Chapter 278: Winter Rain. (2)

Tuduk…. Tududuk.

Rain streaks flowed down the windowpane.

The sky, which had surely been bright just a few days ago,

was now completely covered in dark clouds, obscuring the sun.

The air, which should have been cold and chilling, felt rather damp.

Meaning it didn’t suit winter at all.

Tuk- Tuduk-

I quietly watched the rain flowing down the windowpane.

It wasn’t heavy rain, more like a downpour, but

if it had been raining for days, could it really be called a downpour?

Thinking about it made me let out a hollow laugh.

“What kind of rain is this in winter?”

As I spoke, I could see my breath fogging up around my mouth.

Rain on a day like this.

What on earth is going on?

Deureureuk tak.

After watching the falling rain for a while,

I reached out and closed the window.

My mood was already gloomy, and I couldn’t just keep staring at this damn weather.

After closing the window and stretching my stiff body,

I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Ha….”

The reason my body felt particularly tired.

It wasn’t because I’d been training these past few days.

There wasn’t much space suitable for training, so I hadn’t been training very hard either.

Lately, I had been focusing solely on mental cultivation to reach the Hwajing realm.

Despite all that, the reason I felt so tired was simple.

It was because of the people staying at the same inn as me currently.

The Bi siblings.

‘…Tsk.’

Thinking of the older brother, the male of the pair, gave me an instant headache.

‘Just hit me already. You bastard.’

Just thinking about him made my head throb.

The other day, when I met the Paejon Bi Ju, Bi Ui-jin, at the inn.

He greeted me out of the blue and said,

-I’ve heard a lot about you from my master.

‘…Damn it.’

This was Bi Ui-jin implicitly stating that he was the Paejon’s disciple.

The problem was.

The Paejon wasn’t Bi Ui-jin’s teacher.

It was him himself.

‘He can’t reveal his identity, so he’s going about it this way, I suppose.’

‘Suddenly declaring, I am the Paejon.’

‘Are you the one impersonating my disciple?’

He couldn’t confront me directly like that,

so this is how he chose to speak.

Regardless,

it wasn’t welcome news for me.

After all, it meant I had encountered the Paejon.

The only thing that puzzled me was.

‘What does he want from me?’

The feeling that the Paejon seemed to expect something from me.

That was also something I couldn’t figure out.

We hadn’t even properly conversed before,

and in my past life, he nearly killed me, so it’s strange that I would know him well.

“Hmm….”

At least for now, he’s just watching me.

He hasn’t made any significant moves.

And then there’s.

‘His supposed younger sister.’

There’s someone beside the Paejon who calls herself his younger sister.

Her name was Bibi, wasn’t it?

She seems to be the youngest bloodline member of the Bi family.

The Paejon became younger through a rejuvenation process,

If the person named Bibi didn’t also undergo something similar,

then there’s absolutely no possibility they are siblings.

However,

she should clearly be his granddaughter or great-granddaughter,

yet this woman, Bibi, seemed utterly convinced that the Paejon was her older brother.

If that wasn’t an act,

it meant the Paejon himself was acting.

‘Is that why he can claim to be the son of the Bi family head?’

Bi Ju, the Paejon, was originally from the Bi family anyway,

so it wasn’t strange for him to belong to the Bi family.

For this to be possible, the current head of the Bi family must also

be aware of the Paejon’s condition.

Hiding his weakened body.

It would be the optimal situation for protection while he regains his strength.

‘Even so, playing the role of a junior disciple.’

What is an old man, fully grown, doing playing among children?

Isn’t he embarrassed? If it were me, I’d be so ashamed I’d bite my tongue and die….

“…”

As I thought about it, I unconsciously ran my hand over my forehead.

It was because I realized I wasn’t in a position to judge others.

“Damn it all.”

I don’t know what he wants from me,

or what he plans to do to me,

but whatever it is,

there’s only one thing I’ll say if the Paejon tries anything.

‘…I’ll sell out the First Elder.’

Sell him out or whatever.

It all started because of the things that guy pushed onto me, so it should be fine.

If things get dicey, I can just run.

They wouldn’t possibly chase me all the way to the clan, would they?

If they do chase me….

I’ll figure something out.

“Hoo.”

I let out a deep sigh and looked beside me.

As I moved my hand slightly, strands of hair brushed against my fingertips. The snow-white hair felt as soft as silk.

It was already well past noon,

but this sleepyhead seemed to still be swimming in dreamland.

“Are you gonna get up now?”

It wasn’t exactly a quiet voice,

but Namgung Bi-ah, lost in sleep, didn’t even stir.

For reference, this is my room.

Namgung Bi-ah’s room is next door.

I woke up late, and she was just here like this.

I watched Namgung Bi-ah with a look of disbelief,

then finally gave her hair a casual pat before getting up.

