Omen (10).
After leaving the prison, the sun was beginning to set little by little.
The conversation with Haomunju hadn’t been particularly long.
From the moment I brought up the matter of Baekmaseok, the talk flowed like water.
At the end of the conversation, I achieved what I wanted.
And I’d wrapped things up well so there would be no loose ends, but.
‘Why.’
It was a situation where my worries had only grown instead.
—So you are the master of the ancient tome.
Old Man Muk had definitely said that while looking at me.
Had that been the starting point?
Having spat out those words, Old Man Muk donned a thoroughly subdued expression and gave me the answer I wanted.
!
.
—The Palace Lord is searching for the gate.
After being so stubborn, he was now speaking so willingly—what anomaly had occurred?
Looking at Old Man Muk like that, I asked back.
—The… gate, you say?
—Yes. The Palace Lord is searching for the gate that leads to Sangcheon (Upper Heaven).
Sangcheon.
At Old Man Muk’s words, I flinched for a moment.
Sangcheon was the third Demonic Realm opened in the Central Plains, and in my past life, it was a place I had visited in abundance.
And it was only natural, for the Demonic Realm of Sangcheon was a world where the Heavenly Demon frequently came and went.
It was said that the main base of the Demonic Cult was in Xinjiang.
But the place where the Heavenly Demon stayed was mostly the Demonic Realm of Sangcheon.
Having recalled that much, I sank into thought over Old Man Muk’s words.
‘Why.’
If Old Man Muk’s words were true.
Why on earth would the Palace Lord be searching for the gate to Sangcheon?
Furthermore.
Conversely, could it be that he was torturing Old Man Muk—the Haomunju—to find this out?
—The place leading to Sangcheon is known only to me, so that would be why.
—…Only you know, Elder?
—Yes.
It was an incomprehensible tale.
There were a total of four known gates leading to the Demonic Realms.
The Demonic Realm gates that tore through the void and expelled demonic creatures only spewed them out; one could not enter them in reverse.
Of course, there were rare anomalies where a Demonic Realm gate would devour humans, but that was an extremely rare occurrence.
Except for those on the front lines that remained open for ages, endlessly spewing out demonic creatures.
Jincheon, Taecheon, Sangcheon, Gwicheon, and such.
There were four gates leading to the Demonic Realms.
‘…If we must be pedantic, there are six.’
Other Demonic Realms unknown to the world.
The Demonic Realm I was sucked into in my past life, thanks to that bastard Jang Seonyeon acting like a dog, was one of them.
But that place had to be excluded from consideration.
It was closer to a world created from scratch in the first place.
In the end, there were four gates to the Demonic Realms existing in the world.
And most of these four gates were places directly managed by great powers.
The Murim Alliance alone managed the gates leading to Taecheon and Jincheon.
Sangcheon and Gwicheon were likewise blocked off so that other forces could not come and go.
This meant that there was no need to deliberately search for where Sangcheon was; it was known in the Central Plains.
‘Why, then, did Old Man Muk say that he alone knew the information about Sangcheon?’
Moreover, was it for this that the Black Night Palace Lord had kidnapped Old Man Muk?
There were far too many sloppy parts to believe the words so rashly.
—The Sangcheon known to the Central Plains is not the true one.
—It’s not real?
—Yes… If you knew what lies there, no one in their right mind would take it lightly.
Old Man Muk spoke thus, but.
‘What the hell is he talking about.’
This, too, was something I couldn’t believe blindly.
Even more so when I considered Old Man Muk’s true identity.
‘Why would such an old man suddenly act like that toward me?’
Just before leaving the prison, I recalled Old Man Muk’s attitude and bit my lip.
—Whether you believe my words or not matters not. If you are truly the master, you will come to know anyway.
That I would come to know anyway.
It was the phrase I hated most.
If I’m going to know anyway, what harm is there in telling me now?
—Just whose master am I supposed to be, exactly? Please speak so that I can understand.
When I asked with a frown, Old Man Muk fell silent for a moment, then soon extended his palm toward me.
I was staring, wondering what on earth he was doing.
—…!
Energy began to squirm up from Old Man Muk’s shoulder.
Soon, the energy began to gather above his palm.
—What is that…
Then it gradually changed into the form of an object.
—…How?
Right now, Old Man Muk was in a state where he couldn’t use his internal energy due to the demonic qi, just like Gu Huibei.
It was only natural that even Gu Huibei, and even the Sword Empress of the world, couldn’t use internal energy when bound by demonic qi.
For him to be using energy in such a manner to create something was nothing if not strange.
‘…Is it not internal energy?’
It didn’t seem to be demonic qi, either.
It didn’t seem to be blood energy, either.
Putting aside my bewilderment, the energy ultimately became a complete something.
I didn’t know what the object was for, but if pressed, it was close to a seal.
As I watched with surprised eyes, Old Man Muk spoke to me.
