After being dragged back to my ho, I washed myself and changed into a clean uniform.
The original uniform I wore slled so bad that washing it didn't help, so I had to burn it to ashes.
It must have been soaked in sweat.
The enclosed area was so hot that it made my body, which was trained in Fire Arts, sweat like crazy.
…I thought I was going to die…
Changing the terrain was sothing I could force through, but I couldn't do anything about feeling thirsty from sweating too much.
Because of that, I drank a lot of water.
I've never experienced such tornt before.
Since it was a punishnt by closed-door training, I thought it would be reasonable to do it for half a year, but an enclosed space like that was a no-go.
I had done it in my past life.
But it felt different in this life, maybe for so reason.
Even so…
I didn't waste ti in the two months I spent in my closed-door training.
Clench.
Every ti I clenched my fist, I felt my Qi surging inside.
I stabilized the energy that used to flow on its own before and it felt like the Qi I originally had beca denser and stronger.
Of course, I didn't overco the Peak Realm to reach the Fusion Realm.
The Fusion Realm wasn't a wall I could break in just two months.
It's disappointing,
But it was funny how I felt disappointed.
What could I expect in such a short ti?
The fact that I could stabilize the flow of my Qi and made the process of sending energy to my middle dantian smoother was great progress in itself.
“Thanks to that, my body improved a lot.”
Because of all the Qi I had in my body, it felt like my body grew faster than in my past life.
If my arms and legs got longer, it would be very efficient in real fights, so it was a good thing.
I hope I grow more than I did in my past life.
You never know.
At this rate of growth, wouldn't I be taller than I was in my past life?
“Young Master.”
As I was finishing my preparation after putting on my belt, Muyeon called from outside my room.
“I'm coming out now.”
I checked to see if I still had any stench on , but it seed like I got rid of it all.
I even had to use Qi to remove the sll.
It made wonder how bad the sll was for to stink so much.
Drrrr.
When I left the room after sliding the door open, I saw Muyeon slightly lower his head to greet with respect.
“You worked hard.”
“Eh, not really.”
Soone might think I spent a few years in closed-door training.
After smiling, I observed Muyeon.
He still had a flawless posture and, as if he was signaling that he was on guard, he sent his Qi out to the surroundings.
However, I noticed that the way he used his Qi was different from before.
“It seems like you worked hard.”
“…That is not true.”
“What do you an that's not true? Too much modesty is annoying, you know.”
Considering that it had only been two months, I had to admit that the level I sensed from Muyeon was different from the average.
If a martial artist overca their wall for the first ti, they usually had a hard ti getting used to the new sensation that opened up in their body, along with their five senses and Qi blending together.
They would go wild because they couldn't control the Qi that filled their middle dantian.
It took most people a year to control it, but Muyeon did it in just a few months.
It reminded that Muyeon had great talent as I expected.
Though Namgung Bi-ah here is an exception.
Namgung Bi-ah, who controlled it right away as soon as she overca her wall, was an exception.
A re word like talent was hard to use to describe monsters like her.
After hearing my words, Muyeon smiled embarrassedly.
“These are the things you asked to get.”
“Ah.”
Muyeon took out a few letters from his pocket and handed them to .
They were the requests I made to Muyeon before I entered my closed-door training two months ago.
I had a few things I wanted to ask Hao Clan and other clans, and thankfully, they arrived in ti.
I was about to open the letters I received when…
“Also, the Lord of the Clan ordered to tell you to visit him as soon as you are done preparing.”
“…Tsk.”
It seed like I had to go to Father first.
****************
I would normally have to go to the Lord's room to see Father, but this ti, I had to go sowhere else.
He ordered to go to the eting room that was used to welco guests.
What's the reason, I wonder?
After following the steward with slow steps,
I arrived at the destination right away.
Creak.
When I opened the door, I saw Father sitting in the large eting room.
Furthermore…
Why is she here?
In another seat, I saw Namgung Bi-ah sitting in front of tea snacks that were served to her.
“Co in.”
After hearing Father's approval, I entered the room and observed the surroundings.
Judging by the empty seat next to Namgung Bi-ah, that had to be my seat.
I carefully sat down.
As soon as I sat, I noticed a flowery scent coming from Namgung Bi-ah.
When I glanced at her, she seed a little different from the usual Namgung Bi-ah.
Did she put on so makeup?
It seed right to say that she decorated herself a little.
No, she definitely did.
As I observed Namgung Bi-ah politely, Father spoke to .
“It seems like you made so progress.”
I shook for an instant after hearing him speak with a calm tone.
I thought I was doing a good job hiding it, but Father noticed it as soon as I ca.
“I had a little bit of an enlightennt.”
