Chapter 201: I'll Be Back (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201: I'll Be Back (1)
Things had gone completely sideways.
I never expected the Second Elder to show up like that.
Our eyes met, his gaze piercing right through me. "From where I'm standing," he said, "this looks an awful lot like a prison break."
"Well, it might look that way," I replied, "but you have to believe me, it's not."
Of all the times for him to appear… my luck was truly the worst.
The Second Elder stared at me for a long moment before setting down the basket he was carrying. "If it's not a prison break," he said, his tone leaving no room for nonsense, "then explain it to me in a way that makes sense."
The glare he leveled at me was a clear warning: if my reason wasn't good enough, he wouldn't let this slide. He was trying to understand the situation first, rather than scolding me outright. Given how strange the circumstances were, his suspicion was understandable.
But really, it wasn't that complicated.
* * *
It started the day after the marble suddenly glowed at midnight.
My vision shifted.
It was a sensation I'd never felt before. One eye saw things normally, but the other… the other was seeing something else entirely.
What is this?
Everything was pitch black.
What am I looking at?
For a terrifying second, I thought I'd gone blind in one eye. But as my eye adjusted to the darkness, that fear faded. Instead, I could make out shapes.
Are those… iron bars?
Intermittent splashes of light faintly illuminated my surroundings. I tried to look around, but I couldn't. Even when I turned my head, this strange, detached field of view refused to move.
[Hmm? What's wrong?]
"You can't see this?" I asked.
[See what?]
Elder Shin, who shared my body and emotions, couldn't see what I was seeing. He couldn't even read my thoughts about it. What did that mean? Why was this happening…
I already know the answer.
It had to be because of the marble in my hand. It was the only explanation.
…What even is this thing?
I needed to figure out what this marble was for.
Will it stop if I let go?
Just as I was about to release the marble to test it…
"...!"
Something moved in the corner of my strange eye. My vision had adjusted to the dark, and by the sliver of moonlight filtering through a tiny window, I could faintly make out a figure.
A familiar red uniform. Long, black hair. A beautiful woman with a fierce countenance.
Gu Huibi…?
It was definitely her.
I watched as Gu Huibi looked around, testing the iron bars and feeling the walls. She seemed to be searching for a way out. Every now and then, her lips moved like she was talking to someone. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear a thing. I could only see.
…But why am I seeing this?
My vision changing was one thing, but why Gu Huibi? And it wasn't even from her perspective. It was like a third-person view. If this wasn't an illusion…
…Where is this place? I need to find out.
Pushing my confusion aside, I focused on what was important. Fortunately, Gu Huibi didn't seem injured. There were no signs she'd been tortured.
After confirming that, I tried to gather more details about the location, but…
It's too dark. I can't see much.
The only concrete information I had was that Gu Huibi was imprisoned in some kind of jail. This wasn't going to be easy.
Is this even the Black Palace?
Just because the Palace Lord took her didn't mean he brought her to his main stronghold. I needed to know more. If only I could pull the view back, get a wider look…
"Ugh…?"
The moment I had the thought, a sharp pain stabbed through my eye. I instinctively clutched it, squeezing my eyelids shut, but the vision didn't fade. That wasn't the only strange thing.
…It's zooming out?
My view, which had been tightly focused on Gu Huibi and her immediate surroundings, began to widen. As my sight pulled away from her, I could see more of the environment. It was a large building, shrouded in a thick, heavy fog. I couldn't make out details, but it seemed to be located in the middle of a forest.
…A forest shrouded in fog.
I committed the description to memory. Then, a tingling sensation ran through my eye, and my normal vision snapped back. The pain receded, but a wave of nausea slammed into me, bile rising in my throat. I couldn't afford to vomit in this tiny cell, so I forced it down.
"...Ugh."
[What in the world? What's happening to you all of a sudden…?]
"Just… wait," I gasped. "Don't talk to me for a minute."
Elder Shin's voice echoing in my head would only make it worse.
"...A forest covered in fog," I muttered, still covering my mouth.
A foggy forest might not seem special, but the fog I saw was unnaturally dense. More importantly, if Gu Huibi was there…
It must be relatively close to the battlefield.
Considering she hadn't been missing for long, one location came to mind.
The Misty Mountains.
A massive mountain range perpetually blanketed in thick fog—a lingering trace of a White-Grade demon that had emerged from a Gate of Demons long ago and died there. If what I saw was real, then Gu Huibi was in the Misty Mountains.
If that was true, I needed to pass this information on to—
"Ugh…!"
A sudden shock ran through my body, making my legs buckle. I tried to grab the wall for support, but my strength failed me. I plummeted into darkness.
