An unfamiliar ceiling.
An unfamiliar ceiling greeted as I opened my heavy eyes.
“…Ungh…”
How long was it since I last felt this heavy?
I think this was the first ti after I reached the Peak Realm.
…I think I’m going to throw up.
Was it because I used too much Qi yesterday?
Was my Dantian aching because I detonated my Qi instead of retrieving it?
Was this a type of muscle pain?
I gritted my teeth and raised my aching body.
Only then did I realize that I was at the inn we were staying at and it seed like it was a little late in the morning.
“Sigh.”
It seed like I passed out as soon as I returned.
To be fair, it would have been even stranger if I hadn’t passed out considering that I had turned the examination ground into a ss yesterday.
Well, I’m sure they’ll do sothing about that.
Right before I detonated the Qi marble, the first thing the Sword Queen did was to move to protect all of the Young Prodigies who could potentially be swept by the explosion.
As expected, she was the closest to my ideal martial artist from the Orthodox Sect.
Well, I wouldn’t have gone that far if I knew that.
I also made sure to control my Qi right before the explosion so that neither I nor the others would be hard by it.
My Dantian wouldn’t have been screaming in pain if I didn’t do that.
It would’ve been better if I didn’t detonate it in the first place…
But I couldn’t control myself after that treatnt.
I said it before, but I wasn’t the most understanding person and I would only feel refreshed if I vented my stress out on the spot.
Anyway, I just sat still and spaced out for a while.
It wasn’t that I was actually spacing out, but instead, I was checking if the Qi within my body was flowing properly…
Hmm.
And I was able to visualize it after passing the Qi through my Dantian.
It seems like I can’t do anything reckless for a while.
Both my Dantian and blood vessels were aching.
They were now swollen because I used my Secret Art, so I needed to rest for a while.
“Tsk.”
Dammit, I should’ve just held back.
[Grr…]
On top of that, with the beast whining constantly to inform that it was hungry, it was obvious that I would get a headache.
It seed like this bastard was hungry because I used a lot of Qi yesterday.
“Stop annoying and shut up. I was going to feed you a lot tomorrow even if you didn’t tell .”
[Grr…]
As expected, it looked like I would have to go Demon hunting tomorrow.
I would’ve done this yesterday…
But there were delays due to the trouble I caused yesterday
And because I destroyed everything in sight, the exam was also delayed.
I wasn’t feeling guilty though.
If anything, it was the Sword Queen’s fault.
“Well, as expected, I guess I got so ti to spare.”
Thanks to that, I now had a day off.
If I was being honest, I did sowhat expect that this would happen when I caused the ss.
But I didn’t think that it would actually happen.
I never imagined that the Murim Alliance would really delay their plans just because of a single Young Prodigy, but they did.
Thanks to that…
I should make good use of today.
It was fortunate that I had a day to deal with the things on my mind.
But before that …
If I rember correctly …
There was one person I needed to see from last night.
Creak–
I opened the door, and went down the stairs.
It was very quiet.
It was too late for breakfast, but it was too early for lunch as well.
Not many people were present at this ti.
As I continued descending the stairs, I could see a person sitting at a table in the corner.
A group of people to be precise, and the inn wasn’t so silent just because of the ti of the day, but the ladies sitting there.
“You woke up.”
Hearing co down the stairs, the lady sipping her tea, Moyong Hi-ah gazed in my direction.
“You must’ve been really exhausted.”
“…A little I suppose?”
“Young Master! I heard the news! You created quite a stir.”
“That’s fast. It hasn’t even been that long.”
“We heard the sound of the explosion as well.”
To be fair, it would have been stranger if they hadn’t heard it, considering how loud the explosion was.
“Why did you do that?”
Moyong Hi-ah asked, as if she didn’t expect that.
It seed like she found it strange that I caused that much ruckus with so many people around.
“It’s nothing special, soone just pissed off a bit.”
That wasn’t all there was to it, but I decided to let it pass.
