Chapter: 50
It’s been ten days since I set off from the Gu Clan to Mount Hua.
If there’s one thing that’s different from my previous trip to Sichuan, it’s that I can’t seem to relax, even when I’m supposed to take a break.
“Young Master, is there anything uncomfortable?”
“None, none at all. You don’t need to worry about me.”
The biggest issue was that the coachman right in front of me happened to be none other than the Sword Emperor, one of the three Heavenly Venerables.
Seriously, out of all the carriages, why did it have to be mine that he was driving?
Thanks to that, these past ten days felt like a suffocating burden.
If I had to guess a reason, it might be because Wi Seol-Ah was riding with me, but anyhow, it had been a stifling experience for me.
Honestly, I would have felt much more at ease if I were the one pulling the carriage instead.
For crying out loud…
“Muyeon, how much longer until we arrive?”
I turned to speak to Muyeon outside the carriage window.
It was pretty much a pointless question.
Muyeon gave me a tight-lipped smile as he replied, “Young Master… I think you’ve asked that at least thirty times just today.”
“…Right? I felt like I had asked it a lot.”
“To reiterate, we still have a long way to go.”
“…That just makes it all the more depressing to hear, right?”
This damn expansive land…
While I sighed deeply, Wi Seol-Ah leaned in closer to chitchat.
“Young Master, Young Master.”
“What is it?”
“What kind of dumpling do you like the most?”
“What kind of absurd question is that? Why ask about dumplings instead of my favorite food?”
“But, Young Master, you only eat dumplings.”
“…”
She wasn’t wrong; I had no comeback.
We’ve really sunk to questioning what my favorite dumpling is, huh?
“I just think dumplings are the best overall.”
“Why’s that?”
“They’re cheap and serve a large portion.”
It was a simple reason. They were economical and filling.
And tasty, too.
While there might be dozens of types of dumplings, I never really fussed over the specifics.
As long as they were affordable and tasty enough compared to ration pills, I was good to go.
Having experienced even worse meals than ration pills, as long as it resembled food, I would gladly consume it.
Wi Seol-Ah tilted her head in confusion at my answer.
“That’s strange, my older sisters said you were picky about your food…”
“Not anymore.”
I might have been picky back then.
When I was younger, I was unnecessarily obsessed with expensive ingredients and quality.
I searched for meaning in utterly meaningless standards.
But eventually, I realized how completely pointless that was as I neared death.
Just eat already!
Damn it, how am I supposed to eat this? Do you really think a centipede’s tail counts as food?
You think I eat just for fun? I eat to survive, you moron.
I’m not eating that.
If you’re not going to eat it, just give it to me! I’d rather take a bite than let my pride get in the way!
I’ll admit it now, that centipede’s tail wasn’t half bad.
To be precise, it was better than most food options available to me then.
I had to find beasts’ blood instead of water, and had to consume poison despite knowing it was poison, just to fill my stomach.
What a dreadful memory.
“…I feel nauseous now.”
Just thinking about that time makes me want to hurl.
Wi Seol-Ah noticed my pale complexion and hurriedly pulled something from her bosom.
It was a yakgwa.
…Why’s she pulling out a yakgwa and not medicine?
After hesitating, she spoke in a shaky voice, “Do you want a bite…?”
“A bite? What’s with the half-hearted offer?”
“But… there’s only one left!”
I leaned in slightly, peeking at the yakgwa, and without really needing permission, I acted like I was taking just one bite but devoured the whole thing in one go instead.
“N-N-Nooooooo!”
Wi Seol-Ah’s wailing echoed throughout the carriage.
In essence, today was just a recap of the last ten days—pointless.
As night fell, we set up camp once more,
Horses needed rest, and as it was a long journey, we needed to reduce our physical fatigue.
A fire was quickly lit and the escorts carried out their watch duties, clearly eager to remain vigilant.
A rather early night watch, to say the least.
With both Wi Seol-Ah and the Sword Emperor having vacated the carriage, I was left completely alone, with only the nearby guards for company.
I adjusted my posture and slowly began to circulate my fire Qi.
The energy originating from my lower abdomen gradually spread throughout my body.
With each exhale, heat mixed with a reddish aura escaped me.
It meant I was almost reaching the 4th rank.
