Chapter 186: Trivial Act. (1)

Trivial matters. (1)

After returning from Shaolin, it was time to head back to Shanxi again.

There wasn’t much I could do by staying longer, and the time had come when there was nothing more to gain.

I really had to leave.

It had only been a little over ten days since arriving in Henan, if I had to be precise, but many more things had happened than expected.

‘On the contrary, I learned a lot too.’

I learned, and I gained.

“Didn’t forget anything, did you?”

While hastily packing my luggage, I kept asking Hongwa. Maybe five times?

Thanks to that, Hongwa wore a slightly annoyed expression.

“Everything’s packed.”

“Really?”

“You didn’t bring much luggage, so you should be fine.”

It felt like a subtle jab, but it was okay.

Because it was true that I hadn’t packed much luggage.

‘Why bother packing anything troublesome.’

Clothes for training were enough.

[You’re speaking very wisely!]

‘…’

It felt strange when Noyya expressed agreement as if empathizing.

Should I say it felt like empathizing with something I shouldn’t?

[What’s the problem when a martial artist values training so highly?]

Whenever Noyya thought I woke up a bit late in the morning, he would force me awake to train.

It became a habit, and now it’s become natural.

Suddenly, I wondered how this old man trained when he was alive.

‘…It probably wasn’t normal intensity.’

Especially since I was using the same training methods Young Poong used.

It didn’t seem likely that the man called the Sword Saint of Mount Hua would have done less.

Noyya, reading my thoughts, immediately scoffed.

[Aren’t you planning to gradually increase the intensity too?]

‘Yes, I should increase it.’

Whether it was because I consumed Qi, or because my internal energy was starting to assimilate with my body.

Training wasn’t as difficult as it used to be compared to before.

‘Even just now….’

The fact that I felt nothing unusual even when I increased the intensity more than usual during morning training proved it.

[It’s ripened, your body finally has.]

A state where the body and internal energy are mixed, having reached the peak.

This was commonly called the Perfected Peak.

[Then, this is where the real challenge begins.]

‘Yes.’

I nodded at Noyya’s words.

Now that I was accustomed to the Peak, I had to advance towards reaching the Martial Realm, but…

If the Peak was the first wall from the initial level, the Martial Realm was like a graveyard for martial artists.

Even those called geniuses their whole lives, honing their martial arts, the majority collapsed without reaching the Martial Realm.

Many were satisfied just by reaching the Peak, as they were already in a different league.

‘It has nothing to do with me, though.’

In my case, I couldn’t stop here, let alone…

Since it was a path I had already walked, there was no need to hesitate.

Despite that, the reason Noyya called it a challenge was that the preparation took longer than expected.

Not just the internal energy, but also making the opened lower dantian familiar to the body.

Many said it was a realm requiring enlightenment.

In my case, it was different.

Internal energy that filled the dantian and still had more.

When the vessel overflowed because it was full, another world would sometimes emerge.

This was, of course, from my perspective.

How many people in the world could draw out enough internal energy to overflow their dantian?

It was a method only someone like me, who was madly circulating internal energy with demonic arts back then, could attempt.

‘I guess I’ll have to build a body that can withstand that internal energy first.’

Internal energy is one thing, but right now, I had to focus on hardening the vessel. That was also the reason for increasing the training intensity.

‘Can I reach it before I turn twenty?’

I had to reach it.

Because then things would become easier.

[You’re impatient.]

‘Isn’t the situation a bit too pressing for leisure?’

[That’s right, a bit of impatience is necessary.]

It seems I’ll have to increase the training intensity the moment I arrive at the family estate.

‘I should also ask Father about matters related to the meteor.’

Visit the Hao Clan’s Shanxi branch after a long time… It’s time to steadily finish the tasks I’ve set.

‘Is Noyya alright?’

‘Hm? What do you mean?’

‘I mean, is it okay for you to return like this?’

Shin Noyya’s colleague at Shaolin.

It was a question about Huangabulyeong Cheolyeong.

If I returned like this, I didn’t know when I’d come back here again.

However, Shin Noyya answered my question in a calm voice.

