Vol 2 Chapter 6. No Wind No Waves Part 1

In the late afternoon at Baekragung, a confidential meeting was held, attended only by high-ranking officials. There were two matters to resolve. The first concerned Dan Woo Hyo, the Lord of Baekragung, who had been missing for ten years. The second involved Paeng Soso, who had vanished without a trace after leaving with him.

Unlike previous meetings, someone new had taken a seat at the head of the table. That person was none other than Seol Buyeong.

“This time, we’ll send the search party to Qinghai and further west, into Xinjiang.”

The one who spoke first had comfortably taken the seat that would have originally belonged to Paeng, as if it were her own. Half of those present seemed inclined to agree, but none spoke up. The other half frowned in displeasure but likewise remained silent.

While everyone else hesitated, the woman seated across from Seol Buyeong finally spoke.

“I object.”

The woman with a presence as sharp as a drawn sword was Namgung Jiyeok, the disciple of the former Lord of Baekragung, Dan Baekhun, and the junior of Dan Woo Hyo.

The moment she spoke, the room fell silent.

“It’s been ten years already.”

Her voice was cold. Perhaps because she had drawn all attention to herself, she continued speaking.

“Isn’t it time we gave up?”

It was not something just anyone could say aloud. But if anyone had the right to say it, it was Namgung Jiyeok.

With Dan Woo Hyo missing, she was essentially the only heir to Baekragung. The authority she carried naturally weighed heavier than anyone else’s.

“Give up, is it?”

Despite the strong opposition, Seol Buyeong’s expression remained calm. She had been the one pushing to send search parties for the past ten years, yet she never seemed like a mother grieving her missing son.

“Is Baekragung so quick to abandon its lord?”

“We’ve spent over a decade. How can that be called quick?” Jiyeok replied sharply. “We’ve invested people and resources, yet not a single trace of him has been found.”

She was loyal to her senior, but to her, everything that could be done had already been done.

She respected Dan Woo Hyo as her senior. Though she had once seen him as a rival, that didn’t mean she welcomed his disappearance. When she first heard the news, she had leapt from her seat and searched high and low for him.

But whether he had vanished into the sky or sunk into the earth, nothing could be found of his whereabouts except that he had headed toward Gansu. As the years passed, disappointment piled up, eventually turning into despair, and finally, resignation.

Namgung Jiyeok, who never looked back and preferred things clean and decisive, was now ready to end the search and move forward.

But not everyone shared her view. The greatest obstacle among them sat right before her. Seol Buyeong.

She had come to Baekragung when she was young, but back then, Seol Buyeong had lived in seclusion after giving birth to Dan Woo Hyo. To Jiyak, her impression had remained no more than that of her master’s wife.

But following her son’s disappearance, Seol Buyeong emerged from seclusion and began to naturally take hold of Baekragung’s authority.

At first, Jiyeok had seen her as a helpful ally. In the search for her senior, Seol Buyeong had cut through red tape and unnecessary formalities. She had a remarkable knack for exposing the hollow pretense hidden behind rules and procedures.

In her youth, there were rumors that she had been involved in the imperial succession struggle and had once been a strong contender for the next emperor. Her administrative skills were just as impressive. Every time a search party dispatched to a certain region returned and their gathered intel was compiled and reassessed, Seol Buyeong’s capabilities proved invaluable.

But now, ten years had passed. Everyone else had grown weary, yet Seol Buyeong remained unwavering in her resolve. If this were an ordinary household, her persistence might have become a touching tale remembered in history. But this was Baekragung, and both Jiyeok and Seol Buyeong were part of it.

It was plain to see that this great sect, once the pinnacle of the Murim righteous faction, was beginning to creak.

It had endured far too long without a master.

Internally, the unity among its members was weakening, and externally, its alliances were beginning to falter. Even various unaffiliated sects had begun to build their influence within Baekragung’s territory.

Some of the prominent families from the Murim righteous faction had even sent marriage proposals to Namgung Jiyeok. With Dan Woo Hyo missing, she was now considered the most likely successor to lead Baekragung. It was clear they were trying to secure a place at her side.

