Chapter 679: It's been a while! (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 679: It's been a while! (7)
“Is this really going to be okay…?”
Nahi asked me tentatively as we walked, shortly after Beomdong had departed with the Sky Dragon Army.
I glanced over at her.
“What is?”
At my question, Nahi lowered her head and replied, “I’m just worried about letting the Captain of the Sky Dragon Army go so easily…”
“Why? You think a threat like that won’t be enough?”
“...”
Seeing her silence, I let out a small chuckle. Since no answer came, it meant she did.
I understood Nahi’s concern. ‘She probably doesn’t understand why I only went this far when there were more permanent methods.’
All I had done to Beomdong was threaten him using his family. I hadn’t placed a seal on him, nor had I corrupted him into a Demonic Human.
‘I could have, but I chose not to.’
I had already injected him with my Demonic Qi, so I could crush him whenever I pleased. And if I had wanted to place a restrictive seal on him, it would have been easy, but I refrained. There was a reason for that.
“Don’t worry about it. I have a plan.”
“But, my lord. What if the captain reveals what happened here…?”
“He won’t.”
The fact that I had his daughter was more than enough for Beomdong.
‘He’s the type of man who cares deeply for his child.’
I had learned in my past life that the man had a daughter. It was a fact that only came to light after Beomdong turned into a Demonic Human. When it was revealed that he had hidden his child in Hubei, the Peng Clan seized her to use as a hostage against him.
I had wondered back then if he would still care for his flesh and blood after losing his humanity to the demonic path. Surprisingly, as soon as the news spread, Beomdong charged into the Peng Clan alone. As a result, he was killed by them.
The fact that he headed to Hubei alone for his daughter, even as a Demonic Human, proved that his feelings for her were extraordinary.
‘And even if that’s not the case, it doesn’t matter.’
“Besides, I have other ways to use him. Just focus on what I told you to do.”
“…I understand,” Nahi replied, bowing her head.
I looked at her and asked, “What did you do with her?”
When I mentioned the crazy woman who had just wrecked the Sky Dragon Army, Nahi answered cautiously.
“As you commanded, I have tied her up and gagged her in a corner of her residence.”
“Good. Keep a close watch on her. She’ll probably wake up within four hours.”
And then she’d go on another rampage. Just imagining it gave me a headache.
‘I wanted to avoid calling her if possible.’
She was no ordinary person, so I had wanted to avoid using her if I could. But she was the only one perfect for the job I had planned, so I had no choice.
“Report to me as soon as the spearman wakes up.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Any word from Jiseon?”
“We received a report that he has departed.”
“Then he should be here in a few days.”
Things would be easier if he arrived within five days at least.
“Alright, keep an eye on the Cheonra Captain. And organize a report on what's happening on Lady Mi’s side and send it to me by tomorrow.”
“As you command.”
With that, Nahi bowed and vanished.
“Hmm.”
After she left, I looked around. The time was shifting from early morning toward noon. Dealing with this nonsense first thing in the morning was already grating on my nerves.
‘I think I missed breakfast.’
I had to think for a moment. The time we were supposed to eat together had long passed. I’d already sent word that something came up on my way to meet Beomdong, so the others would have eaten without me.
‘But it’s also a bit awkward to go train now.’
I had something important to do today, which made it a bad time to start my afternoon training. Since I had some free time now, it would be best to finish my errands before I went to the training grounds.
“…Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue after sorting out my plans. I knew it couldn't be helped, but to think I'd waste so much time on a bastard like Beomdong.
‘I guess I’ll just go get some work done.’
With that thought, I started walking.
* * *
I headed straight for the White Flower Merchant Association. Specifically, to the leader’s room on the highest floor.
“You’ve come.”
“Yes.”
As I entered the room, I saw Lady Mi. As always, she was buried under the letters piled high on her desk. Among the stacks of paper, a single flower caught my eye. It seemed to be the flower I had given her before I left for the North Sea.
‘It still hasn’t withered?’
