‘Just look. Just look.’

Struggling to climb onto the chair and looking down at the somyeon, ah, it was truly amazing.

White chicken bone broth with oil floating on top and well-cooked shiitake mushrooms.

The somyeon, topped with fresh bok choy, was appetizingly coiled in its white form.

Slurp.

Na Rin swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth and sniffed.

The deep chicken broth, rich enough to be called a consommé, was splashed with the scent of ginger to cut through the greasiness.

At the subtle smell of soy sauce that made her mouth water, Na Rin unconsciously picked up her chopsticks.

Let’s eat first. I’m eating. Let’s think after eating.

Feeling as if her stomach had become her brain, she slurped up one chopstick-full!

“It’s delicious!”

At Na Rin’s loud exclamation, the people in the inn suddenly burst into laughter.

Though they hadn’t said it outright, they had been feeling sorry and pitiful for her, abandoned by her parents at such a young age.

But seeing Na Rin peacefully enjoying the somyeon, they found it cute and also felt relieved.

“It’s really delicious, isn’t it? The innkeeper may have a sharp tongue, but he’s famous for his kindness and cooking skills.”

“Ah! Isn’t hunger the best seasoning?”

“If that’s the case, somyeon won’t fill you up. Here, shall I give you some of my dumplings?”

In the brief moment she took her eyes off, small plates with various dishes gathered in front of Na Rin.

It was somewhat amusing that most of them were drinking snacks, but on the other hand, it showed the drinkers’ affection.

“These people, really! Who said you could increase the dishes to wash?”

The female innkeeper complained grumbling, but she didn’t stop them.

Na Rin felt a very strange feeling.

‘What is this? I was robbed of my money.’

Why did it feel like she had received so much?

Thinking about it, 13 mahua coins wouldn’t be nearly enough to fully raise a person.

Yet the innkeeper took in a child she had never seen before without hesitation.

How could she do that?

The painful experiences she had to accept as natural through many lives flashed by quickly.

‘…I had nowhere to go anyway. Should I consider it as paying for food expenses?’

She didn’t feel like getting the money back at all.

Yawn. Munch.

And every dish was delicious, too.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Hey. Who are you?”

A boy about seven years old looking at Na Rin with eyes full of wariness.

He was clearly the child of this house.

“Ju Na Rin.”

Thinking the innkeeper would surely explain when she came up, Na Rin answered halfheartedly.

“Ju Na Rin~? Your name is totally funny! Hey, doesn’t your mom know how to name properly?”

“What’s your name then?”

“I don’t want to tell you! I won’t tell you!”

“…”

This child doesn’t communicate well.

Na Rin clenched her fist.

‘Well. Even if words don’t work, this(?) works for everyone.’

“You two have already met!”

At that moment, the innkeeper came up to the second floor after finishing business.

Na Rin quickly hid her fist behind her back and stood pretending to be well-behaved.

“Mom, who is she?”

“She’ll be living with us from today. You’re the older brother, Jae Min, so you need to take good care of her.”

“I don’t want to! I won’t live with her!”

“Jae Min. Nice to meet you.”

Na Rin grabbed Jae Min’s hand as if to show off.

The innkeeper smiled contentedly at the sight of the already cute Na Rin acting friendly.

“See? She likes you. How can you be worse than a baby? Last time too, your mom…”

“Ah, whatever Taekwonkwon! Whatever Geumgangbulgoe!”

“There he goes again!”

Jae Min shook off Na Rin’s hand and ran to his room.

To be alone. Foolish boy.

Na Rin’s eyes shone ominously.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. Jae Min is just shy.”

Although it clearly wasn’t shyness but dislike, it didn’t matter either way.

After all, by tomorrow, Jae Min would become the kindest child in the world.

“It’s okay.”

“Thank you for understanding. By the way, what’s your name, sweetie?”

“Ju Na Rin.”

“…Huh?”

“Ju, Na, Rin!”

Now it seemed the aunt wasn’t hard of hearing, she just had poor comprehension.

Na Rin had to repeat her name several times before she could properly convey it.

And a little while later.

Knock knock.

– Don’t come in.

Jae Min’s voice was heard from inside the room.

Na Rin, unconcerned, opened the door holding the bedding she received from the aunt.

“Ah, I told you not to come in!”

“They said I’ll sleep here.”

Jae Min, sitting at the desk, turned around, huffing and puffing as if he was furious at the sight of Na Rin spreading the blanket on the floor.

“Ugh. This is really annoying.”

First, should I fix that way of speaking?

Na Rin approached slowly behind Jae Min with a slight smile.

It was to press the mute point to prevent him from speaking.

After all, if he screamed, the aunt wouldn’t be able to sleep.

‘Huh?’

At that moment, something strange caught Na Rin’s eye.

“…Elder brother.”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“Jae Min.”

“Ah, shit! I told you not to talk to me!”

As Jae Min turned around abruptly, Na Rin grabbed the book he was looking at with lightning speed.

Daesung Seodang.

The clearly stamped source further confirmed her suspicion.

“Elder brother. You… attend the seodang?”

“Why are you looking at me like that, ugh!”

“Shh. Be quiet.”

Found it. The cause of the entry refusal situation.

[This is the timeline separator]

There’s a saying that goes “a moment feels like three autumns” (一刻如三秋).

It means that a short time of 15 minutes can feel as long as three autumns.

That’s how Jae Min felt right now.

Because the 15 minutes he spent being beaten by Na Rin felt as long as 3 years to him.

