Chapter 540: The Era of Upheaval (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 540: The Era of Upheaval (2)
The carriage preparations were nearly complete.
It had been finished much faster than I’d anticipated. The servants had moved with impressive speed, and no doubt the fact that Moyong Hi-ah had taken charge was a major factor.
“Should we pack provisions as well?”
“There are too many of us for that. It would be better to stop and purchase food along the way.”
“Then I shall arrange it accordingly.”
My only role was to answer Moyong Hi-ah’s questions whenever she came to check in. She was perfectly capable of handling everything herself, yet she made a point of seeking my confirmation for each detail.
As I glanced around…
“So, are we about to get going?” a sleepy voice asked from beside me.
It was Woo Hyuk.
I frowned at him. “Did you just wake up?”
He certainly looked like he’d just rolled out of bed.
Sure enough, Woo Hyuk grinned. “Just a little nap. I found a nice sunny spot. Haha.”
“At least wipe the sleep from your eyes.”
“Oops.”
At my remark, he hurriedly rubbed his eyes. I’ll never understand why such a handsome guy walks around looking like that.
Watching him scrub his face vigorously, I asked, “You said you were coming too, right?”
“Hm?”
“To my home.”
“Ah, right. That was the plan.”
Woo Hyuk was also heading to the Gu Clan. This had been decided in accordance with the movements of the Monster of Wudang, who had likewise chosen to travel to the Gu Clan.
…The Monster of Wudang is following Namgung Bi-ah.
To be precise, it wasn’t so much that he was following her, but that he, too, had business in Shanxi.
Did he say he already got permission from my father?
Apparently, he had already discussed staying with the Gu Clan when my father had visited. When had that even happened? My entourage had grown considerably without me even realizing it.
Besides…
“It feels like the number of freeloaders at home is piling up… It's just my imagination, right?”
“Now that you mention it, I'm hungry. Is the food at your house any good?”
“…The food is excellent, but I doubt there'll be any for you.”
“Hey now. No way!”
Woo Hyuk was being particularly slick today. He already loved to sleep. Perhaps I should permanently put him to sleep?
Yes, let's do that.
I made up my mind and was about to grab him when…
“Brother!”
A voice called out from a distance. I looked over and saw Pe Woocheol.
My eyes widened. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard you were leaving today, so I rushed over.”
“Hah.”
I let out a dry laugh at his awkward smile. The Pe Clan and the Tang Clan were on good terms, but there was still some distance between them. Had he come all this way just to see me off? I could accept that, but…
“…How did you get in?”
This wasn't a situation where one could come and go freely. The Tang Clan had currently prohibited outsiders from entering. How on earth had he gotten through?
As I stared at Pe Woocheol, pondering this…
“I let him in.”
A man appeared from behind him. He looked to be just over thirty, with green hair similar to Tang Soyeol's.
It was Tang Jooyeok, the son of the Poison King and the Young Lord of the Tang Clan.
He offered a slight smile. “He said he wanted to see Young Master Gu off, so I brought him in.”
“Are you allowed to do that? Won't the Poison King scold you?”
“Haha, the Lord has no time to scold me right now.”
His own clan was being torn apart, yet he could smile and say such a thing. I looked at him and thought, Tang Jooyeok…
To be honest, I didn't know him well. He had a title of his own in my past life, but I didn't know what he'd done. I remembered him as not being a particularly outstanding master—just an unremarkable figure. That's what I'd thought.
But it doesn't seem like that's all there is to him.
The feeling I got from Tang Jooyeok was strange. It wasn't about his martial skill or level.
“…Thank you.”
“How can you thank me for something like this? We are the ones who have received so much more.”
Tang Jooyeok replied with a smile, reaching out to pat my shoulder lightly. “Thank you for everything, Young Master Gu.”
“...”
“The Lord was too busy to come out himself, but please convey his gratitude to Lord Gu as well.”
“…Yes.”
“Ah, and one more thing.”
As he spoke, Tang Jooyeok leaned in close and whispered in my ear. “Regarding the matter you requested, permission has been granted.”
“Ah, that's a relief.”
This was about the special request I'd made to the Poison King: to take Na-hi with me. I had turned her into a Demonic Human, and since I needed to use the jewel, taking her was necessary. I had made the request separately the other day, and it seemed he had accepted. The only thing that bothered me was the strange expression on the Poison King's face when he heard it. He had scowled deeply, looking quite displeased.
Just as I was wondering why…
Tang Jooyeok said to me, “It was a bit surprising.”
“What was?”
“Na-hi… she is quite beautiful, but I never thought she'd be Young Master Gu's type.”
“…What… pardon? What did you say?”
My eyes widened at his bizarre words. …My type? Is he crazy?
Hearing that, I finally understood why the Poison King had looked at me that way. That old man, did he really think I was taking Na-hi because I coveted her in that way?
“It's not like that. Am I insane?”
“What does it matter? The saying 'heroes love beauty' doesn't exist for no reason.”
“No, I said it's not…!”
“In any case, please take good care of my lacking younger sister. I hope to address you by a different title the next time we meet.”
“…Pardon?”
“Hahaha!”
He slapped my shoulder as he said it. It didn't hurt much, but my heart felt heavy for some reason. This was not right. I tried to quickly clear up the misunderstanding, but at that moment, Pe Woocheol spoke.
“By the way, Brother.”
“Yes?”
“Where is Brother Jiseon?”
It was a question about Cheol Jiseon.
“Ah. That guy.”