A flower's life isn't that long, so it was quite strange to see it so vividly preserved.
Rustle.
The sound of Lady Mi turning the page of a letter filled the room. The sight reminded me of Moyong Hi-ah. They said she was learning under Lady Mi; was she starting to become like her?
‘Should I call that a good thing or a bad thing?’
It felt somewhat ambiguous. As I was watching Lady Mi with that strange feeling, she spoke.
“I heard there was an incident.”
“...”
Her words made me smile awkwardly. Damn. ‘She already heard.’
She was probably referring to Beomdong’s visit this morning. I had come straight here after dealing with it, but I hadn’t expected Lady Mi to know already.
“…It was nothing serious.”
As I spoke sheepishly, Lady Mi’s gaze lifted from her letters and turned to me.
“A captain of the Alliance came looking for you, and you say it was nothing?”
Her gaze felt rather sharp, and I swallowed hard. Even as my power grew, I found it strangely difficult to withstand my father's gaze or Lady Mi's.
“I am aware that the Alliance is keeping an eye on the merchant association. But the fact that he sought you out, not me… Could it be because of that conflict you had with the branch manager?”
“...”
My eyes widened slightly. She knew about that, too?
“Well, I… I resolved it.”
I couldn't bring myself to deny it, so I answered evasively. ‘It's not a lie, so it should be fine, right? I did resolve it.’
At my words, Lady Mi stared silently into my eyes. Her gaze was so intense I wanted to look away, but I forced myself to hold it. A brief silence passed.
“Shall I take care of it for you?”
“…Pardon?”
Lady Mi’s quiet words made me give a stunned reply. Take care of it?
“What do you mean?”
“If you wish it, just say the word.”
“No, I…”
I started to speak, then hesitated. I had a feeling I knew what Lady Mi was offering to “take care of.”
‘Is she saying she can get rid of him if I ask?’
I knew she meant she would eliminate the Sky Dragon Army. Even if the White Flower Merchant Association was one of the most powerful entities in the Central Plains, I wondered if they could really eliminate one of the Alliance's elite armies…
But regardless of that.
“It’s alright. I can handle it myself.”
Even if it were possible, I had no intention of accepting Lady Mi’s help. I’ll handle it myself. That’s what I decided from the start, and this was no different.
Hearing my answer, Lady Mi gave a slight nod.
“Very well.”
Her attitude made it clear she wouldn’t ask a second time. She immediately averted her gaze and went back to her letters. As sharp as ever, I thought.
It didn’t matter much to me either, as this wasn’t the main reason I had come to see her.
“There is something I would like to ask.”
“Speak.”
“Is something the matter with the Lord?”
Flinch.
At my question, Lady Mi stopped reading and looked at me again.
“I believe he sent you a letter separately.”
“Yes, I saw it, but…”
Lady Mi had indeed given me the letter with my father’s message. ‘But something’s bothering me.’
For some reason, it felt off. Even though it was clearly my father's handwriting and tone.
“I was just wondering if something had happened to him.”
“...”
Hearing my question, Lady Mi’s expression shifted minutely. I could see a flicker of contemplation in her eyes. That alone told me that something had indeed happened. I waited for her answer.
“I have considered it, but I cannot tell you yet.”
A disappointing answer came from Lady Mi’s lips. Just as I was about to grimace in disappointment, she continued.
“You have not yet inherited the clan's legacy. It cannot be helped.”
“…!”
Her next words made my eyes turn cold in an instant.
“I understand.”
As I gave my final reply, my mind raced. I had been able to glean a lot of information from what Lady Mi just said.
‘She cannot tell me yet.’
More precisely, the clan’s legacy. It meant she couldn’t tell me because I hadn’t officially inherited the position of Young Lord. Which meant…
‘It means the Young Lord is entitled to hear about it, and that something that significant has happened to Father.’
Furthermore, she must be in a position where she can't speak of it carelessly, which is why Lady Mi must have deliberately spoken in a roundabout way. Someone like Lady Mi would never make such a slip of the tongue; she had intentionally passed this information to me.
