Chapter 278: Winter Rain (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 278: Winter Rain (2)
Pitter-patter…
Rain began to fall outside.
The sky, which had been clear and bright just days before, was now choked with dark clouds that blotted out the sun. The cold air grew heavy with moisture.
It didn't feel like winter at all.
Pitter-patter…
I stared out at the rain.
It wasn't a heavy downpour, more of a persistent drizzle. But could it really be called a drizzle if it had been going on for days? I smirked at the thought.
"Since when does it rain like this in winter?"
My breath misted in the air as I spoke. For it to rain in such weather… just what was going on?
Slide… tap.
After watching for a while longer, I closed the window. I was already feeling gloomy enough; staring at this damned weather wasn't helping. I stretched, closed the window, and took a deep breath.
"Sigh…"
This weariness wasn't from training. My room was too small for any vigorous exercise, so lately, I'd only been practicing my Qi cultivation, hoping to break through to the Fusion realm.
No, this exhaustion came from something else entirely.
It was because the siblings from the Bi Clan were staying at the same inn.
…Tsk.
And just thinking about the older of the two gave me a headache.
Just beat me up already.
When I'd met him yesterday—Bi Eejin, the so-called 'Dishonored Venerable Bijuu'—he'd said something particularly grating during his greeting.
"I've heard a great deal about you from my master."
…God damn it.
Bi Eejin was subtly informing me that he was a disciple of the Dishonored Venerable. The problem was, the Dishonored Venerable wasn't just a master; he was the Dishonored Venerable himself.
He couldn't reveal that, of course, which is why he phrased it so carefully.
'I am the Dishonored Venerable. Are you the bastard pretending to be my disciple?' He couldn't say that outright, so he'd chosen this roundabout method instead.
Whichever way you looked at it, the situation was far from welcoming for me. The fact remained that I had encountered the Dishonored Venerable.
There was one thing I couldn't figure out, though.
What does he want from me?
It seemed like the Dishonored Venerable wanted something, but I couldn't be sure. We hadn't spoken much, and in my past life, he had nearly killed me. It would be strange if I knew him well.
"Hmm…"
So far, he seemed content to simply observe me. It didn't look like he was planning to make a move anytime soon.
Moreover…
Little sister, huh.
A girl who claimed to be his younger sister was accompanying him. Bibi, I think her name was? She was supposedly the youngest blood relative of the Bi Clan, but given that the Dishonored Venerable had regained his youth through Eternal Youth techniques, the chances of them being actual siblings were zero—unless Bibi had achieved the same feat.
Yet, the girl seemed to genuinely believe he was her older brother, even though she was young enough to be his granddaughter, or even great-granddaughter. If she wasn't acting, then the Dishonored Venerable was masquerading as this identity.
Is that how he can also claim to be the son of the Bi Clan Lord?
Since he was originally from the clan, it wasn't strange for Bijuu to have ties to the Bi Clan. But for this to be possible, the Clan Lord must know the Dishonored Venerable's true identity. This was probably the most suitable place for him to hide his weakened body, recover his strength, and ensure his safety.
But for him to pretend to be a Young Prodigy…
What was a fully grown man doing in a playground full of children? Did he have no shame? If it were me, I'd have killed myself by biting my tong…
"…"
I massaged my forehead mid-thought. I realized I was in no position to judge anyone.
"For fuck's sake."
I didn't know what he wanted or what he planned to do, but if he ever tried anything, I had only one thing to say to the Dishonored Venerable.
…I'll just sell out the First Elder.
Well, I doubt it would count as selling him out, since all this was that man's fault to begin with.
And if that didn't work, I'd simply run away. He wouldn't chase me all the way back to my clan, right? And if he did… I was sure it would all work out… somehow.
"Sigh."
I let out a deep sigh and glanced beside me. As I moved my hand, I felt silky smooth hair between my fingers. Her white locks felt like genuine silk.
It was well past noon, but this sleepyhead was still lost in her dreams.
"Shouldn't you get up now?"
