Chapter 181: A Winter That Isn’t Cold (3)
I woke up early in the morning, finished my light training, and wiped off my sweat.
My slightly stiff muscles relaxed, and as my Qi flowed naturally, I felt much more refreshed than usual.
While I was stretching and enjoying the feeling of relief, I suddenly heard a strange sound from behind me.
Ughhh…
“What are you doing that you’re already groaning?”
Meanwhile, behind me, Gu Jeolyub was sprawled on the ground, drooling.
He must have a handsome face, but after training, he always ends up looking like that.
Seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but sigh.
“What’s with the kids these days? Why are they so weak…?”
“…I’m older than you, Young Master…”
“Yeah, right. You’re older than me, sure. So, just try to keep up.”
Ughhh…
Was this all because of my time at Mount Hua?
After following Yung Pung’s training methods, I had gotten used to their shockingly ridiculous training style.
[Ridiculous, you say?! You rotten piece of trash!]
The spirit of Mount Hua flared up at my honest remark. It seemed like it hit a nerve.
[What a fantastic omen!]
Good omen…
True, if you think about it that way, it might actually be a good omen.
As long as it results in better training, that’s what matters.
I briefly turned my head to glance at Muyeon.
Muyeon also looked exhausted, much like Gu Jeolyub, but at least he wasn’t rolling around on the ground.
The only issue was that he was avoiding my gaze.
He must still be sulking over yesterday’s events.
Why is a grown man sulking like that…?
Even if I said that, it was my fault, so I didn’t have much ground to stand on.
Still, I couldn’t help but notice his lips curving up now and then.
That must be because of the precious sword at his waist.
I had given Muyeon the sword I received as a prize from the Murim Alliance.
Seeing him look both disappointed and somewhat happy upon seeing the sword…
Do you think I’m the kind of person who would just give this to anyone?
Even if Muyeon isn’t completely my person, he’s part of my escort and has earned my trust.
But you?
“Hey, get up!”
I approached and gave Gu Jeolyub a few light taps.
“How long are you going to lie there?”
“…Don’t mind me.”
“What did you say?”
“Anyway, someone like me wouldn’t matter to you, Young Master… Gah!”
He was babbling nonsense, so I casually stomped my foot on him.
I always say this but it bothers me when pretty boys talk to me like that.
“A rich guy whining about not receiving a sword, really?”
“I have no money… where would I get it?!”
“Yeah, right.”
It’s true he may not have any.
But the First Elder must have plenty.
I know how wealthy that guy is.
I had all the knowledge from my past life about how much wealth Gu Sunmoon accumulated and how much the First Elder had saved.
Considering how Gu Jeolyub lived, he must have led a wealthy life.
In all fairness, he probably lived more lavishly than I did, despite being a direct descendant of the clan.
[You say he lived more lavishly than the direct bloodline? Just what kind of life did you live?]
Still, I reflected that I had led a pretty extravagant life myself.
My father was quite generous whenever I asked for money.
The problem was that I tended to blow through most of it.
“Oh come on, stop whining already.”
“I never whined!”
“Sure, you didn’t.”
He’s been sulking since the start of training.
I thought about stomping down again but stopped myself.
It seems he wasn’t originally this annoying. Why is he acting like a child now?
I partially understood that he might be irked about me giving a reward meant for his help to someone else, but it’s downright annoying to see him act so childish.
“Fine, I’ll give you something similar later, so stop whining and get up.”
In the end, I couldn’t suppress my irritation and threw in a last remark, which immediately brightened Gu Jeolyub’s eyes.
Then, as if anticipating this moment, he got up.
“What the hell?”
Clears throat.
Gu Jeolyub, noticing my bewilderment, fake coughed a few times before saying, “Aren’t you going to keep training?”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh seeing his shameless act.
This guy really is something else!
After finishing my training and washing my face lightly, I returned to the guesthouse.
Since I started in the morning, I figured it was already around noon.
Seems like my energy is fine…
I kept checking my body, and fortunately, I didn’t encounter any major problems.
I had four different energy types circulating through me.
The fact that they were flowing smoothly without conflict was quite impressive.
[What the hell did you stuff yourself with while I was asleep?]
Elder Shin commented, seemingly bewildered, but I didn’t have much to say in return.
It’s that blood demon’s energy, right?
The energy that had forcefully entered me during the tournament.
The same energy that Jang Seonyeon and Namgung Cheonjun had used.
“What do you think?”
[Hmm…]
If I had to point out specifics, it seemed to temporarily maximize physical ability.
