Chapter 273: Reuniting with Sword Man (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 273: Reuniting with Sword Man (2)
Rattle.
The carriage let out a loud clatter before finally coming to a halt.
"We have arrived at the village entrance, Hero Jang."
Once the carriage had fully stopped, the coachman turned around to speak.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Sun-woo expressed his gratitude to the man. He then looked around at the others and continued, "It looks like we'll be staying in the village today. Everyone, get your things ready and head out."
"Hahaha! As expected, taking a carriage makes the trip go by in a flash."
Sword Man spoke with a cheerful grin, clearly in high spirits.
"But didn't you say you get motion sickness in carriages, Senior?" Seol-hyang asked, looking at him skeptically.
This was the same man who had walked all the way to the North Sea, claiming he wasn't used to riding in vehicles. Yet, throughout the journey, he hadn't looked nauseous at all; in fact, he seemed perfectly fine, which struck her as odd.
"I'm feeling nauseous even now. I'm just holding it in. I expect I'll be losing my lunch the moment I step down," Sword Man replied nonchalantly.
"Ugh, that’s gross."
Seol-hyang grimaced, clearly imagining the scene.
"Hahaha! How can you call a natural phenomenon gross?" Sword Man laughed brightly. "Well, I'll head out first. I should probably get my luggage out of the carriage."
"I'll step out as well. I feel like I need to empty myself out."
Thud.
Having finished speaking, the two quickly rose and exited the carriage. Only Sun-woo, Neung So-hwa, and Chief Ma remained inside.
Sun-woo glanced up at Neung So-hwa. She still wore a sullen pout on her face.
"Are you mad?" Sun-woo asked, watching her.
"I am not mad."
"You look mad, though."
"You must be mistaken."
"Come on..."
"I told you, I am not mad!" Neung So-hwa raised her voice, snapping at Sun-woo’s continued skepticism.
"See, you're definitely mad."
"It is because you keep provoking me!" she argued back, defending herself.
"Be honest with me," Sun-woo said with a subtle smirk.
"About what!"
"You're sulking because I spent the whole time talking to Senior Sword Man and left you in the background, aren't you?"
"That is not it."
"Oh, please. You didn't say a single word all day."
"I am not a child! Why would I sulk just because I wasn't given attention?" Neung So-hwa flared up at Sun-woo’s persistent questioning.
"So you weren't sulking?"
"No!"
"Really? Then I guess you won't mind if Senior Sword Man joins us in the carriage again tomorrow?"
"..."
At Sun-woo’s question, Neung So-hwa clamped her mouth shut. The truth was, she didn't want to share a carriage with that man again.
"I was planning to ask him to move to another carriage if you were uncomfortable, but I guess it doesn't matter," Sun-woo continued, a small smile playing on his lips.
"W-Wait!" Neung So-hwa called out urgently.
"Yes?"
"On second thought... traveling with a stranger is indeed uncomfortable. I would prefer it if he traveled separately."
"But I thought you said it didn't matter?"
"It doesn't matter to me, but Guard Ma is very shy around people he's meeting for the first time."
Neung So-hwa suddenly shifted the target to Chief Ma.
"Pardon?!"
Startled by the sudden mention, Chief Ma blurted out a question. What on earth was she talking about? Him, shy?
Chief Ma didn't care whether Sword Man was there or not. He barely spoke to anyone anyway, so what difference did it make?
"That doesn't seem right," Sun-woo said, looking suspicious.
"It's true! Think about it. Has Guard Ma said a single word since that man climbed aboard? It's because he's uncomfortable!" she countered desperately.
"Hasn't Chief Ma always been the quiet type?"
"If you doubt me that much, ask him yourself! He will surely tell you he was uncomfortable!"
"Hmm."
Sun-woo let out a thoughtful hum, then turned to Chief Ma.
"Chief Ma, is that true?"
"Uh... well... that is..."
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Chief Ma stammered, at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say. He glanced up at Neung So-hwa.
