Chapter Text
“Here we are, young masters—the city of Chengdu!”
Chengdu.
Normally, you would’ve been smiling in delight. Shouldn’t that be your reaction upon reaching home once again?
It should have been—if it weren’t for your limping friends beside you. Lumps and bruises were evident on their faces. You had insisted on going outside first, just so as not to surprise passersby with your guests’ haggard appearance. Baek Cheon, however, denied your offer.
One by one, they emerged from the carriage looking utterly battered and bruised. You cringed at the sight of Baek Cheon’s pale appearance and dark under-eyes.
Curious whispers floated around you. You subtly hid your face with your hand. It was a tad bit embarrassing to gather so much attention.
“Disciple,” you whispered to Chung Myung—the source of their constant problems—“I do hope this training is worth it.”
“They’re fine. These brats ought to learn how to handle small beatings if they want to be stronger.”
… Brats ...?
“You know, disciple… Sometimes, you speak like an old man handling his grandchildren—”
“Ha… You’re lucky it took us so long,” Chung Myung was already stepping out of the carriage, your words failing to reach his ears, “Two more days of beatings and we really could’ve gotten somewhere.”
… Their faces were explanation enough.
Meanwhile, the man who had guided you all approached Baek Cheon for something you weren’t interested in listening to.
“Fish! Fresh fish here!”
“Jewelry for only—ahh, what a beautiful flower you are, madam. These earrings would suit your beauty!”
“You’re selling those for that many coins?! Back home, they’re cheaper—”
“That’s the last time you’ll haggle, madam.”
“Meat! Eggs!—”
You’ve missed this.
You flinched at the sudden tap on your shoulder.
“You’re smiling,” Jo Gul stated, but you assumed a hidden question mark was somewhere in that line.
You chuckled. “Was I that happy, young master? I mean, it’s expected. It’s been so long since I last saw this place. There are certainly a lot of changes here and there.”
Jo Gul seemed confused, scanning the area for the ‘changes’ you mentioned. You could only sigh in response—at his age, it’s normal to react like that.
“Jo Gul,” you called out. He finally gave up looking and turned to you. “What do you plan to do now? I’ll try to help as much as I can.”
He immediately denied your offer. “Oh no, it’s fine, seriously. You should focus on your own.”
“But if I may ask, what do you plan to do? I might be able to provide something.”
“...Information.”
“...That’s a heavy one.”
He replied dejectedly, “Sadly. I don’t think they’ll budge.”
Asking for information—in a territory ruled by the Tang? (If they still do.)
Information is a crucial asset. To underestimate its value is a big mistake. Judging by Jo Gul’s somewhat troubled face, he knew that too. He’s quite a smart kid, isn’t he?
Still, you didn’t have strong connections anymore. Unless you spoke to your remaining family on your sister’s side, there might be a chance you could gather something.
“If possible, if it doesn’t bother you, I would really like to help.”
Jo Gul hesitated, then sighed in surrender. You held back a grin.
“I’ll go talk to Sasuk. Stay right here.”
He lightly jogged toward his senior brother, and you observed from afar. Your heart and mind were already in sync with their reactions—Chung Myung’s disturbed face dragged your heart down, while Baek Cheon’s reluctant nod put your mind at ease.
Jo Gul returned to you with a smile and shared the news. You thanked him in return. You had a hunch that digging for information with Jo Gul would make things easier.
“Hm? What’s with that face? Are you regretting it now?”
“...I-It’s not like that—”
MUNCH!
“It sure is hell to me. You should’ve taken your chance and run as fast as you could. Instead, you offered your help.”
“...”
…It’s fine. Everything was going to be fine.
No, it was not. It was irritating.
The streets were filled with nothing but merchants and the voices of their customers. There was barely a breeze to cool you down. You could hardly recognize your voice, and Chung Myung’s. Well, maybe his voice didn’t matter here—all he did was eat his heart out.
