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Chapter 420: Su-Dragon River

Crack-! Boom-!

“Ugh…!”

I lay there, enduring the pain as the Tua Pacheonmu within me struggled to manage the chaotic energy coursing through my body.

The erratic energy began to stabilize, and my Blood Qi gradually returned, flowing softly once more.

Though my body was still in shambles from the violent recoil of the battle, at least I could breathe properly again. I began to exhale the air I’d been holding.

“Hah… Hah….”

As I lay flat on the ground, gasping, the person patting my back tsked repeatedly.

“Tsk tsk…. Is it any surprise this happened when you do things you were told not to do?”

“….Huh…”

Normally, it would have taken ages for my body to recover to its original state. But perhaps because someone was here to assist me, it felt like my recovery was happening twice as fast.

Crack.

I tried to rise, but my muscles screamed in protest, as if reminding me that the recoil wasn’t over yet.

Suppressing the discomfort, I forced myself to sit up.

I stole a glance at the person who had helped me.

The first thing that caught my eye was the sheer disdain evident in their gaze.

“You look fantastic.”

“…How did you get here?”

I wiped the blood off my knuckles and turned to Pejon, curious about how he appeared so suddenly.

How in the world did he come here?

‘He must have hidden his presence when leaving… right?’

The fact someone had come to support me was astonishing enough, but realizing it was Pejon had left me in complete shock.

I’m grateful, but I needed clarity.

He had obviously assessed the surrounding presence and the situation before appearing.

He might have come with someone else, but Bai Lian-geom was no ordinary martial artist; he wouldn’t have made such a blunder.

Given that, it’s likely that Pejon had stealthily followed me with all his strength.

Then, that meant…

‘…Just how long has he been following me?’

Before I set off, he was certainly at a considerable distance.

No matter how much of a Three Eminent Being he was, being at the peak right now indicated there were limitations; it shouldn’t have been simple for him to pick up on my presence.

‘Does this mean he didn’t even notice me following him?’

Questions began to swirl in my mind.

As if to confirm my doubts, Pejon chuckled and spoke to me.

“Ahaha, no matter how far you run, you’ll always be in my palm.”

“···”

“It was predictable you’d cause some trouble… and here you are, sneaking out for a late-night brawl. Couldn’t hold back the excitement, could you?”

Heh heh…! I couldn’t help but swallow a dry gulp as Pejon mocked me.

Despite hearing his taunts and sarcasm, that was not what mattered right now.

‘What exactly did he see?’

Just how much did he observe?

That was all I could think about.

Pejon knew I had some mysterious power, but the specifics were still unclear.

The battle with Tang Deok would have provided him a much clearer view of things.

It started with my Demonization, and I ended up showcasing martial arts reinforced by Demon Energy.

Declaring my domain with the tainted Red Sky, my appearance was anything but typical for a martial artist.

If Pejon were to ask for detailed explanations, I would find myself in quite a predicament.

“…”

I had no way to explain the situation.

As these thoughts raced, Pejon decided to take the initiative.

“Ahaha.”

“….Yes.”

“We have something to discuss, don’t we?”

“…”

Damn it.

Cold sweat broke out at his words.

“What happened just now?”

“…”

I knew he’d ask. How was I supposed to respond?

“That is….”

Was I supposed to tell him how I obtained the Demon Energy? Or should I explain why I’d come out here at this hour to confront this guy?

My mind swirled with all these chaotic thoughts.

Just when I was starting to worry about how much to reveal regarding my reincarnation,

Pejon fixed me with a serious expression, staring intently into my eyes.

It felt as though he would not let me off easy if I chose to remain silent.

Knowing that, I decided I had to say something.

“It’s just that….”

“How on earth did you manage to mix your energies?”

“Um, actually… um…?”

As I tried to calmly recount my story, Pejon’s sudden question made my eyes widen.

He asked how I mixed my energies?

“…What do you mean?”

