81 – Great Jeolgwi (大絶鬼). (One)

Great Exorcism (1)

I thought that there might not be only one place that sells by-products of monsters, and I realized it only after looking for all the places that could exist in Hwaeum-hyeon.

Purchasing magic stones now is like picking stars from the sky.

Everywhere I asked, it was the same thing.

It means that the number of monsters being caught has decreased compared to before.

In addition, it was said that magic stones were not handled.

In the end, he couldn’t save the magic stone and had no choice but to return to the volcanic wave.

“The only thing you got was chicken skewers… .”

“It was delicious, right?”

“Yeah, that was kind of delicious.”

For your information, Muyeon paid for the chicken skewers as soon as he arrived at the residence.

When I gave the money, Mu-yeon made an expression saying, “What’s wrong?” So should I give it to you? I was worried for a moment.

How did my treatment end up like this… .

I really don’t want to give it to you next time.

‘I can’t confirm the magic stone right away.’

One day, if you search the mountains of Shaanxi, there will be at least one monster you haven’t caught yet.

Should I look for that too?

If there was no way to confirm it, I thought I would do it anyway.

I looked around the living quarters and saw something empty, so I asked.

“Has he not come yet?”

It was about Namgoongbia.

When I asked the people around me, it seemed that he hadn’t come yet.

I heard that you went out early in the morning, but it will be time for dinner in a little while.

I knew you practiced a lot, but it seems you’re late than usual… .

[Are you even worried?]

‘… It can’t be.’

Who dares to worry about whom… .

[Doesn’t it usually mean worrying about coming in late and wondering if you’ve eaten?]

‘… Hmm.’

I coughed because I felt like I was being stabbed.

It was funny that I couldn’t say no to Shinnoya’s words firmly.

While I was resting on the floor, Wiseol-ah approached me.

Seeing that the clothes were slightly different, it seemed that they were making dinner at some point.

“what’s the matter?”

“Hongwa unnie asked me what I want to eat later and it’s been a long time!”

“… do you want to eat?”

The thing that came to my mind was dumplings, but it wasn’t something that would come out of nowhere just because I ordered it, so I said that it would be fine as long as it was normal.

“He said there was also fish.”

“Ah, then I’ll eat it.”

“yes!”

After hearing everything, Wi Seol-ah runs away screaming.

When I saw it, I slowly stood up.

[Where are you going?]

There was a hint of intrigue in Shinnoya’s questioning voice.

I tried to ignore it and just coughed.

It’s a job that says let’s eat and live, but I just thought that I should eat rice or not.

[That’s why I didn’t mean to go pick it up because I don’t like starving after all.]

‘…’

It’s true, but why are you so reluctant to admit it?

Is it because Shin Noya said it?

I brushed myself off and headed for the back mountain.

It was to find Namgoongbia.

It’s still a little while before the sun goes down.

It was good to take it right away considering that it didn’t take that long to prepare the meal.

‘I’m even paying attention to these things now.’

I want to live by eating grass on my own, but I don’t know why I care.

If I had to look for an excuse, it reminded me of how I would starve to the brink of death in my previous life if I didn’t think of grabbing someone to feed me.

If you think that’s why you care, it might be a good reason to look.

‘… I know that’s not necessarily the case.’

It was not enough to deceive oneself, so it was futile in the end.

Climbing up the mountain path in the glow of the sunset, we arrived at the flatland where Namgoongbia was training.

Whoop-! Whoop!

Sure enough, there was the sound of a sword swinging.

There was nothing to be mistaken about because it was a sign.

However, from the time it came up, there was one more sign besides Namgoongbia.

The other one was also a familiar sign.

Like yesterday, it seems like the two of them are often together for some reason.

Whoops!

-profit… !

An unfair voice is heard from behind a wooden sword that pierces the air.

-foot… . The stride was too long… .

-under… One more time please.

-yes.

Hearing the voice, he ran through the grass and rustled out.

It was somehow like the sight I saw yesterday.

No matter how much they rolled, Gu Ryeong-hwa was in a mess with dust.

Namgoongbia looks relatively intact.

