< Chapter 550 > Wudang.
"Brother?"
Just as my ears rang slightly at the unfamiliar form of address.
The other party was looking at me with eyes stretched wide, seemingly quite flustered herself. Even at a glance, her already large eyes were round as could be.
"Why is Brother here?"
At Gu Linghua's question, I, too, had to furrow my brows.
"That's what I'd like to ask."
Why was she here?
"Why are you here?"
"You're the one who should explain."
A situation of mutual disbelief as we looked at each other. Who would have known I'd run into family by blood here? Moreover, it had been quite some time since I'd last seen Gu Linghua. In the first place, though we were blood-related, she had left for another sect, and with the distance between us, there was no occasion to see each other unless under special circumstances.
'How many years has it been?'
I think the last time I saw her was four or five years ago. Perhaps because that much time had passed, Gu Linghua—whom I met after so long—had changed considerably. Gone was the young girl whose cheeks had been plump. In her place was a woman who exuded a certain maturity.
'Hmm.'
What should I call that?
If Gu Huibi and Gu Liansu possessed the sharp exterior unique to the Gu family, Gu Linghua's appearance was one where softness coexisted.
That was exactly…
'She takes after Mother.'
It was an appearance that reminded me of my mother from my memories. As I was looking all over Gu Linghua's face, she was also scrutinizing my face here and there for the same reason. No, rather than my face, her gaze seemed to be on my body?
"...Brother."
"Hmm?"
"Why… why did you get so big?"
"...What?"
It was Gu Linghua's voice, as if she couldn't understand.
Big? I wondered what she meant by that, but looking at Gu Linghua's eyes—
'Ah.'
It seemed she meant my height. Though I had reduced my physique somewhat, it wasn't small at the moment.
'Did I not reduce it enough?'
After shedding, my physique had grown so much. I had tried to adjust it to match my original body, but that hadn't been easy. 'The people around me are all quite tall, after all.' Since the people around me possessed heights far above average, it was too much to gauge by eye. Perhaps that was why Gu Linghua seemed so bewildered.
"I guess I grew a bit from eating and sleeping well."
"It's not a bit…? Y-you grew a lot."
For some reason, Gu Linghua was looking at me with very resentful eyes. It seemed she quite disliked that I had grown bigger. Certainly, the Gu Linghua I saw now was on the small side, though her proportions were good.
'I think she's about the same as Tang Xiaoye.'
It couldn't be helped. Those born into the Gu family mostly had small physiques. It was only oddities like Iljangro or Father who stood out; historically, there had never been such large people. Even in my previous life, I hadn't reached nearly six cheok. For a male martial artist, it was a considerably small stature. Seeing that, it was inevitable that Gu Linghua was small as well. Therefore, I had no choice but to ignore the resentful Gu Linghua.
"...So, why are you here?"
At the question, Gu Linghua's brows furrowed slightly. Just as she was about to say something—
"Martial Aunt."
A voice calling Gu Linghua was heard from behind. This was also the presence I had felt earlier. At the words calling her, Gu Linghua tightly shut her mouth. Looking at her, I shifted my gaze to the owner of the voice. Over the moonlit ground, a young man was walking. Though it was certainly nighttime, it felt as if light was gathering only there.
Whooosh.
Moreover, the wind blowing from the young man carried a subtle floral scent. Surely, this was no illusion.
"Long time no see."
The young man smiled and spoke to me. A towering height, an incredibly handsome face, and even such a deep smile on top of it. It was still the same insufferably blessed face. Seeing him, I spoke.
"...Daochang Ling Feng."
The identity of the young man was none other than the youngest Plum Blossom Sword Saint produced by the Huashan Sect, and the rising star currently occupying the seat of Sword Dragon.
The Huashan Sword Dragon, Ling Feng.
"Haha!"
At my call, Ling Feng walked over with an awkward laugh. "I didn't expect to meet you here. Have you been well?" Ling Feng approached me with his characteristic gentle smile.
"Yes, Daochang, you…"
While speaking, I glanced at Ling Feng with a brief sweep of my eyes. "Seem to have been doing well. Quite well, in fact."
"Hahaha…."
Even as I spoke, I was inwardly quite surprised.
'Look at him.'
Ling Feng's realm was no ordinary matter.
'He's facing the wall, isn't he?'
Though it was only a few years ago that Ling Feng had barely reached the Peak, now—astonishingly—he had the Huajing right before his eyes. What's more—
'His aura has deepened significantly as well.'
The Dao energy of the Huashan Sect had become unfathomably deep.
