After eting Cheonma, I wandered through the streets.
It wasn’t as though we agreed to walk together.
I was simply walking, and Cheonma followed .
We still weren’t speaking.
I wasn’t in a place where I wanted to talk to her.
What would there even be to discuss? At most, I’d vent my resentnt or curse her.
The fact that I refrained from even that ant I was exercising patience.
That’s what I told myself.
And I had to.
We walked for quite a while.
The distance wasn’t particularly far, but the ti it took was significant.
That was because I maintained a slow pace, taking in my surroundings.
As always, the streets here were eerily identical to the halls of Mount Hua Sect.
“It feels like they recreated it perfectly.”
It probably wasn’t just my imagination. It seed literal.
Quiet yet vibrant.
The streets were filled with the laughter and chatter of people.
Whenever I saw it, a thought crossed my mind.
“How much did he yearn for this?”
How deeply must Shin Noya have longed for these streets and this scenery?
How strong must his yearning have been to recreate it himself?
These thoughts surfaced from ti to ti.
Pathetic, perhaps? Or sothing else entirely? No words ca to mind.
It was just… irritating.
I wasn’t sure if the irritation was directed at myself or soone else.
If I had to pin it down, I was probably irritated with myself.
“…”
The fact that Shin Noya found himself in this situation was likely my fault.
“Click.”
I clicked my tongue and continued surveying the streets.
Today wasn’t just about taking in the sights—I had to confirm sothing I missed last ti.
“It should be around here sowhere.”
The last ti I wandered around, I rembered it being in this area.
Mount Hua Sect wasn’t particularly vast, so finding it shouldn’t have been difficult. Yet, strangely, it eluded .
“Hmm.”
I narrowed my eyes and turned around.
“Hey, you…”
I was about to ask Cheonma when I caught sight of her and frowned.
“…What’s that in your hand?”
“Hm?”
At my question, Cheonma looked down at what she was holding. A skewer.
She stared at it for a mont before holding the end of the skewer out toward .
“Want so?”
“…”
Who asked for it?
I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even respond.
“When did you even grab that?”
Just a mont ago, I was sure her hands were empty. Apparently, she had snatched a skewer when I wasn’t looking.
“…Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Did you pay for that?”
When I asked if she had paid, Cheonma tilted her head.
“Pay?”
“…”
Judging by her reaction, it was clear she hadn’t. My head ached.
“They just told to take it.”
“…Sure, I’m sure they said that.”
People here knew that Shin Noya had brought Cheonma and .
From what I’d seen, Shin Noya’s influence in this area was considerable.
That was probably why they just gave her the food.
“Take it back right now.”
I didn’t want to accept charity like that.
I pulled so money from my pocket and handed it to Cheonma.
Incidentally, the money was taken from Gubong.
If this were in Sanseo, I might have just accepted the food, but this was Shin Noya’s territory.
I didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.
Cheonma took the money I handed her without complaint, nodded, and ran off.
Watching her, I saw her approach a street vendor not long after.
That must’ve been where she got the skewer.
“…Sigh.”
I let out a deep sigh as I watched her.
The reason?
“…Is that really Cheonma?”
The question crossed my mind as I looked at her clueless figure.
Was that really the sa Cheonma?
Her face, her body—it was undoubtedly her.
But her actions…
“Sothing about this is seriously wrong.”
There wasn’t a shred of dignity. Her voice and behavior lacked even a hint of gravity.
She was almost like Wi Seol-ah in her childhood. Was this truly the Cheonma I knew?
The more I observed her, the less I understood.
“Did sothing change her?”
At first, I thought her behavior was temporary, sothing that would shift once she reappeared after going through certain experiences.
I figured the Cheonma I knew would eventually erge.
But…
“There’s only a couple of years left.”
At most, two years. That’s how long it would take for the tiline to align with when the original Cheonma appeared.
But if she’s like this now…
“Will she ever beco the Cheonma I knew?”
I wasn’t sure.
“If not, that’s a good thing.”
If she doesn’t, it’s fortunate for .
With the Blood Demon situation already giving headaches, it would be a relief if Cheonma, my greatest concern, fell apart on her own.
Thinking about that, it would naturally be a good thing.
But…
“If she’s fallen apart, why?”
If the Cheonma of this life was different from the Cheonma I knew,
what caused that difference?
The answer was simple.
“It’s because of .”
What else could it be? Most anomalies were likely caused by my actions.
“So, where did it all go wrong?”
Pinpointing the problem wasn’t easy with so many potential causes.
I’d done far too much.
“…”
Thinking about it, I shook my head.
“Dwelling on it now won’t lead to answers.”
Even if I figured it out, there was no way to bring the old Cheonma back…
“…Hm?”
As I thought this, my eyes widened.
“What the hell?”
What was I just thinking?
“Bring her back? What’s there to bring back?”