Some might even have been aiming to push her aside and claim the lordship for themselves.

Her mind was already burdened with too much, and what continued to put her on edge was none other than Seol Buyeong.

As the wife of the former lord and the mother of the missing current lord, Seol Buyeong was not someone who could be dismissed.

Moreover, many of the key warriors holding crucial positions in Baekragung were those who had fought in the war against Hyeolgyo. That meant they owed their lives to Princess Yeongrin, Seol Buyeong, who had supported them back then.

Seol Buyeong’s administrative ability was impressive, but it was her political acumen that far surpassed even Namgung Jiyak’s expectations.

Even in the early days of her emergence from seclusion, Seol Buyeong had already begun to draw people to her. Now, she had embedded herself too deeply to be easily uprooted.

After all, they were all people of the Murim righteous faction. Who among them could stand in the way of a mother searching for her lost son? Doing so would go against every principle they held dear.

Still, ten years had not passed without consequence. Even among the senior members of Baekragung, opinions had begun to diverge.

There were those who stood with Seol Buyeong, insisting the search must go on, and those who sided with Namgung Jiyeok, arguing that further efforts were pointless. Their division had dragged on for years.

Eventually, a compromise was proposed. Continue searching for Dan Woo Hyo, but in the meantime, appoint a new lord to fill the vacant position. Yet Seol Buyeong refused to accept even that.

Each time, Jiyeok had chosen to back down from direct confrontation. As Dan Baekhun’s disciple, she believed it would be improper to stand against her master’s wife.

At least, that was what she kept telling herself as she endured it all. That was how ten years had passed.

But Seol Buyeong showed no signs of giving up. Not on Dan Woo Hyo, nor on his position.

“I haven’t given up on finding my senior,” Namgung Jiyeok said. “But I’m saying it’s time we make a decision for Baekragung. How much longer are we going to leave the seat of the lord vacant?”

Seol Buyeong’s eyes narrowed at Jiyak’s words. After a brief silence, she parted her lips slightly.

“Very well. As leader Namgung says, perhaps appointing a new lord is a viable option.”

For a moment, Jiyeok cheered inwardly with relief. But it was far too early to raise a toast.

“However, there’s no guarantee that the next lord won’t go missing too. In that case, the cost of searching will double.”

After all, they’d be searching for two people. Seol Buyeong’s remark lingered with quiet menace.

“Are you threatening me?”

Jiyeok barely managed to maintain a polite tone, but the meaning behind her words was anything but calm.

The most likely candidate for the next Lord was Namgung Jiyeok. But didn’t Seol Buyeong’s words sound suspiciously like a threat to lock her away in some place no one could find, just like her senior, for another ten years?

“Of course not.”

Seol Buyeong seemed genuinely startled. She raised her sleeve and gently covered her mouth. Every movement she made exuded elegance and refinement, the kind that someone like Namgung Jiyeok, who had lived as a martial artist her whole life, could never imitate.

Those hands had likely never held a sword, yet the power she wielded was something only those who had faced her would understand.

Namgung Jiyeok frowned deeply.
She had tried to halt the dispatch of the search party several times, only to be forced to concede each time.

Her master had once taught her that in this world, there were all kinds of power beyond just martial strength. If only he had warned her in advance that his wife, Seol Buyeong, the noble Princess of Yeongrin was the perfect example of that.

Now that Jiyeok had gotten caught up in Seol Buyeong’s rhythm, today’s meeting had inevitably ended with the decision to dispatch yet another search party.

“Ah, and I’m considering requesting cooperation from Heukcheon. If anyone has objections, speak now.”

“Do you really think they’ll help so easily? Especially when it involves the disappearance of our Lord? Those from the Demonic faction would likely just scoff and offer little real aid.”

The one who voiced this doubt was Chu Hadong, the head of the Disciplinary Hall. He was among the younger generation within Baekragung.

