Chapter 277: The Generation of Deutyuseong (5)
After spending an enjoyable training session with Gu Jueye.
Upon returning to the inn we were staying at, it was already evening.
Including Nangong Bia, who hadn't shown even a hint of herself since we arrived in Henan.
Murong Xia, who still seemed busy, had also arrived and was already sitting in the dining hall.
As I dragged Gu Jueye in.
Murong Xia noticed me and greeted me.
For reference, Nangong Bia had been sending glances my way from the moment I stepped through the entrance.
"You're here?"
"Yeah."
"You'll be having dinner too, right, Young Master?"
"I am a bit hungry."
I said, pulling out a chair and sitting next to Nangong Bia.
As soon as I sat, Nangong Bia poured water into my empty cup.
Taking it and drinking, I grabbed Gu Jueye and tossed him roughly into a corner.
He'll wake up and eat on his own when it's time.
Taking this opportunity, I briefly surveyed the inn.
"There aren't many people here?"
It was the same when we arrived yesterday.
It seems we are the only guests right now.
Did she perhaps rent the whole place out?
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No, it's just that you seem like the only person who would spend money like that here."
"I didn't do anything."
It was a somewhat reasonable suspicion.
For some reason, I felt like Murong Xia would have rented out the entire inn.
But if she says she didn't,
"Then there just aren't any?"
For reference, it was Murong Xia who recommended this inn.
She said it was good because it was a well-known place.
Since all our companions were from prestigious families, finding lodging wasn't very difficult.
Honestly, it wouldn't be too difficult for Murong Xia to rent the entire inn with just a breath of influence.
'Weird. This is the time when people should be gradually flocking in.'
While I thought there must be some reason,
With the entry period for the Shenlong Pavilion right around the corner, this should be the time when people are crowding in.
Seeing the place so empty gave me a subtle feeling.
As we were waiting for the meal to come out and making small talk,
Nangong Bia, who had been continuously pouring tea and water for me,
"...Ah."
Shifted her gaze toward the door and widened her eyes.
"Hmm? Why..."
Just as I was about to ask what was wrong,
Only then did my senses also detect someone's presence.
The presence felt was that of multiple people,
But amidst them, I could sense a familiar aura from one person.
The moment the presence gradually drew closer to the inn,
Bang!
"Young Master!"
The door of the inn swung open, and someone entered.
At the same time, a winter breeze blew in through the open door.
"Young Master...!"
The person raising their voice loudly ran swiftly as soon as they spotted me.
It seemed they intended to leap and throw themselves into my arms,
But the actions of the person trying to jump off the floor
Were instantly restrained by Murong Xia and Nangong Bia, who had stood up at some point.
"Eek!"
The woman, who ended up in Nangong Bia's arms contrary to her intentions, soon looked at the two with a dissatisfied expression, but
Was simply blocked as if there was no chance.
Murong Xia then looked at the woman and said.
"You're a grown woman, where do you think you're throwing yourself into? Have some dignity."
Murong Xia opened her fan and let out a deep sigh.
The woman glared at Nangong Bia, who was holding her, and huffed out her words.
"Sister, are you really going to be so cheap about this? It's been so long!"
"Still... no."
"Ugh... that's too much, seriously."
As if giving up on the hug, the woman pulled away from Nangong Bia.
Only then could I see her hidden face clearly.
The same deep green hair,
And green eyes much deeper than before caught my eye.
The hair that barely reached her shoulders had now grown down to her chest.
It seemed she had let her hair grow out a bit.
The woman, meeting my eyes, blushed slightly and held a bright smile.
"Young Master... It's been a while. I missed you so much...!"
"...Ah, yeah. It's been a while."
Her unusually bright, and even deeper, emotions were so palpable that I almost stepped back without realizing it.
She
Was a bit taller than before,
And a bit more mature than before.
The treasure of the Poison King,
The precious jewel of the Sichuan Tang Family.
The Poison Phoenix, Tang Xiaolie.
It had been roughly a year.
No, it had been a little longer since we last met.
Compared to when I last saw her, Tang Xiaolie
'Had grown.'
She had grown.
It's a rather shabby sentiment,
But as the saying fits perfectly, Tang Xiaolie had become much more mature.
She was older than me, so she probably was back then too, but
Should I say she had now become a full-fledged woman?
