Thinking about it, it was the natural sequence.

If I was picking people to go to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Cheon Hyein being included was mandatory.

Not just anyone—one of the SEVEN PRODIGIES produced by BLUE MOON SECT.

With BLUE MOON SECT’s nature, she’d earned the title of SEVEN PRODIGIES without ever once competing at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

That meant she really did have that level of talent, and there wasn’t some famous line inside BLUE MOON SECT for nothing.

“The greatest talent since the Sword Saint.”

The strongest under heaven, Sword Saint Yoo Cheongil.

Since he was born from BLUE MOON SECT, she was the one everyone rated highest.

So of course I wanted to take her to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

“...So you’re taking me.”

“Yes. Come with us.”

“...Ha.”

Cheon Hyein let out a small laugh when she heard me.

“You really came back after one month and that’s what you came to say to me?”

“There’s nothing I can’t say.”

I was acting pretty shameless, but I was also reading the room.

It’d been exactly a month.

A month since I beat her half to death while she was in a state where I wouldn’t remember her—and then immediately met her again.

Thinking about that, I checked Cheon Hyein. Thankfully, it didn’t look like she’d been left with scars. She looked fine.

“Haa...”

Cheon Hyein lowered the sword she’d been holding and stared at me.

Cold sweat was running down her cheeks.

Because she’d been in the middle of training when I showed up.

Wiping her sweat with the back of her hand, Cheon Hyein looked at me again.

Those blue eyes like Moon-Thread Sword’s stood out.

“After the way we ended last time, it’s impressive you came just to say that.”

“What’s impressive about it. I didn’t do anything wrong. It was a spar, that’s all.”

“You turned someone into a bloody lump.”

“Well... that...”

I gave an awkward smile.

“Sorry. I didn’t control it very well.”

It wasn’t even something I did, so it was unfair as hell, but there was no point arguing it.

Besides—

“You don’t look like you care much, so just let it go.”

Cheon Hyein didn’t look like she cared that much.

“......”

The instant she heard that, Cheon Hyein’s expression changed.

Not into some sulky pout—she went blank in a heartbeat.

“Boring.”

Her voice was icy.

I laughed when I heard it.

Now this felt familiar.

“You know you made my position awkward?”

“I know. That’s why it’s good for me.”

Because of the result of our spar, Cheon Hyein’s standing wobbled a little.

She’d been known as a genius who would shake history, and that alone had secured her position in the sect.

There was no one who could replace her right away.

Even later, when they talked about choosing a Young Lord, she was being mentioned as one of the strongest candidates—

But she lost to me.

Cheon Hyein lost to me.

And it wasn’t even close.

Right after that happened, plenty of talk must’ve gone around the sect.

I wouldn’t know since I was in seclusion, but it had to be loud.

And now I had to go as the representative to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering—then I came to tell her to come with me.

Of course it would piss her off.

“You knew all that, and you still came to talk to me...? What’s your intention?”

“I don’t have an intention. I’m just using the most efficient method.”

“Taking me?”

“Yes. There isn’t a better way. Even you can see that, can’t you, young lady?”

“Even if that’s true, coming to say it is another matter.”

“If you don’t want to, don’t. I’ll go find someone else.”

If she truly said no, I wasn’t going to drag her. I just needed a decision so I could move on fast.

“......”

Cheon Hyein stared at me with a blank face.

Every time I saw her, I felt it. She was really cold.

A different chill than Murong Yeongsun.

A face that looked just like Moon-Thread Sword’s—just staring at you without smiling was enough to make you shrink.

“I really don’t get it.”

Cheon Hyein walked toward me, voice flat.

“No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t feel like I should’ve lost.”

Her eyes swept me up and down.

“Why did I lose?”

“Why do you think. You lost because you’re weak.”

“......”

She looked like she couldn’t accept it, so I made it clear.

It wasn’t the real answer, but I didn’t care.

“You talk too damn much. You lost because you’re weak as hell—what is there to ‘get’?”

