Chapter 25: The Demon Sword (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: The Demon Sword (2)
After settling the matter with Wi Seol-Ah, we hastily prepared a simple meal and ate just as quickly; it was far too late to make anything elaborate.
It was rather amusing to see how much Wi Seol-Ah ate, as if she hadn't had a proper meal in days. When I asked the servants if they knew why she ate so voraciously, they simply said that was how she always ate. Thinking back, she had devoured a frightening number of potatoes on the day we first met.
Regardless, with Wi Seol-Ah and her bottomless appetite added to our group, it became clear we would need to make frequent stops to restock our supplies.
* * *
The moon's beautiful reflection shimmered on the surface of a lake near our campsite. We had chosen this spot for its suitability, but as darkness fell, the night air grew unusually cold, chilled by the proximity to the water.
By around 11 p.m., the escorts began preparing for their night watch. They placed protective demon-repelling charms around the perimeter and arranged themselves in positions that allowed for effective surveillance and quick response should anything happen.
I was sitting by the campfire, gazing at the moon, when Muyeon approached me.
"Young Master, you should head inside. It's getting quite chilly."
"No matter how cold it gets, I'll likely be warmer than all of you."
Thanks to my Fire Qi, the cold air felt like nothing more than a cool breeze. Soon after, Wi Seol-Ah skipped over to us after receiving something from the servants. Upon closer inspection, it was a bowl of dumplings.
…Dumplings? Why now?
They appeared to have just been steamed, as a light vapor still rose from the bowl. I wondered how they had managed to steam them here.
"The servant sisters told me to share these with everyone!" she announced.
It seemed the dumplings had been prepared for the escorts. As Wi Seol-Ah handed them out, the guards smiled warmly at her. Her beauty was truly a potent asset. The fully grown Wi Seol-Ah from my previous life could make enemies surrender with her appearance alone. While she hadn't yet reached that level of beauty, she was still adorable enough to bring a smile to anyone who saw her.
After distributing the dumplings, she sat down beside me.
"Young Master, I brought you a big one," she said, beaming as she offered me two dumplings.
I accepted them and asked, "Are you sure you shouldn't be sleeping now? You'll need to wake up early tomorrow."
We were setting off at sunrise, and it would be better for her to rest so she wouldn't be tired.
"But you're not sleeping either, Young Master."
"…Well."
I was fine because I had my Qi, but Wi Seol-Ah wasn't a martial artist yet, and I worried she might struggle. I shook my head and took a bite of the dumpling. Its soft, moist texture confirmed my belief that dumplings were truly the food of the gods.
As the night grew colder, Muyeon stood up and stretched. Deciding it was time to retire, I gave Wi Seol-Ah's back a light push.
"Go to sleep now. We'll leave you behind if you don't wake up on time."
"Uuu… You're so mean."
"The dumplings were delicious," I said.
I finished the last bite, returned to the carriage, and went to sleep.
* * *
"It's disgustingly far."
Four days had already passed since we left the clan for Sichuan. All we had done in that time was ride and camp. I had trained during the journey, but I noticed no improvement. I understood that slight enlightenments wouldn't easily boost my Qi, but that wasn't my main concern.
"…Getting there is one thing, but what about the return trip?"
It would probably take just as long. Am I really supposed to endure this all over again?
The long journey was wearing on me, made infinitely worse by the bumpy roads that prevented the carriage from reaching its top speed. At first, I enjoyed the first-class view of the passing scenery, but I soon grew sick of it.
"Young Master!"
"Sigh… What is it?"
"Look over there! Look! It's a squirrel!"
I looked at the tree Wi Seol-Ah was pointing toward and saw a squirrel, busy and content as it chewed on an acorn.
"Yes, that is a squirrel…"
"It's so cute! Right?"
We often had brief conversations like this, and honestly, these small respites were part of the reason I hadn't yet been bored out of my mind. Sometimes she would talk about how yanggwa was tastier than potatoes, or how eagle meat was tough, or how regular pigs tasted better than boars… come to think of it, we only seemed to talk about food.
