Chapter 89: Myeong Family Merchant Group
“I knew Martial Uncle Mujin would be coming too!”
“Uh... yeah. But Myeongjeon, why are you here?”
Myeongjeon shrugged as though it were obvious.
“Why else? I'm going to Mount Hua with you.”
“...You too?”
I couldn't help tilting my head.
It was true that Myeongjeon had achieved good results in the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.
But honestly...
I hadn't expected him to be included in Mount Hua's formal invitation party.
While I was thinking about it...
the door to the Sect Leader's Palace opened and someone else entered.
Hyeongwon.
He gave the Sect Leader a martial salute, then glanced at me.
“Hmph. Of course you're here too.”
He looked somehow displeased.
Then his gaze moved toward Myeongjeon.
“Huh? Myeongjeon... you're going too?”
Apparently, he found it just as unexpected as I did.
Myeongjeon merely smiled at his reaction.
“It's an honor to travel to Mount Hua with both Martial Uncles!”
Once again, he responded with his usual ease.
Then Sect Leader Cheon Gwangcheon's laughter rang out.
“Haha. This truly is a pleasant sight.”
His gaze moved across me, Hyeongwon, and Myeongjeon in turn.
“Seeing all the rising stars who will show Mount Hua the prestige of Kunlun gathered together like this makes me quite pleased.”
At his words, Myeongjeon's eyes lit up.
Hyeongwon lifted his chin as if it were only natural.
I kept a calm expression on the outside...
but somewhere inside, I felt strangely tense.
The Sect Leader continued.
“I thought for quite some time about who would be best to send for this friendly exchange Mount Hua proposed.”
He stroked his chin.
“No matter how much I considered it...”
“I couldn't think of anyone more suitable than those of you who competed in the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.”
His voice remained calm.
“After all, isn't Mount Hua's sudden invitation most likely because of what you showed at the tournament?”
He was probably right.
Kunlun and Mount Hua normally had little direct contact.
And yet Mount Hua had suddenly sent a suspiciously cordial letter suggesting a friendly exchange.
No matter how much I thought about it...
the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament was the only obvious reason.
More precisely...
the strongest possibility was that the invitation had something to do with Kunlun's Young Hero.
With me.
The Sect Leader's gaze shifted toward Jin Gwangung.
“But we obviously can't send you youngsters alone.”
“That's why I've decided First Elder Gwangung will accompany you.”
Jin Gwangung grumbled.
“It's a nuisance, but since it's the Sect Leader's decision, I'll follow.”
Watching the two of them...
I thought,
Looks like they already agreed on the story beforehand.
Mount Hua had specifically requested that I and Jin Gwangung be included in the visiting party.
But neither the Sect Leader nor Jin Gwangung mentioned that detail.
I could guess why.
There'd be no benefit in letting everyone know.
In my case, maybe it wouldn't matter much.
But if people found out Mount Hua had specifically asked for Jin Gwangung as well...
all sorts of unnecessary speculation and rumors might start spreading.
Then Jin Gwangung tilted his head and asked Cheon Gwangcheon,
“But what about Yu Seola? Why isn't she here?”
I'd been wondering the same thing.
If even Myeongjeon was coming...
then Yu Seola should naturally have been included too.
The Sect Leader answered immediately.
“Elder Yu Gwangcheol made a separate request.”
“He wants to give Seola more time to train.”
“Training?”
Jin Gwangung's eyebrow twitched.
The Sect Leader quietly nodded.
“Elder Gwangcheol was the one who spoke to me, but I suspect the request originally came from Seola herself.”
He continued,
“Her loss to Lee Munjeong at the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament seems to have affected her deeply.”
“It appears she wants to devote herself more fully to her sword.”
I understood immediately.
Since returning to Kunlun...
I'd barely seen Yu Seola.
She had shut herself away.
From what I'd heard, she was training almost as though she had entered closed-door seclusion.
Yu Seola was proud.
And she possessed just as much pride in her swordsmanship.
Yet her sword had been broken down far too easily by Lee Munjeong.
I could imagine how crushing that defeat must have felt to her.
Jin Gwangung shrugged.
“Well, fewer brats for me to babysit makes things easier, so I don't care.”
He looked toward us.
“So I just need to take these brats to Mount Hua?”
The Sect Leader smiled and shook his head.
“No.”
“There's somewhere we need you to stop before reaching Mount Hua.”
Jin Gwangung frowned.
“Somewhere else?”
“You're saying we have another place to visit besides Mount Hua?”
At that moment...
Myeongjeon's expression happened to enter my field of view.
His previously bright expression had darkened ever so slightly.
...What's with him?
The Sect Leader continued.
“You may have heard already, but a report recently came from the infirmary.”
Jin Gwangung frowned.
“A report?”
“They're running low on medicinal supplies.”
Jin Gwangung's voice immediately rose.
“What? How does that happen?”
Kunlun was a sect that trained Taoists.
But in the end...
it was still a place where people practiced martial arts.
And when disciples trained martial arts against one another...
injuries were inevitable.
That was why major sects always maintained generous reserves of medicinal herbs and treatment supplies.
If that supply chain faltered...
it wasn't much different from the sect's breathing being constricted.
The Sect Leader sighed.
“You know the merchant group that normally supplies our medicinal herbs.”
Jin Gwangung answered immediately.
“The Myeong Family Merchant Group?”
“That's right.”
The Sect Leader's voice lowered.
“Since last month, their deliveries suddenly stopped.”
He continued,
“If it were merely a delay, the merchant group would have contacted us.”
“But nearly a month has passed...”
