin Haryong was more beautiful as well.

However, looking at them was just a simple acknowledgment of their beauty. But when he looked at Han Seol, his heart fluttered. This was the first time he truly felt that one could fall in love at first sight.

However, that did not mean he could just confess to her.

No, he could confess. But what then?

He was destined to lead the Evil Alliance, and she would have to return to the North Sea Ice Palace. The Ice Empress would never permit such a relationship, and the Evil Alliance Chairman would surely disapprove as well.

Right, this is no time to be distracted by a woman.

His head thought that, but his gaze kept turning to her.

"Shall we go over there?"

She looked at the path leading toward the rear garden.

"Let's."

The two of them made their way to the rear garden.

As they walked, Bi Sayin failed to spark any interesting conversation. In the end, he admitted it honestly.

"I'm sorry. I'm not much of a talker."

"It's okay. I'm the same way."

Bi Sayin was curious. She had said her ideal type was a dependable and quiet man, but he could not tell if she had said it just to tease Geom Mugeuk or if she was being sincere.

Walking on in silence, the two stopped in front of a place where part of a wall had collapsed.

"What kind of villain would destroy this beautiful wall?"

At her regretful words, Bi Sayin flinched and confessed.

"Me."

"Pardon?"

"I destroyed it while fighting here."

She had said it to break the awkward silence, but it just had to be the spot Bi Sayin had destroyed.

Han Seol looked at the collapsed wall again and commented.

"It seems like a good place to put a gate."

Bi Sayin laughed at her words. Han Seol laughed along with him.

At the sight of her smiling, Bi Sayin turned his head away without realizing it. It was a feeling as bright as looking at fresh snow, and he could not face her directly.

In any case, thanks to that, the awkwardness faded.

"Oh, I was invited to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."

Bi Sayin nodded calmly. He figured they would not just let her go after inviting the Princess of the Ice Palace.

"It'll be fun if you go."

Honestly, he wanted to go with her. The words, 'I'll go with you!' were right at the tip of his tongue. If he just blurted them out, it might lead to a series of jokes, just as it would with Geom Mugeuk.

In the meantime, the two of them had circled the Thousand Flower Palace building.

Ah, already!

Bi Sayin was filled with regret. He had not said a single proper thing. Yet he could not bring himself to suggest another lap of their awkward walk.

"I had a good time."

"I enjoyed it too."

Han Seol started walking back to the building where the drinking party was still going on.

"Young Lady Han."

"……"

Bi Sayin hesitated for a moment before mustering his courage to speak.

"I'll try wearing a martial arts uniform in a warmer color sometimes."

Sensing the tremble in Bi Sayin's voice, a slight smile touched Han Seol's lips.

"It will suit you well."

As she was about to turn away, she added.

"Oh, and I'm going to the Divine Cult to see Unnie."

She went inside the building.

Bi Sayin stood there blankly for a moment, then looked up at the roof and called out.

"Alright, stop spying and come out."

At that, Geom Mugeuk and Jin Hagun, who had been hiding on the roof, revealed themselves.

The two of them sat side-by-side on the edge of the roof.

"Looks like we won't have to worry about the Evil Alliance in the future. The man who's going to be Chairman is that clueless. Ugh, I almost died from frustration."

Bi Sayin ignored Geom Mugeuk and spoke to Jin Hagun.

"I expect this from him, but why are you doing this too?"

Jin Hagun gave an awkward laugh. Geom Mugeuk had dragged him out to eavesdrop on their conversation, but had he really been forced? To be honest, he had come along because he thought it would be fun.

Geom Mugeuk answered on his behalf.

"Our Commander Jin needs to enjoy a little deviation now and then. How can he live as a righteous hero every single day?"

"This doesn't look like a deviation, it looks like a model disciple being corrupted by a bad friend."

"You're so good with words now? Why weren't you like this earlier!"

Geom Mugeuk showed him the bottle of liquor he had brought.

"Come on, get up here! I'll teach you about women! What is a woman?"

"No thanks. I don't want a lecture like that from someone who doesn't even know where his own heart is."

Bi Sayin leaped up and sat with them on the edge of the eaves.

As if his insides were burning, he gulped down the liquor straight from the bottle before finally letting out a long sigh.

His heart was still pounding. No, it was racing even more now than when he was with her. What would she think of this walk? Had he ruined everything by needlessly asking her out?

