Chapter 92: Tomb of King Ping (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Tomb of King Ping (3)
“...I think I’m falling for you, Yeon-saeng.”
‘!?’
For a moment, I doubted my own ears.
Was this really the same man who had been trembling in fear under Ghostly Bow Chosa’s pressure just moments ago?
The Lesser Conversation Sword let out a boisterous cackle, as if its belly were aching from laughter.
‘...’
If that was the case, he was truly a remarkable piece of work. It meant he wasn't just pretending to be a womanizer; he was the type to hit on any woman he liked, regardless of the situation.
However, the King Ping I had observed was not such a shallow man.
I deliberately ignored his comment and ground my heel into Ghostly Bow Chosa’s chest.
“Where is he?”
“Haah... haah...”
Despite the pain, the man kept his mouth shut tight.
Right. I expected as much. He had served the Golden Emperor for three hundred years; he wasn't going to spill everything after a single question.
King Ping approached me from behind and spoke.
“Are you trying to find out who is behind him?”
“...I am.”
“The one behind him likely has close ties to the King of Qin as well.”
I thought he was going to say something strange again, but it seemed he had regained his senses. He was a man who had deceived everyone for years by acting like a debauched drunkard. Regardless of his martial prowess, his judgment of the situation was sharp.
“Do you remember what this man said earlier?”
“What do you mean?”
“He told me it was a pity—that if I had held upright convictions like His Highness the King of Qin, the Emperor would have looked upon me with favor. Since he said it right before he intended to kill me, it likely wasn't nonsense.”
“...You are quite perceptive.”
He did have insight. He had managed to piece together the situation just from Chosa’s words. I, too, suspected that the Golden Emperor might be closely linked to the King of Qin.
King Ping gave a light chuckle and looked at me.
“Could I be any more perceptive than you? To display such magnificent martial prowess while fluttering about in that light green battle garb... it was truly a sight of peerless beauty. How could such strength come from those slender arms—”
“Forgive me for a moment.”
“What?”
Tatatat!
“Urgh!”
Without warning, I struck King Ping’s pressure points. His Stun Point suppressed, he let out a short groan and collapsed to the floor.
“Whew.”
It was definitely better to have him sleep. Whether it was because I was in the form of a woman or because he was intrigued by a woman possessing such power, his tone made it clear he was becoming far too interested.
The Lesser Conversation Sword, being tucked inside my skirt, noticed immediately.
Regardless, the priority wasn't King Ping, but Ghostly Bow Chosa. The bulging veins on his face began to recede, and the black haze radiating from his body vanished.
“Haah... haah...”
As the ominous energy dissipated, his breathing became ragged, and he broke out in a cold sweat. His internal power had surged, but seeing how exhausted he was now, it seemed the technique had severe aftereffects, much like the True Blood Golden Body which forces rapid blood circulation.
Actually, I had seen this before.
Jagyeongjeong, the expelled disciple who betrayed my master, the Sword Immortal, had tried to show me a secret technique. It was an energy that felt like a deep, encroaching darkness.
Yes. He died before he could even properly unleash it. There were too many openings while drawing out the power.
However, Ghostly Bow Chosa handled that same ominous energy much faster and more skillfully than Jagyeongjeong. He had likely refined it over the course of three hundred years.
I looked down at Chosa and asked, “Did you learn that from Jagyeongjeong?”
At my question, his expression flickered for a split second before he quickly regained control of his features.
What was that reaction? Did he not learn it from Jagyeongjeong?
I stared at him intently before changing the question.
“Where is the Golden Emperor?”
At my blunt question, he gnashed his teeth and glared at me. Despite his origins in the martial world, his loyalty after serving the Emperor for so long was extraordinary.
He spoke in a voice thick with indignation.
“Do you think you can make me talk? Don't bother trying to disgrace me; just kill me.”
“I wonder if you’ll talk if I start cutting off your limbs one by one?”
I shifted my tactics to include threats. He merely snorted in response.
“Do as you wish. Do you think that will make me open my mouth? Foolish girl.”
Crunch! Crackle!
“Guh!”
I stepped down hard on his chest. I pressed down with enough force to snap his ribs.
I spoke to him in a voice laced with killing intent.
