Chapter 17. Chengdu (1)
It was shortly after my arm, injured during the recent sparring match, had healed.
"Young Hero Cheon, would you mind coming out with me for a while today?"
Tang Sowol suddenly appeared at the training grounds where I was practicing and made this unexpected request.
Seeing her face early in the morning wasn't a bad way to start the day, but her sudden visit and spontaneous suggestion were a bit abrupt.
"Right now?"
"Of course not. You just woke up, your hair is a mess, you only washed your face briefly, and you're dressed in your usual, casual training attire. Naturally, I meant later, around lunchtime, so we could have a meal together."
"...?"
For a moment, I couldn't understand what she was saying, so I quietly studied her appearance.
Her neatly tied black hair was fixed in place with an elegant hairpin. It wasn't overly extravagant, but it exuded a subtle elegance. Upon closer inspection, her hair gleamed with a smooth luster, without a single tangle. Messy hair, she said? Clearly, it had been meticulously combed and treated with fine oil—though she likely hadn't done it herself, her maidservants must have.
Then there was her face. Her skin had always been flawless, but with a light application of makeup, her natural beauty was even more radiant. No one could possibly describe her as disheveled. Again, her maidservants must have helped her prepare.
Lastly, her clothes... but really, what more could a martial artist need besides practical attire?
After organizing my thoughts, I looked directly into Tang Sowol's black eyes and opened my mouth.
"I think you've done quite well already. Don't be too hard on your maidservants."
"Pardon? What do you... Wait a moment. Did you think I was talking about myself just now, Young Hero Cheon?"
"Weren't you?"
At my question, she let out a disbelieving scoff.
"Good grief. Honestly, this is ridiculous."
"Just explain what you mean."
"Look here, Young Hero Cheon. I was talking about you."
"Me?"
As I blankly repeated her words, Tang Sowol strode toward me with quick steps. Due to my not-yet-fully-grown body, I had to look up at her slightly.
...Humiliating.
Grumbling inwardly, I sheathed my sword, and in that brief moment, Tang Sowol reached out and began tidying my hair.
"What is this mess? It looks like a bird's nest!"
"Isn't it normal to get sweaty after morning training? I was planning to wash up properly and then have breakfast."
"I know that. You come to breakfast with wet hair every morning these days."
After roughly finishing tidying my hair, Tang Sowol gently rubbed the corner of my eyes with her thumb.
"If you're going to wash your face anyway, do it thoroughly. How can you walk around with eye crusts like that?"
"I was just swinging my sword lightly to wake myself up. I wash properly when I meet other people, so it's fine."
"Haah..."
Tang Sowol let out a deep sigh, then took half a step back and spread her arms wide, as if inviting me to take a good look at her.
"Young Hero Cheon, I'm here, aren't I? I go through all this trouble every morning just to see you, yet you can't even make yourself presentable?"
"Hmm."
She wasn't wrong. Normally, Tang Sowol would only come to see me after finishing her own work, usually in the evening. Lately, however, she had been making brief morning visits as well.
"We are engaged, after all. Though the formal betrothal ceremony hasn't taken place yet, it will happen soon. Eventually, we'll get married and spend the rest of our lives seeing each other's faces every day, fighting and making up."
"Well... I suppose that's true."
"But I don't really know what it means to act like a proper fiancée. So I decided to try doing what I think a proper fiancée should do. Visiting you every morning is part of that."
I never would have guessed that was the reason. Then again, while I hadn't clung to her so closely, I had spent quite a long time with the pre-regression Tang Sowol.
During that time, we had seen both the best and worst of each other, and our difficult lives had hardened us.
Furthermore, while I didn't know where he was or what he was doing now, I knew that the monster known as the Heavenly Demon would one day set the world ablaze.
Although it wasn't an immediate concern, it was only natural that I felt a certain sense of urgency.
But for Tang Sowol, the situation was completely different.
She was barely in her early twenties, had only recently entered the martial world, and had already experienced numerous crises, including an abrupt engagement.
Even if I didn't know everything about her, it was obvious that she still held expectations and fantasies about the world—far more than I did.
In hindsight, wasn't I also struggling, not because of the Heavenly Demon or anything grand like that, but simply because I wanted to live a happy life with Tang Sowol?
I reflected briefly on whether I had been too indifferent, but before I could dwell on it further, Tang Sowol, who had been exuding a sulky atmosphere just moments ago, suddenly broke into a playful smile.
"Actually, never mind. Now that I think about it, you might as well stay the way you are, Young Hero Cheon. After all, I'm five years older than you. If I continue tidying your hair and wiping your eyes like this, isn't that also something a proper fiancée should do?"
"I'll just be more mindful from now on."
"Hehe, that's a good decision. While you claim you don't meet anyone regularly, you still have me, don't you? Even if I don't go overboard, I still try to dress neatly just to show myself to you."
With that, she took half a step back, spread her arms wide again, and spun around in place, as if to show off her appearance. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Meanwhile, Tang Sowol, now even more confident, continued with a bold and unabashed expression.
"In any case, since that's settled, you'll have to accompany me today."
"It's no longer a request but a demand, huh? But are you even allowed to go out?"
"Pardon? What do you mean by that? Unlike you, Young Hero Cheon, I don't go around kidnapping people."
"Didn't you almost get yourself killed the first time you left the house? I doubt the Poison King will allow it so easily."
They were still investigating whether there were any other parties involved or if there was a mastermind behind the incident.
