Chapter 306: What's That Doing Here? (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 306: What's That Doing Here? (1)
The Headmaster’s office was located behind the student dormitories of the Heavenly Dragon Academy.
He was a master martial artist recognized by the Murim Alliance, appointed to his position precisely because he was the most powerful individual capable of protecting the students should danger arise.
I have to trek all the way over there.
To make matters worse, the instructors’ offices were in the complete opposite direction, forcing me to take a convoluted route with multiple turns.
…He should have just sent me straight to the Headmaster’s office.
Why did I even bother going to Cheol Hwanho first?
Now I had to take all these extra detours because of it.
Rustle.
The crunch of dry leaves under my feet tickled my ears as I walked.
After some grumbling and walking, I was nearly there. The one silver lining was that being summoned during lunchtime meant I got to skip a lesson. Unless the instructors were delving into something truly profound, it was pointless for me—I had already learned it all in my past life.
Are there no guards around here?
Surprisingly, there were no escorts from the Kunlun Sect standing watch. Then again, when you were as powerful as the Qinghai Sword, guards were probably redundant. The only person likely capable of slipping past his senses was probably the Sword Queen herself.
This meant that the moment I approached, I had already entered his perception range.
I wonder why the Headmaster summoned me alone.
Was there some special reason? With that thought, I kept moving forward. I would find out when I saw him.
I slowly entered the building. Despite its modest exterior, the interior felt spacious. I noticed several rooms and wondered which one to enter.
Slide.
Just then, a door slid open, and my eyes met the person stepping out.
“Huh?”
“Ah.”
It was a woman with brown hair, surrounded by a faint golden aura. The very person who had been causing me concern.
It was Wi Seol-Ah.
“Why are you coming out from there?” I asked, my voice unintentionally loud.
Wi Seol-Ah looked equally surprised, as if she hadn’t expected to see me here. I was just as shocked.
I couldn’t sense her presence from inside.
Sensing the Qinghai Sword was one thing, but failing to detect Wi Seol-Ah’s presence was another matter entirely.
This could only mean one thing: There’s something here that suppresses everyone’s presence.
Was this the Qinghai Sword’s doing? Probably not. To my knowledge, he didn’t possess such an ability. I knew a fair bit about him. While I wasn’t fully aware of his martial prowess, I was familiar with a title he had yet to acquire in this timeline.
Then, was it the power of a treasure? That seemed most likely. I didn’t know what kind of treasure it was, but its effect was certainly potent.
“You…” I began.
“The… Headmaster called for me,” she explained.
“The Headmaster?” The Qinghai Sword had summoned Wi Seol-Ah?
Is it because of the Sword Venerable? It was possible he had called her due to her lineage as a descendant of the Sword Venerable. I wasn’t sure if that was the case, but Wi Seol-Ah’s reaction suggested otherwise. Embarrassment was written all over her face—but why would she be embarrassed to see me?
“…You.” My voice was laced with suspicion as I called out to her, causing her shoulders to flinch.
“Did you cause some trouble?” I asked.
“…!” Wi Seol-Ah immediately lowered her head upon hearing my words. It seemed I had hit the nail on the head.
Was Wi Seol-Ah summoned by the Headmaster because she caused trouble? I was curious what she could have possibly done to warrant a meeting with the Headmaster instead of a regular instructor. Then again, it was surprising enough that Wi Seol-Ah had caused trouble in the first place.
“What kind of trouble did you—” I began to ask, but was cut off.
Slide—
A closed door slid open on its own.
Swoosh!
A gust of wind blew out from the room, dense with spiritual energy.
-Come in.
A heavy voice echoed telepathically in my mind. The mere sound of it felt like it resonated through my entire body.
To affect me this much with just his voice… The Qinghai Sword is at a much higher level than I thought. I had assumed he would be weaker than the Celestial Plum Blossom, but it seemed one of the leaders of the Ten Sect Alliance was not to be underestimated.
