Chapter 651
Episode 652: Back to the Central Plains.
Grrrrr…
I could hear the sound of pained groans.
It belonged to Woo Hyeok, echoing in the dark cell illuminated by a single flickering torch.
It had been less than a half-moment since Gu Yangcheong had started “talking” to Woo Hyeok.
In that brief period, a series of unspeakable events had unfolded.
“Huh… Huh…”
The sentinel guarding the prison floor had collapsed, stunned by the brutal violence that had just occurred.
This wasn’t a mere tussle between acquaintances; it was far too savage for that.
The air was thick with the sound of crunching bones and the smell of spilled blood.
The dimly lit lantern seemed to have been extinguished at some point, leaving behind only the oppressive darkness.
Yet even in the haze, the sentinel couldn’t help but shiver at the vaguely visible figures.
Creeeak.
A coarse sound pierced through the silence.
It was the sound of crushed bones being reshaped.
Gu Yangcheong’s eyes sparkled with interest as he witnessed the bizarre scene.
It was fascinating.
Bones being reassembled without any intervention.
‘Sure, I might’ve broken them to make it easier to put them back together, but the performance is pretty amazing.’
Not only were external injuries healed quickly, but internal ones seemed to fade just as fast.
Regeneration. Truly a power that lived up to its name.
‘If I were to rip off an arm, would it regenerate too?’
It seemed to be possible for Yu Seon and Mang, but would it be the same for Woo Hyeok?
‘I’m curious, though…’
Eep-!
As I watched with intrigue, Woo Hyeok must have felt something because he trembled.
“Grrr… cough!”
Woo Hyeok coughed harshly, spewing blood.
It wasn’t from actual injury; it was a part of the healing process from his internal wounds.
‘But if he doesn’t heal, that’d be a problem, so let’s leave that be.’
I was curious, but it wasn’t something I needed to intentionally try.
‘If it were my body, I’d have tried it.’
Since the body belonged to Woo Hyeok, I decided to let it slide, nodding at my own reasoning.
“…Hah… Hah…”
After a while of trembling, Woo Hyeok seemed to regain some composure, looking at Gu Yangcheong with a tired expression.
“…I’m sorry.”
The first words out of Woo Hyeok’s mouth were an apology.
Not the kind of words you’d expect from someone who had just taken a beating.
I sighed deeply at that.
‘You’d think a good thrashing would clear the air a bit.’
But instead, it felt more suffocating and frustrating.
Still, my emotions had settled somewhat.
It was probably because I realized how pointless this behavior was.
I looked at Woo Hyeok and asked, “Why did you do that?”
“…”
“No matter how crazy you are, I don’t think you’d act without a reason. So explain it to me. Make it something I can understand.”
I wasn’t just sure he’d have a reason.
I wanted there to be one. Woo Hyeok needed to convince me here.
“Reasons, huh…”
In response to my question, Woo Hyeok slowly closed his eyes. To recall the reasons, I’d have to delve into Woo Hyeok’s past—
“Oh, and don’t do anything like recalling memories.”
Yet, at Gu Yangcheong’s words, Woo Hyeok cautiously opened his eyes again.
“Time is precious, so summarize it in three lines. I’m busy.”
“…”
When I said it in a dismissive tone, Woo Hyeok looked at me with a bewildered expression.
Gu Yangcheong frowned at his glance.
“What’s with that look?”
“Isn’t it normal to at least give me some time when you’re sharing something like this?”
“Why would I care about your life story? Just tell me why you did it—the shorter, the better.”
“…”
Though it felt like I was saying something reasonable, it somehow grated on me.
Even as I thought that, Woo Hyeok resigned himself.
He’d already understood that trying to comprehend this guy was a futile exercise.
Or rather, it may have been easier for him that way.
With an awkward smile, Woo Hyeok said to Gu Yangcheong, “Summarizing in three lines might be a bit tough.”
“That’s just a figure of speech; just keep it short.”
