Chapter 264: What Am I? (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 264: What Am I? (1)
Bedwetter.
Was it because I’d seen the face I dreaded most?
My involuntary reaction to his arrival—
Crack—
—was more than enough to fracture the mask he wore.
“…I’m not… sure what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe say that after you relax your face a little?”
Just look at this bastard.
The moment I brought up him wetting himself, his expression shifted—he clearly remembered.
I thought he’d passed out.
Surprisingly, it seemed he’d been somewhat conscious after all.
If that was the case, it probably hadn’t been a pleasant experience for him.
Sure enough, Namgung Cheonjun’s expression began to rot away as his composure shattered.
From his reaction, he must have believed it was all a dream—or that it never happened at all.
“I even dried your pants so you wouldn’t be humiliated. Shouldn’t you thank me first?”
“…Crack.”
Truthfully, I’d only done it to spare his sister, Namgung Bi-ah, the embarrassment—but saying that would only infuriate him more.
“…You bastard…”
See?
He flared up immediately.
I was almost relieved. It proved he hadn’t matured one bit.
Not that I would’ve gone easy on him even if he had.
“…I could never like you, no matter how many times I see you.”
“And here I am, the savior of your reputation. You could stand to be a little more polite.”
Zap.
Mid-conversation, I felt a surge of Qi brush past my cheek.
Lightning Qi.
It was emanating from Namgung Cheonjun’s shoulders—far stronger than before.
Still not enough, though.
Even if he had improved, it didn’t matter.
He was still just a young prodigy, and to me, all young prodigies—except maybe the top two or three—were weaklings.
Just as I considered severing the Qi he’d directed at me—
Crack.
A more powerful wave of Lightning Qi surged forth and devoured his.
It was far denser, far more potent.
After consuming the hostile energy aimed at me, someone stepped in front.
Namgung Bi-ah.
“Cheonjun.”
Her voice was cold, laced with anger.
It had been a long time since I’d heard her speak like that.
“What are you doing?”
“…Sister?”
“I asked… what you are doing.”
She hadn’t drawn her sword, but a razor-sharp Qi radiated from her—the aura of a swordswoman who had reached the beginning stage of perfection after breaking into the Peak Realm.
It had taken her a full year after overcoming her bottleneck to stabilize and control it so completely.
…It amazes me every time.
All I could do was admire her.
Watching a true talent soar to such heights from the front row was genuinely fascinating.
In my past life, sights like this would have filled me with jealousy and shame. Now, I felt none of that.
As her thick Lightning Qi enveloped me protectively, Namgung Cheonjun frowned, his gaze fixed on his sister.
“I only came to greet him.”
“This… is not a greeting.”
Obviously.
What kind of bastard greets someone like that?
Sure, I’d provoked him first, but there was no chance I’d play nice when his intentions were so transparent.
Ha—
Hearing Namgung Bi-ah, Namgung Cheonjun let out a short, incredulous laugh. His sigh was deep and heavy.
“So you’re still taking his side, sister. That bastard isn’t your brother—I am.”
“…Cheonjun.”
Hearing the discomfort in her tone, Namgung Cheonjun let his Lightning Qi fade away. He had withdrawn the threat himself.
With the danger passed, Namgung Bi-ah retracted her sharp aura as well. Still staring at her, Namgung Cheonjun spoke quietly.
“…If I’d known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have held back.”
With those words, he turned and walked back into the shadows.
Was that really it?
Did he come all this way just for that?
No chance.
I frowned slightly as I watched him leave.
I wanted to know how the bastard had ended up like this.
Did he receive more Blood Qi?
When I saw him at the banquet earlier, I hadn’t sensed anything unusual—no Blood Qi in his dantian. But looking more carefully just now, I realized my mistake.
I shouldn’t have focused only on his dantian.
The Blood Qi hadn’t left Namgung Cheonjun’s body. Instead of being confined to his dantian, it had spread throughout his entire system.
This state—where normal Qi remains in the dantian, but Blood Qi circulates freely—was a mess I’d seen countless times in my past life.
Though it was Demonic Qi back then, not Blood Qi.
Still, the principle was similar. When Qi transforms and merges with the body like a Peak Realm martial artist’s energy, there’s only one explanation.
Transformation into a Demonic Human.
Right now, Namgung Cheonjun was no different from a Demonic Human.
If this power came from the Blood Demon, he might not be a true Demonic Human—but in my eyes, the difference was negligible.
I also couldn’t tell if he’d been driven mad by the corruption.
Then again, he was already a crazy bastard. Maybe the madness isn’t noticeable.
Or perhaps he hadn’t gone mad at all.
For instance, the Sword Demon—one of the masters of the Demonic Cult—hadn’t changed much after his transformation, because he’d already been a killing-obsessed maniac to begin with.
Or maybe…
Blood Qi might not be linked to madness at all.
I had to consider every possibility. My understanding of Qi was still limited.
Beyond that…
How did he end up like this?
Was it because I left him alone after the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament?
Didn’t I do my part by drying his pants?
I took care of a grown man who’d pissed himself—what more could he want?
He ought to be grateful.
Even if Namgung Cheonjun had turned into a Demonic—wait, should I call him a Bloody Demon, since it’s Blood Qi?
Whatever he was now, I had no intention of helping him.
The only thing I knew for certain…
Was that the Blood Demon is making its move.
I didn’t know their goal, but Namgung Cheonjun’s condition likely wasn’t entirely his fault.
More importantly…
Something feels off.
The bastard’s body was changing, and it looked deeply unsettling.
It almost made me want to grab him and rip that Qi right out of him.
