Chapter 120: Yorang Keeps Her Promise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: Yorang Keeps Her Promise
"Haa... haa..."
Lee Ye-seol was breathing heavily.
Though it had been a brief exchange, she had poured her entire strength into subduing the girl who was the root of this incident.
Yet, for some reason, this girl was parrying Lee Ye-seol’s attacks with ease.
"Stop it."
The culprit, Yorang, spoke to the panting Lee Ye-seol.
Even though Yorang couldn't exert her full power, she wasn't so weak as to be defeated by the likes of her. Sharp attacks occasionally flew her way, but none could actually reach her.
"You can't reach me."
Yorang told her the simple truth. Why was she lunging so desperately when her attacks couldn't even land?
Grit.
"Eeeek!"
At Yorang’s words, Lee Ye-seol ground her teeth, her pride wounded.
Yorang had intended to encourage her to give up, but to Lee Ye-seol, it sounded like blatant mockery.
She was a woman who had always walked the path of success. Among the Rising Stars of Dragon and Phoenix, the absolute elite of their generation, she was hailed as the very best.
And she had to hear such words? From a woman who looked no older than herself?
A massive crack began to form in her towering pride. And that cracked pride gave way to resentment and rage.
"I'll make you regret those words."
She reached into the waistband wrapped around her waist.
Clink.
Soon, she drew a long soft sword that had been hidden within the waistband and slammed it against the floor.
Boom!
The floor of Pungcheonru, crafted from high-quality hardwood, shattered miserably under the impact. The display made it clear that the soft sword possessed formidable power.
"Die!"
She channeled her internal energy and flooded the soft sword with it. Then, the blade whipped out, lashing toward Yorang’s neck.
Swish!
Yorang leaned her head back, effortlessly dodging Lee Ye-seol’s blade. It was a remarkably fast strike, but not unavoidable.
Stab!
It happened then.
A searing pain suddenly erupted in her back.
"Ugh!"
Yorang let out an involuntary groan.
What?
Startled by the sudden pain, Yorang turned her head. She saw the object that had pierced her back.
It was the very soft sword Lee Ye-seol had just swung. The sharp tip of the blade was currently protruding through her back.
"H-how...?"
Yorang looked at the sword embedded in her with a bewildered expression. Hadn't the blade been aimed at her neck? How could it have moved behind her and stabbed her in the back?
Whirrrr!
While Yorang was lost in confusion, Lee Ye-seol quickly yanked the sword back.
"Agh..."
As the blade was pulled out, Yorang let out a pained moan.
"Hohoho! You looked so confident, but I guess you're not much after all."
Lee Ye-seol smirked as she watched Yorang’s face contort in pain. Seeing that arrogant face twist in agony was a sight to behold.
"H-how did you do that?" Yorang asked, her face pale with pain.
"Why don't you try to figure it out yourself!"
Instead of answering, Lee Ye-seol swung the soft sword again.
Whirrrr!
The soft sword extended once more, surging toward Yorang. Yorang focused her eyesight, tracking the trajectory of the blade.
This time, the torso.
Judging by the angle, the target was definitely her midsection.
Step.
Yorang timed it perfectly and leaped backward just before the sword reached her. The blade grazed the air inches from her stomach. The distance between her and the sword was paper-thin.
Having narrowly avoided the strike, Yorang exhaled a sigh of relief.
Whew.
It happened again.
Swish!
The tip of the soft sword, which had just grazed her torso, changed direction as if it were alive, lunging toward her thigh.
Stab!
Yorang couldn't react to the sword’s sudden change in direction.
"Ugh!"
Tears welled in Yorang’s eyes from the sharp pain in her thigh. It hurt—it hurt so much.
"Go on, say something else like you did before. What was it? 'You can't reach me'? Hohohoho!"
Lee Ye-seol began to laugh uproariously, clearly delighting in the sight. It was exhilarating to see a woman so beautiful and seemingly strong crumble in agony.
"Why are you doing this?!" Yorang shouted, her voice thick with resentment.
She had just wanted to sit quietly in the inn and eat. She even had the silver to pay for the meal. Why were they tormenting her like this?
"You have to pay the price."
"What price?" Yorang asked, genuinely confused.
"The price for defying me. The price for presumptuously resisting my touch. And finally, the price for making me draw the Dragon Tail Soft Sword."
It was then.
"The Dragon Tail Soft Sword!"
