Chapter 48: This Time to Mount Hua. (2)

As I always say, time doesn’t care about my circumstances.

It moves so arbitrarily that I have to adjust to it.

By that measure, ten days was an incredibly short amount of time.

I had to complete my insufficient training, and I also had to jot down future events, wracking my memory.

Along with that, I had to endure Elder Yi and Gu Huibi, who visited every day.

The only thing that brought me some peace was teasing Wi Seol-ah, who would come sit beside me after finishing her chores.

It was so amusing how she’d make a face like the world was ending when I stole and ate her yakgwa.

‘Thinking about it, isn’t this my money?’

While it wasn’t uncommon for the household members to buy them with their own money, most of it was my money.

Strictly speaking, it was Gu family money, but it’s all the same…

‘Until I run away from home, it’s my money.’

I had thought about leaving the Gu family someday, but that was still a distant prospect.

I had to stick around for at least five more years and eat everything I could.

Thump! Thump!

I finished my training and untied the sandbags.

The sound they made hitting the ground told me they were quite heavy.

“Still not enough.”

Reaching the 4th star in just ten days was indeed impossible.

I was at the very edge of the 3rd star realm, but separately, the wall was definite.

To perform fluid movements while wielding destructive internal energy, the body must be just as sturdy.

In that sense, Gu family’s martial arts were easy to learn, but the mind cultivation methods were extremely difficult.

The flames erupting wildly consumed internal energy frighteningly in proportion.

Because the body had to be strong to withstand such ferocity.

And judging by my past life’s experience, I knew the importance of external martial arts even better.

“…Because I didn’t know that, I couldn’t break through to Manseong.”

Manseong (Full Accomplishment).

The ultimate mastery of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique.

The realm of learning, realizing, taming, and finally controlling the mind cultivation.

I wondered if impressive-sounding phrases like ‘perfect harmony’ (渾然一體) might mean the same thing.

But since I never reached it, I couldn’t know for sure.

In my past life, the Sword Empress Ma was already at the realm of ‘Body and Sword Unity’ (身劒合一).

In a way, her realm might have been higher than mine.

When asked about the feeling of enlightenment, she had replied like this back then.

‘There’s no feeling at all.’

she said.

I hadn’t expected a coherent explanation in the first place, so I wasn’t disappointed.

‘If I had to assign meaning, it’s a sense of having transcended something.’

It’s a vague sensation that’s hard to place on the same level.

This feeling will become clearer as one’s realm rises and approaches it.

It’s just that my current realm is minuscule, so I can’t feel it; this person right in front of me is also far removed from the path of a martial artist.

“I can drive horses spectacularly, Young Master!”

“…No, there’s a separate coachman, Old Man Wi.”

Why is such a person… doing this?

I always wondered about that…

---

Before I knew it, the promised ten days had passed.

It felt like I hadn’t even rested properly, but as I’d discussed with Father, it was time to leave for Shaanxi, where the Mount Hua Sect was located.

Damn it… To be told to go to Shaanxi right after returning from Sichuan.

How long will it take this time? By the time I visit Mount Hua and arrive back, it’ll probably be autumn.

“…How many days do you think it’ll take this time?”

“Perhaps longer than you think, Young Master.”

“That’s harsh. Are you still sulking?”

Mu Yeon seemed a bit upset since I teased him with the silver coins last time.

Of course, I didn’t give him the money.

Ah, is he sulking because of that? I was planning to make up for it in his upcoming salary.

Putting Mu Yeon aside for now, I shifted my gaze towards the carriage being prepared for departure.

I could see the supplies being neatly stacked inside the carriage.

Unlike when I went to Sichuan last time, it looked much more abundant.

Since it was a carriage sent directly by the Family Head, perhaps they paid more attention.

Amidst that, I saw Wi Seol-ah struggling to carry heavy loads, waddling along without being able to see properly.

She was carrying loads that other adult men would struggle with, as if it were nothing.

‘…Could that kid actually already possess internal energy in their dantian?’

Otherwise, it’s an incomprehensible monstrous strength.

Puh-hee-hee.

My gaze naturally turned towards the horse’s sound.

Wi Seol-ah carrying luggage aside, the Sword Master was communicating with the horse.

…How should I interpret this ridiculous situation?

‘…Why on earth are they coming along?’

How surprised was I when, not long after the schedule was set, I heard that the Sword Master and Wi Seol-ah would be joining the trip to Mount Hua.

Furthermore, claiming they needed to drive the horses, the Sword Master volunteered to be the coachman.

I thought, ‘What is this nonsense?’ and looked for the original coachman.

Apparently, he had received silver coins and leave after the Sichuan trip and went to rest.

