⟨ Episode 571 ⟩ To Henan.
I got up and headed for the main gate of Wudang.
As I went there, several people spotted me and welcomed me.
“Ah, Gu Sohyeop!”
Yeongpung and Gu Ryeonghwa. And there was Geommu standing with luggage.
“It seems you arrived early.”
“Yes.”
Right after U Bongchuigae said he would finish the interrogation.
It was said that Geommu and the Wudang Sword Immortal had finished speaking separately and wrapped up matters.
Afterward, the Wudang Sword Immortal had to move to handle the incident that had occurred at Wudang.
Therefore, guests could not remain in this situation, so we had to leave Wudang quickly.
I shifted my gaze.
Geommu was talking with people from Wudang some distance away.
Judging by the feel.
‘Are they also elder-level?’
They seemed to be elders who had come out in place of the Wudang Sword Immortal.
I committed them to memory.
Because they seemed like people I would have to meet someday.
At that moment.
“Brother.”
Gu Ryeonghwa, who was beside me, spoke to me.
“Hmm?”
“…We’re going to be okay, right?”
She looked somewhat uneasy, which was amusing. She wanted to appear confident, but she was still young.
Feeling that, I roughly ruffled Gu Ryeonghwa’s hair.
“What are you so scared about? Just act like usual.”
“...”
Normally, she would have yelped and shaken me off, but perhaps she was quite surprised, for she stayed still.
“They said there’s no problem at Wudang too. And your master would have said it’s fine.”
“…Yeah.”
“Then there’s no problem.”
There definitely shouldn’t be.
If there were, I would burn that problem itself to ash.
Because I couldn’t stand seeing this little rascal cry.
“…Then where are you going now, Brother?”
“Me?”
At the question, I thought for a moment.
Whether it was okay to leave like this. And if I left, where should I go.
‘At this point in the schedule….’
Originally, I should have briefly returned to the clan, but since I’d come this far, there was only one path.
“Wouldn’t I be going to Henan?”
“Henan?”
At my words, Gu Ryeonghwa widened her eyes in surprise.
And then.
“Gu Sohyeop, by that you mean…”
Yeongpung approached with bright eyes having heard the words.
“Are you planning to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament?”
The Shenlong Martial Arts Tournament held in summer.
He was asking if I was going to participate, and I answered with a smile.
“Yes, well. It looks interesting.”
“Ah!”
Yeongpung brightened his expression excitedly upon hearing the answer.
“Then, I suppose we’ll meet again in Henan later.”
“Hmm?”
I tilted my head at those words.
“Are you going as well, Dojang?”
“Yes. I have already received permission from the Sect Leader.”
Then I thought he would be going to Henan together, but.
“However, for this, I think I must go to Shaanxi first.”
“Ah.”
The precious item in Yeongpung’s arms.
Gwijeong, called the cherished sword of the Huashan Sword Immortal, was nestled in Yeongpung’s arms.
It seemed he had received it after finishing negotiations with Wudang.
‘Hmm.’
I briefly examined such a Gwijeong, then looked at Yeongpung again.
“Then I’ll be able to see you later.”
Many words came to mind, but I deliberately didn’t speak them.
Was it an illusion?
I felt a slight heat in my left arm.
I deliberately ignored that as well.
I simply put more strength into the hand that was stroking Gu Ryeonghwa’s head.
“You too. See you next time.”
“Already…?”
When I spoke as if saying farewell, Gu Ryeonghwa said in surprise.
Hearing that, I spoke as if dumbfounded.
“Then, should I chase you all the way to Shaanxi?”
“Th-that’s… it’s only been a few days…”
“Then, are you going to follow me?”
“...”
“Or, just obediently follow your master.”
When I said that, Gu Ryeonghwa grabbed my collar outright.
Wondering what was up, I looked at her, and.
“…Then, this time… accept my letters.”
As Gu Ryeonghwa said that with tearful eyes.
I nodded awkwardly.
“I’ll try.”
I probably wouldn’t, but I had to give a sincere answer.
While consoling Gu Ryeonghwa like that, this time Geommu approached.
“Let us go now.”
Her expression didn’t look very good.
‘Well, of course.’
It was natural for her to be like that since she hadn’t had a good experience and hadn’t been treated very well either.
I subtly shifted my gaze and looked at the martial artists who had come with Geommu.
They were Taoists of Wudang.
Looking at their condition, I realized why they had come.
‘Are those… bodyguards?’
One might wonder why bodyguards were needed when Geommu was going, but since she was carrying the precious item returned by Wudang, it was right for Wudang to personally escort her a certain distance.
