Chapter 126
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Even if You Fall into a Swamp, You Can Still Breathe (5)
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Be my person. A phrase that could be interpreted in so many ways.
“…All of a sudden?”
“Yes.”
Wi Hongryeon's eyes narrowed.
“This hardly seems like the right place for a confession of love.”
“…”
“And you don't seem to be joking with that serious face of yours.”
“I'm not joking.”
“So it seems.”
“So, what's your answer?”
Wi Hongryeon stared intently at Seo Ryang.
His face was incredibly serious. At the very least, it didn't seem like he had tossed the words out lightly.
“I don't know you well, Young Master.”
“I suppose not.”
“And you don't know me well, either.”
“That is also true.”
“Are you saying you want to make someone you barely know your person?”
“As you said, there's a lot I don't know about you. But I do know one thing.”
“What's that?”
“That you're useful.”
It was a statement that could sound quite unpleasant. On the other hand, it could also be taken as a compliment. Ultimately, how it was received depended on who was saying it.
Wi Hongryeon felt two emotions at once.
She felt bad, as if she were being appraised, but at the same time, she felt good because it was Seo Ryang. She knew, at least, how cold and serious he was when it came to martial arts.
That was why Wi Hongryeon was willing to engage in conversation. If anyone else had said it, she would have scoffed and left.
“I thought something was off ever since we left the Cult, but I didn't want to pry. Even when you were dancing with your saber at the Red Snake House, I just figured you had your reasons.”
“…”
“But now that you're saying this to me, I really have to ask. Why have you changed so much?”
Seo Ryang's gaze deepened.
He didn't say that he hadn't changed, that he had only just realized what he truly wanted.
“Yes, you're right.”
“Yes, I'd like to hear…”
“If I wanted to make you my person, I should have at least shown you my true intentions.”
This was different from Ma Dongpil.
He and Ma Dongpil had faced life and death together since the Solitary Bamboo Forest. In fact, he owed him his life many times over.
Furthermore, Ma Dongpil was now his personal guard. With their shared past and his current position, he was already Seo Ryang's man, even if it was unsaid.
But Wi Hongryeon was a different case. Their connection wasn't shallow, but it couldn't be called deep either.
Moreover, she was the leader of a combat unit. If she moved, the entire Berserk Demon Unit would move with her.
This was both a reason to want her and a reason to be all the more serious.
So, Seo Ryang revealed his true heart.
“I'm going to turn the world upside down.”
“…What?”
“To be precise, I plan to attack the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress. More aggressively than anyone else.”
Not only Wi Hongryeon, but Ma Dongpil too was startled. These were words not easily spoken, whether in public or in private.
“What is with today? I'm hearing all sorts of bombshell declarations.”
“Is it really that surprising? As members of the Divine Cult, the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress are nothing but targets to be conquered.”
“That's true, but you didn't get all serious just to state the obvious.”
“You're right.”
Wi Hongryeon asked seriously.
“What's the reason?”
“Because I hate them.”
“…Is that the only reason?”
“It's simpler and more certain than any other reason.”
“…”
“I despise them.”
A person's words have power. When spoken seriously, they carry weight. When uttered as a joke, they are as light as a feather.
Wi Hongryeon and Ma Dongpil had never seen Seo Ryang speak with such gravity.
“I just said despise. Until now, I thought of my hatred as a grudge to be endured, a rusty residue to be swallowed and stomached. But I was wrong.”
“…”
“That grudge was like a painting. A masterpiece that colored me with hues so vivid they defied admiration. I confess, until now, I didn't even know the painting's name, so I couldn't tell if I should appreciate it or get rid of it.”
*Wooooong!!*
A reddish glow flickered in Seo Ryang's eyes, and a shadow of bottomless fury, like an abyss, fell over them.
An emotion so intense it overwhelmed even Wi Hongryeon, the leader of the Cult's most fearsome unit.
“Now I know. That painting isn't for appreciation. It's something I must tear, break, and burn with my own hands.”
“…”
“I can guarantee you don't despise the Alliance and the Fortress as much as I do. You can't. Perhaps you're just one of the many cultists caught up in a habitual anger.”
“I…”
“And yet, there is one reason I want you.”
“…”
“You don't care who you're up against. Be it the Righteous Heaven Alliance, the Iron Blood Fortress, or even the Divine Cult itself—if given a reason, you're the type to point your blade at them.”
Wi Hongryeon couldn't say that wasn't true, that she wasn't that kind of person. She couldn't laugh it off as a joke either.
Because Seo Ryang had also shown his true heart.
“I have no interest in the succession battle. But if the Divine Cult's will isn't directed at those two places, I'll force the reins and turn it myself.”
“That's…”
“Right. I don't have the authority to do that.”
A perilous glint appeared in Seo Ryang's eyes.
“Unless I become the next Cult Leader, the successor.”
“…!”
“I'll let you run wild. If you join me, you'll at least feel an electrifying thrill. I can't promise anything else, but I can promise you that.”
Wi Hongryeon stared intently at Seo Ryang.
Then, a smile spread across her face. A smile as vicious as the look in Seo Ryang's eyes.
“Can you keep that promise?”
“On my life.”
“…Well, you don't need to bet your life on it, but saying that certainly makes you trustworthy.”
“Have you made up your mind?”
Wi Hongryeon scratched her head.
“If I say no, it feels like you'll smash my head in.”
“You want a joke? Then I'll tell you that's exactly what I'll do.”