—If you’re curious, take it.
—You mean I should take this?
—Yes.
—What is this, that you’re handing it to me?
—That’s for you to find out.
—Huh?
What was this old man saying right now?
As I looked at him blankly, the corner of Old Man Muk’s mouth rose slightly.
—I’ve given you this much, and you ask me to spoon-feed you? A man should live with initiative.
—What are you suddenly talking about? This is a deal….
—A deal… Do you mean the Baekmaseok you mentioned?
—…Yes.
—Yes, you need it. Baekmaseok… you needed it.
Why I knew about Baekmaseok, and how I knew it was needed and had spoken of a deal.
Old Man Muk didn’t ask me.
His reaction was as if there was no need to ask.
—However, it is no longer needed now.
—Huh?
—So whether it’s Baekmaseok or Baekgeumseok, gather them yourself and use them as you please.
That had been my intention from the start, but hearing the old man say it instead left me bewildered.
And that was the end of it.
Believing his words, and searching for them.
As if it were my own affair, the old man stopped caring entirely.
He even lay down on the floor as before, preparing to sleep.
—…Elder?
What, he’s going to sleep like this? Really?
—Our conversation isn’t over yet….
—I have told you all I have to tell. Handle the rest yourself.
—Saying ‘handle it yourself’ after spitting out all these words? What kind of irresponsible statement is that?
—If I’m spewing shit out of my own mouth, do I have to take responsibility for it too?
I’m going crazy.
This human had a peculiar feeling about him.
If I had to compare, he was similar to people close to Elder Lee….
Ah.
—Elder.
—Ah, stop calling me for a mo—…
—Are you perhaps close with our Elder Lee?
At my words, Old Man Muk closed his mouth.
It was an exceedingly uncomfortable silence.
—You have poor taste, saying I’m close with that ignorant fool.
—So you are close.
—Did I not say we are not close?!
This is what you call being close.
Just what had Elder Lee been doing out there, that all the people he knew gave off this kind of vibe?
No wonder his reaction had been unusual when I asked Elder Lee if he knew him last time.
Old Man Muk soon sprawled out as if he had no intention of talking further and quietly began to snore.
He really seemed to have no intention of talking anymore.
Just as I was wondering whether to leave it at that and go back.
—Ah.
Old Man Muk, who had been snoring to his heart’s content, suddenly sprang his upper body up and spoke to me.
—When you go, tell your father I have business with him and to see my face.
His voice was clear, as if asking when he had fallen asleep.
—And that thing, don’t lose it and take good care of it. It’s something expensive you can’t get anywhere.
At Old Man Muk’s words, I examined the seal in my hand.
For something said to be expensive, it was covered in rust and cracks here and there, full of traces of age.
—Just what is this thing supposed to do….
—Zzz.
I seriously considered burning not just my eyebrows but all my hair off, but I barely held back.
After that, I quietly observed Old Man Muk.
Then I relayed to the warden what Old Man Muk had requested and left the prison, along with a request not to give Old Man Muk a meal today or tomorrow.
And now.
Because of something I’d said to Dang Soyeol and Namgung Bia, I had come out to the streets.
It was a street I always saw, and since I’d been coming out frequently with Wi Seola lately, there wasn’t anything particularly special about it.
From my standpoint, I was just roughly walking around because the ones who’d followed me seemed to like it.
The problem was, as soon as we came out to the streets, I was pushed to the back while the three of them gathered and went around together.
“Unni! Over there… Over there!”
“Let’s go see that too!”
Perhaps because three women had gone out in a row, Wi Seola seemed unusually excited.
Thanks to that, Dang Soyeol and Namgung Bia were being dragged around with rather exhausted expressions.
As I watched those women.
[Why did you not ask more?]
Shin Noya asked me.
‘You mean of Old Man Muk?’
[Yes. If you wished to ask more, could you not have asked more?]
It was a fair point.
Whether it was the incomprehensible talk of the ancient tome, or why Haomun held some different secret regarding the gate to Sangcheon.
[Then why did you not ask?]
‘…’
At Noya’s question, I had no choice but to close my mouth.
Not because I couldn’t answer.
But because of a feeling that somehow, I shouldn’t have.
An inexplicable sense that I shouldn’t probe further.
‘…Did Haomunju do something to me?’
Perhaps.
He was someone who could use an unknown power even when his internal energy was blocked by demonic qi.
But.
‘I don’t think so.’
I felt that wasn’t the case.
In the first place, it was strange that an old man capable of such power was quietly stuck in prison.
[…Do you believe that he created an object from energy?]
‘He did it right before my eyes, so I have no choice but to believe it, don’t I?’
Besides, I’d experienced so many absurd things in this life that I’d become somewhat numb.
A house-sized talking snake.
A ghost inside a demonic creature.
A talking carp, and….
