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Chapter 574: In Hanam

The emerald green hair gleamed in the moonlight.

The color, much brighter than when I last saw it, somehow appeared extravagant.

What used to reach her shoulders now brushed against her waist.

A fragrant scent wafted through the air.

Is it the scent of flowers?

It had an inexplicably sweet essence.

Her smiling face and slightly sunken cheeks revealed a hint of maturity that was enough to remind one of someone.

No, to call it someone would be strange.

‘Because it’s her.’

A woman who stood alone in the land of Sichuan, defending against demons.

The last hope of the Tang Clan who lost her life in my hands.

The woman from back then and the Tang Soyeol now bore a striking resemblance.

If there was a difference it would be this:

She was pitifully emaciated and dying back then, while the current Tang Soyeol radiated brilliance.

Feeling the stark contrast strangely ached within me.

Why does it hurt?

It was an emotion I couldn’t comprehend.

I saw Tang Soyeol beaming brightly at me.

I couldn’t help but ask.

“What brings you here?”

I suppressed the question I truly wanted to ask.

It was a question meant for her, yet not exactly something I could direct at her.

Upon hearing my inquiry, Tang Soyeol pouted as if displeased.

“After coming all this way, you start off with a question?”

“No, I’m just curious.”

How could I not be curious when she appeared out of nowhere like this?

Of course, I had heard.

‘They said the King of Demons sent her.’

I had already caught wind of it—something about sending her once preparations were complete.

But.

‘I never expected her to arrive so soon.’

I had no idea when she had set off, but I didn’t think Tang Soyeol would show up this quickly.

I glanced around to get my bearings.

‘So that’s why Nahi didn’t react.’

Nahi must have everything in this area under control. If she could breach that might, the intruder must be formidable.

‘They must be at the level of the King of Demons.’

I didn’t hold him in very high regard, but at the very least, he should be close to that level.

I thought as I looked at Tang Soyeol.

Upon meeting my gaze, she smiled.

It was a smile I hadn’t seen in a long time.

Of course, I was currently focused on something else.

I found myself swallowing hard as I observed Tang Soyeol.

‘The King of Demons, that guy…’

What in the world has he done?

‘Her presence is fundamentally different now.’

Right now, I had to concentrate quite a bit just to see Tang Soyeol.

Otherwise, I felt like I could lose track of her entirely.

Her presence was that faint.

Even right in front of me, I had to focus to perceive it at all.

It was a state entirely unlike the old Tang Soyeol.

‘Being able to sense this much is thanks to the fragrance.’

The pleasant floral scent emanating from Tang Soyeol.

It made it easier to keep track of her.

If not for that, things would have been much more difficult.

‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this.’

Originally, the Tang Clan was known for assassinations led by poison techniques.

Their bloodline generally bore a weaker presence.

It was a talent born from a long history of martial arts training.

However.

‘Tang Soyeol wasn’t particularly extraordinary among them.’

To say it kindly, she was a mediocre talent.

To say it harshly, one could say she lacked the necessary talent expected of her bloodline.

In contrast, there was Nangong Bi-ah, a member of a clan known for its strong presence.

She was far superior to Tang Soyeol in that regard.

‘…But maybe that’s a bit extreme since she is exceptional all around.’

To reduce one’s presence, you can do such a thing.

And to heighten it, likewise applicable.

When you place Nangong Bi-ah as a comparison, the list of contenders shrinks considerably.

But alas, those around me all gave off that same vibe.

Despite this state of being.

How about the current Tang Soyeol?

Even though I wasn’t at my best.

‘I couldn’t sense her approach.’

I could only catch the hint of her presence after she got close.

Nahi sent her, and even with my poor condition,

This was a remarkable feat.

Thinking along those lines, I spoke to Tang Soyeol.

“…It seems you’ve had it tough.”

“Pardon?”

Tang Soyeol tilted her head slightly in confusion, but then quickly caught on, beaming at me.

“It’s alright, Prince.”

As she moved slowly, her hair danced along.

“I did it willingly, after all.”

“…”

I wondered if that was truly the case.

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words that came to mind.

Though it was I who asked the King of Demons for help.

It was Tang Soyeol who accepted the arrangement.

When I requested it, I had made it clear: if she didn’t want to, we’d end it right there.

I distinctly remember saying that.

