Chapter 219: Omen (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 219: Omen (6)
After parting ways with Gu Jeolyub and the Second Elder, I headed out into the streets with Wi Seol-Ah.
Staying in the clan had begun to feel uncomfortable for some reason.
The Steward’s gaze is a bit bothersome, but it should be fine.
Since I was due to be confined soon, I’d been certain they wouldn’t let me leave the clan grounds. I was genuinely shocked when they permitted me to go so easily. I’d even prepared several methods to sneak out, but now all that preparation was pointless.
“Young Master! Over there!”
“Hey… ease up on the grip, will you?”
I found myself being dragged through the streets by Wi Seol-Ah. It had been a while since our last outing, and her mood was exceedingly cheerful—evident from the way she pulled me along like an excited bull.
Muyeon would normally have accompanied us, but he claimed to be on the verge of an enlightenment. Since a simple stroll through the city was harmless, I ordered him to stay behind.
It’s not like I need an escort for something like this. Besides, if Muyeon was experiencing a breakthrough, that was far more important.
“Chicken skewers!”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Even though it was our first time out in a while, our activities hadn’t changed; we just ended up buying food. Then again, it was always like that.
I wonder what the other girls are up to.
Before leaving, I had looked for Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol. Namgung Bi-ah, as usual, had gone off to train, and I heard that Tang Soyeol had gone out somewhere.
Now that I think about it, is Tang Soyeol not planning to return?
Namgung Bi-ah was practically a resident of the Gu Clan by now, but since the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament ended, Tang Soyeol was in a position where she ought to return to Sichuan.
…I also heard she’s been receiving a lot of letters.
A pile of letters from the Tang Clan had accumulated for Tang Soyeol. It was obvious she wasn’t reading any of them.
As Wi Seol-Ah dragged me along, I glanced down a particular alleyway. It was the path that led to the Hao Clan.
I really should visit.
It had been a while, and I needed to speak with them about their Lord, but my current situation wasn’t ideal. For now, it was better to just spend the day with Wi Seol-Ah.
[While also slacking off on your training.]
I’ll have to train to the point of exhaustion soon enough anyway. I’m just taking a day to relax.
[How productive of you.]
Thank you for the compliment.
I let Elder Shin’s words go in one ear and out the other. Just like always.
“The dumpling shop closed down, huh…”
“Young Master… Out of all the expressions I’ve seen on you recently, you look the saddest right now.”
“This is a genuine catastrophe, you know that?”
“That a dumpling shop closed?”
“Yes. It’s the same as if your favourite chicken skewer stall vanished.”
Wi Seol-Ah’s face morphed into one of horror. “T-that’s a serious problem… that place is really good.”
“Yeah. That’s exactly how I feel.”
“…What a tragedy.”
“Right?”
The dumpling shop I frequented had shut down. This was one of the most shocking events since my regression.
[A mere dumpling shop closing is…?]
You wouldn’t understand, you Taoist who only eats grass.
[You little—! Mount Hua eats meat as well!]
Taoists eat meat…? I knew it. Mount Hua was never a proper Taoist clan.
[You…!]*
I took my stress out on Elder Shin. The old man shouted in my ears, but I was long since used to it.
There’s nothing left to buy before heading back, then.
I always used to buy a bunch of snacks before returning home, but I couldn’t do that anymore. No more dumplings.
“I guess I can’t buy anyth…”
I started to speak while looking at Wi Seol-Ah, but she was staring off in a different direction. When I checked what had caught her eye…
“Huh? What did you say, Young Master?”
“No, nothing.”
“Where shall we go next!”
Wi Seol-Ah hopped over, wrapped her arm around mine, and began dragging me away again. At that moment, I stole a glance at the spot she had been looking at.
“…Hey, what’s the point of asking if you’re just going to drag me around anyway?”
“Hehe!”
“Don’t think you can brush this off with a giggle.”
Despite myself, I laughed at Wi Seol-Ah’s shrewd act.
* * *
By the time I returned to the clan, night had fallen. The Steward summoned me immediately and laid out my future plans.
My confinement would begin in about four days. I was to be placed in the Gu Clan’s Fire Chamber, which was fine by me.
I really need to sort things out soon.
Whether it was the chaotic energies swirling inside me or the middle dantian I’d unlocked upon reaching the Peak Realm, I planned to use this confinement to consolidate everything. I might have caused this situation, but I could at least be productive with it.
They also outlined plans to assign me to a Swordsmen Army after my confinement, ensuring I’d waste a full year on the battlefield. The one responsible for managing the battlefield, Captain Gu Huibi of the Fifth Army, was currently bedridden in the medical ward.
When I asked what would happen if she hadn’t recovered in time, they told me that if Gu Huibi couldn’t do it, the Captain of the First Army would drag me away instead.
…So they’re leaving me no room to escape.
It seemed I was destined for the battlefield no matter what.
How annoying.
I wasn’t afraid of the battlefield, and I wasn’t really afraid of Gu Huibi at this point.
…Well, maybe a little afraid of the latter.
In my past life, when Gu Huibi tortured me, I was barely a third-rate martial artist, nowhere near the First-rate. I was constantly exhausted because I never trained, leaving my body weak. At least now, I wasn’t in a state to be worn down so easily.
It’s just… my instincts revolt at the idea of being under Gu Huibi’s command. It felt like a primal fear engraved deep into my body.
A whole year… A year on the frontlines was an incredibly long time. I needed to plan what to do well in advance.
Whether it’s the matter of the Heavenly Demon or the Black Palace.
I was in a position where I couldn’t afford to let either of those threats slip, yet I had to endure a full year while also dealing with them.
Maybe I should just run away?
