Chapter 348
“The dawn air is chilly. Why don’t you lie down a little longer, dear?”
Sunwoo Jin’s father, Sunwoo Joong, spoke warmly, but Jin So-eun forced a smile and shook her head.
“No, Father. If I don’t see Gongja off when he leaves, I think I’ll feel even worse.”
Though it still felt a bit strange to call him “Father,” Jin So-eun was genuinely grateful to Sunwoo Joong and Sonan-so for treating her like a true daughter-in-law—or even like a daughter.
In fact, she felt closer to them than to her own biological father, Jin Gong-mu, with whom she had never shared much affection.
She was now steadily recovering from a critical condition, thanks entirely to the Mukrang Mind Technique that Sunwoo Jin had taught her.
Of course, her mastery of the technique was still low, so her wounds hadn’t miraculously healed overnight.
But the deep, piercing injuries that had gone from her abdomen to her back were now almost completely healed, leaving only faint scars.
Not just the visible wounds, but the internal damage to her shattered organs was also gradually mending.
However, her emotional state was a different matter.
Unlike her body, her heart was far from whole.
“Take care and come back safely, Jina.”
“Yes, Father. I’ll return in a few days looking healthy and well.”
Sunwoo Joong and Sonan-so exchanged smiles of encouragement with Sunwoo Jin, who was about to depart for his decisive battle against the Yeokcheon Blood Demon.
Sunwoo Jin returned their smiles cheerfully, as if he were just going out for a stroll.
It was a light farewell, as if he’d be back any moment.
Once the brief but weighty goodbyes with his parents were over, the heads of the Haenam faction and Myoaran also sent him off, each wearing different expressions.
“Please be careful, Sect Leader.”
“Wishing you luck.”
“Smash that fiend to pieces!”
Sunwoo Jin responded to their well-wishes with a confident grin.
“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to be the shortest-serving sect leader in Haenam’s history. I will return safely.”
“Hahaha! We’re counting on you, Sect Leader!”
Only a handful were leaving for this battle: the two Hwagyeong masters—Yeoryeong Blood Demon Son Eun-sang and Namhae Saintess Si Seo-woo; the two Cheonhasamshipyuk-level warriors—Dragon Clan Leader Yong Woo-shin and Sunwoo Jin himself; and the Six Harmonies Swordmaster Pa Cheon-jo, who could unleash Cheonhasamshipyuk-level martial power when wielding the Demon-Slaying Six Harmonies Sword.
Lower-ranked masters were not joining.
Sunwoo Jin judged that their involvement would only lead to meaningless sacrifices.
In truth, even the Six Harmonies Swordmasters and Cheonhasamshipyuk-level warriors might not be much help in a fight against such monstrous Hwagyeong experts.
They could only hope to be a small variable.
Because so few were leaving, only a small group had come to see them off.
The interception of the Yeokcheon Blood Demon was being carried out in utmost secrecy; only the closest confidants of the interception team and the heads of each sect were aware.
“Please take care, Gongja. The peace of the world rests on your shoulders.”
“Good luck, Gongja!”
“Yes, Jin-in. And Mo Daehyeop. We’ll greet you again when you return.”
After farewells with his family and the Haenam faction leaders, Sunwoo Jin exchanged parting words with Cheong Gong-jin-in, the sect leader of Hyeongsan faction, and Mo Dong-ju, the faction’s new second-in-command and a swordmaster of Ban-gang.
Just as he turned to leave, his eyes flicked briefly toward Jin So-eun.
As usual these days, she was standing timidly behind Sunwoo Joong and Sonan-so, hands clasped tightly, watching him cautiously.
Sunwoo Jin had been sensing something was off about her lately.
She no longer approached him boldly in front of others, as she used to.
Instead, she kept her distance, never coming close.
“Even yesterday was the same. Though she was with my parents, she seemed to avoid eye contact and didn’t say a word…”
When their eyes met now, she gave an awkward smile before quickly bowing her head.
It was strange.
But with so many people around, Sunwoo Jin felt awkward approaching her.
“Well, she seems to be getting along well with my parents, so maybe it’s fine.”
In the end, he turned away without having what might have been their last conversation.
It was time to go.
At that moment, Jin So-eun’s eyes brimmed with tears as she bowed her head.
Knowing this might be the last time, she wanted to say something to Sunwoo Jin—but she couldn’t bring herself to step forward and face him.
She had stopped being able to look Sunwoo Jin in the eye ever since that day.
The day she learned that he hadn’t gone to save his fiancée, Dang Yeo-eun, because he had chosen to save her instead.
