Chapter 391: Such Words.

By the time I barely managed to pull my body out of the cave, the sun had already set.

My entire body was already drenched in sweat. Even though I’m the type who doesn’t care about getting a little dirty, it was to the point where I felt sticky and uncomfortable.

‘…This is fucking hard.’

I dragged my exhausted body out.

Breathing in the night air that blew in as if it had been waiting, I felt a little more alive.

How long had I been digging a hole in the cave?

I couldn’t really gauge the time, but since I skipped meals to do it, it must have been quite a while.

‘Ah, come to think of it, I didn’t tell them I wasn’t eating.’

I realized it only after coming out. Usually, I eat before coming. Or I tell my companions that I’ll eat upon arrival.

Today, I was too focused to do that.

‘It probably doesn’t matter, right?’

Surely they wouldn’t skip meals just because I’m not there….

‘Hmm.’

I wanted to believe that wasn’t the case, but because it had happened a few times before, I felt a little concerned.

Should I pick up the pace a bit?

Once I leave the cave and descend the mountain, the town appears not long after.

Even though midnight had arrived, the streets of Hanam were still bright.

Of course, ‘not long after’ is based on my standards.

If I use my inner energy to speed up a bit, I can close the distance to the town quickly.

‘This has changed too.’

As I feel it, the past comes to mind.

I’m talking about back then, when I was gasping for breath while walking, determined to find Bigo in Sichuan.

‘Back then, Wi Seol-ah secretly followed me.’

It wasn’t until I was nearing Bigo that I even realized Wi Seol-ah was chasing me.

The embarrassing part was that even though I ran myself ragged, Wi Seol-ah followed without breaking a sweat.

‘She was strange back then.’

She was always strange, but the deeper you looked, the stranger she became.

I don’t know about the current Wi Seol-ah, but the Wi Seol-ah of that time was something ambiguous, hard to call human.

Like having a faint presence, or being impossibly strong for a normal person, and so on.

Of course, by now, I had a vague idea of the reason.

In reality, there wasn’t much to know.

‘She just wasn’t human.’

Wi Seol-ah is not human.

It was a statement that resonated now. That there was something about Wi Seol-ah.

It’s just that I didn’t want to think of it that way myself.

‘Wi Seol-ah is a person.’

If I think so, then it is so.

It felt like a flimsy excuse, but I just wanted to believe that.

Look at it now. Instead of the memory of Wi Seol-ah being strange back then, isn’t it the memory of me leaping and carrying her, flying with her, that fills my mind?

What that meant was that Wi Seol-ah’s identity wasn’t that important to me.

‘Back then, even this street was quite tough.’

It was around the time I had obtained a fortuitous encounter, or rather, a series of them, and my cultivation had just reached the second-rate level.

What guts did I have to decide to carry Wi Seol-ah and run?

‘Ah.’

Right.

Wi Seol-ah had asked me to carry her.

Did she say she was tired and asked me to carry her? Remembering that made me chuckle.

It was also a rather pleasant memory.

As I recalled those miscellaneous memories, my steps had already brought me to the town.

As soon as I arrived, I took out and put on a bamboo hat.

‘…Tsk.’

Wearing a bamboo hat just in case someone recognized me. This was truly a ridiculously embarrassing reason.

Becoming too famous was also a problem.

Especially since people from other regions had flocked to the town now, making it even more so.

Damn Murim Alliance bastards.

‘They should at least spread rumors moderately.’

Even though they do their jobs like shit, they’re damn good at spreading these crappy rumors.

They’re so good at it that now, in Hanam, there are few who don’t know my epithet and about me.

In a way, fame is a form of power for a martial artist, so maybe these rumors aren’t entirely bad….

‘…No, I think it’s bad.’

I let out a deep sigh.

Honestly, I wasn’t too fond of this kind of attention.

Although it was different attention than in my previous life, people’s gazes were still more awkward than enjoyable.

Should I call this something I was destined to experience someday?

‘I wonder how other people endure this kind of thing.’

I think of the Four Great Families.

They usually had the symbol of their family embroidered onto their martial arts uniforms, so you could tell just by looking.

Meaning, a member of the Four Great Families had appeared.

When I was young, I thought, ‘Why are they so shamelessly walking around with that on?’, but as my perspective on the world broadened, I understood immediately.

It was a form of value.

