Chapter: 276
After enjoying a pleasant training session with Gu Jeolyub.
When I returned to the inn where I was staying, it was already evening.
Having arrived in Hanam, I couldn’t see a trace of Namgung Bi-ah, and it seemed that Moyong Hi-ah, who still looked busy, had already arrived and was sitting in the restaurant.
As I dragged Gu Jeolyub in with me, Moyong Hi-ah spotted me and greeted me.
By the way, Namgung Bi-ah had been sending me glances ever since I stepped through the entrance.
“Did you arrive?”
“Yeah.”
“Your Highness is going to eat too, right?”
“I am a bit hungry.”
As I spoke, I pulled out a chair next to Namgung Bi-ah and sat down.
As soon as I sat, Namgung Bi-ah poured water into my empty glass.
Taking a sip, I casually tossed Gu Jeolyub off to a corner.
He’d figure out meal time and wake up when he was hungry.
During this gap, I took a quick glance around the inn.
“There aren’t many people, are there?”
This was the same situation from when I arrived yesterday.
It looked like we were the only guests here.
Had they rented the whole place out?
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, I just thought you were the only one spending that much money around here.”
“I haven’t done anything.”
It was a reasonable suspicion.
For some reason, I felt like if it were Moyong Hi-ah, she would have rented out the entire guesthouse.
But if she was denying it then…
“Then are there just no other guests?”
By the way, it was Moyong Hi-ah who recommended this inn.
She said it had a good reputation.
Since everyone in our group belonged to prestigious families, finding accommodations wasn’t that difficult.
Honestly, if Moyong Hi-ah just breathed her way through, getting the whole inn wouldn’t be that tough.
‘Weird, it’s about time more people should start gathering.’
I felt like there must be a reason behind the emptiness.
With the admission time for Shinryongwan approaching, it was definitely a time when people should be flocking in.
Seeing the place so desolate felt oddly unsettling.
As we waited for our meal and engaged in casual chatter, Namgung Bi-ah, who kept refilling my tea and water, suddenly said,
“…Ah.”
She shifted her gaze toward the door, her eyes widening.
“Hmm? What’s that…?”
I was about to ask, but at that moment, I finally sensed someone’s presence.
There were multiple signs of life nearby, but amongst them was a familiar aura.
Just as the presence drew closer to the inn…
BAM!
“It’s His Highness!”
The door to the inn swung open dramatically, and someone burst in.
Simultaneously, a gust of winter wind rushed in with them.
“Your Highness…!”
The person raised their voice and rushed over to me upon noticing my presence.
It looked like they were about to jump in for a hug.
But before the person could land on me, Mo Yong-hee and Namgung Bi-ah, who had just woken up, quickly intercepted.
“Whoa!”
The woman, having unintentionally hugged Namgung Bi-ah instead, looked at the two with a sulky expression.
But they stood firm, preventing the hug—no chance that was happening.
Mo Yong-hee sighed dramatically, fanning herself, then turned to the lady, saying,
“Come on, you’re a grown woman! How can you just jump on someone like that? Please, show some restraint.”
Seeing the woman glare at Namgung Bi-ah and puffing her cheeks, she grumbled,
“Sister, are you really going to be like this? It’s been so long since we saw each other!”
“Still… no.”
“… This is honestly too much.”
Resigning to the fact that she wouldn’t get a hug, the woman finally stepped back.
That’s when her face came into clearer view.
With her still vibrant dark green hair and brightly glowing green eyes, now even darker than before.
Her hair, which had barely touched her shoulders, now cascaded to her chest.
It looked like she had let it grow out a bit.
When our eyes met, she blushed slightly, her bright smile radiating towards me.
“Your Highness… it’s been a while! I’ve missed you so much…!”
“… Oh, yeah. It’s been a while.”
Struck by the intensity of her emotions, I almost instinctively took a small step back.
The woman had matured.
A bit taller and definitely more grown-up.
She was the treasure of the Poison King and the darling of the Tang Clan of Sichuan.
It was none other than Tang Soyeol.
It had been roughly a year, perhaps slightly more, since we last met.
When I last saw her, she had definitely changed.
‘Wow, she’s grown up.’
