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Chapter 614: Biwaegun

Stumble-!

Dizziness hit me, and my body twisted.

I barely managed to regain my balance to avoid collapsing.

“Phew….”

My breath was in disarray.

I had to do my utmost to compose myself.

But that wasn’t all.

Thump-!

I felt something from my heart.

Tension gripped me. I needed to prepare for the impending recoil.

Kuuung-!

“Ugh…!”

As expected, I groaned at the felt vibrations.

I could fall at any moment, yet I managed to endure.

I couldn’t afford to collapse here.

“Phew… phew…!”

My exhausted body felt heavy under the weight of pain.

It felt like something had drained out of me, leaving me lethargic and empty.

I had felt this before, and it was such a miserable sensation.

As I acknowledged this, I carefully assessed my physical condition.

How much pain was I in? Would I be able to move afterward?

Even in my fatigue, I was trying hard to remember everything, piece by piece.

I clenched my fists and thought.

‘The recoil is too much.’

It was the same last time. The recoil after using it was no joke.

Pain could be endured, but—

‘It’s a burden on the body.’

I’m not sure if it’s straining my soul as Pejon said.

Or if it’s just that my body can’t handle it; either way, it was definitely difficult to use repeatedly.

Of course, regardless of everything.

‘…In the end, what’s important is that I can use it.’

As I steadied my breath, I lifted my head to look ahead.

The place where an unknown barrier had been just moments ago had now shattered, creating a giant entrance.

Flame Burst-!

Blue flames danced and flickered at the edges.

It was the aftermath created by my Heart’s Authority.

It was definitely weaker than the destructive force that had crushed the iceberg last time, but it was still clear it was a tremendous power.

I barely propped up my upper body and assessed the situation.

‘Maybe three times at best.’

If both my body and mind were in prime condition.

With a release level like just now, I felt I could use it three times.

If it was at the level when I first used it… I’d probably collapse after just one use.

‘Using it isn’t that hard either.’

Maybe it was because I had tried it once.

Or perhaps there was something else at play, but thankfully, using the Heart’s Authority didn’t feel difficult at all.

If I wanted to use it, I could.

I just needed to manage what came afterward.

“Wh-what the…?”

Yuri seemed baffled by the situation that had just unfolded.

It must be bizarre to her that there had been a barrier, just as I said.

And the power I unleashed to break it must have seemed utterly strange from her perspective.

“Let’s go.”

But of course, I had nothing more to say about this.

I simply proceeded, hiding the recoil I felt.

“Ah…! Wait a second…!”

As I walked towards the opening, Yuri finally followed me in.

Inside, it wasn’t much different from outside.

The snowy landscape was still vivid.

The blizzard was still pouring down that night. However, there was one unmistakably different thing.

‘Is this a garden?’

Unlike outside, this place resembled an artificially created garden.

Though it looked like it hadn’t been cared for in a long time.

Wuuuu-!!

I turned my head at the feeling of energy.

Not far away.

It felt much closer than when the barrier was up.

The barrier that had surrounded this vicinity.

While it didn’t completely block the vibrations, it helped reduce them.

It’s there.

You’re there.

As that realization dawned on me, I was about to take another step when—

“…Huh…?”

The voice I heard from behind made me glance back for a moment.

Yuri, who had followed me, was looking around with a surprised expression.

“This place….”

“What? Do you know it?”

“W-why….”

Yuri kept looking around, as if she couldn’t believe it.

From her reaction, it seemed like she recognized the location.

“That’s impossible….”

“What’s impossible?”

“It can’t still be here…. I heard it had disappeared a long time ago!”

What could she possibly mean? I looked at Yuri with confusion.

“…This is where Biwaegun stayed.”

“What?!”

Hearing that, I surveyed my surroundings.

The area was buried in snow, failing to maintain its intended garden form.

Though it was called a garden, it was hard to call it that now.

So this place was where Woo Hyeok had been?

“It’s been over a decade already. I heard the Blue Wolf Clan erased it long ago. How on earth…?”

“Maybe they just left it as it is without clearing it out.”

“That can’t be. I’ve been here several times….”

“Hmmm.”

Several times, huh?

In other words, that meant she hadn’t discovered it during all this time.

What did it mean to be able to see this now?

