Chapter: 526
As the sun was gradually setting, I stepped out of my room to stretch my body.
Considering that it was just past noon when I lost consciousness, I must have been out cold for a few hours.
I relaxed my body a bit.
Crack.
Pain coursed through my entire body.
It wasn’t just muscle pain; it felt like my whole body was broken.
It was quite painful, though.
‘This level of pain? I can handle it.’
Compared to the agony I felt while executing the Toua Pacheonmu, this was trivial.
Well, it’s not too bad.
Thinking back to the torture I endured in my past life, this pain didn’t seem like much at all.
Considering that, it really is remarkable that my limbs remained intact until death.
Other demons got their eyes and tongues plucked out when caught, but considering only my vocal cords were damaged, I could say I was lucky.
Of course, now that I look back, it’s not so much about luck.
‘Something…’
I think there was someone behind this.
I’m not completely sure, but looking back now, that’s the vibe I’m getting.
No matter how I looked at it, my experiences felt too strange to be mere coincidences.
‘This is…’
It felt like the fog lifted after my last conversation with Dangjemun.
My changed perspective on Cheonma had something to do with it.
I don’t know if I was pretending not to know or if I really didn’t want to know.
Right now, I was feeling that subtle sensation.
Should I say something that was once blurry became clearer?
‘I wonder if Dangjemun did something.’
I had my doubts, but the words she said kept ringing in my ears.
The ones where she mentioned erasing the forgetfulness that loomed over me.
Wood crunch.
I released my arms.
Pain shot up my spine and stabbed at my head, but I shrugged it off.
I slowly examined the effects of the recoil.
Pain is secondary.
‘I feel like I’m not getting a good return on this bet.’
It’s more like the energy within my body is sluggish.
It’s clear to me that this isn’t just an illusion.
‘Hmm.’
Is this the result of using an ill-fitting weapon?
In that case, it felt quite inefficient.
It wasn’t that severe, but I had a nagging feeling about losing about 30% of my strength in actual combat.
Fortunately,
‘I don’t think recovery will take long.’
Even if my body feels strained, my recovery rate is fast.
Just looking at it now proves that.
Sore muscles are mending, and my tired blood flow improves rapidly.
It feels as if pain and blood circulate together.
I can genuinely feel my body healing itself.
‘Not bad.’
This is a feeling I recognized when I took a beating from the devil.
Not only did my body’s endurance improve, but a body that seemed like it would need days to recover was back on its feet in just a couple of days.
‘Good.’
Even if I push it hard, it’s still a reliable body—especially for what’s ahead.
Though the immediate pain is bothersome, there is some silver lining to it.
‘I can use any artifact.’
I’m not completely certain about that yet, but I do believe it.
I could remember switching my brain energy to firepower.
‘Did I really not know how to use Guijeong effectively?’
Swish.
With the intent in my heart, I felt the Guijeong stirring.
Though it looks like just a bandage, it is, in fact, a noble artifact.
It’s an object that can transform into any shape.
The problem lies in—
‘I wonder what specific reason there is for me to be able to use this.’
Ever since I realized I could use brain energy, that thought has lingered.
The initially crimson artifact had transformed into blue.
Since the moment I shed my outer skin.
There is no way this is a coincidence. Anyone would see that.
Guijeong changed along with me.
And well…
Shwhiiiiii….
The little Sureun who peeked its head out while wriggling in my grasp… no, that clever little thing also went through some changes.
It went from a red body to blue scales.
Plus—
‘Its appearance has changed too.’
What was once a simple snake-like creature has morphed into something extraordinary.
It currently retains the slender form of a snake, but if it wanted, it could grow colossal at any time.
To put it in perspective, it could rival the size of a local cow.
Seeing that unsuspecting little creature just flicking its tongue, I asked—
“Hey, where have you been?”
– Sha?
“Come to think of it, where were you hiding? I couldn’t see you around.”
With all the chaos these past few days, I had no clue what the little guy was up to.
Judging from the fact that it didn’t whine for food after our long separation, it seems he managed on his own pretty well.
‘Surely, it didn’t go hunting in that giant form?’
While it isn’t enormous compared to other monsters, its appearance is still quite striking.
With those dazzling scales, the fur on its body was also exceptional and radiated a unique aura.
Considering that it doesn’t look like your average monster, it could be a problem if Sureun was roaming around in its original form.
