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The Island Province Was a Vast Place.
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Crossing its outskirts did not suddenly make it bustling. They had to travel much farther. However, it was not Mount Hua.
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After two more days of travel, it became clearly visible even from a distance. It was a towering blade standing tall.
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“….Is there a conduit up there?”
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“That’s right.”
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“If someone lived in a place like that, even a loafer would become a Taoist master.”
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“That’s not necessarily true.”
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Eunsong poured a cup of tea for Cheon Soyak. This was their last meal before entering Mount Hua.
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“So, how do you feel? You will soon become a person of Mount Hua.”
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“Master.”
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Cheon Soyak softly called Eunsong’s name. A slightly tilted head and narrowed dark eyes.
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“Why are you looking at me like that?”
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“Think about it. I was originally a person of Mount Hua.”
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“.…Oh.”
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Hwaeom Gate was an affiliated sect of Mount Hua. That meant her father was once a secular disciple of Mount Hua.
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However, Mount Hua did not protect her.
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“Was Hwaeom Gate expelled from Mount Hua?”
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“I have nothing more to say.”
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“So, they were expelled.”
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Cheon Soyak let out a bitter smile. She took a sip of the now-cold tea and gazed at the plum blossom-filled Mount Hua in the distance.
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For some reason, she felt like crying.
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“Are you alright?”
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“I’m fine. It’s nothing strange.”
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“When you enter, you will likely have to go through the admission process.”
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“I thought I’d go directly under you.”
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“That’s how it used to be. Until five years ago.”
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Eunsong took a sip of tea, soothing his bitter mouth.
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Five years ago, he was still a young prodigy in his late twenties—full of youthful energy.
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“Then, a certain remarkable talent went to the Yongbong Assembly and made such an impression that every sect wanted to recruit secular disciples.”
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“They wanted connections.”
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“Exactly. And I don’t hold enough power within the sect to simply take in a disciple as I please.”
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Cheon Soyak looked at her teacher and asked casually,
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“Was that remarkable talent you?”
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Eunsong nearly choked on his tea. He waved his hands, shaking his head.
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“Of course not. I was just average.”
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“Oh…”
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“That talent was my junior disciple. I often helped him train.”
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He had a mind that grasped principles and a talent for teaching others. Even back then, he was a genius.
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His body was merely that of an ordinary prodigy, not an extraordinary one. He had to put in tremendous effort just to reach the early stages of the Absolute Realm.
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Meanwhile, Eunchun—considered the most gifted among his fellow disciples—was already looking beyond the middle stages of the Absolute Realm.
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“Are you jealous?”
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“What?”
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“I asked if you are jealous.”
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Facing the gaze of the young girl staring at him, Eunsong couldn’t bring himself to lie.
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“My junior had no respect for me at all. How could I not feel jealous or envious?”
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“You don’t have to feel that way.”
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Cheon Soyak calmly placed down her empty tea cup.
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“My father often told me this story.”
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“What story?”
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“That humans fear monsters.”
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“That’s obvious, isn’t it?”
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“A prodigy, a genius, a divine talent—they are all words for humans who were born with exceptional abilities.”
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Her eyes gleamed deeply. Within them swirled a boundless and limitless universe.
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It was something immeasurable, something that evoked primal fear in humans.
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“My father called me a monster. He taught me that I must never frighten other ‘humans.’”
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“Hah.”
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What kind of father calls his own daughter a monster?
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But he wasn’t wrong. In fact, his words had helped her.
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Because of them, Cheon Soyak had learned early on how to stand alone.
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By never giving her heart away first, she never had to be hurt when others feared her.
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“My father was neither a liar nor a narrow-minded man, so I believe it to be true.”
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“Fine. I’ll admit it. You are…”
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“Yes, Master. I am a monster in human form.”
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The Heavenly Killing Star.
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A beast born beneath the stars.
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A monster that had taken the fragile and pitiful form of a young girl.
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“So now, Master, you will never have to envy anyone again. Because you will be my teacher. Isn’t that right?”
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Eunsong stared blankly at the girl before him.
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Not because she was bold.
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But because she was calm.
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“…That actually feels quite nice. I’ll finally be able to put that arrogant junior in his place.”
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“Yes.”
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★★★
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At the foot of Mount Hua, in the bustling market of Hwaum County.
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The noise of the crowd surrounded them on all sides.
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For the first time, Eunsong sensed tension from Cheon Soyak.
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“Are you alright?”
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“…Probably. Yes, I’m fine.”
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No matter how noisy Tianhua Pavilion got, it was still a high-class establishment, meaning it remained relatively quiet.
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The only sounds one would hear were hushed conversations, soft music, and the occasional sliding of doors.
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But this was a marketplace.
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A chaotic uproar, a whirlwind of shouts and cries, a complete frenzy.
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An unfamiliar environment naturally required an adjustment period.
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“Don’t worry. I’m here with you.”
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“I will try my best.”
