Chapter 80: More Fox Than Expected. (2)

More Fox Than I Thought (2)

After I washed up and came out, Yeongpung seemed to have shed his earlier anxiety, sitting quietly on the floor.

Although he seemed somewhat stiff, I figured it was because my body was tired after finishing training.

“Master.”

When I called Yeongpung, his somewhat stiff expression quickly brightened.

How should I put it? I could feel a sense of relief from his expression, like ‘I’m alive…!’

“Gu So-hyeop!”

“I came as quickly as I could, did you wait long?”

“Yes! I really waited a lot…!”

“…Yes?”

It was just a polite remark, but Yeongpung seemed to be answering sincerely.

Did he wait that long? I thought I came quickly.

Wi Seol-ah, who was sitting beside me, also came running over when I appeared.

She was smiling broadly, looking like she was in a good mood.

“Master, where should we have our meal then?”

“Yes?”

Yeongpung made a surprised expression at my question.

Why is he surprised?

Outsiders can’t use the dining hall meant for disciples, and Yeongpung wouldn’t be able to leave the sect grounds without permission from an Elder or higher.

Since Yeongpung came to find me like that, I thought he must have brought some kind of method.

“Master… did you perhaps just come to find me?”

“…Hehe.”

“Hehe, you punk…”

Even if a woman had done it, I would have been annoyed, but since a good-looking guy was doing it, I felt like folding him in half.

Then maybe I can just eat suitably in my quarters.

Before that, I had to ask Yeongpung first.

“Among disciples, I heard you eat together, is it alright if you slip away?”

Yeongpung made an awkward expression at my question.

I’ve thought this since before, but his constantly uncomfortable demeanor was bothering me a bit.

“I’m fine. They probably won’t mind much.”

“…Then let’s eat together suitably in the quarters.”

“Are we eating?”

“Will there be anything prepared?”

It should be about time to eat, but I don’t know if the attendants prepared anything.

As I tried to find something to eat, Wi Seol-ah raised her hand high.

“I can cook!”

“…Where is Hong-hwa?”

As I pretended not to hear her, Wi Seol-ah’s expression crumpled.

It’s regrettable to say, but the food Wi Seol-ah makes wasn’t quite presentable to others yet.

First, I grabbed a passing attendant and asked for meal preparations.

The attendant seemed to have already been preparing to some extent, telling me it wouldn’t take long.

Wi Seol-ah was naturally led away by the attendant’s hand to help with the meal preparation.

Seeing that, Yeongpung let out a deep sigh.

It was the deepest sigh imaginable.

“…Phew, I can live.”

“Did something happen?”

“Yes…? Ah, it’s nothing.”

But it’s not nothing; his expression clearly showed he was gauging my reaction, like something was up…

As if sensing the meaning in my gaze, Yeongpung instead avoided my eyes.

“For now, since the meal will be ready soon, come in and wait.”

“Ah! Understood.”

At my invitation, Yeongpung quickly changed to a bright expression and followed me into the quarters.

---

We finished the meal lightly.

The ingredients supplied by Mount Hua were mostly vegetables, so it wasn’t a meal that pleased the palate.

‘It’s enough if it just fills my stomach.’

Actually, with the training lately and having had many strenuous movements, I was honestly starting to crave meat.

However, you can’t just go grilling meat in a Taoist sect, so I was holding back.

To these thoughts, Shin Noy says in a nonchalant voice.

[What’s the big deal? If you want to eat it, just eat it.]

‘…Noy?’

[It’s not like you can’t eat meat like those Buddhist monks of Shaolin, so there’s no reason to force yourself to abstain.]

‘That’s true, but don’t you have to consider appearances?’

[That’s the very thing you lack the most, yet you’re looking for it in meat… How lamentable.]

‘…’

No matter how much I think about it, was this person really the Sect Leader of Mount Hua?

His bizarre remarks, which came out whenever I started to trust him, kept my credibility fluctuating.

‘How could I possibly do something as crazy as grilling meat in a Taoist temple.’

No matter how many times I thought about it, it was a bit too much.

The finished dishes were taken away by an attendant.

“I ate well. Thank you very much, Gu So-hyeop.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

In a way, Yeongpung, who had ended up being treated to a meal, looked awkward due to the unexpected situation.

“Really… Next time, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

“If you could leave the sect grounds…?”

“…Yep.”

The more I saw him, the more Yeongpung seemed like someone with many naive tendencies.

When I heard he was the Sword Dragon, I thought he was a resolute sword cultivator.

Why is he like a country bumpkin?

As I was drinking water while having those thoughts, Yeongpung opened his mouth as if he had something important to say.

“Um… So-hyeop.”

“Yes.”

“Since you’ve finished your meal, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you spar with me…?”

“Spar?”

It was an unexpected request.

I thought he’d ask to train together, but sparring?

