Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: If We Meet Again
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‘If we meet again.’
There was so much he wanted to ask.
Why she had to leave like that. What she had been doing after leaving. Why she hadn’t left even a single letter, or sent any word after she was gone. What she had been up to in the Blue Sea, and who those men were that she had been with there.
And back then, what had his brother wanted to do later in life? He wanted to ask that, too.
‘...I’m gonna die.’
Wi Seongcheon thought as he flexed his fingertips.
They twitched, but the sensation wasn’t smooth at all. And yet, strangely, his body was overflowing with strength.
‘Right hand first.’
Wi Seongcheon checked his right hand first. The throbbing pain was intense.
He was long used to pain, so no groan escaped him, but it helped sharpen his hazy mind.
Wi Seongcheon scattered the lingering shadows of the dream still floating in his foggy head. The memories from long ago that he’d confronted in his dream were both welcoming and bitter.
It was the lingering attachment born of regret. If only he’d pried into his brother’s affairs back then. If only he’d gone to his brother’s room at night for a casual chat...
‘Pointless to dwell on it.’
Regrets wouldn’t take him back to the past. The present mattered more.
His right wrist, gripped by the Poison Blood Demon Fiend, had been crushed. To gauge the damage more precisely, he wiggled his fingers.
The sensation clearly reached him beyond the sharp pain. The treatment was satisfactory. The bones had been set and securely bound with bandages. That was the extent of his external injuries.
‘The issue is the internal damage.’
Circulating his qi was uncomfortable.
It wasn’t just from taking the Demon Fiend’s Demonic Blood Poison Gang head-on with his body—he’d even drawn it into his meridians through recirculation.
‘Lucky to be alive.’
It had been a gamble. And the moment he’d done it, he’d regretted it instantly.
The Demon Fiend’s demonic qi and poison had been far stronger than expected. And then using the shackles to lash out twice in a row... He really was lucky not to have died.
‘For something like that, the internal damage isn’t too bad. My dantian’s inner energy, too. Holy hell... what is this?’
He’d wondered why his body brimmed with power despite the mess it was in. His dantian’s inner energy had grown substantially.
‘No wonder the damage felt lighter than expected. Someone must’ve fed me a spirit medicine.’
It was startling, but he quickly pieced it together.
Wi Seongcheon’s lips curved into a smirk. At this rate, the gamble had been worth it.
He’d saved his life, and his inner energy had surged. Judging by the state he was in, the spirit medicine he’d been given while unconscious had to be superior even to the Revival Pill.
Wi Seongcheon slowly sat up.
The air was thick with the scent of medicine. He’d passed out in the monster’s lair, but he’d woken in the medical tent of the camp.
It was quietly pleasing that he hadn’t had to walk that long distance on his own.
It was just as pleasing to see Paeng Yeonhwa’s sleeping face, her breathing soft and steady.
She had collapsed over the edge of the bed where Wi Seongcheon lay, fast asleep. Her limp tail twitched faintly with each exhale.
Wi Seongcheon rested his chin in his hand and gazed at Paeng Yeonhwa’s sleeping face. He considered waking her but simply stared at her peaceful expression.
Paeng Yeonhwa’s ears began to perk up and twitch. She was starting to wake.
In that moment, Wi Seongcheon decided to do something he’d been holding back in his mind.
His hand reached out stealthily and stroked Paeng Yeonhwa’s ear.
“Eek!”
How nice it would’ve been if his right hand were fine! Wi Seongcheon sincerely thought so. But so what? One hand was enough.
His left hand, having stroked her ear, darted down and grabbed her tail.
Paeng Yeonhwa’s tail puffed up in Wi Seongcheon’s grasp.
“Kyaa!”
Paeng Yeonhwa jerked her head up. Her eyes met Wi Seongcheon’s, who held her tail.
Without a second thought, Paeng Yeonhwa swung her palm.
‘I should take this hit...’
Or so he thought. But the incoming palm moved at an alarming speed. Wi Seongcheon immediately pulled his head back.
Whoosh!