And moreover—

‘It feels both uncomfortable and familiar.’

The barrier I had just broken through felt strangely familiar yet uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Yuri continued to look around, unsure if what she was seeing was real.

“…So this is the Blue Wolf’s ancestral home? But no, it shouldn’t be located here…?”

The Blue Wolf, who had rebelled against the Ice Palace and triggered a war.

If this was where Woo Hyeok had lived, that meant this was where the Blue Wolf’s ancestral home was located.

Yuri seemed to react as though that too wasn’t the case.

‘There’s a chance I’ve been so wrapped up in energy that I didn’t fully grasp the geography.’

But that couldn’t be the only reason.

I thought to myself.

‘Whatever the case, what’s important now is that this place is connected to Woo Hyeok.’

No matter how it was that a location thought to have vanished remained here.

In the end, this was a place linked to Woo Hyeok.

And the sensation of Thunder Fang’s Vibration being felt here meant—

‘Nangong Bi-ah’s disappearance is related to Woo Hyeok.’

That would be the correct interpretation.

Hooook-!

I released my energy.

It was to widen my Qi Perception.

As Blood Qi brushed against my energy, I couldn’t help but grimace from the pain.

It was the aftereffect of the recoil.

‘Once again, I’m in terrible shape.’

Every time I tried to recover, something exploded.

Just when I thought I was about to be okay, something else happened—what a ridiculous situation it was.

Wuuuu—!!

As my energy spread, it enveloped the surroundings.

It extended much shallower than usual, but it was sufficient.

I could adequately survey the area.

But—

‘What the?’

As my Qi Perception expanded, questions arose.

‘Nothing.’

I felt absolutely nothing.

‘Is it even possible for there to be this total absence of presence?’

It wasn’t like I’d carefully stepped in here.

I had barged in outright.

If there were people inside, anything should have emerged by now.

But there was truly no presence whatsoever.

Could it be that no other individuals were here?

At a glance, all that was so obviously visible were remnants of what used to be a garden and the snow accumulated atop it.

No traces of human activity were in sight.

Was there really any trace of Nangong Bi-ah here?

As such thoughts crossed my mind—

Thud-!

“…!”

At the edge of my spatial perception, something was caught.

“…Ah.”

The most familiar presence I had felt in recent times was appearing.

‘I hoped it wouldn’t be the case.’

It was the very presence I had wished to avoid most.

Thud.

As I heard the footsteps grow closer, I simply stared ahead.

It was coming from beyond there.

How long had I waited?

It couldn’t have been that long, but for some reason, it felt like an eternity.

Thus—

Thud.

Stepping lightly in the snow, those footsteps—

Stood still after taking a few more steps.

I looked at the individual who appeared with a blank expression.

“Well, well.”

The other person smiled at me sheepishly, seemingly troubled.

“…This is quite a predicament.”

The young man, who had relaxed his arms from behind his back, scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

It had been years since I last saw him, yet he still had that annoyingly handsome face.

“How strange that it seemed unusually quiet.”

However, despite his unchanged appearance—

“Why are you here…?”

The atmosphere surrounding him was incredibly different from before.

The easy-going, soft vibe he had back then was replaced by a coldness akin to this weather.

“Am I perhaps dreaming?”

The young man, Woo Hyeok, grinned as he spoke.

“Biwaegun…!”

Yuri gasped in shock at the sudden appearance of Woo Hyeok, trembling slightly.

Then she took a step forward, trying to speak.

“You—!”

“Long time no see.”

“…!”

Woo Hyeok didn’t even glance at Yuri.

He acted as if he had zero interest in her.

“I see.”

To me, that reaction felt oddly foreign.

“I heard there had been some unusual occurrences. So that was you.”

Thud.

The footsteps that had been digging into the snow now stepped on top of it.

“When did you come?”

“Roughly two days ago. No, maybe three? About that.”

He responded to my question.

When I heard his words, Woo Hyeok chuckled.

“Not long at all, huh?”

“I came in a bit of a hurry.”

“Right.”

“…”

“…”

Silence passed between us.

We merely stared at each other without speaking.

‘Hmmm.’

What should I even say?

I had a lot I wanted to share when I met him again.

