Chapter 291: You Won’t Catch Up! (5)

“I missed!”

Amidst the throngs of people.

The man muttered quietly.

With a face that wasn’t remarkable or distinctive in any way.

He had a rather ordinary appearance that wouldn’t leave a lasting impression when brushed past.

‘Did he notice me?’

No way.

Even a martial artist who has reached the Transformation Realm wouldn’t pick up on our presence.

No matter how much that guy, Jin Ryong, is running around, it shouldn’t be possible.

‘On the contrary, I was the one who missed him.’

It was strange.

I had buried our presence since Jin Ryong arrived in Hanam.

And yet, at some point, it was wiped away.

‘How in the world?’

Unlike the scent resembling Cheonri that doesn’t just vanish.

The man had to carefully hide the cold sweat trickling down despite his calm expression.

Something felt off.

‘I need to report back to the base.’

From the start, the mission itself was suspicious.

If it had just been observation, it wouldn’t have been a problem.

But this?

It seemed like something a dog or Hao Gate would plan.

I had no clue why the main base would assign such a task.

Moreover,

‘Even if I have to follow orders…’

Since the personnel from Black Night Palace merged with Taiju.

Things felt subtly different.

Especially, it felt like we were getting entangled with external forces little by little.

Even though I work for the liberation of my kind—

The man couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling.

After losing some of my kin years ago.

My activities had been nearly at a standstill.

‘For now, I’ll head back.’

The man wanted to wrap up the cloth that had been laid out in front of him.

Before him were cheap trinkets scattered around.

Items prepared for him to sell at a stall.

Just as he was busy packing up his belongings.

“Did the sales end?”

At the sound of a voice, he feigned a charming tone. Of all times, a customer shows up now?

“Ah, I’m so sorry… something urgent came up at home…” As he raised his head to speak, the man froze in place.

The person speaking to him was none other than—

“Good timing, so now that sales are over, how about we chat a bit?”

Gu Yangcheong.

Just as the man thought to come up with a way to respond.

Kwahk—!

Gah!

The man was jerked backward, caught by Gu Yangcheong’s hand and dragged into a shadowy alley.

The grip tightening around his neck.

“Cough… huff!”

He watched as the man, who was older but looked unreadable, coughed out a scream.

He was in middle age by appearances, but—

Age was impossible to gauge.

‘I thought he’d laid low for a while. Has he started again?’

He must be similar to the guy I faced in the past.

It explained why the ring on his finger was reacting now.

After the collapse of Black Night Palace.

There hadn’t been any movements or signs, making it feel like they had hidden away.

‘Thought they were operating in a different direction.’

Like those who operate in the shadows usually do.

There could be some connection, but—

I didn’t think he was affiliated with Black Night Palace.

If he was hiding, it was likely because of the collapse of a major force.

So I figured he’d been staying low for a while.

Yet here he is, crawling back out.

Especially regarding something related to me.

“Hey, you.”

“Cough…

“The one who caused a fuss on the street last time.”

That guy shouted about Jin Ryong!

And—

“What nonsense are you storing away from me?”

Whether or not it was during some unknown time, he implanted a scent that refused to wash off, which was driving him nuts.

‘Good thing it was the energy inside him that consumed it.’

Normally, tracking scents like Cheonri couldn’t be used in that manner.

But that wasn’t the case this time.

He had memory of those approaching him.

And this guy wasn’t one of them.

‘Does that mean he can use it from a distance?’

I couldn’t be sure, but—

The important thing was.

This guy was the cause of my recent unease.

“Why are you causing a ruckus again? I thought I was finally rid of you.”

“Huuh… why… are you… doing this…! Great Warrior… please spare me!”

“These guys are all notorious for dodging responsibility.”

Well, it makes sense, seeing it this way, I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

As he tightened his grip even further.

He summoned the Demonic Absorption Technique.

And then—

“Shit…!”

