Chapter: 320
Uwoong.
As soon as Cheol Ji-seon sensed a presence, he felt an unusual atmosphere surrounding him.
He stopped his trembling body.
Cheol Ji-seon looked back.
The person Cheol Ji-seon had been waiting for had arrived in the middle of the night.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No…”
At the sound of a voice coming from behind, Cheol Ji-seon turned around.
A man with a handsome face and a gentle smile stood there.
Holy Jang Seon-yeon.
He had come looking for Cheol Ji-seon.
Cheol Ji-seon quietly observed Jang Seon-yeon.
And just a little distance behind…
Gu Yangcheon was watching the two engaging in a secret meeting.
Hmm…
Though he was observing, he couldn’t hear anything due to the space surrounding them.
If I tried to listen, I could definitely hear…
But I would have to get much closer than I currently was.
And if I recklessly took a risk to hear through the barrier, Jang Seon-yeon would surely notice.
It’s just that his character is terrible, but he does have skills.
Even though he was worse than a lump of filth in my opinion, I had to acknowledge his talent.
I sat on a tree and scrutinized Cheol Ji-seon and Jang Seon-yeon from afar.
Earlier, when Cheol Ji-seon had spoken to me in what felt like a confession…
It was only when he finished telling his story that he said he would go meet Jang Seon-yeon afterward.
Hmm…
I remembered the expression on Cheol Ji-seon’s face as he spoke.
For some reason, he had looked at me as if he were terrified.
Why is that? I said I would let it go…
He hadn’t uttered any lies.
The words I had said then held the truth that I would let it slide, despite having tried to kill Cheol Ji-seon.
But why is he so nervous?
If that wasn’t the issue…
Could it be that he was worried because Jang Seon-yeon had told him to do as he was instructed?
That might be a possibility.
Even if Cheol Ji-seon was quite clever, he probably hadn’t thought deeply about the implications of those words.
Maybe it simply meant he should listen to the old man.
I definitely have no intention of watching this unfold anyway.
He might have interpreted it like that too.
Regardless, that’s his dilemma.
It wasn’t my concern.
I genuinely hoped Cheol Ji-seon would follow Jang Seon-yeon’s lead.
Going a little further,
If Cheol Ji-seon truly decides to stick with me…
I could find a way to utilize that power for myself…
That was still something to contemplate.
It’s not like I hadn’t imagined it.
If Cheol Ji-seon was indeed the strategist of the Murim Alliance in the future I knew,
The power he exhibited was unexpectedly strong.
It was unclear whether the current Cheol Ji-seon possessed similar strength.
What matters is…
As it is a strong force, it’s inherently dangerous.
Though it certainly had great utility,
When weighing its worth against its risks, I still had to deliberate.
What about turning him into a mine and putting him in chains?
When I thought about keeping him under my control, this was the first method that surfaced in my mind.
If I could transform others into mines,
I could corrupt Cheol Ji-seon into a mine and simply keep him beneath and use him.
But…
Not yet… Not yet.
I really didn’t want that.
This was partially due to Elder Shin Noya calling me a disaster.
I didn’t want to replicate the actions of the Heavenly Demon from my past life.
It wasn’t about feeling guilty toward Cheol Ji-seon.
I just didn’t want to behave like the Heavenly Demon.
“…”
There wasn’t much time for contemplation.
This wasn’t even a real dilemma, considering we needed to utilize all the power available to us.
I’m just getting wrapped up in stupid emotional lines.
This was also the final line.
The line that crossed toward becoming a mine like in my past life.
A middle ground where I could live as an ordinary martial artist.
Once I crossed it, there would be no turning back.
I instinctively understood that.
My increasingly upset stomach was bothering me.
I stroked my left arm.
The section with the bandage wrapped around it.
Please get up again.
It was a call to the old man who had shown up when needed but had fallen asleep again.
Still, there was no response.
This must be why…
In my head, the words that Elder Shin Noya had told me continued to echo.
—Have confidence in yourself.
The words telling me to believe in myself.
It was a truly difficult statement to accept.
If it were that easy, I wouldn’t have lived like I did in my past life.
“What pointless thoughts.”
An often-repeated empty regret.
Things wouldn’t be any different now, would they?
Just focus on the future. That’s more important right now.
I summarized the information obtained from the notes.
Plus, I needed to understand what the rag tied to my arm really was.
I hadn’t gained much aside from the information from the notes.
I needed to find a way to reach Hwagyeong quickly.
Is it just the Baekma Seok?
I conjured a way to explosively boost my chances of reaching my goal.
If I could grab the Baekma Seok buried deep in the sea…
I would be able to reach the Flower Garden directly.
If not that…
…it should be at least on the level of Shaolin’s Daehwandan.
It might not be as good as the Baekma Seok, but Shaolin’s Daehwandan level would likely be feasible.
This is ridiculous.
Even considering it, it felt unbelievable.