Yet, now that we were face-to-face, I found myself with not much to say.

So I decided to get down to business.

“Why did you do it?”

I directly asked the main question.

“…Hahaha?”

Woo Hyeok chuckled at my inquiry. He seemed to understand the meaning behind my words.

“A guy who doesn’t have a hint of greed. Why on earth would you cause such a big mess?”

Woo Hyeok was someone who could care less about material desires.

He lived simply enough as it was.

The Woo Hyeok I saw was that kind of person.

“What’s going on? Did you forget how to eat meat?”

“…”

The man who was supposed to be a sage consumed meat daily.

I wondered if he had half-lost his mind. I couldn’t help but think that.

To my query, Woo Hyeok addressed me.

“Maybe I’ve developed a thirst for power now. People can change, you know.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? This isn’t a joke. Answer me properly.”

I had said the same to the Gungju.

I wanted to hear Woo Hyeok’s situation and assess it.

I believed that was a priority.

“…”

Yet, Woo Hyeok wasn’t answering me.

Seeing that made me sigh.

“Ha.”

Doesn’t he want to answer?

That could be understandable.

If there were circumstances, he might not want to share them.

‘Then I’ll need to beat it out of him.’

If he chose to keep his mouth shut, I might be willing to help him lighten it up until he was ready to talk.

But—

“Okay, I get it.”

Just not now.

Right now, I had something more pressing than Woo Hyeok standing in front of me.

“That aside, tell me where that girl is.”

“What girl?”

“The one who’s supposed to be here. Where is she right now?”

Somewhere in this place, Nangong Bi-ah was here.

Now my belief had turned into certainty.

“She must be with you.”

Nangong Bi-ah must have been taken away by Woo Hyeok.

That was why this situation had unfolded the way it did.

Then I needed to get her back.

That was the mindset with which I spoke.

Yet, Woo Hyeok simply stared at me without answering.

His expression urged me to add another word.

“I mean—”

I composed myself, calming the rising emotions as I addressed Woo Hyeok.

“Whatever you’re planning to do, I honestly don’t care.”

“…”

“The fact that you’re from the North Sea is absurd, but that’s not really important.”

It was only interesting, not particularly shocking. At least, that was how I felt.

“I wonder why you would undertake the bothersome act of rebellion. Well, that’s something to sort out later.”

I didn’t add the reasoning for wanting to hear the details.

Nothing was important.

Whether it was a situation occurring in the North Sea or why Woo Hyeok was acting this way.

None of it mattered to me.

“So, what’s crucial for me right now is.”

“Tell me where she is.”

Nangong Bi-ah must be here, somewhere.

That was all that mattered.

As long as I found her, I wouldn’t have any reason to linger here.

The Gungju had declared that she wouldn’t receive treatment.

Whether she needed it or not was irrelevant.

If she didn’t want it, then that was that.

If I could rescue Nangong Bi-ah, I’d have no ties keeping me here, and I could return to the Central Plains.

So—

For Woo Hyeok, returning Nangong Bi-ah was a simple matter.

Yes, it should have been such a simple thing.

“Sorry.”

But Woo Hyeok did not offer the answer I desired.

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“What?”

Swish.

As he spat that reply, Woo Hyeok drew a sword from his waist.

“I can’t return her. She still has some matters that need to be resolved.”

“…”

“So go back. This isn’t a place for you.”

Suuuuh.

The aura began to flow from Woo Hyeok’s body.

Even the killing intent seeping from the sword felt palpable.

This was serious intent.

The pressure was quite significant.

It appeared he hadn’t neglected training for the last few years.

‘Has that guy reached the Transformation Realm?’

Whether he had crossed that threshold or not, I could feel an equal power.

Yet, I couldn’t ascertain for sure due to my internal injury.

“Ha.”

With another sigh, I ran my hand over my forehead.

What kind of event had taken place that the situation had turned out this way?

I had no idea.

I didn’t understand well, but as I looked at the tip of the sword Woo Hyeok held, various thoughts crossed my mind.

“I was willing to endure up to three strikes, but it seems that’s not going to happen.”

I stopped counting on the numbers I had been inwardly tallying and spoke to Woo Hyeok.

“Right now.”

I felt it was necessary to have a proper conversation with an old friend.

 

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