The man’s eyes bulged wide.

How strange.

The first guy I faced didn’t feel pain at all.

Even when injured, he seemed to regenerate easily.

It felt akin to an immortal’s physical form or a demon beast.

But the few others I encountered afterward—

They felt pain, and their regeneration wasn’t active at all.

“You, unlike that guy, can feel pain, huh?”

Crack.

“Grrr!”

As a test, I broke one of his arms.

It could be an act of screaming, but judging by the muscle movement and breath, it didn’t seem like it.

“What… what is this?”

Did he sense the energy shifting through his body?

His reaction was obviously different.

And it wasn’t just him responding.

“You imply that you feel pain…?”

“Unlike others who don’t seem to hurt, you can’t heal quickly, can you?”

“…Could it be that you’re Sam-ho…?”

Sam-ho?

Was that his name?

A strange one.

The one who caused a ruckus while looking like a novice monk from Shaolin.

Seemed like that guy was called Sam-ho.

Or maybe not.

“Uh, how… Sam-ho shouldn’t die.”

“What do you mean how? I did this.”

Grawk.

As I slowly pulled the energy from him.

His eyes widened increasingly.

“Wait…!”

“I’ll ask you slowly.”

I smiled while observing his responses.

No need for a bloody torture session.

And with no loud screams to be had, it was comfortable in many respects.

Though his face changing was bothersome.

Whatever the reason, if he was wearing that ring of a genuine treasure, I could discover that too, so it was all good.

‘If I had caught him back then, it would have been easier.’

The ring didn’t vibrate too much.

And for a while, it hadn’t felt the thing at all.

I briefly hesitated over if it was right or not.

But it became apparent as he roamed the streets.

“What’s your purpose?”

I could feel his muscles and Blood Qi sharply tensed.

Is it due to the Golden Binding?

Or is this also an act?

“Since you refuse to answer, next question.”

I didn’t prolong my words.

I knew very well that it was an inefficient action.

“Which faction are you part of? Are you one of the Black Night Palace guys?”

“…Ha… huh…”

It was the same as before.

Just like that Sam-ho guy, he had probably locked his mouth shut about this part.

Just when I considered exerting a bit more pressure—

“Black… Night Palace… is not… No, it’s not.”

He spoke to me.

“Oh…”

I didn’t expect him to say that.

This was an expression.

Saying no means he would allow me to know it’s possible.

‘Then, is this a lie or the truth?’

Well, I can filter that out myself.

“Okay. You’re not from Black Night Palace. Then, are you unrelated?”

Creak,,

No response.

Indeed, this really felt different from Jin Ryong’s Golden Binding.

He was outright refusing to affirm it.

Suddenly, it struck me.

If I turned Nangong Cheonjun into a demon and made him listen to orders—

Wouldn’t I be able to place an even firmer binding on him?

Of course, I had no intention of trying that just yet.

“Now, this will be the last question.”

Already on the last question.

Although there were many things I wanted to ask, one was truly the most pressing.

“Is the son of Nak-geom involved in this?”

“…!”

“Good reaction. That’s enough.”

His denial wasn’t as strong, but upon seeing his response, I smiled.

Even if it’s some act, it served as my confirmation.

What I feared actually turned out to be true.

Upon seeing my smile, the man whose neck I was gripping spoke in a panic.

“Please… spare me. I was only following orders! I never intended to harm you… Ugh…!”

“Whose orders?”

“I’m fine. I knew you wouldn’t speak anyway. Besides.”

Though he was begging for his life.

The Demonic Absorption Technique I had initiated had no intention of shrinking.

Just as he said.

He was merely spying on me, preparing to spread the word, or using tricks.

It seemed my life wasn’t part of his concern.

“If you truly wanted to spare me, you wouldn’t have spoken such useless words.”

“That’s nonsense…! I provided you with information… Kaaah!”

“You didn’t provide anything. You could be lying or not.”

