Chapter 568: Making a Promise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 568: Making a Promise
"Tang Jin-seol said that?"
Sun-woo asked again, his expression clouded with bewilderment. He simply couldn't bring himself to believe it.
She knows Lee Jae-won is the serial rapist and murderer?
How could this be?
"Yes, she said it quite clearly. She said Lee Jae-won is the culprit behind every single rape and murder that has occurred until now."
"......On what grounds?"
Sun-woo stared at Joo So-yang, his eyes filled with doubt. He needed to know what evidence she had to make such a claim.
"....She said that when Lee Jae-won engages in intercourse, his body emits a unique scent that arouses women. And she said that same scent was found on the bodies of the victims."
She began to calmly recount everything she had heard from Tang Jin-seol.
"Ah!"
Upon hearing those words, Sun-woo let out a sharp exclamation as realization dawned on him. He had just remembered a detail he’d long forgotten.
The Plum Moon Jade Spring Scent!
In the original story, Lee Jae-won had fallen into a mystical spring called the Plum Moon Jade Spring about twenty years ago. Since then, his body carried a setting where he naturally emitted a fragrance that seduced women.
Sun-woo had completely forgotten about it, dismissed it as a lazy plot device the author had cooked up just to give Lee Jae-won some 'plausibility' for why women were constantly flocking to him.
But now, that forgotten setting had suddenly resurfaced. And in a way that would prove to be Lee Jae-won's undoing.
"Tang Jin-seol smelled that scent?"
"Yes. She said she smelled it every time an incident occurred."
"....That vicious woman."
Sun-woo shook his head. He felt a chill down his spine at the sheer malice of Tang Jin-seol, who had known the truth for decades and yet remained tight-lipped. It meant she had stood by and watched as those horrific crimes were committed, knowing exactly who the culprit was.
She was cold. Far too cold. It was enough to make his skin crawl.
"But why did she just let it happen?"
"She said she didn't want to lose anything. Everything she has enjoyed up until now."
"..........That crazy bitch."
Sun-woo spat out a curse. She had allowed countless women to be raped and murdered just for her own comfort. She had been a bystander despite knowing the killer's identity. How could he not curse her?
"So that's why she was against it. Against the idea of revealing that the testimony was perjury."
"That's right. She said we have to make sure Lee Jae-won is completely cleared of suspicion. She said that's the only way everyone can be happy."
"Rotten to the core."
Sun-woo's brow furrowed deeply. The word 'everyone' grated on his nerves. To Tang Jin-seol, 'everyone' only referred to those who benefited from Lee Jae-won remaining as the Alliance Leader.
The victims and their families were nowhere to be found in her definition of 'everyone.'
It infuriated him. He wasn't some noble hero of chivalry, nor was he a saint. He was just an ordinary man struggling to survive. But even an ordinary man had a sense of duty—at least, the basic duty of being a human being.
Lee Jae-won. Tang Jin-seol.
They had crossed the line. They had abandoned their humanity. How could he not be angry?
"So, what did you decide to do?"
"I made it clear that I couldn't do that. I told her I couldn't participate in such a thing, at least not as a human being."
Joo So-yang continued in a calm tone.
"And what did she say to that?"
"She told me to do as I pleased. But she warned me to keep my mouth shut if I didn't want to be killed. She said Lee Jae-won wouldn't hesitate to kill even me if it was to protect his reputation."
Joo So-yang's expression turned somber as she spoke. She knew Tang Jin-seol wasn't wrong. Lee Jae-won was currently driven to the brink. If she were to point him out as the culprit in such a state, her title as the First Madam wouldn't save her.
She would be murdered.
".......She's not wrong."
Sun-woo nodded in agreement. It was the truth. Lee Jae-won had become a monster consumed by a lust for power and fame. If anyone acted against him—if he perceived someone as a threat to his status—even Joo So-yang, his First Madam, wouldn't be safe.
