Chapter 131: Arriving at White Flower Peak-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: Arriving at White Flower Peak-1
"Sun-woo, when are we going to get there?"
Yorang clung to Sun-woo’s arm, her voice a persistent whine.
"Stop grumbling."
Thump.
"Ow!"
Sun-woo gave her a light flick on the head and pushed her off.
Rustle, rustle.
He rummaged through his pack and pulled out a wrapped piece of tang-gwa.
Yorang’s complaining was a clear signal that she wanted him to feed her tang-gwa or mooncakes. Since he had given her one every time she threw a tantrum, it had become a habit for her to act out.
"Keep your mouth shut, alright?"
Nod, nod.
Her eyes fixed on the sweet, Yorang nodded vigorously.
Snatch.
Lick, lick.
Having secured the tang-gwa from Sun-woo, Yorang began to lick it with a look of pure bliss.
Sun-woo suppressed a chuckle at the sight. He wondered how eating a simple sweet could make someone that happy.
"Whew."
After pacifying her, Sun-woo looked ahead. A familiar landscape unfolded before his eyes.
Having spent his past roaming these mountains to hunt, Sun-woo knew exactly where they were. They had reached the outskirts of White Flower Peak.
Thump, thump, thump.
Sun-woo’s heart began to race.
It had been a long journey. When he first left this place, the future had seemed bleak. He was a mere martial artist of the Super-Peak Realm—how could he have even dreamed of stealing the Poison Essence?
But in the end, he had succeeded, and now he was back within the territory of White Flower Peak.
Soon, he would see her. His beloved Ok-ryeong.
"Hey, Yorang. Let’s pick up the pace."
Sun-woo turned to speak to her.
Lick, lick.
Yorang, still busy with her tang-gwa, tilted her head in confusion. He was the one who usually limited their speed for fear of getting lost after sunset. Why the sudden hurry?
"We’ll reach our destination if we climb just a bit more. Just bear with it a little longer."
Nod, nod.
Yorang nodded. She didn't quite understand, but his flushed face suggested that he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Sun-woo’s stride quickened until it broke into a full sprint. Yorang matched his pace, her footsteps accelerating until she, too, was running.
Whoosh!
The only sound left in their wake was the whistling of the wind.
Tap, tap, tap.
How much time had passed?
Sun-woo and Yorang finally reached the lake at the very summit of White Flower Peak. It was the result of running without a single moment's rest. Sun-woo had pushed himself even harder, knowing the end was in sight.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Drenched in sweat, Sun-woo bent over, gasping for air. His breath was short, his thigh muscles felt like they were about to burst, and a dull ache seeped into his bones.
He had clearly overexerted himself. His body hadn't even fully recovered from his duel with the middle-aged priest, yet he had spent the entire day running just to reach White Flower Peak.
"Huff... Yorang... we’re here."
Sun-woo turned to speak to her.
"Huh?"
But Yorang was nowhere to be seen.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Instead, the sound of someone drinking greedily came from up ahead.
Following the sound, he saw Yorang already at the lakeshore, drinking the water with ferocious intensity.
Sun-woo snorted at the sight. It seemed the day-long run had been taxing for her as well.
Gulp, gulp.
Sun-woo also rushed over and began to gulp down the water. The cold lake water filled his body with a refreshing chill.
"Kaha!"
"Kaha!"
Sun-woo and Yorang let out exclamations of satisfaction at the same time. The water was just that delicious.
"Ah, I’m so happy."
Having finished drinking, Yorang flopped onto her back.
"Get up. We still have a little further to go," Sun-woo told her.
"What?! I thought we arrived!"
Yorang cried out in shock. Hadn't he said the destination was the top of White Flower Peak? So why did they have to go further?
Her face began to crumple into a pout. She thought they had finally made it, but it seemed the end was still far off.
"No need for that face. It’s right under our noses."
Sun-woo chuckled at her cute expression and pulled her to her feet. The journey must have been truly grueling if even the mighty Human-Faced Spider was making such a face.
After helping her up, Sun-woo began to scan the area for the rock that hid the entrance to the safe house. Before long, he spotted the turtle-shaped rock and strode toward it.
