Chapter 221: Omen (8)
How many days have passed since I got trapped in this forest, I wonder?
It was a dreadful space where I couldn’t tell if it was day or night, so I couldn’t really know for sure.
I could only wait for more time to pass, having nothing else I could do to change my situation.
-What’s worse is that I’m stuck with you.
-Why are you picking a fight when I didn’t do anything?
-You do it sometimes too, so just put up with it.
-Have you finally gone nuts? Oh wait, you always have been.
We walked for what felt like an eternity, exchanging pointless banter.
Even though we couldn’t leave this space no matter how much we walked, she insisted we should, so I had no clue what was going on in her mind. But I knew if I ignored her, she would give me that fierce stare for eons.
So, I just went along with her whims.
-Ugh… Crazy woman.
-I can hear you.
-That’s the point. I want you to hear me.
After being trapped in this forest with Snow Phoenix, Moyong Hi-ah, we tried every conceivable method, but in the end, we failed to find a way out.
As for food, we managed by hunting demons or bugs, but the incessant circling without being able to escape was maddening, to say the least.
-This is just bull. Why do I have to deal with this crap?
-Do you have to use such vulgar language every time?
-Vulgar? Please, do I need to keep my nobility in a situation like this?
-Honestly, I really don’t want to deal with you… Are you really from a noble line? Because that seems hard to believe.
-I feel the same way, you damned girl. Stop talking to me and just walk.
It was infuriating, and she was the reason for most of it.
Why did I have to be stuck with this irritating girl when I had so many better options?
Well, perhaps she is better than the Water Dragon.
After all, the Water Dragon was a repugnant guy.
In a way, it was a tie in terms of annoyance.
-What have you been mumbling to yourself this whole time?
-Just ignore it and keep looking ahead. Why do you keep sticking to me?
-When did I ever stick to you? Do you want to die?
-How could you say such unbecoming things? Speak nicely, lady.
-…Just wait right there. Stay still.
-Nah, I’m not going to listen.
It was a back-and-forth that barely qualified as a conversation.
We had no common ground, so it was impossible for us to get along.
I tried to take steps away from her as if fleeing. I turned to ask.
-Seriously, why do you keep trying to stick to me?
-…When did I? Why would I want to stick to someone like y-
-So, why then? Do you fancy me or something?
-I’ll rip your mouth off to kill you.
-Well, at least it doesn’t seem like that.
The murderous intent I felt was very real.
She showed so much hostility just because of a little joke I made…
-So why the hell are you acting this way?
-…
-I can see with my own eyes, you know? For you to say you aren’t…
-You do?
-Are you insane?
I clicked my tongue and turned my head away.
Seriously, what is going on with her?
It felt like she had been acting this way ever since we entered the forest.
Weirdly enough, the distance between me and Snow Phoenix seemed to shrink significantly.
The girl who used to keep her distance like I was an insect was now getting uncomfortably close, and it was starting to get on my nerves.
I pondered it for a moment before asking Snow Phoenix again.
-Hey.
-What?
-Are you scared?
-…What did you say?
Snow Phoenix frowned, as if she hadn’t heard me correctly, but I sensed something was off with her reaction.
-Are you scared of the dark?
-What are you talking about? Are you sick or something? Why are you talking nonsense all of a sudden?
To deny it so vehemently, her pupils were shaking, which was a rarity.
Moreover, her hand rubbing her shoulders was hastening—seemingly a sign of cold.
After seeing that, I frowned.
-That makes sense, why you were clinging to me.
-…I told you I’m not.
-Then back off. Stop sticking to me.
Having her closer to me wasn’t pleasant in the slightest.
I didn’t care if I was right or wrong; I just hoped she’d distance herself a bit.
-…But what if we get lost if I do?
-We are already lost, and sticking together won’t change a thing.
We’d just end up back where we started, anyway.
I said that with a frown on my face, and Snow Phoenix’s eyes narrowed again.
-Oh, so you’re only concerned about the Celestial Sword and not anyone else.
-What the hell are you suddenly talking about? Why is she coming up now?
Did she finally lose it? Had hunger made her daft? Why bring up the Celestial Sword?