“When I was young, my father tried to kill me.”
“Well, that’s a crazy way to start off. Go on.”
Annoyed, I shifted my position slightly and plopped down onto the floor.
Despite being soaked in the blood Woo Hyeok had shed, I didn’t care.
More importantly…
“My mother had been secretly communicating with someone else behind my father’s back, and my brother was a homosexual.”
“…”
Hearing those words put Gu Yangcheong on edge.
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
This wasn’t as easy a story to share as he’d anticipated.
It felt almost surreal to hear what came next.
“Moreover, my father was one who dreamt of rebellion. I was aware of such facts.”
“Guess you were a bit perceptive.”
It wasn’t that I had good instincts; it was just that I overheard things I shouldn’t have.
Yet, Woo Hyeok didn’t feel the need to elaborate on that.
“When I was young, I didn’t realize those were things I shouldn’t know. So I carelessly spoke about what I found out, which became the trouble.”
The affairs of his mother.
The secret about his brother.
And his father’s deep ambitions.
He still resented his past self for not being able to hold back, for not having known he should endure.
Woo Hyeok still harbored that resentment.
“The one my mother was in contact with was killed by my father. My brother ended up imprisoned where people’s eyes couldn’t see him.”
It was a usually predestined outcome.
If it hadn’t been discovered, perhaps things would have remained hidden, but once it reached his father’s ears, this was how it had to go.
Woo Hyeok, led away by soldiers, must have cursed him.
It might have been a secret he would carry for eternity.
Seeing that, Woo Hyeok understood that he shouldn’t voice such thoughts. But it was already too late.
“Having let such a secret slip, I too had to live sealed away in a small residence, far from my family.”
His father must have been terrified.
Worried that he might uncover a secret of his own.
That fear seemed to grip him.
While he had already known, the time to keep quiet had arrived.
A lonely life began.
Days filled with silence yet echoing with noise.
Perhaps…
[My name is Yuri.]
If he hadn’t been desperately clutching onto something, that would’ve been the end of Woo Hyeok’s life.
Having something to hold onto, that was why he could still endure.
He believed he could somehow still take a breath, or so he thought.
“Then problems cropped up.”
“Problems?”
“Yeah. The last bastion that allowed me to withstand the solitude began to crumble.”
“What does that even mean—”
“It means I wasn’t my father’s bloodline.”
“Damn it.”
Gu Yangcheong let out a curse involuntarily.
To think his mother had been secretly communicating with someone else—and that it would lead to this!
“Knowing that, my father immediately tried to kill me.”
The walls shattered.
The last vestige of his child identity vanished, leaving his father to act on his resolve without hesitation.
It was a brutally cold night filled with terrifying noise incessantly tickling Woo Hyeok’s ears, and he ran from it all.
But how fast could a small child possibly escape?
He couldn’t entirely flee from seasoned warriors.
If not for someone’s help, he probably wouldn’t have made it out.
An arrow pierced his shoulder, leaving blood flowing.
Before little Woo Hyeok, in pain and collapsed, stood a man with white hair.
[Is this young master really him?]
He had taken down all the warriors and stood there.
His light blue hair caught in the moonlight.
And those piercing blue eyes.
“Uh… that’s… could it be…?”
“Yep. It was my master.”
That was how Gu Yangcheong first met Nangong Hyeong, the Master of Wudang, and beside him stood…
[…That’s right. That kid is me.]
A young girl with even whiter hair than Nangong Hyeong’s.
“…”
As Gu Yangcheong listened, he subtly nodded.
‘So not only did a Northerner make it to the Central Plains, but he even ended up with the Wudang Sect.’
Had Gwaeseon originally brought her from the North Sea?
‘What the heck was that guy doing in the North Sea?’
Just as questions began forming, he realized he already knew the answer.
‘Ah, it was because of Thunder Fang.’
Remembering what Gwaeseon had been carrying back then made it a simple deduction.