“When using the One Style, you certainly blended the heat of your Fire Technique with Tua Mu Quan. Am I right?”

“That’s correct.”

In the fight against Tang Deok, while I had undergone some transformation due to Demonization, I had indeed used the flames of the Technique of the Flame Wheel alongside the Breaking Heaven Technique.

Moreover, during the Tua Mu Quan One Style, I had infused my surroundings with heat as Pejon had told me.

The wreckage left behind by Tang Deok was clear evidence, marked by the heat of the Flame Wheel.

“How is that possible?”

“…”

Pejon continued probing, seemingly serious, but I found myself struggling to grasp what was unfolding here.

After all this, that’s what he wanted to know?

“Is that what’s troubling you?”

“Hm? Then what else should I be inquiring about?”

With a tone that seemed to say it was obvious, I had to reconsider my train of thought.

Could it be that he hadn’t seen everything? That was a possibility.

I initially thought he had trailed me from the start, but perhaps he arrived late and didn’t fully see what I did.

As that idea crossed my mind, Pejon addressed me again.

“As I’ve said before, I don’t care what you hide or what power you possess.”

“…”

I bit my lip at his words.

That was essentially saying he had seen everything.

Concerning my Demonization, Pejon likely recognized it when I faced the Heavenly Demon.

As long as I didn’t mention it, he wouldn’t pry.

Yet here he was, after everything, merely asking how I had simultaneously wielded my energies.

“What’s truly important to me is whether you can reach the end of the Breaking Heaven Technique. That’s all that matters. I have little interest beyond that.”

“That is….”

His obsession with his martial arts was astonishing.

I couldn’t shake the feeling from Pejon’s reaction that he was deeply entrenched in this goal.

To think he would still be contemplating that, even after everything.

“How does it feel? Is it easier to maintain the balance now?”

“It’s not really any easier.”

I spoke the truth.

Using it alongside the Technique of the Flame Wheel only made things more arduous, not easier.

‘As for results…’

I stole a glance at the devastation wrought by Tua Mu Quan.

While the invocation was swift, and the martial arts powerful, the downside was that I couldn’t use it twice.

My body was in this state after just one use, so it was only natural.

Pejon appeared slightly disappointed upon hearing my response.

“Hmm…”

What was he disappointed about? It’s not like I could use more than one energy type at once.

In fact, he wasn’t just disappointed; he withdrew his outstretched hand and stood up.

“I don’t think it’s bad, but if you can’t use more than one energy type, it becomes meaningless.”

“Are you going to give it a try, then?”

“Don’t babble nonsense. Do you think everyone in this world is as strange as you are?”

“…”

The comment irked me, and I involuntarily scowled, but Pejon seemed indifferent as he suddenly turned away.

As if he was going to leave now.

Taken aback, I asked with a fussed expression, “Elder, where are you going…?”

“I’m heading back. Where else would I go? It’s late, and my work here is done.”

“Just like that?”

What’s with this guy.

He’s just going to clean up and leave? While it’s great that he’s actually leaving without an explanation, it feels so… unsettling.

Did he notice my discomfort? Pejon looked my way and said, “You seem to be hoping I wouldn’t stick around; why the sour face?”

“When did I ever give off such vibes?”

“You have Bai Lian-geom behind you. She might want to have a chat with that big guy too.”

“…”

With words that left me no room to dispute, I truly had nothing to say.

How much did this old man really know?

“You want to avoid showing a side of yourself, don’t you? Knowing that, I won’t pry any further.”

Hearing that raised some contradictions.

“I mean… how did you know to follow me this time?”

Ask me that with a puzzled look, and Pejon smiled with resignation, saying, “Even after I warned you not to use it in battle, something just didn’t feel right, so I followed you. Alas, here we are. Aha, didn’t you know words exist for a reason?”

“…”

This inquiry ended up making it worse.

Pejon continued to click his tongue and look scornfully at me.

“Tsk tsk…. If I hadn’t followed you, you might have died right there. Didn’t you realize that?”

