---

Chapter 228: A Sudden Meeting

Dragged along, I arrived and washed my body.

I took off my dirty clothes and changed into new ones.

Even the original clothes were so foul that washing them wouldn’t get rid of the smell, so I had to burn them instead.

‘Was I seriously drenched in sweat?’

Thanks to the intense heat in the Closed Training Area,

sweat constantly dripped down my body that had absorbed the Fire Technique.

‘…I really thought I was going to die…’

The environment can change drastically depending on the elder brother, and while I could endure if I screamed out,

there was nothing I could do about the sweat making me thirsty.

I can’t even imagine how much water I had to drink.

‘That was some serious hardship.’

Since it was a Closed Training Area, to be honest, I thought another six months wouldn’t be a problem,

but such a space was something I wanted to avoid.

I had already been there in a previous life.

Perhaps feeling it in this life was uniquely different.

‘But still.’

It wasn’t just about killing time during those two months of seclusion.

Clenching my fist, I felt the energy within my body throbbing every time I repeatedly punched.

I stabilized the energy flowing around inside,

and the sensation of the energy I originally possessed felt thicker.

Of course, I hadn’t reached the Transformation Realm yet.

The Transformation Realm isn’t a wall that can be crossed in just two months.

‘It’s a bit disappointing.’

Honestly, feeling disappointed was kind of funny.

What could I expect to gain from just two months?

Shifting the flow of energy and smoothly guiding it to the Lower Dantian,

even this much was significant progress for now.

“Thanks to that, my physical condition improved a bit.”

Maybe it was because of the abundance of energy I had absorbed.

The growth of my physique felt particularly rapid compared to my previous life.

If my limbs grow longer, I could gain significant efficiency in real fights.

That would actually be a good thing.

‘I hope I grow even taller than in my last life.’

It was uncertain.

If I continued on this growth path, wouldn’t I end up taller than in my previous life?

“Young Master.”

As I finished changing my belt and was ready,

Muyeon called for me from outside.

“Let’s go out now.”

I checked if any lingering foul smell still clung to me, but thankfully, it seemed I had gotten rid of everything.

‘Did I really have to bet just to shake that off?’

I wondered how concentrated that foulness was to emit such a stench.

Creak.

When I opened the door, Muyeon, waiting outside, lightly bowed his head and acknowledged me.

“Welcome back from your ordeal.”

“What ordeal are you talking about?”

You’d think I had been in there for years from hearing those words.

I chuckled and looked at Muyeon.

His posture was still impeccably upright and honest.

It seemed he had begun to spread energy gently around, almost as if he were about to guard me.

One could clearly tell that he was handling that energy at a significantly different level than before.

“You worked hard, huh?”

“…I didn’t.”

“Come on, it’s not that. Humility can be a bit too much sometimes.”

Considering only two months had passed,

the level of energy I felt from Muyeon was indeed special.

When a martial artist first crosses that wall,

they often struggle to adapt to the newly opened senses and their five senses mixed with their energy.

They tend to let the energy filling their Lower Dantian run wild without control.

Most people take at least a year to adjust to it.

Yet here was Muyeon, regulating it in just a few months.

It could be seen as proof of both his and my impressive talent.

‘Except for Nangong Bi-ah. She’s in a league of her own.’

As soon as she crossed the wall, Nangong Bi-ah handled it like it was nothing.

Her clan was full of monsters so talented they wouldn’t even blink at being called gifted.

At my comment, Muyeon laughed awkwardly.

“These are the letters you asked for.”

“Oh.”

Muyeon pulled out several letters from his robes and handed them to me.

These were things I had asked him to fetch before I entered the Closed Training Area two months ago.

There were a few stories I wanted to inquire about from the Upper House and Hao Gate.

Fortunately, it seemed they arrived just in time.

I was about to unfold the first letter when he added,

“And my father said to come find him once you’re ready.”

It seemed I should see my father first.

Normally, I would have to head to the Clan Leader’s place to see him,

but for some reason, this time I was directed to go somewhere else.

I was told to meet in the meeting room, which only opened when guests arrived.

‘What’s going on?’

As I leisurely followed Muyeon, I quickly arrived at my destination.

Creeeak.

As the door opened, I found my father sitting in the spacious meeting room.

Additionally,

‘What’s she doing here?’

In one corner, I caught sight of Nangong Bi-ah sitting with some prepared snacks in front of her.

“Come in.”

Once my father gave his permission, I walked in and scanned the room.

With the seat next to Nangong Bi-ah empty, it was clearly mine.

I carefully sat down.

As soon as I did, a faint floral scent wafted from Nangong Bi-ah’s direction.

Glancing subtly at her, it felt strangely different from the usual Nangong Bi-ah.

‘Did she put on some makeup?’