Zhuge Jia, the Divine Strategist Zhuge, who had been watching silently, let out a startled cry. The eyes of the other Rising Stars immediately turned toward her.
"Lady Zhuge, what on earth is the Dragon Tail Soft Sword that it surprises you so?"
Cheongmyeong of the Wudang Sect asked, puzzled by her reaction. He had never heard the name before, but her shock piqued his curiosity. The other Rising Stars seemed to feel the same, their gazes fixed on her.
"Hmm..."
Finding herself the center of attention, Zhuge Jia looked troubled. She had shouted out in shock, but she wasn't sure if she should explain. It was a secret weapon Lee Ye-seol had been keeping hidden. Revealing its secrets might offend her.
"Lady Zhuge, didn't Lady Lee reveal the name of the weapon herself? Don't worry and tell us about it," Eon Do-tae of the Jinju Eon Clan urged her. He was dying to know more about that bizarre weapon.
"He's right. Since we know the name, we could find out through investigation later anyway."
"Exactly. I'm curious too. What kind of weapon can perform such god-like feats?"
Following Eon Do-tae’s lead, the other Rising Stars chimed in one after another. Their curiosity was equally piqued.
"Sigh."
Zhuge Jia let out a long breath. It seemed staying silent would only offend the others.
"I once saw a record of the Dragon Tail Soft Sword in an ancient text in my clan's library. Do any of you know about the Six Great Treasures of the Murim?" Zhuge Jia began, her voice low and mysterious.
"They say there are six treasures in the Murim whose origins are unknown. These six treasures possess power so immense that the word 'treasure' hardly does them justice. The Dragon Tail Soft Sword is one of them. It possesses a will of its own and strikes at any enemy its master holds hostility toward. Furthermore, its strength and elasticity are extraordinary; as long as internal energy is supplied, it can extend to its limit."
Gulp.
The Rising Stars in the room collectively swallowed hard at Zhuge Jia’s explanation. They had never heard of such a miraculous treasure. A sword that moved with its own will? It was a peerless treasure. And to think there were six such items in the world...
Greed began to flicker in their eyes.
"Lady Zhuge, then what about the other treasures?" Eon Do-tae asked, his eyes gleaming with avarice.
"Unfortunately, the book only contained information on the Dragon Tail Soft Sword. There was nothing about the other treasures."
Of course, that was a lie. How could there be a book that only described one of the Six Great Treasures? She was intentionally withholding information about the others. The Dragon Tail Soft Sword, which she had thought was a myth, had appeared. This was proof that the other treasures existed in the world as well.
Greed began to color her own gaze. Even if she couldn't claim the Dragon Tail Soft Sword belonging to Lee Ye-seol, the precious daughter of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, the other treasures might be without masters. She intended to report this to her clan elders as soon as she returned.
The other Rising Stars seemed to be thinking the same thing, staring at Lee Ye-seol’s sword with flushed, excited faces.
*
"Uuuugh..."
Tears blurred Yorang’s vision. Her entire body throbbed with unbearable pain. She was in terrible shape. She was covered in puncture wounds, blood was flowing freely, and every movement brought a fresh wave of agony.
She wanted to heal herself, but she was terrified that doing so would reveal her identity as a Spiritual Being.
Sun-woo had told her. If her true identity were discovered, everyone would swarm her to steal her Inner Core. His warning made her hesitate, preventing her from even attempting to recover.
"Hohoho! What shall I do? More tears are falling from that pretty face."
Lee Ye-seol burst into laughter at the sight. Seeing this woman, stained with crimson blood and whimpering, made her feel as though her cracked pride was being mended.
That's right. This is the gap between us.
"You're a coward!" Yorang shouted at her.
She was doing her best to suppress her power, yet this woman was using such a strange sword to bridge the gap. The unfairness of it all made her boil with resentment.
"If you feel it's unfair, why don't you draw your own weapon, Lady?" Lee Ye-seol sneered.
In the Murim, the quality of one's weapon was considered a part of one's strength. If she had worked harder to obtain a good weapon, she wouldn't be losing like this. Of course, the Dragon Tail Soft Sword was a gift from her mother, the Heavenly Sword Empress Joo So-yang. If it was unfair, she should have been born with better blood.
Lee Ye-seol looked down on the other Rising Stars as pampered young masters and ladies, yet ironically, she herself was filled with an elitist mindset that looked down on others based on their status. To her, this woman was nothing more than a common girl with a pretty face. How could she tolerate such a girl defying her?
Grit.