No matter how many times I talk to her or try to wake her,

she won’t wake up unless she decides to on her own.

I knew that well enough from experience.

The best thing to do in times like these is just let her sleep.

Leaving Namgung Bi-ah behind,

I went out of the room.

“Ah, Gongja-nim!”

The first person I ran into right after leaving the room was Tang Soyeol.

She must have just washed up; her hair was still damp.

Sensing my gaze, Tang Soyeol giggled and ran a hand through her hair.

“I just finished training…!”

She added, offering an excuse.

That was unexpected.

“You trained in the rain?”

“Huh? Ah…. Yes. I have to work hard.”

Her slight smile seemed a bit mature.

‘How surprising.’

Tang Soyeol was a martial artist too, so training was natural,

but I didn’t know she was training this diligently.

Moreover, seeing the lingering internal energy and rough breathing,

it seemed she had trained quite intensely.

‘Come to think of it, Tang Soyeol seems close too.’

The edge of the Ilryu level.

That was Tang Soyeol’s current level.

In reality, it’s just that there are monsters like Geomryong or Namgung Bi-ah around, who operate at the peak level despite their young age.

Someone at Tang Soyeol’s level could certainly be called a genius.

Many others only reach the Ilryu level around the time they turn twenty.

Perhaps Tang Soyeol herself,

knowing she was close to breaking through the barrier,

was pushing herself so hard.

Seeing that made me feel somewhat proud of myself for dragging Gu Jeolyub up from the middle to the end of the Ilryu level.

‘I need to push her harder.’

It felt good to have a justifiable reason to keep pushing Gu Jeolyub diligently.

“Oh, right, Gongja-nim.”

“Hm?”

“Do you know where Bi-ah unni is?”

“…”

I had to hide my surprise at Tang Soyeol’s words.

“Why her…?”

“Ah, I thought maybe we could train together…. but I couldn’t find unni. I thought maybe Gongja-nim might know…”

“…”

The words, ‘Namgung Bi-ah is sleeping in my room right now,’ wouldn’t easily come out.

Because it was a statement that could easily be misinterpreted by anyone.

In the end, I had to tell a lie.

“Maybe she’s sleeping somewhere else again?”

She was sleeping,

in my room.

“That must be it, right? Honestly, she sleeps so much…”

“…Uh, yeah.”

“Oh, and Gongja-nim, later Bi-sojeo asked if maybe you, she, and Bi-gongja would have a meal together, and I was wondering if perhaps….”

“Sorry, I don’t think I’ll be hungry then.”

“Huh? But I haven’t told you the time yet…?”

“I’m feeling a bit unwell.”

“Ah, I understand…”

It bothered me a little that Tang Soyeol looked crestfallen at my refusal,

but I couldn’t help it.

If I ate there, I felt like I’d genuinely throw up.

I had already received similar invitations a few times,

and I’d been diligently avoiding them for the past few days.

Tang Soyeol pouted, wearing a look of clear displeasure,

but my answer wouldn’t change regardless.

Knowing that, Tang Soyeol probably didn’t press the issue further.

“I understand…”

“Your pronunciation got weird?”

“No, it didn’t…. And Gongja-nim, one last thing.”

“What else is there?”

Why does she have so much to say?

“It’s nothing much…. Um, Gu So-jeo has been training diligently.”

“Hm?”

I had to wear a subtle expression at the sudden mention of the name.

Why did Gu Yeonseo’s name just pop out of her mouth?

“My sister?”

Did Tang Soyeol and Gu Yeonseo start talking?

Why was she suddenly bringing up Gu Yeonseo?

Putting my questions aside,

Tang Soyeol continued,

“Yes. She was already training when I arrived, and she was still training when I finished.”

“Hmm….”

It was something I hadn’t paid much attention to.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t been going out to train myself?

Following that, I frowned slightly as I looked at Tang Soyeol.

I was slightly puzzled as to why she’d bring up that topic now.

After all,

there seemed to be a hint of pity in Tang Soyeol’s eyes.

“I apologize for speaking out of turn.”

Tang Soyeol immediately bowed her head and spoke.

Those words were an admission that she meant what I suspected.

If Tang Soyeol felt the need to say that, something must be wrong,

and since she couldn’t tell anyone else,

she was telling me, her kin.

Hearing that, I had to squint one eye.

Because it left me with an uneasy feeling.

Then I asked Tang Soyeol,

“…Never mind the apology. Where is it?”

I figured I needed to go see for myself.

---

A short walk behind the inn led to a wide field.

It felt artificial, likely made by clearing out all the trees.

They hadn’t done much with it afterward,

making it a wide, flat area suitable for training.

Of course, being wide open and not deserted,

it wasn’t ideal for practicing secret martial arts.

Moreover, with the rain falling, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant place to be.

