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Chapter 321: Listening to Cheol Jiseon

Woo Hyeok.

As soon as Cheol Jiseon sensed a presence, he felt an energy barrier being erected around him.

He froze his trembling body.

Cheol Jiseon turned around.

It was the person he had been waiting for in the dead of night.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No, not at all…”

At the voice that came from behind him, Cheol Jiseon turned around.

There stood a handsome man with a bright smile.

It was the holy Jang Seonyeon.

He had come to find Cheol Jiseon.

Cheol Jiseon quietly gazed at Jang Seonyeon.

And from a short distance away, Gu Yangcheong was observing the two in their secret meeting.

‘Sigh…’

Although he was watching, the energy barrier was in place, so he couldn’t hear anything.

‘If I wanted to listen, I could, but…’

He would have to get closer, and if he hastily tried to use his energy to break through the barrier—

Jang Seonyeon would notice.

‘His personality is trash, but he has talent.’

That guy was worse than a lump of filth in my eyes, but I had to admit his talent.

Sitting on a tree, I watched Cheol Jiseon and Jang Seonyeon from a distance.

Earlier, when Cheol Jiseon had confessed to me—

By the time I completed my thoughts, Cheol Jiseon said he would meet Jang Seonyeon afterward.

‘Hmm…’

I remember the expression on Cheol Jiseon’s face while he spoke.

For some reason, he looked at me like he was terrified.

‘Why? I said I’d let him go.’

He hadn’t spoken falsehoods.

The words I had spoken contained the intention of actually allowing Cheol Jiseon to live instead of trying to kill him.

‘But why is he so scared?’

If this wasn’t the issue, then could it be that Jang Seonyeon told him to act accordingly?

That could be possible.

Even if Cheol Jiseon was smart, he might not have grasped the full meaning of the words.

Perhaps he simply thought to listen to Jang Seonyeon.

I certainly had no intention of letting him off the hook.

He might have interpreted it in the same way.

‘Even so, that’s his problem, not mine.’

It wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

I genuinely hoped Cheol Jiseon would handle things according to Jang Seonyeon’s words.

Moreover, if Cheol Jiseon truly decided to align with me—

‘There’s also a way for me to utilize that power.’

It was still something I needed to think about.

It wasn’t something I hadn’t imagined.

If Cheol Jiseon was indeed the strategist of the Martial Alliance from the future I knew,

The abilities he displayed were a stronger power than I thought.

It was uncertain whether the current Cheol Jiseon possessed such power, but the important thing was—

With strong power comes risk.

It was undoubtedly valuable power to utilize.

However, weighing whether it was worth carrying the risk along with it was still something I needed to ponder.

‘How about turning him into a demon and shackling him?’

That was the first method that came to mind when I thought of keeping him as a subordinate.

If I could turn others into demons,

I could corrupt Cheol Jiseon into a demon and use him below me.

But—

‘Not yet… not yet.’

I didn’t want that.

This was also related to how Yeon Ilcheon had referred to me as calamity and

I simply didn’t want to repeat the same actions I had taken as the Heavenly Demon in my previous life.

It wasn’t out of some guilt towards Cheol Jiseon.

I just didn’t wish to act like the Heavenly Demon.

Time was not on my side.

It was not even a matter I needed to ponder; in this world, power must be utilized.

Being swept away by trivial emotions and drowning in worries was foolish.

This was additionally a final line.

The line that leads me to becoming a demon like in my previous life.

And the midway line where one can live as an ordinary martial artist.

The moment I cross over, there would be no returning.

I could instinctively sense this.

Feeling increasingly nauseous, I stroked my left arm.

The area wrapped in bandages.

“Let’s get up already.”

That was a call for the old man who had appeared at a crucial time to help, only to fall asleep again.

But still, there was no answer.

Was that why?

Only Noya’s words kept echoing in my mind.

– Have confidence in yourself.

Words to have faith in myself.

Truly difficult words.

If it had been easy,

I wouldn’t have lived the way I did in my previous life.

“What useless thoughts.”

Regrets that I often recalled.

It wouldn’t be any different now.

‘Think only about the future. That’s more important now.’

I summarized the information I obtained from Biwaegun.

Additionally, I needed to know what this tattered cloth wrapped around my arm was.

With the information from Biwaegun out of the picture, I hadn’t gained much at all.

I needed to find a way to swiftly reach the transformation realm.

‘Is it just the White Horse Stone, then?’

I thought of explosively increasing my bets to reach the transformation realm.

If I could acquire the White Horse Stone submerged deep in the sea,

I should be able to reach the transformation realm directly.

If not—

‘… I would need to reach the level of Shaolin’s Daehwan Dan.’

Although inferior to the White Horse Stone, if it were at the level of Shaolin’s Daehwan Dan, it might be possible.

‘What nonsense.’

Even thinking about it made me laugh.