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Eunsong bought a bamboo hat and a new sword for Cheon Soyak. The Nakhwa Jeonggeom she originally had was too long for her height.
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“Four and a half cheok tall at fourteen years old.”
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“You don’t have to point it out—I know I’m small.”
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“I didn’t mean anything by it…”
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Cheon Soyak still slung the Nakhwa Jeonggeom over her back. The only difference was that a short sword now hung from her waist.
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“It will be easier to wield.”
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“Use it for now.”
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Cheon Soyak slowly nodded.
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Though it was called a short sword…
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It was expensive.
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“Are you sure, Master?”
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“About what?”
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“This is… too expensive.”
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Her questioning gaze made Eunsong look down at her in silence before patting her head.
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Of course, he had used up all their remaining travel funds.
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But now that they had arrived at Mount Hua, what did it matter?
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“Don’t worry. It’s not my money.”
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“…What?”
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“It’s Mount Hua’s money. Did you think the great Mount Hua Sect is so stingy that they make their disciples pay for everything themselves?”
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“But this isn’t travel money.”
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“No one cares about that, Soyak.”
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Cheon Soyak blinked before narrowing her eyes.
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Then, she calmly dropped a bombshell.
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“This is embezzlement.”
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“…What?!”
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Cheon Soyak merely shrugged.
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Eunsong let out a hollow laugh.
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“Well, I’ll be off, Master.”
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“Go on. Don’t get lost. I’ll be at that teahouse from earlier.”
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“Yes, Master.”
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Cheon Soyak turned to face Mount Hua.
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A mountain as sharp as a blade, exuding an overwhelming presence.
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Everywhere, plum blossoms were in full bloom, dyeing the mountain pink.
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Even though it wasn’t the season for plum blossoms.
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“So that’s Mount Hua’s Immortal Plum Blossoms , which haven’t withered for the past twenty-seven years.”
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But their scent was faint.
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If such a vast amount of plum blossoms had been blooming for nearly thirty years, the entire Hwaum County should have been drenched in their fragrance.
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Cheon Soyak already knew the answer.
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“No flower blooms for ten days straight.”
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No matter how beautiful, no flower can stay in full bloom forever.
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In other words…
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If something lasts beyond its time, it is no longer truly alive.
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Cheon Soyak took small steps and entered the grand admission hall.
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It was crowded with people lining up and submitting documents.
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Most of them were holding the hands of an adult.
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Cheon Soyak stood at the end of the long line.
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As it gradually shortened, she had to endure the stares and whispers directed at her.
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“A black robe and a black bamboo hat… Isn’t that a ronin?”
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“Who knows? She could be some stray mongrel of a girl.”
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“She has no parents or guardian. No background at all. Too lacking, don’t you think?”
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“What if she ends up in the same class as my child?”
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Cheon Soyak responded with silence.
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Speculations and insults rolled like a snowball.
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Some called her deaf.
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Some called her mute.
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Some even called her blind.
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Yet Cheon Soyak still did not say a word.
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She only pulled her new black bamboo hat lower.
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Eventually, the line shortened, and she stood at the front.
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A burly martial artist, seemingly in his forties, looked down at the small girl.
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“Did you come alone?”
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“Yes.”
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“Do you have a sponsor?”
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“Mount Hua’s Eunsong.”
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The martial artist blinked.
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“Eunsong? You mean Eunsong Dojang , the second-generation disciple?”
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“If he is thirty years old, then yes.”
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“My goodness. He said he was going out to find a disciple, and he really did.”
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“That’s right.”
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“Has Eunsong officially taken you as a disciple?”
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“I have learned Amhyangpyo from him, so you could say that.”
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Something seemed off.
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Eunsong had said she needed to go through the admissions process.
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But judging by how things were unfolding…
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‘He just dumped me here to avoid the hassle, didn’t he?’
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Cheon Soyak let out a sigh.
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That was probably why he had taught her Amhyangpyo in a hurry.
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She had already been taught Mount Hua’s martial arts.
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The sect could not simply abandon her unless they destroyed her martial arts completely.
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But in this era of peace governed by the Martial Alliance …
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Mount Hua, one of the Nine Great Sects of the righteous path, would not disgrace itself by crippling a young girl.
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“Will it be difficult for me to enter?”
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“No, not at all. However… could you bring Eunsong here?”
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“Who should I say is calling for him?”
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“Tell him that Master Myeonggon is requesting him.”
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“…Understood.”
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Cheon Soyak politely bowed her head and turned away.
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The gazes of those around her had changed.
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But she felt nothing.
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She had already been through this before.
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Back when Hwaeom Gate was the ruling power of the village.
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And when her father was beheaded.
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She still remembered how the villagers had looked at her then.
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Cheon Soyak pulled her bamboo hat lower.
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To shield her heart from their gazes.
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Only then did she realize why Eunsong had bought her the hat.
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He was a rather meticulous teacher…
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