“You’ve lived a long time, yet your mouth is still foul.”
“...Hmph! My only regret is failing to kill you for His Majesty.”
He remained undaunted. I couldn't tell if he had transcended the fear of death after three hundred years or if he had simply resigned himself to his fate because he had no way to fight back.
I wanted to torture him further to make him speak, but I doubted three centuries of loyalty would crumble under physical pain. In that case, the best course of action was to reduce the Golden Emperor’s military strength.
“Fine. I’ve learned what’s important, anyway.”
With those words, I gestured with my eyes toward the stone wall door that bore no inscriptions. The fact that the door remained firmly shut meant that the treasure Seobok had hidden had not yet fallen into the Golden Emperor’s hands.
That alone was a significant achievement. It proved he had not yet attained true immortality.
I raised my blade and asked one last time.
“I don't expect much, but this is your last chance. If you speak now, I can guarantee your life.”
“One lifetime of the shame of survival is enough.”
He still hadn't forgotten what happened three hundred years ago. The servant was just like the master.
Without hesitation, I swung my blade down at his neck.
Slash! Thud!
His head rolled across the floor.
Whoosh!
I ignited his torso with Samadhi True Fire. The sound of flesh searing was harsh. Since he possessed recovery abilities, it was better to burn the body completely to ensure there were no future complications, even if his head had been severed.
After tossing his head into the flames as well, I turned toward the wall.
Among the five stone chambers in the hollow, this was the only one with nothing carved on it. The secret to perfect immortality had to be inside.
‘Let’s see if I can break this.’
I clenched my fist and threw a punch at the stone surface. Ghostly Bow Chosa hadn't been able to break this in a single blow, but—
KWA-AAAAANG!
Starting from the point of impact, the entire stone surface shattered into pieces.
The wall was certainly sturdy, though. It felt as if it had been built with the intent to keep everyone out.
I waved my hand to clear the dust that billowed from the shattered stone.
At the Lesser Conversation Sword’s question, I frowned.
*
A man with one golden eye entered the dark Golden Prison.
As he entered, the masked figures working inside stood up and bowed respectfully.
Behind them, a figure was bound to the wall with restraints made of black iron, sealing his limbs and entire body. His head hung low as he breathed heavily with great effort.
The man with the golden eye looked at him and asked, “Is he still the same?”
One of the masked men replied, “Perhaps because his recovery is so fast, the Illusion Demon Poison and various suggestions don't last very long, no matter how many times we repeat them.”
“Increase the dosage of the Illusion Demon Poison.”
The masked man gasped in surprise. “The current dosage is already excessive. If we increase it further, his recovery ability won't matter—his brain might completely melt.”
“It doesn't matter. There is nothing more I need to hear from him.”
“...Understood.”
Just as the masked man grabbed something from a table and moved toward the bound figure, the prisoner painfully lifted his head.
Through the long hair covering his face, two golden eyes flashed. Though he looked exhausted, the light in his eyes was still very much alive.
“Hehehehe.”
The bound man with golden eyes suddenly burst into laughter upon seeing the man with the single golden eye.
“You bastard!”
The masked men rushed forward to inflict pain on him, but the man with the single golden eye stopped them.
“Stop.”
“But, Jonju...”
“Back off.”
At his command, the masked men retreated to the sides. The man with the single golden eye walked forward until he was face-to-face with the prisoner.
“Why are you laughing?”
“...It’s... a... pity... Your Majesty.”
“...A pity?”
“I... thought... you... would... go... yourself... but... your... caution... is... as... persistent... as... ever.”
“What?”
The thick, dot-like eyebrow of the man with the single golden eye twitched.
The prisoner smiled and continued. “There... are... no... easy... things... in... this... world. If... you... could... predict... everything... with... just... a... few... swords... why... would... I... have... made... five?”
“...You!”
Crunch!
Unable to contain his rage, the man with the single golden eye struck the prisoner’s head. Staring at the mangled face, he quickly exited the Golden Prison and commanded someone standing in the dark corridor.
“Tell Chosa not to enter the tomb recklessly.”
“Understood!”
*
The interior of the stone chamber was pentagonal, and against each of the five walls sat a stone chest about the size of a coffin.
