Chapter: 736
“…So.”
Namgung Bi-ah, who had been lying still, looked at my head and asked.
“…Did you get hit…?”
“…”
I patted my crown at her words.
There wasn’t a bump, but the stinging sensation still lingered.
It was right where Mo Yong-hee had struck me.
“…She’s definitely not holding back.”
It still hurts. She hit me so hard that it felt like I had a knot on my head.
It was obvious that Mo Yong-hee was hiding her true level.
‘…Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for her to hit that hard.’
I was just fooling around a bit, but Mo Yong-hee went straight to slamming her fist on my head.
Thanks to that, my head was still throbbing.
‘No, how could I just sit back after seeing those outrageous conditions?’
From my perspective, it was a bit unfair.
How could I not feel tempted when there were so many insane conditions laid out?
The conditions laid out by Jang Yu-myeong were unbelievable unless he had completely lost his mind.
So, without realizing it, I blurted something out.
Of course, considering that such conditions had been put forth, I was trying to figure out Jang Yu-myeong’s intentions as well.
‘What the heck does that guy want from me?’
What exactly does he expect by laying down such outrageous terms?
I had my doubts about that, but…
‘…Under those conditions, wouldn’t it be worth considering at least once, even if there’s some hidden agenda?’
It was something I could overlook, regardless of how underhanded it was.
In fact, if it involved something shady, I might even consider playing along with a smile.
“…But you know…”
“Yeah.”
After hearing the whole story, Namgung Bi-ah quietly looked at me and said.
“I think you deserved it…”
“…”
I thought Namgung Bi-ah would at least take my side, but even she said something like that.
Is it really that wrong?
Making a sheepish expression, I replied to Namgung Bi-ah.
“Alright… how are you feeling?”
“I’m… okay.”
She seemed to be trying to change the subject. Namgung Bi-ah went with it.
“How about food?”
“…I ate…”
“Good, make sure you eat regularly.”
“Yeah.”
As I spoke, I got up.
Namgung Bi-ah’s condition had improved a lot. There might be some scars left, but most of the internal injuries had reportedly healed.
‘The stagnation has also decreased significantly.’
I used to visit often to help clear the stagnation energy from her body. If she had recovered this much, I didn’t think I would have to worry about it anymore.
Free movement should be possible within a few days.
“I’ll come back tomorrow if I have time.”
After bidding farewell to Namgung Bi-ah, I handed her a set of clothes I had brought.
Namgung Bi-ah examined the clothes and accepted them as if she had been waiting for them.
Those were my clothes.
Namgung Bi-ah had asked me to bring one of the outfits she wore every time she came, and this was what I had brought in response to that.
‘What on earth does she need that for?’
I wasn’t sure why, but since she said she needed it, I brought it.
It wasn’t anything special, just a black outfit… what on earth could she need it for?
Turning my gaze toward Namgung Bi-ah, who was neatly folding the clothes, I then glanced at the guy lying like a corpse on the next bed.
“Are you okay?”
“…Yeeah…”
His response came in a barely alive voice.
Seongyul was wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
This guy was in a terrible state too.
“Tsk tsk.”
“…Ugh…”
He groaned, as if even speaking was a challenge.
Seeing him like that, I pressed down on his chest hard.
“Grrr!! Your Highness, stay still…!”
“Shut up, you whiny brat.”
I could tell he was less injured than I was, yet he was acting like he was dying.
It was ridiculous.
“If you had done it right from the start, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“…Ughhhhh…”
“I thought it was manageable and decided to mess around, and now look at you. What a dimwit.”
After that, as I continued to poke him, Seongyul looked like he was about to burst.
This was partly to tease him, but it was also to confirm a few things.
‘Looks like there’s some backlash.’
It seemed odd to be whining about it, but he truly seemed to be in more pain than his injuries suggested.
‘Is this the aftereffect of activating the Thousand-Year Star effectively?’
Chortle.
“Wait… a second… Ugh!”
‘Releasing it wasn’t hard. I just hadn’t checked if he was responding properly. If he’s like this after using it, it might be annoying to use.’
“Master… I… really… am dying…!”
“It’s okay! It’s okay. I know from experience that people don’t die that easily.”
“Ugh…!”
After that, I checked different things several times.
The conclusion is…
‘I think I need to check again.’
There’s still so much to experiment with regarding the Thousand-Year Star.
Can Seongyul control it as he wishes?
I know it boosts his fighting strength, but can he maintain that increase fully?
