Chapter 30
The Iron Maiden (2)
Splash—splash—
I stepped slowly through the thick puddles of congealed blood, feeling the squelch beneath my feet.
The sight of mountains of corpses and steep cliffs was nothing new to me.
Not a single uncorrupted body could be found among the festering, decaying corpses, and the smell that hung in the air was undeniably toxic.
What was once fertile land was now corrupted, with the earth rotting and cracking from exposure to poison.
I wondered how long it would take for such a vast land to recover its former glory.
Maybe a few centuries—if we were lucky.
As I walked, I continuously circulated my Qi to repel the toxic fumes from my body.
Sichuan, which had once thrived with life, had become a cursed land.
It was no longer a place where humans could reside.
After wading through the blood, I finally reached the source of the poison: the Poison Queen, Tang Soyeol, sat quietly on the ground.
Her once bright green eyes were now cruelly gouged out, replaced only by a thick stream of blood trickling down her cheeks.
『Is it over now, Poison Queen?』
Tang Soyeol, who had been resting her head, lifted it at the sound of my voice.
『…Is it you?』
Gone was her spirited voice, now replaced by a tired, raspy tone burdened with defeat.
『What a ridiculous sight, considering your kin fled to another land long ago… Did you think anything would change by standing guard here alone?』
『Nothing will change.』
『Then why are you here?』
Tang Soyeol covered her mouth with her sleeve, letting out a small laugh.
『And yet, why have you come?』
『That’s a foolish question. Isn’t it obvious? I’ve come to end your last breath.』
『I see.』
Splash.
I stepped slowly towards Tang Soyeol, but oddly enough, I felt the poison in the air begin to dissipate as I approached.
By remaining here, Tang Soyeol had allowed the remaining members of the Tang Clan to escape safely to the Shaolin temple, giving them time to devise future plans.
But what lay in store for Tang Soyeol now?
『How foolish.』
What was left of a woman who chose to sacrifice herself?
Maybe if the Orthodox Factions won the war, they would remember her with a single line in history.
—Thanks to the sacrifice of Tang Soyeol, a peaceful future was secured for a world in chaos.
Just a line, nothing more. Truly an empty sentiment.
Two days.
Forty-eight hours.
That was how long Tang Soyeol had fought against the demons, defending Sichuan all by herself.
Yet both of her eyes were gouged out, and the land surrounding the Tang Clan was thick with poisonous Qi.
During that time, countless demons had met their end.
But in the end, it was all for naught.
As long as the Heavenly Demon remained alive, this war wasn’t ending.
When I reached her, Tang Soyeol spoke.
『…I’m truly sorry.』
I grimaced at her ridiculous words.
『Apologizing to a demon? You’ve truly lost your mind, Poison Queen.』
『Yes, it seems I have lost my mind at last. I should have done it sooner… It’s only now, having lost my eyes, that I see so much I couldn’t before.』
『Enough of this nonsense. Is that your final farewell?』
I slowly grasped her neck; it felt as if I could snap it with the slightest pressure.
『I may not be in a position to say this, but should there be any time left in this world…』
Her trembling body trembled from emotions I couldn’t comprehend.
Was it regret? Or was it resentment for having to be a sacrifice?
Regardless, such feelings weren’t my concern.
『I wish you…』
Tang Soyeol began to speak again, but her voice faltered, and I couldn’t decipher her words.
Without hesitation, I tightened my grip.
—Crack.
With the sound of something breaking, Tang Soyeol’s head drooped forward.
As I released her, her body crumpled to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been severed.
The puddles of blood around us were already tainted with poisonous Qi.
No matter how resistant she had been to toxins while alive, her lifeless body, devoid of Qi, would quickly succumb to decay.
Despite her sacrifices, not a single piece of her body would remain.
But that was the nature of sacrifice.
I turned and started walking to leave the cursed land of Sichuan.
Perhaps it was the poison, but I felt utterly nauseous just standing there.
This land.
And myself too.
*
“Are you not going to answer?”
The fog of memories lifted.
I disliked how certain memories would rear their heads at times like these. I made eye contact with Tang Soyeol.
One of her eyes radiated a green hue; her immunity to poison had yet to be perfected.
But it wouldn’t be long before both her eyes glowed that vibrantly.
The Poison Queen Tang Soyeol, or perhaps by now, she was known as the Poison Phoenix.
“If you won’t respond, I’ll have to….”
Tang Soyeol was about to say something, but Namgung Bi-ah whispered in her ear.
Upon hearing her words, Tang Soyeol relaxed her tense expression.
Then she took a step closer to me and offered a slight bow.
“I am Tang Soyeol of the Tang Clan. I apologize for raising my voice in front of our esteemed guest.”
What a prompt decision, made without hesitation.
“…I am Gu Jeolyub.”
I responded using Gu Jeolyub’s name, trying to sound composed.
I really need to put an end to this… Should I come clean right now?
This all would have crumbled if my name had leaked out even slightly, so why was nobody raising an eyebrow about it?
If just even a year had passed, I would have been known as the notorious piece of trash from Shanxi.
Tang Soyeol spoke again, cutting through my thoughts.
“I understand. Young Master Gu, this place is off-limits to those not of our clan.”
“…Isn’t Lady Namgung, who is beside you, also an outsider?”
“It’s fine since our family permitted her presence.”
Translation: “In other words, you weren’t given permission, so please leave.” How unfair… but I was leaving anyway, so whatever.
Moreover, Tang Soyeol’s piercing gaze was quite unnerving.
Why was she glowering at me as if I were her mortal enemy? Did my mere presence irritate her that much?
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
After concluding our conversation, I turned, preparing to leave with Wi Seol-ah.
