Black Mountain Blade’s Queen Bee (1)

Half a year had passed without any significant events.

People couldn’t help but speculate about the Wudang Sect’s continued silence.

Had their plan been successful? Or had something more pressing arisen that forced them to postpone their agenda? He couldn’t discern the reason at that moment.

“Eat it.”

Yu Jinsan was now holding a spoon in front of his granddaughter’s mouth.

The child kept her lips firmly closed and wore a sullen expression.

“Do you know how tasty this carrot porridge is? Just take one bite.”

“Seol, eat the carrot.”

It was truly perplexing. To ensure the child’s growth, she needed to eat.

Yu Jinsan pondered for a moment and devised a strategy.

“Alright, then don’t eat.”

As he closed the door and left, Yu Seol looked around in confusion. As expected, the door opened after half an hour.

Drrr!

“Seol’s favorite porridge! Meat!”

Yu Seol’s face lit up, and she waved her hands excitedly at the mention of meat.

“Meat! Ice! Ey!”

Her mouth, which had been tightly shut just a moment ago, was now wide open.

“That’s right! Eat well! It’s tasty, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Dasdy!”

Yu Jinsan cheerfully stirred the spoon with a satisfied smile.

‘Whether it’s mushroom or meat, once they’re digested, they’re all the same. Everything in the world depends on perspective.’

He had simply added one finely chopped mushroom to the carrot porridge.

There were only a few chickens left since Yu Seol had been eating them regularly. Part of him wanted to let her eat meat every day, but he needed to conserve.

‘I suppose I should gather some more mushrooms.’

His granddaughter’s meal was almost finished.

Clatter!

The sound of ceramic dishes that he had set up at the border indicated someone’s arrival.

The noise originated from the direction of the Black Mountain Blades’ base.

‘I told them not to visit without permission.’

Because he needed to concentrate on his training, he didn’t permit them to visit. This was due to his need to cultivate his qi and transform his body.

As Yu Jinsan left the place, Yu Seol followed him.

“Right, since you’ve eaten your fill, you need to digest it. Come with Grandpa.”

He slowly moved with his granddaughter towards the source of the sound. The boundary, marked by a strong rope, was about 20 feet away, so it wasn’t too far.

Yu Jinsan arrived there a while later, and the sight seemed absurd.

“Grandpa, hello?”

It was Hyun Hee, the second-class disciple of the Wudang Sect.

It was surprising that she was still with the bandits, but her appearance had changed even more.

She wore leopard skin clothes, and six bandits stood behind her as if they were her escorts.

“It’s been a while. But these clothes…”

Hyun Hee flashed a bright smile and extended her right palm to her shoulder.

“Bring that over.”

“Yes, Commander!”

Yu Jinsan, who looked bewildered, had his mouth open. The second-class disciple of the Wudang Sect was now commanding the bandits? This was something he couldn’t have imagined.

Hyun Hee shrugged her shoulders and held out a small bundle.

“We caught this wild boar yesterday. So, I brought some meat over, and a rabbit too.”

At that moment, Yu Seol raised both hands above her head and shouted.

“Meat!”

The child motioned for the people to quickly hand her the meat.

“Pretty child, it’s been a long time, right? But it’s too heavy and dangerous for you to lift.”

At first glance, it seemed like an impossible weight for the child to lift. However, Yu Jinsan nodded as if it was fine.

“Hand it over before she starts crying.”

Confused, Hyun Hee handed the bundle to the child. She still tried to support the weight in case the child would fall, but it was unnecessary.

Wasn’t the child carrying this bag, which was bigger than her body?

And she grabbed Hyun Hee’s legs and rubbed her face against them.

“She ice~” ^[TL/N: She’s nice.]

“No, what should I do if you act like this?”

How was she supposed to know? The child had absorbed the internal qi pill of the Blue Wolf and undergone a Body Reformation. Yu Seol already possessed much more internal qi than Hyun Hee.

