This was a question that Nangong Bia had pondered since childhood.
Why could she smell things that others couldn't?
Because of this, she knew her life had become a living hell.
A life where eating a meal comfortably, having a conversation, or even sleeping was a torment.
How could she escape from this?
In the thick fog where she couldn't see ahead, Nangong Bia continued to wander aimlessly.
The only fortunate thing was that there were moments when she could overcome the foul smell.
When she wielded her sword.
Only then did the world offer her a sense of liberation.
Thus, Nangong Bia began an obsession with the sword.
In those moments of sword dancing, she could almost delude herself into thinking she felt nothing.
So she swung her sword every day.
Even after the sword dance ended, the foul smell would return, and those who watched her sword dance would emit an even stronger stench.
But if there was no foul smell when she danced with her sword,
Perhaps when she finally reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, it would all disappear.
When she saw a swordsman stronger than herself, she would challenge them to a duel, and the rest of her time was spent honing her skills.
As she grew, the foul smell in her home intensified.
She avoided conversations, and her words became fewer.
The aspirations, desires, admiration, and jealousy of others were felt acutely along with the foul smell.
Was the cause of the foul smell there?
Nangong Bia couldn't be sure.
There seemed to be something else.
She gradually lost her expressions.
She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled.
Perhaps the day her mother died was when she had completely lost it.
She grew increasingly tired of the sensations she felt even when she pinched her nose.
She wanted to retreat to the mountains and live alone, but the family wouldn't let her.
The foul smell from everyone grew stronger, and her younger brother became a burden.
His increasingly extreme behavior and the various emotions in his eyes made her feel increasingly burdened.
She couldn't understand the stories he told and felt increasingly overwhelmed.
Would there be peace at the pinnacle of swordsmanship she sought?
Would there be peace at the end of her enduring life?
Or was she foolishly enduring?
While pondering these questions daily at the edge of a cliff,
She met someone.
It was the first time.
The first time she felt no foul smell.
Like the fog lifting, there was only tranquility by his side.
His sharp eyes, his gruff tone, and the obvious distance he kept, asking her not to come near.
Yet, in that gap, Nangong Bia found comfort.
There was no foul smell.
There was no desire from others, and he was surrounded by a sense of urgency and guilt.
Sometimes, when he looked at her, it seemed he was thinking of someone else.
She wanted to ask him one day,
Who are you looking for?
What do you want to say that makes your eyes look like that?
But she never asked, so Nangong Bia still didn't know.
Recently, a question Dang Xiaoyue had asked kept coming to mind.
If she liked him.
At the time, Nangong Bia thought she didn't.
What she felt for him then was definitely not affection.
'Now?'
So, is it different now?
She asked herself, but there was no answer.
It was a feeling more difficult to understand than the foul smell.
While practicing with her sword on the hill, their eyes met.
The first thing she noticed was his injured hand.
She was about to approach when she smelled a faint, but definite, foul smell.
Nangong Bia felt as if the world was collapsing.
She repeatedly told herself it couldn't be true and held him to smell.
She hoped it wasn't.
To Nangong Bia, he was a rare haven.
She could eat meals comfortably and sleep without nightmares.
She could walk among people.
She was just starting to understand these things.
...She couldn't lose this.
Fortunately, it was a mistake.
The faint foul smell by his side quickly disappeared.
When the tranquility returned as if nothing had happened, she collapsed without realizing it.
He came over and gently wiped away her cold sweat.
She brought his arm to her nose.
In her anxiety, she did this without thinking.
'So, this is it.'
Nangong Bia could feel the emotion of despair.
Perhaps it was better when she didn't know.
The tranquility taught her the fear of losing.
So, it is.
I can't let him go now.
The seemingly meaningless title of fiancé might be the greatest blessing for her.
She imagined a life without him.
A life back in the foul smell.
Could she live in it again?
Nangong Bia held his hand tighter, not wanting to think about it.
*****************
Nangong Bia's condition seemed strange, so I brought her to the lodging.
Why is she sweating so much?
Even dogs don't catch summer colds, so could it be a fever?
'A martial artist with a fever... '
It's very hard for someone in a competition to catch a fever.
Especially someone at Nangong Bia's level.
So, is there a more serious problem?
When I suggested she see a doctor, she shook her head and went to wash herself.
"Master, Master!"
By evening, Weixuea was clinging to me persistently.
Earlier, she was about to cry when she saw his injured hand, and it was hard to calm her down.
Weixuea has recently become obsessed with cooking and keeps making things.
The meals are provided by Huashan, of course.
While it's a prestigious sect, the meals aren't luxurious, but it's just about filling one's stomach, so it's fine.
'...I haven't had dumplings in a while.'
I haven't had them for a few days.
I'll have to eat them when I go to town.
'But not for a while.'
Given Huashan's location, going down and coming back is no easy task.
I picked up a nameless dish Weixuea brought and ate it.
Her expectant eyes were quite burdensome.
I blurted out,
"It's salty."
"...R-really?"
Her wide eyes were amusing.
Knowing she had put in a lot of effort, I patted her head and revealed it was a joke.
"It's a lie, it's fine."
"Hmph... You're so mean to joke like that...!"
"Your reaction is just too funny."
Now, I feel no hesitation in patting her head.
Is it because my hesitation has decreased?
Weixuea, like a puppy, looked at me with round eyes.
Feeling something strange, I grabbed her cheeks and stretched them.
"Ow, ow!"
"...Wow, they really stretch?"
What kind of texture is this? It reminded me of when Guxi Bi at the manor played with her cheeks.
This is what it feels like.
"Ow..."
"Sorry."