“Raise. Your arms. High.”

“Hic, ugh… yes.”

Kneeling with his arms raised high, Jae Min straightened his posture, desperately holding back his tears.

Na Rin’s massage, while beneficial for long-term health, was painful enough to make the stubborn Jae Min obedient.

Na Rin sat in the chair where Jae Min had been sitting, looking through the textbooks published by Daesung Seodang one by one.

‘He seems to have attended for quite a while.’

It was strange.

As far as Na Rin knew, Daesung Seodang was a full boarding school, and students didn’t return home except for holidays.

This looked like he had brought all his textbooks home.

“Why are all the books here?”

“…I got kicked out of the seodang.”

“Two weeks ago?”

Jae Min nodded.

“I don’t know the details as it was the decision of the higher-ups, but until two weeks ago, they were accepting children as per the existing policy, ahem! That’s what they were doing.”

According to the gatekeeper, the entry refusal started exactly two weeks ago.

Na Rin put down the book, approached Jae Min, looked him in the eye and said,

“Tell me more details.”

“Hic, ugh…! Ugh…!”

Jae Min is trembling so much he’s on the verge of wetting his pants.

Na Rin realized her aura was too intimidating for the child and quickly calmed herself.

“I’m sorry. You can lower your arms.”

Cautiously watching Na Rin’s reaction, Jae Min lowered his arms and wiped his tears.

“Why did you get kicked out?”

“Well…”

Jae Min chewed his lips, seeming to feel wronged.

As much as he didn’t want to bring up this memory again, he didn’t have the courage to keep his mouth shut in front of the terrifying Na Rin.

“I… created something called the Whatever Divine Skill…”

“The Whatever Taekwonkwon you mentioned earlier! That’s what you mean?”

Jae Min nodded.

“Everyone was nagging me too much so I… just didn’t want to hear it… Hic, sniff! Hiccup!”

Chicken-pea sized tears fell from Jae Min’s eyes.

Perhaps he hadn’t cried anywhere else out of pride, trying to act tough and being stubborn, but once the tears started, they wouldn’t stop.

“But, then everyone thought it was fun. They all started using it.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh.”

“They said… I created it… ruined the study atmosphere… told me to get out…!”

Jae Min started crying as if he was about to vomit.

Na Rin pressed a point to help him calm down and comforted Jae Min.

I understand the situation roughly.

‘But this alone seems too weak.’

Daesung Seodang was quite an old-established school.

It doesn’t make sense that there weren’t troublemakers like Jae Min during all that time.

Na Rin clearly knew who she needed to meet next.

The one person holding the key to this whole situation.

‘Elder Seven.’

Of course, before that.

“Elder brother. Teach me that.”

I should arm myself properly.

[This is the timeline separator]

Elder Seven Oh Hyeon Hak.

One of the Twelve Elders of the Elder faction, one of the three forces supporting the demonic sect.

While there is no hierarchy among the elders, his position as Elder Seven is no less than the leader of the Elder faction.

This man, now 119 years old, was alone on a pavilion at night, looking at the moon while holding neither alcohol nor tea, but just lukewarm water.

‘It’s time to end this.’

Sixty years make one cycle. In a few months, his age would be a full two cycles.

While it’s common for martial artists to live long, what about as an educator?

Could knowledge from 120 years ago still be a lesson for newly born children?

‘It’s all the greed of an old man.’

In front of the bright full moon, even the spirit of green tea couldn’t withstand, reduced to sipping tasteless lukewarm water.

This was the reality of Elder Seven.

“Old man. The moon is pretty tonight.”

“…! Who goes there!”

Na Rin chuckled.

In her past life, he would have shouted ‘Who the X are you, demonic X!’ while swinging his sword.

‘He’s really mellowed out a lot.’

Na Rin deliberately made a sound, tap-tap, as she stepped down into the pavilion.

Oh Hyeon Hak then exhaled as if relieved of tension and said,

“You’re… a young child.”

“That’s right.”

“With cheeks so cute and lovable that I want to pinch them…”

“Huh?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”

Elder Seven cleared his throat with a ‘ahem’.

Though it had been a long time since he stopped martial arts training, he was still one of the Twelve Elders, and he felt quite embarrassed for not noticing the lightness skill of a mere child.

“You seem no ordinary child, but why have you sought this old man in the dead of night?”

“I want to enter the school.”

“Hoho. Thirsting for knowledge enough to climb walls, how admirable. But I’m sorry. Daesung Seodang no longer accepts new students. We plan to close the school once the current students graduate.”

It was the first time he had spoken aloud about closing the school.

Elder Seven tilted the water glass he was holding, feeling a lump in his throat.

Not that it eased the tightness in his chest.

“If you’d like, I can recommend other schools. There are many good teachers even if they’re not as big as Daesung…”

“Whatever Three Disaster Sword Technique.”

“…”

Elder Seven closed his mouth, seemingly at a loss for what to do.

The trembling of the water glass seemed to express the Elder’s wavering heart.

“That’s enough, go home…!”

“Yes~ Whatever Emperor Sword Technique~ Whatever Golden Lotus~”

“I said that’s enough!”

“Yes~ Are you angry now? Oh, are you entering demonic cultivation? But you can’t do anything about it, can you?”

“Ugh…! Ugh!”

Elder Seven’s face turned bright red.

It was because he couldn’t contain his rising anger.

‘His mind is weak.’

Well, they say people become childish again as they age.

Na Rin smirked and said,

“Are you closing the school because of this?”