Chapter: 478
Whoosh whoosh.
The blue flames clinging to the fragments of the pillar look incredibly vigorous. They seemed to radiate strength so loudly that it was almost flashy and oblivious.
“…”
Krung.
In the meantime, the sharp gaze of the former enemy investigator pierced through the air. It stung a bit, tinged with betrayal.
‘…Isn’t life all about helping one another…?’
I had to diligently ignore that gaze. Oh, come to think of it, is it even appropriate to use the word “human life” now? Because neither of us were really human, after all.
Haha.
‘…Damn it.’
I tried to crack a silly joke to myself, but that was not going to lift my spirits.
-Houin.
Dangjemun calls me. The chill in his voice sank right into my chest.
“This is…. It somehow happened… Haha.”
I attempted to brush over it with an awkward smile, but then I clamped my mouth shut and spoke again.
“…I’m sorry.”
When I offered my apology, Dangjemun gave a slight nod. Then he glanced at the fallen pillar.
-As expected, no matter how I look at it, you look very much like Shincheol… It would have been fine even if you weren’t like this.
“No, that’s a bit…”
[What on earth do I have in common with this useless guy!]
I frowned as I watched Noya suddenly interrupt and yell. This old man?
“Why are you saying what I wanted to say, Noya?”
[Then I should say it. Do you think it’s even right for a punk like you to speak?]
“Of course it’s my right to say it! What’s so special about Noya…?”
Honestly, Shin Noya does have a certain reputation. The person known as Hwasan Seongeom was called the most respected in the Hwasan Sect and even hailed as the hero who saved the Central Plains.
He has to be on a totally different level compared to a turncoat like me.
‘I really don’t want to be compared to this oblivious person.’
Separating the martial master Hwasan Seongeom from the human Shincheol is a distinction I prefer to maintain. The moment I voiced that thought, Shin Noya chuckled.
[Heh heh. Look at this little brat.]
“…What?”
He keeps making personal attacks, and that really annoys me. The worst part is, I didn’t have much to counter with.
“…I’ve grown quite a bit, you know?”
I spit it out while grinding my teeth. In fact, my physique has changed and I’ve grown about half a span taller.
Oh, of course.
[So, are you taller than me?]
“…”
The issue was that I was still shorter than this old man.
‘What a rotten situation… If you’re going to make me grow taller, at least make it more significant.’
While I’ve definitely grown taller than in my previous life, it was still far from sufficient when compared to the towering figures around me.
Even after all this time, I was still shorter than Woohyuk or Yeongpung.
At the very least, this cantankerous old man should be shorter than me, yet why is he so tall? Nothing ever seems to work out!
“Are you seriously making personal attacks?”
[I tried! What’s the big deal?]
Feeling his audacity, I let out a long sigh.
“…Well, there’s not much I can do about it.”
[Hmph… finally a bit of understanding.]
“You should consider that it’s hard for an old man who’s never held a woman’s hand to have such a nasty temperament.”
[…!]
Kuung!
As I spoke with a smirk, I heard a massive ruckus deep within my body.
[Hehe… this little brat…]
“It was Noya who struck first.”
Just as we were bickering back and forth, the moment froze.
-That’s enough.
At the cold voice ringing in our ears, Noya and I closed our mouths simultaneously.
-…Ha.
That sigh was anything but normal.
-You two are really alike…
[No, we’re not alike at all…]
-Be quiet, Shincheol.
[…]
Once Dangjemun uttered another word, Noya withered away. It was utterly delightful.
‘I guess you know everything by looking at the scene?’
[…What do you mean?]
‘I mean that Mrs. Dangjemun is not a man.’
[Why does that address sound so off? What is this “Mrs.” nonsense?]
The fact that he didn’t contradict anything else meant he clearly realized that Dangjemun was a woman.
What on earth did they talk about? I was curious about whatever conversation had led Noya to become so pitiful, but before that, I had to address something else.
-Houin.
“Yes, senior.”
When I responded to Dangjemun’s call, she had already approached me.
Standing close, Dangjemun looked at the all-consuming Dokcheondan on the stone slab and said to me.
-As I mentioned earlier, you’re welcome to take the Dokcheondan.
“…Thank you.”
Even if you hadn’t said it, I already planned to take it.
I had put in so much effort to acquire this, so naturally, I should be taking it.
If you had told me not to take it, I would have obliterated everything!
