Chapter 187
“We’ll be at Jeomchang Sect soon, so let’s pick up the pace.”
“Yeah. Let’s have dinner at a nearby inn, and visit them the next morning. That should be perfect.”
Was it because she knew that the party’s speed of travel essentially depended on her?
At those words, Seol Lihyang nodded vigorously, then performed lightfoot techniques with noticeably increased speed.
Her movements were beyond skillful, they felt almost natural.
It hadn’t been long since she reached the Peak Stage, yet she already seemed to be heading toward mastery beyond stabilization.
Judging by the momentum of her growth alone, she might be progressing even faster than Tang Sowol.
However, that didn’t mean she was stronger than Tang Sowol had been at the same stage.
A martial artist’s level is determined by how well they unify mind, energy, and body, not simply by how well they fight.
Still, perhaps because we’ve been traveling together, Seol Lihyang, who only showed average talent in physical activities, was doing quite well with her lightfoot skills. After about two hours of Seol Lihyang’s strenuous effort, the sun began to glow red with the setting light, but we managed to reach our destination on time.
The Jeomchang Sect, which had left Jeomchang Mountain, was now based in the outskirts of Sichuan. Specifically, in Jihwahyeon.
***
Once we found a suitable inn and sat down, a cheerful-looking server scurried over and asked,
“Welcome, esteemed guests!”
“What dishes here are worth trying?”
“Our head chef is excellent, so everything’s delicious, but as luck would have it, we just butchered a pig today and have fresh meat available.”
“Sounds good. Cold noodles with extra garnishes and Huiguorou (twice-cooked pork) for each person. Also, we’d like to rent a room.”
“I’ll inform the innkeeper right away! By the way, would you like any alcohol, sir?”
“Alcohol…”
Turning to look at the others, I caught Seol Lihyang and Seo Mun-Hwarin both subtly shaking their heads after glancing at Tang Sowol.
“No alcohol.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll bring everything shortly!”
After bowing almost at a right angle, the server headed toward the kitchen. I turned my head.
Then came silence. An awkwardness that was a bit too heavy for a simple waiting period before the food arrived.
The reason was obvious—Tang Sowol still had a stiff expression, sighing deeply with a dark look on her face.
“Haa…”
Surprisingly, she’d been in this state ever since the first day—going on two full days now.
Even when Seol Lihyang or Seo Mun-Hwarin asked if something was wrong, she would just shake her head and say it was nothing.
But anyone could see it was clearly not nothing.
I could roughly guess. She’d been like this ever since hearing about the marriage proposal. That had to be it.
I should’ve asked her directly at the time, but I didn’t expect this kind of reaction, so I held back.
Looking back now, I must have been quite flustered too.
Still, we couldn’t just keep letting things drag on like this. It was time to address it properly.
Drrk.
I stood up from my seat and spoke to Tang Sowol.
“Before the food comes out, could I talk to you for a bit?”
“...Just for a moment, right?”
“It won’t take long.”
“Alright.”
Had she guessed what I wanted to talk about? Tang Sowol nodded with a serious expression.
We walked together to the quiet back of the inn.
If it were just about preventing others from overhearing, we could’ve stayed seated and used sound-blocking techniques,
but this seemed like something she didn’t want even Seol Lihyang or Seo Mun-Hwarin to hear.
After confirming there were no signs of people nearby, I activated a narrow sound barrier.
Then I looked straight into Tang Sowol’s dark green eyes and spoke.
“I’ll ask directly. Do you not want to formally marry me?”
“Wh… What?!?”
She began to answer reflexively but was so shocked she choked on her voice and shook her head wildly, enough to mess up her carefully styled hair.
“No! That’s absolutely not the reason! It is because of the marriage, yes, but it’s not that I don’t want to!”
“Then why have you been so down ever since the topic came up?”
“That’s…”
Her lips moved, but she couldn’t seem to bring herself to speak.
Soon, however, her eyes took on a determined gleam.
“This ties back to something I mentioned before.”
“Hm?”
“It’s about the side effects of the Poison Spirit Constitution.”
“Of course I remember. But I thought we already resolved that matter.”
After absorbing the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass, Tang Sowol’s constitution had changed drastically compared to her pre-regression self.
Whatever poison she took in, it would amplify the effects instead of neutralizing them, rendering standard antidotes ineffective.
But that didn’t mean she was definitely infertile.
And even if that were the case, we had agreed she could raise another woman’s child as her own, if she allowed it.
So I blinked in confusion, wondering why she was bringing this up again.
Then she spoke in a careful tone.
“Upon reaching the Sub-Perfection stage and organizing my insights, I discovered something.”
“What is it?”
“Though I broke through the wall in one leap by absorbing the Poison Demon’s venom, it seems I was exposed to an incomplete technique partway through… and that left me with some aftereffects.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“I’m fine. I can’t get poisoned by my own venom, after all.
But… if I were to carry a child, they might not be okay.”
Whether it was because the Poison Demon forcibly extracted most of her poison once, or because of the overwhelming toxins she absorbed afterward—
One thing was clear: poison now coursed through every inch of her body.
