Into the Spiritual Dream Once More
Immediately after my conversation with Wolseongeom, I headed to the training grounds where the martial artists of Cheongwol Gate gathered.
"Hah!"
"Ha-ap!"
Rough, spirited shouts rang in my ears. This was the training ground where all the second-generation disciples gathered to practice.
"...Huh?"
"Isn't that..."
The moment I appeared, all eyes turned toward me. Everyone stared, their expressions a mix of different emotions.
They had always stared, but the vibe was completely different this time. Just yesterday or the day before, I could feel a distinct, unspoken resentment radiating from them.
"...I heard he joined the Sowol Squadron..."
"They said he toyed with Senior Brother Seong."
Now, their eyes were filled mostly with shock. It was a stretch to call it awe, but the contempt and distrust that usually colored their gazes had vanished.
Sensing the change, I squared my shoulders and walked with a bit more swagger. It was too late to hesitate now anyway; I had already caused too much of a stir.
Flutter!
The uniform of the Sowol Squadron billowed with my steps. As everyone watched me pass,
"Ah."
I spotted the person I was looking for and headed in his direction. Sure enough, he seemed to have noticed me too.
"Young Master Cheon."
At my call, the sweat-drenched, handsome youth, Cheon Ui-jin, looked up and met my eyes.
"...Young Master Bang?"
Cheon Ui-jin wiped the sweat dripping from his chin. He looked utterly exhausted, a testament to how hard he had been training.
"Have you been well?"
"...Ah, yes. Whew... huff..."
He panted as he answered, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Once he finally managed to steady his breathing, he straightened his posture and spoke to me.
"What brings you here, Young Master Bang?"
"Ah, nothing major. I just have something to discuss with you. Do you have a moment?"
Cheon Ui-jin tilted his head in confusion at my question.
I led Cheon Ui-jin out of the training grounds and toward a small, quiet space out back.
"Sorry for dragging you away in the middle of your training."
"Not at all. It was just time for a break anyway," Cheon Ui-jin offered a polite smile.
Of course it was. I had deliberately timed my arrival to coincide with their break.
"Thank you for understanding."
There was no need to let him know that, so I just brushed it off lightly.
"So, um... what is this about?"
"Ah, I had some business with you, Young Master Cheon. And I realized it's been a while since we last saw each other."
In truth, it had only been a few days, but there was no need to sweat the small details.
"Business...?"
"Yes."
"What kind of...?"
"I've recently joined the Sowol Squadron. Did you happen to hear?"
Cheon Ui-jin stiffened slightly.
A complex flicker of emotion crossed his eyes for a split second. But it vanished just as quickly.
"I did. Congratulations," Cheon Ui-jin smiled and offered his congratulations as if nothing had happened.
Of course, I didn't miss that brief lapse.
"Oh, it's really nothing to congratulate me for."
It wasn't like I got in on my own merit anyway. But despite my casual response,
"How could it not be?!" Cheon Ui-jin protested, looking as if I were talking nonsense.
"No one of your age has ever joined the Sowol Squadron in the history of our sect... and I heard you even won the entrance duel."
"...Well, yes. I suppose so."
The youngest in history. A title that was nothing but a massive burden to me. Perhaps because he knew this, Cheon Ui-jin's eyes shone with a strange light.
"I was so shocked when I heard the news. I've always thought this, but the more I see of you, the more amazing you seem, Young Master Bang..."
Cheon Ui-jin sighed in admiration, but then the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.
"Unlike me."
The last part was barely a whisper, but it was loud enough for me to catch.
This guy gets weirder by the day.
I could sense a strange inferiority complex and an inexplicably low self-esteem. What was his deal?
Objectively speaking, Cheon Ui-jin has no reason to have low self-esteem.
Unlike me, he was tall and handsome. On top of that, his martial arts skills were exceptionally high for a rising star of the younger generation. He might not be one of the Seven Great Talents, but someone of his caliber would never be called untalented anywhere in the Murim.
So why is he so incredibly depressed?
I had noticed it back in Anhui, but the feeling had only grown stronger since arriving at Cheongwol Gate. He looked completely defeated.
"Hmm..."
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. Trying to act humble and downplay my achievement here felt like it would only make things weirder.
"...Anyway, putting that aside."
So, I decided to just ignore it.
"Now that I've joined the Sowol Squadron, I've been assigned a mission."
"Oh? Yes."
This was the main point.
"And it requires me to travel to Sichuan."
"Sichuan?"
Cheon Ui-jin's eyes widened.
"Sichuan all of a sudden...? That's so far away..."
"Would you like to come with me?"
"Excuse me?"
His already wide eyes grew even wider. I hadn't realized his eyes could get that big. I found myself staring at him in fascination.
"...To Sichuan?"
"Yes. Sichuan."
After a brief moment of panic at the sudden mention of Sichuan, he asked the most logical question.
"But it's your mission. Why me...?"
I had already prepared an answer for this.
"I just thought it would be good to go together."
"With me?"
"Yeah. To be honest, there aren't many people I can trust besides you, Young Master Cheon."
"..."
A look of deep emotion washed over Cheon Ui-jin's face.
"...B-but... since it's a mission for the Sowol Squadron, wouldn't you need permission—"
"Don't worry about that," I grinned. "I've already secured the Moonmaster's permission."
"The Moonmaster permitted it?" Cheon Ui-jin asked, utterly incredulous. Was it really that hard to believe?
"Well, he didn't give me a definitive yes on the spot, but he'll agree to it anyway."
