Chapter 44: Sun and Moon 2

A man in his early forties stood before the door. As Jin Sohye had expected, it was the Imperial Secretary, Yi Mongyeom. It was highly unusual for someone of his rank to be searching for someone, but since the person in question was the Young Princess, it was unavoidable.

Baek Moo-jin asked.

“Who are you?”

Lee Mong-yeom noticed the young princess hiding behind the unfamiliar man and was suddenly overcome with rage.

‘What the hell is going on here?’

Lee Mong-yeom had every reason to be furious. His cousin, the Left Minister Lee Gon, lay a cold corpse, and the Young Princess was here with a man. The fact that Lee Mong-yeom hadn’t immediately struck Baek Moo-jin dead was proof of his extreme restraint.

Lee Mong-yeom spoke in a cold tone.

“Princess, it is I, Yi Mong-yeom. Who exactly is this young man?”

Li Mengyan had no intention of treating Baek Moo-jin kindly, whoever he was. Instead, he strode forward, determined to vent his pent-up rage on Baek Moo-jin.

“Step aside.”

Lee Mong-yeom suddenly reached out, intending to wrap her Yan Hua Qi around him and push Baek Moo-jin aside. Her intention was to seize the initiative first.

But who was Baek Moo-jin to be intimidated?

Baek Moo-jin casually grabbed Lee Mong-yeom’s outstretched hand. Lee Mong-yeom then strained as if to hurl Baek Moo-jin against the wall. But he didn’t budge.

Lee Mong-yeom’s expression stiffened.

‘What the hell?’

Baek Moo-jin, for his part, wore an expression that said, “What is it?” In that instant, Lee Mong-yeom flipped his hand in the Golden Water Technique and counterattacked.

In an instant, the two clashed behind Jin Sohye, their bodies colliding with a loud thud.

Meanwhile, Jin Sohye, who had been choosing her words, clutched her forehead and said something, but it reached neither of their ears.

At that instant, Lee Mong-yeom, his eyebrows shot skyward, unleashed a surge of energy.

Baek Moo-jin scoffed in response.

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted within the inn room.

CRASH!

Lee Mong-yeom, who had been sent flying, was startled but managed to brace himself against the wall with his left hand, narrowly avoiding disaster. This was because Baek Moo-jin had already fought against the Left Guardian and anticipated that the skills of the Left and Right Guardians would be comparable, allowing him to control his power appropriately.

In a way, the left and right attendants seemed to share somewhat similar personalities. Or perhaps everyone at the Sacred Flame Palace was hot-tempered…

Jin Sohye spoke calmly, as if soothing children.

“Stop it. You two are not enemies.”

Jin Sohye, who had stepped forward, turned her stance and gently tugged Baek Moo-jin’s collar as she whispered.

“I’ll handle this. I’m the Right Guardian of this palace. The Left Guardian must be upset after what happened. Please understand.”

Baek Moo-jin nodded at Jin So-hye.

As Lee Mong-yeom approached, Jin So-hye stepped in front of him.

“Please calm down, Minister. This is a long story. Let’s go downstairs to talk. I need to eat something.”

As Jin Sohye swept past, leaving a chill in her wake, Lee Mongyeom turned his head and asked.

“Princess, are you all right?”

Jin Sohye, descending the stairs, replied in a stiff tone.

“You ask that quickly.”

Lee Mong-yeom glared at Baek Moo-jin for a moment before following Jin So-hye. Left alone for a moment, Baek Moo-jin tilted his head.

‘This atmosphere feels strangely similar to that of the Left Minister…’

2.

Three people sat by the window at the Yeonga Inn. Outside the inn, soldiers from the Sunghwa Palace were stationed here and there, seemingly waiting to guard the Young Palace Master and the Left Assistant.

Regardless, Baek Moo-jin and Jin So-hye, unusually ravenous today, eagerly emptied the dishes flown to them. In contrast, Woo Sa stared blankly at the two, not touching his food.

Just moments ago, Yi Mongyeom had deliberately sparred with Baek Mujin and was now speculating on his true identity.

‘Could this man be… the one who wields that strange sword technique?’

Lee Mong-yeom’s gaze was fixed on the white long sword Baek Moo-jin had brought.

Jin Sohye, having eaten a little, gathered her thoughts and explained the situation to Lee Mongyeom. But even after hearing the explanation, Lee Mongyeom still looked perplexed and asked.

“……So you’re saying the young princess lost?”

“How many times do I have to say it?”

“I just can’t believe it…”

“Even the Minister of War tested its strength just now.”

“That’s true, but…”

Lee Mong-yeom found parts of Jin So-hye’s story hard to believe.

After Jin Sohye lost to Baek Mujin, she fought the Iron Blood Sect. Witnessing the death of Left Guardian Lee Gon caused Jin Sohye’s true energy to surge out of control, causing her to faint. Baek Mujin helped her here.

Meaning, the corpses that appeared to have stopped bleeding were indeed victims of Baek Moo-jin. Even so, it was hard to comprehend how Jin So-hye could have lost to Baek Moo-jin. And the claim that Baek Moo-jin had stopped the raging flames of the Yan Emperor—flames that required the intervention of the Holy Fire Palace Master and the Left and Right Guardians to quell—was also difficult to believe.

