Chapter 164 > What I Want to Show You. (3)
Thud… Thud… Thud…!
Hannam, deep within the underground chamber of the Murim Alliance Castle.
The sound ringing in their ears remained the same.
They slowly moved their steps along the torches embedded in the walls.
The descending stairs still had no end.
The continuously heard sound became noise, constricting the chest.
“Your expression does not look very good.”
At the question from ahead, Namgung Cheonjun swallowed hard.
Because there was not a hint of emotion in it to call it concern.
“…Are you mocking me right now?”
“Why would I mock the young master of the Nangong family? It would hardly be amusing.”
A man in black from head to toe.
Peng Wujin smiled slightly.
“It is simply a bit amusing, that is all.”
Since he was only looking ahead, Namgung Cheonjun could not see Peng Wujin’s expression, yet he knew.
That Peng Wujin was not smiling, unlike his voice.
“…What is so amusing?”
“How could it not be amusing, when the Thunder Dragon of the world is trembling so violently.”
“Who… is trembling…!”
Namgung Cheonjun was about to shout in anger but clamped his mouth shut.
Because Peng Wujin had turned around.
Meeting his obsidian-like pupils, the boiling heat within vanished as if snuffed out.
Words disappeared as if he had swallowed his fear.
*Grind.*
Perhaps because his pride was being crushed, Namgung Cheonjun quietly clenched his teeth.
“What is it that frightens you so?”
Peng Wujin’s expressionless face, and his indifferent voice to match.
Namgung Cheonjun could hardly endure it.
Peng Wujin quietly looked into Namgung Cheonjun’s eyes before spitting out words.
“I cannot understand. Is it the matter of defeat?”
“…!”
“Seeing your expression sour immediately, it seems this is only half the reason.”
Peng Wujin’s casually thrown words all dug deep into his chest, inflicting wounds.
It felt precisely like being stabbed once more in an already wounded place.
Namgung Cheonjun had been defeated in the duel with Ouyang Cheon.
And miserably so.
Even Namgung Cheonjun of the world could find no excuse.
For it had truly been nothing more than a difference in level.
The human Namgung Cheonjun did not wish to admit it, but the martial artist Namgung Cheonjun already had.
The realm Ouyang Cheon had achieved through martial arts was far higher than he had imagined.
‘…That bastard.’
Even as he cursed inwardly, Namgung Cheonjun’s chest still churned.
Because the doubt continued of whether he was even in a position to say such things.
Above all.
‘…The qi has disappeared….’
| |.
...
.
..
The energy he had barely obtained had vanished from within his body.
Namgung Cheonjun could not help but contort his expression.
‘Where on earth did it go?’
It was a power that would have let him surpass the current Dragons by far.
Because he had tasted it, if only for an instant, in the duel with Ouyang Cheon.
Namgung Cheonjun could not forget that exhilaration.
Thus, he yearned for it all the more.
‘Why… why… why did it disappear?’
Longing became thirst, parched his throat.
Because he had tasted it once, it was all the more so.
If only he had that, whether it was the Hidden Dragon, the Sword Dragon, or the Sword Peak.
He might even have been able to surpass Peng Wujin before his eyes. The power he had let slip right before his nose was unbearably missed.
Peng Wujin turned his gaze away from such a Namgung Cheonjun.
‘Boring.’
It was an extremely murky color.
No, it had now become something that could not even be called a color.
The youth who had once shone even a little had now lost all light.
At the same time, Peng Wujin also completely lost interest in Namgung Cheonjun.
There was no longer any business with one who had no light.
However.
‘Did they say the Divine Qi disappeared?’
The image of Namgung Cheonjun, who had seemed the very pinnacle of arrogance, wailing arose.
His face falling into despair, saying his power had disappeared.
Disgusting.
Borrowing an external power rather than one’s own to move forward.
How far did he think he could go with power obtained in such a way?
‘He does not even know what he looks like.’
It was now also a matter of little importance.
Whatever means they employed, Peng Wujin did not care much.
He had no particular interest.
Separate from that.
The fact that the power had disappeared did pique some interest.
His interest in the Thunder Dragon had faded, but the situation was curious, to say the least.
