Chapter 574: In Henan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 574: In Henan
Her pale green hair shimmered under the moonlight.
The color was far more vibrant than when I had last seen it, possessing an almost ethereal luster. Her hair, which had once barely brushed her shoulders, now flowed all the way down to her waist.
A fragrance wafted from her—was it the scent of flowers? It was a sweetness I couldn't quite identify.
Her smiling face and the mature grace peeking through her slender features were enough to remind me of someone. No, it would be strange to say she merely reminded me of someone.
‘Because it’s her.’
The woman who had stood alone in Sichuan, fending off the Demonic Humans. The last hope of the Tang Clan, who had lost both her eyes and died by my hands.
The woman from that time and the Tang Soyeol of today looked so much alike.
If there was a slight difference… it was that the woman in my memories had been withering away, dying a bitter death. In contrast, the Tang Soyeol standing before me now was radiant.
The difference was so stark that, ridiculously, it sent a sharp pang through my chest. Why did it hurt? It was a feeling I couldn't comprehend myself.
I watched Tang Soyeol as she beamed at me.
“What brings you here?” I asked.
I held back the question I truly wanted to ask. It was a question meant for her, yet at the same time, it wasn't one I had the right to voice.
Hearing my words, Tang Soyeol pouted, looking slightly miffed.
“I came all this way, and the first thing you ask is why?”
“No, I was just curious.”
How could I not be, when she had appeared so suddenly? Of course, I had been expecting her eventually.
‘The Dark King did say he would send her.’
He had told me he would send her over as soon as her preparations were complete. I had been warned. However…
‘I didn't expect her to arrive this quickly.’
I didn't know where her journey had started, but I hadn't expected Tang Soyeol to show up so soon.
I glanced around.
‘So this is why Nahi didn't react.’
Nahi should have been monitoring this entire area. To slip past her senses…
‘One would have to be on the Dark King's level.’
I didn't rank Tang Soyeol quite that high yet, but she had to be at least just below his level. With that thought, I looked back at her.
As our eyes met, Tang Soyeol smiled. It was a smile I hadn't seen in a long time.
But right now, my focus was elsewhere. I had to swallow a gasp as I studied her.
‘The Dark King… what on earth did that man do to her?’
Her very presence had fundamentally changed. I had to focus intently on her; otherwise, I felt like I would lose track of her existence entirely.
Her presence was that faint. It was so blurry and indistinct that I had to concentrate even with her standing right in front of me. She was completely different from the Tang Soyeol of the past.
‘It's only thanks to that scent that I can track her this well.’
The fragrant floral scent clinging to her acted as an anchor, making it easier to keep a lock on her. Without it, I would have struggled significantly.
‘She wasn't this skilled before.’
The Tang Clan specialized in assassination and poison arts. Because of this, members of their bloodline generally possessed faint presences—an innate talent honed over generations of practicing their specific martial arts.
However…
‘Tang Soyeol wasn't particularly outstanding among them.’
To put it kindly, she had been mediocre. To be blunt, her level of talent was low for a member of the direct bloodline.
In contrast, there was Namgung Bi-ah of the Namgung Clan, who could amplify or suppress her presence to the extreme. She was far more skilled than Soyeol had ever been in that regard.
‘…No, she's exceptional at everything, so that's not a fair comparison.’
If Namgung Bi-ah wanted to vanish, she could. If she wanted to dominate a room, she could do that too. There were only a handful of people in the world who could compare to her. But since everyone around me was a monster like that, my standards were skewed.
That was how Soyeol used to be, and yet… what about the Tang Soyeol of now?
Even though my own condition wasn't at its peak…
‘I couldn't sense her at all.’
I only managed to detect her when she was right on top of me. Even if Nahi had let her through, and no matter how compromised my physical state was… this was an incredible feat.
Realizing this, I spoke to her softly.
“…You must have gone through a lot.”
“Pardon?”
Tang Soyeol tilted her head, confused for a moment. Then, as if catching my meaning, she smiled brightly.
“It’s alright, Young Master.”
Her hair swayed gently with her movements.
“I did it because I wanted to.”
“...”
Was that really true? I couldn't bring myself to voice the doubts in my mind.
I may have been the one who asked the Dark King to train her, but Tang Soyeol was the one who had accepted. When I made the request, I had been clear: if Tang Soyeol ever wanted to stop, he was to let her go immediately. I had emphasized that.