As soon as Dangjemun gave permission, I reached to grab the Dokcheondan, but then… suddenly, I realized I hadn’t asked something.
“Um, senior.”
-Yes?
“Can I take this too?”
At my question, Dangjemun tilted her head.
What I was pointing to was the White Horse Stone right next to the Dokcheondan.
-This one?
Dangjemun tilted her head in question.
This was likely the item from a hundred-level beast I had obtained to boast to Noya.
Since my original purpose was to get this, I casually asked if I could take it.
‘Does Noya know about this too?’
[What are you talking about?]
‘This is something I prepped to show Noya.’
[…I already heard.]
The voice that was laden with pity felt ominous.
Did they actually give her a beating?
Unlike before, I couldn’t see Noya’s face, so I had no clue.
I could only fervently hope that his eyes had turned purple.
-Houin, do you need this?
“Yes… I would like to have it.”
It feels incredibly valuable.
Beyond the fact the Dokcheondan was stacked like that, if we compared them individually, the White Horse Stone also exuded considerable power.
It was likely worth more than a single Dokcheondan.
‘If I’m going to pack, I might as well take everything.’
If I was going to be greedy, I might as well go all out.
Was my audacious comment the issue?
Heh heh.
Suddenly, Dangjemun started to laugh while covering her mouth.
“…Senior?”
I looked at her with slightly anxious eyes, fully aware that I might have crossed a line.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to be in a bad mood and smiled at me.
-Shincheol mentioned you’d probably try to take everything.
“Is that so?”
My brows instinctively furrowed at Dangjemun’s words. What on earth did that person say?
It seemed like they had set me up, and that only frustrated me further.
‘I guess I have to give up.’
For now, let’s forget about the White Horse Stone.
Oh, of course, I’ll circle back for it later.
I certainly couldn’t leave it behind.
While I was thinking this, my lips pursed in disappointment.
-If you want to take it, you can go ahead.
“Really?”
My eyes widened at Dangjemun’s words. Is she really permitting this?
-Yes, if you want even more.
As she spoke, her gaze wandered across the walls and around the pillars.
-You can also take this night liquor.
“…”
Oh dear. It appeared she caught onto my subtle craving for the night liquor.
This is pretty embarrassing.
“…Ahem.”
Just then, to shake off the awkwardness, I cleared my throat.
-In exchange.
Dangjemun’s fingertips lightly tapped the White Horse Stone.
But that didn’t mean the stone budged.
Her fingertip merely penetrated the stone.
Seeing this made me realize once again that she was not a living being.
-I have a favor to ask of you.
“…”
A favor.
Those loaded words forced me to take a step back.
-Houin?
“I won’t accept it. I don’t need this.”
Having already faced enough filth from the so-called heroes of past generations, just the word “favor” made me grind my teeth in irritation.
“…I’ll just leave quietly. It was an honor to meet you, senior.”
I hurriedly held the Dokcheondan close and walked off.
I needed to get out.
“Oh, but where’s the exit from here?”
Krung.
As I searched for the exit, the investigator from earlier came over and poked his head in.
I nodded at him.
“Perfect. Go find the door. You’re good at locating it.”
Krurung?
I reflected on how he was the one who’d pointed me to the entrance earlier while searching for the cave in the lake.
However, the guy just stared at me blankly in response.
“…Tsk.”
Doesn’t he even know?
Just when I thought I’d have to figure this out myself after all.
-Dangsoyeol.
Thud-
My head jerked around at the name echoing in my ears.
“…What did you just say?”
My heart sank like a stone.
It was an unexpected name to hear from Dangjemun’s lips.
The bizarre sense of dissonance led me to glance at her.
-It’s something related to that child. Are you not curious, Your Majesty?
For some reason, her expression was thick with sorrow.
I pondered as I looked into Dangjemun’s eyes.
It was odd that there was talk about Tangsoyeol, but why did she have such a distressed expression?
At first glance, it was clearly not something trivial.
I wanted to flee the scene immediately.
But I was frozen in place.
The scales were perpetually balanced in my mind.
And this time, the weight tipped ominously to one side.
Sensing this, I suppressed my emotions and gave my answer to Dangjemun.
Given the circumstances, there was only one reply I could offer.
“…What is it? What do you mean by a favor?”
Upon hearing my question, Dangjemun stepped closer to me.