"...What have you been doing?" I hadn't wanted to ask, but at this level, I couldn't help my curiosity. Just what had he been doing in the Huashan Sect to change so much? When I asked, harboring such doubt, Ling Feng spoke without erasing his awkward expression.
"I didn't expect you to notice right away. As expected of you, Young Master Gu."
"I don't think this is something one could fail to notice." It was absurd. If Ling Feng had tried to hide his realm, perhaps I wouldn't have known. But now, far from hiding it, Ling Feng was rather flaunting it.
'With something that huge, how could I not notice?'
A maximized presence. An enormous aura was emanating from Ling Feng.
'That's why I noticed.' The reason I had been able to tell someone was coming from far away was Ling Feng as he was now. How could one not know when he was emanating aura like that?
"Ah."
Hearing my words, Ling Feng reacted as if realizing something. "...Oh dear, it seems I've made a mistake."
As Ling Feng said so, his aura gradually began to diminish. The wind around us died down. The floral scent quietly vanished. Soon, after all his aura disappeared, I could understand how Ling Feng had been walking around emanating such an aura.
"It seems it hasn't been long since you gained enlightenment."
"Haha…."
Ling Feng smiled sheepishly. It seemed he had recently gained some enlightenment and grown rapidly. Thus, unable to control his aura, he had been expressing it like that.
Haah. At that sight, Gu Linghua, who was beside him, let out a sigh. Then she looked at Ling Feng and spoke.
"...Please, I told you to hide your aura."
"Martial Aunt, was it that obvious?"
"Of course it was obvious!"
Gu Linghua lashed out at Ling Feng with an exhausted expression. "Don't you remember how many demonic beasts were drawn to us on the way here because of Martial Nephew Ling Feng's aura?"
Because the martial artist's aura was so strong, demonic beasts that sensed his presence had attacked. "I apologize. I tried and tried to hide it… but it isn't easy." When Ling Feng spoke with an apologetic expression, Gu Linghua also pressed her lips shut, seemingly having nothing more to say. It seemed because she knew he hadn't done it on purpose.
"Forget it… anyway, Martial Nephew took care of all the demonic beasts."
"Not at all. Martial Aunt, you also worked hard…."
"I have a conscience too, so you don't have to say that."
"...Yes."
At Gu Linghua's firm words, Ling Feng pressed his lips shut. Watching that, I spoke up.
"So, what are you two doing together?"
No matter how I looked at it, it was an unusual pairing. A journey together for Ling Feng, a third-generation disciple, and Gu Linghua, a second-generation disciple? Leaving that aside, the fact that two people who should be in the Huashan Sect were in distant Hunan was strange.
"The thing is…."
As Gu Linghua was about to answer my question, Ling Feng cut in as if to block her mouth.
"It is the Sect Leader's command."
"The Sect Leader?"
"Yes."
If Ling Feng spoke of the Sect Leader, he must mean the Plum Blossom Immortal of the Huashan Sect.
"The Plum Blossom Immortal sent the two of you all the way here?"
"Yes."
A third-generation disciple who finds it difficult to leave the sect, paired with Gu Linghua, a second-generation disciple who was still young? It was a combination that made no sense. As such, there was more I wanted to ask, but I didn't. Because I knew the meaning behind Ling Feng's words.
'The fact that he went out of his way to mention the Sect Leader.'
It meant it was a significant matter within the sect that could not be spoken of without the Sect Leader's permission. That meaning was implied.
'He means to block me from asking further in advance.'
Having grasped that much, I immediately lost interest. "I see. Then that's fine." Giving a lackadaisical reply, Ling Feng looked at me and smiled slightly.
"...Young Master Gu is still the same."
"Still the same," he says. There is likely no one who has changed as much as I have.
"Is that a compliment?"
"Yes. At least I believed you wouldn't have changed, Young Master. I'm relieved."
It didn't really feel like a compliment. I decided not to nitpick.
"...So, Brother, why are you here?"
At the words that followed, I looked at Gu Linghua. "You're the one who should be in Shanxi, aren't you?"
I pondered for a moment what to answer, but since nothing particularly came to mind, I decided to just answer off the cuff.
"What do you mean? I ran away from home."
"What…?"
For one born a delinquent, there were no simpler words than these. "I wanted to get some fresh air. So I ran away." Speaking bluntly, Gu Linghua's expression changed immediately. It was slightly exasperated.
"Brother…."
"...I was going to go back soon. I'm on my way home right now, okay?"
