I knew there had to be more than one place in Huayin that sold demon-related items, but it wasn’t until I searched every possible shop in the area that I realized…
Trying to buy a demonic stone right now felt like trying to pluck a star from the sky.
Everywhere I inquired, the responses were pretty much the same:
That the occurrence of demons had decreased significantly compared to before,
And along with that, there were virtually no places selling demonic stones because they had little to no value.
So in the end, I had no choice but to return to Mount Hua empty-handed.
“I guess all I managed to get was some chicken skewers…”
“It was tasty, right?”
“Yeah, it was.”
By the way, I repaid Muyeon for the chicken skewers as soon as we got back to the lodge.
When I handed him the money, he made a face that seemed to say, “That’s so unlike you,” which made me pause for a moment.
Just how did I end up being treated like this…
I really shouldn’t repay him next time.
‘Do I just have to give up on finding the demonic stones for now?’
There had to be a demon or two hiding somewhere in the mountains of Shaanxi,
So maybe I should resort to that option?
That was pretty much the last-ditch effort if all else failed.
As I glanced around the lodge, noticing something felt off, I couldn’t help but ask,
“She still hasn’t returned?”
I was referring to Namgung Bi-Ah.
When I asked around, it appeared that no one had seen her come back yet.
I’d heard she had gone out training super early in the morning, and now it was almost time for dinner.
I already knew how much she loved to train, but this seemed to be dragging on longer than usual…
｢Are you worried about her?｣
‘…No way.’
Why would I ever worry about her…
｢You’re looking for her because you’re curious if she’s eaten anything, right? Doesn’t that just mean you do care?｣
‘…Ahem.’
I let out an awkward cough at those words.
It wasn’t like I could just flat-out say Elder Shin was mistaken in thinking that!
While I was resting on the floor for a bit, Wi Seol-Ah came running over.
Given her attire, it looked like she had been busy cooking dinner.
“What’s up?”
“Hongwa asked me to find out what you want to eat!”
“…What do I want to eat?”
The first thing that popped into my head was dumplings, but it’s not like they could just magically whip them up here, so I told her the usual stuff would be fine.
“She said we have fish too.”
“Oh, I’ll go for that then.”
“Okay!”
She scampered off after our conversation ended.
Watching her go, I stood up from the ground…
｢Where are you off to now?｣
Elder Shin’s voice had a hint of slyness to it as he asked.
I ignored him and cleared my throat again.
Really, I thought she should eat something; she couldn’t just keep living without food.
｢So you’re going to bring her back because you’re worried she might starve, huh?｣
‘…’
Ugh, he is kind of right, but why is it so hard to admit?
Maybe it’s because it was Elder Shin who was saying it?
I dusted myself off and headed towards the mountains where she usually trained to find Namgung Bi-Ah.
There was still a little time before sunset.
It would be best to bring her back quickly since dinner was about ready.
‘I can’t believe I’m concerned about her.’
I didn’t quite understand why a person like her made me worry. She could easily munch on some grass or whatever she liked.
Perhaps one excuse I could selfishly use was the thought that, in my previous life, she seemed like someone who would starve if I didn’t force-feed her.
That might be a valid concern for now,
‘…But that’s not the only reason, I know that for sure.’
I couldn’t lie to myself, no matter how hard I tried.
After a bit of climbing, I reached the spot where Namgung Bi-Ah usually trained.
– Whoosh-! Slash-!
As expected, I could hear the sounds of swords slicing through the air.
And I felt certain it was her presence since I was already very familiar with it.
However, I also noticed another presence aside from Namgung Bi-Ah while I climbed up.
This second presence was also familiar.
Just like yesterday, they were engaging in a duel again.
– Whoosh-!
– Ugh…!
I heard a voice of frustration from someone who had missed their mark with their wooden sword.
– My footwork was off…!
– C-Could we try that one more time…?
– Okay.
I weaved through the bushes while listening to their banter.
The scene felt oddly like déjà vu from yesterday.
I spotted Gu Ryunghwa, completely covered in dirt from rolling around on the ground for who knows how long.
Contrast that with Namgung Bi-Ah, who looked pristine and was barely breaking a sweat.
Gu Ryunghwa turned her head towards my direction once she sensed my presence.
And immediately, upon seeing me, her face scrunched up in irritation.
“…What are you doing here?”
Seriously? That’s the first thing you say?
“Uh… I was just passing by.”
“Well, keep passing.”
“I just stopped because I saw a familiar face, okay?”
