Betrayal (3)
“Ha!”
I let out a short breath, momentarily at a loss for words.
“You’re offering to accept only the people I’ve met twice into your group?”
That was too cautious, wasn’t it?
“Oh dear, if I were in your shoes, what would you do?”
“Well…”
“If you’d faced the same spirit beast in a spar, you’d understand, wouldn’t you?”
“….”
It sounded ridiculous, but upon reflection, it was true.
When spirit beasts clashed, they revealed each other’s true essence.
Of course, with my Heavenly Eye, I could read even the past, but Yu Hwa had only glimpsed a fraction of my soul.
Still, I couldn’t easily dismiss her words.
I had touched her core.
That alone meant we knew each other far better than I had realized.
“…Well, I get the feeling.”
“Hehe, I knew you were a righteous man, so I trust you’ll keep your promise.”
“I will. When Seo Hyul leaves the Sea Dragon Palace, I’ll arrange a seat for you.”
“Thank you.”
Swish, swish!
She recovered the spider threads she had scattered and began tidying the waiting room.
Watching her, I fell into thought.
‘I haven’t fully read her past.’
I had only skimmed the fleeting images that flashed through her mind during our spar at the Nascent Soul stage.
That was enough to grasp the gist of what she had said, but it meant I had read only a few fragments of her memories.
‘Still, I can read the moments of intense emotion she felt during her life.’
Then…
I looked up to the higher floors and continued my thoughts.
‘With this vision, could I also see Seo Hyul’s past?’
* * *
Clang.
I and Yu Hwa emerged from the basement waiting room on the third floor.
When we ascended to the second floor, her fellow musicians were there.
Out of curiosity, I read their souls, but aside from the abalone spirit beast, they appeared to be ordinary slave races.
“Ah, Yu Hwa is here.”
“Yes. Hah, it’s hot.”
She wiped sweat from her brow as she entered the second floor, and somehow her colleagues’ gazes shifted.
They alternated looks between me and her, exchanging strange expressions as if they knew we had both sweated profusely.
‘…Why are they looking at us like that….’
I watched them with curiosity and decided to return to the Joyful Pavilion.
“It was good today. Let’s meet again next time there’s a chance.”
“Yes, I look forward to it too.”
I nodded toward her, expecting one day to spar with Yu Hwa again, and she bowed with her spider lower body in a graceful greeting.
Strange murmurs rose from her fellow musicians, but I ignored them and focused on the stairs as I ascended.
‘For now, the vision I saw during our spar.’
And she was the same spirit beast, so their souls intertwined during sparring.
Thanks to that, I had read several fragments of her memories.
‘If I entered the soul of someone who wasn’t a spirit beast and peeked into their secrets and memories, what would I do?’
The first thought that came to mind was Uihye Eunsan.
If I stabbed Seo Hyul’s head with Uihye Eunsan, my Void Soul would dive straight into his consciousness and peer through the soul to read his memories.
But I immediately rejected the idea.
‘It might corrupt my soul.’
Uihye Eunsan could be used on opponents I could handle, but plunging my Void Soul into Seo Hyul’s soul might corrode it instead of just a joke.
‘Uihye Eunsan… let’s not think about it.’
Then, was there no other way?
As I turned the idea over in my mind, Gimyoseongsimjeon came to mind.
‘Hmm, perhaps with the Strange Star-Mind Scroll….’
If I linked our consciousnesses for a moment with Gimyoseongsimjeon and peeked through the souls in between, could I read his memories?
‘It might corrupt the consciousness too, but it would be slightly better than Uihye Eunsan.’
Perhaps if I asked Goe-gun for help, I could gather more accurate information on Seo Hyul.
‘After kidnapping him and turning him into a puppet to lock his soul away….’
But that felt too like Seo Hyul’s methods, so I rejected it.
If I asked Goe-gun to help kidnap Seo Hyul, he would probably try to turn me into a puppet first.
‘When dealing with someone who doesn’t understand logic, you can’t expect common sense.’
Thump, thump…
I finally returned to the first floor of the Joyful Pavilion and recalled Seo Hyul and Gyuryeon on the fourth floor.
‘Thinking about it, this pavilion has a prohibition that controls the souls of Sachuk stage cultivators.’
Of course, Sachuk stage cultivators’ souls weren’t forbidden; the prohibition simply “allowed” them to watch the performance, and they could remove it anytime.
