Chapter 97 : Chapter 97
Chapter 97: This Time Fire
To Chang'an.
“Chang'an?”
“To Chang'an?”
Kwak Daebang and Yang Cheonjo answered simultaneously.
“Yes. This time, I have business in Chang'an.”
As soon as I returned to Luoyang, a message came from the Rogues' Guild.
One of the spiritual medicines I sought was in Chang'an, and they would bring more detailed information soon.
As expected, it wouldn't take long.
“Huh.”
Kwak Daebang let out a sigh of admiration.
“You're really busy. Is the family going together this time too?”
“No. I plan to go back and forth with lightness skill.”
Chang'an was closer than Kaifeng.
I would let Jayeong and Taebok stay comfortably at home, and only I would go back and forth at night.
Why else would I have learned the Xun Trigram Technique first.
I learned it to quickly go home no matter where I was.
The Xun Trigram Technique accelerated lightness skill through the wind's natural path.
For Chang'an, it was entirely possible.
“So, Brother Kwak, would you like to come with me this time?”
“Eh? Me?”
“Yes.”
In my thinking, there was currently 'some kind of contest' unfolding in Chang'an.
To obtain the spiritual medicine, I had to step into that contest.
Considering the nature of the contest, Kwak Daebang's face came to mind.
To be precise, that plump belly he was scratching came to mind.
“Do you need my martial arts?”
“E....... Let's say so.”
“?”
Whether his belly could shine in action would be known once in Chang'an.
“Anyway, good. This is perfect timing!”
Kwak Daebang picked up a dish and tossed it heartily into his mouth.
“Perfect timing?”
“The inspector. Since he couldn't meet you, he'll return to Luoyang, right? But if he misses you again this time? They have to pretend to do something, so they'll call us again. It's obvious without seeing!”
He waved his hand as if fed up and added.
“I know all the eateries, inns, and taverns in Chang'an like the back of my hand. I'll take you on a gourmet tour of Chang'an this time.”
“But why are you licking your lips. You plan to tour the famous restaurants nominally for me.”
“Hm? What do you mean.”
“It's not?”
“No. Of course it is. If I give you a gourmet tour, doesn't that mean I'm on a gourmet tour too? Ha ha hat!”
He was an incorrigible glutton.
Watching the dynamic movement of his jiggling belly.
“Uwaaa! Take me too! You can't leave me out!”
Suddenly, Yang Cheonjo interjected.
“Hm? You too, Cheonjo?”
“Yes! Show me around Chang'an too. I've never been to Chang'an.”
“Is that so?”
This Chang'an spiritual medicine trip was not fighting enemies or exploring dangers.
Probably.
So, it seemed fine to bring Yang Cheonjo.
“If your senior allows it, I'll bring you.”
“Yeehaw! If we three go together, Mother will allow it no problem!”
Yang Cheonjo's face flushed with excitement.
But now that I thought about it.
“Cheonjo, have you heard about your ancestor?”
Yang Cheonjo was the grandson of Taehang Manyeop-su, one of the Five Eccentrics. When he learned that fact not long ago, Yang Cheonjo had been full of vigor.
But when I asked while entering the Wind God Sword's stone tomb, he said he hadn't heard anything.
“Well....... He doesn't tell me well. He said he'll tell when the time comes.”
“Is that so?”
He still hadn't said much. What happened to that bloodline after Taehang Manyeop-su?
Anyway, if it was a story he wouldn't bring up first even to his son Cheonjo, there must be a good reason.
“It seems there's some entangled story, so don't press your mother more. As he said, he'll tell when the time comes.”
“But I'm curious.......”
“You can look into the Eccentrics' activities yourself.”
“That much should be fine?”
“Ask about that too.”
“Ait, geez!”
It was strange that he hadn't looked into it.
Somehow, he's listening to his mother more and more.
Is he maturing?
A chuckle escaped.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing.”
The guy who used to call for beatings had somehow.
Still, I just shook my head. It was still too early to praise him for maturing.
“Refine more.”
“?”
“Brother Kwak, then when the Chang'an trip is confirmed, I'll contact you, and we'll meet then. You too, Cheonjo.”
“Sounds good!”
“Yes!”
* * *
Before leaving for Chang'an, I had something to do too.
