I thought I was seeing things.
Isn’t it odd? Waking up in the morning, rubbing my eyes, and suddenly finding an old man sitting in my room.
And not just any old man.
The Celestial Plum Blossom, Dohwa.
He’s the current Sect Leader of Mount Hua and regarded as the most revered master among Taoist clans.
Alongside the Sword Emperor, Wi Hyogun, he’s one of the absolute swordmasters often talked about in discussions of swordsmanship.
A legendary figure from my past life was sitting in my room.
Sip.
He even came with tea, somehow.
Not just tea—what in the world is that?
Is that a skewer?
“Uh.”
As I tried to say something, the Celestial Plum Blossom raised a hand to stop me.
I wondered what he was up to when, without warning, he bit into the skewer.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s just that when I’m hungry, moving is such a pain; being old is tough.”
“…Oh, right.”
Huh?
What…?
What’s up with this guy?
…What an eccentric maniac.
I involuntarily coughed at Elder Shin’s remark.
How could you give such a harsh evaluation of your own kind?
Own kind my foot… By the time that kid was born, I was already a corpse, you brat.
Kid…
Strictly speaking, the Celestial Plum Blossom is really a lot younger than Elder Shin.
But it felt all kinds of weird.
Having finished his tea and skewer, he wiped his mouth.
“I apologize for showing up so suddenly. I was going to come straight here, but that skewer just looked too tasty, so I couldn’t resist…”
“No… It’s completely fine.”
“Haha, you’re a good kid.”
Once he finished his tea, the Celestial Plum Blossom stopped to talk.
“So, you’re Gu Ryoon’s grandson, right?”
“…No, I’m not the grandson of the Second Elder.”
“Hmm? You’re not Gu Ryoon’s grandson?”
“No.”
Even though we shared blood ties, I wasn’t his direct descendant.
“Weird. I thought you were since he told me he was sending one of his grandchildren.”
“The Second Elder didn’t get married.”
“I’m aware, but who knows, maybe he could’ve had a child somewhere.”
“Huh…?”
Is that even possible?
The more I conversed with him, the more I realized he wasn’t an ordinary person.
He’s probably not normal considering he bet a clan’s treasure in a drinking game.
I nearly choked at Elder Shin’s commentary.
Right.
Isn’t this the guy who lost a clan treasure over a simple wager?
He doesn’t look like the type to do that though…
He genuinely resembled a Taoist.
“Since you knew I would be arriving, you must have received a letter from the Second Elder, no?”
“Correct. He told me to treat his grandson well since he was bringing me the stone.”
Grandson? It felt bizarre being called that since I wasn’t used to it.
But I could understand why the Second Elder wrote the letter that way.
The Celestial Plum Blossom looked at me and continued.
“I apologize for arriving so early, but I couldn’t wait once I heard you got here.”
Is that why you barged into someone’s room while they were still asleep…?
Now that I thought about it, it made sense since this involved their clan’s treasure…
“…Phew. I still remember all the rebukes I received from the others when they found out what I did with that stone.”
“…”
Hmm?
Does he feel some sense of guilt and responsibility for the treasure, right?
Isn’t that right, Elder Shin?
…Don’t ask me.
Elder Shin’s trembling voice definitely hinted at embarrassment.
“Still, something like that shouldn’t happen again… If I drink with those guys again, I’d be more a beast than a human.”
When he referred to ‘those guys,’ I assumed it included the Second Elder.
What kind of gathering is it to have such grand figures involved?
Because of that, however, my expectations of the Celestial Plum Blossom’s noble demeanor were instantly shattered—almost as badly as Elder Shin’s.
Why am I suddenly included in this!
Think about all the things you did until now; how am I supposed to respect you?
For crying out loud, I’m not someone deserving this kind of treatment.
Yeah, you’re not a person; you’re a ghost.
The Celestial Plum Blossom sighed deeply in frustration and addressed me.
“Right, so where is the treasure, kid?”
After a moment, he finally asked about the treasure.
“I have the treasure.”
“…Good to hear, then—”
“However, I can’t give it to you just yet.”
“Hmm…?”
The Celestial Plum Blossom looked taken aback by my response as I straightened my posture.
“I was instructed to personally hand the treasure over to the Lord of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“And that Lord of the Sect is right in front of you.”