Cheol Jiseon, who had been staying with us in Sichuan, seemed to have undergone some change after his meeting with the Immortal Healer. He had been going out often. When he heard the Immortal Healer would be joining us on this trip, he had holed himself up in a different carriage. He probably doesn't want to see his face. He seemed to have issues with the Immortal Healer. I had even asked if he was planning to go somewhere else.
—…I think I have to go with you.
That was all he said before clamming up. Not that it mattered, I was planning to drag him along anyway. Cheol Jiseon's abilities were necessary for me. If he had said he was returning to his clan, I would have had to stop him. But since he himself said he wouldn't, it was a relief. Otherwise, I would have had to use slightly more violent methods to keep him. What a relief.
As I gave a slight nod, Pe Woocheol's expression turned somewhat regretful.
“…What a shame. I quite enjoyed training with Brother Jiseon.”
“…Weren't you the only one enjoying it?”
From my perspective, it looked like Pe Woocheol had been unilaterally running Cheol Jiseon into the ground, and quite intensely at that. I could still picture Cheol Jiseon fluttering about on the verge of death.
“I just thought Brother Jiseon needed a certain amount of training.”
“Well, you're not wrong.”
A withered body that was hard to see as a martial artist's, a weak disposition, and a timid voice to match. From Pe Woocheol's perspective, Cheol Jiseon must have been frustrating to watch. However.
“Don't worry.”
“Pardon?”
“Because from now on, I'm the one who'll be putting him through the wringer.”
“Ah.”
I couldn't just stand by and watch him in that state. From the beginning, I had planned to train Cheol Jiseon to my heart's content. He probably doesn't know this, though. It would be unfortunate for him, but if I was going to keep him by my side, he needed to be toughened up. I planned to whip him into shape, at least enough to function like a proper person.
Just as I was thinking that…
“Young Master. The preparations are complete.”
Moyong Hi-ah approached me. Hearing her, I looked around and saw that everything was indeed ready, and all neat and tidy.
“…Impressive.”
It was clear that Moyong Hi-ah excelled in this area.
“Shall we depart immediately?”
“Yes. Let's go right away.”
There was no need to delay further. I was busy myself, but the Tang Clan would also be able to work more quickly once we were gone. We decided to depart immediately.
I clasped my fists and gave Tang Jooyeok a salute. “Well then, we'll be on our way.” This was a gesture of respect not only for him, but for the Poison King as well. Understanding this, Tang Jooyeok quietly returned the salute. Meanwhile, since Pe Woocheol still looked disappointed, I casually told him to visit the Gu Clan next time and started walking.
I boarded the carriage right away. Moyong Hi-ah followed and got into my carriage as well.
Seeing this, I asked, “Why are you riding in here? What about Senior White Ripple Sword?”
“You didn't hear…?”
“Hm? Hear what?”
“My aunt… she already left for Shanxi.”
“…What?”
Moyong Hi-ah said, sounding rather weary. She had already left for Shanxi?
“…Why…?”
“…I don't know. And I don't want to know.”
Moyong Hi-ah spoke as if she were sick and tired of it all, then plopped down next to me. Why had the White Ripple Sword left first? No, in the first place… You said you were my escort, lady. The person who had attached herself to me, claiming she would protect me, had forgotten her role and acted on her own whim. She was a person I couldn't understand to begin with. But now I decided to give up trying. She's just a strange lady… Thinking that made me feel more at ease.
It was about time to depart, so I was about to close my eyes for a moment when—
Thump—!
The closed carriage door flew open and someone rushed inside.
“Haaaah…”
The culprit was none other than Tang Soyeol. The problem was, she was a complete mess. For someone who was always so meticulous about her appearance, her hair was disheveled and her eyes were clouded with deep exhaustion.
“Lady Tang?”
Moyong Hi-ah was so surprised she couldn't help but ask.
“…S-so… tired…”
“...”
I couldn't help but frown at the sight. Judging by her condition, it seemed to be related to the Dark King. Fortunately, she didn't seem injured, but Tang Soyeol couldn't support her own body and collapsed in a heap. Since the carriage wasn't very spacious, she ended up flopping on top of Namgung Bi-ah.
Seeing this, Moyong Hi-ah asked, “…Should I get you some water?”
“I'm… fine…”
Why did you come here? That was the question, but I couldn't bring myself to ask it. I knew why Tang Soyeol had ended up like this.
“Are you okay?”
That was all I could say right now. I couldn't ask if it was okay for her to come with us, or if she had made up her mind to follow this path.
When I finally managed to ask…
Tang Soyeol looked at me with her tired eyes and gave a small smile.
“I'm okay.”
“...”
Her voice was exhausted, but there was a core of strength within it. Hearing her answer, I bit my lip. There was so much I wanted to say, but nothing I could voice. I didn't ask any more questions and simply closed my eyes as well.
Hee-iing—!
Not long after, the powerful neigh of a horse rang out. The carriage began to move slowly.
So, we're finally going back.
It was finally sinking in. The reality that I was returning home. How long had it been since I last headed for the Gu Clan? Amidst the comfort I felt I had barely earned, a bitter tang of anxiety rose up.
Creeeak—!
The wheels turned. They lurched unsteadily at first, but as the horses began to run, the carriage naturally found its balance. I closed my tired eyes and felt the motion—the rattling sensation, the feel of the wind from the window stroking my hair. Despite the uncomfortable situation, the fact that one matter was finally over allowed me to rest, if only for a moment.
Was that why? On the road home, I was able to get some proper sleep for the first time in a long while.
And just like that, as the carriage picked up speed, time flowed by quickly.