Chapter 322: It's a Misunderstanding...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 322: It's a Misunderstanding...
After staring blankly at the East Lake for a while, I took out a bottle of Baekhyangokroju from my inventory.
Gurgle—
I poured the liquor onto the ground and observed a moment of silence.
There was no grave, but it was enough for a simple memorial.
“Well... it's not like you actually passed away, is it? A master like you would have reached nirvana and escaped the cycle of reincarnation. So, I won't be doing this every year. I don't even know the date you died, anyway.”
At that moment, I could almost hear the fierce voice of an old man scolding me from somewhere.
The spot on my head where he used to hit me with the wooden fish began to throb.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
“Well then, I'll be on my way.”
With those words, I ran across the surface of the East Lake.
It was a realm of lightness skill known as the Walking on Water Skill.
In the past, even taking a single step was a struggle, but now it was hardly different from running on flat ground.
Of course, Sky-Treading Steps was still impossible.
But I didn't really care.
To fly freely through the sky, I'd need to reach the realm of Void-Stepping. At that point, it would be far better to just reach the 6th Circle and use Fly magic.
“The weather's nice.”
I felt the morning breeze blowing across the lake as I returned to Wuhan.
*
The Sleeping Dragon Merchant Guild.
It was one of the many merchant guilds run by the Jegal Family, and it was also where we were currently staying.
“Hoo...”
I calmly regulated my breathing and opened my eyes.
Five days had already passed since I parted with my master.
During that time, I had repeated a daily routine of waking up at myosi, around 5 a.m., and meditating for about five hours in the training hall provided by the guild.
Thanks to that, I had made some progress.
“...Emptiness, Formlessness, and Wishlessness.”
Woowoong—
A pure white true energy formed at my fingertip.
It was the energy of Emptiness, imbued with the principles of Formlessness.
Just five days ago, I could barely maintain it for a moment, but now I could hold it for nearly a minute.
Of course, that didn't mean I could use it recklessly.
Using the energy of Emptiness once would leave me utterly exhausted. Unless I wanted to collapse like a dead battery in the middle of a fight, I had to use it with the resolve of delivering a final, decisive blow.
It was a finishing move, in a sense.
Besides, there were still several problems to solve, such as the time it took to generate the energy.
'My internal energy has surpassed two sixty-year cycles. Is all that's left to completely open my Upper Dantian?'
My internal energy had now caught up to my total mana reserves, but I didn't feel particularly happy about it.
That was because the most crucial problem remained: fully opening my Upper Dantian.
I had tried to pierce my Baihui acupoint several times over the past five days, but as you could see, it was a fool's errand.
Worse, every attempt was met with a wave of pain so intense it felt like I would pass out, making it difficult to even try.
'I suppose it's a realm that is not yet permitted to me.'
Swallowing a sigh, I rose from my spot.
If I got greedy and my Baihui acupoint burst, I'd be a cripple for life. That much was certain.
For now, the right thing to do was to let go of my impatience and proceed one steady step at a time.
Creeak—
As I opened the door to the training hall, I was greeted by the brilliant sunlight and a familiar face.
“Hyun-woo.”
It was Cheon Yeo-hwa.
She approached me with a towel in hand, as if she had been waiting.
For five days now, every dawn when I entered the training hall, Cheon Yeo-hwa would stand guard outside until I emerged.
“You don't have to do this every time.”
Taking the towel, I wiped away my sweat and gently stroked her hair.
“I do this because I wish to. You need not concern yourself.”
A bitter laugh escaped me as I met the gaze of Cheon Yeo-hwa, who was looking at me with a faint smile.
It was a peaceful, happy moment.
“Ah, right. Yeo-hwa.”
“Hm? What is it?”
After checking that no one was around, I opened my inventory.
'I completely forgot about this for five days.'
What I took out was a rather handsomely decorated wooden box.
“Here.”
“This is...?”
“I was looking around the black market and you suddenly came to mind.”
Click.
Cheon Yeo-hwa carefully opened the box.
Inside lay a hairpin, ornately decorated with various adornments centered around a large red jade stone.
“Do you like it? If not, I can get you something else, so feel free to say so... Yeo-hwa...?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa's unusual silence gave me a strange sense of unease.
Looking closely, I saw that her hand holding the hairpin was trembling slightly.
“Yeo-hwa? What's wrong?”
At that moment, a pearl-like tear welled up in the corner of her eye.
My surprise was fleeting, as before I could stop it, the tear began to trickle down her cheek.
Once the floodgates opened, the tears wouldn't stop, pouring out continuously. As Cheon Yeo-hwa began to cry sorrowfully, my mind went completely blank.
A storm of thoughts raged through my head.
'Is there some Demonic Cult tradition that forbids giving a woman a hairpin? Or is the hairpin just that tacky?'
I had no idea.
I never imagined she would suddenly burst into tears.
What on earth did I do wrong?
Then, a saying came to mind: a man must know how to apologize even when he has done nothing wrong.
Thank you again today, dating coach Kim Okgyu.
“Hey, I'm sor—?!”
The moment I reached out to comfort her, Cheon Yeo-hwa suddenly lunged at me, stealing my lips.
It was a kiss so deep and intense that I wasn't even allowed a single breath.
A hot, wet tongue tangled fiercely with mine.
After what felt like an eternity, Cheon Yeo-hwa, finally satisfied, pulled back.
My lips swollen and tingling, I stared at her blankly.
“I will treasure it. I will treasure it forever...!”
Cheon Yeo-hwa clutched the hairpin to her chest, her face lit with a radiant and beautiful smile I had never seen before.
While my gaze was captured by that smile, she had already disappeared into the distance.
Left standing there all alone, I remained rooted to the spot for a long time.
