Chapter 184: Escape
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Escape
Right, I should avoid the massacre ending.
Sun-woo nodded, having made his decision.
In his current state, killing Joo So-yang would be easier than swatting a mosquito, but he couldn't handle the aftermath. Now was the time to grow his strength while avoiding Lee Jae-won’s gaze as much as possible.
He was an opponent Sun-woo would have to fight eventually, but there was no need to provoke him yet. At least, not until Sun-woo reached the Profound Realm.
"Whew."
Sun-woo let out a sigh and slowly stood up from atop Joo So-yang’s stomach. He judged that since her internal energy was sealed, she no longer posed a significant threat.
"Puh-ha!"
As Sun-woo rose, she let out a long, ragged breath, as if her airway had finally been cleared. It seemed the combination of her sealed internal energy and the weight of Sun-woo crushing her had been agonizing.
"Get up."
Sun-woo looked down at the sprawling Joo So-yang and commanded. At his words, her body trembled violently before she slowly forced herself to stand.
Drip, drip, drip.
As she stood, the urine that had pooled in her undergarments began to trickle down her legs. It looked as if she were actively wetting herself, and Joo So-yang’s face flushed a deep crimson.
"Piss-baby."
Sun-woo tossed the word out as he watched her.
Hearing that, her face turned even redder, like a ripe apple. The shame was overwhelming. She hung her head low, unable to find the courage to look him in the eye.
"Lead the way."
Whether he cared for her feelings or not, Sun-woo simply stated his demand. At his word, Joo So-yang began to walk with leaden steps, heading deeper into the Heavenly Moon Palace. Sun-woo followed slowly behind her.
*
Inside the Heavenly Moon Palace.
"Where is Tang Seo-yoon?" Sun-woo asked, looking at Joo So-yang.
"She... she should be in my daughter's room by now," she stammered in response.
Hah.
Sun-woo let out a silent, hollow laugh at her behavior. She seemed like a completely different person from the Heavenly Sword Empress he knew.
In Jang Sam’s memories, the Heavenly Sword Empress was always an elegant, noble, and dignified lady of high standing. Moreover, her martial arts were so formidable that she exuded an intangible pressure.
But now, she looked like nothing more than a terrified woman.
I thought she’d put up more of a fight.
It seemed that breaking her spirit using the Scorching Poison had been the decisive factor. How horrific must it have been for such a proud noblewoman to humble herself and become so submissive?
Sun-woo shook his head. He made a mental note to refrain from using Scorching Poison unless he was dealing with a truly irredeemable villain.
After walking for a while, Sun-woo suddenly felt something was off. Despite having walked through the palace for a considerable amount of time, he hadn't seen a single soul.
Feeling suspicious, he turned to Joo So-yang.
"Who else is in the palace?"
"...Only my daughter, Lady Tang, and myself," she replied with a trembling voice.
"You're not lying, are you?" Sun-woo asked again, his voice cold.
"It’s... it’s the truth. Please... please believe me."
Joo So-yang pleaded, her voice shaking.
Hmm.
Sun-woo fell into thought. Judging by her reaction, it seemed the palace really was empty. But why?
To maintain a palace this large, a certain number of disciples would be necessary—or at the very least, servants. The fact that no one was here was suspicious.
"Why is it empty?" Sun-woo pressed, his eyes narrowing.
"......I sent them all away."
"Why?"
"........To hide the fact that we kidnapped Lady Tang."
She lowered her head, as if weighed down by her crimes, and slowly explained the reason.
In the end, it seemed she had cleared the scene to ensure a perfect crime. No matter how loyal a disciple might be, one can never truly know another's heart. Fearing that someone might accidentally slip up and cause a disastrous situation, she had sent everyone away.
Ho.
Sun-woo cheered inwardly. If what she said was true, this was a stroke of luck for him.
He hadn't killed Joo So-yang, but he had been worried about how to clean up the mess after making her wet herself and beating her bloody. Even if he silenced her, rumors would surely spread if there were witnesses.
But the palace was empty?
That meant as long as he silenced Joo So-yang and Lee Ye-seol, he could wrap this whole situation up cleanly.
It wasn't bad at all. Not at all.
Sun-woo began to contemplate the best way to ensure the silence of Joo So-yang and Lee Ye-seol.