Daehwan Dan wasn’t some pet name.

Where on earth would I find a potion of such caliber?

In the end, the answer was to stabilize my heart even a little more.

If I were to properly examine myself to ascend to the transformation realm—

My energy was overwhelming.

My physique wasn’t lacking, but it wasn’t at a sufficient level.

Then the problem lay with my heart.

‘There are too many issues there, and I’m unsure where to begin fixing them.’

Even just lightly thinking of them, it wasn’t just a few problems.

I didn’t know where to start fixing them.

Yet I had to.

From now on, I needed to build myself properly.

To surpass the transformation realm.

Beyond that, I could see a higher state.

I needed to raise my realm with the White Horse Stone.

I would reach a limitation quickly.

After that, no matter how many demon beasts I hunted or how many demon stones I absorbed,

I wouldn’t be able to ascend.

At that point, it wouldn’t be in the realm of betting anymore.

‘There’s no way. No way.’

I know the shortcut, but knowing that it wouldn’t reach the destination via the shortcut,

Ultimately, I return to square one.

This is why martial arts can be so infuriating.

There are no shortcuts.

I should focus diligently on the fundamentals, but time isn’t on my side.

I have no time to grow my martial arts.

Thinking still, I raised my body.

‘Indeed… this is the only way.’

The method to elevate my realm while saving time.

Unless heaven has blessed me with both being a genius and time, I can’t have both.

I knew how to solve this.

‘The problem is that I need that guy for it.’

Those were the thoughts that crossed my mind as I looked at Cheol Jiseon.

Normally, I would have killed him and gotten rid of him rather than giving this up.

‘More useful than I expected.’

What Cheol Jiseon had shown during our conversation,

The words he said about choosing to come over to me, leaving Jang Seonyeon behind.

If that’s the reason, it can be considered a reason.

‘Just a little more.’

It wasn’t certainty.

I was still at the stage of observation, but… my heart was slightly moved.

To me, Shinryong Temple is the last line of defense.

The moment I step away from this place,

I have to kill who I must kill and protect those I need to.

I also had to prepare myself.

If I couldn’t trust anyone and had to move alone,

The quickest and simplest method was to eliminate any potential enemies.

While stroking my left arm and looking straight ahead,

After finishing their conversation, an unusual thing happened between Cheol Jiseon and Jang Seonyeon.

Jang Seonyeon left with a ridiculous smile plastered across his face.

‘Looks like there wasn’t a problem after all.’

The reason I came to watch Cheol Jiseon, even though I knew everything, was simple.

If things got messy with Jang Seonyeon here and he decided to treat Cheol Jiseon poorly,

That was something I needed to prevent.

Jang Seonyeon wasn’t the type to kill Cheol Jiseon over a little disturbance, but—

The existence of ‘if’ was real, so I subtly followed along.

Ultimately, it seemed like there were no immediate issues.

After Jang Seonyeon left,

Only after Cheol Jiseon slowly disappeared out of sight did I rise.

“How much time is left?”

When would Jang Seonyeon be unable to hold back and move?

Surely it wouldn’t be long now.

For now, I just had to wait.

A useless excitement surged as I felt I could finally eliminate that guy.

I suppressed that feeling.

Ting!

“•••!”

In an instant, I turned my head and scanned my surroundings.

“•••What was that?”

Just now, I felt a presence brush against my back?

Just in case, I heightened my qi perception and spread it around,

But no significant presence emerged.

“Is it just my imagination?”

If it were even slightly stronger, I would have started searching around to confirm it, but—

It was a truly minuscule presence.

..

..

.

After shaking my head slightly and dusting myself off,

I too decided to return to my room.

And so the next day dawned.

As if to announce morning, sunlight streamed through the window frame.

While the other Gwandosaeng sharing the room shook off their bedding and finished their morning preparations,

I had to express that I had just woken up, sporting a bird’s nest hairstyle and a dazed expression.

“•••Huh?”

As I wiped the drool from my mouth, I asked back.

The others, who had been shaking off their bedding, seemed taken aback, freezing in their motions while staring at me.

In the place where our gazes met,

There was a girl who was kneeling quietly, looking at me.

With her fair hands gently clasped together.

With golden eyes boring into me.

She didn’t seem to fit in this place at all.

“Just now… what….”

“I like you.”

Just as I was about to ask if I had misheard, a clear voice interrupted.

It was the same words I thought I had misheard just before.

“…Huh…?”

Wondering if it was a dream, I pinched my arm, but it hurt like hell. Does that mean it’s not a dream?

Although, wouldn’t there be worse painful dreams?

That seemed far more accurate given the situation.

While I was bewildered and at a loss for words,

The woman who had spoken continued to look at me with her unwavering gaze.

The girl who came to find me first thing in the morning and blurted out something I couldn’t comprehend was—

Wi Seol-Ah.

 

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