The Daehwandan isn’t even a dog’s name!
Where exactly was I supposed to procure an elixir at that level?
Ultimately, the answer was to stabilize my heart rate just a little more.
To climb to the top. If I look at myself closely,
The energy was overwhelming.
The body might be lacking, but it wasn’t at a level where it was impossible.
Then the problem lies within the word “heart”.
That area has way too many issues—where do I even start?
Even when thinking briefly, there were more than one or two problems.
I didn’t even know where to begin fixing this.
But regardless, I needed to do it.
From this point on, I must build it properly.
Beyond the scenery.
I would eventually be able to behold a higher realm than that.
I needed to try elevating my level with Baekma Seok.
Limits would soon be reached.
From that point on, no matter how much I devoured monsters or absorbed mana stones like a mountain.
I wouldn’t be able to climb any further.
From there on, it transcended merely a betting area.
There’s no solution. No solution at all.
I know a shortcut, but I also know taking it won’t get me to my destination.
In the end, I return to the starting point.
This is why martial arts are so frustrating.
There are absolutely no shortcuts.
I should dig deep into my fundamentals, but I don’t have time for that.
Because I have no time to train and improve my martial arts.
As I thought quietly, I got up.
Indeed… that’s the only way.
While advancing levels according to the standard.
How to save time.
Unless you’re a genius bestowed by heaven, it’s impossible to grasp both.
I knew how to resolve this.
The problem is that we’ll need that guy for that.
This was my thought while observing Cheol Ji-seon.
If it were the original situation, I would’ve killed and disposed of him without a second thought.
He’s proving to be more useful than I anticipated.
The words and expressions Cheol Ji-seon had shown during our conversation—
Those confessions where he said he’d step away from Jang Seon-yeon to come this way—
If there’s a reason, this is as good as any.
Just a little further.
I wasn’t fully confident.
I was still in the watch-and-see phase, but… my heart was somewhat swayed.
To me, Shinryonggwan was the Maginot Line.
The moment I stepped beyond it,
I would have to eliminate those deserving of death.
And take care of those who need saving.
I had to prepare as well.
I can’t trust anyone.
If I had to act alone…
I’d rid myself of potential enemies.
It was the fastest and simplest method.
As I stroked my left arm and stared ahead.
Once their conversation concluded, something odd occurred involving Cheol Ji-seon and Jang Seon-yeon.
Jang Seon-yeon left with a somewhat ridiculous smile on his face.
Guess there wasn’t any issue after all.
The reason I had come to check on Cheol Ji-seon, despite being fully aware, was precisely for this.
If things went awry with Jang Seon-yeon here, and he might do something foolish to Cheol Ji-seon.
Because that had to be prevented.
Jang Seon-yeon wasn’t someone who would kill Cheol Ji-seon or act rashly just because things went wrong here.
But, given the existence of possibilities, I followed stealthily.
In the end, it seemed there were no imminent problems.
After Jang Seon-yeon left.
Only after Cheol Ji-seon slowly vanished did I finally get up.
“How much time is left?”
There would soon be a moment when Jang Seon-yeon couldn’t hold back and would take action.
Probably only a few days remained.
For now, I could only wait.
Finally, I felt a useless thrill surging at the thought of finally being able to deal with that jerk.
I pressed it down firmly.
Tingling.
“…!”
At that moment, I turned my head and scanned the area.
…What’s that?
I just felt a breath of energy brushing past my back.
Just to be safe, I heightened my senses and spread them around.
Yet, there was no notable presence.
Am I imagining things?
Had I been a little stronger, I might’ve searched thoroughly to confirm it.
It truly was a remarkably subtle energy.
I shook my head slightly and shrugged off the feeling before heading back to my room.
And thus, the next day dawned.
Sunlight streamed through the window, signaling the morning.
As the fellow students I shared the room with were shaking out their blankets and preparing to rise,
I had to wear a blank expression, as if I had just woken up, with my hair all messy.
“…Huh?”
I asked again, wiping at the drool from the corner of my mouth.
The other guys who had been shaking off their blankets also froze in shock and looked over at me.
In the spot where my gaze met theirs,
Someone was kneeling quietly, looking at me.
With her two white hands gently clasped together,
The one with gold eyes stared at me intently.
She felt completely out of place in this setting.
“What did you just… say…?”
“I like you.”
Just as I was about to ask again, thinking I must have misheard her,
A clear voice interrupted.
I heard it just before.
It was the same phrase I thought I had misconstrued.
“…Uh… Huh?”
I pinched my arm, wondering if this was a dream.
It hurt so much. Does that mean this isn’t a dream?
Surely, there must be dreams that are even more painful than this!
That seemed more suitable for this situation.
As I stood there, dumbfounded and unsure of how to react,
The woman who had spoken continued to gaze at me with the same intense eyes.
The one who had come to find me this morning, blurting out incomprehensible words,
It was Wi Seol-ah.
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