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Chapter 433: The Lake of Regret (3)

Woo Heeung.

A vibration resonated through Nahi’s body.

It was proof that the Golden Binding ring was properly woven.

Only then did I release the hand that was holding on and got up.

“Cough….”

Nahi let out a rough breath.

Her ribs were not only cracked, but she also pushed the bet too forcefully while attempting the Golden Binding.

It wasn’t like I had set such a significant bet.

There was no need to go that far when I felt no reason to do so.

“Hoo…hoo….”

Nahi, who had been crying as if it was tough, looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

“You… what on earth is your identity…?”

At that question, I smirked. It was a question I had grown tired of hearing.

“Why do you want to know?”

My usual response to such inquiries was the same, even to the point of being tedious.

“…What did you do to my brother? Why is he following you?”

“Curious?”

Taking a step closer, Nahi flinched and trembled.

I didn’t intend to hit her, but it seemed the recent attack had left its mark on her.

I bent my knees to meet her gaze.

“Just hold on a bit. You will end up the same way anyway.”

“…I’m different from my brother.”

Sure, you might be different.

“That’s your own business.”

Nahi had probably approached Tang Deok multiple times out of curiosity.

Maybe she even tried sending him a message or something.

But regardless, Tang Deok likely didn’t respond. No, he ‘couldn’t’ respond.

I brushed off my hands.

The Golden Binding basically meant that both parties turned a blind eye to each other’s matters.

If things went well, I intended to break that binding as well.

‘Killing would make things easier…’

As Tang Deok’s person, he was unlikely to be a good human.

Just the fact that he was a shadow operative of the Tang Clan meant he had his hands dirty enough, so I had no reservations.

However.

‘It would be nice if I had eyes and ears as well.’

In a situation where the Tang Clan’s current condition was suspicious, having an appropriate informant was a good thing for me.

As long as I could create circumstances where it wouldn’t harm me if discovered.

That wasn’t difficult at all. In fact, I was quite confident in that area.

Moreover, Nahi likely knew information that Tang Deok was unaware of.

Killing her right now would be quite a waste of an individual.

Even if I had to kill her.

‘I’ll make her spill everything she knows before ending her.’

With that resolved, I stood up.

“Take good care, don’t think about going anywhere.”

“…”

“Oh, if you plan to run, feel free.”

You would get caught soon anyway.

If you weren’t afraid of what would happen afterward.

I kept that last thought to myself.

Though I wasn’t saying it out loud, Nahi seemed to get the feeling.

Turning my back, I approached the lake. As I closed in, I gradually felt the poison Qi.

‘Hmm.’

It didn’t feel that strong from a distance.

But now that I was closer, this was the level of poison?

“…Why do you plan on entering the lake?”

“I never said you could ask questions.”

“Is there something in there?”

It was irritating how she kept trying to talk to me.

With a sense of annoyance, I shot her a side glance and said, “If you say one more word, I’ll rip out your tongue.”

“…”

I was serious.

The slightest hint of killing intent made Nahi’s shoulders tremble.

I stopped walking, waiting as if to say, “Say something if you have the guts.”

But Nahi didn’t spit out a word afterward.

Seeing that, I resumed moving.

Splash.

Chiiiiiing-!

As my foot touched the surface of the lake, a sound reminiscent of something frying echoed.

The poison was raging, trying to engulf my body.

‘Hmm.’

I thought back to the clothes I had prepared for when coming out.

“…”

Ah, I hadn’t prepared anything.

For a moment, I considered telling Nahi to gather clothes too, but I held back.

‘It’ll work out somehow.’

Chiiing….

I swam through the smoke rich with poison, heading towards the center of the lake. The closer I got, the more intense the poison became.

‘If the outside is like this, then the inside must be worse.’

I changed my calculations.

What I had thought would be a half-arc, I decided to make half that distance instead.

From afar, I had been cautious; now that I was in the center, it became clear. This lake was….

‘The poison is not leaking outside.’

With that degree of poison, it should have consumed about a mile in diameter.

If it was at a level where no one could discern it outside, I could guess something was trapping the poison.

If I entered the lake like this, the energy barrier would dissolve before long.

