Chapter 322: Hands-on Training (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 322: Hands-on Training (2)
Had it all started after that awkward lunch? Or perhaps it began when Wi Seol-Ah made her unexpected confession.
For some reason, she had started acting differently.
After my afternoon training and lecture, as I rested, I could feel a gaze upon me. I looked around, trying to identify the source, when I noticed a head peeking through the crack in the door.
“Hmm?”
I squinted, focusing on the door. The initial shock faded as I recognized a familiar face. Of course I did—it was Wi Seol-Ah, after all. At first, I thought I was seeing things, but it was truly her.
What was she doing?
I wasn’t the only one who noticed. My roommates were also staring in the same direction, equally puzzled.
Wi Seol-Ah already attracted plenty of attention as the descendant of a Heavenly Venerable. On top of that, her growing beauty had made her a target for some unsavory characters. It was understandable, really. How could she not, looking like that? Though personally, I missed the days when her cheeks still held a hint of baby fat.
“Brother?”
As Pe Woocheol noticed my distraction, he called out to me.
“I know.”
Slide.
I stood up the moment our eyes met. She was obviously here for me. I’d be hurt if that weren’t the case… but surely, I was right.
Wi Seol-Ah flinched when I approached, but thankfully, she didn’t run this time. She always used to bolt, so at least now she was staying put.
Is she some kind of wild animal? It used to be that difficult to approach her.
Smirking to myself, I stepped closer and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Ah…!”
“What do you mean, ‘Ah’?” Why was she acting surprised when we’d just made eye contact?
Her reaction showed that her eyes were still as wide as ever, though they now held a sharpness that gradually resembled the ones I remembered from my past life. Yet, her behavior proved she was still different from the Celestial Sword I once knew.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Her hair swayed with every shake of her head. In just a few years, her once-short hair had grown long, now reaching all the way to her waist. As I gazed at the strands of brown hair streaked with gold, Wi Seol-Ah spoke.
“I just wanted to see you…”
Her words pierced right through my chest. I never expected to hear that from her.
“…”
Her confession left me speechless. Before I could recover, Wi Seol-Ah took advantage of my shock and ran off, vanishing right after she finished speaking.
Why does she run away every time I try to respond? Maybe she really is a wild animal?
This wasn’t the only time she’d fled. We’d occasionally meet during training, but she always bolted after just a few words. At least now, it felt like she was making an effort. It was an improvement over her immediately running away as before.
Still, her constant peeking was starting to unnerve me. Why was she acting this way? My head was already filled with conflicted thoughts thanks to the morning’s events. And now, the culprit herself was behaving so strangely…
Was she trying to fluster me even more? If so, she was succeeding. Thanks to her, I was more conflicted than ever.
With group training done for the day, it was time for my individual session. Normally, I’d eat with the others around this time, but tonight I decided to skip dinner since everyone seemed busy. I figured my recent spaciness was due to a lack of training, so in a way, this was for the best.
I rarely missed a chance to catch up with the others during mealtime, so it had been a while since our schedules had conflicted so thoroughly. Moyong Hi-ah had been busy lately, claiming she had business to attend to, while Tang Soyeol mentioned she had plans to meet Peng Ah-hee. Namgung Bi-ah casually said she was having dinner with Gu Yeonseo, which came out of nowhere.
Wait, since when were those two close? Could I even say they’d gotten closer? I’d heard they were grouped together, and it seemed they spent a lot of time because of it. I’d been a little worried about Gu Yeonseo, so I was relieved Namgung Bi-ah was with her. Rumors said Bi-ah held a high position in her group—predictable, since the biggest talent was bound to become the most famous. The same went for others.
Swoosh…
The heat from my body dispersed into the cool wind. I was in the field behind the Heavenly Dragon Academy. The training grounds were obviously packed, and if I went there, I’d probably just end up watching Pe Woocheol train or making Gu Jeolyub roll around. So, I’d found a quiet spot to train alone.
Squish.
I circulated my qi through my dantian, checking its condition. The amount of qi I possessed remained the same. Even with my recent focus on Mind Arts, my qi hadn’t progressed much. That was understandable—my qi level was comparable to a Fusion Realm martial artist, and given how much I’d consumed, it was difficult to push further in my current state.
What about my body? It’s hollow.
I’d torn through and regenerated my body countless times, aiming to strengthen my foundation. It was stronger than others my age, but only just. I still lagged behind other Peak Realm martial artists. I’d only reached this stage thanks to my past life’s experience and the sheer volume of qi I possessed. It allowed me to build a tall, though unstable, tower. It wasn’t a tower that would fall easily, but that didn’t mean it was well-built.
Tsk.
It meant that if I ran out of qi—the foundation of this tower—it could still collapse. I could fix that by training my body and strengthening it, but that would take too long. A full-body transformation was the only real solution, but even that wasn’t perfect. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to consider that now.
What should I do?
The heat of my qi still coursed through me. I kept channeling it through my middle dantian, then up to my upper dantian. It at least feels like the path has become smoother. The process was far smoother than when I’d first tried channeling qi to my upper dantian. But even now, I could barely reach it, let alone break through.