Why now? The Mount Hua trip was decided right after he returned?

‘There’s a very fishy smell.’

There’s a faint, foul odor, as if the Family Head personally intervened.

And amidst those smells, there I was, hooked by Taeseondan and walking into a whirlwind.

Is this right? It doesn’t feel right.

“Little brother.”

It was Gu Huibi’s voice.

Turning my head towards the sound, I saw Gu Huibi holding a familiar bowl of dumplings.

“Why are you holding that again?”

“Little brother, you didn’t eat your meal again, did you?”

“No… I did take some Wall-Breaking Pills.”

“Little brother, are you crazy? How are you going to live eating things like that at your age when you’re still growing?”

“As you can see, I’m living just fine- Gkkeu-eung-eup!”

As if refusing to hear the rest, Gu Huibi shoved a dumpling into my mouth.

I wanted to spit it out immediately, but no matter what, I couldn’t just spit out a dumpling.

I barely managed to chew and swallow it, then drank the water Gu Huibi handed me.

“…”

After I swallowed it down, Gu Huibi smiled with satisfaction.

That made me even more annoyed.

“Sister, when are you leaving again?”

“Why? Do you wish I’d stay longer?”

“No, please just leave already… Ik!”

A fist came flying towards me, and I quickly turned my head to dodge.

She throws a punch out of nowhere, this crazy woman!?

“Hey! Can you just talk instead!?”

“I knew you’d dodge anyway! Such terrible manners.”

Every time she brushed her hands, wisps of red inner energy escaped.

Wow, seriously, she even imbued it with inner energy?

Putting her shocking actions aside, Gu Huibi said with a grin.

“Probably, I’ll be leaving in about ten days too?”

Ten days… that means nearly 20 days off in total, which was an enormous vacation from the Sword Brigade Commander’s perspective.

Was it because the long-term missions were tough? Considering that most of the Five Sword Brigade’s missions are long-term, this one must have been particularly grueling.

“When your break is over, where are you going this time?”

“Ooh, what’s this? Are you worried about me?”

This is annoying, maybe I shouldn’t ask?

Finding my reaction amusing, Gu Huibi chuckled.

“It’s a shame I won’t see you for a while.”

Gu Huibi ruffled my hair messily with her hand.

As she shook it, my head bobbed along, and I felt Elder Yi’s presence in Gu Huibi.

Why did she have to resemble that old man…

“This time, it’ll be a bit long. I said I’m going to Majing.”

“Majing?”

Majing refers to a region where the Demonic Mirror Sect is particularly active.

It’s a region intensively managed by the Martial Arts Alliance, and orthodox sects’ families had agreed to send their sword brigades to Majing according to the schedule.

It seemed this time it was the Gu family’s Five Sword Brigade.

“You must be going through a lot.”

“Won’t it be fun? They say there are so many monsters… I’m already feeling excited.”

“….Have fun and come back.”

My worry was unfounded… She’s excited about it?

The Crimson Flower Sword… She really was a terrifying woman.

As we were chatting, Mu Yeon approached and delivered a message.

“Young Master, preparations are complete.”

“Are we leaving right away?”

“Not immediately, we’ll depart in about an hour. Elder Yi is coming to deliver something….”

“…What is he planning to give me now.”

Whatever that old man said, it made me uneasy.

He was the type of person who could suddenly appear and say, ‘Take this and give it to the sect leader over there.’

“Take this and give it to the sect leader over there.”

But why is that actually happening…

“…What did you say?”

I thought I misheard for a moment and asked again.

Elder Yi had suddenly appeared and spoken.

Then Elder Yi spoke again, as if it were nothing.

“Hm…? Ah, give this to that rascal Dohwa…”

“No…! Wait, wait! I wasn’t asking for the Mount Hua Sect Leader’s Dao name.”

“What? Then why did you ask?”

Crazy, this guy just called the Mount Hua Sect Leader a ‘rascal’? What kind of guts does he have…

“Anyway, when you get to Mount Hua, if Gu Ryun says he came looking for me, meet him and give him this.”

“What is this that you’re sending me on an errand for?”

“It’s nothing special, just an item I promised to give, but I momentarily forgot about it, old man.”

The item Elder Yi handed over was loosely wrapped in cloth, making it seem truly unremarkable.

As I kept fiddling with it, feeling its fine texture through the cloth, Elder Yi explained.

“It’s called the Plum Blossom Connection Stone (梅花連正石), one of Mount Hua’s Four Great Treasures.”

At Elder Yi’s words, my stroking hand stopped involuntarily.

Moreover, Mu Yeon, standing nearby, audibly hiccuped without realizing it.

….What did I just hear? I must have misheard this time for sure?