The center of the chamber was empty.
Yes. The layout was peculiar. I didn't understand why the center was left empty while the chests were arranged like that.
I decided to investigate, thinking the secret of immortality might be hidden inside the chests.
But just as I was about to step further into the room, I turned my head.
‘Wait a moment.’
I turned back and approached someone. It was King Ping, who was supposed to be unconscious after having his pressure points struck.
I looked down at the collapsed King Ping and said, “How is it that your pressure points weren't sealed?”
What did I mean? Just then, the 'unconscious' King Ping slowly opened his eyes.
He looked up at me and asked, “How did you know?”
‘Ha!’
I was flabbergasted by his nonchalant question. First, the Transformation Eye Scripture hadn't worked on him, and now, even a direct strike to his pressure points had failed.
I wondered if he had been hiding his true strength, but the qi I sensed from him was only at the level of a first-rate master. With that level of internal power, he shouldn't have been able to undo my pressure point seal on his own.
How did he break it?
King Ping stood up as if nothing had happened and asked me again, “I won't reproach you for trying to knock me out. But how did you realize?”
Was he not afraid of me? At the very least, he must have realized I wasn't the real Yeon-saeng he knew.
I looked directly at him and replied, “Your breathing changed.”
“My breathing?”
“The breathing of an unconscious person is steady. But the moment the wall broke, Your Highness stopped breathing for a split second.”
“You heard such a faint sound?” King Ping asked, sounding impressed.
“It wasn't that faint.”
Any master of a certain level would have noticed. More importantly, I had to solve the mystery of how he woke up. The best way was to check his physical condition directly to see if he had deceived my qi sense.
“Your Highness, forgive my rudeness for a moment.”
Swish!
I used the Golden Snake Hand to snatch King Ping’s wrist. I controlled my speed so that he could have dodged it if he were hiding his martial arts.
However, King Ping only realized his wrist had been caught after the fact.
He spoke with a hint of exasperation. “This is the second time. Acting so insolently after giving me a one-sided notification.”
“I believe you know well that I can be rude even without a notification.”
King Ping snorted. “True. You could kill me whenever you wish, couldn't you?”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“But if you had intended to kill me, you would have just let that man who is currently turning into ash do the job earlier. Isn't that right?”
King Ping was certain I wouldn't kill him.
“There is no such thing as 'certainty' in this world, Your Highness.”
As I spoke, I sent my internal energy into King Ping’s pulse to examine his condition.
But the moment my energy entered his meridians, I couldn't help but scowl.
The flow of every single meridian was abnormal. Naturally, a human has far more meridians than what most martial artists or physicians know of. But here, those meridians were intersecting and tangling with the major pathways like a knotted ball of yarn.
Furthermore, his primary twelve meridians were blocked. A scorching Yang energy was clogging his vessels, obstructing any smooth flow.
I spoke, unable to hide my disbelief. “...How on earth have you endured this pain?”
With a body in this state, every day must have been hell. It was a miracle he could even walk around normally.
King Ping gave a casual, thin smile and answered, “They call it the Solar Severed Meridians.”
“Solar Severed Meridians!”
It was a condition where all meridians were twisted and the major pathways were blocked by overwhelming Yang energy. If the Nine Yin Severed Meridians was a disease caused by Yin energy, the Solar Severed Meridians was an incurable ailment caused by Yang energy.
I had heard it was even rarer than the Nine Yin version. Those afflicted with it were said to suffer their entire lives before dying young.
“Do the others know?”
“Neither the Emperor nor the other Princes know. In fact, very few people do, but as of today, you have become one of them.”
It made sense that he wouldn't tell the rest of the Imperial family. If he did, he would naturally be stripped of his status as a successor to the throne.
He was truly a formidable man.
“Is that why you’ve been searching for the secret of immortality?”
King Ping did not deny it. “That arrogant physician who calls himself the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments told me. He said that even if I used medicine to control the rampaging Yang energy, it wouldn't cure me, and I would be lucky to live past my thirties or forties.”
‘The Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments?’
King Ping pulled something from his robes. It was a leather pouch, and when he opened it, a cold chill wafted out. Judging by the sensation, it seemed to be a medicine made of concentrated Yin energy.
