Chapter 653: Back to the Central Plains (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 653: Back to the Central Plains (5)
It was just past noon.
After leaving the prison, I made my way toward a secluded corner of the palace. It was a serene area, kept quiet with only a few sentries posted around the perimeter. This was where the few healers available in the North had been gathered.
Passing through the grounds, I reached my destination, pulled the old doorknob, and stepped inside.
Creeak.
As the door opened, a familiar face came into view. It was Namgung Bi-ah. She seemed to be in the middle of a meal, her cheeks puffed out as she stuffed food into her mouth.
She looked up at me and tried to speak.
“…H…lo…”
“Finish chewing first, then talk.”
Her slurred greeting was honestly a bit ridiculous.
As Namgung Bi-ah began to chew properly at my word, a middle-aged man casually interjected from the side.
“That’s right. You should swallow before speaking. It’s basic etiquette taught in the noble clans—burp. Isn’t it?”
I frowned at him. “What’s with the burp in the middle of your lecture?”
He was in no position to be teaching anyone about etiquette.
“Haha. My apologies. Perhaps I haven’t digested my meal properly?”
I sighed at the middle-aged man’s attempt to slyly brush it off. That handsome face paired with such a shameless attitude still felt incredibly jarring. The man embodied all the signature traits of his lineage—the snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes he shared with Namgung Bi-ah.
The Monster of Wudang, Namgung Hyung.
The one-armed man sat there, smiling. I looked at him and asked, “Are you feeling alright?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
“If we’re going by what I see, you’re not fine at all.”
The Monster of Wudang had lost an arm and suffered a piercing wound that had brought him to the very brink of death. He had only survived because of his incredibly high realm; a normal person would have been buried long ago.
It’s a miracle he’s even conscious.
The Ice Palace’s healers had predicted he would be bedridden and unconscious for at least another month. Yet, the Monster of Wudang had snapped his eyes open and woken up just two days ago. His recovery speed was nothing short of uncanny.
Glance.
I shifted my gaze to his missing arm. As a swordsman, losing an arm would surely have a devastating impact on his martial prowess.
“This is quite tasty today. Would you like some, Young Master?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then I’ll just eat it myse—”
“…Nom.”
“…Niece, what do you think you’re doing?”
“You… said… you weren’t eating.”
The Monster of Wudang, however, seemed entirely unconcerned by his loss, acting as eccentric as ever.
I can’t tell if he’s genuinely okay or just putting on a front.
Since it wasn’t my place to pry, I looked away and turned my attention back to Namgung Bi-ah.
“How is your body feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“...”
She answered so casually that I reached out and poked her in the stomach with my finger.
Instantly—
“Ugh…!!”
Namgung Bi-ah winced, a rare grimace crossing her face as she let out a soft groan. Seeing that, I let out a deep sigh.
“What do you mean, you’re fine? Are you going to keep lying to me?”
“...”
The poke must have stung, as Namgung Bi-ah shot me a resentful glare. But I wasn’t about to back down.
“Don’t look at me with those pretty eyes. What have you got to be so proud of, looking at me like that?”
When I spoke with a frown, Namgung Bi-ah sulkily averted her gaze. She was so beautiful that it was hard to stay angry, but I had built up enough of a tolerance by now to manage a scolding.
“I told you not to go, but you didn’t listen, and now look at you.”
“...”
“What’s so great about this place that you had to come all this way just to get hurt? If you had stayed quietly in the Central Plains, none of this would have happened. Does your swordsmanship improve when you’re freezing or something? That’s not it, is it?”
“That’s…”
“Don’t talk back.”
“…Okay…”
This time, Namgung Bi-ah seemed to realize she was in the wrong and listened quietly. I still had a mountain of things to say to her, though.
“And while we’re on the subject—”
“Oh, Young Master!”
Just as I was about to continue, someone cut me off and entered the room. It was Tang Soyeol, with the White Ripple Sword following behind her.
“You’re here?”
“Yes.”
Tang Soyeol approached with her characteristically bright smile and casually sat down next to me.
“Have you eaten?”
“I grabbed a bite.”