They were planning to send her off with a few disciples joining the return journey.
They probably wouldn’t go all the way and would turn back midway, but even that would create a justification.
That Wudang had done its best to return the precious item even if something happened.
That kind of justification.
In other words.
‘It’s obviously for show.’
That was probably another reason Geommu was in a bad mood.
Thinking that far, I approached Geommu and said,
“Then, I shall take my leave first.”
When I said I would leave nonchalantly.
Geommu looked at me and said.
“Are you leaving already?”
“Yes, I’m a bit busy.”
“We won’t be departing immediately… why don’t we have a meal together before you go.”
Geommu spoke kindly, but.
I had to decline with a smile.
“Anyway, Ryeonghwa is…”
“I apologize. The road is busy, so I’ll eat with you next time.”
There was no special meaning.
I was truly busy.
Because time was extremely tight.
Perhaps because I spoke a bit firmly, I saw Geommu smile bitterly.
“Yes… then it can’t be helped.”
She looked disappointed, but seemed to understand since I said I was busy.
Gu Ryeonghwa was still holding my collar as if unwilling to let go, but.
“I will visit you next time.”
I carefully removed the child’s hand and.
Turned my back immediately.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t hear a voice calling me.
Or perhaps I deliberately didn’t listen.
I tried to forget and walked briskly, but.
My feet felt unusually heavy.
******************
After leaving Wudang and some time passing.
I was walking through some cave.
Light filtered in shallowly through the collapsed ceiling.
It was moonlight.
Splish.
I continued walking, stepping through the pooled water on the ground.
Perhaps due to the moisture, moss covered the walls. When I touched the wall with my fingertips, dampness was distinctly felt.
Feeling the unpleasant sensation, I had to click my tongue briefly.
“Tsk, of all places, why did they choose somewhere like this.”
Distance-wise, it could be said to be somewhere between Hubei and Henan.
A place a short distance from Wudang.
I had told them to choose a remote, sparsely populated place if possible, but it seemed they had really chosen a place where not a single person would be.
Splish.
Ignoring the bothersome sound, I kept walking.
A cave that might have existed since who knows when.
Such places were so common that there was nothing special about it, but.
Whenever I entered and exited caves like this, useless memories would surface.
The day when rain poured endlessly.
The memory of running with legs tearing apart while carrying a bleeding woman on my back.
Recalling that time, I unknowingly smirked.
Having passed such memories and arrived at the present, should I say the sentiment felt renewed?
Recalling thoughts, I let out a hollow laugh.
‘It looks too peaceful to express it that way.’
I knew well that this wasn’t a word used for such times.
“Excuse me.”
A voice came from behind.
Turning my head, the first thing I saw was Seongyul standing with his uniquely pale face.
Having moved without saying a word, he now finally spoke.
“What.”
“May I ask… what business you have in a place like this.”
Hearing those words, I smiled slightly.
It seemed even he thought it was quite strange.
“I’m here to meet someone.”
“…Here, sir?”
At the answer, Seongyul made a strange expression.
It was a natural question. No matter who looked, this wasn’t a place to meet people.
“Tell me about it.”
I didn’t want to meet in a place like this either.
It couldn’t be helped.
“Because they said they’re all gathered here.”
Since the members were already gathered at this point.
Speaking thus, I moved again.
I lightly clenched my fist.
Buzz-!
My gi moved, sweeping through my body once and returning.
It was to check my condition.
‘Tsk.’
Naturally, my condition wasn’t good.
Just because a day had passed didn’t mean my body would be fully healed, but I still had to check.
Because I had to calculate the time.
‘At most, two months left.’
The letter tucked in my bosom.
Aimed at diverting the Wudang Sword Immortal’s position and attention from the Alliance, and.
Furthermore, the Shenlong Martial Arts Tournament held to select a new Divine Dragon Rank.
It meant at best two months remained until that happened.
If so.
‘I’m short about a month.’
If it was estimated to take three months for this body to fully heal.
It meant I was short about a month.
‘…With two months, I’ll recover to some extent.’
But that wasn’t enough.
This was the most important turning point, and truly the ‘beginning’ of the plan.
I had to create the best possible situation.
‘Tsk.’
I wish I had controlled things a bit more from the start.
‘Things got twisted because I squeezed in a visit to Wudang.’
The plan to visit Wudang wasn’t supposed to be now.
Originally, it would have been winter this year at the earliest.
‘It overlapped with Shin Noya’s matter. I tried to kill two birds with one stone but it got a bit tangled.’