This urge to absorb it… is it because of that bastard’s hunger?
Was it the glutton inside me, eager to devour anything?
Or was it because he was so openly hostile?
Strangely, no one else seemed to notice what was happening to him.
Was it because I’d once received the same Blood Qi from the Blood Demon?
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped me.
Couldn’t they just rest peacefully in the afterlife?
If they were troublemakers from centuries ago, they should stay in their graves.
Why cling to this world just to make trouble for me?
I’ve got enough on my plate already.
It wasn’t just the Blood Demon—every day, something new kept me busy.
The last thing I needed was a calamity from the past adding to my burdens.
As I sighed and held my head, a cool, pale hand touched my forehead.
Namgung Bi-ah.
“…Are you okay…?”
Her careful tone was tinged with nervousness.
She was worried I’d been offended by Namgung Cheonjun’s actions.
How naive.
She’s still so young.
I placed my hand over hers and replied, “I’m fine.”
“…Okay.”
She probably still didn’t understand why I was acting this way. To her, I must have just looked tired.
So what should I do?
If the bastard had corrupted himself by getting drunk on power, I honestly didn’t want to get involved.
I had no interest in wasting time on someone who lost control like that.
Still, I was concerned—this was tied to the Blood Demon.
I didn’t want to be part of it.
If I hadn’t seen the look in his eyes or heard his final words, I might have let it go.
—…If I’d known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have held back.
His eyes were corrupt when he said that. I felt his emotions so clearly I had to shield Namgung Bi-ah with a Qi barrier.
I didn’t want that toxicity to touch her.
I pictured Namgung Cheonjun’s face.
I just hope he doesn’t cross the final line.
How many chances has it been now?
At least three, I think.
I honored the Sleeping Dragon’s dying wish and found reasons to hold back again and again. My patience was wearing thin.
It means there are no more chances left.
This warning won’t reach him.
And I’m not kind enough to keep tolerating him anyway.
I controlled my killing intent so it wouldn’t affect Namgung Bi-ah, staring into the darkness where he’d vanished.
I prayed the bastard wouldn’t do anything stupid, but deep down, it felt inevitable.
After a moment, I turned to Namgung Bi-ah beside me.
“Hey.”
“Hmm…?”
“Go on ahead without me. There’s something I need to take care of.”
“…”
She glanced around with clear eyes, as if searching for what I meant, then nodded slowly as I stepped away.
* * *
My steps into the garden were quick, hurried.
He moved deeper into the forest, into shadows so thick it felt like stepping into an abyss.
The few trees here were enormous, their canopies blotting out the moonlight, leaving the woods pitch black.
As Namgung Cheonjun hurried through the darkness, a voice echoed in his mind.
—I told you not to overreact.
It sounded like telepathy—a woman’s voice, calm and measured.
But Namgung Cheonjun’s face twisted demonically upon hearing it.
“I believe I told you to stay out of my business.”
—Lightning Dragon, I don’t know your history or your goals, but I warned you—it is not yet time.
“Whether it’s time or not will be decided by me.”
—…If you continue like this, I will have no choice but to revoke the blessing the Great One bestowed upon you.
Namgung Cheonjun stopped walking.
The woman wondered if she had angered him, but his face showed a smirk, not rage.
“And you have the right to do that?”
—…Lightning Dragon.
Her voice sharpened with rare anger.
Namgung Cheonjun didn’t care.
“The Great One calls you the Dancer, so you think you’re special. In truth, you’re just a parrot—repeating the Great One’s words.”
—Mind your tongue. Even if you are not in your right mind, intoxicated by power…
“I am being careful. Like you said, I received a blessing from the Great One.”
It was a power granted only to him—not even the mighty Peng Woojin or that annoying Meteor Sword had received it.
After his humiliating defeat, Namgung Cheonjun had followed Peng Woojin into a hidden basement, where he met a great existence and was gifted this strength.
That made him the chosen one.
The power was real—his unstable Lightning Qi had grown stronger, his dantian had expanded and solidified.
He even felt he could easily break through to the Peak Realm—something he once thought impossible.
A little more.
Just a little more.
Once this new power fully merged with his body, and the Qi returned to his dantian, he would enter a whole new world.
And when that happens… that bastard will finally—
Namgung Cheonjun planned to tear him limb from limb and burn the pieces.
Then… his beautiful sister would be his, once and for all.
After that…
“…Sigh…”
He exhaled, calming his boiling desires.
His sister was more stunning than ever.
She had grown so much stronger.
He remembered how her immense Lightning Qi had devoured his own.
Her beauty blossomed alongside her power—could anyone be more perfect?
As expected of my sister.
That was why he couldn’t let a mere insect like him have her.
His sister was being deceived—manipulated by that pest into pushing him away.
That was why Namgung Cheonjun needed this power—to bring her back to her senses.
“…How much longer do I have to wait?”
He asked the Dancer how long until the process was complete.
—…
But she remained silent.
The calm-voiced woman had never approved of his attitude, but she had never ignored him like this before.
Puzzled, Namgung Cheonjun asked again, “Why aren’t you respon—”
“What response?”
A voice answered from somewhere else.
Namgung Cheonjun felt a chill shoot down his spine.
He surged his inner Qi and spun around—
“…Kughh…!”
But a hand shot out instantly and seized him by the throat.
“I asked… what response?”
Namgung Cheonjun struggled, but his whole body felt paralyzed, though only his neck was gripped.
As he gasped for air, the voice spoke again.
“Aren’t you going to respond?”
Luminous red eyes glared up at him from the darkness, burning with killing intent, illuminating the shadowed forest.