At that time, Gwaeseon possessed Thunder Fang.
He was someone who could hear Nangong Ming’s voice, encapsulated in Thunder Fang.
‘…Nangong Ming of Thunder Fang said the real body was in the North Sea.’
If that was the case, it made sense why Gwaeseon would go there.
And it seemed Woo Hyeok’s life had been saved because of it.
I understood the general circumstances now.
But…
“So I fled and lived in the Central Plains… But why did you do this?”
I still hadn’t grasped the crucial part.
Hearing my question, Woo Hyeok gave a bitter smile and continued.
“…It was for revenge…”
Gu Yangcheong couldn’t hold back and punched Woo Hyeok in the head.
BANG-!
“Gah!”
“Why start off so well and then throw in a lie? Are you looking to die?”
I couldn’t accept the nonsense any longer.
Revenge? What a joke. I knew Woo Hyeok wasn’t the type to be consumed by such things.
‘If it were me, maybe. But he’s not that kind of guy.’
While I had become a mess of emotions, Woo Hyeok was evidently different.
“You’re literally omitting the main topic, aren’t you? I’ve been patient, but are you planning on continuing this nonsense?”
Crack!
Gu Yangcheong clenched his teeth, addressing Woo Hyeok.
“Yuri.”
“…!”
“Why do you keep leaving her out of this?”
The mention of the Young Princess made Woo Hyeok’s eyes widen.
I was aware he was purposely evading the topic regarding her.
I could only imagine how miserable and unfortunate his life had been.
Even while he tried to confidently explain, Woo Hyeok concealed the essence of it all.
It might have been hidden well enough not to be noticed at a glance, but…
“It won’t work on me, you punk.”
Gu Yangcheong had no intention of letting this slip by.
The reason was simple.
‘I’ve done the same thing myself more than once.’
Because it was something I was best at.
“Revenge? What utter nonsense.”
With a laughable excuse as a justification, he kept belittling himself.
That was how Gu Yangcheong had lived his entire life.
And most likely, he would live on this way.
The fact that Woo Hyeok was doing the same foolish thing made me furious.
This was something you could do on your own.
“Can’t summarize into three lines? Don’t make me laugh. You don’t even need three lines; it can be one, you fool.”
“You…”
“Just lay it all out. It happened because of a girl. I’m sorry, that’s all you need.”
“…”
Woo Hyeok fell silent when I put it that way.
It was a straightforward truth that pierced through everything.
“How…”
“What do you mean how? Quit being dense, Woo Hyeok. You really want to get hit?”
Should I hit him again? Earlier, it was just uncomfortable, but now it felt like a good release.
How did I know? What was there to know?
‘His actions were eerily familiar to mine.’
More accurately, they bore a distinct similarity to my past life.
“You mentioned you had a fiancée. Isn’t that Young Princess…?”
“…!!”
Woo Hyeok’s eyes bulged wide.
What kind of reaction was that? What was he hiding in the first place?
“But it seems the Young Princess had no idea… So is it a one-sided love?”
“…”
“Look at that disgusting expression. So it’s real, huh?”
The thought of a friend’s unrequited love sent chills down my spine.
“It’s not like that.”
“Not like that? What kind of insane person instigates a war over a girl they don’t even like?”
In my previous life, I hadn’t realized it, but now that I thought about it, it made sense.
Men, by their very nature, were incredibly simple creatures.
In straightforward terms, that meant…
“That level of reasoning is more than enough.”
Not a grand justification or a narrative of life.
Just a simple, foolish reason was sufficient.
“So now I’ll ask you again, Woo Hyeok.”
Gu Yangcheong leaned in, locking eyes with Woo Hyeok.
As if he wouldn’t allow a second chance, he continued.
“Why did you do it?”
Although it was the same question, the weight was different.
As if no further lies would be tolerated, an intense aura radiated from him.