You wouldn’t get caught up in pointless quarrels.

You receive preferential treatment anywhere, as long as no incident occurs.

The way others treat you changes, and your standing starts higher from the beginning.

That was the power of fame.

If you look into it more deeply, it’s much more complex, but from my perspective, that’s about it.

Of course, even with so many good things…

‘Until things calm down a bit… I shouldn’t act out.’

No matter how I look at it, I don’t think I’m suited for that.

I pulled the bamboo hat down further.

Right after using my inner energy to erase my presence, I quickened my pace.

Because I felt I needed to get to the inn quickly.

As I walked like that for a bit.

Thump-

My steps came to a halt at a certain spot.

It looked like a tavern, and I knew the place.

It was the place where Moyong Hi-ah sometimes bought dumplings. Maybe it was because I said they were delicious, but she always bought them from here.

“…Hmm.”

I wondered what to do, but I didn’t ponder it for long.

I went straight into the shop and ordered food.

And by the time I came out of the shop, something bulky was in one of my hands.

I bought a bit more than usual, but since there was someone who would eat it all anyway, I figured buying a little extra was fine.

Should I buy some Yakgwa too?

If I see some while passing by, I’ll buy them.

Thinking that, I started walking towards the inn again.

The crowd was still large.

The night in the streets was bright.

And the smell of food lingered in my hands.

I walked, enjoying such streets for a brief moment.

Despite hating streets like this, I paradoxically longed for them.

Seeing so many people made me feel that the Blood Calamity hadn’t arrived yet.

Thinking that, I slowly moved my feet.

Not long after that, as I walked a bit further, I could feel the crowd thinning.

I was passing through the bustling streets and getting closer to the inn.

‘Even so, it’s too few.’

Just as I wondered if something was going on due to the smaller-than-expected crowd.

“Hmm?”

As expected, something appeared in the distance.

It seemed like a crowd had gathered somewhat.

Are they doing something?

‘No wonder the crowd was smaller than usual.’

That seemed to be the reason.

Just as I was about to turn away, thinking I might just go back.

“…I apologize.”

A familiar voice reached my ears.

I turned my head.

Following the voice, I shifted my gaze, and a woman’s back came into view.

I remembered what I had talked about regarding symbols earlier.

I’m talking about how the symbols of the Four Great Families represented value.

The Gu family was the same.

My family also had something that could be called our own symbol.

Although there were martial uniforms with that embroidered on the chest, I made it a point not to wear them.

It’s embarrassing. Walking around like that.

I probably won’t wear them in the future either.

‘Besides, nobody wears them anyway.’

Not to mention my father, I had never seen Gu Huibi wear them either.

They do wear them for important events.

I did wear it at the last orthodox sect meeting.

Anyway.

If you ask why I’m bringing up the topic of those symbols now, it’s because the woman was wearing a martial uniform bearing that symbol.

And it was a Gu family uniform at that.

A deep red uniform with patterns embroidered in a light yellow hue.

That was the symbolic attire worn by members of the Gu family.

As far as I could recall, there was only one family member who wore such conspicuous clothing.

‘Gu Yeonseo?’

Right.

The owner of the voice was Gu Yeonseo.

Confirming that, I approached the crowd.

Gu Yeonseo was offering an apology to someone.

The moment I saw that, I frowned slightly and observed the other person.

The person Gu Yeonseo was apologizing to was a middle-aged man of immense stature.

If I had to compare, it felt similar to Elder Il.

A large build that made the sword at his waist look small.

He was wearing a black martial uniform.

And black rings adorned his fingers as well.

Having confirmed that much, I could naturally tell who the other person was.

Moreover, since I had met him face-to-face a few times, there was no way I wouldn’t know him.

That man.

‘The Peng family head?’

He was the head of the Peng family, known as the Sword King (Dao Wang).

‘Why?’

I was engulfed in questions.

Why were the Peng family head and Gu Yeonseo in that situation?

And in the middle of the street, out of nowhere.

Gu Yeonseo seemed intimidated, her shoulders hunched.

The Peng family head’s expression, watching her, seemed quite displeased.

“…Hmph. These late-generation disciples are quite disappointing. Can’t even watch where they’re going.”

“…”

“Moreover, bumping into a senior who is far above you. Did you learn to act like that at home?”

“No…. It is indeed my fault.”