“Wait outside,” I told Wi Seol-Ah.
“…Outside?”
“Yes. I have something to discuss with you, so you’d better wait.” Not giving her a chance to refuse, I stepped into the room before she could respond.
The moment I crossed the threshold,
Woong—!
“…!” A powerful energy wrapped around me. The air inside was palpably different from outside. Cold sweat trickled down my back from the sheer density of the energy.
This old man…
I pushed forward through the dense energy. The atmosphere wasn’t suffocating, nor was the pressure unbearable enough to make me sweat—yet I was sweating nonetheless.
Is he trying to kill me?
With just a subtle shift from the Qinghai Sword, the spiritual energy in the room turned violent. I pressed on through the thick atmosphere. As I walked at a steady pace, I began to make out a figure seated ahead.
It was an old man, small in stature with white hair. At my current level, I couldn’t gauge the sharpness of the sword intent contained within him. His eyes were closed, yet I knew he was watching me.
“How impressive,” the old man said as I arrived.
“I was curious what kind of child you were, given the rumors.” People called this old man by many titles, but none were derogatory. He was one of the Three Fists of the Seven Steel, one of the Five Sword Masters, the leader of the Kunlun Sect in Qinghai, and…
“The rumors hardly do you justice.” …he would soon be known as the Demon of Qinghai. One of the Heavenly Demon’s right-hand men now looked at me with a smile.
* * *
The Qinghai Sword—or rather, the Demon of Qinghai. The old man was known by both titles during the time of calamity. This was around when the Heavenly Demon first emerged in the Central Plains. At that time, the Orthodox Faction held great power, and no one truly understood the extent of the Heavenly Demon’s might. They saw no reason to fear a nameless figure who claimed they would destroy the Central Plains. No one believed a single individual could dominate such a vast region; it seemed impossible.
Yet, many succumbed to the Heavenly Demon, becoming Demonic Humans—later known as the Great Demonic Humans. They were the first to turn to the Heavenly Demon, driven by their own greed. Had they made a foolish decision? Yes, they had. In the end, the Heavenly Demon was slain by the Celestial Sword, and the Demonic Cult collapsed. They had chosen poorly.
However, at the time, when the Heavenly Demon’s true power was first revealed, it hadn’t seemed that way. The first Demonic Humans were arguably the Heavenly Demon’s earliest right-hand men, granted significant authority as the demon itself found them special.
For example, the Demonic Absorption Art. That was one of the powers granted. I believed the Heavenly Demon bestowed this upon me because I was among the first to become a Demonic Human—though it was forced upon me, not a choice I made willingly.
The old man before me was also one of the first Demonic Humans, just like me.
The Demon of Qinghai.
I had heard that the leader of the Kunlun Sect turned into a Demonic Human shortly after the Heavenly Demon emerged. This sent shockwaves through the Orthodox Faction, as many had believed him to be more loyal to their cause than anyone. The Kunlun Sect quickly installed a new leader, insisting no one else would follow the Qinghai Sword’s path of corruption, but the stain on their reputation remained. It was the Qinghai Sword himself who had walked the path of corruption.
I never learned why he had turned. By the time I grew powerful enough to earn a respectable position among the Demonic Humans, the Qinghai Sword had already been slain by the Sword Venerable. The only thing I remembered about him was that, despite becoming a Demonic Human, he hadn’t succumbed to madness. He had looked at me with pity. That was all. I had a rough idea of his fighting style and martial arts, but those details didn’t seem important now.
“…I greet the Headmaster of the Academy.”
“Welcome. It must have been a long trip.”
“Not at all.” As I spoke, I noticed a cup of tea had been set before me. I wondered when he had found the time to prepare it.
“This is our second meeting, after our first around ten days ago.”
“That’s right.” I had seen him during the orientation; this was our second encounter.
The Demon of Qinghai smiled as he looked at me. “The Tiger Warrior did a good job raising his son. You are outstanding.”
“Thank you.”
