Chapter: 428
By the time we arrived at our assigned location, my first words dripped with annoyance.
“Oh, why do I have to share the same room as you?”
I spat this out while unpacking. Behind me, a tall man was diligently helping with the unpacking.
It was Woo Hyuk.
I ended up in the same room as Woo Hyuk.
“Haha, what can I do if they say there are no rooms available?”
“Damn it!”
The clan’s doorkeepers forced Woo Hyuk and me into one room, claiming there weren’t enough accommodations. What kind of absurdity was it that a big family like the Dang Clan didn’t have enough rooms?
When I first heard it, I thought they were just refusing to give us a room. But the apologetic expressions of the servants and Dang So-yeol’s words suggested they really had no choice.
By the way, Cheol Ji-seon also came along.
Right now, he’s probably unpacking in the small room next door. As I continued to fume, Woo Hyuk chuckled and said,
“Well, I know it’s unfortunate that I’m not your brother-in-law, but please bear with it.”
“What are you talking about, you crazy fool? Who’s your brother-in-law?”
“Well, there are so many I can’t just pick one…”
Bam-!
“Ugh!”
In the end, while spouting nonsense, Woo Hyuk got a swift smack to the back of his head and let out a squeal.
“I’m getting flayed. Flayed!”
I barely hit him, but ignoring the mess of Woo Hyuk rolling on the floor like he was in a fit of madness, I went back to unpacking.
The only thought in my mind was: I should just unpack and get some sleep.
That was my only plan.
If I wanted to alleviate my fatigue, I could use a bet to do so, but I definitely needed to take a good rest like this every once in a while.
Once I had completed most of the unpacking, I turned to Woo Hyuk, who was still rolling on the floor.
“They say the banquet is at night. Are you going out?”
“Go out? Where to?”
As expected, it was just a joke; Woo Hyuk abruptly halted his rolling at my question.
I added while glancing at him, “They say the Master is here.”
“Ah…”
As soon as I mentioned the Shaman Ghost, Woo Hyuk’s expression hardened instantly.
It’s quite refreshing to see him make such a face.
“It should be alright if you go and come back a bit later…”
What the heck? Why does he look so hesitant after making the effort to come here?
He definitely seemed deeply reluctant to go, so I couldn’t help but wonder what sort of person this Woo Hyuk, who was normally friendly with everyone, was avoiding this time.
Having never met a Shaman Ghost before, I had no idea what to expect.
‘Well, I will find out when I meet him.’
Regardless, I had to talk to him once regarding the brain inheritor.
I was also curious about why a shaman suddenly had the Namgung Clan’s ghost sword.
The purpose of meeting the Shaman Ghost was simple.
I meant to hand over the brain to Namgung Bi-ah.
The Demon Sword Emperor had originally been a high-ranking martial artist known for her swordsmanship.
The way she wielded the brain was monstrous, to say the least.
Noea, being able to perfectly channel thunder, was certainly her sword.
I wasn’t sure if she’d willingly part with it… but if she refused to give it to me,
‘That can wait until then.’
It’s not like I had no options, so for now, I decided to take a look and figure it out afterward.
While I was organizing my thoughts, Woo Hyuk suddenly asked, “What are you going to do until the banquet?”
What was I going to do? Obviously…
“I’m going to rest.”
“You’re resting…? You?”
Woo Hyuk’s face expressed disbelief at my answer.
“…What’s with that reaction? I’m just saying I want to rest. Are you dissatisfied?”
“There’s also water.”
“Do you want to really fight, bro?”
His lame joke caused a shock to course through my neck.
Ah, this guy.
If he wanted to argue, he should have at least told me beforehand.
As I started to approach him, stretching my hand, Woo Hyuk hurriedly continued speaking.
“No, I’m just saying it’s hard to picture you resting.”
“What do you mean? Why don’t I fit that image?”
Who else do you know that’s as lazy as me and likes to lounge around?
I expressed my bewilderment, and Woo Hyuk let out a sigh.
“You practice all day long. If you feel like you’re slacking off, you keep wandering around. I’ve never seen you take a break.”
“…”
Hearing Woo Hyuk’s words, I thought about it and realized he had a point.
Throughout the journey, I’d either been training or taking care of obligations, and when I didn’t, I went out and hunted monsters to extract their chi.
Geez?
Now that I think about it, I hadn’t taken a single day off.
It doesn’t seem strange at all that Woo Hyuk has that impression of me.
‘I wasn’t this diligent of a person before.’
How did I end up like this?
“Oh, whatever. Anyway, I’m going to rest today.”
As I declared that while preparing to lie down.
Suddenly, I noticed a presence outside the door.
– Your Majesty!
“…”
When I recognized the voice, it was Dang So-yeol. Why did she suddenly pop up?
A feeling of dread washed over me.
– Are you there?
As the steps grew closer, I opened the door slightly and poked my head out.
“Ah!”
Dang So-yeol, having spotted me, came over with a big grin.
“Why…?”
Feeling a weird sense of unease, I inquired. Dang So-yeol cheerfully replied, “Father is looking for you! Something came up!”
“…”
I rubbed my face at Dang So-yeol’s words.
Just when I wanted to catch a breather… it seemed like the world had no intention of letting me off the hook.