“Heukcheon is an ally of Baekragung. They have been since thirty years ago, when they fought alongside us against Hyeolgyo.”

Seol Buyeong cut him off sharply. Her beauty remained as breathtaking as ever, but the weight of the history behind her words was anything but light.

Even without sitting in the position of the Lord, Seol Buyeong’s commanding presence alone was enough to make the senior martial artists bow their heads.

“Let’s conclude the meeting here. As for the envoy to Heukcheon… what if we send someone who served closest to the Lord…”

Only after finalizing who would be dispatched to Heukcheon did the meeting finally end.

Namgung Jiyeok rose sharply from her seat and followed after Seol Buyeong, who had already stepped outside. She made no effort to hide her intentions, so Seol Buyeong surely knew she was being followed, yet she showed no sign of slowing down.

In the end, it was Jiyeok who spoke first.

“Lady Seol…”

She hesitated at the form of address but managed to continue. She used to call her Ma’am, but Seol Buyeong had rejected that title, saying it no longer suited her. When addressed as Madam Seol, she found that displeasing too, insisting she be called by her name instead.

But for someone like Namgung Jiyeok, who was strict about propriety, calling the middle-aged wife of her master by name still felt incredibly improper.

“Do you have something else to say to me?”

Seol Buyeong exhaled.

Namgung Jiyeok, who had been rolling her words in her mouth for a moment, lifted her head and asked,

“…I understand that you miss Senior Brother. But can’t you think about the future of Baekragung? It’s been ten years. Inside, we need to cultivate the core, and outside, keep those with impure intentions in check. Yet Baekragung has been stagnant for ten years now.”

To stop this search that always ended in vain, they had to persuade Seol Buyeong. If once wasn’t enough, they would clash a hundred times if needed.

If it was about efficiency, Seol Bujeong, who had once been royalty, would understand better. Jiyeok too had once been unable to let go of Senior Brother.

But while being struck and shattered by loss, she had become an adult.

“Leader, you may not believe me easily when I say this, but I care about the future of Baekragung more than anyone.”

Seol Buyeong spoke in an endlessly gentle tone.

“There’s no need to recite the same surface-level words you used on the other leader to me.”

Jiyeok paused. She had never really thought about how Seol Buyeong must have felt, losing both her husband and son one after the other.

The resentment she had built up over the years faltered.

“Of course, I’m not saying Lady Seol’s intentions toward Baekragung are false. It’s just that our ways are different.”

Seol Buyeong’s expression softened. She and Jiyeok were completely different people, seeing different things, making different choices.

“If I were to say we should abandon the search for my son, someone like leader Namgung, who’s a strong candidate to become the next lord of Baekragung, would suffer great consequences. And yet, the fact that you’re pushing forward regardless must mean you care that deeply for Baekragung. It’s also the confidence of someone who has never once tried to bring down a rival through underhanded means.”

If it had been someone else, or if Seol Buyeong had said those words at any other time, Jiyeok would have taken them as mockery. But in that moment, she thought she finally understood what Seol Buyeong was trying to say.

“I really like you. That way you carry yourself, not caring how others see you as long as you’re confident in who you are reminds me of someone.”

Perhaps Seol Buyeong had sensed what Jiyeok was feeling. Though her gaze hovered in midair, it glowed vividly as if she were looking at someone real.

“My son is alive.”

She spoke with certainty, as if she had seen Dan Woo Hyo herself.

“What makes you so sure?”

Jiyeok swallowed a sigh. So the conversation had circled back to this again. She asked anyway.

“There’s no body, is there.”

Seol Buyeong’s voice turned faint and chilling.

The force she gave off was anything but ordinary, and Jiyeok felt a chill settle in her chest.

“If anyone had tried to make use of his corpse, I would’ve heard about it.”

It carried more weight than the time she had hinted at making the next Baekragung lord disappear.

If he was claimed to be dead, and she says she’d know the moment a corpse turned up, was she saying her reach extended even into corpse markets?

But before her son went missing, Seol Buyeong had been the reclusive Princess Yeongrin. Even after the incident, her movements had remained clean, without a trace of suspicion.