Or was it because she had grown her hair out a bit?
And it was also because Tang Xiaolie was so overjoyed.
I was quite glad to see her too. Tang Xiaolie, stepping closer, asked me.
"Did you read all the letters I sent?"
"I read them all."
"Ah, really!?"
As if deeply moved, Tang Xiaolie widened her eyes.
It was fascinating to see her already large eyes grow even bigger.
"But why didn't you send any replies...?"
Oops.
At Tang Xiaolie's words, I swallowed a dry gulp inwardly.
Because it was a fact I had forgotten.
"Didn't I... sometimes send one?"
"You didn't."
"I'm sorry."
Tang Xiaolie said with a rare, firm voice.
Even if the situation on the frontlines was bad and I couldn't reply,
Not sending any even after returning to the Murim left me with no excuse.
Seeing Tang Xiaolie change her expression to a slightly disappointed one after being so happy,
I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry.
"Food, right. Have you eaten?"
"No?"
"Great, let's eat first."
As I desperately tried to change the subject and divert my gaze,
Tang Xiaolie let out a slight sigh, as if she had already known my intentions.
"...Still, we've met again."
It seemed she wouldn't say anything more about it,
Forcing a smile as she found a seat.
Just as Tang Xiaolie was about to sit in an empty seat,
She seemed to recall something and carefully brought up another topic while looking at me.
"Oh right, Young Master."
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry, but I have companions with me... If it isn't rude, would it be okay if we eat together...?"
"Companions? Who?"
People who would come with Tang Xiaolie?
While thinking about it, I soon understood.
'Well, she's not like Nangong Bia.'
Tang Xiaolie had decent social skills and, even if not as much as Murong Xia, was well-versed in the ways of prestigious families, so it made sense she'd have companions.
It was possible she had companions, but
I was a bit puzzled.
"Ah, our paths crossed on the way here, and we somehow ended up traveling together. They'll be here shortly."
"Are they people I know?"
Judging by her reaction, it didn't seem like they were people I wouldn't know, but
Tang Xiaolie gave a subtle reaction.
"No...? Maybe. You might know them... but then again, knowing Young Master Gu, you might not."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I wondered what kind of strange remark that was.
Saying I might or might not know them.
At her somewhat playful words, I was about to raise the corners of my mouth slightly when,
"...!"
The light sentiments were fleeting.
I instantly had to brace every nerve in my body.
Because of the presence caught outside the door.
"That's..."
Tang Xiaolie tried to add something, but that wasn't what was important right now.
I didn't hear a single word.
'...Don't tell me.'
I strained my eyes and stared toward the door.
Thump.
Thump.
As if my heart was notifying me of my body's tension,
It throbbed loudly, sending vibrations through me.
Creak.
The inn's door slowly opened, and
I could see someone stepping through the door.
Step.
He didn't have a very large build,
And the sound of his footsteps was as quiet as a whisper, but
To my ears, it sounded incredibly loud.
With deep black hair,
He was a martial artist dressed in black martial robes.
His age, at a glance, seemed similar to that bastard Zhanlong,
But that wouldn't be all.
Because one couldn't know what lay beneath the surface just by looking at his apparent age.
The man who entered first locked eyes with me.
'...Crazy.'
As I faced those deep, pitch-black eyes devoid of any light or shadow,
I couldn't help but curse inwardly.
They were the same terrifying eyes I had faced in my past life.
Perhaps he recognized me too,
He didn't avoid my gaze and continued to meet it.
It was chilling.
The tension crawling up my back crept up my neck to the top of my head,
And I barely managed to cool the cold sweat that felt like it would drip down at any moment.
How long did we share that gaze?
It must have been only a few seconds,
But it gave the illusion that a very long time had passed.
Just as my breathing was starting to scatter from the tension,
"Geez... Brother! Why are you just standing there instead of going in?"
At the voice of the girl who followed him in, the black-clad youth finally turned his head.
"Seriously... Miss Tang is being considerate, so we should at least try to match her pace."
The cute girl, dressed in the same black martial robes as the youth,
Scowled deeply and pushed the youth's back.
Of course, it didn't seem like he budged even when pushed.
"Ah, you're here. It's them."
At Tang Xiaolie's words, spoken as if she were glad, I unconsciously cleared my throat.
