Chapter 428: It Has Been a While (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 428: It Has Been a While (3)
The first thing I did upon arriving in my assigned room was vent my frustration.
“Ugh, why am I stuck in the same building as you?”
I grumbled the words while unpacking my belongings.
Behind me, a tall young man was doing the same. It was none other than Woo Hyuk. We’d been assigned to the same room.
“Haha, what can we do? They don’t have many rooms to spare.”
“Dammit all.”
The Tang Clan was short on guest quarters, hence the forced cohabitation. It was ridiculous—how could a great clan like the Tang run out of rooms? My first thought was that they were being deliberately stingy, but the apologetic looks from the servants, and Tang Soyeol’s own sincere regrets, made it hard to argue.
Cheol Jiseon was with us, too. He was probably unpacking in a smaller room next door. As I continued to mutter irritably, Woo Hyuk smirked.
“Jeez, I know you miss your wife, but try to bear with me for now.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Who’s my wife?”
“Who knows? You have so many girls around you, it’s hard to keep tra—”
Thwack—!
“Agh!”
He was asking for it. I smacked the back of his head, and he let out a sharp cry.
“You’re just begging for a beating.”
I’d barely grazed him, but Woo Hyuk crumpled to the floor, writhing in exaggerated pain. I ignored him and went back to unpacking. Only one thought occupied my mind: I needed to sleep as soon as I was done. That was all I wanted.
I could have used my qi to shake off the fatigue, but sometimes, real rest was the wiser choice.
Just as I was finishing up, I spoke to Woo Hyuk, who was still rolling around on the floor.
“They said the banquet’s around nightfall. You heading out before then?”
“Go? Where?”
As expected, he stopped his theatrics the moment I asked a question.
“You said your master is here.”
“Oh…”
At the mention of the Monster of Wudang, Woo Hyuk’s expression stiffened. It was refreshing to see that bastard look so uneasy.
“It should be fine… if I go a bit later.”
Why was he hesitating? He’d come all this way to see him. He seemed almost reluctant. It made me wonder what kind of person his master was, to elicit such a reaction. I’d never met the Monster of Wudang myself.
I’ll find out soon enough.
I needed to see him anyway, for the Thunder Fang. I was curious why a Wudang martial artist possessed a treasure of the Namgung Clan. My reason was simple: I wanted to retrieve the Thunder Fang and give it to Namgung Bi-ah.
In my past life, the Demonic Sword was already a monstrous fighter, but with the Thunder Fang in hand, she became truly unstoppable. After all, it was the weapon most compatible with Lightning Qi. I didn’t know if the Monster of Wudang would just hand it over if I asked… and if he refused…
That’s a problem for future me.
I had a rough plan, but I’d cross that bridge when I came to it.
As I organized my thoughts, Woo Hyuk piped up.
“What are you going to do until the banquet?”
Why even ask? Wasn’t it obvious?
“Rest.”
“Rest…? You?”
Woo Hyuk looked shocked, as if I’d said something unbelievable.
“…What’s with that reaction? Do you have a problem with me resting?”
“I also have a snack.”
“Do you want to die?”
His joke was so lame it wasn’t even worthy of the First Elder. I felt a phantom pain in my neck.
Haha, this bastard.
If he wanted to be folded in half, he should’ve said so earlier. As I started to stretch my arm, Woo Hyuk hurriedly spoke again.
“I just never thought the word ‘rest’ was in your vocabulary.”
“What are you talking about? Why would you think that?”
Was there anyone who loved lazing around more than me? I was almost speechless.
Woo Hyuk let out a small laugh. “You’re either training all day or running around somewhere. I’ve literally never seen you rest.”
“…”
Now that he mentioned it, he had a point. I was always busy training, handling business, or hunting demons to absorb their energy. Huh. He was right. I hadn’t taken a single day off.
No wonder Woo Hyuk thought that way.
I was never the hard-working type.
How did I end up like this?
“I don’t know how it happened, but I’m resting today.”
Just as I was about to lay out my blanket and call it a day, I sensed a presence outside.
-Young Master Gu!
“…”
It was Tang Soyeol’s voice. Why was she here now? A bad feeling crept over me.
-Are you inside?
Her presence drew closer. I opened the door and peeked out.
“Ah!”
Tang Soyeol brightened when she saw me.
“What is it…?” I asked warily.
