Chapter: 229
Time passed, and the day to head to the battlefront had arrived.
It wasn’t like I had a long wait, so it didn’t really feel like I had a proper rest.
I didn’t even have the urge to take a break.
Scattered all over the floor were piles of letters.
I carefully picked them up, one by one, making sure not to step on any and tear them.
“…It seems there are still no useful stories here…”
As I was collecting them, I took another look at the contents.
It still appeared that there were no noteworthy stories catching my eye.
Perhaps those guys aren’t doing anything noticeable…
Or maybe they were keeping a lid on things, even if they knew what was going on.
It was a bit hard to figure out.
Given the circumstances…
It would be difficult to take action without any information.
If I was having trouble gathering intel, it might be better to conserve my strength and gradually collect tales about the key figures who had resisted the bloodshed in the past.
As for energy… the White Demonic Stone would probably be the quickest solution.
But right now, the White Gate of Demons was closed, and the White Demonic Stone I knew of was practically the only one still retaining its energy.
…Which is why it’s so peculiar.
Usually, Demonic Stones lose their energy a few days after the demon dies.
They don’t become purer with time like elixirs do, nor does their energy last simply because someone takes care of them.
However, the White Demonic Stone that the Heavenly Demon had given me in my previous life was different.
The stone, which must have been centuries old, not only still held immense energy but hadn’t lost its color, either.
Though that could be just because it’s the White Demonic Stone.
This thing came from a white-tier demon that I couldn’t even dare to imagine, let alone have seen.
Just their very existence was recorded as a calamity, so I had no idea how powerful they were since I had never encountered one.
I wonder if I could win in a fight against one on my own?
Judging from the standards I had in my past life, I couldn’t say I was confident.
I thought about the stories of Elder Shin defeating one all by himself.
For some reason, that popped into my head and made me feel a bit of respect toward him.
Elder Shin wasn’t exactly soft-spoken like a Taoist, and he could be quite cranky, looking for faults in everything.
Still, he was an absolute master martial artist who had made his mark in his era.
If I keep having thoughts like this, he might suddenly come around, snorting with pride.
I missed Elder Shin, who had become pretty quiet.
…How long did he say he had to sleep for, again?
I believe it was just a little over a year.
That was about the duration of the ‘contract’ with the tenant living inside me.
It would roughly align with me finishing my business at the battlefront.
Grrrr…
Just as I thought of him, I began to hear that low growl.
Shh, quiet down! I don’t want to hear beast noises right now.
I said that, and immediately, it fell silent.
I hastily organized the letters and stuffed them into a drawer before scanning the room, making sure not to leave anything behind.
Suddenly, I became aware of how many precious items I had on me.
Do I really have to take all of this with me?
Most were subtle accessories, but thinking about each one being a treasure made it a bit burdensome.
…Hmm.
I briefly considered leaving them in a safe, but ultimately decided to take them along.
Especially the ring from the Dishonored Venerable, as it proved quite valuable.
“Young Master.”
“Yeah?”
“Everything is ready.”
“I’ll be out now.”
Upon hearing the servant outside my room, I quickly gathered myself to leave.
As I stepped out of my room, I suddenly noticed the stitching on my uniform.
It seemed to have been torn and poorly stitched up, with threads poking out haphazardly.
I thought for a moment about changing into a fresh uniform.
“…”
But then I remembered who had done this, and I hesitated.
The image of Wi Seol-Ah, smiling and awkwardly stitching it up with her clumsy hands, came to my mind.
-Young Master! Look, I finished!
-…Isn’t this a bit too poor?
-Hngh… I worked really hard on it…
Thinking of this made me smile, and unexpectedly, it changed my decision.
I left the room sporting that uniform.
As I walked towards the carriage, Hongwa noticed me and hurriedly approached.
“Young Master… that uniform… wouldn’t it be better to change?”
She must have caught a glimpse of my uniform from afar.
Hearing this, I pretended not to know.
“It’s too much hassle. Let’s just go as is.”
“But your uniform…”
“Are you really going to be stubborn? I’ll stick with this; I don’t feel like changing.”
“…Alright.”
I heard a quiet sigh escape Hongwa as she relented.
I felt slightly guilty but didn’t feel like changing my mind anymore.
“You made it.”
When I reached the front gate of the Gu Clan, just as the servant had said, everything was ready.
I couldn’t help but chuckle upon seeing the carriage from the Moyong Clan.
“It looks like I’m off on a trip.”
“It’s not a short journey, mind you.”
Moyong Hi-ah shrugged a bit, but it honestly felt excessive no matter how much I looked at it.
There weren’t that many people, but the amount of food and supplies packed inside was just too much.
And…
I glanced at the folks standing around the carriage.
They were middle-aged men whose presence would be hard to overlook.
Are they escorts?
It seemed like Moyong Clan sent a team to accompany Moyong Hi-ah.
Seeing that made me ask her,
“…Are you really going?”
“Huh?”
“To the battlefront.”
“Of course. Isn’t that our agreement?”