“Haha!” The Qinghai Sword laughed, seeming to be in a good mood. “Right.”
Then…
Swoooosh…
The spiritual energy filling the room began to swirl.
“Do you feel it?”
“Yes, it’s quite clear.” Slowly but densely, the energy in the large room felt endlessly threatening. It was enough to drench my back in cold sweat born of nervousness.
“How amusing… that you can feel this. Even the second-generation students struggled.”
“Could you consider stopping? I find it almost impossible to breathe.” …I can’t even drink the tea, you old man. What was the point of serving it if I couldn’t even lift the cup?
As I spoke carefully, the energy around me softened once more.
“I apologize. It seems I went a bit overboard—curiosity got the best of me.”
“It’s no problem.” I wasn’t fine with it, but I couldn’t afford to argue with the Headmaster. Why was everyone so eager to test me? This was precisely why I needed to hold back. The moment I showed a hint of my abilities, rumors spread, and everyone became a hassle. Would it hurt them to just leave me alone? In this damned world, strength was a curse.
As I ranted internally, the Qinghai Sword spoke again. “Now, do you know why I called you here?”
“Yes.” How could I not? Cheol Hwanho had already told me.
After my response, the Qinghai Sword’s expression turned serious. It seemed he was getting straight to the point. “I understand you have the fiery spirit of youth, but you went too far.”
“I apologize.”
“The Academy hasn’t even been open for long.”
“…” Just as I had feared. Who else could have caused such trouble in less than a month?
Uh, isn’t this more dangerous than I expected? I might face suspension. I had started to worry the moment I was summoned by the Headmaster. Even if it wasn’t explicitly in the rules, the Headmaster could expel me if he disapproved of my actions.
…Ugh. This might be worse than I thought. What would I do if I were suspended?
What do I mean, ‘what would I do’? I’d be screwed. All my plans would collapse. If I hadn’t come here, things might have been different, but now I had to see my plans through. Maybe I should kneel? I could at least do that much if necessary—
“Haha…!” Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed the Qinghai Sword laughing aloud at my expression.
“What an entertaining expression.”
“…” Was it that obvious? As I wondered how to respond, he continued.
“Do not worry. The thing you fear won’t happen.”
“Pardon?”
“However, due to my position, I must at least pretend to punish you.”
“…”
“I’ll chalk it up to the impulsiveness of youth and let it slide.”
“…Thank you.” His words struck a nerve. If I considered my age from my past life, I wasn’t young at all. That made it sound like I had never matured.
…Wait, did I? Given my personality, I wasn’t sure I had. But I was relieved. Judging by his tone, suspension was off the table. That was enough for me.
“Originally, this would have been more than enough reason to suspend you from the Academy.”
Gulp. I swallowed hard.
“But I’ll let it slide because I’m fond of you.”
“Tha—… Pardon? Fond of me?” Had I heard correctly? I hadn’t expected that, especially from the Headmaster.
“Yes, fond of you.”
“…May I ask what you mean by that?”
“Is it hard to understand? It simply means I like you.” I was speechless. How could he like me when we had barely met? I wasn’t even a martial artist from the Kunlun Sect.
“…I don’t understand why you are fond of me.”
“Are you unhappy about it?”
“Not at all.” It wasn’t that. I just felt uneasy. How could I not, when an old man I barely knew claimed to like me? Besides, I didn’t exactly have a face that appealed to the elderly. In fact, it would be suspicious if it did.
“I still need to give you some form of punishment… Yes, sweeping the floors in your dormitory should suffice.”
“…”
“That’s an amusing expression. You look as if you don’t understand at all.”
“You are correct.”
“If you want, I could tell you why.”
“Then could you—”
“However, if I do, I’ll take back what I said and proceed with your suspen—”
“Thank you for liking me. I will not let you down.” I cut him off before he could finish his ‘kind’ offer.
“You are quick.”
“I hear that a lot.” Sure, it was nice that he liked me. Who cared why?