‘What’s the problem? We’ll see each other again someday.’

It was said as if it were obvious.

‘And besides, even if I went now, that damned bald guy would probably just spew a bunch of curses.’

‘…Curses?’

A monk… cursing?

Come to think of it, I think Noyya mentioned before how the abbot back then got caught eating meat as a child…

Was that Huangabulyeong?

I felt like I understood a little why they were close.

‘Birds of a feather…’

‘What did you say, punk?’

‘Nothing.’

‘…Hmph, since that bald monk decided to rest on his own, I should let him rest for now. If I see him like that later, I’ll just unleash a torrent of curses.’

Amidst his grumbling words, I could feel subtle affection and longing.

Still, a colleague and a friend are friends, I suppose.

‘Friend.’

Since I hadn’t lived my life clinging to such things, it was a relationship I didn’t fully understand.

‘Ah, I do have one.’

Just one person, who is probably sleeping soundly on Mount Wudang right now.

He was the closest thing to a friend I could name, but…

By now, he wouldn’t remember anyway, so it was pointless.

‘I thought it would be nice to see him this time.’

Unfortunately, he didn’t show up for this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering either, so I don’t know when I’ll see him.

“Young Master!”

Just as I finished packing, Wi Seol-ah popped up and hugged me.

“I’m all ready!”

Stroking Wi Seol-ah’s hair as she hugged me tightly, I asked.

“All done?”

“Yes!”

Seeing this, Hongwa hurriedly approached and separated Wi Seol-ah from me.

“Seol-ah!”

“Hmph…”

Her crestfallen face every time she got scolded was cute, so I tried to pinch her cheek, but…

“…It seems like there are no cheeks to pinch.”

The baby fat that had noticeably reduced since I first saw her made my heart ache.

[There are other things to ache about… Are you sane?]

‘Noyya doesn’t know because he hasn’t touched them.’

[…]

I heard Noyya gulp involuntarily at my words.

I wondered if I hit too hard, but…

Who told him to pick a fight?

However, this was Noyya’s fault.

While the servants packed my luggage, I also went down to the inn.

In the inn, the others seemed to have finished packing and were chatting.

I saw Namgung Bi-ah dozing with her face down and Tang Soyeol calmly drinking tea.

And.

‘Why is she here?’

Sitting quietly next to them, wearing a veil, was undoubtedly Moyong Hi-ah.

It was the first time I’d seen her since parting ways at Shaolin.

Though it had only been a few days.

“Ah! Young Master, you’re here?”

Tang Soyeol spotted me and smiled brightly.

Tang Soyeol had been smiling a lot more lately.

“Would you like to eat?”

“Didn’t you finish eating?”

“There’s still time left, so it’s okay if you eat.”

“Oh? Then I’ll have something.”

As I approached, Tang Soyeol subtly pulled out a chair next to her.

The way she tapped the chair with her hand seemed like an invitation to sit there.

After sitting down, I immediately called a waiter and ordered food. As always, plain noodles and dumplings were enough.

“But…”

As soon as I sat down, my gaze naturally fell on Moyong Hi-ah.

“Why are you here, Miss Moyong?”

Moyong Hi-ah didn’t look my way even when I asked.

What’s going on, is she ignoring me?

‘Why is she wearing the veil.’

She wore it the first time I saw her at the Bacheonmaru, but I thought she hadn’t worn it since.

“Miss Moyong?”

When I called her twice, Moyong Hi-ah finally turned her head towards me.

As she turned her head, her movements seemed quite stiff.

“…An.”

“An?”

“nyeo…nghaseyo.”

“Are you unwell?”

“No…”

But why is her voice trembling like that?

She looked like something was broken, so I subtly moved closer to Tang Soyeol and whispered in her ear.

“…Why is she acting like that?”

Tang Soyeol also shook her head rapidly at my question.

She looked like she didn’t know either.

“She came without a word this morning. She’s been like this the whole time.”

So, why on earth…?

I thought she might have come to say something.

But for that, her eye contact was quite unnatural.

Through the veil fluttering occasionally, I caught a glimpse of her slightly flushed cheeks and ears.