No matter how I looked at it, that seemed like the best option. I did plan to leave the clan for good one day, after all.
However…
“Tsk…”
I couldn’t afford to leave just yet. There were still matters I needed to resolve within the clan.
That’s my life in a nutshell. In a life where nothing ever goes right, it’d be strange if something actually got solved easily.
Tap.
Leaking a subtle amount of Qi to sense my surroundings, I moved with extreme care. I waited for the cover of complete darkness.
I can’t believe I not only have to break out of my own clan’s jail but also sneak around like a thief. What a joke.
My destination was Gu Huibi’s residence. Members of the Fifth Army were stationed around the building, standing guard. The only people permitted entry were blood relatives of the clan and the Immortal Healer, yet here I was, sneaking in.
I was here to cleanse the Demonic Qi festering inside Gu Huibi’s body. Technically, I could have entered through the front door as a blood relative, but I had no desire to reveal my ability to purify Demonic Qi.
Though the Immortal Healer probably already suspects.
The Palace Lord’s energy was substantial, but this amount is easy to handle.
This only made me more curious. How and where had the Sword Queen been poisoned by such a vast quantity of Demonic Qi?
…Was it the Heavenly Demon?
I had too many doubts to readily believe that, and I was still missing too many pieces of the puzzle to reach a conclusion. It seemed more likely she had contracted it from somewhere else.
If that’s the case?
For an instant, the memories of what I witnessed in the Abyss in my past life surfaced, but I dismissed them immediately. I refused to believe that was truly the answer.
After absorbing all the Demonic Qi from Gu Huibi’s body, I rose quickly. She would wake around sunrise, and I needed to be long gone before then.
Before leaving, I stared down at Gu Huibi.
If I hadn’t done this, she wouldn’t have had to suffer on the battlefield.
If I left the Demonic Qi within her, Gu Huibi wouldn’t be fit for the battlefield, and I would be sent off with the Captain of the First Army as planned. That might have been more comfortable for me…
But I can’t let that happen.
She was an annoying sister, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that to Gu Huibi. No matter how nasty her personality, she was still my sister.
Now that I think about it, I should probably go see Gu Yeonseo as well.
She was the second child of the Gu Clan, another elder sister of mine. I hadn’t properly spoken to Gu Yeonseo since the Nine Dragons Day. I’d seen her from a distance a few times, but she always avoided me, preventing any real conversation.
I’ll visit her one day to resolve this tension. We couldn’t afford to let this continue forever.
Taking one last look at Gu Huibi sleeping soundly, I turned and left her quarters. Sneaking in had been difficult, but leaving was far easier. Concealing my presence, I returned to my quarters with quick, light steps.
If I could just get to sleep now, my plan would have been executed perfectly.
“Hmm…?”
But someone was sitting on the ground right beside my room. In the dead of night, no less.
Once I recognized who it was, I spoke up. It was strange to see her here at this hour.
“What are you doing there?”
It was Wi Seol-Ah, sitting on the floor and watching the moonlight.
“Why aren’t you slee…”
I trailed off mid-sentence. Bathed in the moonlight, when Wi Seol-Ah turned to face me, her eyes seemed to flash golden for an instant. Of course, it must have been a trick of the light, because when I looked again, they were their normal, dark pupils.
Am I that tired? With no time to relax lately, it seemed I was starting to hallucinate.
“You should be asleep. What are you doing out here, you…”
“What about you, Young Master?”
“I had something to do.”
“Me too… I had something to do as well.”
“What is it?”
“Watching the sun.”
“How can you be watching the sun in the middle of the night?”
A new moon hung brightly in the sky. There was no sun to be seen in the darkness.
When I questioned her absurd statement, Wi Seol-Ah responded with a light smile.
“It will rise tomorrow.”
“Then you should watch it tomorrow. Why are you looking for it now?”
“I agree.”
What was she talking about? Was she exhausted too? After playing in the streets all day, it seemed her mind wasn’t all there.
“You should get to sleep soon. Elder Wi will scold you if you don’t, you know?”
“…Oungh, I’m not sure I want that.”
“And Hongwa will yell at you, too.”
“Ahh, I really don’t want that…!”
At my words, Wi Seol-Ah scrambled to her feet with a horrified expression. She seemed headed for her room, but I stopped her for a moment.
“Wait.”
“Eh?”
Wi Seol-Ah stared at me, wondering why I’d stopped her. I reached into my pocket and placed an object in her hand.
“Huh…?”
Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes sparkled as she looked at what she was holding. Her already large eyes widened even further, surprising me with their size.
“This is…?”
“You were looking at it earlier, so I thought you might want it.”
“N-No… it’s not like that…”
“It’s fine if you don’t, but I already bought it, so you might as well use it.”
The gift was a decorative accessory meant to hang from a sword’s hilt. Most swordsmen avoided them, claiming they got in the way, but it should be fine for Wi Seol-Ah.
“Whether it’s the sword or anything else, work hard at it. And it’s fine to give up if you decide you don’t want to do it anymore.”
“…”
If she ultimately decided to pursue the sword, I wanted to stop her, but I believed it was necessary to let her choose her own path for the sake of her future. She needed a point where she could protect herself. Having at least that much strength would help Wi Seol-Ah live a more peaceful life.
Looking into Wi Seol-Ah’s wide eyes, I spoke again.
“I’m going to sleep. You should get some rest, too.”
After giving her head a brief pat, I entered my room.
As the door closed behind me, Wi Seol-Ah was left alone, staring at the accessory in her hand. She whispered quietly towards Gu Yangcheon’s room.
“…You are wrong. The sun is perfectly up in the sky after all.”
Whispering those words, Wi Seol-Ah held the accessory tightly to her chest.