Tang Yeo-eun – 1
Two days later, I once again left the Thirteen Dragon Cavalry on leave.
This time, I was going together with Lady Tang Yeo-eun.
Of course, because of appearances, we couldn't leave the Thirteen as a pair.
So, early in the morning, Lady Tang departed first, and about half a shichen later, I too slipped away from the frontlines.
Not long after, we met on the outskirts of Yunnan Province, and for the first time, it truly sank in—we were going on a journey, just the two of us.
"Lady Tang!"
Calling her name warmly, I landed beside her—only to realize that there was no one else around.
Just the two of us, in the depths of the forest.
Huh?
As I glanced around in a fluster, my throat bobbed involuntarily.
Gulp!
And suddenly, a wave of awkwardness swept over me.
What the—? Why am I acting like this, all of a sudden?
I was unsettled.
I couldn't think of a single thing to say.
My mind had gone completely blank.
And when I looked at her, I realized this wasn't just my problem.
She too couldn't quite meet my eyes, her uneasy gaze darting here and there.
The awkwardness was overwhelming.
I felt like I had to say something—anything—but nothing came to mind.
So, racking my brain desperately, I finally managed to squeeze out a line.
"Uh… Lady Tang, did I… keep you waiting long?"
She quickly waved her hands and replied.
"No, not at all! You came much earlier than I expected."
"Ah, good."
And then, silence fell again.
The brain that had never lost its sharpness in the tensest moments felt like solid stone right now.
After a while fumbling for words, I finally broke the stalemate.
"Shall we… get going then?"
"Ah, yes. Let's."
And so, our journey together began.
An awkward beginning, to say the least.
***
Even after riding for quite a while, we hardly spoke.
Or rather—it wasn't that we didn't talk, but that we couldn't.
Every now and then, our eyes met, only for both of us to look away in a fluster. And every time, I couldn't think of what to say, so I just kept silent and rode on.
It felt strange.
Why am I like this? I've never even been this awkward with Lady Na lately… could it be?
The thought crossed my mind that maybe my feelings for Lady Tang had deepened.
But I quickly shook my head.
I hadn't even sorted out my feelings for Lady Na yet—what kind of scum would I be if I gave my heart to another woman already?
I didn't want to think of myself as that worthless.
No… it must just be because this is my first time traveling alone with a woman in both lifetimes. That's all.
Yes—that had to be it.
By noon, my stomach was growling. A simple meal sounded like a good idea.
"Lady Tang, would you like to stop and eat something first?"
"Hm? Ah—yes, that sounds good."
Conveniently, a fairly wide stream was flowing nearby.
I figured we could catch some fish and roast them.
So I asked her,
"Lady Tang, if I catch the fish, could you make a fire?"
"Eh? A f-fire?"
Her expression turned awkward at my request.
I tilted my head and asked, just in case.
"Could it be… you don't know how to make one?"
Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head.
"Ah… sorry. I've never done it before…."
And suddenly, it struck me—before she was the Thirteenth's squad leader, she was the treasured daughter of the Tang Clan.
Even in the Thirteen, she would have always eaten in the mess hall. Of course she'd never had to light her own campfire.
I nodded and offered a compromise.
"Then I'll build the fire. Could you catch the fish instead?"
This time, she brightened and nodded confidently.
"Yes, I can do that!"
But as I gathered dry leaves to start the fire, I noticed her pulling a small porcelain vial from her pack.
Wait… a porcelain vial? Don't tell me…?
"Uh… Lady Tang!"
"Yes?"
"How exactly are you planning to catch those fish?"
She beamed.
"Oh, this is Hakjeonghong. Just one drop in the water will kill every fish within ten feet. I was going to use this."
Of course.
Suppressing a grimace, I asked,
"And… are we supposed to eat the fish killed by that poison?"
"Eh? Well…."
"Uh…."
The look on her face said it all. No need for an answer.
In the end, I asked her to gather dry sticks and leaves while I caught the fish myself.
