Chapter 219: Omen (6)
After parting ways with Gu Jeolyub and the Second Elder, I promptly took Wi Seol-Ah out to the streets.
It felt just a tad stifling to remain in the clan for some reason.
‘The Steward’s gaze feels a bit uncomfortable, but it should be fine.’
Since I thought there would be no way they’d let me leave the clan, I was shocked when they granted me permission so smoothly.
I had even considered various methods for sneaking out, thinking they’d deny me, but now they all seemed pointless.
“Young Master! Over there!”
“Wai… hey, loosen your grip a little!”
I was practically dragged through the streets by Wi Seol-Ah.
Perhaps because it had been a while since we were out together, she was as exuberant as a raging bull, pulling me along.
Typically, Muyeon should have come with us, but he mentioned he was focused on attaining enlightenment; therefore, I ordered him not to follow, since wandering around was fine.
‘I don’t need an escort for this.’
And if Muyeon was catching enlightenment, that was more important.
“Chicken skewers!”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Even though we were finally out, what we ended up doing was primarily indulging in food.
…Though it’s always been like this.
‘I wonder what the other girls are up to.’
Before leaving, I tried to find Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol, but like always, Namgung Bi-ah had left for training, and I heard that Tang Soyeol had gone out somewhere.
‘Speaking of which, is Tang Soyeol not coming back?’
Namgung Bi-ah was practically living at the Gu Clan now, but with the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament wrapped up, Tang Soyeol was now in a situation where she needed to return to Sichuan.
‘…I also heard she has been receiving a lot of letters.’
The letters sent to Tang Soyeol from the Tang Clan had piled up significantly.
Of course, Tang Soyeol seemed to be ignoring them entirely.
While being dragged around by Wi Seol-Ah, I casually glanced at an alleyway.
It was an alley leading to the Hao Clan.
‘I should pay a visit.’
It had been a while, and I had to visit regarding matters related to their Lord, but my current situation wasn’t exactly advantageous.
So, it seemed better for me to simply loiter around with Wi Seol-Ah right now.
[You’re slacking off on your training as well, aren’t you?]
‘Soon enough, even if I don’t want to, I’ll get tired of this. So, let me take it easy for a day.’
[How commendable of you.]
‘Thanks for the compliment.’
I let Elder Shin’s words slip through one ear and out the other.
Just as always.
“The dumpling shop is closed, huh…”
“Young Master… You look the saddest I’ve seen you lately.”
“This is really a big deal, you know?”
“That the dumpling shop closed?”
“Yeah, it’s like your favorite chicken skewer shop shutting down.”
Upon hearing my response, Wi Seol-Ah had a horrified expression on her face.
“T-That’s a genuine crisis… that place was really delicious.”
“Exactly, that’s how I feel right now.”
“…How tragic.”
“Right?”
The dumpling shop I frequented closed down.
This was one of the most shocking events I faced after my regression.
[A mere dumpling shop closing down is…?]
‘You wouldn’t understand since you were a Taoist who only munched on grass.’
[Look who’s talking? Mount Hua eats meat too!]
‘Wait, Taoists eat meat…? So, Mount Hua wasn’t your standard Taoist sect after all.’
[You…!]
I vented my frustrations at Elder Shin.
The old man screeched in my ears, but at this point, I was accustomed to it.
‘Then, I can’t really buy anything before heading back.’
Whenever I returned, I typically bought a bunch of snacks, but now I couldn’t do so.
Because there were no dumplings left.
“I guess I can’t buy anything this ti…”
As I attempted to speak while looking at Wi Seol-Ah, I found she was gazing at something off in the distance.
Curious to see what her attention was on…
“Huh? What did you say, Young Master?”
“Nah, nothing.”
“Where to next!”
Wi Seol-Ah trotted closer, entwining her arm with mine and dragging me away again.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but take a small glance at whatever it was she was looking at.
“…Hey, what’s the point in asking if you’re just going to drag me around anyway?”
“Hehe!”
