Did I hear wrong?
No matter how I looked at it, it didn't seem like something that would come out in this situation.
I continued looking at my father with bewildered eyes, but as soon as he finished speaking, he withdrew his gaze from me.
"Patriarch."
"I'm listening. Speak."
"By any chance, do you have a bad relationship with the Namgung Patriarch?"
My father reacted again to my words. His gaze returned to me from the letters piled up layer upon layer on the desk.
"Why do you think so?"
"It just feels that way somehow."
Namgung Jin's reaction and the reaction my father was showing me now somehow gave me that feeling.
'Was there something between the two of them?'
My father didn't answer my question. He just silently moved his gaze away from me again.
He didn't affirm it, but conversely, he didn't deny it either.
"I originally intended to speak of it tonight, but since it has come to this, I suppose I can bring it up now."
'...Are you planning to ignore what I just asked?'
I didn't hear an answer, but intuitively I felt he wouldn't tell me even if I pressed to the end. Besides, asking more didn't seem like it would bring a good reaction.
My father speaks to me.
"First, regarding the Taiseondan I promised."
"Yes."
Come to think of it, I was supposed to receive something like that.
There was a promise that if I went to the Huashan Sect and brought back Gu Ryeong-hwa, I would receive a spiritual pill.
'...I've consumed so many other things that I completely forgot about it.'
From Huashan's spiritual creature to the Sword Empress's demonic energy and yesterday's flower. In less than half a year, I had obtained too many qi encounters. Thanks to that, my body was now somewhat in a state of saturation.
I even had another spiritual pill received from Mae Hwa-seon.
"It would be poison to you right now."
And it seemed my father knew that too.
Already, because I absorbed the energy of last night's flower, the amount of my qi had increased further.
Thanks to that, the organization of the qi currently circulating hadn't even finished.
So consuming a spiritual pill and adding more qi right now would be overwhelming.
As I was repeatedly pondering what to do, my father suddenly asks me.
"Have you crossed the wall?"
At my father's sudden question, I straightened my back.
Though he wasn't looking at me, I could tell intuitively. In that brief moment, my father had swept his gaze over my body.
Lies won't work. It seemed everything had already been discovered. Though originally it wasn't something I could lie about anyway.
Eventually, after a brief hesitation, I gave my answer.
"...I have crossed it."
"Hmm."
My father nods at my words.
"Good."
As he spoke, the corners of my father's mouth rose slightly. For me, it was the first time seeing my father make such an expression, so I was flustered.
'Is he pleased?'
'But for being pleased, it's too terrifying an expression...'
"Though your realm is outstanding for your age, do not fall into arrogance and continue to strive."
"Yes, I understand."
"If you wish, I can give you the Taiseondan as originally promised, but is there something else you want?"
Knowing it wouldn't be of much help right now, receiving something else would be a better deal. Or I could receive it and consume it later.
"It seems I'll need some time to think."
My father nods his head again at my words. It probably means he'll give me time to think.
And my father said nothing more to me.
I waited thinking he might be organizing what to say, but no words came again.
'...What?'
This shouldn't be the end of what he had to say. Why isn't he saying anything?
Fighting the Night Blood Enemy after arriving at the Huashan Sect, treating the Sword Empress, and so on—things that could be considered more important than my reaching the Peak Realm should have remained.
I had even written about it appropriately in the letters, and prepared excuses to say in preparation for this moment.
But my father asked about nothing.
Rather, he looked at me with an expression asking why I was still here.
Do you have more to say?
"...What I want to say is, why aren't you asking more?"
"What do you mean?"
"I wrote about this and that in the letters I sent."
This was an issue I had pondered with Shin Noya for at least over three days about how to phrase it.
It was writing done after much deliberation, yet it felt like my father had no interest in it whatsoever.
As if to prove that, my father says casually.
"As you said, it was all written in the letters. What's the problem?"
"...Is that enough for you?"
"What tedious talk. The important conversation seems to be over, so leave now."
Not only did he not ask more, he firmly told me to leave. He's really not going to ask?
Since I didn't have to give the prepared talk, it was actually a relief.
But it ending up like this left me with a somewhat unsettled feeling.
I truly didn't expect him to not ask at all.
'I knew my father originally had that kind of personality, but...'