Having been beaten so badly in the previous spar, I thought he might be hesitant, even if not intimidated.

He seems surprisingly unfazed.

Has he already overcome it all?

He didn’t seem to have experienced any inner demons, nor did he show much hesitation.

‘Sparring.’

I looked at the back of my hand, which was still wrapped in bandages.

Actually, it had already healed, so there would be no problem sparring.

It’s just that Namgung Bi-ah’s reaction was bothering me a bit in my mind.

If she heard I sparred with Yeongpung as soon as my hand healed, it seemed like it would be a bit troublesome.

“Sparring all of a sudden, did something happen?”

“…Well, isn’t the Jehwajeon opening soon?”

“Yes.”

“I… am participating in the Jehwajeon this time from my senior uncles’ side.”

“With the second-generation disciples?”

Is that normal? A third-generation disciple sparring with a second-generation disciple?

Or perhaps, given Yeongpung’s position, they changed it like that?

“What does that have to do with sparring?”

“…During the preparation period, sparring among disciples is prohibited.”

“Was there such a rule…?”

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen disciples sparring amongst themselves since coming to Mount Hua.

“Hmm, so you want to spar with me…?”

Yeongpung quietly nodded.

It was a bit odd that sparring among disciples was forbidden, but sparring with an outsider was allowed.

‘…Actually, it’s stranger for an outsider to visit the sect during this period.’

Yeongpung’s words were somewhat understandable.

From Mount Hua’s perspective, Yeongpung is a third-generation disciple, but he holds the status of Plum Blossom Sword Master, so it means they probably can’t unleash a predator among rabbits.

In my opinion, even if Yeongpung, conversely, wins against a second-generation disciple, it seems like it would be a problem.

I thought Mount Hua would figure that part out themselves.

“For now… I can spar.”

“Ah…! Then!”

“However, it’s impossible right away today.”

At my words, Yeongpung’s face instantly turned sullen.

“Next time, let’s do it together. Today, I have some business to attend to in the county, so it seems difficult.”

This wasn’t an excuse; I actually had business to attend to.

Yeongpung, with a disappointed expression, said he would visit next time.

‘…It looks like it’ll really happen next time?’

Unconsciously, I found myself thinking it was a bit bothersome.

---

After sending Yeongpung away, I immediately took Wi Seol-ah and headed down to the county.

Last time, it was at Mae Hwa-seon’s request that I came down alone, but this time it’s personal business, so Mu-yeon also came down with me.

Perhaps because of the upcoming Jehwajeon, preparations were in full swing even in Hwa-eum County.

It feels like Gu Clan’s Gu-ryong-hoe, doesn’t it?

‘I wouldn’t know unless I’d been here before.’

It’s probably a bit different, but it’s roughly similar.

Because people get excited watching martial artists fight, just like anywhere else.

Amidst the bustling crowd, I led Wi Seol-ah, who was looking around with sparkling eyes, somewhere.

Seeing the street full of laughter, Shin Noy suddenly says.

[Now that I see it, times have really changed.]

It was a voice that seemed lost in sentiment.

‘Your time was a long time ago.’

The period Shin Noy was active was strictly an era of war.

Of course, that period could be ended not long after due to their actions.

The cities back then wouldn’t have looked like this.

[It’s good.]

‘You seem happy.’

[Of course, it’s the world we longed for so much… It has to be good.]

I couldn’t know what emotions Shin Noy was speaking with.

Because his position was the opposite of mine.

To find the building I wanted, I walked straight down the road and stopped.

Because the place I was looking for had appeared.

“What kind of place is this?”

Wi Seol-ah, holding a chicken skewer in her hand, asks.

For reference, Mu-yeon bought that.

In the center of the building, the character ‘Maeng’ (盟) was written, meaning and serving as proof that they were doing business affiliated with the Murim Alliance.

A place that buys and sells the hides and bones of monsters.

My business in the county was here.

“Welcome!”

Inside, various kinds of hides and bones were lined up.

If I looked closely, they seemed to be items from monsters of roughly Green rank to Blue rank.

As for the higher ranks, since the Alliance manages them directly, they likely wouldn’t be selling them carelessly.

“Oh my, Young Master Mi, what brings you to our establishment?”

“Young Master Mi…?”

This guy must be an experienced merchant.

“To spew lies without even moistening his lips…”

I asked the proprietor without showing any surprise.

“I came to buy something, so I’m just asking around.”

“Ah, of course, you must ask. We are the largest establishment in this vicinity! We have everything!”

“Ah, do you have magic stones too?”

“Yes? Magic stones…?”

The proprietor was momentarily flustered by my question.

Unlike byproducts like monster hides and bones, magic stones were items with little practical value.

There were times when people tried to use them like jewels due to their beautiful appearance.

Because they quickly lost their color over time, they ended up being nothing more than ordinary pebbles.