‘They say he used it before it had settled into the body. Perhaps that was the problem.’
Since it had not fully taken root, had all the qi been consumed and vanished?
It was not without reason, but Peng Wujin had his doubts.
The doubt of whether that was truly the case.
Peng Wujin vividly remembered the appearance Ouyang Cheon had shown Namgung Cheonjun at the last moment of the duel between Ouyang Cheon and the Thunder Dragon.
The gloomy atmosphere that sent chills down the spine.
The bloody killing intent rampaging within, though not outwardly expressed.
Peng Wujin could definitely feel it.
Was that truly the true form of the boy with the deeply irritated expression who seemed annoyed by everything?
Or was even that not his true form?
Peng Wujin was curious.
The existence called Ouyang Cheon.
‘Just what are you hiding, Young Master Gu.’
Peng Wujin touched his own lips with his hand.
As expected, the corners of his mouth were rising.
‘This is troublesome.’
He had to control himself in case his fighting spirit overflowed.
Just how long had it been since he felt fighting spirit?
The constant surging made his body uncomfortable.
Yet, even this discomfort was something Peng Wujin welcomed.
With such a light before his eyes, how could he not be moved?
Laughter escaping and fighting spirit flickering was, in a way, only natural.
‘What a pity.’
Peng Wujin wanted to face Ouyang Cheon’s light right before his eyes, even now.
Since he could not do so now, he only yearned for it more.
Just like the dying Thunder Dragon behind him.
They descended a little further after that.
After some time, the entrance finally appeared.
A massive door of blue light.
It was questionable that there was not a single guard at the door despite being an extremely secretive space.
But Peng Wujin knew they had not been placed because they were entirely unnecessary.
Sure enough, as Peng Wujin and Namgung Cheonjun approached the door, the massive door began to open on its own as if it had been waiting.
*Kuuuuung—!*
With a massive reverberation, the door opened.
“Welcome.”
A woman appeared inside the door with light steps, welcoming the two.
Peng Wujin looked at the woman.
Her face was not visible because she wore a veil.
What was curious was that she could not be seen even when trying to use internal energy to look.
This meant she was absolutely no ordinary person.
Peng Wujin asked the woman.
“Has the Room Master arrived?”
“The Heavenly Eye has not yet arrived.”
“Hmm…”
He had clearly thought he would arrive first.
“He left word that he would be late because he has matters to discuss with Nakgeom.”
Peng Wujin glanced back.
Namgung Cheonjun was drenched in sweat, perhaps because his impatience had reached its peak.
Not knowing what to do, he watched, and the woman answered in his stead.
“Please come in.”
Peng Wujin made an expression of surprise at the woman’s words.
“I heard one must not enter carelessly. Why do you permit it?”
“Lady Muhee has permitted it. She said the two of you may be escorted inside.”
At the woman’s words, odd light flickered in Peng Wujin’s eyes.
“That strict woman, you say.”
Words somewhat barbed.
From Peng Wujin’s standpoint, knowing just how important the existence called Muhee was to this woman, it was a somewhat crossed line.
However, the veiled woman showed no reaction to Peng Wujin’s words.
“I shall escort you.”
She merely repeated a toneless voice.
At that sight, Peng Wujin shook his head slightly.
“You are as dull as ever.”
As if having lost interest again, Peng Wujin passed the woman and entered through the door, and Namgung Cheonjun hurriedly followed him in.
Immediately after the two entered into the darkness.
“ ”
The woman gazed for a long while at the stairs the two had descended.
As if something were there.
The woman, who had been watching quietly, turned her body and moved toward the inside of the door.
Before long.
*Kuuuung!*
The massive door closed, and darkness returned.
After the semifinals ended, night soon fell.
His body was not particularly tired.
But he was a bit exhausted mentally.
Because the gazes looking at him had changed greatly.
Because he had defeated the Thunder Dragon and even crushed Snow Peak.
Not to mention the junior martial artists, the gazes from those around him were gradually becoming burdensome; how could he not be tired?
‘This feeling always exhausts me.’
Of course, the gazes from my previous life and now were exact opposites, and what I felt was different as well.