Of course, Sunwoo Jin had never shown any sign of this in front of her.
On the contrary, he had stayed by her side until she was out of danger.
And when she finally passed the critical point, he smiled and said,
“Thank heavens, Jin So-jeo. The crisis seems to be over. Now, focus on resting and circulating the Mukrang Mind Technique. From now on, your recovery is all that matters.”
At the time, Jin So-eun was not in a clear state of mind.
Though somewhat recovered, the stabbing pain in her abdomen kept her from thinking clearly.
Still, she noticed a deep shadow of sorrow behind Sunwoo Jin’s smile.
It was a weight so heavy she couldn’t even ask why.
That look shocked her deeply.
It was the first time she had seen such a heavy gaze from Sunwoo Jin, who always seemed to overcome any crisis without a care.
“What could have happened? Could it be because that beauty was possessed by the Yeokcheon Blood Demon?”
Jin So-eun had the feeling that Yeon Tae-jin was hiding the truth from her.
So, when Yeon Tae-jin stepped away briefly, she asked a disciple of the Hyeongsan faction who had brought her food about Sunwoo Jin’s current situation.
That’s when she learned the truth.
Sunwoo Jin had known about his fiancée Dang Yeo-eun’s danger but had decided not to go save her.
Instead, he stood blankly, staring at the western sky, waiting only for news of her.
Jin So-eun was stunned.
“Gongja… decided not to save his fiancée?”
The first feeling that came over her was guilt.
She immediately realized that Sunwoo Jin’s decision was because of her.
Then fear followed.
She was terrified.
If anything happened to his fiancée, he would always associate it with her whenever he looked at her.
“If Gongja thinks of that every time he sees me…”
The thought was unbearable.
To imagine him recalling his fiancée’s crisis—or even her death—whenever he saw her face.
If she were Sunwoo Jin, she wouldn’t want to look at her own face either.
And since then, Sunwoo Jin had never come to see her.
Not because he didn’t want to see her, but because he was waiting for news of Dang Yeo-eun.
But Jin So-eun couldn’t see it that way.
The longer he stayed away, the more she shrank into herself.
That was when it started.
She stopped being able to look Sunwoo Jin in the eye.
Guilt, fear, and self-loathing made her feel smaller and smaller.
She couldn’t bring herself to face him.
“How could I stand by him after almost causing him to lose someone so precious…”
That thought gnawed at her mind.
Maybe this time, it was truly time to disappear from his side.
“I tried so hard to be at least someone who could help, even if I couldn’t be his woman…”
But it seemed she had failed even at that.
It was the worst.
Sunwoo Jin couldn’t see Jin So-eun’s expression or the tears in her eyes.
Naturally, he had no way of knowing how broken her heart was.
He simply turned away and looked at Yeoryeong Blood Demon Son Eun-sang, who was having a heartfelt conversation with the Ma-jong-hwan of the Saengsaegoe.
Namhae Saintess Si Seo-woo and Dragon Clan Leader Yong Woo-shin were already ready and waiting, and the Six Harmonies Swordmasters stood by, awaiting his orders.
Once Son Eun-sang was ready, they could depart.
Sunwoo Jin was about to call out to Son Eun-sang.
“Son Seon—!”
Then, he received a transmission.
A clear, sharp female voice.
It was Myoaran of the Haenam Myo family, the master of the Divine Mysterious Sword Peak.
Sunwoo Jin paused, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
He replied by transmission.
Myoaran continued, transmitting her question.
“Expression?”
Her words made Sunwoo Jin glance back at Jin So-eun.
She was looking at him with tear-filled, sorrowful eyes, startled for a moment before bowing her head deeply again.
“……”
Sunwoo Jin stared blankly at her bowed figure.
Tears? Why? Is she worried about me?
That was possible.
But her recent behavior was definitely strange.
“So what is it? Did I do something wrong?”
Sunwoo Jin pondered the cause of her tears and her incomprehensible behavior for a moment.
But, of course, he had no idea why.
It was then.
Myoaran’s voice came through again, tinged with impatience.
“Look at that. You still don’t get it?”
Sun Woojin, who had been looking at Jin So-eun, thought to himself,
“…I really don’t.”
Honestly, he was a bit taken aback. Since he had treated Jin So-eun, he hadn’t seen her again. How could he possibly know why she was acting like this?
Clearly, when it came to women, his wisdom just didn’t reach.
After a moment’s hesitation, Sun Woojin decided to be straightforward and ask for help.
“With my dull mind, I can’t even begin to guess, Sojeo. Please, enlighten me.”
Myoaran sighed and sent another message.
