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Chapter 172: Shall We Go Together? (2)

“Shall we go together?”

Unlike the chaotic days of the Martial Arts Tournament, the conclusion was surprisingly peaceful.

It was quite a hassle for Gu Tae to drag his annoying body to stand before the Great Lord on the platform, but it wasn’t something to throw a tantrum over.

“Congratulations on becoming a new star.”

“Thank you.”

“Since your son accomplished such a remarkable feat, the Great Lord must be very pleased.”

“Haha… Well, of course.”

“A true dragon has been born from the Gu Clan; the day for soaring is not far off.”

At Jang Cheon’s words, I recalled my father’s face.

He would really be happy about this?

Even when Gu Huibi made her appearance as So Sword Peak, he just mumbled, ‘Oh, I see,’ in three words.

Would he show any reaction at all to his son winning?

“What does it mean that ‘The Submerged Dragon’ is a true dragon?”

They said it referred to being a true dragon in the literal sense, but what a cringe-worthy way to say it.

“Better than a previous life, I suppose…”

At least it’s better than that; I could breathe easier, somewhat.

If in this life I ended up with a similarly cringeworthy title… I couldn’t even bear to imagine it.

How could people even have titles like that…

“…Ugh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… Just a bit of a headache.”

Jang Cheon looked at me oddly before approaching Jang Seonyeon, who was wrapped in bandages all over, likely due to the aftermath of yesterday’s intense fight.

“I thought I managed it somewhat well.”

If I broke any bones, I made sure to keep an eye on them to heal well.

I was careful not to inflict any irreparable injuries, so she should recover quickly.

“I should have at least crushed an arm or something.”

That was a missed opportunity.

Since Jang Seonyeon used her left hand for her sword, it would have been fine to crush her right arm a bit.

“Still…”

I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment regarding one goal achieved.

I could sense the subtle emotions in Jang Seonyeon’s eyes as she looked at me.

“Were you scared?”

When I glanced at her, I noticed her shoulders flinch slightly.

It didn’t seem to be an act, but I couldn’t be completely sure.

Even if it wasn’t fear, it was sufficient if there was something else to it.

For now, at least.

“Dogo Jun…”

The incomprehensible being I had faced last.

Recalling that bastard who recklessly infused energy into his body only complicated my emotions.

“Is he still within Jang Seonyeon?”

If that’s the case, I had to think about a lot of things.

Did Jang Seonyeon retain the memories of that time? Was she even aware of the guy named Dogo Jun?

With my thoughts racing, I wished I could quietly capture and torture Jang Seonyeon to extract information.

But I knew that was nearly impossible in the current situation.

So that only made me feel more frustrated.

“You did well.”

“….It’s nothing, Great Lord.”

Jang Cheon smiled, patting Jang Seonyeon’s shoulder.

Seeing her bow her head deeply at that moment was nothing short of a touching father-daughter exchange.

To me, they just seemed to be putting on a show, though.

I looked at Jang Seonyeon and came up with another question.

“Does she not realize her power has diminished?”

There was still some energy within Jang Seonyeon’s body.

Dogo Jun didn’t extract all the energy at once, cutting it off midway.

Still, the amount would have decreased.

There surely was an emptiness in her vessel that she couldn’t overlook.

Yet, her reaction was way too bland considering.

I thought for sure she’d rush to find me as soon as she woke up.

Neither the Thunder Dragon nor Gu Tae sought me out.

From my perspective, that was a good thing, but I couldn’t just see it positively.

It became increasingly unpredictable as to what might happen.

“There are so many differences from my previous life.”

Not just differences.

There were many things I was unaware of.

Even just stepping into this life filled my head to the brim with stories I hadn’t known.

“Where should I even start organizing this?”

I’ve been tidying up my thoughts all day long, but nothing was easy enough to conclude.

Things couldn’t just be brushed aside as usual either, so it was a bit frustrating.

I managed to keep my expression composed while mulling over complex thoughts inside.

I thought it important not to appear overly conspicuous, so I was particularly careful about that.

“With this, a thank you to the new stars who worked hard…”

As Jang Cheon concluded, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

Among the items received for victory was a sword crafted by a couple of renowned blacksmiths.