“Hehe. There’s nothing to worry about. But surely you didn’t come here just to give me this. Tell me what tasks you have.”

Hyun Hee squatted down and stroked the child’s head.

“Grandpa, you haven’t heard the news, have you? Kangho is pretty upset right now.”

What news could he hear when he had chosen to isolate himself from the world? Still, he couldn’t help but be curious about what was happening in Kangho.

Yu Jinsan was intrigued by this.

“Hurry up and tell me what it is.”

“You’ve heard of the Sword Queen, right?”

“Even if martial arts practitioners don’t know the Emperor, they can’t help but know her. How could one not know the best warriors in the world?”

“They say that she is holding this ‘Wash Hands in Golden Basin’ ceremony in the Baekyang County in 10 days!”

This simply meant that she was retiring and officially withdrawing herself from any involvement in Kangho.

It had to be announced in the Murim Alliance at least 50 days prior, and if the ceremony was conducted successfully, it meant that one would be free from all obligations to Murim. This was an unspoken rule of powerful sects, handed down from ancient times.

However, that was also the time when enemies would seek final revenge, and not many people succeeded.

“I heard that the person isn’t so old. Then why are they retiring already…?”

“No one knows the reason. She is famous for being an eccentric one.”

“But isn’t the Baekyang County like half a day’s trip from here?”

Hyun Hee’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him.

“Yes. Which is why I am going to go there and look. Grandpa, let’s go together.”

The Sword Queen was a neutral figure in the land since she didn’t side with any sect.

She possessed the finest martial arts skills in the world and was renowned for never killing an opponent. She merely knocked them unconscious. This brought more shame to the warriors than death would have.

There was also a past anecdote where all the warriors that the Murim Alliance painstakingly trained were turned into fools.

“If you want to live long, don’t venture outside. Just stay put. Wouldn’t you be in trouble if you encountered the disciples of Wudang?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. This is because individual disputes are not allowed during the retirement ceremony. The moment someone draws their sword in the Baekyang County, they become ill seekers.”

“That doesn’t reassure me at all. How many old men do you see in Kangho carrying a child on their back?”

Hyun Hee smiled brightly and asked, as if she anticipated this response,

“Why do you think I came here to meet Grandpa and make this request?”

After some thought, Yu Jinsan sighed and chuckled.

“You need a disguise too. As a child’s mother.”

Hyun Hee picked up Yu Seol, and she also smiled as if she enjoyed being held by this woman.

“Please come with me, Grandpa. We can go together like a family, right? We can watch from a distance.”

Yu Jinsan was genuinely concerned.

Even if that wasn’t the case, he had planned to go down to buy clothes and household items for Yu Seol.

Above all, if it was the retirement of the Sword Queen, the key elders of the Murim Alliance would attend. It was a great opportunity to see who might be his enemies.

Moreover, with so many people coming over, perhaps he would be lucky enough to find some clues.

‘Disguise as a family…’

It made a lot of sense. And it was while he was considering the risks that Hyun Hee pleaded with a charming voice.

“Let’s go together, Father~. I will take you there. Uh?”

Seeing her change her appearance made him laugh. She seemed to have fully adapted to life among the bandits.

“Seriously, when did you become my daughter?”

“You said I looked like your youngest daughter-in-law?”

“That is true, but not entirely. Instead, I have some conditions.”

Hyun Hee’s face brightened up. Her smile was so pure that even Yu Jinsan felt a warmth inside.

“Really? I will agree to anything!”

“If I think it’s even the slightest bit dangerous, I will back away, right then.”

“Of course. I am telling you, there is nothing to worry about.”

It had already been decades since he retired from Kangho. Therefore, no one would be able to recognize his face even with a little bit of disguise. There was no danger as long as he didn’t get involved in anything.

But before that, there were facts that had to be confirmed.

“But did you get permission from your leader?”

Hyun Hee spoke confidently.

“I already told you. There is nothing to worry about our leader.”