“By the way,” you tried to cool yourself down, “don’t you plan to take this seriously?”
He didn’t answer. Chung Myung didn’t look like he was on a mission; he looked like he was sightseeing.
“I might. After I eat, that is,” he said, taking another bite.
You raised your brow. “And what about my change?”
“...Ah, you didn’t forget about that, huh… ”
Of course not! The amount was big enough for both dinner and lunch!
He sighed and begrudgingly handed you the pouch filled with coins.
You tried to grab it, but as soon as your fingers touched his palm, you felt him flinch slightly. He quickly pulled his hand away once the pouch was out of his grip.
…How insulting.
You shook your head in disappointment. “I feel bad for your senior disciples. Especially Disciple Baek Cheon—I pray his patience doesn’t run out anytime soon. You should be thankful.”
He chuckled sarcastically. “Sure.”
It irked you a bit. Has this generation degraded after the death of so many respectable men during the war? Whose child was this, and how did the head of Mount Hua tolerate his insolence?
You watched him savor each bite of the food while seemingly unbothered by your fuming presence, if he even cared to see what you were up to.
Without looking back, since he just had to take big steps to avoid you, he calls,
“We’re on a task, so you better walk faster!”
Forget befriending this man—you had to discipline him.
You didn’t think you could just smack him out of nowhere. So instead, you walked faster to catch up and pinched the tip of his left ear, dragging it slightly toward you. He yelped and glared at you as if questioning your audacity.
“W–”
“You rascal! Has no one taught you manners before? How dare a child like you respond like that!”
You whispered the words, but Chung Myung could feel your irritation. As he should.
“Show some respect to your elders, especially your seniors!”
He quickly grabbed your hand and detached it from his ear, glaring hatefully while biting his lip to contain his disdain.
But he couldn’t. How could he? For Chung Myung, he had every right to defend himself if none of your words held the truth. Respect for elders? That’s something they should show him . And that’s something you didn’t know.
“Hey.” His voice was deep and gruff. People began distancing themselves from you two. The intensity he radiated made the bystanders and sellers slowly disperse, creating a wide berth.
“You don’t know anything. I suggest you close your mouth.”
Except you didn’t. Your palm harshly whacked the back of his head as you grabbed his collar and pulled him close, contesting his attempt at dominance.
“Don’t you dare use that voice on me, young man.”
“Ha!”
So now you have decided to finally act according to your age? Everything about the sect was already stressing him out. Why did you have to step in and become another headache?
“...You don’t know a lot of things, (Name), so don’t run your mouth insulting me to defend those kids.”
“...”
Huh.
Your anger dissipated, replaced by curiosity and confusion. Your hand slowly released his clothes.
“Disciple Chung Myung,” you began, “how did you, younger than your comrades, manage to become stronger than them?”
“...Hey, what do you—”
“I don’t want to pry,” you continued, “but there’s a reason why older people—maybe not all, but some—are much more knowledgeable. It all comes down to experience.”
You saw him stiffen. Was it the hot weather that made him sweat so much? Or…
“...uh?”
…? What was this turn of events? You swore he was angry—and now he was acting clueless?
“That isn’t something a boy your age could’ve easily gained,” you squinted at him. “From the looks of it, you’re barely twenty—”
“A-ahem! W-where is this coming from—”
“It’s just weird that at that age, you’re already far stronger and wiser in Mount Hua’s techniques than your own—”
“Sasuk! We’re here!” Chung Myung scurried to the group, pretending you hadn’t said anything.
You dejectedly followed, dragging your feet. Seeing everyone’s heads down at the table, you already knew: no useful information was gathered.
You felt a pang of guilt, something you weren’t used to.
Still, it was a good thing you were out of the crowd. You could finally breathe properly.
“Given how close Sichuan is to Yunnan, you’d think the people here would have more to offer in the way of news. How is it that no one in this entire city seems to know anything?”