“…Thank you.”
I bowed to Lady Mi, and in response, she gave a slight nod. It meant my thoughts were correct.
‘…So, something has happened to Father.’
I understood that he was delayed because of a clan matter. ‘But this is an awkward situation.’
It was awkward to investigate. It was also awkward to interfere. Just as Lady Mi said, I haven't inherited the legacy yet.
‘For now, it means I just have to wait.’
In that case, it seemed better to just go find Gu Huibi. ‘I need to ask about Grandfather, too.’
Also, I couldn’t keep having people watch the Heavenly Demon forever. ‘…He said they’ve already noticed, so I have to go.’
He had said the Heavenly Demon was already aware of the people stationed around him. That was why they couldn’t get too close.
‘Tsk.’
Nothing ever goes smoothly, does it? But that’s just my life.
Feeling a sense of unease, I spoke to Lady Mi.
“My important business is finished, so I will take my leave now.”
“Where do you plan to go now?” she asked as I bowed and was about to leave.
“I believe I will head toward the Alliance.”
“The Murim Alliance…” Hearing my destination, Lady Mi added, “So, it seems you plan to go today.”
I scratched my cheek at her words. It seemed she had figured out my reason for going just by hearing the destination. Talking to her is so difficult. This is why smart people are a pain—especially smart people you can't just punch. They were the hardest to deal with.
“…If I go in a few days, it’ll be crowded and annoying.”
“I see. Have a safe trip.”
“…Yes.”
With that, I truly left the room. It was time to go. My business was done, so I left immediately.
I walked out of the merchant association and headed toward the Murim Alliance. The reason I was heading there was likely just as Lady Mi had guessed.
‘Because it’s about that time.’
The streets were unusually bustling. The path to the Alliance was far more crowded than usual. There was a simple reason for this crowd. With the tournament less than ten days away, today was the first day that participants could register.
As a result, there were far more martial artists around than usual. And the crowd that had come to see those martial artists was even larger. What’s more…
‘In five days, it'll be even more packed than this.’
It was only this crowded because it was the first day; in five days, it would be bursting at the seams. That was the last day for registration, and besides…
‘All the bastards from the noble clans and prestigious sects will show up on that day.’
It was the time when every renowned martial artist would gather. It would be much more convenient to get it over with on the first day, but the members of the noble clans and prestigious sects would surely try to come on the last day.
The reason being… ‘They think showing up on the first day is uncool.’
What was that saying? The main character always appears last. Those people will intentionally come late, worried that showing up early would damage their prestige and reputation. They don't want to come on the first day for fear of looking like they were eagerly awaiting a mere tournament like this.
The middle days are too ambiguous, and since everyone else gathers on the last day to show off their grandeur, they feel they can't be left out. So, they'll obviously do the same.
‘All this damn politics and reputation… Tsk.’
Why do they live such tiring lives? Why can't they just live a little more casually?
‘Thanks to them, it's more convenient for me, so I can't complain.’
Considering how packed it would be, it was better to get this over with quickly while those people were posturing. That’s why I had taken the time to come here on the first day.
After weaving through the crowd, I soon arrived at my destination. I couldn’t enter the Murim Alliance headquarters itself; only the entrance area in front was open. Normally, even that wouldn’t be open, but they had opened it today to accept applications.
“Please form a proper line!”
As soon as I entered, I heard shouting. A martial artist from the Murim Alliance was struggling to maintain order among the crowd, and I could hear martial artists from other factions whispering among themselves.
“…Isn’t that the Pre-Heaven Martial Light Sword?”
“What!? Isn’t he the young master who’s been making a name for himself in the Central Plains recently?”
I’d never heard the name before. Pre-Heaven what…?
‘What a ridiculously long title.’ Why use more than five characters? It's hard to memorize.
“No, why would a hero who has only been active in Qinghai come all the way here?”
“He must have thought Qinghai was too small to contain him. He probably intends to make his name more widely known.”
