Chapter 259
Chapter 260: Before Heading to Anhui (3)
I finished wandering around the city and returned to my residence.
With Nangong Bi-ah’s sharp gaze piercing my back, I quickened my pace, feeling a bit frightened.
I ended up arriving earlier than I expected.
‘…I absolutely should not ever go out looking like that again.’
It must have been terribly humiliating, I barely even remember where the food went.
In that atmosphere, there was no chance I could endure for long.
Someday.
If possible, I should go out together.
Either I’ll go solo, or bring just one person with me.
Otherwise, it could lead to regrettable situations.
Huff!
I slowly extended my fist forward.
Even caught up in my thoughts, my movements remained precise and deliberate.
Guess it’s thanks to the countless repetitions from before.
It was hard, no doubt about it.
Training wasn’t something one could slack off on, one had to push through with sheer willpower.
‘The more bets there are, the harder it becomes to manage.’
Compressing as the stakes rise is a tougher job.
Unlike the past life where I burst out whenever things got overwhelming.
In this life, I needed to learn a more efficient way to use my abilities.
Having grasped a hint of enlightenment.
I had to amplify it and incorporate it into my body.
It was for the sake of ascending to a higher realm.
I moved, focusing on every subtle movement.
In doing so, I would lessen the bets I made.
Still, I was determined to reach the level of power I desired.
To achieve this required intense concentration.
And my lower Dantian throbbed in pain, causing me to grind my teeth.
But I had to push through.
Crisp.
As I cautiously lowered my foot, I recalled the conversation I had with Moyong Hi-ah.
In the end.
Moyong Hi-ah mentioned she would be going to Anhui together.
It was unavoidable for regular heat absorption, besides, she had business in Anhui too.
So she would accompany me.
Of course, this was something I somewhat predicted.
But hearing she would genuinely go with me was more surprising than expected.
For whatever reason, the bloodline of the Moyong clan visiting another clan was significant.
Moreover, the Moyong and Nangong clans.
Though greatly diminished now, they were once compared quite often to the Four Great Clans in terms of martial prowess during previous generations.
‘…Nowadays, the Moyong Clan is somewhat lacking, to say the least.’
When looking purely at martial strength.
Even if you consider the clan leader, the Azure Sky Sword Wang Nangong Jin.
Or his son, Nyolong, both of them are considerable.
But even beside them, just thinking of Nangong Bi-ah next to me was sufficient.
It would likely be tough to find anyone in all the Central Plains with talent matching Nangong Bi-ah’s.
She was a woman who had already reached the peak at a young age.
In a past life, she alone possessed the strength to annihilate her entire clan.
Of course, while Moyong Hi-ah wasn’t devoid of talent, her skills leaned more toward commerce or strategizing than martial prowess.
‘…I know that all too well.’
Having seen it far too often in my previous life, it wasn’t hard to recognize.
Amidst all those insane demon beasts.
The reason many survivors managed to stay alive for a long time wasn’t just due to their strength.
It was entirely thanks to Seolbong’s exceedingly skillful and efficient leadership.
Moreover, when the situation called for someone to be sacrificed,
She threw herself into the fray without hesitation.
This gave many a reason to follow her orders.
An endlessly cold, rational woman.
The one who smiled, that smile felt so detached it nearly froze upon her face.
That was the Seolbong I remembered.
—I’ll cherish it.
Kyu,,
Her bright smile as she received a cheap ornament suddenly flashed in my mind.
It was a face so different from the person I knew.
I could never have imagined Seolbong could wear such an expression.
I never even tried to envision it.
What does this mean?
‘Just like the Demon Sword Queen, perhaps she too could change.’
Just like the current Nangong Bi-ah shows no signs of the blood smell from her past life or the disdain and hatred towards others,
Perhaps with Moyong Hi-ah’s chill diminishing,
A different aura from her past life was beginning to seep into her.
If that’s indeed due to me—
Snap.
“Ugh…!”
Did that random thought just cross my mind?
With my unfocused foot suddenly swaying.
My movement got twisted, and the bet I had barely clung to scattered away.
It retreated back into my lower Dantian.
“…Tsk.”
Feeling it, I clicked my tongue.
This is why it’s crucial to avoid distractions.
“Well, today’s training is done.”
Given my concentration was shot, it wouldn’t yield any further benefits to go on.
Ultimately, after retracting the slight remnants of my bet, I moved on.
‘Somehow.’
Was it due to too many wandering thoughts?
It felt like I wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight.
I’m dreaming.
How long has it been? To be dreaming, I mean.
Not a nightmare, but a perfectly ordinary dream.
How did I know it was a dream right away?
There wasn’t any particular reason.
‘So soft.’
Right now, I was stroking the chin of a cat.
Since there wasn’t a cat in my residence.
So it must be a dream.