At that thought, a chill ran down my spine as I glanced down at Wi Seol-Ah, who was pointing at the squirrel and calling it cute. My curiosity got the better of me.
"…Have you ever eaten squirrel before?"
Wi Seol-Ah made a strange face. "Young Master… not even I would eat squirrels."
Her look seemed to say, 'Are you an idiot, Young Master?' I felt a bit embarrassed.
In my defense, she did say she's eaten eagles before… How was I supposed to know she'd draw the line at squirrels?
Feeling slightly spiteful, I snatched the yanggwa she was about to eat and ate it myself.
Wi Seol-Ah took a moment to process what had happened. When she did, her reaction was immediate. "Huh… Huhhh!!??"
She made a face as if her world were ending. It was a comical expression on her chubby frame, and my amusement eased the sting of her earlier look.
"H-How could you…"
"You really need to stop eating so much yanggwa. Look how round your face has become."
"It's not round!"
"Go ask the others and see if they agree."
The servants sitting across from us had been laughing at the scene. Their laughter died the instant Wi Seol-Ah turned to them. When she opened her mouth to ask, they all averted their gazes. They couldn't bring themselves to say it aloud.
But Wi Seol-Ah found her answer in their silence. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "My… my face is chubby…"
"Yes, it is," I confirmed.
With that final verbal blow, Wi Seol-Ah leaned her head against the carriage wall and fell silent, utterly defeated.
To be honest, her face wasn't bad at all. It was just that, compared to when I first met her, she looked a little fuller. So, it's true she's gained some weight, right?
Regardless, her quietness allowed me to enjoy some peace. Turning my gaze back to the passing scenery, I pondered the future.
I hope everything goes well.
Visiting the Tang Clan of Sichuan was a major task in itself, but I also had to consider the Golden Nature Clan and the Gaecheon Clan. How much time could I afford to spend searching for the secret vault? I had at most three days, far less than I'd initially hoped. The information I had was vague, pointing only to a general area.
Honestly, if I couldn't find the vault myself, I was considering simply informing the Beggar’s Sect. At the very least, I had to ensure that groups like the Gaecheon Clan, or any other faction that might side with the demonic cult, couldn't lay their hands on its contents. I would cross that bridge if I actually found it.
We're running low on food, too.
…It definitely wasn't solely because of Wi Seol-Ah's appetite…
The unexpectedly rough roads and occasional rain had slowed our progress, and we still had a considerable distance to cover. I leaned out the window and called to Muyeon.
"Muyeon, how much longer until we arrive?"
"At our current speed, at least two more hours, Young Master."
"Walking would be faster," I grumbled.
I briefly considered going on ahead alone, but dismissed the idea. I'd be exhausted within an hour, and I also had a gift to deliver to the Tang Clan.
"Sigh…"
Muyeon, who had been smiling, suddenly tensed, his expression sharpening as he snapped his gaze forward. Noticing his abrupt change, I asked, "What's wrong?"
"Stop."
The seriousness in his voice matched the severity of his expression. Everyone halted immediately. By now, I also sensed that something was amiss and began to concentrate my Qi.
A strange presence brushed against my senses, and I unconsciously smirked. It was unmistakably the presence of demons.
"I knew it had been too peaceful these past few days."
"There aren't many. We'll deal with them quickly. Please stay inside the carriage and rest, Young Master," Muyeon said, just as he had the last time.
I didn't know what would happen if I touched another demonic stone, so I planned to comply. Thankfully, this wasn't a full Gate of Demons—it seemed more like scattered remnants from one.
The presences were approaching rapidly. Were they planning to attack? But something felt off.
-Shshshsh—
A rustling sound from the tall grass alerted us to movement. Muyeon and the other escorts already had their swords drawn, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
A moment later, something burst from the grass and lunged at the escorts.