However, since I had no intention of becoming a swordsman, I’d likely toss it to Muyeon or Gu Juyep.

I knew they were keen on it as well.

Why were they building anticipation among themselves?

I thought about parting with it, but seeing their enthusiasm, I felt little motivation.

I, too, was someone who could be quite twisted, so.

“Does he really need it?”

The moment I thought of Nangong Bi-ah, I quickly brushed it aside.

Nangong Bi-ah already had a sword chosen for her; I didn’t want to give her another.

“Not that it’s necessary.”

She could use another sword if she wanted, but I didn’t want that for her.

It was purely my own selfish desire.

If anything, it felt more like possessiveness.

Wooaaah—!!

With the ear-piercing sound, I finally looked around.

People were cheering, filling the area on all sides.

I could feel the overwhelming noise, enough to numb my ears if I didn’t cover them.

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As I watched that, a heated sensation washed over me.

What can I say?

It felt like the exhilarating joy of stepping onto a snow-covered ground for the first time, untouched by anyone else.

“What the heck?”

It was a sudden and bizarre comparison that could only be described as nonsensical.

It was as if emotions were wildly fluctuating within me.

I worked to calm my feelings.

No matter how mismatched I felt in this situation, I shouldn’t find joy in this chaos.

Putting aside the embarrassment, if I continued to let myself enjoy this pleasant feeling, it would spiral endlessly, so I had to rein it in from earlier.

Shaking my head and clearing my emotions, I made my way down from the platform.

The Great Lord’s speech had ended, and all necessary activities had come to a close, so it was time for me to leave.

Notably, the spar between Nangong Bi-ah and Moyong Hi-ah had not taken place.

Nangong Bi-ah was unwell, and Moyong Hi-ah declared she had no interest in the spar.

Since the finals had concluded and the victor had been decided, it was more or less a demonstration spar anyway, so there was no issue with that.

Still, many were left disappointed not getting to see this pair fight.

Perhaps even more than the final match.

“They both needed to look decent.”

Nangong Bi-ah now seemed to be referred to as the ‘One and Only Beauty of Anhui’ alongside her newly minted title.

Moyong Hi-ah was also famous for her beauty, known aside from her name as Seolbong, so it wasn’t hard to see the disappointment of not witnessing their battle.

“This isn’t about wanting to see a spar, is it?”

It was legit a desire to see beautiful women fight, which was needlessly awkward.

“You did well, Gu Gongja.”

As I descended, Tang Soyeol welcomed me.

For some reason, she looked a bit more dressed up than usual.

She had adorned herself with unfamiliar accessories and even appeared to have put on some light makeup.

Noticing this, I asked Tang Soyeol.

“Why are you all dressed up?”

“Oh my! Did you notice? You have great perception…”

“Isn’t it odd not to notice when you’re this obvious?”

It was practically impossible not to see it, given how dressed up she was.

“It’s the last day, after all. Isn’t it weirder for the person getting congratulated not to dress up?”

“Why do you find dressing up a bother?”

Just for doing something remarkable… Ugh. The mere thought gave me chills.

I imagined looking all spruced up and stepping onto that stage.

That was entirely not my style.

I fell silent and naturally began surveying my surroundings.

I was looking for someone.

Tang Soyeol must have sensed this, as she quickly provided the answer I sought.

“Bi-ah unnie isn’t here. She said if it wasn’t a spar, she didn’t see the need to watch.”

“…That’s a bit cold.”

“I heard her say she was just going to sleep in the barracks because she was tired.”

“Is that my barracks?”

“Of course.”

Why was that ‘of course’? What’s so natural about it?

“Well…”

It was a bit late to question it, so I sighed and moved on, approaching Wi Seol-Ah, who was waiting at a distance.

She looked tired, swaying slightly as if she had been sleepy since morning, so I told her to just rest.

Yet, she stubbornly insisted on following me.

“Hmm?”

As I got closer, I noticed something was off with Wi Seol-Ah’s expression.

Though it wasn’t too obvious, I could tell something was wrong.

Her slightly stiff expression and trembling eyes were evident.

Seeing that, I asked Wi Seol-Ah.

“Are you okay?”

“Eh…? Why do you ask?”

