Chapter 431: The Lake of Regret (1)

It was late at night by the time the banquet ended.

A full moon was in the night sky and I was taking a slow walk on Tang Clan’s promenade.

Woo Hyuk stayed in the banquet hall saying that he wanted to eat more.

Cheol Jiseon seemed like he wanted to do the same, so I left him be and left.

“Whew.”

The night sky was unusually bright tonight.

The lanterns around the street lit up the surroundings and the full moon itself shined especially bright tonight.

Unlike my emotions, the world seemed bright as ever.

I looked around with exhausted eyes and quietly spoke.

“Where is the White Ripple Sword?”

After hearing my question, Tang Duk who was following from far away lifted his head.

-She is drinking.

“Of course she would be.”

I knew that woman would do that. I smirked and continued walking.

“Return to your room and wait there. I’ll be there after walking a bit more.”

“…”

Tang Duk glared at me after I ordered him, but he started heading to his room shortly after.

Taking that bastard everywhere was a problem in itself.

After confirming he left, I paused and stopped walking.

I rubbed my body using my hand.

I then thought to myself.

The inevitable death that the Immortal Healer talked to me about.

Death, huh?

He said that my vessel had reached its limit.

No wonder why.

I wondered why I’ve been getting more headaches and mood swings recently, and that seemed to be the problem.

The balance inside my body was breaking, so it was affecting my mental state as well.

The Heaven Destruction Art stabilized and artificially rebirthed my body.

My vessel would become bigger once I fully rebirth artificially, but would that happen before my vessel breaks?

Moreover, I was told that my vessel would break right away if I tried increasing my Qi amount. Because of that, even training was a risky option right now.

The Dishonored Venerable said I would reach that stage in twenty years at my current rate.

Twenty years to artificially rebirth my body.

That’s actually unbelievably fast.

However, I was told that I only had ten years left.

It was possible that I could reach forty, so perhaps I had a little more than twenty years.

But even so, it was safe to assume that I only had ten years left.

What was the chance of me fully rebirthing at that time?

Moreover, did I even have a choice not to train when the disaster of the world was nearing?

I didn’t think so.

Ten years huh?

I repeatedly thought to myself about my cold future.

How long did I have until the war began?

History changed and events started happening faster than it did in my past life, so I had to calculate that as well.

I had to change my plans a little bit.

Was there any way that I could become stronger faster?

I suppose I could try to look for herbs and treasures hidden in the world.

After gaining a little more strength, I had to shake up the Murim Alliance.

I had to do all of those things in five years.

Then, I would have to use the other five in the war.

“Haha.”

I started to laugh out loud at the thought.

I was always prepared with perfect plans like this, but things were bound to run into problems unexpectedly.

Not everything was going to go my way.

My death was one of them.

“Not good.”

I wasn’t afraid of death.

I always knew that something like this could happen.

I also knew that unexpected problems would occur if I stirred up the flow of time.

Despite already knowing all of these things, many thoughts filled my mind when I actually had to face them.

The Immortal Healer said he won’t give me the medicine.

He said I would last ten years even with the medicine. Does that mean I could die even tomorrow if I don’t have it?

Maybe not tomorrow, but one year?

Or perhaps it was half a year, or even a month if short.

It wasn’t the worst.

I wasn’t happy that my death was nearing.

The fact that I ran into the Immortal Healer here.

That was the thing I was feeling glad about.

Not even the Dishonored Venerable knew that there was a problem with my body.

He was a martial artist but not a doctor.

It was unlikely that he noticed a problem with my vessel.

If he knew, then he wouldn’t have made me train so-

…Well, maybe he would’ve even if he knew.

It was possible with that crazy old man’s personality, but I believed that even he wouldn’t do such a thing.

This was in a way, a miracle.

It was a coincidence that I ran into the Immortal Healer here and it was a miracle that he gave me a checkup.

Moreover, the fact that he could make a medicine that would prolong my life was another miracle.

He said that he wasn’t going to give me the medicine.

He seemed serious judging from his eyes, and he wasn’t going to change his mind easily.

It didn’t matter though.

My gaze became cold along with my mind.

The Immortal Healer was a considerate person despite his rude tone and attitude.

I was able to know even if I met him for the first time in a few years.

That wasn’t the only thing either.

You have too much weakness, Immortal Healer.

He had a critical weakness.

Zhuge Hyuk.

I was able to learn one thing while spending time with him back in Gu Clan.

The Immortal Healer traveled around the Central Plains because of Zhuge Hyuk.

I didn’t know exactly why, but I was at least certain of it.

But what was his goal?

I didn’t know, but there were a few things I had in mind and they were all things that would become the Immortal Healer’s weakness.