“...What was that?”
I had absolutely no idea what had just happened.
The only silver lining was that Cheon Yeo-hwa seemed to be in a good—no, a fantastic mood.
At least she wasn't angry, which meant I probably didn't have to worry too much.
“...I should probably wash up.”
I didn't really need to, but I needed time to sort out my jumbled thoughts.
Just as I was trudging back to my quarters...
“Good morning, sir.”
“Hm?”
I came face to face with an old man walking from the opposite direction.
It was someone I knew well.
“Ah, General Manager Heo.”
He was the general manager of the Sleeping Dragon Merchant Guild.
For the record, I didn't know his real name. Everyone around just called him General Manager Heo; I'd never seen anyone use his given name.
“Have you finished your training?”
“Yes, I was just about to return to my quarters.”
General Manager Heo was a rather friendly person.
He would always greet me first whenever we crossed paths, like now, and share various stories—mostly rumors circulating in Wuhan.
Of course, he wasn't just a nice person.
The very fact that a man who wasn't even from a branch of the Jegal Family had risen to the position of general manager of the Sleeping Dragon Merchant Guild was a testament to his capabilities.
“You are truly diligent. I wish my grandson would take after you, but he runs for the hills at the mere sight of a book...”
“Haha, you said your grandson is six, right? I used to run away from my studies at that age, too.”
That was why the nuns at the orphanage often disciplined me with a switch.
Thinking back, they were small women, but their hands packed quite a punch.
“Um, sir? If it's not too much trouble, may I ask you something?”
“Yes?”
I was a little surprised by his question.
He had often initiated conversations with me, but he had never once been the one to ask me something.
“It's about Miss Cheon. She seemed to be rushing to her quarters just now. I was wondering if something might have happened?”
“...”
At that moment, the incident I had briefly forgotten came rushing back, and my thoughts began to tangle once more.
But this could be an opportunity.
An experienced elder like General Manager Heo might be able to offer the advice I needed right now.
Besides, he didn't seem like the type to gossip, so there was no one more suitable to ask for help.
“Well, you see...”
I told General Manager Heo everything that had just happened, from start to finish.
From giving Cheon Yeo-hwa the hairpin to her suddenly bursting into tears and running away.
After listening to my story, General Manager Heo nodded with a gentle smile.
“First, may I ask one more thing?”
“Huh? Yes, of course...”
“You are not from the Central Plains, are you, sir?”
“...How did you know?”
In response to my question, General Manager Heo gave a kind smile.
“I do not know where you hail from, sir, but in the Central Plains, when a woman puts her hair up with a hairpin, it signifies that she is a married woman.”
This is called the Gyerye or Gyebal ceremony.
Of course, unmarried women can also use hairpins, but there is a strong social convention that putting one's hair up with an ornate hairpin is something done after marriage.
“As such, for a man of marriageable age to gift an expensive hairpin to a woman can also carry the meaning of a marriage proposal. I, too, confessed my heart to my wife by giving her a hairpin.”
“...”
General Manager Heo chuckled for a while, reminiscing about the past and sharing a few more stories.
But I didn't hear a single word.
I only gave it to her as a gift because the ruby on the hairpin reminded me of her eyes. A marriage proposal?
I blankly replayed the recent events in my mind.
—I will treasure it. I will treasure it forever...!
The moment I recalled Cheon Yeo-hwa's tear-streaked face as she accepted the hairpin, I realized that things had gotten way, way out of hand.
“Hm? Sir? Your face has suddenly gone pale... no, why are you sweating so profusely?! H-hey! Is anyone there!”
“...”
I'm fucked.
*
That day, I avoided Cheon Yeo-hwa at all costs.
But that was only a temporary solution.
Sploosh—
I sank deep into the bathtub, sending water spilling over the sides. The hot water slowly eased the tension throughout my body.
But a corner of my heart remained heavy as lead.
“Hoo...”
A sigh finally escaped.
It was a sigh mixed with frustration at the situation and disgust at my own foolishness.
I leaned my head back, recalling General Manager Heo's advice.
—Sir, there is no need to overthink it. Just be honest with yourself. That will be enough.
Plip. Plop.
In the quiet bath, where the only sound was water dripping from the ceiling, I mulled over his words again and again.
“...Yeah, that's probably the right thing to do.”
Sploosh—
Afterward, I got out of the bath and headed straight for the bedroom.
When I opened the door, I saw Cheon Yeo-hwa sitting on the edge of the bed, gently stroking the hairpin as if it were a precious treasure.
“Ah, Hyun-woo. Are you finished with your bath already...?”
When our eyes met, Cheon Yeo-hwa seemed slightly startled. She set the hairpin down and carefully picked up a comb.
A strange tension laced her hand as she slowly combed through her hair, which seemed even glossier than usual as it flowed down softly.
I walked over and sat down beside her without a word.
She must have used scented oil in her bath, because a subtle, soft fragrance, different from her usual scent, wafted from her.
Was it because she thought I had proposed to her?
Thump-thump, thump-thump. I could almost hear her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
More than that, her face was flushed as red as a beet, and the way she kept fidgeting and touching her hair... she looked exactly like a new bride on her wedding night.
“...If you stare so intently, even I might feel a little embarra—”
“Yeo-hwa.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder.
Startled by the sudden closeness, she drew a sharp breath.
“Wh-what is it...?”
Seeing her so unlike her usual self, unable to even meet my gaze and stuttering, I felt a pang of guilt.
But I couldn't just let this matter slide.
Sure, if I pretended not to know, we might be able to muddle through for now.
But this incident would undoubtedly become the seed of a great rift between us in the future.
“...I have something to say.”
I steeled my resolve and continued to speak.