Chapter 171: Would You Like To Go With Me? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: Would You Like To Go With Me? (2)
The final day of the tournament was peaceful, a stark contrast to the frenzy of the finals.
It was a bit of a hassle to haul myself up next to the Alliance Leader, but what could I do? Refusing wasn’t an option.
“Congratulations on your ascension as a new star,” Jang Cheon said.
“Thank you.”
“The Tiger Warrior would be immensely proud, seeing his son accomplish such a feat.”
“Haha… yes, of course.”
“With a True Dragon emerging from the Gu Clan this generation, it seems your family’s rise is imminent.”
I thought of my father upon hearing Jang Cheon’s words.
Happy, you say?
We’re talking about the man who merely said, “I see,” even when Gu Huibi returned home hailed as the Sword Phoenix. I doubted he’d get excited over his son winning some tournament.
And furthermore, what even is a ‘True Dragon’?
I understood they were using the title because I represented a real dragon, but it felt a bit cringeworthy.
Still, this title is far better than the one I had in my past life…
At least it gave me some breathing room. The thought of being saddled with another horrible title in this life was unbearable. How could a human’s title be so…
“…Sigh.”
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing… just a slight headache.”
He gave me a strange look before walking over to Jang Seonyeon, who was swathed in bandages from our fight the previous day.
And here I thought I’d held back a little.
I felt a twinge of disappointment. I’d thought it would be fine to break his right arm, since he was left-handed.
Still…
I felt I’d accomplished something when I noticed the change in Jang Seonyeon’s gaze.
Is he scared?
When I glanced his way, I saw his shoulders flinch slightly. It didn’t seem like an act, though I couldn’t be certain. It was fine even if it wasn’t fear. As long as he felt something from our fight, I was satisfied. For now, at least.
And Dok Gojun.
The mysterious entity I’d encountered at the fight’s climax. Just thinking about that bastard forcing his energy into me before vanishing made my head throb.
Is he still lurking inside Jang Seonyeon’s body?
If so, I had a lot to consider. Did Jang Seonyeon have memories of that moment? Did he know about Dok Gojun? Questions like that.
I really wanted to secretly capture Jang Seonyeon and force him to spill everything, but I knew that was impossible in my current situation. The frustration gnawed at me.
“You worked hard,” Jang Cheon said.
“…It was nothing, Alliance Leader.”
The sight of Jang Cheon patting Jang Seonyeon’s shoulder with a smile, and Jang Seonyeon bowing his head, probably looked touching to the spectators. To me, it just looked like an act.
As I stared at Jang Seonyeon, another thought occurred to me.
Does this bastard not realize his energy has diminished?
Some energy still remained within him, since Dok Gojun had broken the absorption process before it was complete. But it was far less than before. He should feel that emptiness; he couldn’t possibly be unaware.
Yet, his reaction was lackluster. I’d expected him to confront me as soon as he woke up. But neither he nor the Lightning Dragon had approached me. Of course, that was good for me, but I couldn’t see it as entirely positive. I could never easily predict what would happen in this life.
This life has way too many differences from my past life.
The new revelations alone were enough to make my head spin.
Where do I even start?
I’d spent the whole day sorting through my thoughts, but none were easy to resolve. This wasn’t something I could just brush aside as usual.
I maintained a calm expression while organizing the complicated mess in my head, careful not to let anything show.
“And so, to all the new stars who fought valiantly…” As Jang Cheon concluded his speech, cheers and applause rained down upon the stage.
I received a bundle of items and a masterfully forged sword for winning the tournament. Since I wasn’t a sword user and had no intention of becoming one, I figured I could just give it to Muyeon or Gu Jeolyub. They already seemed eager to claim it.
Why are you guys so excited? It’s mine.
I had thought about giving it away, but their enthusiasm made me reconsider. I could be rather petty at times.
Maybe she could use it?
Namgung Bi-ah briefly crossed my mind, but I dismissed the thought just as quickly. I knew she would eventually get her own signature sword, and I didn’t want to give her this one.
Though I don’t really have to do that.
She could use this sword for a while before switching later, but I didn’t want her to. It was pure stubbornness. A kind of possessiveness.
Raaaaaahh-!!
The cacophony of noise stabbing at my ears made me look around. The crowd was screaming and cheering, so loud I thought my ears would go numb if I didn’t cover them.
…Hm.
At that moment, I felt a sudden surge of warmth.
How to describe it… It was like being the first to step onto a pristine field of untouched snow. A new kind of happiness, one I’d never felt before.
What am I even saying?
Even I thought it was a random sentiment. My emotions were running wild. I forced them to calm down.
This might be the first time people were cheering for me, even if I didn’t deserve it. But I couldn’t let myself get carried away just because I’d beaten up some kids in the playground. Putting aside that embarrassing fact, I knew if I indulged in this feeling now, there’d be no end to it. I had to maintain control.
I shook my head to clear my emotions and began to walk down. The Alliance Leader’s speech was over, and my part was done. It was time to leave.
Also, the exhibition match between Namgung Bi-ah and Moyong Hi-ah had been canceled. Namgung Bi-ah was still recovering, and Moyong Hi-ah had stated she had no desire to fight. Since the official tournament was over, it didn’t matter much, but many spectators were disappointed—some even more so than about the finals.
It’s because of their ludicrous beauty.
Namgung Bi-ah had been given a new title and was now hailed as the top beauty of Anhui. Even without her status as the Snow Phoenix, Moyong Hi-ah was already famous for her looks. The disappointment was palpable.
But at that point, are they really trying to watch a fight?
In reality, they just wanted to see two beautiful women. Their lust couldn’t be more blatant.
“Great job, Young Master Gu.”
