Chapter 257: Before Leaving For Anhui (1)

Rustle.

The sound of a letter unfolding was what broke the silence.

Rustle.

I didn't know what kept him so busy, but I always saw my father working.

Father looked the same as ever as I carefully entered the Lord's room.

"I heard that you called for me."

Only after I spoke, did my father raise his head and make eye contact with me.

"Yes."

He put down the letter he was reading, and kept staring at me while he spoke.

"Firstly, good work."

"It was nothing."

"With this, your punishment has come to an end."

My confinement that lasted a few months was already over, and now, I was also finished with my duty at the frontlines that lasted for over a year.

Thinking back, it was hard to consider it to be a punishment as it was more helpful to me since I was able to increase my strength in the process.

Perhaps... Did he do it on purpose?

Since it ended up this way, I had my suspicions but...

Probably not.

The confinement might have been intentional, but my duty at the frontlines definitely wasn't.

Father didn't know about my ability to absorb Demonic Qi, so him sending me to the frontlines was definitely meant to be a punishment.

Though, it was much better than my past life.

Did it last for one year or two years in my past life?

I barely managed to stay alive after I was dragged away by Gu Huibi's hands.

Back then, it really felt like hell.

...I guess this time wasn't that different either.

If I had to compare, rather than being physically tired,

I was exhausted... mentally.

Something like that.

I didn't really want to think about it that much.

Father continued speaking while I put on a sour face.

"Just like I said in the letter, so long as no problems arise, you will leave for Anhui in a few days."

As soon as the idle conversation was finished, he got straight to the main topic.

Since I found this uncomfortable atmosphere difficult, personally, I was fine with him getting straight to the point, but I guess his personality really was the same as ever.

Moreover, he's really making me go, huh?

Anhui huh...

I believe that I'd been there once or twice.

Though not with the best intentions, I'd gone there a couple times after becoming a Demonic Human.

But now, I have to go to that place for an engagement.

I never would've expected for something like this to happen.

It was obviously too late to run away now.

...I mean, I can.

But when I thought about the girl who was probably sleeping somewhere at her place or mine, it was impossible.

Am I really going to marry her like this?

Me marrying someone?

What was happening...

After realizing that this was actually happening, an unknown feeling rose within me.

"The Lady of the Clan will accompany you on your trip to Anhui."

"...Pardon?"

I couldn't help but gasp after hearing what my father said.

Lady of the Clan? Lady Mi was coming too?

"...Why?"

I accidentally spoke back.

After hearing my question, Father put on a rare strange expression.

Though even that was hard to notice without paying attention as it was too small of a face.

"Why, you ask. That's a strange question."

Agreed.

I said that by accident, and considering that this trip was for an engagement between two clans, it wasn't strange for Lady Mi to accompany me since she was the Lady of the Clan.

Then... wait.

After realizing something, I immediately asked my father.

"Is this why Lady Mi has returned to the clan?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Only after hearing from Father did I now understand why Lady Mi had returned to the clan earlier than she did in my past life.

So it was due to my engagement huh.

...Since I didn't get engaged in my past life.

Well, it wasn't that I didn't get engaged on purpose, it was more like I wasn't given the option due to my poor reputation.

I felt bitter thinking about it.

Despite being from a noble clan, how much trouble did I cause for me to not receive a single engagement proposal?

Though, that probably wasn't the only reason why it didn't happen.

Despite being old enough, Gu Huibi didn't get engaged either.

...Lady Mi is coming with me huh.

It may have been her duty, but I wondered if it made her feel unpleasant.

I obviously felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Well, that's that."

"Yes."

"I heard that you had some conflict with the Hwangbo Clan at the frontlines."

"...Oh."

Hearing that from my father made me flustered for a moment.

Where did he hear it from?

I thought I had done a good job hiding it.

"It wasn't a big deal."

It really wasn't a big deal.

All I did was break the knees of a Hwangbo Clan's blood relative into pieces, and manipulate the younger blood relative into joining the fight for the position of Young Lord, right?

That's not that big of a deal.

Back in my day, not only did I annihilate an entire clan, but I even thought about destroying the entirety of Central Plains, you know?

Becoming a Lord or not wasn't really that big of a deal.

Yeah! Of course not.

Hearing my response, Father stared into my eyes,

"I see."

As always, he was satisfied with a short response and didn't ask any further questions.

'...It's scary how he doesn't ask any further questions.'

Since I could remember, he had always been like this.

As long as I didn't cross the line while causing trouble, father always let it pass without prying into it.

Of course, I knew that if I crossed my father's line, I would be destroyed, so I always tried my best to avoid crossing it.

...Maybe not? Now that I thought about it, it never really crossed my mind.

Anyways,

After that, I briefly was informed about my schedule which consisted of education I was required to receive for being a blood relative, and about visiting the merchant associations related to the Gu Clan.

"...Lastly, ask the Steward about your schedule."

"Understood."

In the end, the important points were about my engagement at Anhui and that Lady Mi would be accompanying me.

