Chapter 401: To Sichuan.

A face full of freckles.

Shorter than me, and about fifteen summers old.

To look at, he was just an ordinary attendant, but I could tell.

‘It’s the Shadow King.’

That man’s identity was the Shadow King.

I felt uncertain until I heard his voice, but after hearing the mind transmission, I was sure.

And also.

‘So much strangeness.’

Now that I knew, I could feel a peculiar otherness.

The vibration I felt from my arm was like that too.

‘…What the hell is this again.’

Does it have a heart in the scaled part? It’s pounding like crazy.

Why is it doing this?

Ignoring the vibration with effort, I looked at the Shadow King.

The Shadow King seemed flustered by my gaze, breaking out in a cold sweat.

No, he was pretending to be.

‘Why are these humans such good actors?’

Both the Esteemed Lord and the Shadow King. Their acting skills were truly incomprehensible.

As I looked at the Shadow King, my gaze naturally turned to the Esteemed Lord.

As if asking what on earth had happened.

I wondered if perhaps the Esteemed Lord didn’t know either, but…

‘This old man….’

Seeing the Esteemed Lord looking at me with a smirk, I knew instantly.

That this human also definitely knew.

‘So the Shadow King and the Esteemed Lord had a connection.’

I don’t know what kind of connection, but it probably wasn’t a healthy one.

Moreover, I don’t even know why the Shadow King was involved there.

Avoiding the Shadow King’s gaze with effort, I ask the Esteemed Lord.

-What is it…?

-What do you mean, ‘what is it’?

-I’m asking why that person is there.

-Don’t worry about it. He’s just one of the attendants.

-What kind of… Are you perhaps feeling unwell?

Knowing he’s the Shadow King, yet telling me to ignore it and think of him as an attendant.

What kind of crazy talk is this?

As I asked, dumbfounded, the Esteemed Lord replied nonchalantly.

-As it happens, I have something to ask of him, so it’s like that.

-A request…?

Hearing the Esteemed Lord’s words, my mind raced.

A request for the Shadow King?

-Who are you planning to kill?

That was the only thought I had.

Honestly, I thought this was the only thing one could ask the Shadow King for.

Hearing my words, the Esteemed Lord’s expression briefly contorted, and he looked at me.

-What kind of thoughts are those…. Hmm….

He started to say something like ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’, but then tilted his head for a moment.

Why is he acting like that?

-…It’s probably roughly similar?

-…?

-Hmm, it’s probably roughly similar. Just think of it that way.

What does that even mean?

So, in any case, the Shadow King is going to kill someone.

It felt rather strange that the Esteemed Lord made such a request to the Shadow King, but…

I didn’t pry further.

Everyone has their circumstances.

As for me, I just needed to learn martial arts from the Esteemed Lord.

The Esteemed Lord also only wished for me to achieve mastery of his martial arts, so that was the extent of our relationship.

Should I say it’s ambiguous to call ourselves master and disciple?

At least, that’s how I saw our relationship.

A disciple relationship formed out of necessity.

Such an ambiguous relationship, I’d never heard of it before.

So, it bothers me a bit that the Shadow King is mixed up with these outsiders on the way to Sichuan.

But if it has nothing to do with me, then it’s fine.

It’s just.

‘Is it really unrelated?’

Is the only thought I have.

‘The Shadow King’s main family was the Yeons, wasn’t it.’

Not only that, but I found out the Shadow King was a descendant of Yeon Ilcheon, and Sichuan happened to be a place where traces of the Yeon Family remained.

So, it felt strange in many ways that the Shadow King was heading there with us.

‘But…. is this right?’

As I thought about each person one by one, the state of the group heading to Sichuan started to feel a bit strange.

The head of the Tang Clan, the ruler of Sichuan, the Poison King, and the Shadow King, the King of Assassins.

And the Esteemed Lord, one of the Three Lords at the very top among the Central Plains martial artists.

The people leaving for Sichuan were all individuals who amounted to something wherever they went, so seeing that…

‘At least we probably won’t get attacked.’

The safety was practically guaranteed.

For the situation to turn bad here, there’s nothing major that could happen besides the Shadow King suddenly deciding to kill everyone.

Besides that, what crazy bastard would dare attack the Tang Clan’s transport carriage?

But even if they did, I don’t think there’d be much to worry about.

The Poison King seems to have brought considerable forces to escort the prisoner to Sichuan.

I wondered if he would have brought such forces if he knew the Esteemed Lord and the Shadow King were in this group.

Probably not.

Thinking that, I started to distance myself from the Shadow King when suddenly…

Someone approached me and squeezed my neck.

-…?

Rather than hugging, ‘squeezing’ would be the more accurate description.

Wondering what this was, I tried to break free with force, but just then, I had to pause upon sensing a familiar scent from behind.

“Dongsaeng, are you really leaving?”

It was Gu Huibi’s scent, after all.

“-…What are you doing, Noona?”

“Are you really going that far? Not coming home with your sister?”

“I have to go.”

“Home?”

“No, to Sichuan.”

At my answer, Gu Huibi tightened her grip.

“What on earth…. are you doing?”

“Always wandering around outside the house. Puberty hit you wrong. You were cute before.”

Hearing Gu Huibi’s words, I was dumbfounded.

