Chapter 320: Cheoljiseon. (4)

Woong.

The moment Cheol Ji-seon sensed a presence, she felt a barrier being erected around her.

She stopped her trembling body.

Cheol Ji-seon looked back.

It was because the person Cheol Ji-seon had been waiting for had arrived in the middle of the night.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No…”

At the voice coming from behind, Cheol Ji-seon looked back.

A man with a handsome face and a bright smile.

Saintly Jang Seon-yeon.

He had come looking for Cheol Ji-seon, and

Cheol Ji-seon quietly watched Jang Seon-yeon.

And a little behind them.

The two were having a secret rendezvous.

Gu Yangcheon was watching.

---

‘Hmm….’

Although I was watching, the barrier was deployed, so I couldn’t hear anything.

‘If I wanted to hear, I could.’

Not only would I have to get closer than this.

But if I rashly used my energy to break through the barrier and listen.

Jang Seon-yeon would notice.

‘His personality is shit, but he’s got skills.’

Although he’s a guy worse than a lump of filth in my eyes.

I had to acknowledge his talent.

Sitting in a tree, I observed Cheol Ji-seon and Jang Seon-yeon from a distance.

Earlier, around the time Cheol Ji-seon spoke to me, almost confessing.

Only after finishing the conversation.

Cheol Ji-seon said she was going to meet Jang Seon-yeon afterward.

‘Hmm….’

Cheol Ji-seon’s expression as she spoke remained in my memory.

For some reason, she looked at me as if she was terrified.

‘Why? I said I’d let it slide.’

I hadn’t lied.

The words I spoke then.

Contained the promise that I would let slide the fact that I had actually intended to kill Cheol Ji-seon.

‘So why the hell is she scared?’

If that wasn’t the problem.

Perhaps, was it a problem that I told her to do as Jang Seon-yeon ordered?

That could be it.

Even though Cheol Ji-seon is considered smart.

She probably wouldn’t have thought about the deeper meaning of those words.

Maybe she thought it meant, ‘Just listen to that bastard Jang.’

I have no intention of letting her off the hook anyway.

It’s possible she interpreted it with the same meaning.

‘Even so, that’s his business.’

It wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

I genuinely wanted Cheol Ji-seon to go through with things according to Jang Seon-yeon’s words.

Going a step further.

If Cheol Ji-seon were to actually side with me.

‘There are ways I could use that power.’

It’s something I still need to consider.

It wasn’t something I hadn’t imagined.

If Cheol Ji-seon is indeed the strategist from the Murim Alliance in the future I know of.

The abilities she showed were stronger than expected.

It’s uncertain whether the current Cheol Ji-seon possesses the same power, but.

The important thing is.

That as much as it’s a strong power.

It’s dangerous.

It’s true that it’s a power with considerable value for utilization.

But whether it’s valuable enough to keep close while knowing its dangers.

It was still something I needed to ponder.

‘What about turning her into a Demonized person and putting shackles on her?’

That was the first method that came to mind when thinking about keeping her as a subordinate.

If I gained the ability to turn others into Demonized people.

I could corrupt Cheol Ji-seon into a Demonized person and use her as a subordinate.

However.

‘Not yet…. Not yet.’

I didn’t want to do that.

This is related to Yeon Il-cheon calling me a disaster.

I don’t want to do the same things the Heavenly Demon did in my past life.

It’s not out of guilt towards Cheol Ji-seon.

It’s simply that I don’t want to do the same things as the Heavenly Demon.

“…”

There isn’t much time to deliberate.

It’s not even a problem worth pondering, considering I need to utilize every bit of power available.

Getting caught up in trivial emotions and falling into deliberation.

This is also the final line.

The line where I cross over to becoming a Demonized person like in my past life.

And the intermediate line where I can live as a normal martial artist.

The moment I cross it, there’s no turning back.

I knew it instinctively.

My increasingly uncomfortable stomach bothered me.

I stroked my left arm.

The part wrapped in bandages, that is.

‘Please wake up again.’

Appearing to help at crucial moments.

A call to the old man who had fallen asleep again, but.

There was still no answer.

Perhaps that’s why.

The words the old man (Noya) spoke to me still echo in my mind.

-Have confidence in yourself.

The words telling me to have confidence in myself.

Such a difficult thing to say.

If it had been easy.

I wouldn’t have lived like that in my past life.

“This is a pointless thought.”

It’s a futile regret I often recall.

It wouldn’t be any different now.

‘Only think forward. That’s more important right now.’

I summarize the information obtained from Vigo.

Also, I needed to find out what this scrap of cloth tied around my arm was.

Since I didn’t gain much besides information from Vigo.

I had to find a way to reach the Hua Jing realm quickly.

‘As expected, is it only the White Horse Stone?’

I recall the method of reaching Hua Jing by explosively increasing my internal energy.

If I obtain the White Horse Stone submerged deep in the sea.

I should be able to reach Hua Jing immediately.

If not.

‘…It would have to be at the level of Shaolin’s Great Restoration Pill.’

Although inferior to the White Horse Stone, something at the level of Shaolin’s Great Restoration Pill might work.

