Omen (2)

The sky was orange and so was her hair.

It reflected the orange light and shone brightly, like gold.

That was not the only reason I was startled, though.

Her eyes seemed colder, and the way she called me was too familiar, but in a different way than usual.

-Young Master Gu1For reference, it is the same Young Master but different in Korean. Also, she added Young Master GU for the first time, as to speak in a more formal way which is why Yangcheon is so confused.

It was as if she called me that in my past life.

Did I mishear?

It sounded too clear for me to doubt it, and I knew this was not a dream.

I stood there, staring at Wi Seol-Ah with shaky eyes.

What what did you just call

I stumbled over my words, feeling my emotions become unstable.

Perhaps, just maybe, Wi Seol-Ah had also traveled through time like me, and my heartbeat quickened at that thought.

And if that is the case, what am I going to do?

As I was about to ask her, I questioned myself in my head.

What would I do if that really was the case?

What would change?

I paused.

I felt my body freeze completely, as if I turned into stone.

The emotion that gradually grew in my heart was fear.

I was afraid of the possibility that she had the memories from my past life.

Yeah.

All the sins I committed.

The possibility that she remembered them all and that I would not be able to maintain our current relationship if that was the case.

That was what I feared.

What a retard I am.

To worry about something so trivial after coming all this way.

I could not use the excuse that I felt this way because my body was still young.

I was just a pathetic human being, and I never wanted to admit that.

I could not breathe, and I could not finish what I was going to say.

I stared into Wi Seol-Ahs eyes, motionless.

What should I say to her?

If my suspicion was correct, what was I supposed to say to her?

Thousands of thoughts crossed my mind at once, but I could not say anything in the end.

Only silence remained.

Then

Dribble-

A tear rolled down from one side of Wi Seol-Ahs eyes.

Strangely enough, the tear that only flowed from one eye complemented Wi Seol-Ahs beauty and gave her a unique atmosphere.

Wha wh why!

I was greatly startled by that.

Why was she crying all of a sudden?

Tears were difficult to deal with, even after spending a long time with someone.

This was especially true for Wi Seol-Ah.

Whether she regressed or not, I did not know what to do, and Wi Seol-Ah spoke while looking at me.

Why did you leave me here?

Her voice was full of sadness.

But I felt more relieved after hearing that. It did not seem like she had gone through regression like I did.

Is she simply hurt?

As she cried and her expression worsened, and as she sobbed, I could see the current Wi Seol-Ah in her.

You brought Sis with you

Her sad and pitiful way of speaking was definitely the current Wi Seol-Ah.

I did not know if I should be more relieved by this fact, or more troubled by having to calm her down.

I did not bring her with me, she followed me herself.

Youre so cruel! In the end In the end! You went with her!

How was I supposed to know that she would chase me?

The person who was most shocked by that was me.

How was I supposed to know that she would chase me all the way to the Black Palace after reaching the Peak Realm out of nowhere?

I had a lot of excuses, but

Seriously you are so cruel.

I could not say them to Wi Seol-Ah, who was crying in front of me. I could not be so blunt.

Ugh.

I ran away at the last moment, leaving Wi Seol-Ah behind.

So, I expected that something like this would happen when I returned.

[So you expected it but didnt worry about it is what youre saying.]

I did worry.

But that worry was pushed aside by all the things that got in my way.

Why arent you yelling at me?

Huh?

I was confused by Wi Seol-Ahs words as she wiped her eyes. Yell at her for what?

Me calling you Young Master Gu why dont you yell at me for it?

Eh?

She called me by a different title.

-Young Master Gu.

Did she want me to yell at her for that?

What is it? Do you want me to yell at you?

Was Wi Seol-Ah into that kind of stuff? She didnt seem like it.

She frowned a little and said, Its not like that

Then what is it?

She turned her head without answering. She looked like she was sulking.

Uh.

I thought about what to say to her for a short moment. But seeing her wipe her tears, there was only one thing I could say.

Im sorry.

I said it in a calm but not quite calm tone.

Im sorry I left you.

I repeated it in case she didnt hear me the first time.

It wasnt for any special reason, but I didnt know if I could bring you there. It was too dangerous.

