Chapter 259: Before Leaving For Anhui (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 259: Before Leaving For Anhui (3)
After a brief stroll through the streets, I returned home.
Namgung Bi-ah’s Lightning Qi and the sharp gaze drilling into my back from behind hastened my return considerably.
…I am never doing that again.
I had no idea how I’d managed to eat anything, and surviving in that atmosphere for so long was a miracle in itself. If I ever went out with them again, it would have to be alone or with just one of them. Anything else, and I might actually be sick.
Swish!
I slowly extended my fist outward.
Even as my mind wrestled with conflicting thoughts, my movements remained flawless. That was the result of relentless, repetitive training. Exhausted as I was, I couldn’t afford to skip my practice and had to push through.
The more power I possess, the harder it becomes to control my Qi.
The greater my accumulation, the more difficult the condensation process grew. Unlike my past life, where I simply exploded with power, this life demanded efficiency. To break through to the next level, I needed to apply the enlightenment I’d gained.
I focused on every minute movement, consciously reducing my Qi expenditure. My goal was to achieve the same desired strength while using less energy. This required intense concentration, and I unconsciously clenched my teeth against the squeezing pain in my Dantian, but it was a necessary ordeal.
Rustle.
As I carefully placed my foot down, my thoughts drifted back to the conversation with Moyong Hi-ah.
In short, she had declared she would be accompanying me to Anhui. Since she required the heat I provided and also had business there herself, she claimed she had no choice but to come along.
I’d expected something like this might happen, but hearing her confirm it still caught me off guard. A blood relative of the Moyong Clan, one of the Four Noble Clans, was planning to visit the territory of another clan. While the relationship between the Moyong and Namgung Clans had softened over time, it was only a few generations ago that they were constantly compared as the two premier sword arts clans.
…Though the Moyong Clan is lagging behind now.
Judging by pure strength, the Namgung Clan had more than enough with the Lord of the clan, the Azure Heavenly Sword Namgung Jin, and his son, the Lightning Dragon. Even Namgung Bi-ah, who stood beside me, was proof enough of their prowess. A talent like hers was rare not just in the Namgung Clan, but across the entire Central Plains. To reach the Peak Realm by twenty years old—she was the same woman who had annihilated her own clan in my past life.
Of course, Moyong Hi-ah was talented in her own right, but her gifts lay more in strategy than martial arts.
…Oh, I know, alright.
Having spent so much time with her in my past life, how could I not know? The reason there were any survivors when hordes of demons descended wasn't due to the martial prowess of the young prodigies, but because of the Snow Phoenix's skillful and efficient command. And when the situation demanded she risk her life, she threw herself forward without hesitation, earning the loyalty of many.
She was a cold and rational woman. So cold, in fact, it seemed as if her smile had been frozen for eternity. That was the Snow Phoenix I remembered.
-I’ll take good care of it.
“…”
Then, I recalled the bright smile she had given me after I bought her a cheap accessory. She was so different from the woman in my past life. I never imagined the Snow Phoenix could make such an expression, nor had I ever tried to imagine it.
That meant…
Just like the Demonic Sword, she too can change.
Just as I no longer sensed the loathing and hatred from Namgung Bi-ah that the Demonic Sword of my past life held, I began to hope that Moyong Hi-ah could change once I rid her of the Ice Qi. And if that change were to happen because of me…
Twist-
“Oops…!”
Distracted by the sudden thought, my foot twisted mid-movement. With my form broken, the Qi I had painstakingly condensed scattered and retreated back into my Dantian.
“… Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. This is what happened when I let my mind wander for too long.
“I’ll end my training for today here.”
With my focus shattered, continuing was pointless. I began to move, drawing all my Qi back into my body.
For some reason…
Thanks to those idle thoughts, I had a feeling I wouldn’t sleep well tonight.
* * *
I was dreaming.
How long had it been since I last dreamed? And an ordinary dream at that, not a nightmare. One might wonder how I knew it was a dream, but it was simple.
It’s soft.
I was stroking a cat’s chin, and I knew very well I didn’t own a cat. Therefore, this had to be a dream.
I wasn't particularly fond of cats—or animals in general—but since it was right there, I kept petting it. The cat seemed to enjoy my touch, rubbing its head against my hand.
It had white fur and blue eyes. How fascinating. It was very different from the spotted cats I usually saw around the neighborhood. It looked elegant, the kind born with good genes.
