Chapter 402: To Sichuan (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 402: To Sichuan (3)
Gu Jeolyub would not be coming to Sichuan.
The first thought that crossed my mind upon hearing the news was of Gu Sunmoon.
Is this connected to Muyeon?
It seemed Gu Sunmoon was heavily favouring Muyeon, a sentiment that apparently extended to the Captain of the First Army. Because of this, it appeared Gu Jeolyub had decided to return to Gu Sunmoon immediately.
As if reading my thoughts, the First Elder let out a small sigh before speaking. “It was his wish. The Lord has given his approval.”
“I see.”
My father probably didn’t care one way or another about Gu Jeolyub’s decision. Yet, I felt a flicker of disappointment.
If he returns to Gu Sunmoon like that…
I wondered if it was truly the right path for him. Not that I believed it was any better for him to continue following me around.
But I can’t help feeling concerned.
I was concerned. The memory of that bastard’s darkened expression bothered me. After staring at Gu Jeolyub’s face for a moment longer, I finally looked away.
If that is your decision, then I won’t stand in your way.
Gu Jeolyub had concluded that returning to Gu Sunmoon was his best course of action now. I had no intention of trying to convince him otherwise. Had he come to me for advice, I might have offered a different suggestion, but he hadn’t. He was already certain he had made the right choice.
Seeing that, the only thing I could hope for Gu Jeolyub was that he would have no regrets.
After saying my goodbyes to everyone, I boarded the carriage.
It was a Gu Clan carriage, and I hadn’t bothered to summon any servants. The Tang Clan’s primary objective was to transport prisoners to Sichuan; bringing extra people would only add to their workload. As for the Pe Clan, they seemed to have reached an agreement to assist the Tang Clan with escorting the carriages.
Other than that…
My gaze drifted towards the Pe Clan’s carriages. Cheol Jiseon was likely sitting with Pe Woocheol right now. I needed to learn more about that bastard, too.
Our departure was slightly delayed due to the evacuation process. Our planned route to Sichuan had been altered to ensure the safest evacuation possible, so we had to anticipate any potential problems we might encounter along the way.
There was so much to think about. Even after organising my thoughts, a mountain of concerns remained. For the first time in a while, a headache began to pulse behind my eyes.
Just as I let out an exhausted breath, laced with the day’s heat, a cool hand suddenly touched my forehead. It was Namgung Bi-ah.
When I glanced at her, I saw her blue eyes filled with concern. She stared at me and asked, “…Are you… okay?”
Am I okay? Why would she ask that?
I responded with a slight smile. “Of course, I am. I’m perfectly fine.”
“…”
“But I must smell terrible right now, so you should keep your distance.”
I was referring to my dishevelled, unclean state after boarding the carriage. I had considered walking instead, but Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah had insisted against it. Not that it would have been a problem for me.
Just as I was about to gently push Namgung Bi-ah away, citing my dirty condition, she reached out, pulled my head towards her, and I felt a soft sensation.
It was Namgung Bi-ah’s lap.
I was about to sit up immediately from this sudden development when Namgung Bi-ah spoke. “…You… are tired. It’s okay to sleep…”
I gave up trying to get up after hearing her.
How did she know I was tired? I had used my qi to make myself appear perfectly fine and had carefully controlled my breathing, yet Namgung Bi-ah had somehow noticed.
…This is a problem.
Lying on Namgung Bi-ah’s lap was comfortable, but it felt like a waste. I was wasting time. I should be using this time to train. Was it really acceptable for me to fall asleep like this?
Now that I think about it, Moyong Hi-ah is…
Thankfully, Moyong Hi-ah, who had been out of contact lately, had sent a message saying she would be joining us in Sichuan a few days after we set out.
Thankfully…?
Why did the news of Moyong Hi-ah’s delayed arrival make me feel that way? Had I gone insane from exhaustion?
…Anyway, I need to focus on what awaits me in Sichuan.
I had many reasons for going to Sichuan, but aside from the Golden Nature Clan and the White Demonic Stone, there was one particular matter that concerned me.
That bastard was there right now. One of the individuals I had been considering recruiting for my future alliance against the coming calamity was currently in Sichuan. Originally, he would have appeared one or two years later, but I planned to meet him earlier.
If my expectations were correct, finding him wouldn’t be difficult. As long as the information from my past life held true, he would be hiding on the highest mountain in Sichuan.
He was the first step in forming my alliance. In my past life, he was a Demonic Human, and he was one of the few who wouldn’t care in the slightest if I turned him into one again in this life.
As I pictured his face, I felt a soft hand brushing through my hair. Was it Namgung Bi-ah? Or Wi Seol-Ah, sitting beside her? I wasn’t sure.
The only thing I was sure of was the sense of peace this simple motion brought me, a feeling I found strangely fascinating. Even though I kept telling myself I needed to get up, my exhausted body refused to obey. In the end, I decided to sleep.
