Chapter 661: Villain and Hero.

I left the streets of Hanam and headed towards my lodging.

It was around that time when the sun was gradually setting.

Since I remembered the way to the lodging, finding it wasn’t particularly difficult.

It’s just that buying various snacks along the way took a bit of time.

‘You said you wouldn’t eat, but you’re sure stuffing your face now that I bought it for you.’

They ate so much, I wondered why they even refused it in the first place.

Still, it was a relief that they ate rather than not.

The sun sets.

I could see the sunset giving way as night walked in.

My hands were full.

Buying all sorts of things ended up like this.

Honestly, I considered using Void Manifestation because it was a hassle to carry, but I had to refrain since it would be too conspicuous.

What’s more.

‘She’s carrying even more….’

Wi Seol-ah, who was walking beside me, was carrying more than I was.

Judging by her beaming smile, she seemed quite pleased.

Seeing that expression, I figured anything else didn’t matter.

‘Right now, rather than that….’

As I walked, I recalled what had just happened.

It was related to Bihyeonhwa.

‘I was so surprised, I completely forgot.’

Due to Wi Seol-ah’s sudden appearance, I forgot to infuse Bihyeonhwa with demonic energy.

‘What a shame.’

Since I had already planted something in Beomdong anyway, it wouldn’t affect the plan even if I didn’t do it for Bihyeonhwa, but…

Still, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

What’s more.

‘…That damn bitch, she ran off without even paying for the tea?’

She must have been in such a hurry that she left without paying, forcing me to cover her share too.

‘Just let me meet her again.’

I’ll rip her off tenfold; thinking about it now makes me want to die from frustration.

‘Damn it, why was the tea so damn expensive anyway?’

It wasn’t even alcohol, just tea, but it was ridiculously expensive.

And what kind of people drink it happily like that?

Moyong Hi-ah must have created this anticipating all this, but I never thought it would actually work.

I thought, who would pay that much money just to eat tea and snacks at an inn?

But they ate it up quite well.

The taste was also quite good.

It tasted so good that even though I knew I was being ripped off, I ended up buying a hefty amount.

‘Will they like it?’

Wi Seol-ah ate it happily, but…

She’s always been like that, so that’s understandable.

I wondered if the others would enjoy it.

Of course.

‘If they don’t, Wi Seol-ah will eat it all anyway.’

There’s no need to worry about food being left over.

Should I consider this fortunate…?

As I was walking slowly like that.

Rustle.

As I passed through the lantern-lit forest path, I sensed someone’s presence.

Shifting my gaze towards the spot.

“Aah!”

Tang Soyeol burst out from the bushes.

She seemed to have come through the woods, as her hair was covered in leaves.

I wasn’t surprised by her appearance.

Because I had sensed her energy long before.

“Young Master!”

Tang Soyeol beamed brightly the moment she spotted me.

Since my hands were full, I used my energy to brush the leaves off Tang Soyeol, and then looked at her and asked,

“Where have you been?”

I had definitely sensed Tang Soyeol’s presence around the inn earlier, but her energy had vanished at some point.

I had just assumed she had something to attend to and let it go, but…

It seemed she had been wandering around instead of heading straight to the lodging.

“Ah, I just had something to take care of.”

Tang Soyeol replied with a smile like that.

I nodded upon hearing that, but…

‘Just something to take care of?’

My inner thoughts weren’t exactly calm.

‘I smell blood.’

There was a faint but distinct smell of blood on Tang Soyeol.

She must have tried her best to clean it off, but…

Having advanced my cultivation and completed my shedding, my five senses were extremely heightened.

Sensitive enough to easily catch a scent like this.

So, while I didn’t know exactly what Tang Soyeol had been up to…

I knew it wasn’t something peaceful.

I simply chose not to show it.

‘There must be a reason she’s not saying anything.’

Thinking that far, I asked Tang Soyeol,

“Food.”

“I haven’t eaten.”

“Why? It’s this late, what were you doing instead of eating?”

“I was planning to eat with you, Young Master.”

“What kind of idiotic nonsense is that? You have three meals a day; are you saying you won’t eat any of them if I’m not around?”

“I might… Ouch!”

I gave her a knuckle-rap on the head for that nonsensical remark.

Since my hands were occupied, I had to use my energy.

“You’re saying ridiculous things.”

“Owie….”

Tang Soyeol groaned as if in pain, but I ignored it.

