Chapter: 582
“Oh, Young Master Gu. You’ve come…”
Upon returning to my residence, I caught sight of Dang So-yeol.
She was about to greet me but suddenly paused and stared at me.
“Confucius…”
“Huh? What’s up?”
“Is something wrong?”
There was concern in Dang So-yeol’s eyes.
Seeing that made me smile a little.
“What’s the matter? Nothing’s wrong.”
“But…”
“Have you eaten?”
“…yes…”
As I tried to shift the topic, Dang So-yeol reluctantly responded.
She sensed that I wasn’t in the mood for conversation and gracefully let it slide.
I felt a twinge of guilt about that.
“Have you eaten, Young Master?”
“Ah. Yeah, I ate.”
I replied with a smile, but of course, I hadn’t eaten anything.
I was wondering if any food would even go down.
‘There’s no way I can get over this.’
I barely managed to cool my head by running my fingers through my hair.
Though I had been cooling off for a while, it didn’t feel sufficient.
Instead of cooling down, a hot sensation was building up.
‘Cheonma.’
Could it be that I was dreaming?
That thought flickered through my mind. No, it was more like a twisted hope.
But I knew very well that it wasn’t a dream.
That pitch-black hair.
Those purple eyes that were locked onto me.
The intense energy I felt from her was all too real.
There had been countless changes due to the big and small events I had set in motion.
I suspected that what was currently happening might be the biggest butterfly effect of all.
‘Where did it all go wrong?’
Cheonma appeared in Hanam.
And the appearance was quite different from what I remembered.
What did it look like originally?
‘…at least it’s not like this now.’
If my memory serves me right, it should have been at least a year or two later.
She should have appeared at a festival hosted by the Murim Alliance, opening the Magic Gate with an entrance.
The memory was still vivid.
The sight of her steps tearing through the air.
The way she looked down over the array of righteous martial artists filling the floor.
[I am a thousand times a thousand.]
With those words, she overwhelmed the Master of the Alliance into submission.
I still recall it vividly.
Of course.
The appearance of the Red Monster was expedited, and the leader switched to a Shaman Swordsman, unlike in my previous life.
There were already countless changes.
I could understand that much. After all, it was my doing.
For whatever I wanted to face, I might as well endure it.
‘But this isn’t right.’
I never imagined such a massive problem would arise.
My head was spinning.
She exuded a completely different atmosphere from the Cheonma I knew. While I don’t want to compare, her looks and vibe were eerily similar to Wi Seol-ah.
[Why do you hate me?]
That question she had asked me kept spiraling around my mind.
Why do I hate her? It’s not just hate.
‘I loathe her.’
I loathe Cheonma.
Even as I repeated it over and over.
The memory of her from just before kept lingering in my thoughts.
‘Don’t think about it. The opponent is Cheonma.’
I struggled to erase it from my consciousness.
I needed to constantly remind myself of whom my opponent was.
What have I endured up to this point?
I had to keep mulling over what I was living for.
At the same time, I had to think about it.
‘What should I do from here on out?’
No matter what had happened to Cheonma, no matter how my current situation lay.
Now that we had met, I had to figure out a way to break through.
“Confucius?”
I heard Dang So-yeol’s voice.
“Really… Are you really okay?”
Dang So-yeol approached and grabbed my hand tightly.
The icy sensation jolted me back to awareness.
Summer had arrived, yet why were my hands so cold?
A deeply worried expression filled her face.
I looked a bit of a mess again.
“I’m fine.”
“…”
That was a face of disbelief.
Well, even as I insisted I was fine, my expression didn’t convey it at all.
“…Confucius.”
Dang So-yeol called me softly.
“Hmm?”
Noticing her expectant gaze, Dang So-yeol spoke.
“I can help you now… Confucius…”
There was something steadfast in her eyes.
Maybe that’s why I felt the urge to understand her too well.
“So, can you please tell me?”
The question was asked so cautiously.
Her voice was heavily laced with anxiety.
I could almost feel the fear of rejection radiating from her.
“…”
Seeing that made me internally sigh.
It was complicated.
‘I didn’t tell you to grow stronger for things like this.’
Just hang on alone.
I just wanted her to protect herself in these dangerous situations.
Also.
‘Don’t sacrifice yourself.’
I hoped she wouldn’t burn herself up as I did in my past life for the sake of protecting something.
That’s what I wished for.
Now, if Dang So-yeol were to step forward and say she would help me, then that would hold no meaning.
At least.
Please, at least.
‘I hope these kids don’t get dragged into this.’
It was a desire that began from that hope.
