Chapter 76: Between Snow and Summer (2)

What is a foul odor?

It was something Namgung Bi-ah had pondered since childhood.

Why was it that she could smell scents others couldn’t?

Namgung Bi-ah knew that because of it, her life had fallen into hell.

A life where eating, talking, let alone sleeping, was hell.

How could she escape?

Namgung Bi-ah could only keep wandering in the thick fog where the way forward was unseen.

Fortunately, there was at least one moment she could overcome such foul odors.

When swinging her sword.

Only during that time did the world grant Namgung Bi-ah a sense of liberation.

That’s why Namgung Bi-ah began a fixation, or rather, a fixation on her sword.

Because during the moments she performed her sword dance, she could achieve the illusion of feeling nothing at all.

So she swung her sword every day.

The foul odor that returned after the sword dance ended was still there, and the stench emanating from those who watched her sword dance grew stronger, but…

Namgung Bi-ah thought, if only there were no foul odor during the moments she performed her sword dance…

She harbored a wish that perhaps this too would disappear once she reached the end of the sword she desired.

When she saw sword masters stronger than herself, she requested sparring matches, and used all other time solely to train her martial arts.

As she grew older, the foul odor emanating from her household grew stronger accordingly.

As she avoided conversing with people, her words became fewer.

The aspirations, desires, envy, and jealousy they harbored were clearly felt along with the foul odor.

Could the source of the foul odor be there?

Namgung Bi-ah wasn’t sure about that either.

It felt like there was something else.

Day by day, she gradually lost her expressions.

She couldn’t remember when she last smiled.

Perhaps the day she completely lost it was the day her mother died.

She grew increasingly weary of the sensation she felt even when plugging her nose.

She wanted to choose to hide away in the mountains and live alone, but the family sect wouldn’t leave her be.

While the foul odor of everyone else intensified, her younger sibling felt particularly burdensome amidst it all.

Her increasingly excessive behavior, the various emotions reflected in her eyes.

Namgung Bi-ah felt increasingly overwhelmed by things she couldn’t understand.

Would there truly be peace at the end of the sword she desired?

Would there be peace at the end of a life spent enduring relentlessly?

Or perhaps she was just foolishly enduring.

During the days she pondered daily at the edge of the cliff.

She met that person.

It was the first time.

In her life, she had experienced a time when there was no foul odor.

As if clearing away a thick fog, only tranquility existed beside him.

With sharp-looking eyes, a grumbling tone, and an obvious distance that screamed ‘please don’t come near me’.

Namgung Bi-ah could find comfort in that gap instead.

No foul odor was felt.

A person surrounded by an unknown impatience and guilt, devoid of the desires felt from others.

Seeing him sometimes look at me as if recalling someone else, I wanted to ask him someday.

Who exactly were you looking for?

And what were you trying to say with those eyes?

Since she could never ask, it remained a story Namgung Bi-ah still couldn’t understand.

The words Tang Soyeol asked once upon a time keep coming to mind lately.

The question, ‘Do you like him?’

At the time, Namgung Bi-ah thought it was not the case.

‘Now?’

So, is it different now?

She asked herself, but no answer returned.

It felt more difficult than the matter of the foul odor.

While swinging her sword on the back mountain, her eyes met his.

What first caught her eye was his hand, which looked injured.

Seeing that, she tried to approach in surprise.

At the same time, a faint, fishy scent was felt.

It was faint, but it was definitely a foul odor.

For a moment, Namgung Bi-ah felt like the world was collapsing.

Repeating thoughts that it couldn’t be true, she grabbed him and sniffed.

Hoping desperately it wasn’t.

For Namgung Bi-ah, it was a sanctuary she had barely found.

She could eat comfortably, and when she slept, she no longer had nightmares.

She could even walk among people.

She was just starting to understand things one by one.

…this was something she couldn’t afford to lose.

Fortunately, was it a mistake?

The faint, fishy scent emanating from his side quickly faded.

As tranquility returned as if nothing had happened, her legs gave out without her realizing, and she collapsed.

He approached and carefully wiped away the cold sweat flowing down her.

She grabbed his arm and brought it to the tip of her nose.

It was an action she took unconsciously out of impatience, fearing she might lose it again.

‘I see.’

Namgung Bi-ah could feel what despair was.

The tranquility, which made her wonder if ignorance was better, taught her the fear of losing something.

I see.

I guess I can’t let him go now.

The thought that the seemingly meaningless title of ‘fiancé’ might be the greatest blessing for her lingered in her mind lately.

She imagined a life without him.

A life where she had to live amidst the foul odor again.

Could she live within it again?

