Chapter: 699
“Did you meet your grandfather…?”
This was what Gu Hee-bi said to me in her residence.
“Yeah.”
“How…?”
“He came looking for me.”
I answered in a nonchalant tone, as she seemed surprised by the question.
My ribs were still aching. I really should have held back a little.
“No, suddenly?”
“Yeah, suddenly.”
She kept asking questions as if she couldn’t believe it, but my answers were the same.
“Sister. Stop asking. I was surprised too.”
Did I think that guy… I mean, is he really human? Anyway, could I have known that the gentleman called grandfather would come to see me?
Thanks to that, my ribs hurt more, and my mood took a nosedive.
‘Damn the bloodline.’
The Gu family members are all out of their minds.
How can an average person like me live comfortably in a place where everyone is just selfish?
‘I should really consider running away from home.’
I thought about trying to get closer to them, but I couldn’t, so I couldn’t help but think that this family was, frankly, the worst.
“So….”
Trying to calm myself down, I looked at Gu Hee-bi in front of me and asked, “Sister… what are you doing right now?”
“Huh?”
Gu Hee-bi tilted her head as if confused by my question.
“Can’t you tell just by looking? I’m cooking rice.”
“…”
Who would ask if they didn’t know?
‘I’m asking because I can’t believe my eyes.’
That lady is making rice.
Dressed casually, she prepared a few side dishes and casually arranged them on the table.
How should I even describe this nightmarish sight?
At least, I really don’t know.
“…You can cook?”
“Just a bit now?”
I made a dumbfounded expression at Gu Hee-bi’s casual answer.
Seeing my face, Gu Hee-bi chuckled lightly, as if it amused her.
“I’ve become like this from raising a child.”
“…What kind of motherly words are those?”
“Oh my, did it suit me?”
“No, not at all.”
Honestly, I thought it suited her a little, but it was strangely annoying to answer that way.
While I was watching Gu Hee-bi’s bizarre demeanor, thud.
Something suddenly appeared atop the bowl, which had been placed there without me realizing when.
What is this?
I don’t know what it is. It looks somewhat like food, but…
“What is it…?”
Completely baffled, I looked at the person who handed it to me.
Sometime later, Cheonma had casually sat next to me.
Cheonma was sitting there, placing something on the table one at a time.
“Stop, no… what is this?”
“Something to eat.”
“I can see it’s food, but what I mean is, why are you giving this to me?”
“It’s delicious. It’s something you like.”
“…”
What in the world is this situation?
No, it felt too late to understand any of this.
Not feeling up to saying anything, I simply grabbed the food and popped it into my mouth.
‘…Huh?’
I was a bit surprised after taking a bite.
It tasted better than I expected.
And.
‘I just ate this.’
I had to be shocked that I ate food so casually in front of Cheonma.
‘Even if I’m supposedly untouchable.’
I clearly had no caution whatsoever.
Or maybe, it was rather because she was Cheonma?
‘There’s no way she would resort to poison or anything like that.’
She wouldn’t employ cheap tricks like poisoning.
After all, she is the kind of woman who would directly shove and slice whatever she disliked.
Did she never worry about trifles like this?
Or is it simply because of Gu Hee-bi’s presence?
I don’t know.
Since I didn’t know, I took another bite.
“Is it good?”
Gu Hee-bi asked.
“It’s decent.”
“Really?”
After hearing my response, Gu Hee-bi smiled as she looked at Cheonma.
“Yeon-ah, it’s good.”
“Uh-huh.”
“…Huh?”
“Oh, Yeon-i made this.”
“…?”
I widened my eyes at Gu Hee-bi’s words and glanced at Cheonma.
What kind of nonsense is this?
“This… she made it?”
“Yeah, she did well, surprisingly good with her hands.”
Gu Hee-bi stroked Cheonma’s hair as if complimenting her.
Cheonma submitted to the touch without much resistance.
Meanwhile, I was still stuck in shock from what I had just learned.
‘Cheonma can cook?’
That girl?
That was one of the most shocking things I’ve ever encountered in my life.
It is even surprisingly tasty.
That was even more absurd.
‘At this point, I don’t know how to react anymore.’
I was simply exhausted from all this new information.