Whoooong-
Mukheun cried.
“Yes. I need to train. Shall we go to the training hall? Or to the mountains?”
The one who answered was not Mukheun but the autumn wind.
The wind that blew on my back for a moment told me to go outside the city.
Thud.
I propelled my body with inner power.
Jumping from building to building inside the city, and in a moment, outside the city.
Entering an unnamed mountain, I suddenly looked to the side,
And countless fallen leaves were running with me.
Whoooosh.
The wind blowing through the mountain urged the fallen leaves on.
And urged me on.
Run, Jin Yeomyeong.
Like time, run.
As fast as possible, as slow as possible, but without stopping.
Half a month in Luoyang.
Half a month going back and forth to Kaifeng.
It had been only a month since I regressed, since Taebok was born.
Despite the numerous events flowing quickly, only a month had passed.
Fast yet slow.
But it doesn't stop.
I too don't stop.
Flutter, one fallen leaf flew in front of me,
And without hesitation, I placed my foot on it.
There was no rustling sound.
Because I lightly stepped on the fallen leaf and jumped.
Regardless of the level of martial arts achievement, extremely minute inner power operation made it possible.
Next fallen leaf, another fallen leaf, stepping continuously on the fallen leaves flying toward me, I headed to the sky.
The deep blue sky looked down at me.
Whoooong-, I drew Mukheun and greeted toward that sky.
This is Swordsman Jin Yeomyeong.
Could you spare some time?
I wish to divide that time finely.
Today's training was not to obtain something new.
Because I couldn't even properly utilize what I had obtained in the processes so far.
In the recent fight too, I still mainly utilized the Xun Trigram Technique. It was originally the trigram technique I used most, and that too was an excellent way of fighting.
Just a little more, just a little more, no, actually endlessly more.
I want to become stronger.
Stepping on the last fallen leaf.
I leaped to the sky with all my strength.
The sound of wind brushing my ears suddenly quieted, and the moment I stood at the peak of the leap.
Below my feet, the mountain where the season was waning, and far away, Luoyang where life was blooming, came into view.
Whoooong-.
Mukheun cried.
“Yes.”
I unfolded the perfect sword containing the time I realized while preparing for the assembly.
I had only realized it but hadn't used it in a confrontation yet.
Blink.
My body fell.
The sound of falling wind reached my ears.
In that interval, the sword flowed slowly.
I pictured the weapons of the strong enemies I fought before regression.
How they approached me.
How they wounded me.
And I inserted the flowing sword between those weapons.
Strange.
Even though it flowed this slowly, it passed through the imaginary weapons without obstruction.
Blink.
The body fell even faster.
The wind at my ears howled fiercely.
The weapons too became exceedingly fast.
Yet in that interval, the sword still flowed slowly.
Through the numerous weapons, following one path.
That path was visible.
Against the enemies' strong and fast weapons, I too had competed strongly and quickly.
I searched for paths to be fast and honed and honed the sword.
If wind, Xun Trigram Technique, Wind God Sword made me exceedingly fast.
There was another path.
The path to approach enemies like time.
Seeming fast, seeming slow, but without stopping, the path where the sword suddenly approached close.
The path such a sword took.
“The path to be slow.”
Blink.
The falling body, the passing wind at my ears, all felt as if stopped.
Blink.
I had slowed down.
* * *
“Eh, you?”
Jayeong's eyes widened round upon seeing me enter the house.
“Why?”
“Something's a bit different?”
“Is that so? What?”
But Jayeong couldn't answer and just peered into my face.
“?”
“It's hard to pinpoint exactly. Something's different, but.”
“Is that so? If you say so, then it is.”
“Hmm.”
Whoooong-, Mukheun cried.
“See. I told you.”
“Only I can resonate with Mukheun.”
“Whoo, no. I'm right.”
At Jayeong's words, I just smiled.
Even that, if you say so, then it is.
“Where's Taebok?”
“Koong, sleeping.”
He was now a one-month-old baby.
He still couldn't hold his head up, so when holding him, I had to support the back of his neck firmly.
If I put a finger in his hand, he would reflexively grip it tightly, such a baby.
No matter how much he stirred the wind, in essence, he was just a one-month-old baby.
