Chapter 85. You'll Understand When You Die. (2)

Soon, the two sat down at the table.

Hugong spoke.

"The first one is over, and now it's the second."

"......"

"There will be no second chance."

"......Yes."

Death was on hold.

If he spoke out of turn here, he would die.

Qibidanhun accepted this.

For some reason, it seemed that Dagonja would naturally do even more than that.

Whether he buried them again or cut them down.

And there was another strange point.

Dagonja's condescension did not feel offensive at all.

Was it because he had been hit and buried unilaterally?

No.

He was sure it wasn't that.

Qibidanhun suddenly recalled the words of the Butumju of Yaowangmen.

"He is a wonderful person."

Well, I don't know if he's wonderful.

But there was no doubt that Dagonja was a peculiar person.

From Dagonja, one could sense the unique presence of someone standing at the pinnacle. He never thought that a mere scholar in his early twenties could give such a feeling.

Why?

He didn't know.

Was it his innate nature, or did it show a hidden great power?

So,

"I was rude. Please forgive me."

Qibidanhun said briefly and respectfully.

Originally, he had many questions and was about to voice his grievances. He even planned to subtly test if the Nangong family cared at all, but he gave up on all of it.

The advice of Yangegai was one thing, but his own instinct told him not to be messy.

"You were indeed rude, and forgiveness is not yet granted."

"Yes."

Hugong spoke coldly but was inwardly satisfied.

Seeing his attitude, it was worth burying him.

Indeed, one learns a lot when alone, no matter who they are.

The former elder Yun Gui of Qingcheng Sect was like that.

He thought the elder was originally a stubborn person who would argue even when scared, but after being buried, he came out as a gentle lamb. The head of Tangmen, Tang Ming, who helped dig the hole, was still vividly surprised.

- Wow, it seems that nothing is better for turning a beast into a human than a taste of death. Hugong! In the future, just bury anyone and start from there.

I wonder if he's doing well.

Thinking of Tang Ming, Hugong smiled. Despite his reputation in the martial world as a person who wouldn't bleed even if stabbed, the real Tang Ming in private was a cheerful guy.

Hugong turned his gaze to the door.

More accurately, he sensed the presence beyond the door.

"Hmm..."

Then he spoke to Qibidanhun.

"It's late, so let's meet tomorrow morning."

"Yes, then... what?"

Qibidanhun answered hesitantly and then asked.

'Meet tomorrow morning?'

Why? Wasn't the conversation over? It was true that it was late, but Qibidanhun couldn't understand why they needed to meet again in the morning.

He had no reason to be here.

He didn't want to be here anymore.

The mission had failed.

He would bid farewell, and Dagonja and his group would return to Tianhuaxi. That was all.

"What do you mean by tomorrow morning...?"

"Hmm..."

Hugong frowned and looked at Qibidanhun with disdain, making him even more confused.

"You need to explain...?"

"Do I have to explain the reason to you?"

"......"

Qibidanhun was dumbfounded, blinking his eyes.

There was clearly a reason, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't guess what he had missed.

At that moment,

Cheers erupted from outside the door.

"Yay!"

"Let's go! It's done!"

"It's all over!"

The door burst open, and Tiankongdan rushed in.

"Boss! I'll explain! I'm good at that! Leave it to me!"

"Get lost, beggar, I'll explain!"

"Can't move! Explaining is my job as Tiankongdan's strategist!"

The three, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, burst in, each eager to explain. Qibidanhun was even more bewildered.

'Where are they going, and what has happened?'

Looking at Yangegai and the others, they seemed to know, and he felt left out.

But he didn't get a chance to hear the explanation there.

"I wish you all would leave, whether you're Tiankongdan or not..."

The low voice of Dagonja, a command to leave, fell.

...Qibidanhun, who left with them, heard the explanation on the first floor of the inn. Yangegai was the first to speak.

"Qibidanhun, you've heard a lot about how you get stuck in a rut, right?"

"......?"

"Haha, I'm not trying to upset you. Just look at this incident; you went straight ahead, didn't you?"

Qibidanhun, who had been frowning, relaxed and nodded as if to encourage him to continue.

"Then, what will happen if Qibidanhun returns to the Nangong family? Given your nature, you'll report everything as it happened, right? Without hiding anything, in detail."

"Hmm..."

At this point, Qibidanhun got the gist.

A wry smile appeared on his face.

'So that's it.'

The meaning of "see you tomorrow" was

that Dagonja's destination had changed to the Nangong family.

Yangegai continued.

"Even if Qibidanhun prettifies the story, it won't be a pretty one. You were buried and left for dead. The person hearing the report will be furious, and it wouldn't be strange for them to immediately order you to bring back the people from Tianhuaxi. So, from Dagonja's perspective, it's better to... meet directly."

"Face it."

"Exactly! Haha, you got it right away."

To prevent misunderstandings from growing, Qibidanhun inwardly sighed. He had known one thing but hadn't thought of the other.