That was a lie. I hadn’t touched food in about two days. I had spent too much time trying to grasp my new abilities and my heightened realm.
“Hmm.”
Hearing my answer, Tang Soyeol just stared at me. Her gaze was a bit heavy, so I tried to subtly look away.
“You haven’t eaten, have you?”
“...”
She saw right through me. Her intuition was as sharp as ever.
“…I just don’t have much of an appetite.”
“Hmmm…”
Her expression clearly signaled her disapproval. After staring at me for a long while, Tang Soyeol tilted her head.
“Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“Is something wrong?”
The question was unexpected. My eyes widened slightly as I looked at her. Then, I let out a faint, hollow laugh.
She noticed.
How did she know? I wasn’t in the best mood after what had happened with Woo Hyuk, and it seemed Tang Soyeol had picked up on it immediately. And it wasn’t just her.
…Tsk.
I realized that Namgung Bi-ah’s gaze was also fixed on me. She looked as if she had noticed long ago.
“It’s nothing…”
I tried to brush it off like I always did, but I saw the subtle shift in both of their expressions. Seeing that, I paused for a moment before correcting myself.
“…Something came up. But it’s fine. I took care of it.”
“...”
“...”
Thinking that was better than saying ‘it’s nothing,’ I left it at that. Only then did the tension in Namgung Bi-ah’s and Tang Soyeol’s eyes ease slightly. Confirming this, I let out an inward sigh of relief.
“Really, don’t worry. It wasn’t anything serious.”
At my follow-up, Tang Soyeol nodded. “Still, you have to eat.”
“…I’ll make sure to.”
After giving a vague answer, I—
Grab!
“...?”
I reached out and took Namgung Bi-ah’s wrist. She looked at me, her eyes asking what I was doing. Ignoring her, I began to circulate my Qi.
Swoosh!
“Hnngh?”
As my Qi suddenly surged into her, Namgung Bi-ah flinched. I ignored the reaction and continued the circulation. The heat permeated her body, completing a full circuit. When I withdrew it, the Qi returned carrying a considerable amount of turbid energy.
I isolated the turbid energy from the Qi returning to my body and funneled it toward my hand.
Then—
Fwoosh!
I ignited a flame at my fingertips, incinerating the turbid energy instantly. There was a faint stench, but the separation was successful. After dusting off my hands, I looked at Namgung Bi-ah.
“Your Qi seems mostly stable now. I’ve cleared out the remaining turbid energy, so you should have no problem moving around by tomorrow… What’s wrong?”
As I was explaining, I noticed everyone in the room was staring at me.
What? Why are they looking at me like that?
An inexplicable silence filled the room for a moment.
“What… did you just do?” the White Ripple Sword asked, her eyes wide with shock.
“What do you mean, what did I do?”
“I mean what you just did. What was that?”
“Huh? I just drew out the turbid energy and burned it.”
She looked uncomfortable, so I had checked her just in case. Sure enough, Namgung Bi-ah’s body had been holding some turbid energy. It seemed to be a side effect of her Qi working overtime on her regeneration, so I simply extracted and disposed of it.
I hadn’t even used Demonic Absorption or any specialized Taoist Qi for it.
I just separated it with heat and burned it. Why are they reacting like this?
It wasn’t even a difficult task. Their reaction was bizarre.
“…You separated the turbid energy? And burned it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Excuse me?” I frowned at the White Ripple Sword’s repeated questioning. “What do you mean, how? You just separate it.”
“But turbid energy is infused within one’s very Qi.”
“That’s right.”
Turbid energy is what hides minutely within the Qi flowing through the acupoints. If left alone, it eventually dissipates naturally, but it’s a nuisance, so it’s better to extract it. However, the reactions of the White Ripple Sword and Namgung Hyung were beyond unusual.
What is it? Did I do something strange?
“You didn’t just remove your own turbid energy… you sent your Qi into someone else’s body and brought back only the turbid energy?”
“Yes.”
“How is something like that even possible…?”
“Well, if you keep asking how…”
Isn’t it just a matter of sending your Qi in, filtering the turbid energy from the flow, and pulling it back? Of course, since Qi flows ceaselessly like a current, isolating only the impurities wasn't exactly easy, but…
“It’s not that difficult of a task, is it?”
