Chapter 611: Biwegun (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 611: Biwegun (3)
The moment I figured out a way to find Namgung Bi-ah, I wanted to drop everything and bolt. But the information I had was too scarce, so I forced myself to hold back.
Not that I could stay patient for long. I had already reached my limit.
When I stepped out of the Lord’s chambers, the White Ripple Sword was waiting for me.
“You’re back?”
My gaze toward her was anything but warm. How could it be? She was the one who told me to see the Lord the moment I woke up, only for me to be put through a hellish ordeal.
Seeing my expression, the White Ripple Sword gave an awkward, strained smile.
“It looks like something happened.”
“Yeah. I just went through some absolute bullshit.”
Not only was I subjected to an interrogation that wasn't called an interrogation, but I also had to deal with a mountain of other crap. If my body had been in better shape, I would’ve charged in and leveled the place, Lord or not. It was a damn shame I couldn’t.
Naturally, I wasn't feeling particularly fond of the White Ripple Sword for guiding me into that mess, regardless of how long it had been since we last met.
I cut straight to the point. “Did you know?”
The question was loaded. Did she know the meeting with the Lord was intended to be an interrogation? And more importantly...
“That he was from the North Sea. Did you know?”
That Woo Hyuk was from the North Sea—from some clan called the Blue Wolf. Did the White Ripple Sword know?
She offered a bitter smile and replied, “I didn’t know what the Lord’s intentions were in summoning you.”
“Do you know now?”
“If you explain, I’ll listen carefully…”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, her expression soured. Seeing that, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
“Forget it.”
There was no point in pressing someone who was genuinely in the dark. I could have pushed her, but it would have just been me taking my anger out on her.
“Just answer my next question.”
“...”
“Regarding Woo Hyuk,” I said, and the White Ripple Sword’s lips parted.
“…Regarding that child, I only found out recently.”
“So it’s true, then?”
“...”
Woo Hyuk was indeed from the North Sea. Furthermore…
“Is it also true that he started a rebellion?”
“…Yes.”
I gritted my teeth. That bastard, what the hell is he thinking?
I hadn’t wanted to let Namgung Bi-ah go when she said she was heading to the North Sea. But I had been somewhat relieved because the Monster of Wudang, the White Ripple Sword, and Woo Hyuk were going with her. Woo Hyuk was a strange guy, but he wasn’t the type to cause trouble. I thought that even if something happened, he would somehow manage to sort it out.
To think that bastard would be the one to cause the biggest mess.
My head started to ache. A rebellion? What rebellion? What does a rebellion even mean in a country that’s perfectly stable? And from a guy who didn’t seem to have an ounce of greed in his body?
I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Why? Why on earth would he start something like this?
If Woo Hyuk hadn't just joined a rebellion but personally instigated it… there had to be a reason. A reason of equal magnitude to the chaos he'd caused. Because that’s the kind of guy he was.
Funnily enough, I still had that much faith in him.
[Go on ahead.]
[Thanks for being my friend until now.]
“...”
The words he spoke and the look on his face just before he died in my past life flashed in my mind. That son of a bitch. He shouldn’t have smiled as he died; it made it impossible to forget.
Pushing the irritating thoughts away, I turned back to the White Ripple Sword.
“Then, that girl… no.” I hesitated for a moment, then forced the words out with a frown. “What happened to Namgung Bi-ah?”
I was reluctant to even say her name out loud, but this was no time for hesitation.
“…That child.” The White Ripple Sword hesitated.
She had to know. If she didn’t give me a straight answer here, I wasn’t going to hold back anymore. I stared at her, my eyes cold and demanding, until she finally spoke.
“…Bi-ah was serving as the Lord’s guard.”
“Guard?” I was taken aback. “She was acting as the Lord’s guard?”
“At first, she was assigned to guard the Young Lady or other members of the bloodline…”
“Wait.” I cut her off. There was something more important I had to ask first. “…Why was she acting as a guard?”