However, the sequence of events was too clear to dismiss as something the Young Palace Mistress had just made up. Moreover, even when she made mistakes, the Young Palace Mistress tended to speak brazenly; no one knew better than Imongyeom that she wasn’t the type to lie.

Jin Sohye said to Yi Mongyeom.

“Your Excellency should apologize for what happened earlier.”

“But…”

“You saved my life.”

Lee Mong-yeom addressed Baek Moo-jin with a reluctant expression.

“Hmm… Lord Baek, I apologize for what happened earlier. And thank you for helping the young princess.”

As Yi Mong-yeom spoke awkwardly, Baek Moo-jin, who had just finished his meal, calmly replied.

“Don’t mention it. It was only right to help.”

After offering his apology with a sour expression, Lee Mong-yeom asked what had been on his mind.

“By the way, I’ve never heard of the Snow Mountain Baek Clan before.”

“I suppose so.”

“Do you happen to use ice magic?”

At Lee Mong-yeom’s words, Jin So-hye paused mid-bite and looked at Woo Sa. Baek Moo-jin nodded and replied flatly.

“Yes.”

“Hmm… It’s an uncommon martial art… How strange that I’ve never heard of it. I’ve always taken a keen interest in extraordinary individuals and prided myself on knowing many unique masters across the land. This is truly the first time I’ve heard of a master of Ice Arts.”

Baek Moo-jin replied with a bitter expression.

“The Snow Mountain Bai Clan… no, the previous heads of our family had little interest in the martial world.”

“If they had no interest, then why has the current head of the Baek family appeared in the martial world like this?”

Jin Sohye interrupted mid-sentence.

“Why are you interrogating me like this, Minister?”

“Huh?”

Lee Mong-yeom finally understood why his heart felt uneasy. Beyond their roles as master and disciple, or young princess and guardian, the two were like sworn siblings with a significant age gap. Yet, every time they spoke, Jin Sohye seemed to take Baek Mujin’s side, leaving Lee Mong-yeom utterly bewildered.

It felt like losing his own sibling.

Lee Mong-yeom spoke with a hint of hurt.

“Your Highness, it’s true I’ve been on edge lately—what happened to Brother Lee Gon yesterday, and then you went missing. But look. You suddenly appear out of nowhere, perfectly fine, with someone I don’t know. It’s only natural I ask questions, isn’t it?”

When Lee Mong-yeom mentioned the left secretary, Jin So-hye couldn’t say anything either, her expression darkening.

Baek Moo-jin nodded and replied.

“Not stepping into the martial world was the will of the previous heads of the clan. I am no different.”

“Hmm.”

Then Jin Sohye continued.

“Though you are the head of the Snow Mountain Hundred Families, you now say your allegiance lies with the Northern Heaven Alliance. Are you intending to avenge the Left Minister?”

“Revenge?”

The corners of Yi Mongyeom’s mouth curled up slightly.

“Revenge… Huh. That’s hardly revenge. I’ll obtain the Palace Lord’s permission and erase the Iron Blood Sect from this martial world. It must be purified cleanly with fire.”

Purify with fire.

A phrase often used by the Sacred Flame Palace.

It signifies viewing the world as a place stained by all manner of filth and vows to purify it with sacred fire. It was a phrase that clearly revealed how utterly unconventional the Holy Flame Palace’s doctrine truly was.

Baek Moo-jin remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

‘Purify with fire… Sounds like the doctrine of a religion.’

Jin Sohye offered her opinion matter-of-factly.

“I think we should strike alongside the Northern Heaven Alliance.”

“Huh?”

“They originally intended to settle the score with Cheolhyeol. If Seonghwa and Bukcheon join forces, the casualties will be fewer than if they fought alone. I will speak to my father about it as well.”

At her words, Woo Sa gave an unexpected reply.

“Is that so? That works out well. After Iron Blood, I was planning to take on Nine Heavens, but if North Heaven and Seonghwa join forces, that should suffice. By the way, if I may ask, what position does Lord Baek hold within the North Heaven Alliance?”

At that, Jin Sohye suppressed a smile and looked at Baek Mujin. Baek Mujin replied indifferently.

“In the North Heaven Alliance… I’m just a greenhorn rookie.”

“A…”

Lee Mong-yeom paused, studying their expressions. Jin So-hye smiled and said.

“Lord Baek is formidable. Whether he’s a newcomer or not, what does it matter?”

At that, Yi Mong-yeom let out a long sigh. The young princess seemed unusually attentive to Baek Moo-jin, even over minor details, which felt out of character for her.

Finally, Lee Mong-yeom asked bluntly.

“But what exactly is your relationship? Please tell me honestly. Whatever your answer, I won’t report it to the Princess for now.”

Jin Sohye, having resolved to be firm, snorted derisively.

“And if I do report it? Do you think I’d be afraid?”

“Well… that’s…”

As Lee Mong-yeom flustered, Jin So-hye looked at Baek Moo-jin and, with a weighty expression like landing a double punch to Lee Mong-yeom’s chest, simply clarified her relationship with Baek Moo-jin.

“He’s my man.”

“Huh?”

Lee Mong-yeom stared at the young princess with an utterly bewildered expression.