But their souls were clearly bound by the prohibition.
‘Perhaps right now, while Seo Hyul is with Gyuryeon, is the perfect moment to spot a gap.’
Then, let’s try the vision I gained today at least once.
‘If I can read memory fragments just by observing souls from outside without them mixing, that would be enough gain.’
‘First, I won’t wait for the performance to resume.’
The souls inside the pavilion were already somewhat restricted, but not as tightly as during the show.
I decided to wait for the right moment.
After a while, the pavilion’s lights dimmed again, Yu Hwa and the musicians returned to prepare, and everyone’s souls were bound once more.
Ordinary cultivators, if bound, would lose sensation and couldn’t act properly, but I was different.
I had survived the criminal era without a soul field.
‘Where….’
Swish!
I used Wansuigungmurok and slipped into the cracks in perception through the darkness.
Then I severed the flow of qi itself with my Heavenly Eye and Void Eye, hiding my body so no one could find it.
‘And I hide my own life flow.’
What I had realized after reaching the Void Soul from the Heavenly Eye was the awakening of ‘life.’
‘Those who obtain the awakening of life….’
By severing my life flow, I made sure those who had gained the awakening of life wouldn’t notice me…!
Swish!
Finally I severed myself and slipped completely into the cracks between perception, spirit energy, and life flow, then began to climb to the fourth floor.
Just in case, I even used Gwishidaebeop, and once silent, I stepped onto the fourth floor.
Uwoong!
Although suppressed, Seo Hyul and Gyuryeon’s souls nearly filled the entire fourth floor.
Of course, considering their original size, they were also immensely suppressed, but I tensed and barely managed to carve through their soul gaps to slip inside.
How carefully had I approached them?
“…?”
I saw Seo Hyul and Gyuryeon standing and arguing with each other instead of listening to the musicians.
‘…?’
What was going on?
Gyuryeon had spread a soundproofing spell because the fourth floor was dark, but she clearly felt intense jealousy, pity, obsession, and affection for Seo Hyul.
Seo Hyul, on the surface, seemed flustered, but his heart was empty.
At that moment,
Uwoong!
In the dark depths of the fourth floor, Gyuryeon began to use a peculiar spell that glowed faintly pink.
As she formed the seal, I felt something metaphysical shift in the surroundings.
Seo Hyul’s soul stirred slightly.
Seo Hyul was panicking.
And the next instant,
‘Oh….’
Gyuryeon grabbed Seo Hyul by the throat, filled with resentment, jealousy, and affection, and pulled his face close, kissing him.
Seo Hyul, caught off guard by the surprise kiss, was startled but quickly calmed himself.
‘What on earth is happening….’
But that was good.
If Seo Hyul was even a little flustered now, I might be able to dig into his soul and read his memories.
At that moment,
“…!”
As Gyuryeon kissed Seo Hyul, a metaphysical change rippled between them, and I felt myself drawn into the scene.
‘What is this…!’
Then,
Uuwwoong!
Gyuryeon pulled away from Seo Hyul, removed the soundproofing spell, and looked this way.
“Who the hell are you?! Who’s peeking at us?!”
‘This…!’
It wasn’t the Wansuigungmurok issue, but the spell Gyuryeon had cast that allowed a third party to “see” it.
I hurriedly descended from the fourth floor as Gyuryeon’s furious roar echoed behind me.
“How dare someone…!”
Kugugugu!
Her suppressed soul shattered the prohibitions and expanded in all directions.
But it was a close call!
Paat!
Just before her soul could find me, I escaped her soul domain and arrived back at the first floor of the Joyful Pavilion, my original seat.
‘Hoo…’
I sat down, calmed my body’s reactions, and chugged a white pill right after.
Gyuryeon’s soul swept through the entire Joyful Pavilion.
‘She used a spell on Seo Hyul.’
And I had seen Seo Hyul panic at her actions.
‘From the situation, it seems like a type of spell that works through a kiss…’
Had she used a forced marriage spell?
Thinking of Seo Hyul’s flustered expression made me feel oddly good.
‘Senior Gyuryeon still got one in on Seo Hyul after all.’
But upon thinking, before Gyuryeon forced that spell on him, the two of them had looked like they were on the verge of something breaking apart.
Gyuryeon had been bubbling with grievances, jealousy, obsession, and affection.