What a crappy world.
After hearing Dang So-yeol’s comment, I headed toward the Poison King.
To be honest, I didn’t want to go, but the urgency in their summons made me wonder if something serious was happening.
‘Hopefully, it’s nothing major.’
If it wasn’t urgent, I was prepared to show some displeasure.
It’s still the Dang Clan, after all.
Since my direct blood relatives were nearby, I could roam around the clan without anyone stopping me.
“Where are we going?”
I asked Dang So-yeol.
I was curious because the destination wasn’t where the family lord was residing.
“Oh, Father is in the guest quarters.”
“Guest?”
A guest? Who could it be?
Is it related to Mu Rong Hee-ah and her White Lotus Sword?
As soon as I entertained the thought, Dang So-yeol seemed eager to clarify.
“Oh, other guests besides the princes arrived a few days ago.”
“Hmm?”
They arrived a few days ago?
Ah?
‘Is that why they said there weren’t enough rooms?’
I finally understood why they asked us to share.
There was a shortage of rooms due to unexpected guests showing up earlier.
What raised my eyebrow a bit was that these were prominent families of standing.
Was this guest so important that he could be herded into one room like this?
If someone a bit more uptight had been around, they might have expressed some complaints.
Though, I wondered if anyone would be bold enough to press the Dang Clan.
‘Just who in the world are they?’
Not to mention, the guest was received while the Poison King wasn’t present.
That signified this person was of significance.
When I arrived, I saw the Poison King standing before me.
I bowed my head and respectfully greeted him.
“I heard you called for me.”
The Poison King smiled softly at my words.
“I apologize for calling you back at such a time as your travels are nearing an end.”
“…I’m fine.”
If you understand why I’m here, then why call me?
I barely contained the urge to voice my frustrations.
I was already feeling exhausted from managing my emotions; it felt even more challenging.
It certainly seemed to be becoming a frequent occurrence.
Struggling to keep my feelings in check, I asked the Poison King, “What was it that you urgently needed from me?”
How urgent could it be to warrant a call for me?
Noticing my sour expression, the Poison King replied with a slightly awkward expression.
“The guest… requested that I bring the old prince, which led to this hasty call.”
“Pardon?”
I frowned at the Poison King’s statement.
A guest is looking for me?
…The guest of the Dang Clan is asking for me?
That was utterly baffling. Why would a guest want to see me?
“Who is this guest that’s asking for me?”
“First, please follow me.”
The Poison King stated this and turned to walk into his quarters,
Just barging in without providing a proper explanation…
With my brows deeply furrowed, I moved forward.
If there wasn’t a reasonable excuse, I was about to blow my top.
At this point, I’d reached my limit.
Dang So-yeol followed quietly, noticing my disgruntled demeanor.
The inside space they led me to was notably large.
Compared to where I was staying, it was almost twice the size.
It could stand proudly alongside the lord’s room of the Gu Clan.
I pondered while glancing around.
‘What kind of extraordinary person must be here to have accommodations like this?’
It was clearly not an ordinary space.
I could guess this was the waiting area for guests who truly deserved lavish hospitality.
Is any guest deserving of such respect in this clan?
No matter how hard I thought about it, no one came to mind.
As I continued to follow the Poison King, I noticed a small garden within.
It seemed quite an investment had been made into it.
After quite a bit of walking, the Poison King halted in front of a door. He looked within and announced,
“Elder, I’ve brought the old prince.”
‘Elder…?’
I opened my eyes wide at the Poison King’s demeanor.
It was remarkable for the head of the Four Great Families, the Poison King, to show such deference.
After finishing his announcement, he slightly stepped aside, looking at me.
“…”
It was a signal for me to enter the room.
Feeling slightly anxious at that cue, I approached the entrance.
Just as Tang So-yeol tried to follow, the Poison King raised his hand to stop her.
It was a gesture signaling her to stay out.
Cautiously making my way inside, I looked around.
Who in the world could it be…?
“Hmm?”
As soon as I spotted the figure sipping tea inside, question marks began to hover above my head.
The first thing that caught my eye was a boy whose bangs obscured half of his face, making it difficult to discern his features.
The boy looked up at me and gave a slight nod.
It was a familiar face.
“You….”
The boy’s identity was none other than Jegal Hyuk, who would later become the brains and top strategist of the Demonic Cult.
I wondered why he was suddenly here, but there was something of greater concern.
‘What’s this guy doing here?’
I swiftly turned to see who was seated across from Jegal Hyuk.
The old man’s gaze was already directed toward me.
A white-haired elder, his face marred by deep wrinkles and a body so thin that his bones were almost outlined through his skin.
He might look shabby and frail, but it was safe to say that no one in the Central Plains could afford to ignore him.
“It’s been a while.”
His voice was high-pitched, dry, and sharp.
Despite his extensive accomplishments and warm spirit, the chill in his gaze was unmistakable.
“Elder…?”
“Humph.”
A renowned doctor said to have reached the peak of healing skills, able to save anyone with a pulse.
Many respected him for his profound medical prowess, referring to him as the divine doctor.
“It looks like you’ve been through a lot while I wasn’t looking. You look like you’re in terrible shape.”
He truly was the divine doctor.
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