So she was actually going.
…Ugh.
I honestly didn’t think she would follow through.
I did promise to share my heat with her, but hearing her say she’d accompany me to the front made me quite shocked.
Is she really that desperate for my heat?
If my energy was beneficial to Moyong Hi-ah’s condition, her desperation made plenty of sense as it was tied to her life.
As my thoughts raced, Moyong Hi-ah smiled at me.
“Don’t worry, Young Master Gu.”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“…I am not so weak that you need to be concerned.”
“You seem very weak, though.”
“…”
“Didn’t you struggle to take a single hit last time?”
I saw her eyes shimmer slightly at my remark.
Seeing her like this released decades, no, a few centuries’ worth of build-up stress from me.
She used to taunt me, calling me weak.
I felt a bit embarrassed about getting my revenge like this for the teasing in my past life, but who cares? No one would know anyway.
“…Still, I can defend myself.”
“Hmm… if you say so.”
I could tell she was trying hard not to let her expression falter.
If it were me, I’d be making some pretty funny face, but she had a talent for that.
As I playfully bantered with Moyong Hi-ah…
Press.
Someone squeezed their way between us and interrupted.
Moyong Hi-ah raised her eyebrows at the newcomer.
“…Sword Dancer…?”
It was Namgung Bi-ah.
“Enough… Now.”
Her voice carried an inexplicable coldness.
She didn’t fully unleash her power, but I could sense a thin veil of lightning energy surrounding her.
…She looks like a cat ready to strike.
That’s how it seemed to me, but it appeared threatening enough for Moyong Hi-ah as she turned away and headed for her carriage.
-I’ll see you next time.
She left that parting remark.
Once Moyong Hi-ah departed, Namgung Bi-ah drew closer to me and stood quietly beside me.
“What’s with that smug expression of yours?”
“…I… won…”
She sounded proud as if she’d just conquered some mighty foe. It was oddly adorable, but I couldn’t grasp why she was at odds with Moyong Hi-ah.
Is it because they’re both cat-like…?
They did bear some semblance to cats.
If anything, Moyong Hi-ah was slightly more so.
“That aside, do you…”
“…Huh?”
“No… Forget it.”
I almost asked if she really thought she could follow me, but I swallowed my words.
I remembered how Namgung Bi-ah had previously wished I wouldn’t ask her such things.
Unlike the carriages of the Moyong Clan, Namgung Bi-ah hadn’t requested any preparations for herself.
It seemed she didn’t have any members of the Namgung Clan left in Gu Clan to support her.
I heard there were a few attendants around her…
But they certainly weren’t always at her side…
And since they slept separately from my own people, my attendants had managed to adapt to also looking after Namgung Bi-ah.
Namgung Bi-ah herself was inherently relaxed… almost oblivious.
She wasn’t one to concern herself much about her surroundings.
If a servant made a slip, she’d usually brush it off.
That said, she must be quite easy to manage for the attendants.
“But even so, didn’t you prepare almost nothing?”
“…Huh?”
A few uniforms, a spare sword, and one accessory I gave her.
That was all she had taken with her.
“They don’t… have food there?”
“They do… they probably just end up making food themselves.”
“I’m… good at eating things I find lying around.”
“Please don’t eat anything like that…”
Could she genuinely be a noble clan’s descendant?
It felt odd for me to be questioning someone’s noble heritage, but Namgung Bi-ah genuinely was an outlier.
She seemed indifferent to the world and didn’t hold on to anything.
Though she had improved slightly in recent days.
She seemed to be taking walks more often and was eating well.
She was a far cry from the Demonic Human who used to obsess over her sword and murder in my past life.
That much is sufficient.
Yes, that was more than enough.
Expecting anything more felt unnatural.
“The carriages aren’t allowed to go halfway and will have to turn back, so you should try to sleep.”
“…Okay.”
Upon hearing this, Namgung Bi-ah let out a yawn and climbed into her carriage.
As I mentioned, the carriages couldn’t navigate the terrain halfway, so we’d need to start walking from that point.
So it would be smart for everyone to save their stamina beforehand.
After all, the terrain was a mess.
“Young Master.”
“Hmm? Oh, Muyeon…”
As I was about to greet Muyeon, I noticed Gu Jeolyub standing behind him.
That guy…
Gu Jeolyub was dressed in a completely different uniform than he usually wore.
It wasn’t the attire of blood relatives but that of the Gu Clan’s swordsmen.
After seeing this, I questioned Gu Jeolyub.
“Are you actually going like that?”
“Yes.”
His voice was firm.
As if his mind was completely made up.
“…Very well.”
I opened my mouth to say more, but I decided against it and merely nodded.
If he chose to forge his own path, I had no right to comment on his decision.
After hearing my remark, Gu Jeolyub lowered his head slightly.
I wasn’t sure what choices he would make or what he might find by following me to the battlefront, but I hoped he would make the right decisions for himself.
Then I wouldn’t have to end his life, after all.
“Muyeon.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Why are you coming along?”