If Dagonja had buried him and left without a second thought, it would be different, but since he was letting him go alive, he had to meet him directly to clear up any misunderstandings.

Xiaotiankai added.

"Brother's thinking is like this. Ha, I'm suffering because of that guy. That's how he feels. But I'm so happy because of it!"

"......"

Qibidanhun didn't even feel like glaring.

Dagonja had already planned this from the moment he decided to bury him, so now he understood why Hugong had looked at him with such disdain in the room.

'This is a mess.'

Ultimately, the mission was completed, but a bitter taste lingered.

Miaobingbing stepped in to comfort Qibidanhun.

"Relax. There's no need to look so gloomy. There's an old saying, 'sacrifice oneself for the greater good'!"

"Wow, sister, your analogy is perfect!"

"Haha, it is. This time, it was really a sacrifice for the greater good. If you hadn't been buried, would we have been able to go to the Tianlong Tournament?"

Tiankongdan laughed and chatted without any consideration for the person who had been buried.

'This is a complete mess.'

The situation and Tiankongdan were both like this.

These guys were not just a little wild.

In this regard, Qibidanhun had another question about Dagonja.

'How can Dagonja be so at ease with these guys...?'

They were not a matching combination at all.

It was truly a mystery.

Moreover, this was just a part of Tiankongdan. If the whole group was together, it would be a disaster.

Yet, Dagonja was not only calm but sometimes even seemed to enjoy it.

So,

"Yangegai!"

"Yes, what is it?"

"How did Dagonja deal with the Ximen family?"

His interest grew.

Qibidanhun wanted to know more about Dagonja.

***

The next morning.

The group now had one more member.

And their destination was the Nangong family.

They had breakfast at the inn,

and Qibidanhun, who had been busy since dawn, had already arranged a new carriage.

Just as they were about to board the carriage and set off,

"Tiankongdan's strategist, this is my proposal!"

Miaobingbing suddenly raised her voice.

Being skilled at making proposals, her voice was particularly loud.

Tiankongdan, including Hugong, turned away in embarrassment, but Qibidanhun, who only knew how to be straightforward, waited seriously for the next words.

Miaobingbing continued.

"The Tianlong Tournament is still a few days away, so why don't we tour the nearby attractions in the meantime?"

"Oh, that sounds good."

"Sister, you're a genius! Let's start with the famous restaurants!"

Yangegai and Xiaotiankai enthusiastically agreed.

Qibidanhun inwardly clicked his tongue.

Of course, they had a few days to spare, but given the conflicts among them, it would be wiser to head there a few days earlier.

'Talking about sightseeing at this time, what nonsense. Tsk, without considering Dagonja's intentions. These kids...'

"About sightseeing..."

Just as he was about to speak,

"Hmm, I like that idea."

Dagonja was smiling contentedly.

Then, looking at Qibidanhun as if asking if it was okay, Qibidanhun firmly stated his thoughts.

"I'll take care of the sightseeing!"

**

Thus, they toured the attractions for five days.

The carriage stopped in front of Longxian Pavilion.

Although touring attractions was just a term, in reality, it mostly involved visiting famous and skilled restaurants. Longxian Pavilion was one of them.

"Wow, this place is amazing!"

Xiaotiankai's mouth dropped open.

The three-story Longxian Pavilion was impressive enough to raise expectations.

First, its external grandeur was exceptional.

A dragon-shaped structure wrapped around the building, and large sculptures of various sea creatures decorated the exterior. Qibidanhun had recommended it for its excellent and fresh fish dishes.

"Sister, the turtle and king prawn sculptures are huge. I really like it here."

"I've only heard about it, but it's incredible. How much money must have been spent on this building?"

While Xiaotiankai and Miaobingbing were marveling, Yangegai interjected with a superior tone.

"How rustic. It seems you're all first-timers."

"Senior Brother, have you been here before?"

"Of course. I've passed by here more than ten times."

"Ha, that's why."

"Ha... Look at how he talks to his heavenly Senior Brother. I could kill him."

At that moment, Qibidanhun politely asked Dagonja.

"Dagonja, is this your first time here?"

"Yes, it's my first time. I didn't even know such a place existed. It's amazing."

He had been there three times.

But Hugong couldn't say that.

"Haha, once you taste the food, the grandeur of the building will be forgotten."

"Is that so? I'm really looking forward to it."

Hugong knew well.

Whenever he came to southern Anhui, he would visit Longxian Pavilion. The food was as excellent as the grandeur of the building, and he had never been disappointed.

"Dagonja, let's go in."

Qibidanhun, who had adapted to the group over the past few days, laughed and invited him.

As his attitude had changed, Hugong had also started to treat him with respect again.

"Yes, let's go."

As Hugong took a step, he suddenly looked up.

He felt a gaze.

At the third-floor window.

A woman was looking.

She was a stunning beauty.

Her delicate eyes and graceful figure were like a flower.

Her eyes, which were looking at him, were filled with curiosity and surprise.