“Is it not possible that you might not actually be the Lord of the Sect?”
The Celestial Plum Blossom seemed momentarily stunned by my answer, clearly bewildered.
Then he burst out laughing in the middle of the room.
“Do I look like a fake to you?”
“Not at all. I may be inexperienced and have plenty of room for improvement, but I’m certain you’re indeed the head of the Mount Hua Sect.”
The aroma of plum flowers wafted through the air—even though he remained perfectly still—and the Qi began to swirl as I looked at him.
I could tell this man was the Celestial Plum Blossom just from observing him.
He asked,
“Then why?”
“Because I believe it’s necessary to handle this properly—unlike him. I, Gu Yangcheon, have come here to represent the Gu Clan and return the treasure of Mount Hua.”
While I spoke, I gulped without realizing it.
I couldn’t fathom having to face such a situation this early in the morning.
What a hassle this is…
Why don’t you just give it to him right now?
Don’t pretend as if you don’t know. This setup has been in place since the beginning…
Your instincts work only when it’s convenient for you… even though they seem to be nonexistent in other situations.
It wasn’t like I anticipated someone like him showing up in the morning.
The Celestial Plum Blossom didn’t interrupt me; he kept his gaze fixed on me, allowing me to finish.
“Thus, it would not be proper for me to hand over the treasure when we’re not even at Mount Hua.”
“I see… But child, I think you might be overlooking something.”
I was going to ask what that was, but my mouth just wouldn’t cooperate.
My body shook under the overwhelming pressure that bore down on my shoulders.
Despite his petite frame, he exuded enough Qi to fill the entire room in an instant.
“Did you forget that I could simply take it by force if I wanted?”
I forced myself to endure the pressure and began circulating my Qi.
Honestly, it might not have been the best decision, but I had to do it just to breathe.
I sensed this was the Celestial Plum Blossom’s true intention from the start.
The first sign was that Elder Shin—who typically never stops talking—was now completely quiet.
The second sign was,
I can still utilize my Qi.
The Celestial Plum Blossom granted me just enough space to use my Qi, seemingly to evaluate my potential.
I had no idea why all this was transpiring, but if he wanted me to comply, I would.
In this wretched world, being weak left you with no options.
As I gradually circulated my Qi, I felt my shoulders lifting slightly from the oppressive weight on them.
“…Wow…”
A short sound of admiration escaped the Celestial Plum Blossom’s lips.
As I barely endured the pressure, my voice came out feeble.
“…I doubt you’d do that.”
“Why’s that?”
Pressssss!
The pressure intensified.
What kind of crazy guy makes it harder for me to respond after asking a question?
“Ouff…”
I decided to push myself by utilizing more Qi while groaning.
Maybe this was indeed the right approach.
Not too much, or it might go wild again.
I know that…!
A fiery aura began to envelop my shoulders.
I didn’t let the flames expand, opting to compress them instead.
Thanks to this, I felt good enough to speak clearly.
“As I mentioned earlier, I am certain that you are the Lord of the Mount Hua Sect.”
The Celestial Plum Blossom’s eyes flickered with excitement.
“Even so, what if I simply took the treasure because I didn’t approve of your actions?”
If that’s the case, then I’d have no choice but to accept it. I won’t die… so I’ll just report back to the clan about what transpired.
“Haha… Not considering the consequences, huh? You really resemble Gu Ryoon.”
Pardon…?
That’s the most insulting remark I’ve encountered this year…
Yet, I couldn’t afford to let it show that I was bothered, so I forced a smile.
What’s with that monstrous face of yours?
…
As the Celestial Plum Blossom spoke, the Qi that had filled the room vanished in an instant.
“Is anyone there?”
The person who stepped into my room after hearing the Celestial Plum Blossom was Shinhyun, who returned to Mount Hua last night.
“Yes, my Lord.”
Did he just call him in?
Don’t they realize this is my room?
“Once the guests from the Gu Clan finish their preparations, we’ll ascend slowly, so relay that to the elders.”
“Understood.”
After Shinhyun exited,
The Celestial Plum Blossom regarded me—looking somewhat fatigued—and spoke.
“In the past, Gu Ryoon mentioned you to me.”
“The Second Elder?”
“Yes, he always said you were a handful, constantly causing problems.”
“…Haha.”
What on earth did that old man say about me to an outsider?