It felt almost too trivial to call that a compliment, but it was true—Tang Soyeol indeed became more mature.
She’s older than me, so she was already on that path back then, but now…
It was clear, she was a fully-fledged woman.
Or maybe it was just her longer hair that made that impression?
And maybe it was because Tang Soyeol was so overjoyed, but I found myself equally happy.
Tang Soyeol tentatively asked me,
“Did you receive all the letters I sent?”
“I read them all.”
“Oh really!?”
Her eyes widened in surprise as if touched.
Seeing her already large eyes grow even larger was a sight to behold.
“But why didn’t you send me a reply?”
Oops.
Her words made me swallow dryly.
I had completely forgotten about that detail.
“Didn’t I send something? … Sometimes?”
“You never sent anything.”
“Sorry.”
Tang Soyeol’s tone became unusually firm.
Even if I hadn’t replied because the situation on the battlefield was poor, I had no excuse since I hadn’t even written back after I returned.
Seeing her expression shift from joy to slight disappointment inadvertently tugged at my heartstrings.
“Have you eaten? Did you get your food?”
“No?”
“Great! Let’s eat first.”
I shifted the subject to distract from the awkwardness.
Tang Soyeol sighed slightly, as if she had already seen through my intentions.
“…But hey, we’ve met again.”
Making peace with the fact, she looked for a seat, smiling in the process.
As she tried to find an empty spot, she seemed to recall something and carefully spoke up again.
“Oh, Your Highness.”
“Yeah?”
“Excuse me, but I have some company with me… If it’s not a bother, would it be alright if they join us for the meal?”
“Company? Who?”
Someone was accompanying Tang Soyeol?
As I thought this over, it made sense fairly quickly.
‘Well, she isn’t the type like Namgung Bi-ah.’
Tang Soyeol was socially skilled, and while not as prominent as Moyong Hi-ah, she carried the grace of a noble family.
So it was plausible that she had companions.
Curiosity piqued, I asked,
“Oh, we kind of ran into each other on the way here and ended up traveling together. They’ll be here shortly.”
“Do I know them?”
From her reaction, it seemed like they weren’t a stranger to me.
At this, Tang Soyeol responded ambiguously,
“No…? I mean, you might know them… But I don’t think you’d know Prince Gu.”
“What does that even mean?”
What a strange thing to say.
You might or might not know?
I was almost chuckling at her slightly playful remarks when suddenly…
…!
That light-hearted moment evaporated instantly.
I suddenly had to focus all my senses sharply.
It was due to a presence detected outside the door.
“That’s….”
Tang Soyeol attempted to add something, but it didn’t matter now.
Not a single word reached my ears.
“…No way.”
I strained my eyes to gaze toward the door.
Thud.
Thud.
The tension radiating through me was felt in my pounding heart, creating a rhythm of thumps.
Squeak.
The door of the inn creaked open slowly.
Someone was stepping inside.
Step.
The person wasn’t tall.
The sound of their footsteps was soft, almost like a whisper, yet it echoed loudly in my ears.
They had dark black hair.
A martial artist clad in a black uniform.
At a glance, they appeared similar to someone I knew, but that was just a superficial resemblance.
Unable to discern the true age or intent solely by appearance.
Our eyes locked when the man stepped inside.
…Crazy.
Looking into those pitch-black, stark eyes felt eerily familiar.
Subtly, I found myself cursing inwardly.
It was the same terrifying gaze from my past life.
It seemed he recognized me too.
His unwavering stare boomed down on me as if he was refusing to look away.
It sent shivers down my spine.
The engrossing tension crawled all the way from my back, coiling around my neck, piercing up to my crown.
I had to force down the cold sweat that threatened to drip at any moment.
How long had we been locked in that gaze?
Probably just seconds.
But it felt like ages had passed.
As the atmosphere grew thick with tension, my breathing became increasingly erratic.
“Ai… Brother! Why are you just standing there instead of coming inside?”
The black-haired young man brought his gaze back at the sound of a girl’s voice just behind him.
“Seriously… Lady Tang is trying to be considerate, and we should cooperate.”
A cute girl dressed in a matching black martial outfit frowned as she nudged the young man’s back.