“…I’m grateful.”

“You better be. It’s not like I’m here to save you all the time.”

If Pejon hadn’t shown up, it was easily possible that Tang Deok, upon regaining consciousness, could have killed me.

I was genuinely thankful in that regard, but Pejon didn’t seem to buy it.

“This will be the last time.”

His tone was colder than usual, striking a nerve.

“When you disregard my warnings and find yourself in deep trouble, I won’t be there to rescue you again. I have many hopes for you, but I refuse to take on a fool who doesn’t even distinguish between trivial matters.”

His words packed a cold severity, yet they weren’t wrong, so I forced myself to nod and respond, “Understood.”

As soon as Pejon heard my answer, he instantly leaped away, disappearing from my sight, faithfully keeping his promise not to get involved any further.

You could well ask how things ended up like this, yet how could he walk away so resolutely without a care?

I found him incomprehensible.

Was it true he had no interest in anything other than martial arts?

That had to be pure madness.

I watched the direction in which Pejon disappeared for a moment before finally turning my head.

It was where Tang Deok lay.

I took steps toward him.

Whatever else happened, I had to stay focused on my objective.

With each step, pain surged through me.

While Pejon had done his utmost to return my condition to a semblance of normalcy, the recoil from my martial arts was far from over.

Even so, I pushed onward, reaching Tang Deok.

I knelt down and stared quietly at the unconscious figure before me, extending my hand toward him.

As I did, my anxieties persisted.

‘Will this work?’

Despite Tang Deok being knocked out before facing death,

Given my current state in such a dire situation, could I really turn him into a demon?

The worries were overwhelming, but if this didn’t work—

‘If it doesn’t, I could just kill him. It would be simple.’

I pressed on, thinking that my hand would stop at nothing.

At last, my fingers touched Tang Deok’s back.

Instantly, I expelled the Demon Energy into his heart.

Crack. I stepped cautiously through the brush.

The once-burdened insects had gone silent as soon as I approached.

Perhaps it was the residual presence of the Demon Energy or the killing intent still lingering around.

No, it was likely the latter.

Although I wasn’t far off, the closer I got to my destination, the more I could sense the pungent metallic scent of blood wafting through the air.

I crinkled my nose in irritation. ‘What is that.’

The sweet scent of blood hit my nostrils.

The smell intensified as I pushed through the darkness.

Only upon arrival did I understand why it was so thick with the scent of blood.

Everywhere was drenched in it; there was no escaping the sight.

“Oh. You made it.”

Someone stood over a makeshift pool of blood, greeting me.

It was Bai Lian-geom.

“…”

I was at a loss for words upon seeing her.

Her cheerful greeting was rendered hollow by the grotesque scene that surrounded her.

Corpses lay all around, having been brutally slain, their blood soaking into the earth.

Bai Lian-geom’s sword dripped with fresh blood, and her previously pristine attire was stained in every direction.

With blood subtly kissing her pale cheeks, Bai Lian-geom smiled at me, radiating an unsettling aura.

Seeing her grin at me like that only intensified that disturbing feeling.

When I asked her to clean up the bandits, Bai Lian-geom had readily agreed, questioning if that was sufficient.

The bandits were affiliated with the Demonic Faction, so there was plenty of justification.

It looked like Bai Lian-geom had thoroughly handled the bandits at my request.

Her smile made me uneasy; perhaps she could sense my discomfort.

“Not quite the sight you were expecting, is it?”

“Not exactly, but I wasn’t overly concerned about this. I just thought it would take a while to get rid of the smell of blood.”

“Aha…?”

If she had taken care of things neatly, it would have been much better. Instead, why had she set up such a gruesome scene when she could have done it differently?

With Bai Lian-geom’s skills, it was certainly within her capability.

I wondered why she had taken such violent liberties.

In response to my unasked question, Bai Lian-geom answered,

“They were quite rude, so I may have gone a bit overboard.”

“…Hmm.”

