Chapter 385: Runaway
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 385: Runaway
An unfamiliar ceiling.
That was my first thought upon waking. Judging by the sunlight streaming through the window, it was roughly noon.
I sat up immediately, needing to assess my situation. But when I tried to push myself up…
“Agh…”
A sudden, splitting headache forced my hand to my forehead.
Huh? Why does it hurt so much?
…Wait a minute.
As I looked around, I realized I’d never seen this room before. It had the feel of an inn, but it wasn't the White Forest Inn where I’d been staying.
The memories of what happened right before I blacked out came flooding back. My father’s fist, right in front of my eyes.
Did I get knocked out by a single punch?
How utterly pathetic…
I’d gone all out, ready to use the Heaven Destruction Art, but I was taken down in an instant—before I could even activate it. To make it worse, I’d psyched myself up before attacking. The embarrassment was crushing.
And more importantly…
I lost… which means I get no answers from him.
The whole point of the fight was to learn my mother’s whereabouts. All I had to do was land one hit, but I failed. Miserably. He’d even promised not to use one arm, and I still couldn’t touch him.
Not that I ever thought I could win.
I never believed victory was possible, but I hadn’t expected such a humiliating defeat. My father’s level was simply on another plane.
Struggling through the dizziness, I finally got out of bed. My first priorities were to find out how long I’d been unconscious and what happened after I fainted.
But then…
“Hmm?”
A strange sensation as I stretched my arms. Someone else was lying on the small bed beside me.
“…What the…?”
I jerked my hand back in shock. Who was in my bed? My mind went blank, then began to race.
As far as I knew, only two people would sneak into my room while I was asleep. Well, maybe three. But the most likely culprit was…
Namgung Bi-ah.
She’d done it before, though not recently. She was the only one who’d pull something like this.
Hesitantly, I pulled back the blanket.
If it was Bi-ah, I’d just scold her like usual, then we’d go downstairs for something to eat—
“Hmm…?”
I expected to see bluish-white hair, but instead, it was black. Black hair? Who did I know with black hair?
“Ugh…”
The voice that grumbled was strangely rough. Definitely not female. Was I still hearing things from just waking up?
As I sat there dumbfounded, the figure stirred, noticing my presence.
“Ugh… Is it mornin- Agh!”
The moment I saw the bastard slowly rising from my bed, my foot reacted on its own, sending him tumbling to the floor.
“Ugh…! Help, a Taoist is getting beaten up!”
The one screaming in pain was none other than Woo Hyuk, the Sleeping Dragon.
“…What the hell?”
Why was he here? And why was he shirtless? His annoyingly muscular physique filled my vision.
How did I feel? What kind of question is that? What guy wouldn’t be disgusted waking up next to another man?
Suppressing my revulsion, I spoke. “Why are you here?”
I really have become kinder. The old me would’ve led with my fists, but now I ask questions first.
“What do you mean, why am I here? People obviously sleep on a bed— …Hey, put that hand down. Why are you clenching your fist?”
Of course, my patience was short-lived. I was barely holding back.
“I’ll count to three,” I said, struggling to contain myself.
“For what?”
“You have three seconds to explain before I start beating you. Talk fast.”
“You call that kind? Giving me only three seconds? That’s unfair!”
His complaint left me speechless. He’d done the exact same thing in my past life.
Ignoring him, I raised a finger. “One.”
“Wait, aren’t we friends? There’s no need for violence.”
“Two.”
“Hey! At least let me hold a sword so I can fight back! This is totally unfair!”
Woo Hyuk frantically looked around for a weapon, but there was nothing.
“People should talk things out! You shouldn’t rely on your fists firs…!”
“Three. You bastard, come here—"
“I ran away!”
Pause.
I froze, my hand inches from grabbing Woo Hyuk’s head.
What did he just say?
“…Ran away?”
“Yes. I ran away and— Agh!”
I couldn’t help myself; I smacked him on the head. He screamed and shot me a frustrated look.
“Why did you hit me after I told you!”
“Sorry, but how could I hold back when you spout nonsense like that?”
Nothing could be more absurd. He ran away? This was the same bastard who abandoned his own clan to stay at the Wudang Sect. And as someone who knew his real name, it made even less sense.
