Chapter 129: Meeting a Man Like a Single Sword - Part 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: Meeting a Man Like a Single Sword - Part 1
"Zzz-wheeze... Zzz-wheeze..."
Yorang’s snoring echoed throughout the guest room.
Stroke, stroke.
Sun-woo watched her, slowly stroking her hair.
Seeing her snore like that after she had been struggling just to breathe made it clear her body had returned to its original state. Sun-woo gently lifted the blanket to check her condition.
Her body, which had been covered in cuts and gashes, was now smooth, the new skin having already grown in. As expected of a spiritual being, her recovery speed was on a completely different level compared to a human's.
"Phew."
Sun-woo let out a sigh of relief.
He remembered how shocked he had been when he first saw her state. Seeing her covered in blood and riddled with stab wounds had made his blood boil with rage. He had only been able to calm down after going on a rampage until his anger finally subsided.
Later, after learning the full story of the incident, he felt both sorry and grateful toward Yorang. Thanks to her—who had refused to reveal her true identity or kill them even in a life-threatening situation—Sun-woo had been able to manage the fallout.
If Yorang had killed them all, the situation would have escalated beyond any hope of repair.
Stroke, stroke.
Sun-woo stroked her hair even more gently.
"Mmm..."
It was then. Yorang began to toss and turn. She had felt the sensation of someone softly stroking her head.
Who is it?
Is it Madam Un Ga-ryeo? Or Tang Seo-yoon? Maybe Geum Jeok-hwa?
Filled with curiosity, Yorang slowly blinked her eyes open.
"Sun-woo?"
She saw the person stroking her hair. It was Sun-woo.
She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming. It was rare for Sun-woo to stroke her head so gently. Usually, he was the type of person to throw a fist rather than offer a soft touch. The tenderness felt so out of character that it seemed almost eerie.
"Go back to sleep," Sun-woo said softly as he watched her rub her eyes.
"Ugh..."
Yorang felt goosebumps at his gentle tone. He felt like a stranger because he was acting so differently from his usual self.
"Yorang," Sun-woo said slowly.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For keeping your promise."
If she had forgotten her promise to Sun-woo and killed them all, he would be a fugitive being hunted by a Pursuit Squad right now.
"We pinky-swore, didn't we?" she asked back, sounding confused.
Wasn't it the law of human society that you must keep a promise once you pinky-swear? Why was he thanking her for something so obvious? Yorang couldn't understand.
Pat, pat.
Sun-woo stroked her head again, finding her reaction adorable. He was proud of her for maintaining that trust over a simple promise.
"I'll make sure nothing like this happens again," Sun-woo vowed as he continued to stroke her hair. He would never let a situation like that occur again.
"Mmm-kay."
Yorang didn't quite understand, but she liked the soft sensation on her head, so she gave a short reply and stayed still.
"Yorang."
"Yeah?"
"I told you before that no matter what happens, you must never harm a human, right?"
"Right! And I kept it!"
"Can we change that promise a bit?"
"To what?"
"If your life is in danger, just kill them."
"What?"
"I realized that would be better."
He meant it. If she died because she was trying to keep a promise to him, he would live the rest of his life in regret.
"No," Yorang replied with an unexpected answer.
"Huh?"
"If I kill people, I’ll have to leave you, Madam Un Ga-ryeo, the Third Madam, and Tang Seo-yoon. I don't want that."
Yorang counted them off on her fingers as she explained. Sun-woo let out a small chuckle. To think she valued those relationships more than her own life.
"Then let's make a different promise. If your life is in danger, you have to release your power and run away."
"Okay!"
Yorang gave him a bright smile. Sun-woo smiled back at her.
Grumble!
Right then, a thunderous sound erupted from Yorang’s stomach.
"Sun-woooo, I'm hungryyyy."
Realizing the state of her stomach, Yorang called out to him. Sun-woo chuckled again. It made sense she was hungry, considering she had been unconscious all day without eating a thing.
"Wait a moment. I'll tell them to bring some food up."
"Hehehe, okay!"
Yorang’s laughter filled the room.
*
Tap, tap, tap.
A man and a woman were moving rapidly up a mountain path.
Crunch, munch.
"Nom, nom, gulp."
The woman was sprinting while stuffing her mouth with mooncakes.
"You're going to get indigestion if you keep that up."
The man running ahead of her, Sun-woo, spoke as he looked back at Yorang.
"M'fine, I won't get indigeshtion!"
Yorang replied with a muffled voice, her mouth full of mooncakes.
Three days had already passed since the incident in Gyunhyeon. After spending one night at the inn, they had packed their bags and left early the next morning. Originally, they had planned to just grab some supplies and move on, but they had spent an extra day for Yorang’s recovery. The unexpected trouble had delayed their schedule.
Sun-woo increased his pace toward White Flower Peak, and Yorang kept up with him easily. Perhaps because they had packed plenty of snacks in Gyunhyeon, she followed him without much complaint despite three days of grueling travel.
Watching her, Sun-woo felt a twinge of regret. If he had just packed plenty of mooncakes and western confectionery from the start, they probably would have arrived ages ago.
Still, thanks to minimizing sleep and running non-stop, they had reached the edge of Henan. At this rate, they would reach White Flower Peak in about another day.
"Sun-woo, the sun'sh shetting!"
Yorang pointed toward the horizon, speaking through a mouthful of food. Sun-woo looked where she was pointing. Just as she said, the sun was already going down.
"Yorang, slow down. Let's stop here for today and find a place to stay."
As much as he wanted to push on, it was easy to lose one's way while traveling through mountains at night. Sun-woo decided to camp out without hesitation. He slowed down and began to scan the surroundings for a suitable spot.