Which wasn't difficult at all—after all, I was now a supreme expert.
I leapt high above the stream.
"Hyup!"
Below me, fish darted through the clear waters.
My eyes gleamed as I struck like lightning.
The Seventh Stroke of the Sailsword Technique.
Black Heaven Sword Rain.
Shu-shu-shu-shuk!
Sword-qi poured down like a storm of light upon the stream, targeting every fish of decent size within range.
Swaaash!
Moments later, the fish, pierced through by sword-qi, flailed briefly before floating up to the surface.
Exactly eleven.
I then asked Lady Tang, who had gathered leaves and branches, to skewer them, while I prepared the fire.
That too was simple—after all, I was a supreme master.
Where once I might have needed firesteel or tinder, now I had no need.
I gathered some dry leaves, channeled only my yang qi into them, and raised the heat.
Then, with the fingers of my other hand, I rubbed them rapidly.
And then—
Whoosh!
The leaves burst into flame.
"Woooow!"
Lady Tang gasped, eyes sparkling with wonder.
She was clearly impressed.
I shrugged, trying to look casual, and said with a smile,
"It's nothing. Anyone can do it, once they know the trick."
Of course, I omitted the part about "after reaching the supreme realm." But it wasn't a lie—Lady Tang herself, being a high-level expert, could manage it easily.
Soon, fish skewers were roasting over the campfire, the smell rich in the air.
Sssizzle!
Watching them cook, Lady Tang asked carefully,
"Where did you learn all this? You seem so experienced."
With a faint, wry smile, I answered.
"Mostly from Captain Seol Pung. He told me he lived in the mountains for a long time before joining the Thirteen."
"Ah, I see."
It was true.
Though, in fact, I had learned it not in this life, but in the last.
A Moment by the Campfire
In my previous life, the last few years on the frontlines had been utterly different from now.
By then, far too many comrades had already died, and the number and caliber of the demons attacking us had grown so great that we could no longer stay in our lodgings.
Instead, like assassins or hunters, we spent most of our days wandering the forests, fighting to survive.
If you dared lie back and rest in the barracks, you'd only end up as dog food for the marauding demons.
Those were truly grueling, hopeless days.
Every single day, I had to accustom myself to the deaths of comrades. There was no sign of improvement, no hint of hope.
Only hatred and the thirst for vengeance kept me going.
And perhaps… this life might not prove so different.
If things dragged on until the Blood Demon appeared again, the same misery would repeat.
That was why, no matter what, I had to bring the Blood Sect down within the next five years.
It was then that Lady Tang's voice broke my thoughts.
"Are they ready yet?"
Startled, I turned to the fire. The fish were nearly done.
"Ah—yes. The smaller ones should be fine to eat now."
Her eyes lit up as she picked up a skewer with a small fish and carefully brought it to her lips.
The childlike sparkle in her eyes as she gazed at the fish, the way her lips worked gently as she chewed—it was unbearably endearing.
Smiling faintly, I asked,
"How does it taste?"
She beamed.
"It's delicious!"
At once, I recalled her demeanor from yesterday—cold and sharp as a winter gale before the squad.
She had seemed as if she might be the daughter of the North Sea Ice Palace Lord himself.
And now… compared to that, her current appearance seemed even cuter.
Watching her eat so happily warmed my chest, and I too raised a fish to my mouth.
But the moment I bit in, my face twisted.
What? This is so bland!
The fish had no flavor at all.
Only then did I realize I'd forgotten to sprinkle salt.
I had it with me, but had entirely overlooked it.
Freshwater fish without salt… it was like chewing plain water.
Yet Lady Tang was savoring it as if it were exquisite. I couldn't help but marvel.
Perhaps she truly liked bland food?
Still, I asked her,
"Uh… Lady Tang?"
"Yes?"
"Don't you think it's a bit bland? I forgot to add salt. Should we keep eating it like this?"
"…Eh?"
That told me all I needed to know.
Once I sprinkled salt, her pace doubled, devouring the fish with gusto.