Can I still control him in that situation, and so on?
There were still many things left to investigate.
‘They mentioned it would take a month or two to completely recover.’
After that recovery, I’ll have to work him hard.
“…Huh?”
Shiver.
Just then, as if he had felt a chill, Seongyul started trembling.
He was quick to notice things, anyway.
‘But this still needs to be done.’
This was something that must be navigated to utilize Seongyul.
If I don’t do this properly…
‘I have to turn Seongyul into a pawn.’
I had to corrupt him completely to use him to the fullest.
In this way, this was explicitly for Seongyul’s sake too.
Ah, of course, this had nothing to do with Seongyul’s own wishes.
“You… just get better on your own.”
I’d finished checking things, so I was about to leave when I suddenly remembered something I wanted to say to Seongyul.
“Oh, right. Hey.”
“Yes….”
“When you feel better and get up, I’ll tell you what I wanted to discuss last time.”
“…!”
Seongyul’s eyes grew wide like lanterns at those words.
What I had wanted to say before.
It was the promise I made to tell him about the Cheonghae Ilgeom if he won against Paeng Woo-jin.
“Really, you will tell me…?”
“Even though you lost terribly compared to the wager… I can still show you this much mercy.”
I hadn’t thought for a moment that he would win anyway.
Since it was a story he needed to know sooner or later, I said it.
“If so… right now…!”
“No. Didn’t I say I’d tell you when you recovered?”
Seongyul’s urgent plea was cut off instantly.
Not now.
If Seongyul hears the whole story right now…
‘Who knows what he might do in that state.’
Once he’s all healed and I feel I can control him, that’s when I’ll let him know.
“…”
At my words, Seongyul looked like he had a lot to say but refrained.
No matter how many times he asked, he seemed to understand that I wouldn’t answer.
“Anyway, just know that. Rest up. Don’t do anything useless. If you move about, you’ll just make it worse for yourself.”
“…I understand….”
Seongyul seemed to accept my vague reasoning.
After seeing him, I turned and walked away.
‘How many Dokcheondan are left?’
I began counting, thinking I should give him one or two as well.
No, I suppose the quantity isn’t all that significant anymore.
‘Just got a message from the Poison King.’
Among the letters organized by Cheoljiseon, there was also news sent from the Tang family.
‘I finally succeeded in producing Dokcheondan.’
The Dokcheondan that the Tang clan had lost long ago.
He said they had succeeded in restoring it.
‘I should go to Sacheon someday.’
It wasn’t a complete success yet, but they had found a method to produce it…
‘But they mentioned one issue was still unresolved.’
I decided to visit in person to figure that out.
Once that’s resolved, it would bring enormous benefits.
Dokcheondan is a miraculous elixir that intertwines with the Daehwandan, which Shaolin produces once or twice a year.
For me now, consuming Dokcheondan wouldn’t yield much benefit.
‘But the others are different.’
There are plenty of guys that need to be made stronger for the future. I was expecting notable results.
With that thought, I stepped outside.
As soon as I emerged, a leaf fell right in front of my eyes.
It was a half-discolored fallen leaf.
I lifted my head at that.
The green leaves were gradually changing color.
The end of summer and the beginning of autumn had arrived.
“…”
I caught a leaf like that and remembered.
– Come in the fall.
I suddenly recalled what Cheonma had said in the past.
Why did he insist on coming in the fall? To that question, Cheonma said.
Because the autumn foliage is beautiful?
Because the scenery is beautiful?
I don’t remember perfectly, but that was roughly the gist.
Why on earth am I recalling that now for no reason?
I didn’t really dwell on the question.
Whoosh!
I burned the leaf I was holding and discarded it.
“…”
It was a memory unworthy of concern.
I stepped out of the residence.
There were still crowds around, but it wasn’t hard to navigate through them.
“…I would like to see the leader.”
An elderly man who seemed to be in his seventies. Pilduma, the heir of the Zhuge family and the lord of Cheonra, knelt before me.
After leaving my residence, I had come straight to see this old man.
As the mask I was wearing for the first time in a while began to feel strange, I spoke to him.
[Is everything going smoothly?]
My voice had changed, and I had also altered my body through transformation techniques.
Maybe because the injuries were deep, it hurt like hell during the change, but I had to bear with it for now.
“Yes. Everything is ready. Just say the word and we can start immediately.”
[Not bad.]
“May I ask just one thing?”
[Ask away.]
“When can I begin the operation?”