“…Pardon?”
“You don’t have to come with me.”
Muyeon was technically my escort, but he didn’t need to follow me to the front.
Having reached the peak realm at such a young age, he could retire from his position after his long service in the Gu Clan.
If he desired, he could easily become part of the First Legion.
Though I wasn’t sure how the Third and Fourth Legions would feel about that.
Regardless, he didn’t have to stay at my side and shadow me.
Was my inquiry amusing?
Muyeon covered his mouth, trying to hide his smile, which was a rare sight.
“Why are you laughing?”
I found it annoying.
“…Ah, it’s nothing. I just didn’t expect the Young Master to say that.”
“What’s wrong with what I said?”
I meant it out of concern; what was so funny about that?
“…I have no intention of leaving the Young Master’s side.”
“Are you insane…?”
“Pardon?”
“If you’ve gained this much, you should look to move on to greater things. How much do you think you can gain from this position?”
It would be better for him to not be my escort and instead start his journey as a martial artist.
Especially someone with talent like Muyeon.
But it seemed Muyeon had a different view on the matter and spoke up,
“Right now, there’s still much for me to learn from the Young Master.”
“….”
This kid certainly wasn’t normal.
He claimed there was nothing left to learn, yet he wanted to learn from me?
Is he really mad?
I genuinely began considering if I should send him on a holiday.
As I was about to step away from him, wanting to distance myself,
“I don’t know about anything else, but you definitely have a knack for attracting people.”
“…When did you arrive?”
A large hand enveloped my shoulder, accompanied by a robust voice.
“Haha…! I merely passed by.”
It was the Second Elder, who had nearly completed his recovery.
“Why do you always say you just passed by?”
“It’s not like this old man can just come over by lying down, can he?”
“That may be the case…”
“If your old grandpa drags his weary self all this way, at least say thank you! Yet here you are… just nitpicking… Tsk tsk…”
“Seeing you gives me a headache.”
“Want me to remedy that for you? I’m quite skilled, you know.”
“That’s violence, not treatment. Please put your fist down.”
His first instinct was always to swing.
What part of him was old? He still came off as terrifying.
“I heard you’ll be gone for a year. Shouldn’t I accompany you if you’re concerned?”
“No, I don’t need you or anyone else. I just want to go alone.”
Haha, you dream big.
Why did wanting to go solo equate to dreaming big?
“…Whatever, I’ll be off now.”
“Sulking, are we?”
“I’m not.”
Continuing the conversation only escalated my headache.
Ugh, my head…
As I contemplated cradling my head in my hands,
The Second Elder brought up another topic.
“Yangcheon.”
“Yes?”
“Have you spoken to Yeonseo yet?”
“Huh?”
Why did he suddenly bring up Gu Yeonseo?
I had no clue what prompted the Second Elder to ask this.
However…
“…I tried to arrange a meeting with her.”
I did my best to visit Gu Yeonseo.
Though, ultimately, I never got to meet her.
“It seems she wasn’t interested in seeing me at all.”
“…Hmm.”
According to Gu Ryunghwa, she had visited her.
Yet it appeared Gu Yeonseo was avoiding me.
I’ll see her one day, it’s not like I’m in a rush.
I decided to put it off for now, thinking I would see her eventually.
For context:
Following the exit of the Immortal Healer and Zhuge Hyuk from the clan, Gu Ryunghwa looked like she had lost her spirit.
They seemed to have been quite close.
I should’ve talked to Hyuk before he left.
I hadn’t had the chance to converse properly with him.
It left me feeling utterly unsatisfied.
“…Huh? I feel a murderous intent coming from somewhere.”
The Second Elder rubbed his shoulders with his massive hands.
He seemed to be getting chills.
“Now that I think about it, Ryunghwa hasn’t shown up.”
“She’s probably asleep.”
During the early morning, she had been sniffing and asking why I was leaving again.
So, feeling guilty, I had put her to sleep with acupuncture.
I thought it was better to have her sleep than deal with all that.
It might be a bit inconsiderate…
But I could always soothe her later with a gift upon my return.
By the time I came back to the clan, Gu Ryunghwa likely wouldn’t be there anymore.
The Sword Queen had sent letters that indicated she would return soon, then they would head for Mount Hua.
“I’ll take my leave now.”
“Good. Don’t get hurt and return safely.”
“It’s you who should be careful, and I’m telling you not to get hurt again… Ah! Stop trying to hit me!”
“…Huibi should be eagerly awaiting your return, as she has been waiting to train with her little brother for quite some time.”
“Well, that’s more information than I needed to hear.”
“And this.”
As soon as I saw the Second Elder pulling out a letter, I growled.
“…What’s with you? Why the hostility?”
“What are you trying to give me this time? Don’t even think about it.”
Every time the Second Elder handed me something, it seemed like trouble exploded like a bomb.
I promised myself not to accept anything this time.
“Not even if it’s about Seol-Ah?”
“….”
Although I thought that thought, perhaps it could be a special case this time.
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