Guryunghwa’s head turned this way at the sight of people.

The impression that frowns upon seeing my face.

“… what?”

What do you say when you see it?

“No what… . Just passing by.”

“Then you can just pass by.”

“I stopped for a second because I saw a familiar face.”

I looked at Namgoongbia and demanded an explanation.

It was a gaze that asked why he was doing this here at this time.

“…”

Namgoongbia quickly averted her gaze.

what?

He didn’t seem to notice his gaze, so this time he asked verbally.

“What are you doing here, are you eating?”

Trying to make eye contact, I keep avoiding it.

“you… .”

“Don’t say anything to your sister.”

“What?”

I stopped talking and looked at Gu Ryeong-hwa, who had entered.

In fact, the words Gu Ryeong-hwa spat out were even more absurd than that.

sister… ? sister??

What did you see when you said you were a sister?

Gu Ryeong-hwa, who must have noticed my gaze, blushed a bit in embarrassment.

“…I just begged you to teach me since you came to visit me in the morning.”

“morning… . Did you visit my brother this morning?”

Namgoongbia nodded slowly.

Gu Ryeong-hwa intervened once more, as if she didn’t like my words.

“Someone says he’s my brother.”

“Then you’re the younger brother, are you the older sister?”

“…”

What kind of crap is this?

Namgoongbia kept her mouth shut, avoiding her gaze.

“Have you been like this since morning?”

He nodded slightly this time.

Gu Ryeong-hwa was also there, so both of them had been doing this since morning.

I looked at it and let out a small sigh.

“If you do it for a while, you will lose, so let’s stop and go down.”

“… yes.”

Bia Namgoong nods and arranges the wooden sword.

It seemed that Gu Ryeong-hwa didn’t like something, but Namgoong-bia nodded first, so it seemed like there was nothing to do.

After the tidying up, Gu Ryeong-hwa bowed her head to Namgung-bia.

“sister… . Thank you for today.”

“no… . I had fun too.”

After she finished speaking, Gu Ryeong-hwa brushed off the dust and tried to escape from the training ground, so I grabbed her.

“Where are you going?”

“don’t mind.”

“You wouldn’t be hungry either. rice is… .”

I tried to say let’s eat together, but I couldn’t finish it.

It was because the shoulders of Gu Ryeong-hwa, whom he held on to, were trembling.

widely!

Gu Ryeong-hwa pushed my hand away from my shoulder.

“Don’t touch it…!”

He looked at me with trembling eyes and quickly disappeared into the grass.

I couldn’t say anything when I saw it.

‘… Did I approach too hastily?’

The time I had and the time I spent were different, so I couldn’t easily get a sense of distance.

He sighed and said to Namgoongbia.

“Let’s go down.”

Namgoongbia was looking in the direction where Guryunghwa disappeared, but she just nodded at my words without saying anything.

When I went down the mountain and returned to the residence, the meal was ready, and Wi Seol-ah had a proud expression on her face.

He said he grilled fish or something.

“Is that why he’s so black… .”

“I originally thought that part was delicious.”

It’s not… it doesn’t look appetizing no matter how you look at it.

Uneasy, I took off a small piece of fish flesh and ate it.

Surprisingly, it was the shape of the devil itself, but after that, the taste itself was pretty good.

When I look surprised, Wi Seol-ah spreads her chest wide as if proud. something was very nasty.

After eating for a while, I asked Namgoongbia.

That’s how the situation was.

“just… .”

Namgoongbia’s explanation was simple.

He said he was sorry for the accident yesterday, so he went to visit him.

Then Gu Ryeong-hwa asked me to do the dance, so I just continued.

It’s been that long since morning.

They say Gu Ryeong-hwa can do that, but Namgung-Bia, who kept matching it and making it in the form of a map, was a strange thing from my point of view.

In his previous life, he was someone who didn’t pay much attention to anything other than a strong swordsman.

“… Tomorrow too.”

“yes?”

“Can I go tomorrow too?”

Namgoongbia asked me.

He said, “Can I go to Guryunghwa tomorrow?”

Why?

It wouldn’t be fun to dance.

