Although there hadn’t been any understanding between them, unlike Seok-tap, who greeted order and positive outcomes, a chase was unfolding near Ho Cheon-an’s lodging.
Tatadadak!
Seo Gong hurriedly dashed between the pillars.
“They went that way!”
Confirming that tribesmen had appeared before him, blocking the path, Seo Gong swiftly turned his body to the side. But there was Nab-in waiting in that direction.
“Digging the ground again, huh?”
Squeak!
Seo Gong protested. It was true that he had dug the ground to make a burrow, but it was absolutely not for fun.
While on a journey, it was one thing, but having settled down in one place, digging a burrow to create and maintain a nest was essential for Seo Gong.
However, Nab-in could only see it as just playing in the dirt.
“Prepare yourself!”
With a dramatic declaration, Nab-in held a large brush in hand. Seo Gong shivered at the sight of the brush.
Squeak squeak!
Imagining himself all groomed and then being trapped because he was dirty, Seo Gong shuddered.
To dodge Nab-in’s brush, he quickly turned his body trying to escape. But there already stood Ramo with a brush in hand, waiting.
“Catch him!”
As Seo Gong hesitated, the two and the tribesmen rushed at him.
Screee!
Hearing Seo Gong’s scream, Ho Cheon-an closed the record he had been reviewing.
“It’s noisy today…”
It had already been three months since he had taken refuge in Podalap Palace. Contrary to Ho Cheon-an’s worries about bloodshed between practitioners and entities, the entities had adapted well to Podalap Palace.
“It seems they have adapted to a level beyond just well…”
Ho Cheon-an opened the window and looked outside. Mi-ho, sprawled comfortably on a soft carpet, was receiving fur grooming from tribesmen, while Seok Woong was licking from a honey jar. Soon, Seo Gong was caught and seated beside Mi-ho, and his dirt-covered body was combed to be clean.
Looking at Nab-in merrily grooming Seo Gong, Ho Cheon-an closed the book.
“Time flew by.”
In the past three months, Ho Cheon-an had delved into and interpreted Rano Sara’s diagnostic records and the gathered materials for treating the absolute pulse condition at Podalap Palace.
And today.
With the book in his hand finished, he had reviewed all materials and knowledge that had been at Podalap Palace.
Based on those materials and diagnostic records, he could establish a treatment approach to some degree. With a lighter heart, Ho Cheon-an felt a sense of liberation as he stepped outside.
Squeak! Squeak!
As Ho Cheon-an approached, Seo Gong, who was being groomed, cried out for help. Although Ho Cheon-an had yet to master comprehending the language of entities, he could guess Seo Gong’s complaints and tactfully opened his mouth.
“Don’t hold onto Seo Gong too tightly. Entities never act recklessly.”
“But Grandfather! I don’t even know where Seo Gong is while playing in the dirt, and he doesn’t come out even when I call!”
“Hmm.”
Squeak!
Seo Gong, who had been complaining, turned his head to avoid eye contact. Ho Cheon-an forced a smile, giving up on mediating.
“Well, do you like living in Podalap Palace?”
“Yes!”
Watching Nab-in’s bright smile, Ho Cheon-an felt grateful towards Sara and Ramo.
During his time at Podalap Palace, Ho Cheon-an had been so busy poring over the materials that the ones taking care of Nab-in, allowing her to enjoy herself here, were indeed Sara and Ramo.
“Thank you for taking care of Nab-in.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Lately, seeing this cute Sara is my joy! And the entities are quite adorable, aren’t they? Especially that large Seok Woong over there, licking that tiny honey jar!”
“Indeed, I’m grateful for that.”
Three months.
In those three months, Nab-in had truly flourished. While she had changed day by day since leaving for her journey, she had grown so much since settling at Podalap Palace that even Ho Cheon-an was astonished.
Compared to her peers, she had been one head shorter, but in just three months, she had nearly caught up in height, and her once lean body now had flesh and muscle. The flow of Qi in her meridians was unobstructed, making her organs and heart work fully, granting her vitality from head to toe, her hair shiny, skin smooth, and her cheeks flushed with color.
