426 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 427: It's Been a While (Part 2)** Three days had passed. Gradually, the mountains and forests faded into the background, and villages began to appear. Around this point, a sense of stability starts to settle in people's hearts. Since the mission involved transport, the journey was one of constant vigilance against any potential ambushes. With the region now under the Tang Clan's influence, there should be no issues with the transport. The travelers, who hadn't shown much expression before, now had more relaxed faces. They exchanged light-hearted jokes. Even sparring matches, which they had refrained from to conserve strength, became a pastime. Watching these fights can indeed be entertaining. Witnessing all this signified that the journey was nearing its end. However. Contrary to everyone's comfort. I was feeling increasingly troubled. *Creak.* I circulated my inner energy throughout my body. The energy traveled from my dantian to various parts of my body. 'Tsk.' Despite continuously monitoring my condition, there was no improvement. This problem arose after incubating the red snake spirit in Masok. Though the energy I lost was slowly recovering, the pace was excruciatingly slow. Both Paejon and I recognized this issue. When my training was disrupted, I was sternly scolded, being asked just what I'd been up to. 'Damn it.' Getting scolded at my age. The feeling of disgrace was no joke. *Ssshhh...* Sensing my sour mood, a snake peeked its head out from my sleeve and observed me. "What are you looking at? My plans went haywire because of you. What are you going to do about it?" *Ssshhh...* The creature seemed to understand and licked my finger apologetically with its tongue. Sighing heavily, I repeated my breaths. 'Sigh, I'm losing it.' Taking out my frustration on a beast was pointless. After all, I willingly went through the incubation process, so blaming this creature is irrational. Holding my throbbing forehead, I glanced outside the carriage window. The carriage continued its journey. The scenery changed without rest. As I watched, thoughts of the future filled my mind. Soon, we'd arrive at the Tang Clan. Once there. 'I need to get the Baekma Stone first.' Originally, after arriving at the Tang Clan and unloading, I was to follow Jamryong to see the Mudang Koesan. Afterward, I planned to visit the Paegu, led by Paeucheol. The initial plan was to complete everything before obtaining the Baekma Stone. Now, the Baekma Stone took top priority. 'My body isn't in good shape.' The internal state was more a concern than any physical injury. The lack of recovery of the drained energy posed significant challenges for using martial arts like Tuapacheonmu. 'Ugh...' Additionally, I hadn't managed to stabilize the instability caused by reaching a fluctuating state in my cultivation. For the time being, consuming the Baekma Stone to replenish my energy was paramount. *Ssshhh...* The red snake spirit flicked its tongue and gazed at me. "What do you want?" The snake's sole activity upon its release was this. *Ssshh?* It looked at me with a quizzical tilt of its head and flicked its tongue. That seemed to be its routine. "This is better." It's preferable to a creature that purrs about its hunger or an old man who never stops chattering. Had it tried to sap my energy out of hunger, I would have ditched it immediately. At least this creature didn't drain my energy. It merely desired monster flesh from time to time. 'Strange creature.' It wouldn't consume ordinary food, only the flesh of monsters. Typically, monsters indiscriminately devour anything. Why was this one so selective? 'Maybe it's not so bad.' Eating stones would have been problematic, but if it's just flesh, it's better. After all, when hunting for stones, you inevitably come across monster flesh. It never whined about hunger. One day, I noticed it lying there listlessly, only to realize it was due to hunger. Since it never asked for food, I hadn't known it was hungry. 'Like I'd know how to raise a monster.' I'd never even raised a regular animal, let alone a monster, so this was unexplored territory for me. "Couldn’t you at least hint if you were hungry?" *Ssshhh...* Lowering its head as if chastised, the creature's defeated demeanor caught my attention. The memory of it unable to ask for food when hungry lingered in my mind. '...Frustrating.' Each time, a sudden wave of frustration surged over me. It reminded me of myself in the past, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. "Next time, speak up. I’ll feed you while I'm at it." *Ssshhh.* Not feeding it out of genuine intention, but coincident with the pursuit of stones. I had no intentions of nurturing it. With that decision, I nodded to myself. The creature, apparently pleased, flicked its tongue even faster. Watching it, I waved my arm distastefully. "Stop it! You're slobbering!" When I yelled, the creature jumped and retreated back into my sleeve. Is this creature truly a monster? How can it be so timid? Wiping the saliva off my hand, a voice came from above the carriage. "Oh! We must be arriving soon!" The voice belonged to the White Lotus Sword, who was lounging on top of my carriage. I had no idea why he chose the roof over the comfort of the carriage, but hearing his voice, I peeked outside the window. Something in the distance caught my eye. I squinted slightly. "Man, this has been one long journey." We had set out in spring. And now, as we approached our destination, summer had arrived. Was it pure coincidence? Several years ago, I recall arriving in summer too. Of all seasons, it had to be the same one. I chuckled at the thought. Back then, I was barely a third-rate fighter; now, within a few years, I'd reached a fluctuating state, and my reputation across the central plains had significantly changed. A sense of nostalgia, perhaps. 