Watching her eat so happily filled me with both guilt and fondness.
"You should've said something if it was bland. You were eating so well I thought it really was delicious."
She shook her head with a smile.
"No, it really was good before too. I think I just enjoyed… everything."
I chuckled and asked,
"What's so enjoyable? It's nothing but fish roasted over a campfire."
Her answer was a soft laugh.
"Just being here with you, Seonu Gongja…."
But the words froze on her lips, and she stiffened like stone.
I too, listening without thinking, went still.
What? She likes being with me?
Had I misheard?
"…What?"
"Eh?"
"…."
We both blinked in mutual shock.
Then, her face burning red, she blurted hastily,
"I mean—what I meant was! When I'm with you, I don't have to pretend to be perfect. I can just… let myself be, without acting strong. That's what I like."
"Ah? Oh, that's what you meant?"
"Yes, yes! That's what I meant!"
She nodded vigorously, and I thought—yes, that made sense.
Her usual cold, imposing façade must not be easy to maintain.
I let out a breath of relief at the thought that I had nearly misunderstood her.
I need to be careful. I almost got the wrong idea there.
Looking at her still-flushed face, I asked,
"Is pretending like that really so hard for you?"
She flinched, thought for a moment, and gave a faint, bitter smile.
"I suppose… it feels like I'm deceiving everyone. The real me is weak, insignificant. But I put on this act of being flawless, being strong. If they ever saw the truth, they'd only feel betrayed."
Her words carried deep sorrow—clearly, these were feelings that had been building for a long time.
"Lady Tang…."
I was about to say something when voices rang out in the distance.
"There! Catch him!"
"Don't let him get away!"
The shouts were faint, but to ears like ours, honed at the supreme level, they were as clear as day.
At once, Lady Tang and I exchanged a glance.
She asked,
"What should we do?"
We were far past the frontline now, between Yunnan and Sichuan. Odds were, this had nothing to do with us.
But I stamped out the fire at once and answered.
"Let's take a look first."
If it truly had nothing to do with us, we could walk away.
But to ignore it without even checking—what if someone died unjustly?
That went against the teaching of Sword Saint Hae Un-baek, who had raised me to uphold righteousness.
So we raced through the trees, swift as shadows, toward the noise.
Soon, we saw it.
A young man surrounded by a ring of armed warriors.
"It's over, Do Mun-seung!"
"Did you really think you could escape from us?!"
So the encircled man's name was Do Mun-seung.
He looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties, his features grave and upright. Judging by their words, he knew his pursuers well.
He asked them bitterly,
"Won Wang, U Po. Do you truly mean to kill me?"
A large man among them sneered.
"Hah! You're the one who defied the Assembly's command. Don't ask us why you must die!"
"And then you even tried to run? And now you expect mercy?!"
The man called Do Mun-seung looked anguished.
"But you know as well as I that if I went, it would endanger the future of my sect, the Yeongnam Sword Sect! How could I enter the Assembly knowing that? And now, because I didn't, you sentence me to death outright? How can that be just?!"
He seemed to have a genuine grievance.
But his protest only drew more scornful laughter.
"So your sect is in trouble, so you break the rules? Isn't that just selfishness? You broke the sacred laws that have defended Sichuan against the Six Demon Halls for generations! Your execution as an example is only fitting!"
"Enough words! Seize him!"
"Yes!"
The warriors advanced, menace in their eyes.
Do Mun-seung gripped his sword hilt with grim resolve, while the big man barked again,
"Capture him alive if possible. But if he resists—cut off an arm if you must!"
"Yes!"
Steel rang as the warriors drew their blades.
Clang! Chang!
The air was thick with killing intent.
At that moment, Lady Tang's voice brushed my mind.
— Seonu Gongja, what should we do?
We didn't yet know the full situation, so it was hard to judge.
But I answered at once.
— Let's step out. Their reaction to our presence will tell us more.
And with that, Lady Tang and I leapt down into their midst.
Thud!
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