Only I Am A Reader
chapter-217

As a result of the ruckus brought by the Mount Hua Sword Conference, most bandits had retreated to their strongholds. Major bandit groups were strong and fearsome, but they weren't stupid, trying to act up when most notable characters were active was basically asking for a beating.

Thanks to that, Leo and the others' journey that followed the map to Mount Hua had been especially peaceful. If anything, it was as if they were out sightseeing rather than being on a mission.

From one city to another, Leo would always make sure to have a satisfying meal. Cheon Sohee and Cheon Yong always followed, but he and Yeon made sure to enjoy their time, sampling stall food, listening to storytellers, anything fun that their time permitted them to do was done!

Although Leo wasn't sure how to respond to Yeon's feelings, he tried his best to wash off the oppression that they suffered from young age. He wasn't sure what the 'watcher' would make of this, but experiencing the true taste of freedom was a great motive to push themselves forward, the journey was barely starting.

'Now if only…'

Having made sure to exude an air of unfriendliness, Leo tried his best to keep their journey as peaceful as possible. He wasn't wary of clear aggression, rather, he was looking out for busybodies!

If there was something that most readers of the genre were aware of, then it was how trouble always started! Having enough strength made one fearless against common opponents, but they were usually followed by intervention!

Depending on the faction you belonged to, busybodies from the Righteous or Evil Factions could potentially stand up for whoever Leo could end up beating, once that happened, it was basically an endless cycle of annoyance!

In the case of their group who were part of the Heavenly Strength Society, the chance to meet trouble was doubled. For the sake of avoiding that, Leo refrained from making friends or enemies. Heavenly Furnace trainees may very well lack social experience, but practicing silence was one of their fortes!

Even on carriage, the journey wasn't exactly faster or slower, the only notable difference was convenience. It took more than two weeks, but…

'Here we are.'

They finally reached their destination! The sight of the towering mountain in the distance looked even more majestic than the novel described it to be!

'It's slightly lacking though…'

Whether it came to height or sight, Leo couldn't deny Mount Heaven's superiority.

However, comparing the two mountains was somewhat wrong to begin with. If Mount Heaven was to be described as a domineering peak that oppressed the world, Mount Hua was overflowing with natural resonance! Each of the two mountains had their own charm.

"Unni! Orabeoni! It's another big mountain!"

"It does look nice, right Yeon?"

"Mhm."

Cheon Sohee was the most talkative and excited, but it made complete sense. After staying in one place for years, she consecutively got to travel from one city to another, her reaction was the more normal one. Most people would be speechless to see either mountains, but seeing both actually strengthened their respective charms even more.

Although he wasn't an 'out' person, even Leo couldn't help feeling uplifted by the whole atmosphere.

"Let's look for a place to stay."

'I'm definitely grateful for that.'

Since the payment was already handed out at the start, their group directly walked away after getting down the carriage. Thankfully, 'car fatigue' wasn't something that Martial Artists had to worry about!

Different from the threatening Mount Heaven, the land at Mount Hua's foot wasn't an empty plain but a heavily populated area. Just like any friendly force that settled down, people joined up to live under their protection and prosperity, that was how the city of Unnam came to be.

"Everything really feels so different…"

Breaking out from his long silence, Cheon Yong spoke out in a confused voice. It would be different if it was just once experience or something momentary, but this was the fifth city they were visiting. Although his memories of wandering in a place like this had mostly faded away under the pressure of training, the general impression still remained…

Being surrounded by people in the streets was always surrounded by the darkness of want and fear. Now that his sight was no longer clouded by these dreadful colors, the bustling and cheerful atmosphere made him constantly feel out of place.

"That's true. It's going to be hard, but let's try our best to blend in with this unfamiliar environment."

Leo had no knowledge of Cheon Yong's backstory, but he obviously had to suffer if he ended up in the Heavenly Furnace. In one way or another, every strong person in Mount Heaven was just a pitiful child at heart. That was the identity of the Heavenly Strength Society, a gathering place for broken things…

"Let's try this!"

Since the start of the Mount Hua Sword Conference was still a few days away, the group wasn't in a hurry to settle down. It wasn't the peak of therapy, but consistently Leo led the group to explore the cities they arrived at, trying to help them update their view.

'Not that I'm any better.'

Leo believed that he was one of the more fortunate ones. However, his mental state was still complicated as someone who 'lived' multiple lives. Even he wasn't sure what he would end up at if he lost focus of the target ahead of him.

"Three rooms please."

After a quick round trip, the group found an inn to reside in till the day they had to climb Mount Hua. As usual, Leo and Yeon shared a room while the other two had their own. However…

"Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about me, I just have an errand to settle."

"...I understand."

At nightfall, Leo notified Yeon of his departure, silently leaving the inn. It was finally time to go about his own business!

'I shouldn't get caught, right?'