“...Ha...”

Something rose from Cheon Hyein when she heard that.

It was creepy. A numb, stabbing presence coiled around my throat for a moment.

“You’ve got a mouth on you.”

I was a little intimidated, but I didn’t show it.

“A mouth on me? That’s a weird word.”

I lifted the corner of my mouth at her.

“That’s not something the weak get to say to the strong, is it?”

KIIIGIK.

Maybe I hit a nerve, because her presence grew heavier.

Seeing that, I hesitated.

Do I put my hand on the hilt?

Even just moving might provoke her, and I didn’t have much faith in what would happen after that.

So I held back.

“Hmm.”

Cheon Hyein made a small sound—

Ssssss.

—and killed the presence she’d been letting rise.

“...You’re right.”

She nodded like she truly accepted it. Did she, really? Could be a lie, but I didn’t care right now.

Fuck, she’s scary.

I was nervous. I’d sparred her once—I knew how strong she was. If I hadn’t been possessed, I probably couldn’t have won.

Would it really be different now?

Even after seclusion... would it? It’d only been a month.

Didn’t Yoo Cheongil tell me? Not to get arrogant over one month.

Something might’ve changed, sure—but it wouldn’t be some extreme gap.

I had to keep reminding myself.

“Dragon-Phoenix Gathering...”

Cheon Hyein frowned like she was thinking.

Then, after a short pause—

“I’ll go.”

Her answer came out surprisingly clean.

“You will?”

“Yes. You said to go.”

“...Huh...”

I did tell her to go, but I didn’t expect her to agree that easily.

“If you come, I’ll be the representative—not you. And we’ll have to be very clear about how we act toward the Martial Alliance. Are you still fine with {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} that?”

“That bothers me, but it can’t be helped.”

I stayed quiet, and Cheon Hyein muttered.

“I wanted to go anyway. This time... it feels like that ‘monster’ might show up too... And besides that, it’s kind of annoying to have to pay attention to you as well.”

Whip.

She spun the wooden sword once and tucked it at her waist.

“It looks fun, so I’ll go. But.”

“But?”

“I have two conditions.”

Conditions? I frowned.

There was no need to accept conditions just to take her.

I was about to say exactly that—

“One is, later, you spar me one more time.”

Cheon Hyein kept talking before I could.

“I don’t want to just let it go like that. And second.”

I listened.

“The last person you’re bringing. Let me choose.”

“...Huh?”

That was unexpected.

*****

Three days passed like that.

It was the day Moon-Thread Sword said we’d depart for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

And on the day of departure, people gathered in front of the carriage.

“Is everyone here?”

I asked as I looked at the people who’d arrived.

At my words, they reacted.

Including me, there were five of us.

The members were me, Do Hyeong—the first person I went to—and Cheon Hyein.

And then—

“...I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to go.”

It was Cheon Eujin.

He spoke while looking at everyone with eyes tight with tension.

Yeah. The fourth member was Cheon Eujin.

For the record, he wasn’t someone I picked.

I wasn’t thinking about Cheon Eujin.

I didn’t plan to take him. Cheon Eujin was definitely talented, first-rate material, sure, but—

If you ask whether he belongs as a representative...

With Do Hyeong and Cheon Hyein being SMALL MOON UNIT, taking Cheon Eujin—just a second-generation disciple—wasn’t exactly balanced.

But Cheon Eujin was on the list.

What’s she thinking?

Because the one who suggested him was none other than Cheon Hyein.

It was her condition for accepting my offer.

That she’d choose the last member.

And the one she chose was Cheon Eujin.

Why?

I knew their relationship was a wreck. So why would she make “bring Cheon Eujin” her condition?

It was suspicious, but I accepted it.

Cheon Eujin isn’t a bad pick, either.

There might’ve been someone better, but even so, Cheon Eujin was fine.

He was manageable, and he was someone I could trust—more or less.

If I’m being honest, the first part is the real reason.