-Everyone knows except you that you’re especially weak against her.
-Shut up with that nonsense.
I avoided her because I found it uncomfortable being around her, so how could she say I’m weak?
-Oh, and I’m not talking about physical strength when I say weak. You know you are the weakest in that respect, right?
-That damn girl…
I really felt like smashing her face in just now, but somehow held back.
Even hitting her wouldn’t guarantee a win.
-Being stuck with you makes me feel sick.
-What a coincidence. I feel the same.
Snow Phoenix said something as she turned away, but I stomped my feet and changed direction.
If she wasn’t following me or sticking close anymore, she should naturally separate from me.
After walking through the foggy forest for a while, I muttered quietly to myself.
-What a crappy world.
That was the only thought I could manage.
It perfectly matched my current situation.
-Am I really going to die like this?
Those words I murmured sounded scary in a casual way, yet I felt nothing.
Had it been at least a week?
I’d guess it was about that long since we entered this forest.
Even if I couldn’t tell if it was day or night, that’s how it felt.
If I truly ended up stuck here in the forest forever…
-Then that was a pointless life.
I found myself chuckling unexpectedly.
After all, dying like that felt too pitiful.
Rustle.
I parted through the bushes.
I didn’t have a specific destination in mind.
Regardless, I wouldn’t be able to escape even if I walked a lot, so I was just poring over potential resting spots.
Then suddenly…
-Huh?
For some reason, it all felt different.
The path I took felt distinct from the ones I had traversed these past days.
Why is that?
The route felt so familiar I could’ve walked it with my eyes closed…
Yet, for some reason, there was a discernible change.
I quickened my pace.
Maybe the forest’s shifting could provide me a way out, it made me feel a bit anxious.
And there, I trotted past trees and made my way out of the bushes…
-What the… ?
A space I had never seen before awaited me.
-What’s wrong? Did something happen?
As soon as I stopped, Moyong Hi-ah rushed toward me.
And she said she wouldn’t follow…
But it wasn’t a moment I could dwell on.
Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes widened like saucers as she gazed where I was looking.
-…A cave?
In front of us was a cave I had never encountered before.
It wasn’t that large, but the lack of light made it quite dim.
Without hesitation, I took a step towards it.
-H, Hold on.
As I approached the cave, Moyong Hi-ah urgently grabbed my arm.
I turned my head slightly and asked,
-Why?
-…Are you really thinking of going in there now?
-Can’t you tell just by looking?
-How can you go without knowing what might be inside?
It was pitch-black, a space where nothing could be made out.
Just as she said, yet as I attempted to enter the dim cave, she halted me.
Moyong Hi-ah had a legitimate point, but I still could not comprehend it.
-So are you just going to loiter here and die?
-That’s not what I’m saying. We should check first….
-Check? Stop talking nonsense, I’m going in—
As I tried to push through her words, the expression on her face darted to something peculiar.
-But why is your face turning red?
At my inquiry, she quickly covered her cheeks with her hands.
As if it was something she didn’t want anyone to witness.
-It’s nothing… I’m just a bit hot.
-Hot? You?
This girl, wrapped up like a burrito in everyone else’s discarded clothing in this stifling weather?
-You’re talking mad. If you’re feeling unwell, stay here.
-I told you I’m alright! Don’t worry about me.
-Why are you yelling at me…!
Such a bizarre personality…
I left her to her oddities and proceeded to the cave.
Because really, staying here would yield no answers; I had to see if there was something worthwhile inside.
-No… Wait…!
I plunged into the shadowy depths.
Moyong Hi-ah remained, biting her lip, filled with hesitation.
-…Why do I have to be left alone with that jerk…!
Forcing herself to shake off that bubbling emotion inside, she hesitated briefly before she too made for the cave.
After all, being left alone in this gloom was something she despised, even more so than death itself.
And that’s where the trouble initiated.
“Get lost.”
After I said this, I quickly covered my mouth.
‘…What a blunder.’
Because the response I was intending to give had somehow interchanged with my inner thoughts.
I was trying my best to keep my distance from that damned girl.
‘I really am an idiot.’
