Chapter 427
Chapter 428: Long Time No See (3)
By the time I arrived at my assigned quarters, the first words to escape my mouth were nothing short of irritation.
“Ugh, why do I have to share a place with you?”
I uttered this while unpacking my belongings. Behind me, a tall young man was diligently unpacking his own things.
It was none other than Woo Hyeok.
I was sharing a room with Woo Hyeok.
“Haha, there’s no room, so what can we do?”
“Damn it!”
The Tang Clan had crammed both Woo Hyeok and me into one room, claiming there was a shortage of quarters.
How could such a large clan like the Tang Clan be so lacking in space?
When I first heard it, I figured they were just making excuses to avoid giving us a room.
But the expressions of the servants and Tang Soyeol’s words made it clear that they looked genuinely sorry about the whole thing.
By the way, Cheol Jiseon had come along too. He was probably unpacking in a small room next door right now. While I was grumbling, Woo Hyeok chuckled and said,
“I get that it’s unfortunate not to be with your fiancée, but try to hang in there.”
“What are you talking about you crazy idiot? Who’s my fiancée?”
“Well, there are so many, it’s hard to pick just one….”
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
In the middle of his nonsense, Woo Hyeok howled as I smacked the back of his head.
“Just desserts! Just desserts!”
I barely grazed him, but ignoring Woo Hyeok, who was rolling on the floor, I continued unpacking.
Right now, the only thought on my mind was simple.
I needed to unpack and then get some sleep.
That was my only plan.
If I wanted to relieve my fatigue, I could have bet it off, but sometimes, a deep rest was just what I needed.
As I finished unpacking, I turned to face Woo Hyeok, who still seemed to be sprawled out on the floor.
“I heard there’s a banquet tonight; are you going to go?”
“Go? Where to?”
Just as I expected, he had been playing up his drama, as he paused his rolling at my question.
Seeing this, I added,
“Your Master is reportedly here.”
“Ah….”
Mentioning the Master of Wudang made Woo Hyeok’s expression stiffen instantly.
It was quite refreshing to see him make such a face.
“Maybe it would be fine to go a bit later…”
He had come here to meet the Master, so why the sour expression?
If someone as indiscriminate as Woo Hyeok looked that displeased, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person they were.
Since I had never met a martial artist from Wudang before, I had no idea what to expect.
‘Well, I’ll find out once I meet them.’
After all, I also needed to meet up regarding the Thunder Fang.
I was curious as to why a disciple from Wudang would suddenly possess a treasure from the Nangong Clan.
The purpose of meeting the Master of Wudang was simple.
I intended for Bi-ah to wield the Thunder Fang.
The Demon Sword Queen had once been a high-ranking martial artist in Sword Mastery,
But the way she behaved while holding the Thunder Fang was nothing short of monstrous.
The Thunder Qi was best absorbed by the Thunder Fang.
I didn’t know if she would actually give it up…. But if she refused,
‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.’
I wasn’t out of options, so I decided to think about it after seeing her.
As I was organizing my plan, Woo Hyeok interjected,
“What will you be doing until the banquet?”
What would I be doing, you ask? Well, naturally….
“I’ll be resting.”
“Resting…? You?”
Woo Hyeok’s face bore an expression of disbelief upon hearing my answer.
“…What’s with that reaction? I just want to rest. You got a problem with that?”
“There’s water, too.”
“Seriously, you wanna die?”
I couldn’t help but feel dizzy from his lame joke that didn’t even qualify as a move from Elder Lee.
Oh, this guy.
If he wanted to fold in half, he should have just said so in advance.
Just as I was about to approach him with some impulse, Woo Hyeok hurriedly added,
“No, it’s just that resting and you don’t seem to go hand in hand.”
“What are you talking about? How do I not fit with resting?”
Where could you find someone as lazy and fond of lounging around as I was?
Taken aback, I protested, and Woo Hyeok exhaled sharply and countered,
“You train all day. And whenever you’re not training, you’re out hunting demon beasts and harvesting their energy. I’ve never seen you rest!”
“…”
Hearing Woo Hyeok’s words, I began to see his point.
I had been training or handling tasks throughout our travels, and when I wasn’t, I was out killing demon beasts and siphoning their energy.
Come to think of it?
I hadn’t had a single day of rest.
In retrospect, it wasn’t surprising that Woo Hyeok saw me that way.
‘I wasn’t this diligent of a person.’
How had it come to this?
“Ugh, whatever. I’m definitely resting today.”
Just as I shouted that and was about to settle down, a presence emerged outside the door.
“Your Highness!”
“…”
I recognized the voice; it was Tang Soyeol. Why was she suddenly here?
A sense of foreboding washed over me.
“Are you there?”
As the presence got closer, I peeked through the door.
“Ah!”
Seeing me, Tang Soyeol approached beaming with a smile.
“Why….”
I felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety as I asked, but Tang Soyeol cheerfully replied,
“Your father is looking for you! He said something came up!”
“…”
I rubbed my face at Tang Soyeol’s words.
Just when I thought I could finally catch some rest…. It seemed the world had no intention of leaving me be.