Having gone through all sorts of bizarre incidents, I wasn’t greatly surprised by something of this level.
‘I’ve already regressed through time; what could be more surprising than that?’
In a way, that was the problem.
I had regressed against the flow of time.
Yet there were far more things I didn’t know than I did—it was incomprehensible.
‘Did I live that carelessly?’
I should have lived harder.
It was a point where I regretted for no real reason.
As I swallowed dryly, Wi Seola, who had been far away, came running toward me and hugged me tightly.
“Young master!”
“I told you not to run, didn’t I?”
“Heehee!”
Wi Seola, having rubbed her face against my chest a few times, gestured for me to look behind her.
Following her fingertips, I shifted my gaze and saw Namgung Bia.
“What?”
Her hair was tied up in a strange way.
“Isn’t it pretty?”
Wi Seola’s voice was triumphant, as if she had done it herself.
What was I supposed to do about that?
Pigtails….
It was a hairstyle that was rather burdensome to look at for too long, but.
“…She’d look fine even in rags.”
Namgung Bia had an expression as if she didn’t care that her hair was like that.
Then she looked at me and asked.
“Is it strange?”
“Strange… not particularly?”
That face was a visage that couldn’t look ugly no matter what anyone did.
Perhaps pleased with my answer, Namgung Bia nodded.
Ssk.
“Hm?”
She extended her hand to me.
Wanting me to hold it?
When I reached out and grabbed Namgung Bia’s hand, she pulled away as if that wasn’t it.
That’s not it?
[You seem to have gotten used to holding hands, grasping immediately when offered.]
‘…Do you only nitpick at times like this?’
[Because it’s ugly to watch, ugly to watch.]
‘Then why don’t you hold it, Noya?’
[…What did you say, you brat?]
Unable to hold back, Noya erupted in a torrent of curses, but to ears so accustomed to hearing it, it didn’t really register.
“What is it with this hand.”
“Buy it.”
“…What?”
What was with that confidence?
Namgung Bia had asked me for money so boldly.
Well, I could afford something like that, but asking me to buy it so suddenly out of nowhere.
“…I didn’t bring any money….”
“Then just say lend me. What’s with ‘buy it,’ buy it?”
“…Receiving it… feels better.”
At Namgung Bia’s words, I burst out laughing with a ‘pfft!’
“Have you gotten a bit shameless these days?”
“…You don’t like it? If you don’t like it, I won’t….”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”
I passed Namgung Bia and approached the street vendor.
As I was about to pay, I suddenly shifted my gaze to Dang Soyeol.
“What about you?”
“Y-yes?”
When I asked, Dang Soyeol flinched in surprise.
I had asked because I knew she had been looking enviously anyway.
“Is there something you want too?”
“No, it’s… not like that…. No, yes. I want something too.”
She had tried to deny it, saying it wasn’t like that, but she seemed unable to endure her desire and nodded.
Seeing that, I had to harbor a small question.
‘Why don’t these kids have any money?’
Wi Seola might be understandable.
But it was strange that Namgung Bia or Dang Soyeol had no money.
“What do you need?”
I asked while glancing around.
Dang Soyeol quickly ran over and picked one out.
She seemed to have chosen it beforehand.
It was a hair ornament that seemed to express white flower petals.
“This is enough?”
At my question, Dang Soyeol nodded slightly.
I noticed her ears were turning red in the midst of it.
She seemed greatly ashamed to ask me to buy it.
“Give me two of these, please.”
“Oh my, you have an eye for things! Two for fifty pyeon, yes.”
“…These two are fifty pyeon?”
I reached into my bosom for coins and paused.
Because the price was higher than expected.
For a moment I considered not buying them, but I had already said I would.
I gritted my teeth and paid the price.
It was an unexpected expense, so my stomach churned, but Namgung Bia smiling slightly, and Dang Soyeol twitching the corners of her rising lips, trying to hold it in—that was enough.
For reference, I asked Wi Seola too.
“I’m fine with what I got last time!”
she refused.
Eventually, night came.
Being dragged around by three women all day was twice as hard as training with all my might.
I meant that sincerely.
But I couldn’t show that I was tired.
I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut and follow along.
I had at least that much tact.
Since I had to enter the ruined pavilion the next day.
Now was the moment I was trying to organize today’s events and get some rest.
Having changed my clothes and just about to lie down on the bed.
A guest arrived.
Someone I had completely forgotten while running around here and there.
“Hello, Young Master Gu.”
A voice sticky with a strange atmosphere.
A woman better suited to the small hours before dawn than the night itself.
Moyong Huia had come to find me.
“I’m sorry for coming at a late hour. If it’s not rude, may I come in?”
Seeing Moyong Huia speaking cautiously to me, I answered sourly.
“…If you’re sorry, would you mind just going back?”
“No. I’m merely sorry; I’ll be coming in anyway.”
Then why the hell did you ask, you crazy bastard?