Reaching the rock, he began to dig at its base. Soon, he uncovered a small turtle statue that served as the mechanism to open the entrance.
Sun-woo gripped the shell of the statue and began to turn it slowly.
Creeeak, creeeak.
Three times to the right.
Creeak.
Once to the left.
Rumbleeeee!
As Sun-woo turned the statue in the correct sequence, the turtle-shaped rock moved aside with a thunderous roar. The entrance to the safe house was finally revealed.
Thump, thump, thump.
At the sight of the entrance, Sun-woo’s heart began to pound frantically. He had looked forward to this moment since the day he left White Flower Peak. But now that the moment was finally here, his heart trembled with anxiety.
All sorts of thoughts began to plague his mind.
Is Ok-ryeong safe?
Am I too late?
Did Lee Jae-won find this place?
Did the Yin-Yang Demon just run away?
Doubts, suspicions, and anxieties swirled around him. He was terrified. Was she truly alright?
Sun-woo’s body began to shake violently as he stared into the entrance.
Then...
Touch.
He felt a warm hand cover his trembling one.
"What are you doing? Let’s go."
The warmth came from Yorang’s hand. She gripped his hand without hesitation and pulled him toward the stairs. She seemed frustrated watching him just stand there staring at the open door.
Thud, thud, thud.
Her steps were bold, and Sun-woo allowed himself to be pulled along.
"Sigh."
Sun-woo let out a long breath. He felt pathetic for standing there like a coward when the moment he had longed for was right in front of him.
He looked at Yorang as she pulled him along. Though she was immature at times, he felt grateful to her for giving him a push when he needed it.
"My wrist hurts, you brat," Sun-woo said with a smile.
*
Before long, the cavern began to come into view.
"Master!!"
As soon as the cavern appeared, Sun-woo shouted for the Yin-Yang Demon. He wanted to announce his arrival.
"Master Lee Ho-seon!!"
"Ho-seon!!"
Yorang joined in, shouting along with Sun-woo.
But no matter how much they called, there was no answer from the Yin-Yang Demon. A sense of dread washed over Sun-woo, and he moved faster.
No... please, no!
Dark thoughts began to cloud his mind.
"Damn it!"
Sun-woo moved even faster. Reaching the cavern, he immediately threw himself toward the grotto where Ok-ryeong had been resting. He prayed and prayed that his fears were unfounded.
Entering the grotto, the first thing he checked was the flat rock.
"She’s gone?!"
Sun-woo panicked. Before he left, he had clearly seen Ok-ryeong lying peacefully on that rock. But now, there wasn't even a trace of her.
Thud.
Sun-woo collapsed to his knees. A storm of thoughts began to torment him.
Did the Yin-Yang Demon take her and flee after the hideout was discovered?
Or did he intend to kidnap her from the very beginning?
He didn't know. He couldn't even guess. Tears began to flow uncontrollably.
It was then.
"Agh!"
Yorang’s scream echoed from outside the grotto.
Sun-woo scrambled to his feet and spun around. He sprinted out of the grotto with everything he had.
"Waaaaah!"
Outside, he saw Yorang crying in pain, and the face of the man who was stepping on her.
"Yin... Yang... Demon!"
It was him.
"Let Yorang go!" Sun-woo roared.
Sun-woo was not in his right mind. For three long months, he had lived only for the dream of reuniting with Ok-ryeong. And now that the moment had finally come, the woman he loved had vanished.
There were two grottos, but only the one with the flat rock was large enough to hold a person. That meant she was no longer in the safe house.
Her injuries were so severe that she couldn't be healed without the Poison Essence. There was no way she could have recovered and moved on her own. The only person who could have moved Ok-ryeong was the Yin-Yang Demon standing before him.
Sun-woo was consumed by confusion. Why would he move Ok-ryeong out of the safe house? And if he had moved her, why was he still here? Wasn't she in a state where she needed the Yin-Yang Demon to constantly infuse her with Yin-Yang Harmony Qi?
A whirlwind of emotions surged in Sun-woo’s chest. Seeing Yorang being brutally trampled under such circumstances made his rage boil over.
"Ho?"
The Yin-Yang Demon turned around, noticing Sun-woo. He let out a small exclamation of surprise.