I played it off as sothing that could happen.
It technically wasn't wrong.
After all, it was a form of enlightennt.
Father didn't ask any further and only nodded in response.
As I quenched my thirst with cold water because I felt thirsty due to this uncomfortable atmosphere,
Father went into the main topic.
“I called you here because of your engagent with Namgung Clan.”
“…Oh.”
Right.
The engagent ceremony was planned for after I ca back from the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournant.
I honestly forgot about it.
Because of everything that happened, I kind of put it off to the side.
…Sigh…
No wonder Namgung Bi-ah was here.
It was because of our engagent.
Back then, I told myself that I would run away when the ti ca, but I realized too late that I was ensnared already.
As I was conflicted in my thoughts, Father spoke while staring at Namgung Bi-ah.
“I do feel sorry for Young Lady Namgung. It may have been our clan's problem, but in the end, it hard Namgung Clan as well.”
“No… That's not true at all. It was a serious matter.”
“I will let the Lord of Namgung Clan know separately about this matter.”
Considering that Namgung Clan's Lord didn't co even though he was supposed to, it seed like Father sent a letter to Namgung Clan beforehand.
Namgung Bi-ah, who got an apology in place of her Father, spoke after keeping silent for a mont.
“…My lord.”
“You may speak.”
“Could you please not speak in such a formal manner to …?”
I flinched as I listened quietly.
I didn't expect to hear such words from Namgung Bi-ah's mouth.
Father seed surprised too, because I saw his eyes widen more than usual.
However, he returned to his usual expression.
“I will do so after the engagent ceremony.”
He put aside the fact that Namgung Bi-ah was much younger than him and chose not to speak informally to her as she was still an outsider to the clan.
Namgung Bi-ah looked disappointed after hearing Father's response, but her face seed resigned as she couldn't do anything about it.
Because he drew a clear line between them.
After watching that, I spoke up to interrupt.
“So what's going to happen to the ceremony?”
I had to know what would happen if the ceremony was delayed.
“The original plan was to have the ceremony in Gu Clan, but it will now be done in Namgung Clan.”
Most clans did their engagent ceremonies in the male side of the clan, but he said that Gu Clan would take responsibility, and that the ceremony would be done in Namgung Clan.
…Is that really okay?
It didn't sound like a problem just by hearing it, but this was an engagent between two clans, and there would be many eyes watching.
So having the ceremony in Namgung Clan ant that it could seem like I was going there to live as a son-in-law.
While that wasn't what was actually happening, it could look like that to society.
For that reason, most clans wouldn't give up on having the ceremony in the male side of the clan especially if it was an engagent between two noble clans,
But Gu Clan doesn't really care about that.
Father's words were rather shocking though.
But I didn't care too much either.
Whether it was the son-in-law or what not, none of it mattered once the calamity started.
“…So when would that be…?”
“It will happen after you return from the battlefront.”
It was delayed more than I thought.
If it was after I returned from the battlefront,
It ant that the ceremony would happen after over a year had passed.
It's a good thing that it's delayed,
But I felt concerned for Namgung Bi-ah.
When I glanced at Namgung Bi-ah, she still listened with her expressionless face, and didn't seem too bothered.
“I already spoke to the Namgung Clan about this.”
“Already?”
This wasn't a eting for us to discuss what we needed to do, but more of a eting for him to tell us what would happen.
Whatever it was, it was partly my fault that the ceremony was delayed, so I wasn't in a position to talk.
As I glanced at Namgung Bi-ah,
“…I'm okay with it.”
Namgung Bi-ah spoke while staring at Father.
“As long as our engagent isn't broken off, I'm fine with anything.”
“…”
I noticed a bit of emotion mixed in the words she spoke calmly.
Which made feel worse.
“I sincerely apologize.”
“Not at all. I appreciate your concern.”
Father nodded after hearing Namgung Bi-ah's response.
I definitely heard it there.
That Father quietly whispered, 'Thankfully she's not like her Father'.
It made wonder what happened in their past for them to have such bad relations.
We had so small conversations after that, but none of them were too important.
After so ti passed…
“I apologize to Young Lady Namgung, but could you please give us the room since we are done?”
After hearing Father's request, Namgung Bi-ah stood up respectfully.
Her movent was very proper, which was sothing I rarely saw.
If you could do that, why don't you do that usually?
Every ti I saw her like that, it made question her.
After all, she seed so different that it made wonder if they were the sa person.
“…I'll be… leaving first… and I'll wait for you…”
As soon as she turned away from Father, she went back to her usual expression and way of speaking.
Namgung Bi-ah left the room with light steps.
Only Father and I remained in the room, surrounded by heavy silence.