Up to this point, it was relatively easy.
However, if I circulated my Qi beyond a certain point, it began to flow erratically and was challenging to control.
Such awkwardness is the limit of the 3rd realm.
Continuing any further would harm my meridians.
Once I broke through to the next rank, it would be easier, but my physical form was currently what prevented me from pushing through.
More of that cursed physical limitation…
Frustrated by my eagerness, I tried repeatedly, yet hit the wall each time without fail.
“Too impatient, both in attitude and circumstance.”
Realizing I couldn’t rush, I calmly retracted my Qi back, knowing full well that there was a limit to greed.
Understanding the growth of my mind and skills was crucial.
Whether I crossed the line or not could distinguish between stagnation and development.
In such a situation, my excessive efforts toward my mind weren’t just for entering the 4th realm, but also for consistent improvement of my Qi.
Step by step, I deepened my foundation, excluding any impure energy.
This refined energy would help me gain more as I continued to grow.
…Sigh.
Suddenly, I found it amusing that I was having these thoughts.
I thought I had left all my martial aspirations behind in the past.
I had settled just to get strong enough to protect myself, yet here I was, getting greedy again after that damn snake power surged through.
I guess, at the end of the day, I truly was a martial artist.
As the warmth dissipated, the calm of night enveloped me.
The chirping of insects buzzed softly in my ears as I reclined against the seat.
Having just completed my training, I felt drained.
In a state like this, I usually found myself contemplating future plans or sins of the past, only to be left with a headache.
But recently, such thoughts didn’t nag me anymore.
All thanks to the fragrance of plums that filled the carriage.
After retracting my Qi, I felt a bit dizzy from the scent.
If you’re wondering why I was suddenly rambling about plum fragrance, it was because of the stone nestled in my pocket.
“…Give me a break.”
I let out a chuckle at the sweet aroma hitting my nose.
This was the treasure given to me by the Second Elder, exuding the scent of plums.
Initially, it didn’t emit any fragrance due to being shrouded in cloth, but in the past few days, it started releasing its scent even when still wrapped.
I figured such oddities were to be expected from a treasure, but today, it felt particularly overwhelming.
“How on earth did this come to be?”
I cautiously retrieved the stone wrapped in cloth from my pocket.
Such treasures were always out of the ordinary, even in the future.
Including this stone, which held the scent of plums.
Perhaps even the sword from the Namgung Clan wrapped in lightning or the Shaolin statue imbued with mysterious light fit this notion.
Items that seemed to defy the laws of nature.
They were labeled treasures, yet the reason behind their existence was perplexing.
I just knew they existed.
After examining the small stone in my fingers, I placed it back into my pocket.
If I accidentally dropped it while fiddling with it, I’d have to run far away from Mount Hua instead of ever approaching it.
Despite re-stowing the stone, the fragrance still hung heavily in the carriage.
Considering it was a chilly season, I wouldn’t normally be smelling plums.
Yet here I was, engulfed by the scent within the carriage.
The overwhelming aroma also made me feel as if petals were swirling around me.
‘Am I just tired…?’
Rubbing my eyes made no difference; the imagined petals persisted in my mind.
Must be really exhausted, I thought, shifting my position slightly.
The attendants had probably set up their bedding outside already; it would be much more comfortable to sleep out there.
Yet for some reason, sleepiness hit me particularly hard today.
Yeah, let’s just keep my eyes closed for a minute and finish my training later.
With that determined thought, I relaxed my body.
Just as I felt myself slipping into slumber, a vague voice reached me through a hazy consciousness.
“Who the hell is this…?”
It was the voice of an elderly man I’d never heard before.
“This kid doesn’t seem like he’s from Mount Hua…”
Is this a dream?
Am I having another nightmare?
“How can a kid not from Mount Hua be absorbing my Qi?”
While in that dreamy state, I sensed the old man was incredibly displeased.
“…What the hell, this has to be a joke! How can someone like you be so reckless?”
It felt like someone was slapping my cheek repeatedly to wake me up.
But my sleepy body was far too sluggish to respond.
“…Damn it…!”
After a lengthy tirade from the old man, the voice eventually faded as if he had given up.
And when I finally stirred awake,
“What the…?”
To my surprise, my fire Qi had astonishingly reached the 4th realm.
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