*
Lee Ye-seol was watching Tang Seo-yoon, who sat perfectly still.
The woman was breathtakingly beautiful. With skin like white jade, eyes brighter than starlight, a sharp nose, and a seductive mouth, she looked as if the Heavenly Emperor himself had sculpted her with painstaking care.
Lee Ye-seol clicked her tongue inwardly, wondering how there could be so many beautiful people in the world.
It was then.
Blink, blink.
Tang Seo-yoon suddenly began to blink her eyes rapidly.
What is it?
Intrigued, Lee Ye-seol leaned in to observe her more closely.
Blink, blink, blink.
The blinking grew even faster. Lee Ye-seol realized she was trying to say something.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
She quickly reached out and struck the pressure points to release the seal on Seo-yoon's speech.
"Puh-ha!"
Seo-yoon let out a deep breath and looked toward Lee Ye-seol.
"I need to go to the latrine."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke with a calm expression.
"Hold it."
Lee Ye-seol flatly refused. She didn't know how the situation outside was unfolding. She couldn't risk moving her under these circumstances.
"I don't think I can. To be honest, I've been holding it since you first struck my pressure points."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke in an incredibly earnest tone.
Hmm.
Lee Ye-seol hesitated. A significant amount of time had passed since she had been immobilized. If she had been holding it since then, she must be in quite a predicament.
"Please. I'm going to soil myself right here."
Tang Seo-yoon pleaded, looking at Lee Ye-seol.
"Sigh."
Lee Ye-seol let out a sigh.
"Fine, but I'm coming with you."
She grabbed Seo-yoon’s hand and pulled her up.
"Thank you!"
Tang Seo-yoon beamed and expressed her gratitude.
*
Upon arriving at the latrine, Tang Seo-yoon quickly ducked inside. Lee Ye-seol moved to follow her.
"You're not seriously planning to follow me all the way inside, are you?"
Tang Seo-yoon poked her head out and looked at Lee Ye-seol.
"Of course I am."
"There are no windows in here, and no other exit. Is there really a need to follow me in?"
Tang Seo-yoon asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
Hmm.
Lee Ye-seol nodded, conceding the point. Come to think of it, the latrine had no windows or other doors. Furthermore, the walls were made of thick, solid timber; there was no way a woman without internal energy could break through them.
No matter how hard Tang Seo-yoon tried, there was no way to escape.
"I'll be quick, so just wait here. Don't worry."
With that, Tang Seo-yoon disappeared inside. Lee Ye-seol nodded and stood guard at the entrance.
How much time had passed? Nearly fifteen minutes had gone by, yet there was no sign of her coming out.
"Lady Tang!"
Lee Ye-seol called out, just in case. But only silence drifted from within the latrine.
"Lady Tang!"
She called again, thinking Seo-yoon might not have heard her. Still, there was only silence.
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Lee Ye-seol.
Slam!
She threw the door open and rushed inside.
And there it was. A small, gaping hole in the back wall of the latrine.
Lee Ye-seol’s face turned a dark, livid shade of purple.
*
"Haah... haah... haah."
Tang Seo-yoon ran without pause, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She should have stopped to catch her breath, but she didn't have the luxury. She only pushed herself to run faster.
After running for what felt like an eternity...
"Hua... hua... hua."
She finally stopped and began to steady her breathing. Before long, she managed to calm her racing heart.
"Whew."
She let out a sigh of relief. She felt that with this much distance, they wouldn't be able to catch her easily.
Fool.
She scoffed, thinking of Lee Ye-seol. She hadn't expected the woman to let her go so easily.
Then again, who would have guessed I still had poison on me?
She had been thoroughly searched for hidden weapons and poisons. As a result, a fair number of her tools had been confiscated.
Fortunately, there was one poison they missed: the Water-Fire Poison hidden in the heel of her shoe. Water-Fire Poison was a unique substance that remained non-toxic normally but became highly corrosive the moment it touched water.
Because of this peculiar property, it was very easy to store, and that storage method had paid off handsomely. Upon reaching the latrine, Tang Seo-yoon had smeared the Water-Fire Poison on the back wall and spat on it, melting right through the wood.
Thanks to that, she had managed to slip through Lee Ye-seol’s fingers.
Having caught her breath, Tang Seo-yoon moved quickly. She needed to find a place to hide before Lee Ye-seol caught up.