First, I set down the chopsticks I had picked up.
Before saying anything else, it seemed appropriate to get to the core of the matter.
“Sister.”
“Yeah?”
“What happened with grandfather?”
“…”
When I directly got to the point, Gu Hee-bi momentarily hesitated.
I stared at her intently.
“Why did he leave her with you? What happened?”
“…Hmm…”
I asked again.
It showed I wouldn’t let her dodge the question and that I expected an answer.
Gu Hee-bi understood and made a somewhat awkward expression.
One, I was patiently waiting for her to speak.
Finally, after a moment of silence, Gu Hee-bi carefully opened her mouth.
“The time was probably… around when my squad was being disbanded.”
The five swords of the Gu family, of which Gu Hee-bi was the leader.
Currently, the situation is a mess and temporarily disbanded.
The exact reason was likely due to anecdotes that erupted within concerning the position of the Gu Family Hall’s head.
Because of that, Gu Hee-bi had to take a brief hiatus.
And during that time, she had left to become part of the Central Plains Confucian group, although delayed.
In terms of timing, it must have been roughly two years ago.
“It wasn’t anything especially out of the ordinary. Just a day of traveling as usual.”
It was a spring day when flowers were finally blooming.
While wandering through Cheonghae, Gu Hee-bi suddenly encountered her grandfather.
– You must take care of this. It’s for the family.
The horse, appearing to have passed out, was in grandfather’s hands.
Grandfather entrusted such a horse to Gu Hee-bi.
“…And you just accepted it?”
Without any suspicion, just taking it so easily? What am I, some fool?
When I looked at Gu Hee-bi with questioning eyes, she replied, slightly sulking.
“My grandfather said it was a family matter. What could I do?”
Even though Gu Hee-bi acted outrageously, when the grandfather, who was believed to have died, said it concerned family matters, it seemed there was little she could do.
However.
“Did you just believe that? What would you do if your grandfather turned out to be an imposter?”
Yet still, I couldn’t comprehend this either. What on earth did she put her faith in? I asked as if I were spilling out my doubts.
“How are you so certain that the person you met was your grandfather?”
“…”
I’ve indeed run out of words for Gu Hee-bi’s responses.
What that means is she realized it in the same way I had.
‘The resonance of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique.’
Just by that alone, you could tell if someone shared your blood or not.
“Regardless, if someone just throws sparkles around, you shouldn’t be on guard….”
“What sparkle are you talking about?”
“What?”
I had to pause at Gu Hee-bi’s words.
You don’t understand what I’m saying?
‘This is.’
Noticing the strange vibe, I asked her again.
“Sister, do you remember what your grandfather looked like?”
“Looked like?”
“Wasn’t he engulfed in flames or something?”
“Little brother… did you eat something wrong? Where in the world would such a thing exist?”
“….”
Her condescending gaze was dizzying.
“No, seriously… didn’t your grandfather appear that way?”
“There was nothing of the sort; he looked perfectly fine. He had white hair and a well-built physique. I thought my father looked a lot like my grandfather.”
“…”
As I heard her explanation, I felt my expression darkening.
The way she spoke without hesitation so clearly told me that Gu Hee-bi had indeed perceived her grandfather in the human form.
‘What gives.’
Now I really can’t understand this.
When I saw it, it was undeniably something made out of flames, but Gu Hee-bi interpreted it as a human.
‘She said I looked odd since I hadn’t settled in yet, yet she said she saw him as a human?’
What even is this situation?
How could that possibly happen?
It’s a bizarre dissonance.
No, even more so than that.
“Why?”
So why did he leave Cheonma in Gu Hee-bi’s care?
I asked about this, and Gu Hee-bi responded with a tone that suggested it was obvious.
“I don’t know.”
“…What?”
“How would I know? He just asked me to take care of it for a bit.”
“….”
Well, that’s confounding.
“Sister, you are really of no help.”
I genuinely felt like tearing my hair out in frustration.
“Brother, do you want to get slapped after such a long time?”
“Nope… It’s really not a time for me to get hit by my sister, so no thanks.”
Cutting in, I brought something else up.
“Then, what are you doing in a place like this? Why not just talk to Lady Mi?”
