Chapter 262: Meeting Neung So-hwa
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: Meeting Neung So-hwa
Boom!
Sun-woo slammed his foot against the ground and lunged forward.
His figure vanished in an instant, reappearing a considerable distance away.
Boom!
He kicked off again.
A shockwave rippled outward, kicking up a cloud of dust that began to swirl around his body. Using the counterforce, Sun-woo propelled himself forward once more.
A wind that felt beyond chilly—bordering on freezing—battered his entire body. But Sun-woo didn't care. Right now, the only thing that mattered was reaching Pi Sang-deuk as quickly as possible.
He poured his internal energy into his legs, sprinting even faster.
He wasn't sure how long he had been running when—
Whirrrrrrrr!
Suddenly, a massive, freezing northern wind tore right through him.
"Ugh!"
Caught in the sudden blast of the snow wind, Sun-woo winced and squeezed his eyes shut. Shards of ice were stinging his vision.
Whoosh.
Once the gust passed, Sun-woo slowly opened his eyes. He immediately felt a wave of confusion. He had lost his sense of direction. Surrounded by nothing but a vast, white snowy plain, he couldn't even tell which way he had come from.
Hoping for a clue, Sun-woo looked back. He intended to find the trail of dust he had kicked up. However, the dust behind him had already settled, leaving nothing but an empty expanse.
Damn it.
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. Without knowing the direction, he couldn't afford to move recklessly. He fell into deep thought. Not a single star was visible in the sky, making it impossible to navigate.
As Sun-woo stood there agonizing over his next move—
Rumble! Boom!
A roar like a thunderclap suddenly echoed in his ears. Sun-woo’s face brightened. That sound undoubtedly came from where the merchant group was.
Over there!
Sun-woo pivoted toward the source of the noise.
Boom!
He triggered the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker, his body snapping forward like a bolt from a bow. His figure vanished into thin air.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
...
After sprinting for a while, Sun-woo spotted a group of people on horseback in the distance. He was inwardly surprised. In the North Sea, the only horses capable of surviving were Blood-Sweating Horses. Yet, these people weren't just riding one or two; there were dozens of them. It was a staggering sight.
Boom!
Sun-woo kicked off the ground one last time. Sensing he was almost there, he increased his speed. A cloud of dust billowed as his figure reached the group in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps alerted by the thunderous sound of his approach, the riders all turned toward him at once. They drew their weapons, eyeing Sun-woo with wary hostility.
Boom!
The ground exploded again as Sun-woo’s figure blurred, coming to a halt right in the center of their formation.
From the center, he could see clearly now. He saw the merchant caravan up ahead. He also saw a giant of a man staring at him with a dazed, stupid expression.
Sun-woo didn't hesitate. He planted his feet and lunged again.
K-Boom!
With a thunderous roar, Sun-woo shot through the dust cloud.
Whoosh!
He streaked past the giant.
Tap.
Landing a short distance away, Sun-woo turned around and spoke.
"Are you Pi Sang-deuk?"
Flinch.
Hearing Sun-woo’s voice, Jang Gwang shuddered. He turned his body to face the man who had addressed him.
"..........."
Jang Gwang stared at Sun-woo in silence. He couldn't make sense of the situation at all. A barrage of questions flooded his mind.
Who was this man?
Was he an enemy?
An ally?
How did he suddenly appear behind him?
Why was he asking that?
What was his relationship with Pi Sang-deuk?
How should he answer?
The questions tangled together, making Jang Gwang’s head spin.
"Who... who are you?!"
His head throbbing, Jang Gwang glared at Sun-woo and barked out his most pressing question.
"I'm the one who asked a question first," Sun-woo replied casually.
"I am Jang Gwang, the Vice Unit Leader of the Northern Wind Unit!"
"Tsk. So you're not Pi Sang-deuk."
Hearing the name, Sun-woo clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Now, reveal your identity!" Jang Gwang continued, glaring.
"You don't need to know that. Just tell me where Pi Sang-deuk is."
"What?!"
Jang Gwang flared up at Sun-woo’s dismissive attitude.