Be honest, that unmistakable feeling was woven into his words, and after a moment’s silence, Woo Hyeok finally replied.
“…The day the First Princess lost control. She threatened me, saying she’d kill the Second Princess if I didn’t comply.”
I could finally sense the underlying sincerity behind his words.
“She’d kill her?”
“She claimed she could touch the illness that plagued the bloodline of the Ice Palace.”
Hearing that made me furrow my brow.
‘That means it has something to do with the curse of the Ice Spirit.’
This was likely because Mang was involved with her. Which indicates…
‘Could it be that the curse the Gungju was under suddenly worsened?’
That was a pretty plausible assumption.
The real question was, why did Yu Seon approach Woo Hyeok to carry out this scheme?
‘Really, why him of all people?’
Did she think threatening him through his younger sister would actually work?
Seems like a well-meaning idea, but that didn’t necessitate it being him.
If a scapegoat was needed, surely someone else would’ve sufficed.
‘Moreover, the fact that the First and Second Princes were imprisoned played a major role, too.’
The Gungju’s health was deteriorating.
A rebellion was underway, and the whereabouts of her two sons were uncertain.
Among all this chaos, the only one still by her side was the Second Princess, Yuri.
So logically speaking…
‘Only Yuri was a suitable candidate to send to the Central Plains, so it was only natural she’d be chosen.’
It appeared to be an intricate plot to ensure her removal.
It seemed that Yu Seon had good reason to undertake all of this.
After thinking it through, Gu Yangcheong turned to Woo Hyeok.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know the First Princess at all?”
Calling her the First Princess felt strange given she was dead now.
But when I inquired about his connection to Yu Seon, Woo Hyeok tilted his head, pondering for a moment before responding.
“Just a little from when we were kids.”
“Be more specific.”
“There’s not much to say. We just met a few times, that’s all.”
“Is that so? There wasn’t anything significant or anything?”
“…Who knows?”
Woo Hyeok truly looked lost, and upon seeing that, Gu Yangcheong couldn’t help but nod.
If he had no idea, then what could be done?
“So you’re telling me that because you couldn’t withstand her threats, you started a rebellion and even severed your master’s arm and stabbed a knife into a pregnant woman?”
“…”
The bluntness of the statement made Woo Hyeok’s eyes tremble. The pitiful sight was cringe-worthy.
“Don’t give me that pity card. Pull it together, okay?”
He was responsible for what he’d done, so I had no intention of viewing it favorably.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Quit with the apologies. Explain your reasoning instead.”
That was what I had been trying to ask him all along.
Far more important than needless apologies was understanding the reasons behind his actions.
“…At that moment, I thought it was the best move.”
“What reason?”
“At that time, my master was ambushed while trying to protect the First Princess, and she threatened me with the lives of both the First and Second Princesses.”
At least Woo Hyeok hadn’t been the one to bring down Gwaeseon. That was a relief.
“So it was a matter of survival?”
“…Just an excuse.”
“Right, just an excuse.”
This was similar to the situation concerning Nangong Bi-ah as well.
I may have understood the reasoning, but this wasn’t new information to me.
In a twist of fate, Woo Hyeok had assisted in Nangong Bi-ah’s escape.
And I was aware he had stepped in when she nearly failed to flee.
However…
“You know it’s pointless to attach some grand reason to what just happened?”
“…”
“That’s why I’m more frustrated. Are you going to stick around just to suffer through this? You don’t plan on returning to the Central Plains to face the consequences?”
BAM-! Gu Yangcheong grabbed Woo Hyeok by the collar. Woo Hyeok was pulled along helplessly.
“What consequences? Are you saying the people who died in the North Sea are haunting you?”
“…Yangcheon.”
“Stop whining, Woo Hyeok. You rotting away in a prison for life isn’t going to absolve anything. That’s just running away, you dumbass.”
With a fuming gaze, Gu Yangcheong continued glaring at Woo Hyeok.