Isn't he being excessively disinterested?
I was at a loss for words.
Anyway, thinking it was rather for the better, I was about to leave the patriarch's office when a thought occurred to me and I spoke to my father.
"Patriarch, there's the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, isn't there."
There was no answer. But he had at least listened to what I said first. It was because I remembered that Dang So-ryeol had said she wanted to go together to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
Honestly, I brought it up thinking I would naturally be refused.
"Miss Dang mentioned she wanted to go together, would it be alright if she does?"
"You mean the Tang Sect's daughter."
"Yes."
Already this year alone, she had wandered outside the family estate twice and returned.
Thinking about how I had kept her tied to the family estate like a leash until becoming the Young Patriarch in my past life, this was already a big difference.
But at this time, sending me to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering overflowing with all sorts of people around? That was surely an impossible story...
"Go and return."
"I figured it wouldn't be allowed. I'll go and refuse... what did you say?"
"The invitation to the meeting has already arrived, so I'll send it through the chief steward."
"...Why?"
"Hmm?"
When I asked back, my father made a peculiar expression.
No, why are you making that kind of expression?
"Why are you permitting this?"
"You're asking something strange. You asked me to send you, so I complied."
"That's why it's strange. You don't care if I roam around outside?"
"If that's what you want, then do so."
"...What is this."
Something was flowing strangely. This wasn't supposed to happen like this! Why on earth was he permitting it?
It was an attitude vastly different from my past life. Such a changed appearance made me even more confused.
'What could have been the problem.'
It shouldn't be a small matter enough to change just because I reached the Peak Realm, but my father had the same expressionless face as at the beginning.
Something seemed to have changed, but I couldn't know what had changed.
"Do you have more to say?"
"...No."
"Then leave now."
At the firm dismissal, I finally rose. In that moment, Shin Noya asked me.
[You're not saying you won't go.]
'To the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?'
[Yes, you said you hated long distances even more.]
As Noya said, going outside the family estate again was bothersome, and long-distance travel was even more detestable.
But the fact that the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was held in Henan was important.
It wasn't too far compared to other places, and there happened to be someone I needed to meet.
I was waiting for the right time since I had no proper excuse, and this was a good pretext.
Timing-wise, there were still a few years left, but since we're bringing it up, the sooner the better.
Going together with Dang So-ryeol was a bit of a concern, but that much was whatever.
As I was thinking that, Noya asked me.
[Henan, huh. Is Shaolin still in Henan?]
'Shaolin, of course it's in Henan.'
Shaolin of Henan.
One of the Nine Sects One Faction, and the most influential among the Orthodox sect's affiliated sects.
Just thinking that the Martial Alliance was located in Henan made it easier to understand.
And speaking of Shaolin, though currently there was no suitable successor candidate, a few years later it would produce a successor candidate who would fill the vacant Divine Dragon position for several years after Peng Woo-jin.
He was also someone I had deep ties with in my past life.
[If you go to Henan, could you visit Shaolin once?]
'To Shaolin? Why?'
[There's something I want to look into a bit. I'm just asking you to go and see, that's all.]
'You mean I just go and look without doing anything else?'
[Yes, just looking is enough, so don't worry.]
The distance between the Martial Alliance and Shaolin wasn't far, and it was Noya's first time making such a request to me. If it was truly just looking, there shouldn't be a big problem.
I roughly organized my thoughts and was about to step outside the patriarch's office when my father spoke to me from behind.
"Wait."
At my father's voice, I turned around.
"There's a schedule one shichen from now, so make yourself presentable. I'll send the location separately."
"A schedule all of a sudden?"
What schedule? I was planning to go see Shin-ui after this.
As I was looking puzzled, my father continued speaking. Hearing that, my expression changed in an instant.
"There is a discussion regarding your engagement schedule, so don't be late."
'Ugh.'
Just hearing about it made it sound like an annoying and exhausting affair.
Slipping out of the patriarch's office, the place I headed to was the annex where Dang So-ryeol was staying.
Around it, martial artists who appeared to be from the Tang Sect were deployed.
When I appeared, they only bowed their heads and showed proper etiquette without trying to stop me.
Even as a blood relative of the Gu family, one wouldn't be able to come and go this freely; had Dang So-ryeol given prior word?