“Hit me wrong? What are you talking about.”

It wasn’t like I was at the age to experience puberty.

Besides, if the past was strange, the past being cuter was something I couldn’t comprehend at all.

Casually freeing myself from Gu Huibi’s arms, I looked at her.

Seeing Gu Huibi frowning as if displeased…

It made me nauseous, like she was trying to act cute.

Did that person forget her age?

Why is a grown woman acting like that?

“I really don’t like it….”

“Noona.”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you married yet? Aren’t you well past the age for marriage?”

“…”

Thinking of Gu Huibi’s age, I asked out of simple curiosity.

Upon hearing the question, Gu Huibi’s expression changed instantly.

Her expression was like that of a demon.

After confirming that expression, I took a slight step back and said…

“…No, I just… I just asked out of curiosity….”

“Dongsaeng, did you want your hair burned off? You should’ve just said it, Noona’s good at doing that.”

“Sorry.”

She seemed quite angry, her eyes unusual.

I really just asked out of curiosity, but she seemed terribly displeased.

‘Well, it’s not about age, who would take someone with that crazy personality anyway.’

She was long past the age for marriage, but Gu Huibi hadn’t… or rather, couldn’t get engaged or married.

Recalling that she didn’t particularly marry in her previous life either, perhaps she intended to grow old as an old maid.

It’s said that such figures are common among martial artists, so it shouldn’t matter, but…

Seeing her react like this, she seemed to care about it.

“If you say you’ll go home, I’ll let it slide.”

“That’s impossible.”

“You’re firm. Annoyingly so.”

At my answer, Gu Huibi clicked her tongue and turned her head sharply.

As if she had nothing more to say to me, she walked towards the Gu family members.

“Go or don’t, it’s up to you.”

Her voice, snapping back as she walked away, was still the same.

When will that person’s personality soften?

Probably impossible.

‘It’s impossible.’

If you inherited this bloodline, it seemed impossible.

Right after Gu Huibi left.

This time, as if he had been waiting, Iljangro-nim appeared.

Why do they keep coming one by one? It would be convenient if they came all at once.

I frowned deeply looking at Iljangro-nim who approached me.

Seeing that, Iljangro-nim also frowned.

“…Seeing me, your expression sours. What kind of manners are those?”

“What are you trying to give me again? I won’t accept anything.”

“Hmph, do you think I’d give you a gift because you’re so pretty?”

“Giving is one thing, but it’s a problem because it’s not a gift.”

Recalling the items I received every time I met Iljangro-nim, they always brought trouble.

It was obvious this time would be the same, so I was determined not to accept it.

While glaring at Iljangro-nim with that resolve…

Sure enough, Iljangro-nim subtly took something out of his pocket.

Seeing that, I immediately shouted at Iljangro-nim.

“Ah, I’m not taking it! Hey, hey. What are you trying to give me again!”

“You punk! Do you think I want to give it to you?!”

“Then don’t give it to me!”

I started a lousy squabble with Iljangro-nim.

Putting all my determination into not accepting that item, whatever it was.

Why does this guy keep trying to assign trouble to me?

Just as I was trying to avoid accepting it this time, Iljangro-nim added as an afterthought…

“This isn’t from me, it’s from your father.”

“-…What?!”

“Your father and you are rotten bastards, the pair of you. Making an old man like me run errands.”

Iljangro-nim mumbled grumpily, but my attention was fixed on the object in Iljangro-nim’s hand.

‘Father?’

Something my father wanted to give me, specifically?

Thinking that, I glanced towards my father.

My gaze met my father’s, who happened to be looking this way.

For a split second, our eyes met, and my father was the first to look away.

Seeing that, it seemed Iljangro-nim’s words were true.

‘What could this be.’

After confirming that much, I took the item.

If Iljangro-nim wasn’t the one giving it, it should be fine.

…It looks like an ordinary metal token.

“What is this?”

“I don’t know. The Family Head merely asked me to pass it along.”

“Then why didn’t you give it to him directly? Why….”

“That’s what I’m saying. If you’re so curious, go ask him yourself.”

“No, that’s a bit….”

“Hahaha…. You father and son are quite the pair of assholes.”

Iljangro-nim shook his head, sounding weary.

Although he’s better than before, it was still quite awkward to ask my father about things like that.

‘…He must have given it because it’s useful.’

Thinking that, I casually tucked the token into my pocket.

Assuming he wouldn’t give me anything strange.

“Iljangro-nim, what will you do when you return?”

“What will I do? I’ll just laze around and sleep.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Despite saying that, if you were to pick the busiest person in the Gu family, the first would be my father, and the second would be Iljangro-nim.

How active was this old man in his twilight years; Iljangro-nim seemed to be constantly going out of the manor.

Glancing at Iljangro-nim like that, I pointed towards someone with my fingertip.

This was a personal question.

“So… are you really taking that guy too?”

Iljangro-nim’s gaze followed my hand.

In the direction my hand pointed stood Gu Jeoryeop, looking somewhat grim.

Seeing that, Iljangro-nim’s expression twitched slightly.

The reason I specifically asked about Gu Jeoryeop was none other than this.

Gu Jeoryeop had said he wouldn’t participate in this Sichuan trip.