“If you want to repent, then for heaven’s sake, just take your own head off right now. Isn’t that more fitting?”
“…”
“Why? Are you still clinging onto something? What’s haunting you that you can’t just die? What could it possibly be? Oh right, is it because of the Young Princess?”
Once I mentioned Yu Seon, a glimmer of tension flickered in Woo Hyeok’s eyes.
“Well, if you kill her, would that put an end to your regrets?”
“You—!”
In an instant, Woo Hyeok’s aura flared dangerously, prompting Gu Yangcheong to strike him in the solar plexus.
GACK!
“Gah!”
“Do you cherish women so much? You’re willing to forget your wrongs and get angry?”
Displeased with Woo Hyeok’s attitude, Gu Yangcheong’s expression contorted with anger.
“I know exactly how you feel, you son of a bitch.”
Gu Yangcheong threw Woo Hyeok against the wall, crashing into it.
BANG-! Woo Hyeok’s back met the wall, and he slid to the ground.
“Do you have any idea who you’ve touched?”
He tried to suppress his emotions, but they kept slipping through his fingers.
“You wouldn’t know, would you? You probably still don’t. I used to be just like you. So I want to make you aware, but it’s just out of reach.”
Heat began to emanate, filling the cell.
Sensing it, Gu Yangcheong tightened his grip on his heart.
He was fighting against the loss of control.
“I’m holding back as best I can. The only reason I’m not killing you right now is because you’re my friend. That’s the only thing keeping you alive.”
He battled against the surging murderous intent.
“If you want to repent or seek forgiveness, that needs to be directed at me. It’s not something for the nameless victims of the North Sea.”
“…”
“Can’t you even speak up? Figured so. You’re not a vile person like me.”
I already understood.
I knew that Woo Hyeok wasn’t that kind of guy. Which meant I had to make my position clear.
“Then live on as you are. I’ll shape your path for you.”
“…What does that even mean?”
“From the get-go, if you wanted to leave, you wouldn’t have messed around with the Gungju and performed some dramatic act.”
Step by step.
Gu Yangcheong approached Woo Hyeok slowly.
“Woo Hyeok. Your opinion means nothing to me. It’s too late to bother trying to change you, so I’m going to take the simplest way forward.”
Bending slightly, Gu Yangcheong met Woo Hyeok’s gaze.
“You’re going to have to help me out this time. So just follow my lead without hesitation.”
“Yangcheon, I’m telling you again… I don’t want to stay here—”
“If you don’t follow, I’ll kill Yu Seon.”
“What?”
At those words, a cold calm descended upon Woo Hyeok’s voice.
His gaze was sharp, yet Gu Yangcheong didn’t flinch.
“Once I go to retrieve you from the Gungju, I’ve made a condition.”
Attributing this to mere intent would be a lie. It was just that fortune had worked in his favor.
“To bring the Young Princess back to the Central Plains.”
“…!”
“And since I’m doing this as a favor, I genuinely intend to carry her along with me.”
It had nothing to do with heartfelt friendship or sharing Woo Hyeok’s guilt—such nonsense was beyond his capacity.
Gu Yangcheong preferred doing things his own way.
“As long as you know that and still want to stay here, go ahead. But think carefully. If I take her back to the Central Plains like this, I don’t know what I might make her do.”
Or worse, he might eliminate her.
Even as he spoke, self-loathing rose up within him.
What he was doing to Woo Hyeok right now mirrored what the Heavenly Demon had once done to him.
Yet he had to endure it all.
There was no place lower for him to fall.
Having relayed those thoughts, Gu Yangcheong lifted his body again.
“You have until tomorrow to think about it. Make your decision.”
Once he finished speaking, Gu Yangcheong averted his gaze from Woo Hyeok, turning his back to walk out of the jail.
As he walked, Gu Yangcheong reflected.
‘It’s not easy.’
Whatever the case may be.
Nothing in life ever came easy, not by a long shot.