Purr-
The cat began to purr as I tickled its chin rapidly. It was clearly enjoying itself.
But for some reason, it reminds me of someone.
White fur and blue eyes… who was it? It definitely resembled someone.
Oh.
I got it. There was one person near me who was an unmistakable match.
Namgung Bi-ah.
White clothes, blue eyes. A perfect match. The cat looked quite similar to her. For some reason, that made me change how I was petting it. I moved my hand from its chin to its head, gently rubbing its cheeks.
Perhaps because it was a dream, the cat continued to enjoy the attention.
Then,
Grrr-
I heard the growl of a beast.
Turning, I saw a black figure slowly approaching.
That’s…
What was that? I stared dumbfoundedly at the figure that had appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly, it charged towards me rapidly. Instinctively, I embraced the cat to protect it.
But it felt strange when I hugged it. To my eyes, it was definitely a small cat, but my arms felt full. It felt like I was hugging a person. The softness was entirely different.
“Ah.”
“Hmm?”
Then I heard a small, startled sound. It was far too clear for a dream. The sensation was too real, too. Could this even be called a dream anymore?
Feeling that something was amiss, I woke up.
“…Hmm?”
I opened my heavy eyelids to find myself hugging something. It was extremely soft and cushiony. What was this? A pillow? Just as I was about to let go, I felt something brushing through my hair. The sensation was unmistakably a hand.
The realization hit me, and I quickly scrambled back, putting distance between us.
“W-What’s going on?”
As my senses cleared, I finally saw what—or who—I had been hugging.
Namgung Bi-ah was sitting there, blinking her wide eyes as if equally surprised.
“…W-What are you doing here? What were you doing?” I asked, shocked.
Namgung Bi-ah simply tilted her head. “…I… just came… to wake you up?”
Honestly, the situation was so absurd it felt more like a dream.
Wait.
Had the petting in my dream been real? Probably not. If it had, there was no way Namgung Bi-ah would have remained still.
“Are you okay…?” she asked, her expression worried at my sudden reaction.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened.”
“…”
She tilted her head again at my response, then slowly spread her arms wide.
Frowning slightly, I asked, “What are you doing?”
“…Do you… not want to hug me…? Or… do you… just want to touch me…?”
“…”
My face grew warm. It seemed the petting hadn’t been confined to the dream after all.
“…No, so put your arms down.”
“…Okay…”
Namgung Bi-ah lowered her arms obediently.
It wasn’t as if this was the first or second time she had come to my room, so it shouldn’t have been shocking… Well, no, it was shocking, but I’d simply gotten used to it. Even the servants seemed to have stopped caring about her entering my room.
How embarrassing.
This had to be the most embarrassing moment of the year so far. I never expected to show her this side of myself.
“…Wait for me outside. I’ll be out after I wash up.”
“…”
I waited for her to leave so I could cool down, but she remained seated, simply staring at me.
“What? Do you have something to say?”
In response, Namgung Bi-ah slowly spread her arms once more. “Perhaps… you do need a hug…”
“Please leave…”
“…Okay…”
She finally left, looking disappointed.
I quickly called for a servant to bring water to wash my face and changed into fresh clothes. The servant’s gaze felt a bit strange, but upon seeing my sour expression, they quickly schooled their features. They must have gotten some perverted idea seeing my flushed face.
“When are we leaving?”
“I believe we depart in about two hours, young master.”
“That means I have time to eat something.”
I nodded. It had been a few days since I took Namgung Bi-ah and Moyong Hi-ah out, and just as my father had said, today was the day I was to leave for Anhui. My stay at the clan had been brief, making my schedule incredibly hectic. Over the past few days, I’d had to take care of numerous matters—visiting nearby merchant associations as my father instructed and cramming in all the required education at once.
Gu Huibi had popped up occasionally to mess with me, and for some reason, I’d also run into Lady Mi a few times.
Oh, right. Namgung Bi-ah hadn’t spoken to me for a few days after I gave Moyong Hi-ah that necklace. She had been deeply offended. Even when I visited her, she ignored me and refused to give me the time of day.
As I pondered what to do, Hongwa, who was watching from the side, offered a suggestion.
-How about giving her a flower? I’m sure she’ll feel better once you do that.