Who would think of Nab-in as a patient suffering from the absolute pulse condition?
“I’m really, really happy!”
“Oh my! Our Nab-in speaks sweetly!”
“Eek! Sister!”
While watching Nab-in and Ramo play together, Ho Cheon-an pondered Nab-in’s choice of words. Could it be that she was that happy living in Podalap Palace?
“It is time to leave…”
Eventually, guests must leave.
Though they claimed to have neutralized the Blood Sect threat, they still faced a long journey to stabilize the world.
But was it truly the right decision to end Nab-in’s happiness while she spent such delightful times?
If Nab-in were to leave Podalap Palace, she would undoubtedly feel sad. Imagining the look on her face, Ho Cheon-an sighed internally. It hadn’t been long since she left her beloved village. Considering telling her to leave Podalap Palace, where she’d formed new bonds, felt difficult.
“Grandfather?”
Nab-in cocked her head, watching Ho Cheon-an deep in thought. Ho Cheon-an chuckled and reached a conclusion.
Let’s stay a little longer at Podalap Palace.
The world was important, but Nab-in’s happiness was also significant.
Stroking Nab-in’s head, Ho Cheon-an turned to Ramo.
“Tomorrow, I wish to host a tea party with the Lord/Lady of the Palace. Would that be alright?”
“Hmm…? Yes. I’ll consult with my mother.”
Nab-in shot excited glances at Ho Cheon-an.
“Will you make something for us?”
Nab-in swallowed hard, waiting for Ho Cheon-an’s answer. Life in Podalap Palace had been wonderful, but if there was one disappointment, it was that Ho Cheon-an hadn’t cooked for them.
The dishes made by the palace’s chefs were certainly delicious, but they couldn’t compare with Ho Cheon-an’s cooking.
“Ho ho! Yes.”
“Wow!”
Delighted Nab-in and a puzzled Ramo were seen by Ho Cheon-an, who laughed heartily.
“You’ll find out when you come tomorrow.”
*
“Ho Cheon-an Great Hero has prepared a tea party.”
“Is that so? Nab-in looks extremely excited, but how well can you cook, Elder?”
“Hmmm. I’m hearing this for the first time… But he’s quite the talented person.”
Yesterday, Sara had received a report that Ho Cheon-an had reviewed all materials. Therefore, today’s tea party was likely to express gratitude for completing the review.
“Well, the occasion isn’t important, is it?”
“True enough.”
Ramo nodded in agreement with Sara’s statement while reminiscing about Nab-in, chattering excitedly about Ho Cheon-an cooking.
After all, the tea party was ultimately aimed at fostering familiarity. While good tea or food might elevate the atmosphere, it wasn’t a particularly uncomfortable affair, and it was sufficient to enjoy conversations regardless of the food’s taste.
Right until the moment they hugged Nab-in, waiting for Ho Cheon-an, both believed that.
“Thank you for waiting long.”
However, that thought vanished the moment they caught a whiff of the nutty aroma from the tray Ho Cheon-an brought.
“Elder, what is this?”
Ramo gazed at the round, light brown items that mercilessly stimulated his sense of smell. Each one puffed up softly, glistening beautifully.
“This is a dish called bread, made using flour and milk.”
“Is that so… it smells truly nutty and soft.”
“Before it gets cold, each of you should try one.”
The three of them picked up the bread with their hands, thinking it felt like grabbing clouds. It was more akin to touching cotton than food, and they were amazed at its texture, bringing the bread to their mouths.
The distinctive softness of the bread brought smiles to their faces.
“Who would have thought this was made with flour? Incredible.”
“It’s so fluffy!”
“It seems Nab-in’s praises are not an exaggeration.”
“Ho ho.”
Ho Cheon-an lightly brushed off the compliments from the three. The truly delicious things were just about to begin.
Ho Cheon-an took a small knife and cut the bread. Questions arose in the eyes of the three. While it made sense to cut the bread for easier eating, why was he starting from the side instead of cutting it all the way through?