“…What do you mean, you ran away?”
“Put your fist down first. What’s hard to understand? I ran away from the Wudang Sect.”
He didn’t even mention his clan, but that was understandable. Woo Hyuk despised that place.
“So you’re leaving the Wudang Sect?”
“Are you crazy? They’d cripple my dantian if I did that. It’s temporary. I’ll go back eventually…”
Generally, if a martial artist formally leaves a sect, the sect retrieves all the martial arts and qi they gained there. In extreme cases, they seal the martial artist’s dantian entirely.
I sighed. “Why did you run away all of a sudden?”
“…”
“One…”
“…Jeez, you’re so impatient.”
“Tell me. Now.”
As I pressed him, Woo Hyuk hesitated, his lips sealed. He clearly didn’t want to talk. Normally, I’d let it go…
“Two.”
But today, I was in a foul mood.
Seeing qi begin to gather in my hand, Woo Hyuk quickly spoke up. “It’s a protest!”
“A protest?”
“Yes… a protest.”
“What are you protesting?”
What was he talking about? Running away was his form of protest?
Woo Hyuk gave an awkward smile despite my repeated questions. I knew that look. When he smiled like that, he wouldn’t say another word. Even if it killed him, he’d stay silent.
Tsk. I clicked my tongue and changed my line of questioning. “Fine. Protest, runaway, whatever. But why are you here?”
I could accept it was a personal matter, but I couldn’t understand why he was in my room.
Woo Hyuk’s face lit up, as if he’d been waiting for this. Smiles from handsome bastards always pissed me off.
“Ah, that? Well, I’ve got nowhere to stay since I ran away.”
“And?”
“I didn’t run away for just a day or two, you know.”
He spoke with a cheerful grin. “So for the time being, I plan to let myself into your— …Hey, wait! I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Put that out! You’ll burn the whole building down!”
As I conjured flames with an ominous smile, Woo Hyuk frantically waved his hands.
“Right? You were just joking. I’m glad. I might’ve reduced you to ashes otherwise.”
“Such a violent way with words…” Woo Hyuk complained. Did this bastard seriously plan to mooch off me?
Seeing my annoyed expression, he smiled. “Don’t worry. I was only half-kidding. I actually have a place to stay.”
“Good.”
“Aren’t you even going to ask where? …That’s cold.”
“You’ll tell me without me asking.”
Woo Hyuk looked shocked at my calm reply. “You surprise me sometimes. Were we close friends when we were young?”
“Now you’re spouting nonsense again.”
“I’m just fascinated by how well you know me. Others don’t know half as much.”
“Just tell me already. Stop changing the subject.”
Woo Hyuk frowned at my firm tone. “I heard you’re planning to head to Sichuan.”
This time, I was the shocked one. “How do you know that?”
“Hmm? Master Cheol told me.”
Of all people, it was Cheol Jiseon.
…I swear, next time I see him, I’ll…
Jiseon’s mouth is looser than I thought. I’m going to kill him…
While I seethed internally, Woo Hyuk continued. “My master happens to be there. So, how about we travel together? I plan to stay there for a while.”
I was confused. His master?
This bastard had a master?
I’d always assumed he learned from his seniors, like Yung Pung. Did he have a separate master, like Gu Ryunghwa had the Sword Queen? This was the first I’d heard of it.
The Sleeping Dragon’s master. And they were in Sichuan?
“They move around a lot, and they happen to be in Sichuan right now.”
“You have a master?”
“Well, yes. Though I didn’t learn much from them… Oh, you might know them. They’re relatively famous.”
“Who is it?”
Famous? It was strange I hadn’t heard about this.
Curious, I pressed him. Woo Hyuk got up from the bed and said, “Gyudo.”
I tilted my head. It sounded like a name, but not one I recognized. Just as I thought it might be someone obscure…
“His title is—” Woo Hyuk continued, and what he said next made my eyes widen in shock.
“Monster of Wudang.”
“…!”
“He is my master.”
He was famous, alright. In many ways.
The Monster of Wudang, Gyudo. A leading master of the Wudang Sect, and one of its most infamous Taoists.
He was also the one who possessed the Thunder Fang—the treasure of the Namgung Clan that the future Demonic Sword would wield.