After a while, she discovered a small storehouse.
Creeeeeak.
She opened the door and checked the interior. Inside were rows upon rows of large jars. Tang Seo-yoon gently opened the nearest one.
Creeeeeak.
It was filled to the brim with grain. She looked around and a smile played on her lips. She had found a perfect hiding spot.
Thud.
She stepped inside and closed the storehouse door. Turning back, she scanned the numerous jars once more.
Tang Seo-yoon walked toward a jar located deep in the back. She lifted the lid with one hand and tucked her body inside. Her large chest caught slightly on the rim, but since she was quite slender, getting in wasn't too difficult.
Though the bottom was filled with various grains, she didn't care and buried herself within. Then, she slowly pulled the lid over the opening, sealing herself inside.
The jar was tightly closed.
"Whew."
Tang Seo-yoon let out a sigh of relief. If she stayed hidden here, it would take them a long time to find her. This storehouse was small and inconspicuous, and with so many jars, it would be hard to pinpoint which one she was in.
Moreover, even if Lee Ye-seol opened the jar, she could simply bury her head under the grain to fool her.
Feeling somewhat at ease, Tang Seo-yoon began to circulate the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art. She focused on the internal energy pooled in her dantian to move it according to the mnemonic.
But it was useless. No matter how much she concentrated, her internal energy showed no sign of moving.
"Sigh."
She let out a heavy breath. It seemed the technique used to seal her energy was incredibly profound. Even the world-renowned Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art couldn't budge it.
She racked her brain. She knew that at this rate, she would be nothing but a burden. She had a vague inkling that Sun-woo had broken in alone. She didn't want to be a weight around his neck. Being kidnapped was shameful and regrettable enough; how could she allow herself to be a hindrance?
"Whew."
With a sigh, she completely revised her plan. Originally, she had intended to break the seal with her divine art and then take Lee Ye-seol hostage to negotiate. But since the seal wouldn't break, that plan was out the window.
She had to find another way. A way to be useful to Sun-woo.
Her thoughts grew deeper and heavier.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
Creeeeeak.
Suddenly, a grating sound pierced Tang Seo-yoon’s ears.
The sound of a door opening?!
Yes. It was the sound of the storehouse door being opened.
Thump, thump.
Her heart began to race.
Did she find me?
But she quickly shook her head. She had been extremely careful to leave no traces while running. There was no way she had been found.
Step, step.
Footsteps began to echo through the storehouse.
Thump, thump.
Tang Seo-yoon’s heartbeat quickened in sync with the footsteps.
Sliiiide.
Then, another sound reached her ears. It was the sound of a jar lid being slid aside.
Clack.
The sound of the lid being set down followed.
Thump, thump, thump.
Tang Seo-yoon’s heart beat even faster.
Sliiiide.
Clack.
Sliiiide.
Clack.
The sound of lids being opened grew louder and louder. It was proof that the person was getting closer to the jar where she was hiding.
Sliiiide.
Clack!
Finally, the sound of a lid being opened came from right in front of her.
She’s right there!
Tang Seo-yoon crouched deep into the grain and buried her head. She prayed and prayed inwardly. She begged for the person to just pass by.
Sliiiide.
It was then. She heard the lid of the very jar she was hiding in being opened. Tang Seo-yoon held her breath, praying for this moment to pass.
.
.
.
How long had it been?
Clack.
Finally, she heard the lid being closed.
Whew.
Hearing that, Tang Seo-yoon let out a silent sigh of relief. It seemed the person had moved on.
BOOM!
Suddenly...
Cr-cr-crack!
A massive shockwave slammed into the jar, and cracks began to spiderweb across its surface instantly.
BOOM!
CRASH!
Another shockwave hit her, and the jar shattered completely, exploding outward. The grain spilled out, and Tang Seo-yoon, who had been hiding inside, was revealed.
"Urgh..."
Tang Seo-yoon groaned from the sudden impact.
"Oh my, here you are."
Then, a very familiar voice reached her ears. Tang Seo-yoon slowly raised her head toward the voice.
There, she saw Lee Ye-seol’s face, radiating pure murderous intent.
"You certainly gave me the slip, didn't you?"
As she looked down at Tang Seo-yoon, Lee Ye-seol’s face was distorted like a vengeful demon.
Tang Seo-yoon’s face turned deathly pale.