Chapter: 542
The clan that protects Shanxi.
The mountain behind that clan.
Whoooooo…
The wind blew there.
The spring breeze swept through the flowers, causing them to sway.
It gently wrapped around the mountain covered with blossoms.
Hwaaaaaaa!
Every time the wind caressed, the flower petals fluttered.
It seemed calm, but there was definitely a force within.
The wind continued to rush through the forest and ascend toward the summit.
As I followed the path to its end, a field full of blooming flowers came into view.
What was strange was that the wind didn’t blow in one direction, but instead, swirled around a central point.
In the middle of the field, the wind seemed to embrace someone.
At the center stood a person.
She was a woman.
The one wrapped by the wind was a blonde woman.
Her hair seemed to shine even in broad daylight, and her skin was so white it looked almost transparent.
The bridge of her nose was sharp, and her lightly tinted lips resembled delicate flower petals.
An appearance that seemed to condense the very essence of beauty.
A woman who felt out of place just by being looked at was standing with her eyes closed, feeling the wind.
“… Huh…”
With a soft exhale, the wind shivered.
The speed of the wind, which had picked up a bit, changed to a steady pace, and the woman who felt it soon moved her hand.
Nothing was in her hands, but the shape of her fingers suggested she was holding something.
Swooosh…
Slowly, her arms rose.
Then, just as the woman was about to wave her hand in the air—
Shudder…
“…!”
The woman’s brow slightly furrowed.
Whoooosh—! Bang—!
The gusting wind vanished with a rough sound.
Instantly, the surroundings fell silent.
The woman then turned, her previously closed eyes slowly opening.
The shine in her golden eyes sparkled as she breathed out a shallow sigh.
“Ha…”
The sigh she released was filled with regret.
She had failed in what she wanted to do yet again.
“It seems things didn’t go as planned.”
Upon hearing a sudden voice, the blonde woman, Wi Seol-ah, turned her head.
In the direction of her gaze stood an old man, casually leaning on his back.
Dressed neatly in a warrior’s uniform, his hair tied back in an orderly fashion.
His sharp gaze contained blue eyes.
The well-built figure and the sword at his waist suggested the old man was a martial artist.
Seeing the old man, Wi Seol-ah felt no shock; instead, she greeted him with a slight bow.
“I greet you, Heavenly Lord.”
The old man’s true identity was one of the Three Deities, also known as the Heavenly Lord of the Namgung clan.
The Heavenly Lord gestured in response to Wi Seol-ah’s greeting while continuing to speak.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you.”
“It’s fine. I was just about to stop anyway.”
At Wi Seol-ah’s words, the Heavenly Lord smiled faintly.
“Isn’t it easy?”
“…”
“Right, it’s not easy at all. That’s natural.”
The Heavenly Lord stepped a bit closer to Wi Seol-ah while speaking.
“But don’t rush. Just grasping a clue is already quite an achievement.”
“… That’s all thanks to the elders’ teachings.”
“Nice of you to say, but it’s not true. I merely offered you a little advice. The ability to seize it solely belongs to you.”
“…”
Wi Seol-ah smiled faintly at the Heavenly Lord’s words and slightly nodded her head.
“Thank you.”
“What, ah.”
As the Heavenly Lord continued, he recalled something forgotten and addressed Wi Seol-ah.
“The reason for my sudden visit is simply that the head of the Gu clan is looking for you.”
“…!”
Wi Seol-ah’s eyes widened at the Heavenly Lord’s announcement.
“I will come down immediately.”
“Good. You’ve worked hard.”
“I’ll see you next time.”
After completing her greeting, Wi Seol-ah lightly leaped and vanished from her spot.
The Heavenly Lord, watching her retreating figure, gently stroked his beard.
“… Hmm.”
He was reflecting on the wind that Wi Seol-ah had just conjured.
It was swift, yet carried a sense of weight.
