I Became a Supporting Character in a Martial Arts Novel (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
Yuwon gave a brief chuckle and then asked,
“But you’ve never actually met that child before, have you? Did your senior martial brother tell you about him?”
“Well, partly, but actually… I saw him briefly earlier when Master went to see the Sect Leader.”
“Oh?”
This time, it was Yuwon’s turn to look surprised. Haheun nodded, rolled her eyes for a moment, and then replied,
“Yes. He called me ‘Sect Leader,’ so I was a bit startled.”
At that unexpected remark, Yuwon couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Why so?”
“I simply hadn’t anticipated anyone would address me that way… Now that I think about it, it wasn’t wrong, but hearing it felt rather strange.”
As Yuwon quietly looked down at his answering disciple, he suddenly thought Haheun seemed a little more her age than usual.
Of course, when discussing the boy’s whereabouts just earlier, she had behaved as maturely as ever—but strictly speaking, as Haheun herself had pointed out, that matter did require an official decision from the sect.
Yet just now, when speaking freely about her own thoughts or impressions of the boy—something that required no sect ruling—she had, for once, seemed oddly…
‘Like someone acting her age.’
Yuwon tried to guess the reason.
‘Could it be because they’re close in age? Come to think of it, there really isn’t anyone around Haheun’s age at Mount Hua.’
And since it would still be about two years before the next group of third-generation disciples arrived, had they not brought the boy this time, Haheun would have spent not just the past year but the next two years alone among adults.
He didn’t know what decision the Sect Leader would ultimately make, but given how promising the boy seemed, he likely wouldn’t send him back down the mountain—so for now, at least, Haheun would finally have someone her own age at Mount Hua.
‘Since they’ve already exchanged greetings, perhaps they might even get along well.’
He had simply rescued the boy without thinking—unable as a cultivator to ignore someone seemingly in peril, and unable as a master with a disciple of similar age to turn away a youth pleading desperately for help.
But now, considering that this action might yield results even better than expected, Yuwon felt a little pleased.
…He had no idea.
That Haheun had already privately concluded their meeting was “doomed in some way or another,” and that her question to Yuwon about whether the boy would become her junior disciple had actually stemmed from the thought: “I’d better find out exactly when he’ll join so I can prepare accordingly.”…
[This is the timeline separator]It had already been several days since Master returned with the protagonist.
During this time, I’d gone about my days normally, yet inwardly, I’d been troubled by a single concern.
Namely, the protagonist’s situation.
‘…Is it really taking this long?’
Indeed. There was no sign whatsoever that a decision about the protagonist’s status would be made anytime soon.
A few days ago, I’d tried questioning Master about when exactly the boy would be accepted as a disciple, but failed. And given the atmosphere, I couldn’t very well ask any of the other elders, so I’d spent the past few days alone, speculating endlessly about this matter.
Truthfully, I’d long suspected that my own existence might make the protagonist’s acceptance difficult.
The commotion surrounding me after I’d joined Mount Hua last spring hadn’t finally settled until that winter. It was only a short while since then, so naturally, the elders would hesitate to repeat a similar situation so soon.
‘But even so… he is the protagonist.’
I’d assumed that, regardless of how much time it took, he would inevitably become Master’s disciple—it was only a matter of course. Yet as days passed without any decision, even my certainty began to waver.
‘No, come to think of it… maybe this was never something I should have been certain about in the first place.’
I stared blankly into the air.
Though it felt sudden, I myself was a transmigrator from another world inhabiting an original character’s body. My very presence had already altered the story’s original course significantly.
In the original plot, “Haheun” would still be struggling with even the basics of the Six Harmonies Sword, let alone the Seven Maiden Sword or Jade Maiden Sword. Her relationships with Masters Yubaek and Yuseong, and with her senior martial brothers and sisters, wouldn’t be as they were now.
Even if not entirely, the story had already diverged considerably from the original.
‘Besides, the idea that he’s the protagonist was ultimately just my own assumption…’
Still, the boy was already at Mount Hua, and quite some time had passed. It really was about time his situation was finally resolved one way or another.
Feeling unsettled, I stepped outside my quarters and began wandering aimlessly around the sect grounds as if taking a stroll.
It was free time after finishing scripture studies. Though winter days were short and darkness had nearly fallen everywhere, braziers placed here and there kept the area from being completely pitch-black. Trusting in that dim light, I walked while gazing not at the path ahead but at the stars above—until, just as I turned a corner of a pavilion, I nearly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.
“Oh, I’m sorry!”
I hastily stepped back just before impact, blurting out an apology as I lifted my head.
At the same moment, my eyes met his—cool, composed, and steady.
“…No, the fault is mine. I apologize.”
His calm reply came a beat later.
Thanks to the flickering brazier light carried by the winter breeze just a few paces away, it wasn’t hard to recognize who stood before me.
