After washing up and coming out, Yeongpung seemed to have lost his earlier anxiety, sitting quietly on the floor.
He looked somewhat stiff, but I thought it was because he was tired after finishing his training.
"Dojang."
When I called Yeongpung, his stiff expression quickly brightened.
How should I put it, I could feel a sense of relief on his face, like 'I'm saved...!'
"Gu Xiaoxia!"
"I said I'd be quick, have you been waiting long?"
"Yes! I really waited a long time...!"
"...Excuse me?"
It was a polite remark, but Yeongpung seemed to answer sincerely.
Did he wait that long? It felt like I was quick.
Wi Seol-ah, who was sitting next to him, also came running over chirpily when I appeared.
Smiling radiantly, she looked to be in a good mood.
"Dojang, then where should we eat?"
"Huh?"
At my question, Yeongpung made a surprised expression.
Why is he surprised?
Outsiders couldn't use the dining hall used by the disciples, and Yeongpung wouldn't be able to leave the sect without permission from the elders or above.
Since Yeongpung had come to find me, I thought he would have brought some kind of plan.
"Dojang... did you just come here without a plan?"
"...Hehe."
Hehe, you bastard...
It would have been annoying even if a woman did it, but seeing a handsome guy doing it made me want to fold myself in half from the cringe.
Then I guess we'll just eat moderately at my quarters.
Before that, I had to ask Yeongpung.
"I heard the disciples eat together, is it okay for you to slip away?"
At my question, Yeongpung made an awkward face.
I've thought this since before, but him constantly showing an uncomfortable demeanor slightly bothered me.
"I'm fine. They probably won't care much."
"...Then let's just eat together at my quarters."
"Are we eating?"
"Is there anything prepared?"
It was about time to eat, but I didn't know if the attendants had prepared anything.
As I was about to look for food, Wi Seol-ah raised her hand high.
"I can cook!"
"...Where is Hongwa?"
Pretending not to hear her, Wi Seol-ah's face scrunched up in annoyance.
It's a bit mean to say, but Wi Seol-ah's cooking wasn't at a level to be shown to anyone yet.
For now, I grabbed a passing attendant and asked them to prepare a meal.
The attendant seemed to have already been preparing to some extent, telling me it wouldn't take long.
Wi Seol-ah was naturally dragged away by the attendant's hand to help prepare the meal.
Seeing that, Yeongpung let out a deep sigh.
It was a deep sigh, full of worldly sorrow.
"...Phew, I'll survive."
"Did something happen?"
"Huh...? Ah, it's nothing."
It's not nothing, he's definitely looking around nervously, it seems like something's up...
Perhaps Yeongpung noticed the meaning in my gaze, as he instead averted his eyes.
"For now, they said the meal will be ready soon, so come inside and wait."
"Ah! Understood."
At my invitation, Yeongpung quickly changed to a bright expression and followed me into the quarters.
The meal ended lightly.
Since the ingredients provided by Hwasan were mostly vegetables, it wasn't a particularly enjoyable meal.
'Filling my stomach is enough.'
Actually, with the recent training and all the intense movements, I was honestly starting to crave meat.
But I couldn't just suddenly grill meat in a Daoist temple, so I was enduring it.
At this thought, Shin Noya spoke in a nonchalant voice.
[What does it matter? If you want to eat it, just eat it.]
'...Noya?'
[It's not like you're forbidden from eating meat like those bald monks of Shaolin. There's no reason to force yourself to endure.]
'That's true, but wouldn't people judge me?'
[That is the very thing you lack the most, yet you're looking for tact when it comes to meat... How lamentable.]
'...'
No matter how much I think about it, was this guy really the Sect Leader of Hwasan?
My trust in him kept going up and down because of the absurd things he said whenever he seemed reliable.
'How could I do the crazy act of grilling meat in a Daoist temple?'
Even thinking about it a hundred times, it was a bit much.
An attendant came and cleared the empty dishes.
"I ate well. Thank you so much, Gu Xiaoxia."
"I'm glad you ate well."
Having essentially scored a free meal, Yeongpung felt awkward at the unexpected situation.
"Really... Next time, I'll treat you to something delicious."
"If you can leave the sect, that is...?"
"...Yes."
The more I saw him, the more Yeongpung seemed to have a naive disposition.
When I heard he was the Sword Dragon, I thought he'd be a resolute swordsman.
Why does he seem like a country bumpkin?
As I was thinking that and drinking water, Yeongpung opened his mouth as if he had something important to say.
"Um... Xiaoxia."
"Yes."
"Now that you've finished eating, if you don't mind, could you spar with me...?"
"A spar?"
It was an unexpected request.
I thought he'd ask to train together, but a spar?
After being beaten so badly in our previous spar, I thought he'd be a bit reluctant even if he wasn't intimidated.