That was all.

Just before I was about to leave, and since it seemed like father was done with his work.

"...Lord."

"Hmm?"

I was going to ask him about the thing that happened at the frontlines.

About the marble left there by our ancestors.

What the beast called a seed and said was extremely dangerous to grow.

That marble.

Does father know about it?

I was curious.

"The marble at the center of the forest."

"Yes."

"Do you know what purpose that marble serves?"

Pause.

My question made Father's hand stop for a moment.

His gaze bore deep into me, and because his red pupils were shining brighter than before, I wanted to avoid his eyes.

"Why are you asking that?"

"...I was just curious."

Did my sudden question catch him off guard?

After a brief moment of silence, father continued speaking.

"It is not time for you to know yet."

He went back to the letters after giving me a firm response.

It was a simple denial, but one word lingered in my mind.

Yet... huh.

Considering how he said that it wasn't time for me yet, it meant that I would learn about it in the future.

And if my assumption wasn't wrong, it seemed like Father knew what that marble was.

I don't know if he knows that it is a seed, like that bastard told me.

But now, I knew that that marble had some sort of a purpose.

Though, there was a problem.

Even if I pester him, he won't tell me anything more.

Though there was a good chance of my father burning away all my hair if I continued to remain stubborn.

...I must protect my hair.

The Immortal Healer had told me before that he could cure anything, other than balding or hair that was burnt away.

"...Then my Lord."

"You still have something to say?"

"What should I do about the Snow Phoenix?"

It was a different subject this time.

As he didn't expect this, father's eyes widened a little.

"The Snow Phoenix?"

"Since I'm going to Anhui, what should I do about the contract I made with them?"

Since her body didn't accept heat other than mine, I made a promise to give her heat.

The Snow Phoenix only felt warm for a moment when father and Gu Huibi actually tried themselves and they also failed to get rid of the Ice Qi inside her.

Then I guess this is probably due to my Demonic Absorption Arts?

It was almost impossible for me to deny it now.

It seemed like my Demonic Absorption Arts was able to absorb the Ice Qi that took the life of the Snow Phoenix in my past life.

Though I don't know if I am actually absorbing her Qi and making it mine, or I am just getting rid of her Ice Qi with my heat.

Considering how I didn't feel anything different after that, I believed that I wasn't actually absorbing her Ice Qi.

Father answered my question immediately.

"I've already informed the Moyong Clan about this."

"Huh? When?"

I don't think I've heard back from Moyong Hi-ah yet and for him to be already done with this matter...

Oh wait, I haven't even gone to see her once.

Right. I never actually went to see Moyong Hi-ah after I returned to the clan.

"What's going to happen?"

"Hmm..."

Just as father was about to respond, he turned his head and looked outside the window.

Wondering if there was something outside, I looked in the same direction, but besides grass, I didn't see anything special.

"...It seems like they are waiting for you. Hear the rest outside."

"Huh? Who's waiting for me...?"

Was it the Steward?

Father signaled that he didn't have anything else to talk about.

It meant that he was telling me to leave and stop stalling any longer.

Because of that, I lowered my head in respect and left the Lord's room.

Then,

Hey.

I called the bastard who was sleeping.

[Grr?]

Since I felt something move deep inside my Dantian, it seemed like it heard me.

Since I wasn't going to absorb any Qi for a while, I told the beast to sleep, but it seems like it really slept the entire time.

It took me a while to learn about this, but he obeyed me much better than I expected.

It felt like I was raising a puppy.

Of course, that was that but...

That wasn't the main topic.

When are you planning to wake up the elder?

[Grr...?]

It's been more than a year.

For the beast to be able to absorb Qi more easily and have a conversation with me, Elder Shin had to sleep for a bit, and the contract I had made with the beast would last for a year.

And now, it had already been a few months since the deadline had passed.

Stop pretending like you know nothing. You know very well that the time has already passed.

[...Grrr.]

Wake him up already, I have something I need to ask him.

I needed to ask Elder Shin about the marble I had seen at the frontlines.

Elder Shin was someone who had become active during the period when the Gate of Demons had just appeared, and he had also experienced the Blood Disaster caused by the Blood Fiend.

Considering about how he was active in the past,

He should probably know about the marble too, right?

That was what I thought.

Since he was from way too far in the past, he didn't seem to know about the Murim Alliance or the Gu Clan but there was still a chance.

More than anything, I was starting to miss the nagging of Elder Shin.

[...Grr.]

Without responding to me, the beast growled quietly and began erasing his presence gradually.

That movement... that bastard was planning to go back to sleep!

Where do you think you are go- ...Hey, hey!

The bastard had definitely heard me, but without giving me a response, it quietly disappeared.

That fucker.

Should I just cut open my belly?

I guess the bastard doesn't know that I'm a professional at cutting open stomachs, huh?

Not only at cutting it open, but I was also well versed in burning it away after doing so.

If you don't want that to happen, come out while I'm stil-

"You came."

