Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Yuseon Taoist (7)
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The fervor of the Martial Enlightenment Society showed no signs of dying down, but it was time to leave this place. My original goal of meeting the Grand Elder had already been fulfilled.
What could I say—he was far more human than I'd imagined. In the game, he came across as a bloodless, tearless monster, but seeing him genuinely praise me and delight over discovering a rare martial arts manual...
Somehow, if our positions weren't what they were, we might have been able to chat and laugh together.
"Are you leaving now?"
He asked, looking at me. I just nodded once.
"I'm truly glad I met you today. It would be nice to see you at the next Martial Enlightenment Society."
I need a title for this.
The One Who Received the Grand Elder's Farewell. Something like that. How many others in the entire martial world have gotten one besides me? Entertaining such idle thoughts, I stepped outside.
It was dim early evening, the sunset blazing red.
An endless horizon where nothing was visible but the Martial Enlightenment Society.
Probably some kind of formation, but amid that scenery, Yuseon Taoist and I gazed long and deep into each other's eyes.
And I tossed out the question I'd asked earlier once more.
"Even after we go out, will you keep holding this hand?"
Even feigning nonchalance, her bashful nature shone through plain as day. Her earlobes flushed red bit by bit, and she bit her lower lip ever so slightly.
Why was she agonizing over it like this? I really had no intention of doing anything.
After wrestling with it for ages, Yuseon Taoist finally spoke.
"Just... if it's only sightseeing..."
No, I really mean just sightseeing.
Time undoubtedly has a certain density to it.
There's an incomparable gap between drifting blankly through day after day and burning through life like a blazing flame while feeling intense emotions.
And Yuseon Taoist had come to realize that difference lately. She'd lived well over a century, but even adding up all those years lost to meditation, they paled in comparison to the few days she'd spent with him.
Each day felt suffocatingly short.
And endlessly long.
Close your eyes, open them, and time had slipped away in a flash.
It was a wondrous experience.
But that didn't make her entire life meaningless.
She had met her master and joined the Huashan Sect...
Things like that, right?
Being a disciple of the Huashan Sect was practically Yuseon Taoist's identity.
It was what had sustained her through 149 years.
So, no matter how grateful she felt or how much fondness she harbored, giving in easily to temptation would be tantamount to denying every one of those past years.
"Just... if it's only sightseeing..."
So why did her face keep heating up when she was turning him down flat?
Yuseon Taoist unwittingly turned her head away and murmured. Meeting his eyes was too hard. All the while, she repeated to herself inwardly.
This is just an experience, nothing more.
It's not doing anything wrong.
"Rest assured."
Fortunately, he spoke in that calm tone of his.
"What you're worried about won't happen."
It didn't reassure her much.
Stepping outside, the twilight world was darkening to shades of gray. Beneath the moon, people strolled the streets with hearty laughs. Lanterns flickered to life one by one. It was her first time seeing it all.
Yuseon Taoist realized anew that she'd never truly looked at the world before.
There had simply been no need to.
She was fated to cling to her tree for centuries more anyway. After all that time, who could say how this scenery might change?
Bonds were futile too. She tried not to think that way, but over a century of life had inevitably colored her view with cynicism.
What's the point of getting close when they'll all die anyway? She couldn't even take a proper trip holding hands until they and their daughters were all gone—what good was closeness? Yuseon Taoist simply couldn't fathom it.
So, taking in the world just as it was, in such fine detail, was almost a first for her.
And at last, properly beholding it, the world was far more beautiful than she'd ever imagined.
"Let's head that way."
Before she knew it, Yuseon Taoist was holding Cheon-gun's hand. He'd suggested it first, and she hadn't refused. She inwardly excused it as the crowds making it easy to get separated.
What a lame excuse, when her senses were keen enough to detect figures from afar.
Had she turned into a fool?
They said fully grown tree folk wouldn't tire even after traveling a thousand li in a day, yet since earlier, her breaths came quicker and her head spun dizzily.
