EP.72 Got a little scratched. (1)
Not long after, Yeongpung entered the quarters again with an awkward expression.
The situation hadn't fully settled down, but I chased the two kids out, telling them to eat breakfast.
Wi Seol-a still seemed to have a lot of complaints, but since it was mealtime, she seemed to leave without a word for now.
I needed to eat too... but I waited, thinking it must be somewhat urgent if Yeongpung came looking for me so early in the morning.
When Yeongpung came in a moment later, he was glancing around nervously.
Who would have known that the genius who would later represent Huashan would be so good at reading the room....
‘Is it because he gets beaten up all over the place by his martial uncles?’
From my perspective, it was tough love, but I didn't know how Yeongpung felt about it.
I asked Yeongpung, whose eyes were darting back and forth.
"Daoist Yeongpung, what brings you here so early in the morning?"
"Ah."
Perhaps snapping out of his daze at my call, Yeongpung smiles slightly.
Or maybe he was relieved that the atmosphere had lightened?
"It is nothing else, but the Sect Leader is looking for Young Hero Gu."
"The Sect Leader at this hour?"
Maehwaseon is looking for me?
I wondered if there was a reason for her to look for me, but I figured it might be because of the energy inside my body.
"Should I go see her right now?"
"She told me to convey that you can come when it is convenient for you."
Then that means I don't have to go immediately.
If so, thankfully, I could eat before going.
"Have you had your meal?"
It was a question directed at Yeongpung, who had been running around since morning.
Actually, I could probably guess since he was already properly dressed in his martial uniform and looked neat, but I asked anyway.
"Ah, I had a simple meal and was just about to go for morning training."
"...You are quite impressive from early morning."
"Yes...? Doesn't everyone usually go to train around this time?"
What kind of nonsense is this?
I couldn't bring myself to answer Yeongpung's words.
A Daoist's morning is early.
In Daoism, there is a saying that one must receive the dawn's pure Qi, so they would wake up by at least the Mao hour (5-7 AM).
...Meanwhile, I wake up only after the sun is fully up.
Today, I woke up early because I hadn't been able to fall asleep properly.
[Why can't you just say you couldn't sleep properly because of the breathing next to you?]
'...'
...Ahem.
Namgung Bi-a barely moves when she sleeps.
She just lies comfortably and breathes, but it bothered me so much.
Perhaps because of that, I barely got any sleep.
'...Thanks to that, I've drank a lot of the morning air.'
As expected, the dawn air gives a good feeling.
Still, I didn't feel like drinking it often. Waking up in the morning was still a difficult task.
Yeongpung seemed to have felt something from my words, and for some reason, his eyes had changed to a sparkling look.
Why is he making those eyes?
Before my doubt could even settle, Yeongpung spoke up.
"Young Hero, perhaps meeting like this is also fate."
"...You came directly to deliver a message, what do you mean fate?"
"Would you like to train together with me?"
He's completely not listening again.
Just like when Yeongpun accompanied us on the way to the Huashan Sect, for some reason, Yeongpung particularly wanted to train with me.
I didn't know if he was just a training maniac or if there was some reason, but almost every time he saw me, day in and day out, he was suggesting it.
"...No, I won't..."
I needed to eat, and I preferred training alone, so I was about to refuse again.
Suddenly, I became curious about how the Huashan Sect trained.
He begs me to train together every day, could there be something different?
I thought they wouldn't train so brutally first thing in the morning.
"Hmm... if you're okay with it after I eat?"
"Ooooh!"
So I just threw it out there.
With the thought that it wouldn't kill me.
Even if it's a bit much, I could just think of it as doing a lot of morning training.
And not long after, I found out.
That curiosity is a sin.
Even though I knew it very well.
Why did I have to experience it again...?
Fuck....
******************
It hadn't even been one shichen since we started training.
"...Ugh... urgh..."
I was lying on the ground, only letting out groans of pain.
My whole body was sticky from being drenched in sweat.
The pain ringing in every joint echoed all the way to my head.
Crazy....
I couldn't even breathe properly.
Yeongpung, who started training with me, was casually doing horse stance next to me.
I heard Yeongpung was planning to climb the mountain behind us like that, with sandbags tied all over his limbs....
'Isn't he crazy?'
It wasn't like I had slacked off on training after experiencing regression.
I thought I had been doing fairly high-intensity training whenever I had time.
Even if it was 'fairly', this is way too excessive...?