Even though I didn’t particularly like cats.
To say I detested animals would be more applicable.
But I was just petting it since it appeared in front of me.
The soft feel of its fur made the cat rub its face against my hand.
It had white fur and blue eyes.
How unique.
It seemed there were cats like this too.
Quite different from the spotted ones I occasionally spotted around town.
It had an air of untouchable elegance, if anything.
Just by looking, you could tell it was well-bred.
Purr—
As I quickly scratched its chin with my fingertips, the cat emitted a purring sound.
It seemed to be enjoying it.
‘But somehow, it feels like someone I know…’
With those white fur and blue eyes.
Who could it be…?
I was sure it resembled someone…
‘Ah.’
A realization struck me.
Wasn’t there someone right next to me that bore a striking resemblance?
‘Nangong Bi-ah.’
White fur and blue eyes.
It matched perfectly.
This cat resembled Nangong Bi-ah.
Is that why?
Somehow, my touching hand unconsciously changed.
I moved from its chin to pet its head, or gently rubbed its cheek.
Perhaps because it was a dream, the cat remained still, merely enjoying my touch.
At that moment.
Purr—
I heard the sound of a beast gnashing its teeth from somewhere.
Hastily looking back, I saw an unknown black figure slowly approaching me.
‘What the….’
What is that?
Staring in astonishment at the sudden presence of energy.
The approaching black figure suddenly dashed towards me at high speed.
In a panic, I quickly hugged the cat.
It was to protect it.
Embracing it felt different for some reason.
It was clearly a small cat, yet it felt as if I were holding a human.
The fluffiness I felt was distinctly different.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
“Uh?”
A brief sound of a scream echoed.
It was too vivid to be simply a dream.
The sensations were the same.
Could I call this a dream?
Was it perhaps because I felt an uncanny sense of disconnection?
I awoke from the dream involuntarily.
“…Huh?”
Lifting my heavy eyelids, I finally confirmed my surroundings.
I was clutching onto something.
It felt tremendously soft and fluffy.
What is this?
Is it a pillow?
As I slightly shifted, I felt something brushing through my hair.
Based on the sensation, it was definitely a hand.
Once I realized that, I urgently pulled my body back to create distance.
“What, what is going on?”
Upon assessing the situation,
My eyes landed on what I had been holding onto this whole time.
Surprised, I found Nangong Bi-ah staring wide-eyed at me, blinking in a daze.
“…You, what are you doing here?”
I asked in shock, startled.
Nangong Bi-ah tilted her head in confusion.
“…I just came to wake you up…?”
This absurd situation felt more dreamlike.
Could it be?
That what I had been fondling in the dream was real?
No way.
If it were true, there’s no way Nangong Bi-ah would remain calm about it.
“Are you okay…?”
Instead, it seemed like Nangong Bi-ah was worried about my sudden reaction.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing happened.”
“”
She tilted her head at my response, then slowly spread her arms.
Seeing that made me frown slightly, and I asked,
“What are you doing?”
“…Isn’t it… that you want a hug? Or maybe… touching?”
“”
I brushed away the blush on my face due to Nangong Bi-ah’s words.
It seemed I hadn’t simply acted solely in the dream.
“…No, please just back off.”
« o ”
• • • – • • • O •
Nangong Bi-ah finally looked a bit disappointed as she left.
In a hurry, I called for a servant to finish my morning wash.
After changing my clothes.
The servant’s gaze felt oddly piercing, but once they saw my sullen face, they hastily changed their expression.
Maybe they thought this upon seeing my reddened face.
“When are we leaving?”
“I heard it’s around 1 PM.”
“There’s still time for a meal then.”
Nodding at the servant’s reply, I thought.
It had been a few days since I returned from the city with Nangong Bi-ah and Moyong Hi-ah.
Today was the day I’d depart for Anhui, as my father told me.
The duration of our stay at the clan wasn’t long, and because of that, our schedule was tight.
I needed to handle a considerable number of matters in just a few days.
I had been attending to various tasks I’d pushed aside, while also helping with education I’d missed before.
In between, Gu Huibi frequently came to bother me.
And unexpectedly running into Lady Mi often.
Ah.
Just a note—Nangong Bi-ah hadn’t spoken a word to me for several days since she handed her necklace to Moyong Hi-ah.
She must have been quite upset.
Even if I visited, she would just ignore me entirely.
While I pondered on what to do, Hongwa, who was watching my turmoil, suggested,
—Why not bring her a flower or two? That should definitely ease her mood.
At first, I found it absurd.
If a mere flower could lighten her spirits, shouldn’t she have cheered up long ago?
I asked if there was nothing else, and Hongwa gave me a look I had never seen before, then sighed heavily.
—…I momentarily felt sorry for Nangong Lady.
