Chapter 101
Baek-Cheong paused her thoughts for a moment and pondered the words she had just heard.
She had indeed heard the term Sword Scent before.
She had heard that once a Sword Cultivator reached a certain level, its effect would faintly emanate from their aura.
'But that’s coming from me?’
It was something the Sword Cultivator Dao Friends often mentioned in the Nameless Forum’s discussion threads.
However, while she understood it in theory, it was difficult to grasp since it lacked physical substance.
In particular, the fact that Sword Scent was emanating from her own body struck her as baffling.
“Is something like Sword Scent really emanating from me?”
Baek-Cheong lightly pulled her hands down in a pretense of straightening her Robe Hem.
Her lowered hands fell naturally to the sides of her knees.
Then, she carefully took a small sniff through her nose.
Since it was a robe prepared for her by the Yeonha Baek Clan, the lingering scent of the incense favored by the Main Clan permeated it.
The fragrance wafting from her ended right there.
'Of course, it’s true that Sword Scent isn’t something you can actually smell.’
Still, because it was something she hadn’t expected, she had ended up sniffing herself without realizing it.
Even if Sword Scent was emanating from her body, she herself had no way of noticing it.
The desire arose for it to be easier to understand, at least if it could be detected as a smell.
‘Because he didn’t say anything about it.’
Baek-Cheong traced back her memories regarding this matter.
Even while receiving teachings from the Pacheon Sword Saint, she had never once heard the term Sword Scent.
At their parting, he had merely summed it up with a brief remark that she had achieved the proper form.
“I guess achieving the proper form meant reaching the point where even Sword Scent emanates.”
Only then did the meaning behind the Pacheon Sword Saint’s words touch her small heart.
His leaving behind a sturdy protection without taking her with him, and his bluntness in never mentioning the Sword Intent she had polished to the point of exuding Sword Scent until the very end - thinking it over, it felt warm.
“He should have just told me.”
Suddenly, the Pacheon Sword Saint’s nearly unchanging smile came to mind.
He seemed blunt, but he simply didn’t show it; a variety of expressions were hidden beneath.
However, this was no situation to be deeply lost in thought.
The banquet had not yet ended, and she needed to scheme regarding the New Spring Exchange Gathering.
* * *
Before long, the Sect Master offered a toast to the guests and briefly wrapped up his congratulatory remarks.
The atmosphere of the banquet gradually relaxed further.
The sound of Musical Arts gently filled the space, and the footsteps of maidservants went back and forth between the seats.
Among the Guests, bundles of stories began to unravel one by one.
The sight of people from Nascent Soul clans visiting from other continents raising their glasses with those from Southern Region factions could be seen all across the seats.
At the Yeonha Baek Clan’s Seat as well, an elder from another Faction approached and clinked glasses with her uncle.
When the banquet had progressed to a certain extent.
The Sect Master gestured, releasing the young children to disperse.
“Since the New Spring Exchange Gathering is being held within the Sect, feel free to look around to your heart’s content.”
At such consideration, the young children who had been keeping to their seats stood up.
The children who had tagged along from various factions could also be seen rising from their seats and looking around.
Likewise, Baek-Cheong stood up slowly from her Seat.
Her uncle in the next Seat nodded and gave her a hand gesture telling her to go and enjoy herself.
Baek-Cheong immediately shifted her gaze toward the True Disciples' seats.
She made eye contact with her Eldest Brother, but strangely, he didn’t even budge.
“What is it?”
A question naturally arose at such a sight.
First of all, since Mong-Yo wasn’t here, she had no choice but to wander around with her Eldest Brother.
Still, she was about to approach him to ask about Mong-Yo’s whereabouts.
Someone approached her directly with quick steps from one side of the Pavilion.
“Young Lady Baek!”
Baek-Cheong paused her steps for a moment.
She could tell who it was without even needing to listen closely to the voice.
There was no way anyone else would approach her, an external guest, with a specific purpose right in the middle of this place.
As she turned her head to look, it was, sure enough, Jin-Wi.
Even though he had entered Foundation Establishment, his demeanor hadn’t changed.
Perhaps he had developed some sort of internal sense of intimacy, for he was thoroughly delighted to see her.
“I should accept his greeting first.”
Her steps toward her Eldest Brother had to be delayed for a moment.
“Young Lady Baek, have you been well all this time?”
Baek-Cheong neatly brought her hands together and politely bowed her head, showing her respects to the Foundation Establishment senior.
Whether she felt reluctant or not, given the setting, she had to politely observe the proper formalities.
“Congratulations, senior Jin-Wi, on safely concluding your closed-door Training and crossing the great Boundary to reach Foundation Establishment just in time for the new year.”
“Hehe.”
Jin-Wi’s lips seemed to loosen even further.
