Chapter: 948
Thud…
Dust rises dramatically.
The wind wasn’t blowing much, but a forceful wind pressure was artificially created.
Crack.
A fissure spreads across the ground.
What started to crack slowly begins to expand endlessly.
The problem isn’t just that it’s cracking.
Saaaaahh—!!!
The floor starts turning black.
And it begins from the tip of a woman’s foot.
“You.”
Cheonma said, her purple eyes sparkling fiercely.
“Do you want to die?”
The more words she spoke, the more the vibrations intensified.
Guguguguguh—! It felt shallow, but since it didn’t stop, people began to react.
“What, what is this!?”
“The ground is shaking…?”
“Your Majesty, the noble has fallen…!”
Some felt uneasy about the situation itself.
While others were panicking at the sight of the fallen Cheongseon.
And then—
‘Oh, what the hell.’
Watching the scene unfold, I found myself wiping my forehead.
Kukugugu-!!!
Cheonma advanced, exuding dark energy.
At the sight of her, I unconsciously swallowed hard.
Every step she took felt heavy.
The gaze looking ahead was utterly cold.
The aura she radiated was so fierce that I quickly steadied my racing heart.
Thump—! My heart throbbed wildly, energy filling my body.
With that surge, I managed to forcibly stop the viral spread of energy from Cheonma.
If I hadn’t, everyone around would have lost their minds.
Just barely, I was holding back that force.
‘…No way.’
That force was stronger than I expected.
Tsk-tstsk—!!!
Energy collided, creating friction.
All I was doing was trying to hold it in.
It was so intense that it almost made me chuckle.
Thanks to this, I was reminded of something forgotten.
‘…Right.’
The woman I was looking at was Cheonma.
The heavenly being known as the Absolute in my past life.
She might seem bland in this life, but in moments like this, it felt all too real.
‘I was too complacent.’
She had changed so much.
I had unconsciously thought of her as a completely different being, but seeing her reminded me that thought was wrong.
Clack-clack-clack.
Cheonma continued walking, piercing through the invisible air.
The destination was obviously where the fallen Cheongseon lay.
“Ugh… Gah…”
As if to confirm, Cheongseon awkwardly rose from their crumbled spot.
Red cheeks, as if slapped, and blood trickling from the corner of their mouth.
Not to mention the expression of someone utterly baffled by the situation was quite a sight to behold.
“This…this…this is…”
They stumbled as they stood.
Then, Cheongseon’s eyes widened in shock upon seeing Cheonma approaching.
“What the…! You! Who are you talking to…!”
“What are you going to do about your limbs?”
“What…?”
“What will you do about your limbs?”
Clack-clack.
‘This is ridiculous.’
Each word seemed to amplify Cheonma’s energy.
Trying to contain it was now more than I could handle.
“Guh—!”
Moreover, no matter how much I blocked it, poor Cheongseon was surely feeling that energy radiate.
The poor guy started to tremble violently.
A look of sheer terror in their eyes.
That energy was something else.
“Whose limbs…?”
Even while witnessing this, Cheonma continued forward.
“What are you planning…?”
Finally, we reached Cheongseon.
Saaaaaaah…!!
The energy streaming out began to take on a shape.
It resembled droplets of water, blooming like morning dew.
So that energy piled up in the air.
At a glance, it looked dangerous.
The moment I saw that, I grit my teeth.
I immediately launched myself up and hugged Cheonma from behind.
Thud—!
“…!”
Upon grabbing her, Cheonma’s body froze stiff.
I could feel the energy becoming wildly agitated.
“Are you insane? What are you trying to do? I told you to keep quiet!”
Did I manage to stop it just in time?
I added, but Cheonma remained silent, refusing to answer.
I think this might actually work.
The reason is, as I felt the rising energy, I noticed it started shaking.
Feeling the energy waning, I slightly relaxed my grip.
I tentatively loosened my hold. Fortunately, there was no movement.
I grabbed Cheonma’s wrist instead.
It felt quite cool for a human hand.
All the while, I cautiously monitored Cheonma, hoping she wouldn’t explode.
‘Is she okay?’
