Chapter 480: Damned Bastard (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 480: Damned Bastard (4)
A deep crater gaped where the lake had been.
Nahee’s breath caught in her throat as she peered down into the abyss.
The entire lake was gone. Vanished. And standing at the very center of the depression was a single figure.
That man… is he…?
Nahee’s brow furrowed in confusion and disbelief.
He looked different from the boy she remembered, but it took only a moment for recognition to dawn.
It was Gu Yangcheon, the same person who had hurled himself into the toxic waters.
How?
It made no sense. Surviving a plunge into that poisonous lake was strange enough.
…But why does he look like that?
His body had undergone a drastic transformation. He was noticeably taller, his frame filled out with solid muscle. The slender teenager was gone, replaced by the physique of a robust young man.
And… he’s not alone.
Something stood beside him.
Nahee squinted, sharpening her focus on the shape next to Gu Yangcheon.
A… Demon?
It was definitely not human. Its form screamed of something demonic. Its body was covered in scales of a light, sky-blue hue, distinct from the deeper blue of the common Blue Demons she knew.
Nahee continued her cautious observation.
Locked-
And then, the Demon’s eyes locked onto hers.
“…!”
Despite the considerable distance, its gaze found her with unnerving precision.
Grrrr-!
A low, fierce growl rumbled from its throat, a clear and threatening sound.
An involuntary chill shot down Nahee’s spine.
…What the hell?
It was just a Blue Demon. As a Peak Realm assassin, a creature like this shouldn't have elicited even a flicker of fear.
Yet, a primal alertness seized her, and she swallowed nervously.
Gu Yangcheon’s changed appearance was one thing, but what was that thing beside him?
As Nahee watched, utterly bewildered, another change occurred.
“…Hap…!”
She slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp.
Crack-!
Gu Yangcheon’s body began to shift again. The sound of twisting bones was audible even from her vantage point.
He’s getting smaller?
He was shrinking, reverting to the slender build he’d had before entering the lake.
She had no idea which form was his true one, but she knew such a transformation was no simple feat.
Seeing this, she immediately spun around.
This was too strange. That man was clearly unnatural, wrong.
Her instincts screamed at her to run.
But.
…Where?
Where could she go? To the Poison King? Or to Tang Duk?
Both options were fraught with danger, but she had to move. Escaping this immediate vicinity was her only priority.
And then.
“Where are you going?”
“–!!!”
A voice, light and almost welcoming, sounded directly in front of her. Gu Yangcheon stood there, having moved from the crater to block her path in an instant. Only her assassin’s discipline kept a scream from tearing loose.
“I asked where you are going.”
He stared at her, a smile playing on his lips as if he were in a good mood. But that smile only terrified her more. It wasn't just his expression.
Something… something is…
His entire aura was profoundly different. It felt… empty. She lacked the words to describe it. An overwhelming pressure radiated from him, a force that made her knees want to buckle.
“I don’t remember too clearly, but I recall-“
Rustle.
He took a single step forward.
Nahee tried to retreat, but her legs were locked, stiff as stone.
“I could’ve sworn I warned you not to even think about running away, did I not?”
“…”
“I’m asking because I genuinely don’t remember.”
He had said that. Well, his exact words had been that she could run, but the look in his eyes at the time had promised he would rip her legs off if she tried. His gaze now held the same unspoken threat.
“But then why did you run away?”
“…Y…You… J-Just, what… what are you?” she stammered, her voice breaking under the weight of her fear. In all her years as an assassin, she had never felt so utterly unnerved.
Gu Yangcheon smiled at her question.
“What am I, huh?”
In the same instant,
“Ah-!“
Nahee’s world tilted. Gu Yangcheon’s hand was around her neck, lifting her effortlessly into the air.
“Good question.”
“Ugh…”
“I’m not sure myself. But I’ll learn slowly.”
Was he going to kill her? The certainty of it washed over her. He was no fool to let a witness to his secrets live.
So… this is how I die, huh?
Death felt imminent. Her body trembled, not from a fear of death itself, but from the terror of dying without having accomplished a single thing. Of leaving the world as a worthless nobody.
I didn’t achieve any of my goals… but I’m going to die here?
“…P-Please… Spare… me…” The plea forced its way past the pressure constricting her throat and the fear freezing her limbs.
Gu Yangcheon tilted his head, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
“Huh, I didn’t think you were the type of person to ask for mercy.”
“I… I can’t… die like-“
“Shut it.”
“…!”
A coldness more profound than any killing intent pierced through her.
“Stop your barking. Just shut your mouth, I have no intention of killing you anyway.”
Yet his grip on her neck remained firm, his glare unchanged—the look one might give a troublesome insect. His gaze was so dark and devoid of warmth it hardly seemed he regarded her as a living being.
“Why would I kill you?” His voice carried a smile, but it was a smile of pure ice, stabbing into her ears. “I needed a test subject right now anyway, and you are perfect for that.”
Test subject.