It seemed my instincts couldn’t keep a lid on it.
The feelings I had for her erupted.
‘Wait, this isn’t the time for that.’
First, I had to rectify that slip of the tongue.
“Uh, that’s not what I meant… I just had a bad breakfast this morning, so…”
As I flailed my arms and legs trying to recover my lost ground,
-Pff.
Laughter erupted from in front of me.
“Haha…!”
Looking to see who it was…
“Hahaha!”
It was Moyong Hi-ah, unable to contain her fits of giggles.
Her hand covered her mouth while the other clutched her abdomen, laughing uncontrollably.
-…It seems like I’m not the only one who had a bad breakfast.
What was with her?
Cursing brought out laughs from her? Was she truly off her rocker?
“Uh… Lady Moyong.”
“Ha… Haha… Ah… I’m sorry.”
Recovering her composure, Moyong Hi-ah straightened herself out.
Yet it seemed she still struggled to suppress every trace of laughter.
I could see her making an effort to hold back her smirking lips.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it… My bad.”
-…Not at all. I apologize too.
-It appears Young Master Gu has misunderstood something.
-A misunderstanding?
Her request to spend the night together, is that something that could be misunderstood? It was pretty straightforward!
[A misunderstanding, huh… I’d like to hear that explanation too.]
‘Elder Shin, please take it easy…’
Elder Shin’s voice became piercingly serious, like he was dangerously sharpening his sword.
If it really wasn’t a misunderstanding, what was she actually trying?
Moyong Hi-ah smiled gently and said, “I just wanted to ask you to share some time with me.”
-Some time? Didn’t you clearly mention night?
-You’re right. I might’ve misspoken.
Moyong Hi-ah chuckled as if it was a slip of the tongue, but it wasn’t.
She meant every word she said.
-Isn’t it difficult to mix up that word with “night”?
-I had a bad breakfast.
-Aha, so you’re going to throw that at me now?
This is why I often found clever people so annoying…
-…Alright then. Can you explain what you meant by wanting to share time with me?
-Young Master Gu, you are truly special.
-Why is that?
-It’s rather unusual not to know. Is it because you have the Sword Dancer around you…?
Why introduce Namgung Bi-ah all of a sudden?
When I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously, Moyong Hi-ah coughed lightly and moved on to a different topic.
-I wanted to buy your heat.
-…Excuse me?
-I’ve already received consent from your clan’s lord.
-Wait… You want to purchase my… heat? No, you got permission from my father?
What sort of ludicrous scenario was unraveling right now?
She was going to buy my heat?
-Yes, the lord has permitted me… and I want to acquire just a bit of your heat.
-…What do you mean by buying my heat? What currency are you planning to use?
-I prepared something valuable, but if that doesn’t work… then maybe with my body?
She tilted her head innocently, but I knew better.
It made me instinctively want to take a step back instead.
[They say the lucky ones get it for nothing. What a rotten life this is.]
‘Is this even important right now?’
[It wouldn’t be important for you, you spiteful bastard…!]
I was accustomed to Elder Shin’s outbursts by now and merely sidelined him for the moment.
Although he did seem more agitated than usual… Oh, could it be because of her family name?
-So, you want to… buy my… no.
-Is that impossible?
-I’m not stating it’s impossible, but what are you planning to do with it?
-If it’s not impossible, then it must be acceptable. I’ll return later.
-What the hell… where are you going…!? Where are you going? Hey! Where are you going!?
Having said what she needed to, Moyong Hi-ah left, accompanied by her servants.
I considered stopping her and demanding answers, but I realized she’d merely twist her words around if I did.
-She wants to buy my heat…?
My heat, as if it were an object for sale?
I caught sight of Wi Seol-ah rushing over from a distance, carrying a towel for my sweat, but frankly, who cared about sweat?
I needed to see Father right away.
“What’s happening?”
I burst into my father’s study, nearly kicking the door down, and he looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I turned to pose my question.
“Lady Moyong came by and was muttering something about wanting to buy something from me. Do you know what she meant?”
I came to ask my father, knowing that Moyong Hi-ah had mentioned receiving his approval.