Pushing through the falling rain,

I moved forward.

After walking a short distance, I spotted a figure training far ahead.

As I got closer, the faint energy I felt was unmistakably from the Gu family.

The moment I felt it, I frowned and heightened my senses.

I needed to check if anyone else was nearby.

Fortunately, my senses detected no other presence.

Whoosh!

Relieved, I felt the energy brush past my nose.

Gu Yeonseo was clearly emitting energy as she moved.

Swoosh-!

The blade cut through the rain, leaving trails in the air.

Thwack.

Gu Yeonseo’s martial attire fluttered roughly.

Splish! Her feet stomped on the wet ground.

Continuing her movements, Gu Yeonseo swung her sword diagonally once more.

Watching her, I stopped walking.

I observed Gu Yeonseo from a distance.

‘Hmm.’

Though I only observed for a moment,

I could vaguely understand why Tang Soyeol had mentioned Gu Yeonseo to me.

Even to an outsider, Gu Yeonseo had a problem.

‘She’s wavering.’

The tip of her sword couldn’t stay steady,

and her sword-gripping arm lacked conviction.

The internal energy she desperately summoned couldn’t flow properly,

and it seemed she couldn’t even exert her original strength.

Heart Demon.

Gu Yeonseo was currently gripped by a Heart Demon.

One might think, ‘How deep can a Heart Demon be for a mere second-rate martial artist?’

But precisely because she’s only second-rate,

falling into such a mire leaves no room for recovery.

Gu Yeonseo’s movements were filled with anxiety.

That was likely the cause of her Heart Demon.

Seeing that, I frowned.

‘Since when?’

Just when did it start?

Gu Yeonseo ending up in this state.

Gu Yeonseo, who would later be known as the ‘Crimson Flame Sword’ and become a promising female warrior,

Was she in this situation around this time in her past life too?

No, she wasn’t.

Then what caused her to become like this?

‘Is it because of me?’

There was only one answer.

If there was a cause, it had to be me.

‘Tsk.’

It was something I hadn’t paid attention to, using busyness as an excuse.

There were also incidents that happened one after another, preventing me from focusing,

and things I deliberately ignored because I didn’t want to think about them.

Rather than bridging and fixing the emotional gap,

it was simply easier not to go there.

Perhaps because of that,

Gu Yeonseo had fallen into the mire before I knew it,

and she was struggling to escape.

‘This is annoying.’

The fact that this happened because of me

is always a shitty thing, no matter when it surfaces.

What’s more, the mire Gu Yeonseo is in now

wasn’t something I could solve.

Dragging her out by the hair, like I did with Gu Jeolyub, through sheer force,

was possible precisely because she’s Gu Jeolyub.

It wasn’t a difference in talent,

but a matter of disposition,

and the difference in our relationship.

If I forcibly pulled Gu Yeonseo out, like Gu Jeolyub,

and pushed her hard,

her cultivation level would rise,

and I might even be able to make her stronger than before, but

‘That’s not possible.’

If I pulled her out myself,

even if Gu Yeonseo could momentarily escape the Heart Demon,

scars and wounds would remain,

and they would inevitably worsen instead of healing.

So what should I do?

In the pouring rain,

Gu Yeonseo continued to swing her sword,

and I watched from a distance, careful not to be detected.

‘…’

Tang Soyeol seemed to think I could solve this problem,

but this wasn’t my responsibility.

Especially not hers.

However, I did intend to take responsibility.

If it were anyone else acting like that,

I would have clicked my tongue inwardly, cursed once, and ignored them,

but I felt a certain guilt towards Gu Yeonseo.

The incident where I slapped her after hearing what she said at Gu-ryong?

‘She deserved that.’

I don’t regret that.

Who told her to piss me off?

By my standards, it was an act that warranted a beating.

Of course, it would have been better if I had held back a bit, but what could I do now that it had happened?

Still,

she continued to catch my eye.

• I hate you.

Clutching Gu Huibi’s cold body,

the Crimson Flame Sword Gu Yeonseo, pointing her sword at me.

That image remained etched in my mind.

“Tsk.”

I turned my steps to leave the field.

Gu Yeonseo’s Heart Demon was quite deep, and while I couldn’t resolve it myself,

fortunately,

there happened to be someone currently staying in this land who was suitable for resolving that Heart Demon.

With slightly quickened steps,

I headed not towards the inn where I was staying, but somewhere a bit further away.

“Huh…? Gu So-hyup?”

Following the presence, I entered the inn,

and Yeongpung and the others, who were eating, looked at me with surprise.

“Yeongpung Do-jang.”

“What brings you here…? Ah! Perhaps you’d like to train with me….”

Yeongpung started speaking excitedly,

but that wasn’t my objective.

“Where is Geomhu?”

At my interruption,

Yeongpung’s face instantly fell into disappointment.