Seeing that I wasn’t playing along, Tang Soyeol finally sniffled, got up, and skipped over towards Wi Seol-ah.

She then took half of the load Wi Seol-ah was carrying.

Her actions seemed so natural that I had to tilt my head in confusion.

“When did you two greet each other?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

At my question, Tang Soyeol and Wi Seol-ah widened their eyes in surprise.

There wasn’t even a ‘how have you been’ or a ‘nice to see you’.

The way she took the load so naturally felt strange.

As far as I remembered, there hadn’t been any situation for them to greet each other.

I stared, wondering what was going on.

“…No, uh… it’s just…”

Tang Soyeol reacted with apparent embarrassment.

I wondered what could possibly warrant such embarrassment.

“We greeted each other earlier.”

Conversely, Wi Seol-ah answered me in a calm voice.

“When?”

“Um. Before you went to the inn where you were, Young Master.”

“…Huh?”

The inn… that must mean the one where I met Bihyeonhwa.

When exactly did they greet each other then?

As I couldn’t understand the situation no matter how much I thought about it, I tilted my head.

“We greeted each other then.”

Wi Seol-ah said so with a wide smile.

It was the kind of smile that clearly said, ‘Don’t ask any more questions.’

“Oh, uh. Right. That can happen.”

My instincts were telling me something.

Specifically, that I shouldn’t probe further.

So, I decided to just let this slide too.

Probably nothing happened… It must be that way.

---

Afterward, upon returning to the lodging, I immediately changed my clothes and hastily finished my meal.

As soon as I arrived, I was diligently planning my escape from Paejon, but amusingly, Paejon wasn’t even at the lodging.

Apparently, he said he had something to attend to and would come later.

It felt like my lifespan had just increased.

A few people looked surprised seeing Wi Seol-ah suddenly join us, but…

Since they weren’t unfamiliar faces, everyone just accepted it as is.

Furthermore, perhaps the merchant guild knew Wi Seol-ah would be arriving, as they provided an additional room.

There were also people from the Northern Sea, so there was a need to split the group slightly.

However, Namgung Bi-ah and Goeseon, who were injured, had to be placed in the physician’s care.

“Showing up after a month and immediately bossing an old man around like this. Are you out of your mind?”

The physician, who was suddenly put to work because of that, had a very annoyed expression.

“You’ve been rather bored lately anyway, haven’t you? Working is good for you.”

“That’s what people call enjoying one’s leisure…!

“Wouldn’t it be nice to live a bit busily in your twilight years? I’ve heard everything about how you just play Go all the time.”

“You damn brat…?”

Although the physician got angry at me for never backing down, I knew he would diligently treat them, given his nature.

“How are they?”

“What do you mean, ‘how are they’.”

Thump thump.

As the physician diligently pounded the herbs, he said,

“Since they are both warriors, their regenerative abilities are high, so there are no major issues.

There might be some scarring, but I’ve treated them well enough that I won’t need to worry about it.”

“…I see.”

I had also helped with the treatment by rolling my Qi meridians on the way, and since I had done some preparation before leaving, it seemed there were no problems.

“It will probably take both of them three months to fully recover… but after just one month, movement shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Thank you.”

Three months?

It felt like both a short and long period.

The fact that warriors needed that much time meant the injuries were quite severe.

‘…Sigh.’

Should I have beaten them more?

It seems I should have.

As I clenched my fist, recalling Woo Hyuk.

“But Ah-ya.”

The physician called me.

“What happened to you?”

“Yes?”

“Your body, I mean.”

“Ah.”

Right. I remembered I wasn’t in good condition before leaving.

I had thought it would be a close call to recover fully by the martial arts tournament, but…

Now, seeing that I had not only fully recovered but become even healthier, it was understandable why the physician was puzzled.

“I just had a bit of good fortune.”

“You keep stuffing yourself with ‘good fortune’ and coming back all healed… Tsk, tsk. Is this why physicians are dying out?”

Even if the world were ending, I doubt physicians would be dying out…

It was absurd, especially coming from someone who barely works and only treats patients occasionally.

‘Good fortune doesn’t happen that often.’

Good fortune is something that happens maybe once in a lifetime, if at all.

It’s me who’s strange for consuming it like breathing.

“Ahem, anyway… Nothing major happened while I was gone, right?”