This wasn’t a natural wind; it was solely conjured by Wi Seol-ah’s power.
Moreover, it wasn’t even a gamble.
Thus, the Heavenly Lord internally swallowed his surprise.
“That little girl is already…”
Trying to touch the realm of imagination?
The Heavenly Lord felt a wave of emotions regarding this surprising development.
He had only offered a few pieces of advice.
With just that small hint, that girl was crafting a sword within her heart.
Is that why?
A strange feeling began to swell within the Heavenly Lord’s heart.
An intense emotion he wished to ignore.
At that moment—
“Are you envious?”
“…”
The Heavenly Lord exhaled softly upon hearing a voice from behind. Turning around, he found someone sitting atop a nearby rock.
A young man with black hair clad in dark attire.
The Heavenly Lord spoke while observing him.
“It’s not that.”
“You clearly have the eyes of envy; why pretend otherwise?”
“…”
This young man, known as Pajeon, who was also one of the Three Deities alongside the Heavenly Lord, took a sip of his drink and continued speaking.
“I understand your desire to pick up the expensive jewel lying on the ground, but tread carefully. That child is outside of your domain.”
With merely a few pieces of advice, he had constructed a territory.
Inside it, he discovered the clue to the Heart Sword.
At barely twenty years of age.
While the Heavenly Lord found such a hint when he was long past forty, this kid found it at such a young age.
As a fellow practitioner, feelings of jealousy and desire were inevitable.
Faced with Pajeon’s words, the Heavenly Lord bore a bittersweet smile.
“… I know. Don’t worry; I know I’m not in a position to be so greedy.”
When the Heavenly Lord spoke with a slightly wet voice, Pajeon furrowed his brow.
“Ah, I still can’t get used to it. The taste of alcohol has definitely diminished.”
It was rather dull when one admitted something so easily.
How could that shameless, unlucky person turn into someone like this?
Even after several years, Pajeon still couldn’t adapt to this situation.
“Tsk, I’m curious about what the head of the clan did to you.”
“I will always be grateful to the lord of the Gu clan.”
“Ha.”
With disdain for the Heavenly Lord’s affectionate tone, Pajeon tossed aside the alcohol bottle he had been holding.
This gesture signified he couldn’t drink any more.
“Senior, are you losing your mind? I’m worried for you.”
“Do I look that way? If this is due to senility, then I’d say it’s preferred.”
“… No, that’s not it.”
The Heavenly Lord wouldn’t have instructed the old man’s descendants in swordsmanship, right?
Pajeon swallowed the words he had almost blurted out.
This seemed like a futile point to address with the current Heavenly Lord.
He decided to go in a different direction entirely.
“If you’re inclined to be this kind, it might be better suited for the children of your peers.”
A person who had been obsessed with the Namgung family appeared to have shifted focus after regaining his senses, now showing little interest in them.
Just curiosity remained.
Thus, the Heavenly Lord regarded Pajeon and replied.
“That’s not something you should be saying to me.”
“…”
Upon hearing the Heavenly Lord’s words, Pajeon sealed his lips slightly.
That was the truth.
Pajeon didn’t much care for the individuals who shared his bloodline, leaving him no grounds to lecture the Heavenly Lord.
As if he grasped this, the Heavenly Lord maintained his smile as he spoke.
“At least I have no intention of taking a child from the Ta clan as my disciple.”
“Tsk.”
Finally, Pajeon clicked his tongue at the Heavenly Lord’s declaration.
This implied there wasn’t much to discuss regarding taking someone else’s bloodline as a student.
“You still have a knack for words, Senior.”
“Ha ha.”
As the Heavenly Lord chuckled, Pajeon pulled out a letter from his sleeve and tossed it to him.
Receiving it with ease, the Heavenly Lord grasped the letter and eyed Pajeon.
The expression read, “What’s this?”
“This morning, the child had someone bring this to me. It seems the shaman swordsman is planning something.”