She was wearing an incredibly stern expression, and looking at her, Chief Ma felt an inexplicable sense of pressure. He realized instinctively that if he said the wrong thing here, his life would become very difficult.
"It... it was uncomfortable! As I thought, sharing a seat with a stranger is difficult! I would prefer to travel separately starting tomorrow. Yes, most definitely."
Chief Ma spoke quickly, and hearing his response, Neung So-hwa flashed a satisfied little smile. She was pleased that he had picked up on her intent so well.
"Really?" Sun-woo asked, still sounding unconvinced.
"Absolutely."
Chief Ma answered immediately, without a hint of hesitation.
"Well, if it's that uncomfortable, I suppose there's no helping it," Sun-woo said, shaking his head slightly.
Seeing Sun-woo’s reaction, Neung So-hwa’s face brightened. Sun-woo slowly stood up.
"Where are you going?" Neung So-hwa asked curiously.
"You planning to stay here forever? Pack your things and get out. We need to head into the inn."
"Understood. I shall be out as soon as I am ready."
Neung So-hwa nodded. Sun-woo stepped out of the carriage.
Whoooooosh!
The moment he stepped outside, the biting Snow Wind enveloped his body.
'Damn, it's freezing.'
Sun-woo cursed under his breath at the wind. Even though he had reached the exalted Transcendent Realm, he couldn't completely block out the piercing cold.
'I really need to reach the stage of Immunity to Heat and Cold.'
Sun-woo grumbled to himself as he hurried along. He wanted to secure a spot in the inn as quickly as possible.
*
"Hahahaha! Bring more liquor!"
Seated at a central table in the inn, Sword Man let out a boisterous laugh and shouted jovially.
"Wait, Hero, if you keep drinking like that, you'll be in trouble," a Tang Clan martial artist said, looking worried.
"How can a man refuse a drink? Don't worry about it!"
Gulp, gulp.
Despite the martial artist's concern, Sword Man dismissed it and tilted the bottle back, draining it.
"Kaaaah! That hits the spot!" Sword Man beamed.
"As expected of a hero, even your presence is different," a Taoist from the Qingcheng Sect remarked in admiration.
The strong liquor of the North Sea was famous for being more potent than any spirit in the Central Plains. To see someone down it in one go without a second thought was truly impressive.
"A hero? No, I am merely a single blade."
Sword Man’s face lit up with a wide smile at the Taoist's words.
"Ho, what a splendid sentiment. A single blade..."
Un-jeok-ja, who was sitting nearby, chimed in with admiration. To strive to be nothing but a single blade—was that not the very definition of Divine Sword Union?
"Hahahaha! It seems the Taoist knows a thing or two!"
"I, too, have dedicated my life to the sword. How could I fail to recognize such a magnificent sentiment?"
"Khahaha! Today is a glorious day indeed, to have made such wonderful friends!"
Perhaps his mood had improved even further because of Un-jeok-ja’s words, for Sword Man raised his bottle once more.
"Let us all raise a glass to our meeting!"
"Agreed!"
"A fine idea!"
As he raised his glass, everyone at the table followed suit.
"To the precious bonds formed in the North Sea!"
Gulp, gulp.
Sword Man shouted the toast and downed his drink.
"To bonds!"
Gulp, gulp.
The others echoed his toast and drank. Soon, the table was filled with the sounds of a merry drinking party.
"Hah..."
Sitting at a table slightly removed from the commotion, Sun-woo let out a sigh of admiration. It was because of Sword Man’s incredible social skills. Despite being a stranger, he had managed to get the search party and the merchant guild's warriors to drink together.
His charisma was so great that even the stiff and formal Un-jeok-ja was sitting there, enjoying a drink. Sun-woo had thought him a gallant man, but he never imagined it was to this extent.
"What are you looking at?"
A pouting voice came from behind him. Sun-woo quickly turned his head. There stood Neung So-hwa, looking quite prickly.
"Just thinking how well he fits in," Sun-woo replied.
"Then why don't you go over there as well?" she said coldly.
"Why are you mad again?"
"I am not mad!" Neung So-hwa snapped.