Did I pull too hard? Weixuea rubbed her cheeks and glared at me slightly.
Seeing this, I asked,
"By the way, where is Wei Noya?"
I didn't think Weixuea would return to Huashan alone.
I assumed Jian Zun would have come with her, but he wasn't in sight.
Weixuea, touching her slightly red cheeks, replied,
"Grandpa said he had some business to take care of!"
"...Business."
What business could Jian Zun have in Shanxi, leaving Weixuea behind?
I wasn't worried about Jian Zun, but I was curious.
The reason he followed us all the way to Shanxi and the fact that there's a divine doctor here.
And that the divine doctor's grandson is Zhuge He.
"...Why so many things?"
The disappearance of Huashan disciples, Jian Hou's health.
Each one is a big deal, and they seem to be intertwined.
It feels like there's something connecting them.
"Master."
"Hmm?"
"Your face is ugly again..."
"...What?"
It was the first time in a while I heard the "ugly" attack.
Maybe because I heard I looked like a toad, it wasn't particularly shocking.
"You shouldn't say that to people."
"Why not...?"
"...Really ugly people get hurt."
"But you look ugly when you make that face..."
"...Yeah."
When Weixuea said that, it felt like daggers in my heart. That's why pretty people are.
It's probably because of the frown from the complicated situation, but I should correct her speech next time.
[...I think she really meant it.]
'Be quiet.'
It already hurts, and you're pouring salt on the wound...
I ate a few more mouthfuls and finished dinner.
Nangong Bia didn't come out to eat because she wasn't feeling well, so I told Weixuea to take care of her.
Thinking of a short walk, I looked around.
-Haa!
-Watch your legs!
-Your arms are idle!
The shouts of the third-generation disciples were heard outside, as they were in the final stages of training.
It must be because the upcoming Jihua Tournament is coming up.
It's like a martial arts competition among Huashan disciples.
After that, we'll probably return to the manor.
According to Yingfeng, it will end in a day or two, so there's not much time left.
I hoped nothing would happen in that time.
'The problem is the demonic aura I saw earlier.'
The lackeys of Heiye Palace I saw in the afternoon.
For some reason, they seemed too murky to be demonic aura.
More precisely, they seemed of poor quality or incomplete.
They looked cheap compared to the demonic aura scattered by the Demon Sect.
So, I didn't think it was related to the Heavenly Demon.
[Are you thinking about those guys?]
"...Yes, it's a bit unsettling."
[Are they famous?]
"Not famous, but they're not hiding either."
The Heiye Palace master himself was a renowned expert of the evil path.
He was the one who maintained his composure when the famous evil path expert, Black Dragon Sword, was killed by Jian Zun.
'Maybe I was too indifferent.'
Was it because I thought Heiye Palace would be eliminated by the martial arts alliance in a few years?
It felt quite complicated to think that Heiye Palace had the demonic aura I thought the Heavenly Demon had.
"There's a guy we missed, so I won't let it go."
[It's clearly Huashan's territory, and the current sect leader knows about it, so they won't move easily.]
Honestly, I went out half-heartedly because of that, but I didn't think they would just sit around and do nothing.
'Maybe Mei Hua Xian will handle the rest here.'
There were too many things to think about.
Even if I investigated Heiye Palace, it would be difficult in Shanxi.
Putting aside the headache, I headed back to the lodging when I saw someone running from a distance.
"Jiang Xiaoye!"
It was Yingfeng, drenched in sweat.
What on earth is he doing...?
"Master Yingfeng...?"
"Are you going to practice in the evening?"
"Yes...? No?"
"The air is good tonight. You'll get great energy from practicing!"
"...Ah, yes."
Could he have been doing this from morning till now?
[Among the younger generation, he's the one I like the most. With that talent and effort, he will definitely be the best swordsman of Huashan in the near future.]
As Shen Noya said, very proudly.
If Yingfeng's future is set, that's what will happen.
Unless some crazy person wipes out Huashan.
"...Damn."
"What? What did you say, Jiang Xiaoye?"
"Nothing, nothing. Nothing."
"Ah... I see. If you have any intention, how about practicing with me in the evening?"
Despite seeing his morning efforts, Yingfeng's face was still cheerful.
I wanted to lie down immediately because I had a busy day.
But seeing Yingfeng like that, I felt a bit stimulated.
"Let's go."
Sure, I'll go to sleep right after, so a little practice won't hurt.
...I said, and a few minutes later, I immediately regretted it.
******************
What a crazy Huashan.
"...Ugh."
The evening practice I started feeling stimulated by, I couldn't even last halfway and ran away.
Not to mention normal practice, who the hell came up with the idea of carrying a rock on your back and climbing a cliff?
Not to mention that, he did all sorts of training without stopping.
My muscles were screaming and I was dying, but Yingfeng seemed to enjoy it.
How did such a person end up hitting a wall in the future?
Was there a reason?
[Don't you think it's because you stimulated him even more?]
"Even if he's simple, a person doesn't change that much from one duel, right?"
[You never know.]
Was the duel with me that shocking?
If so, it was fortunate that I achieved my goal, but if he changed that much in an instant, it was also scary.
When I finally couldn't take it and said I was going, Yingfeng said he would continue with a regretful look.
Without even listening, I came down quickly.
After being involved in various things since the afternoon and being exhausted, I was pushed to my limits by the evening practice.
I went to the lodging, cooled my hot body with cold water, and changed into clean clothes.
I wanted to fall asleep quickly.
Since I didn't sleep well the previous night, I felt I would sleep deeply today.
Thinking that, I opened the door.
Creak-
"Master...!"
Creak, thud.
"...?"
I opened the door and immediately closed it without realizing.