Several days had passed since Seo Mun-Hwarin joined our group.

Thanks to our steady travel pace, we arrived in Wuhan City well before the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering was set to begin.

However—

“…Hngh.”

For some reason, whenever I got too close to Seo Mun-Hwarin or made direct eye contact, she would avert her gaze and subtly distance herself.

…Did something happen?

Our journey had been uneventful, so I couldn’t think of anything that would make her act this way.

And since she was only subtly avoiding me, asking outright felt unnecessary.

Seo Mun-Hwarin was a woman who carried herself with confidence, a natural result of her immense skill.

The worst I could recall was:

Getting drunk and singing along to one of Seol Lihyang’s favorite songs.

Attempting to cook a meal to celebrate my progress in Thunderous Stride, only to completely ruin the ingredients.

Buying a slightly indecent martial arts novel at a marketplace—because a true martial artist should also understand the world—which ended up messing with my head for days.

But none of those seemed relevant right now.

Still, I supposed it was a good thing that she had warmed up to us before the gathering.

She wasn’t avoiding me completely, just acting a little awkward—meaning that if I spoke to her, she would at least listen.

If we had met after the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering started, I would have had only a short window to convince her before the main event began.

And of course, since Seo Mun-Hwarin was a much stronger martial artist than me, kidnapping her was simply not an option.

“…Hmmm.”

“Why are you nodding to yourself all of a sudden, Cheon Hwi-da?”

“…Mmm.”

I couldn’t exactly tell her that I was deep in thought about how kidnapping wouldn’t work, so I just nodded again.

Seol Lihyang gave me a weird look, like she had just caught a dog nodding at thin air.

But before she could say anything else, Tang Sowol spoke up, making her expression soften.

“Hyang, you don’t understand. Brother Cheon knew there would be a crowd, but now that he’s actually in the middle of it, he feels uncomfortable.”

“Huh? But why? He already knew there would be a lot of people.”

Seol Lihyang blinked in confusion, while Tang Sowol poked my side playfully.

“Well, you see—Brother Cheon has a habit of being wary of anyone who gets too close, unless he completely trusts them. So just walking through a crowd like this must be mentally exhausting for him.”

“…Really, Cheon Hwi-da?”

That was completely wrong.

I was simply naturally aware of anyone entering my space—which was something any cautious martial artist did.

Of course, this ability came from my past-life insights and the fact that my current body had reached Peak Stage.

But I wasn’t actually exhausted by it.

Still, since it worked as an excuse, I just nodded.

“…More or less.”

“You live such a troublesome life.”

Seol Lihyang shook her head in disbelief, while Tang Sowol giggled, looking pleased that she had guessed correctly.

Meanwhile, Seo Mun-Hwarin, who knew firsthand that it wasn’t actually that exhausting, held both hands over her mouth, struggling not to correct them.

Since all three of them were stunningly beautiful, we were starting to attract attention.

If this had been a stronghold of unorthodox martial artists, we probably would have already gotten into trouble.

But this was Wuhan City—home to the Murim Alliance Headquarters.

Not only that, but righteous sect disciples from all over had gathered for the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, along with countless martial arts enthusiasts who cared more about the reputation than their own meals.

I hadn’t expected anything major to happen here.

But even I was caught off guard by the reactions we received.

“Incredible…! He can’t even be twenty-five yet, and he’s already reached the Peak Stage?”

“I’d heard that the Tang Clan’s daughter was a prodigy, but even so, her level of mastery is hard to believe. Senior Brother.”

“She was caught up in an unfortunate incident a few years ago… She must have forged herself anew since then.”

“Well, we’ve been training hard too, so we’ll be fine! Right, Senior Brother?”

At first, their gazes were drawn by appearance—but by the end, they were genuinely impressed, using this moment as motivation for their own training.

“Haah. They all seem outstanding, but I have no idea who they are. Do you recognize them?”

“Why overcomplicate it? There’s only one highly-skilled Tang Clan daughter who has yet to receive a title because she rarely appears in public.”

“Ah! Then I suppose the others are in a similar situation.”

“Well, maybe the two in Tang Clan attire, but that smaller girl in different clothing might have just joined them on their journey.”

“That’s a fair guess. But that white hair is unusual. The Tang girl’s green hair is obviously from her poison training, but…”

“White hair, huh? There’s no way she just naturally went gray at that age… She must practice Yin-based martial arts.”

“Wait… Does that mean we might actually see Ice Qi techniques in action?!”

“We can’t say for sure. But one thing’s certain—the number of flowers in the martial world is increasing.”

“Hah! So it’s no longer just The Three Flowers of Murim—it’s now The Five Flowers of Murim!”

Impatient enthusiasts were already speculating about our martial styles and potential titles.

“Ah! I didn’t expect to run into you here! How have you been? I was a little worried since I hadn’t heard from you in a while.”

Among the crowd, I spotted Jin Baek from the Wudang Sect.

“…What are you doing here?”

“What kind of question is that, Brother Cheon? I’m obviously here for the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.”

