As the ceremony finished, they all left. On the way, Soo-Hyun asked Han-Bi if she could have Jin's letter. Han-Bi had treasured it but, to be honest, she didn't really need it. She would remember Jin as a friend and respect the way he died to protect another. But she would not let it be something that would tie her down. She gave the letter to Soo-Hyun hoping it would provide her motivation instead of depression. Then she left with Sang-Min.

As for Soo-Hyun, she read the letter once more. ...Jin... He had been so certain of himself. Not even doubting his ability to come back. And they...she...wasn't believing in him. He was already dead in her mind. It had been tough to come to terms with the fact and yet, seeing this letter, her hope nearly rekindled. It didn't however and became something else. Neither motivation nor despair but something more profound.

Memories.

This letter reminded her of the silly, strong and dependable kid she liked. She decided to keep it with her at all times, to remember Jin and their time together. And then, she went on to meditate and train. She couldn't let his early departure slow her down either. She had learnt and knew that she had to move on...

A week later, in the Twenty-Two Suns Sect, in a villa built on a peak past the core region of the sect, a powerful elder woke up. It was Core Elder Tae-Yeon. Some months ago, he had sent his retainer on two missions. By now, that guy should have come back yet there were no news. Slightly annoyed, Tae-Yeon decided to take matters in his own hands. He left his peak that he hadn't left for centuries and went down.

In a few steps, he was in front of another mansion. It was the mansion of his retainer. However, the elder taking care of plants in the garden wasn't one he recognized. The elder in question bowed to the man who just arrived at his doorstep. He didn't know him but judging by the fact that he wasn't wearing a simple elder robe but instead wore a customized robe... He was someone of high status. As such, he took on a humble attitude:

"What might bring your Eminence to my humble abode?"

The handsome cultivator with long dark hair gazed at him for a moment before asking him: "Where is Chin Kwang?"

The core elder wasn't expecting such a question. Chin Kwang...Who was that? Oh, right, that guy... "He left the sect to join the Lord of Taurium, heard he's a teacher over there nowadays after impressing the Lord himself during a tournament"

"Good, good, good"

Leaving those three words, Tae Yeon left. In a few steps, he reached the core management hall. As he entered, most of the chatting stopped. It was quite rare to see a true master from the sect coming down here himself. Those monsters rarely left their mountains. And this one was one of the worst of them all... He was qutie well-known form the rumors that spread. His previous attendant kept grumbling all days and nights until he left the sect with only one arm left.

It was obvious to everyone who took that arm from him... And it didn't help Tae Yeon's image. The man himself was unaware of it and thought that the silence was a show of respect. As he reached the counter, the elder behind it tried his best to remain stoic but couldn't stop his back from sweating.

"I heard Chin Kwang betrayed the sect?"

The elder began to sweat even more. Was he going to be the one to say it? Wouldn't he be the one to be punished then? Bringing bad news was the same as being the bad news to some... He stuttered for a moment before he answered: "He hasn't left or betrayed the sect. He is working closely with a Lord and building a bridge between our two organizations"

The desk shattered. Tae Yeon was not in the mind to play word games right now. Still, his fury would not help. He was aware of the might of that Lord. Otherwise he would have gone there himself to get the techniques... Chin Kwang sure had balls! He would make sure to punish him one way or another. His life being the price of betrayal.

On a side note, he recalled that he gave another task to this trash. He gazed at the core elder in front of him and asked him: "Some time ago, I commissioned a kid. How did that go?"

If the core elder had been scared shitless before, he was now trembling out of fright. The story of that mission was well-known. Every elder working in management knew of it. It was quite rare for a disciple to reject an elder so valiantly after all. But would he dare speak about it? Never! Just confirming that Chin Kwang left already took him a desk, what if he spoke of the kid?!

He shook his head sideways indicating he didn't know. Even though he did. Tae Yeon was getting angrier by the second. It was obvious from the reaction that the guy knew something. As he was getting ready to make a move, he felt a tremendous aura suppressing him. Well, the aura wasn't as strong as his own so the suppression failed. But what mattered was that it happened.

As he turned around, unfortunately, he saw a face he hated. Another grand elder like him. While that man was slightly weaker, he was not someone he could offend either. The man walked leisurely and said: "Stop bullying the younger ones, Tae Yeon. As for the kid, everyone knows about it, you lost quite a lot of face there, ahahah. Anyways, that kid died in the last border war so let it go. Just put on a missive for a new attendant and return to your peak"

Tae Yeon turned to glare at the core elder and said: "Put on that recruitment missive" before leaving the hall. He planned to go back to cultivation on his peak. He would kill his previous attendant some other day and the kid is already dead anyways.

The core elder still trembling bowed and thanked the new arrival with deep sincerity. He truly feared for his life right then...