I could see other third-generation disciples training in between, but Yeongpung's training volume was overwhelmingly large.
"Young Hero, are you okay?"
Perhaps worried about me lying collapsed on the ground, Yeongpung finishes his horse stance and approaches.
I could see sweat forming on his forehead, but I was dumbfounded by Yeongpung's refreshed expression.
"Daoist..."
"Yes?"
"...Why on earth are you okay?"
"Pardon...?"
From Yeongpung's perspective, this question would be even more absurd.
'Was my body really this frail?'
To be precise, it might have been a lack of effort.
I naturally felt the need to increase my training volume.
It made me feel a sense of shame that I had lived somewhat lazily despite having experienced death.
It was difficult due to my exhausted body and slightly clouded mind, but fortunately, I didn't gain nothing.
It seemed to serve as a wake-up call.
'...Still, I won't go this far.'
I forced my throbbing body up.
It wouldn't move easily, so I eventually had to use some internal Qi, but I managed it somehow.
[Are you okay?]
As I was wiping my sweat-drenched face, Shin Noya asked.
'About what?'
[I am saying, is it okay to use your body so recklessly when there is a problem with your body?]
Shin Noya's words probably meant that the problems caused by the collision of energies might reach and affect my physical body.
The Nine Flame Wheel Art, the Huashan Sect's Daoist Qi, and something hiding inside my body.
Just thinking about it, I wondered why I was carrying so many things inside my body.
To think I have two things inside that the owner of the body doesn't even care about or pay rent for....
Moreover, I was given a terminal sentence, not knowing when these things would explode, so I almost laughed in disbelief.
However.
'It's still okay.'
I understood what Shin Noya was saying, but it was still okay.
Not because of the trivial thought that 'if it was going to explode, it would have exploded already.'
It was because there was a part I could somewhat predict.
I even had some idea of how to improve it.
Not a treatment.
The problem was that it was a solution.
'...I didn't want to do it even if I died.'
Even if that was right, it was something I needed to at least think about for a moment.
For now, that is.
I brushed up my sweat-soaked hair with my hand and asked Yeongpung.
"Are you going to train more before you go, Daoist?"
"Huh? Ah, of course I have to do more before going, I've only done half so far."
"Excuse me...?"
"What a pity... It seems Young Hero Gu is not feeling well today of all days."
"...I did have some trouble sleeping last night."
"Ah! Then you must be tired!"
I wasn't tired at all, but I was glad to at least have an excuse.
I shook my head at Yeongpung's absurd words.
It was a model to emulate as a martial artist, but why did I feel so reluctant?
[It is because you have not yet acquired a taste for training. Tsk tsk... that level of severe pain would become familiar if you ran one more lap.... To give up without running....]
...Are the people of Huashan not normal, or am I the abnormal one?
It has become a story I no longer know the answer to.
After receiving water and washing off the sweat, I even changed my clothes.
Glancing at the quarters, Namgung Bi-a was taking a nap, perhaps from lack of sleep.
Wi Seol-a was sleeping next to her, and since both of them were kids who radiated beauty, they looked like sisters.
I was struggling to even walk properly right now, so seeing them sleep comfortably didn't sit well with me.
I immediately approached the two and pinched their noses with my fingers.
"Mmm!"
"...?"
Perhaps because her breathing was blocked, Wi Seol-a jumped up.
Namgung Bi-a opened her eyes narrowly, but didn't get up.
She's not getting up from this...?
Looking at Wi Seol-a, who woke up on the other hand, her pretty hair, which Hongwa had painstakingly arranged, was a mess from tossing and turning in her sleep.
Seeing that, I spoke.
"If you sleep right after eating, you'll become a pig?"
"...Yeah... hmm?"
Seeing Wi Seol-a still half-asleep, I roughly patted her head and stood up.
Namgung Bi-a seemed to have already fallen back asleep, if she had even woken up at all.
"Young Master..."
"Yeah?"
"Where are you going?"
"The Sect Leader here is calling for me."
"Will it take long?"
"Well...? I don't think it'll take too long."
"Come back before I sleep...?"
"People need to sleep, so I guess I should be back before you sleep."
Sleeping on the streets is now out of the question.
I had enough of such uncomfortable sleeping arrangements in my past life.
"Then it's fine! Have a safe trip!"
Smiling brightly, she said that and Wi Seol-a lay down next to Namgung Bi-a again.