Is it correct to say she looked a bit more polished?

No, it had to be that way.

As I observed Nangong Bi-ah with subtle curiosity, my father spoke up.

“So, it seems there’s been some progress.”

His flat remark made me flinch internally.

I thought I had hidden it well, but apparently he noticed the moment he laid eyes on me.

“I had a bit of enlightenment.”

I roughly made a plausible excuse.

It wasn’t incorrect.

It was enlightenment, after all.

My father didn’t press further and merely nodded.

Feeling parched from the tension, I took a sip of tea,

and then my father got to the point.

“I called you because of the engagement schedule with the Nangong Clan.”

“…Ah.”

Oh no.

The engagement ceremony we were supposed to hold after the Dragon Meeting once we returned to the clan.

Honestly, I had completely forgotten about it.

With everything going on, it seemed that part had slipped to the back of my mind.

‘…Ugh…’

So, that was why Nangong Bi-ah was here.

I had planned to make my escape when the time came, but I never thought I would end up being tied down like this.

Feeling a bit troubled, my father suddenly turned to Nangong Bi-ah and spoke.

“I apologize, Lady Nangong. There was a disturbance in the clan, and in the end, it affected Nangong Clan as well.”

“No, not at all… it was a big issue.”

“I will relay this to the Clan Leader of Nangong as well.”

It seemed my father had sent a letter ahead regarding why the Clan Leader of Nangong didn’t come, despite there being a scheduled engagement.

Nangong Bi-ah, who received my father’s apology on behalf of her clan, went silent for a moment before speaking.

“…Sir Clan Leader.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Could you perhaps lower your voice…?”

Hearing that, I flinched.

I hadn’t expected Nangong Bi-ah to say such a thing.

My father also seemed surprised, as his eyes widened slightly.

However, he quickly regained his composure.

“Let’s discuss that after the ceremony has concluded.”

Despite being younger, she was still an outsider, and he wasn’t going to let off the hook.

Nangong Bi-ah looked somewhat disappointed, but

her expression soon turned resigned.

After all, the line she had to stay within was already drawn quite clearly.

As I watched, I couldn’t help but interject slightly.

“So what’s the schedule like?”

If the ceremony had been postponed, I needed to know what would happen next.

“We originally planned for it to take place at the Gu Clan, but due to accountability, we’ll move it to Nangong Clan instead.”

Normally, most clan weddings were conducted at the groom’s clan,

but they would hold the ceremony at the Nangong Clan due to the circumstances surrounding the Gu Clan.

‘…Is that okay?’

It wouldn’t be a big issue to just listen to it,

but the engagement between clans was heavily scrutinized,

and conducting the ceremony at Nangong Clan could give off the impression of a losing face.

Whatever the underlying intentions, it was how the world saw it after all.

Most of the time, especially when it comes to prestigious clans, they wouldn’t be so eager to concede.

‘The Gu Clan doesn’t really care about that sort of thing though.’

My father’s words were indeed shocking.

Of course, it didn’t bother me much.

Whether it was about losing face or not, what would it matter when the Blood Calamity begins?

“…So when is it happening…?”

“The date will be after you come back from the front line.”

That pushed it back much further than I had expected.

After returning from the front lines,

given the time to re-schedule, it could even exceed another year.

‘It might be good that it’s pushed back.’

But, I couldn’t help but glance at Nangong Bi-ah.

When I snuck a look her way, she remained emotionless, listening to the discussion without revealing anything else.

“I’ve already discussed this with the Nangong Clan.”

“Already? Just like that?”

It didn’t seem to be a discussion about what to do next.

It appeared I had been informed ahead of time about this situation.

In any case, since I had caused the delay, there was nothing much I could say.

As I carefully observed Nangong Bi-ah’s reaction, she finally spoke.

“…I’m okay with it.”

Looking at my father, she added,

“As long as it’s not a broken engagement, anything is fine.”

In her monotone, I sensed a mixture of complex emotions.

That’s why it felt awkward to perceive.

“I’m truly sorry about this.”

“Not at all. Thank you for your consideration.”

Nangong Bi-ah’s words got a nod from my father.

I distinctly overheard my father mutter softly,

“Luckily, he didn’t take after me.”

It seemed like he held a deep-rooted disdain for Nangong Jin.

What on earth had happened in the past to cause such a rift between them?

After a brief exchange of words that didn’t seem significant,

there was nothing more to say.

After some time passed,

“This discussion has concluded, but I’m sorry, Lady Nangong, could you please excuse us for a moment?”

At my father’s request, Nangong Bi-ah stood, maintaining her standard demeanor,

but there was an unusual sense of solemnity.

‘Why can she act like that but behaves so differently normally?’

I often found it odd when she showed such serious expressions.