Yoon Jong shared his woes, face planted on the table—you could barely hear him.
You remained quiet. Power, influence, and wealth ruled over morality. They hadn’t attained any of those yet. Strength could be used, but you doubted Taoists went about it that way.
Perhaps you... no. People probably didn’t remember your name. Telling them who you once were wouldn’t mean much. If anything, you’d be the object of ridicule because how will you explain to them this entire time-traveling fiasco?
Anyway, they were new here. And sadly, the reason people refused them was—
“Because they have no reason to help us, of course. What would they stand to gain from it?”
You immediately looked at Jo Gul and nodded.
Smart kid. Quick and perceptive—he had the attributes of a merchant.
You didn’t need to explain any further. You sipped your tea, thoughts clouding your mind. You could barely make out their conversation. Were your other relatives still here? How was the business doing these days?
“...(Name)?”
You flinched. Blinking a few times, you cleared your throat and fixed your posture. “Is something wrong?”
“Right. I was asking, where are you staying today?”
Hm… You didn’t plan on settling here just yet. But you did have plans for today.
“And if you’d allow us, we could assign someone to accompany you—at least one of us—to your residence.”
Everyone looked at you expectantly. You were about to decline, but stopped when you saw Chung Myung’s unbothered face…
“If it’s alright with you, I would like to take Disciple Chung Myung with me.”
You had to stop yourself from grinning at his horrified expression. Ah, you’ve long forgotten how this felt good.
“...M-me?”
“Yes, you.”
Chung Myung pointed at himself again, as if questioning whether you’d made a mistake. Since when had you two gotten along ?
He was just a child. You should stop this childish nonsense.
But could you really?
Maybe your old habits followed you even into your second life—because somehow, putting someone that irked you on edge for your amusement still made you laugh.
“...Are you sure?”
Jo Gul asked, concerned. Yu Iseol stayed silent, but her gaze questioned you.
“I quite liked having him around earlier—for entertainment purposes.” You lied, of course.
He snorted. You replied with a chuckle—a sweet one that horrified Chung Myung.
“Y-You… Old ha—”
“So, Disciple Baek Cheon,” you chirped, completely ignoring Chung Myung’s distraught look, “is that a yes?”
“Woman,” Chung Myung said, “you’re vile…”
You hummed, enjoying his suffering.
“I agree. That makes us quite a nice team, don’t you think?”
He groaned, earning a chuckle from you— an insult, in his mind, which you intended anyway.
"Please don't speak to disciple Baek Cheon like that again, disciple Chung Myung."
He scoffed, "I respect him more than you know. So don't twist the story and—"
"And please don't hold a grudge against me." You interrupted, and a sigh escaped your lips. Honestly, the change in your mood today was odd. You wanted to discipline him, and you should. But somehow, something within you urges you to come forth and seek comfort from him. Have you grown incredibly lonely in this new generation?
"I... It's been... empty." He went silent, and you laughed. He doesn't even know your current predicament, how come he looks so solemn as if he shared your woes? Who are you to judge anyway? You're also acting quite different from before you met them.
"Empty, huh?" He responded, you could only presume he meant how you lived alone in the woods.
And then he spoke once more, "That's how life goes from now on. I don't have any words of comfort for you. Adapt to what is given to you."
Huh? What a weird thing to say. He spoke once more,
“... Hey, you didn’t choose me because you know–”
“Hm? I what?”
Chung Myung paused before shaking his head, “Never mind, forget I said anything.”
A great number of questions rose from the back of your head, but not now. You don't think any of those will have their answers today.
After a few minutes, everything went silent, unlike before, during your heated argument.
You noticed his ridiculously large frown from the corner of your eye, but decided not to comment and focused on your plan for today.
You had to devise a solid plan if you intended to meet the Tang family, especially with your currently useless name, you see.
You remembered how revered the Tang were back in the day, and it was proven through multiple transactions you had with them; you can only hope the glory they held back then would be the same now.