Chapter 104: Master (2)
Why is Namgung Bi-ah lying in my room?
Upon seeing this absurd scene, Elder Shin spoke to me as if he couldn’t believe it.
「How far did you all go while I was gone…」
‘What do you mean by “go”?’
Elder Shin, seeming disappointed that he had missed out, ignored my question and lamented the situation.
I figured it would be troublesome if she woke up, so I quickly grabbed my clothes and stealthily exited.
After washing my face and changing clothes, I wrapped my injured shoulder with cloth to stop the bleeding and burned my blood-soaked clothes before burying them.
‘The servants might get upset when they notice some of my clothes are missing, but I can’t just leave evidence lying around.’
After hastily finishing my preparations, I walked back into my room.
Now came the real problem.
“What should I do with her?”
I couldn’t hide my confusion as I looked at Namgung Bi-ah, who was rubbing her face against the blanket.
I couldn’t just toss her aside.
“…Why on earth is she sleeping here when she has her own room?”
I had heard that if she wasn’t out training during the day, she typically napped in my room. Did she sneak in here while I was away?
I doubted that was the case.
‘Should I just sleep with the guards then?’
Usually, missing a day’s sleep wouldn’t be an issue, but the fatigue I felt right now was unbearable without some good rest.
Was this also because Elder Shin was using my body?
「Then it’s probably not physical fatigue.」
As Elder Shin pointed out, I was feeling it too.
Even if I had used muscles I didn’t usually use, I shouldn’t be this exhausted.
That meant my weariness was of a mental nature.
‘I wonder if sleep can help with that.’
I thought I couldn’t hold on without sleeping.
Not wanting to sleep beside her but knowing I had to, I grabbed the last remaining pillow and lay down on the floor.
「I see that part of you that refuses to accept what’s offered on a silver platter hasn’t changed while I was gone, huh…?」
‘Do you really always have to nag after your grand return?’
「Back then, I thought you were young, but now that I realize you come from a different time and see you acting like this despite your age, how do you think I feel?」
‘Well, you say that, yet you’ve never really—’
I halted, realizing I might have gone too far with that comment.
‘Elder Shin…?’
「…」
‘I apologize. I think I spoke a bit harshly just now…’
I called his name a few more times, but Elder Shin remained silent.
In the end, after a few more apologies that received no response, I decided to just sleep.
Today marks the end of my schedule at Mount Hua.
All that’s left is to see the Celestial Plum Blossom; I planned to depart for my clan within three days at the latest.
The true end was approaching.
Soon, the Murim Alliance would discover the underground lairs and contact Mount Hua.
If that happened, would the tournament festival still proceed this evening?
I didn’t know much about Mount Hua, so I wasn’t sure, but if they heard the news, they might postpone or cancel the tournament outright.
That blood pool was essentially a sacrificial offering.
‘But what if it still goes on…?’
The chances of the tournament proceeding seemed to boil down to two scenarios.
First, they might open it despite hearing the news.
The rationale behind that could be their desire to keep such terrible events away from the Huayin side.
The death of the Celestial Plum Blossom’s swordswoman would only stir up anxiety in this locale.
In fact, it seemed they had tried to keep everything as quiet as possible when they first discovered the lair.
‘Though they might use a different excuse to stop the tournament, avoiding suspicion all the while.’
The second scenario was that they might not receive this intel at all, or that it might come too late.
The latter was the worst outcome that no one wanted.
That was a piece of information showing the depth of their infiltration, and I prayed it wouldn’t come to pass.
‘…For now, sleep. I need to sleep.’
There was no point in thinking too hard; my vague thoughts would remain just that.
Succumbing to fatigue, I drifted into slumber…
…and not long after, I found myself awake.
I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids. Thankfully, this time it was not an unfamiliar ceiling.
How long did I sleep? The bright sunlight indicated I hadn’t slept too long.
As I tried to sit up, I found someone’s hand pressing down on my head, preventing me from getting up.
“…!”
The suddenness fully jolted me awake, and as I looked around, I discovered that I wasn’t resting on a pillow but on something else entirely.
While it was soft and cozy, I was hit with a faint, alluring scent wafting from the direction of my left cheek.
“You can lie down for a little longer.”
Hearing the voice above me with its monotone cadence, I didn’t need to think for even a moment to realize who it was.
I was currently using Namgung Bi-ah’s thighs as a pillow.
With a confused tone, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“You fell asleep.”
“And what’s that got to do with this…?”