Yet, now that Tang Soyeol is here, it means she didn’t intend to give up.

Moreover.

‘Considering Tang Soyeol’s talent? For her to have reached this level…’

What kind of training did she endure?

The last time I saw her was about a year ago.

Back then, her skill level was nowhere near this high.

Yet now.

‘Has she reached the Transformation Realm?’

Though my Qi perception was a mess, I had a suspicion.

Her level must indeed be that high.

How could that be?

I stared at Tang Soyeol with wide eyes.

Realizing my intent, she smiled even more brightly.

“Do you know, Prince?”

“Uh…?”

“I’ve reached a point where I can see you a bit better now.”

“…”

“I’ve worked really hard. Did I do well?”

Hearing those words, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

To say that she can somewhat see the power that had been hidden from view and asked for acknowledgment with those words was amusing.

“…I guess so…”

I had no choice but to smile.

“It seems you really worked hard. Well done.”

“Yes!”

At my scratchy praise, Tang Soyeol flashed a bright smile.

She looked so cheerful, even bouncing slightly, which seemed a bit funny.

After a moment, Tang Soyeol’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

“By the way, who’s that person…?”

At her words, I turned to look. There stood Seongyul, still coughing awkwardly.

Oops.

I found myself making a sheepish expression as I glanced at him.

‘Totally forgot about him.’

Seongyul was in a rather bad state due to the backlash from the Heaven Kill Spirit.

After I had goaded him, he essentially toppled over from the rebound, leaving him in a daze.

I nodded as I realized this.

‘I need to take responsibility since I caused this.’

Regardless of the reasons, Seongyul’s condition was somewhat my responsibility.

So, I moved closer to resolve the issue.

As I approached Seongyul, he looked up at me with dazed eyes.

After confirming his gaze for a moment.

“Hey…?”

Whack-!

“Cough!?”

I slapped him on the head.

Seongyul, caught off guard, immediately lost consciousness and crumpled to the ground.

Thud.

As Seongyul dropped onto the floor, a brief silence filled the air.

Could it be that I was too violent after reuniting?

I pointed at Seongyul, addressing Tang Soyeol.

“Friend. Friend. It seems he isn’t feeling too well today.”

“…”

Even I thought that was a pretty flimsy excuse.

Hearing my words, Tang Soyeol laughed instead.

…Why?

Moreover, her smile felt a bit odd.

“Oh, I see!”

She beamed with those words.

Looking at her expression, I suddenly realized something.

How should I put it…

‘…It’s like a relief that everything is back to normal?’

I couldn’t quite place it, but that felt close to reality.

Seeing that, my mood began to sour for some reason.

Days passed by.

Just a few days had gone by, but the season transitioned from spring to summer.

The heat slowly began to rise.

It had been only a few days in time.

Though the season was just starting to change, in that brief moment, considerable whispers began to circulate in the Central Plains.

“Did you hear? The Wind and Cloud Ghost has reappeared.”

If one were to wander the streets of Hanam, it would be the talk of the town.

“Oh, you mean the rumor about how they sent a letter to Wudang?”

“They said that was false. The Wind and Cloud Ghost disappeared ages ago. Even if he’s alive, he must be an old man by now. Is he really going to start stealing again?”

A legendary thief who had vanished decades ago.

Rumors circulated that the Wind and Cloud Ghost had resurfaced and sent a warning to Wudang.

Indeed, such rumors had spread across many ears.

Of course.

“Does that even make sense?”

“It’s hard to believe.”

Few believed the rumors.

The Wind and Cloud Ghost hadn’t appeared in person; it was just a warning letter.

The only reason this rumor continued to circulate was that it concerned Wudang.

Were it not for that, it would’ve been buried quietly.

The problem was.

“No, more importantly, isn’t there something else that’s currently getting attention?”

The real hot topic wasn’t that at all.

“Did you hear about the ambush on Wudang?”

“Yeah, I heard. They said an Elder even died.”

Wudang, which was a faction under the Gu Paibang and headed by the clan leader.

News had spread that it had been ambushed recently.

Furthermore, word had it that the Elder who sought to protect Wudang had been killed by the ambusher.

“Does that even make sense? Wudang being ambushed…?”

In a time of great upheaval.

Places like Wudang and Hanam were considered the safest.