Why did she come all the way to Hanam to stay in such an old shack?
That was my question.
“Of course I talked to her.”
“But.”
“I told her, so why am I here? I got scolded by my mother, didn’t I?”
“…”
That was a perfectly sound answer.
Of course.
Since I hadn’t received permission, I must be here.
“And to add to that, it’s not just that.”
Gu Hee-bi glanced at Cheonma before continuing.
“That kid said she wanted to come here.”
Cheonma?
Why did she aim to settle here? What was her reason?
I raised the question in the midst of my thoughts but instead asked something else.
“Then does this mean that the sudden enhancement in your skills has nothing to do with your grandfather?”
“Ah.”
She’s still in her one-and-twenty years.
Her achievement of reaching Hwagyeong was quite remarkable, but if it wasn’t due to her grandfather’s interference, how on earth did she accomplish it?
I asked out of curiosity.
“As I raised the child, I gained insights. Then when I realized it, this is how it turned out.”
“….”
“Isn’t it amazing?”
Yeah, that’s genuinely astonishing.
That was the most ridiculous answer I had come across all day.
‘Gaining enlightenment while raising a child…?’
Enlightenment is not the name of some dog!
If raising a child earns you enlightenment, do mothers across the world become superhumans?
‘Nah, is it because I don’t have a mom that I don’t get this?’
Even if you consider Lady Mi, even if she’s indifferent, her aura seems strong enough that it could be true-.
“…What a lunatic.”
So lost in thought that I barely realized it when I eventually snapped back to reality.
Ultimately, this meant Gu Hee-bi had no useful information available to share.
“Then what about you?”
“Yeah?”
What about Cheonma?
“What on earth did you do to end up in such a predicament?”
“….”
How did this girl become caught up with my grandfather?
I thought for sure the Black Night Princess went missing somehow.
After taking a moment, Cheonma started to ponder my words seriously, then eventually opened her mouth.
“I don’t know.”
She was completely the same.
“I opened my eyes, and it was like this.”
“….”
On one hand, I was ready to get mad about her answer.
But I had to first consider whether that was even true!
Wasn’t there more than just a couple of oddities in that logic?
“Then why didn’t you just run?”
Once I became aware, I was led by grandfather to be handed off to Gu Hee-bi.
How could she not take advantage of that situation to escape?
That was the greatest question that crossed my mind after hearing her answer.
“You could’ve easily gotten away.”
The horse is strong.
Leaving aside her powers, I was certain of it when I saw Cheonma wielding the Cheonma Sword during the earlier confrontation with grandfather.
‘Strong.’
Very strong at that.
Perhaps, she’s even stronger than I am now.
Even if Cheonma’s character has changed, it doesn’t change the fact that she poses a danger.
Alongside the havoc she caused in her previous life, she is a force that’s hard to pinpoint.
And, furthermore.
‘She’s connected to the Blood Horse.’
There’s a relationship there. This also means.
‘Wiseol….’
The fact that she occupies my mind suggests she might be tied to the situation.
Instantly, my mouth went dry.
For now, I chewed and swallowed my words.
So why, in the end, didn’t Cheonma flee?
Just then, when I found myself in that train of thought, whisper.
“It didn’t matter.”
Cheonma quietly stated while looking at me.
“You mean it didn’t matter?”
“Yeah. It’s actually better. Because I could see it.”
For a statement made with such a blank, emotionless expression, there was a lot of feeling present.
What was it that was so nice to behold?
Was it the world outside?
Was it Gu Hee-bi?
Or something else entirely?
I didn’t know, and I didn’t particularly care either.
Because what truly mattered wasn’t Cheonma’s impressions.
“Then, you don’t know where Taejeolgwi is?”
“…”
At the mention of Taejeolgwi, Cheonma’s eyes slightly shifted.
“Taejeolgwi?”
“Yeah, Taejeolgwi.”
A shaman involved in the creation of the Demonic Cult.
Also.
An artisan creating artificial tools.
I needed him for my future schemes, and I figured Cheonma would know where he was hiding.
Of course.
‘I don’t know if she’d actually share that information or not.’
As expected, even if she knew, she wouldn’t spill the beans.