He looked more unfazed than expected.
Had he already overcome it all?
He didn't seem to have experienced a demonic deviation, and there was no significant hesitation.
'A spar.'
I looked at the back of my hand, which was still wrapped in bandages.
Actually, it was fully healed, so there wouldn't be a problem with sparring.
It was just that Nangong Bia's appearance lingered in my mind a bit.
If they heard I sparred with Yeongpung as soon as my hand healed, it might become a bit troublesome.
"A spar out of nowhere, did something happen?"
"...Um, isn't the Jehwa Tournament opening soon?"
"Yes."
"I... will be participating in the Jehwa Tournament from the martial uncles' side this time."
"With the second-generation disciples?"
Is that usually how it goes? A third-generation disciple sparring with second-generation disciples?
Or maybe they changed it because of Yeongpung's position.
"What does that have to do with a spar?"
"...During the preparation period, sparring between disciples is prohibited."
There was such a rule...?
Come to think of it, I didn't think I saw any disciples sparring with each other since coming to Hwasan.
"Hmm, so you want to spar with me...?"
Yeongpung quietly nodded.
Sparring between disciples was forbidden, but it was a bit funny that doing it with an outsider was fine.
'...Actually, an outsider visiting the sect during such a period was stranger in the first place, but...'
I understood Yeongpung's words to some extent.
From Hwasan's perspective, Yeongpung might be a third-generation disciple, but he was undeniably the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, so they probably couldn't release a beast of prey among the rabbits.
The way I saw it, it would also be a problem if Yeongpung ended up defeating the second-generation disciples instead.
But I figured Hwasan would take that into consideration.
"For now... I can spar with you."
"Ah...! Then!"
"But, it's a bit too much to do it right today."
At my words, Yeongpung's face instantly turned sullen.
"Let's do it next time. I have some business going down to Hyeon today, so it'll be difficult."
This wasn't an excuse; I actually did have business to go down for.
With a disappointed expression, Yeongpung said he'd visit again next time.
...It really looked like it would happen next time.
Without realizing, I felt slightly annoyed at the thought.
After sending Yeongpung off, I immediately brought Wi Seol-ah and went down to Hyeon.
Last time, I came down alone at Maehwaseon's request, but since it was personal business this time, Muyeon came down with me as well.
Perhaps because of the Jehwa Tournament opening soon, preparations were in full swing in Hwaeum-hyeon as well.
Should I say it felt like the Guronghoe of the Gu family?
'I'd have to have been there to know.'
It'll probably be a bit different, but roughly similar.
Because getting excited over watching martial artists fight is the same everywhere.
Among the bustling crowd, I dragged Wi Seol-ah, who was looking around with sparkling eyes, and headed somewhere.
Looking at the street full of laughter, Shin Noya suddenly spoke.
[Looking at it now, the times really have changed a lot.]
It was a voice that seemed soaked in sentiment.
'The time you were active was a long time ago, after all.'
The era when Shin Noya was active was clearly a time of war.
Of course, that period didn't last long thanks to their efforts.
The cities back then wouldn't have looked like they do now.
[It's good.]
'You seem to be in a good mood.'
[Of course, it's the world we so desperately wished for... It can't help but be good.]
I couldn't know exactly what emotion Shin Noya was speaking with.
Because I was on the opposite side from him.
I walked down the street for a while to find the building I wanted and then stopped.
Because the place I was looking for had appeared.
"What kind of place is this?"
Wi Seol-ah, holding a chicken skewer, asked.
For reference, Muyeon bought that.
The character for 'Alliance' was written in the center of the building, which was a certificate meaning they were doing business under the Murim Alliance.
A place where they buy and sell the hides and bones of demonic beasts.
The business I had to take care of in Hyeon was here.
"Welcome!"
The interior was lined with various types of hides and bones.
Looking around, they seemed to be items from Green-grade to Blue-grade demonic beasts.
For the higher grades, the Alliance managed them directly, so they probably wouldn't sell them carelessly.
"Oh my, what brings the Handsome Young Master to our shop?"
The Handsome Young Master...?
This old man must have some experience in business.
Spitting lies without even wetting his lips first...
I asked the owner without showing any signs of panic.
"I came to buy something, but I wanted to ask first."
"Ah, of course you should ask. We are the biggest place in this area! There's nothing we don't have!"
"Ah, then do you have Magic Stones?"
"Huh? Magic Stones...?"
The owner was momentarily flustered by my question.
Unlike byproducts like the hides and bones of demonic beasts, Magic Stones were items with little practical value.
There was a time when people tried to use them like jewels because of their beautiful exterior.
But because they quickly lost their color over time, they ended up being nothing more than ordinary rocks.
"If possible, I'd like a Magic Stone from a demonic beast that hasn't been dead for more than a day."
