Episode 285
“…….”
I tilted my head as I stared at Dok Go-seong’s frozen figure like a stone.
Is this something to be that shocked by?
I just changed the way I spoke.
“Hyung, aren’t you in pain somewhere?”
“He is currently recovering from illness.”
Dokgo-seong was at a loss for words as he answered indifferently.
To brighten up the awkward atmosphere, he offered some light encouragement.
“Training hard.”
“…….”
“If you want to work under me, you don’t have to have average skills.”
In the end, Dok Go-seong’s face became grotesquely distorted.
Now I couldn’t even tell what kind of emotion the expression contained.
Feeling ufortable, I turned around, waved my hand, and left the training ground.
As I was walking away, I felt my face getting hot.
‘Was it this difficult to treat others poorly?’
* * *
“long time no see.”
A woman, Cheon Ga-ryeong, entered the office and spoke to me in a bright voice.
While I was away from the branch and went to Gansu, she handled some work that had been requested in advance.
Naturally, she could not participate in the rescue team as she had not yet taken the literacy test.
Especially since Sogeolgae, the elder of openness, was circling around me.
“You cameter than expected.”
“It took longer than expected to process the requested work. “Anyway, I heard you were seriously injured. Are you feeling okay?”
“With my current physical condition, even if I were to fight a child walking down the street, I’m confident I would lose.”
“…Do you usually express confidence in such things?”
“And you? “Did the matter go well?”
“It worked out somehow. “I will write a report soon and hand it to you.”
Let’s chat for a while.
Cheon Ga-ryeong, who was sitting on a leather chair and sipping the tea brewed by Woo Hwayeon, looked back at me with a surprised face.
“for a moment.”
“why?”
“Are you just talking to me informally?”
“Because you wanted it.”
“When I repeatedly suggested that we talk to each other, we ignored each other!”
“I’ve had a bit of a change of heart recently.”
Cheon Ji-ryeong blinked with an expression of disbelief.
Dokgo-seong and Cheon Ga-ryeong are like that.
I don’t know why they’re making such a fuss about how a change in speech is such a big deal.
“Are you in any pain?”
“It doesn’t hurt. “Because the internal injuries haven’t healed yet.”
I felt a sense of déjà vu.
Haven’t we had a simr conversation recently?
Cheon Ga-ryeong, who put down the teacup on the table, looked back at Woo Hwa-yeon with a serious expression and asked.
“Princess. “It’s not like that friend picked up or ate anything strange these days or anything, right?”
“Gossip very openly.”
“If you don’t do that, people can’t change this much.”
“Is it really that surprising?”
“……”
Cheon Ji-ryeong’s expression became strange.
It was an expression that felt simr to the one Dok Go-seong had made before.
“What on earth happened in Gansu? I heard some rough news. “There was a big change in my state of mind as I passed the threshold of death, or something like that?”
“It’s simr.”
“It’s something I will live to see for a long time. “Days like this alwayse.”
Cheon Ji-ryeong looked me up and down with a strange exmation.
A reaction like that of an old man who has lived the rest of the world.
How on earth has she been looking at me all this time?
“It’s something I’ve been hoping for, but now that I see you using informalnguage, I have a hard time getting used to it.”
“If it’s ufortable, will you respect me again?”
“I’m begging you, please don’t do that. “I feel ufortable because it feels like I’m dealing with an old man.”
Because he is young and old.
It wasn’t a particrly wrong expression.
In this life, I am a 21-year-old young man, but in terms of mental age, I am a man who has passed the age of 19.
I scratched the back of my head and changed the subject.
“What about blindness?”
“I have received Master Moon’s permission. I’m currently in the process of preparing a suitable disguise. “I n to take the official exam soon.”
Before returning to Gansu.
I rmended Cheon Ga-ryeong to join the alliance.
Because I decided that it would be better for her to officially be a leader ande under mymand rather than staying at the Sacheon branch as an outsider.
Of course, no matter how much Chen Jialing was the leader of Hao Wen, he could not make such an important decision on his own.
So I didn’t agree right away and said I would ask Moonju for permission, but it seemed to work out well.
“After taking the entrance exam, do I have to use the title branch manager when I call you?”
“At least in official settings, it should be like that. “It’s okay to call mefortably in a private setting.”
“Hmm…”
Cheon Ga-ryeong’s lips slowly drew an arc.
It was a smile that gave me a strangely unpleasant feeling.
What kind of n does that woman have up her sleeve that makes her look like that?
* * *
As Cheon Ga-ryeong left the office and crossed the hallway, he let out a long sigh.
At first, I didn’t even notice because it seemed so natural.
That Yeonsun is ttering himself.
After I found out, I was so embarrassed that I started talking gibberish.
It was to the point where I couldn’t even remember exactly what I said.
‘It wouldn’t have been obvious, right?’
For a while, I pressed my hands against my face to soothe it.
Cheon Ga-ryeong, with narrowed eyes, nced in the direction of the office and muttered.
‘What kind of change of heart did you go through?’