As soon as I descended, Tang Soyeol greeted me. For some reason, she was dressed up more than usual, adorned with unfamiliar accessories and a touch of makeup.
Seeing her like that, I had to ask. “What’s with the makeup?”
“Oh! You noticed? You’re sharp…”
“…Wouldn’t it be weirder if I didn’t notice?” How could anyone miss it?
“It’s the final day! Isn’t it weirder not to dress up a little for your own celebration?”
“Dressing up is a hassle.” I hadn’t done anything impressive enough to warrant that… Ugh, just imagining it gave me goosebumps. Me, excitedly mounting the stage with flowers in my hair? It didn’t suit me at all.
Dismissing the thought, I scanned the area, looking for someone.
Tang Soyeol noticed immediately and gave me the answer I wanted. “Sis Bi-ah didn’t come. She said there was no need to watch since there wasn’t going to be a fight.”
“…How cold of her.”
“She said she was going back to the guesthouse to sleep because she’s tired.”
“And that guesthouse is mine, right?”
“Of course.”
Why did she say ‘of course’ as if it were the most obvious thing in the world?
“Sigh.” It was too late to argue, so I let it go with a sigh.
I started walking towards Wi Seol-Ah and the other servants waiting for me in the distance. I’d told her to rest since she looked tired this morning, but she’d stubbornly insisted on coming.
“Hmm?” As I approached, I noticed Wi Seol-Ah’s expression wasn’t the best. It was subtle, but my eyes caught it—a serious look with slightly quivering eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Huh? What?” But Wi Seol-Ah seemed intent on playing it off. Her voice was normal, but her reaction was definitely strange.
“Did something happen?”
“No? Nothing happened to me!” she replied playfully, though a bit too forcefully.
Was my instinct wrong? I’m rarely mistaken about these things. Especially when it concerned Wi Seol-Ah.
I continued to stare, but she only tilted her head in confusion. She definitely seemed to be hiding something, but if she didn’t want me to know, I wouldn’t press. I patted her head.
“If something did happen, tell me. Otherwise I can’t help.”
“But… nothing happened…” It seemed she wouldn’t tell me. Or was I just mistaken? That was possible, too.
I lowered my hand and looked towards Jang Seonyeon, who was also leaving the stage. Perhaps by coincidence, he turned his head and our eyes met.
He didn’t frown, smile, or put on any of his previous strange expressions. But from his blank face, I could instinctively tell that the mask he’d worked so hard to maintain had been irreversibly cracked.
Seeing him, I thought, Just you wait.
Did he sense my intentions? Jang Seonyeon’s eyebrows twitched slightly before he turned away and continued walking. I noticed his shoulders were slumped compared to when we’d first met.
As I watched him go, Tang Soyeol suddenly spoke up. “Young Master Gu, what are you going to do now?”
“Do what?”
“The event is over. Do you have any other plans?”
I thought for a moment. Other plans, huh.
I could say I do.
There was the ring I’d gotten from the Second Elder. I was certain it was a treasure belonging to the Murim Alliance, so I needed to see the Alliance Leader about it.
But I’ll wait on this for now.
It wasn’t because I wanted to keep the treasure. This old, worn-out ring had no special abilities, so there was no reason for me to be greedy.
It’s just that…
If I showed him the ring now…
Absurd rumors might start flying—that I was a hidden disciple of the Dishonored Venerable, or that the Venerable himself was hiding within the Gu Clan.
So I’ll just send it to them later, anonymously.
I didn’t want to deal with the hassle. I had enough complicated matters on my mind already. Why send a treasure that way? Because having it in my possession was a pain, so I had no choice.
Also…
There was something else I needed to take care of, though it was more Elder Shin’s business than mine.
“Shaolin.”
One of the Ten Sect Alliance’s territories in Hanam. I needed to visit the Shaolin Temple there.
“Shaolin?” Tang Soyeol asked, puzzled.
“Yeah.”
“Why would you need to go to Shaolin…?”
“For a tour, I guess…” Honestly, that excuse was sufficient. I didn’t need to say more than that I wanted to see the temple since I was already in Hanam.
But it’s a problem that the old man hasn’t woken up yet.
Elder Shin was the one who’d told me to visit Shaolin if I ever came to Hanam, yet he’d been asleep for days. He should have woken up by now, but for some reason, it was taking longer than usual.
“I’m not going right away, but I think I’ll go soon.”
“And you said your goal is to tour, right?”
“Yeah.”
“T…Then,” Tang Soyeol paused suddenly and glanced at Wi Seol-Ah. Every time she’d tried to broach this topic before, someone had interrupted. Huh?
She looked at Wi Seol-Ah cautiously, trying to gauge her reaction, but for some reason, Wi Seol-Ah just continued to watch.
This is… Is she letting me speak? Is this some kind of approval?
Tang Soyeol felt a prick to her pride for being happy about getting a mere servant’s approval, but she wasn’t in a position to be picky.
“Young Master Gu…!”
“Hmm?”
“Then, umm… perhaps when you go to Shaolin… “
“Would you like to go with me?”
“Yeah, that… wait, what?”
Someone had snatched the words right out of Tang Soyeol’s mouth. It was such an unexpected voice that even I looked at the speaker with surprise.
“…Pardon?”
“Well, you said you’re going to the Shaolin Temple.”
Long, swaying black hair, porcelain skin, a sharp gaze, and a face reminiscent of a cat—a woman of overwhelmingly charming beauty.
“Huh, suddenly? With me?”
“Yes.”
It was the precious daughter of the Moyong Clan…
The Snow Phoenix of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes—
Moyong Hi-ah.
“Would you like to go with me? To the Shaolin Temple.”
Behind me, Tang Soyeol let out an angry puff of air through her nose. Her eyes seemed to scream, How could you?!
But given her cute appearance, she didn’t look scary at all.