At a time when Wudang was busy dealing with the aftermath of recent events, only the Sword Queen and Ubong Chwigye remained after the children had been sent away.
The Sword Queen quietly waited for Ubong Chwigye to speak, and after observing her, the elderly man finally opened his mouth.
âItâs been a long time.â
How many years had it been? It must have been at least ten years since their last meeting, back during the incident at Shinryongdae. Since then, the Sword Queen hadnât seen Ubong Chwigye even once.
âIt has indeed been a long time, Lord Ubong,â she replied.
âHow have you been?â he asked.
The Sword Queen smiled faintly. âDonât you already know, my lord?â
âHol holâ¦â Ubong Chwigye let out a faint chuckle at her words, which carried a subtle edge of reproach. She was right. There was very little in the world that Ubong Chwigye didnât already know.
There were countless beggars in the world, and they served as Ubong Chwigyeâs eyes and ears.
âDonât resent me too much. I only asked out of concern for you,â he said kindly.
The Sword Queen took a sip of tea without replying, and Ubong Chwigyeâs expression turned a bit wistful as he watched her.
âIt seems youâre still harboring quite a bit of resentment,â he observed.
âThatâs not true,â she replied. âA lot of time has passed.â
âThenâ¦â
âI just believe that, for the sake of those who sacrificed everything in the past, I canât easily let my feelings waver.â
The Sword Queenâs voice was calm, but the air around her carried a cold intensity that was absent when the children were present.
âI see,â Ubong Chwigye sighed as if he had expected her answer and had nothing more to say. He and the Sword Sovereign, at least, had no grounds to argue with her feelings.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âI do appreciate what youâve done for the children, Lord Ubong,â the Sword Queen said, breaking the silence.
âOh? And what would that be?â