‘Bullshit.’

I found it absurd even as I thought of it.

The Great Restoration Pill isn’t just anyone’s dog’s name.

Where am I supposed to find a spirit herb of that caliber out of the blue?

In the end, if there’s a method.

Stabilizing the Mind, Energy, and Body (Sim-gi-che) even slightly more is the answer.

To ascend to Hua Jing.

If I examine myself in more detail.

My energy (Gi) is overwhelming.

My body (Che) is lacking, but not to the point of being unable.

Then the problem lies with the Mind (Sim).

‘There are too many problems on that front, I don’t even know where to start.’

Just thinking about it brings up more than one or two issues.

I don’t know where to begin fixing it.

Still, I had to do it.

Only by building properly from now on.

Can I surpass Hua Jing.

And reach higher realms.

If I just forcibly raise my level with the White Horse Stone.

I’ll hit my limit quickly.

From then on, no matter how many monsters I tear apart or how many magic stones I absorb like mountains.

I won’t be able to ascend.

Because beyond that point, it’s no longer the domain of internal energy.

‘There’s no way. No way.’

I know the shortcut, but I also know that taking it won’t lead me to the destination.

Ultimately, I end up back at square one.

This is why martial arts (Mu) are so shitty.

There are no damn shortcuts.

I have to desperately delve into the orthodox path, but I don’t have the time.

Because I don’t have the time to cultivate and raise my martial arts.

Thinking quietly.

I got up.

‘As expected… that’s the only way.’

Raising my level the orthodox way.

A way to save time.

Unless one is a heaven-sent genius, it’s impossible to achieve both, but.

I knew a way to solve this.

‘The problem is that I need that guy for it.’

These were thoughts as I looked at Cheol Ji-seon.

Originally, I would have abandoned this and killed Cheol Ji-seon to get rid of her, but.

‘She’s more useful than I expected.’

Cheol Ji-seon’s words and demeanor during our conversation.

And her words saying she’d come to me instead of Jang Seon-yeon.

These could be considered reasons, if any.

‘Just a little more.’

It’s not certainty.

It’s still a stage where I’m observing… but my heart is leaning slightly.

For me, Shinryong Hall is the final line.

The moment I leave this place.

I’ll kill those who need killing.

And take care of those I need to save.

I also need to prepare.

When I can’t trust anyone.

And have to move alone.

I’ll eliminate those who will become enemies.

It was the fastest and simplest method.

While stroking my left arm and looking forward.

Whether the conversation had ended, I saw a change in Cheol Ji-seon and Jang Seon-yeon.

Because Jang Seon-yeon left with a ridiculously smug smile.

‘Looks like there were no problems.’

The reason I came to watch Cheol Ji-seon, even though I already knew everything, was simple.

If things went wrong between Jang Seon-yeon and her here, and Jang Seon-yeon did something nasty to Cheol Ji-seon.

I had to prevent that.

Jang Seon-yeon isn’t the type to kill or harm Cheol Ji-seon just because he got annoyed here, but.

You never know, so I followed discreetly.

Apparently, there were no immediate problems.

After Jang Seon-yeon left.

Only after Cheol Ji-seon also slowly disappeared from her spot.

Did I get up.

“How much longer will it be?”

When Jang Seon-yeon can’t hold back and makes his move.

It’s probably only a few days away.

For now, I just wait.

Useless excitement wells up that I can finally take care of him.

I suppressed it firmly.

Zzzzt.

“…!”

In that moment, I turned my head and scanned my surroundings.

“…What was that?”

Just now, I felt a presence brush past my back?

Just in case, I heightened my senses and spread them around, but.

I couldn’t detect any significant presence.

“Was it my imagination.”

If it had been a little stronger, I probably would have searched the surroundings to confirm, but.

It was truly a very faint presence.

Shaking my head slightly and brushing myself off.

I also started walking back towards my room.

---

And so, the next day dawned.

As if announcing morning, sunlight streamed through the window frame.

Around the time the dormitory students sharing the same room were finishing their preparations to wake up, shaking out their blankets.

As if expressing that I had just woken up, I had to put on a dumbfounded expression with my hair all messy like a bird’s nest.

“…Huh?”

Wiping the drool from the corner of my mouth, I asked again.

The other guys shaking out their blankets also stopped their movements as if shocked and looked towards me.

Where my gaze and theirs met.

There was someone kneeling demurely, looking at me.

With her white hands clasped neatly.

The one staring intently at me with golden eyes.

Felt completely out of place here.

“What did you… just….”

“I like you.”

Just as I was about to ask again, thinking I misheard.

A clear voice interrupted.

Having heard it just before.

It was the same words I thought I had misheard.

“…Uh… Eh?”

I pinched my arm, wondering if it was a dream.

It hurt like hell.

Does that mean it’s not a dream?

Couldn’t there be a dream that hurts even more?

It felt like that would be more accurate given the situation.

While I was dumbfounded and didn’t know what to do.

The woman who spoke continued to look at me with the same eyes.

The woman who came looking for me first thing in the morning and suddenly uttered words I couldn’t comprehend.

Was Wi Seol-ah.