'No, not really.' Just an acknowledgment of time passing by. I leaned back into my seat and regulated my breathing. Finally, after months of travel. We arrived in the prefecture where the Sichuan Tang Clan resided. ****************** Remembering the time I ventured to Sichuan in pursuit of Kim Cheon-nyun's hidden knowledge. Around the time when multiple incidents had occurred, it would have been strange not to remember them. Like the time when we discovered Wi Seol-ah hiding in the carriage right after we set out. That was also the first time I encountered Namgung Bi-ah in this lifetime. Upon seeing Namgung Bi-ah's face, I was utterly shocked. Internally, I panicked, wondering why that crazy woman was here. In retrospect, wasn't that the pivotal moment when a lot of things started changing? That time marked the beginning of significant shifts in my relationship with Wi Seol-ah. It was also then that my dynamic with Namgung Bi-ah took a completely different turn. The slow-changing flow began to shift dramatically. That period coincided with my arrival on Sichuan soil. *Creak.* A colossal gate opened. It seemed to be at least twice the size of a typical door. When compared to the gates of the Gu family, it was quite massive. The gate at my home was of such a size that both my father and Iljang had to bow slightly to enter. As the gates opened, an array of people were lined up inside. "Welcome back, Master." -Congratulations! As soon as the Poison King appeared, a roar of exclamations erupted. Wow. Watching all the servants come out, clapping and cheering... what can one say about this? 'What's the meaning of this spectacle?' That was about the only thought that crossed my mind. Why even bring out all the busy workers for something like this? Considering the responses from the Poison King and Tang So-yeol, it seemed like they saw this as a routine occurrence. Could this truly be seen as normal...? 'Perhaps I'm just not used to it because my father always keeps such events modest.' Seeing that figures like Moyong Hee-ah and Namgung Bi-ah also showed no reaction, it was likely that most of the reputable clans had similar welcoming ceremonies. *Creak, creak.* While walking, a strange noise caught my attention. It was the sound of Tang Deok clenching his fists tightly. Noticing this, I immediately sent a sound transmission to him. -Relax your grip. Upon hearing my order, Tang Deok trembled slightly but released his grip. Given that this was the den of enemies, his reaction was understandable, but it was unrelated to me. Avoiding unnecessary detection was essential, so I had to issue my commands precisely. 'I should've had him wait outside if I knew this would happen.' But we were already here, so what could be done? Diverting my attention from Tang Deok, I looked ahead to see several white-haired elders standing before the Poison King. 'These must be the elders.' They likely belonged to the Tang Clan. "Welcome home, Master." The elders greeted, and the Poison King nodded slightly in response. From this, one thing was clear. 'The Poison King's power must be formidable.' It was evident that the Poison King's position within the clan was remarkably strong. When the elders hold most of the power in a clan, the demeanor of either the elders or the clan head wouldn't be like that. For instance, the Namgung clan had a stronghold of power with its elders. 'More specifically, it’s the Celestial Sovereign who holds the power.' The ultimate authority was not vested in the family head. The Namgung family was an example of a place where not having the absolute power as the clan head posed significant issues. 'Since it's the Tang Clan, the dynamics might be slightly different…' Though not entirely focused on commerce like the Moyong family. The Tang Clan was known as the Iron Clan. They supplied the highest quality iron goods across Central Plains. Hence, the influence wielded by the Tang Clan was not just reliant on power, which everyone knew. For now, I set aside such considerations. 'I just want to go inside quickly.' I wanted to unload and rest first. Both mentally and physically worn out, I needed to rest comfortably on the day of our arrival at least. While wondering when this welcome ceremony would end. "Goodness, how long is this going to take?" Someone muttered, causing the group behind me to turn in surprise, looking towards the speaker. Someone had voiced my inner thoughts aloud. They seriously said that? They've got guts, I thought, looking at them. It was Bai Lian Geom. 'That woman truly has to be crazy.' For her to actually voice such a thing in this atmosphere. Even I wouldn't dare to say such a thing. "I'm starving to death. Ugh…" "Aunt, please…" As Bai Lian Geom sighed repeatedly, I noticed Moyong Hee-ah beside her, trying to stop her, ears burning red. Honestly, it did bring some relief. While Moyong Hee-ah continued to admonish Bai Lian Geom, I shifted my focus to the Poison King. It seemed about time for this ceremony to conclude. Just then, an elder added a comment, and the Poison King's shoulders twitched slightly. There appeared to be some important exchange taking place. *Swipe.* As the Poison King raised a hand, the cheers that had surrounded us started to quiet down instantly. If he could end it like this, he could’ve done so sooner. Feeling somewhat displeased, I watched as the Poison King turned towards us and spoke. "The journey must have been arduous; you've endured much." With his hands clasped behind his back, his welcoming air felt somewhat weighty. "We've prepared rooms for our guests in advance, so please rest well today, and we'll meet at the banquet at dusk." A banquet, huh. It wasn't a matter of interest, really. Given the official nature of his invitation, it meant we shouldn’t skip it. Contrary to the grandiose welcoming ceremony, the conclusion felt somewhat anticlimactic. Excusing himself, the Poison King vanished somewhere with the elders. The remaining party, following the guidance of the servants, proceeded to their assigned lodgings.