It made me question if she was genuinely the same person.

“…I’ll just go wait outside…”

As soon as she turned her back to my father, she instantly reverted to her usual expressions and tone.

With light steps, Nangong Bi-ah exited the room, leaving a heavy silence behind.

Why did my father send her out?

‘…Am I in trouble again?’

It was naturally a time that prompted me to wonder what I had done now.

As I kept my mouth shut and swallowed my saliva,

my father casually remarked,

“I checked Elder Lee’s notes.”

That got my attention.

It had been two months since that was submitted, so this wasn’t a surprising topic to establish.

“So what happens next?”

“We need to verify how many of the issues in the notes hold any truth.”

Including Elder Lee’s demotion,

the transfer of management of the Gu Exemplar Sect, and giving me justification for my own mess were all covered.

That was roughly what my father conveyed.

Could it be that the positions of the elders would change as a result of this?

Like Elder Lee getting replaced by Elder Lee?

It was something that was not originally determined by rank, but it could happen.

While quietly absorbing the information, I suddenly remembered something I wanted to ask my father.

“Clan Leader, may I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Did you not know anything at all?”

At my question, my father paused, ceasing his hand that was about to bring the tea to his lips,

and turned his gaze toward me.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if you really had no idea about Elder Lee causing trouble behind the scenes.”

Did my father genuinely not know anything?

That seemed unlikely.

What I was curious about was how much he didn’t know.

A few seconds passed as we exchanged calm gazes,

and my father took a sip of his tea without responding.

Seeing that, I was the first to look away.

I knew he wouldn’t answer.

“…When do we leave for the front line?”

“After you’ve rested, we’ll set off immediately. Your sister has already departed.”

“My sister?”

Was Gu Hee-bi sent to the front line ahead of me?

I wondered if she had fully recovered.

“Ask the Head Officer for the details.”

“…Understood.”

On my father’s command, I promptly stood and began to walk away.

The reason I didn’t ask any further was that my father also hadn’t pressed me for more details.

Even if I were to pry,

I doubted he would say anything.

‘About seven days, maybe?’

That seemed a reasonable timeframe they’d want to have at the clan.

I had some small matters to settle within that time frame.

‘But going to the front line itself is a bit of a problem…’

The fact that I’d be spending a whole year out there was the biggest issue.

However, as I reached this point, there was also a slight eagerness building up.

Since the front lines are filled with Demon Beasts,

it could be a great opportunity to gather Demon Stones as well.

It was something I used to be cautious about in the past.

But now, I felt inclined to change my stance.

‘…After all, I need to feed the tenant inside me.’

I had to provide for the resident taking up space in my belly

and felt the need to increase my own energy as well.

So, if I had to engage in this, I should make the most of it.

“Hmm?”

As I stepped out of the building and went outside,

I found Nangong Bi-ah standing in the path to my residence.

“Didn’t you say you would wait for me outside?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then why are you just standing there? You could go back inside.”

“Just because…”

As she approached with light strides, I felt an oddly sweet floral scent wafting around.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but smile.

“You just ran away earlier because I smelled bad.”

Tsk, tsk.

With a teasing grin, Nangong Bi-ah’s brows furrowed slightly.

When I came out of the Closed Training Area,

Nangong Bi-ah had wrinkled her nose at me and said—

“It stinks.”

I distinctly remembered those words.

“Did you know that was a surprisingly deep wound?”

“…That wasn’t the smell…”

“What smell then?”

“…Foul smell.”

“That’s what regular people call it.”

I had to admit; even I could smell it from myself.

So, I couldn’t blame Nangong Bi-ah for reacting that way.

I |…

.

.

..

‘…So I was a little hurt by that.’

As I walked, Nangong Bi-ah subtly took my arm.

“What are you doing?”

Seeing her turn away without saying anything,

it seemed she was concerned about what I had said hurt her feelings.

‘It was just a joke, but…’

Her worried demeanor amused me, so I chose to stay silent.

As we reached my residence,

I casually asked, “By the way, where did Wi Seol-Ah go? I haven’t seen her once.”

I had just come out of the Closed Training Area and hadn’t seen her at all.

Wasn’t she supposed to have rushed over to me?

“Maybe she went out or something.”

That could be possible,

but I thought she wouldn’t miss the chance to come see me today.

As I pondered this and was about to enter my residence,

“Hmm?”

Nangong Bi-ah, who had been holding my arm, suddenly halted.

So, I stopped too.

“What’s wrong?”

I checked around her, but she was simply gazing at me with a complicated expression.

“…What’s up with that look?”

“…Seol-Ah…”

“Hmm?”

With great caution, Nangong Bi-ah whispered,

“…She’s gone.”

At that moment,

I felt as if my breath had been sucked away.

 

---