I directed my gaze at Namgung Bi-Ah, silently demanding an explanation for why they were still here at such a late hour.
“…”
Instantly, Namgung Bi-Ah avoided eye contact with me.
Huh?
Realizing that my eye signals went unnoticed, I decided to go for the direct approach this time.
“What are you doing still hanging around here at this hour? Have you eaten anything?”
She continued to look away from me…
“Hey—”
“Don’t scold her!”
“What?”
I turned to Gu Ryunghwa, who had cut me off.
Honestly, what she just said took the cake for absurdity!
Sis…? Siiiiiis?
Since when did she become your sister?!
Gu Ryunghwa, realizing what I was thinking, immediately flushed a faint shade of red.
“…I just begged her to teach me since she came by this morning.”
“Morning… you went to my little sister this morning?”
Namgung Bi-Ah nodded slowly in response.
Seems Gu Ryunghwa didn’t like what I said, as she jumped in once more to interject.
“Who’s your little sister now?”
“Then what are you, an older sister?”
“…”
What am I even supposed to say to that?
Namgung Bi-Ah continued avoiding my gaze, firmly keeping her mouth shut.
“So you’ve been here since morning?”
She nodded again.
She had been here from early morning, starving till now, simply because Gu Ryunghwa had begged her to teach her.
I let out a small sigh at this thought.
“Let’s get back to the lodge since it’s about to be sunset.”
“…Okay.”
Namgung Bi-Ah quickly stored her wooden sword and got ready to leave.
Gu Ryunghwa appeared rather displeased, but since Namgung Bi-Ah had already made up her mind to leave, it didn’t seem like there was much she could do.
Once they were finished tidying themselves up, Gu Ryunghwa bowed her head deeply towards Namgung Bi-Ah.
“Sis… Thank you for today.”
“It’s nothing… I had fun too.”
After Gu Ryunghwa finished her exchange with Namgung Bi-Ah and cleaned off the dirt from her clothing, she tried to walk away, but I stopped her.
“Where are you going?”
“Mind your own business!”
“You probably didn’t eat anything either, how about you…?”
I was trying to invite her to join us for a meal, but I couldn’t finish my words.
I noticed Gu Ryunghwa’s shoulder trembling when I grabbed her to stop her.
– Smack-!
She forcefully knocked my hand off her shoulder and stepped away from me.
“D-Don’t touch me…!”
With her eyes shimmering with intensifying emotions, she ran off into the bushes.
I stood there speechless, unable to say anything.
‘…Did I come on too strong?’
I failed to take into account Gu Ryunghwa’s feelings about our relationship, considering I had spent eons mulling over the past while her time was comparatively brief.
Sighing, I turned to Namgung Bi-Ah.
“Let’s go down now.”
Namgung Bi-Ah was staring in the direction where Gu Ryunghwa had disappeared but nodded towards my words without saying anything.
Once we made our way down the mountain, we found that dinner was ready, and Wi Seol-Ah was wearing a proud expression.
She claimed she had grilled the fish or something.
“That’s why this one’s particularly burnt…?”
“They say that the burnt parts are the tastiest.”
No… No matter how you look at it, that looks like the worst part.
I took a cautious bite of the fish, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over me.
Surprisingly, despite its demonic appearance, the taste was surprisingly decent.
Seeing my shocked expression, Wi Seol-Ah puffed out her chest with pride. It felt irritatingly smug.
As we dug into the meal, I couldn’t help but ask Namgung Bi-Ah about the earlier situation.
“Seriously, what happened for you to be with my little sister earlier?”
“It’s just…”
Her explanation was straightforward.
She had felt guilty over what had happened yesterday.
So when Gu Ryunghwa asked her for a duel, she just went along with it.
And they had been training together since the crack of dawn.
I understood Gu Ryunghwa’s persistence, but it was astonishing for Namgung Bi-Ah to be guiding her training.
She hadn’t cared about anyone but strong sword users in my previous life.
“…Tomorrow.”
“Hm?”
“Can I go see her again tomorrow?”
Namgung Bi-Ah looked up at me with pleading eyes.
She was asking if she could go visit Gu Ryunghwa again tomorrow.
What’s going on here?
I didn’t think she was doing it because she found it entertaining.
Gu Ryunghwa quite simply wasn’t at a level where she could provide entertainment for Namgung Bi-Ah.
To actually be fun, you’d need someone like Yung Pung or Muyeon.
So for her to say she wanted to see Gu Ryunghwa again implied she wanted to continue what they had started.
“…Just do your thing.”