Why was Namgung Bi-ah suddenly working as a bodyguard? She left to train, so what the hell was she doing playing soldier? I’d heard rumors, but it was just too random.
“From what I heard,” the White Ripple Sword said, “it was a contract that Hyung made directly with the Lord.”
“Hyung? You mean…”
She was talking about the Monster of Wudang. That old man made a contract with the Lord and put Namgung Bi-ah on guard duty?
Has that old man lost his mind? I finally gave him permission to take her, and this is what he does? Making her work instead of train? I could feel my temper rising, but I suppressed it.
“So, she served as the Young Lady’s guard for a while. Is that right?” I’d heard she had been operating as the 'White Fox' or something.
“That’s right. She did.”
“Then why did things end up like this?”
What was the actual reason for Namgung Bi-ah’s disappearance? If she was a guard, she should have stayed close. Why did she—and only she—vanish?
“…That’s…” The White Ripple Sword’s expression grew complicated. That look made me even more anxious. “In the aftermath of the rebellion, while they were rushing to a hideout…”
As she explained, my brow furrowed. For the Lord to hide, he had to flee the palace. Even then, the enemy forces relentlessly pursued them. At that rate, the Lord’s life would have been in danger.
“Are you saying she volunteered to be a decoy?”
“...”
So, to ensure the Lord reached safety, Namgung Bi-ah threw herself into the fray to divert the enemy’s attention. And in the process, she went missing. Is that what she was saying?
“And at the site of the battle, no other traces were found…”
I muttered to myself as I listened. I was furious. That girl threw herself away for some useless noble in this godforsaken land. It sounded exactly like something she would do, and I felt my teeth grinding.
However, in contrast to my anger, my mind began to grow cold and analytical. Something was bothering me. Something was subtly off.
Why would she do that?
Why did Namgung Bi-ah volunteer to be a decoy? Was it really for the sake of the Lord and the peace of the Ice Palace? I didn’t think so. There had to be another reason for her actions.
Just as I was trying to piece the puzzle together, the White Ripple Sword spoke again.
“I’m sorry…” Her voice was thick with guilt. “If I had been there, it should have been me, not her…”
She was truly lamenting the fact that she couldn't have taken Bi-ah's place.
I looked at her. “Where were you at that time, Senior?”
I wasn't accusing her, nor was I suspicious. I didn’t know the White Ripple Sword perfectly, but I knew she wasn't a coward who would hide behind a girl.
“…At that time, I was carrying someone else and had already moved ahead to the hideout.”
She was carrying someone other than the Lord? So she wasn't part of the main group?
“What about the Monster of Wudang? What was he doing?”
“...”
Where was the Monster of Wudang, Woo Hyuk’s master? If Woo Hyuk had started a rebellion, what happened to the old man? As his master, I couldn’t imagine his situation was good.
Instead of answering, the White Ripple Sword gestured for me to follow. “…Can you come with me?”
We didn’t go far. We moved to the upper level of the cave—a quiet space with hardly any guards. We arrived at a small room with a single bed.
Someone was lying there. It was, surprisingly, the Monster of Wudang.
But his condition was horrific.
What the…?
His left arm was gone. The rest of him didn't look much better. He was, quite literally, just barely breathing.
“What is this…?”
Why was this old man in this state? The Monster of Wudang was a martial artist of the Fusion Realm—a master who ranked among the Hundred Masters of the World. Who could have beaten him this badly?
“The day the rebellion broke out,” the White Ripple Sword explained, “Hyuk appeared, carrying the blood-soaked Monster of Wudang.”
“He did?”
“Yes.”
My eyes widened. Woo Hyuk brought the Monster of Wudang here?
“He suddenly appeared and entrusted Hyung to me. He just said he was sorry and disappeared. That was the last we saw of him.”
To leave his master on the brink of death and just vanish? And on the day of the rebellion?
She said he was the one who started it.
