“Hmm-hmm. That is all correct. Cheon Hwi-da, you have This One as your mother. Should the need arise, you may rely on This One as well.”

At Seo Mun-Hwarin’s words, everyone except for her froze in place.

Even Tang Jincheon and the Murim Alliance Leader, who had intentionally stayed out of the conversation and simply laughed along, stopped in their tracks and turned to look back.

Tang Jincheon’s expression, in particular, was priceless.

His eyes were wide open, his mouth hung agape, and for a brief moment, he even forgot to breathe.

The Tang Clan had a rule that, if possible, family members had to share at least one meal together daily. Since I had been part of the clan for quite some time, Tang Jincheon and I had spent plenty of time together.

And yet, I had never seen him this shocked—except for that one time when Tang Sowol, feeling bloated after a night out at the capital’s night market, rubbed her stomach while looking at me.

For the record, that was only because we had overeaten.

We hadn't done anything beyond holding hands, but I still had to spend the entire night defending myself from baseless accusations.

“W-what did you just say? Are you telling me my son-in-law is actually your long-lost son?!”

“That is not the case. This One was consumed by revenge, and afterward, This One lived buried in regret. There was never any room for romance.”

“Then what in the world is with this mother talk?”

“No matter how you look at it, Cheon Hwi-da has learned the martial arts of the Seo Mun Clan. It seems he learned it through a proper source and by legitimate means, so This One does not intend to challenge that fact. However, it is not something This One can simply ignore, either.”

Perhaps because he understood Seo Mun-Hwarin’s circumstances, Tang Jincheon carefully chose his words before speaking.

“…Are you planning to restore the Seo Mun Clan? By adopting my son-in-law as your heir?”

“If Cheon Hwi-da were to accept This One’s wishes, then yes.”

“That sounds like you intend to respect my son-in-law’s decision above all else.”

“That is correct. In the end, this is merely This One’s selfishness. This One has already been rejected multiple times.”

Seo Mun-Hwarin slumped her shoulders.

She shot a glance my way before continuing.

“Even so, This One cannot simply give up. Aside from This One, Cheon Hwi-da is the last remaining trace of the Seo Mun Clan in this world. How could This One turn a blind eye to that?”

“…I understand. But you must also understand that, from the Tang Clan’s perspective, this is an extremely delicate matter.”

“Of course, This One knows. If Cheon Hwi-da were to suddenly gain the name of the Seo Mun Clan, it would be one thing. But if word spread that the infamous White-Haired Rakshasa was his adoptive mother, his reputation would undoubtedly suffer.”

Seo Mun-Hwarin looked at me and spoke in a careful voice.

“That is why This One intends to prioritize Cheon Hwi-da’s opinion above all else. That does not mean This One will give up, however.”

“…Ah.”

The moment I saw her eyes, I understood.

I finally realized why she had chosen to bring this up now.

Much of our recent conversations had revolved around Seo Mun-Hwarin’s future.

Unlike in my past life, she had not joined the Black Lotus Sect.

But that didn’t mean she was welcomed among the orthodox factions, either.

For now, she had resolved the situation at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering by assisting the Murim Alliance.

But that didn’t mean she could just join the Murim Alliance either.

There were too many eyes on her, too much doubt weighing on her shoulders.

And she had no allies in that world.

That was why I had quietly suggested an alternative.

A path that could benefit both her and myself.

She could take refuge with the Tang Clan.

Everything she had said up until now had been building up to this.

She was silently pleading with me to handle the situation well.

Acknowledging her desperate gaze, I gave a small nod before speaking.

"Father-in-law, I have a suggestion. Would you be willing to hear me out?"

“What is it?”

"To be honest, the idea of becoming Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin’s adopted son is a bit difficult to imagine. However, it is also true that the martial arts of the Seo Mun Clan form a significant part of my foundation. So, what if…”

I paused for a moment before lowering my voice slightly.

“…What if Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin were to become a guest of the Tang Clan?"

“A guest?”

“Yes. I would benefit from learning her martial arts. She would gain an opportunity to persuade me. And the Tang Clan would gain a powerful ally, should the need ever arise. Wouldn’t that be a mutually beneficial arrangement?”

“A mutually beneficial arrangement…”

Tang Jincheon stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Then, after a brief silence, he smirked and nodded.

"Son-in-law, be honest with me. Did you two plan this out in advance?"

“…I hadn’t intended to propose it this way, but I was planning to ask you eventually.”

“Hah. You sly little fox. Fine. There might be some initial pushback, but having a Flowering Stage master as an ally far outweighs any concerns. Just don’t go beating around the bush next time. You can just tell me directly.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Let’s do this properly.”

Tang Jincheon let out a hearty laugh, patting me on the shoulder.

Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he casually asked,

“Oh, so all this talk about adoption was just a formality, then? There’s no need for that. The elders might hesitate at first, but I can convince them soon enough.”

“…Uh. Well…”

I trailed off awkwardly, causing Tang Jincheon to give me a puzzled look.

Beside him, Seo Mun-Hwarin placed her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.

"Ahem. This One is entirely serious about this matter."

“…Son-in-law?”

“…Yes, well… it turned out like this.”

I avoided his gaze.

Seo Mun-Hwarin let out a long, deep sigh.

