Chapter 185: Did You Do This to Her?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: Did You Do This to Her?
"How... how did you know?"
Tang Seo-yoon asked Lee Ye-seol, her voice trembling.
Entering the grain storehouse was one thing, but how could she have picked out the exact jar she was hiding in and smashed it?
"It was thanks to the Tracking Incense."
Lee Ye-seol looked at Tang Seo-yoon as she answered.
"Tracking Incense?!" Tang Seo-yoon asked back in shock.
"I applied it to you whenever I had the chance while you were unconscious," Lee Ye-seol continued, a thick smile spreading across her face.
Hearing this, Tang Seo-yoon’s expression turned frantic as she began to sniff her own body. However, no matter how much she focused her sense of smell, she couldn't detect any foreign scent.
She was bewildered.
As a member of the Tang Clan who dealt with poisons, her senses of taste and smell were abnormally developed. This was even more true for someone like Tang Seo-yoon, who had reached a high realm of cultivation.
Yet, she had missed the scent of Tracking Incense. It was impossible.
"It’s no use. The Tracking Incense made by the Heavenly Moon Palace is a special scent that can only be detected by those who have mastered the Heavenly Moon Bright Wheel Divine Art."
Lee Ye-seol’s expression turned cold as she continued.
"Lady Tang, I am very angry right now. How could you betray someone’s goodwill like that?"
"Hmph. And kidnapping someone out of the blue is perfectly fine?" Tang Seo-yoon retorted with a scoff.
"Whew."
Lee Ye-seol let out a long sigh. When put that way, she really didn't have a comeback. She realized it was somewhat ridiculous for a kidnapper to expect gratitude.
"Just follow me for now."
Lee Ye-seol reached out to grab Tang Seo-yoon.
Swish!
But her hand only swept through empty air. Tang Seo-yoon had stepped back, dodging her grasp.
"What are you thinking?" Lee Ye-seol asked, her eyes turning icy.
"Exactly what it looks like. I have no intention of being dragged back," Tang Seo-yoon replied calmly.
Even though she had been caught, she wouldn't go quietly. She had to hold out as long as possible—at the very least, to prevent a situation where Sun-woo couldn't use his full strength because of her.
"Lady Tang, if you act like this, I’ll have no choice but to use force! Is that what you want?"
Having said her piece, Lee Ye-seol began to exert her pressure, drawing out her internal energy.
Shiver.
Goosebumps broke out all over Tang Seo-yoon’s body. To Seo-yoon, whose internal energy was currently sealed, the momentum of a Peak Realm martial artist like Lee Ye-seol was a crushing weight. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of her lungs.
"Urgh..."
An involuntary groan escaped her lips. But she couldn't back down. If she was caught here, she would lose her chance to escape forever.
Tang Seo-yoon gripped the edge of her sleeve tightly. She still had a small amount of Water-Fire Poison left. It wouldn't be fatal to a Peak Realm martial artist like Lee Ye-seol, but if she could just infect her, it would buy enough time to run away.
Tang Seo-yoon began to watch Lee Ye-seol’s movements closely, looking for an opening to use the poison.
Lee Ye-seol frowned at the sight. She knew well that the woman before her, Dok Seo-si, had reached the Super-Peak Realm. She had even admired the fact that Seo-yoon had reached such a sublime state at the young age of her early thirties.
But even so, challenging her while her internal energy was sealed was madness. Without the ability to circulate internal energy, a martial artist lost most of their power. Aside from a conditioned body, there was nothing they could do.
The gap between the current Tang Seo-yoon and herself was as vast as the difference between an adult and a child. Furthermore, for someone like Tang Seo-yoon, who relied heavily on poisonous qi, the gap was even wider. There was no way to overturn this situation.
And yet, this defiance made irritation flare up within her. How much did this woman look down on her to act like this?
Lee Ye-seol reached out toward Tang Seo-yoon, infusing her hand with just enough internal energy. Despite her irritation, she didn't actually want to hurt her.
Whoosh!
Tang Seo-yoon focused her eyesight to the limit, trying to predict the trajectory of the hand. Though she had lost her internal energy, her refined kinetic vision remained. She could easily predict where the hand was heading.
‘The right side of my chest.’