If that happened, I wouldn’t have a bone left; I would just disintegrate.

It was a frightening thought even to imagine.

But strangely, my head was clear.

With a blank expression, I surveyed my surroundings.

‘Where was it again?’

Ridiculously, despite all this, the option of turning back didn’t arise.

To stop the Blood Calamity within ten years, I needed to cherish my life.

Yet how could I be so reckless?

But standing on the water, it felt like I would find it.

That I could do it.

That feeling was deeply engraved in my heart.

‘What is this?’

I felt a sensation and lifted the corners of my mouth.

I see.

‘Something is calling me.’

It was indeed calling.

Else I couldn’t feel this way.

In reality, I had felt this sensation many times.

Back then, I had no certainty and thought it merely a slight texture.

But now, I could somewhat sense it.

‘Something is calling me.’

Most of the opportunities I experienced followed this pattern.

I thought it was coincidence because I acted instinctively.

But for some reason, now, I understood.

Where did this difference come from?

Was it because my realm had touched Transformation Realm?

Or was it because I had more energy within me?

If not that.

‘Could it be because I have become a Demon?’

Regardless of the reason, nothing was certain.

This sensation could also be a lie.

Still, I had to go.

Focusing solely on safety wouldn’t allow me to achieve what I had to achieve.

Hesitation was a luxury.

Swoosh-!

I gathered my energy, enveloping my entire body.

And then—

Splash-!

I plunged into the lake, drenched in poison.

Brrr.

As I entered the water and gently opened my eyes.

It looked no different from ordinary water.

But—

Chiiing-!

The pressure I felt in my body was a clear indicator that it was anything but water.

Initially, I said I could hold on for a quarter of that time, but—

‘That was nonsense.’

It was ridiculous.

Even if I halved that time again, it would still be pushing it.

I broadened my Qi perception.

Using the bet, I descended to the bottom of the lake.

‘It’s deep.’

The lake was much deeper than it appeared.

The surroundings looked like any normal muddy floor, but surely there must be an entrance somewhere here.

‘Time’s ticking.’

I likely had about a minute left.

That was just enough to endure the energy barrier.

If the water surged into my body, I would die instantly.

‘Where is it?’

Where is the place calling me?

I knew for sure something was pulling me in.

‘If you’re going to call me, do it clearly.’

Time was flowing.

If it continued, I could truly find myself in danger.

Just as I was contemplating whether to first head out of the lake and regroup, something shot out from my pocket.

“…!”

Shaaaa-!

Startled, I looked to see what it was, and it was the Red Water Clan Member.

‘That little…?’

So it had been in my pocket all along.

I had completely forgotten about it.

Surprisingly, the creature sprung from my pocket.

And it was swimming calmly in this poison-filled water.

‘So, it’s a Red Grade Demon Beast after all…?’

If not, then the Red Water Clan Member must have been a demon beast with poison in its body.

Whatever it was, right now, the priority was to escape the lake, regardless of anything else.

Shaaa-!

The Red Water Clan Member wrapped its tail around my arm, pulling me somewhere.

While its strength was too weak to really drag me, it was too important that it was suddenly tugging at me.

‘What’s going on?’

It seemed to have some intention behind its actions.

‘Right now, I need to get out of the lake.’

If not, I could truly find myself dead.

Ironically, even as my brain thought this, my body was already moving in the direction the Red Water Clan Member led me.

As if I were possessed by something.

‘I think this might be bad.’

Feeling that, I frowned.

The distance wasn’t that far.

The bottom all looked the same, making it hard to differentiate.

The only difference potentially being whether there were rocks or not.

With roughly twenty seconds until my energy barrier crumbled, it was truly a matter of life and death.

Shaaa-!

It urgently pointed somewhere.

This short action cost ten seconds.

What it pointed at was an ordinary bottom.

I felt nothing in my Qi perception.

Yet, I reached out to where it pointed.

Thud.

My energy was gradually dissipating. The energy barrier clinging to my body was about to break.

Tap.

The tip of my finger touched the ground.

Ka-boom-!

My vision flipped upside down.

Thud…!

“Gah….”

My body fell somewhere, rolling over the ground.