Guryunghwa is not at a level that can give Namgoongbia fun.

Shouldn’t it be Youngpoong or Muyeon to be at the right level?

Even so, going would mean that I will finish what I was doing today.

“… do it yourself.”

“yes.”

Permission was given, and Namgoongbia drank the water as if her heart was relieved.

Seeing that, I said in a small whisper.

“I’ll take care of the baby.”

Namgoongbia’s eyes widened as if she heard the words.

I spat it lightly when I was trying to do something I couldn’t do, but Namgoongbia looks at me still, as if it’s so strange that I was asked.

“ask… .”

“Why what?”

“I begged you… . To me.”

“It’s just, while I’m doing it… .”

“I will work hard.”

“What are you working hard on?”

Unknowingly, feeling ashamed, I stopped moving my chopsticks.

It had to be.

Namgoongbia was smiling.

It’s a smile I’ve seen before, but that smile was so strong.

“It’s so… ok!”

Maybe it was because I was a little flustered, I even heard it.

I hurriedly grabbed the water from the table and drank it.

The throbbing spine sensed danger.

That’s why Namgoongbia’s smile is dangerous.

‘I thought I’d gotten used to Wi Seol-ah’s smile.’

It felt like this would take a while.

******************

At the time the sun went down, Gu Ryeong-hwa did not return to her place and was still swinging her sword.

swish-! Whip!

It took a long time to swing a wooden sword against the wind at night.

“I’m sorry…!”

Gu Ryeong-hwa let out a short moan and let go of the wooden sword.

Leaving behind the dropped wooden sword, Gu Ryeong-hwa examined her palm.

The part holding the wooden sword was scraped and torn, and blood was flowing.

“… it hurts… .”

Maybe it’s because I’ve been swinging at less sleep for the past few days.

It seemed that there was a limit to the hand.

Still, after a brief pause, Gu Ryeong-hwa raised the wooden sword again.

I wrapped my palms in the cloth I had brought beforehand, and it was okay.

I remembered the movement Namgoongbia told me earlier.

Do not overdo your stride.

Do not exert excessive force on the body.

At the same time, the place to give is strong again.

In a way, it was the most basic and foundational story.

Maybe it was because I experienced it through the dance, but I was understanding it little by little.

Gu Ryeong-hwa wondered why she was acting like that when Namgoong-bia suddenly appeared in the morning and saw her restless face.

Looking at how he was willing to go along with all the unreasonable requests and time, one thing was clear.

She seemed to want to look good for herself.

‘Why… ?’

I wondered why a woman with such inaction and appearance would be like that.

Still, when I try to find the reason, the face of Yangcheon Gu naturally comes to mind.

Gu Ling-hua could not understand, but Namgung-bia seemed to have a crush on Gu Yang-cheon.

It was Guryeong-hwa’s expectation that he might be trying to be nice to himself because of that.

To think that such a cool, pretty, and talented person could only choose Guyangchun… .

‘I can not understand.’

If it was Guyangcheon in the past, I don’t know if I would have understood it a little.

However, as of now, old age has not been understood.

-Don’t carry your face around, it’s annoying just looking at it.

-I told you not to call me brother!

-Keep your mouth shut and live quietly…don’t be noticed by people.

“…Huh…”

Even after several years, the words and gaze stuck in her heart like a dagger still choked Gu Ryeong-hwa.

Just thinking about it made my body tremble.

I barely endured the tears that were about to flow out of my eyes and swung my sword.

‘Well, come now…’

-Did you visit my brother this morning?

-Then you’re the younger brother, are you the older sister?

Ignoring the throbbing palm, I swung my sword once more.

It was to erase Gu Yangchun’s voice that shimmered in his ears.

Annoying.

He ran away tired and resentful, and was shaken by the word ‘younger brother’.

In that short moment, I hated myself for having hoped that I might be able to go back to the old days.

‘Don’t forget Lyeonghwa… . You should smoke plum blossoms.’

For Master, who became his home.

Even if it is the last way to go. May you find peace in the plum blossoms of your disciples.

Recalling his promise, Gu Ryeong-hwa continued to swing his sword under the moonlight.