"Brother Yeop!?"
How many people in Hwangseong could she really address so familiarly? If there were any, they surely would not be ordinary individuals!
As the youngest national scholar ever, An Lansoo approached with ease. If the warrior of her age who received such familiarity from her was standing before them, it was clear he must far surpass the imagination of any ordinary person!
The people in the hall looked at Yeophyeon with a mixture of curiosity and astonishment.
Even Malsucheong's eyes showed confusion.
By her understanding, very few were recognized by An Lansoo, even within Hwangseong.
Could it be possible that this boy was one of them!?
The Grand Prince beside her also looked shocked, realizing his "choice" had been mistaken.
Yeophyeon gave a faint smile at An Lansoo's invitation.
"Very well!"
Just then, a young warrior approached An Lansoo and bowed deeply.
"National Scholar An, this man humiliated Lady Mal and harmed others before everyone's eyes. He must be punished accordingly. I humbly request that you demonstrate justice!"
An Lansoo called out sharply to the young man before her.
"And who are you?"
The warrior inwardly rejoiced and assumed a martial stance.
"I am Lee Bong of the Lee family, National Scholar An!"
An Lansoo's gaze turned toward Yeophyeon. He remained silent, lips pressed tightly together. Yeopryeong quickly tried to explain.
"Sister, that man was the first to…."
Yeopryeong hastily recounted the entire situation to An Lansoo.
After a moment, An Lansoo turned her gaze to Malsucheong. The expression on Malsucheong's face paled under An Lansoo's scrutiny. The Mal family's influence was considerable, but the person standing before her was An Lansoo, a national scholar feared even by mighty institutions like Changmok Academy or Chwiseon Pavilion!
"Lady Mal, the Mal family is one of the great powers of our nation, and you represent the younger generation of that family. You must understand that every word and action you take reflects the Mal family. With that in mind, I think it would be wise to refrain from such petty behavior in the future. What do you think?"
Malsucheong's face contorted, but she said nothing.
An Lansoo stared directly at her.
"Your silence means your anger remains and you refuse to submit."
At that moment, a powerful aura surged from An Lansoo. Malsucheong felt as if a massive mountain were pressing down on her. Her body bent unnaturally, and her legs twisted in an impossible way.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
The national scholar was furious!
Despite Malsucheong's body being forced down, no one dared intervene on her behalf.
Finally, her knees touched the ground. Her fists clenched tightly, and her eyes still burned with ferocity.
Malsucheong had always stood above others, ruling with authority. This was the first time she had been humiliated like this.
At that moment, an old man appeared, bowing deeply to An Lansoo.
"National Scholar An, our young lady acted out of immaturity and disrespected you. I beg you, for the sake of her family, to forgive her this once!"
Moved by the old man's plea, An Lansoo withdrew her aura. Malsucheong collapsed to the ground, her strength drained.
An Lansoo spoke calmly to the fallen Malsucheong.
"Go and tell your family head: Brother Yeop is my friend. If there is any grievance about today, come to me directly. And should they lay a hand on these siblings, I will personally visit the Mal family and demonstrate what justice truly is!"
The old man nodded frantically, lifted Malsucheong, and exited the hall.
An Lansoo then turned her gaze to the Grand Prince. His expression darkened immediately.
"You know how rare it is for a talent to emerge in our nation, Grand Prince. Yet today, you tried to suppress one for your personal feelings. Such actions are narrow-minded and foolish!"
Gang Nyeomsaeng's expression twisted, but he dared not respond.
The woman before him was treated with respect even by his own father.
As a member of the royal family, he knew exactly how significant An Lansoo's presence was. The royal court and powerful clans had no courage to offend her. Her mere presence ensured their nation remained safe from foreign threats.
An Lansoo slowly closed her eyes and addressed the Grand Prince.
"For the next five years, you will abstain from inviting new students."
The Grand Prince bowed respectfully and disappeared into the crowd, but even in his final moment, he did not forget to glare at Yeophyeon.
"Brother Yeop, shall we go now?"
An Lansoo's words prompted Yeophyeon to take Yeopryeong's hand.
"May my sister come along as well?"
"Of course!"
And so, An Lansoo and the Yeophyeon siblings exited the hall together.
For a long while, the banquet hall remained as silent as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it.
The three of them walked side by side along a quiet avenue.
"Since that day, it doesn't seem like much time has passed, yet you've mastered the Sword Heart Technique and awakened Jeon-ui. You are now practically a martial practitioner of note."
"How do you see through everything about me so easily?"
Yeophyeon had been curious about this since Cheongseong.
An Lansoo smiled lightly.
"I have the ability to see through one's essence."
She spoke sparingly, so Yeophyeon asked no further.