I’ll just rest for a short while.
Or so I planned.
* * *
The Ghostly Mountain of Sichuan.
This was the name of the largest mountain in Sichuan. People called it a mountain haunted by ghosts due to its sheer size and the ominous, cold air that clung to it. Consequently, numerous rumours swirled around it—ghosts appearing at night, or that anyone who entered alone would never leave alive.
The Ghostly Mountain was notorious.
Despite the wild rumours, there was one truth nobody knew: there were no actual ghosts on the mountain. While ghosts could exist, the tales of their nightly appearances were nothing but false rumours spread by people.
It was true that a person might not leave the mountain alive, but the cause wasn’t ghosts—it was people.
A group of individuals resided secretly within the mountain, spreading these rumours and blocking outsiders from entering. The people of the Central Plains referred to them as the Green Forest.
With the rise of the Gates of Demons in the mountains and seas, the number of people in the Green Forest had dwindled significantly. Some said the age of bandits was over.
They weren’t entirely wrong. Few had seen a real bandit lately, and the territory where the Green Forest could operate had shrunk considerably as more people banded together to fight the Demons. Thus, it wouldn’t be strange to call those residing in the mountain the last remnants of the Green Forest.
* * *
In a spooky abode on the mountainside, a liquor bottle rolled across the floor of a messy room.
The room was littered with liquor bottles and leftover food that attracted swarms of flies. Amidst the filth, men who looked like they hadn’t washed for days slept in a pile, their snoring deafeningly loud—so loud it could easily echo through the mountain.
Suddenly, someone kicked the door open and rushed inside.
Slam-!
“Boss!” shouted the bearded man who had entered.
The noise stirred the men sleeping on the floor, who began to rise lazily.
“Ugh… My head…”
“Water… get me water!”
“Blergh-!”
“Agh! You bastard…! Stop puking here!”
“Grab this idiot and throw him out!”
In an instant, the place descended into chaos. The bearded man who had shouted first looked around the room. “Boss? Where’s the boss?”
“Oh, it’s the youngest.”
“Youngest… bring me some water first.”
It seemed no one had heard his shout, too busy talking over each other. Just how much had they drunk last night? The room reeked of alcohol.
“Ugh! You all! Where the hell is the boss!?” the bearded man shouted again, this time in anger.
The noisy room fell silent in an instant. The bearded man paused awkwardly as the other men glared at him.
“…Hah, look at this bastard.”
“Is the youngest sick or something? What a loud mouth. Did he just shout at us?”
“Ptooey.”
Crack.
The men on the floor slowly began to get up, one by one. It was hard to tell while they were lying down, but once standing, they revealed their impressive physiques. Their heads nearly brushed the ceiling.
Towering and muscular, with Combat Qi faintly emanating from their bodies, they caused the bearded man to flinch and step back.
“Uh… brothers… I didn’t mean to—“
“You didn’t mean to, you say? Seems your tongue has forgotten the meaning of respect.”
“Should we teach you a lesson? It’s been a while.”
A thick hand reached for the bearded man. He clenched his eyes shut, expecting pain, but strangely, nothing happened.
Cracking an eye open to see what was going on, he saw the man who had reached for him standing perfectly still, as if nothing had happened. The bearded man wondered why he had stopped.
“…So.”
Then, a voice came from behind him, and the bearded man immediately froze stiff. Creakingly, he turned his neck to see who was there.
Standing behind him was the ‘real’ man, a full foot taller than the other giants. He wore no shirt, revealing a muscular body covered in deep scars that only made him look more terrifying. A dark glare shone from between long, scattered strands of hair, instilling fear in anyone who met it.
Staring into those eyes, the bearded man spoke nervously. “B-Boss… Ugh!?”
The man known as the boss suddenly grabbed the bearded man by the neck and lifted him into the air with one hand. It was an unreal sight—a fully grown man hoisted up so effortlessly.
“What happened,” the giant said, “to make you cause such a rattle this early in the morning?”
“…A…bout that… Ugh…”
“If your answer doesn’t satisfy me, you die here. Understood?”
Killing intent radiated from the giant, washing over the bearded man. It was terrifying to see the giant speak with such an ominous smile.
Gazing back at his boss, the bearded man barely managed to choke out the words. “…T-The Tang Clan…”
The boss’s eyes widened slightly at the mention.
Then…
Thud-!
“Ugh!”
The bearded man was released and fell to the ground. He immediately gasped for air, the giant’s grip having been so powerful.
“Huff… Huff…!”
His respite was brief.
Creak-
The boss knelt beside the bearded man on the ground and asked, “What about the Tang Clan? Speak.”
Seeing his boss’s evil smile, the bearded man’s shoulders began to shake.
This giant, with his overwhelming presence, was the boss of the last remaining Green Forest in the Ghostly Mountain. In the future, after becoming the Heavenly Demon’s minion, he would be known as the Green King.