“Seol-Ah was here… but she just left.”
Namgung Bi-ah changed the subject, omitting the part about my prior question.
“She was waiting for you to wake up, but now she’ll be disappointed…”
“Well, I’m awake now, so it should be fine. Move your arm so I can get up.”
Even though it was apparent I wanted to get up, Namgung Bi-ah continued to hold my head down.
As I pondered whether to muscle my way out, she unexpectedly asked, “Where did you go last night?”
“…”
“You promised… you said you’d tell me everything.”
That was a curveball I didn’t expect. I never anticipated that Namgung Bi-ah would sneak into my room while I was asleep.
Also, I wasn’t sure if I specifically promised to tell her everything.
“Uh… I smell blood…”
“…!”
With that, I fell silent. I had cleaned myself up and even burned my clothes to get rid of the scent, yet she still picked it up.
Or maybe…
‘…Is she smelling the flower I have on me?’
That flower, having bloomed from absorbing blood; it was small enough for me to wrap and tuck into my pocket.
I personally didn’t sense it, but Namgung Bi-ah had a remarkably keen nose.
Seeing my hesitation, she sighed softly and continued, “I had a nightmare… I wanted to see you… but you weren’t there.”
“That’s… probably not my fault…”
“But I’ll let it slide.”
“Huh?”
“I won’t blame you for not telling me where you went, nor will I question why you smell like blood.”
“…”
“…So just stay like this for a while…”
Once she whispered that, I found myself unable to respond. I simply relaxed my body.
The hand that once insisted I stay down now turned soft, gently stroking my hair.
Giving up, I resigned myself to lying there.
「…If there is a God, please send this bastard to hell.」
Elder Shin’s sudden curse almost made me laugh.
It seemed strange hearing him curse like that for the first time.
Free from Namgung Bi-ah’s hold, I immediately hurried to the training grounds. I had been held there longer than I had intended.
I needed to think about the tournament and what to do with the flower I had on hand.
But first, I needed to revisit the fight with Nachal.
In some ways, this was a moment of enlightenment.
Before forgetting, I needed to recall the sensation Elder Shin tried to impart to me.
Elder Shin didn’t have a lot of Taoist Qi at his disposal.
To put it plainly, the amount he commanded was little compared to the vast reservoir of Qi I had inside.
Of course, the energy infused within the treasures was pure and harmonious.
Plus, considering Elder Shin’s life experience, it made sense that he could wield my body like that. But that didn’t serve as an excuse for me not being able to manage it as well.
It shouldn’t be that different for me since it was, after all, my body.
‘A martial artist using a weapon has its own unique strategy, while a fist fighter utilizes their entire body.’
While martial artists pour their understanding of martial arts into their weapons, fist fighters rely solely on their bodies, creating a clear distinction between the two styles.
I could probably name hundreds of differences; however, the biggest disparity lay in the transformation that occurred once they broke through their limitations.
Fist fighters face greater risks because they make their bodies the weapon. But again, I couldn’t let that be an excuse.
‘Regardless, I’m a blood relative of the Gu Clan.’
‘That’s the essence of utilizing Gu Clan’s flame arts.’
Armor only becomes a hindrance as we have to control the flames within ourselves.
Ultimately, what mattered most was how well I could command my flames and how efficiently I used them, just as Elder Shin noted.
「You and I are different.」
Suddenly, Elder Shin spoke while I circulated my Qi.
「Although I’ve experienced much in the past and have a good amount of Qi reserves, I can’t just throw it around carelessly like you.」
As Elder Shin pointed out, that was indeed my style of fighting: using vast amounts of demonic Qi from my abilities.
I compensated for my flaws with endless Qi and bulldozed my way through every situation.
I acted this way because I was confident my Qi would never run dry.
Unfortunately, this nasty habit had followed me into my next life.
‘The fact I’m still running out of Qi even after absorbing that much stems from this.’
I had to dispel the notion that my current state couldn’t change just because I hadn’t yet broken through my limits.
Elder Shin’s words rang a bell.
If I continued like this, the outcome was crystal clear.
Were I not following such a path, I might not have been affected by Elder Shin’s concern.
In my previous life, I had never reached the pinnacle of the Destructive Flame Martial Arts.
Was that due to the lack of time? I thought so until just a few moments after my revival.
‘Let me recall the sensation.’
I had always believed I was practicing my Destructive Flame Martial Arts correctly.
I thought this way because I had managed to win battles I thought were impossible.