As I felt her earnestness, I reached out and ruffled through Dang So-yeol’s hair.
I felt the texture of her slightly grown-out hair and a slightly messy hairstyle.
“It’s still okay.”
The words made Dang So-yeol’s expression turn gloomy.
Even having reached Hwagyeong, she still wore such a look.
That was oddly fascinating.
She must have gained a significant amount of understanding, yet does human nature really not change?
“I really am okay for now.”
“Yes…”
“If you need help, you always say so.”
“That’s not true.”
“…”
I found myself at a loss for words at her unreserved denial.
There was nothing I could say.
“Uhm… yeah.”
I managed an awkward smile.
It was difficult to deny it given the multitude of past wrongs.
Perhaps that’s why Dang So-yeol seemed to be pretty resolute.
Hmm.
I took a deep breath.
Still, thanks to her, it felt like my dizzy mind had cleared up a bit.
‘First things first… I need to do what I must.’
Sure, it’s complicated, but it is what it is.
The more tangled things got, the more I had to act.
So, what was it that I should tackle right now?
It was all about focusing on recovering my body, of course.
‘Cheonma is lurking somewhere in Hanam.’
If Cheonma was in this vicinity, there was only one thing to do right away.
“You know.”
“Yes?”
I asked Dang So-yeol.
“Where is the Dark King right now?”
Upon hearing my question, the corners of Tang So-yeol’s mouth tweaked up.
It appeared that this was the kind of request she had finally mustered up the courage to make.
‘I feel bad, but…’
This couldn’t be helped.
It was an urgent situation here as well.
“…Master.”
Wait, calling him ‘Master’ now?
Hearing that title for the Dark King felt awfully strange.
“Is it that you can’t get in touch with him, Young Master?”
I tilted my head at that.
It was something that raised eyebrows.
“Why, what’s going on?”
You could find the Dark King if you tried, but I merely asked.
What’s with the reaction?
“Master… I’m not sure where he is at the moment.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s time, so he just told me to leave, and he disappeared.”
He disappeared…?
After taking in Dang So-yeol’s words, I pondered.
If the Dark King couldn’t get in touch with her, what could the reason be?
Thinking that way, one possibility came to mind.
‘Could it be Taecheon?’
The Magical Realm of Taecheon. Perhaps he had gone there.
I recalled that I had mentioned visiting there at some point.
‘So, that’s why he’s out of reach.’
If he had crossed over, there wouldn’t be a means of contacting him.
Still, I didn’t mind.
‘Because I can.’
Just because she couldn’t reach him didn’t mean it was impossible for me.
I decided I would send out a message today.
I mean, originally, I planned to avoid contacting if I could help it.
‘But if it’s the Dark King, it’s a must.’
If it related to Cheonma, I needed to take a different approach.
“Alright, I’ll try to reach him.”
“Yes?”
“Oh, is there something you want to pass along?”
“Oh, no… I mean…”
When the name of the Dark King surfaced, a shadow passed over Dang So-yeol’s face.
“… just tell him to come as late as possible… no, as late as you can, please.”
“…”
Her words elicited a bitter laugh from me.
It seemed she had endured quite the ordeal with the Dark King.
The next day dawned.
I found myself lying on the floor, staring at the sky.
Yeah, it was a sight I knew very well.
“Oh, my back.”
I gingerly rose from my exhausted state.
As I tried to lift my upper body, a sharp pain shot through my lower back.
Looks like I overdid it a little.
As I held my aching waist, someone settled down slightly in front of me and regarded me.
It was Pajeon.
“Tsk tsk… how pitiful.”
I frowned at those words tinged with mockery.
“I asked for a little moderation, but how could you toss me around like that?”
The reason I was gazing at the sky was, of course, due to the sparring with Pajeon.
No, should I even call it sparring?
As always, it felt more like a one-sided beating.
‘I thought I’d be making some ground here.’
How on earth was I supposed to get a grip when Pajeon was at peak mastery?
After reaching Hwagyeong, that hope seemed utterly impossible.
‘Even if I turned on my mind’s eye, I could do nothing.’
I had no idea why, but even when I activated my mind’s eye, it didn’t reach him.
Speed wasn’t the only issue.
‘The paths you can take are numerous.’
Pajeon had so many directions to go in his attacks.
Dealing with each of them one by one was impossible.
So, what was left?
‘I ended up being pounded without any means to defend.’
I had no choice but to roll on the ground without being able to do anything.
“Where is there moderation in training? You must be earnest at every moment.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“Right, the god advised you to rest, but you were the one insisting on practicing.”
“…”
That statement was, indeed, true.
