Chapter: 580
Some time has passed since we arrived in Hanam.
About a month had gone by, and the season was moving towards the height of summer.
Among that, it was early morning.
I was meeting with a doctor to receive a medical examination.
The doctor, who had been intently taking my pulse for quite some time, opened his eyes and spoke.
“Hm. This is truly strange.”
“Is something wrong?”
When I asked, noticing the doctor’s unusual reaction, he responded with a look of bewilderment.
“I can’t believe you’ve improved this much in just one month. What on earth happened to your body?”
“Isn’t it because you’ve been treating me well?”
“Haha, you’re really talking nonsense here. What kind of treatment have I even given you?”
“…”
That was indeed true.
While he took my pulse and prescribed some medicine, he remarked that it wouldn’t be of much help.
In reality, even consuming the medicine didn’t seem to yield significant effects.
“I expected it would take at least half a year, even if I were being cautious… but it looks like you won’t have to wait that long.”
“Is that so?”
Contrary to my assumption that it would take about three months, the doctor initially mentioned half a year.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it would actually take that long.
Fortunately, it seemed that my prediction was correct.
… That implies.
‘It must mean even the doctor can’t fully comprehend my body.’
Ultimately, it meant that only I could accurately assess my own condition.
I wasn’t entirely certain. But if the doctor didn’t know, I had a feeling no one in the world would.
Anyway.
Since further pulse examination was unnecessary, I decided to gather myself and slowly rise from my seat.
At that moment.
“Are you getting along well with Hyuk?”
The doctor asked a question.
It was something he had hardly asked for almost a month.
“Yes, I’m doing well.”
Yes, he must be quite busy too.
“…Alright.”
“If you’re worried, should I send him back?”
Of course, it was a mere courtesy. I had no intention of sending Zhuge Hyuk back.
Zhuge Hyuk had been performing better than I had anticipated.
At this moment, he was one of the most essential individuals, so I couldn’t send him away.
I had no intention of giving him back, and it was merely an empty statement on my part.
In response, the doctor looked at me and gave a hollow laugh.
“Fine. Since that’s what the child desires, there’s no point in interfering.”
“…”
I gazed at the doctor upon hearing those words.
Despite having cared for Zhuge Hyuk with great tenderness, the doctor seemed quite laid-back about this matter.
That was a bit surprising.
“Just ensure he doesn’t get hurt.”
“…I won’t let him do anything to get hurt. I’m simply helping him pass the time.”
That was a lie.
I planned to do so as much as possible, but I wasn’t entirely confident.
“And…”
The doctor hesitated as he was about to add something.
Looking at his expression, he seemed filled with doubt.
I inwardly sighed at that sight.
I knew what the doctor intended to say.
“If it bothers you, would you like me to arrange a meeting for you?”
“…”
“If you wish, I can also speak to him.”
The “him” being referred to was Cheoljiseon.
He would probably come to Hanam soon, so it would suffice to make plans for him then.
The reason I stated I would at least talk to him instead of bringing him back was precisely because I wasn’t sure either.
Usually, he would agree to anything.
This matter seemed somewhat different.
‘I remember he even had a seizure.’
Seeing him angry and telling me to kill him, I couldn’t rely on everything going as I wished.
And.
I figured the doctor was well aware of that.
“… Understood.”
So, I bet he shared those words as if he had reached some sort of enlightenment.
“…Yes. Understood.”
After hearing that, I decided not to press the subject further.
If I push, I could, of course.
‘No need to.’
If this was a topic that Cheoljiseon avoided, I had no intentions of bringing it up.
I merely contemplated.
‘Something is definitely going on.’
I was sure something connected Dokdo and Cheoljiseon.
That was simply my conviction.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
After expressing my respect to the doctor, I stood up.
There was no more to discuss, so it was time for me to go.
‘I should practice a bit and also stop by the merchant association.’
Now that my body had somewhat recovered, I had to start training this morning.
If I didn’t use my body enough, it would become dull.
I needed to warm myself up a little.
In the afternoon, I planned to visit the Baekhwa Merchant Association to make a request.
‘I need to send a letter.’
It would be faster to use an assassin or something, but they had their own duties, and since the letter needed to be sent in a somewhat formal manner, I had to visit the association.
As I pondered my busy schedule, I turned and was about to head out when.
“Oh, wait!”
The doctor called out to me, was there more to discuss?
“What is it?”
“Is something wrong?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your expression doesn’t look too good.”
“…Ah.”
Seeing the doctor’s words, I rubbed my cheeks.
What was wrong with my expression?
I wasn’t entirely sure of the circumstances, but if that was the case, I knew the reason.
“…I’m fine.”
Probably.
“I just didn’t sleep well.”
The issue likely lay with an unmemorable dream I had last night.
After breaking away from the doctor, I headed to the training ground.
Mrs. Mi must have found a good place, as there was a separate training area within the residence.
Just the right size for some moderate physical training.
I might not be able to set off any fireworks, but it was enough.
Let’s just stretch a bit.
With that thought, I made my way to the training facility.
“Hm?”
There was already someone there.
Curious to see who it was, I realized it was Dang So-yeol.
Dang So-yeol was kneeling quietly in the center of the training ground with her eyes closed.
‘Hmm….’
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but admire her.
At the same time, a sense of tension enveloped my body.
The problem was the energy that filled the training ground.
The density of the energy was so intense it was almost suffocating. Moreover, the cool air was densely packed.
How should I describe it?
Clean vigor.
That seemed to be the most fitting expression.
‘…Wow.’
The ambiance filled with mixed energy and murder did not mask the clear sense of order within.
This meant that Dang So-yeol controlled all this energy herself.
But that wasn’t the only surprising part.
‘With so much energy…’
I felt no trace of poison in it.