“Miss Moyong.”

“…Yes.”

Fortunately, this time, despite a brief pause, I heard a reply.

“What is the matter?”

“…Well.”

Moyong Hi-ah was about to say something but suddenly shut her mouth tightly.

Silence fell, and I could hear Moyong Hi-ah breathing shallowly.

After a moment, Moyong Hi-ah composed herself and spoke to me again.

“I heard you’re leaving today, so I came to bid farewell.”

The subtle trembling in her voice disappeared.

Her movements, which had seemed so unnatural, became natural again.

I was relieved that the strange, broken-like behavior was gone, but…

I still didn’t know why Moyong Hi-ah had been like that just moments before.

“A farewell, you say.”

“Yes.”

Moyong Hi-ah carefully took something out of her pocket and handed it to me.

Accepting it, I asked her.

“What is this?”

“It’s a seal I’m giving you so you can use our trading company comfortably, should you ever choose to do business with us.”

At Moyong Hi-ah’s words, I examined the item.

A ring embedded with a blue jade stone.

According to her explanation, it seemed to be an item that would grant privileges at the Jade Spring Trading Company, run by the Moyong family.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

The Jade Spring Trading Company, while not the best in the Central Plains, was quite influential.

Especially since they focused on exporting and importing fabrics and silks.

They also used these to make clothes, and due to the high quality, it was a place frequented by many women.

“Your martial attire seemed quite worn out.”

It was true that my clothes were quite damaged from all the rolling around.

“…I don’t really pay attention to such things.”

Moyong Hi-ah chuckled slightly at my words.

Though I couldn’t see it through the veil, she definitely seemed to be smiling.

“It’s not something you need to feel burdened by. I’m giving it to you so you can use it comfortably, so please don’t think too much of it.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

With her saying it like that, it was hard to refuse.

I wondered if I should give her something in return, but…

I thought I knew Moyong Hi-ah well, but I made a mistake.

It was probably just because she stood out in this martial arts tournament.

She likely came to establish a connection as a member of a prominent family.

“I gratefully accept. Miss Moyong.”

At my words, Moyong Hi-ah slightly bowed her head in a gesture of respect.

Then, as if having no lingering thoughts, she headed towards the door with her attendant, walking with elegant steps.

“Oh, right. Young Master Gu.”

Moyong Hi-ah, about to leave through the door, suddenly called out to me.

“Yes.”

In response, Moyong Hi-ah didn’t answer but seemed hesitant about something.

If you looked at it a certain way, she just seemed to be standing still, but…

Due to my heightened state and expanded perception, I could feel Moyong Hi-ah’s breathing becoming slightly rougher.

Should I say she was trying to take deep breaths without drawing attention?

“Are you heading straight back to the family estate?”

“I probably will.”

“…I see.”

Moyong Hi-ah paused as if about to say more, then slightly shook her head and continued.

“Then, I’ll see you next time.”

With that, Moyong Hi-ah exited through the door.

Her steps seemed faster than before.

It felt like she had something she wanted to say, but for that, the farewell was too formal.

‘…What is it?’

I couldn’t pinpoint it, but it was an unsettling encounter.

It felt like there was something more.

Just as I was pondering why she was acting like that…

[As expected, you resemble them.]

Noyya murmured in a wistful voice.

‘Who are you talking about?’

Was he talking about Moyong Hi-ah just now?

If so, I wanted to ask who Moyong Hi-ah resembled, but…

A sudden thought made me shut my mouth tightly.

Shin Noyya seemed to exude an aura that suggested I shouldn’t ask.

‘If I ask now, I feel like I’ll really get sliced.’

My survival instinct told me so.

Praising myself for not bringing it up…

“…Damn it.”

I saw Tang Soyeol muttering something to herself beside me.

“It seems like things got complicated again… When exactly? Why?”

“…What’s wrong with you now?”

The kids all seemed abnormal, which was frankly terrifying.

As I asked in a concerned voice, Tang Soyeol quickly turned her eyes towards me.

“Young Master, are you a flower?”

“What are you talking about, a flower?”

“But why do bees keep flocking to you?”