Her voice was filled with quite a bit of lament.
Pretending to fall for it, I gathered some flowers and presented them to Nangong Bi-ah.
By the way, the flowers I picked were all white varieties.
The only flowers I knew were the ones my mother used to cultivate.
‘…Thank goodness it worked.’
It truly did.
When I offered her the flowers,
To my surprise, I saw Nangong Bi-ah’s expression brighten with astonishment.
She even smiled sweetly.
Why did that resonate so much?
They were just flowers, weren’t they?
The workings of a woman’s heart are indeed perplexing.
As I stepped outside, dressed properly, I spotted Nangong Bi-ah standing in the garden.
It seemed she was admiring the lake attached to my yard.
There should be nothing there…
There were originally carps in that pond, but seeing as maintaining them was cumbersome, I sent them to Gu Yeonseo’s pond.
“When did you wake up?”
“Uh?”
“If you’ve come to my room, that means you must’ve woken up pretty early?”
“…Ah.”
Unlike me, who just wrapped up my preparations, Nangong Bi-ah appeared to have finished getting ready some time ago.
Her hair was beautifully styled.
It seemed she had even applied a bit of makeup.
“It couldn’t have been you who did that. Did Hongwa assist you?”
“…Hmm?”
Knowing Nangong Bi-ah’s personality, it didn’t seem like she was one to fuss over herself before heading home.
So I asked, suspiciously.
Especially since it was surprising to see her up at this time.
Her outfit also seemed more tidy than usual.
The sword at her waist was conspicuously absent.
It was clear she hadn’t styled herself on her own.
“Who did that for you?”
“…That’s…”
Why was she hesitating to answer?
Seeing such a response, Nangong Bi-ah avoided my eyes, seemingly in a bit of trouble.
Was it really that necessary to go to such lengths?
“…Lady Mi…”
“What?”
In response to my unexpected inquiry, I spontaneously questioned it.
Lady Mi dropped in out of nowhere.
“Why would Lady Mi…”
“…Since it’s her house she’s returning to… she thought it’d be apt to show she’s been well since…”
So.
That meant since early morning, Lady Mi sought out Nangong Bi-ah.
Someone, whether a servant or otherwise, helped wash and dress her up.
“What is this nonsense?”
I roughly understood the intent, but the journey to Anhui wasn’t short.
Why start this fuss so early?
My thoughts were interrupted by what followed from Nangong Bi-ah.
“…Once we arrive, she said she’d notify you…”
Kyu,,
That’s right.
Since Lady Mi was also coming along.
The problem was still her reasoning for pestering Nangong Bi-ah in this manner.
‘Maybe because of the way people are looking, but…’
Thoughts crossed my mind, but it was clear it was unnecessary.
‘Hearing about Gu Huibi has been quite the chore, though.’
As soon as Lady Mi returned,
Gu Huibi began to voice her complaints.
She might be more stubborn than I am,
Having been caught up by Lady Mi’s emphasis on manners and decorum.
She was being lectured on proper conduct and grace.
‘My goodness… that sounds terribly dreadful!’
Just imagining it sends chills down my spine.
Did Gu Huibi ever care about such things?
Even more so now, with the prestigious So Sword Peak rising in terms of what’s considered further along.
Rumors about her fiery temper had become well-known by now.
Gu Huibi has always been like this, and she won’t change.
At least from what I saw of the twisted future.
Yet neither did she dare defy Lady Mi or flee.
She must rather like her mother.
Conversely, Gu Yeonseo seemed to enjoy this process, but then again…
“So you came looking for me since the early morning?”
“…Yep.”
“Must’ve been a hassle.”
I |
.
!
….
“No, it’s fine….”
How could that possibly be okay?
A girl who normally wouldn’t wake up easily, waking up at such an early hour, was itself a marvel.
“Let’s head off for food.”
“…Ah….”
Nangong Bi-ah froze for a moment.
“What’s wrong?”
I heard it’s about an hour until we depart.
So there should be enough time for us to eat.
Inside my head, I felt that Nangong Bi-ah had an unusual expression.
Given the time, she likely hadn’t eaten anything yet.
“Is there a problem?”
When I asked, holding back amusement,
Nangong Bi-ah timidly replied.
“…Lady Mi asked to eat together…. with me.”
“What?”
Lady Mi?
That Mi lady would suggest such a thing, not to me, but to Nangong Bi-ah was quite a surprise.
It felt like recently, I’d been crossing paths with her more often.
Yet for her to suddenly extend a breakfast invitation this morning?
“What is going on?! Where do we go?”
“”
In response to my inquiry about our destination,
Nangong Bi-ah shook her head, denying it.
As if to say it wasn’t the case at all.
“No? Then what the hell….”
“It’s just… for me only….”
“Uh?”
“…Only me, she told me to come…”