The wind brushing past his face sent chills down his spine. It was so fast that a few strands of his bangs floated down, severed.
“Why’d you dodge!”
“I was gonna let it hit, but it felt like it’d be bad if it did.”
“Let go!”
Paeng Yeonhwa shouted.
Wi Seongcheon obediently released her tail. Paeng Yeonhwa furiously stroked the puffed-up tail.
“You touched my ear too?!”
“No...?”
“Don’t lie!”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Then why lie in the first place if you were just gonna admit it?!”
“Slipped out.”
“Why’d you touch it!”
“Slipped out...”
Paeng Yeonhwa’s ears and tail shot straight up at his repeated answer.
She growled and reached for Wi Seongcheon’s collar, but he hurriedly leaned back and raised his right hand, wrapped thickly in bandages.
“I’m the patient here.”
“You little...!”
Paeng Yeonhwa’s hands trembled. It was shameless, but true. Wi Seongcheon was a patient. She clenched her shaking fists and lowered them.
“...How’s... your body feeling?”
“Way better than I expected.”
“Well, of course. The Tai Chi Sword Lord fed you an incredibly precious spirit medicine.”
“Really?”
Wi Seongcheon’s eyes widened round. The spirit medicine surprised him, but the Sword Lord’s presence shocked him more.
Paeng Yeonhwa explained what had happened while Wi Seongcheon was unconscious.
That day, under the guidance of the Tai Chi Sword Lord and Mu Yeonjun, Wi Seongcheon had absorbed the qi of the Dawn Celestial Divine Pill.
Afterward, Dang Seona had treated any lingering poison or internal injuries. During that time, Seo Il and Seok Ijin—who had been badly beaten and unconscious—regained their senses.
By the next day, the group had returned to camp, guided by the soldiers Tae Hee-myeong had brought back.
Everyone’s condition was poor, so they couldn’t move as swiftly as when they’d come, but the Tai Chi Sword Lord had cut down most of the attacking monsters, allowing them to return without trouble.
That had been yesterday.
Wi Seongcheon had been out for two full days.
“So the Poison Blood Demon Fiend got away.”
“No choice. It really is one of the Ten Fiends... Sorry.”
“Why’re you sorry?”
“You took such a huge risk to create an opportunity... but we couldn’t kill the Demon Fiend.”
“Come on, no need for that. From what you said, the power gap was massive from the start. No one dying is the real blessing.”
“But...”
“Enough. I’m not dead or crippled. If anything, I hit the jackpot. That Dawn Celestial Divine Pill? Better than the Great Reversion Pill, right? When else am I gonna get fed something like that while I’m alive?”
Wi Seongcheon chuckled. Paeng Yeonhwa’s expression softened a bit at his laughter. But not completely.
She was still miffed that he’d touched her ears and tail while she slept.
“...Did you touch them while I was sleeping in the medical tent, too?”
“Nope, didn’t. Felt like I shouldn’t then.”
“What’s the difference now?”
“We’re closer now than we were then.”
Wi Seongcheon grinned. Paeng Yeonhwa blinked.
She sneakily lifted her foot and pinned her tail down. She didn’t want to show it wagging carelessly.
“What about the Tai Chi Sword Lord?”
“He’s looking over Tae Hee-myeong sunbae’s sword.”
“Huh?”
“He’d originally planned to give that Dawn Celestial Divine Pill to Tae Hee-myeong sunbae. But sunbae insisted on giving it to you. Still, the Sword Lord seems bothered by it.”
“Sunbae’s too nice for his own good.”
Wi Seongcheon gave a wry smile as he said it. He hadn’t seen it, being unconscious, but he could vaguely imagine Tae Hee-myeong’s expression as he yielded the pill.
“How’re the others?”
“The professors still find it uncomfortable to move, and Hwangbo Seongu too. He’s recovering faster than them, but he got hit hard by the Poison Blood Demon Fiend.”
Compared to those three, the other students were relatively fine. Thanks to Dang Seona.
The moment they returned to camp, she’d prescribed medicines using the medical tent’s herbs to aid in healing internal injuries.