Namgung Bi-ah, not wanting to imagine such a thing, gripped his hand a little tighter.

******************

Seeing that Namgung Bi-ah’s condition seemed strange, I brought her down to the lodging.

Why is she sweating so profusely?

They say even dogs don’t catch summer colds, could she possibly have a fever?

‘A martial artist getting body aches…’

From the perspective of someone with martial arts, it’s quite hard to catch that.

Especially for a martial artist of Namgung Bi-ah’s level.

Thinking perhaps there was something more problematic than body aches, I suggested she see a doctor, but she shook her head and went to wash up alone.

“Young Master! Young Master!”

Around dinnertime, Wi Seol-ah persistently stuck by my side.

Earlier, she saw his injured hand and was about to burst into tears, so it was hard soothing her.

Wi Seol-ah seems to have gotten into cooking lately, as she kept bringing things she made.

Meals are provided by the Mount Hua sect, but…

Of course, since it’s strictly a martial arts sect, the meals aren’t fancy, but since it’s just about filling one’s stomach anyway, it didn’t matter.

‘…I feel like I haven’t eaten dumplings lately.’

It felt like I hadn’t eaten them for the past few days.

I should eat them when I go down to the county later.

‘Though I won’t be going for a while.’

Given Mount Hua Sect’s location, going down and coming back wasn’t easy.

I picked up and ate an unknown dish Wi Seol-ah brought.

Her eyes filled with anticipation were quite burdensome.

Looking at that, I blurted out.

“It’s salty.”

“…R-really?”

Her eyes, which had widened considerably at my words, were amusing.

Knowing she must have worked hard on the dish, I patted her head and revealed it was a joke.

“It’s a lie, it’s fine.”

“Hmph… You’re too much for joking again…!”

“Your reaction is just too funny.”

Now, it felt like there was no problem patting her hair.

Was it because my hesitation decreased?

Wi Seol-ah, who entrusted her head to my touch, looked at me with round eyes like a puppy.

Feeling something strange, I grabbed Wi Seol-ah’s cheeks with both hands and stretched them wide.

“Ebebebe!”

“…Goodness, they stretch!”

What kind of texture is this? I remembered Gu Huibi being surprised while touching cheeks at the family sect before, and I could relate.

So this is what it felt like.

“Ebeub…”

“Ah, sorry.”

Perhaps I pulled too hard, as Wi Seol-ah rubbed her cheek and glared slightly at me.

Seeing that, I asked.

“By the way, where is Elder Wi?”

I didn’t think Wi Seol-ah would have returned to Mount Hua Sect alone.

I was sure Sword Master was supposed to have come along, but Sword Master wasn’t visible.

Wi Seol-ah replied, touching her slightly flushed cheeks.

“Grandfather said he had business and was going somewhere!”

“…Business.”

Leaving even Wi Seol-ah behind, what business could Sword Master possibly have in Shaanxi?

It wasn’t that I was worried about Sword Master now, I was just curious.

The reason he followed all the way to Shaanxi, and why Godly Doctor was here of all places.

And that Godly Doctor’s grandson was Zhuge Hyuk.

“…Why is there so much?”

The disappearance of a Mount Hua disciple, Sword Empress’s health.

It felt like multiple issues were clustered together, where even one incident would be a major problem.

It felt as if something was intertwined in the middle of all this.

“Young Master.”

“Hm?”

“Your face got ugly again…”

“…What, punk?”

It was an ugliness attack I hadn’t heard in a long time.

Maybe it’s because I’ve heard everything from ‘looks like a praying mantis’ in my life, so it wasn’t exactly a shocking statement.

“You shouldn’t say that carelessly anywhere.”

“Why…?”

“…Because genuinely ugly kids get hurt.”

“But when you make that expression, you look ugly…”

“…Yeah.”

Hearing Wi Seol-ah say that really stabbed me in the heart.

This is why pretty people…

It was probably because I frowned due to the complicated situation, but I felt I’d need to make time later to correct her speech.

[…It seems like she said that because you genuinely look ugly to her….]

‘Be quiet.’

My heart already hurt anyway, and now you’re pouring salt on the wound…

After eating a few more greens, I roughly finished dinner.

Namgung Bi-ah didn’t come out to eat, likely because she wasn’t feeling well, so I told Wi Seol-ah to go take care of her a bit.

Thinking I might go for a short walk, I looked around.

-Haa!

-Watch your legs!

-Your arms are idle!

It seemed they were in the midst of final training, as the shouts of the third-generation disciples could be heard outside.

It was likely due to the upcoming Jehwajeon tournament.

Should I call it a martial arts tournament where Mount Hua disciples compete against each other?

