Chapter 427: It Has Been a While (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 427: It Has Been a While (2)
Roughly four days had passed.
After journeying through mountains and forests, we began to encounter villages showing signs of life. The sight brought a palpable sense of relief to the members of our crew.
Until then, everyone had remained on high alert, wary of a potential ambush at any moment. But now that we had entered the Tang Clan’s territory, such worries were behind us. The tense, stiff expressions they had worn finally softened. They even began to joke with one another and spar—things they hadn’t dared to do before.
As always, I enjoyed watching others fight. It was then that I truly felt the journey was nearing its end.
However…
Unlike everyone else, I only grew more uneasy.
Swoosh.
I circulated Qi throughout my body. It flowed out from my Dantian, spreading through my limbs and meridians.
Tsk.
Despite checking constantly, I saw no improvement. This problem had started ever since I hatched the Red Water Snake from the Demonic Stone. My Qi had been recovering, but at a frustratingly slow pace.
The Dishonored Venerable had noticed it too. He’d scolded me, demanding to know what I had done to hinder my training.
Damn it.
Being scolded at my age… It was humiliating.
Shaaaa…
Sensing my foul mood, the snake peeked out from my sleeve, studying me cautiously.
“What are you staring at? Everything’s a mess because of you. How do you plan to make it up to me?”
Shaa…
The little bastard licked my hand apologetically. I could only sigh in response.
Ugh, my back.
Venting my frustration on a Demon… What a joke. It wasn’t even the snake’s fault—I was the one who had brought it into this world.
I rested a hand against my forehead and gazed out the carriage window. The scenery flowed past endlessly as we rolled onward.
Soon, we would arrive at the Tang Clan.
And then…
I’ll go retrieve that White Demonic Stone first.
My original plan had been to visit the Monster of Wudang with the Sleeping Dragon, then follow Pe Woocheol to the Pe Clan. Only after that did I mean to seek out the White Demonic Stone. But now, circumstances forced me to change my plans.
My body is a wreck.
The problem wasn’t physical—it was internal. My Qi wasn’t recovering properly, and that severely impacted my ability to use the Heaven Destruction Art.
Ugh…
It left me restless, especially since breaking through to the Fusion Realm. So I decided to retrieve the White Demonic Stone and replenish my Qi reserves.
Shaaaa.
The Red Water Snake flicked its tongue repeatedly, watching me.
“What?”
That was all it ever seemed to do.
Shaa?
It would occasionally emerge, tilting its head in confusion or darting its tongue out. That was its whole routine.
“I suppose it could be worse.”
Compared to a beast that growled every time it was hungry, or an old man who nagged inside my head all day, this one was far more tolerable. If it had demanded more of my Qi, I would have tossed it out immediately. Thankfully, it showed no such desire—only an occasional craving for Demon flesh.
What a strange creature.
It turned its nose up at ordinary food, seeking only the meat of other Demons. Most Demons would eat anything, so its pickiness was puzzling.
Maybe it’s not so bad?
It would have been a real problem if it wanted Demonic Stones. Meat, at least, was affordable. I had plenty on hand from hunting Demons for their stones anyway.
The snake never even nagged when it was hungry. I only realized it was starving when I noticed it lying listlessly one day. At first, I had no idea why it was acting so strangely—it never begged for food.
This is my first time raising a Demon.
I’d never even kept an ordinary pet before. I was completely inexperienced.
“Were you too scared to say anything?”
Shaa…
It lowered its head weakly, and I felt a twinge of irritation. The idea that it would starve silently rather than ask…
…How annoying.
It put me in a bad mood. It reminded me too much of my past life.
“Speak up next time. I’ll at least feed you.”
Shaa.
Not that I intended to go out of my way to find food for the creature. I’d only share when I hunted Demons for their stones. I had no real intention of raising it.
With that thought, I nodded. The snake seemed to understand, flicking its tongue faster as if pleased. I shook my arm in disgust.
“Stop that! You’re getting my arm all wet!”
As I snapped at it, the snake startled and retreated quickly into my sleeve.
Was this thing really a Demon? Why was it so timid?
While I was wiping my hand clean, a voice called down from the top of the carriage.
“Oh! I think we’re finally here!”
It was the White Ripple Sword, who had been lounging up there instead of inside where it was comfortable. Curious, I leaned out the window to look.
In the distance, something began to take shape.
I frowned slightly at the sight.
“Seriously… that took far too long.”
We had set out in spring, and now it was already summer. Was it a coincidence? I could have sworn it was also summer when I had come here years ago. The same season as back then.
A smirk touched my lips.
Back then, I was barely a Third-Rate martial artist. Now, I had reached the Fusion Realm and earned considerable honor and reputation throughout the Central Plains. The difference was like night and day.
