It was an unfamiliar ceiling.
That was the thought that crossed my mind the moment I opened my eyes. Sunlight was streaming through the window frame.
Judging by the state of things, it felt like it was a little past noon.
I immediately raised my body. I needed to assess the situation.
However, as I tried to push myself up from the bed.
"Ugh…."
I had to cup my forehead with my palm as a throbbing pain pierced through my head.
What is this? Why does it hurt so much?
'...This.'
While cupping my forehead, I surveyed the room. It was a room I was seeing for the first time.
Judging by the condition, it seemed to be a room at an inn. It was a different place from the Baekrim Inn where I had been staying.
Only after confirming that much did the events right before I lost consciousness come to mind.
That moment when my father's fist was visible right in front of my nose.
Did I get hit and pass out?
'Then, this is absurdly humiliating...?'
I went as far as to display the Tuapacheonkong and tried to do it properly.
Only to get punched squarely and be completely wrecked.
I'd shot my mouth off about everything, only to be utterly humiliated.
And even….
'Since I lost... does this mean I won't even get to hear about it?'
It was a duel to ask about my mother's whereabouts.
I only needed to land one attack.
In the end, I failed. Moreover, my father had even set the condition that he wouldn't use one arm.
I had been defeated, unable to overcome the gap in level between us.
'Losing was a given.'
I hadn't thought I could win from the start, but I didn't know I would lose so pathetically.
It must mean my father's realm was higher than I expected.
I raised my upper body, swaying.
First, I needed to know how long I had been unconscious and what had happened after I passed out.
Then.
"Huh?"
In the middle of reaching out my hand, I felt an indescribable sensation.
Someone was lying on one side of the narrow bed.
"...What...?"
Startled, I withdrew my hand. Who is it? Who is lying in my bed?
My head cooled rapidly and spun quickly.
There were at most two... no, three people who might sneak into my bed while I was asleep.
Anyway, the most likely person among them was....
'Namgung Bia?'
She used to hide and sneak in often.
She hadn't been doing it lately, but if anyone had, it would be her.
With a slightly hesitant hand, I lifted the blanket.
What if Namgung Bia was there?
What would I do? I'd scold her like usual, then go down to eat together....
"Hmm...?"
Contrary to my expectation that I would naturally see blue-white hair first.
What I saw was black hair.
Black hair...? Who has black hair?
"Guh...."
The groaning voice was somewhat deep as well.
I could tell at least that it wasn't a woman's voice.
Was I hearing things because I had just woken up?
While I was making a bewildered expression and standing there stupidly.
The other person seemed to sense my presence and raised his body.
"Ugh.... It's morni... guhk!"
The moment I confirmed the bastard slowly getting up, I kicked him without even realizing it.
The guy was pushed off the bed by the sudden blow.
"Ow...! This wicked bastard hits a Taoist!"
The one clutching his stomach and squealing was Uhyeok, the Sleeping Dragon.
"...What are you?"
Why is that punk here? And why is his top off in the middle of all this?
His needlessly well-built body came into view.
How do I feel? Like shit, what else? What do you mean how? Seeing a naked man's body the moment I opened my eyes, I couldn't help but feel disgusted.
Suppressing the nauseating feeling, I spoke first.
"Why are you here?"
I've really become kind.
If it were the old days, I'd have thrown a fist first. But here I am, asking questions first.
"Why would a person be in bed? To sleep.... Put your hand down. Why are you clenching your fist?"
Of course, that didn't last long. I'm barely holding it back even now.
Barely suppressing that emotion, I spoke to Uhyeok.
"I'm going to count to three."
"What's the meaning of that number?"
"It means I'll tolerate you three times before I beat you. Answer within that."
"What kind of vague standard is that, sounding kind yet fast? Where is such a thing!"
Hearing the very guy who set such a vague standard for me say that made it even more absurd.
Ignoring his reaction, I unfolded one finger.
"One."
"Wait a minute. Hey, why are we like this between friends? There's no need to be so violent, right?"
"Two."
"Hey! At least give me a sword so I can fight back! How cowardly!"
Uhyeok flusteredly looked around, but there was no way there'd be anything useful.
"A person should resolve things through conversation from the start...!"
"Three. You bastard, come here...."
"I ran away from home!"
I froze.
My body, which had been leaning forward to grab Uhyeok's head, halted.
What did he just say?
"...Ran away from home?"
"I ran away. I ran aw... agh!"
Unable to hold back, I smacked Uhyeok's head.
Uhyeok let out a scream and looked at me with an aggrieved expression.
"I answered you, so why did you hit me!"
"Sorry, but how could I not hit you when you're talking bullshit?"
This was bullshit of the highest order.
What do you mean ran away from home? It's not even something a guy who lives at the Wudang Sect while keeping his main family separate should say.
And from the standpoint of someone who knows Uhyeok's real name, it was an even more incomprehensible story.
"...So what if you ran away. Where did you run away from?"