When I first heard it, I was speechless. If a simple flower could resolve this, she probably would have gotten over it already. But Hongwa made an expression I’d never seen before and sighed when I asked if there was anything else I could give.
-…For a moment, I felt bad for Young Lady Namgung.
Her voice was full of lament. Fooled by her tone, I went and picked some flowers to give to Namgung Bi-ah. By the way, I only gave her white ones; the only flowers I knew were those grown by my mother.
…Though, I am glad it worked.
It really did. Namgung Bi-ah had been utterly surprised when I gave them to her. She even smiled. Why did it work? They were just flowers. Sometimes, the mind of a girl was truly difficult to comprehend.
Once I stepped outside after changing, I saw Namgung Bi-ah standing in the middle of the garden, gazing at the pond. Not that there was much to see—there used to be carps, but since they were too much trouble to maintain, I’d sent them to Gu Yeonseo’s place.
“When did you wake up?”
“Hmm?”
“You were already in my room. Didn’t you wake up really early?”
“…Oh.”
Unlike me, who had just finished getting ready, Namgung Bi-ah was already fully prepared. Her hair was neatly tidied, and she seemed to be wearing light makeup.
“There’s no way you did that all by yourself. Did Hongwa help you?”
“…Hmm?”
I asked because she didn’t seem the type to adorn herself so meticulously, especially at home. Namgung Bi-ah was known for sleeping in. Her outfit was tidier than usual, and her sword was missing from her waist. It was obvious she hadn’t done this herself.
“Who did it for you?”
“…About that.”
Why was she hesitating? Namgung Bi-ah averted her eyes as if troubled. Was there a need to react like that?
“…Lady Mi…”
“Wha-?”
The unexpected answer made me ask again. I hadn’t expected her to mention Lady Mi.
“What about Lady Mi?”
“…Since I’m going back home… she said it was necessary for me to look like I was having a good time here…”
So, Lady Mi had sought out Namgung Bi-ah early in the morning and arranged for a servant to doll her up.
“What is this nonsense?”
I could somewhat understand the intention, but the journey to Anhui wasn’t short. What was the point of doing all this so early?
As soon as I asked, Namgung Bi-ah answered. “…She said she’ll help me again… when we arrive…”
“…”
Right. Lady Mi was coming with us. The question was, why was she bothering Namgung Bi-ah like this?
I get that she wants her to look presentable…
But I couldn’t understand why she would go to such lengths for an outsider.
I also heard that Gu Huibi had been suffering a fair bit.
Ever since Lady Mi returned to the clan, Gu Huibi had been having a hard time. I’d heard that Gu Huibi, whose personality was fierier than mine, had been caught by Lady Mi—who valued elegance, respect, and dignity above all—and was currently being… re-educated, for lack of a better term. Her attitude was being thoroughly refined.
Jeez… she must really hate it.
Just thinking about it gave me chills. Gu Huibi never cared about such things. Moreover, the Sword Phoenix was famous not just as the greatest Young Prodigy, but also for her fiery temperament. Her personality had been like that forever, and it remained so in my past life. The fact that she wasn’t running away or fighting back was probably because Gu Huibi loved her mother deeply. On the contrary, it seemed Gu Yeonseo was enjoying the whole process.
“Is that why you came to my room so early in the morning?”
“…Yeah.”
“It must’ve been hard.”
“No…”
What did she mean, ‘no’? Considering she usually didn’t wake up even when I tried to rouse her, it was refreshing to see her up at this hour. Though it seemed she’d managed it somehow.
“Let’s go eat first.”
“…Ah…”
Namgung Bi-ah paused abruptly.
“What’s wrong?”
We had about two hours until departure—plenty of time to eat—but she made a strange face at my suggestion. There was no way she had already eaten this early. So why the reaction?
“Something wrong?” I asked dubiously.
Namgung Bi-ah responded carefully. “…Lady Mi… asked me to eat with her… later.”
“What?”
Lady Mi? I was confused that she had invited Namgung Bi-ah and not me. I had noticed I’d been running into her quite frequently lately. But inviting Namgung Bi-ah for a meal, first thing in the morning?
“What? Out of the blue? Just like that? Where are we supposed to go?”
“…”
When I asked where we needed to go, Namgung Bi-ah simply shook her head. It seemed I had misunderstood.
“That’s not it? Then what do you- “
“Me…”
“Hmm?”
“…She only asked me to come…”
“…?”
…Only you?
Why?