Suddenly, An Lansoo stopped and looked at him.
"You were the one who killed the Black Armored Cavalry at Yanggaeseong and single-handedly held back thousands more?"
"How did you know that?"
Yeophyeon asked, surprised. An Lansoo smiled.
"My special friend, Princess Gu, told me. Who else could it be—a boy in blue with his younger sister besides him?"
Yeopryeong hugged Yeophyeon's arm and smiled at her words.
An Lansoo walked slowly again.
"Brother Yeop, the people of Hwangseong are selfish and concerned only with their own gain. How could they have any true patriotism? If those at the banquet had been at Yanggaeseong that day, I am certain not one would have acted as you did."
"Then, Scholar An, you care for the nation's well-being?"
An Lansoo smiled.
"Because the nation exists, the families exist, and because the families exist, I exist. How could I not care? But what I protect is not the royal family, but our country. Do you understand?"
"I do."
In truth, the two of them shared this perspective.
Yeophyeon may appear selfish, but he would act decisively if the nation were in peril. An Lansoo, too, worked for the country, not the crown.
The siblings followed An Lansoo as she walked.
The moonlight illuminated her fully, making her seem like a divine maiden descended from heaven.
'She truly is a stunning woman!'
Yeophyeon sensed that her beauty differed from Malsucheong's in a profound way.
An Lansoo spoke again.
"Brother Yeop, many in Hwangseong are inscrutable. With your upright nature, you must be careful in all things."
"Thank you, I will keep that in mind."
Suddenly, Yeophyeon asked her.
"Shall we spar once?"
He longed to face a strong warrior. His shadow, his previous sparring partner, was no longer a suitable measure of his strength. He wanted to test himself.
An Lansoo turned to him and smiled brightly, a smile that could outshine the moonlight.
Yeophyeon nearly lost himself for a moment, but quickly shook his head to regain composure.
Yeopryeong whispered shyly.
"Sister, she's really pretty."
An Lansoo smiled and patted Yeopryeong's head.
"Appearance is just a shell. True beauty lies in one's heart."
She addressed Yeophyeon.
"Our sparring can wait until after you reach Eokgyeong. How does that sound?"
"Hmm, that will do."
An Lansoo stopped again.
"Brother Yeop, I believe this is where we part for now."
Yeophyeon faced her and assumed a martial stance.
"Scholar An, thank you for today. Until next time!"
He and Yeopryeong then headed toward their lodging.
Yeopryeong kept looking back, waving at An Lansoo, clearly taken with her. Once they disappeared from sight, An Lansoo turned her gaze forward.
At that moment, an elderly man silently appeared beside her.
"Miss, the closer you grow to him, the more likely they will be caught up in trouble."
"Yeongro, if anyone dares touch these siblings, I will not forgive them."
Yeongro gave a wry smile.
"Would it not suffice for you to keep your distance from them?"
"Do you think he is unworthy of being near me?"
"He is gifted, having awakened Jeon-ui and mastered the Sword Heart Technique at such a young age. If you wish to take him as a companion, he is worthy. But if…"
He trailed off, and An Lansoo smiled lightly.
"Yeongro, are you worried I might fall in love with him?"
Yeongro gave a wry smile. The lady he served never beat around the bush. If only she would be a little more indirect!
An Lansoo turned to look at the alley where the Yeophyeon siblings had disappeared.
"When I first met him in Cheongseong, I admired how devoted he was to his sister. After what happened at Yanggaeseong, my feelings have grown beyond that."
She turned her head and smiled lightly.
"He is a good person."
Yeongro's heart sank. She had already gone further than he had anticipated.
He sighed softly to himself.
"This boy had better not try anything foolish with the lady. Otherwise, life will be miserable for him…"
No one in the world knew An Lansoo as well as Yeongro. Any man who would be with her must have impeccable status, skill, talent, and background.
Yet Yeophyeon was merely an abandoned boy even in this small world.
The gap between him and An Lansoo was as vast as heaven and earth.
After a brief sigh, Yeongro disappeared in the direction An Lansoo walked.
Yeophyeon carried Yeopryeong as they walked slowly.
"Oppa, sister… she's really pretty, isn't she…."
"Yes!"
Before Yeopryeong could finish, Yeophyeon answered firmly.
"Oppa, do you like her?"
"..."
"Oppa, don't you want to marry her? You two seem perfect together…"
"Yeong, someone marrying a pauper like me would have to live a life of misery…"
"Then tell me just one thing. You like her, right?"
"I am interested in no one but you, Yeong!"
"Oppa… I want to live with you forever too…"
"You fool, are you saying you won't marry?"
"I won't!"
"Why not?"
"Because in this world, there's no one as good as you!"