I’ll Help, Hyung. (2)

Yu Seol continued training alone at the Training Ground.

She sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, meditating for half a day.

At some point, the Dragon Flower Spear placed before her began to tremble.

Rattle-rattle! Rattle-rattle-rattle!

Its thrashing, as if possessed by a soul, was extremely strange.

As if sprouted wings, the spear rose from the ground with a whoosh.

At the same time, its blade vibrated nonstop, emitting an uncanny cry.

Wooooom-!

The spear tip turning midair resembled a snake’s head stalking prey.

The Dragon Flower Spear then coiled and slowly circled around Yu Seol.

It was the sublime skill known as the peak of martial arts: the Spear Control Technique, manipulating weapons freely in midair using qi.

The spear that had been spinning around widened its radius and accelerated.

Ssshhhrrrreeeek-!

A grotesque sound tore through the wind.

Gale-force winds whipped up, forming a vortex around Yu Seol.

The spear, which had been moving like a phantom blade, suddenly changed course.

The spear tip shot skyward endlessly, like a dragon ascending.

The Dragon Flower Spear shot up hundreds of spans and vanished from sight.

When the noise subsided and the surroundings fell silent.

The spear reappeared beneath the clouds and spun down at tremendous speed.

Whiiiirrrr-!!

It descended with the force of a thunderbolt.

It stopped abruptly, impossibly, right in front of the seated Yu Seol.

Then, as if swayed by the breeze, it began to dance again.

Its movements grew slower and, after a moment, it lost force and fell to the ground.

At that moment, Yu Seol’s previously closed eyes opened for the first time.

“Phew, that was tough.”

Her complexion looked poor.

It was inevitable; she had forced the draining Spear Control Technique beyond her limits.

But an emptied dantian could simply be replenished.

Not long after she began circulating her qi, a smile formed at Yu Seol’s lips—she was imagining fighting the leader of the Murim Alliance.

‘Just a little more training and I’ll be able to face him.’

That was why she had thrown herself into mastering the Air Spear Technique.

There were no schemes or tricks.

No matter who stood opposite her, she would crush them with strength—this was Yu Seol’s sense of justice.

Though impatient, she firmly believed that once she became proficient in the technique, her grandfather would arrange a duel.

Because the Air Spear Technique manipulates weapons with qi, it exacted tremendous mental toll.

Yet Yu Seol repeatedly trained and circulated her qi without seeming to tire.

Her innate persistence and tenacity were unmatched—even Yu Jinsan was surprised every time.

How much time had passed? Her training continued for days.

A normal person would have gone mad before exhaustion overtook them.

“…I’m hungry.”

She only stopped training when hunger struck her.

Yu Seol rose after days, clutching her lower stomach and looking around.

Gradually, a sour expression crept across her face.

“He’s still not back. Without telling me anything.”

Her grandfather, who’d said he would visit the Defeating Blade Clan for a while, still hadn’t returned.

It felt like days had passed; this had never happened before.

Was he late again because he was drinking with Uncle Baek Gyu like last time? A sudden wave of loneliness rose.

Yu Seol, clutching her hungry stomach, headed to the kitchen.

She opened the pots, but they were, as expected, empty.

Nothing to eat at home? The emotions she’d held back exploded.

Standing by the kitchen, Yu Seol pondered with a gloomy look.

Though she enjoyed cooking, she preferred making food for others and rarely ate her own dishes.

She was wondering whether to go to the market.

Her tearful face began to brighten—she sensed footsteps approaching the place.

Moments later, a voice came from the entrance of the estate.

“A-are you there?”

A tense, strained voice.

From the qi flow she sensed, there were five people.

She dashed to the entrance and saw familiar figures.

Bowled politely with hands clasped, they were the five warriors she’d seen at the market.

“Misters, what brings you to our home?”

As she spoke, Yu Seol glanced at their hands—each carried a bundle of something.

And a delicious aroma teased her nose.

Her gloomy mood suddenly lifted.

“We said we’d visit before. If we’ve been rude, we apologize.”

She was already nearly dazed by the smell of food.

Yu Seol guided them inside without hesitation.

“Come in.”

Perhaps seeing the Yin Monster’s smile relaxed them; the five warriors followed with lighter steps.

They arrived at the pavilion beside the hall—the usual place where Yu Seol and her grandfather ate snacks.

“It’s nothing much, just our small token—hope you like it.”

Yu Seol, glancing around, instinctively picked out and untied the bundles with food.

Exotic mooncakes, expensive fruits, and all kinds of snacks filled the bundles.

She bit into a pink-tinted mooncake and floral fragrance filled her mouth.

“What is this?”

“It’s a mooncake made with edible flowers. Does it suit your taste?”

“Wow~ I’ve never had anything like this. It’s so good!”

After stuffing the mooncake into her mouth, Yu Seol grabbed other foods.

She couldn’t regain her senses from the new tastes.

The five warriors beamed and vied to flatter her.

“That is tortoise meat dried with special spices into jerky. A delicacy eaten only in the imperial court.”

“This is Golden Snow Tea, only available in the Western Bazaar. It’s sweet and should suit your palate.”

Yu Seol took the bamboo cup they handed her and gulped it down.

Smooth down the throat and a bright aroma—clearly an exquisite drink she’d never tasted before.