It appeared King Ping had been using this to suppress his rampaging Yang energy. If even the Divine Healer, who was said to be able to cure anything as long as the patient wasn't dead, could only manage to extend his lifespan, it was undoubtedly a terminal condition.
King Ping spoke to me with sudden gravity. “Taking medicine and drinking wine to endure the pain, and performing Yin-harvesting from countless women every day just to cling to life... I am tired of it.”
So his reputation wasn't just an act to deceive others; it was a desperate struggle for survival.
“What is it you want to say?”
“Let us make a deal.”
“A deal?”
“I simply wish to be cured of this pain. And that secret of immortality behind you is my only hope and my only escape.”
“...”
“I don't care if I’m not the only one who becomes immortal. I don't know who you are, but share that secret with me. If you do, I will grant you anything you desire.”
He spoke with dignity, but I could see the desperation in his eyes. I had assumed he wanted the secret out of a thirst for power, so this was quite unexpected.
I stared at him for a moment before speaking.
“I’m sorry, but I don't think I can do that.”
“What?”
“I’ll be honest with you. Setting aside the matter of Your Highness’s recovery, if you, the future successor to the throne, were to become immortal, I worry about what would follow.”
“What do you mean?”
“If Your Highness were to become a so-called tyrant, the burden would fall entirely on the people. I have no wish to create such a disaster.”
At my words, King Ping suddenly burst into laughter.
“A tyrant? Hahahaha!”
Had he lost his mind? Or was he just incredulous that I had insulted him?
While I watched him with confusion, King Ping stopped laughing and looked at me.
“You are the first woman to speak so bluntly to me.”
“...”
Of course I was. Who would dare speak so plainly to King Ping, one of the primary candidates for the throne?
King Ping smiled at me. “Since I don't know your real name, I’ll keep calling you Yeon-saeng for now.”
“Do as you wish.”
“Then, Yeon-saeng. How about this?”
“How about what?”
“I give you my word. Even if I become immortal, if I ascend to the Dragon Throne, I will step down after thirty years of rule.”
I couldn't help but scowl. I couldn't tell if he was being sincere, but I never expected him to suggest setting a time limit on his own reign as Emperor.
However, his promise was full of holes.
“How can I be sure a mere verbal promise will actually be kept?”
King Ping replied, “Then you can stay by my side, watch me, and judge for yourself.”
“Me? Forgive me, but I—”
“I’m not asking you to be my subordinate.”
“...Then what are you saying?”
At my question, King Ping gave a bright smile.
“When I become Emperor, I want you to be my Empress.”
‘!!!’
For a moment, I was rendered speechless by the sheer absurdity of it. Who could have guessed such words would come out of his mouth?
The Lesser Conversation Sword’s hysterical laughter echoed in my head.
I was so stunned I couldn't even open my mouth, but King Ping continued.
“If you become my Empress and stay by my side, you can speak bluntly to ensure I don't become a tyrant and watch to make sure I don't break my promise, right?”
“...”
This was truly unbelievable. Regardless of my reaction, King Ping kept talking.
“A woman like you, who isn't afraid of me, knows how to speak the truth, and is strong enough to protect me... having you would be like gaining ten thousand soldiers and horses, wouldn't it?”
“...You are making me feel extremely bewildered.”
“I am being entirely sincere.”
I let out a long sigh and looked at him. “Do I really look like a woman to you?”
“Your face might be a human skin mask, but that body and voice... how could you produce them if you weren't a woman—”
Crack! Snap!
I used the Body Transformation Art to shift my form.
King Ping gasped and took a step back in shock.
‘!!!’
The form I had taken was none other than King Ping himself.
If that had been all, it might have been fine, but King Ping was now staring at a mirror image of himself wearing a fluttering, feminine battle garb.
King Ping’s face twisted into a grimace as if he were looking at something he wished he could unsee.
“...Are you mocking me?”
“Seeing is believing, after all.”
Even my voice was identical to his.
King Ping seemed to get the chills; he shuddered and spoke in a voice filled with deep disappointment.
“...Can you change back to the woman?”
“I can.”
“Then change back to Yeon-saeng this instant.”