Honestly, I was contemplating not going home and heading straight to Henan, but it probably didn't matter either way. Gu Linghua made a brief expression of absurdity at my words, then turned her eyes to glance around the surroundings. It was as if she was looking for something.
"What are you doing?"
"Then what about Sister?"
"Sister?"
When I asked back what she meant, Gu Linghua spoke with an expression that said it was obvious. "If you're here, doesn't that mean Sister is here too?"
"...No, I mean—"
I tried to speak but faltered. I barely held back what had been about to burst out of my mouth.
Exactly which "sister" was she talking about? If I said that, I knew even the little affection Gu Linghua had for me as family would all fall away. As I couldn't speak and hemmed and hawed, Gu Linghua spoke to me as if frustrated.
"I mean Sister Bia."
"Ah."
Only then could I nod. So she was talking about Nangong Biya. "Isn't Sister here?"
"She…."
Went a bit far away. As I was wondering for a moment if I could say this— "I haven't heard from her for a few years. If you're here, I thought Sister would be here too…."
Huh?
At Gu Linghua's words, I had to furrow my brows. "Contact? What do you mean?"
"Huh? Ah, I exchange letters with the sisters sometimes. Unlike a certain someone, the sisters actually reply." "..."
Hearing Gu Linghua's words, I wore a blank expression. The "certain someone" she was referring to was probably me. I had never really sent a reply whenever Gu Linghua sent letters. It was troublesome, and besides, I had nothing to say when it came to writing letters. But—
'...She's been in contact with whom?'
Leaving aside that Nangong Biya had been in contact with Gu Linghua, I had to focus on the word Gu Linghua had used. Because Gu Linghua had clearly said "sisters," not "sister."
"'Sisters'…? What, just who have you been contacting?" At my question, Gu Linghua made an expression asking why I was asking that.
"Sister Bia and Sister Xue'er… and Sister Xiaoye sometimes too…." As she began spitting out names one by one, my head started to ache slightly at the pouring names.
"Ah, but the one I contact the most is Sister Huiya."
"..."
Even Murong Huiya was among them. "Last time, she even came in person and we ate together."
"Wha—what. You ate with whom?"
"Sister Huiya."
That Murong Huiya and Gu Linghua had eaten together. I could understand Nangong Biya and Wei Xue'er since I had seen them interact with her at least once. But Tang Xiaoye and Murong Huiya shouldn't even have seen each other, yet when on earth had they been in contact with Gu Linghua? Moreover—
'When did she go to Shaanxi?'
Just when had Murong Huiya gone to Shaanxi in the midst of her busy life? And without my knowledge at that. As facts I had never known were revealed, a dizzying feeling swept over me.
"Ah, Brother."
"Uh…?"
While my eyes were shaking, Gu Linghua cautiously approached and asked me. "That you're holding the wedding ceremony with Sister Huiya next year… is it true?"
"...What?"
"Then what about Sister Bia…?"
"What kind of dog-shit nonsense is that? Who said that?"
"Sister Huiya… said you'd probably hold the wedding ceremony next year…."
"I'm going crazy. Really."
Just what nonsense had that girl been telling this kid? Who is marrying whom? If Murong Huiya had really said such a thing to Gu Linghua—
'I'll have to catch her and talk to her.'
There was a need to catch her directly and have a word. Of course—
'...I can't right now, though.'
Murong Huiya was currently promoting business together with Madame Mi. Furthermore, she was carrying out a task I had requested, so she was in a state where we couldn't see each other often. At best, these days, we could barely see each other once a month. Thus—
'If I see her later, I'll have to grill her.'
I need to know what she's been up to without my knowledge. As I was making plans to catch and scold Murong Huiya, Gu Linghua's expression in front of me crumpled slightly.
"...Did I say something I shouldn't have…?"
"No, it was very useful information."
"I feel like Sister will scold me later…."
Gu Linghua rolled her eyes anxiously, then sent her gaze to the figure behind me. It was Cheng Yu, watching us from a distance.
"Could that person be your friend?"
"Hmm?"
"That… the Sleeping Dragon of Wudang, they say…."
I furrowed my brows at Gu Linghua's words. "How do you know that?"
How did Gu Linghua know I was acquainted with the Sleeping Dragon? At my question, Gu Linghua made a startled expression, then gave a slightly ambiguous smile.
"Sister…."
This time, too, it seemed the information came from that damn "Sister." Which sister was it this time? The thought alone gave me a headache.
"He's not that guy."
"He's not?"
"Does he look like a Taoist to you?"