Before long, he found a fairly wide clearing nearby. A clearing in the middle of the forest—had someone made it? Were these the remains of a field cleared by slash-and-burn farmers in the past? Whatever the reason, it looked like a cozy space, and Sun-woo was pleased.
"This place looks good."
"Yeah, yeah, this is great."
Yorang had already run into the clearing and was starting to settle in. Having spent nearly ten days camping out, she had no trouble getting comfortable.
"Hey, who told you to lie down first?" Sun-woo scolded her as she spread out her bedding.
"Whyyy?"
"Go pick up some dry branches."
"No, you do it."
Already lying down, Yorang stuck her tongue out at Sun-woo in defiance.
"Why is it always me? You do it today."
She had a reason for her rebellion. Every time they camped, Sun-woo had made her gather dry wood. She had done it without thinking once or twice, but as it became a routine, her annoyance had started to build.
"I'm the one who cooks!" Sun-woo argued.
"Please! Roasting a few pieces of jerky is 'cooking'? Do you have a personality disorder or something?"
Yorang snorted at Sun-woo’s defense. Her eloquence seemed to improve with every passing day.
Damn it.
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. He had been subtly pushing the annoying chores onto her, and it seemed she had finally caught on.
"Yorang, what if something happens while I leave you here alone? Don't you remember what happened at Pungcheonru?" Sun-woo said in a suggestive tone.
"So it's okay to send me alone then? I'm not an idiot. Come to think of it, I've been the one gathering branches and making the beds this whole time!"
Smart brat.
It seemed her intelligence was no longer at the level of a young girl.
"And what did you do? You just stuck a few pieces of jerky on a stick, roasted them, and then just lay there resting!"
"......"
Sun-woo turned his gaze away, finding himself short of words. It was true. He had left all the chores to her. All he had done was light a fire with the branches she brought and roast the jerky. He thought he could keep getting away with it, but she had known all along.
"I'll do the cooking from now on, so you do everything else!"
"......"
Sun-woo scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
It was then.
"Ho ho ho. I shall gather the dry branches for you, so stop your bickering."
A man's voice drifted from somewhere.
Startled, Sun-woo whipped his body around and gripped the Dragon Tail Soft Sword at his waist. He stared toward the source of the voice with a tense expression.
A middle-aged man was walking toward them, carrying an armful of branches.
I didn't sense his presence at all.
Sun-woo tightened his grip on his sword. He was someone who had reached the Transcendent Realm, often called the Absolute Realm. And yet, he hadn't sensed a thing? That meant the man before him had reached a level at least equal to his own.
"Who are you?" Sun-woo asked, his voice laced with tension.
"Ho ho, no need to be so tense. I am merely a passing traveler."
"If you're a passing traveler, why don't you just keep passing through?"
"People have become so cold these days. Surely you can share a bit of your fire?"
The man simply laughed off Sun-woo’s bold remark.
"As you can see, we don't have a fire."
"That is fine. A fire can be made in an instant."
Clatter.
The man dropped the armful of branches onto the ground.
Whoosh!
He conjured a flame in his hand and touched it to the dry wood.
Crackle!
Before long, the branches were ablaze.
Samadhi True Fire?!
Indeed. The man had used Samadhi True Fire to start the fire.
Thud.
The man sat down right there.
"You two, come and sit as well."
The man smiled at Sun-woo and Yorang.
"......If we refuse, will you kill us?" Sun-woo asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Hahaha! You say the most amusing things."
The man burst into laughter at Sun-woo’s question.
"Just because someone is stronger than you in martial arts doesn't mean they are your enemy."
The man gave Sun-woo a wide grin.
"It matters not if you refuse. I would lose a companion to pass the night with, of course, but that is hardly a reason to kill you."
Sun-woo felt his tension ease slightly. At least this incredibly powerful man didn't seem to harbor any ill will. However, he couldn't relax completely. He had no idea what the man was really thinking.
"Tsk tsk. Life must have been hard for you. Why are you baring your claws like a frightened cat?"
As if reading Sun-woo’s mind, the man spoke again.
"I swear upon my sword: I have no intention of harming you today."
The man tapped the sword at his side as he spoke.
"I understand. Then, if you'll excuse us."
Sun-woo hesitated for a long moment before finally walking over to the fire the man had built.
Thud.
"Yorang, you come too."
Sun-woo sat down and called Yorang over. At his word, Yorang scurried over and sat by his side.
"Ho, look at this."
The man let out an exclamation of interest as he looked at Yorang.
Sun-woo tensed up. He wondered if this man, too, had been captivated by Yorang’s beauty. The incident at Pungcheonru in Gyunhyeon had ingrained in Sun-woo just how dangerous Yorang’s appearance could be. He was worried that a man with power at least equal to his own might become an adversary.
"This is interesting."
Whether he knew what Sun-woo was thinking or not, the man let out a hearty laugh. Sun-woo watched his reaction silently.
"How is it that something that isn't even human is pretending to be one?"
The man continued as he looked at Yorang.
Sun-woo’s eyes widened like saucers. How could he tell just by looking?
"Who... who are you?"
"I have no name."
The man replied calmly to Sun-woo’s question.
"I am merely a single sword for someone."
The man, who had been looking at Yorang, slowly turned his head to look at Sun-woo.
"And you—what is your identity?"
"Pardon?"
"What is your identity, that you are traveling with something that isn't human?"
The man asked Sun-woo as if he truly didn't know.
Sun-woo fell silent. He had never imagined he would encounter someone who could see through Yorang’s identity at a single glance.