I spoke fairly loudly, but Namgung Bi-ah, fast asleep, didn't even stir. And just to be clear, this was my room. Her room was next to mine, but when I'd woken up later than usual, I found her sleeping right beside me.
I stared at her speechlessly for a moment before gently brushing her hair and getting up. In all the time I'd spent with her, I'd learned it was nearly impossible to wake her by calling her name. In situations like this, it was best to just let her sleep.
Leaving Namgung Bi-ah behind, I exited my room.
"Ah, Young Master!"
I ran into Tang Soyeol the moment I stepped out. Her hair was wet, as if she'd just finished washing.
Noticing my gaze, she smiled and tidied her hair. "I just finished training…!"
Her excuse took me by surprise. "You trained in the rain?"
"Huh? Ah… yes. I have to work hard, after all."
For some reason, her light smile made her seem surprisingly mature.
That's unexpected.
Of course, Tang Soyeol would train; she was a martial artist. But I hadn't expected such diligence. Furthermore, judging by her irregular breathing and unsettled Qi, it seemed she had pushed herself quite hard.
Now that I think about it, Tang Soyeol is almost there.
She was at the end of the First-rate realm.
While freaks like the Sword Dragon and Namgung Bi-ah had reached the Peak realm at a young age, Tang Soyeol was talented enough to be considered a genius. After all, many people only reached First-rate by their thirties. Tang Soyeol likely sensed she was on the verge of breaking through, which explained her intense effort.
Seeing her like this, I felt a flicker of pride at having pushed Gu Jeolyub from the middle of First-rate to its peak.
It looks like I'll need to work him even harder.
Now that I had more excuses to beat him up—ahem, to motivate Gu Jeolyub—I felt a little brighter.
"Oh, right, Young Master."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know where sis Bi-ah is?"
"…"
I carefully controlled my expression. "Why are you looking for her?"
"Oh, I thought about training with her… but I couldn't find her anywhere. I thought maybe you would know…"
"…"
Namgung Bi-ah was currently asleep in my room. Those were words I could never utter lightly. Anyone would misunderstand.
In the end, I had to lie. "Maybe she's sleeping somewhere?"
It was the truth. She was sleeping. In my room.
"Right? Jeez, she sleeps so much…"
"…Indeed."
"Oh, also, Young Master, Young Lady Bi and Young Master Bi asked me to see if you'd like to have a meal with them later, so—"
"Sorry, I don't think I'll be hungry by then."
"Huh? But I didn't even tell you what time…?"
"I'm not feeling well."
"Ah, I see…"
I felt a little bad seeing Tang Soyeol's disappointed expression, but I had no choice. Eating with them would just make me nauseous. They'd already tried to invite me several times over the past few days, and I'd done my best to avoid them.
Tang Soyeol pouted, but that wasn't going to change my answer. She knew it, too, so she didn't press further.
"Okie dokie…"
"What's with the pronunciation?"
"Nothing… Also, Young Master, one more thing."
"There's more?"
Why did she have so much to say?
"It's nothing major… Um, Young Lady Gu has been training really hard."
"Hmm?"
I made a strange face at the unexpected name. Why was she suddenly bringing up Gu Yeonseo?
"My sister?"
Had Tang Soyeol spoken to Gu Yeonseo? Why mention her out of the blue?
Ignoring my confusion, Tang Soyeol continued, "Yes. She was already training when I arrived at the grounds, and she was still at it even after I finished."
"Hmm…"
I hadn't noticed, probably because I hadn't been training much myself. I frowned slightly, finding it suspicious that Tang Soyeol would bring this up.
But her eyes held a strange sympathy.
"I'm sorry for being intrusive."
Tang Soyeol apologized with a slight bow. Her words confirmed my suspicion. If even she had noticed, then something was definitely wrong with Gu Yeonseo.
A sense of unease settled over me. It seemed she had told me because she didn't know who else to turn to.
"…No need to apologize. Where is this training ground?"
I felt I needed to get there immediately.
* * *
There was a large field behind the inn. It looked artificial, as if created by clearing away the trees with nothing else done afterwards. It was a decent spot for training, I supposed.