As if realizing his own lips had loosened, he made a show of composing himself with a fake cough.
“Ah, well, it’s nothing much.”
Jin-Wi lowered his voice, mimicking an awkward adult tone.
He had grown rapidly since last year, becoming about a head taller, but his boyish face remained, only making him look awkward.
“Anyway, I am also quite pleased to see you again at the Main Sect.”
“Where did he learn to talk like this?”
Baek-Cheong was dumbfounded by his attempt to act dignified.
It seemed he was trying to imitate an adult with the confidence of having entered Foundation Establishment.
Funnily enough, the way he looked at her was no different from last year.
“Eldest Brother was right.”
The words her Eldest Brother had told her earlier surfaced in her memory.
It was the story of how Jin-Wi often mentioned her and wanted to see her again.
It seemed her Eldest Brother’s words had been true.
Even so, her feelings of considering him nothing more than a pebble rolling on the roadside remained unchanged.
‘Still, I shouldn’t treat him coldly.’
Baek-Cheong pretended to warmly accept Jin-Wi’s greeting while looking for an opportunity.
As it happened, there was something worth asking him instead of her Eldest Brother.
“By the way, senior Jin-Wi.”
“Yes, Young Lady Baek.”
“Where is senior Mong-Yo?”
Jin-Wi became sullen for a moment since it wasn’t about him.
However, he shook off his sullen look and shrugged his shoulders.
“Ah, Eldest Sister is away from the Sect on business. Since it’s Sect business, I can’t give you the details, but she won’t be back until around the time the New Year’s Banquet ends.”
“Well, the plan to use senior Mong-Yo is ruined.”
Baek-Cheong quickly fell into thought, weighing the situation.
Her scheme to attend the Martial Arts Competition through Mong-Yo had failed.
Asking her Eldest Brother was restricted, as he would immediately try to dissuade her.
When quietly considered, it seemed Jin-Wi would be sufficient as a guide to replace Mong-Yo.
‘I’ll have to settle for the next best thing.’
The fact that he showed immense interest in her was burdensome, but it couldn’t be helped.
Still, she put on the most demure, ladylike expression she could muster and opened her mouth.
“Senior Jin-Wi… Actually, I’d like to look around the New Spring Exchange Gathering, but since it’s my first time at the Biun Sect, I don’t really know what to do.”
Jin-Wi’s lips curled up as high as they could go, and he puffed out his chest for no reason.
“Ah, I was actually just about to ask Young Lady Baek to look around the New Spring Exchange Gathering together. I will take the lead, so you just need to follow me.”
Before long, Jin-Wi took the lead with confident steps.
From afar, Baek Gyu merely watched the two of them with a pleased gaze.
At this sight, Baek-Cheong also felt satisfied and followed after Jin-Wi.
Taking the lead, Jin-Wi stepped outside the Pavilion and informed her of the schedule.
“Today is the first day of the New Spring Exchange Gathering, so only the academic exhibitions will be held. Since each Peak handles a different art, there are many places to look around. Therefore, which Art would Young Lady Baek like to see?”
Hearing this, Baek-Cheong fell into thought for a moment.
She was learning various arts, but the field she was interested in recently was closer to Formation.
However, she was also curious about how other alchemists concocted their pills.
“I’d like to check out the Pill Refining side.”
“Ah, in that case, I will guide you to the Pill Refining Peak.”
Jin-Wi gave a small nod and waved his hand.
At his gesture, a mass of clouds gathered beneath his feet, lightly lifting Jin-Wi’s body.
“It is faster to move between the peaks of Our Sect using the Concealment Art.”
Jin-Wi added one more hand gesture, laying a cloud beneath Baek-Cheong’s feet as well.
It looked exactly like the cloud Baek Gyu had shown her last time.
“It really is covetable, I must say.”
Watching the Concealment Art unfold, Baek-Cheong liked it even more.
Even though she hadn’t learned it yet, she was just scheming how to combine it with the Spirit Rain Art.
A question popped into her head, and she opened her mouth.
“Senior Jin-Wi, how many contribution points are needed to learn the Concealment Art?”
“One hundred contribution points are required. It’s a small amount if you consider it small, but it still requires taking on about two months' worth of missions based on the standard of an Inner Sect Disciple.”
A couple of months were not a short amount of time.
Moreover, that was the standard for an Inner Sect Disciple staying at the Main Sect and gathering contribution points while remaining within the Sect.
If she were to take on missions in a situation like hers, where the contribution point ratio was incredibly stingy, it could take a very long time.
“The Martial Arts Competition is my only hope.”
Baek-Cheong inwardly shook off her Eldest Brother’s proposal, which had briefly flared up in her mind.
And she steeled her resolve with the single-minded determination to snatch it without effort.