In truth, Dang Seona had taken the worst hit from the Poison Blood Demon Fiend, yet she was the quickest to recover among those poisoned.
“After something like this, we’re staying here to recuperate until we’re somewhat better. Just in time to make it back before the Yi Cheon Festival.”
“And the others?”
“They’re heading back to Yi Cheon Academy first in four days. The Tai Chi Sword Lord’s going with us.”
Wi Seongcheon nodded.
In the end, excluding the students and professors who’d gone to subjugate the lair, the rest would return to Yi Cheon Academy first.
Knock knock. Someone rapped on the door.
Paeng Yeonhwa stood and opened it. Bang Jun and Dang Heeran stood outside.
Bang Jun was a bit surprised to see Paeng Yeonhwa’s face, then beamed upon seeing the awake Wi Seongcheon.
“Ahem. Mind if we come in?”
Bang Jun asked Paeng Yeonhwa awkwardly.
They’d been in the same squad for the joint practical class, but things between Bang Jun and Paeng Yeonhwa were still awkward as ever.
Paeng Yeonhwa nodded with awkwardness oozing from her posture.
“Where you going?”
“Out... side.”
“Why? We’ll be seeing each other plenty from now on.”
“Huh...?”
“Once we’re back at Yi Cheon Academy, we’re eating together, right?”
“When did I...?”
She trailed off, then remembered. Before catching the Faceless Ghost, during a patrol with Wi Seongcheon.
‘If you’re friends, you start with eating together.’
“I didn’t say we’d eat at the academy.”
“Don’t wanna eat together?”
“That’s not...”
“Or is it ’cause you don’t wanna dine with a beggar?”
Wi Seongcheon pointed at Bang Jun and snickered. Bang Jun, who’d been digging in his ear, looked incredulous.
“They said you nearly died, but your mouth’s as loose as ever. You really almost kicked it?”
“Almost died. Didn’t, though.”
Bang Jun snorted at Wi Seongcheon’s jab. Then he glanced at Paeng Yeonhwa.
“If the young lady finds this beggar uncomfortable, I’ll at least wash my hands before eating. Can’t do my face, though.”
“I-it’s fine.”
Paeng Yeonhwa stammered. Dang Heeran stared at her, then cleared her throat softly. She sidled up and sat beside Paeng Yeonhwa.
“Just ignore that beggar’s nonsense.”
“Is calling a beggar ‘beggar bastard’ an insult?”
“Adding ‘bastard’ makes it one.”
“Beggars getting insulted—is that new?”
Bang Jun grumbled as he sat beside Wi Seongcheon. Dang Heeran was used to it, so whatever, but mindful of Paeng Yeonhwa, Bang Jun kept a little distance from her.
In the end, Paeng Yeonhwa didn’t go out and sat beside Dang Heeran, fidgeting with her fingers for no reason. She didn’t notice, but her tail was swishing behind her.
“You look free of aftereffects. Whew, good thing I slacked on the subjugation. Might’ve gotten smashed by the Poison Blood Demon Fiend myself.”
Bang Jun teased Wi Seongcheon.
If he’d performed properly on the first day’s subjugation, he’d have been summoned by Commander Chung Yeon for the lair operation too. Needless to say, Bang Jun despised that idea.
“You say that, but you regretting it a little?”
“Yeah, a bit. It was a chance to see the Poison Blood Demon Fiend—one of the Ten Fiends—with my own eyes.”
Bang Jun smacked his lips. He hated hassle, but loved fun.
“You’re heading back to Yi Cheon Academy first?”
“In four days.”
“When you get back, tell the Windflow Elegy sunbaes I’m fine, no need to worry. Especially tell Jeong Mi-ju sunbae to stick to the plan.”
“...Hah.”
Bang Jun blinked and eyed Wi Seongcheon’s right hand.
It was wrapped thickly in bandages. He’d heard from Dang Heeran what happened. The wrist was crushed. Considering the opponent was the Poison Blood Demon Fiend, one of the Ten Fiends, ending with a broken wrist and internal injuries was sheer luck.