She seemed to be reacting more composed now, unlike before.
“…”
I glanced back at her, holding her wrist and slowly pulling away. Luckily, Cheonma obediently followed.
Now, the distance between Cheongseon and Cheonma felt manageable.
“Guh… Kuh—!”
Cheongseon finally breathed out the air he had been holding.
I could see him gagging, but thankfully he didn’t spit out any blood, suggesting he wasn’t internally hurt.
“These… these… these…!”
When I first saw him, he appeared so polished and elegant.
Now? He looked like a completely wreck, likely due to that single hit.
His long hair was a mess, and his clothes were coated with dust.
“I will never forgive you!… You both…!”
“Hey, why am I…!”
It’s frustrating that he blamed me when I tried to intervene.
He seemed utterly clueless about what might have happened had I not stepped in.
“What are you doing!! Capture those guys right now…!”
Cheongseon yelled.
Only then did I see his guards regain their senses and begin making their way toward us.
“…Hmm…”
What should I do?
‘Should I run? Or should I fight?’
It wouldn’t be too hard to escape like this.
However, anticipating what would happen afterward felt a little bothersome.
To fight them all and leave like that…
‘That doesn’t sound like a good plan either.’
Handling it like I did with the White Family was out of the question.
‘No, if I had to, I could manage it…’
Just a little something was bothering me about that.
So, what now? Should I just skip out?
I pondered deeply.
As I rolled my eyes in thought, suddenly the sight of the sky caught my attention.
The sunset was fading, indicating nightfall was imminent.
Staring at it, I thought to myself,
“Ah.”
I had a lightbulb moment and nodded.
“That’s right. I’ve got it.”
A good idea popped into my head.
I quickly turned toward Cheonma and said,
“Hey.”
“Hmm?”
Cheonma appeared much calmer now.
If there was a difference, it would be that her cheeks were slightly flushed, possibly from her previous anger.
Her already fair skin made it more noticeable.
Considering that this would heal over time, I decided to ignore it.
“Listen closely from now on.”
I whispered, concentrating to send a signal.
“…”
After hearing the signal, Cheonma nodded in understanding.
“…From now on, we will capture the criminals who have harmed the nobles…”
We quietly offered our arms as the figures approached us.
Clank.
Just like that, the shackles were slipped on us.
“I will never… I will never let you go.”
With the trembling Cheongseon grasping his cheek, we were taken by their hands toward the Blue House.
The Blue House was downright the farthest spot from the street we had been on.
It was almost at the very edge of the city walls.
This made it hard to comprehend their structure unlike the White and Black Houses.
‘It seems like it’s the largest, though?’
Among all the places I had seen, the Blue House appeared the most expansive.
Not only in size, but the mansion itself seemed at least a story higher than the others.
I didn’t know much about such things.
But it felt like it was crafted with much care if it looked impressive just from a glance.
That thought crossed my mind.
One thing nagged at me:
‘It’s beautiful, but it looks like it might break easily.’
The building’s durability didn’t seem very solid.
It felt hollow inside,
Like it would crumble with just a single tap.
‘Hmm.’
I felt a simple urge to hit it just to test its integrity.
If it were up to me, I would have happily tried.
‘Tsk.’
But it wasn’t the appropriate time for that, and I felt a bit disappointed.
“Make sure you keep up—!”
“Yes, yes!”
The soldier pressured the chains and dragged me away.
I followed along, a bit unsteady.
‘Seems like the moment those cuffs were on, they really gained confidence.’
Once Cheonma was bound, her demeanor shifted. Earlier, I felt like I was being treated like a bomb about to go off.
‘Are these shackles the cause?’
These were the same cuffs I had worn during my time with the Black House.
Aren’t they made of some special stone? Apparently, it inhibits one’s energy and drains your strength completely.
‘Indeed.’
The moment I put them on, I felt problems emerging both externally and internally.
It hindered the flow of energy, and also restricted muscle movement altogether.
Anyway, it gave me a very bad vibe.
‘But it’s not totally unbearable.’
I could unravel them if I wanted, so it was just a minor nuisance.