Am I out of my mind?
If that Cheonma is gone, that’s a good thing. Why would I even think about bringing her back?
“This is insane.”
Did getting hit by Noya last ti ss up my brain? What kind of nonsense was I thinking?
It made no sense unless I’d completely lost it.
“…Is it because regression keeps bothering ?”
Maybe. Or at least that’s what I wanted to believe.
The turtle’s words were still weighing on , and I couldn’t stop wondering what Cheonma had sacrificed to make regress.
That’s probably why those thoughts crept into my mind just now.
At that mont, nothing could have made less sense than my curiosity about the Cheonma of that ti.
‘She was one of the reasons my life fell apart.’
The biggest reason was myself, of course. But after , Cheonma had the most significant impact.
“…Hah.”
I sighed again, trying to sort through the ss in my head.
“I’m back.”
Cheonma returned from paying for the skewer.
Her voice caught my attention, and I looked up at her.
She stood there, staring at with clear, untroubled eyes. Her violet irises and pale skin glimred under the light, making instinctively frown. I reached out and grabbed her nose.
“…???”
Her eyes grew even wider, confused by my sudden action.
The strange part was that she didn’t resist.
Why wasn’t she reacting?
“What the hell are you?”
I asked, unable to process the absurdity of the situation.
“…”
Cheonma didn’t answer. She simply gazed at with her usual detached expression.
Annoyed by her silence, I clicked my tongue and let go of her nose.
“Never mind. What am I even doing?”
This wasn’t the ti to be playing around with her.
I ruffled my hair in frustration, my fingers trembling slightly.
I ignored the trembling and started walking again.
Then—
“Honored guest?”
A voice, unfamiliar yet sowhat recognizable, called out from behind .
I turned to see a woman with white hair and cat-like ears.
It was Seol Yeong, the first disciple of Mount Hua.
“I called out on a whim, and it turns out I was right. But what brings you here?”
“What about you? Why are you here?”
“Oh, I…”
Seol Yeong held up the items in her hands. A basket filled with clean fabric and sewing needles.
“I needed to buy fabric and get so needles repaired, so I was heading to the blacksmith.”
“Ah, I see. Wait—what?”
It took a mont to process her words.
“You’re going to the blacksmith?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Seol Yeong’s answer made nod instinctively. It worked out perfectly.
The blacksmith was precisely where I needed to go.
“I need to go there too. Mind taking along?”
I asked her cheerfully.
“Huh? Oh… sure, I guess.”
She agreed, though her expression was sowhat hesitant.
******************
Following Seol Yeong, I arrived at the blacksmith’s workshop.
As expected, it wasn’t far from where I had been.
Clang! Clang, clang!
The rhythmic sound of a hamr striking tal filled the air, accompanied by the faint tallic scent of iron.
Thanks to my heightened senses, both the sounds and slls were unusually vivid.
“Well, look who it is.”
As soon as we stepped inside, a short, elderly man noticed us and approached.
It was the blacksmith, who also seed to double as the gatekeeper.
“Seol Yeong, is that you?”
“It’s good to see you. How have you been?”
The old man greeted Seol Yeong warmly, and she returned the sentint with a smile. They seed to know each other well.
“I need to get so needles repaired and pick up a few more. Would that be all right?”
“Oh, of course.”
The blacksmith let out a hearty laugh. Then his gaze shifted to , his brow furrowing slightly.
“And who might this be?”
“Oh, him? He’s a guest brought here by our sect leader.”
“Ah, I see. Of course.”
The mont Shin Noya was ntioned, the old man nodded as if everything suddenly made sense.
I couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of person Shin Noya was to evoke this reaction everywhere.
As I pondered, the old man approached .
“Pleasure to et you. I’m Myung Song, the one in charge of this forge.”
He extended a hand toward .
“Oh, uh, nice to et you. I’m…”
I reached out as well, assuming he wanted a simple handshake.
Since I had business here, maintaining a good relationship wasn’t a bad idea.
I noticed sothing odd on his hand, but it didn’t seem worth worrying about. I grasped his hand without hesitation.
At that mont—
“Gu Yang…”
Ssshhhhh!
“…Ugh?!”
An intense pain shot through my hand, forcing to release my grip.
Startled, I looked at my palm. My skin was blistered and sizzling as if it had been burned.
“…What the hell?”
I stared at Myung Song, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
“…What…?”
But it wasn’t just who was shocked. The old man looked even more startled.
No, startled wasn’t the right word.
“…A dragon…?”
Fear and resentnt clouded his face.
And he wasn’t the only one.
“What? A dragon?”
“A dragon? What are you talking about…?”
Everyone in the blacksmith’s workshop turned to look at , their gazes sharp and focused.
Each and every one of them.
“Hm…”
I sighed internally.
It felt like everything was going to hell right from the start.
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