It was me who asked Pajeon to assist with training since I felt a bit better.
‘I… didn’t expect you’d completely ignore that and just beat me up.’
There were undoubtedly some unfair elements here.
‘I thought there might be some leniency, but clearly that’s not the case.’
At that moment, Pajeon asked me, wearing a look that suggested he was rather displeased.
“What’s more, with so many distracting thoughts swirling around, how do you intend to practice?”
“…”
That statement made me laugh bitterly.
I got caught. I had a hunch, but as usual, it seemed Pajeon had noticed.
“I apologize.”
At my hasty apology, Pajeon narrowed his eyes.
“Looking at your face, it’s clear something’s amiss.”
“…”
“You’re such an idiot that I doubt you’d say anything.”
I wanted to know, is my heart really that transparent?
How does he know so much?
“At the very least, if you intend to train, rid yourself of distracting thoughts. Otherwise, you’re wasting both time and effort.”
“…yes.”
Once those words were uttered, Pajeon stood up.
I had to soothe my bitter throat as I watched him.
‘Get rid of distracting thoughts.’
Easier said than done.
How was I supposed to achieve that?
My situation was a complete mess.
I sought out Pajeon to tackle the frustrations and impatience plaguing me.
But I knew this wasn’t the right way.
Cheonma was lurking somewhere in this vicinity.
That knowledge alone kept weighing on me.
Did I keep reflecting on these complicated thoughts?
I heard a sigh escape from Pajeon, perhaps sensing it in my expression.
“Disciple.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Like always, you’re thinking far too much for someone at your level.”
“…”
Achieving enlightenment took a good deal of insight.
And I had moved to Hwagyeong, only to be filled with distractions.
“The moment you shake them off, you’ll find it impossible to reach where you’re hoping to arrive.”
“…”
“Whether that be the realm you’re aiming for or the power you seek.”
It would likely be tough to transcend.
Building the power I wanted now would also be quite challenging.
That’s what he meant.
“…I’ll take care to remember that.”
So, all I could do was nod.
I understood it in my head, but executing it proved infinitely trickier.
“Hmph.”
Pajeon looked at me with a puff of air escaping his nose.
Even though he wasn’t pleased, it felt like he didn’t want to press the issue.
So, I got to my feet, too.
“… Thank you for your guidance this morning. For now, I will go visit the deity.”
Having generally wrapped up my morning training.
I aimed to check in a bit more on my physical condition.
But then…
“If the deity’s around, it’s not at the moment.”
“Yes?”
I widened my eyes at Pajeon’s remark.
The deity isn’t here?
“From this morning?”
The sun had just begun to rise.
Where could he possibly have gone at this hour?
“I’ve heard that a guest he’s been waiting for arrived and said he’d gone out.”
Even as Pajeon elaborated, my confusion remained.
‘A guest?’
The reason Shin-ui had come to Hanam and was staying here was obvious…
‘To meet someone else, right?’
So, was this guest the person she was there to meet?
‘Who does she intend to meet?’
Even the current leader of the martial arts alliance needs to take action personally to meet the deity.
It must be a significant figure for Shin-ui to make such a trip herself.
Who could it possibly be?
I was slightly curious about that.
As the sun began to emerge, illuminating the horizon.
Just then, as the swarms of people started to gather in greater numbers.
A carriage made its way through the bustling street.
The sight of it drew attention from those around.
While the appearance of a carriage wasn’t unusual, the way it looked raised eyebrows.
Because it was a rather rare sight in the Central Plains.
With the crowd gathering, a woman inside the carriage sighed softly.
“I suppose you’ll need to get down and move from here.”
When the crowd swells like this, the carriage turns into a hassle.
Moreover, it was also a problem to draw more attention here.
Especially with the prominent figure at the forefront.
Hearing Mo Yong-hee’s comment, the woman sitting in front of her nodded.
Then, she shifted her gaze, as if to peek out the window for just a moment.
There were people packed outside.
The woman found it quite fascinating.
A ground with no snow.
The warmth of the season felt exquisite.
Everything about it was utterly captivating for the woman.
“…This is… Hanam.”
With the voice tinted with a sense of vague unfamiliarity and excitement, Mo Yong-hee nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yes. This is Hanam.”
Though her inner feelings were far from pleasant, they couldn’t be expressed outwardly.
The individual she was addressing warranted no such show of disdain.
“Little Princess.”
The woman glanced at Mo Yong-hee when she addressed her with that careful title.
In the shifting breeze, the woman’s eyes dimly reflected her own.
They were undoubtedly the same light blue shade as Mo Yong-hee’s.
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