"I'm more comfortable eating here," Sun-woo said calmly.
He didn't dislike lively gatherings, but he didn't want to leave Neung So-hwa alone.
"Hmm."
Satisfied with his answer, a small smile touched Neung So-hwa’s lips.
"I'm also more comfortable eating with Hero Jang."
Seol-hyang’s refreshing voice chimed in from the side.
Twitch.
The moment she heard that voice, Neung So-hwa’s smile vanished, replaced by a deep scowl.
"Did you not say you were a disciple of Emei? Why are you eating here?" Neung So-hwa asked, her tone clearly confrontational.
"If I eat with the other Emei disciples, I can't eat meat."
"You are also a disciple of Emei, so how can you eat meat?"
"I'm a secular disciple, not a main sect disciple, so I'm allowed to eat meat."
Seol-hyang replied with a cute smile, unfazed by Neung So-hwa’s hostility. "More importantly, Lady Neung, is it alright for you to eat that much?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I've heard that as people get older, they start putting on 'age weight.' If you keep eating like that, you'll bloat up in no time."
"What nonsense. There is no way I would have any excess fat!"
"Oh, you never know. Who knows? Maybe there's fat hiding here and there?"
"Check for yourself right now! I am innocent!"
Provoked by Seol-hyang, Neung So-hwa raised her voice, looking as if she were ready to strip right then and there to prove her point.
"Ugh, I don't really want to see your body, Lady Neung..." Seol-hyang furrowed her fine brows as if the thought were unbearable.
"I don't want to show you either!"
"So you're admitting you have excess fat after all?"
"Didn't I tell you to check for yourself?!"
"I said I don't want to see!"
"Then what do you want me to do!"
Seol-hyang and Neung So-hwa began their war of words once again. Consequently, this table became just as rowdy as the one where Sword Man sat.
Watching them, Sun-woo cracked a small smile. They say the most entertaining things in the world are watching a fight and watching a fire.
Gulp.
Sun-woo took a drink, using their bickering as a side dish. The sharp aroma of the liquor rose up, lifting his spirits. The smile on his face deepened.
*
Feeling a pleasant buzz from the alcohol, Sun-woo finished his meal and headed up to his room.
"Hmm-hmm... hmmm..."
Perhaps because the alcohol had put him in a good mood, he hummed a tune as he walked into his room. Inside, he saw a neatly made bed. It wasn't exactly luxurious considering the price, but it was the best among the private rooms.
Sun-woo staggered toward the bed.
"Up we go."
He threw himself onto the bed.
Fluff.
The bed sank under his weight, enveloping his body.
"Haaaaah..."
A soft groan escaped his lips at the velvety sensation. He had heard that in the North Sea, beds were filled with wolf fur, and the softness was beyond his imagination.
A warm, plush bed, a nice buzz, and a full stomach—Sun-woo thought to himself that everything surrounding him was perfect.
Slowly.
His eyes began to drift shut. If he fell asleep now, he felt he would sink into a very deep slumber. Sun-woo closed his eyes completely, and his consciousness began to fade.
.
.
.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
Shiver.
Suddenly, a chilling energy began to wrap around Sun-woo’s body.
"Ugh... mm..."
Sensing the energy, Sun-woo let out a faint groan.
Cold.
Before long, the chill turned into a freezing pressure that weighed down on him.
Snap.
Under that immense pressure, Sun-woo had no choice but to snap his eyes open.
Slowly.
He sat up and looked around. The room was shrouded in darkness. He didn't know how long he had slept, but he could guess it was the middle of the night when everyone else was asleep.
Shiver, shiver.
Sun-woo focused on the energy that was making his skin crawl. It didn't take long for him to realize that the owner of this energy was someone—or something—he knew very well.
'It's calling me.'
Thump, thump.
Sun-woo’s heart began to race. Rather than annoyance at having his sleep interrupted, he felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of facing the sword.
Sun-woo stood up completely. He grabbed the sword he had carelessly tossed onto the table.
'If it's calling, I have to go.'
A thick smile spread across Sun-woo’s lips.