“Gongja, you haven’t visited Jin Sojeo since you heard the news that your fiancée was in danger, right?”
“Well…”
Of course not.
While waiting for news of Dang Yeoeun, no one—not even Jin So-eun—had gone to see her. After that, he had been at Antang Mountain and couldn’t meet her. And since then, she had always been with her parents, so there was no chance to see her separately.
‘But that was unavoidable, wasn’t it?’
As Sun Woojin thought this, Myoaran’s message continued.
“Even an ordinary woman would feel hurt if someone she cared about was paying attention to another woman and not coming to her. And someone as kind as Jin Sojeo? She probably thought that since you went to save your fiancée instead of her, it was her fault. She might even blame herself for not being able to come to you. Seeing how she can’t approach you, I think that’s exactly what’s going on.”
“Huh?”
Sun Woojin frowned slightly at that.
He had chosen himself to treat Jin So-eun instead of going to save Dang Yeoeun. It made no sense that she would feel guilty about that.
But then, Mukrang’s voice came through.
“I don’t know much about women, so I can’t say for sure, but it’s clear that Jin Sojeo’s heart is full of guilt and self-reproach. I think Myo’s right.”
Hearing that, Sun Woojin was momentarily stunned.
He lowered his head and looked again at Jin So-eun, who still couldn’t meet his gaze.
‘Guilt and self-reproach… Could that really be it?’
At first, he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.
How kind-hearted must she be to think that way?
She had nearly died because of that incident, yet instead of resenting it, she blamed herself?
With such pure kindness, how could she possibly survive in this world?
But as he thought that, Sun Woojin recalled her actions so far.
The first time they met, when she quietly endured the scorn of her brothers despite mastering the natural skills her family had longed for.
When she tried to take her own life rather than be a burden while being chased by Jin Taedo.
And even after learning about Dang Yeoeun, his lover, she never showed any sign of jealousy, always smiling consistently.
Suddenly, he wondered,
‘Maybe she’s always been the same, and it’s me who hasn’t understood her.’
That had to be it.
Her foolishly pure kindness and innocence, which made even those around her pure—that was her true charm.
With someone like her, it was possible she felt guilty for not being able to come to him because he was off saving Dang Yeoeun, regardless of her own danger or the fact that Dang Yeoeun was her rival.
With that thought, Sun Woojin sighed softly and smiled wryly.
She was truly a handful.
And he thought,
‘That’s why I have no choice but to keep watching over her.’
Jin So-eun kept her head bowed, unable to lift it.
She was afraid he might still be looking at her.
Worried he might have seen her tears and that it would weigh heavily on his heart as he prepared to leave for something important.
Of course, she wanted to see him again before he left.
No, she wanted it desperately.
But the fear that she might worry him was even stronger.
Then, suddenly, a shadow fell before her.
Someone was approaching.
Startled, Jin So-eun lifted her head.
One by one, familiar shoes, pants, and a sturdy chest clad in black came into view.
And when she finally raised her head fully, she saw him.
Sun Woojin, smiling warmly at her.
“Ah…!”
So shocked, Jin So-eun was momentarily speechless.
She just stared at him with wide, round eyes.
Sun Woojin smiled knowingly and slowly, gently embraced her.
Still dazed, Jin So-eun blinked, unable to comprehend what was happening.
It felt unreal, like a dream.
Then, Sun Woojin whispered softly into her ear.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t understand your pain, Jin Sojeo. No… So-eun. Please take good care of yourself until I return.”
At that moment, Jin So-eun gasped and held her breath.
Hearing him call her ‘So-eun’ felt like her heart stopped.
It was like a miracle.
Having left Jin So-eun breathless, Sun Woojin stepped back slightly and looked at her face.
There she was, eyes wide like a startled rabbit, staring blankly at him.
So adorable, so lovable.
At that moment, his gaze fell on her cherry-pink lips.
An urge to kiss her surged.
Just like that time on the peak of Hyeongsan, bathed in the glow of the sunset.
He wanted to feel that soft touch again.
But no matter how much he wanted to, it was impossible.
The eyes of his parents and everyone around were burning with attention.
His divine sight clearly showed all eyes were on him.
After a moment, Sun Woojin stepped away from Jin So-eun as if nothing had happened, spun around, and spoke to Son Eunsang.
“Son sunbae, that’s enough…! Oh, you’ve already said your goodbyes. Then shall we depart?”
With that, he strode forward confidently.
He ignored Son Eunsang’s voice behind him saying, “Oh! He’s a man, huh?”
Myoaran watched Sun Woojin’s retreating figure with a faintly bitter expression.