Swish.
Listening to this, the Heavenly Lord opened the letter.
The first thing to appear was a Chinese character depicting the seal of the Murim Alliance.
Then followed the written statement:
– Opening of the Shinryu Martial Arts Festival.
“…”
Seeing this, the Heavenly Lord wiped the smile from his face.
“The swordsman… That kid…?”
“Even if the intent seems trivial, it looks quite entertaining.”
“…”
“It seems I’ll have the chance to witness some fun after a long time. Given that, perhaps…”
Pajeon, with a smile, continued speaking.
“I might just decide to send him as well.”
“…!”
Upon hearing this from Pajeon, the Heavenly Lord stared at him with surprise.
“Bijou, you!”
“Even if I told him not to go initially, he’d be the kind to go anyway.”
Drag drag.
Pajeon laughed as if genuinely amused, while the Heavenly Lord’s face reflected swirling thoughts.
“Are you sure that’s okay?”
“What are you implying?”
“Do you mean… can I allow that child to go out now?”
For some reason, the tone of his voice was laden with concern.
To be precise, it’s more of a worry about the world than about the individual.
Can that child truly be sent out into this world?
Isn’t the world a cruel place?
It felt rather like that.
Pajeon, upon hearing this, wore a face that seemed incredulous.
“Why do you treat me like your disciple, Senior?”
“… Hmm.”
“Besides, he’s the sort of child who doesn’t heed my advice. Just because I say not to go doesn’t mean he won’t.”
Clenched fist.
Pajeon abruptly shut his mouth as he balled his fist.
“Look now, he didn’t listen and just ran off.”
Where had he mentioned? Was it Guangdong?
He exclaimed he would head there immediately when I made it clear he still had training and needed to wait.
The next morning, he vanished without a trace.
Leaving only a note saying he’d return soon.
“Thus, I sent this along too.”
Pajeon had handed over a letter, which the Heavenly Lord also sent to his disciple.
“Therefore, he can either head home or go to Hanam.”
That would make it easier to meet. After that,
“I guess I should do a little work after a long time.”
There was expected to be some tender interaction between mentor and disciple.
Yet here lies the problem:
“That doesn’t seem to be working as well as it used to.”
Unlike before, the disciple seemed less responsive to thrashing than he once did.
“Either way, it doesn’t concern me much.”
Pajeon tried hard to brush off the complex feelings that intertwined excitement with annoyance.
“Moreover, no matter what trouble occurs from now on, it’ll be okay.”
“What do you mean by that?”
When the Heavenly Lord inquired again, Pajeon smiled.
“I thought it was just about time.”
Pajeon, with his usual opaque black eyes, gazed at the Heavenly Lord, stating,
“He won’t wander off and get beaten anymore.”
“…”
“I’ve ensured that.”
With such a confident tone, the Heavenly Lord couldn’t help but feel a slight tremor.
This was due to his well-informed understanding of the kind of monster that had been forged.
In a forest within Guangdong Province.
“Achoo!”
Amidst my bustling schedule, I let out an unexpected sneeze.
“Oh, crap.”
Raising my hand to wipe my nose, I noticed a bit of mucus.
Frowning at the sticky feeling, I wiped it on my clothes.
Is it a cold?
“No way.”
I shouldn’t be the kind to catch a cold, so that’s not a worry.
Noticing a slight tickle in my ears, I thought,
“Who’s cursing me?”
That thought naturally crossed my mind.
The real problem is…
“Who is it?”
The issue lies in the fact that there are multiple people who would want to curse me, making it hard to pinpoint who it is.
“Well, someone must be saying something.”
In truth, I didn’t care much.
I mean, cursing happens all the time.
It wouldn’t lead to death… usually.
Sure, if it were said to my face, I might’ve shattered a few front teeth, but since it’s not immediate, it doesn’t concern me.
Anyway, this isn’t what’s important right now.
I lifted my head and gazed up at the sky.
