Chapter 581: Nightfall (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 581: Nightfall (3)
“Hello.”
A casual greeting.
To anyone else, those words would have sounded perfectly ordinary.
But looking at the person who uttered them, I couldn't find the strength to respond.
Those violet eyes—the ones I had feared seeing even in my nightmares.
That black hair, faintly tinged with a different hue.
Even her appearance, which bore a haunting resemblance to someone else.
I had always known I would have to face her eventually.
But I never imagined it would be here, in a cramped noodle shop tucked away in the back alleys of Henan.
No human could have ever predicted such a meeting.
Thrum—!
My heart hammered erratically against my ribs.
The moment I recognized her, my body locked up instinctively.
My chest tightened.
Whoosh—!
Simultaneously, the Qi throughout my body began to surge violently.
Throb.
Energy roared through my acupoints, straining a body that hadn't even fully healed yet.
But I didn't care. I forced even more Qi into circulation.
I had to.
Even then, it felt like it wouldn't be enough.
What do I do?
Why was she here, of all places?
Was I still dreaming?
Fuck.
I knew better than anyone that this was no dream.
If it were, the churning of my Demonic Qi wouldn't feel this vivid.
The Demonic Qi I had fought so hard to keep dormant was acting on its own, reacting to her presence.
It couldn't tolerate another source of Demonic Qi in the same space.
What kind of monstrous energy was this? That familiar, suffocating pressure was back.
But the nature of the energy didn't matter right now.
Only one thought consumed me.
Can I kill her?
Could I actually kill the creature standing before me?
That was the only thing on my mind.
A few years ago, when we met at the Heavenly Dragon Academy, I had vowed to build my strength. I did everything I could to close the gap I felt that day.
I had grown powerful—incomparably so—but…
It’s still not enough.
I was still nowhere near ready to face the Heavenly Demon of my memories.
She was the one called the "Heaven beyond the Heavens," the monster who toyed with the Three Venerables as if they were mere children.
No matter how strong I had become…
My opponent was the Heavenly Demon.
Cold sweat slicked my back.
I focused every ounce of my will just to keep my breathing steady, but my control was slipping.
The Heavenly Demon simply stared at me, making no move to attack.
Watching her, a thought occurred to me.
Should I run?
It was the most logical choice.
Despite my growth, my current condition was precarious. My body was still broken.
She surely knew that, and yet…
Thrum—!
My instincts screamed, trying to override my reason.
My Demonic Qi surged, a primal roar echoing in my mind.
Kill her. Kill her now.
Step.
I took a single step toward her.
I steeled my heart.
My rational mind knew this was a mistake. It was a rash, suicidal impulse.
But my fingertips were already moving of their own accord.
Just then—
“Don’t.”
The Heavenly Demon, who had been watching me in silence, finally spoke.
Her voice froze me in my tracks.
Her violet eyes looked calm, almost dazed.
Despite the absurdity of the situation, her gaze was incredibly serene.
It stood in stark contrast to the mountain of empty noodle bowls piled on her table.
I scowled, glaring at her.
As our eyes met, a tempest of emotions swirled within me.
Hatred. Resentment. Fear.
A toxic slurry of everything I had carried since my past life.
“What did you say...?” I managed to grit out.
It was all I could do to force the words past my teeth.
“Don’t.”
The Heavenly Demon repeated the same answer, then held up the bowl of noodles she was currently clutching.
What? What was that gesture supposed to mean?
As I stood there, frozen…
“Food,” she said curtly.
“…What?”
“My sister told me to be quiet when I'm eating.”
What the hell was she talking about?
Amidst the chaos of my rage, a wave of pure bewilderment crashed over me.
The conversation made absolutely no sense.
Whether she noticed my confusion or not, the Heavenly Demon ignored me and continued.
“So, you be quiet, too.”
With that, she returned to her noodles, eating with a terrifying intensity.
It was an aggressive, almost combative way of eating.
The way she moved—perhaps because of her appearance—reminded me of Wi Seol-Ah.
My pupils shook as if an earthquake were rattling my soul.
What the hell is this?
What was happening?
I had come to a back-alley diner for breakfast, only to find the Heavenly Demon vacuuming up noodles.