“If that’s the case, be careful out there. If rumors start, I’ll gobble you up!”
– Sha… Sha…
Seeing it shiver at my words, it really seems like it had been out on the hunt.
‘I should find out more about this little guy too.’
An egg left by the enemy. A creature born from consuming my energy.
At first, I thought it might be a young one of the Red Investigation Unit, but now that was off the table; I needed to know what was going on.
I chuckled as I recalled everything one by one.
‘You must be swamped.’
There’s so much to do.
I couldn’t fathom why it feels like the workload keeps piling up as I go along.
After checking my entire physical state,
I took a deep breath and employed the gas transformation skill.
Wood crunch—!
The bones twisted, slowly returning to their previous form.
The sensation of lowered visibility was always a bit unsettling.
“Phew….”
With a somewhat tired gaze, I scanned my surroundings.
I could sense someone approaching from beyond the grass.
Not long after, a figure appeared.
“You’re here.”
The individual, who frowned upon spotting me, was none other than Mo Yong-hee.
I looked at her and inquired,
“Are you done?”
“…Is it over?”
Her eyes sharpened at my question.
What gives…?
“Why are you looking at me like that…?”
“Are you asking that because you truly don’t know?”
“Uh.”
“Hah…”
Mo Yong-hee let out a deep sigh and continued.
“What if you just leave us there like that…! I thought I was going to suffocate!”
“No, what… I thought my dad said he was going to leave soon, so I figured it was okay to step out for a bit. My father said it was fine.”
When I explained I was just stepping out to check on my health, my dad said I could go.
I was just following his direction.
On top of that,
‘I felt kinda awkward being with Namgung Bi-ah.’
Looking at Namgung Bi-ah’s face made me feel quite uneasy.
[It’s not awkward; you’re just embarrassed.]
‘…’
For once, I couldn’t brush off Noya’s words.
Damn it.
Of course, Mo Yong-hee, who didn’t know what I was thinking, seemed to simply disapprove of the situation.
“How can you just leave if you say it’s okay… Huh?”
“Are you really that angry? Why? What did your father say to you?”
“Nothing at all.”
It turned out to be an issue, that was the problem.
In an almost whisper, Mo Yong-hee added, “He didn’t say a word; he just stayed quiet… and then he got up first saying something about work.”
“Oh really?”
The fact that he left right away means the job isn’t finished yet?
So, you’re saying that despite the unfinished work, he still decided to drop by?
I mean, the Poison King’s request probably wasn’t that simple.
As I pondered this, Mo Yong-hee asked me in a voice barely keeping her exhaustion in check.
“… Alright then. Even if I concede a hundred times. Even if this is just something we can overlook, Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“… Did something else happen?”
“…Huh?”
“This whole incident is linked to Confucius.”
“…”
I felt that before too, but how did she know?
I was somewhat apprehensive about her unwavering confidence.
For now, I decided to play dumb as with our previous encounter.
“…What do you mean? What does this have to do with me?”
“Really nothing at all?”
“Then.”
“But why do your eyes look like they’re lying?”
“…”
At her words, I unconsciously looked away.
After averting my gaze, I realized it was akin to admitting it.
‘Damn it.’
As expected, Mo Yong-hee scoffed at my reaction.
Her expression reflected certainty already.
“…Tsk.”
Seeing that made me click my tongue. If I just ignore it, will it go away?
“It just won’t go away.”
“…I haven’t even said anything yet.”
I heard a definite answer without uttering a word.
There was no escaping. That feeling was overwhelming.
What should I do?
‘Either way, this is information that will be exposed soon.’
Judging by the Poison King‘s actions and the information Mo Yong-hee has, it won’t be long before the truth comes out.
If I think about it… there’s no point in hiding it, right?
Mo Yong-hee must know this, which is why she was requesting that I tell her.
I quickly organized my thoughts internally.
I had some things not to disclose.
Upon sorting that out quickly, I conveyed summarized information to Mo Yong-hee.
“…Human experimentation?”
Upon hearing this information, Mo Yong-hee reacted immediately.
She didn’t seem to care about past plans or the elder’s schemes.
But when it came to the human experimentation conducted to create the elixir, she reacted significantly.
That was not so much because it’s shocking news…
“…But the Poison King is behaving this way?”
She must have had a hard time accepting the actions of the Poison King even after this incident.