“I see… As expected of the Pre-Heaven Martial Light Sword. I heard he surpassed the Peak Realm at the age of thirty…”
“What…!? If that’s true… that is truly a remarkable feat.”
The guy himself wasn't saying anything, but they were all making a huge fuss on their own. This is why I hate crowded places.
“That man! Could he be the Obscure Wave Righteous Sword, who rules over Sichuan!?”
“Look, next to him is the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist!”
Every step I took, I heard all sorts of titles from every direction. The reactions to each name were significant, so it seemed they were famous martial artists that only I didn't know.
‘…And here I thought I’d been keeping up with worldly affairs lately.’
The place was full of people I’d never heard of, not now and not even in my past life. It made me wonder if I was that uninterested in other martial artists.
‘Then again, they gather so many martial artists and even rank them.’
Titles like the Hundred Masters or the Ten Masters were rumors created because other people were interested in them. I was probably the strange one for not knowing.
“And that person is…!”
“And the one next to him!”
I continued to ignore the exclamations of surprise and moved forward. I could feel the atmosphere growing more and more heated. I needed to get this done quickly and go train.
‘This should do.’
I found a line that was relatively short and slipped into place. Even with such a large crowd, the lines weren’t that long. The reason was simple. Most of the people were here to watch; far fewer were actual participants.
‘You can’t even apply without a recommendation letter, so it’s only natural.’
To participate in this tournament, you needed a recommendation letter sent by the Alliance. In other words, you had to have some level of fame.
‘Which means famous martial artists recognized by the Alliance will be coming, and the crowds are gathering to see them.’
It seemed like a good way to attract people. The Murim Alliance was always good at this sort of thing.
“Next!”
There were several lines, and since it was the first day, the queue moved quickly. It was soon my turn. I quickly approached the registrar and handed him the letter from my pocket.
The registrar took the letter with a thoroughly exhausted expression and unfolded it.
“…Of the Gu Clan… huh?”
After reading the letter, his eyes widened. Seeing that, I frowned.
‘Oh, this is not good.’
A bad feeling washed over me.
“Don’t tell me, So-Soyeom.”
Just as I expected. The registrar was about to spit ‘that’ out and screw me over when…
“It’s the Heavenly Dragon!”
A shout from somewhere in the crowd drowned out his voice.
“The Heavenly Dragon? Did you say the Heavenly Dragon? The genius from Shaolin is here?”
At the shout, the crowd began to murmur. I was just as surprised. The Heavenly Dragon? Could it be the guy I know?
‘The monk came on the first day instead of five days from now?’
I thought Shaolin would definitely come on the last day. Why so early? My questioning gaze turned in one direction.
“Hey, that’s not the Heavenly Dragon!”
Someone started to correct the person who had first shouted.
“You have to be precise. That man is the former Heavenly Dragon!”
‘Hmm?’
Hearing that, I tilted my head. The former Heavenly Dragon?
‘If it’s the former Heavenly Dragon…?’
As far as I knew, there was only one person who held the title of Heavenly Dragon before the one from Shaolin. As my gaze shifted, a familiar figure came into view.
He had an appearance that seemed painted in black from head to toe. At his waist was the sword that symbolized his martial art. He was the raw gem who would one day be called the Dao Emperor and establish himself as a master representing the Central Plains.
The former Heavenly Dragon. Peng Woojin of the Peng Clan was there.
‘What the hell is that guy doing here already?’
I tilted my head, confirming it was indeed Peng Woojin. It had been a while since I’d seen his face, but I never expected to run into him here. As I watched him with a strange expression, Peng Woojin seemed to notice and looked my way.
Our eyes met. In that instant—
“Oh.”
Peng Woojin reacted.
“Well, look who it is!!”
And in an incredibly loud voice, at that.
“Wai—”
“The pride of the Shanxi Gu Clan—! Isn’t it Young Master Gu Yangcheon!! Hahaha!!!”
“...”
Son of a bitch.