“But Young Master, you were so cool!”
Said Tang Soyeol.
Now that I thought about it, wasn’t she in a different inn?
“…What? You saw it?”
The first group wasn’t even allowed near the second group’s examination ground.
And if they were caught by the instructors, their points would be deducted.
It was all fine if they weren’t caught, but even if the instructors seed weak, they couldn’t be underestimated.
Did Tang Soyeol manage to avoid them and co to the second group?
When I asked her that, Tang Soyeol responded cheerfully.
“No, I didn’t see it!”
“Then how do you know?”
“Oh, I just imagined that you looked cool back there.”
“…”
Tang Soyeol was really the weirdest one of the bunch huh?
Especially her eyes.
“…I see. Did everyone pass?”
Both Moyong Hi-ah and Tang Soyeol tilted their heads on hearing my question.
It looked as if they were telling that it was obvious.
You lot…?
Maybe not. I guess it really is obvious.
Well, they were from the Four Noble Clans after all, so I guess I should’ve looked at them differently.
Does that an that I was an idiot for failing in my past life?
It did.
I was a foolish, retarded dumbass.
Well, no use crying over spilled milk.
I turned my gaze away from the two girls and stared at the lady who was curled up with her head on the table.
It seed like Namgung Bi-ah was dozing as always.
I don’t even need to ask her.
I didn’t even imagine Namgung Bi-ah failing.
As long as she did not try to avoid attempting the exam, the possibility of her failing was close to zero.
“Right, Young Master. Ah-hee was here as well.”
“…Hmm?”
I got a bit confused after hearing Tang Soyeol’s sudden words.
Ah-hee? Was she referring to Peng Ah-hee?
“She ca as well?”
“Huh? Yes.”
It would have been strange if she had not co, but I didn’t know that since I didn’t see her yesterday.
This ans that all Four Noble Clans will attend the Academy.
That was pretty cool.
This was the reason they called us the teor Generation or whatever.
The situation was perfect.
And that bastard, Jang Seonyeon, took the top rank in such a situation in my past life, which was why everyone kept talking about him.
Being able to take the top seat even with the Four Noble Clans and the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes present must be the reason he attracted that much attention.
However, one thing didn’t make sense to .
The others were understandable, but how did he manage to get the top seat with the Sword Dragon and the Water Dragon present?
Did he do sothing?
He must have.
It was impossible for that bastard to earn the top rank without playing dirty.
It looked like I would have to prevent him from doing the sa this ti as well.
I might as well do it since it’s in the way, right?
It would be for the best if I got rid of the bastard in the Heavenly Dragon Academy as I planned to.
“Well, that’s that.”
Flinch.
Realizing that I was now going to talk about her, the girl sitting in the corner suddenly flinched.
Seeing that, I nodded my head.
So it wasn’t a dream.
I barely managed to keep myself awake after over-exerting myself, so I could just faintly rember Namgung Bi-ah dragging soone along with her.
And if that really wasn’t a dream…
“Have you eaten yet?”
That person was definitely Wi Seol-Ah.
I asked the lady who was still wearing the face cover and keeping her face hidden.
She hesitated for a mont..
“N…o.”
But I managed to get a response from her.
Seeing her like that, I smirked, wondering why she was still behaving like that.
Then, I spoke after a mory from the past suddenly ca to mind.
“Would you like to eat a potato?”
“…?”
While it may have seed that I was bringing up potatoes out of the blue…
-Want a potato?
But seeing Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes beco wide, it looked like she rembered as well.
Seeing that, I spoke with a chuckle.
“Fine, it’s alright if you don’t want one.”
Wi Seol-Ah didn’t respond, but I guess she didn’t dislike it either.
Unfortunately, there were no potatoes at this inn.
How unfortunate indeed.
******************After that, I left the inn and went for a walk outside.
The streets were as crowded as ever.
And as I walked through the streets, I looked at the person following, or walking next to .
The person who would have normally been chattering cheerfully and asking a bunch of things, was way too quiet and was also keeping so distance between us.
