Chapter 144
Chapter 144
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Farewell at Cheonghae Castle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cheonhwi slipped out of the room where the castle lord had been and sat face-to-face with Lord Sohee.
"Was everything with the Nine Dragons Hall your doing, young hero?"
"Yes."
"Then the disappearance of the Nine Dragons Hall Leader and the martial arts traces left on Inspector An's body..."
"That was me too."
Lord Sohee's eyes deepened further as she watched Cheonhwi admit it so calmly.
What his words implied was profound.
First, it meant he possessed the prowess to dispatch the Nine Dragons Hall Leader with ease.
Second, it meant he was skilled enough to immediately mimic the Nine Dragons Hall Leader's techniques.
And at the same time, questions arose.
"Why take such a reckless risk... That incident sparked a clash between the Murim Alliance and the Imperial Family, causing a massive uproar..."
She trailed off.
The Mount Hua Sect was currently affiliated with the Murim Alliance, so provoking the Imperial Family made no sense to her.
At that moment, Cheonhwi spoke up.
"Thanks to that, I got here without any hassle."
"That's true... No way!"
A bolt of realization struck her mind.
"You deliberately drew all the attention."
"That way, they couldn't act carelessly."
She had keen insight.
Even among allies like the Imperial Inspectorate, with the government and murim at odds, dragging in other sects would be risky.
Their tails would get caught.
"But is it really okay? The Murim Alliance is in an uproar over this..."
"They'll sort it out themselves."
Cheonhwi dismissed it nonchalantly.
Whether the Murim Alliance threw a fit or not, what did it matter to him?
Let them handle their own mess.
"Well, now that the mission's done..."
As Cheonhwi started to rise from his seat,
"Where are you headed...?"
Lord Sohee hurriedly grabbed at him.
"Back to Mount Hua Sect."
"Already?"
Her eyes widened round.
"You just arrived. Why not stay a little longer while you're here...?"
Cheonhwi's brows furrowed.
Stay in Cheonghae Castle? What for?
He had gone out of his way to handle the Nine Dragons Hall precisely to avoid getting tangled up with the Imperial Family.
"Ah! Instead of that, let me prepare a meal, and you can head out together?"
Lord Sohee said, her eyes sparkling.
'If only young hero Cheonhwi stays...'
The presence of an expert like him made all the difference.
And if he stayed, Shini, Jeokgeom, and Seollan would follow suit.
She gazed at him pleadingly, but
"No thanks."
Cheonhwi refused outright.
Lord Sohee shook her head, seeing not the slightest hint of wavering in him.
She knew he wouldn't heed her words like that.
In the end, she had no choice but to give up.
"...Then I'll prepare the carriage."
"Now that's more like it."
After parting ways with Lord Sohee, who went off to arrange the carriage, Cheonhwi stepped outside.
"Martial Uncle!"
"You're here!"
Whether they had already heard the news or not, Jeokgeom and Seollan were waiting outside.
'Well, look at these two.'
Cheonhwi scanned them from head to toe.
They looked healthy and glossy, clearly thriving in Cheonghae Castle.
"Seems you've been living it up."
At Cheonhwi's words, the two smiled awkwardly.
During their stay in Cheonghae Castle, they had been blissfully happy.
Top-quality food and plush bedding.
And most importantly, the one who bossed them around—Cheonhwi—was nowhere in sight.
Then Cheonhwi grinned.
"Must've been nice without me around, huh?"
"What are you talking about!"
"N-No way!"
The two waved their hands in denial.
"We were waiting every day, worrying when you'd return."
"Senior Brother's right."
"Doesn't look like it to me."
Under Cheonhwi's piercing gaze, cold sweat poured down their faces.
Because it was exactly as he said.
Worried about Cheonhwi?
They had never given it a thought.
In fact, they had gotten so caught up enjoying life in Cheonghae that they sometimes forgot entirely.
At that moment.
Clop-clop— Clop-clop—
A saving sound approached.
Spotting the carriage from afar, Jeokgeom quickly changed the subject.
"Martial Uncle! The carriage is here."
Just as Jeokgeom made a fuss on purpose,
Bang!
The carriage door flew open.
"What're you waiting for? Get in."
Cheonhwi smirked at Shini, who was already aboard.
"Didn't get nabbed by the castle lord, huh?"
"Hmph! No one under heaven can stop me."
As Shini snorted,
"Wait a moment."
A voice called from behind.
Turning around, they saw Lord Sohee approaching, carrying two small boxes wrapped in red silk—the same ones she had gone to fetch earlier.
"Father said he couldn't send you off empty-handed. These are for you."
"What are they?"
"Elixirs."
Cheonhwi took the boxes and opened one.
Click—
A refreshing aroma spread everywhere.
Jeokgeom and Seollan, who had been dazed, snapped to attention and stared in shock at the round elixirs inside.
At that moment, Shini spoke up.
"White Gold Pills."
Cheonhwi approached Shini, who spoke as if he knew all about them.
"You know what these are?"
"Elixirs made by blending century-old fleeceflower root and ginseng."
Shini explained fluidly.
"One of the Imperial Family's traditional elixirs, mainly used when someone wants to rapidly build up their internal energy."
"How effective are they?"
"Excluding those from the great sects, they're among the best."
After hearing the answer, Cheonhwi closed the box.
"Here."
He tossed one to Jeokgeom.
"Wha-what? Martial Uncle!"
Jeokgeom startled and barely caught it.
"You too."
Cheonhwi tossed the other to Seollan.
She caught it effortlessly, just like Jeokgeom.
Lord Sohee, now empty-handed, smiled.
"Giving them to the two of them?"
