Chapter 179: A Winter That Isn’t Cold (1)
The lifeless body of the young monk lay on the ground as if a puppet’s strings had been severed.
The frail body of the young monk crumbled like that.
Just by looking at the strangely twisted neck and the dimmed gaze, it was clear that life had already ended.
In an ordinary situation, the opponent would have long been dead, but…
“What a joke, aren’t you going to get up?”
I spoke while looking at that bastard, even giving him a light kick.
He remained still, yet deep down, I was certain.
I could tell this bastard wasn’t dead.
I furrowed my brows.
Why am I able to see this?
Just above his dantian, I could see a faint red light.
Staring at the flickering flame, somehow, I knew he wasn’t dead.
Whoosh—!
I breathed fire into my palm, wanting to burn him if he wouldn’t get up.
“Then just continue lying there.”
As I prepared to unleash the scorching red flames at him,
“Ah… wait a second.”
Crack—!
Heeyoung’s neck began to move, cracking loudly as it twisted back into place.
No, I could no longer refer to him as Heeyoung.
“Seriously, how did you know? It shouldn’t be possible…”
Of course, his ruined neck returned to normal, but the kind face of the young monk was completely gone.
He now wore the face of a young girl I had never seen before.
Smack!
“Gah!?”
I immediately kicked his face.
“Where do you think you’re pulling your pathetic stunts from? You trying to die?”
It seemed he thought changing his appearance to something like this would make my heart soften.
“Wow… look at how cold this bastard is, huh?”
He chuckled mischievously.
I grabbed his neck and lifted him up.
“You’re that bastard, right?”
A few months ago, when the Namgung Clan’s martial artists attacked Gu Clan’s servant and held her captive.
While every lead pointed to the Namgung Clan, the real culprit had vanished.
I even went through the hassle of checking the basement.
Yet to my surprise, he was still lurking at the entrance.
“What are you doing, you bastard?”
“What would you say if you were in my position?”
The feeling was different.
The one in the basement was dark and made me want to hurl just by looking at it, but this one didn’t give off that same vibe.
Even if it did, it was extremely faint.
[What a strange fellow. To change his face so easily without a mask.]
He continued to grin at me.
“Are you going to keep holding my neck?”
Despite me having broken his neck before, it hadn’t bothered him, nor do I think he was forced to stand up.
Does this mean he’s immune to physical harm?
The face I had kicked just moments ago had already healed.
Then I wondered if burning him would yield the same result.
“What’s your goal?”
This meant I couldn’t resort to physical torture.
Considering that I was in Hanam’s Shaolin, it was clear it wouldn’t be easy.
“I told you before. Do you think I’d tell you?”
I directed my gaze downward.
Towards the flickering red light.
To think the reason this suddenly became visible correlated with meeting Cheolyoung.
It only started showing itself after meeting him.
Especially recalling that strange sensation I’d felt when he did something to me.
Did he do something to me?
If it wasn’t the case, there’s no way I could have suddenly changed like this.
Even with my hand squeezing the bastard’s neck, his mouth was free.
“Let’s calmly sort this out.”
“Calmly?”
“Yes, regarding your household and now. I haven’t really done anything to hurt you. Why not just let it slide?”
[What a ridiculous creature. That tongue is incredibly shameless.]
As expected, the one I had encountered previously was indeed this bastard.
“You think you can just slip into someone’s house and cause chaos like that without consequences?”
“Did your side end up taking a hit?”
According to that bastard’s own words, I had indeed benefited from the situation far more than I had lost.
I received a lot more than I gave to the Namgung Clan.
However, that was an entirely different topic.
“Even if you catch me, you won’t squeeze anything out of me. This was a blunder on your part; you shouldn’t have let me know you could sense me.”
The sight of him giggling in the face of a little girl annoyed me.
What should I do?
I couldn’t torture him and he seemed too relaxed, as if he could slip away at any moment.
“Where did you hide Heeyoung?”
“What, are you curious about that? Why does it even matter… He’s not someone particularly important.”
It appeared this bastard had learned something from my inquiry, smiling wider.
“Are you worried? Concerned about what happened to the child monk?”
That wasn’t really the case, since I had no relationship with him; he was simply a stranger to me.
[Hmm, judging by its reaction, the child probably exists.]
This meant that the Heeyoung I had heard of was likely real as well.
Then again, does that mean he couldn’t shift into something that didn’t exist?
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
“Should I be?”
“Isn’t this shocking?”
Crack—!
The creature changed its appearance while speaking.
All the figures were unfamiliar, but it seemed like it could morph into anyone regardless of age or gender.
Reflecting back on what transpired in my clan, it appeared capable of altering its entire body.
It was indeed shocking, but considering all the bizarre things I had faced before, this hardly broke the scale.
…The important part is that I wouldn’t have known his identity if I didn’t see that light.
This unfamiliar sensation let me not only see but also feel.
I instinctively knew it was this bastard.
[Brat.]
At that moment, Elder Shin called out to me.