Why, though? I couldn’t understand. Why was this all I could manage? My qi alone wasn’t enough to break through. Just trying to reach my upper dantian nearly drained me completely. It only confused me more.
It’s not like I lack qi. I definitely had more than enough. The fact that I felt drained when trying to reach my upper dantian meant the problem lay elsewhere. I believed it was a problem with my mind. Something was stopping the qi from reaching its destination.
What was the problem? My mind was a mess of conflicted thoughts, making it impossible to pinpoint the issue. First, it was my lack of qi after regressing. Now, it was a mental block. I didn’t know why I ran into problems every time.
“Sigh…”
With a heavy sigh, I pulled my qi back into my dantian. The cold winter breeze hit me as my body cooled. As steam puffed from my mouth in the chill, I turned and called out, “It’s cold. Come here.”
“…!”
A figure flinched behind the trees. “Stop peeking and get over here.”
I gestured with my hand, and the figure slowly revealed herself. Of course, it was Wi Seol-Ah. It was almost endearing, watching her approach slowly but surely. I channeled my qi to warm the air around us as she drew near.
“Is it a hobby?” “Huh…?” “I’m asking if peeking has become your hobby.” “N-No.” “Then why have you been acting like this all day?” “…” “Why do you keep peeking at me?”
I grabbed Wi Seol-Ah’s cheeks with both hands and gave them a playful tug. “Ouigh…!?”
Her eyes widened in shock—she clearly hadn’t expected me to actually pull them. She didn’t have as much baby fat as before, but I could still pinch them easily. It was almost fascinating how much I could stretch them, given how slender her face had become.
“What you said to me this morning, too. Are you trying to harass me?”
Her eyes widened further at my words. I released her cheeks. I hadn’t pinched too hard, but she still rubbed them, wincing from the slight sting.
“Why have you been acting this way?” I wondered what she was up to. I had no clue what was going through her mind, but there had to be a reason for her strange behavior. I needed to know what it was.
After hesitating, Wi Seol-Ah finally answered, her eyes trembling. “…T-They told me this would work.” “This would work? Who told you that?” “…They said I would successfully charm you if I kept staring at you like this…”
Charm? Did she just say charm? The word came out of Wi Seol-Ah’s mouth? “…Charm?” I repeated it three times in my head, still not understanding, so I said it aloud. It wasn’t a word I ever expected to hear from her, no matter how I looked at it.
Maybe she realized that too, or maybe she was just embarrassed, because she quickly turned her head away. “Wait, so you kept peeking at me all day trying to charm me?” “…” “…How is that charming?”
The only “charm” I’d ever experienced was during battle in my past life, but even then, I knew it took more than just staring. Sure, someone like Moyong Hi-ah, with her seductive eyes, might pull it off, but Wi Seol-Ah didn’t have that kind of expression. Where did she learn such a thing? It all sounded ridiculous.
Perhaps Wi Seol-Ah was beautiful enough to charm a man with a glance. But to think she would actually try to do something like that… …Nah, no way. Yes, that certainly wasn’t the case.
Also, charm? Wherever she learned it from, if Wi Seol-Ah was genuinely trying to charm me… …
My brain stalled. I couldn’t think anymore. How had things come to this?
I fumbled for a response when she suddenly said, “…Since this didn’t seem to work, I’ll try something else next time.” “What?”
Her words snapped me back to reality. Something else next time? “What are you going to do? Wait, what are you even doing now?”
I had no idea what Wi Seol-Ah was up to. She confessed she liked me this morning, and now she was trying to charm me. I asked, genuinely confused. Her expression hardened, the shakiness in her eyes gone.
“Trying hard.” “Trying hard?” “Yes. I couldn’t afford to do nothing, so I’m doing this at the very least. So please… don’t hate me for it.”
Her words, along with that soft smile, pierced straight into my chest. I couldn’t bring myself to respond. I couldn’t tell her there was no way I could hate her. It would’ve been better if I had, though. Because now, my mind was filled with a fog that led to a headache—not unbearable, but uncomfortable.
As I felt that sensation, Wi Seol-Ah spoke again. “Master Gu.” “Hmm?” “…Can I try hugging you?”
Her words caught me off guard, spoken in a careful, hesitant tone. I hadn’t expected it, though it was something I’d heard from her before—long ago, in my past life. —In times like this… just please hug me.
She probably didn’t remember. I was pretty sure only I recalled it.
Before I could respond, Wi Seol-Ah moved. She rushed into my arms. She had grown a bit, but she was still much smaller than me, completely enveloped by my frame. I hesitated, unsure if I should wrap my arms around her, but then I felt her body trembling slightly.
I couldn’t win against her, so I tapped her back lightly. It was all I could do for her at the moment. How ironic. I knew I had so much to say, but I chose to stay silent. I couldn’t do or say anything until I dealt with at least one of the burdens weighing on me. It was a choice I had to make—not just for myself, but for everyone.