She replied in a cheerful tone, “My father is looking for you! He said there’s something he needs to discuss!”
“…”
I ran a hand down my face. I was just about to rest… but of course, the world wouldn’t allow it. This shitty world.
I followed Tang Soyeol to see the Poison King. I didn’t want to go, but if he was summoning me like this, it had to be important.
It better be.
If it wasn’t urgent, I wasn’t going to hold back my anger. I didn’t care if this was the Tang Clan or not.
I walked through the clan grounds without explicit permission, but no one stopped me—I was accompanied by the clan lord’s own daughter.
“Where are we going?” I asked Tang Soyeol.
We weren’t heading toward the lord’s quarters.
“Ah, Father is in one of the guest houses right now.”
“A guest?”
A guest, huh? I wondered who it could be. Someone from the Moyong Clan, perhaps?
Tang Soyeol continued, answering my unspoken question. “Some guests arrived a few days before we did.”
“Huh?”
A few days before? Oh?
Is that why they ran out of rooms?
Now it made sense why I had to share a room. Unexpected guests had taken up the space. Still, it was strange. We were blood relatives of noble clans, yet we were crammed together. It made me wonder just how important these earlier guests were.
It was a good thing none of us minded much. If someone with a nastier temperament had been involved, things could have gotten messy. Not that anyone would dare complain to a noble clan like the Tang, of course.
But who could it be? Moreover, the guest had been received even while the Poison King was away. That alone spoke volumes about their importance.
When we arrived, the Poison King was waiting outside. I bowed my head in respect.
“I heard you called for me.”
The Poison King offered a light smile. “My apologies for calling you when you should be resting.”
“…It’s fine.”
Then why call me? I wanted to say, but I bit my tongue. Holding back my anger was already a struggle, and fatigue made it worse. Lately, it had been particularly difficult.
Suppressing my irritation, I asked, “Why did you wish to see me?”
How urgent could it be, for him to summon me so quickly?
Noticing my displeasure, the Poison King spoke with an awkward expression. “A guest of ours… asked to see you. That is why I called you here.”
“Huh?”
I frowned. A guest wanted to see me? A guest of the Tang Clan? I was puzzled. Why would their guest want to see me?
“Might I ask who the guest is?”
“Follow me first.”
With that, the Poison King turned and headed inside without further explanation. I followed, my frown deepening. If this turned out to be trivial, I was going to lose it. I’d reached my limit.
Tang Soyeol followed quietly behind me, having noticed my expression.
The guest house was enormous—twice the size of the building I was staying in, comparable to the lord’s own quarters.
Just how important is this guest?
The building was impressive even from the outside. It was clearly reserved for the most distinguished visitors. And such a guest was asking for me? I couldn’t think of anyone who fit the bill.
As I followed the Poison King, I saw a small garden inside as well. They must have spent a fortune on this place.
After a long walk, the Poison King stopped before a room and spoke toward the door. “Elder, we have brought Young Expert Gu.”
Elder…?
My eyes widened. This was someone the lord of one of the Four Noble Clans addressed with such respect.
After speaking, the Poison King stepped slightly aside and looked at me.
“…”
His gaze signaled me to enter. Nervously, I walked toward the room. Tang Soyeol moved to follow, but the Poison King gestured for her to stay back.
I stepped inside cautiously and looked around. Just who was this guest that…
“Huh?”
The moment I saw the figure sipping tea inside, a question mark formed in my mind. The first person I saw was a boy with long hair obscuring his face. He gave a slight bow upon seeing me. It was a familiar face.
“You…”
It was Zhuge Hyuk, the future brain of the Demonic Cult. What was he doing here? But that wasn’t the most pressing question.
If he’s here, then that means…?
I shifted my gaze to the person sitting across from Zhuge Hyuk. The old man was already looking at me. He had white hair, deep wrinkles that spoke of his age, and a frail, bony frame. He looked like a weak old man, but there wasn’t a soul in the Central Plains who didn’t know who he was.
“It has been a while.”
His voice was sharp and high-pitched. Despite his benevolent reputation, his gaze remained cold and penetrating.
“Elder…?”
“Hmph.”
He was known to heal anyone who still drew breath. Out of respect for his unparalleled medical skills, people had bestowed a title upon him.
“You must have been through much since we last met. I can see the exhaustion on you.”
It was the Immortal Healer.