In the end, being tired was the same.
I had experienced too much to get excited over something like this….
“Young Master! Young Master!”
“Huh?”
“Is something the matter?”
Wi Seol-a rubbed her head against my shoulder and asked.
I liked the hair ornament I had gifted her and the faint floral scent wafting from her.
“No… why?”
“Because you look happy!”
“…”
At Wi Seol-a’s bright words, I covered my mouth with my hand.
Had I been unknowingly excited?
‘…Goosebumps all over.’
Had I gotten excited from receiving attention for defeating children?
Thinking so, I looked so pathetic.
Just as my mood was about to dampen immediately, a jade-white hand dug in and wrapped around my forehead.
“What?”
“…Suddenly… your expression… was turning bad…”
It was the hand of Namgung Bia, who had been lying on the sickbed. At those words, I held back a smile.
Who was worrying about whom right now.
“Don’t worry about it and just lie down properly.”
As I spoke, I examined Namgung Bia.
A sword wound crossing her chest.
No matter that she was a martial artist who had reached the first-rate level, and no matter that the wound was shallow.
It was no different from being dangerous if anything went wrong.
The physician said a scar wouldn’t remain, so if that was fortunate, it was fortunate.
Namgung Bia seemed not to care much whether a scar remained or not.
Rather, it was Tang Soyeol who had thrown a fit saying she shouldn’t.
“…I want to go out.”
At Namgung Bia’s sudden words, I shook my head firmly.
“No.”
“Why…?”
“I can tell just by looking at you, you’d head straight to the training ground if you went out.”
“ ”
“…Don’t look at me with those eyes either.”
As soon as I had finished the duel and returned earlier, the first thing Namgung Bia said to me was that she wanted to go out.
If she just wanted to go out, I would have let it be.
But I could see she was looking for her sword with her eyes; her goal was training.
‘Why do her eyes open like that.’
Where did she learn to lift her eyes so pitifully?
Lately, both Wi Seol-a and Namgung Bia seemed to have realized they were pretty and started using their looks.
When I firmly said no, Namgung Bia immediately returned her expression to normal.
Then she added, as if disappointed.
“…Soyeol said… if I did this, you’d listen well.”
“Unnie… I’m sure I didn’t teach you to use it like this.”
As if proving that speaking of the tiger makes it appear, Tang Soyeol showed up.
Perhaps because it was cold outside, she was huddled up.
Glancing at her, I asked.
“Where did you go?”
“Ah… I went to see Lady Murong.”
Hearing her words, I circulated a bit of internal heat around her.
Tang Soyeol’s expression relaxed slightly, as if the cold was receding.
Seeing that, I asked.
“By Murong, do you mean Snow Peak?”
“Yes.”
I had felt it before too, but there seemed to be something between Tang Soyeol and Murong Heeya.
They didn’t seem close.
If anything, it felt like Tang Soyeol was somewhat one-sidedly watching her mood.
‘Did she get bullied or something?’
Thinking so, Tang Soyeol hadn’t seemed like she had a weak personality when I saw her deal with that chubby Hwangbo last time.
Her friend Paeng Ahee had even said that Tang Soyeol originally had quite a temper.
She looked the most different from her face.
If we compared them to animals, Wi Seol-a was a puppy and Namgung Bia was a cat.
Tang Soyeol was closer to a squirrel.
“Squirrels do have fierce tempers by nature…”
“Yes?”
“Nothing, never mind. What about food?”
“I haven’t eaten. I was waiting to eat together…”
Tang Soyeol trailed off and smiled shyly, perhaps embarrassed.
“Unh? Are we eating?”
Perhaps because talk of food came up, Wi Seol-a’s eyes sparkled.
As if I had been waiting for this, I gently squeezed Wi Seol-a’s cheek.
“Uuugh…”
“…You’ve lost weight again.”
“?”
The moment I touched her, I could tell.
That Wi Seol-a’s cheek fat had decreased further.
Thanks to that, her looks grew more radiant by the day, but the feeling of touching her kept decreasing, which was a real shame.
“Are you really eating two bowls each time?”
“Uuum… I ate three bowls earlier…”
“Then why is this happening? What are you hiding in your stomach?”