“So you're saying you won't?”
“I simply came here with a decent gift to make a useful person my own. Call it a proposal, an enticement. I'm not so unreasonable as to smash someone's head in just because they refuse my offer.”
Wi Hongryeon glanced at the wooden box in Seo Ryang's hand.
“If it's a gift, are you referring to that?”
“Yes.”
“Is it an elixir?”
“It is.”
“How good is it?”
“Top-tier.”
“Compared to the Heavenly Demon's Divine Pill?”
“Have you no conscience? You can't compare it to that.”
“Damn, if it was as good as the Heavenly Demon's Divine Pill, I would have become completely yours.”
She lightened the mood with their banter.
But Wi Hongryeon's expression was even more serious than Seo Ryang's. She realized this moment was a major turning point in her life.
Wi Hongryeon was lost in thought.
Seo Ryang smiled.
‘It seems my sincerity got through.’
Frankly, if she agreed, took the elixir, and then went back on her word, there would be nothing Seo Ryang could do. The fact that Wi Hongryeon was deep in thought with such a precious elixir before her meant she was taking his offer very seriously.
A moment later.
Her face contorted, Wi Hongryeon scratched her head vigorously.
“Agh! I hate overthinking things!”
“No one likes complications. Just follow your heart.”
Wi Hongryeon, who had been staring at Seo Ryang, confidently held out her hand.
“One more thing.”
“Huh?”
“I'll take that, and I want a sword too.”
“…?!”
“I'm not asking for the Silent King Sword, so be a little more generous.”
Seo Ryang looked aghast.
“Are you a robber? Do you have any idea how precious this elixir is?”
“You said it wasn't on the level of the Heavenly Demon's Divine Pill.”
“I think you're overvaluing yourself.”
“Do you know why a straw raincoat that not even a dog would wear on a sunny day sells so well during the monsoon?”
She was saying that since he wanted her so desperately, he should be willing to pay a fair price.
It was absurd, but he didn't dislike her for it. He realized she was leaning his way.
“Good grief, even so, this is a bit much.”
“Why?”
“Because I've scammed others, but I don't think I've ever been scammed myself.”
“What's there to call a scam? It's not like I'm asking for a secret martial arts manual. And speaking of which, if I get stronger, isn't that a good thing for you, Young Master?”
Her words were utterly shameless.
Staring at her blankly, Seo Ryang finally let out a chuckle.
“I'll work you to the bone every chance I get.”
“Don't think I'll serve you like some servant, like Mr. Ma.”
“I wouldn't expect you to, you brat. And why is Dongpil a servant?”
“He just looks like one.”
Seo Ryang gestured with his chin toward a bookshelf. It was the one closest to the puddle.
“Take the thing behind that bookshelf.
Looking puzzled, Wi Hongryeon retrieved the object from behind the bookshelf.
It was about the length of a typical longsword, but it weighed more than four times as much. Like the previous two swords, it was wrapped in cloth, so its appearance was hidden.
“That should be to your liking.”
“What is it?”
“Unwrap it.”
Wi Hongryeon unwrapped the cloth.
Her eyes immediately widened.
“Th-this is…”
“A sword just like you, isn't it?”
The revealed sword was a flawless, pure white.
It was three feet long, with a hilt twice the length of a normal longsword and a much shorter blade. The blade itself, while not as wide as the Po-a Sword, was three times wider and thicker than that of an ordinary longsword.
It wasn't quite a misshapen sword, but its appearance was certainly unique.
And more impressive than its appearance was the vicious, sharp aura emanating from the sword itself.
“It's the Tiger's Roar Sword. A divine weapon once known as the White Tiger Sword.”
“…!”
“One of the Four Divine Weapons, which have now become legend. Do you like it?”
Like it? It was more than that.
She knew it was no ordinary weapon the moment she held it, but she never imagined it would be the Tiger's Roar Sword. If the Silent King Sword was a demonic sword considered the best of its time, the Tiger's Roar Sword was a vicious blade of past legends, known for its thrilling power.
“…*Gulp*. Th-this is acceptable.”
It was a dishonest answer. She was completely captivated by the Tiger's Roar Sword.
Seo Ryang nodded.
“Now, sit in front of me.”
“…”
“…?”
“…”
“Hey, you!”
“Huh! Yes? Did you call me?”
“You're completely lost in a daze.”
“Wh-who said I was in a daze?”
“Never mind, just hurry up and sit in front of me. We don't have time.”
“What do you mean, we don't have time?”
Seo Ryang shook the wooden box.
“It's not on the level of the Heavenly Demon's Divine Pill or Shaolin's Great Rejuvenation Pill, but it's far better than a Malevolent Spirit Pill or a Minor Rejuvenation Pill.”
“…!”
“I'm going to shove all of it into your dantian within a day, so focus properly. If you lose concentration, you'll waste its precious energy.”
“…Now that it's come to this, I'm getting a little scared. Just how hard are you planning to work me, that you're even helping with my energy circulation?”
“You said it yourself, didn't you? You getting stronger is ultimately a good thing for me too.”
“Still.”
Seo Ryang opened the wooden box.
Instantly, a clear, refreshing fragrance filled the annex.
“Even with an investment like this, I'm not sure if you'll survive the year.”
“…”
“Stay sharp.”
* * *
A day later.
A group of people approached the entrance of Sohyang Valley.
The Lord of the Giant Whale House, Jong Risan, and his escort, the Sea King Guard, had arrived.