By the time we arrived at our assigned quarters, the first thing I did was grumble in frustration.
"Why the hell do I have to share a room with you?"
I muttered as I began unpacking my things.
Behind me, a tall man was busily unpacking alongside me. It was none other than Woo Hyuk.
I was stuck sharing a room with Woo Hyuk.
"Haha, they said there weren’t enough rooms. What can we do?" "Ah, this is so damn annoying."
Apparently, the Tang Clan had claimed there weren’t enough rooms and decided to shove me and Woo Hyuk into the same one.
A large clan like the Tang Clan running out of rooms? What a load of crap.
At first, I thought they were just making excuses not to give us separate rooms, but the apologetic faces of the servants and Tang So-yeol’s remorseful explanation made it clear that they weren’t lying.
Oh, and Cheol Ji-seon had come along too.
He was probably unpacking in a smaller room nearby. As I continued to grumble, Woo Hyuk chuckled.
“Come on, I get it, you’re disappointed it’s not your sister-in-law. But bear with it for now.” “What the hell are you talking about, you crazy idiot? Sister-in-law? Who the hell is that supposed to be?” “Well, it’s hard to say, considering there are so many candidates…”
Smack!
"Argh!"
Woo Hyuk let out a yelp after I smacked him on the back of the head.
"You’re asking for a beating."
I’d barely tapped him, but Woo Hyuk exaggerated, rolling on the floor like I’d hit him with all my might. I ignored him and went back to unpacking.
All I wanted to do was get this over with and take a nap.
Sure, I could use my internal energy to relieve my fatigue, but sometimes you just needed to get proper rest.
Once I had unpacked a bit, I glanced at Woo Hyuk, who was still rolling around on the floor.
"They said the banquet’s tonight. You heading out beforehand?" "Heading out? Where to?"
As expected, Woo Hyuk immediately stopped rolling at my question, indicating his exaggerated reaction.
"You said your master is here." "Ah..."
As soon as I mentioned the Wudang Sword Saint, Woo Hyuk’s expression instantly hardened. It was unusual to see him make that face.
"I think… I’ll head over a bit later."
His hesitant expression was clear—he didn’t really want to go. It was rare for someone like Woo Hyuk, who got along with everyone, to dislike someone this much. It made me wonder what kind of person the Wudang Sword Saint was.
I’d never met the Wudang Sword Saint, so I had no idea what to expect.
‘Well, I guess I’ll find out when I meet him.’
I needed to see him anyway regarding Thunder Fang.
I was planning to give the Thunder Fang to Namgung Bi-ah.
While she was already a high-ranking swordswoman, with the Thunder Fang in her hands, she’d become a force to be reckoned with, a monster in her own right.
It was the sword most compatible with her lightning qi.
I wasn’t sure if he would hand it over willingly, but if he didn’t…
‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.’
There were other ways to handle it if he refused. For now, I’d wait and see.
As I solidified my plans, Woo Hyuk asked me a question.
"So, what are you going to do until the banquet?"
What was I going to do? Obviously…
"I’m going to rest." "Rest? You? Really?"
Woo Hyuk looked at me like he didn’t believe me.
"What’s with that reaction? Can’t a guy just want to rest? Got a problem with that?" "Plenty."
"You want to die?"
I felt a pang of annoyance at his poor attempt at a joke. Even an elder wouldn’t bother with such a lame remark.
Sighing, I stretched out my hand and was about to approach him when Woo Hyuk hurriedly continued speaking.
"No, it’s just that rest and you don’t seem to go together." "What do you mean? Why not?"
I loved lazing around and lying down more than anyone. Who else did he think enjoyed being idle as much as me? I looked at him in disbelief, but Woo Hyuk sighed deeply and explained.
"All you ever do is train. And when you’re not training, you’re always running around doing something. I’ve never seen you just rest."
"..."
As much as I wanted to deny it, he had a point.
The entire trip, I had been either training or handling various tasks. And if I wasn’t doing that, I was out hunting demonic beasts to absorb their energy.
Now that I thought about it… I hadn’t taken a single day off.
Woo Hyuk’s perception wasn’t exactly wrong.
‘I didn’t used to be this diligent.’
When did I turn into such a workaholic?
“Whatever. I’m taking a break today, no matter what.”
I shouted, determined to lie down and rest. But just as I was about to spread out my bedding…
I sensed someone approaching from outside.
"Young master!" "..."
Judging by the voice, it was Tang So-yeol. What was she doing here all of a sudden?
I had a bad feeling about this.
"Are you in there?"
The presence drew closer, and I opened the door slightly, peeking out.
"Oh!"
Upon seeing me, Tang So-yeol beamed and approached with a wide smile.
"What is it…?"
Feeling the growing sense of unease, I asked cautiously. Tang So-yeol, with her usual bright expression, gave me the news.
"My father wants to see you! Something urgent has come up!" "..."
Hearing her words, I ran my hand down my face.
I was just about to rest… It seemed like the world had no intention of letting me relax.
What a goddamn mess.
