Chapter 409

Her once snow-white skin was now tanned a copper hue, and her once delicate hands had become rough from hard work. Despite this, she was a beautiful woman whose noble grace remained unchanged.

Pyo Wol knew the woman’s identity.

“Yong Seol Lan!”

“It’s been a while.”

The woman who acknowledged Pyo Wol was none other than Yong Seol Lan, a former disciple of the Emei Sect.

After the fall of the Emei Sect, she had vanished without a trace, only to be found living in a remote village far from Sichuan Province.

Her once splendid attire was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she wore shabby clothes fit for a peasant, and in her hand, she held a hoe used for tilling fields.

He had thought she looked good holding a sword, but her current appearance didn’t feel out of place at all.

This was not a look one could achieve after just a day or two.

He didn’t know how long she had been here, but she must have fully adapted to this life for such an aura to have settled into her.

“Hmph!”

“W-We’re saved.”

When Yong Seol Lan appeared, the villagers hastily backed away.

A frown formed on the forehead of the Ghost King, whose eyes and ears were covered.

It was because the aura he had been emitting was blocked by Yong Seol Lan.

Yong Seol Lan spoke to the Ghost King.

“Please calm your anger. The villagers have been so tormented by bandits that their nerves are on edge.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Yong Seol Lan.”

“A disciple of the Emei Sect?”

“How did you know?”

Yong Seol Lan’s eyes widened.

Living buried away here, she had completely let go of her martial arts.

Although she had circulated her internal energy to block the Ghost King’s aura, it wasn’t something outwardly visible. Yet, her opponent had correctly identified her sect of origin.

This was not something an ordinary person could do.

The Ghost King bared his teeth and smiled.

“You reek of the Emei Sect.”

“Can you tell by smell?”

“The martial arts of the Buddhist sects have a unique scent. Among them, distinguishing the scent of the Emei Sect is not so difficult.”

At the Ghost King’s reply, Yong Seol Lan furrowed her brow.

A sense of wonder arose within her.

The Ghost King, who looked to be barely fifteen or sixteen, spoke like an old man who had seen and experienced everything, which made her suspicious. But the aura emanating from him was real.

It was not something that could be faked with a mere bluff.

Yong Seol Lan’s gaze turned to Pyo Wol.

She was demanding an explanation.

Pyo Wol said.

“He is the Ghost King.”

“The Ghost King?”

Yong Seol Lan’s face was colored with shock.

No matter how much she had put down her sword to live in seclusion in this slash-and-burn village, she hadn’t lost the knowledge she had acquired over the years.

‘The Ghost King looks that young?’

He was the one at the very top of the Eight Constellations.

Even if he was an existence that defied common sense, it was not easy to accept such a young boy as the Ghost King.

But these were the words of Pyo Wol, of all people.

Yong Seol Lan knew better than anyone that he was not a man who would lie or speak nonsense.

Yong Seol Lan spoke to the villagers who were watching cautiously.

“Everyone, please go back.”

“But…”

“I’ll let them sleep at my house. I promise you that no harm will come to any of you.”

“If you say so…”

At Yong Seol Lan’s assurance, the village chief looked at the villagers.

“Everyone, go back. They are Miss Yong’s guests, so don’t worry about it…”

“Understood.”

“Ahem!”

The villagers scattered and returned to their homes.

They still felt uneasy, but they trusted and followed Yong Seol Lan’s words.

Their attitude showed the kind of status Yong Seol Lan held in this village.

Once all the villagers had dispersed, Yong Seol Lan spoke to Pyo Wol and the Ghost King.

“It’s humble, but I’ll show you to my place.”

“Did you come here right after leaving the Emei Sect?”

“I wandered through many places. I was looking for a place unrelated to the Jianghu and eventually ended up here.”

“You look well.”

“Do I?”

Yong Seol Lan gave a slight smile.

Except for her sun-tanned skin and rough hands, she was as beautiful as ever.

Pyo Wol thought that Yong Seol Lan’s atmosphere had changed.

Her sharp aura from before was gone, replaced by a much gentler one.

Yong Seol Lan’s house was located in the innermost part of the slash-and-burn village.

Around the wooden thatched hut, a meticulously cultivated field was spread out.

Yong Seol Lan said.

“These are things I planted and grew myself. The harvest is not far off.”

“Did you trade your sword for a hoe?”

“Yes! I feel more at ease this way. The thought that I no longer have to harm people seems to have made my heart more generous, too.”

Yong Seol Lan was very satisfied with her life here.

Coming here had been a sheer coincidence.

Until then, her heart had been full of anguish.

The guilt of not being able to prevent the downfall of her martial sect had constantly tormented her.

Fortunately, after settling here, that anguish disappeared.

At first, the villagers were wary of her.

Nowhere in the world would people welcome a woman who arrived with a sword.

The people here were no different.

But as they watched her put down her sword and devote herself to farming, they gradually opened their hearts.

The decisive moment came when a large tiger descended from the mountain.

She caught the house-sized tiger that had come down to eat people without much effort.

After this incident, the villagers came to think of Yong Seol Lan as a goddess.

The villagers’ attitude was sometimes burdensome, but she was able to naturally blend in as a member of the village.

Yong Seol Lan led the two men into the thatched hut.

The inside of the thatched hut was quite cozy.

On the floor, the hide of the tiger she had caught was laid out as a rug, and a bed was placed against one wall.

Yong Seol Lan said.

“You two can sleep on that tiger hide.”

“Thank you!”

“I’m sorry I can’t offer you the bed. That’s where I sleep…”

“This is more than enough.”