Since Hongwa would appear soon and drag her off to work anyway, I decided to leave her be for a bit.
I led my creaking body and walked to the Sect Leader's quarters.
While going, I could feel the Huashan disciples glancing at me, but they had expressions like they were looking at a strange animal, so I ignored it.
As long as there was no hostility, it didn't matter.
When I finally reached the door, I heard Maehwaseon's voice from inside the quarters saying, "Come in."
I hadn't even said I was coming in yet.... Her hearing is sharp.
As I carefully stepped into the quarters, sure enough, there was the scent of plum tea just like last time.
This time, proper refreshments were prepared.
"You said you didn't have any last time, did you buy some?"
"Yeah, I felt like I didn't have any, so I went down to the county yesterday and bought some. Doesn't it look delicious?"
It looked sweet and delicious visually....
Since I no longer had a taste for sweet things by now, I just brushed it off with a smile.
"Why did you call for me?"
When I asked the reason as soon as I sat down, Maehwaseon let out a hollow laugh.
"I thought you'd at least have some tea first.... The Gu fellows sure have impatient personalities...."
"Ah."
Maehwaseon's gaze, which seemed to overlap with Elder Yi again, was quite awkward.
Everything was fine, but why did she have to resemble that fiery old man...?
It was an absurd thought.
Perhaps because my mouth was dry, I picked up one of the yakgwa in front of me, ate it, and rinsed my mouth with tea.
Perhaps seeing my slightly ruined expression, Maehwaseon let out a hearty laugh and quickly continued speaking.
"It's nothing much, do you remember the cabin we went to yesterday?"
"Yes.... That's the place where the Sword Empress is, right?"
The place where the Sword Empress was receiving treatment from Shin-ui, I went there just yesterday, so I couldn't forget.
Maehwaseon handed me an unidentifiable letter and said.
"Could you deliver this to that Ta-ui fellow and come back?"
"Me?"
It was a somewhat bewildering request.
Because it was something difficult to ask an outsider.
Why me?
When there are that many third-generation disciples of Huashan just looking outside?
Like Yeongpung, or Yeongpung, or someone like Yeongpung.
I couldn't control my expression without realizing it, and a look of incomprehension popped out.
Maehwaseon saw that and chuckled.
"That's an expression saying you don't understand why I'm making such a request to you."
"To be honest, yes. It's a bit ambiguous to say this to an outsider."
"...Actually, the fact that the Sword Empress is there is something most of Huashan doesn't know."
I was momentarily dumbfounded by Maehwaseon's words.
No one knows?
"Most people also don't know that the child is sick."
"Why did I get to know such an incredibly important piece of information...?"
"...."
If most don't know, it was a story that not only Yeongpung, but also the third-generation disciples, second-generation disciples, and perhaps even the first-generation disciples wouldn't properly know.
Why did I, who thoughtlessly popped up to deliver the oddity, know such important information?
Did Maehwaseon have something in mind?
But Maehwaseon couldn't easily answer my question.
She seemed to be slightly avoiding my gaze, was it an illusion...?
Feeling something strange, I narrowed my eyes and asked.
"Perhaps, you forgot?"
"...Ahem! No way...!"
Her reaction made it more certain.
...Did she really forget?
Maehwaseon's dry cough and reaction deepened my conviction.
She just dragged me to Shin-ui, so I thought she had some plan, but she just acted first and thought later?
Huashan Sect.... Is it really okay like this?
[Gods of heaven and earth....]
Shin Noya had finally reached the point of seeking god.
"Even so, for me, not even a disciple, to help with something like this..."
"Yakgwa."
"Pardon?"
"Didn't you eat the yakgwa?"
"What does that...?"
Wondering what sudden nonsense Maehwaseon was spouting, I briefly looked around.
There was a gap in the bowl of yakgwa prepared for the refreshments.
It was because I had eaten one earlier.
'...Don't tell me this is a cheap trick saying I have to help because I ate this?'
I wanted to believe it wasn't so, but seeing Maehwaseon continuously avoiding my gaze as if oddly embarrassed, I had nothing more to say.
It felt like the very small remaining fantasy I had about Maehwaseon in my heart was shattering.
Realizing that, I said to Maehwaseon.
"Sect Leader..."
"...Yes."
"I think I know why you are so close to our Elder Yi..."
"...Ahem."
When I brought up Elder Yi, Maehwaseon turned her head away.
It seemed she was embarrassed too.