“Well, that much is obvious, but… wait. What did you just call me?”

“Hm? Brother Cheon, of course.”

“I thought we were about the same age?”

“Pfft. Who cares about age? What’s important is that you taught me a lot. That alone is reason enough for me to treat you like an older brother.”

“…Brother, huh.”

I never expected Jin Baek to be this grateful for the small kindness I had shown him in my past life.

Looking at him now, I could tell he had been training diligently over the past three years. He had surpassed the entry level of first-rate martial artists.

The last time I had seen him, he was only at the second-rate level, and given what I knew of his mediocre natural talent, this was impressive progress.

Considering his young age and the standards of a major sect like Wudang, this level of growth would certainly earn him recognition as a promising talent.

In that context, I could somewhat understand his reaction.

Jin Baek might not have been remarkable in every way, but he had always been a good person.

Even when tensions between righteous and unorthodox sects were high, he had never treated me with hostility.

And in the end, he had even sacrificed his True Essence to carve out an escape route for others.

…Yet, despite the life he had given me, I had failed to fulfill my revenge.

A mix of complicated emotions and quiet satisfaction curled my lips into a small smile.

“Well, call me whatever you want. Just don’t expect me to return the favor—I’m not the affectionate type.”

“Haha! I’d probably feel weird if you actually called me ‘younger brother’ anyway. This works better.”

He let out a hearty laugh—a stark contrast to the youthful innocence I remembered from before.

Now, he felt more like the Jin Baek I had known in my past life.

"By the way, Brother Cheon, could you introduce me to your companions? I recognize Tang Sojeo, but the others are new to me."

"Sure. This is Jin Baek—he’s from Wudang Sect. Tang Sowol and I got to know him during our stay at Wudang."

With that brief introduction, Seol Lihyang and Seo Mun-Hwarin exchanged awkward bows with him.

Afterward, we made light conversation about recent events as we walked.

Before long, we reached the Golden Flower Merchant Guild’s inn.

"This is where we’ll be staying."

“…Wow. This place looks way too luxurious. Were there even any rooms left?"

“They’ll make room for us. And if not, they’ll find us a place elsewhere.”

I pulled out the letter from Chu Jeongsan and waved it.

Jin Baek, realizing what it was, gave a knowing nod.

“Ahh! That explains it. Even though our Wudang Sect arrived early, we struggled to find an inn, so I was a bit worried. But if you already have a connection, that’s a relief!”

“…Is it really that crowded?”

“You already know—Shaolin Temple is sponsoring the grand prize this time.”

“True. The other Five Supreme Clans and Nine Great Sects have incredible elixirs… but…”

“The Great Rejuvenation Pill is on a whole different level.”

“Exactly. That’s why even more participants have gathered this year.”

He sighed, recalling something his senior brother had mentioned.

“On top of that, where there are people, there’s profit. Tons of merchants have come to make money off the crowd. It’s even busier than the last Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.”

After that brief exchange, Jin Baek prepared to part ways.

“I’ll be heading back now. If you go a little further down the street, you’ll find Myeongwon Inn—that’s where I’m staying. Feel free to visit if you get bored.”

“…Why would I visit you?”

“Pfft. You’re right—we should focus on the gathering first. After it’s over, let’s have a meal together instead.”

“Oh! That sounds great!”

“Honestly, with you competing, I know I have zero chance of winning… but I’ll still do my best!”

His enthusiasm was refreshing.

As he walked away, Tang Sowol leaned close and whispered in my ear.

“…He’s certainly a lot more energetic than a certain someone we know.”

“I have no idea who you’re talking about… But I imagine this person must be incredibly beautiful, an exceptional martial artist, and the kind of woman who could turn the Three Flowers of Murim into the Five Flowers just by existing.”

Tang Sowol’s expression shifted between amusement and exasperation.

Seol Lihyang, unable to tolerate us any longer, shuddered before marching ahead.

“Enough! If you two keep talking, I’ll die just from listening. Let’s just go inside! Rin, you too.”

“U-Uhm… Alright…”

Seo Mun-Hwarin hesitated, glancing at me, but eventually followed Seol Lihyang.

She looked like someone handling a dangerous explosive, nervous that it might detonate at any moment.

…It was a bit concerning, but standing around on the street wasn’t an option.

After exchanging a glance with Tang Sowol, we both sighed and followed them inside.

***

Inside the Inn

At first, the innkeeper hesitated, saying there were no available rooms.

But after reading Chu Jeongsan’s letter, he quickly changed his tone and led us to a reserved VIP suite.

Apparently, most of the Golden Flower Merchant Guild’s businesses had collapsed… except for their escort service and inns, which were thriving.

That explained why the facilities were so luxurious.

After all, it was a VIP room.

But there was one problem.

There was only one room.

I requested extra bedding, laying it down in a separate corner of the room.

Then, in an unmistakably firm tone, I drew a line.

“…Don’t cross this.”

“…???”

“…???”

“…Are you talking to us?”

The three of them looked at me like I had lost my mind.

But I had no choice.

Because even I couldn’t guarantee what I might do otherwise.