Pause.

The sudden, unexpected voice brought my steps to a halt.

Since it was a familiar voice, I turned around and saw the Steward standing at that spot, but the voice I heard was of a girl's, not his.

I thought that I was still in the hallway that led outside, but only then did I realize that I was already outside.

It seemed like I didn't notice it because I was lost in my thoughts.

The Steward lowered his head after seeing me.

After nodding back lightly, I immediately looked behind him.

It was because the owner of the voice I heard was standing there.

Moreover, there were not only one, but two familiar faces there.

"Why are you guys here?"

The girl in front gently pushed her hair aside as she replied.

"...We said that we would see each other again, but you weren't around..."

The girl that responded after pushing her hair aside was Moyong Hi-ah.

And the other person was...

"...Let's... eat food together."

It was obviously Namgung Bi-ah.

They were constantly wary of each other.

Because the both of them had a cold expression as their resting face, or perhaps because they were not fond of each other, the atmosphere around them wasn't really the best.

After getting goosebumps, I unconsciously rubbed my arms .

Why is it so cold even though it's summer?

My body, which barely felt cold, was now feeling this cold in the middle of summer.

"Is that why you were waiting here for me?"

"..."

"It somehow ended up this way..."

Now I knew why father was looking out the window.

Father's senses covered most of the clan, so he must have immediately realized who was standing outside.

Namgung Bi-ah's presence may have been understandable, but I didn't expect Moyong Hi-ah to be here as well.

I let out a sigh and spoke while looking at Moyong Hi-ah.

"But you shouldn't have waited outside like this, especially since you hate bugs."

"...I'm sorry. After seeing Young Lady Namgung, I unconsciously- "

As Moyong Hi-ah was responding with a slightly reddened face filled with embarrassment, she suddenly stopped midway and stared right at me.

Her gaze was somewhat strange.

"Huh? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"...How does Young Master Gu know that I dislike bugs?"

"...Oh?"

Fuck.

I made a mistake.

I quickly made an excuse.

"...You just look like it?"

"This is the first time that I've heard such a thing though?"

Of course it would be.

It didn't seem like it worked.

Fair enough, who would have imagined that a girl who looks as cold as her would be scared of bugs.

I didn't know either.

I didn't learn about it because I wanted to.

I only remembered it because even though she was stronger than me, Moyong Hi-ah kept breaking down whenever we ran into a bug type Demon and I was forced to work my ass off.

When I later asked her about why she kept behaving in that manner, with an expression filled with guilt, she sobbed as she told me that she couldn't handle bugs.

...Yet she raises a moth at her place.

It was well-known that the Moyong Clan used moth type Demons for their business, yet strangely, the precious child of their clan despised bugs.

"I just happened to learn about it."

"...That's not something you could just- "

Just as Moyong Hi-ah took a step forward, a hand reached out towards me and pulled me in.

As I lost my balance and fell backwards, I felt a soft sensation and white arms catching me.

"...Stop right there..."

It was Namgung Bi-ah who had come near me without me noticing.

"...Sword Dancer."

While staring at Namgung Bi-ah who wasn't allowing her to come any closer, Moyong Hi-ah frowned her eyebrows a little.

After seeing that the situation was turning into a mess, I was about to ask for help by signaling the Steward, but...

"Hehehe..."

But the Steward was already walking away with a smile.

...Are you really going to leave me like this?

Was this the survival instinct of a Steward who had served the clan for decades?

And wasn't it way too fast?

Then,

Zap-

A zapping sensation started coming from the person who was holding me.

It was Namgung Bi-ah's Lightning Qi.

Furthermore, I also felt a cold sensation pass by my arm for an instant.

It seemed like that was Moyong Hi-ah's Ice Qi.

Almost as if they were cats with their fur puffed out, the situation gradually grew more heated.

I had to do something as it felt like I was going to be the one who would get hurt if I left the situation as is.

Pow-!

"...!"

"Eut!"

I clapped my hands enhanced with Qi and emitted a wave that surprised the others around me.

This method required an exhausting amount of Qi to use, and I never thought that k I would have to use it in a situation like this ...

While looking at the girls who were now stunned, I spoke.

"Calm down, the Lord is watching from behind."

"Eut."

"...!"

As their expression turned back to normal, it seemed like they finally realized that this was the Lord's place.

This was also the location where father's senses were most efficient, so he was probably watching everything that was happening here.

After Moyong Hi-ah belatedly realized about what she had done, she put on a very depressed expression. It was the same for Namgung Bi-ah.

After seeing that, I carefully spoke.

"Let's not do such a thing here. First... let's eat."

I said this after I remembered Namgung Bi-ah said that she came here to eat with me.

Seemingly reading the situation, the two girls nodded their heads.

...I gotta drag them out of here for now.

I made that suggestion since the first thing I thought was that it would be best to get out of this place.

But it took me less than 2 hours after saying those words to realize how stupid of a decision it was to make them eat together.