‘There’s no way Father would do something like this…’
How could one casually sell off heat?
It felt preposterous even to consider.
“Yes.”
“Right? You didn’t know either… Wait, what?”
“I told her she could.”
“So you’re saying she’s allowed to buy my heat?”
“There is no buying or selling; the deal has already been settled.”
“Why didn’t you ask my opinion before doing this?”
Just as I was about to vent my displeasure at my father for proceeding without consulting me, he produced a letter from his desk drawer and handed it to me.
“These are the transaction terms with the Moyong Clan.”
-…Why are you giving me this all of a sudden?
“Everything written there pertains to your heat.”
As I examined the letter, my eyes widened.
What kind of monumental trade did he engage in?
“… ”
Upon reading, my mouth shut involuntarily.
The magnitude of the trade was overwhelming.
It included their silks, which they seldom traded, and the businesses selling outfits made from said silk.
‘Has the Moyong Clan really gone mad?’
Unless that was the case, I couldn’t fathom this level of insanity.
“The details are confidential, and you’ll be briefed separately later.”
-…Do I need to keep my flame lit all day long? You do realize I will soon be in closed-door training, right?
The deal offered value to our clan to the extent that being a human bonfire would be a fitting role.
That notwithstanding, I was about to undergo closed-door training soon, followed by a front-line deployment. Thus, I could not make heads or tails of the reasoning behind the Moyong Clan engaging in such a deal with the Gu Clan.
“The deal was agreed upon after resolving all those concerns, so you should be fine.”
-I’m not sure I can accept that… this is… just way too peculiar.
-A certain portion of the herbs and money listed in that letter will be for you.
-Fine, then I’ll do my best.
[What a crazy bastard you are.]
After reflecting once more on this shock, it hardly felt like a reasonable concern.
‘Yet why am I the chosen one for this?’
I possessed a slight understanding of Moyong Hi-ah’s ailment.
Her body was gradually succumbing to Ice Qi, a condition that even the Immortal Healer couldn’t remedy, let alone any other healer.
Was my heat the key to alleviating that condition?
‘But if that’s the case…’
When considering the clan’s Fire Arts, my father was there, along with multiple other martial artists wielding flame-related techniques. It baffled me why she had to seek me out specifically.
‘My heat probably won’t even be of use to Moyong Hi-ah.’
This was something I knew from past experiences.
My heat wouldn’t reach her.
Even if it did, it wouldn’t be enough to thaw her coldness…
‘Could she have discovered something else that might help?’
In this life, I inherited the power of the Heavenly Demon and developed abilities to purify Demonic Qi or absorb other energies.
Given all the absurd transformations I’d undergone, a fleeting thought crossed my mind that my heat may have changed as well.
‘Is that the reason Moyong Hi-ah pinpointed me?’
If, by some chance, my heat could benefit Moyong Hi-ah’s condition—
I could see why the Moyong Clan would go to such lengths to procure it.
What left me bewildered was Moyong Hi-ah’s demeanor.
The weird enjoyment reflected through her reactions too sharply contrasted all I had known of her in my past life.
It made me flinch.
‘If that’s truly the case, does that mean Moyong Hi-ah is planning to stay around for a long while?’
Just the thought sent shivers down my spine.
‘…That can’t be right, with closed-door training and the battlefield’s reality, I could always escape.’
Moyong Clan said they’d handle their own matters, so at least during those times, I’d still be fine.
As I drowned in those thoughts…
Elder Shin suddenly murmured,
[It reminds me of something I once said.]
‘What did you say?’
[When I joked about you collecting girls by hair color.]
‘…’
[And it turns out, you’ve been doing just that. What a deplorable world. A fortunate guy like you, despite having no real teeth, still gets spoon-fed life.]
Elder Shin began muttering to himself as if in the grip of madness.
In the meantime, I had to consider the situation with Moyong Hi-ah.
Whether or not to inform Wi Seol-ah or Namgung Bi-ah about her.
‘…Whether I divulge or not…’
Either way, I couldn’t see a favorable result emerging.
I craved an escape to closed-door training sooner rather than later.
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