That question was soon answered when Ho Cheon-an opened the lid of the container he brought with the bread.
Nab-in gasped in delight upon seeing the contents of the container.
“Wow! It looks like clouds.”
“It’s made from goat’s milk.”
What was contained inside the container was none other than whipped cream. Nab-in’s expectations rose, admiring the cloud-like appearance of the whipped cream, but the mention of goat’s milk drained Ramo and Sara’s enthusiasm.
This beautifully fluffy whipped cream was a first for Sara and Ramo as well, but having frequently encountered cheese and milk, they could roughly anticipate the flavor.
However, when Ramo and Sara put the bread topped with a generous helping of whipped cream into their mouths, they couldn’t help but widen their eyes.
As the whipped cream melted on their tongues, they tasted a strong sweetness! It was a strikingly clean sweetness that felt directly transmitted from the tongue to their brains, leaving them in awe as they looked at Ho Cheon-an with wide eyes.
“Is this truly food made with goat’s milk? It’s so sweet and soft!”
“How can it taste so clean…?”
The two of them exclaimed in admiration, devouring the whipped cream bread. Nab-in was so eager for her turn that she gobbled down the cream bread without a moment’s hesitation.
“Mahihuh!”
With her mouth full of sugary whipped cream bread, Nab-in flailed her arms and legs in delight. Ho Cheon-an smiled at her antics and opened the second container.
The second container held sweet red bean paste.
“Try this, too.”
Having hastily pushed the whipped cream bread into their stomachs, the three of them took big bites of the red bean paste bread. The heavy taste of sweet red bean filled their mouths, eliciting exclamations of delight.
While it was surely the same sweetness, it felt totally different from the light, fluffy texture of the whipped cream bread.
Once they finished the red bean paste bread, the three of them smacked their lips, glancing at the remaining bread. Nab-in generously piled whipped cream atop her bread, while Sara meticulously spread red bean paste, and Ramo, after some hesitation, piled both red bean paste and whipped cream onto his.
Three people, each with their desired ratio of toppings, bit into the bread and shared blissful smiles.
Having completely devoured the bread down to its crumbs, the three slumped back in their chairs.
“Ahhh… I ate too much without realizing it.”
“If I’d known there was such a delicious snack, I would’ve eaten less at lunch.”
“Ho ho. I’m glad you liked it.”
Only after the bread was all gone did the original purpose of the tea party, which was to converse, genuinely begin.
Nab-in excitedly rattled on about Seo Gong getting all dirty while digging tunnels, and Ramo chimed in with her explanations from time to time. Sara and Ho Cheon-an wore content smiles as they listened to Nab-in’s stories.
“And so…!”
Nab-in enthusiastically chattered, wondering if her delight was because of the snacks. Today, she felt unusually giddy, and words flowed from her mouth.
Having poured out stories of playing with entities for quite some time, Nab-in realized why she was in such high spirits.
The four people she loved—Ramo, who always played with her, Sara, who would often come to visit Nab-in, and Ho Cheon-an, who was engrossed in research—were all gathered together, smiling.
“So, Elder, have there been any results?”
“I believe I’ve grasped some parts of it to some degree.”
“Hehe, for someone who treated my qi meridian problem, you’re being overly modest.”
“Ho ho, that’s…”
As Nab-in watched the three chatting together, she thought.
She wanted to spend her entire life playing here with these three in Podalap Palace.
“Grandfather! Tomorrow, let’s play with the entities! And also Aunt Sara!”
Ho Cheon-an and Rano Sara nodded, smiling at the excitement on Nab-in’s face. Who could say no to those sparkling eyes?
“Definitely! For sure!”
“Ho ho. Of course.”
However, the four’s plans were unexpectedly shattered.
“Lady of the Palace! There’s trouble! Right now, the Trench Faction is approaching Rasa!”
Having been chased out of Yunnan and settled in this western region, the faction that had been eyeing Rasa ever since was the Trench Faction.
They had begun to make their move.
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