“Dear, why?”
“Unless I reverse time again, I won't see this one-month Taebok again.”
“Reverse time?”
“Ah, slip. Just, without reversing time. Anyway, that's not important, I want to remember this one-month Taebok. This tiny face now will become hazy after he grows, right? Now when I hold him, he fits perfectly in my arms, but after he grows, this sensation will blur too? One day suddenly, aigoo, I don't remember well, and regret it, right?”
I couldn't cast the great law again to see the young Taebok.
Before regression, among senior martial artists who were parents, they said.
The baby's early childhood passes too quickly, and it's regrettable that I can't see that time again.
I didn't know then. Like those senior martial artists, I regretted only after it passed.
I didn't know life flowed this quickly.
“If I could entrust memories or sensations instead of money to the battlefield. So I could take them out again each time.”
“Hmm. You've been saying strange things a lot lately.”
I just laughed.
“In that sense, let's go in and see Taebok.”
“Let's go in quietly together.”
“Yes.”
We held hands and entered the room.
In the dim room with light adjusted by the cloth over the window, Taebok was sleeping soundly, snoring.
We talked in lowered voices.
“Lovely.”
“Right? Isn't he handsome?”
“Is he? He's still young, so I don't know.”
“In my eyes, he's the handsomest in the world.”
“Actually, me too.”
We looked at Taebok for a long time.
In my Eight Sensations, far away, the sound of knocking on our house's front gate was heard, but I ignored it.
It takes time to come from the front gate to here.
It would be fine to look a little more before going out.
“Taebok-ah, you really-”
“Wahahahat! Where is our pretty nephew!”
Ugh?
That voice, my elder brother-in-law the Rogues' Guild Leader?
“Ta-da! Uncle is here! I brought tons of toys!”
He wasn't just bandit-faced, his voice was booming too.
Because he was eager to see his nephew quickly, as soon as the front gate opened and he revealed his identity, he rushed in with lightness skill.
Since he entered laughing and shouting so loudly.
“Wah!”
The well-sleeping Taebok woke up.
“Kuh!”
Jayeong's furious cry.
She too quickly went to the guest hall with lightness skill.
While I lightly picked up Taebok and put him back to sleep.
It was heard in my enhanced hearing of the Eight Sensations.
- Shh! Taebok woke up.
Along with a hushed scolding.
Swish, pew pew, pa pat.
The sound of Jayeong throwing guest hall items like hidden weapons.
- Urk, ack, ow.
The Guild Leader's scream, unable to dodge and taking the hits squarely, for the great sin of waking the baby.
“Taebok-ah, sleep well again. When you wake, a bandit will appear, but don't worry. He got subdued by Mother.”
Taebok, with his head on my shoulder, whined, grunted, and soon the crying subsided, and he fell asleep again.
Looking at that face stealthily, it was exceedingly peaceful.
Entrusting himself to his father's arms, he departed to dreamland.
I carefully laid Taebok down and came out. Jayeong entered the room as if switching with me.
“Brother-in-law.”
“Brother-in-law. Sniff.”
Brother-in-law, having received harsh punishment, wiped under his nose.
“I thought you'd send someone, but you came yourself. Is Kaifeng sorted?”
Right after I rescued him in Kaifeng, he had disappeared, saying it wasn't good for his identity to be revealed too much.
He said he would tidy up the confusion in his absence and come to Luoyang.
“That place is running well even without me.”
“Pardon?”
“The traitorous Han Sanha only used the organization, he didn't involve others. He wanted to keep it secret. The Rogues' Guild itself really had no big issues. Thanks to that, only the Guild Leader's presence became precarious or something.”
He burst into a hearty laugh.
No big issues, my foot.
Originally, after brother-in-law disappeared, the Rogues' Guild faced a crisis. In the end, it fell to Han Sanha.
“Anyway, I looked into it.”
“Hm.”
Seeing his pretty nephew was private business.
Gathering information requested by the sect's benefactor was public business.
“There is Fiery Yang Carp in Chang'an.”
The material for the spiritual medicine to bring fire's natural path to Taebok was confirmed.
“But, it seems we need to hurry a bit.”
Hm?
Hurry?
At brother-in-law's words, I perked up my ears.