No, even now she was.
Kugugugugu!
Her soul domain swept the surrounding areas, and I could observe the frustration, jealousy, and affection she felt.
Yu Hwa, continuing the performance as if nothing was wrong, seemed to sense Gyuryeon’s jealousy and briefly missed a note.
Of course, as a first-rate musician, she quickly calmed herself and kept playing without a flaw.
‘…A lot of interesting things are happening tonight….’
I drained the entire white pill and enjoyed Yu Hwa’s performance in peace.
And finally, the schedule at the Joyful Pavilion and Seo Hyul’s farewell gathering ended.
Now Seo Hyul would return to the Sea Dragon Palace to prepare for departure.
As the Sea Dragon Palace group and Gyuryeon finished their farewells in front of the Joyful Pavilion,
“Seo Eun-hyun, stay here a moment.”
“Yes?”
Gyuryeon suddenly called me over.
Seo Hyul also looked at us with a puzzled expression.
“I have a few words for this kid. Seo Daegun, go on ahead.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Seo Hyul, unable to meet her eyes, cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly left the Joyful Pavilion.
‘What a chilling acting skill.’
I compared Seo Hyul’s soul and his behavior with a tongue click inside.
At that moment,
“It’s you, Seo Eun-hyun?”
“Yes?”
“Peeking at us.”
“….”
Gyuryeon asked with a cold expression.
I kept my mouth shut for a while, then slowly nodded.
‘I was drawn in by the changes from the spell Gyuryeon used.’
Perhaps Gyuryeon had noticed the change and was telling me about it.
Either way, denying it would be pointless.
When I nodded, Gyuryeon sighed and looked up at the sky.
“…Where did you see it from?”
“…From Senior Gyuryeon, seeing the… kiss… with the Daegun…”
“Yeah, I get it. Hoo…”
She pressed her temples.
“…Why did you peek at us?”
“I apologize. But there was something I had to report to the Daegun…”
“Yeah, sure. Since the Daegun has many duties, I understand. Well… it’s actually fortunate you saw it.”
She glared at me for a moment, then sighed again.
“…I used the ancient spell known as Gwahanjeyak or Gwanghanjiyak.”
Gyuryeon’s story began.
“A very, very, very long time ago. Before there was any ceremony for weddings using white pills, in that incredibly distant era that was hard to imagine, we used the Gwanghanjiyak to prove our marriage.”
However, even though she had used the spell she had longed for with Seo Hyul, her expression was slightly bitter.
“Congratulations… Senior Gyuryeon. You didn’t wish to be bound to the Daegun?”
“Well… I wanted to be bound to him. Not forcibly like this, but naturally with everyone’s congratulations…”
I read her will and answered her unspoken question.
“What happened…?”
Gyuryeon wanted to vent her frustration to someone now.
“…Last time, I saw Seo Hyul with someone.”
“Who?”
“An immortal woman in white. I saw her holding hands with Seo Hyul while strolling the streets of Bongmyeong-ju. They were smiling as if they were incredibly happy.”
“….”
“I thought it was just once, but after trailing Seo Hyul several times… they met periodically and seemed to grow closer.”
Listening to her story, I was startled by the tale of an immortal woman walking with Seo Hyul.
“How… how could that be? He said he loved me… he said he wanted to be with me…! Why with another woman? And an immortal one at that…!!”
She continued with her resentment.
“This time, I asked her who she was. Seo Hyul said it was nothing, but I could tell. He clearly thought more of her than of me! No, if he wanted to take an immortal concubine, I could understand. But why didn’t he consult me?!”
“….”
“So… this time I forcibly bound Seo Hyul with the Gwanghanjiyak. He is mine, I wanted to swear to the world.”
She suddenly covered her face with one hand, looking self-loathing, and sighed.
“If… if that woman hadn’t existed, I wouldn’t have been so desperate about what to do with him. Do you think I was wrong…?”
“…I know the Daegun well.”
I began to speak, wanting to advise her to stay away from Seo Hyul.
“The Daegun’s affinity for women is extremely strong. As you know, several of the Sea Dragon Palace’s immortals are his descendants. The Daegun who has taken countless concubines from the lower realms is Seo Hyul.”
“…I see.”
“Yes… so maybe you shouldn’t expect too much from the Daegun…”
“Well… it’s fine.”
Her golden eyes began to glow yellow as she listened to me.