-Rooaa—Schwing!
Muyeon cut it in half before it could even finish its roar, and before I could properly identify what kind of demon it was.
Thump!
The slain beast collapsed. It was a bear-shaped demon. I'd always thought the Second Elder resembled a bear, but seeing this actual demon made me reconsider the comparison.
A Green-Forest Bear. Like the Green-Horned Hound, it was among the lowest rank of demons that could emerge from a Gate.
"This thing…" Muyeon said, examining the carcass. "It has another wound, besides the one I just gave it."
"Hm?"
I looked closer and saw that he was right. There was indeed another sword wound on the beast. Had it been running away from its attacker? But demons were instinctively drawn to Qi, compelled to slaughter anything they encountered. For them to flee from humans was… unusual.
Just then, I felt more demonic presences appearing around us. But most of them vanished seconds later. It was as if someone was killing them from behind.
Suddenly, a powerful presence rushed toward us. It was fast and heading straight for our group. Muyeon, who had sensed it too, was momentarily shaken, but he quickly regained his composure and assumed a battle stance alongside the other escorts.
The presence burst through the tall grass without hesitation.
-Roooaaarr!
It was another Green-Forest Bear.
Slash!
A swift sword stroke sealed its fate, identical to the first bear's.
Thump!
Blue blood gushed from the slain demon, but Muyeon paid it no further attention. His focus was locked on the tall grass from which the bear had emerged. His posture tensed again as he called out, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
A few seconds after his challenge, someone actually walked out of the grass. The figure held a sword. I tried to see who it was, but their face was covered with a cloth. From their physique, I could tell it was a woman.
She walked toward us with light, deliberate steps. As she drew nearer, my eyes fell on her clothing. Her blue garments were dusted with leaves and dirt, suggesting a long journey. As the distance closed, she sheathed her sword. Muyeon, however, kept his blade pointed at her.
When she was close enough, the woman removed the cloth covering her face. One of the escorts audibly gasped upon seeing her.
She appeared to be younger than twenty, but older than me. She had light blue hair and pale skin that complemented it perfectly. Her sharp nose and well-defined lips suggested she was one of the most beautiful women in the world.
She spoke to Muyeon, her voice calm. "I was traveling alone, so my efforts at slaying them were inadequate. I apologize."
"Alone? You mean you were killing all these demons by yourself?"
"I've had rather bad luck recently. A Gate of Demons appeared right in front of me. While I was dealing with some, others managed to flee."
"They… ran away?"
"I don't know if it's because of my clan's techniques, but they often do."
While Muyeon conversed with her, I was also shocked by her appearance—not because of her beauty.
My eyes had caught a small, white insignia embroidered on her blue clothing.
Namgung.
"Holy…" I nearly cursed aloud.
Very few people could roam the land bearing that name on their attire. Furthermore, there was only one woman who could do so.
Why the hell is she here?
I wiped away a trickle of sweat before it could run down my face. I knew exactly who she was. We hadn't met in this life, but it was different in my previous one. She was one of the people I had desperately wanted to avoid in this lifetime.
Even with my terrible luck, how do things always manage to go this wrong?
I forced myself to calm my rapidly beating heart. It wasn't pounding from excitement or anything of the sort. It was pure fear.
The woman spoke to Muyeon again, her voice stiff. "My name is Namgung Bi-ah. Are you, by any chance, also heading to Sichuan?"
I clenched my eyes shut and my fists upon hearing her name. It was truly her. I let out a silent sigh at her next words.
"Then, might I travel with you? I will compensate you for the trouble."
"No, goddammit! Hell no!"
I kicked the carriage door open and shouted, rushing toward them. My eyes met hers. Her expressionless gaze was identical to the one from my previous life, and that made it all the more terrifying.
Demonic Sword Namgung Bi-ah.
The woman who was crazy for swords.
The woman who would eventually destroy her own clan after becoming a Demonic Human.