Yet, hearing that Wudang had been invaded and that an Elder was killed caused disbelief among the people.

“Oh, what’s that supposed to mean? It’s not just any ambush… the person who attacked isn’t your typical one!”

The follow-up comment made everyone listen seriously.

“Although the Wudang Sword Master wasn’t there, they say the attacker is anything but ordinary.”

“What do you mean?”

“Who knows…?”

As the speaker began quietly, everyone widened their eyes.

“What?! He tamed a demon beast?”

“With a single gesture, he could wipe out half of Wudang? What on earth…!”

“He took out an Elder in one strike?”

An individual riding a colossal demon beast had suddenly appeared, bringing all those below to their knees at once.

With a mere gesture, he destroyed half of Wudang and defeated the Elder who attempted to stop him in a single blow, before sneering at Wudang and vanishing.

“Seriously, no matter how exaggerated the tale is, that can’t be right!”

Naturally, it wasn’t easy to believe such a story.

“I’m not kidding. That’s what the Beggar Clan said!”

“Even so….”

“Apparently, they’ve also attacked the branches of the Martial Alliance recently. There are rumors surrounding that too.”

“Whoa….”

Branches of the Martial Alliance assigned throughout the regions.

Some branches had strangely been attacked and damaged—rumors indicated the very same individual had perpetrated the ambush against Wudang.

If that were true, it would be a serious issue.

The world teetered on the edge of danger just from the appearance of the Red Demon Beast.

To think someone would set their sights against the Alliance, which aims to protect it.

If the rumors are true, it indicated a formidable being.

Perhaps.

“…Could it be that the culprit is at the level of the top ten masters of the Central Plains?”

“Now, that’s just ludicrous. Who could possibly make such a statement…!”

The ten masters known as the Seven Iron Triple Rights.

Are you saying that the perpetrator is on par with them?

“Consider this. Who else could charge into Wudang, kill an Elder, and easily stroll away?”

The man’s statement drew disdain from the crowd, yet no one could properly refute it.

They all knew.

If the rumors were accurate, then they must be an extraordinarily powerful martial artist.

The issue was that this being was particularly hostile to the Alliance, which sought justice.

“So then, who exactly is he?”

“No one knows. Just that he’s a tall man wearing a white mask and black martial robe.”

They heard he was around six feet tall and wore a black martial robe paired with a contrasting white mask.

Each step they took would force people in the vicinity to kneel, and they felt overwhelming fear gazing up at the masked figure.

His tone may have been arrogant, yet the manner of his speech left everyone utterly speechless.

Apart from his gender, nothing else about him could be determined.

Such an immense master, yet there was a lack of important information.

Where did he suddenly emerge from?

What had he been doing prior?

Why was he pitted against the Martial Alliance, and what prompted him to ambush Wudang?

No one knew the reasons or identity.

All that could be gathered was.

“He referred to himself.”

The masked figure had introduced himself with words.

“Heavenly Demon. That’s definitely what he proclaimed.”

The embodiment of a demon descended from the heavens.

The two words bore significant weight.

Currently, Hanam and the Central Plains were stirring up chaos.

And at the same time.

“Achuu.”

The self-proclaimed Heavenly Demon had to rub his nose after a sudden sneeze.

After hastily wiping his nose without care, he glared at his surroundings.

“Ugh, who’s talking trash about me again?”

“Would you like a handkerchief?”

“I’m good; I can manage with just wiping.”

Guyangcheong, who was clumsily pulling out a handkerchief from behind Tang Soyeol, snorted as he swallowed his runny nose.

Then he looked straight ahead.

Standing before a colossal building that made his neck ache just to look up at.

Guyangcheong sighed as he gazed at it.

After seven days and nights, they had finally reached Hanam.

The journey had gone peacefully without any noteworthy incidents.

They soon found themselves in front of a building at the heart of Hanam.

Guyangcheong subtly shifted his gaze toward the building and frowned.

“Ah… why not just visit somewhere else?”

No matter how he thought about it, he really didn’t want to go there.

For he deemed that there was a certain someone in the top three who made him feel uncomfortable.

Having considered this for quite a while, he came to a conclusion.

There was no other choice; he had to see it regardless.

With that in mind, he looked up at the building’s sign.

Right there was written.

Baekhwa Sect Hanam Branch.

It was clearly stated so.

 

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