"What do you mean by..."
"So just focus on one thing, Young Master Cheon. Are you coming or not?"
"..."
Cheon Ui-jin's pupils trembled at my direct question. After a brief silence,
"...If you are willing to have me... I would like to go."
"Great. It's settled then," I nodded.
Though he had hesitated, it was clear he wanted to go. That was all that mattered.
"I'll let you know once the preparations are complete."
Having finished my business, I immediately turned around. Cheon Ui-jin opened his mouth to say something else, but
"Ah. And one more thing."
My interruption cut him off.
"We'll have one more person joining us."
Naturally, I wasn't planning on going with just the two of us.
"My life is precious, after all. I figured we should bring along a protective talisman."
"A talisman...?"
Cheon Ui-jin looked thoroughly confused by the sudden mention of a talisman, but I didn't offer any further explanation.
"See you later then. Keep up the hard work."
"Ah, wait—!"
I casually ignored his call.
That took care of Cheon Ui-jin.
Now for the other one.
The person who would serve as my protective talisman. I just needed to coax that guy into coming along. With that thought, I headed in a different direction.
The sun was setting. By the time I finished all my errands and stepped outside, dusk had already fallen.
"Mmm."
I massaged my stiff shoulders. Fortunately, I had managed to get the second person's consent as well. To be honest, it had been a bit of a struggle, but a win was a win.
Is that everything?
The preparations seemed complete. All that was left now...
Was to double-check.
I needed to confirm if what I was doing was actually the right move.
I had been running around like a busy bee making all these arrangements before I even had time to panic, but in the end, I had no way of knowing if this was the correct path. To find out...
Show yourself already.
I needed the annoying ghost who usually clung to me like glue, but even now, with the sun fully set, the old man was nowhere to be seen.
"Tsk."
Where on earth did he go? He didn't show even a hair of his ghostly head. Usually, he'd be hovering around me, making a racket, but now, of all times, when things were actually getting serious, Yoo Chun-gil was missing in action. Had something actually happened to him?
What do I do then?
It would be great if he just disappeared forever, but that would bring a whole new set of problems.
"I have training starting tomorrow, too."
Up until now, I had been treated more or less like a guest, but joining the Sowol Squadron changed my status completely. I could skip today's duties because it was my first day and Wolseongeom had personally summoned me, but starting tomorrow, I wouldn't have that luxury. Now that I was officially part of the Sowol Squadron, I was a member of Cheongwol Gate, which meant I had to attend all sect training sessions and events.
"Ssshh..."
This was incredibly troublesome. Even after returning to my quarters and lying down on the floor, the anxiety wouldn't leave me.
"Seriously, what is going on?"
At first, I thought he was just hiding to screw with me as usual, but at this point, it was genuinely bizarre.
"Ah, I already have so much on my mind."
Why did the old man have to act up now of all times?
"...Sigh..."
I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. If Yoo Chun-gil had really vanished for good...
What should I do next?
How was I supposed to proceed?
The bastard who held my life in his hands was gone, and since I had gained quite a bit from this whole ordeal, just living a quiet life from here on out wouldn't be a bad option.
But it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
For some reason, it felt wrong to just give up.
Then what the hell does he want from me?
I didn't know, and there was no obvious way to find out.
"Haaah."
I sighed and closed my eyes. Having spent the entire day worrying, I felt unusually exhausted. Yes, it was just like yesterday. The moment I closed my eyes, I felt like I would drift off immediately.
"...No, I can't."
It was still too early to sleep. With that thought, I tried to force myself upright, but...
"...Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
The moment I sat up, my face contorted in a grimace. The sight before me was all too familiar.
A world of pure, endless white. It was the exact same place from my previous dream. Which meant...
"Again?"
I had entered the Spiritual Dream once more.
I must have fallen asleep without realizing it. I had only meant to close my eyes for a second, but I had drifted off completely.
"Dammit."
I ran a hand through my hair. The sensation at my fingertips was still vivid. Unpleasantly so.
"...Tsk."
What was going on here?
I didn't see the old man anywhere nearby.
I had wondered what he was up to since he hadn't shown himself, but this was his answer. I narrowed my eyes and scanned my surroundings.
If I'm in the Spiritual Dream again...
It meant the old man had to be around here somewhere.
"What the hell are you doing?"
The moment I realized it, I shouted out loud. I yelled at the top of my lungs so he would hear me, but...
...
Silence enveloped the space. It was as if no one was there. A bizarre, unpleasant quietness that didn't even produce an echo. Feeling the weight of it, I frowned deeply.
"This isn't funny. I'm busy enough as it is, so why are you playing these pranks on me?"
Between the issue with Sichuan and the Tang Clan, not to mention everything else, I had a mountain of things to discuss. Why did he keep pulling this stunt? I couldn't understand it at all.
"I know you can hear me."
Just because there was no reply didn't mean I was alone. Since I was in the Spiritual Dream, someone had to have dragged me here. And I was absolutely certain that someone was Yoo Chun-gil. Therefore...
"Stop messing around and just show your—"
I tried to tell him to cut it out, but...
"..."
I trailed off, my mouth snapping shut at the sight of something in the distance.
In the center of this pure white world. About twenty paces away from me, someone was standing. The space had definitely been empty just a moment ago. And that wasn't all. The person who had suddenly materialized was, shockingly, someone I recognized.
A young man with disheveled hair, holding a chipped saber. His blue eyes locked onto me.
"Who are you?"
It was the same guy I had met last time.