Though it looked like he didn’t budge from her push.
“Oh, you’re here. It’s them.”
Tang Soyeol chimed in, looking delighted, causing me to involuntarily clear my throat.
“…Those folks?”
“Yeah, so you really do know Prince Gu?”
“…”
I knew them well.
Especially that black-haired fellow.
I definitely recognized him.
How could I forget the very guy who almost had me done for?
Drawn in by the girl’s gentle pull, the young man advanced towards us again.
His gaze, however, resumed locking onto me.
It was an unreadable stare, and I felt a chill knowing the intensity it carried.
Damn…
I never anticipated we would actually cross paths.
Well, I expected to meet him, just not at this moment.
I never thought he would show up at Shinryongwan.
This fellow was renowned as the Fighting Dragon in the world today.
Despite his frail appearance, he projected the aura of a seasoned martial artist.
I was well aware of his true identity beneath that guise.
He was no less than a genuine monster masquerading as a dragon, known as the pinnacle of martial prowess.
One of the central plains’ three revered figures, he had single-handedly quelled the hordes of demons with a single stroke.
Before the Heavenly Horse descended, he stood among the absolute rulers of the central plains.
The lord of the west.
The defeated villain.
The one who vowed to come see me one day.
There he was, right in front of me.
Tweet-tweet.
A chirp echoed through the thicket.
A serene forest path leading towards Hanam.
Amongst the tranquil sounds of birds softly whispering.
A figure sat by the riverbank.
Though her face was entirely veiled, obscuring her outward appearance,
the graceful silhouette revealed enough to discern her gender as that of a woman.
The lady dipped her hands into the flowing river, taking a quick sip of cold water to quench her thirst.
Afterward, she prepared to take her sword, resuming her stride.
The winter chill intertwined with fierce winds that blew without pause,
yet she felt no unusual cold—most likely due to the warm flutter of excitement blooming within her.
‘Just a little farther.’
Just a bit more, and she’d arrive where he awaited.
Thus, she felt insulated from the biting cold.
The woman thought this way, a sentiment that felt odd yet didn’t bother her.
What mattered most was that in the castle visible far ahead,
there lay someone she longed to see.
As she trod lightly on,
she pulled a pouch from her cloak, retrieving something from it.
A piece of black jade, about the size of a fingernail.
Without hesitation, she popped it into her mouth and swallowed it.
Though the deity allowed her to chew it, the bitter taste made her refuse.
As time flowed on,
she still preferred sweet things over bitter.
Of course,
if it weren’t for the sweet treats he gave her…
it had been a while since anything had passed her lips.
Just as she managed to swallow it down,
Thud.
She resumed her steps.
The woman, moving with ease despite the unruly gusts, eventually shifted her gaze somewhere among the trees.
Her bright golden eyes radiated intent, seeking something.
After a brief stillness, focused on the open air,
Swish.
Out of nowhere, the woman drew her sword.
Steadying herself,
with a fluid motion, she swung her weapon downward.
Even at a leisurely pace, a straight line etched out in the air.
The line bore a hint of shallow color but was unmistakably golden.
Instinctively,
Thud-thud!
From somewhere in the dense woods, a sound arose as something fell.
Stepping towards the source of the noise,
she came upon a man, sputtering and coughing incessantly.
Even at the sudden encounter, the woman met his gaze with calmness,
more precisely, her eyes carried a chill that spoke volumes.
“Who are you?”
Raising her sword against the man’s throat, she questioned him.
Her voice was clear and melodic, lacking any harshness.
But the energy radiating from her shoulder wasn’t so tranquil.
The man, feeling the pressure of her aura, managed to stop his cough and spoke hurriedly,
“I am Gon, from Gonglun. Ah, no, I came from Shinryongguan!”
Upon hearing Jo Wi-seok’s name,
the woman’s expression shifted into something peculiar,
Swoosh—Clank.
Retrieving her sword promptly.
“Shinryongguan…”
Recalling his utterance, she shut her eyes for a moment.
At that instant,
she could sense that her long yet fleeting journey was approaching a close.
With her eyes closed, a singular notion permeated her mind.
Hurry.
She wanted to see him soon.
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