Since Dang So-yeol hailed from the Dang clan, the energy that she wielded was certainly infused with poison.
Yet, there was no trace of venom in the energy that currently filled the space.
My body had reached a state of immutability, thus granting me immunity to poison.
Conversely, this made me more adept at sensing poison.
There was definitely no poison in this energy now.
This implies…
‘It means she has reached a level where she can control her own venom.’
It indicates her prowess had reached a high enough level to extract poison from her own energy.
‘Just in two years.’
Though she was still at the periphery of her own training, it was astonishing that she had come this far.
If she had not only raised her skill but had also gained such refined control over her energy…
‘What kind of training did she undergo?’
I could only guess what trials Dang So-yeol might have faced.
I regarded her with somewhat sunken eyes.
She was still focused, breathing with her eyes closed, seemingly unaware of my arrival.
Seeing her like this made me click my tongue in disappointment.
‘It’d be a waste to disturb her practice.’
By the looks of it, she had plenty of time left.
I could take the space across from her and practice if I wanted, but, frankly, I didn’t feel inclined to do that.
I turned on my heel.
Sure, I could practice later when I returned.
That was the plan.
I stepped outside and headed straight toward the district.
Since the Baekhwa Merchant Association was located in the heart of the region, I had to walk a bit from my lodgings.
It was early morning now.
The sun had barely begun to rise, yet the place was bustling as usual.
As the scent of food began wafting through the air, the streets grew lively with folks preparing goods.
I was moving among them quietly.
I wondered why.
Normally, I might have taken a moment to look around and explore.
But for some reason, I didn’t want to see anything right now.
‘Something feels off.’
I felt bloated and stifled.
That was also the reason I had come out without practicing, using the excuse of feeling ill.
I could do it if I wanted, but today, for some reason, I didn’t want to.
An inexplicable irritation enveloped my entire being.
‘What could it be?’
What on earth could be the issue?
I couldn’t even pinpoint it.
Why did that dream irritate me so much?
Sure, it might have been a ridiculous dream I often had.
‘Is it because I’m feeling impatient?’
Three months until I start working.
No, it’s less than a month left now.
I was trying to think calmly, but my heart wasn’t cooperating, which made me feel this way.
It was indeed confusing.
One thing I could certainly ascertain was that.
I desperately wanted to recall that dream somehow.
From the moment I woke up until now,
My entire mind was occupied with that dream.
‘This isn’t right.’
I have so much ahead of me to do.
I felt like I was wasting time on something utterly trivial.
Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts.
“It’s all because I haven’t eaten.”
Right, it must be due to hunger.
I was certain of it.
I redirected my steps.
As I transitioned from heading to the association into a dim alley in Hanam.
The thought of filling my stomach first guided my movement.
A slight doubt blossomed in my mind.
‘Then, I should just head to a restaurant.’
I had wandered into this alley for no reason; why did I come this way?
It felt like I had moved on autopilot.
This looked like an area where no restaurant would be found.
Where did all the crowds that filled the streets vanish to?
There were so few people that it felt almost deserted.
Still, I continued walking.
Somehow, my feet were leading me in that direction.
After a bit of walking, I noticed an old building tucked away at the end of the quiet alley.
“…What…?”
It was when I saw the building that I finally halted.
Smoke wafted out through the cracks in the old building’s windows.
I had to tilt my head at the aroma mingling with the smoke.
‘Well, look at that?’
It smelled like food.
In this back alley, the scent of food wafted from that building.
Seeing that made me chuckle.
“What kind of crazy person builds a restaurant here?”
This was absurd.
The street seemed completely deserted.
Why would someone open a restaurant in such a place when a perfectly good road was nearby?
Even while I thought that, my feet were already taking me toward the restaurant.
The inside of the eatery was ordinary.
To be precise, it looked no different from the outside.
The interior was as shabby as the building itself.
I even spotted cobwebs hanging from the walls.
“Welcome.”
I heard a voice and turned my head, spotting a bent old woman greeting me.
There weren’t any other customers around.
“All we have for breakfast is noodles.”
The old woman said and then disappeared into the kitchen.
… She hadn’t even asked if I wanted to order anything yet.
“Hmm.”
What should I do?
I had unwittingly entered…
For some reason, I felt compelled to sit down.
Well, since I was already here, I might as well eat.
I shuffled over to find a table.
The seats were limited, but there were spot right in front and beside me.
I moved my feet again, as if I felt I had to choose a seat.
It felt like there was a specific seat I should occupy.
The very corner table.
No matter how I looked at it, it was the most worn-out spot available.
I felt inexplicably drawn to sit there.
However.
Slurp slurp.
Someone else was already occupying that spot.
They were already chowing down.
Slurp.
A small figure was holding a bowl the size of their face, inhaling the food.
Seemingly, they didn’t care whether their hair fell into the dish or not.
Moreover, it looked like they had devoured not just one bowl, but several.
I widened my eyes at that sight.
It wasn’t that I was surprised at someone eating a lot.
Having already seen Wiser Ah, I wasn’t shocked by that.
The issue was the person currently sitting in that seat.
“What…?”
I uttered, astonished to see the woman constantly slurping her noodles.
Instantly.
“Hmm?”
The fingers busy with her chopsticks halted, and she turned to look at me.
Our eyes met.
“Uh.”
The woman gazed at me in surprise.
Her flowing black hair framed her face, and her beautiful violet eyes held a strange expression.
Then, she set her bowl down and gestured toward me.
“Hello.”
“…”
I was left speechless by her greeting.
No, it would be more accurate to say I couldn’t respond at all.
That would be true.
Who would’ve expected to encounter the Heavenly Demon munching on noodles in this back-alley restaurant?
No one could have guessed.
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