"Put your fist down first. Where else would I run away from? Obviously, I left the sect."
He didn't seem to want to mention his own family at all.
Well, it was a place Uhyeok hated to death, so that was understandable.
"What do you mean? Are you saying you're leaving the Wudang Sect?"
"Are you crazy? Then what about my dantian? It's just running away; I'll go back someday...."
I'm not sure about other places, but usually, if a martial artist belonging to the main mountain wishes to leave the sect and sever ties, they would either have all the martial arts and internal energy accumulated there taken back.
In severe cases, it was common to have one's dantian destroyed as well.
After hearing that much, I asked Uhyeok in a voice mingled with a sigh.
"What kind of running away is this, out of nowhere?"
"..."
"One...."
"...You really have a filthy quick temper."
"Talk quickly."
When I asked in a tone implying annoyance, Uhyeok didn't speak and only smacked his lips.
He seemed reluctant to say something. Normally, I wouldn't have asked either.
"Two."
But now, I had to ask even if it irritated me.
As I slowly began gathering internal energy in my hand, Uhyeok flinched and answered.
"It's a protest."
"A protest?"
"Yeah.... A protest."
"A protest directed at whom?"
I wondered what he suddenly meant by a protest out of nowhere.
Running away as a protest.
Despite the repeated question, Uhyeok only made an awkward expression. I knew. The moment he made that expression, this bastard Uhyeok would never open his mouth.
Once it got to that point, beating him to death wouldn't work either.
Tch. I clicked my tongue inwardly and asked something else.
"Fine. Run away, protest, whatever. I'm asking why you're here."
Personal circumstances aside. What mattered to me right now was why Uhyeok was here.
Uhyeok smiled brightly as if he had been waiting for this question.
The smile of a good-looking guy always managed to put me in a bad mood.
"Ah, that. Because I ran away from home, I have no place to stay."
"Oh, so?"
"I'm not going to run away for just a day or two."
Uhyeok said with a brazen grin.
"So, while I'm running away, I was thinking of imposing on your house.... Just kidding! It was a joke! Turn off the flames! The house is going to burn!"
When I smiled and ignited flames on my body, Uhyeok waved his hands frantically, trying to stop me.
"Right? It was a joke, right? Good thing. If I'd said the wrong thing, I would have burned you to death right here."
"You speak so ruthlessly...."
Uhyeok groaned, struggling at my reaction. Was this bastard really planning to freeload at my house?
Uhyeok grinned when he saw my displeased expression.
"Don't worry, it was half a joke. I have a place to stay."
"Well, that's a relief."
"Aren't you going to ask where...? That's a bit hurtful."
"Because you'll tell me even if I don't ask."
At my indifferent words, Uhyeok took on a slightly surprised look.
"I always find this amazing, you know? Were we close since we were young?"
"Are you starting with that dog-shit nonsense again?"
"No, I'm just amazed that you know me so well. Most people don't."
"Just talk quickly. Stop beating around the bush."
At my firmness, Uhyeok wrinkled his nose as if displeased.
"I heard you're going to Sichuan."
At Uhyeok's words, I had to take on slightly surprised eyes this time.
"How do you know that?"
"Huh? Young Master Cheol told me."
Uhyeok uttered the source of the information nonchalantly.
And of all people, it was Cheol Jiseon.
'...Just wait until I see him.'
Our Jiseon has a looser mouth than I expected? He's dead....
While I was cooling my boiling insides, Uhyeok continued speaking.
"As it happens, my master is there. Let's just go together that far. I was thinking of staying there."
Hearing Uhyeok's words, what came to mind first was a question.
His master?
'Did this guy have a separate master?'
I had naturally thought that they all learned together from the older generation like Yeongpung.
Was it a separately established relationship like with Guryeonghwa and Geomhu?
This was something I was hearing for the first time, too.
The Sleeping Dragon's master.
And on top of that, he was in Sichuan?
"He's someone who usually wanders around a lot, but it so happens he's in Sichuan this time."
"You had a separate master?"
"I do. Though I didn't learn anything significant from him.... Ah, you'd probably know him if you heard? He's fairly famous."
"Who is it?"
He was that famous of a person? Then it was stranger that I didn't know this guy had a master.
When I asked with curiosity, Uhyeok raised his body and answered.
"Gyudo."
At Uhyeok's words, I had to tilt my head.
It seemed to be a name, but it was a name I had never heard.
Just when I was wondering if he was as famous as claimed.
"His nickname is."
Uhyeok presented the rest to me. And upon hearing it, my eyes widened to the size of lantern flames.
"Wudang Gwaeseon."
"...!"
"He is my master."
He was certainly a famous person. In many ways.
Wudang Gwaeseon Gyudo.
He was one of the representative experts produced by the Wudang Sect.
And one of the Taoists I regarded most embarrassingly.
Furthermore, he was a precious being of the Namgung family.
And the owner of the treasured sword Noea, which the Mageomhu would later wield.