“…What?”

“Usually, it should be the other way around… That’s definitely how it should be…”

Leaving Tang Soyeol to her continuous muttering,

I picked up a dumpling and ate it.

It felt like poking into that would only harm me.

‘…Maybe she had nightmares last night.’

Everyone has days when they’re not quite themselves.

---

Mount Wudang, located in Hubei.

It is one of the Nine Sects, home to the Wudang Sect, which primarily practices sword and Daoist martial arts.

A young Taoist priest was running breathlessly up the high, steep mountain.

Just by looking at the tightly rolled letter in his hand and his trembling eyes, one could tell how urgent his situation was.

After running for a long time, the boy finally stopped running when he reached the base of a giant tree.

“Hyung… Hyung-nim!”

Without even time to catch his breath, the boy shouted.

His direction was towards the top of the tree.

“Hyung… Hyung-nim!”

Despite the boy’s pleading calls, the person he was looking for seemed unwilling to appear.

Finally, after shouting for a long time, the boy gritted his teeth and yelled louder.

“Hey, you damn…!”

Whack!

“Gyaaaak!”

A stone, seemingly appearing from nowhere, hit the boy, causing him to scream and fall backward.

Then, someone landed in front of the fallen boy.

“Your choice of words is terrible, junior disciple.”

“…If I don’t do this, you won’t show up, Hyung-nim.”

The person who appeared before the boy was a young man with a somewhat vacant expression.

His martial attire and the sword at his waist suggested he was a Taoist from Wudang, but…

He seemed quite different from the aura a Taoist usually projected.

“Knowing that your esteemed Hyung-nim should be sleeping at this hour, what is this all about?”

“The sun is high in the sky, what sleep are you talking about…”

“Want another hit?”

“…Hyung Wu lost.”

The young man tilted his head at the boy’s words.

“That makes sense. He didn’t have the capability to win there.”

A disciple from Wudang who participated in the martial arts tournament. Apparently, since I wasn’t going, they sent a few selected people.

As if that would work.

The boy continued speaking, rubbing his hit forehead.

“That’s not it, he lost in the preliminaries.”

“…Hm?”

The young man frowned upon hearing that.

“Anyway, that’s not the important part, Hyung-nim.”

“…That’s not the important part?”

A Wudang disciple losing in the martial arts tournament preliminaries isn’t important?

Then what is?

“Hyung-nim, do you know someone named Gu Yangcheon?”

“Gu… What?”

The young man’s frown deepened at the boy’s words.

The boy instinctively knew that if he messed up the conversation here, he’d get hit again.

Driven by a strong survival instinct, the boy immediately handed the letter he was holding to the young man.

“What is this?”

“It’s a letter sent by Hyung Wu.”

“The loser actually sent a letter? Haha…”

There was something sticky in his kindly laughing voice.

The boy realized that it was definitely not a good emotion.

‘Hyung Wu…’

The boy inwardly just wished for his Hyung’s well-being.

The young man, after setting aside those thoughts and reading the letter for a while, suddenly spoke.

“He says he’s close with me?”

It was a passage listing excuses for his loss.

The young man, finding this content unimportant, skimmed through it, but…

He couldn’t help but frown at the words written near the end of the letter.

“Yes, if this is correct, our Martial Uncle told Hyung-nim to ask you…”

“Who?”

“Gu… Yangcheon.”

“So. Who is that?”

‘Why is he asking me that.’

The boy tried hard to maintain his expression.

The letter stated that someone named Gu Yangcheon claimed to be close with the Sleeping Dragon.

Yet, the person right in front of him had a clueless expression.

“You don’t know?”

“…Yes, I don’t know him well either.”

“Then find out.”

“…Huh? What did you say?”

“This guy claims he’s close with me, but I don’t know him, so go find out.”

“…”

Not understanding this utter nonsense, the boy stared blankly at the young man, or rather, the Sleeping Dragon.

The Sleeping Dragon smiled kindly and said to the boy.

“What are you doing, junior disciple. Run.”

The boy smiled along with that smile.

‘Fucking bastard.’

He thought, cursing inwardly.