Entrusting his master to the people he was rebelling against made no sense. How was I supposed to interpret this? As I wracked my brain, something she said earlier clicked.
“You said you were carrying someone when you moved ahead to the hideout. Was it the Monster of Wudang?”
“...”
The White Ripple Sword remained silent. That was as good as a 'yes.'
My mind raced. The White Ripple Sword carried the Monster of Wudang to the shelter. Namgung Bi-ah, moving with the Lord later, disappeared after volunteering to be a decoy. Was all of this a coincidence?
I had thought he timed the rebellion for the perfect moment. But if this was the case… it wasn’t that he timed it. It seemed more like he created the moment.
My head hurt. If Moyong Hi-ah or Zhuge Hyuk were here, they would have solved this in seconds. It was difficult for my meager brain to connect all the dots. It was hard to believe Woo Hyuk orchestrated all of this, but…
He’s involved.
That much was certain.
The ending is what bothers me.
The fact that the White Ripple Sword and the Monster of Wudang were removed from the board, and that Namgung Bi-ah volunteered to be a decoy—it felt staged.
Tap-tap!
With no desk to tap on, I drummed my fingers against my waist. What was it? There was something right in front of me, but I couldn't reach the conclusion. What was I missing?
Suddenly, my fingers froze.
“For now… we’re continuing the reconnaissance, so you should also—”
“I’m going to step out for a moment.”
“Huh? Wai—!”
I walked out before she could finish. I had planned to see my companions first, but that had to wait. I wandered through the tunnels, not even knowing the way.
I can’t think.
No matter how much I analyzed it, I didn't have enough information. But I knew one thing for certain.
Woo Hyuk is involved in Namgung Bi-ah’s disappearance.
Was this a logical certainty? No. It was a gut feeling. It was always like this—I would think until I was exhausted, only to follow my instincts in the end.
And right now, my gut was screaming that I was right.
If that’s the case, what should I do? What do you mean, what should I do? I already told the Lord.
I’ll go find him and ask him myself. Find Woo Hyuk. Ask him why he did it. If he refuses to answer, I’ll beat it out of him.
To do that, I need to find him.
If my guess was correct, there was a way.
Vwoom!
A presence resonated from a distance. A desperate sensation, as if it were searching for me, struck my heart directly.
It was there. I didn’t know exactly where, but the sensation was distinct. I wasn’t sure if Namgung Bi-ah or Woo Hyuk was there, but at the very least…
Thunder Fang is there.
The weapon she carried was calling out. Thunder Fang was an object few could even touch; its presence was a clear trail leading to Bi-ah.
I started to move, but then…
“Please! Please open it!”
A shout echoed from somewhere nearby. A familiar voice. It was coming from a higher level.
I moved without hesitation, concealing my presence as I went. The path was simple enough. After a short walk, I reached the source of the sound. At a large entrance, several guards stood with weapons drawn.
From the entrance, a woman with pale, almost white hair was desperately pleading with the warriors. It was Yuri.
“…Biwegun couldn’t have done it! There must have been a reason!”
“Young Lady! That man is a traitor who instigated a rebellion. How can you speak of him like that?”
“He couldn’t have! He promised me!”
As Yuri cried out, one of the guards sighed. “…It seems she is not in her right mind. Escort her back to her room. Be polite.”
They had judged Yuri to be hysterical.
“Yes, sir.”
A soldier reached out to grab the resisting Yuri. But his hand never reached her. It passed through the air as his body suddenly collapsed to the floor.
Thud!
“What in the—?”
The soldier next to him reacted, but—
Thwack!
“Guh!?”
In an instant, the second man was struck in the jaw and knocked cold.
“…Huh?” Yuri stared, stunned by the sudden violence. She couldn't grasp what had just happened.
I spoke to her. “What you just said.”
“…!” Startled by the voice behind her, Yuri whipped her head around.
“Say it again.”
I stood there, looking down at her.