It seemed Wi Seol-Ah was trying to play it off.

Though her voice was the same as usual, her response was clearly odd.

“Is something wrong?”

“No? There’s nothing wrong at all!”

Instead, Wi Seol-Ah playfully pouted at my question.

Could my instincts have been wrong?

I had never been wrong regarding her before.

Especially not when it came to Wi Seol-Ah.

We continued to exchange glances, but she merely looked back with a puzzled expression.

It seemed there was definitely something going on, but she probably didn’t want to tell me.

Without pressing further, I gently patted her head.

“If something’s bothering you, just tell me. That’s how it works.”

“I really… there’s nothing wrong…”

It seemed she intended to remain quiet till the end.

Or could it be my misunderstanding?

A slight thought crossed my mind that perhaps I was wrong.

Looking away from her, I observed Jang Seonyeon.

Jang Seonyeon was also moving away from the platform.

Coincidence? Suddenly, the guy turned his head this way.

I met his gaze.

Though he didn’t scrunch his face or smile like last time, his neutral expression revealed the extent to which Jang Seonyeon’s carefully crafted mask had shattered.

Watching that, my mind echoed.

“Just wait.”

Did he catch my stare?

Jang Seonyeon slightly twitched her eyebrows before continuing on her path.

Unlike when we first met, her shoulders and back now appeared a bit slumped.

Seeing that brought me back to Tang Soyeol, who suddenly spoke to me.

“What will you do now, Gu Gongja?”

“What do you mean?”

“The banquet is officially over now. Do you have any other plans?”

I paused briefly at her words.

Plans.

“Well, I do have something.”

The ring given to me by Elder Lee.

I had to discuss it with the head of the Martial World, likely related to a treasure expected from the ring.

“That can wait for now.”

It wasn’t because I was particularly covetous of treasures; I had no reason to covet a worn-out ring without any abilities.

Simply put.

“If I pass it on now…”

Given the recent rumors of the hidden successor of Pejon, and the absurd claims that he was actually in the Gu Clan, I understood the situation too well.

“I’ll likely send it anonymously later.”

I didn’t want to get entangled in such unnecessary situations. I had enough complications in my life already.

While it felt weird to transfer a treasure this way, I had no other option but to hold onto it.

“And…”

There was another agenda I had.

Though it was more about Shin Noya’s schedule than mine.

“Shaolin.”

I was set to visit Gu Paibang’s main sect in Hanam.

“Shaolin?”

Tang Soyeol looked puzzled at my words.

“Why Shaolin…?”

“Just sightseeing, I suppose…”

To be honest, that reason was more than sufficient.

Since I had come this far to Hanam, wanting to see Shaolin Temple required no further justification.

“That old man is still sleeping, so that’s the real issue.”

Shin Noya had insisted on visiting Shaolin whenever I came to Hanam, yet he had been sleeping for several days now.

It felt like it should have been about time for him to wake up, but this time felt unusually long.

“I’m not going right away, but I might go in a few days.”

“For sightseeing?”

“Yes…”

“Then…”

Tang Soyeol shot a glance towards Wi Seol-Ah.

Every time she tried to mention something, it had always been interrupted by her.

“Wait a minute?”

Noticing my suspicious look, Wi Seol-Ah merely remained silent, just watching.

“This is…”

Was she implying to speak? Did it feel like permission?

It might be a bit humiliating to be overly happy just because a maid was inviting me, but now would not be a time for Tang Soyeol to hide anything.

“Gu Gongja…!”

“Yes?”

“Maybe when you go to Shaolin…”

“Shall we go together?”

“Uh… Huh?”

Tang Soyeol’s line, which she seemed to be squeezing out, was suddenly cut off by someone else’s voice.

It was quite unexpected, and I glanced at the culprit in surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re going to Shaolin, right?”

With long, flowing black hair, fair skin, and a cat-like sharp-eyed beauty, it was Moyong Hi-ah, known as the jewel of the Moyong family, known for her stunning looks.

“Are you asking me? Together?”

“Yes.”

Behind her, Tang Soyeol subtly huffed in annoyance.

Her eyes seemed to say, ‘What about you?’

Despite our shared gaze, I didn’t find Tang Soyeol intimidating at all.

 

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