“Nice try brushing it off with your giggles.”
Caught up in Wi Seol-Ah’s infectious antics, I laughed without realizing it.
By the time we returned to the clan, nightfall approached swiftly.
As soon as we got back, I was summoned by the Steward who briefed me on what was scheduled for me ahead.
My confinement would start in about four days.
They said I would be placed in the Gu Clan’s Fire Chamber, which felt acceptable enough.
‘I do need to start organizing things soon.’
Both the surplus energies in my body and that which I had unlocked through reaching the Peak Realm were all swirling about; I intended to straighten them out through this confinement.
I may have instigated this, but if I had to go through it, I might as well use it productively.
While I was in confinement, they would finalize plans to assign me to a Swordsmen Army where I’d waste a whole year on the battlefield.
With Gu Huibi, the Captain of the Fifth Army, currently bedridden, I asked what would happen if she didn’t recover by then.
They mentioned that if Gu Huibi couldn’t, the Captain of the First Army would be the one to toss me off.
‘…So they’re saying they won’t leave any chance for escape.’
It seemed I was destined to be dragged into the battlefield no matter what.
‘What a hassle.’
I wasn’t fearful of the battlefield nor was I terrified of Gu Huibi by this point.
‘…Though I do find the latter somewhat intimidating.’
The last time Gu Huibi is tossed me around in my previous life, I was barely a third-rate martial artist; my body had been weak since I had trained none—not to mention feeling completely drained due to that.
But now, I was in a state where such torture wouldn’t break me down.
‘It’s just, my instincts are rejecting the notion of being under Gu Huibi’s command.’
That felt akin to an instinct embedded deep in my body.
‘A year, huh…’
A year spent on the frontlines was substantially long, indicating I needed to plan what to do moving forward.
‘There’s also the matter concerning the Heavenly Demon and the Black Palace.’
There were situations I couldn’t afford to overlook, yet I had to bear it all throughout that year.
‘Should I really consider running away?’
This option seemed more appealing the more I thought about it.
After all, I had been considering leaving the clan for good at some point.
However…
“Tsk…”
For now, I simply couldn’t afford to leave.
There were still responsibilities I needed to fulfill within the clan.
‘Such is my life.’
It would be odd for anything to straighten out in a life where nothing ever seems to go right.
Tap.
As I released my Qi around me, I cautiously moved my body.
I awaited the coming darkness.
‘I can’t believe I have to not only break out of my own clan’s confinement but also have to sneak around.’
What an extravagant act this was.
I stealthily made my way to Gu Huibi’s quarters.
Members of the Fifth Army were on guard outside.
And the only ones permitted to enter were blood relatives of the clan and the Immortal Healer, yet here I was, sneaking in.
I needed to cleanse the Demonic Qi entangled in Gu Huibi’s body.
Technically, I could enter through the front door since I was blood relatives of the clan, but I preferred to keep my purification capability under wraps.
‘Though the Immortal Healer probably already knows about it.’
‘The Palace Lord’s energy wasn’t trivial, and this much is manageable.’
Curiosity peaked within me.
I was eager to discover how and where the Sword Queen was affected by that Demonic Qi.
‘…Could it be related to the Heavenly Demon?’
I was doubtful of this theory as it left many gaps, suggesting it was more likely she was poisoned from elsewhere.
‘If that were the case?’
For a fleeting moment, memories from my past life in the Abyss arose in my mind, but I quickly shoved them aside. I found it hard to believe that would be the case.
After absorbing all the Demonic Qi from Gu Huibi’s body, I promptly stood up.
Gu Huibi would awaken around sunrise, and I needed to make my exit before then.
As I glanced at Gu Huibi before leaving, I pondered.
‘Had I not done this, she would’ve had to suffer on the battlefield.’
Had I not cleansed the Demonic Qi within her, Gu Huibi wouldn’t have to fight in the frontline, allowing me to accompany the Captain of the First Army as planned.
That might have been more of a solace to my psyche…
‘But I can’t let that happen.’
