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Chapter 92: Healing (4)

The morning brightened as Shin Noya returned with medicinal herbs.

It seemed like he had received something from the Hwasan Sect.

‘How can he manage that frail body?’

It looked like he could barely handle the trip as an ordinary person, yet Shin Noya moved with ease despite his age.

Perhaps a scholar had brought it to him? Otherwise, it would be impossible.

“…To think all that impurity qi has vanished.”

Those were Shin Noya’s words as he examined the body of the Sword Demoness.

Fortunately, it seemed that all the demonic energy had disappeared.

During yesterday’s treatment, I lost consciousness, and it was said that the Sword Demoness fainted shortly after.

When Shin Noya hurriedly checked, all the impurities inside her had vanished.

As for me, he said there wasn’t anything major to worry about.

What we could conclude was:

‘As expected, Shin Noya doesn’t sense the demonic energy in my body.’

It seemed that Shin Noya could sense the demonic energy of others, but he hadn’t mentioned mine during his examination, suggesting he might not realize it was there.

‘Why is that?’

I could still distinctly feel the demonic energy swirling around my lower dantian.

‘Fortunately, it seems to be purifying itself.’

The demonic energy within my body was gradually getting consumed by the Technique of the Flame Wheel.

The only issue was that the quantity was so great that it wasn’t apparent.

‘There’s no chaotic outburst or sense of pain at all.’

That was the most fortunate part.

I had worried about what would happen if the absorbed energy went wild.

For now, that didn’t seem to be an issue.

Perhaps sensing this, Shin Noya told me to go back and rest if my body was alright.

He said he thought it would be fine.

However, if there were any problems, I should call him right away.

I was surprised at Shin Noya’s unusually kind demeanor.

‘To think he could expel all that impurity… I need to figure out how he did it…! The most straightforward method would be to open my body, but that’s not possible, so what can I do…’

‘…’

I felt I shouldn’t let those thoughts linger and decided to leave quickly.

As I stepped outside, the Sword Demoness told me she would visit later and would express her gratitude then.

I assured her that it wasn’t necessary as I returned to my lodging.

And currently.

“They told me to return before meals… Is this a night out?”

I had a bad feeling about this.

Two pairs of cold eyes were fixed on me.

I felt a shiver down my spine as if I were standing on a field of ice.

‘… I’m in deep trouble.’

Wi Seol-Ah turned her head sharply away from me.

Nangong Bi-ah was staring at me without even blinking.

Her already cold expression turned into a glaring one, making it feel as though snow were falling around her.

“No, it’s not like that…”

How did it come to this?

The sudden thought left me speechless.

…Why am I being scolded?

This was a strangely flowing situation.

I almost blurted out an excuse.

‘… I’m the one in charge here, yet I’m being lectured for staying out late.’

Of course, it was true that I hadn’t shown up before mealtime.

But I had my own circumstances, you know!

The more ridiculous part was.

‘Why can’t I say a single word even though they know this…!’

My instincts were telling me to stay quiet.

Right now, it was best to just keep my mouth shut.

If I opened it recklessly, it would backfire on me.

In the end, I simply kept silent and exchanged glances with Nangong Bi-ah.

After a long while of just staring at each other, Nangong Bi-ah finally stood up.

Maybe she was heading off to train. As she walked away, she bluntly said to me.

“… Next time, at least say something…”

She said that and disappeared to train.

By the way, today’s meal time was the quietest since my return.

Nangong Bi-ah usually didn’t talk much, but it was surprising that even Wi Seol-Ah didn’t say a word.

Looking back now, I really almost played it cool.

Somehow, the next day arrived.

Normally, Wi Seol-Ah was quick to apologize after being upset, but today she approached me brightly and chattered away.

As for Nangong Bi-ah, it was hard to tell whether she was bottling things up or not, but she seemed indifferent when I visited.

‘… Did I survive?’

With that, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Checking my body, the demonic energy was still swirling around, but it was quiet now. Purification was ongoing too.

I tried to see if anything would happen with the energy inside me, but fortunately, only my inner energy was being used, apart from the demonic energy.

It felt as if something was suppressing my ability to use the energy.

‘… Is this related to the voice I heard?’

The voice I heard while absorbing the Sword Demoness’s demonic energy.

That eerie and ominous voice lingered in my mind.

‘Could it be that Shin Noya has gone missing because of this…?’

I couldn’t shake off that thought.

Where did the Noya who got swept into this go?

Did that guy even reach out for Noya?

Even though only a few days had passed, wondering if I missed him felt absurd.

There was indeed clarity, but more than that.

‘Just how far can that guy reach?’

If there was something, I needed to understand what it was.

And I had to know what he wanted.

Could the person who pressed down on Shin Noya have been that guy from yesterday?

I couldn’t be certain, but I was left without other conclusions.

‘Is this also a blame on demonic power?’

The Heavenly Demon’s demonic power, which had come along with my return.

While I could do many things in my past life with this disgusting power, I didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes now.

“… I’m exhausted.”

Suddenly, I felt as if someone were saying that in my head, as if mocking me.

Had Shin Noya completely vanished?

I couldn’t say that for sure, but for some reason, I had a premonition that he hadn’t disappeared.

As I sat in a lotus position and turned my inner energy, I noticed a presence outside.

– “Young Master, it’s Hongwa.”

I immediately stopped channeling my energy upon hearing the voice.

Given that my focus had already been broken, there was no point in trying again.

“What is it?”

Creak.

At my question, Hongwa carefully opened the door.

“… A guest has come to visit.”