As I raised my gaze, the sky’s crimson hue caught my attention.
It was a rather peculiar sky to see at night.
“Hmm…”
No matter how I look at it, it’s definitely strange.
Biting into a piece of venison and watching, I felt some reaction from beside me.
Grrr…
The clever creature, who had been lying down as if dozing off, bared its teeth.
It seemed to be whetting its appetite.
I asked while observing it.
“Are you hungry?”
Grrr…
As the creature growled in agreement, I felt a headache brewing.
“Can you really be hungry no matter how much you eat? You’re not efficient at all.”
You’ve consumed everything in sight, yet still seem hungry?
Crrrnng…
As I spoke, it lowered its head, as if feeling intimidated.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue lightly at that sight.
What can I do if it feels hungry?
“Fine, whatever’s good is good.”
I swallowed the meat I was gnawing on in one bite and sat up.
Then the clever creature got up as well.
Suddenly, with a loud noise, it began to grow.
After expanding, it became impressively large.
The space where the fire burned wasn’t small by any means, yet this creature was large enough to fill it completely.
‘What’s funny is, it’s not even at its biggest yet.’
If it wanted to grow larger, it could. It just didn’t want to stand out too much.
I must have fed it well.
As time passed, it kept growing larger but now reached a point where it couldn’t grow excessively.
‘It’s probably not just because of food.’
Of course, it wouldn’t just bulk up from consuming a lot of rice.
If you were to determine the cause, maybe…
‘It’s likely due to my own energy growing stronger.’
I had an inkling that was the case.
As its energy intensified, so did the size of my clever companion.
‘Maybe that’s why it takes more energy now just to shrink it down.’
For reasons unknown, the physical transformation technique worked on the clever creature.
While it was easy to conceal that size, concealing the too-large form demanded a considerable amount of energy.
Even…
“I’ve increased the amount I feed you.”
Grrr?
“You eat a ridiculous amount, you fool.”
It surely understood me, but instead, it merely flicked its whiskers dismissively.
Why does it feel like it’s getting more shameless with each passing day?
“Sigh…”
I suppressed a sigh and poked the creature.
In response,
Grrr—!
The beast leaped up with a ferocious growl.
Boom—!
As its enormous body shot upwards, the rebound sent dust clouds billowing in every direction.
The clever creature’s gaze was fixed on the center of the red sky.
Once granted permission, its mouth curved up in delight.
I said while watching,
“If you make too much noise, we’ll have a problem. So be quiet about it. Don’t obliterate everything around you like last time.”
Grrr.
It nodded as if it understood, but honestly, I didn’t have much faith in that.
It had a history of being a troublemaker.
When it first hatched from the magic stone, it was a timid little creature.
Now, it seemed to be growing more ferocious with time.
‘Is it going through some kind of monster puberty?’
Though I wondered if monsters experienced such phases, that was about all that came to mind.
Suddenly, the clever creature was gone from view, and I was about to finish my meal when…
“Hmm?”
I sensed a presence from afar.
Seven of them?
“Hmm…”
I sent an intrigued gaze out while expanding my senses.
The energy emanating from my toes enveloped the surrounding forest.
Then, I caught sight of those hurrying from afar. Upon closer inspection, they indeed appeared to be…
‘Members of the clan.’
Smiling wryly, I thought it was just my luck.
“I was having some trouble finding you.”
I remembered there was someone operating around this time near here.
As I happened to be and had come to Guangdong for business, I planned to check things out while I was at it.
‘Finding them was tougher than anticipated.’
At this point, with no nicknames or names to go off, it had been challenging.
In theory, I should have left Guangdong Province by now.
I was wasting unnecessary time.
Given the circumstances, I couldn’t help but smile as I looked toward the direction of the sensed presence.
“Maybe I should ask a question or two?”
Saying so, I began walking.
No need to rush after all.
The destination seemed to align, regardless.
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