Geom Mugeuk said to Bi Sayin.

"'I like you.' Were those words so difficult?"

"And then what?"

Would this Geom Mugeuk have a plan? Could he give him an answer?

This time, Geom Mugeuk drank from the bottle.

"You worry about that when it happens. There's no need to wear a rain cloak today just because you're worried it might rain tomorrow, right?"

Jin Hagun smiled faintly, and Bi Sayin took the liquor bottle from Geom Mugeuk and drank.

"Easy for you to say when it's not your problem."

"That's why you should listen to those words. To those easily spoken words."

Bi Sayin's hand, which was bringing the bottle to his lips, paused. When he looked at Geom Mugeuk with an expression that asked what he meant, Geom Mugeuk answered.

"Because your mind is too complicated right now."

He was right. All sorts of worries had surfaced in his mind.

The paused bottle tilted again. He felt that he too did not know what the right thing to do was.

"Don't worry. The red string between you two hasn't been broken yet. I connected it with the Heavenly Silk."

Just then, the first rooster crowed in the distance, and the light of dawn began to dimly illuminate the world.

"This night is passing too."

The three of them felt a sense of regret. They knew that when the day broke, they would have to go their separate ways again.

If they could follow their hearts, they would have wanted to hang out for days on end, but that was not possible. They were all important and busy people. And above all, the Thousand Flower Palace needed to be repaired.

"Ah! I want to hang out more! I want to keep hanging out!"

Geom Mugeuk's shout, echoing the hearts of them all, cut through the dawn air.

The next morning, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman served them a final meal.

Everyone had drunk too much last night, and the hangover soup she had carefully prepared was delicious.

After the meal, they made their regretful farewells.

It was not just the three friends who were regretful, their subordinate martial artists were as well. They knew that such an opportunity would not come often in their lives. They even thought that a moment when they had to point their swords at each other might come sooner.

Geom Mugeuk said to Jin Hagun and Bi Sayin.

"From now on, if you're in danger, call me without hesitation. Got it? Not calling because it's dangerous isn't friendship."

At Geom Mugeuk's words, Bi Sayin threw out a parting joke.

"If another dreadful bastard like the one we fought shows up, I'll be sure to call you."

Geom Mugeuk flinched and took a slight step back.

"In that case, you can call Commander Jin first."

After saying goodbye to his two friends, Bi Sayin also politely expressed his gratitude to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. Thanks to them standing guard the day before, he had been able to catch up with his subordinates.

And for him today, the most regretful farewell was with Han Seol. Of course, he did not show it on the outside at all.

"I hope you have a good time seeing the Central Plains and return safely."

"Thank you. Young Chairman, please take care of yourself as well."

Bi Sayin, who was about to turn away, blurted out.

"You're welcome to stop by our alliance on your way back. There are quite a few places with good scenery nearby. If you let me know when you're in the area, I'll come out to meet you."

After spitting out the words quickly, he turned away. He had said the words he had been debating whether to say or not without even realizing it.

Ah, I've done it now.

Having turned away, he caught his breath. And in front of so many people, too.

Trying not to reveal his fluster, he strode away without even hearing her reply. His pace was so fast that even the Thirteen Evil Wolves were flustered as they hurried to follow him.

Then, Han Seol's voice came from behind him.

"I will."

For a moment, Bi Sayin stopped walking and looked back at her. Han Seol smiled and said.

"I'll stop by on my way back."

Bi Sayin was so happy he had to force himself to keep his face from lighting up, but Han Seol could read his emotions in his expression.

"Then I'll see you then."

And with that, Bi Sayin left with the Thirteen Evil Wolves.

Geom Mugeuk forcibly restrained the urge to send him a telepathic message to tease him. He wanted him to fully feel this happiness.

Instead, he sent a telepathic message to Jin Hagun.

[He's actually a playboy, don't you think he's fooling us?]

Jin Hagun laughed at the telepathic message. From his perspective, all three of them were far from being playboys.

Geom Mugeuk also said his farewells to Jin Hagun.

"I'll be expecting good news."

Jin Hagun knew what these words meant. They referred to the news of him officially becoming the successor. Indeed, he too wanted to deliver that news to Geom Mugeuk and Bi Sayin.

"Even if it's bad news, I won't have any regrets."

The person watching the two say their farewells in silence was Jin Haryong.