“And that guy is now bragging about you using words he rarely uttered before.”
“…Bragging about me?”
“Yes, he was so different that I couldn’t help but remember it.”
“…Ahem.”
The Celestial Plum Blossom chuckled.
“I apologize for coming so early and putting you through this.”
I cleared my throat and rearranged my voice after hearing him.
“…I know I’m lacking significantly, so I can’t grasp why you chose to do this, but surely there’s a valid reason behind it.”
Did you coat your tongue with sugar or something? You’re quite the smooth talker…
I felt I had to say something since the man before me was a superhuman who could easily erase a mountain if he chose to.
“Gu Ryoon, that fella never listened even when I pleaded for years to return the treasure. Do you know what deal we struck to finally get it back?”
“I don’t know.”
“He asked me to teach you.”
“…Huh?”
I was genuinely taken aback.
The Second Elder said that? I thought he just handed me the treasure because he was too lazy to do it himself.
It was more frightening to realize he had kept the treasure from a drinking contest for several years.
The Celestial Plum Blossom then continued with laughter, seemingly disregarding my thoughts.
“…It seems you don’t need it in my eyes, though.”
“Not at all! How can I—”
“Child, excessive humility can be toxic. I was convinced Mount Hua’s Dragon Sword would be the most remarkable being of this era, but seeing you has shifted my perspective.”
I was at a loss for words.
I’d never dared to hear something like that in my past life, and it felt refreshingly strange.
But at the same time, I felt a sense of guilt for being able to hear it only after my regression.
What can I do about it, though…
I had basically given up.
It even crossed my mind that maybe I should shamelessly accept all the praises.
“Then, what should I do?”
“…What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t look like you need any guidance from me… but a Qi pearl wouldn’t suffice.”
“No, I believe a Qi pearl would be en—”
“Oh! Yes, that sounds good.”
“Huh?”
“Right, we can discuss this later when we go up.”
What in the world…!
Why make a decision without telling me what it is?
“Alright… I’ll see you later.”
You’re not even responding to him, though.
…Ahem.
“Come find me when you arrive up there; it seems we have much to discuss, such as the promised reward.” With that, the Celestial Plum Blossom pointed at my lower abdomen.
“And about the Qi you’re harboring inside your body.”
…!
I was compelled to tremble at the Celestial Plum Blossom’s words as he smiled.
Has he noticed?
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Right, stop by after you eat breakfast. Starving won’t do you any favors.”
With those words, the Celestial Plum Blossom exited through the window—
Wait, why go out the window instead of the door…?
…What a maniac… Truly.
…
…I couldn’t disagree with Elder Shin this time.
*
After the storm, I emerged outside with a blank expression.
Muyeon awaited me with a frozen look on his face.
“What’s up?”
“No… nothing.”
He looked like he’d seen a ghost.
I chose to ignore Muyeon for now and searched for Wi Seol-Ah.
Normally, she would’ve knocked on my door first thing in the morning, but not today.
“Where did she go?”
“Are… you talking about Wi Seol-Ah?”
“Yeah, and why are you so stiff?”
“…I managed to shake hands with Lord Celestial Plum Blossom.”
…Huh?
“I can die happy now.”
…Uh, right.
I shook my head while observing my escort in a daze.
What expression would he don if he realized he’d shared meals and conversations with the Sword Emperor, known to be the greatest swordsman in the world?
The thought intrigued me.
“Anyway, where did she go?”
“I heard she went out early for something with Elder Wi.”
“Elder Wi?”
She went somewhere with the Sword Emperor? In Shaanxi?
What could it be?
Muyeon handed me an item.
“It’s a letter from the clan head.”
Since the Gu clan’s seal was stamped on the paper, it couldn’t be fake.
I doubted the Sword Emperor would lie about something like this.
She’ll be fine since she’s with the Sword Emperor.
As I was about to head to the dining room for breakfast, someone opened a nearby door and stepped out.
The sleepy-eyed person who emerged was Namgung Bi-ah.
“…Oh.”
Upon seeing me, Namgung Bi-ah waved her hand slowly.
Is that her way of saying good morning…?
She seemed incredibly nonchalant, indicating she hadn’t a clue about what transpired this morning.
After staring at her for a moment, I spoke up.
“Want to have breakfast?”
Namgung Bi-ah nodded slightly at my question.
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