"...So you're saying you woke up and found yourself in this situation?" the Second Elder asked.
"Yes," I nodded.
I'd probably lost consciousness because the recoil from using my Blood Qi hadn't fully subsided. My body must have finally buckled under the accumulated strain. By the time I woke up, it was already noon.
The Second Elder's expression was grave as I finished my explanation. I'd given him the gist of what happened, but he still seemed confused.
"Yangcheon."
"Yeah?"
"What does any of that have to do with you breaking out of your cell?"
"...Oh."
Right. I'd forgotten the most important part.
"It's not a prison break," I insisted.
"If you break out of prison, it's called a prison break, you damned grandson of mine."
"Um, but…"
This was frustrating. When I woke up, my body was still weak. I leaned against the door for support, and how was I supposed to know the damn thing wasn't locked?
"You're saying the door was unlocked?"
"Surprisingly, yes."
Hearing my response, the Second Elder turned to examine the door. As expected, there was no sign of it being forced open or broken.
"If I really wanted to make a run for it, I wouldn't have chosen such a stupid method."
"So you caused all this trouble because you thought it was clever?"
"…"
I had no comeback.
"...The door was unlocked, huh." The Second Elder fell silent for a moment, then clenched his jaw as if he'd realized something. "I see… those old fuckers, I swear."
"Second Elder?"
"Never mind. There are more important things right now. Continue what you were saying earlier. The part about you seeing Gu Huibi."
Hearing the urgency in his tone, I took the marble from my charm pocket and showed it to him. "Do you know what this is?"
"...This is…" The Second Elder's eyes widened at the sight of the red marble. "This is the Marble of Celestial Captivation. How do you…"
"The Marble of… Celestial Captivation?"
It was the first time I'd heard that name. But the fact that the Second Elder recognized it meant it wasn't some junk sold by a random merchant.
"Elder Sister gave this to me. Told me to keep it on me."
"Huibi gave this to you?"
A look of realization dawned on his face. "This must be why the Lord went to the vault, saying he wanted to grab something."
"Vault…? Did you just say the Vault?!"
"Yes. Didn't Huibi tell you about it?"
Of course not. This was the first I was hearing of it. If Gu Huibi really got this from the Gu Clan's Vault, then it was at least comparable to a national treasure.
And she told me she bought it from a merchant…? That crazy woman…!
I already had enough treasures stuck to me against my will. Now another one was added to the list. At this point, my body was a walking treasure chest.
"...This treasure," I asked, "does it do what I think it does?"
"Yes. What you saw wasn't an illusion. It was the power of that marble."
The ability to see someone from anywhere, as long as they also possessed a marble. Granted, I couldn't hear anything, but it was still an incredible power.
And if I could see Gu Huibi with it…
It meant she had a matching marble.
"I knew about this already," the Second Elder said with a chuckle, "but Huibi really is obsessed with you."
I nodded in agreement. "I know. I can't believe she gave me this so she could bully me from even farther away."
"Hmm?"
"What a terrifying person."
The Second Elder made a strange face at my words, but it quickly passed. "Anyway, it's fortunate. Thanks to this, we know Huibi's location."
"...Yes."
"You said the Misty Mountains? I must send word to the Lord immediately."
As the Second Elder turned to leave in a hurry, I stopped him. "...Take this with you."
I offered him the Marble of Celestial Captivation. I didn't want this suspicious trinket that let the other side spy on me. More importantly, it would be more useful for Father to have it to find her faster.
But the Second Elder shook his head. "The marble activates with the user's blood."
"Oh…!"
So it had activated when I touched it with my bleeding hand. But what he said next was even more shocking.
"Once the marble is used, no one else can use it until the current owner dies."
"...What did you say? What kind of bullshit item is that?"
Not only did it allow stalking, but it was also bound to the owner until death. It was an item riddled with flaws.
"If you think I'm lying, do you want to test the dying part?"
"…"
I promptly put the marble back into my pocket.
"Keep it with you. We could store it in the vault if you want, but I doubt you'd let it go, given your personality."
He was right on the money.
"Well… I can't chat any longer. This old man must go."
"Yes… Understood."
Now that Gu Huibi's location was known, the Second Elder wasted no time and hurried off. Watching him leave, I went back into the cell and closed the door myself. Gritting my teeth, I reminded myself that I just had to endure this for now.
Just as I was about to shut the door, the Second Elder, who had been walking away, suddenly stopped and turned back. His tone was deadly serious.
"Yangcheon."
I met his gaze, wondering what was wrong.
"This old man has a request."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Do not go."
"…"
My eyes widened. I hadn't expected such a request from him.
He continued, ignoring my reaction. "This is beyond your control. Leave this matter to the others."