After watching her like that for a while, I sighed and asked her.
“How long are you going to behave like that?”
And there was one thing that was bothering the most.
I was speaking to Wi Seol-Ah who was still wearing her face cover and walking with on the streets.
I ca outside to take care of so business, and I asked Wi Seol-Ah to accompany .
Seeing that, Tang Soyeol tried to follow us as well…
-No.
But Namgung Bi-ah grabbed her and forced her to stay behind.
Moyong Hi-ah didn’t try to do anything as she could read the atmosphere.
“…Should I take it off?”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but why were you wearing it inside the inn as well?”
“About that…”
Well, Namgung Bi-ah and Moyong Hi-ah also covered their faces when they were outside, and since Wi Seol-Ah was beautiful enough to draw attention, it would’ve been better if she covered her face, but I couldn’t understand why she was doing that in my presence as well.
“You can’t even see properly.”
On hearing my words, Wi Seol-Ah raised her face cover a bit to show her eyes.
How absurd…
I snorted loudly after seeing her golden pupils under the veil.
Is she teasing on purpose?
And golden pupils huh?
Those pupils ant that Wi Seol-Ah’s Divine Arts had reached a certain level.
I wasn’t that knowledgeable about the Sword Emperor’s martial arts, but seeing how Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes and hair had turned golden in my past life as well, it seed like she experienced such changes as she reached higher levels, just like .
If I thought about how her hair turned a little golden the last ti I saw her…
As expected, Wi Seol-Ah is still Wi Seol-Ah huh?
Wi Seol-Ah had overco her wall and had now beco a Peak realm martial artist during the ti we were separated.
Considering how it hadn’t even been three years since she started learning the way of the sword…
…I’m speechless.
It was useless to try to understand her talent.
This was the very reason I excluded existences like the Heavenly Demon or Wi Seol-Ah when I thought about soone’s talent.
To begin with, their levels were beyond ordinary humans.
This was also the reason behind my urgency.
To take on her burden ant that I had to take on her role, and that ant that I needed to beco at least as powerful as the Divine Sword was in my past life.
That’s really absurd.
I felt overwheld just thinking about it.
Just how much, or what did I need to do?
There was no way I knew the answers to those questions.
The future seed bleak.
However...
Even so…
And I did not plan on handing over the burden back to her just because she started wielding her sword.
I might consider walking down the path along with her, but no way was I going to let her walk that path alone.
“Hey.”
“Yes…?”
“Do you want to eat that?”
I hid my frustration and pointed at sothing, Wi Seol-Ah turned to see what I was pointing at.
I was pointing at a food stall that sold skewers among the lined-up stalls.
“I’m sure you’re hungry, so let’s go eat.”
I knew well that she hadn’t eaten properly back at the inn and that she also enjoyed skewers.
Wi Seol-Ah fidgeted for a bit and then spoke on hearing my suggestion.
“I don’t feel like eating…”
“You don’t?”
“…”
She averted her gaze after I asked her that.
Huh? Was she embarrassed or sothing?
Is she feeling embarrassed because she eats a lot?
She was?
Just what happened for her to change that much in the few years we were apart?
After thinking for a while
“Just follow even if you don’t want to, I want to eat one.”
I grabbed Wi Seol-Ah by her hand and dragged her along.
“Ah.”
She seed surprised when I suddenly grabbed her wrist, but it didn’t look like she had any intention of escaping my grasp.
I walked through the crowd, and ordered two skewers from the stall.
One was for , and the other was obviously for Wi Seol-Ah.
“…”
After staring at the skewer for a while, Wi Seol-Ah accepted it without a fuss.
“Just eat it. Don’t be like that.”
She still seed hesitant, so I urged her after taking a bite myself.
Only then did Wi Seol-Ah take a bite as well.
Was it frowned upon to eat like this in the place she stayed? Why is she behaving like this?
I even considered that she might have really lost her appetite.
Was I being too forceful?