Of course, that punk Wu He also had plenty of problems being called a Taoist, but for now, I decided to feign ignorance to give a rough explanation. I looked at Cheng Yu and gave Gu Linghua a brief explanation.
"He's just an acquaintance. Someone you don't need to worry about…."
"Daochang Cheng?"
"...Hmm?"
I was spitting out an excuse about Cheng Yu when Ling Feng, who was beside me, looked at Cheng Yu and spoke. Stunned. At those words from Ling Feng, Cheng Yu flinched and trembled. It was quite a surprised face. Seeing Cheng Yu's reaction, I looked to see if the two knew each other.
'Why is he like that?'
He was shaking his eyes about as if uneasy. Seeing that, it was surely a relationship of no ordinary nature.
*
Swaaaaah!
Snow fluttered in the raging wind. The fierce blizzard made it impossible to see even an inch ahead. Truly, it was a cold like a knife blade. No matter how many layers one wore, it wouldn't be long before the body froze. Thus, people called this land the so-called Land of Extreme Cold. There was no day when snow did not fall upon this land. A place where the wind never stopped to bring spring. This was such a land.
Beyond such a land—
Kuaaaaaaa!
An enormous beastly roar pierced through the sound of the wind.
Kureureung!
The ground shook with a roar.
Thud! Thud, thud!
Over the earth shaking as if an earthquake had occurred, a figure bundled in thick fur clothing was moving. The destination was the center of those enormous sounds.
Kureureureung!
Kuaaaa!
One could very well be afraid at the continuously bursting sounds, but he merely moved his steps slowly. Walking a bit further like that, an indescribable smell of smoke began to rise.
Keureureureu! Kuaaaaaaa!
The sounds had become much rougher, but he could tell by the smell of smoke and the sounds that it was slowly coming to an end. Feeling that, he quickened his walking pace.
Walking a bit further like that—
Kureureureung!!
Along with the loudest roar heard until now—
Kuuuuung!
Something fell and the ground thud! shook.
Thanks to this, the young man could see. Far away, upon the ruined ground. A giant demonic beast resembling a monkey, with red fur, had collapsed. The smell of smoke was also emanating from that creature.
"Wow."
Seeing that, the young man involuntarily let out an exclamation. "You burned it quite thoroughly. Were you venting your anger?"
The young man spoke in a cheeky tone, but no answer came. Naturally, it wasn't words directed at the already dead demonic beast. The young man's gaze was directed not at the demon beast, but at the woman standing atop it.
As if she were not cold, in an outer garment worn carelessly. White hair simply tied back. Her snow-like skin was impressive, but the look in the woman's eyes was colder than the weather.
Looking at her, the young man spoke. "You know I've been searching for you for quite some time, Martial Sister?"
"..."
Though the young man kept speaking to her, the woman still did not give him her gaze. A reaction as if she couldn't hear him. But the young man did not stop.
"I know you're angry because the departure was delayed. What can be done? The Ice Palace Lord said there was still work left."
"..."
"Both Master and Senior Brother Baekryeongeom raised such a fuss. I don't know why finding Martial Sister is always my job."
"..."
"Did you get lost again this time? Goodness, next time, please scatter some breadcrumbs so I can find you easily."
"..."
Despite the continued ignoring, the young man did not give up and kept talking. As expected, the woman merely stood still. Seeing that, the young man soon let out a deep sigh.
"Sister-in-law. Please, at least listen…."
"...Why…?"
"..."
At the answer that finally came, the young man had to clutch his forehead. "...Damn it."
A curse his friend always spouted as if it were a habit. Wu He somehow felt like he understood why his friend went around spouting that.
Wu He, who let out deep sighs repeatedly, spoke to the woman again.
"...The Princess is looking for you, Sister-in-law."
"The Princess…?"
The woman's expression was full of doubt. Because she couldn't know why the Princess would be looking for her.
"Yes, from what I hear."
To this, Wu He spoke. "Yang Tian said he was curious about that friend…."
"...!"
"If, Sister-in-law, you do not wish to go, I could make up an excuse separately… Hmm?"
Wu He stopped short while speaking. Because the woman who had clearly been in front of him until just now had disappeared to who knows where.
Just then.
"Let's go."
At the voice heard from behind him, Wu He swiftly turned his head. In the direction he looked, the woman was already moving her steps as if she would leave at any moment.
"..."
Wu He looked on as if dumbfounded, but the woman was already moving. Seeing that, Wu He spoke.
"Sister-in-law. That is not the direction."
"..."
At Wu He's pointing out, the woman turned direction, but that direction, too, was wrong in Wu He's eyes.