Despite her being an annoying sister, I couldn’t bring myself to cast such burdens onto Gu Huibi.
Because despite her bad temper, she was still family.
‘Now that it crosses my mind, I ought to visit Gu Yeonseo too.’
She was the second child of the Gu Clan, my elder sister.
Ever since the Nine Dragons Day, I hadn’t had a proper meeting with Gu Yeonseo.
Although I had seen her from afar a few times, she had always avoided me, so we never really conversed.
‘I should go and resolve that relationship one day.’
We couldn’t keep this impasse forever.
I looked at Gu Huibi, who was peacefully asleep, turned around, and left her quarters.
Entering was challenging, but exiting was considerably easier.
Quietly managing my presence, I quickly returned to my room.
With my swift retreat, the plan would be perfect.
“Hmm…?”
But I spotted someone seated on the floor near my room.
At this hour of midnight, no less.
Observing who it was made me question.
It was indeed curious to see her sitting there at this hour.
“What are you doing there?”
The figure watching the moonlight on the floor was Wi Seol-Ah.
“Why aren’t you sleeping…?”
I halted mid-sentence.
Perhaps due to the moonlight, when Wi Seol-Ah turned around, her eyes appeared golden for a brief moment.
Naturally, it must have been a trick of light; when I observed again, her pupils were back to their usual black.
‘Am I that tired?’
I hadn’t really found time to rest, so it seemed like I was starting to hallucinate.
“You should be asleep at this hour; what are you doing there, you…”
“What about you, Young Master?”
“I had a bit of business.”
“So did I… I also had something.”
“What is it?”
“Watching the sun.”
“How can you say you’re watching the sun in the middle of the night?”
It was a night that was graced with a bright crescent moon shining confidently.
There was no chance of seeing the sun in this dark ambience.
When I asked her what she meant, Wi Seol-Ah replied with a gentle smile.
“It’ll rise tomorrow.”
“Then you should wait for it tomorrow; why are you staring at it now?”
“Good point.”
What on earth is she saying?
Is she feeling equally exhausted?
Since she had been romping around earlier, it seemed Wi Seol-Ah also wasn’t entirely coherent.
“You should head to bed soon. Otherwise, Elder Wi will surely scold you, you know?”
“…Hmm, I’m not sure if I want that.”
“And you’ll hear it from Hongwa too.”
“Urgh, that’s something I truly want to avoid…!”
At my suggestion, Wi Seol-Ah sprang up in horror.
It appeared she was about to dash back to her room, but I halted her for a moment.
“Hold on.”
“Huh?”
Wi Seol-Ah cocked her head, curious as to why I stopped her. I then retrieved something from my pocket and placed it in her hand.
“Huh…?”
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the object she was now holding.
Her already large eyes widened even more, which surprised me as to how such a transformation was possible.
“What is this…?”
“You were looking at it earlier, so thought you might need it.”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Doesn’t matter; I’ve already bought it, so use it.”
What I handed her was an accessory meant to adorn a sword’s hilt.
Typically, most swordsmen avoided using them due to inconvenience, but I thought it would be fine for Wi Seol-Ah.
“Do what you wish with the sword or whatever. If it gets tiresome, you can always just put it down.”
“…”
If she decided to pursue swordsmanship, I wanted to discourage her but believed it was prudent for her future.
At least a means to safeguard herself.
With such, Wi Seol-Ah would likely enjoy a more peaceful life.
As I gazed at Wi Seol-Ah’s wide eyes, I remarked,
“I’m off to sleep. You should hurry and get some rest too.”
After giving her hair a quick ruffle, I retreated into my room.
Once the door clicked shut,
Wi Seol-Ah stood alone, staring at the accessory in her hand, and whispered softly as she gazed towards Gu Yangcheon’s quarters.
“…I suppose you were mistaken. The sun is definitely shining brightly after all.”
Holding the accessory close to her chest,
Wi Seol-Ah softly murmured those words…
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