“That’s a rather peculiar question coming from someone who suddenly vanished to the Northern Sea.”

“…”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

I had something requested by the physician, but an incident forced me to leave urgently for the Northern Sea.

So, it wasn’t strange for the physician to express his displeasure like this.

“Still, I did manage to block things off to some extent before I left.”

“…”

Hearing my words, the physician didn’t say much else.

“…So, what I’m curious about is, how exactly did you do it?”

“Oh, well. I just plugged the holes my way, roughly speaking.”

“Hah.”

It was about the descendants of the Zhuge family plotting a rebellion, and the physician’s request to stop them.

I had simply complied.

At least, on the surface.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the things you’re worried about don’t happen.”

As I said that, I casually got to my feet.

“Please take good care of them.”

As I mentioned Namgung Bi-ah while dusting myself off, the physician looked at me and asked,

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. I need to get going to work now.”

“Work?”

It was about time.

‘Honestly, I kind of want to rest more.’

It had been a while since I had such leisurely time.

Just one day since I returned.

I wanted to melt away my fatigue and spend time lazily, but…

‘I need to move.’

I couldn’t afford to.

I knew my place; I couldn’t squander this leisure.

To protect what I have, I must act. That thought alone was enough to get me moving.

“Well then, I shall take my leave first.”

After bowing respectfully to the physician, I started walking.

With less than a month left until the martial arts tournament.

‘Within that time.’

I had to finish all preparations.

---

The setting sun receded.

The crescent moon hung in the sky, accompanied by the darkness.

As the moon’s reflection appeared on the lake, following its light.

Rustle.

I walked along the path.

It was the same path I had taken before.

Located a short distance from Hanam.

It was an area that hadn’t been fully developed yet.

Chirrr-!

The sound of insects chirping tickled my ears.

It was quiet and desolate. Yet, peaceful.

The forest, as always, exuded such an atmosphere.

However.

‘They sure built this well.’

I knew that this entire scene was fabricated.

Thump.

While walking straight ahead, I slightly changed my angle.

Seong-yul was following behind me.

I had brought him along just in case.

However.

‘I could probably come alone next time.’

It seems unnecessary to bring Seong-yul along anymore.

I knew the way now.

No, more accurately, I could finally see the path.

Within this artificially distorted space, the path was clearly visible.

I started walking along that path.

Things I couldn’t see before were visible now; things I couldn’t feel were perceptible.

Is this purely due to the advancement in my cultivation?

It couldn’t be.

I knew it intuitively.

‘Judging by the fact that it’s not a formation…’

I slightly reached out and waved my hand through the air.

Vwoong.

I felt something.

‘Is it sorcery?’

The unfamiliar power I discovered in the Northern Sea.

I believed this space and its distortion were sorcery.

Though I wasn’t certain yet.

As I walked, gradually finding the path like that.

Rustle.

Sensing a presence ahead, someone appeared and knelt before me.

“…I greet my Master.”

A woman with light green hair, similar to Tang Soyeol’s, and purple eyes.

Nahida, who had now become a demon.

I smirked as I looked at her.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

She probably hadn’t been well.

Considering how much work I had assigned her.

Without waiting for Nahida’s reply, I brushed past her and walked on.

Nahida then rose, seemingly accustomed to it, and followed behind me.

“It seems you did your work well. It wasn’t bad.”

“…Thank you.”

“As for the situation… sort it out later and bring it to me.”

As I walked, I pulled a cracked mask from my pocket.

Simultaneously.

Creak-!

Using Body Transformation Arts, I slowly increased my size.

Within seconds, I transformed into a body slightly less than eight feet tall.

Since I had worn my martial attire a bit loosely beforehand, it fit my enlarged body perfectly.

Click.

I put on the mask I was holding over my transformed body and face.

Putting on the mask, I was keenly reminded that it was time to work again.

[Nahida.

I spoke to Nahida in a deepened voice.

“Yes, Cult Master.”

“Go tell Cheonra Daeju.”

The former leader of the Demonic Cult, who is staying at the hideout.

Tell Pil-duma.

“That I have arrived, so prepare to welcome me.”

“…I shall obey.”

Nahida then vanished into smoke.

[…]

I stopped walking and looked up at the crescent moon.

And without realizing it, I thought:

‘…That was kind of cool just now, wasn’t it?’

I thought I looked pretty cool.

Nodding with a subtle sense of satisfaction.