“A guest? Who?”

I wondered if it was Yeongpung again.

The usual visitors were only Yeongpung and Maehwa Seon.

Considering the circumstances, Maehwa Seon must be busy, so it’s probably Yeongpung.

However, my expectations were overturned when an unexpected figure came out of Hongwa’s mouth.

“The youngest lady has come to see you.”

“… Huh?”

Gu Ryeonghwa had come.

And not just her, but she was accompanied by another person.

Following Hongwa’s guide, two figures entered my room.

Gu Ryeonghwa seemed a bit cautious while another woman followed her.

“I’m sorry for coming so suddenly.”

“… It’s fine.”

I was so flustered that I even spoke more than I intended.

The person who came with Gu Ryeonghwa was none other than the Sword Demoness.

The problem was that I had to think for a while to recognize her upon sight.

Her appearance had changed that much.

‘I thought she would only look slightly younger.’

Her once white hair had turned back to black, and the wrinkles that made her look older than Maehwa Seon vanished completely.

She appeared to be in her thirties now; no more than that could be assumed.

‘Could just absorbing demonic energy bring about such a transformation?’

My inner energy, which had been used to stop the spread of demonic energy, likely activated again the moment the Sword Demoness’s demonic energy disappeared.

I could tell how exceptional the pure and youthful energy she possessed was since I had felt it directly yesterday.

I didn’t expect it to be this significant.

“… I’m glad to see you healthy.”

“You look quite surprised.”

Yes, I’m extremely surprised.

The old woman who had slowly aged over time had returned as a woman with a graceful demeanor…

She indeed looked noticeably younger compared to yesterday.

Noticing my gaze, the Sword Demoness gave a slight smile.

“I was also very surprised. I never imagined I could return to my true form; to think it would happen so soon…”

‘It seems this isn’t a case of complete transformation.’

Since she refers to it as her true form, I guess she originally looked like this.

After all, it’s absurd for a complete transformation process to occur so quickly.

“Shin Noya said such a thing happening in a single day is ridiculous, and when he tried to visit you, I told him to calm down first.”

“Ah, I’m truly grateful for that.”

I recalled Shin Noya’s face lit up with excitement as he expressed his desire to study my body.

There was definitely a hint of madness in his expression.

■ I should stay away from him for a while…’

That was a little scary.

“I came to visit you to express my gratitude, which I hadn’t had the chance to do yet.”

“You really don’t have to…”

“How could I not? It’s nothing less than a matter of life and death.”

Saying that, the Sword Demoness elegantly bowed her head to me.

I was startled and tried to stop her, but her words came out faster.

“Thank you. You saved this inadequate woman’s life…”

“Lady Sword Demoness…”

“Thanks to you, I can look forward to the next year, and I have let go of the remnants of leaving my child behind, so how could I not express my gratitude?”

“It was just something I could do.”

“I know better than anyone that what you did is the most difficult thing.”

Is that really so?

Her words were genuine, but it was a story I couldn’t comprehend.

After all, my actions weren’t derived from any pure belief but merely an empty desire to repay a debt.

She then spoke to me.

“If you have any wishes, please do not hesitate to tell me. After all, I owe you a life saved.”

“Master…!”

Gu Ryeonghwa exclaimed in surprise, but the Sword Demoness’s gaze was resolute.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s this? I just saved you, and already you’re offering your life?”

I had gone through so much trouble and saved her, and now she was trying to return her life?!

I interpreted the gratitude she was expressing as something that came from an acknowledgment of me saving her.

‘More than anything.’

I cast a glance at Gu Ryeonghwa.

As if she sensed my gaze, Gu Ryeonghwa avoided my eyes while clearing her throat.

‘Rather, I feel like I owe you a debt of gratitude.’

Unnecessary thoughts.

I quickly shook my head to dismiss them.

“My life’s fine, and I assume I’ll have requests to make of you later.”

“Go ahead and tell me; I’ll grant whatever you ask.”

“Are you saying that as if you know what I want to ask?”

What if I suddenly asked her to set Mount Hwasan ablaze or kill someone?

What would she do?

Did she notice my thoughts? The Sword Demoness chuckled softly.

“Whatever you ask, I don’t think it would be a request to harm others or unnecessary tasks.”

Where on earth did she come up with that logic?

I averted my eyes, feeling burdened by her faith.

‘Wasn’t it me who burned down this mountain?’

This was a dangerous thought that I couldn’t forget.

The remains of the Hwasan Sect lay in ruins, and it wasn’t just the Demoness who suffered loss.

My eyes remain vivid, recalling that disturbing scene.

Until the day the Hwasan Sect fell, all its cultivators perished, and the esteemed Mount Tai turned to mere ashes.

“… It’s not something I need immediately, so I’ll come to speak with you soon.”

The Sword Demoness smiled at my words.

“And also, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Do you mean me?”

“Yes. It’s something I wanted to ask for a long time but didn’t bring it up.”

The Sword Demoness said that and instructed Gu Ryeonghwa to step outside.

Gu Ryeonghwa showed signs of wanting to stay longer, but the Sword Demoness insisted firmly.

“Just go outside for a moment.”

“… Yes…”

With a sulky expression, Gu Ryeonghwa finally exited.

The Sword Demoness gave a gentle smile before her demeanor shifted to something more serious.

What on earth could she want to ask?

Soon, as if I could request it, the Sword Demoness took a deep breath and started talking.

“Do you know the whereabouts of Cheonhui?”

That was what the Sword Demoness was curious about.

It was about my mother.

 

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