"I don't have time to waste on small fry."
"You son of a bitch!"
Enraged by the continued insults, Jang Gwang raised his great spear. His blood was boiling. Who did this man think he was? He was Jang Gwang, the Vice Unit Leader of the Northern Wind Unit, a man whose name alone could make a crying child stop in terror. How could he be ignored like some common insect on the road?
Moreover, the woman he had set his sights on was watching. Being humiliated in front of her wounded his pride deeply.
"If you reveal your identity and beg for forgiveness now, I'll give you a painless death!" Jang Gwang roared, leveling his spear at Sun-woo.
"So you're going to kill me either way?"
"Did you really think you could survive after insulting me?!" Jang Gwang spoke with a voice full of forced majesty.
"And who are you, exactly?" Sun-woo asked, unimpressed.
"Wh-What?!"
"Are you the Emperor or something? Why are you using words like 'insult' and 'dare'? You're a funny bastard."
Sun-woo’s retort was biting.
"People curse the Emperor behind his back, so who the hell are you to talk about being insulted?"
"Eeeek!"
Jang Gwang was now beyond furious. Meanwhile, a strange light flickered in the eyes of Neung So-hwa, who was standing nearby.
Whoosh!
Jang Gwang swung his great spear, thrusting it toward Sun-woo.
Shriek!
The spear tore through the air, closing in on Sun-woo.
Heh.
Seeing the attack, Sun-woo couldn't help but chuckle. He could see everything. The movement of the shoulders, the shifting muscles providing the power, the grip of the hands—it was all laid bare.
Sun-woo slowly reached out his hand. The tip of Jang Gwang’s spear slammed into his palm.
Sun-woo activated the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.
Instantly, the force of Jang Gwang’s attack was reflected back into the weapon.
Crack!
Cracks began to spiderweb across the spearhead where it touched his palm.
C-C-Crack!
It didn't stop at the tip. The cracks raced past the neck of the spear and down the entire shaft.
Shatter!
In an instant, the entire weapon crumbled into dust.
"Wh-What...?"
Having lost his weapon in a single exchange, Jang Gwang blinked his massive eyes repeatedly. He couldn't believe it. He was the one who had attacked. He had poured his absolute best into that strike. How could his spear just... disintegrate?
It made no sense. He couldn't wrap his head around it. How was such a thing possible?
Jang Gwang fell into a deep state of shock. But that shock didn't last long.
Thwack!
A massive impact slammed into his jaw, sending his consciousness into a tailspin.
...Shit.
Jang Gwang managed one final curse before blacking out completely.
Thud.
His massive frame collapsed onto the ground.
"Bringing a toy to a fight," Sun-woo muttered, looking down at the fallen man.
*
Thud.
As Jang Gwang collapsed, the merchants and guards stood there with their mouths agape. The Vice Unit Leader of the Northern Wind Unit had been defeated in a single move by a mysterious man who had appeared out of nowhere. How could they not be shocked? Their eyes were wide as saucers, and some were even drooling in their stupor.
"Can I ask you something?"
The mysterious man finally spoke.
"A-Ask away!"
"We'll tell you anything!"
The merchants and guards scrambled to answer.
"Where is Pi Sang-deuk?"
"..........Over th-there."
When he asked about Pi Sang-deuk, one merchant pointed toward the front of the caravan. Sun-woo turned his gaze in that direction. There, he saw the corpse of a middle-aged man.
"Is that Pi Sang-deuk?"
"...Yes!"
"That is definitely Pi Sang-deuk!"
They nodded their heads vigorously.
"Who killed him?"
".........."
".........."
When he asked that, the merchants and guards fell silent. They were reminded of their own ugliness—how they had been ready to sell out Neung So-hwa, the very person who had saved them by killing Pi Sang-deuk.
"That... well... Pi Sang-deuk was..."
Seok-gyu, the Chief Merchant, began to speak hesitantly, braving the shame. He felt that the truth had to be told, even if it exposed their flaws.
"I killed him."