A hundred-level monster.
Pilduma plans to summon a dragon known as Calamity and wreak havoc in Hanam.
He had mentioned we could make use of the six stone tablets scattered across Hanam.
‘They said the dragon of this land is sealed.’
That’s what Pilduma had said.
I didn’t know how a dragon could be sealed here, and had I heard that before, I would’ve thought it was a lie.
‘But I can tell now.’
Now I could see it.
I could feel a faint resonance beneath the earth.
There’s definitely a dragon lying underneath. No matter how faint, I could sense its existence.
‘Could this also be related to the Blood Horse?’
Given the situation, it seemed likely, but right now, it was uncertain.
Even if preparations were finished, I still had doubts about whether Pilduma’s plan would actually succeed.
But.
‘It doesn’t matter if it fails.’
From the start, I wasn’t counting on success.
If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too.
What truly mattered wasn’t that.
‘What matters is that guy is a descendant of the Zhuge family. The fact that he’s doing something in Hanam is what matters.’
That was the only fundamental aspect I cared about.
[Cheonra Daeju. You seem quite impatient.]
I said this with a hint of amusement in my voice.
When would it be time? It felt like a pressing question.
To prove that, Pilduma didn’t deny it either.
[Don’t worry. Even if it takes a little longer, it won’t exceed a few days.]
“I mention this out of concern… I’m worried about whether we can truly trust the leader.”
There were doubts about what I might do.
That was what it meant.
[haha.]
At that, he burst into laughter once more.
[Whether you choose to trust me or not is up to you. But as I said before, the direction that you and I are pursuing is the same. Moreover.]
Woosh!
He gathered the energy he had been radiating and directed it back into his heart.
Only then did I hear breathless sounds from all around.
[Isn’t the fact that your lives are inextricably tied to mine right now proof enough?]
“…”
I released the tension that had been weighing heavily. I had to relieve some of the pressure to prevent suspicion from creeping in—it was a necessary act.
[Don’t be hasty. The time is drawing near.]
“…Understood.”
Although his expression showed doubt, Cheonra Daeju nodded at me.
As expected, he was a seasoned man, making it difficult to stamp on him.
This old-timer seemed too resilient to simply fall.
‘Thank goodness for that.’
I figured I could use him freely as much as I needed without hesitation before discarding him.
After a few more inquiries and answers, I finally left the cave.
Once outside, I noticed the sun was already setting.
I had been on the move since morning, and the entire day had flown by.
‘Time really does fly.’
Too fast, in fact.
What I needed the most right now was time. And it seemed like I was using it up in the quickest fashion.
‘I just told Pilduma not to rush, but it’s me who seems the most impatient… what a contradiction.’
There truly was no end to the irony.
A chuckle slipped out involuntarily.
‘Regardless… It seems everything is in place on this front.’
Now the ball was in my court.
With that thought in mind, I glanced back.
Behind me, a figure waiting for me had appeared, kneeling.
I was not surprised.
I was already aware of her presence.
The figure was a woman with green hair, looking somewhat weary.
It was Nahi, the one I had sent to Hubei previously.
“Welcome back.”
As I smiled and greeted her, Nahi lowered her head even deeper.
“…I meet you, master.”
She looked worn-out, and her voice sounded like it was on the verge of breaking.
Though she didn’t seem to have any visible injuries, the exhaustion was evident—surely, she had spent a considerable amount of energy.
“How did it go?”
Instead of voicing my concern, I directly asked her the main question.
I figured it would be a problem if I took too long, but thankfully, Nahi arrived before it became an issue.
This signified my hoped-for situation had finally materialized.
Sure enough, Nahi began to report on the matter.
“…Ilryong Daeju has just finished the process of sending the message inside the Meng.”
Within that message resided the tidings I had been eagerly anticipating.
Simultaneously, for some reason, I could sense a simmering intensity in Nahi’s voice.
Resentment and fatigue wrapped within it.
I wasn’t sure if it was directed at me or at Ilgum Daeju.
Honestly, it didn’t really matter.
“Is that so?”
Right now, the only thing that was crucial to me was one thing.
‘The final preparations are done.’
The trap has been skillfully set.
Now it’s time to throw out the bait.
A sumptuous, rich bait that would surely attract the hungry beasts. That’s the kind of bait I intended to spread around.
“I must convey the message to Hwangbo Gaju.”
The time to stir up chaos in Hanam has finally arrived.
It was indeed time to relay that message.
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