"You’ve reached the Transcendent Realm in a mere three months? Heh."
The Yin-Yang Demon chuckled as if he found it amusing.
"Let Yorang go!"
"This girl? I wondered why you had a creature that isn't even human with you, but it seems you brought her yourself."
The Yin-Yang Demon muttered, looking down at Yorang under his foot.
Thwack!
He kicked her away.
Slide.
Yorang skidded across the floor and stopped in front of Sun-woo. He quickly checked her condition. She was motionless, seemingly unconscious from the kick.
Panicked, Sun-woo placed a hand under her nose. Fortunately, a faint breath escaped her; she wasn't dead. He scanned her body. In that short time, she had been beaten so badly that there wasn't a single unbruised spot on her.
'Damn it.'
Sun-woo cursed under his breath.
"She lacked manners, being a mere beast and all," the Yin-Yang Demon continued with a titter.
Rage flared, but Sun-woo knew he had to stay calm. Ok-ryeong’s life was the priority.
"Where is Ok-ryeong?" Sun-woo asked slowly, his eyes fixed on the demon.
"Who knows?"
The Yin-Yang Demon feigned ignorance with a sly grin.
Grit.
Sun-woo clenched his teeth.
Vroooooom.
Murderous aura began to radiate from his body.
"Hahahaha! This is entertaining. To think you’d direct murderous aura at me."
The Yin-Yang Demon burst into laughter. How could he not be pleased to see a pup who was once less than a stray dog return as a full-grown wolf?
"I buried Ok-ryeong in the ground. She seemed beyond hope."
Boom!
The moment the Yin-Yang Demon finished speaking, Sun-woo drew the Dragon Tail Soft Sword from around his waist.
Ching!
He swung it at him instantly. There was no hesitation. It was pure instinct. The moment those words were spoken, his hand moved, and the Dragon Tail Soft Sword lashed out toward the Yin-Yang Demon.
The sword snaked through the air.
Clang!
The Yin-Yang Demon laughed and deflected the sword with one hand. The Dragon Tail Soft Sword seemed to fall toward the ground, but it suddenly regained its momentum and lunged at him again.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The Yin-Yang Demon’s hand and the soft sword collided repeatedly in a contest of strength. Sun-woo concentrated his internal energy. A bluish Astral Qi formed around the Dragon Tail Soft Sword as it swarmed the Yin-Yang Demon.
However, the Yin-Yang Demon effortlessly parried the Astral Qi as if it were child's play.
Boom!
Boom!
Every time his hand met Sun-woo’s Astral Qi, a thunderous roar echoed through the cavern.
"Hahaha! What a fascinating tool."
The Yin-Yang Demon laughed, looking at the Dragon Tail Soft Sword with interest. A sword that could change direction at will—it was almost like Sword Kinesis.
"Khahahaha!"
The Yin-Yang Demon’s laughter grew louder, and Sun-woo’s expression grew grimmer. Even with the Astral Qi-infused soft sword, he couldn't touch him.
Sun-woo began to circulate the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art to accelerate his blood flow. With his Awakening and the Dragon Tail Soft Sword combined, even the Yin-Yang Demon wouldn't be able to take him lightly.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
As his blood accelerated, his heart began to beat like a drum. His entire body flushed red. He felt his physical capabilities rise exponentially. He was stronger and faster than ever before.
Sun-woo’s strikes became even more rapid.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
In a short span, hundreds of blows were exchanged. Sun-woo began to pour his internal energy into the fight with reckless abandon.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Dragon Tail Soft Sword moved incessantly, hounding the Yin-Yang Demon.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The roars from the collisions grew louder and louder.
"Khahahaha!"
The Yin-Yang Demon’s laughter rose in tandem. Despite being in his awakened state with accelerated blood and using a legendary weapon like the Dragon Tail Soft Sword, Sun-woo’s blade still couldn't reach him. He hadn't even managed to leave a single scratch.
But it didn't matter. He felt like he would go insane if he didn't pour everything he had into this.
Sun-woo accelerated his blood even further. His physical limits were pushed higher. His entire body turned a deep crimson.
Sun-woo tightened his grip on his sword. He would kill the Yin-Yang Demon. Even if it cost him his life.