If Yeongpung hadn’t suddenly said he was the successor of the Huashan Divine Sword, I wouldn’t have urgently changed course to Wudang.
Then I wouldn’t have suffered internal injuries either.
‘It can’t be helped.’
This was something I had to see through no matter what.
So I had pushed the plan through even if it was somewhat forced.
Fortunately, there were gains.
‘First, that Yeongpung’s energy and the Gwijeong Wudang possessed are real.’
I didn’t know what happened in the past for them to store Gwijeong there, but.
The Gwijeong they held was real.
If that was the case.
‘Then what is this.’
What is this tied to my left arm.
If that is real, then this should be fake.
But for this to be fake, Shin Noya couldn’t have failed to recognize it.
Another possibility was.
‘That there were two from the beginning.’
There was a possibility that Gwijeong had been two from the start.
Since Shin Noya had never said there was only one Gwijeong.
That possibility was sufficient.
However.
‘Something is strange.’
There were too many strange aspects to say that was the case.
‘Yeongpung said he heard a voice.’
Yeongpung clearly said he had heard the voice of Shin Noya’s lingering intent.
‘That Shin Noya left a lingering intent.’
In the past.
That gentleman’s lingering intent had been contained in my body.
Moreover, Shin Noya didn’t even know why his own lingering intent had been dormant.
In such a situation, had the old man left a lingering intent to warn of danger?
‘That doesn’t add up.’
Something was definitely twisted.
That there were two Gwijeongs. That Yeongpung saw a lingering intent.
Even the energy Yeongpung currently possessed.
Something was definitely distorted.
‘I should have looked into it more.’
I wondered if I should have held onto Yeongpung a bit longer instead of sending him back to Huashan, but.
There was a reason I sent him despite knowing this.
‘Anyway, he said we’d see each other again in Henan.’
Furthermore, the reaction Yeongpung had shown me was irritating.
When the Gwijeong Wudang brought lunged at me, the reaction Yeongpung showed seeing that, and.
‘The faint energy contained within.’
The faintly bloody sensation I had felt from Yeongpung.
That was definitely a familiar yet shitty feeling.
If it were normally the case, I would have kept him by my side and checked this and that, but.
‘It’s awkward to keep him by my side now.’
My instinct was telling me something.
That I shouldn’t be by Yeongpung’s side right now.
He had said he would appear in the martial arts tournament anyway, so I would see him in Henan in the near future.
My remaining schedule was tight, so it was an unavoidable decision.
‘Anyway… if only Shin Noya were here, this would be solved easily.’
If only that foul-tempered old man were here, it would be an easy matter.
It was merely regrettable that he wasn’t.
‘Who can I blame.’
There was no way to ignore this obvious truth.
Because the reason the old man who had been noisy inside me disappeared was none other than me.
Yes, Noya is gone.
Shin Noya is currently.
‘In the other world.’
Shin Noya, who had remained as a lingering intent, would now be in another world.
That was the pact.
Thud.
Organizing my thoughts and walking for a while, I was eventually blocked by a wall.
I wondered if I should turn, but I didn’t.
I reached out toward the wall without hesitation.
Then.
Woooom-!
My hand passed through the wall as if it were a lie.
Meaning this wall itself was fake.
Seeing that, I had to hold back a laugh.
“You really prepared this thoroughly.”
A formation.
It can’t have been more than a few days since they arrived, yet they had laid such a formation up front.
They didn’t have to go this far.
They really never listen.
I immediately moved my foot.
Buzz-!
My body passed through the wall.
The situation inside wasn’t very different from outside.
If there was a noticeable difference.
It was maddeningly quiet.
The sound of wind.
Even the sound of water droplets falling along the walls.
A chilling silence where not a single thing could be heard.
I turned my gaze.
The collapsed ceiling and the moonlight streaming through its cracks was impressive.
The moss seen at the entrance had spread more widely.
Jutting rocks surrounded the surroundings.
And above them.
I felt ten pairs of gazes quietly looking this way.
Three pairs were ordinary pupils.
The remaining pupils were all dyed purple, radiating brilliantly.
Seeing that, I opened my mouth.
“It seems we don’t need bothersome greetings.”
I’ll skip the useless talk.
“Let’s get straight to the point.”
At those words, the cave quivered.
It might have been killing intent or fighting spirit.
Rough energies gathered and concentrated in the air.
“Three months from now. We.”
Speaking while looking at this, I spat out words. Though my tone was flat and my voice was drenched with annoyance.
The words I spat out,
“We will raid Henan.”
It was by no means a light statement.