Judging by the movement of the shoulders and the placement of the feet, the hand was aiming for her chest. Tang Seo-yoon twisted her body slightly.
Swoosh!
Lee Ye-seol’s hand brushed past her.
‘Now!’
Tang Seo-yoon thrust her hand toward Lee Ye-seol’s face, intending to poison her then and there.
Grab!
But her plan didn't go as intended. Lee Ye-seol’s other hand snatched Tang Seo-yoon’s arm mid-air.
"Did you think I’d fall for such a simple tri—ack!"
It happened in an instant. The moment her arm was caught, Tang Seo-yoon opened her palm and threw a powdered form of Water-Fire Poison directly at her. The poison flew straight into Lee Ye-seol’s open mouth as she was speaking.
"Aaaaagh!"
Lee Ye-seol screamed at the sudden, searing pain in her mouth. The Water-Fire Poison, which reacted with moisture, had mixed with her saliva and released its toxic qi. It felt as if her mouth were being burned away.
Snap!
Tang Seo-yoon shook off Lee Ye-seol’s grip in that opening and began to bolt.
"No, you don't!"
Grip!
But her escape was cut short. Lee Ye-seol reached out and grabbed Tang Seo-yoon by the hair.
"Let go!"
Tang Seo-yoon thrashed her body, trying to break free.
"Stay still!"
The more she struggled, the tighter Lee Ye-seol’s grip on her hair became. A desperate struggle ensued between Tang Seo-yoon, trying to flee, and Lee Ye-seol, determined to hold her. As time passed, the scuffle grew more violent.
Then, after a few moments...
Slap!
With a loud crack, Tang Seo-yoon’s head snapped to the side.
"I told you to stay still!"
Lee Ye-seol screamed at Tang Seo-yoon, whose cheek was already beginning to swell. Her rage had reached its boiling point.
She had felt a certain level of guilt toward Tang Seo-yoon. It weighed on her conscience that the woman had been kidnapped through no fault of her own, simply because of her fiancé’s grudges. Moreover, wasn't that fiancé destined to die at her mother’s hands?
It was impossible not to feel guilty. That was why she had tried her best to refrain from harsh words or rude behavior. She thought that was the best kindness she could offer.
But to have that kindness trampled on like this made her blood boil. Trying to escape was one thing, but using poison? That was a clear intent to kill.
It was lucky that only a small amount of the toxic qi had entered her mouth. If there had been even a little more, she could have been in serious danger.
Anger surged. She felt as if all her previous consideration had been spat upon. That anger manifested in her actions. She struck the woman’s cheek.
With her internal energy sealed, there was no way Seo-yoon could withstand the blow of a Peak Realm master. Her flushed cheek swelled up instantly, and blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth. It seemed the inside of her cheek had been torn.
Only then did Lee Ye-seol feel the fire in her chest subside slightly. And she realized something: the resentment she had harbored toward Tang Seo-yoon was deeper than she thought. If it weren't, she wouldn't feel this sense of relief instead of regret.
Slap!
Suddenly, Lee Ye-seol’s own head snapped to the side. An unexpected impact had struck her face.
"Ha..."
Lee Ye-seol let out a hollow laugh. It was pathetic. The way Tang Seo-yoon kept clawing and fighting back despite having her internal energy sealed was absurd. And then, the rage returned. How much did this woman disregard her to act so recklessly?
Lee Ye-seol gathered her internal energy. It seemed she needed to carve the meaning of fear into this Tang Clan lady’s mind.
Slap!
Lee Ye-seol quickly reached out and struck Tang Seo-yoon’s other cheek.
Snap!
Tang Seo-yoon’s head whipped to the other side.
Slap!
Slap!
Slap!
It didn't stop there. Lee Ye-seol began to strike Tang Seo-yoon’s face relentlessly. Tang Seo-yoon tried to fight back, but without her internal energy, it was futile. She was subjected to a one-sided beating.
*
After some time...
Thud.
Exhausted from the assault, Tang Seo-yoon collapsed to the floor. The extreme pain seemed to have drained all the strength from her body.
Lee Ye-seol lowered herself.
Grip.
She grabbed Tang Seo-yoon by the hair and yanked her head up.
