The Heavenly Rhythm Silk had turned completely white.
Well, not entirely white.
Depending on the angle of the light, a faint bluish sheen shimmered beneath the surface.
“Normally, Heavenly Rhythm Silk only displays a single color,” the fabric shop owner explained.
“Really?”
“Yes. It's quite rare for two colors to appear at once.”
After hearing the explanation, the silk seemed even more beautiful.
“Woooow...”
For a long moment, I simply stared at it, mesmerized by the luminous glow that ordinary silk could never possess.
Unable to contain my excitement, I carried the fabric around and wandered all over the shop.
“Stop running around and bring it over here.”
“Okaaay!”
With a casual wave of his hand, Baek Un-jin sent the Heavenly Rhythm Silk floating into the air.
The fabric folded itself neatly before landing in the shop owner's hands.
“Then I'll have the robe completed and delivered to Cheongu Sect as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you.”
As payment, Baek Un-jin produced several spirit stones from within his robes.
Spirit stones served as a form of currency among cultivators.
They were also used in the creation of magical treasures, medicinal pills, and countless other cultivation-related purposes.
Once the wing robe had been commissioned, we left the fabric shop.
As it became time to head back, my gaze kept drifting toward the bustling marketplace.
Seeing me repeatedly glance in that direction, Baek Un-jin spoke.
“Shall we return tomorrow instead?”
“Really?!”
“A single day's delay won't cause any problems.”
“Then can we visit that shop over there?”
Without waiting for an answer, I immediately dragged him toward the general store I'd been eyeing.
We spent the day browsing various shops.
I bought hair ornaments and a few necessities, enjoyed another sugar figurine, and wandered from stall to stall, taking in all the sights.
That evening, some sort of festival seemed to be taking place nearby.
Colorful fireworks shot into the night sky, painting it with brilliant bursts of light.
The next day, we boarded the same flying artifact we had used to reach Hyeonbaek and began our journey back to Cheongu Sect.
This time, however, I had taken motion sickness medicine before departure.
Thankfully, my stomach remained perfectly calm.
As we traveled, Baek Un-jin suddenly held out a small plaque toward me.
“Keep this.”
“This? Wouldn't it be better if Master kept it?”
Although I hadn't said so before, I knew the Lifebound Nameplate was an incredibly valuable treasure.
Even Jinmun had grumbled until the very end before finally handing it over.
“You received it because of your actions. It belongs to you.”
Despite my hesitation, Baek Un-jin firmly pressed the plaque into my hands.
Since he was insisting this much, refusing felt impossible.
In the end, I carefully tucked it away inside my robes.
A month passed after our return to Cheongu Sect.
Perhaps sparring with Yang Ja-han had been more beneficial than I realized.
People often told me that my skills had improved dramatically compared to before.
Of course, I had also spent far more time practicing.
That look in his eyes.
I still didn't know why Yang Ja-han had tried to kill me.
But his gaze hadn't belonged to someone who had given up.
This time, I had been lucky.
Baek Un-jin had intervened.
There was no guarantee that he would always be there to save me.
Who knew when I might cross paths with Yang Ja-han again?
At the very least, I need to become strong enough to stand on equal footing with him!
My sword sliced through the air.
A powerful gust followed its trajectory, sending fallen leaves spiraling skyward.
“You've been working hard.”
“Master.”
After wiping away my sweat, I hurried over to Baek Un-jin.
“The wing robe has arrived.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. I think we can end training early today.”
Sheathing my sword, I immediately followed him back to Byeokun Residence.
Inside my room sat a large box.
Resting atop it was a pristine white robe.
I wasted no time changing into it.
At first, it seemed slightly too large.
However, the moment I infused it with spiritual power, the Heavenly Rhythm Silk shrank and adjusted itself to perfectly fit my body.
“Whoa!”
I spun around in front of a mirror.
The flowing silk fluttered elegantly around me.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
More importantly, moving in it felt infinitely more comfortable than the clothes I had worn before.
“You seem pleased.”
“Yes!”
Pleased didn't even begin to describe it.
Even though I had transmigrated into this world, everything still felt unfamiliar.
And yet, for the first time, I finally possessed something that felt completely mine.
The wing robe wasn't merely tailored to fit.
It also enhanced the wearer's movements and provided protection against external attacks.