With that thought, I finally spoke, my voice strained. “…Could you please loosen up a bit? I might die.” As usual, her grip was tight and unrelenting, making it hard to breathe.
“…No.”
She strictly denied my request, so I decided to endure it rather than ask twice. After a few minutes, she finally loosened her grip, darting off and vanishing before I could figure out how to handle the situation.
Under the soft moonlight filtering through the windows, Peng Ah-hee, a blood relative of the Peng Clan—one of the Four Noble Clans—made her way forward, carrying a warm teacup. She was heading to see her friend.
When she arrived, she found Tang Soyeol gazing out the window, a cool breeze blowing in. “What are you doing?” “Oh, you came?”
Tang Soyeol smiled when she saw Peng Ah-hee with the tea. “Is something outside?” “Hmm? No, I just heard the night sky is pretty.”
Peng Ah-hee glanced out, expecting beauty, but saw only a few faint stars—nothing remarkable. She gave Tang Soyeol a curious look, then set the teacup down. “You’ve been eating less recently. Are you okay?” “I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”
Tang Soyeol replied, taking a sip. Peng Ah-hee’s expression shifted. “Did Master Gu do something?” “Cough…”
Tang Soyeol choked on her tea, coughing after hearing Peng Ah-hee. Peng Ah-hee calmly wiped the table, clearly used to this. “Wh…What are you talking about, Ah-hee?” “Judging by that emotionally drunk face of yours, I concluded that was the case. Am I wrong?” “…”
Tang Soyeol hesitated. “…You are half correct.” “I knew it. Should I go beat him up for you?” “N-No…! My Master Gu doesn’t go easy just because his opponent is a girl…!” “You speak as if you’re certain I’ll lose… That hurts, you know…?”
Despite her words, Peng Ah-hee knew the truth. Gu Yangcheon, now known as the True Dragon, was the top of his generation. There was no way she could take him on, especially without a title of her own.
“…I just feel kind of pathetic.” “All of a sudden?” Peng Ah-hee’s eyes widened. The Poison Phoenix, the first masterpiece of the Tang Clan, feeling pathetic? It was absurd. “Why?” “I just do.”
Though Tang Soyeol smiled, her eyes betrayed a sense of emptiness. “Master Gu is quite popular, you know.” “…Uh, yes.” It wasn’t something Peng Ah-hee could fully grasp, but she had to admit Gu Yangcheon was incredibly popular with girls. Each one came from an incredible background.
“Bi-ah sis too.” The Sword Dancer, a future candidate for Sword Queen. “Young Lady Moyong as well.” She might not be much of a martial artist, but the Snow Phoenix excelled in other areas. “And Seol-Ah.” Then there was Wi Seol-Ah, descendant of the Sword Venerable.
…It really is strange. Peng Ah-hee felt a shock each time she thought about it. She couldn’t understand why such incredible girls always surrounded Gu Yangcheon. Though I feel like I’m starting to recently.
The Gu Yangcheon of the past was a reckless troublemaker, and she would’ve tried to steer Tang Soyeol away. But now… he seemed different. He still had a rough personality, but not toward the girls who liked him. And his martial prowess was a point of pride. Becoming the youngest to reach Peak Realm in history was an accomplishment any clan would covet—it hinted at the potential to become a future Zenith.
Even the Poison King, who loved Tang Soyeol, would shed tears of blood. …Though his reaction would be a bit different if he learned Gu Yangcheon had other girls around him besides Soyeol. He’d try to poison Gu Yangcheon to death on sight. Peng Ah-hee was certain.
Setting that aside, Tang Soyeol was feeling inadequate compared to them. “Why feel that way? You also—” “I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help it.” Tang Soyeol kept smiling. “I know I shouldn’t compare myself, but I do. I have nothing besides the Poison Phoenix title.”
Despite her pitiful words, she sipped her tea calmly. Peng Ah-hee often found it impressive how Soyeol could speak so gently while belittling herself. She felt she’d be very hurt if she were in Tang Soyeol’s shoes.
“S…o? Are you giving up on Master Gu?” “Hmm?” Tang Soyeol tilted her head. Peng Ah-hee was confused. Wasn’t that what she was hinting at? “Why would I give up on Master Gu?” “Was that not what you were saying? I thought… you meant you lacked compared to others, so you’re giving up.”
Tang Soyeol chuckled. “I guess that’s not it, then?” “Nope.” After a long, soft laugh, Tang Soyeol turned her gaze to the moon. “Give up? If I were going to, I would’ve done it long ago. I’ve always known I’m not on Seol-Ah’s level or the others’.” “Then?” “Because I lack, I found myself looking for a different path.” “Different path?” “Yes. I can fulfill it my own way.”
Peng Ah-hee couldn’t quite grasp what she meant by “fulfilling it her own way.” There was something different about her smile. Hadn’t she come here to complain?
“Ah-hee.” “Hmm?” Tang Soyeol looked directly at her. “Could you help me?” Her eyes were very calm as she said those words.