During the human experimentation phase, he killed the First Elder.
Now, he was in the process of dealing with the Third Elder and Fourth Elder as well.
So, it probably wouldn’t be easy to absorb the factions they were heading up.
He had to know that dealing with it so hastily could lead to strong backlash. Yet the Poison King chose to confront it directly.
For Mo Yong-hee, this story must have made no sense.
‘It wouldn’t be different for me.’
The fact that one didn’t know about such an event is a problem itself. Coming out like this might be an attempt to prove innocence.
But it seemed that was not the only intention.
‘That would be too extreme.’
Was it merely being too aggressive? He acted in a way that was all too obvious.
Instead of attempting to discreetly conceal this process, he chose to make it public immediately.
‘Did you really tell Maeng as well?’
I also heard that a letter was sent to the Maeng side, including information regarding the issue.
‘What does he intend to do?’
What could this mean?
It still felt difficult to grasp his intentions.
If he messes up, this story could spread throughout the entire Central Plains. If that happens—
‘One of the pillars of the so-called Four Great Families could fall.’
There was a genuine concern about one of the bases of the so-called Four Great Families shaking.
I won’t say it was the case in the past, but with the discussions regarding the Five Great Dynasties ongoing now, many famous families were trailing closely behind.
In the Poison King’s position, knowing this better than anyone, he must understand that coming out like this is extremely hazardous.
‘…Maybe.’
A fleeting thought crossed my mind.
Him saying he sent a message to Maeng arose an idea.
‘Was he deliberately trying to notify Maeng?’
Since the Murim Alliance is clearly involved in this incident, they would likely want to cover it up too.
Is he trying to make them exert their influence by announcing things beforehand?
I momentarily considered that.
‘That’s too risky.’
I immediately shook my head.
If that were true, he would rather have sent the message in secret.
He wouldn’t have played this card.
“I have no clue.”
By this point, I was utterly puzzled by what the Poison King was up to.
Should I simply wait for them to figure it out? I felt like someone had to step up.
While I pondered over this and questioned many things,
“Ah…!”
Mo Yong-hee unexpectedly reacted.
She appeared to realize something.
“…No way… So?”
“What’s going on?”
Mo Yong-hee looked so startled that her pupils trembled.
Did she catch onto something?
“What…?”
“Your Majesty, I’ll have to go first.”
“Hey? Wait a minute…!”
Did she genuinely grasp something? Mo Yong-hee suddenly turned and dashed away.
Before I could even reach out to catch her.
“…”
She went so fast that she disappeared beyond the horizon.
Watching that, I remarked,
“…Looks like you’re feeling much better, huh?”
Could it be that the cold had subsided significantly? She seems to have gotten her strength back.
Of course, to be honest, if I truly wanted to catch her, I could have.
No matter how worn out I was, I could still catch Mo Yong-hee.
Curiosity gnawed at me regarding what she had caught on to, and I contemplated whether to just grab her and ask.
I held back.
Because I had one more person I needed to deal with.
I diverted my gaze from the now-vanished Mo Yong-hee and examined my surroundings, speaking up.
“I haven’t seen you in a while. Are you feeling okay now?”
Hearing that, the grass rustled slightly.
Then a young man donned in black attire began to walk toward me slowly. He approached, paused, and regarded me as he spoke.
“…It’s been a while.”
It had been ages since I’d laid eyes on the Pajeon. Where on Earth had he gone?
He only shows up now that everything is wrapped up…
“They said something blew up… seems like things have gotten pretty chaotic.”
Pajeon surveyed the area before speaking to me.
“It seems your father is here too.”
“How did you know that?”
Did they cross paths during all this?
I looked at Pajeon, wondering if that could have happened.
“How could I not know? The only one radiating this much energy is your father.”
“…Hmm…”
That was a response I couldn’t refute, so I nodded in understanding.
Well, that does make sense.
Reflecting on that, I faced Pajeon.
“And… that.”
“But I’m curious about something first.”
He then said, continuing on a subject I genuinely wanted to discuss after he’d been gone for nearly three days.
Pajeon raised an eyebrow at me.
I couldn’t help but say it while looking into his eyes.
“Why are you so terse? My little brother?”
“…”
He might not know why it had been quite a while, but shouldn’t we at least address the pressing matters?
Since it hasn’t even been seven days and nights, I was still the older brother.
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