It also enhanced martial arts, but the duration was short, and it made the color of my flames noticeably distinctive.
Plus, the recoil on my body after using this power was another issue.
But thinking back to Jang Seonyeon, it seemed this recoil might be unique to me.
He certainly didn’t seem to face the same level of backlash as I did.
I better avoid using this unless absolutely necessary.
[If it’s not worth using your ability, that’s probably advisable too.]
I didn’t know what his intentions were in implanting such power in me, but knowing it belonged to the Blood Demon made me hesitant to use it.
He claimed it was a gift, too.
How absurd.
Just like how demonic qi felt like a curse to me, the power given by the Blood Demon seemed no different.
But on a side note…
I took out something else, revealing the ring that the Second Elder had discreetly handed me.
The ring was likely a treasure tied to the Dishonored Venerable.
Surprisingly, it had rid itself of its rusty condition and returned to its pristine form.
It originally seemed like nothing but junk when I pulled it out.
For clarity, I hadn’t done anything to it.
The transformation came to light when I discovered it last night in my room.
[It seems like Cheolyoung did indeed do something.]
I nodded in agreement with Elder Shin’s words.
[Have you felt anything unusual about it?]
“There is one thing.”
I felt that I was able to identify the guy wearing Heeyoung’s face yesterday.
I believed that was owing to this ring.
Why do I think so?
I just have that feeling.
[Now that’s a reliable answer.]
Elder Shin’s tone was filled with sarcasm, but that was genuinely how I felt.
It felt like the ring was conveying a message.
This was further proof that it truly was a treasure.
[So, what’s your plan? Are you going to return it?]
Are you crazy? How would I even give this back?
It’s not just a matter of passing along a useful item or brushing aside the kindness of the Light of Might.
I have a feeling that trying to return it directly could cause unnecessary trouble.
The Blood Demon was definitely tied to the Alliance.
I wasn’t sure if the Alliance Leader knew about this connection, but…
[So, in the end, you’re keeping it for now?]
“Yeah, for now, I’ll hold onto it.”
Fortunately, it seemed I could utilize its power even without wearing the ring.
I didn’t know if wearing it would make a difference, but as long as I had it on hand, I was fine.
More importantly, I realized there were others besides the Blood Demon capable of changing their appearances.
Many of these impostors were scattered far and wide.
This ring that could discern their disguises was an extremely valuable treasure.
And speaking of which…
“This book is a problem…”
The book I had come across yesterday while dealing with the guy in the mask.
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed to contain Shaolin’s martial arts techniques.
Even as someone with no prior knowledge of Shaolin’s arts, the writing was clear and easy to understand.
It looks concise, yet it captures each movement well.
Strangely enough, it didn’t seem to detail anything about qi usage or anything related to Shaolin’s Hundred Steps of the Fist.
But even just having it could be risky.
Simply possessing this book with the detailed training methods of Shaolin could land me in serious trouble if anyone found out.
It was a big issue for someone like me—an utter outsider to be in possession of such valuable text.
Burning it doesn’t seem feasible; should I just throw it away somewhere?
Returning it to Shaolin was out of the question, and keeping it was dangerous enough, so that wasn’t viable either.
And if I tried to learn from it?
That meant I’d risk ruining my dantian, which wasn’t happening either.
[How about selling it off at the Beggars Sect or some other place?]
While that was an option, it held no guarantees for not getting caught.
If only I knew why that guy had this book in the first place…
Did he write it himself?
If so, what purpose did it serve?
The book clearly seemed to be crafted with painstaking care.
It might look brief, but if you had read even a portion of it, you would have noticed how intricate the material was.
No matter how I saw it, this book certainly didn’t feel like something that would’ve come from Shaolin.
[If you don’t want to overthink it, just bury it in a forest somewhere and save your trouble.]
While that came off as a logical solution, I couldn’t shake a feeling of unease coming from Elder Shin’s suggestion.
Should I really just bury it on some remote mountain?
In the middle of my thought, I abruptly shoved the book back into my pocket.
This was prompted by sensing an approaching presence.
Knock, knock.
– “Young Master Gu!”
As expected, I heard a voice from outside the door.
It was Tang Soyeol.
“Wait a second.”
I cleared my throat and opened the door.
The first thing I noticed was Tang Soyeol’s dark green hair, followed closely by Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah.
The three girls who had glared at me yesterday were gathered at my door.
Through the slightly opened door, Wi Seol-Ah rushed towards me.
She lunged into my arms, and I gently embraced her to minimize the shock.
“Why do you always charge at me like that?”