Yu Jinsan, looking at her expression, chuckled. This was because he could roughly understand the situation.

It was clear that there was something between her and him.

“Then fine. I can finally get some fresh air.”

Hyun Hee smiled and said goodbye, handing over the child.

“Hehe. Thank you! Then, I will come and pick you up a day ahead!”

Hyun Hee and the bandits who followed her began to disappear into the forest.

And Yu Jinsan held Yu Seol’s hand as he turned to his place.

Looking at the position of the sun, it was around mid-morning. It was time to start another boring training session.

Putting the child down on the ground, he picked up the spear from the room.

The most important training was internal training, but physical training could not be neglected.

“Huh.”

Yu Jinsan took a deep breath and moved the handle of the spear according to the rhythm of the Yu family movement.

One step ahead. At the same time, the tip of the spear moved along with the wind and breathed together. Starting with the beautiful curve in the air.

The Yu family’s spear technique was based on softness. It dazzled the opponent’s vision and then returned the force with added power.

Naturally, Yu Jinsan executed it perfectly.

“Hiiaaa~”

As usual, Yu Seol watched him with a bright smile. She seemed interested in observing this martial art.

But today felt different.

Yu Jinsan’s movements in the Sword Dance halted. This was because Yu Seol had descended from her perch and approached him.

“Grapa!”

“…What is it?”

“Seol gib.”

“Uh, what?”

Yu Jinsan was confused and looked around.

It was then that she pointed her tiny finger at the spear.

Yu Jinsan suppressed his smile and asked.

“Do you want this?”

“Uh!”

He thought it was absurd. It seemed like she wanted to emulate him.

However, the Fire Dragon Spear was ten times taller than Yu Seol. How could she wield it?

After some thought, he handed it over very carefully. There was no risk of injury since she had undergone Body Reformation.

“Haha… fine, try it then.”

The child tried to take the spear, but it wasn’t easy. Her fingers were too short, and she couldn’t handle the thick rod.

When things didn’t go as planned, her eyes began to water.

“Uhhh.”

“Don’t cry.”

He tried to comfort her by making eye contact, but it was futile.

“Ehh. Grapa bad!”

How could her grandfather be happy when he saw her crying like this? Yu Jinsan sighed.

And then he noticed something. The bamboo he had cut earlier for farming.

‘Perfect! That would be best.’

Yu Jinsan quickly took the bamboo piece, split it into thin strips, and began to smooth it out.

Yu Seol, who had already stopped crying, watched him in anticipation.

He patted the child with a warm smile.

“Wait a moment. It will be done soon.”

“Grapa nice.”

Yu Seol ran behind her grandfather, buried her face in his back, and smiled brightly.

After half an hour, a decent practice spear was crafted. It was thin, blunt, and resembled more of a bat or a toy.

“Now, it’s done. Let’s try it together.”

Yu Seol, who held this baton-like spear, mimicked him with a serious expression and practiced. This sight amused Yu Jinsan.

Before starting the training, Yu Jinsan began to explain the family’s spear technique to the child.

“Among our family ancestors, there was a legendary warrior known as the Spear Ghost. I haven’t been able to uncover the secret technique that he left behind, but we should feel proud that we were influenced by his techniques.”

Yu Jinsan’s words didn’t even reach her ears.

Yu Seol was too busy imitating his movements, gripping the spear with both hands. Her form was a bit more stable than he had anticipated.

“Yu Family Spear Technique, First Form. Once this starts to happen, no opponent can avoid it. Be careful not to fall.”

After saying that, he stepped forward with his left foot and pulled the spear over his shoulder. At the same time, the movement followed. As she had watched her grandfather practice every day, she seemed to have memorized it.

Of course, her gestures were still clumsy.

After a while, the tip of the Fire Dragon Divine Spear began to slice through the wind, creating a whirlwind.

Paaang!

After finishing, Yu Jinsan looked at his granddaughter. At that moment, his mouth fell open.

“… Uh?”