"Have you ever tried something like this?"
"...No."
"It's sweet and cool."
Dazedly wandering the night market, she looked up to see him holding something. It was a shaved ice treat—popping it in her mouth brought a sugary sweetness that melted away smoothly. Her eyes flew wide in surprise, and he gave a soft smile.
"Tasty?"
She nodded.
"Yes. Delicious. And surprising."
Tap.
At that moment, his hand gently brushed the corner of her mouth before pulling away.
Must've gotten some on her from eating too fast. The spot his fingertip touched burned like a fresh burn. Not knowing what to say, she stood there stammering awkwardly when suddenly her body was tugged forward.
He must've found her fumbling annoying and pulled her hand.
"The night is long. There's so much I want to show you."
Unable to reply, she hung her head and trailed after him like a limp doll.
Cheon-gun was utterly gentle and kind now, his earlier arrogance nowhere in sight. Was this how he'd always charmed the heavenly maidens?
The thought crossed Yuseon Taoist's mind. What if it was all a facade, and once she fell for him, his true colors emerged? Not that she could do a thing about it anyway...
It was an effort to rebuild the distance and wariness that kept crumbling away.
But for all the good it did, every time their hands clasped, every time she felt his consideration, those doubts melted away smooth as the shaved ice from before.
Sometimes, you wanted to believe more than face reality.
She hoped he felt at least a modicum of fondness for her.
No, he must. Otherwise, he wouldn't treat her this well...
She walked on expressionless, hand in his, but inside, her heart was a battlefield.
Emotions she'd never known in life screamed and dashed and tumbled over one another in total chaos, each clamoring to be first.
If she were alone, she'd probably bury her face in the blankets and scream.
A scorching heat bubbled up from deep within.
"Isn't the moon pretty?"
Maybe that's why she could barely recall what they'd done or eaten that day. The whole day had melted down and clung to her brain like syrup.
She barely gathered her wits to reply.
"Yes. Incredibly pretty."
"It's strange. It's clearly the same moon as yesterday, yet just having you beside me makes it so different."
"......"
Splash. Before she knew it, the boat they'd boarded sliced through the lake. Even the cool breeze did nothing to quell her inner heat. So, like a petulant child, she spoke up.
Don't.
It was ridiculous even as she said it. Wasn't she the one overflowing with such thoughts?
"Didn't you promise? I..."
Cowardly as it was, he soothed her gently, like reassuring a child.
"I know. I won't lay a hand on you unless you wish it. I just want you to be truly happy today. I hope our time together becomes a cherished memory."
"...It will. For someone like me, this happiness is far too much already. I'll never forget it, not for the rest of my long, long life."
He smiled at her words.
"That's a relief."
The boat crept along at an eternal pace. It wasn't just the boat—the whole world felt that way. Her senses flung wide open, the moment etched into eternity like a snapshot.
Yet as time trickled on, the boat—which had circled the lake once, cleaving the waters—began to slow. He drew close.
"One lap is almost done. If we don't get off here, we'll have to circle again to disembark. If you have something to say, now's the time."
Her heart plummeted.
...It's ending. Already.
Realization hit like a jolt.
The end was truly approaching now. It had been a dreamlike time, so hard to distinguish from reality. Something surged up from within her.
Yes, time to head back. To the Huashan Sect. To everyday life.
Everyday life. My everyday life...
In that instant, Yuseon Taoist thrust her head over the boat's edge and dry-heaved.
She couldn't tell if it was the boat's rocking or her heart's—motion sickness hit that hard. Her head throbbed with dizziness.
So she gave no answer, just stared at the dark, rippling lake.
But she knew it was her silent reply, and so did he.
Splash. In the hush, the boat glided past the dock without stopping. Yuseon Taoist blankly watched the people recede into the distance. It felt like an irreversible choice. It was nothing of the sort, but that's how it felt.
The calm lake waters below warped, her reflection vanishing entirely.
For some reason, that eased her heart.