Afterward, I wandered around, taking in the sights of the place.
After quite some time, I finally arrived at a particular area.
Creeeak.
As soon as the door opened, a damp, musty smell hit my nose.
Looking inside, the only thing in sight was a wall of iron bars; it seemed to be a place for imprisoning criminals.
“…”
Gazing at that, my mouth watered.
‘Why does it feel like I keep ending up here?’
This space seemed to crop up regularly since arriving in Man-gye.
I wasn’t exactly fond of coming to prisons, thanks to some history in my past life…
‘But there’s no helping it.’
Now wasn’t the time to be selective, so I quietly stepped inside.
Oh, not quietly— the soldiers essentially tossed me into the cell.
“There’ll be a decision soon. Until then, sit tight.”
With a tone laced in annoyance, they smirked.
“I’ll give it my best shot.”
Thud.
The soldier tightened his lips at my words.
After I had tried to be nice, look at how he reacted?
What a joke.
‘Like their demeanor did a complete 180.’
I mean “demeanor” doesn’t even cover it— it felt like their entire personality had shifted.
It was much harsher and brutal after dusk.
This wasn’t just because they had brought us here as criminals…
‘Is it because it’s night?’
The moon had risen as of now. I could only speculate that was a factor.
‘They say Moonlight Tribe’s power increases at night.’
Regeneration and strength enhancements.
If it’s said that it also makes their temperament violent, then it sounded about right.
“The Lord will be looking for you soon.”
“Then tell him to hurry up and come….”
Bang.
And just like that, the soldier left without hearing my full sentence.
“They really are impatient.”
Still chained, I scratched my head awkwardly and glanced aside.
Cheonma had already sprawled on the floor, rolling around without a care.
“…”
Why on earth does she look so comfy?
“…Hey. What are you doing?”
“Hmm?”
Cheonma tilted her head at my question.
“What?”
“Not what, but what are you doing? Do you understand why we’re here?”
“For whose sake?”
“Isn’t it because of you!?”
If she hadn’t slapped Cheongseon out of nowhere, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
Of course,
‘If Cheonma hadn’t hit him, I would have hit him.’
But discussing this part would be pointless; it would only serve to put me in more trouble.
“Can’t you just sit still without causing this mess?”
“…”
At my words, Cheonma pouted her lips.
“He spoke weirdly.”
“What exactly did he say that was so weird?”
Honestly, I remembered him saying some really obnoxious things, but I didn’t think it warranted Cheonma’s reaction.
“He said he would cut off his limbs!”
“That was directed at me! Not you, you fool!”
“Right, exactly.”
“…”
When Cheonma said that calmly, my jaw went slack for a moment.
So, what she’s saying is—
Are you telling me that when he cursed at me, she ran up and slapped him?
“…What are you talking about?”
I shook my head, utterly bewildered.
“Why are you jumping into something like that?”
“…”
“What’s your problem?”
“Uh, no—”
“Then it’s my anger being directed. You don’t get to interfere, okay?”
Even before coming to Man-gye, I could tell there was something off about this Cheonma.
It was the same during the blood horse incident.
She kept getting inexplicably involved in matters concerning me.
It felt uncomfortable and annoying.
“Besides, if you’re just going to mess everything up by interfering, just keep still. Or get out of my way.”
“…”
Cheonma seemed to fidget, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.
Tsk.
Noticing this, I rerouted my gaze.
The air was stifling, and my arms felt cramped too.
‘Should I just take these off?’
I considered removing the shackles as they felt annoyingly constricting, but I decided to endure for now.
I simply sat still, closing my eyes.
‘How long will this take?’
How long until the one I’m waiting for arrives?
As I pondered that, I briefly closed my eyes.
Creak.
Just as I waited, a noise suddenly came from the door.
I opened my eyes upon hearing it.
At that moment,
“Hello?”
Someone entered through the prison door.
“How long has it been?”
I turned to see who was talking with such a cheerful voice.
“Do you need my help?”
The young man who appeared was none other than Mongmong… or rather, Yusa.
He was the current ruler of Yawolseong and the person I had been waiting for.
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