It was clothing and armor all at once.
While admiring the robe, I suddenly noticed that Baek Un-jin was dressed differently than usual.
“Master, are you going somewhere?”
“An urgent matter has come up. I'll need to leave for a while starting tomorrow.”
He glanced out the window and let out a short sigh.
Cultivators frequently left their sects to carry out missions.
Ever since taking me in as a disciple, however, Baek Un-jin had rarely accepted any assignments.
Even when he did, he usually completed them within a single day.
For him to speak this way meant the matter was both urgent and impossible to refuse.
“I understand. But where are you going?”
“Taeheo Kingdom.”
Taeheo Kingdom lay west of Baekryeon Kingdom, where Cheongu Sect was located.
Wait a second... Taeheo Kingdom? At this point in the timeline?
Four years had passed since Baek Un-jin accepted me as his disciple.
If he was traveling to Taeheo Kingdom now, there was only one possible reason.
Master's disciple.
Unlike in the original novel, where I had never existed, Baek Un-jin originally had one disciple.
His first.
And his last.
A boy named Eun Hwi-gyeom.
Baek Un-jin had brought him back from Taeheo Kingdom.
However, shortly after becoming his disciple, Eun Hwi-gyeom was murdered by a faction seeking to undermine Baek Un-jin.
His death dealt a devastating blow to the man.
Afterward, Baek Un-jin never accepted another disciple.
That tragedy became one of the turning points that transformed him.
From then on, like many other cultivators of the Heavenly Fate Ascension Era, he became willing to use any means necessary to pursue immortality.
“Master!”
“What is it?”
“Please stay safe while you're away. And... bring me a souvenir when you come back!”
“A souvenir?”
“Haha, yes. I've never been to Taeheo Kingdom before.”
Of course, I couldn't possibly tell him about Eun Hwi-gyeom.
So I simply acted like an ordinary disciple worried about her master.
“Very well. I'll bring back something you'll like.”
“Thank you!”
I bowed deeply.
If it's a mission in Taeheo Kingdom that Master can't refuse, it's probably the extermination of the Three-Life Ghost.
As expected of a xianxia world, the Heavenly Fate Ascension Era contained countless supernatural horrors.
One of them was vengeful spirits.
Ghosts that did not harm mortals were simply called spirits.
Beyond that existed increasingly dangerous classifications.
Restless Soul.
Vengeful Spirit.
Ghost Soul.
Ghost Spirit.
And beyond.
A Restless Soul might cause nothing worse than a string of bad luck within a household.
But stronger entities could spread mysterious plagues across entire villages.
The Three-Life Ghost belonged to the Ghost Spirit category.
It was a terrifying evil spirit.
According to the original story, Eun Hwi-gyeom's entire family was slaughtered by the Three-Life Ghost.
He alone survived.
Baek Un-jin rescued him, and the boy later became his disciple.
If only I were stronger...
I barely knew anything about him beyond his name.
Yet for a brief moment, I wondered if there was some way to save his family.
No. That's going too far.
Right now, I was still a child.
A First-Star Qi Refinement cultivator who had only recently stepped onto the path of cultivation.
I needed to know the difference between what I could do and what I couldn't.
Still...
If Baek Un-jin really brought Eun Hwi-gyeom back this time, I decided I would treat him well.
As long as he wasn't destined to die immediately, perhaps there might be a way to prevent his tragic fate.
“Until I return, continue practicing the Lotus Flame Shadow Sword Art and the Cheongyeon Technique. Especially the Cheongyeon Technique.”
Baek Un-jin smiled pleasantly.
“If you still haven't reached the Seventh Stage by the time I return, prepare to be scolded.”
“...Excuse me?”
Cultivators possessed unique abilities known as cultivation arts.
Each art was divided into twelve stages, from the First Stage all the way to the Twelfth Stage, the pinnacle.
Currently, I was learning the Lotus Flame Shadow Sword Art and the Cheongyeon Technique from Baek Un-jin.
The problem was that my Cheongyeon Technique had been stuck at the Sixth Stage for quite some time.
I tried to ask for clarification.
Baek Un-jin merely smiled brightly and refused to elaborate.
During the years I had spent with him, I had learned one important thing.
Normally, Baek Un-jin was gentle and kind.
But whenever he smiled silently like that...
He was absolutely terrifying.