-I have a single request.
Her expression remained dark and unreadable, but
-…When Houin ventures out…
The words that slipped from her lips were surprisingly shattering, utterly contrary to her previous calm demeanor.
*
Saah…
I could hear the wind whispering as the water rippled.
It was still noon, and the lake retained its stunning colors.
But the sight mirrored mine.
“…”
The woman gazing upon it trembled endlessly.
‘What’s happening?’
The woman seemed utterly oblivious to her swollen cheeks or the blood trickling down.
She was none other than Nahi, the covert agent of the Tang Clan.
‘What the hell… is going on?’
Half an hour had passed since the person she led, Guyangcheon, leaped into the lake without warning.
It was already bizarre that this Guyangcheon had deduced his true identity.
He’d said he needed to dip into the lake briefly, yet he truly dove in and had not emerged.
‘Did he actually just die?’
Nahi couldn’t help but think that way.
‘Is this really… a case of suicide?’
Such behavior seldom occurred outside of extreme situations.
Even for the Poison King, who had deep resistance to toxins, it would’ve been tough to dive deep into that lake and stay alive.
In such scenarios, an ordinary fighter like Guyangcheon launching himself into the lake could only be interpreted as suicide.
‘What should I do?’
Nahi found herself nervously biting her lips.
It was she who guided Guyangcheon.
But if he suddenly dove and died?
‘How should I explain this?’
The daunting task of reporting it to the Poison King loomed ahead.
Even if Guyangcheon had requested to enter the lake, leaving him to manage alone was bound to bring up questions.
For sure, it wouldn’t be easy to clarify how this entire scenario unfolded.
‘…Sigh…’
A dilemma.
This felt like a perfect illustration of Nahi’s predicament.
‘Brother…’
Nahi found herself chewing on her nails while thinking of her brother.
From the day they joined forces to exact revenge on this vile clan, they had exhausted themselves through trials and tribulations.
‘Why on earth…!’
Why on earth did such a brother turn his back for the sake of the young Ji-su?
Such were events she could not begin to comprehend.
It seemed unbelievable.
Something must have compelled him. It had to be so.
‘I need to think… what can I do?’
If she remained idle, it would be truly the end.
Nahi was in a tight spot and had to think quickly.
She couldn’t allow herself to die like this.
‘At the very least… I need to rid us of that “underground” before I face my end.’
The reality of this rotting and festering Tang Clan.
The Tang Clan, masquerading as a noble house while grasping at filth, needed to be eradicated.
That was the only option.
Doing so would serve as a path for her fallen siblings to find peace.
Drip drop.
Having chewed her nails excessively, blood dribbled down her thumb.
Plop.
At the moment a droplet fell and landed on the ground,
Saah…!
Suddenly, something strange began to unfold at the lake.
“…?”
Nahi’s eyes widened at the sight.
“What…?”
She sprang to her feet, hurriedly approaching the lake.
“…Oh?”
As she neared the lake, hints of change grew more distinct.
It would typically be expected for the toxic miasma to deepen as she got closer, yet for some reason, nothing could be felt.
“What in the world…?”
What on earth was transpiring? Nahi moved closer to the lake, her heart racing.
Kwaaaaahh…!
Suddenly, the lake started to ripple violently. It whipped into a whirlpool.
A fierce vortex manifested on the lake, as if being sucked toward the center.
And without reservation, the water in the lake began to dwindle.
“…W-What’s happening…?”
The lake known as Dokcheon, a treasure of the Tang Clan, was disappearing.
In the midst of this bizarre spectacle, Nahi gasped, but the lake continued its chaotic course.
Just ten seconds were all it took.
In that fleeting moment, the waters of the lake had vanished entirely.
Since Dokcheon was called a lake, there should have been no small amount of water.
Where could all that liquid have gone?
Nahi concealed her trembling hands while surveying the center of the lake.
Being the focus of the whirlpool, she surmised there must be something there.
And in the locus I investigated directly.
“…Huh?”
In the heart of the lake, now devoid of any moisture.
She observed a figure standing still, shaking loose water from their body.
“Phew.”
It seemed the person had something caught in their mouth as they spit violently.
Then they started to glance around, bewildered.
After scanning the lake’s empty expanse momentarily,
“Ah.”
It appeared they were finally piecing together the situation.
“…Damn it… this is bad.”
He let out a sticky curse.
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