Perhaps they would return to their families once it ended.

When I asked Yeongpung, I heard it would end in a day or two, so there shouldn’t be much time left.

I was hoping desperately that nothing would happen within that time.

‘If there’s a problem, it’s the demonic energy I saw earlier.’

The low-ranking thugs of Heukya Palace I saw during the day.

For some reason, they looked too murky to be called demonic energy.

More precisely, they seemed low quality, or incomplete.

It was a cheap-looking level, different dimensions from the demonic energy scattered by the demonic cultivators of the Demonic Cult.

Therefore, I thought it wasn’t related to the Heavenly Demon.

‘[Are you thinking about those guys.]’

“…Yes, there’s something a bit unsettling.”

‘[Are they famous guys?]’

“Not famous, but they aren’t exactly hiding either.”

For starters, the leader of Heukya Palace himself was a master representing the unorthodox sects.

He was someone who maintained his position with dignity even when the famous unorthodox master Black Dragon Sword was killed by Sword Master.

‘Was I too indifferent.’

Was it because I thought they would just be pushed aside and disappear by the Martial Alliance in a few years?

Thinking that Heukya Palace possessed the demonic energy I thought the Heavenly Demon had brought forth felt quite complicated.

“Since there are ones we missed, I won’t just let it go.”

‘[It’s strictly Mount Hua’s territory, and I know it’s already reached the current Sect Leader’s ears, so they won’t move easily.]’

Honestly, I acted recklessly partly thinking of that, but it didn’t seem like they would just lie low and not move.

‘For now, Plum Blossom Fairy will likely handle those remaining here.’

Besides things like this, there were too many things to think about going forward.

Even if I investigated Heukya Palace right away, it would be impossible in Shaanxi.

Putting the headache-inducing thoughts aside, I started walking towards the lodging when someone ran from afar.

“Young Hero Gu!”

It was Yeongpung, drenched in sweat.

Goodness, what a state he’s in…?

“Yeongpung Dojang…?”

“Are you heading to evening training?”

“Yes…? No?”

“The night air is quite good today. If you train, you’ll receive truly good energy!”

“…Ah, yes.”

Surely this kid wasn’t doing this from morning until now?

‘[Among the later generations, he’s the one I quite like. With that level of talent and this much effort, he’ll surely be the number one sword in Mount Hua in the near future.]’

Just as Elder Shin said, speaking with great pride.

Yeongpung’s future would unfold that way if it were a predetermined course.

Unless some crazy bastard decides to wipe out Mount Hua single-handedly.

“…Fuck.”

“Yes? What did you say, Young Hero Gu?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Ah… I understand. If you’re inclined, how about joining me for evening training?”

Even after seeing him suffer that much in the morning, Yeongpung’s expression was still bright as he invited me again.

Since I had a lot of work all day today, I felt like going straight to bed.

Seeing Yeongpung like that, just like earlier in the day, I felt somewhat stimulated.

“Let’s go.”

Right, since I’ll just sleep as soon as I get back anyway, it should be fine to train a little first.

…I said that, but less than a few minutes later, I immediately regretted it.

******************

Crazy Mount Hua, I swear.

“…Ughhh.”

The evening training I started out of stimulation didn’t even last half the time before I ran away.

Setting aside normal training, what kind of crazy bastard created and inserted climbing a cliff carrying a rock on your back?

Besides that, they repeated all sorts of training without rest.

My muscles were screaming in agony, but Yeongpung seemed to enjoy even that.

How did a person like that get blocked in the future?

Was there some reason?

‘[Don’t you think it’s precisely because you stimulated him that he became like this?]’

“Come on, even if he’s a simple person, wouldn’t someone change that much from just one sparring match?”

‘[That’s something you can’t know.]’

Was the sparring match I had with him that shocking?

If that were the case, it was fortunate that he achieved his goal, but if he truly changed like that in an instant, that was frightening in its own way.

When I finally couldn’t take it anymore and said I was leaving first, Yeongpung said with a disappointed look that he would stay and train longer.

Without properly listening to his words, I quickly descended.

Having been caught up in various incidents since the day, and then rolling around in training until evening with a tired body, my body was exhausted to its limit.

Going down to the lodging, I washed my body with cold water to cool my hot body and changed into clean clothes.

I wanted to fall asleep quickly.

Since I hadn’t slept properly the previous day, I felt like I would sleep really soundly today.

Thinking that, I opened the door.

Deureureuk-

“Young Master…!”

Deureureuk tak.

“…?”

Without realizing it, I opened the door and immediately closed it again.

I thought Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah were definitely inside.

I must have seen wrong…?