Does she really think she’s some sort of puppy?
She’d been losing weight and growing lately, which made her being flung into my arms increasingly problematic.
It was especially so now that I was slowly seeing the familiar version of Wi Seol-Ah from my past life reemerging.
“Young Master! It’s time for us to go!”
I couldn’t help but smile as I noticed how excited both Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol seemed about this outing too.
“Oh, so it’s actually time to go?”
“I haven’t even eaten yet. What if I eat first…? That wouldn’t do, right? I knew that already!”
It’s fine, I can eat later.
I refrained from saying something that might lead to considering the same disapproving looks as yesterday, so I quickly changed the subject.
The situation was that I had promised to go to Shaolin with them.
I spoke before realizing it was today.
Why are they so eager to go to Shaolin when there are so many other delightful places in Hanam?
That was the biggest question in my mind, but I knew asking wouldn’t yield answers, so all I could do was nod.
[Seems like you’re living the high life. You claim to be busy, yet you’re surrounded by girls on both sides and even a third one?]
I felt my lip twitch after hearing Elder Shin.
It would be somewhat contradictory to ask, “Do I really look happy?”
[Ha! You rotten little punk! If I had my own body…]
If you had it?
[Don’t ask questions; I could slice you in half in an instant, and people would be calling me the Haunting Ghost of Mount Hua instead of a divine sword!]
The man who already used harsh words was now talking about killing me.
This was likely stemming from the mention of Moyong Se…
[Ahhhh!]
Elder Shin’s scream echoed in my mind, making me grimace.
This startled the three girls before me.
“Young Master…?”
“Hm?”
“D-Do you really not want to go that badly?”
Wi Seol-Ah asked me with tearful eyes.
What in the world? I thought going there was a hassle but not something I particularly hated.
“…You look scary….”
Only after that did I notice they were reacting to me frowning.
I must have inadvertently given the impression that I found the outing detestable.
Did she really have to say, “You look scary?” That stung a bit.
[Would they react like this if you didn’t wear that grim expression? Tsk, tsk.]
I’m feeling hurt here, so please be quiet.
[Look at you! What do you want me to do? Stay put and quietly rot away as a dead man?]
I feel concerned whenever he’s absent but get irritated when he’s here. What am I supposed to do with this guy?
Sigh…
I let out an exasperated sigh at seeing the three girls treading carefully around me.
I didn’t intend to make them feel uneasy.
Meanwhile, Tang Soyeol was puffing her cheeks with a strange expression, but I shrugged it off.
“It’s not like that! I just made that face because I felt like I needed to cough.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I’m going since I said I would.”
Especially since I had no idea when I would return to Hanam again.
I could have questioned why they couldn’t just go on their own but chose to set those thoughts aside.
I somewhat understood the reason behind their insistence for me to accompany them.
What a burdensome blessing I have.
With a buzz in my heart, I felt a whirlwind of complex emotions.
“So can we even go to Shaolin today?”
To visit Shaolin, an appointment needs to be arranged first, but Tang Soyeol beamed and pulled Namgung Bi-ah close as if waiting for this moment.
“We handled that!”
As she flashed a cheerful gesture, Namgung Bi-ah, who seemed lost in thought, awkwardly mimicked her, but her blank expression didn’t quite match.
Hearing that Tang Soyeol had taken care of the details reminded me of an overlooked fact.
Oh yes, they are part of the Four Noble Clans.
I had completely forgotten about that due to our daily meals and chats.
The Tang Clan and Namgung Clan served as the pillars of the Orthodox Faction.
These two girls were the direct bloodlines of their respective clans.
Moyong Hi-ah had successfully gained a spot in Shaolin using her name just yesterday, so it was likely these two had done the same.
Though it’s very probable Tang Soyeol did most of the legwork.
With a soft smile, I asked, “When are you thinking of going?”
“Right now! Sister Hongwa is waiting outside!”
“Right now?”
Hearing they planned to leave immediately surprised me a bit.
[Uh, kid.]
Elder Shin addressed me with a hesitant tone.
“What’s wrong?”
[Are you not thinking of inviting that child along?]
“Child? Who?”
[You know, that pretty girl with the Moyong surname!]
“Moyong Hi-ah?”
I tilted my head, puzzled by Elder Shin’s comment. Why would I invite her? I just saw her yesterday.
“Ah, never mind. Just disregard that; I merely spoke without much thought,” he said.
I was perplexed by what Elder Shin was implying, but he simply cleared his throat a few times.
What’s this about?
I felt oddly troubled by it…
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.