The bandits must have said something foolish when confronting Bai Lian-geom. I had initially brought her along precisely for this kind of task. Yet, the resulting mayhem was more than I expected.

‘Anyway.’

Should I be relieved it worked out as I hoped?

“By the way, Yangcheon.”

“Yes.”

Bai Lian-geom’s tone implied possible questioning, and I braced for her inquiry.

“Who’s that friend behind you?”

She pointed her finger backward.

Just behind me, covered in blood, was Tang Deok, trembling with his lips sealed tight in fury.

The bandit leader, who would later be known as the Green King.

Tang Deok could not utter a single word, clearly showing signs of anger at seeing all his comrades dead.

But of course…

“Introduce yourself.”

“…”

Under my command, Tang Deok lowered his head, acknowledging Bai Lian-geom with the Pogo stance.

Bai Lian-geom, perplexed, tilted her head, confused by the situation.

This whole exchange left me helpless, as Tang Deok trembled without uttering a word.

In truth, he was ordered to stay silent until my command was lifted.

It made one thing clear.

Tang Deok had become a Demon, and I had succeeded in my plan.

*

By the time I returned to the campsite, dawn was beginning to break. I hurried back, anxious not to be delayed.

Therefore, I made it back just in time.

After arriving, I feigned nonchalance as I prepared breakfast.

Of course, it was all an act; the true state of my body wasn’t great.

‘I’m dying….’

The effects of the recoil still lingered, and despite being weakened and fainting, I had just turned a peak martial artist into a demon.

My body didn’t feel good, to say the least.

If anything, it felt worse.

But even so, I had to bear it; I couldn’t afford to show any weakness.

When Namgung Bi-ah awoke, she stared at me with curious eyes, but oddly enough, she didn’t ask anything.

How unexpected; I thought she would have questions.

While she maintained her silence, it was someone else who spoke up.

“Prince, who is that person?”

Around noon, Tang Soyeol, who had just arrived, inquired, glancing at Tang Deok behind me.

He was currently wearing the bloodied cloak I provided for him, concealing his identity.

“He’s my guard.”

“Your guard?”

“Yes. Lady Mi sent an additional guard.”

“Ah…! Lady Mi.”

Tang Soyeol nodded, taking my word without a hint of suspicion.

Considering Bai Lian-geom’s situation, adopting Lady Mi as a cover was the best move.

The only concern now was Tang Deok’s reaction.

– Stay still.

I instructed him silently, feeling his trembling fury at the sight of Tang Soyeol.

Tang Deok would undoubtedly want to kill him, as Tang Soyeol was part of the Tang Clan, the enemy.

That brought about the troubling question.

‘Did the Poison King truly not know?’

Tang Deok’s past involvement in the Heavenly Martial Body creation project may have ended with Poison King Tang Bi-seong.

But I couldn’t believe his successors now knew nothing about this.

While that ambition for the Tang Clan to rise to prominence rested with Tang Bi-seong, nothing confirmed his successors shared the same mindset.

These thoughts led me to ponder Tang Soyeol as well.

I wondered about the future regarding the Poison Empress.

At present, Tang Soyeol was merely showing late-stage talents, but he would be known by another moniker later.

The Poison Empress, who had attained immunity to all poisons.

Even the great Poison King Tang Bi-seong had never reached such heights.

It would be Tang Soyeol in the future achieving such a realm, and now I couldn’t help but question what I witnessed.

The Tang Soyeol I saw now didn’t possess the talents necessary to reach that level.

He wasn’t too shabby, but compared to the monsters around him, he fell somewhat short.

To put it bluntly, he wasn’t a genius.

That made me wonder.

Had he truly reached that level purely through effort?

As I recalled the absurdity of the Heavenly Martial Body project, I felt an unsettling doubt.

Looking at Tang Soyeol’s expression, his puzzlement made me shake my head.

Despite how rotted the Tang Clan was, I believed it wasn’t as bad as my imagination suggested.

No, it had to be that way.

 

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