Chapter 926: So in the end.

Leaving the teahouse, I walked along the path, smiling brightly.

“Good.”

My mood was exceptionally good. Because the problem I’d been agonizing over how to obtain had been solved.

“As expected. It was a matter of sequence.”

Squish.

I stroked the beast ears attached to my head. The squishy texture felt distinct, and they seemed well-made.

“This much isn’t bad.”

It felt a bit less refined than when Turtle-nim attached them, but I figured this level was just fine. The important thing wasn’t the quality, but that I didn’t have to worry about when they’d come undone.

‘When Turtle-nim attached them, he said three days.’

He said they might come undone if I moved violently within that time.

So, I learned.

‘Looking at it, it seems I’ll have to do this kind of thing quite a bit… It’ll be annoying if they come undone midway.’

To finish as quickly as possible, the necessary processes and situations were required.

Right after finishing my talk with Elder-nim, I immediately dissected the spell cast on my body. I learned a few things in the process.

The root of this spell is the heart, and its range is the entire body.

You might wonder how it affects the entire body when it just creates ears and a tail. Surprisingly, the energy had spread throughout my whole body. It wasn’t just stopping at creating ears and a tail; it felt like it formed a membrane.

It was about hiding, not showing. It was closer to erasing one’s presence.

‘It’s not just like erasing one’s ki sense.’

How should I put it? It overlays the body, but… going a step further.

‘Overlaying the soul?’

A sensation of covering the soul itself with a membrane. In reality, the ears and tail are merely attached forms. There were more fundamental and detailed processes and techniques involved.

‘I wondered why they’d go to such lengths to apply this.’

Now that I’ve dug into it myself, I understand better. This was absolutely necessary. Overlaying the soul means changing the very existence into someone else. It was on a different level than simply wearing a skin mask or using transformation techniques. Blurring the essence itself. Trying to peel it back and do it myself, I certainly understand.

‘…This is a damn difficult spell.’

I did it, but it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever attempted. Didn’t it take a whole day just to grasp how difficult it was? A whole day.

‘Other spells only took a few hours at most.’

To figure this out, I had to wrestle with it all night. Just how difficult a technique is this?

Suddenly, Turtle-nim, who cast this on me so casually, seemed amazing.

‘Did that guy create it?’

If he created it rather than learned it, I’d respect him.

Furthermore.

‘What kind of person is he?’

Just what kind of person is he, that someone who seems to have absolutely nothing to do with swords is an elder here? He’s not even in the sect, isn’t he just running a teahouse in the village? That really didn’t make sense.

‘I should probably visit him again next time.’

It’s knowledge I don’t possess. I needed information related to spells anyway, so this is good timing. Of course, even if I visit, there’s no guarantee Turtle-nim will tell me anything. Still, I had to do it.

‘I need to understand spells better.’

The more I learn, the more I try to master them, the more I realize. Connecting the Nine Flames Wheel Technique and the Two Wings of Heaven Dance. That it requires the power of spells. So, I can’t miss this opportunity. Later, I must catch Turtle-nim and ask him.

As I was walking, thinking that.

“…Excuse me, Sir?”

“What.”

Gu Bong asked me something.

“…Where are we going right now?”

At his words, I looked around. Come to think of it, we were already outside.

“Ah.”

I’d forgotten for a moment while walking, wondering where this was.

“Right? Where should we go?”

So I asked Gu Bong for directions, and his expression crumpled.

“…Why are you asking me that?”

“Because you know the way and I don’t.”

“No, shouldn’t you have told me where you wanted to go in the first place?”

“I already told you.”

I said it right from the start of our conversation.

“Yae Wol Palace. I’m going there.”

Hearing that, Gu Bong’s eyes widened.

“R…Right now?”

“Yeah, right now.”

“Immediately?”

“Immediately.”

“…”

Gu Bong’s expression continued to crumple. Go back to Yae Wol again in just one day? He looked like he couldn’t believe it, but I was serious. Of course, I was serious. If I weren’t serious, there would be no need to drag this guy I don’t even like along. As it is, running around alone would be far more efficient than this uncomfortable companionship. I’m enduring it and trying to go together.

Why?

‘Because he’s necessary.’

As far as I’m concerned, this guy was necessary. Not just now, but for the future too.

“So, stop chattering and just lead the way.”

I said it with annoyance, and Gu Bong bit his lip. I thought he might express some complaint, but he just started walking ahead.

“This way…”

He began to guide the way. Seeing that, I chuckled and said,

“Are your complaints over?”

“…”

Honestly, there was no need to ask. Actually, asking was a bad idea. It could come across as mocking. Knowing all that, I still asked.