If that happened, it would add fuel to my suspicions about Cheonma. If that happened, I had prepared methods to act.
At least it had to go that way.
“He’s in Xinjiang.”
“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t tell me… what did you say?”
My body froze at Cheonma’s indifferent comment.
‘Xinjiang?’
The Taejeolgwi is situated in Xinjiang?
Again?
What kind of hellhole is Xinjiang? Everyone seems to be gathered there.
That statement could possibly be a lie too!
Besides that.
“Xinjiang…. Xin…. why the heck are you telling me this?”
Regarding why she shared this so casually, emotions danced across Cheonma’s face.
It was obvious.
That was a look of incredulity.
“I asked.”
“….”
Yeah, I did ask.
But why is she giving me such simple answers?
“Ah… ha….”
I gaped for a moment and then tiredly rubbed my face.
What is even going on?
I don’t want to think about this any longer.
‘It’s annoying. Should I just break everything?’
I recognized that my old self was surfacing uncontrollably.
Feeling that, I stood up.
“Going…”
“Hmm? Little brother?”
As I spoke up, Gu Hee-bi and Cheonma both widened their eyes.
Ignoring both of them, I stepped outside.
“I ate well.”
It wasn’t an empty phrase; I genuinely enjoyed the meal.
Surprisingly filling too.
“Are you leaving already?”
“Yeah.”
Gu Hee-bi sounded somewhat disappointed, yet she kept moving her feet.
If I stayed longer, I felt like I might spiral into madness.
I thought I had inquired enough, so for now, I planned to return to my quarters.
I promptly closed the door behind me and stepped outside.
At night, even though the stars were visible, they didn’t seem beautiful.
Is it too complicated to appreciate how intricate my emotions are?
‘What in the world is in Xinjiang?’
Are Namgung Myung and grandfather all urging the same thing, to head there?
‘Honestly, I was planning to throw everything away and opt-out.’
I’d ignored everything they were telling me.
I figured they could handle things on their own if they so desired, which is why I hadn’t included Xinjiang in my plans.
‘If what Cheonma said turns out to be true, then I must go even voluntarily.’
If Taejeolgwi genuinely resides in Xinjiang, it changes the situation a tad.
To learn that, I first need to verify whether Cheonma’s claims hold any truth.
‘…For now… I’m done.’
I didn’t feel like doing anything right now. I felt exhausted to the core.
So, for the time being, I decided to return to my residence.
Thinking so, I briefly leapt away.
“Take care.”
I relaxed my legs briefly at the sound of someone calling from behind me.
Before I knew it, Cheonma had followed me outside, waving her hand.
“…”
I simply observed her quietly.
I didn’t express any reaction or utter any words.
Just standing still.
I stared at Cheonma silently.
That person I’d resented so much and wanted to kill… she was waving at me.
The bitterness of the moment still made the situation unpleasant.
While I stared, Cheonma continued,
“Come back.”
Those amethyst eyes looking directly at me.
Is that woman genuinely Cheonma?
Such absurd doubts flickered in my mind.
At that moment,
“If possible, I would appreciate it if you came when the maple leaves bloom.”
I couldn’t stand Cheonma’s words any longer and had to speak up.
“…Why specifically maple leaves?”
Why on earth maple leaves?
Her comment seemed to grate on my ears for some reason.
“That time is beautiful. I like it.”
“Are you implying you like maple leaves?”
“No.”
“What?”
“It’s not me; it’s you who likes them.”
“…?”
Cheonma’s words left me frowning.
What does that exactly mean?
‘You say I like maple leaves?’
I didn’t particularly dislike them, but did I like them that much?
In the first place, how does Cheonma even know that?
“So then come when it happens.”
“…”
Cheonma concluded her thoughts, seemingly unconcerned with my attitude.
With her business apparently completed, she turned to head back inside.
I stood there, feeling somewhat possessed as I gazed at the spot where she had been. For some inexplicable reason, my attention lingered there.
While staring for that fleeting moment.
Tsk.
Feeling uncomfortable, I took a leap.
Wooosh-
I felt the air as my body soared momentarily.
Looking up, the night sky brightened before my eyes.
Inside, I felt too cramped to truly appreciate the stars.
It truly was that kind of night.
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