Compared to Cheon Hyein—strong but annoying—

Cheon Eujin, who listened and was soft, was better for me.

That was why I accepted her condition, too.

“It’s fine. The Sect Master approved it as well.”

I told Cheon Eujin, who looked uneasy.

“...The Sect Master too?”

“Yes.”

Of course, I’d already gotten permission from Moon-Thread Sword.

The moment I finalized the lineup, I went and told him, and he just nodded with that expressionless face of his.

And then it was departure day.

Waiting by the carriage with my arms crossed, I felt eyes on me.

It looked like BLUE MOON SECT’s warriors were all staring this way.

BLUE MOON SECT was attending the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering for the first time in years.

Since the Martial Alliance banned it, it had never happened even once.

Divine Spear had used authority to force an approval through.

So we could join the festival.

Of course people were going to watch.

I kept my eyes on the carriage, forcing myself to ignore everyone’s stares.

Then—

“Seems about time for you to board...!”

The coachman, Chudong.

No—Sword Emperor Ui Yangyeon spoke to me.

...I have to travel with this guy again?

For some reason, the one-armed Sword Emperor was still hiding his identity and playing coachman.

Looks like he’d be our coachman again.

My stomach’s going to be wrecked again.

I could already see how tense I’d be the whole time I was in that carriage.

What had it been like coming from Sichuan to Henan? I barely slept at all.

This time too...

Just imagining myself suffering the whole way, watching Sword Emperor’s face, made my chest feel tight.

“Young Lord? Are you alright?”

“...Ah, yes. I’m fine, sir. I just got a little dizzy.”

“Oh dear... A young man like you...”

“...Everyone else, get on first.”

At my words, everyone boarded one by one. Maybe because of the event, maybe because of the number of people, they’d prepared a pretty high-class carriage.

Then one more person passed in front of me—

“...But...”

The young man stopped and spoke to me.

“...Am I going too?”

A young man with a brutal face.

Poison King Tang Gyeongak’s son—Poison Dragon Tang Cheon-il.

He looked at me with a bizarre expression.

“Why am I...?”

BLUE MOON SECT attending the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and a Tang Clan blood relative riding in that carriage.

It was strange as hell, but—

“What, you were going to stay here alone? If you’re taking lessons, you have to come.”

“......”

For Myriad-Flowers Rain, if he was going to learn it, Tang Cheon-il had to follow me no matter what.

“We missed a whole month, so we’ve got to pick up the pace this time.”

“That’s because you went into seclusion—”

“What?”

“...Nothing.”

Tang Cheon-il climbed into the carriage with a face full of resentment.

Even I could tell it was a weird situation, but what could I do.

Poison King will understand.

Probably.

Nodding to myself like I believed that, I looked around.

Toward the direction of the quarters where Moon-Thread Sword would be.

He’s not coming out?

Even if his disciples and his people were leaving for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Moon-Thread Sword didn’t show.

I’d heard the message in advance. He had his own schedule, so we should depart on our own.

He did look busy, but still.

Wouldn’t he normally come out to see us off?

I thought about it, then—

Whatever.

If he doesn’t come, he doesn’t come.

With that thought, I boarded the carriage too.

“May I depart?”

“Yes. Please.”

I answered Chudong.

Then Chudong clicked his tongue and whipped the horse.

HIIIIIIGH—!!!

The horse screamed, and the carriage began to move.

...I’m going out again.

I stared out the window, swallowing my sigh.

I’d barely arrived from Sichuan, and I was leaving again.

And of all things, the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?

Something I never thought I’d be involved with.

A place I assumed only noble houses and famous sects—

or ridiculous people—ever attended.

And I was going as the representative.

Life really was something you couldn’t predict.

...So please. Let it end without some huge incident.

I prayed and prayed for it to pass without anything happening.

But—

*****

As always—

“Draw your sword, Little Sword Saint! I need to taste how great you are!”

My luck was dogshit.

Damn it.