After we had exited, Namgung Bi-ah glanced at Tang Soyeol.
“Soyeol.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you glare at him so fiercely?”
“…I don’t like it when someone blatantly disregards my words about outsiders not being allowed here.”
“Ah…”
“Does he think his good looks absolve everything? I’ve always despised guys like that.”
“Huh…?”
Good-looking? What?
The face of that boy suddenly flashed in Namgung Bi-ah’s mind as she pondered Tang Soyeol’s remark.
With those sharp features, he wasn’t so much handsome as intimidating.
He had sharp eyes, a defined nose, and a sharp mouth—it came together to form a face that was more daunting than attractive.
While nobody would dare call him ugly, “handsome” would definitely not fit the bill…
It was surprising Namgung Bi-ah could recall details about his face, considering she usually forgot everything.
“…Sigh, I think a person who may not be good-looking, but is warm-hearted and kind, is much better.”
“…I see.”
“Muttering about ‘good-looking guys’ as she walked away, Tang Soyeol continued forward, while Namgung Bi-ah lagged behind.
But even as she walked, the question marks floating over Namgung Bi-ah’s head persisted.
*
One night passed since we arrived at the Tang Clan, and morning dawned brightly.
Squinting through the haze of semi-sleep, I opened the door to reveal two faces I wished to avoid.
Namgung Bi-ah.
Namgung Cheonjun.
The blue-clad Namgung siblings stood before me.
…Why do they always come to pester me?
Why couldn’t we simply ignore each other after reaching the Tang Clan?
I sighed at the frustrating sight.
“…What do you want now?”
There was no chance Namgung Cheonjun had come out of his own volition, so I focused on Namgung Bi-ah.
It was clear he was following her like an obedient puppy.
Namgung Bi-ah answered my question, looking straight at me.
“Food…”
“Food?”
What food…?
“We need to go eat.”
“…Well then, go ahead.”
If you’re hungry, just eat without coming to report to me!
It seemed Namgung Cheonjun grew frustrated with my lack of enthusiasm.
His expression reflected a mix of annoyance and disbelief, as if to say, “How dare you?”
Of course, he quickly reined himself in and masked it with a smile.
“I don’t have an appetite right now.”
“You could use the opportunity to bond with other Orthodox Factions, Young Master Gu.”
“I’m a bit socially awkward, so I’d prefer to eat in a more relaxed setting.”
“You’re… socially awkward?”
The last phrase came from Namgung Bi-ah.
I threw her a sharp look, causing her to avoid my gaze.
“Regardless, I’m not going, so you go enjoy your meal.”
Tomorrow afternoon marked the opening of the Tang Military Exhibition.
I intended to eat whatever I could find and focus on training in the meantime.
Besides, I wouldn’t hold onto a normal stomach if I had to eat with those two.
As he realized I was sticking stubbornly to my refusal, Namgung Cheonjun approached me with a face that bared his true feelings.
“Why don’t you come with us?”
Namgung Cheonjun gripped my arm as he spoke.
He was applying considerable strength.
With no one around to witness his expression, he seemed quite ready to unleash his emotions.
The killing intent I sensed from him was palpable.
—Grip.
His grip tightened further.
Was he serious about dragging me along by force?
What am I going to do?
This was getting irritating.
Why were there so many people bothering me lately?
I was trying to keep a low profile, yet here they were hounding me.
I could already sense his suppressed hostility; it radiated from him even through the veneer of civility.
Regardless of how he masked it, he was just another lunatic in my eyes.
What if he turned out to be of some help in the future?
I had been trying to keep my distance, considering his prominent family name, but that wouldn’t hold for long.
Or… should I just put an end to him now?
—Swoosh!
Following the events of my past life, I had inadvertently cultivated a hint of killing intent, but I had always kept it in check.
Unfortunately for Namgung Cheonjun, it slipped out just a bit.
“Ah.”
He jumped back, eyes wide with astonishment as he stared at me.
…Oh no, that was a genuine blunder.
I quickly composed myself and reined in my aura, but it was too late; Namgung Cheonjun was already looking at me like I’d grown a second head.
Thankfully, it appeared my killing intent didn’t reach Namgung Bi-ah, as she remained blissfully unaware of what was happening.
I awkwardly smiled at Namgung Cheonjun. I had to make my exit now.
“Well, since you put it like that, I have no choice but to accept. Let’s go.”
With that, I linked arms with Namgung Cheonjun. He was significantly taller than me, making it feel quite uncomfortable.
He had retreated a step back, pride a little wounded, but now, he fixed me with a furious glare.
He seemed to consider tossing me aside; thus, in a low voice, I whispered to him.
“Get your face in order. Your precious sister is watching.”
—Crack.
My mention of his sister spurred a tight clench of his jaw.
I could barely hold back my laughter at his reaction.
Yet, surprisingly, he seemed to take my advice to heart, restoring his neutral mask of a congenial smile just moments later.
“Thank you for accompanying me, Young Master Gu.”
“It’s nothing; how can I refuse when you put it that way?”
Hahaha.
We both chuckled, masking our true intentions.
I didn’t mind what loathing he held against me—after all, we’d part ways soon enough.
If we crossed paths again, it would only be during Orthodox Faction gatherings.
Let’s keep it at that.
With some awareness of the eyes watching him, he likely wouldn’t dare push his luck further.
Still, given his prestigious background, he would have to think or analyze… however, that was when it hit me.
This guy never thinks at all!
On that day’s afternoon, Namgung Cheonjun posed a challenge.
“Young Master Gu, would you care to spar with me?”
…Ugh, what a piece of work. This Gu Jeolyub wannabe.
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