The situation was so ridiculous it was almost laughable, but her behavior was even stranger.
...Is that really the Heavenly Demon?
The doubt was absurd, and I knew it.
This was the Heavenly Demon. There was no mistake.
If she weren't, my Demonic Qi would never have reacted with such violent hostility.
I could feel it.
An unfathomable amount of Demonic Qi was condensed within that woman.
She was the origin. The absolute master of Demonic Qi.
No matter how much I had mastered my own power, that fundamental truth remained unchanged.
I tried to use my Qi to probe her, to see what was happening inside that body.
I failed instantly.
The moment I tried to peer into her, I slammed into a massive, impenetrable barrier.
The barrier is made of pure Demonic Qi.
Years had passed since my regression. I had spent that time hunting demons and absorbing their power.
But looking at her, I was forced to realize the truth once again.
The sheer quantity and quality of her power were on a completely different level from mine.
This was the Heavenly Demon.
The being I had to kill. The stain I had to erase from this world.
In that case...
What's with the attitude?
Her behavior was baffling.
The Heavenly Demon, eating noodles in a place like this?
And her appearance... it had changed so much.
What was the Heavenly Demon like in my past life?
She was a living disaster. A personification of despair.
She viewed all other living things as insects.
She possessed the overwhelming power to justify that arrogance.
She reigned above all.
She was the monster who had cast down the Three Venerables and stood alone at the peak of the world, looking down on the Central Plains with cold indifference.
That was the Heavenly Demon I knew.
But the thing in front of me now?
Slurp!
Arrogance? She was eating like a starving animal.
She lifted the bowl and drained the broth in one go.
Thud.
She set the bowl down, finished.
The expression on her face was... something else.
“Mmm…”
She looked profoundly satisfied.
How many bowls had she eaten? A quick glance suggested nearly ten.
“That was delicious.”
With that short remark, the Heavenly Demon stood up.
“…!”
I tensed immediately.
I had been momentarily thrown off by the absurdity, but I couldn't forget who I was facing.
My mind raced.
What if we fought here?
The entire district would be leveled. How long would it take for the Murim Alliance to intervene?
Could I even hold out until they arrived? And even if I did...
Is the Alliance even on my side?
The problems were stacking up.
Meeting her here threw every single one of my plans into chaos.
I ground my teeth.
This was a disaster.
Was this an opportunity or a crisis?
The flood of thoughts paralyzed me. I couldn't make a decision.
And because of that hesitation...
I failed to react when she approached me.
Dammit…!
By the time I realized it, she was standing right next to me.
I tried to move, to strike, but—
Grip!
She grabbed my arm.
“…!”
I couldn't shake her off.
Her grip was absolute.
To break free, I would have to detonate a massive burst of Qi.
I turned my head to look at her, but she wasn't looking at me.
“Check, please.”
She spoke with an indifferent expression.
The old shopkeeper scurried over.
“Did you enjoy your meal, dear?”
“Yes.”
“My, my, such a slender young lady, yet you ate so much!”
The old woman beamed, clearly pleased by the stack of empty bowls.
The Heavenly Demon handed her a silver coin.
The old woman’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“Oh, heavens! I... I don't have nearly enough change for this...”
Forget ten bowls of noodles; that coin was worth more than the shop could make in a week.
The old woman was flustered, but the Heavenly Demon didn't seem to care.
“Keep the change.”
She gave a slight, respectful nod to the old woman.
I gasped.
The Heavenly Demon... bowing? To a commoner? It was a sight that should have been impossible.
“It was delicious. I'll come again.”
The old woman tried to protest, but the Heavenly Demon simply dragged me out of the shop.
The moment we hit the street, I wrenched my arm away.
Smack!
It didn't take much force. She wasn't really holding on anymore.
She looked at her empty hand and tilted her head curiously.
I stared at her, my face contorted with rage.
Suppressing the emotions threatening to boil over, I demanded, “…Why? Why are you here?”
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hide the venom in my voice.
She stared at me in silence.
Then, she answered.
“I came to eat…?”
I ground my teeth so hard I thought they might shatter.