A haughty, commanding voice rang out from the side. Sun-woo turned his head toward the speaker.
"Oh."
An exclamation of genuine awe escaped his lips. Standing there was a peerless beauty radiating a mysterious aura.
With hair as red as a blazing fire, charming red eyebrows, and a face that seemed sculpted by the gods, she was perfect. Until now, the most beautiful women Sun-woo had met were Tang Seo-yoon and Yorang. But today, it felt like that ranking was about to change. The woman before him possessed an overwhelming presence that could flip any hierarchy.
It wasn't just her physical beauty. The mysterious atmosphere emanating from her fiery red hair made her even more captivating.
Sun-woo could only stare at her, dazed. It was an incredibly rude act, but he was so overwhelmed by her presence that he didn't even realize he was being impolite. He simply stood there, admiring the divine masterpiece of her face.
"What are you staring at?"
Noticing his gaze, Neung So-hwa spoke with a hint of displeasure. She knew better than anyone that her hair and eyebrow color were unusual. Even her own imperial relatives whispered about her, calling her an ominous "Red-Haired Demon." Seeing Sun-woo stare so intently made her feel defensive. No matter how "ominous" she looked, how could he be so blatantly rude?
"Because you're beautiful."
Still dazed, Sun-woo blurted out exactly what he was thinking. Looking at this woman, what other word could possibly apply?
"Heh."
Neung So-hwa let out a short laugh. It was a shamelessly blunt comment, but coming from this man, it didn't feel entirely unpleasant.
"I suppose that doesn't feel too bad to hear," she said with a small smile.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Seeing that smile, Sun-woo’s heart began to race uncontrollably. It was the first time since Tang Seo-yoon that his heart had reacted so strongly to someone's appearance alone.
Sun-woo slowly began to circulate the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. He needed to calm his racing heart. As his internal energy flowed rapidly through his body, a sense of calm finally returned to him.
Phew.
Having steadied his mind, Sun-woo let out a sigh of relief and looked at her again. But he quickly had to lower his gaze. Just looking at her face made his heart start pounding all over again.
"Did... did you really kill Pi Sang-deuk?" Sun-woo asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"I did."
"Tsk. That's a shame."
Sun-woo clicked his tongue. He was thinking about the bounty slipping through his fingers.
"What is a shame?" she asked, curious.
"Since you killed him, I won't be able to claim the bounty, will I?"
"I'll give him to you."
Neung So-hwa replied to Sun-woo’s disappointed remark.
"Really?!" Sun-woo asked, startled.
The bounty was a chance to claim half the fortune of Son Mu-chang, one of the Five Great Merchants of the Central Plains. Why would she just give that away?
"I have no need for it," she answered simply.
She truly meant it. She was a woman who could have anything she desired. She had no lingering attachment to something like money.
"However, there is a condition."
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she added a caveat.
I knew it.
Sun-woo thought to himself. There was no way she would just hand over such a massive opportunity for nothing.
"Tell me."
"Deal with those men."
She pointed toward the Northern Wind Unit, who were watching from a distance.
"I am told those men are bandits who have committed countless murders and robberies. I cannot bear to see such people roaming free. Deal with them. If you do, I will give you Pi Sang-deuk’s body."
She looked Sun-woo straight in the eye as she spoke. Her gaze held an inexplicable, innate majesty.
Sun-woo’s face lit up. He had been planning to take care of them anyway. To have Pi Sang-deuk offered as a reward for something he was already going to do—how could he not be happy?
"No taking it back."
"I may be but a woman, but I do not speak twice."
She spoke with a dignified expression. Sun-woo grinned. Her haughty yet majestic way of speaking reminded him of his master, the Yin-Yang Demon.
Step, step.
Sun-woo began to walk slowly toward the Northern Wind Unit. As he approached, the bandits began to charge toward him. They were likely trying to rescue their unconscious Vice Unit Leader.
Thundering... thundering...
The sound of countless hooves shook the very earth.
K-Boom!
Before long, Sun-woo and the Northern Wind Unit collided, and a massive roar echoed across the snowy plain.