But for her to be standing here now meant she had never once given up.
Moreover…
‘Considering her original talent, for her to reach this level…’
What kind of hellish training had she endured? The last time I saw her was a year or two ago. Back then, her cultivation wasn't even close to this.
But now…
‘Has she reached the Fusion Realm?’
My Qi sense was currently a mess, so I couldn't be certain, but her level definitely seemed to be in that neighborhood. How was that even possible?
I stared at her, my eyes wide with astonishment. As if reading the shock in my gaze, she let out a soft, melodic giggle.
“Did you know, Young Master?”
“Hm…?”
“You see…”
I wondered what she was about to say.
“I can see you a little better now.”
“...”
“I worked really, really hard. Did I do well?”
Hearing those words, I burst out laughing before I could stop myself. She was saying that by raising her realm, she could finally perceive a glimpse of my power—something that had been invisible to her before. And she was using that achievement to fish for a compliment.
“…I suppose so.”
I couldn't help but smile.
“You must have worked incredibly hard. You did well.”
“Yes!”
Tang Soyeol beamed at my awkward praise. She seemed so genuinely happy that she was practically bouncing on her heels, which was a little endearing.
After a moment, Tang Soyeol, who had been fidgeting with excitement, turned her gaze toward the side.
“By the way… who is that person?”
I followed her gaze. Seong Yul was still there, doubled over and letting out dry, hacking coughs.
Oops. I made an awkward face as I looked at him.
‘I forgot.’
Seong Yul was currently in a wretched state due to the backlash from the Heavenly Killing Star. I had provoked him and then triggered the backlash, so his mind must have been in utter chaos.
I nodded to myself.
‘I caused this, so I should take responsibility.’
Even if I had my reasons, Seong Yul's condition was more or less my fault. I moved to resolve the situation.
As I approached, Seong Yul looked up at me with dizzy, unfocused eyes. I met his gaze for a second, and then…
Smack!
“Gack!?”
I slammed my fist into the top of his head. Seong Yul took the hit, immediately lost consciousness, and collapsed.
Thud.
A brief silence fell as he hit the floor. Perhaps that was a bit too violent for a reunion scene? I looked at Tang Soyeol, pointed at the unconscious Seong Yul, and offered a strained explanation.
“He's a friend. A friend. He just seems a bit… under the weather today.”
“...”
Even I knew how lame that sounded. But to my surprise, Tang Soyeol actually smiled.
…Why? Her smile was a little strange, too.
“Ah, I see!” she said brightly.
Looking at her expression, I realized what it was. It was a look of… relief?
‘…Is she relieved that I’m acting like my usual self?’
That seemed to be it. For some reason, seeing that made me feel slightly worse about myself.
* * *
Several days passed.
Though only a short time had gone by, the season was transitioning from spring to summer. It was that time of year when the heat was just beginning to stir.
A few days in time. A turning point in the seasons. But in that brief span, a staggering number of rumors were circulating throughout the Central Plains.
“Did you hear? They say the Wind Cloud Ghost Thief has reappeared.”
This was the hot topic among the crowds on the streets of Henan.
“Ah, you mean the story about him sending a warning letter to Wudang?”
“I heard that was a hoax. The Wind Cloud Ghost Thief is from a bygone era; he disappeared ages ago. Even if he were alive, he’d be a decrepit old man by now. Would he really start thieving again?”
The legendary phantom thief who had vanished decades ago had supposedly returned and sent a formal warning to the Wudang Sect. That was the rumor spreading like wildfire.
Of course…
“That can't be true.”
“It’s a hard story to swallow.”
Few people actually believed it. The Wind Cloud Ghost Thief hadn't appeared in person; there was only the letter. The only reason the rumor had any legs at all was because the recipient was Wudang. Otherwise, it would have been dismissed as nonsense.
The problem was…
“No, forget the Ghost Thief. There's another story going around now.”
The truly important rumor wasn't about a thief.
“Have you heard that the Wudang Sect was attacked?”
“Of course I have. I even heard an elder was killed.”
Wudang. A pillar of the Ten Sect Alliance and the home sect of the Alliance Leader himself. It was said they had recently been raided. Rumors even claimed that an elder who tried to defend the sect had been struck down by the assailant.