“Stop bullshitting me! What the hell are you plotting…!”
Was she mocking me? It was infuriating.
“You,” she said.
I tensed, waiting for a strike.
“Why do you hate me?”
The question was so unexpected I could only blink.
“…What?”
She asked again, her eyes filled with genuine, innocent confusion.
“I haven't done anything. Why do you hate me?”
It was the most baffling thing I had heard since my regression.
Why did I hate her?
How could she even ask that?
I could list a thousand reasons. I could scream about the blood, the fire, and the death she had caused.
But for some reason, the words wouldn't come.
What is this?
My throat felt tight. It was as if something were physically forcing my mouth shut.
Why was I hesitating?
Was it fear?
Yes, I was afraid. I was terrified of the being who had taken everything from me.
But that shouldn't have silenced me.
I bit my tongue in frustration, trying to force the words out, but it was no use.
Time stretched on.
If I couldn't use my tongue as a sword, I should have used my hands.
But I couldn't do that either.
I could only stand there, staring at her with sealed lips.
“...”
A few seconds passed as our gazes locked.
Seeing that I wasn't going to answer, she turned and gestured toward the shop.
“This place... it's delicious. It's my favorite.”
Her voice was soft, trivial.
“You should try it, too.”
I snapped my head back toward her, but—
“…Dammit.”
That split second was all she needed.
The Heavenly Demon was gone.
I tasted blood from where I had bitten my tongue.
I wiped my face with a trembling hand.
I had suspected it for a while, but now I was certain.
Something was twisted.
The world I knew had changed—far more than I ever could have imagined.
She walked away from the shop with light, airy steps.
She didn't need to walk far.
If she wished to be somewhere, she could simply be there.
She arrived at a secluded residence, a small house tucked between the town and the outskirts.
It was a cheap rental, chosen for its isolation.
“Oh, you're back?”
A voice greeted her as she entered.
It was the woman she called ‘Unni.’
“Yeah.”
“You said you were just going for a quick bite. You're a bit late, aren't you?”
“Yeah.”
She gave her usual dazed, short response.
The other woman seemed used to it.
“Well, as long as you ate well, that's all that matters.”
She held out her hand.
The girl tilted her head.
“The change from the silver coin.”
“There's none.”
“…What?”
The older sister froze.
She had given her a whole silver coin. How could there be nothing left?
“I did what you did last time, Unni.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Keep the change.”
“...”
The older sister pressed her fingers to her temples, a headache forming.
Yes, she had said that once.
“That was... I... sigh.”
She swallowed her words.
Who was there to blame? It was her own fault for giving a silver coin to this simple girl and sending her out alone.
It was fine. They had enough funds. And if things got desperate, she could always leech off her mother, who was somewhere in the area.
“…Never mind. So, did you have a good time?”
“Yeah. It was delicious.”
The girl's satisfied expression brought a small smile to the older sister's face.
“Good. I'm glad.”
She paused, then asked, “You said there was a specific place you wanted to go, but when have you ever been to Henan before?”
The girl shook her head.
“It's my first time.”
“Huh?”
“My first time.”
The older sister frowned. “But you said there was a place you wanted to go?”
“Yeah.”
“…What does that even mean?”
“I don't know.”
The girl looked just as confused by her own words.
“But I wanted to go.”
“...”
The answers made no sense, but the older sister just nodded.
She had long since given up on trying to understand the girl's logic.
It had always been like this.
“…Anyway, as long as you enjoyed yourself.”
“Yeah.”
The girl started to walk away, but the older sister called out to her.
“Oh, right. Yeona.”
The girl stopped.
Her expression soured, her features contorting in clear distaste.
“…Don't call me that.”
She clearly hated the name.
“I'm not Yeon.”
“Then who are you?” the older sister teased.
“...”
The girl's lips moved, but no sound came out. She had no answer.
The older sister chuckled.
“You don't even have a name to give me, so why do you keep saying no?”
“…Anyway... that's not it. I'm going.”
The girl huffed and stomped off, clearly sulking.
Watching her go, the older sister sighed.
“I really don't know what's going on with her.”
The black-haired woman—Gu Huibi—muttered to herself, her eyes full of confusion.