With golden horns, her golden eyes split vertically.
“Then, while Seo Hyul is away on his Gi-sukhaeng, I will definitely reach the Integration stage.”
“…?”
“I will become the Dragon King of Integration and claim Seo Hyul. Then he won’t dare take any more concubines.”
“….”
I didn’t know what to say and fell silent.
But upon thinking, perhaps it was for the best.
‘Gyuryeon has the soul of a Sachuk stage Integration cultivator.’
A dragon who was destined to become the Dragon King of Integration through steady cultivation.
That was Gyuryeon of the Yellow Dragon clan.
‘If Gyuryeon takes Seo Hyul as her husband, and through higher cultivation she becomes his wife and remains obsessed with him while constantly suspecting him….’
Perhaps his action radius would shrink considerably.
‘I’m sorry if my cheering seems calculated….’
“I will cheer for you. Actually, I didn’t like the fact that the Daegun enjoys women.”
“Thank you for cheering.”
“And the immortal woman you mentioned…”
“Yeah, that woman who didn’t sit right with you?”
“Yes, that woman was the one the Daegun was supposed to let me accompany. But the Daegun took her away. So if Senior Gyuryeon reaches the realm and forms the marriage oath with the Daegun, could you give her to me? The Daegun would be distracted by other women, after all.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.”
Of course, the immortal woman walking with Seo Hyul.
The probability that it was Oh Hye-seo meant nothing but a double meaning.
Not the oath, but the literal meaning that she had fallen into this world.
If she hadn’t, we would have continued as colleagues.
‘Either way, through Gyuryeon, I must separate Seo Hyul and Oh Hye-seo.’
Gyuryeon had said she saw them strolling happily, but I was honestly worried about what might be happening to Seo Hyul with her, so I was only uneasy.
“Ahem!”
She suddenly shook her head and spat a faint aura from her mouth.
‘Ah…’
It was alcohol.
She had probably been drinking wine and was a little drunk.
“…I’m sorry for showing such a shameful sight.”
“No. I sincerely thank Senior Gyuryeon and the Daegun for your support.”
“Yeah, thank you. …I drank a bit and said some strange things, but actually there was something else I wanted to say.”
“Please speak.”
“The Gwanghanjiyak I placed on Seo Hyul was originally meant to be made in a place where many people could witness it, or in an empty location.”
“…Did something big happen because of me?”
“No, there was no big problem. The reason people must witness the binding of the Gwanghanjiyak is to prove our marriage by making them ‘witnesses.’ ”
“Ah…”
“In short, you are the only witness to my marriage with Seo Hyul. But the Gwanghanjiyak made today was not a proper one—it was just because I was drunk, consumed by resentment and jealousy, and forcibly bound it to Seo Hyul…”
She asked, slightly embarrassed, twisting her hair with her hand.
“Later, after I become the Dragon King of Integration, and properly perform the wedding ceremony with Seo Hyul, can you watch over the progress of our marriage as the only witness to the Gwanghanjiyak?”
‘So that’s why she immediately realized me.’
I let out a small sigh inside.
But anyway, Gyuryeon’s proposal was not bad at all for me.
“Yes. On the day when the two of you complete the Gwanghanjiyak properly, I will definitely… watch over the wedding ceremony for the two of you.”
“Thank you.”
Gyuryeon smiled brightly and thanked me.
‘I think I can find a way to deal with Seo Hyul after all.’
The whole time, I had been frustrated trying to figure out how to escape his sinister schemes and how to follow him.
But today, listening to Gyuryeon’s inner thoughts, I found the answer.
‘I will marry him off!’
If the strong-obsessed Gyuryeon became the Dragon King of Integration and married Seo Hyul, he would be trapped by her for hundreds of years, with a greatly reduced action radius.
Then the probability that I would achieve the goals I had decided on this life would become very high.
Of course, in that case, the Heavenly Thunder Banner wouldn’t be driven into Seo Hyul’s mouth as the new groom, but into the mouth of the Black Dragon King Hyun-eum.
‘While Seo Hyul is away, when he returns, I will set everything in place so that he can marry Gyuryeon!’
I revised my goals for this life and steeled my resolve.
Author’s note: The wicked villainess Gyuryeon is eating the male lead, the black villain Seo Eun-hyun is forcing him into a marriage with the female lead to take her over…