“Yes.”
[You mentioned being able to see energy?]
“Yes, I can.”
The flickering red energy was undeniably visible.
[If that light is a type of energy, couldn’t you absorb it like you do with your powers?]
Absorb it?
I had never even considered trying that, but even if I did, the aftereffects felt quite troublesome.
That energy seemed far too suspicious.
[I don’t want this to drag on any longer. Shouldn’t you at least give it a shot?]
Hah.
Finally, I gave in and extended my hand toward the source of the energy.
The creature exhibited an irritating reaction.
“What are you doing? What, are you attempting something since it’s girl-like—!”
Fwoosh…
As I activated my Demonic Absorption, surprisingly, the energy within the bastard began to flicker and gradually began moving.
“What the…?! Wait—not this!”
Oh, so this works too!
I realized I could absorb like this too.
Could this mean that I could take in all kinds of energies?
The creature’s expression turned frantic, as it didn’t seem to comprehend what was happening.
“What is this? What the hell?!”
“Who knows, I’m just as surprised as you are.”
“Damn… LET ME GO!”
He seemed to attempt to escape my grasp, but he was far weaker than expected, easily under my control.
Or perhaps it was because I was absorbing his power that he couldn’t fight back.
“Seems you’re panicking now.”
“Y-You, what even are you?”
The creature’s voice trembled more than before, evidently distressed.
“Well, well, look who’s finally confessing. Nice, now just keep this up.”
I regulated the absorption speed.
Based on the fact I didn’t feel any odd sensation when his energy entered my body, it seemed the bastard’s energy shared the same type as what was already inside me.
Is it Demonic Qi?
That felt most likely.
But it could also be Dok Gojun’s power.
There were innumerable possibilities.
But if it wasn’t that, then it was most certainly something out of the ordinary.
“No, don’t! Stop this!”
“Then provide me with a reason to stop.”
“What do you want?”
“Figure it out on your own.”
With that, I quickened the rate of absorption.
Perhaps due to the various energies I had consumed prior, I now could control how intensely I absorbed it.
“Information about the child monk…? He’s alive…! I just put him to sleep on the nearby mountain!”
“Not something I’m particularly interested in.”
Just as the bastard had pointed out, the child wasn’t significant to me.
I lived selfishly, and I had every intention of continuing.
Thus, there was something else this bastard needed to divulge.
“Then what?”
“What’s your purpose here?”
“Fuck…”
The bastard swore at my question.
“Didn’t you expect that I’d ask this?”
The day was slowly fading into night.
I hadn’t initially planned to stay here for too long, so I needed to head back soon.
Though I doubt I could leave easily with all these nuisances popping up.
How could I just walk away after finding this bastard?
I had to extract as much information as possible.
“Instead, why don’t you ask about my identity?”
“Sorry, but I already have a figure on you.”
What?
“The Race of Disguise.”
The creature’s eyes widened.
“You! How do you know that?!”
“Who knows?”
The thing that crawled out of that damned abyss had proclaimed those words.
Since I assumed that this bastard was similar, I had spat it out casually, now realizing I was correct.
“Now, instead of blah blah, just tell me why you came here.”
I increased the absorption rate even more.
At this rate, I would consume all of its energy shortly.
“You! Why are you doing this? What did I ever do?!”
I dismissed its frantic yelps.
“Is it because of the incident last time? Your side agreed to it too!”
I halted upon hearing those words.
What did it just say? The Gu Clan provided approval?
“Who approved what?”
“Shit, the fact that we could take our actions was only possible because your side approved it first! Think it through!”
If what the bastard said was true, then at the very least, it wasn’t my Father who had agreed.
Then was it the First Elder?
I asked while locking my gaze onto the creature.
“Do you know who it is?”
“How would I know?! Could you just stop!”
Seemed he wasn’t in the loop.
“Let’s brush that aside for now; just tell me your purpose here.”
“I can’t! It’s exactly for that reason that I’m doing this! How about asking about something else!”
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue, dissatisfied.
[A shackle, huh.]
Of course, it was evident a shackle would be in place for crucial information like this.
It was just a little odd that a creature like this—even one that wasn’t human—would also be shackled.
So, I posed another question.
“Hey.”
“Please let me go! I have things to do…”
“Do you know about…?”
Simply uttering that name made my tongue falter.
And even as I spoke it, my ears just wouldn’t register it.
It must’ve flickered in my mind, yet it felt like the entire world was rejecting that name.
The sensation still lingered, sickly and unpleasant.
[Kid, what did you just say?]
It appeared as if Elder Shin couldn’t grasp what I had attempted to say yet again.
Feeling the chill of sweat trickling down my back, I tried to maintain my composure.
Without the seal in my possession, even the thought of that name is challenging.
The seal that could only be held by the Gu Clan’s young lord.
In some sense, it was a cherished treasure of the clan.
Since I didn’t have it, merely mentioning that name felt as if I might perish.
“W-Who taught you that name?”