Even if that wasn’t true, Zhuge Hyuk itself was his weakness.

Knowing that it wasn’t going to be hard for me to take advantage of it.

“…”

Even I was surprised by how cold I was right now.

Was it because Zhuge Hyuk would play a big role in the upcoming worldly disasters?

No.

It wasn’t necessarily that.

It was simply because I didn’t find the Immortal Healer and Zhuge Hyuk that important in my life.

I was always ready to throw them away.

I felt like I was going to vomit at the dense disgusting thought.

I suppressed my feelings of guilt and continued to walk.

Step.

I walked and thought to myself.

What was important then?

Was my death important to me?

Not really.

I didn’t really have an attachment to this life.

I’ve felt that way ever since regressing.

A second chance in life? But what was it for?

Was it so that I could atone for the sins I committed in my past life?

Haha…

How pointless.

Even if I atoned for my past sins in this life, could that really count?

It was just self-satisfaction.

A delusional way of atoning for my sins.

But then why was I choosing to live this life even if I had no attachment to it?

I didn’t really have to think for long.

I already knew the reason why.

“Young Master Gu?”

“…”

Someone spoke with a shocked voice after seeing me.

It was Wi Seol-Ah.

Why was she here right now?

When I looked around at the thought, I found myself standing in front of the building Wi Seol-Ah was staying in.

Wait, if Wi Seol-Ah is here…

I slightly turned my head.

Next to her, Namgung Bi-ah was staring at me while sitting down.

I heard that they were in the same building.

Namgung Bi-ah suddenly opened her eyes widely after staring at me for a moment.

Wi Seol-Ah showed the same reaction.

“…Young Master Gu? Did something happen…?”

Both girls came over to me with a worried expression.

I put on a bitter smile after seeing them.

I really wasn’t good at hiding my expressions.

Getting caught all the time like this.

I really didn’t want people to notice things like this.

“It’s nothing.”

“…Lies.”

Namgung Bi-ah didn’t believe me at all despite my answer.

Even so, there wasn’t anything she could do.

I guess I subconsciously came here while walking.

My instincts took me here even though I walked mindlessly.

What a joke.

Both Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-Ah seemed to have noticed something strange about my condition.

To be fair, it was understandable that they had such reactions since I came here so suddenly.

How should I describe my emotions right now?

I thought for a moment.

However, I couldn’t describe it.

Because of that, I decided to say what was inside my mind.

“I just wanted to see you.”

“…!”

“That’s why I came here.”

I suddenly wanted to see them.

That was the only thing I was able to say to them.

I walked a little closer to the girls who looked at me in shock.

It was strange to see them so stiff like a rock.

I smirked at the sight and reached my hand out.

Swoop.

“…!”

“Ah…!”

I carefully but also quickly pulled them towards me.

I felt some resistance for an instant at first, but they loosened up and came closer.

Their hair waved and tickled the tip of my nose.

The scent of their skin made me feel a little warmer inside.

It would have been understandable for them to say something since I suddenly hugged them, but they said nothing.

Were they that shocked?

Right as I was about to feel a little bad,

Swish.

I started to feel a hand carefully rubbing my back. It seemed like they wanted to calm me down first rather than asking me any questions.

I closed my eyes at the sensation.

It’s small.

I felt both of their bodies inside my arms.

They were thin and small.

Despite having powerful Qi inside them, the two girls were small and soft.

I was comforted by the two for no reason, but I still felt complicated in my mind.

I then thought about the reason why I wanted to prolong this life.

Oh…

I then realized.

The peace that the Qinghai Sword spoke to me about.

I was reminded of when the old man looked at me with wrinkly eyes, asking what my peace was.

I couldn’t answer at the time, but I finally realized.

This must be my peace.

To bring peace to those who sacrificed their lives for me.

To prolong the peace of the girls inside my arms.

To live a life for those who cared about me despite me not giving back the same.

If I could achieve those things, then this life would be satisfactory for me.

Ten years was it.

I will end the war at that time.

Even if I can’t, I will.

I’ll do it no matter what.

I already threw out the option of giving up.

I was able to give up everything in order to achieve this goal, and I was willing to become anything.

Clench.

I pulled them more tightly and dug my face into their shoulders.

I then thought to myself.

I can do it.

I won’t fall.

I told myself that repeatedly.

The next day, I confronted the Poison King as soon as it became morning.

“I’m sorry to come so early in the morning, my Lord.”

It was around the time others started their morning training.

Most people probably didn’t even eat yet.

After seeing me come so early, the Poison King looked at me with a thin gaze.

I then spoke with a slight smile.

“The lake I mentioned last time. Could I see it right now?”