He screamed as I absorbed his energy.

I had set up barriers to prevent others from approaching.

I checked beforehand to see if he had any comrades nearby.

[Shh…]

As a beast inside him exhaled, seemingly satisfied after its meal, the one in my hands vanished without a trace, leaving behind only his clothes.

Did he melt away?

Was his physical form made entirely of energy?

Every time I face these guys, it feels this way.

I wonder how they got to be this way.

But as for me, I had no intention of investigating their base or true identity.

The underground was more undesirable than the surface.

Although finding their base was inevitable considering how tangled things had gotten.

Tap, tap.

After finishing, I dusted my hands off and glanced to the side.

Gu Yangcheong’s guest, Wi Seol-Ah, was looking at me with eyes full of surprise.

What the heck is this about?

“I just want to ask out of curiosity.”

Seeing her, I inquired.

“Are you feeling disillusioned?”

“Yes…?”

It was a bizarre question in this context, yet it slipped out before I realized.

“Just thought it might be possible.”

Unlike her usual self.

This was the first time she showed such a side to me.

If I had my way, I would’ve preferred to leave her behind.

But now that she had gripped a sword and followed me down this path, I couldn’t hide it anyway.

That was also a part of who I was.

Wi Seol-Ah, who hesitated to respond to my question, finally said.

“…I haven’t.”

What a strange reaction.

If it were normal, she would’ve likely said something like hurting others makes one a bad person.

“Really?”

“Yes…”

Although the surprise was palpable in Wi Seol-Ah, she whispered slowly with a slight smile.

“I wouldn’t drop dead over something like this.”

“‘Something like this’? You’ve grown a lot bolder, huh?”

She always appeared to be the level-headed type.

Moreover, unlike what I expected, Wi Seol-Ah didn’t seem to react too much.

Even when a person melted in front of her.

She seemed more concerned about something else.

“Earlier… was that true?”

“What about?”

“About the Prince… the Prince…”

“I don’t know, but I believe it’s not a lie.”

If it’s that guy, he could do it.

The real issue was how he became connected.

‘We could have been entangled with him from the start.’

That was also a possibility.

But I wasn’t sure about this part.

At least, while Jang Seonyeon had become rotten—

I hoped Nak-geom hadn’t followed suit.

Though it was said like father like son, it might not always be true when comparing my dad and me.

“Prince….”

“Ugh…”

I still wasn’t used to that title.

“It would be better if you kept your distance from Jang.”

“I’m already keeping my distance; I wasn’t close to begin with.”

I had no desire to be close to him.

The fortunate part was.

‘Wi Seol-Ah didn’t seem to dislike Jang.’ Remembering I had been betrothed to her in my past life, I felt somewhat uneasy.

This lifetime, Wi Seol-Ah seemed to show discontent regarding Jang Seonyeon.

“Jang is a dangerous person…”

“I know. He clearly looks dangerous.”

There’s not a single sane person among those who always wear smiles.

Just looking at Peng Woo-jin shows that.

Smiling all the time, he wasn’t in his right mind.

Of course, that freak was a lunatic, while Jang Seonyeon was a downright bad guy.

“I believe he’ll chase after the Prince, no matter what. Using any means necessary.”

With a drop in her voice, Wi Seol-Ah spoke.

When I thought about the past life and the sleeping dragon along with Jang Seonyeon, Wi Seol-Ah’s words rang true.

I recalled how Jang Seonyeon’s fiery determination to chase after the sleeping dragon.

If he failed to catch up—

He would tear apart the very wings that soared.

He was that kind of person.

Did Wi Seol-Ah in her past life know that Jang was that kind of guy?

As that thought crossed my mind, I asked Wi Seol-Ah now.

“Knowing he’s that kind of person, why are you with him?”

Creak,,

At my question, Wi Seol-Ah looks away.

Feeling uneasy, I grabbed her chin and turned her gaze back to me.