So how could someone like her speak with such certainty?

The kind of groups that dealt in selling martial artists’ corpses were secretive by nature. To deal with them, one had to descend to the lowest depths. Without dirtying one’s hands, a proper conversation was impossible.

And listening to what Seol Buyeong was saying now, didn’t it feel as though the information she held reached into the deepest, darkest underbelly of the central plains?

Just as Jiyeok was about to ask what she meant, a calm smile appeared on Seol Buyeong’s lips. It was so warm and composed that it felt wrong to imagine her speaking of blades, death, or corpse.

That was why Jiyeok had come to believe Seol Buyeong was someone to be feared.

“…I too hope Senior Brother returns.”

Jiyeok finally managed to part her lips and speak.

Seol Buyeong smiled kindly.

It was a smile that reminded her of Dan Woo Hyo, who was no longer here.

---

Woo sat up from the bedding. He blinked slowly, and the world beyond the transparent curtain gradually came into focus.

His body felt heavy in a way that wasn’t normal. He had been out late, tormented by the Godok, and had even spilled blood. It wouldn’t have been strange for him to collapse right then and there.

His eyes moved toward the screen. The once-fresh peony beside it had wilted, and beyond it stood a narrow, gold-plated medicine case.

As he took them in, he absentmindedly reached for his neck.

The spot where Kang Oh’s hand had passed over still held a lingering sensation, as if it had been marked. He felt like he wouldn’t forget that careful, worried touch anytime soon.

A wilted peony in a small vase. A small jar of golden salve.

He used to think he could leave without any regrets, but somewhere along the way, he’d ended up carrying too much.

Kang Oh didn’t remember anything, so there was no way to understand why he kept offering things so freely. At the same time, Woo began to wonder just how much of a burden his kindness might have been to that young boy.

“Excuse me.”

Woo turned his head at the sound beyond the door. A servant stepped inside and began setting the table. Realizing that he would be having another breakfast with Kang Oh, Woo’s eyes trembled faintly.

He had desperately hoped morning wouldn’t come after the way they had parted. But Kang Oh came in naturally, as if yesterday’s awkwardness never happened.

Even though it was under the light of morning, not moonlight, the moment their eyes met, Woo’s heart dropped.

“Good morning.”

Perhaps noticing the silence, Kang Oh greeted him first. Woo lowered his head in reply.

“Did you rest well last night?”

Kang Oh let out a dry smile at the way Woo acted, as if nothing had happened the night before. He hadn’t expected much, but it was ridiculous how disappointed he felt anyway.

When he looked closer at Woo’s face, he noticed his complexion was redder than usual.

“You’ve got a fever.”

Kang Oh muttered the words aloud.

Woo flinched. His condition had been off since waking, and now it had been exposed. There was a flicker of resistance in his expression, but Kang Oh wasn’t the type to back off because of that.

“I’ll have someone take you to the medical hall.”

He also figured this might be a good chance to get Woo’s throat properly examined.

At his quiet order, the servant standing farthest back gave a small nod and withdrew. She was young and quick on her feet, and soon headed for the medical hall that she had been visiting more frequently these days.

Inside, there were more patients than herbs. That was because in the past few days, there had been a series of sparring matches among newly arrived martial artists in Heukcheon. Some had broken noses, others had splints on their arms or legs, and a few came in with their heads tightly wrapped in bandages.

One of the physicians had already been at the medical hall since morning, tending to the many patients suffering from external injuries.

Just as he finished treating the last person, he noticed the arrival of a servant and approached her.

“A servant from Heedowon, is it? What brings you here?”

The servant, dressed in light green robes, bowed politely and answered.

“The guest has a fever. I was told to bring the physician without delay.”

“I’ll gather only what I need and head out at once.”

“I’ll wait.”

After quickly collecting silver needles and some medicine, the physician stepped outside the medical hall. As he left, the quiet interior suddenly began to stir with whispers. It was like the flutter of a bird’s wings.

“…Huh?”