So I had to find one that hadn't lost its color.
Because losing its color meant that the Demonic Qi had lost its vitality and dissipated.
The owner's expression almost crumbled for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
Probably thinking I was a customer who wouldn't buy anything anyway?
"Um... Young Master."
"Don't tell me, you don't have any?"
"Yes... Magic Stones have no demand, and lately, the appearance of demonic beasts has decreased, so the overall supply has dropped."
"The demonic beasts have decreased?"
"Since the start of this year, they've decreased to a strangely low level."
I could accept not having Magic Stones, but the appearance of demonic beasts had decreased...
'I haven't particularly heard such news in Shanxi.'
A decrease in demonic beasts would certainly be good news for public safety, but a sudden drop wasn't necessarily something that could only be interpreted as good.
"So, you're saying you don't have any Magic Stones?"
"Yes... We have some roughly gathered, but if you're looking for one with color, we don't have any right now."
"I understand."
"Young Master, how about hides or bones? We happen to have some good items..."
"No, I'm fine."
As I firmly rejected his attempts to sell me something else, I could hear the owner grumbling behind me.
Given what I was looking for, I didn't expect to find it as soon as I arrived.
'Should I go somewhere, catch one myself, and extract it?'
When I ignored them, they showed up on their own, but only at times like this...
[Why are you looking for Magic Stones?]
'I have something to check.'
[What?]
The energies currently tangled inside my body, and the unknown something that is grabbing and suppressing them.
Moreover, the bastard that goes on a crazy rampage the moment I try to use a certain level of internal energy while it's being suppressed.
Because of this, I was currently being treated like a walking corpse with a time limit.
Since I didn't know when the tangled energies would burst.
With even the Divine Physician having given up, it didn't seem like I'd get much help from the medical field.
Trying to endure or accept it on my own was impossible at my current level.
And choosing to train was out of the question since I didn't know if my body could withstand it.
In the end, I had to find a solution.
The thing that came to mind as soon as I heard the Divine Physician's words. It wasn't a certainty, but there was a part of me that suspected it as a potential solution.
Demonic Qi.
The Madoheupcheongong that came along with my regression.
Could this damn demonic art be the one suppressing the energy?
When two opposing energies were rampaging like mad, this might be the reason they were somehow still bound together safely.
Without the power of the Heavenly Demon, it would be difficult to find another reason.
'Or... something else that was devouring the Demonic Qi.'
The Guyeomhwarungong that ate the Demonic Qi entering my body and purified it into internal energy.
I had never heard that the Gu family's martial art had such an effect.
If it did, there was no way I wouldn't have known in my past life.
Then ultimately... it means there's something else.
'It's not like my body is some monster's lair, so why are all these weird things tangled up inside?'
Was this also the recoil of going through regression?
Or was it the lingering touch of the Heavenly Demon that had reached this point?
The more I thought about it, the more stifling it felt.
"Young Master, Young Master."
As I was walking with complicated thoughts, Wi Seol-ah grabbed my collar and called out to me.
"Hmm?"
"Ah~!"
What she held out with a sound was the skewer she was eating earlier.
Surprisingly, without having taken a single bite.
That Wi Seol-ah...?
"What is this?"
"The first bite is yours, Young Master!"
"Just eat it yourself, why?"
"You were making an ugly expression again, Young Master."
At Wi Seol-ah's words, I recalled what Shin Noya said recently about my feelings showing on my face.
Am I really that obvious?
Perhaps because I looked listless, Wi Seol-ah even offered her food first.
Did I make her worry a lot?
I took a big bite of the chicken skewer.
Seeing me stuff it into my mouth, Wi Seol-ah's expression changed amusingly.
"I... I didn't mean for you to eat that much...!"
"Yeth."
Maybe because I stuffed my mouth, my pronunciation was off.
Wi Seol-ah ate the remaining one or two pieces of the skewer looking lonely.
Her eyes were full of regret.
Then she spoke with sorrowful eyes.
"...It's so delicious... but now it's over."
Wi Seol-ah's appearance made me want to burst out laughing, but I held it in.
If I laughed here, the food in my mouth would fly out.
Amazingly, just with this, my complicated mood quickly improved.
Was it thanks to Wi Seol-ah, or did something change as I regressed?
"Should I buy you one more?"
"R-really?"
"Yeah, let's eat one more."
Saying that, I dragged Wi Seol-ah and headed to the place selling skewers.
I bought two skewers.
Because it was tastier than I expected, I wanted to eat one too.
I asked Muyeon if he wanted one too, but he refused, saying it wasn't appropriate while on guard duty.
Like that, I walked around Hyeon with Wi Seol-ah, eating chicken skewers.
Ah, for reference, Muyeon paid for the skewers.