"...What are you talking about? Where would I even go?"
"Good. So, do not go."
"Second Elder, what are you even—"
"Answer me."
He cut me off, his tone leaving no room for argument. His eyes said that despite the urgency, he wouldn't leave until I gave him a response.
Finally, I sighed in resignation. "...Understood."
"Thank you."
Satisfied, the Second Elder hurried back toward the clan grounds. All that was left was the basket of food he'd brought.
"…"
The food had gone cold. This meal was meant for us to share.
"...And why did he put it so far away? Is he telling me to just casually open the cell door and eat?"
I could see how urgent the situation was for him. I let out a dry chuckle, but my mind was elsewhere.
It wasn't the Second Elder's request, or the Marble of Celestial Captivation that Gu Huibi had tricked me into taking.
-Brother, please be happy.
A memory from my past life surfaced—a woman's face, her gaze fixed on me as she uttered those words. In a moment that called for tears, she had chosen to smile, whispering her final farewell.
For the longest time, I wondered why she had done that. But now, having a vague understanding of the thoughts and emotions behind her words…
"I'm sorry."
An apology was all I could offer.
After all, it seemed I wouldn't be able to honor the Second Elder's request.
* * *
Night fell.
I didn't know the exact time, but the sun had long since set. I opened my eyes, having been sitting still, and rose to my feet.
[Hah. So you've decided to go after all.]
It was Elder Shin. I fidgeted with the marble in my pocket and nodded.
"Yes."
The marble hadn't shown me Gu Huibi's situation again. Its red color had faded, though it was slowly returning. It was only a matter of time before I could use it again.
[It will be dangerous.]
"I know."
If it really was the palace of the Black Palace Lord, then this was far more dangerous than anything I'd faced before. And here I was, planning to walk right in. Despite always saying I wanted a peaceful life with a bright future, I was now marching headfirst into danger. The irony wasn't lost on me.
"It's because I've regretted it my whole life."
Creak—
The cell door opened easily. It was still unlocked. Strangely, no one had come to check on me. Was this imprisonment just for show? Or did they have other intentions? I didn't know yet.
"But I do know which regret would be greater."
Which would weigh more heavily on me? Even if the scales were nearly balanced, I knew the answer in my heart.
"I would regret it more if I just stayed here and did nothing."
[…]
Elder Shin fell silent. I couldn't tell if he was respecting my decision or simply had nothing more to say. But I felt confident it was the former.
As I approached the basement exit, I sharpened my senses.
One guard at the entrance.
Only one? I knew they took shifts, but their laxity made it seem like they didn't really intend to guard this place at all. At this point, it felt like they were begging me to break out.
I stepped outside and swiftly chopped the guard on the neck, rendering him unconscious. They'd never sealed my Qi, so this imprisonment was pointless from the start.
"...It hasn't been long since I returned to the clan."
I felt like I'd said the same thing before leaving for Hanam. Was the world just out to get me? Why else would I keep stumbling into these deplorable situations? I never intended to break out, yet here I was, escaping. I'd have a lot to deal with when I returned.
Father would surely take my side.
Well, I wasn't sure about that, but I didn't really care. Let them punish me. My outrage would be far more terrifying.
[When will you ever mature…]
I ignored Elder Shin's quiet remark and headed toward the area with the least activity. With a sizable portion of the clan's forces away, it was easy for me to slip out undetected.
…The girls are the problem, though.
They were already worried about me. If I disappeared without a word, I'd be met with sharp glares when I returned. Namgung Bi-ah had specifically warned me to tell her if I ever did something like this. If I got caught, I'd be in real danger.
She might actually draw her sword.
In that regard, Namgung Bi-ah was far scarier than Tang Soyeol or Wi Seol-Ah. Especially since I'd witnessed her skill at slicing people apart in my past life.
I bit my lip and focused. Even if they got angry, I wasn't in a position to go and see them now.
I'll just send a letter later.
Assuming I even got the chance.
After a few Qi-enhanced leaps, I reached the clan's outer wall. Without hesitation, I vaulted over it and landed softly on the other side.
“…Hmm?”
Just as I thought I’d escaped undetected, a flicker of golden light passed by me. I scanned my surroundings, thinking I’d imagined it, but found nothing unusual. There was only darkness, the trees, and the sound of crickets.
Was it just my imagination?
Probably just a firefly. Sensing no other presence, I chose to believe that.
As I was about to correct my direction and continue on my way, a familiar voice stopped me cold.
“Young Master.”
My body spun around instinctively.
The voice belonged to someone who shouldn't have been here.
“…You…?”
There, under a tree…
…Why are you here?
…stood Wi Seol-Ah, her eyes swollen from crying, looking right at me.