“Hey.”

The newly arrived martial artists receiving treatment glanced at one another, murmuring softly.

“The physician who was called in last time said the guest was just some plain-looking man.”

“How’d he know there was a fever so early in the morning?”

“Don’t tell me… they spent the night together…?”

The one who spoke muttered something under his breath with a sly grin. His arm was in a splint, and though it sounded like he was just talking to himself, others quickly joined in with their own reactions.

Lately, the Third Disciple and his guest had become one of the most popular topics of conversation. It was the result of several overlapping factors.

First, Heedowon itself was a very unusual place within Heukcheon. It was where the Lord’s most cherished youngest disciple was staying. Normally, with the Third Disciple often away from Heukcheon, few people would have paid much attention, but this time was different.

It was because Yae Kang Oh, who used to leave Heukcheon the moment the ink dried on the challenge letters he sent to famous martial artists, almost like he was possessed by a ghost had suddenly planted himself firmly in Heedowon. He had been visiting Honamdan every day and offering instruction, and a rumor had started to spread: the Third Disciple had reached a personal breakthrough through his recent duels and was staying put to reflect and train.

A few quieter voices whispered that perhaps he was trying to build a foundation in pursuit of the seat of the next Lord of Heukcheon.

But then came the guest who entered Heedowon, adding fuel to the speculation. Some now claimed that the real reason the Third Disciple hadn’t left was because of this guest. Those who had assumed the guest must be a woman were surprised to find out that the one staying in Heedowon was, in fact, a man.

What shocked people even more was the fact that the man was a servant.

Like a blacksmith hammering heated iron without rest, they couldn’t stop talking about the unexpected revelation.

Some said the servant had saved the Third Disciple’s life. Others claimed he was actually a hidden master brought in for training.
Some even suggested that the Third Disciple simply had unusual tastes.

There were ridiculous theories thrown around for amusement, as well as shameful rumors so crude that no one dared voice them in front of the people involved.

“You shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly.”

“I’m not making anything up, am I? I’m just saying no one really knows.”

The man, who had earlier implied the Third Disciple and the servant might have shared a bed, grumbled under his breath after being cautioned.

“That servant must be enjoying himself. Just close his eyes tight at night and put up with it, and he gets to stay in Heedowon, that so-called paradise on earth, eating delicacies and wearing silk.”

“You’ve gone too far.”

The man who had just been warned again scowled sharply.

“Damn. Can’t even make a joke anymore?”

“I said, you’ve gone too far.”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a weight that couldn’t be ignored. A cold silence spread among the martial artists in the medical hall. Slowly, creaking at the neck, one of them turned toward the doorway.

There stood a man watching them with a spinning smile on his face.

It was the Second Disciple of Heukcheon, Yeom Seunghan.

“Se… Second Disciple!”

“Good. Looks like your eyes still work.”

Yeom Seunghan strode into the hall.

The man, whose leg was perfectly fine but only had his arm in a splint, jumped up from his bedding and dropped to his knees.

“I… I’ve committed a grave offense!”

Yeom Seunghan was not one to waste pity. While he had never been known for outright cruelty, no one ever expected mercy from him either.

The Third Disciple rarely gave out punishments. He rarely stayed long in Heukcheon, and even more rarely interacted with others. But once someone lost his favor, they were dealt with thoroughly.
Like the Third Overseer, who had been caught taking bribes and vanished without a trace after being discovered by the Third Disciple.

Even so, among Lord Heukcheon’s three disciples, the one person no one dared cross was the Second Disciple, Yeom Seunghan.

“What? Wasn’t it just a joke?”

His voice was light, almost careless, but the sarcasm hit hard. The man turned pale and lowered his head.

“I… I’m an ignorant fool with no manners. Please punish me.”

“Of course I will.”

Yeom Seunghan responded flatly, grabbing the man’s face and turning it this way and that.

“I was just wondering,” he said casually. “Your eyes seem to work fine, but you don’t seem to know how to use them.”

“…”

“You there. Bring me a knife.”