As I approached the annex, someone ran toward me.
"Young Master Gu!"
"Hello."
I hadn't even entered the annex yet, but Dang So-ryeol somehow knew and came running out barefoot in her socks.
"Ah, Miss! You must wear something on your feet!"
"Ah... right."
Dang So-ryeol's attendant shouted urgently from behind. Only then did Dang So-ryeol realize what state she had come out in, and with a red face, she quickly went back in and came out again.
The Dang So-ryeol who reappeared looked much calmer and more neat than before. But having seen her flustered appearance just moments ago, I couldn't grasp how to react.
[Just let it be. That'll be the most comfortable.]
Following Noya's advice, I just smiled awkwardly.
"Thank you for coming to see me."
"It's nothing. I have something to tell you."
"Something to tell me, what kind...?"
When I told her I would accept the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering matter she had suggested to me before, Dang So-ryeol was startled and started jumping up and down.
"Wh-what...! Really? Truly?"
"Yes? Yes... The Patriarch said it was fine."
Was it something to be that happy about? Seeing a blood relative of a prestigious family acting like that was a rare sight.
'I think Namgung Bi-a also said she'd go.'
She had said she'd go together if I went, but with Namgung Jin having appeared at the Gu family, it was uncertain how things would turn out.
"When should we depart, what to wear? What should I wear, what should I pack...?"
"Miss Dang, please calm down first..."
"I came in a hurry so I couldn't pack much, but do you perhaps like any poisons... ah, you said you don't."
The smile I was forcing almost cracked slightly.
Normal people don't like poisons, miss...
Do people of the Tang Sect pack poisons to drink? Or wait, do poisons have different flavors to begin with?
In my past life, I had met someone who became a demonic cultivator from the Tang Sect, but I don't think they carried poison around like that.
It was just that their resistance to poison was stronger than other martial artists?
Was it because Dang So-ryeol had that level of obsession that she could reach the Ten Thousand Poisons Invulnerability?
Seeing Dang So-ryeol holding her reddened cheeks and smiling bashfully, complicated feelings arose in me.
'...It seems certain she has feelings for me.'
With her reacting so openly, it would be harder not to notice.
[...Indeed. You only notice when someone reacts that openly.]
'...'
Shin Noya trying to pick on me even in this situation was quite annoying.
'Why did she develop feelings for me in the first place?'
No matter how I thought about it, it was a mystery. What I had seen of her in this life was only having faced each other for a few days at the Dang Family Medicine Meeting.
We hadn't even had a conversation alone, nor met separately. There was clearly not a single point that could give rise to feelings.
Looking at Dang So-ryeol quietly, I spoke.
"Miss Dang."
"Y-yes?"
"You know I'm engaged, right...?"
"...Ah."
[You crazy bastard...! How could you say that so bluntly!]
Shin Noya suddenly got angry, but I didn't particularly feel the need to speak indirectly. The engagement with Namgung was an established fact, and I knew too well that telling Wi Seol-a as well as Namgung Bi-a that I had no feelings for them at this point would be lying to myself.
Dang So-ryeol's suggestion was certainly a good excuse to go to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but if it was true that she had other feelings for me, leaving her alone would cause too many problems.
[To act rationally only at times like this... I truly cannot help but find it displeasing.]
'Shin Noya... you just don't like me, right?'
[...And your perceptiveness is only quick at times like this... Tch!]
It was somewhat of an unpleasant thing to say to Dang So-ryeol. If she didn't have feelings for me, she'd be offended by my presumption.
Even if correct, it wasn't something to say to someone's face. Though I chose this because I didn't want to speak indirectly.
Dang So-ryeol quietly looked into my eyes. Her eyes seemed somehow sad, or perhaps regretful.
After chewing on her lips hesitantly for a moment, she eventually spoke to me.
"It's... fine."
"Pardon?"
Before I could even ask what was fine, another statement popped out.
"I can do it. I can."
"...Do what?"
Dang So-ryeol spoke resolutely, even clenching her fists as if steeling her resolve.
The problem was she didn't finish telling me what she could do.
And.
[...What did this dog-like world want to show me.]
An old Daoist had to quietly feel a sense of betrayal from the world from behind.