I wondered why he had sent Namgung Bi-ah away.
…Did I cause so other incident?
I racked my brain for anything I might have done wrong.
As I nervously swallowed in silence, Father spoke to .
“We checked the First Elder's secret vault.”
My ears perked up at this information.
It had been two months since they had obtained the information, so it was about ti they accessed it.
“So what's going to happen?”
“We'll have to verify how much of the problems stored in the secret vault are true.”
The removal of the First Elder from his position, the change of managent in Gu Sunmoon, and the trouble I had caused there were all justified by the problems that were found in the secret vault.
That was pretty much what Father told .
The positions of the Elders could change after this.
For example, the Second Elder could beco the First Elder.
The position of Elders was not really determined by ranks to begin with, but such a thing could certainly happen.
As I listened to Father, one thing popped into my mind that I wanted to ask him.
“My lord. May I ask you sothing?”
“What is it.”
“Did you really not know anything?”
Father stopped his hand that was reaching for his teacup and his gaze pierced .
“What do you an.”
“The things that the First Elder was planning behind the scenes. I'm asking if you really didn't know anything.”
Did Father really not know anything at all?
I doubted that.
What I was curious about, was how much he was unaware of.
“…”
We stared at each other calmly for a few seconds.
Father took a sip of his tea without giving any answer.
I looked away first.
I knew he was not going to answer .
“…When should I start going to the battlefront?”
“You may leave after you cool down your body. Your sister has already left.”
“My sister did already?”
Gu Huibi had already gone to the battlefront?
I wondered if she had fully recovered yet.
“You may get the details from the steward.”
“…Understood.”
After getting Father's signal to leave, I stood up and made my way out.
The reason why I didn't ask him any more questions was because I knew that Father too was holding back on asking even bigger questions.
Even if I did try to probe him further, I didn't think that Father would give any answer.
Around a week huh.
I estimated that I had about that much ti to spend in the clan.
During that ti, I had to finish so small and big things.
Having to go to the battlefront is my first problem…
Being forced to spend a whole year there was the biggest problem, but by this point, it was sowhat welco as well.
Since it was the battlefront, there were lots of demons there.
Which ant that it was also a place where I could get a lot of Demonic Stones.
It was sothing I definitely didn't like in the past, but this ti around, I had changed my mind.
…I do have to feed this beast after all.
I had to feed the tenant that lived in my stomach and I felt the need to increase the amount of energy I possessed.
If I was going to use this power anyway, I might as well do it efficiently.
“Hmm?”
When I left the building to go outside, I saw Namgung Bi-ah standing on the path that led back to my ho.
“You told you would be waiting. You were waiting here?”
“…Yeah.”
“Why stay outside, you should've gone inside.”
“Just because…”
Her light footsteps ca towards .
With each step, I noticed her mysterious flowery scent.
To that, I spoke while smiling.
“You ran away earlier because of my sll.”
“…”
When I spoke to her in a joking tone, Namgung Bi-ah put on a slight frown on her face.
Right as I ca out from my closed-door training, Namgung Bi-ah who ca towards , spoke with a frown.
-…You sll.
I heard it clearly.
Namgung Bi-ah said that while staring at .
“That hurt more than I thought, you know that?”
“…I wasn't talking about that sll…”
“If that's not the sll, what are you talking about?”
“…Stench.”
“You usually call that sll.”
To be fair, it slled extrely bad even to my nose, so Namgung Bi-ah's reaction didn't bother too much.
…Though it hurt a little.
Namgung Bi-ah walked forward and grabbed my arm.
“What are you doing?”
“…”
Judging by how she was avoiding eye contact without saying anything, it seed like she was concerned about how I said that I was hurt.
I could just say that I was joking.
But her concern was amusing, so I decided not to say anything.
As we were about to arrive back at my place after walking together…
“But where is she? I don't see her anywhere.”
I asked because I never got to see her after coming out of my closed-door training.
It was because Wi Seol-Ah, who should've co running to as the first thing, was nowhere to be found.
“Did she go to the streets or sothing?”
That was possible, but I didn't think that she would, considering today was the day I got out of closed-door training.
As I was about to enter my ho with a question in mind…
“Hmm?”
It was because Namgung Bi-ah, who was holding onto my arm, stopped her steps.
As such, I had to stop with her.
“What's wrong?”
I observed, wondering if anything happened, but Namgung Bi-ah only continued to stare at with a strange expression.
“…What, why are you looking at like that?”
“Seol-Ah…”
“Hmm?”
Namgung Bi-ah, who had a very careful expression, spoke very quietly, as if she was looking out for .
“…She left.”
As soon as I heard her, it felt as if I couldn't /genesisforsaken
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