“If possible, I’d prefer magic stones from monsters caught less than a day ago.”

So I had to find items that hadn’t lost their color.

Losing color means the demonic energy has lost its vitality and dispersed.

The proprietor’s expression almost broke for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

Perhaps he thought I was a customer who wouldn’t spend money?

“Well… Young Master.”

“Surely, you don’t have any?”

“Yes… Magic stones have no demand, and lately, monster appearances have decreased, so the supply has dwindled.”

“Monsters have decreased?”

“This year, they’ve decreased to an unusually low level.”

It’s understandable that there are no magic stones, but that monster appearances have decreased.

‘I haven’t heard anything like that in Shanxi.’

The decrease in monsters is surely good news for public safety, but the sudden decrease isn’t necessarily good news.

“So, you don’t have magic stones, right?”

“Yes… I have some roughly gathered, but if you want ones with color, we don’t have them right now.”

“Understood.”

“Young Master, how about hides or bones? We have some good items…”

“No, thank you.”

As I firmly refused his attempt to sell something else, the proprietor’s grumbling could be heard from behind.

Given what I was looking for, I didn’t expect to find it immediately upon arrival.

‘Do I have to go catch them myself and extract them?’

“When I ignored them, they appeared on their own, but now…”

[Why are you looking for magic stones?]

‘There’s something I need to check.’

[What?]

The energies currently intertwined within my body, and the unknown something that’s holding them down and suppressing them.

Moreover, the entity that goes wild as if possessed, even while suppressing them, whenever I try to use a certain level of internal energy.

Because of this, I was being treated like a living corpse on borrowed time.

Because I don’t know when the intertwined energies might erupt.

Since even divine physicians have given up, I don’t expect much help from the medical field.

It was impossible at my current level to endure or accept it on my own.

Nor could I choose to train, as it was uncertain whether my body could withstand it.

Ultimately, I had to find a solution.

The thing I thought of as soon as I heard the divine physician’s words, though not a certainty, was something I somewhat anticipated as a solution.

Demonic Energy (魔氣).

The Demonic Absorption technique that came along with my regression.

“Isn’t it possible that this damned demonic technique is suppressing the energies?”

If I were to find a reason why two opposing energies could be wildly flailing like a cat chasing a mouse, yet be managed properly.

Other than the power of the Heavenly Demon, it was hard to find another reason.

‘Or… perhaps something else that consumed demonic energy.’

The Nine Flames Wheel Technique, which consumed the demonic energy entering my body and purified it into internal energy.

I had never heard of Gu Clan’s martial arts having such an effect.

If such a thing existed, I would have known in my previous life.

Then, in the end… there’s something else.

‘My body isn’t some monster’s den, so why are all these strange things crammed inside?’

“Is this also a backlash from experiencing regression?”

“Or perhaps the Heavenly Demon’s influence remains even up to this point?”

The more I thought about it, the more disgusted I felt.

“Young Master, Young Master.”

As I walked, lost in complex thoughts, Wi Seol-ah grabbed my collar and called me.

“Hm?”

“Ah~!”

What she held out while making a sound was the skewer I was eating earlier.

Surprisingly, without having taken a single bite.

“That Wi Seol-ah…?”

“What is it?”

“The first bite is for you, Young Master!”

“Why aren’t you eating it all yourself?”

“You were making that ugly face again, Young Master.”

At Wi Seol-ah’s words, I remembered what Shin Noy had said not long ago about my face showing everything.

“Am I that transparent?”

Perhaps because I looked listless, Wi Seol-ah even offered me food first.

“Did I worry her a lot?”

I took a large bite of the chicken skewer.

As I stuffed it into my mouth, Wi Seol-ah’s expression changed amusingly.

“…I didn’t mean for you to eat that much…!”

“It’s delish.”

Maybe because my mouth was full, I couldn’t even pronounce it properly.

Wi Seol-ah sadly finished the skewer, with only one or two pieces left.

Her eyes were filled with regret.

Then she said with sad eyes.

“…It’s so delicious… but now it’s over.”

Wi Seol-ah’s appearance made me want to laugh uncontrollably, so I held it in.

If I burst out laughing here, everything I was chewing would fly out of my mouth.

Strangely, even with just something like this, my complex feelings quickly improved.

“Is it thanks to Wi Seol-ah, or has something changed with my regression?”

“Shall I buy you another one?”

“R-really?”

“Yeah, let’s eat another one.”

Saying that, I led Wi Seol-ah towards where they were selling skewers.

I bought two skewers.

Because they were more delicious than I thought, I wanted one too.

I asked Mu-yeon if he wanted one, but he refused, saying it wouldn’t be possible while on guard duty.

Eating chicken skewers like that, we wandered around the county with Wi Seol-ah.

Ah, for reference, Mu-yeon paid for the skewers.