The reason I brought Namgung Bi-ah with me was not just because she followed me, but also because she reached the Peak Realm.

I could worry less about her then.

Wi Seol-Ah asked.

Is it because Im weak?

Yes.

I answered honestly.

I couldnt protect Wi Seol-Ah all the time, and I didnt want to bring her to a place where anything could happen.

She didnt seem too shocked by my answer.

She just kept wiping her tears and didnt react much.

She hesitated for a bit, then said softly,

You know. I wish that Young Master isnt hurt.

Im healthy. You can tell by looking at me.

But then why do you always come back with injuries?

Did I? I didnt think I did this time.

Though I almost got hurt.

I will work hard.

Why do you keep saying that youll work hard? Youve been working hard all this time.

Thats how it seemed to me.

She shouted back, unhappy with my reply.

You dont need to know!

She acted like I had no clue.

Maybe she was talking about training her sword.

She had a wooden sword, but her swordplay was not very good.

I didnt know much about swords, but I didnt think that was the right way to use one.

Which means that the Sword Venerable isnt the one training her.

If it was the Sword Venerable, he wouldnt teach her that way.

Her swordplay was too different from what I saw in my past life.

Well, it was similar, but hard to explain.

It was strange to call it lacking.

So Young Master could you please not leave me anymore?

That was what she wanted to say in the end.

I was so scared

I didnt ask what she was scared of.

It felt uncomfortable for some reason.

Im sorry.

I didnt say yes to her.

That would be a lie.

I didnt plan to bring Wi Seol-Ah into danger in the future. But

I dont think I can let her sit by and do nothing.

I learned that the Heavenly Demon existed in the world already, and I let the Palace Lord and the Heavenly Demon escape.

I couldnt let Wi Seol-Ah think that we were still living in a peaceful world.

Even though I dont want her to pick up a sword

I thought she needed to be strong enough to protect herself.

Not as strong as the Celestial Sword in my past life, who was burdened by everyones expectations, but strong enough to defend herself.

The Sword Venerable would have been the best person to train her, but he didnt do that.

I wonder what hes up to.

I couldnt understand it.

I didnt think the Sword Venerable would live as a Gu Clans servant forever.

I didnt know why he was staying in the Gu Clan, or why he wasnt teaching Wi Seol-Ah how to use a sword.

It seems like hes up to something.

I believed that the old man, one of the Three Venerables, had something going on in his life.

But I needed to know what it was in detail, especially after seeing the Heavenly Demon in the Misty Mountains.

I thought of that dark child, and looked at Wi Seol-Ah, who was sobbing in front of me.

They are different.

They were definitely different people.

Their smiles might look similar, and their strange aura might feel similar, but she and that bastard were completely different.

I cant say that they have no relation

But I had to tell myself that with certainty.

Young Master.

Huh?

Again, youre having a different thought, right?

No, Im not.

She caught me.

My habit of falling into my thoughts could be a big problem in a fight, so I had to fix it.

But it wasnt easy.

Really? Are you not lying?

Of course not.

Thats not true, Young Masters face right now is the one you have when you lie

Wha, what is that expression.

A very weird one.

?

She sounded too blunt, even with her sobbing voice.

How cruel.

I saw her sniffle her nose a few more times, and the sky was turning darker.

It was getting colder too.

I didnt feel it much, but Wi Seol-Ah would.

We had to go down now.

Lets go now, its going to get colder-

Grab.

I tried to tell her that we should go, but Wi Seol-Ah came closer and buried herself in my arms.

I wanted to tell her that we should leave, but I heard her sniffle quietly in my arms.

I couldnt speak, and I rubbed her small back to calm her down.

I also gave her some heat with my hand, so she wouldnt get cold.

She tightened her grip on me. It felt like she wouldnt let me go easily.

But shes stronger than I expected?

It felt like my ribs would break if I endured Wi Seol-Ahs hold for longer.

An ordinary person without any Qi might have actually broken.

Lets really go now. Hongwa will get angry.

Not at me, but at you.

Ouungh.

Thats a yes, right?

She nodded her head in my arms, as if saying yes.

Was this enough?

I hoped so.

Lets go.

Kay.

I held Wi Seol-Ahs hand so she wouldnt trip, but it felt colder than usual.