“How is that possible? For Wudang to be attacked just like that…”
In this era of upheaval, Wudang and Henan were considered the safest bastions in the land. For such a place to be breached and an elder killed brought looks of sheer disbelief to people's faces.
“Hey, what do you mean ‘just like that’? No, the person who attacked Wudang this time was no ordinary martial artist, I tell you.”
The details that followed made everyone's expression turn grim.
“The Sword Immortal of Wudang might have been away… but they say the demonic leader who attacked was extraordinary.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…”
As the man lowered his voice, the listeners' eyes widened.
“What? He tames demons?”
“He blew away half of Wudang with a single gesture? What kind of monster…!”
“An elder, in a single blow?”
The figure had reportedly appeared in the sky riding a colossal demon, forcing everyone below to their knees with his sheer pressure. He had supposedly leveled half of the Wudang complex with a wave of his hand and defeated a high-ranking elder instantly. Then, he had sneered at the sect and vanished as quickly as he had arrived.
“Come on, no matter how much you exaggerate, that can't be true!”
Naturally, it was a tale that defied belief.
“No, I’m telling you, this is what the Beggar’s Sect is reporting!”
“Even so…”
“What’s more, there’s a rumor that he’s the same one who’s been raiding Alliance branches recently.”
“Hah…”
The Murim Alliance branches stationed in various regions had indeed been suffering damage from an unknown assailant. If the culprit behind those attacks was the same person who had humiliated Wudang, the situation was dire.
The world was already in peril due to the emergence of Red-Grade Demons. Now, a powerful entity hostile to the Alliance—the very organization trying to save the world—had appeared. If the rumors were true, this was an incredibly formidable being.
Perhaps…
“…Perhaps the culprit is on the level of the Ten Great Masters of the Central Plains?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Don't say such ridiculous things!”
The Ten Great Masters, also known as the Seven Steel Three Fists. Was the attacker really on par with them?
“Think about it. Who else but someone of that caliber could raid Wudang, kill an elder, and walk away unscathed?”
The man's logic made everyone frown, but no one could offer a rebuttal. They knew he was right. If the rumors were even half-true, the man was a monster. The terrifying part was that such a being was hostile to the path of justice.
“…So, who in the world is he?”
“No one knows. All they know is that he’s a tall man wearing a mask.”
He was described as nearly seven cheok tall, dressed in flowing black robes with a contrasting white mask. With every step he took, those around him were supposedly crushed by his aura. His gaze from behind the mask was said to inspire primal terror.
His tone was arrogant, yet his power was so absolute that no one dared to talk back. Aside from his gender, he was a total enigma. For such a powerful master, there was a complete lack of information.
Where had he come from? What had he been doing until now? Why was he targeting the Murim Alliance and Wudang? No one knew his motives or his identity.
The only thing they knew was…
“He called himself…”
The name the masked figure had used to introduce himself.
“Heavenly Demon. They say he definitely called himself the Heavenly Demon.”
The demon sent by the heavens. Those two words were now beginning to stir not only Henan but the entire Central Plains.
And at that very moment.
“Achoo!”
The self-proclaimed demon sent by the heavens rubbed his nose after a sudden sneeze. He casually wiped his nose and looked around with sharp eyes.
“Ugh, who’s running their mouth about me now?”
“Shall I give you a handkerchief?”
“It’s fine, I’ll just wipe it.”
Waving away Tang Soyeol, who was fumbling to pull out a handkerchief, Gu Yangcheon sniffled loudly. Then he looked straight ahead.
They stood before a massive building, so tall he had to crane his neck to see the roof. Gu Yangcheon sighed. Seven days and nights of travel had finally brought them to Henan. The journey had been peaceful, devoid of any major incidents.
They had immediately sought out this specific building in the heart of Henan. Gu Yangcheon’s gaze shifted, and he couldn't help but frown.
“Should we just… go somewhere else first?”
No matter how much he thought about it, he really didn't want to go inside. This place was home to one of the three people he found most uncomfortable in the world. He hesitated for a long time, but in the end, there was only one conclusion.
He had to face them eventually. There was no point in delaying the inevitable.
Gu Yangcheon steeled himself and looked up at the building's sign.
White Flower Merchant Association, Henan Branch.
The gold-leafed characters stared back at him, clear as day.