…It was the very person I’d been thinking about just minutes earlier.
Seeing me widen my eyes in surprise, he spoke first.
“It’s been several days since we last met. Do you perhaps remember me?”
I’d thought our first meeting had gone terribly, yet unexpectedly, our presumed protagonist seemed willing to continue the conversation anew.
Perhaps he assumed that, since I wasn’t in the middle of training this time, I might finally share the information he sought.
Well, whatever his reasoning, it hardly mattered.
I’d already resolved to do my best to mend that disastrous first impression. Besides, strictly speaking, this very walk had been prompted by my tangled thoughts about him.
I nodded and slowly opened my mouth.
“I remember. We met at the training ground last time. Though I don’t believe I ever caught your name. I’m Haheun.”
Noticing my more engaged demeanor compared to our last encounter, a faint glimmer of interest passed through his eyes. He gave a slight smile and replied,
“So you’re Sect Leader Haheun. You may call me Woryeong.”
“…Ah, yes. Lord Woryeong.”
Setting aside the fact that he deliberately omitted his surname, what struck me as even stranger was the name “Woryeong” itself.
‘Moon Shadow… Not exactly a name I’d expect for a boy.’
More importantly than whether the name suited his gender, the moment I heard “Woryeong,” something flashed vividly in my mind.
It felt like suddenly recalling something long forgotten.
And that something was another name…
‘…Hahyeon.’
Yes.
Only now, upon our second meeting, did I remember.
Just as I had changed from “Baek Yeoheun” to “Haheun,” if this boy received the family name, it would likely be “Hahyeon.”
‘Assuming, of course, that he definitely becomes my junior disciple.’
Seeing me fall briefly silent, Woryeong immediately asked a question before the atmosphere could grow awkward.
“Sect Leader, why are you out here when it’s so dark?”
“I was just taking a short walk. And you…?”
“I was doing the same. Though as a guest, I didn’t intend to wander far—but I lost my way and have been wandering a bit since.”
He didn’t seem particularly anxious about it, though.
‘Did he really get lost?’
I tilted my head slightly in doubt but quickly dismissed it. It was possible, after all. At the same time, hoping to smooth over the awkwardness of our first meeting, I casually offered,
“Shall I escort you back to your quarters, then?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d appreciate it.”
Seizing the opportunity, he nodded right away.
The guest quarters at Mount Hua were about a quarter-hour’s walk from here. I began walking beside Woryeong.
The surroundings grew steadily darker, making the brazier flames appear even brighter by contrast. Since Dao Sect members rose early, it was already rather late for anyone to be out—so aside from Woryeong and me, no one else was in sight.
Thanks to that, the silence didn’t last long.
After a few quiet steps, Woryeong, seemingly confirming we were alone, spoke first in a slightly lowered voice.
“…Sect Leader.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve known since our last meeting that I came to Mount Hua of my own accord, having asked Plum Blossom Sword King—your Master—for permission.”
“Yes, I learned that from my senior martial brother.”
Wondering what he was getting at, I gave a neutral reply and glanced sideways at him. Unlike me, Woryeong kept his gaze straight ahead, eyes half-lidded.
“Yes… It feels rather embarrassing to confess this to someone I’ve only met twice, but I truly had no ulterior motive—I simply wished to join some sect and learn swordsmanship. I’d even thought a secluded Dao Sect would be ideal. Then, while being pursued due to unforeseen circumstances, I happened to meet Plum Blossom Sword King, and I privately wondered if perhaps this, too, was fate.”
It wasn’t common for a boy his age to openly share such personal thoughts—and Woryeong’s expression remained remarkably composed. Though he’d called it embarrassing, he didn’t seem embarrassed at all.
Rather, he simply…
‘Speaks like an adult.’
It felt as if he were using even his own backstory as a means to an end—like laying down a strategic move. Or perhaps, even his “true feelings” weren’t entirely genuine.
“I see.”
“But now that I’ve actually arrived at Mount Hua, the timing has become an issue. Though I suppose that’s my own fault for not properly considering it beforehand.”
Hearing this, I began to understand what Woryeong was really after. Still, it wouldn’t be wise to show I knew immediately, so I simply played along.
“The timing and your age don’t quite align, it’s true.”
“…Do you know how old I am? I never mentioned my age.”
“True, but the next intake of third-generation disciples won’t be for two years, and they only accept children under fifteen. You appear to be at least fifteen already, my lord.”
At my answer, Woryeong gave a faint smile.
“…You’re right. Your perception is sharp.”
I’d guessed between fourteen and fifteen—and fifteen was correct.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
I feel complicated about her future fellow disciple. She could have had it easy but he is going to make it more difficult for her. I am sure of it
This part was interesting, especially the way everything was explained and master and haheun part is so cute. I wonder what will happen next.
This part was interesting, especially the way everything was explained and master and haheun part is so cute. I wonder what will happen next.