“Don’t look away.”

“Eep…”

No longer the time to just throw looks around.

I gripped her chin, aligning our gazes, and noticed her cheeks reddening a bit.

“…If left like this, something might happen…”

“I know.

“So what I want is…”

With a newfound willingness, Wi Seol-Ah, despite averting her eyes, put strength into her gaze.

I flicked her forehead lightly.

Flick!

“Ah…!?”

Suddenly, she held her head, eyes wide with indignation.

Her expression of being wronged was a refreshing change.

“Thanks for worrying, but don’t do pointless things. I’ll take care of it myself.”

“…Prince. It’s not that…”

“I’m not sure what feelings you hold for him, but if I’ve become a reason for them, that’s far enough.”

There must be some reason she was close to the Jang family.

Given my past life as the Sword Sovereign.

I thought I might ask about that now.

But first, there was something I had to do.

“If he tries to chase after me, just let it be.”

“Yes…?”

“He probably wouldn’t be able to catch up anyway.”

“What do you mean…?”

!

..

In recalling the past life, I thought of Jang Seonyeon, who felt inferior to the sleeping dragon back then.

I had to think about him before Jang.

He truly was an overly kind man.

Despite him appearing like a lazy snake, his essence was that of a sympathetic fool.

He even bothered to take care of someone like me, who glared at him.

He sacrificed himself to save others.

Likely lost his life because he stumbled into a trap.

Someone who embodied the true essence of a righteous martial artist.

Increased the chances of dying quickly, valuing the principles of righteousness, cooperation, and harmony over his own life.

Heroes are said to have short lives for good reason.

Moreover, heroes attract many who seek to exploit them.

Just as those with righteousness and cooperation are easy to manipulate.

Thus, I don’t trust most of the righteous martial artists who occupy a space in the Central Plains.

Especially since I witnessed their reactions moments after the Blood Calamity broke out.

Yet regrettably.

I’m a human who long ago abandoned such righteousness and cooperation.

Putting my priorities first.

I’d care less about the lives of others, even if it meant for my own survival.

Should he pursue me, I’d smash his legs first.

And if he speaks nonsense, I’d pull out all his teeth.

‘If I yank out his tongue, he might die, right?’

That wouldn’t do.

Dying easily serves no purpose.

So—

“Just let it be.”

In fact, I was hoping that Jang Seonyeon would do something foolish.

While he may start plotting from now on—

It wouldn’t suffice.

As expected, Jang Seonyeon would likely cause a scene inside Shinryong Temple.

It was crucial for me to wait for the moment he made his move.

That much was necessary.

“So, don’t worry about that. I already know about it.”

“…Even so… I…”

“That’s enough. I’d like you to answer what I asked earlier.”

I interrupted Wi Seol-Ah’s words.

I wasn’t sure what concerns were swirling in her mind about me.

But I wished for her to live without those worries.

I wanted her to spend her days peacefully, ideally with a carefree smile.

And if that isn’t possible—

At the very least, I wished for her not to appear as she did now.

“I’ll ask once more.”

“…”

“Why did your grandfather take you to the Jang family? Can you tell me?”

Upon hearing my words, Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes trembled.

She gazed at me with those unreadable eyes, hesitating for a moment.

Finally, she slowly raised her hand and removed the blood-stained shawl she was wearing.

Swoosh.

As it flowed down, Wi Seol-Ah’s hair came into view.

I had seen it before, but her dark brown hair had transformed to a significantly lighter shade.

I noticed strands of blonde hair mixed in.

Gradually—

It was starting to resemble her appearance from the past life.

‘Why the sudden change in hair?’

I wondered what showing that to me meant.

From what I could tell, she didn’t seem to want to show it.

But Wi Seol-Ah, revealing her hair in front of me, hesitated again.

“My grandfather…”

She stammered, finally opening her lips to speak.

“Wanted to make me human.”