Feeling pleased, Yu Seol magnanimously asked.

“But what do you want from me?”

There was something excessive for a simple gift.

They’d brought such costly items; surely they had a request.

But the Five warriors all waved their hands at once, as if on cue.

“Want something? Not at all.”

“We only came to pay our respects to the Great Warrior.”

The Five Warriors were respected warriors locally, but compared to the Yin Monster’s renown, they were far inferior.

Perhaps they sought connections in the martial world; it made sense.

Yu Seol squinted and studied their expressions.

It seemed they had no impure intentions.

“But our family’s principle is to return what we receive.”

Instead of explaining, Yu Seol brushed off her seat and stood.

“Wait here a moment.”

The Five warriors, puzzled, waited for the Yin Monster.

She didn’t take long to return.

About half an hour later.

Yu Seol strode back holding five roots of ginseng in her hand.

“Misters, have you ever seen something like this?”

The Five warriors couldn’t possibly know.

They were Spiritual items cultivated from seeds created through an underground ritual.

She had quickly gone and dug up five roots.

“I’ve never seen ginseng so perfectly human-shaped.”

“What is this?”

Yu Seol handed one to each of them with a knowing smile.

“This is Jinsan Ginseng. Try one each—it’s a Spiritual Elixir that enhances inner power.”

Jinsan Ginseng didn’t exist in the world—it was a name she coined after her grandfather’s name.

Hearing the term Spiritual item, the five Evil faction members were at a loss.

“A-Spiritual Item?”

“Why would you bestow such a rare thing upon us?”

Yu Seol gestured as if granting them a favor—‘eat quickly.’

“It’s fine—eat, and tell me if it’s not enough. There’s plenty.”

She had been cultivating them in large quantities in the backyard, so there were plenty.

But unaware of that, they hesitated to take it.

Even if herbs vary in potency, something called a Spiritual item would be a tremendous treasure.

They couldn’t be sure if they should accept such a precious thing so readily.

The eldest of the Five warriors, Cheon Woo-hwan, asked, moved.

“R-really, can we eat this?”

“Why? Are you afraid I’ve given you poison?”

He knew there was no such intention.

If the Yin Monster intended harm, why bother with such a bothersome method?

Moved, Cheon Woo-hwan’s eyes welled with tears as he bowed deeply in thanks.

“N-no, of course not. We’ll gratefully eat it!”

He finished speaking and stuffed the Jinsan Ginseng into his mouth at once.

After the crisp sound of chewing echoed briefly from his mouth.

Tears suddenly began to stream from his eyes.

He began to wail, even covering his mouth.

“Kkuh-heok!”

“Why are you crying? Does it taste bad?”

“Ah, no… Krrrgh.”

His eyes were half-rolled back as he answered.

Seeing that, the other people were moved and took the Jinsan Ginseng.

The remaining four reacted much the same as Cheon Woo-hwan.

“…Kkeuuuk.”

“Uhhhhhgh!”

As their sobbing continued.

Yu Seol moved among them, breathing into their dantians to circulate qi and maximize the item’s effects.

After a short while, the Geuksal Five began to calm down one by one.

Yu Seol asked with an expectant expression.

“Well? Does it work?”

Cheon Woo-hwan wiped his tear-and-snot-streaked face with his sleeve and answered.

“Yes. My internal qi has certainly increased. Thank you, Great Warrior.”

Yu Seol, pleased, slyly asked.

“See? Want to try another root?”

He waved his hands frantically, his face pale.

“Ah, no! It’s too much for us…”

Perhaps as expected, Yu Seol suppressed a laugh and said:

“Then it can’t be helped. But hey, gentlemen, I’m curious about something.”

“Please ask, Great Warrior. If we know, we’ll answer.”

Without hesitation, Yu Seol bluntly asked what she wanted to know.

“Do you know where the Alliance leader is?”

Taken aback by the sudden question about the leader, the Five Warriors tilted their heads.

“Le-leader?”

“Y-you mean the Murim Alliance leader we know?”

Yu Seol smiled and nodded.

“Exactly. When my grandfather returns later, shall we go catch her together?”

At the Yin Monster’s words, everyone’s mouths dropped open.

Who was the Murim Alliance leader? She was the top warrior of the Justice Faction and the supreme power of the murim world—an almost godlike figure.

To speak of taking down such a being like beating a neighborhood dog—no matter how great the Yin Monster, it sounded insane.

“W-we don’t know where the Murim Alliance leader is either.”

“Sorry we can’t be of help, Great Hero.”

Although it was likely she was at Bhutan, pretending ignorance was the wiser course.

If they got tangled up wrongly, not even ten necks would be enough.

“Sigh.”

Yu Seol crossed her arms and sighed, clearly disappointed.

Perhaps bothered by her look, Cheon Woo-hwan hesitated briefly and asked cautiously.

“Instead, how about dealing with some other guys? I know a place full of vipers.”

Yu Seol responded indifferently, as if uninterested.

“No. Sounds boring.”

“But if you hear the details, you might change your mind.”

“Where is it?”

Cheon Woo-hwan leaned close and whispered something into Yu Seol’s ear in a low voice.

After speaking, he asked with a solemn expression.

“What do you think? If it’s alright, we’ll guide you.”