Once the investigation concluded, they planned to make an example out of it to prevent such incidents from happening again...
According to what Tang Sowol had told me before my regression, while there were minor collaborators, there wasn't any significant mastermind, so the matter would likely be settled soon.
In any case, from the Tang Clan's perspective, the situation with Tang Sowol wasn't entirely resolved yet.
If she tried to go out during such a time, even I would say it's a bad idea.
After listening to me, Tang Sowol tilted her head, then soon made a face as if she had realized something.
"Oh! Of course, I didn't mean we'd go far. I was just talking about strolling through the marketplace in Chengdu."
"Chengdu isn't exactly a small village."
Even before the Tang Clan established itself, Chengdu had been the largest city in Sichuan Province. No matter how influential the Tang Clan was, treating the entire city as their backyard was a bit much.
"Oh, it's fine. The Tang Clan has people everywhere in Chengdu. It's practically our backyard. Father even gave his permission, though we'll have escorts following us."
"Is the influence of the Five Great Clans really that extensive?"
"Well, um, actually, the Tang Clan is a bit less influential compared to the other Five Great Clans. Due to the nature of our martial arts, we tend to be a bit more reclusive."
"..."
"For example, the Namgung Clan, which is the largest among the Five Great Clans, practically rules Anhui Province like kings. They're said to have noble lineage, though I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate."
In the past, I had picked up a sword purely to make a living. I wasn't interested in honor, so I avoided unnecessary conflicts with orthodox martial artists.
I mostly traveled around Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Guangdong Provinces, steering clear of orthodox territories whenever possible.
Most of the orthodox martial artists I met later had been defeated by the Demonic Cult and were in decline. Though I had heard that the orthodox factions were once highly powerful, I didn't realize it was to this extent.
Meanwhile, the unorthodox world was so preoccupied with internal conflicts that the formation of groups like the Black Lotus Sect was remarkable in itself.
"Fine. You said around lunchtime, but when exactly should I come?"
"Hmm... I'll come find you when I'm ready. Just take it easy until then."
"No. This time, I'll come to you."
"Pardon? But I might take a while getting ready. You could end up waiting for quite some time."
"Then I'll wait. So far, you've always come to find me. This time, I'll come to you."
"Oh my..."
Tang Sowol smiled brightly and nodded.
"Alright! Then I'll be waiting happily for you, Young Hero Cheon."
After making our promise, she walked away with light steps. Only after she had left the training grounds did I resume swinging my sword.
***
When I went to find Tang Sowol at the appointed time, I was told she was still getting ready and to wait outside for a bit.
I had already been warned that it might take a while, so I didn't mind waiting. However, as I glanced down at my outfit, I couldn't help but frown slightly.
"This is uncomfortable."
I was wearing a long green robe made from Sichuan silk, known for its exorbitant price.
While it felt luxurious against my skin and looked elegant, the long and flowing fabric constantly clung to my body, making movement cumbersome.
When I had asked my attendant to prepare something appropriate for a stroll with Tang Sowol through the marketplace, she had enthusiastically brought out this attire.
And it wasn't just one outfit—she had laid out over ten different robes with the help of another attendant, all in varying shades of green, and told me to choose.
To my eyes, they all looked more or less the same, but I picked one anyway. Then, they brought out several pairs of shoes to match the robe.
Even after I chose a pair of shoes, it didn't seem to end, so I hastily tied my hair back and slipped away.
Do the children of every prestigious family endure this sort of thing from a young age? How do they manage it?
Though I had handled a fair amount of money during my time with the Black Lotus Sect after reaching the transcendent level, most of it had gone toward acquiring new martial arts techniques and elixirs.
Of course, there were limits to what money could buy, and even after spending most of it, I still lacked what I needed.
In hindsight, the sect's leadership had truly been petty. Though they had a vast library of martial arts techniques and occasionally awarded high-quality manuals as rewards, they would dismiss me by saying none of them suited me.
Granted, my division, the Ironblood Hall, had a reputation for being made up of troublemakers despite their skill, so it's true that we weren't well-liked. Moreover, it was understandable that the Black Lotus Sect Leader, who was also a master of the Flowering Stage, sought to keep Ironblood Hall's leader in check, as he was similarly ostracized by the unorthodox world.
Still, refusing to reward us despite our accomplishments seemed overly petty for someone who claimed to be the supreme figure of the unorthodox world.
Although it didn't matter much now after my regression, just thinking about it made me seethe inwardly.
Creak—
Finally, the door, which had been tightly closed, opened, and Tang Sowol appeared.
She didn't look significantly different from when I saw her in the morning. However, with her slightly more vibrant makeup, her ornate gown, and matching accessories, her entire atmosphere had changed.
The Tang Sowol I knew had always been a martial artist, but the person before me now was unmistakably the daughter of a prestigious family.
Though it was clearly the same person, she felt unfamiliar. As I stared blankly at her, our eyes met, and she too seemed to be taken aback by my appearance.
"Ha!"
"Pfft!"
Simultaneously, we both burst into laughter, dispelling the awkward atmosphere in an instant.
After sharing a hearty laugh, Tang Sowol, wiping tears from her eyes, tilted her chin up in a mock haughty manner.
"Shall we go, Young Hero Cheon?"
"Who am I to disobey?"
Nodding, I moved to stand beside her.
As we walked together, the escorts following behind us frowned deeply, as if witnessing something they shouldn't have.
...Must be single.