A conversation she had with Yeon-woon a long time ago, when she was suffering from a mental illness, shed through her mind.
[Thank you for today as well.]
[Please memorize the phrases I have taught you. Right now, it will be difficult to use internal energy without external help because the blood flow is damaged, but in the end, forplete recovery, you must be able to use Taeeul Shingong on your own.] [I understand.] [You can leave
now
. ]
[Um… Sohyeop.]
[Do you have something to say?]
[It’s fate that led us to interact like this, so why don’t we start talking to each other soon? Since we happen to be the same age…]
[I don’t really care about things like titles or tone of voice. It’s okay if you treat mefortably.]
[Then I will do that. Please take care of me in the future.]
[Please take care of me.]
[……?]
[Why do you look at me like that?]
[Didn’t you decide to stop talking…?]
[As I said a little while ago, please take it easy. Please treat me. Regardless of age or distribution, it is my long-standing habit to treat others with respect, so you don’t have to worry about it.]
[…….]
You don’t know how absurd I felt at the time.
Until now, there was an invisible wall surrounding the man named Yeonsun.
Not only he, but everyone around him felt it.
I’ve tried various ways to be closer to him.
I dressed up nicely and showed off the world of beauty, approached her without any shame like an old friend, and even begged her for a gift like a lover.
They even tried to win his favor by taking him to a dark city or giving him precious gifts.
Nevertheless, the man named Yeonsun was always the same.
Always maintained a certain distance from others.
It was literally a strong fortress as if surrounded by iron walls.
‘But.’
People have changed so much even when we haven’t seen each other.
The atmosphere was noticeably different from before.
Should I say that I feel more mature and rxed?
It seemed like it would be possible to make progress in a rtionship that had be so tight now.
“……”
Cheon Ji-ryeong’s eyes narrowed.
A hum naturally came out.
The steps I take also be lighter.
‘Well, I think the new look is closer to my taste than before.’
* * *
A month has passed since I returned to the Sacheon branch.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“I received permission from God. “He said it wouldn’t matter if I went on a long trip as long as I didn’t practice martial arts.”
“Health is good, but aren’t you currently being targeted by the Demon Cult leader?”
“Is there any danger in moving with Master? We have hired enough escorts and people to do misceneous work for us. “You don’t have to worry.”
“Your stubbornness remains the same.”
“Didn’t I tell you when I asked you to teach me the White Lightning God Technique? “I am stubborn.”
I went on a trip to Honam with my teacher.
The reason I said I would follow him was to amodate the convenience of my teacher, who would soon join the academy, but it was also because I had some personal business to attend to.
Taking the entrance exam did not mean that Master would just sit in Honam.
First, I nned to decide which department I would work in after joining and find a ce to live.
It would beter that the Dokgo family moved to Honam.
“Then let’s leave.”
Jang Ryangguk, the leader of the party and the head of Haeulpyoguk (遐鳦鏢局), announced the start of the journey.
In addition to the hired masters and masters, there were many masters with outstanding skills.
From the followers of the Sichuan branch to the disciples of the Huashan Sect.
For your information, it didn’t cost a penny to hire the disciples of the Volcano Sect.
[I’m thinking of going to Maeng’s headquarters for a while. So, in case of an unexpected situation, I would like to ask you to escort me…]
[If that is the case, I will help you as much as I can.]
[Whose request would I refuse?]
I will visit and apany the monks who are sitting in the branch eating nothing but eating. When I asked for it, he said it was okay and epted it.
No one was talking, but they seemed to be aching because they had nothing to do.
The journey went smoothly.
Let alone being attacked by demonic cultists, I never once encountered themon bandits.
This was because the rumor that Cheonryong and his teacher were heading to Maeng’s headquarters had spread widely.
If I were to choose the two most famous people in today’s martial arts world, they would be none other than myself and Master.
Even though he borrowed the power of Geumgong, he single-handedly defeated the Blood Flower Witch.
And the teacher of Heavenly Dragon, who disyed the might of an absolute expert on the battlefield.
It was a popr topic on the lips of wealthy people.
Even though more than two months have passed since the subjugation operation waspleted, the world’s interest shows no signs of abating.
‘One of the two vacant seats of the Ten Heavenly Emperors will soon belong to you, Master.’
I hope that thefortable journey will continue for about 10 days, with the helpers taking care of all the misceneous tasks.
Finally, the group crossed the border of Gwiju and reached Honam.
Doo doo doo doo!
‘hmm?’
While I was staring outside the carriage with a nk expression, I tilted my head when I heard the sound of horses’ hoovesing from ahead.
Because my senses had lost their proper function, I couldn’t figure out the identity of those approaching me.
I just guessed that they were not enemies based on the messengers’ reactions.
Sweet.
The carriage stopped in ce.
When I opened the door and got down to the ground, I saw the face of the old man at the head of the horsemen and opened my eyes wide.
“Seniors?”
“It’s been a while.”
An unexpected face was there.
Sohyeongeom (昭賢劍), an elder of the Meng, led his direct military unit and came out to meet the group.