Well, maybe not entirely.
Still, it drove home how much time had passed.
I leaned back in my seat and steadied my breathing. After months of travel, we had finally arrived on the streets of Sichuan’s Tang Clan.
* * *
My mind drifted back to the last time I had come to Sichuan, searching for the Golden Sky Yeon Clan’s secret vault. It would have been strange to forget that trip, considering everything that happened.
I discovered Wi Seol-Ah hiding in the carriage at the start of the journey, and I met Namgung Bi-ah for the first time in this life. The shock of seeing her face… I was horrified, wondering what that madwoman was doing here.
In many ways, that was when things began to change dramatically. My relationship with Wi Seol-Ah started shifting around then, and my connection to Namgung Bi-ah took a completely different turn compared to my past life.
That was the point where the flow of time truly began to diverge.
And it all started when I first set foot in Sichuan.
Creak.
A massive gate swung open. It stood twice the height of an average person, far larger than the gates of the Gu Clan. Ours were so short that the First Elder or my father had to duck to enter.
Beyond the gate, a crowd of people stood lined up, waiting for us.
“We congratulate your return, our Lord.”
—Congratulations!
Cheers erupted as the Poison King stepped forward.
…Wow.
All these people clapping and shouting welcomes… How should I put it?
What the hell is this nonsense?
That was my first thought. Some of them looked busy, yet here they were, wasting time on this spectacle. But judging by the reactions of the Poison King and Tang Soyeol, they seemed accustomed to it—as though it were perfectly normal.
They consider this normal…?
Maybe I’m just not used to such welcomes because my father is different.
Moyong Hi-ah and Namgung Bi-ah showed no surprise either, so it seemed most major clans did something similar.
Craaack.
A strange sound drew my attention. Tang Duk was clenching his fist so tightly his knuckles cracked.
I sent him a telepathic message.
-Loosen up.
He shuddered and relaxed his hand at my command. It was understandable—he was in the place he hated most. But his personal grudges didn’t concern me. I couldn’t afford to be implicated if he lost control.
Maybe I should have told him to wait outside.
But it was too late for that now.
I turned away from Tang Duk and looked ahead. A group of white-haired elders stood waiting to greet the Poison King.
Those must be the Elders.
They bowed respectfully. “Welcome back, our Lord.”
The Poison King gave a slight nod in return. Seeing this, one thing became clear to me:
The Poison King holds real power here.
The elders wouldn’t behave so deferentially unless their Clan Leader commanded genuine authority. For example, in the Namgung Clan, the elders held significant influence.
Well, to be accurate, it was the Heavenly Venerable who wielded the real power there.
The Lord wasn’t the most powerful figure in that clan. The Tang Clan seemed entirely different by comparison.
They might not have the mercantile reach of the Moyong Clan, but they dominated their niche. They were the clan of steel, producing the highest quality metal in the Central Plains. Everyone knew the Tang Clan possessed not just political might, but industrial strength as well.
But putting that aside for now…
I just want to go inside already.
I wanted to unpack and rest. Mentally and physically exhausted, I needed to recuperate after the long journey.
Just as I was wondering when this welcome ceremony would finally end—
“It’s so damn long. When is this thing going to end?”
A voice spoke up, and the group behind me turned in shock. Someone had voiced the exact words I’d been thinking—and said them out loud. At first, I thought they were incredibly bold. Then I realized it was the White Ripple Sword.
This woman is definitely insane.
I couldn’t believe she’d actually said that aloud. I wouldn’t have dared.
“I’m so hungry, ugh…”
“Auntie, please…” Moyong Hi-ah whispered urgently beside her, ears red with embarrassment as she tried to quiet the White Ripple Sword.
Honestly, I agreed with her.
As Moyong Hi-ah attempted to shush her, I glanced at the Poison King. His conversation with the elders seemed to be winding down. Then his shoulders twitched slightly as one of them said something. It looked like a serious discussion.
Hush.
The Poison King raised a hand, and instantly, the surrounding cheers fell silent.
He should have done that sooner.
I watched him with mild dissatisfaction as he turned and addressed the crowd.
“It was a long journey. You have all worked hard.”
His tone was heavy, layered with unspoken meaning.
“We have prepared rooms for our guests. Let us rest today, and hold a banquet at sunset the day after tomorrow.”
A banquet? I wasn’t particularly interested, but he was clearly making a public announcement, inviting everyone at once.
Unlike the noisy beginning, the end of the welcome ceremony was abrupt and anticlimactic. After the Poison King finished speaking, he and the elders departed in another direction. The guests, guided by attendants, dispersed toward their quarters.