“My complaints remain. However, if this is what the Sect Leader wishes, I shall merely follow.”

“Hmm.”

I sensed something blindly devoted towards Elder Shin in his answer. I’ve felt it since last time; it’s almost borderline pathological. Should I point it out? Or should I do something else? I pondered for a moment, but I had already decided.

“Alright then.”

I’ll ignore it. Getting involved would be pointless. I didn’t particularly want to, either. I don’t care if he was always like this, or if it got worse after I arrived. As long as it doesn’t cause me unnecessary discomfort, I won’t care what it is.

I gestured forward with my hand and said,

“Lead the way.”

To worry about things like that… As always, I had a lot to do.

---

I came outside. Leaving Mount Hua was easier than expected. Just like how we came in last time, sprinkling powder allowed passage. This means…

‘Smashing through the barrier like an idiot was the wrong move.’

It meant the problem was messing with the perfectly fine method.

‘…Then please, just tell me before you do something.’

What a crazy old man. Wouldn’t it be so much better if he told me before throwing it? Why does he always act first without explaining jack shit? I really didn’t get it.

“Hoo.”

I let out a deep sigh and started walking. Outside, it was just approaching noon. How long had it been? As I mentioned last time, I couldn’t run, so I had to maintain a moderate pace. It felt like we had walked quite a distance.

‘If I had my way, I’d just fly off.’

I figured there must be a reason for this, so I just walked silently. For the record, I didn’t exchange a single word with Gu Bong. It didn’t feel necessary. Gu Bong kept his mouth shut and just guided, and I followed behind him, thinking only of my plans.

‘How long will it take?’

How long will it truly take for the plans I’ve laid out to be resolved?

And.

‘Even if this succeeds…’

Not only succeeding and getting things back on track as planned, but even if I actually returned to the Central Plains.

‘How much time would have passed?’

Time flows differently here and in the Central Plains. Just seeing how Elder Shin spent over a hundred years while I only spent a few months proves it. I was pinning my hopes on that, but…

‘Still, the sooner the better.’

It was right to go back as quickly as possible. I didn’t have the luxury of staying here any longer. Especially.

‘Being with Cheonma. That alone is a problem.’

There wasn’t just one or two things bothering me. I have a mountain of things to handle. It means I have no intention of wasting meaningless time here. Therefore, I had to prepare to escape, even a day sooner.

However.

‘I have to do what I promised before leaving.’

I have to do what I was asked. Although it messed things up a bit, I could manage this much. Especially if it concerns Elder-nim’s business.

“…”

I scratched my cheek with my hand. Thinking that far, something came up.

‘So.’

After helping Elder-nim like this, once everything is finished,

‘Is Elder-nim coming with me?’

It was a sudden thought. It had been on my mind since Elder-nim asked me last night. If Elder-nim would ask something like this, his attachment to Mount Hua Sect must be deep. He said it was about 150 years. More than the time he spent with me, perhaps even more than the time Elder-nim spent in the Central Plains. After finishing everything, when it’s time for me to return, will Elder-nim come to the Central Plains with me? Such a question crossed my mind.

‘Tsk.’

Thinking about it made my tongue tingle. It was because I somehow expected Elder-nim’s answer. I gnawed on my increasingly tingling tongue with my teeth. At the same time, I erased it from my mind because I didn’t want to think about it.

Just then.

“We’ve arrived.”

Gu Bong, who had only been walking, spoke. I looked up.

“Ah. So we have.”

In the distance, I could see Yae Wol Palace, the one I saw last time. We walked silently for a long time. We arrived back at Yae Wol Palace, where we had been yesterday.

---

The atmosphere at the entrance was more deserted and quiet than last time. The bustling, excited atmosphere from when there were crowds was gone. There was a palpable sense of vigilance. It couldn’t be helped.

‘Because there must be repercussions from yesterday’s attack.’

I had expected this, given the chaos I caused yesterday. The problem is, they probably didn’t expect us to return in just one day.

“…Who goes there?”

As I approached the guards like last time, they thrust their spears at us. Last time they just looked annoyed, but this time they seemed fully alert.

“We’ve come from Mount Hua.”

“…Mount Hua?”

At Gu Bong’s words, the guard’s expression contorted. He froze the moment he heard it. It wasn’t just because we were outsiders. Something was different. Gu Bong seemed to notice it too, narrowing his eyes.

“Is there some kind of…”

“P-Please wait a moment. Hey!”

His attitude was drastically different from before. The guard quickly waved his hand, signaling somewhere far off. The moment Gu Bong saw this, his face showed that something was wrong, and seeing that, I smiled instead. This seems to be…

‘Good.’

Fortunately, things seemed to be unfolding as I wished.