“…What? Not difficult?”
“Yes?”
The White Ripple Sword’s eyes widened as if she had been struck. Completely unable to understand her expression, I uttered one last thing.
“Is that actually difficult for you, Senior?”
“...”
“Why would that be difficult… It’s not that hard, is it?”
I truly didn’t understand why they were making such a fuss.
“Hah… uh… ah.”
Hearing my answer, the White Ripple Sword sputtered as if her mind had short-circuited. Behind her, Namgung Hyung had completely forgotten his composed, handsome persona and was staring at me with a dumbfounded expression.
Seriously, why the hell are they acting like that?
Growing frustrated, I abruptly stood up. Tang Soyeol gave me a disappointed look, but she had to stay to nurse Namgung Bi-ah, so she wouldn’t be coming with me.
“Well then, I’ll be leaving first. Please rest well. As I mentioned before, I will be returning to the Central Plains tomorrow.”
I looked at the White Ripple Sword and Namgung Hyung as I spoke.
“Will you be coming with us?”
I didn’t ask for their consent, of course. I just needed to take Namgung Bi-ah, Tang Soyeol, that prospective Sword Demon bastard, and the crazy Dishonored Venerable. The White Ripple Sword and the Monster of Wudang seemed to have their own business here, so I spoke as if it didn't matter to me if they stayed behind.
“We have to go with you. There’s no point in staying here in this state…”
The Monster of Wudang glanced at the White Ripple Sword and continued. “The same goes for you, Sister, doesn’t it?”
“...”
At his words, the White Ripple Sword wore a somewhat bitter expression. It seemed there was some history there. But that, too, was none of my business, and I wasn’t particularly interested.
“In that case, if you plan on returning, you should be ready by noon tomorrow.”
“Noon… That might be a bit tight. Wouldn’t it be better to leave at dawn?”
“Dawn? Ah.”
I wondered what he meant, but then I realized that the White Ripple Sword and Namgung Hyung probably didn’t know how I had arrived.
“It’s fine. We’ll be flying anyway.”
“I see. Flying… Huh? Flying?”
“Well then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I didn’t bother explaining further and simply turned and walked away. They would find out tomorrow anyway; explaining felt like a hassle.
The number of people is a bit concerning, but it should be fine.
In the past, five would have been the limit, and it might have been dangerous. But looking at Ttolddoli’s current size and my own Qi capacity, it didn’t seem like it would be a problem.
Creeak. Thud!
I closed the door and walked away. Afterward, I briefly looked up at the sky. The cold wave had passed, and though a chill remained, the sky was bright and clear. I nodded as I watched the clouds drift by.
I guess it’s about time to go back.
A pile of tasks was waiting for me. For that reason alone, it was time to hurry back to the Central Plains.
* * *
The Henan Branch of the White Flower Merchant Association.
In a room on an upper floor, a beautiful woman sat frowning at a pile of documents that never seemed to shrink. With raven-black hair and flawless white skin, the strikingly beautiful woman with her signature cool eyes had her brow furrowed, as always.
The sheer volume of work was immense. If people were to see the current situation, they would say the busiest person in Henan right now was not the Alliance Leader, but this woman. Her workload was mountainous.
In this situation, the woman—the Branch Manager of the White Flower Merchant Association’s Henan Branch, the Snow Phoenix, Moyong Hi-ah—had to click her tongue inwardly at the person before her.
She couldn’t let it show on the outside, however. Her guest was an important figure, and more than that, a rather intimidating one. Moyong Hi-ah forced herself to maintain her composure and showed her respects.
“It’s been a while.”
At her greeting, the woman in front of her let out a smirk. It was a fierce smile that reminded her of someone.
“Good to see you, Snow Phoenix. How many years has it been?”
Her signature black hair swayed with the light greeting.
“Let’s see… I believe it’s been about three years.”
“You still look like death warmed over. Are they not feeding you well? From what I know, the master here wouldn’t do that…”
“I am eating well, so you don’t need to worry about me. So… what brings you here to see me?”
A cold gaze was directed at the woman.
“Sword Phoenix.”