"Cheon Hwi-da, you need to take more responsibility for your words. You told This One that we should be happy together, and yet now you cast This One aside so coldly—what is This One supposed to do?"

"Son-in-law?! Just what kind of things have you been saying?!"

Shock. And then, rising in gradual waves—pure outrage.

Tang Jincheon’s sharp energy flared as he glared at me, causing me to shake my head frantically.

"This is a misunderstanding! I did say something like that, but I meant it literally! It wasn't meant in any strange way—"

As I hurried to explain myself, Tang Sowol suddenly stepped in and placed her index finger against my lips.

“Shh. It’s fine, Cheon Hwi-da. After all, Sister Hwarin and I already planned to discuss this in private.”

So they had already planned this out.

Then again, if I had traveled all this way, only to find my fiancé stepping on some other woman and demanding more, I probably would have arranged for a private conversation too.

I had no idea what Tang Sowol intended to discuss with Seo Mun-Hwarin, but I was certain that I would be next.

Not that knowing this would change anything for me.

Gulp.

I swallowed nervously and nodded.

“…Thanks.”

“Fufu. What for? I’m your only fiancée, aren’t I?”

For some reason, I felt a chill run down my spine.

***

We arrived at Wuhuan City by carriage from a nearby village.

As expected, there was quite a bit of resistance upon Seo Mun-Hwarin’s return.

However, after she made it clear that she wished to abandon her unorthodox past and promised to assist the Murim Alliance as atonement, the backlash subsided.

Of course, rumors continued to spread among those who had gathered to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering…

But given that the subject of those rumors was none other than the White-Haired Rakshasa, people quickly learned to keep their mouths shut.

More than anything, the excitement over the tournament resuming quickly drew attention away from her.

As for me…

“Cheon Hwi-da, how is your body holding up now?”

“…Mm. It’s still tough, but I can at least circulate my energy lightly.”

I was still struggling with my internal injuries.

I had run out of the Golden Venom Physician’s medicine, so I was now using the Tang Clan’s remedies, provided by Tang Jincheon.

While they were effective, they weren’t quite on the same level.

Well, the Tang Clan’s medical expertise was more of a byproduct of their poison research, whereas the Golden Venom Physician was entirely devoted to medicine. It made sense that his concoctions were superior.

It probably didn’t help that I had been avoiding Acupuncture Blood Release from Seo Mun-Hwarin due to all the eyes on us.

Still, my recovery was progressing steadily, if a little slower than before.

“If your injuries are severe, you should refrain from circulating your energy altogether. You don’t need to push yourself.”

“That warning is only for cases where one’s body is in complete shambles. I’m not that bad.”

“Even so, I can’t help but worry. I’ve already requested a few additional elixirs from the Tang Clan that are good for internal injuries. You’ll be fine soon enough, so just rest until then.”

“It’s not like I enjoy getting caught up in problems. But even without that, I planned to stay quiet today.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“…You already know. Today is your and Seol Lihyang’s match. I’ll be watching and cheering for you with Father-in-law.”

That’s right.

With the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering now resumed, I had officially withdrawn due to my injuries, and Seo Mun-Hwarin had been disqualified.

Now, it was finally time for Tang Sowol and Seol Lihyang to take the stage.

The tournament was still in its early rounds, but every participant had passed the qualifiers, meaning they were all skilled Peak Stage warriors.

“Who’s your opponent, Tang Sowol?”

“A dart captain from Tianfeng Trading Company. I believe his title is Lightning Blade, but I don’t know much about him.”

“…I’ve never heard of either name.”

Perhaps they were using this tournament to boost the reputation of their trading company.

If their dart captain performed well, it would attract more business.

I nodded in understanding.

Tang Sowol simply shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter who my opponent is—I plan to give it my all regardless.”

“Good mindset. The real issue is Seol Lihyang’s match.”

“Yeah… her matchup luck isn’t great.”

Seol Lihyang’s opponent was Wei Ji-Su-lian, a Peak Stage warrior from the Mount Hua Sect.

She was also a close friend of Tang Sowol’s, whom we were supposed to meet during our previous trip to Shaanxi Province.

Instead, we had encountered the dying Ghost Shadow Thief instead.

“Sulian is a highly promising warrior within Mount Hua, and she’s been training since childhood. She’ll be a tough opponent for Lihyang.”

“Probably. But it will still be a valuable experience. It’s not every day one gets to see Mount Hua’s martial arts firsthand.”

“That’s true… but I do feel a little guilty about hyping Lihyang up so much. I half-jokingly told her she’d bring back the championship.”

“That’s on you. She barely has any competition experience, and you dumped that pressure on her?”

“But Lihyang’s reactions are just too cute—I can’t help it.”

After exchanging some playful banter, we were interrupted by the sound of a door opening.

Seol Lihyang peeked her head in.

“Tang Sowol! Cheon Hwi-da! What are you two talking about? It’s almost time—we need to go!”

Her expression was tense, but her eyes burned with determination.

Seeing her, Tang Sowol and I exchanged glances.

Then, unable to help ourselves, we both chuckled.

“Yes. It’s time to go.”

“Tang Sowol and I will head to the waiting area. Father and Sister Hwarin, make sure to watch us closely.”

Tang Sowol lightly pushed Seol Lihyang forward, and the two disappeared down the hallway.

At last, the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering was truly beginning.