Of course, since we weren't the only ones around, it would be difficult to practice any Poisonous Arts here. Furthermore, the rain made it less than ideal for training at the moment.
I walked through the rain towards the field. After a short while, I spotted a lone figure training in the distance.
As I drew closer, I unmistakably recognized the heat signature of the Gu Clan. Sensing this, I narrowed my eyes and sharpened my senses to check if anyone else was nearby. Thankfully, there was no one else.
Swoosh!
Just as I let out a sigh of relief, a wave of heat brushed past my nose. Gu Yeonseo was practicing her movement techniques, her body emanating intense heat.
Swish—!
Her sword cut through the rain, leaving a faint afterimage in the air.
Flap.
Her clothes flapped roughly as she stomped her foot into a puddle with a loud splash. She continued her motions, swinging her sword once more.
I stopped and observed her from a distance.
Hm.
I only needed a moment to understand why Tang Soyeol had been concerned. Gu Yeonseo's flaws were visible even to an onlooker.
It's shaky.
The tip of her sword was unstable, and the arms holding it lacked conviction. Her heat failed to harmonize with the flow of her Qi, and she seemed to be struggling to exert her full strength.
Inner Demons.
Gu Yeonseo was currently afflicted by them. While it wasn't unheard of for a Second-rate martial artist to experience Inner Demons, at her level, once she fell into that swamp, there was little she could do to pull herself out.
Her movements were saturated with anxiety. That seemed to be the root cause.
I frowned.
When did this start?
I wondered when exactly Gu Yeonseo had begun to spiral like this. In the future, she was supposed to earn fame and the title of 'Flaming Sword.' Had she gone through this in my past life? I didn't think so.
Then how had she ended up in this state?
Was it because of me?
There was only one answer. If there was a cause, it was likely me.
Tsk.
I had neglected her, using my busy schedule as an excuse. While it was true that problems kept popping up one after another, I had also avoided her because I didn't want to deal with the complicated emotions involved. It was easier to just not think about it than to confront and resolve the conflict.
Because of that, Gu Yeonseo was now trapped in a swamp, struggling to escape.
How annoying.
It was always irritating when problems arose because of my own actions. Moreover, I couldn't help Gu Yeonseo in the way she needed. I could make Gu Jeolyub roll around and train harder because of our specific relationship. Our dynamics were different.
If I treated Gu Yeonseo the same way, forcing her to train relentlessly, she might indeed become stronger and climb higher.
But I can't afford to do that.
If I pulled her out of the swamp by force, she might temporarily escape her Inner Demons, but it would undoubtedly leave a scar that would worsen in the future.
So what could I do?
Gu Yeonseo continued to swing her sword in the pouring rain, and all I could do was watch from a distance, careful to stay far enough away that she wouldn't sense my presence.
…
Tang Soyeol seemed to believe I was the one who could solve this, but I couldn't. Especially not in this case.
However, I decided I would take responsibility. If it were anyone else, I would have ignored them, but I felt a sense of guilt towards Gu Yeonseo.
Was it because I had slapped her during the Nine Dragons Day?
No, that was justified.
I had no regrets about that. It was her fault for provoking me. In fact, it was completely reasonable for me to have hit her. Though holding back a little might have been better… but what's done is done.
Even so, I was concerned about her.
—I despise you.
The memory surfaced: the Flaming Sword, Gu Yeonseo, holding Gu Huibi's cold body in her arms and pointing her sword at me.
"Tsk."
I turned and left the field. While I couldn't help Gu Yeonseo with her dense Inner Demons, thankfully, there was someone nearby who could.
I quickened my pace and headed towards an inn different from the one I was staying at.
"Huh…? Brother Gu?"
I found his presence, entered the inn, and was met with the shocked stares of Yung Pung and others who were having a meal.
"Brother Yung Pung."
"What brings you here…? Oh! Perhaps you want to train with m—"
Yung Pung spoke cheerfully, but that wasn't my goal. I cut him off.
"Where is the Sword Queen?"
Yung Pung's face instantly fell with disappointment.