The words hit Nahee like a physical blow, so vile they made her want to vomit. A fresh wave of chills seized her. What horrors was he planning?
Her question was short-lived.
Swish…
“…Ug…ghhh…”
An unknown energy, scalding hot, began to invade her body through the hand clamped on her neck. It was a boiling, maddening heat that felt like spikes tearing her apart from the inside as it surged through her veins.
“Ugh… Ah… Aghhhhh!!”
She was an assassin, no stranger to pain and torture, but this agony ripped a scream from her very core. The foreign energy clawed its way deeper, finally burrowing into her dantian.
Squeeze-!
As it settled there, she felt a violent, forceful connection snap into place against her heart.
Thud-!
Immediately, an explosion of pain erupted in her head.
Slam-!
“Ugh.”
Her eyes rolled back, vision whiting out, and with a final, choked sound, she lost consciousness.
…
Her body went limp, dangling helplessly from his grip.
“Hmm.”
Gu Yangcheon observed her condition dispassionately.
“She isn’t dead.”
He gave a satisfied nod, confirming the Demonic Qi had successfully integrated into her system. Good. He still had control over it.
Swish-
Thud-!
With a casual flick, he tossed her aside. Nahee’s unconscious body rolled limply across the ground.
Tap, tap.
He brushed his hands together, irritated by the lingering sensation. It felt like he had touched something unclean.
His priorities lay elsewhere—with the people important to him in this life, and the recipe for the Heavenly Poison Orbs burning in his mind. He needed to figure out how to use it.
As for Nahee, whom he had just turned into a Demonic Human?
He didn't care.
Not one bit.
Deep within a forest in Sichuan, where lush greenery painted the landscape, an anomaly existed.
Swoosh-! Swish-!
In a clearing at the forest's heart, the scene was one of utter devastation—a stark contrast to the serene beauty surrounding it. The ground was churned up, and not a single rock remained intact.
Swish-!
In the midst of this chaos, a lone man practiced his sword.
Swoosh-!
His blade cut through the air with fluid grace. His movements were the epitome of flexibility and elegance, like water flowing effortlessly around stones. Sword Qi trailed from his blade, etching temporary, milky-way scars in the air.
He moved with the flow, his eyes not on his sword but on some internal rhythm. His unkempt hair whipped about, and his tattered robes flapped with each motion.
He swung his blade in an endless, meditative repetition.
[—-..–!]
A voice, faint and insistent, whispered in his ears.
Perhaps because of it,
Pause.
The man suddenly stilled, his sword halting mid-arc.
Yawn-
He let out a lazy yawn, indifferent to the sweat coating his body.
[–!!]
The voice shouted, clearly displeased with his nonchalance.
The young man’s demeanor didn't shift. “Jeez, can’t you just stay quiet? You can’t remain calm, not even for a day.” He dug a finger in his ear, responding to the voice with palpable boredom. This was no ordinary man. He was known throughout the Central Plains as one of the three great monsters—the Monster of Wudang.
[—-!]
“Why should I go down there? I already went once last time, so can’t you just be a little patient? It’s surprising that an old person like you can be so impatient.”
[—]
“Hah, it’s obvious what you are thinking.”
Chuckle.
The Monster of Wudang chuckled softly.
“I’ll say it again, but I have no plans to return to that damned place. Don’t you know that as well?”
[—]
“I’m going to live as a Taoist of the Wudang Sect. Didn’t I tell you to screw off if you didn’t like that fact?”
[—–.]
“I mean, of course, you only have me. That’s why you are nagging me every time. Then just be patient. I could always throw you out, you know.”
Having finished his one-sided conversation, he walked over to a large boulder where a few rice balls sat waiting. He grabbed one and devoured it in a single bite. Grains of rice tumbled onto his dirty clothes, and he paid no mind to the grit on his hands as he took two more large mouthfuls.
He glanced around. “Oh, I forgot to bring water.”
Darn.
A genuine miscalculation. How troublesome.
After a moment's thought, he turned his gaze toward the dense tree line. “Since it’s come to this, could you bring me some water?” he said, addressing the empty forest.
But this time, the forest answered.
Step-
A figure emerged from behind a tree, walking toward him with calm assurance. The Monster of Wudang scowled and spat on the ground in clear distaste. The newcomer smiled, a smile the Monster of Wudang profoundly hated.
“You are really going to make this old man run an errand after seeing each other for the first time in a while?”
“I don’t think you should be saying that when you came here as a guest without bringing any gift yourself.”
Haha.
The old man chuckled. He had hair as white as snow and wore a blue robe. On his back, characters proudly declared his authority: Namgung Clan. He was one of the Three Venerables, an absolute master of the clan—the Heavenly Venerable himself.
“You must be mistaken.”
“Mistaken? Is that some kind of food?”
“I didn’t come as a guest. Instead-“ The old man’s expression softened into something more familial. “I am just a grandfather who left his house to bring back his grandson.”
He was the grandfather of Namgung Hyung—the Monster of Wudang.