******************
After hearing from Tang So-yeol, I made my way to the Poison King.
Honestly, I didn’t want to go, but if he was calling for me so urgently, it had to be something important.
‘It better be.’
If it wasn’t something important, I was ready to show him a bit of my temper.
As the direct descendant of the Gu family, no one in the Tang Clan dared to stop me from wandering wherever I wanted.
"Where are we going?"
I asked Tang So-yeol.
It wasn’t the usual residence of the Poison King that we were heading to.
"Oh, my father is staying in the guest quarters."
"Guest quarters?"
A guest? Who could it be?
I wondered if it was related to Baekryeongeom’s group.
Tang So-yeol quickly clarified my confusion.
"Not the scholars. Another guest arrived a few days ago."
"A few days ago?"
Wait.
‘Could this explain why they said there weren’t enough rooms?’
It all made sense now. The unexpected guest must’ve been the reason they’d asked us to share rooms.
Even so, it was odd. No matter how important a guest was, would the Tang Clan—a prestigious and wealthy family—really have such a shortage of space that they’d cram us together?
If any of our group had been the picky type, this might’ve caused some complaints. Not that anyone was bold enough to complain to the Tang Clan, of course.
‘Who could it be?’
A guest important enough to make the Tang Clan treat them like this, even in the Poison King’s absence?
As we neared the guest residence, I spotted the Poison King waiting for us.
I bowed my head in greeting.
“I heard you summoned me.”
The Poison King smiled faintly in response.
"I apologize for calling you just as your journey is ending."
"…It’s fine."
If you know that, then why are you calling me?
I barely restrained the urge to snap. My patience had been thin lately, and after the long journey, it was wearing even thinner.
Lately, I’d been feeling particularly irritable.
Suppressing my emotions, I asked the Poison King.
"May I ask why you’ve called for me?"
Whatever this was about, it better be urgent. My expression must have given away my displeasure, because the Poison King’s smile became slightly awkward as he answered.
"The guest… has specifically requested to see you. That’s why I called you here."
"Excuse me?"
I frowned in confusion at his response.
A guest wanted to see me?
A guest of the Tang Clan was requesting me?
I had no idea what was going on. Why would a guest here be asking for me?
"Who exactly is this guest?"
"You’ll see soon enough. Please follow me."
Without giving me a proper explanation, the Poison King turned and began walking toward the residence.
What the hell? No explanation and straight to the guest? My irritation grew as I followed him. If this turned out to be a waste of time, I was going to explode.
I could feel my patience wearing thin.
Tang So-yeol noticed my darkening expression and hesitated as she followed us.
The guest residence we arrived at was significantly larger than the one I was staying in. In fact, it was almost twice the size.
It wasn’t too far off from the Poison King’s personal residence either.
‘Who could be staying here that they’d provide such accommodations?’
Clearly, this was no ordinary guest. The building itself made it clear that whoever this was deserved the highest level of hospitality.
And now I was supposed to meet them?
I couldn’t think of anyone important enough to fit that bill.
As we continued through the residence, I even saw a small garden inside. Clearly, they’d spared no expense.
After a not-so-short walk, the Poison King stopped in front of a room and spoke toward the inside.
"Honored elder, I have brought Gu Yangcheon."
‘Honored elder…?’
I widened my eyes in surprise.
For the Poison King—the head of one of the Four Great Families—to show this much respect, whoever was inside had to be extraordinary.
After his announcement, the Poison King stepped aside and gestured for me to enter.
It was clear that I was to go inside alone.
Suppressing the slight nervousness building up, I approached the door.
Just as I moved to enter, Tang So-yeol tried to follow, but the Poison King raised a hand to stop her.
She wasn’t allowed to enter.
Cautiously, I stepped into the room and looked inside.
Who could possibly be here…?
“Huh?”
The moment I laid eyes on the person inside, my mind filled with questions.
Sitting there, drinking tea, was a boy whose face was half-hidden by his bangs.
He noticed me and gave a small nod.
I knew this face.
“You…”
This boy was none other than Je Gal-hyuk, who would one day be known as the mastermind of the Demonic Cult, the greatest strategist.
What was he doing here? That wasn’t the most pressing question, though.
‘If he’s here, then…?’
I quickly turned to look at the person sitting across from him.
The old man’s gaze was already fixed on me.
He was a thin, frail-looking man with wrinkles etched deeply into his face and a bony frame that made his skeleton almost visible. His white hair only added to the impression of age and weakness.
But despite his appearance, there wasn’t a single person in the central plains who would dare underestimate this man.
“It’s been a while.”
His voice was high-pitched, sharp, and cold, with a penetrating quality. Despite his impressive accomplishments, there was always a cold, distant look in his eyes.
"Honored elder…?"
“Humph.”
This man was known as the pinnacle of medical expertise, said to be able to save anyone on the verge of death as long as they were still breathing.
His incredible skill earned him the title that so many spoke of with reverence.
"Looks like you’ve been through a lot. You look like a mess."
This man was known as the Divine Doctor.