After rolling for a while, I finally stopped and gasped for air.

“Huff…huff….”

I breathed heavily after holding my breath for quite some time, then surveyed my surroundings.

“Where is this…?”

It wasn’t underwater.

The dark scorched soil I had just seen was nowhere to be found; instead, I was on a finely polished stone floor.

Even though I had just been underwater, my body was completely dry, as if it had never been wet.

If the poison remained, it would have been a big problem.

In that way, perhaps it was a stroke of luck.

I raised my head.

Long pillars lined up in a row.

Something shining dimly embedded in the columns.

As I gazed at it, my eyes widened.

“Is that… Night Bright Wine?”

I knew it instantly upon seeing it.

The shining objects were undoubtedly Night Bright Wine.

Those expensive items radiating light.

The same Night Bright Wine I had seen back when I was heading to Biwaegun of the Geumcheon Clan.

While I was in awe of the Night Bright Wine before me, the Red Water Clan Member appeared and climbed onto my body.

It too had made it safely in.

Seeing it tiredly lowering its head, I muttered softly, “…Thank you.”

Shaaa-?

I expressed my gratitude since I had survived thanks to it. Then I asked, “How did you know?”

Shaaa?

In response to my question, it tilted its head as if to ask what I meant.

Watching it, I clicked my tongue and looked around. For it to be a mere coincidence wasn’t plausible, but for now, the priority was to find the item.

From the situation, it seemed I successfully passed through the energy formation and entered Biwaegun.

While it struck me as odd for the environment to suddenly change from being underwater, I wasn’t surprised anymore.

I had too many memories of this kind to be shocked.

“It feels like this is indeed Biwaegun, but…”

It had a different feel than the Biwaegun I had visited in my previous life.

Furthermore, there had been no Night Bright Wine during that time.

This meant.

‘Does that imply someone else even came before me…?’

If that were the case.

‘So they left the White Horse Stone and only took the Night Bright Wine?’

While it didn’t make sense, it wasn’t problematic.

After all, Demon Stones were of no use to ordinary people.

It wouldn’t be strange for someone to snatch the Night Bright Wine and flee.

‘Whatever, it doesn’t matter.’

Ultimately, my goal was the White Horse Stone.

The Night Bright Wine was merely a bonus I’d take along.

It wasn’t that I wouldn’t take it. Since it was incredibly costly, I had to make sure to grab it now.

Nodding, I shifted my focus.

First, I needed to gather the White Horse Stone.

‘Surely it must be somewhere around here….’

Shaaa-!

As I scanned around in search of the White Horse Stone, the Red Water Clan Member suddenly bared its teeth, appearing wary of something.

“Why are you….”

As I turned my head in the direction it was howling, I saw darkness where the light of the Night Bright Wine did not reach.

Beyond it, something was felt.

Suuu…

Only silence spread through the space of Biwaegun.

Someone else was there besides me.

As soon as I recognized that, I tried to raise my energy.

But—

Neck crack-!

“Gah!”

The empty lower dantian rebelled against me, striking me with pain.

‘Damn it.’

The pain was intense enough to almost make me lose consciousness for a moment.

“Haah….”

As the pain forced me onto one knee.

[Who are you?]

A voice emerged from the beyond the darkness.

[You’re not Shin Cheol. Who are you?]

“…!”

I widened my eyes at the familiar name.

The tone of someone searching for Shin Noya.

An energy formation that transported spaces.

I frowned, noticing someone in the darkness that I felt thoroughly familiar with.

Surely, this must be—

I seemed to vaguely grasp the identity of that individual.

“Excuse me, but could it be…?”

As if in response to my words, a translucent figure approached from the front.

In situations like this, I had mostly experienced something similar before.

Especially when mentioning Shin Noya, it was sure to happen every time.

Moreover, given that this was the Tang Clan, all the pieces fell into place, and I immediately deduced the identity of the person.

“Are you Tang Je-mun, senpai… huh?”

[That’s right.]

However, there was one shocking part I hadn’t expected.

[I am Tang Je-mun.]

“…”

[Tell me, who are you?]

Tang Je-mun was not ‘he,’ but ‘she.’

 

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