Is it too late to tell her to stop eating now?
As I was about to speak up…
“You don’t have to force yourself if you don’t wa… Huh, you are already done.”
“…Huh?”
“When did you finish that…?”
Didn’t you just take a bite like a mont ago?
Where did the contents of Wi Seol-Ah’s skewer disappear off to?
She managed to devour all of that so quickly?
Well, I was happy to see that she still had her love for food.
Judging by how she was panicking, it seed that Wi Seol-Ah herself just realized she had already finished her food.
“This…! Why is it already gone…?”
“Maybe because it all went in your mouth?”
“That’s not possible… I really had no appetite… I swear!”
“Right, right, I’m sure. Do you want another one?”
“I’m being serious…”
Wi Seol-Ah fidgeted with her hands and feet in frustration, but that wouldn’t bring back the skewer she had just eaten.
“So, I guess that you don’t want another one then?”
After flailing her hands and feet in denial for a while, she paused and looked at with trembling lips.
I didn’t plan to persuade her this ti.
As I continued to stare at her with another skewer in my hand, she finally responded.
“…I want another one.”
“Good.”
After getting my desired response from her, I handed the skewer.
It looked like Wi Seol-Ah was frustrated, but I was satisfied.
At least this part of her remained the sa.
“Oh, right. Wait, half of it already go… “
“Huh…?”
“Nothing, speak after you’re done. Did anything happen yesterday?”
“…”
Wi Seol-Ah suddenly paused after hearing my question.
I didn’t an to disturb her, but nonetheless, I was curious.
There must have been a reason for Namgung Bi-ah to drag Wi Seol-Ah with her, and for Wi Seol-Ah to stay in the inn even though she used to run away from .
Even if she didn’t tell anything else, she had to at least tell this.
Wi Seol-Ah just stared at as she swallowed the food in her mouth.
Her eyes were pretty strange.
“Is it sothing you can’t tell ?”
“…No. I can.”
I was glad. I would’ve felt a bit disappointed if she couldn’t tell about it.
Did that an that she needed so ti to organize her thoughts?
I was a bit disappointed that the naïve and sowhat dumb Wi Seol-Ah had changed like this, but at the sa ti, I also felt that she was changing in a good way.
After taking so, Wi Seol-Ah finally responded to .
-Last night… Sis and Young Master Jang t.
I was rather surprised when she spoke to telepathically, but what she told was even more surprising.
-…Who and who t?
-Young Master Jang… and Bi-ah sis.
That was unexpected.
Why did that bastard suddenly et with Namgung Bi-ah?
-Sis told that she was looking for because she didn’t get to greet yet.
-Then…
-But I happened to be talking with Young Master Jang at the ti.
I wonder what Wi Seol-Ah and Jang Seonyeon were talking about.
I had too many questions.
-Then…?
In a way, Wi Seol-Ah’s explanation was rather simple.
Namgung Bi-ah had interrupted their conversation, and when Jang Seonyeon brought that up, Namgung Bi-ah didn’t seem to rember who he was.
She even told him not to get any closer because he slled.
…
For her to tell him to back off because of his sll.
That did sound like sothing Namgung Bi-ah would say.
After all, she wasn’t soone who cared how others felt.
Even so…
Sll?
Even Jang Seonyeon would be hurt by that.
Nice.
That made it better.
-What happened after that?
-Then… Young Master Jang broke his expression and drew his sword.
Jang Seonyeon broke his expression huh…?
It must’ve been really insulting for him.
Though it did make sense.
It would’ve been stranger if he held back after being insulted like that.
If it was , I would’ve burned the person who said that to , it would only be their hair though.
But she didn’t tell that they clashed swords.
Neither Namgung Bi-ah nor did anyone else tell about it.
Even if the bastard from the Taeryung clan drew his sword first, he had enough justification as it was Namgung Bi-ah who interrupted them and told him that he slled.
-So did they fight then?
-No.
Wi Seol-Ah responded firmly.