Perhaps that’s why I had taken the process of maintaining heat completely for granted.
「I didn’t tell you to change your method.」
‘You say that after showing me what you did?’
「I merely demonstrated the difference between you and me. If your Qi truly was endless, your method of combat wouldn’t be bad.」
‘Yeah, if my Qi was endless.’
If I chose to use demonic Qi as I had in my previous life, my reserves would indefinitely grow.
That was, after all, the monstrous capability of the Heavenly Demon.
‘But if I do that, then I’ll just end up as I was in my last life.’
Eventually, I’d hit a wall, rendering me helpless.
Whether it’s a peak or a fusion realm, reaching those heights was insignificant to me.
The maximum realm of Destructive Flame Martial Arts was what I needed to focus on. I realized that, to achieve this, I had to pursue a different path than the one I chose in my first life.
Luck was on my side, as a master to aid me was closer than anyone else.
「Who gives you the permission to call me master? Now you’re just trying to leech off me.」
‘If you’re using my body like that, then you should at least pay rent.’
「How shameless can you be?」
While circulating my Qi, I began to generate heat inside my body.
‘So far, this has all been the same.’
Now I had to hone in on the sensations Elder Shin had shown me.
The feeling of a tempest swirling within; if I had only heard of it, it would’ve taken a while to grasp.
But having firsthand experience made it as clear as day.
Woooosh…!
I attempted to replicate the sensation as closely as possible, circulating my Qi.
The pressure I felt with this raised my shoulders in response.
‘How… how do I maintain this?’
Retaining control of my Qi while managing the storm within me would require meticulous precision.
I needed to ensure none of it seeped out.
My body was already familiar with how to accomplish this.
All I had to do was re-create that feeling, even if it was extremely challenging.
「If you’re just going to keep using someone else’s bowl of rice, you have to endure an effort of some level. How much more do you plan to leech off me?」
‘I didn’t say a word.’
From my point of view, Elder Shin seemed to still be holding onto that comment from earlier.
「…Tch.」
The storm ignited in my dantian surged outward, crashing in all directions throughout my body.
Yet, it did not slip outside.
I adjusted my breathing to prevent any Qi from escaping.
As I withstood the Qi that felt like it would explode at any moment, veins began to bulge on my neck.
The collated Qi began climbing towards my middle abdomen.
Hssss-
It felt as though my body wasn’t quite ready.
With determination, I funneled more Qi into my mid-abdomen without hesitation. Instincts warned me that the moment was nigh.
Bang—!
As if affirming my instincts, the wall within my middle abdomen shattered easily as the Qi rushed in like a flood.
Whoosh—!
And just like that, the Qi I had compressed burst forth, releasing heat in all directions.
「…You really like using me.」
“Phew…!”
I raised my hand, enveloping the Qi.
The heat haze spawning from my palm appeared calm and stable.
Seeing this, I expressed my gratitude, saying, “Thank you.”
I truly felt thankful toward Elder Shin. It was thanks to him that I was able to break through that wall.
「Seeing countless warriors dream of that height and your response being lackluster—it’s definitely something that bothers me.」
“…Now is just the beginning.”
The peak realm.
I had reached a level I presumed would take me at least a year.
It was significantly faster than I had anticipated.
Time was one factor, but I felt a clearer sense of direction lying ahead.
I wouldn’t abandon my original fighting style but would merge new techniques into what I already knew.
「Shouldn’t you check your Qi while you’re at it?」
“I think it’s fine. It appears that all the varying types are flowing harmoniously by themselves.”
「That’s good, and I probably don’t need to add anything more. You seem to know your next steps.」
“I do.”
「But don’t you think we have something to discuss?」
“…We do.”
At that, my heart sank. That was another reason for my hasty exit from the lodge.
Elder Shin had notably been quiet on this matter until now.
I understood he was being considerate.
Even when he was unaware of my reincarnation, he implied he had many questions for me.
Now that he knew, he likely had even more he wished to ask.
「I have far too many inquiries for you, but let me begin with the most crucial one.」
“What would you do if I chose not to respond or provided false answers?”
「I would respect your choice.」
My heart grew heavy under the weight of Elder Shin’s trust.
I had always viewed him as an incessantly nagging old man, but I also recognized him as a hero from the past who safeguarded his era.
It was impossible to deny that fact given the myriad of experiences he had shared with me.
「Let’s start the questioning now.」
And so, he did.
「What is the Heavenly Demon?」
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