Yorang ground her teeth. Honestly, the soft sword’s speed was something she could easily track with her eyes, but her body wouldn't follow. Even if she perceived the sudden change in direction, her suppressed physical form couldn't react in time, leaving her to be stabbed repeatedly.
She was torn. She desperately wanted to heal her body right now and take this woman’s head. In fact, she was confident she could kill her if she stopped being so defensive.
But the promise she made to Sun-woo kept weighing on her mind.
She had promised him. In exchange for taking her along, in exchange for protecting her... she would not harm humans.
And they had even hooked pinkies on it.
Sun-woo had said that among humans, a promise made by hooking pinkies must be kept no matter what. And just as he said, Sun-woo had never once broken a pinky promise—except for that one time he promised not to hit her and then beat her anyway.
So, she was conflicted. Was it okay to break this promise?
Whirrrr!
"Khh!"
The soft sword pierced her shoulder once again. Because she wasn't regenerating, moving her body was becoming increasingly difficult. She had lost too much blood, making her head spin, and her muscles felt torn, making her legs shake.
A maddening urge to regenerate her body, sprout her tails, and blow this woman’s head off surged within her.
Grit, grit.
Yorang began to gnash her teeth. She had to kill her. She refused to lose her life just to keep some stupid promise. The promise was made so she could survive in the first place. If the promise was putting her life in danger, it was putting the cart before the horse.
She began to draw power from her Inner Core.
I'm going to kill her!
An ominous aura began to radiate from Yorang’s body. She was truly intent on killing now. Sensing the shift in momentum, Lee Ye-seol watched her with a tense expression. Yorang’s presence had changed abruptly.
It was then.
[Then, before we go out, let's make one promise.]
[What promise?]
[That you'll never kill a human.]
[Why?]
[Because if you do, I'll kill you.]
[Now, hook your pinky.]
[You don't even keep your promises when you hook pinkies!]
[Well, you'd better keep yours, because if you don't, you're going to get the beating of a lifetime.]
The memories of her promises with Sun-woo suddenly flashed through her mind.
That jerk.
What was so special about a promise? What was so special about a pinky? It was interfering even at a moment when her life was at stake.
Soon, the aura rising around Yorang began to subside once more.
"I really can't do it."
Yorang, having dispersed her gathered momentum, lowered her head and looked at her small pinky finger. No matter how many times she tried to rouse her power, the thought of that pinky promise kept breaking her concentration.
She didn't know why. Why was a mere pinky promise stopping her from releasing her true strength even when her life was in danger?
She didn't know. She just had a feeling.
If she killed them all here... if she released her power and used her true strength... she felt like she could never go back to that life she shared with everyone at the Tang Clan.
They would surely part ways.
It was strange. She was a beast, yet the thought of being separated from them brought a heart-wrenching pain. She knew what this pain was. This pain was sadness.
In the end, she did not release her power.
Covered in blood, she let out a small, self-deprecating chuckle. Even she thought she was being incredibly stupid. Then, she began to justify her foolishness.
She was striving to become a Yokai Immortal. How could she be dishonest about a promise made with a hooked finger? If she ever reached the Immortal Realm, she would surely be a laughingstock.
Yorang prayed and prayed inwardly that her stamina and toughness would hold out.
Clang!
Lee Ye-seol’s soft sword surged toward her once more.
*
Tap, tap, tap.
Sun-woo stuffed several items into his bundle and hurried toward Pungcheonru. Because of the sheer volume of goods, it had taken much longer than the fifteen minutes he had anticipated.
"That brat must be having the time of her life."
Sun-woo suppressed a chuckle. Since he was late, she was undoubtedly hogging all the food at the inn for herself. She was probably in bliss.
As he drew closer to Pungcheonru, Sun-woo felt a massive amount of internal energy fluctuating from within.
Sun-woo quickened his pace, praying it wasn't what he thought.
Please, no!
He hoped against hope as he ran.
Crash!
Arriving at Pungcheonru, Sun-woo kicked the door open.
"Yorang!"
Sun-woo shouted her name. He had to stop her from going on a rampage.
As the door swung open, the sight of the wrecked interior of Pungcheonru met his eyes. And in the center of it all stood a familiar woman, drenched in blood.
The blood-stained woman slowly turned to look at him.
"Haa... haa... Sun... woo..."
It was Yorang. She struggled to breathe, stammering his name. She slowly raised her pinky finger.
"I... kept... the promise."
She spoke to Sun-woo with a faint, gentle smile.