“Yi Cheon Festival’s in a month. Think you’ll recover by then?”
“Gonna try.”
Wi Seongcheon said, mindful of the pain in his right wrist. It wasn’t just the wrist—internal injuries needed tending too.
“...If you say so. I’ll pass that on?”
“Yeah. And if Uha Yeon sunbae invites me to join Windflow Elegy, say no.”
“You think I’d let that happen? What’s a beggar got to do with elegance?”
Bang Jun grumbled as he rummaged in his robes. A faint stench wafted each time.
Paeng Yeonhwa stiffened and stopped breathing through her nose. Dang Heeran nodded sympathetically.
“...What’re you doing?”
“Hold on... found it.”
Bang Jun pulled out a pill wrapped in dingy yellow cloth from under his arm.
Wi Seongcheon paled as he watched Bang Jun unwrap it.
“It’s the Beggar Union’s Soaring Heaven Pill—makes even old dogs spry. Not as good as whatever you scavenged, but excellent for internal injuries. Not just anyone can eat this.”
“...Yeah, no one would.”
Anyone with a decent stomach wouldn’t touch it. Still, he couldn’t refuse the gesture.
Wi Seongcheon steeled himself and popped the Soaring Heaven Pill into his mouth.
‘Tastes exploded.’
Unpleasant, but not coppery. His throbbing meridians eased somewhat.
“One more thing I can ask?”
“What?”
“Something that doesn’t even need asking, really...”
Bang Jun grumbled, propping his chin.
“Word is you really startled the Poison Blood Demon Fiend.”
“Who said?”
“Everyone’s saying it.”
What happened in the lair had already spread among students and professors.
The Tai Chi Sword Lord hadn’t hidden it.
Even if they’d survived the Demon Fiend’s mercy, the fact that young students made one of the Ten Fiends bleed was enough to boost the righteous sects’ morale.
“It’s just camp rumors for now, but soon it’ll spread across the murim. So I’m asking—okay if I report what I saw of you to the Union?”
Bang Jun asked seriously. Wi Seongcheon stared at him.
“No need to ask me.”
“True. The rumors’ll spread anyway, even if I say nothing. And I have a duty to report what I see and hear to the Union. That’s why I’m at Yi Cheon Academy in the first place.”
“Don’t care.”
Wi Seongcheon grinned. Bang Jun was being considerate right now.
“Rumors about me spreading? That’s what I want. And it’s not a bad one. Just do one thing in return.”
“What?”
“Say Cheonhwa Gate’s Wi Seongcheon is definitely a Latent Dragon.”
Bang Jun blinked, then burst out laughing.
“Brat, I already reported that when you trounced Jinbaek.”
Wi Seongcheon laughed too. Then—
“May I come in?”
A voice came from outside.
“Come in.”
Do Jun entered, opening the door.
Seeing Bang Jun, Paeng Yeonhwa, and Dang Heeran gathered by Wi Seongcheon’s bed, he cleared his throat softly.
“Sorry to interrupt your chat, but if you’re feeling up to it, could you spare a moment?”
“Why?”
“Commander Chung Yeon wants to speak with you.”
“I’m fine, but should I go now?”
“No... no need. The general’s waiting outside. It wouldn’t be proper to summon an injured man directly.”
“Huh.”
Wi Seongcheon looked surprised and glanced at Paeng Yeonhwa and Dang Heeran.
“We reported what happened in the lair to the general right after returning yesterday.”
Wi Seongcheon scratched his chin at Dang Heeran’s answer. With the report already in, the meeting was obvious.
“Can we stay?”
“Mm... probably not. No telling what the general wants to say, but he came for you, the Latent Dragon.”
“No choice then. Rude to turn him away after coming this far.”
Wi Seongcheon smiled faintly at his friends.
“Mind stepping out for a bit?”
“Sure.”
Bang Jun, Paeng Yeonhwa, and Dang Heeran stood and left the room.
Before he knew it, Paeng Yeonhwa was mingling naturally with them, her tail swishing merrily.