Satisfied, the Qinghai Sword smiled. “You aren’t too similar to your father.”
“…Now that’s a first.” Everyone always said I took after my father, but this was new.
“Do you know my father well?”
“We aren’t completely unaware.” Whenever I met key figures from clans and sects, they mentioned my father. Knowing how active he had been in the Central Plains, I wondered if these two had some history together—but it felt deeper than that.
As I lost myself in thought, the Qinghai Sword spoke again. “I was only curious about you due to the rumors of the True Dragon. You may take your leave for today.”
I tilted my head. Was that it? It felt anticlimactic.
Nevertheless… “I’ll be taking my leave, then.”
“Yes. I hope to see you again.” I didn’t bother asking more questions and quickly made my way out. I was relieved the punishment wasn’t severe. It was always best to leave before they changed their minds.
Slide.
After Gu Yangcheon hurriedly left and closed the door, the Qinghai Sword stared at the door with his piercing white eyes. He thought of the young man he had just spoken to.
He grew up well.
The moment the True Dragon had approached the building, the Qinghai Sword had been shocked by his presence. His energy was remarkably powerful. Not only had he entered the room filled with dense energy, but he had also been able to speak normally within it.
That child should have been in the Kunlun Sect. Had that been the case, the Kunlun Sect might have been the birthplace of a future Zenith. Was that disappointing? Yes, it was. But he was still glad to see him.
He isn’t like his father. He thought of the Tiger Warrior—the young hero who sought justice and fought against the Unorthodox Faction. That man hadn’t been one for jokes, but his son was different, despite their similar appearance. In fact, that was preferable. It would serve him better in life.
Two.
-This is our second meeting.
The Qinghai Sword had told Gu Yangcheon this was their second meeting, but that was a lie. It was actually their third encounter. The first had been long ago, a forgotten memory for Gu Yangcheon.
Well, it’s understandable. He was too young to remember. He had been just a child, barely walking while holding his mother’s hand. The Qinghai Sword recalled his conversation with that lady from the past.
—I do not need your kindness.
—However, if there’s ever a chance in the future, I hope you treat my child well… that much is enough for me.
It was long ago, and though only the Qinghai Sword remembered, he still held onto it. He took a sip of the tea, still warm. Despite brewing it with his unskilled hands, the taste wasn’t bad.
* * *
I left the Headmaster’s office and stepped outside.
“Jeez, I’m shaking.” Only when the cold winter breeze hit me did my body finally relax.
“…I should hold back on causing more trouble.” I had acted without considering the consequences, but I needed to be more careful from now on. At the very least, I had to behave until I finished my business here.
Though, of course… …Is that even possible? I wasn’t confident at all. I had many tasks to handle, and it seemed unlikely I could stay out of trouble for long.
“I’m sure everything will be fine.” I wasn’t in a position to choose a different path, so I had to press on regardless. I was glad he had let me off, though.
I wonder why he’s fond of me. I couldn’t understand the Qinghai Sword at all. Why would he like me when we had barely met? Had I unknowingly helped the Kunlun Sect somehow?
That’s not it. I had never been involved with them in this life, and in my past life, I had only beaten up their martial artists. It only deepened my confusion.
I don’t know. But it’s a good thing. Instead of dwelling on the Qinghai Sword, I had to prioritize something else right now.
Where is she? I had clearly told her to wait outside. Where had she gone?
Did she run? It was possible; she tended to bolt whenever she saw me. But this time, I planned to catch her no matter where she went. Why was I playing hide-and-seek at my age…
Just as I had that thought, I thankfully spotted Wi Seol-Ah. She was crouched in a grassy field, looking at something.
What is she doing? Was she observing ants or something? She was so focused she didn’t even notice me approaching.
After arriving right behind her, I began, “What are you doing her—” But I stopped short.
Huh?
Something was strange about Wi Seol-Ah. She was curled up, making odd hand movements in the air. A peculiar sensation emanated from the area around her hands.
Wait.
…Is she perhaps?