Though it was her words that had set this in motion, she couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste.
Sun Woojin’s bold embrace of Jin So-eun in front of everyone—especially his parents—had been undeniably impressive.
But at the same time, it stung.
Seeing Jin So-eun’s expression soften in his arms made her feel relieved.
Yet, jealousy gnawed at her.
Most of all, it was painfully clear that no matter what she thought, it didn’t matter to Sun Woojin.
That was the bitterest, most miserable truth.
Myoaran tried to steady herself and thought,
“Accept it rationally and coldly, Myoaran. This is your place right now.”
By her cold judgment, her position to Sun Woojin was just one of the Haenam faction’s disciples—nothing more.
Sure, she was a strategist with the wisdom to discuss and advise on his plans, but that was strictly professional.
Lately, Sun Woojin had treated her very politely.
Just politely.
His attitude felt like he was emphasizing that, officially, she was important, but personally, they had no relationship at all.
He gave her no chance to get close.
Myoaran took that as his answer.
The answer to her feelings, expressed through their last conversation and his parents.
He probably had no intention of seeing her as a woman—no, not even as a potential woman.
It was a blow to her pride and deeply frustrating.
At first, she couldn’t accept it.
“So decisively? Without any room for doubt?”
She was known as the most beautiful woman in Haenam.
Though she had never left Haenam Province, unlike the famous beauties Yeon Taejin or Woo Nanseol who were active in the martial world, she might have been recognized far and wide.
Not that she cared much about that.
But she had never once thought she would be rejected so coldly by a man.
Yet reality didn’t respect her feelings.
The man she wanted didn’t want her at all—in fact, he pushed her away.
So now, her only choices were to give up on him cleanly to avoid more pain, or to cling on pitifully.
She laughed bitterly at the thought.
“Either way, it’s a blow to my pride. I really am nothing, Myoaran.”
But despite the self-loathing, her choice was clear.
She had never cared about marriage with a man.
In fact, she found it bothersome.
Betrothed from a young age to her close older brother’s friend, Inparang, she had accepted it as fate, never once feeling excited about romance or marriage.
What interested her was only Sun Woojin himself.
The one who had made her heart race for the first time in her life.
So the answer was already decided.
If it weren’t for Sun Woo-jin, she would end up living alone, never marrying anyone. So, focusing on him was the only natural choice for Myao-ran.
‘It’s a bit humiliating to have to cling like this, but pride aside…’
Of course, she was no ordinary woman—renowned as the sharpest mind in the Haenam Myao family, known for her wisdom.
There was no way she’d stoop to tearful pleas or desperate begging.
She knew all too well that thinking of herself as “his woman” would only make her less attractive to men.
‘And a woman who clings pathetically isn’t attractive either.’
She wasn’t uninterested in men because she didn’t understand them. On the contrary, as the wisest woman in the Haenam Myao clan and the most sought-after beauty in Haenam, she had been courted by countless men.
Compared to Sun Woo-jin, who had barely had any contact with women even across two lifetimes, her experience was on a completely different level.
Her chosen strategy was to stay close to Sun Woo-jin as a comrade, gradually closing the distance between them.
Informing him about Jin So-eun’s situation just now was part of that plan.
‘It makes me look like I have no ulterior motives toward Lord Sun Woo, and at the same time, I can put him in my debt. Two birds with one stone.’
Knowing Sun Woo-jin’s personality, she was certain he wouldn’t just ignore the favor he owed her.
So, by steadily accumulating these emotional debts, Myao-ran believed that one day, her chance would come.
But…
‘Still, it’s impossible not to feel a little heartache.’
Thinking this, she lowered her head and gave a bitter smile.
It seemed the plan she’d crafted in her mind weighed heavily on her heart.
No matter how wise she was, her feelings were beyond her control.
“Huuuu…”
As Myao-ran quietly let out a deep sigh, trying to steady herself, a sudden voice came through her earpiece.
Hearing that, Myao-ran snapped her head up.
It was Sun Woo-jin’s voice.
In that moment, she caught a glimpse of him glancing briefly in her direction with a smile before turning away again.
Though it was only a fleeting smile, Myao-ran stood there, completely dazed, staring after his retreating figure.
For some reason, just that smile seemed to wash away all the hurt she’d felt moments before.
After watching him go for a long while, she suddenly let out a bitter chuckle.
She felt pathetic for being so easily swayed by a single brief smile.
‘The wisest person in the Haenam Myao family, huh?’
If anyone had seen her like this, they’d never say that.
But…
She didn’t mind.
Her battle was only just beginning.