When Jang Seonyeon drew his sword…
[…If you don’t… put that back in…]
Namgung Bi-ah spoke to Jang Seonyeon…
[You’ll die…]
With her usual emotionless face.
Lightning Qi mixed with Combat Qi and killing intent erged from Namgung Bi-ah’s body.
It must have been very shocking for Wi Seol-Ah, who only knew the usual Namgung Bi-ah.
How scary.
She might have exaggerated a bit, but it reminded of the Demonic Sword.
[…Crack.]
Because of that, Jang Seonyeon sheathed his sword and left.
Was he afraid?
Seeing Namgung Bi-ah like that, he felt unsure about his victory and because he believed that his plans would be ssed up if he caused trouble there, he held himself back while grinding his teeth.
So to conclude, he was afraid.
At least, that was what it looked like to em
So, Namgung Bi-ah brought Wi Seol-Ah with her after that?
However, I was curious as to why Wi Seol-Ah ca with Namgung Bi-ah quietly even though she kept avoiding .
“…”
Just as I was lost in my thoughts, Wi Seol-Ah too was thinking about last night, when Namgung Bi-ah began to drag her along.
[Sis…! Wait…!]
Right as Wi Seol-Ah was about to tell her that she couldn’t co with her as it wasn’t ti yet, Namgung Bi-ah spoke to her with a clear voice.
[If you run away now, there won’t be a spot for you next ti.]
Clench.
She clenched her fist as she thought about that conversation.
Wi Seol-Ah didn’t know what was going through Namgung Bi-ah’s mind when she said that, but she knew that Namgung Bi-ah was serious.
As she was pondering over their conversation…
“That’s disappointing.”
“Huh?”
Wi Seol-Ah flinched when she heard my words.
“You did your best to run away from , yet you ca just because she dragged you?”
“N-No, Young Ma…!”
Realizing that she almost called young master out of habit, Wi Seol-Ah shut her mouth.
It seed like she was aware that she couldn’t address as such any longer.
“That’s not it… I just…”
“I know.”
Seeing her curl up even more, I decided to stop teasing her.
“You said that you would protect or whatever, yet you turned into a wet towel.”
“…Wet towel?”
“You just look down, like a wet towel hanging.”
“…”
I didn’t like seeing her like that.
At least, I didn’t want to see the Wi Seol-Ah from my past life.
Though she was beyond a wet towel back then.
It would be apt to say that she was frozen.
Very frozen.
That’s why I was glad.
If it was this much, it seed like my heat could help dry her.
I handed her another skewer.
It looked like she wasn’t going to refuse them any longer.
“There’s one thing I really need to know”
I asked Wi Seol-Ah as she took a bite.
The thing I was really curious about.
And I had brought her along for the sa reason, so after organizing my thoughts, I asked her.
“Do you know the reason your grandfather took you to the Taeryung Clan?”
“…!”
Wi Seol-Ah flinched.
It seed like she knew the reason.
“That’s…”
“Is it sothing you can’t tell ?”
“…”
Wi Seol-Ah’s lips trembled.
She seed to be thinking.
Even so, I had to know.
I had to know the reason the Sword Emperor took Wi Seol-Ah to the Taeryung Clan with Wi Seol-Ah in this life as well.
Only after I learned the reason would I be able to finalize my plans.
“That’s…”
Just as Wi Seol-Ah was about to speak…
Woong.
I felt a vibration from my left hand, to be more precise, it was from the ring on my finger.
[Grrrr…]
Moreover, the beast within reacted as well.
“…Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue.
And just as Wi Seol-Ah was about to speak.
When I frowned, Wi Seol-Ah, who was about to speak, looked pretty shocked.
“Young… Master?”
I spoke to the confused Wi Seol-Ah.
“I was planning to tell you to stay here while I took care of sothing, but you might run away if I did that.”
Clench.
I held Wi Seol-Ah’s hand tightly.
“Just follow .”
It looked like my other plan for the day had taken the bait.
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