"I don't need one."
Lord Sohee gave a faint smile at Cheonhwi's words and offered her farewell.
"Take care on your journey, young hero."
"Yeah, you too."
After a casual exchange, Cheonhwi boarded the carriage. Shini poked his head out.
"Elder, safe travels."
Lord Sohee bid him farewell as well.
"You watch yourself."
Shini grumbled, then averted his gaze from her and added,
"Well, if anything comes up, send a messenger pigeon to Mount Hua. If I've got time, I might drop by once."
Lord Sohee smiled with her eyes.
"Thank you, Elder."
"Save the thanks. Just the one time."
Shini emphasized while grumbling.
But Lord Sohee knew it wouldn't truly be just once.
From their journey together, she had learned that beneath his gruff exterior, Shini was a man of deep affection.
"Yes, understood."
"Good."
Shini hastily pulled his head back in and plopped down on his seat.
With Lord Sohee still watching the carriage.
"My lord."
Jeokgeom approached and cupped his fists.
"Should anything arise, please contact our sect at any time."
"Thank you for your concern, young hero Jeokgeom."
"It's nothing."
Then Seollan drew near as well.
"Are Young Master Shim and Little Spirit not coming?"
"They had business and couldn't make it."
"I see. Shame we couldn't say goodbye."
"I'll pass along your words."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
The two regarded each other for a moment before Lord Sohee reached out and gently took Seollan's hands.
"Take care."
"You too, my lord."
After everyone had exchanged farewells,
Clop-clop— Clop-clop—
the carriage set off with vigor.
As she watched it fade into the distance, a smile lingered stubbornly on her lips.
'It's been so long since I met people I could truly open up to.'
For a long time, the people she could confide in had been severely limited.
And for good reason—she was a figure of the Imperial Family.
A Demon Subduing Hall where a single moment's vulnerability could mean a dagger in the back.
How could she live openly in a place like the Imperial Family?
But those people were different.
Murim wanderers with no ties to the Imperial Family—at last, with them, she could be just Sohee, not Lord Sohee, if only for a while.
'But that's over now...'
The smile faded from her lips.
It was time to return.
Back to her true self as Lord Sohee.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Cheonhwi watched the two clutching their boxes carefully and spoke.
"Not eating them? What're you waiting for?"
Jeokgeom and Seollan jumped in surprise.
"Eat? You mean these?"
"Weren't they for you, Martial Uncle?"
"For me? Please."
Cheonhwi smirked.
"I don't need an elixir right now."
He had fully absorbed all the yin energy from Dam Mokrin, so his internal energy was more than sufficient.
Rather, elixirs laced with impurities like these were unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Jeokgeom and Seollan's eyes lit up.
They hadn't paid much attention, assuming the elixirs were for Cheonhwi.
But if they were theirs...
Their hearts began to race.
"Not gonna eat?"
At Cheonhwi's words, the two paled.
"R-Right now?"
"I-In a moving carriage? Isn't qi circulation dangerous?"
Ingesting an elixir required proper meditation and intense focus.
But in a rattling carriage, even assuming a cross-legged position was difficult, let alone concentrating.
"Better to take the White Gold Pill after we reach Mount Hua..."
"What if we fall into qi deviation..."
The two voiced their worries, but
"Qi deviation? That won't happen. I've got you, and the elder's here too."
They fell silent at Cheonhwi's rebuttal.
He was right—an absolute expert like Cheonhwi was present, along with the renowned physician Shini.
Still, they felt uneasy.
There was always the 'what if.'
Cheonhwi narrowed his eyes at their hesitation and declared like an ultimatum.
"If you're not eating them right now, hand them over. I'll give them to someone else."
"N-No! I'll eat it!"
"Me too—right now!"
The two panicked.
Cheonhwi just might give them away for real.
As both swallowed their elixirs simultaneously,
Whoosh—
Feeling the elixir's energy slowly rising, they began qi circulation.
"Ugh—"
"Urk—"
They couldn't focus at all.
Not only were their postures improper for qi circulation, but the carriage's constant jolts shattered their concentration every time.
As their circulation threatened to break,
"Sigh. Can't even handle this much."
A voice laced with reproach rang out.
And at the same moment, they felt the press of palms against their backs.
Woooong!
Astonishing internal energy flowed forth.
The energy from the White Gold Pill they had ingested synced with it and coursed through their meridians.
It was the Grand Heavenly Circulation.
One circuit, two circuits, three...
In the jolting carriage, the Grand Heavenly Circulation proceeded at a rapid pace. The two, struggling to concentrate, began to feel dizzy.
Nausea followed, their faces turning deathly pale.
Seeing this, Shini shouted.
"St-Stop!"
"Why?"
"Those kids are gonna puke!"
No sooner had he spoken than Jeokgeom and Seollan bolted upright and thrust their heads out the window.
And then,
"Urgh!"
"Blech!"
After heaving up everything inside them for a good while, the two collapsed onto their seats without even wiping their mouths.
"Tsk."
Cheonhwi clicked his tongue pitifully at the pair, sprawled out like deflated balloons.
'Can't even endure this... How will they ever...'
Then a thought struck him.
'They just emptied their stomachs completely. No more puking now.'
The corners of his mouth curved upward.
Meanwhile, Jeokgeom and Seollan, lying there dizzy, felt an inexplicable chill at the smile playing on Cheonhwi's lips.
Their eyes met.
'J-Junior Sister. N-No, right?'
'Senior Brother. H-He’s human... He wouldn’t...'
As the two conversed with glances,
"Feeling better?"
A thunderclap of a voice boomed.
"Then let's start over."