She also felt a sense of regret. She would have liked to go to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult with Han Seol, but she could not. Her pride was hurt by the feeling that she was just needlessly lingering around Geom Mugeuk.

Just then, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, who had been standing apart, approached her.

"Miss Jin."

"Ah, Pavilion Master. Thank you for your kind words yesterday."

"I also had a good time for the first in a while."

While they talked at length the previous night, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman had somewhat sensed her feelings for Geom Mugeuk. Or rather, Jin Haryong had used her drunkenness as an excuse to deliberately reveal her emotions. She had wanted to confess her feelings to someone, not a person close to her, but someone she might see once and never again.

After exchanging greetings, the two women stood side-by-side, watching Geom Mugeuk and Jin Hagun talk.

Then, something suddenly surged up within Jin Haryong's heart. At this moment of parting, she blurted out words she had not even said at the drinking party.

"Until now, I've always been the main character. The granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Lord, the First Beauty of Hubei, wherever I went, I was always at the center. When I talked, people would listen and look only at me. It's still that way. However…"

She could not continue for a moment, then added with a sigh.

"Throughout the drinking party yesterday, I felt like I had become a supporting character hovering around the protagonist."

These were words she could never say to anyone else. Yet, with the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, her inner thoughts came out with strange ease. She had felt it since the day before, a strange sense of trust that the woman inspired.

After a brief pause, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman asked.

"What do you think when you see the Young Cult Leader? Does he seem like a protagonist?"

"That man is always the protagonist."

"Is he, really?"

"Pardon?"

Having finished his farewells with Jin Hagun, Geom Mugeuk was talking with each of the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists. He was bantering with them, saying that the Lord of the Demon Slaying Brigade had become so cool lately that it was burdensome.

In that moment, Jin Haryong understood what the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman meant by her words.

Ah, now that I think about it, that man is always trying to make other people the protagonist.

Come to think of it, it was the same when he first met her. He was Seo Daeryong's attendant.

"He seems like the sun, but I think the Young Cult Leader is a person like the wind."

Suddenly, the image of Geom Mugeuk drinking alone surfaced in Jin Haryong's mind. She did not know why such an image had come to her.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman looked at Jin Haryong.

"If Miss Jin chooses a journey with the wind, it will be very difficult in the future. However, it won't be because of a pretty heart, nor because of your different statuses. It will be because the wind cannot be caught in one's hand."

With trembling eyes, Jin Haryong stared silently at the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman. Her words became a signpost for her complicated heart, which had been unable to find its direction.

"Can I come visit again next time? By myself, then."

"Anytime."

Jin Haryong bowed her head politely to express her gratitude to her.

Then she said loudly to Jin Hagun.

"Orabeoni, this farewell is too long! Let's go."

And she also spoke spiritedly to Geom Mugeuk.

"Take good care of Young Lady Han!"

She also bid a loud farewell to Han Seol.

"Young Lady Han, not all men from the Central Plains are that talkative. Please don't misunderstand!"

And so, Jin Hagun, Jin Haryong, and the Demon Slaying Brigade also left the Thousand Flower Palace.

And now, the last farewell of the day.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and the Faceless Warriors said they would remain at the Thousand Flower Palace.

"Please return first. I will stay at the Thousand Flower Palace a little longer before I go back."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon would stay behind to rebuild the destroyed buildings of the Thousand Flower Palace and set up his own defenses to prevent such an incident from happening again.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon returned the cleanly washed Top-Quality Heavenly Silk. Geom Mugeuk spoke as he wrapped it around the hilt of the Black Demon Sword.

"We survived this battle as well."

Then, a low, sincere voice flowed from the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

"It was an honor to be able to fight alongside you."

Geom Mugeuk also conveyed his sincere feelings to him.

"I was able to survive thanks to you, the Smiling Demon."

Geom Mugeuk bowed politely with the respect due to a Demon Supreme.

"Then, I will see you at our Cult."

At that, the Faceless Warriors lined up behind the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon also bowed in unison with the respect due to the Young Cult Leader.

The eyes behind their masks were smiling. They were gazes full of goodwill. The Faceless Warriors could not be excluded from the gains made in this incident.

Having said farewell to everyone, Geom Mugeuk turned to Han Seol.

"Well now, shall we go and taste the spiciest, most stimulating, and most perilous flavor in the Central Plains?"