Just then, the Ghost King spoke.

“I will rest here.”

The place he pointed to was the most remote corner of the thatched hut. It was a bare floor without even a proper mat, but the Ghost King seemed to like it.

Without waiting for Yong Seol Lan’s reply, the Ghost King crouched down in the corner. Then he covered his ears again, which he had briefly uncovered.

Yong Seol Lan said to Pyo Wol.

“He’s a peculiar person.”

“He’s different from ordinary people.”

“As different as you, Great Hero Pyo.”

“Is that so?”

“From my perspective, there’s no difference between the Ghost King and you, Great Hero Pyo. You both thoroughly deny the common sense of the world.”

Pyo Wol nodded at Yong Seol Lan’s words.

There was some truth to what she said.

An awkward atmosphere briefly hung between the two.

It was Yong Seol Lan who broke the silence first.

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet!”

“Then please wait a moment. I’ll prepare something right away.”

“There’s no need.”

“I just need to add two more bowls of rice to my side dishes. Please wait a moment.”

Ignoring Pyo Wol’s refusal, Yong Seol Lan began to prepare a meal.

Her skill in cooking rice and making side dishes was proficient.

Pyo Wol did not know Yong Seol Lan well.

He only knew that she was a disciple of the Emei Sect, but he knew nothing about the life she had lived or the experiences she had.

Still, he could only guess that, given her very high status in the Emei Sect, she would not have done such menial chores.

Her master and the Sect Master of the Emei Sect, Elder Nun Guhwa, was not the type of person to stand by and watch her disciple do menial work.

Because of that, Yong Seol Lan had never once done this kind of work while at the Emei Sect. Yet now, she was skillfully cooking rice and making side dishes.

Her skill in making even flower-shaped pastries in an instant did not seem like something she had only done for a day or two. It meant she had become completely accustomed to this life.

The faint smile on her lips made her look very happy.

Yong Seol Lan placed the rice, side dishes, and pastries she had made on the table and called the two men.

“Let’s eat now.”

At her words, Pyo Wol gently tapped the Ghost King’s shoulder. The Ghost King then removed the cloth that had been covering his eyes and ears for a moment and stood up.

He sat at the table as if it were the most natural thing to do.

The three of them sat down and ate.

The Ghost King ate his food at a very fast pace, while Pyo Wol ate slowly as usual.

Yong Seol Lan was somewhere in between.

As she moved her chopsticks diligently, Yong Seol Lan alternated her gaze between Pyo Wol and the Ghost King.

They were a truly mismatched combination.

She didn’t know why these two were moving together, but the mere fact that they were together made the atmosphere feel unusual.

The Ghost King, perhaps sensing Yong Seol Lan’s gaze, looked at her.

“What is it, woman?”

“Are you really the Great Hero Ghost King?”

“It is true that people call me the Ghost King.”

“I see.”

With those words, the conversation between the two ended.

The Ghost King devoured his share of the food in one go and stood up.

As he covered his eyes and ears with the cloth again, he said.

“You two seem to have a lot to talk about, so don’t mind me.”

The Ghost King went to his corner and blocked his senses again.

He had completely cut himself off from external stimuli.

Thus, the Ghost King sank into a world of his own.

Only he himself could know what he was thinking or what dreams he was dreaming.

Yong Seol Lan looked at Pyo Wol.

“You haven’t changed.”

“What hasn’t?”

“You’re still beautiful, and you still seem like you’re not of this world.”

“You look much better.”

“It was hard at first. I don’t know if you know, but I had never lived this kind of life before. So I made a lot of mistakes. But I’m much more used to it now.”

“It seems so.”

“Great Hero Pyo, why did you come here? You’re not the type to leisurely travel around.”

“I was asked a favor.”

“A favor?”

“To find the place the Ghost King wants to go.”

“It must be related to him covering his eyes and ears.”

Yong Seol Lan’s gaze turned to the Ghost King.

There must be some reason why he had covered his eyes and ears like that.

She was curious about his circumstances, but she had a premonition that she shouldn’t ask any further.

Before Pyo Wol and the Ghost King appeared, her life had been peaceful.

Although she had revealed her divine power against the tiger, it had allowed her to live with the respect of the villagers.

She was very satisfied with her current life and did not want to break the peace she was enjoying.

But if she asked Pyo Wol for the detailed circumstances or got involved, she felt that her glass-like, fragile peace would shatter.

“Hoo!”

Yong Seol Lan let out a soft sigh and put down her chopsticks.

She went to the window and opened it.

When the window opened, the entire village came into view at a glance.

It was a small village of just over ten households.

At night, all the lanterns would be extinguished, and a pitch-black darkness would descend, making it feel desolate with not a single person out and about.

At first, she was not used to such a scene.

The Emei Sect, where she had grown up all her life, was a sect where the lights never went out.

Somewhere in the pavilions, a light was always on, and lanterns and torches were lit everywhere, so it was not dangerous at all to walk around at night.

The Emei Sect itself was larger and more splendid than most villages.

To her, who had spent her entire life in such a place, this place was like an unknown world.

Now she was so used to it that she couldn’t even imagine leaving.

The peace of mind she had found with such difficulty was beginning to waver from the moment Pyo Wol appeared.

She thought her connection with Pyo Wol had ended back then, but she had never dreamed she would see him again like this.

Pyo Wol, whether he knew of Yong Seol Lan’s complicated feelings or not, was silently eating his meal.

The way he ate his food little by little even looked reverent.

He looked just like a general before a great battle.

‘Surely a storm of blood won’t blow all the way here, will it?’

“Haa!”

It was a night full of anguish.