“Okay.”
Once I gave her the go-ahead, Namgung Bi-Ah sighed with relief and took a sip of water.
Watching her, I leaned in a little closer and whispered softly,
“Take care of her please…”
Namgung Bi-Ah’s eyes widened in surprise upon hearing me.
It was just a casual request for something I couldn’t do for Gu Ryunghwa, but apparently, it was such an astonishing request that Namgung Bi-Ah was left staring at me in disbelief.
“You…”
“Me what?”
“You… asked me.”
“Then should I get ready for it…”
“I’ll try my best.”
“No need to go that far.”
I stopped moving my chopsticks, feeling a bit embarrassed for no good reason.
It couldn’t be helped, given that Namgung Bi-Ah was smiling sweetly at me.
I’d seen her smile before, but it never failed to hit me right in the gut.
“Ugh… Cough!”
Seemingly caught off guard by her unexpected smile, I ended up choking on my food.
I quickly gulped down some water to clear my throat.
Chills ran down my back in response to that dangerous smile of hers.
‘Sure, I’ve gotten a bit used to Wi Seol-Ah’s smile, but…’
I felt that it might take a while longer to get accustomed to this one.
*
Even after the sun had set behind the horizon, Gu Ryunghwa didn’t return to her lodgings and could still be seen swinging her sword vigorously in the open.
– Whoosh-! Whoosh-!
After continuing to swing her sword amidst the cold night breeze,
“Ugh…!”
Gu Ryunghwa suddenly released her wooden sword with a soft groan escaping her lips.
She stared at her injured hand after dropping the sword.
The section gripping the hilt had worn down and torn, causing it to bleed profusely.
“…It hurts…”
Perhaps it was due to the excessive training over the last few days,
Her sword hand reached its limit.
Still, Gu Ryunghwa picked up her wooden sword again not long after.
She wrapped her palm in a cloth she had prepared earlier, and it felt somewhat better.
She recalled the movements Namgung Bi-Ah had demonstrated this morning.
Avoid overly exaggerated movements,
Keep strength under control,
While focusing on making strong swings.
It was the essence of swordsmanship, but the most helpful advice she could get in her situation.
Experiencing those principles through actual combat allowed her to understand their true meaning little by little.
Gu Ryunghwa once wondered why Namgung Bi-Ah looked so nervous when she approached her that morning,
But it became clear when Namgung Bi-Ah didn’t hesitate to fulfill every request Gu Ryunghwa made.
For some reason, it seemed that Namgung Bi-Ah wanted to win her favor.
‘But why…?’
Gu Ryunghwa wondered why an exquisite martial artist like Namgung Bi-Ah would be kind to her, a plain girl.
After thinking for a while, Gu Yangcheon, her older brother, popped into her mind.
Gu Ryunghwa was unsure why, but she was convinced that Namgung Bi-Ah had feelings for Gu Yangcheon.
It was likely the reason Namgung Bi-Ah was being sweet towards his younger sister.
It boggled Gu Ryunghwa’s mind that someone so competent and attractive had their sights set on someone like Gu Yangcheon.
‘I just don’t get it.’
Perhaps she could have understood it if it were the old Gu Yangcheon she knew,
But that wasn’t the case now, which was why Gu Ryunghwa couldn’t comprehend Namgung Bi-Ah’s fascination with him.
– Don’t walk around with that smug face; just looking at you annoys me.
– I told you to stop calling me brother!
– Just shut up… and get out of my sight.
“…Ugh…”
Even after all these years, the words and the piercing glares still haunted Gu Ryunghwa, squeezing the breath from her lungs.
Just thinking of those moments filled her with shivers and pain.
Eventually, she managed to restrain her tear and continued swinging her sword with fierce determination.
‘Why is he now…’
– Morning… you went to my little sister this morning?
– What are you then, my older sister?
Ignoring the pain coursing through her hand, she continued fiercely swinging her sword.
This was her way of attempting to drown out Gu Yangcheon’s voice that echoed in her mind incessantly.
She felt exhausted.
Exhausted and resentful that merely hearing the word “sister” from that detestable boy made her run away from him.
How she still clung to the fleeting hope that she might return to the life she’d known at a moment’s notice disturbed her greatly.
‘Don’t forget, Ryunghwa… you need to blossom your own flowers.’
For the master who had cared for her until now.
And knowing that her student had managed to flourish before her final farewell was something she hoped to show her.
Gu Ryunghwa kept swinging her sword with unwavering resolve under the light of the distant moon.
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