To Tang Sowol, with her resistance, it was no problem.
She wasn’t leaking it outward either, so externally, nothing seemed wrong.
But for a newborn just starting to develop… poisoning was inevitable.
In essence, she was saying she had become permanently infertile.
“I understand. But if it’s an aftereffect, there must be a way to fix it.”
“There is, actually. Seeing you gave me an idea. This condition is like a permanent injury or a scar—if I reconstruct my body, I should be able to fix it. Like a full physical rebirth.”
“If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry. I firmly believe you’ll reach the Flowering Stage.”
Even in her previous life, when her growth was slower, she had reached the Flowering Stage and become known as the Poison Dance Empress.
Now, with more experience and several fortuitous encounters thanks to me, she’d surely get there more easily.
But Tang Sowol seemed focused on a different concern.
“Reaching the Flowering Stage isn’t something one can guarantee. Even if I do reach it, by then, I won’t be young.
Unless I achieve full rejuvenation, a physical rebirth won’t make me youthful again. And as I mentioned before, even after a rebirth, it’s uncertain.”
“I still don’t understand the problem. Even if it’s a bit delayed, doesn’t this all just lead us back to the same conclusion?”
She fell silent for a moment, then glanced at me.
“There’s one more thing that’s been bothering me.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve been observing you for a while, and I feel like… you have a grander goal. Something you haven’t told anyone.”
Now it was my turn to go quiet. The one thing I hadn’t told anyone. She must be referring to the matter of the Heavenly Demon.
“For a martial artist, the Flowering Stage is a major milestone.
You were happy and excited when you achieved it, but… you’ve been training even more obsessively than before, like someone being chased. As if aiming for something far beyond what even the Flowering Stage can accomplish.”
She wasn’t wrong.
If a day ever came when I could finally relax, it would only be after defeating the Heavenly Demon.
But the Heavenly Demon is the greatest martial artist in history. No one in the past, present, or future could match him.
Since I first picked up a sword, I’ve never feared an opponent—but if there was one person I should fear, it would be him.
To me, he’s the highest mountain and the ultimate nightmare.
Reaching the Flowering Stage was merely the minimum requirement to stand before him.
We were now past the phase of personal growth—it was time to find a way to unite the Central Plains.
But due to mental restrictions, I couldn’t tell anyone about this.
To Tang Sowol, it must have seemed like I was hiding something, even from her.
“I don’t know what you're aiming for, but I doubt someone like me, who just entered Sub-Perfection, can help.”
“...Huh?”
“You’ve even reached the Flowering Stage now. To you, the Tang Clan must seem… less meaningful.”
Not entirely wrong.
If we fought now, I might lose, but… still, I now stood at the same level as Tang Jincheon, head of the Tang Clan.
Since I entered the Flowering Stage, his attitude toward me had changed—not just as someone he cherished, but as an equal peer in martial arts.
“But if you officially marry me, you’ll be part of the Tang Clan, and its master is my father.”
“I have no intention of swallowing the Tang Clan.”
“Still, it would limit what you can do. Compared to forming your own organization or roaming the martial world alone.”
I understood what she was getting at.
Most Flowering Stage martial artists receive top treatment anywhere they go. They prefer to lead rather than serve under someone else.
That’s why the Murim Alliance is a loose federation, and the only Flowering Stage martial artist formally affiliated with the Black Lotus Sect is its master.
Flowering Stage experts would rather act independently than be under someone else's command. It’s an unspoken rule in the martial world.
“I worry that marrying me would become a shackle for you.
That you might eventually regret it.”
“I see.”
Now I finally understood what Tang Sowol was thinking.
Already burdened with her fears, the added concern of her condition had driven her into despair.
From my side, it seemed almost ridiculous.
I took a moment to choose my words, then spoke calmly.
“I’m sorry I can’t tell you everything. There are circumstances I truly can’t control. But I can tell you this much—what you’re worried about isn’t something to fret over.”
My final goal isn’t some abstract ideal. I just want everyone to live well and in peace.
The only reason I must defeat the Heavenly Demon is because he’s trying to kill us all.
I explained this in a roundabout way, careful not to trigger any restrictions.
Finally, a bit of color returned to Tang Sowol’s face.
“Brother Cheon…!”
She suddenly hugged me, burying her head into my chest.
A mix of relief and slight embarrassment. As she clung to me, murmuring my name and fidgeting, I gently patted her back.
Eventually, she lifted her head.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yes. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions on my own.”
“Then let’s head back. We’ve been gone quite a while.
Everyone’s probably worried, and the food we ordered might get cold.”
Tang Sowol nodded softly. Together, we returned to the inn.
***
“Hey! If you wanna die, line up now!”
“Nice one, Hyang-ah! Freeze them all!”
There we found Seol Lihyang panting with satisfaction after knocking down a few black-clad martial artists, while Seo Mun-Hwarin clapped excitedly beside her.
“…?”
What in the world happened here?