What a damn world.
After hearing Tang Soyeol’s words, I headed toward the Poison King.
To be honest, I didn’t want to go, but since he called me that urgently, something must have happened.
‘It better not be anything too urgent.’
If it wasn’t urgent, I was ready to show some sass.
Clan matters or otherwise.
Since there were direct blood relatives nearby, no one would stop me from wandering through the clan.
“Where are you going?”
I asked Tang Soyeol.
The direction we were headed wasn’t where the Clan Leader usually rested.
“Oh, your father is in the guest quarters.”
“Guest?”
Guest? Who were they talking about?
Was it Moyong Hi-ah, who possessed the Baek Cheon-gyeom?
Just as a hint of suspicion rose, Tang Soyeol seemed to sense it and explained,
“Oh, it seems like other guests arrived a few days ago besides the princes.”
“Hmm?”
They arrived a few days ago?
Huh?
‘Could that be why they said there was a shortage of rooms?’
Only now did I understand why they had asked to share rooms with us.
It seemed unexpected guests had arrived, leading to a shortage of space.
However, something felt a bit off; even though they were from a prestigious family and clan,
What kind of critical guests would warrant cramming us in a single room?
If their party valued such elements, there might have been trouble if some despicable character was thrown into the mix.
Of course, you had to wonder if anyone would be bold enough to question the Tang Clan.
‘Who on earth could it be?’
What’s more, these guests arrived when the Poison King wasn’t even around.
It suggested they were significant figures.
As we neared the quarters, I spotted the Poison King waiting for us.
I bowed my head respectfully as I approached him.
“I heard you called for me.”
The Poison King offered a slight smile at my words.
“I apologize for calling you just as your journey is coming to an end.”
“…It’s fine.”
I barely held back my urge to retort, “Why summon me if you know it?”
Given that my emotion regulation was already exhausting me, I simply nodded.
Lately, it had been particularly tough.
Suppressing my emotions with effort, I asked the Poison King,
“May I ask why you were looking for me?”
How urgent could the matter be that he was seeking me out personally?
Noticing my sour expression, the Poison King responded with a slightly awkward look.
“The guest… requested that you to come, Gu Gongja, thus I called you.”
“Excuse me?”
His words made me furrow my brows in confusion.
A guest was looking for me?
…From the Tang Clan’s guests no less?
I couldn’t comprehend it. Why would a guest be seeking me out?
“May I ask who this guest is that requires my presence?”
“Just follow me for now.”
The Poison King stated before turning and striding toward the quarters.
Without proper explanation, he just walked away…
I frowned deeply and followed.
If there wasn’t a reasonable explanation soon, I might explode in frustration.
With my temperament, I had reached my limit.
Tang Soyeol noticed the shift in my expression as she followed closely behind me.
The quarters we entered were quite spacious.
Comparing it to my own quarters, it was almost double the size.
It was certainly a building that could match the Clan Leader’s personal quarters. As I took in the surroundings, I wondered,
‘Who on earth is important enough to occupy such a place?’
It was clearly an unusual establishment.
Was there really a guest of such significance that they warranted this level of accommodation?
There was no one that immediately came to mind that would look for me in such a respectable clan.
Following the Poison King inside, I soon spotted a small garden within the spacious area.
It looked like they had invested quite a sum into it.
After what felt like quite some time walking, the Poison King halted in front of a door. He glanced inside and spoke,
“Elder, I have brought Gu Gongja.”
‘Elder…?’
I widened my eyes at the Poison King’s demeanor.
The Poison King of the Four Great Clans showing such respect toward someone?
Once he finished speaking, the Poison King stepped aside slightly and looked at me.
“…”
It was an indication for me to go inside.
Feeling a slight tension, I moved toward the room.
Just as I did, Tang Soyeol attempted to follow suit, but the Poison King raised a hand to stop her.
He made it clear she wasn’t to enter.
Nervously, I advanced and peered inside.
Who could it be…?
“Hmm?”
The moment I caught sight of the person having tea inside, a question mark popped above my head.
At first glance, I saw a boy whose bangs obscured half his face, making it hard to decipher his features.
The boy looked up, saw me, and gave a slight nod.
I recognized that face.
“You….”
The boy I was looking at was none other than Jiegal Hyeok, who would later be known as the brain of the Demonic Sect and its chief strategist.
While I wondered why he was suddenly here, something more urgent took hold of my attention.
‘This kid being here means…?’
I quickly turned my gaze to the person seated across from Jiegal Hyeok.
The elder’s gaze was already fixated on me.
His face was marked by deep wrinkles and a skeletal frame, with wisps of white hair.
Although he appeared shabby and frail, no one could disregard him upon reaching the Central Plains.
“Long time no see.”
His voice was high, thin, and sharp.
Despite his countless achievements and a deep-seated character, that coldness in his eyes remained.
“Elder…?”
“Hmm.”
He was known as the divine healer, reputed to be able to save anyone as long as they had a breath left in them, regardless of their ailment.
Many held deep respect for this elder and chose to refer to him as,
“Shin Yi (神醫).”