Maybe it was because of the weather.

We walked slowly down the mountain before the sky got darker.

Wi Seol-Ah didnt say a word to me.

She just sniffled quietly.

And I kept thinking about how her hand became warmer, even though I didnt give her any heat.

**********

While Wi Seol-Ah was scolded by Hongwa after coming back from the mountain, Tang Soyeol was still outside the clan.

She wanted to talk to Gu Yangcheon, who had returned, but she had something else to do.

She was in the streets of Shanxi, where Gu Yangcheon often bought snacks.

Phew.

The streets were crowded with people in all seasons, but not the biggest street in Shanxi.

It was the closest to the Gu Clan, so it might have been the safest place in Shanxi.

But Tang Soyeol gasped when she saw the building that was being built in the center of the street.

They are really building it?

It used to be a bar, but it was closed down.

Now a bigger building was being built, for a famous business.

Tang Soyeol knew about this business.

She had received a letter about it, and it was well-known in the world.

The building that was being built was the business of the Moyong Clan of Liaoning.

Tang Soyeol stood still and watched the building being built.

Then someone spoke to her.

You came early.

You called me here.

Indeed. I did call you here.

A lady who suited the cold night of spring.

The Snow Phoenix of the Moyong Clan. Moyong Hi-ah talked to Tang Soyeol.

She smiled and hid her face with a pretty fan that didnt match the cold weather.

But still, I didnt mean for you to come right away.

Is that really true?

Though it is possible that I did a little bit.

Moyong Hi-ahs slightly alluring movements were attractive to Tang Soyeol, who was also a girl.

A swamp that you couldnt escape once you fell in.

That was what Moyong Hi-ah was as a woman in Tang Soyeols eyes.

So, why did Lady Moyong call me here can I get the answer to that?

Tang Soyeol was startled when she got the letter from her, but she didnt refuse it.

It was from Moyong Hi-ah, after all.

But she stuttered a bit, because she hadnt seen Gu Yangcheon yet.

Moyong Hi-ah noticed that, and her eyes curved like half-moons.

We should go inside first. Its cold outside.

Can we?

Of course. I heard that the first floor is finished already.

She finished her sentence and walked into the building.

Tang Soyeol stared at her back, and Moyong Hi-ah stopped and looked at her.

Dont worry. It should be good news for Lady Tang as well.

Huh?

She hinted that she would tell her more inside, and entered the building.

Tang Soyeol hesitated for a bit, then followed her.

And so, the two ladies conversation lasted until late at night.

**********

It was well past midnight, but the Lords room of the Gu Clan was still lit.

Gu Cheolun had a lot of things to deal with.

The trouble that Gu Yangcheon caused

The Murim Alliances action to finalize the deal with the Black Palace

The Palace Lords disappearance

The incident with Gu Huibi

And the business with the Moyong Clan.

The letters on his desk were piled up higher than ever.

It was understandable that Gu Cheolun was exhausted after leaving the clan for a long time, but his expression was emotionless.

He worked silently.

Flutter- Flutter-

The room was filled with candlelight and the sound of him opening letters.

He repeated those movements for a long time, until

Pause-

He stopped.

He put aside everything on his desk and straightened his posture.

A guest had arrived.

Please come in.

Slide-

Someone opened the door and entered the room.

I apologize for visiting so late.

It is not an issue.

The guest who came at midnight was the Sword Venerable.

Gu Cheolun looked at him. His face was haggard and anxious, and his mighty presence seemed weaker.

Gu Cheolun knew why he came so late.

Im sorry that I couldnt support you for what happened recently.

Its fine.

Gu Cheolun knew that the Sword Venerable wouldnt act just for Gu Huibi.

He had something else to do.

He asked the Sword Venerable.

The reason you visited me, is it because the preparation is finished?

He asked calmly.

The Sword Venerable nodded his haggard head.

Correct.

It was a quiet night, so quiet that it was strange.

There was no sound of crickets in the silent midnight.

The Sword Venerable spoke without opening his eyes.

As soon as the Immortal Healer is done preparing I will leave.

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Footnotes:1For reference, it is the same Young Master but different in Korean. Also, she added Young Master GU for the first time, as to speak in a more formal way which is why Yangcheon is so confused