"...Them, you say?"
"Yes, it seems Young Master Gu knows who they are?"
"..."
I know them well.
Especially that black-clad man.
I knew him all too well.
I almost died at this man's hands, so how could I not know him?
Guided by the girl's hand, the youth approached us.
The youth's gaze was directed at me once again.
It was a gaze that betrayed no thoughts,
But recalling the presence contained within those eyes, I had to swallow a groan.
'Damn it...'
I really didn't expect to meet him.
No, I thought we would meet eventually,
But he wasn't someone I thought I'd meet right now.
Because I didn't know that man would come to the Shenlong Pavilion.
Currently known to the world as a late-blooming genius called the Fighting Dragon (Doulong).
The Fighting Dragon, Bizhu.
Though he was passing off as a late-blooming genius with a rejuvenated body,
I knew this man's true identity.
A true monster wearing the skin of a Young Dragon.
Called the pinnacle of the martial combat faction.
One of the Three Venerables of the Central Plains.
Who silenced the endless hordes of demonic practitioners with a single punch.
One of the absolute rulers of the current Central Plains before the Heavenly Demon descends.
The Lord of the West.
The Hegemonic Venerable, Bizhu.
The one who said he would come to see me someday.
That terrifying man was right there.
Chirp-chirp.
The sound of small birds could be heard through the bushes.
On the quiet forest path toward Henan.
In the forest where only the birds whispered softly,
A figure was sitting by the river.
Her appearance was hidden, her face completely covered by a windcloak,
But the slender body line gently revealed beneath the clothes
Made it clear that she was a woman.
The woman dipped her hand into the flowing river, swallowed a bit of the cold water to quench her thirst,
Then picked up her sword again and resumed walking.
Mixed with the cold of winter,
The rough wind blew ceaselessly, but
The reason it didn't feel exceptionally cold was
Because she was feeling a flutter of excitement within her heart.
'Just a little more.'
If I go just a little further,
He will be there.
That is why I don't feel the cold.
The woman thought so.
She thought it was a strange thought, but she didn't mind.
What was important was that within the city visible in the distance,
The person she wanted to see was there.
The woman, who had been stepping lightly,
Pulled a pouch from her bosom and took something out of it.
It was a black jade the size of a fingernail.
And immediately put it in her mouth and swallowed it.
The Divine Doctor had said she could chew it, but the taste was so bitter that she couldn't bring herself to do it.
No matter how much time passed,
The woman still disliked bitter things and liked sweet things.
Of course.
If it wasn't the sweets he had given her,
It had been a while since she had bothered to put anything sweet in her mouth.
Right after she barely swallowed it down her throat,
Step.
The woman moved again.
Like that, even against the somewhat rough winter wind, the woman walked with a light step,
"..."
Soon cast her gaze somewhere into the forest.
Her brightly shining golden eyes were looking for something.
After staring blankly into the air for a moment,
Shring.
The woman suddenly drew her sword.
Then.
Shwik-
She slashed her sword down in a smooth motion.
Even though it wasn't fast at all, but rather a leisurely pace,
A shallow, straight line was drawn in the air.
The line's color was faint, but it was undeniably golden.
Then.
Thud-!
From somewhere among the numerous trees, the sound of something dropping was heard.
Step.
The woman moved her steps again toward the direction of the sound.
And there,
Cough-! Gasp-!
A man sat slumped over, continuously letting out hollow coughs.
Even at the man's sudden appearance,
The woman's eyes were calm, as if she had known all along.
No, rather than calm,
Her eyes were better described as cold.
"Who are you?"
The woman brought her sword to the man's neck and asked.
Her voice was clear and beautiful, devoid of any killing intent,
But the aura faintly blooming along her shoulder line was not.
The man facing that aura barely stopped his coughing and spat out words in a panic.
"K-Kunlun. N-no, I came from the Shenlong Pavilion!"
The man.
Hearing Zhou Weixi's cry,
The woman made an ambiguous expression,
Shring-Clank.
And then withdrew her sword.
"Shenlong Pavilion..."
Recalling the echo of the words, the woman closed her eyes.
And only then,
Could the woman feel that her long yet short journey had come to a brief pause.
The thought that came to mind with her eyes closed was only one.
Hurry.
She wanted to see him as quickly as possible.