The moment Gu Yeonseo spat out an apology without excuse, one of my eyebrows shot up.

‘Well, well?’

So Gu Yeonseo, while walking down the street, bumped into the Peng family head’s shoulder?

That’s what the conversation implied.

“Instead of noticing me first and showing proper respect, tsk tsk.”

The Peng family head’s expression, as he kept talking, was peculiar.

It was closer to a smirk, as if he’d caught her, rather than anger.

‘Bumped shoulders?’

This was something that couldn’t happen according to my common sense.

The crowd wasn’t small, but it wasn’t particularly dense in this area.

There was no way someone like the Peng family head would let someone get close enough to bump shoulders without reacting.

This meant…

That this was nothing more than a flimsy ploy.

“While I understand you’re young, this certainly brings up the need to re-examine the Gu family’s educational standards.”

Mentioning the Gu family made Gu Yeonseo flinch.

Her ears turned red, and she visibly shrank in on herself for a moment.

Perhaps sensing that, the Peng family head’s lips curled up slightly.

“While your children’s talents are said to be high… their instruction in basic etiquette seems quite lacking…”

“Ah, no…! This is entirely my fault for not watching where I was going….”

“Damn it-!”

The Peng family head roared, and Gu Yeonseo startled, taking a step back.

“My words weren’t finished yet, yet you dare interrupt me!”

“…I apologize. Please forgive my rudeness….”

Every time he found something to pick on Gu Yeonseo about, the Peng family head’s lips curved upwards.

“To think that a member of the most famous family right now would be in such a state…! How disappointing.”

“…That’s…”

Gu Yeonseo tried hard to speak but then firmly shut her mouth.

Because the Peng family head’s words had just become a constraint.

Seeing that attitude, the Peng family head wore a satisfied expression and continued speaking.

“Goodness gracious. While I heard there were unfortunate events concerning the Gu family, I was trying to see them in a positive light. But seeing this, I suppose it’s fortunate things ended badly back then.”

“…!”

When he even mentioned the broken engagement, Gu Yeonseo squeezed her eyes shut.

After confirming the situation, my body was already moving.

“If the state of the bloodline is like this, there’s no need to even look at the others….”

The Peng family head’s words, spoken in continuous anger, were abruptly cut off.

It was because I had inserted myself between the two.

If I watched any longer, I felt like my blood pressure would skyrocket and I’d die first.

I couldn’t help it.

I couldn’t die from something like that here.

I grabbed Gu Yeonseo by the shoulder and pulled her back.

Gu Yeonseo’s eyes widened at the sudden pull.

I pulled Gu Yeonseo back and stood in front, shielding her from the Peng family head.

“What…?”

The Peng family head’s gaze, seeing me suddenly appear before him, looked quite taken aback.

That’s understandable.

I’m taken aback too.

How could anyone not be taken aback when someone speaks like that?

“Hey, old man.”

At the word I casually spat out, the Peng family head’s brow furrowed.

Perhaps it was because it was a completely unexpected way to address him.

Well.

How often does the head of the Peng family get called ‘old man’ anywhere?

As the Peng family head’s expression grew increasingly displeased, I spoke.

“You really are…”

“…talking shit.”

“Talking shit…. Huh?”

Just as I was about to continue, I felt my strength suddenly drain away.

It was because someone abruptly intervened and said what I was about to say first.

“You really have a filthy mouth. Do you think your mouth is a trash can? Spitting out garbage.”

“What…?”

The Peng family head looked at the speaker with a bewildered expression.

It wasn’t me who uttered those words.

It was a woman who had appeared beside me, arms crossed, speaking.

Just like the Peng family head, I was busy observing the woman who had suddenly intervened.

Because I hadn’t expected there to be another lunatic besides me who would curse out the head of one of the Four Great Families so brazenly.

As I observed the woman with eyes full of surprise.

“Huh?”

I let out a sound without realizing it.

It was because I had noticed the woman’s martial uniform.

A light blue martial uniform, the embroidery on the chest, and even some of the accessories she wore.

They were items I had seen often somewhere.

‘This…?’

Of course.

Because they resembled the items from the Moyong family that Moyong Hi-ah used to wear.

It wasn’t just similar.

The uniform was exactly the same.

And the accessories had the distinctive style characteristic of the Moyong family.

What this meant, in other words,

was that this woman was a member of the Moyong family.