Despite eating so much in a day, why was she losing weight?
I had clearly told her to take care of her late-night snacks too.
As I was swept up in questions, Tang Soyeol said as if at a loss.
“Young Master… haven’t you touched Seol-a’s stomach? Where would she hide anything? She’s so skinny.”
“Wouldn’t it be even stranger if I touched her there?”
Tang Soyeol nodded at my words, as if to say, “That’s true.”
Then Wi Seol-a grabbed her clothes and said.
“My stomach? Shall I show you?”
“…What… What would I do with that? Stay still.”
She tried to lift her clothes immediately, so I hurriedly pulled her hand down.
It’s not like we’re the only ones in the infirmary. What is she trying to do?
“Because you seemed curious…”
Perhaps being rejected was the problem.
Wi Seol-a put on a sulky expression.
She had nothing to sulk about, yet here she was sulking over this.
I considered flicking her forehead lightly but instead just tousled Wi Seol-a’s hair with my hand.
As I did, I asked.
“How was Snow Peak?”
About Murong Heeya’s condition.
“Huh? Ah, there wasn’t a big problem. It seems her family is taking care of her more than the infirmary, so she might be better off.”
It would be better than the infirmary, indeed.
Considering the illness Murong Heeya had.
As far as I knew, the attendants who followed her around were called attendants by name, but they were women famous in the medical arts.
Because they were among the dozens of disciples produced by the Divine Physician.
‘I held back to some degree, so she shouldn’t be injured.’
Thanks to that, I had to use more internal energy than expected, but it was a good result in the end.
Truthfully, I considered the position of Snow Peak, who had reluctantly climbed onto the tournament stage.
I had wanted to exchange a few more blows, but because Snow Peak was so out of it, I had to finish quickly.
‘I don’t know why she was like that.’
Was it because she was young now, unlike in my previous life?
In my memory, Snow Peak was a woman who knew nothing of panic.
A cold woman who seemed as though she would stand alone upon a snowy field.
A woman who had not been bewildered even before her own death.
In my memory, there had been only one moment when Snow Peak had panicked.
Remembering that it too was because of me.
I couldn’t help but be a bit concerned.
‘If Shin Noya were here, he would have cursed me out plenty.’
It was obvious.
That old man would have said something about women again.
‘I wonder when he plans to wake up.’
He probably hadn’t disappeared somewhere.
Perhaps because the realm had risen, Noya’s presence was clearly felt within my body.
It had been several days since meeting Zhang Seonyeon. One could say that was possible with the fight against the Yahyeoljeok, but.
Could he have slept this long simply due to an emotional issue?
‘There’s nothing I can know.’
The fact that I didn’t know my own body.
It was endlessly irritating.
“Hey…
At the voice that slipped through such a gap, I snapped to attention.
“Tomorrow… can I go watch?”
Namgung Bia was cautiously asking me.
By tomorrow, she must mean the tournament.
“Where do you plan to go in that condition?”
“I can move….”
I knew why Namgung Bia wanted to train immediately.
Having gained such enlightenment, how could she not move?
Even if it were me… No, if it were me, I wouldn’t have, but.
‘If it were an enlightenment that would scatter immediately, I might have told her to move too.’
In my view, Namgung Bia had not forgotten the flow of that time.
Even now, in her eyes, the sword path of that moment was endlessly sweeping around.
She would want to swing her sword right away.
The reason she was holding back was probably because of my words.
I wanted to tell her to rest for my own sake as well.
Even if it seemed like excessive protection, seeing the wound on her chest, I couldn’t easily speak.
“Tomorrow…”
Still, knowing she was suppressing her instincts as a martial artist solely because of my words, I didn’t think I could interfere to that extent.
“If you’re careful… it’s fine. You can move.”
In the end, I gave her the answer she wanted.
Perhaps because I permitted it.
Namgung Bia smiled as if she had been waiting.
‘There was something I wanted to show her too.’
Just as she had shown me something.
I too had something I wanted to show her.
Though the meaning might be slightly different.
And so, the next day.
I faced Zhang Seonyeon upon the dueling stage.
It was the moment I had so long awaited.