At Moyong Hi-ah’s words, the eldest daughter of the Gu Clan, the Sword Phoenix Gu Huibi, smiled faintly.
“Is this a place I shouldn’t have come to?”
“That’s not it. As the daughter of our Leader, you are of course welcome to come and go as you please. This was merely a simple question.”
Moyong Hi-ah put down the document she was holding and looked at Gu Huibi.
“I was just curious as to why you came to see me, and not the Merchant Association Leader.”
“Ah, that’s… I heard my mother was out today… so I came to the Branch Manager, the Snow Phoenix, first…”
“According to my sources, you came looking for me as soon as you arrived at the association?”
“…Your information is fast.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Moyong Hi-ah maintained a professional business smile and continued. “Furthermore, I heard you didn’t even ask about the Leader. To know she was away under those circumstances, it would be correct to assume you came looking for me from the start, wouldn’t it?”
Her words cornered Gu Huibi, leaving no room for escape. Hearing this, Gu Huibi’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“Still as smart as ever. Annoyingly so.”
“Should I say thank you again?”
“You’re so positive. That was an insult.”
“Yes, I’m aware and choosing to overlook it, so please don’t mind me.”
“Haha.”
“Hoho.”
A cold wind seemed to sweep through the room. As layers of ice formed between them, Moyong Hi-ah spoke to Gu Huibi once more.
“What business brings you to me?”
In truth, even asking this question was unpleasant. Recalling what Gu Huibi had done to her in the past, she wanted to run away or curse at her this very instant. But Moyong Hi-ah had to endure it.
Of all people.
It was because the woman in front of her was her future sister-in-law (of sorts). She had often heard that sisters-in-law never got along in any family, so she could tolerate this much.
Also.
A matter important enough for her to seek me out specifically is a little intriguing.
This was the Sword Phoenix, of all people. She was a figure who, despite being called arrogant and insolent, crushed all criticism with her sheer talent. For such a person to come looking for her was a rather novel event.
…Looking at her like this, they really are similar.
Is it some kind of trait that runs in that family? Moyong Hi-ah thought of the eldest son of that family and couldn’t help but smile.
“What’s with that expression?”
“Pardon? What about it?”
“I thought I was looking at someone else for a second. I didn’t know you could make a face like that.”
“…Ahem.”
At the comment about her expression, Moyong Hi-ah quickly composed herself. It was a mistake. Fortunately, Gu Huibi didn’t seem to pay much mind to it. Perhaps her own business was more urgent, so it didn’t register.
“…Anyway, I came because I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
At Gu Huibi’s words, Moyong Hi-ah’s brow furrowed. She was taken aback. She had never expected the Sword Phoenix to say such a thing. And to her, of all people.
A favor?
She didn’t go to her own mother, the Leader of the White Flower Merchant Association, but came all the way to her for a favor? Thinking about it, Moyong Hi-ah’s mind raced.
“What kind of favor is it?”
Even so, her mouth didn’t stop. She couldn’t let on that she was overthinking.
“Will you grant it?”
“First, let me hear what it is. If it’s something I can grant… I will consider it.”
“…Hmm.”
At Moyong Hi-ah’s words, Gu Huibi seemed to ponder for a moment, touching her lips. Her temper was foul, but she had inherited her mother’s striking beauty, so the gesture looked somewhat cute. After all, even a wild beast can look cute when it’s calm.
After hesitating for a long while, Gu Huibi finally spoke.
“I… was hoping you could give… a job…”
“…Pardon?”
Moyong Hi-ah asked again, thinking she must have misheard.
“…A job?”
Did I really hear that right? What did the great Sword Phoenix just ask of me?
Seeing Moyong Hi-ah’s expression, Gu Huibi quickly waved her hands and added an explanation.
“Ah, I’m not asking for a job for myself…”
Thankfully, it seemed Gu Huibi wasn’t the one in need. However—
“Then who is it for?”
“Well… I think my younger sibling might need a job.”
“...?”
Gu Huibi’s subsequent words plunged Moyong Hi-ah into even greater confusion. And for good reason.
Younger sibling?
Which young lady is she talking about? That was the only question on Moyong Hi-ah’s mind.