Fortunately, it seemed to understand my words.
Then did that mean this bastard had knowledge about them?
“Do you have any relation to that bastard?”
At my inquiry, the creature finally expressed a dispirited look.
Suddenly, I wondered why that expression appeared on him.
“Ah, I see… Was that why you weren’t surprised? You already had insight into the Origin.”
“Origin? What do you mean by that?”
I inquired, noticing that the color was leaving its eyes bit by bit.
“What a repulsive world… They never intended to spare me from the very beginning…”
I pondered whether I should release it.
It sounded like the bastard was finally preparing to divulge useful information.
The Origin, huh?
Should the reference be made to the one trapped below as the Origin, then what exactly was this being?
Is it some kind of clone?
Could this mean that there existed even more of that bastard?
If so, what on earth was their goal?
“Ugh….”
In a moment of reflection, it lamented.
“Damn… I genuinely wanted to kill that old man.”
I gently loosened my grip on its neck, taken aback by its own mournful tone.
“Are you trying to spare him now? You do realize that it’s already far too late for that, don’t you?”
“If you consume all my power, will I die?”
“Haha, you were doing that without knowing? I assumed you already knew, you filthy bastard…”
A line formed across the creature’s cheek followed by a distinct crack.
This was likely due to the energy being absorbed.
“Who exactly are you? What in the world gives you this formidable power?”
“Why should I care even if I figured it out?”
“I’ve done my best to divulge everything, can’t you share at least one thing?”
“You never had the right to question to begin with.”
I merely stared at it.
It would be great if I could extract more information.
Realizing the creature seemed utterly drained, lifeless, my gaze met with its eyes.
“…Look at your eyes… I thought you were merely a fairly capable kid from the Gu Clan, but you seem to hold something deeper with you.”
I summoned flames yet again into my palm.
I had intended to retrieve more information slowly, yet it appeared that this bastard wasn’t going to give me that chance.
You show no mercy whatsoever. Surely you’re aware of where you are?
I’m quite confident in handling the cleanup.
This wasn’t my first rodeo; I had been through this countless times before.
I had only acted after ensuring it was safe.
Sigh…
The crack across the creature’s visage became clearer.
“There’s no need for that. I’ll gradually vanish on my own.”
As if to verify its claims, its body visibly began deteriorating.
The energy is depleting.
I had indeed left some energy behind, yet it appeared as if it was frantically burning through itself.
I questioned the reason behind this behavior.
Earlier, it had desperately clung to life, but immediately after I mentioned the one hidden below, it seemed to abandon all hope.
“…Damn life. I always wanted to live, just once as myself.”
“I don’t particularly care for your sob story. Just keep it short.”
The audacious bastard chuckled softly at my words.
Then he continued.
“The Black Dragon…”
Ssss.
The moment it spoke, its body twisted and dried up right there.
The shackle must have activated.
It seemed its final words triggered the shackle placed upon it.
Something seemed to crack within it, accompanied by the sound similar to a branch snapping.
The creature now appeared entirely desiccated.
While the term ‘dried up’ usually applied to humans, it felt insufficiently precise in this context.
I gathered my Qi and waved my hand.
Whoosh!
Whether due to its body being lifeless or having already crumbled into dust, it was consumed by flames instantly before disappearing without leaving a trace.
I couldn’t help but lament what more I could’ve gathered.
Moreover, did it just mention “The Black Dragon”?
That was an absolutely familiar name.
The Black Dragon refers to a Master of the Unorthodox Faction.
He was famously killed by the Sword Venerable during his youth.
Why did this bastard drop that name out of the blue?
Perhaps it was to intentionally mess with my mind, though I had an inkling it wasn’t quite the case.
Fwoosh…
After everything burned away, a light smudge remained on the ground.
Having completed my task, I gathered the faint barrier I had put up beforehand.
[Kid, there’s something remaining over there.]
While clearing the space, Elder Shin chimed in.
Upon looking where the creature had been burnt, I found an unscathed book resting alone.
I carefully picked it up.
[What do you suppose it is?]
Well, I suppose I’ll only know by reading it.
Given it hadn’t burned, it was distinctly crafted from the hide of a particular type of demon.
For now, I tucked the book into my pocket.
Reading it here wasn’t feasible.
The sky had turned dark, and it had been a while since sunset.
I reasoned it might be best to reflect on everything after I got back.
If I delay any longer, it could lead to trouble…
It was already quite late—and I could get into serious trouble if I waited too long.
I had snuck out, too, so there would indeed be a heap of reprimanding awaiting me upon my return.
First on the agenda is to apologize to Muyeon, as for the girls… They should be alright since I told them to wait inside the house.
So, I figured my only obligation was to apologize to Muyeon.
With such a thought, I hastily made my way back.
However, the moment I reached the lodgings after finishing my work,
“Young Master Gu, I heard you had a delightful time at Shaolin with Lady Moyong, is that so?”
“….”
“And just the two of you…?”
Three pairs of burning eyes awaited my arrival.
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