"That’s why I told you. You should have just followed me quietly."
Lee Ye-seol spoke with a cold smile. Seeing Tang Seo-yoon covered in blood gave her a sense of catharsis.
"..."
Tang Seo-yoon stared at Lee Ye-seol with her bloodied face. Looking at that smile, Seo-yoon could tell: the mask of the hypocrite had finally fallen off.
Ptooey!
In that moment, Tang Seo-yoon spat a mouthful of blood directly at Lee Ye-seol.
"AAAAAAAGH!!!!"
The moment the blood touched her, Lee Ye-seol screamed. The Water-Fire Poison still lingering on her face reacted with the blood, releasing its toxic qi. Her face began to sting with agonizing intensity.
She knew instinctively: if she left it like this, her skin would melt away.
Lee Ye-seol quickly circulated the Heavenly Moon Heavenly Wheel Divine Art to resist the poison. Soon, the toxic qi clinging to her skin began to dissipate one by one.
"Whew."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Lee Ye-seol glared at Tang Seo-yoon. If it hadn't been for the Heavenly Moon Heavenly Wheel Divine Art, which maximized physical vitality, she would have been left with permanent scars. She had almost lost her beautiful face in an instant.
She couldn't help but be furious.
"You absolute bitch!"
Lee Ye-seol slammed Tang Seo-yoon onto the ground.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Then, she began to stomp on her. She trampled her over and over again.
"Urgh..."
Tang Seo-yoon let out occasional groans, but Lee Ye-seol didn't care. Her own feelings were more important than Tang Seo-yoon’s condition. Before long, not just her face, but Tang Seo-yoon’s entire body was covered in blood.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Lee Ye-seol panted heavily as she looked down at the limp Tang Seo-yoon. She lay there like a corpse, breathing only in faint, shallow gasps.
‘Whew.’
She let out a sigh of relief. It seemed she wasn't dead yet.
"This is all your fault, Lady Tang. If you had just stayed quiet from the beginning, none of this would have happened."
She rationalized to herself as she looked at Tang Seo-yoon. If she didn't say it out loud, she felt like she would truly become a monster.
She hoisted Tang Seo-yoon onto her back and began to head toward her room. Her plan was to lay her on the bed and treat her wounds.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Tang Seo-yoon began to breathe raggedly, as if the blood was obstructing her airway.
"Tsk."
Lee Ye-seol clicked her tongue. A pang of conscience made her feel uncomfortable.
‘It’s all your fault.’
Lee Ye-seol ignored Tang Seo-yoon and kept walking, repeatedly telling herself that she wasn't to blame.
*
After walking for a while, Lee Ye-seol finally arrived in front of her room. Fortunately, Tang Seo-yoon hadn't woken up to cause another scene along the way.
‘Whew.’
She let out a sigh of relief. If she had struggled again, Lee Ye-seol might have resorted to violence once more.
Creak.
She pushed the door open, intending to lay Tang Seo-yoon on the bed.
But then, her eyes widened until they were as large as saucers. An unbelievable sight was unfolding inside the room.
There were two people in the room. One was her mother, Joo So-yang, whom she loved dearly. She was sitting gracefully on the bed. She wasn't the problem. What was wrong with a mother being in her daughter’s room?
The problem was the man sitting next to her.
Beside her mother sat a young man wearing a black dragon robe.
Lee Ye-seol knew this man. He was the man who had once humiliated her beyond endurance in Gyunhyeon. The man who had not only shamed her but also extorted money and the Heavenly Moon Palace’s treasure, the Dragon Tail Soft Sword.
The disciple of the Poison King who had single-handedly overwhelmed all the rising stars at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.
Jang Sun-woo.
Tremble, tremble.
The moment she saw him, Lee Ye-seol’s entire body began to shake. Why on earth was that man sitting in her room? And with her mother, Joo So-yang, no less?
It was then.
"Ugh...!"
A massive wave of killing intent suddenly crashed over her. Lee Ye-seol groaned under the weight of the murderous aura that seemed to constrict her entire body.
The source of that killing intent was Sun-woo.
"Did you do this to her?"
Sun-woo glared at Lee Ye-seol, his eyes gleaming with a murderous light.
Lee Ye-seol’s face turned deathly pale.