"Sun-woo... what... what should I do?"
Joo So-yang asked, her face filled with gloom. She knew that staying silent was a betrayal of her humanity. But she didn't want to lose her life either.
After being neglected for decades, she had finally discovered the joys of being a woman. Moreover, she had found a happy daily life serving Sun-woo alongside her beloved daughter.
Because she was happy, she didn't want to die. Because she was happy, she didn't want this life to be shattered. That was why she was so conflicted and troubled about how to act.
"What do you want to do?"
Sun-woo asked her back, looking into her eyes.
"I don't know...... I really don't know what to do..."
Joo So-yang continued, her voice heavy with sorrow.
"I don't want to... keep pretending I don't know. If I know the truth and ignore it, I'll be no different from Tang Jin-seol... But... at the same time... I don't want to die... I'm... so happy right now... I want to live by your side as your sow for a long, long time... and eventually die in your arms from too much pleasure..."
Joo So-yang looked at Sun-woo with tearful eyes as she spoke.
"What should I do? What on earth should I do?"
Sun-woo looked at her for a moment before slowly reaching out his hand.
Pat, pat.
He began to gently stroke her hair.
"You're a good girl, So-yang."
"No... I'm not good... I'm this old, and yet... I'm running away from the truth because I'm afraid."
"It's only natural for any human to feel fear. It's not something to be looked down upon. It's normal."
Sun-woo shook his head as he spoke. He understood her position perfectly. Who in the world wouldn't be afraid in the face of death? It was a universal fear that applied to everyone, regardless of age or strength. It wasn't something to be ashamed of.
"........Sun-woo."
Comforted by his words, Joo So-yang looked at him with eyes full of gratitude.
"For now, let's hold back."
Sun-woo continued, looking directly at her.
"As Tang Jin-seol said, revealing the truth right now is a bad move. We need to find a way to ensure your safety first."
"....But... there's no way... I could ever be safe from him... He's a master of the Profound Realm."
Joo So-yang spoke with a look of despair. Lee Jae-won was a master of the Profound Realm. There was no way she could ever be safe from such a man.
"I'll protect you."
Sun-woo said, meeting her gaze.
"......It's impossible... You... you can't handle Lee Jae-won... He's a monster who reached the Profound Realm over twenty years ago..."
She looked at Sun-woo with sad eyes. It was impossible for Sun-woo to handle Lee Jae-won. Even if Sun-woo was a genius who reached the Profound Realm before the age of thirty, the same could be said for Lee Jae-won. He had reached that level two decades ago.
No matter how much of a transcendent genius Sun-woo was, he couldn't possibly handle Lee Jae-won, who possessed similar talent but with decades more experience.
"I'm hurt. Do you not trust me?"
Sun-woo asked, feigning a wounded expression.
"No... it's not that... I believe that with your genius, you'll surpass Lee Jae-won eventually... But... I think it's too much right now... He has talent equal to yours..."
Joo So-yang spoke slowly, as if trying to reason with him.
"So... please... don't think about facing him... If something happens to you... I... I......"
Joo So-yang pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. She didn't want to see Sun-woo get hurt because of her stubbornness. If that happened, she would be consumed by guilt for the rest of her life before eventually taking her own.
Wipe, wipe.
Sun-woo watched her quietly before reaching up to slowly wipe away her falling tears.
"So-yang."
He called her name in a soft voice.
".......Yes, please speak."
"Do you know how long it's been since I was framed and kicked out of the Murim Alliance?"
"......I believe it's been a little over a year.."
Joo So-yang spoke after searching her memory.
"It's been about a year and a half. Two years, if you count by the calendar."
Sun-woo continued in a calm tone.
"At that time, my realm was only at the beginning of the Peak Realm. But what realm have I reached now?"
".....The Profound Realm."
"So-yang, I am far superior to Lee Jae-won... So... don't worry... There's no way I'll lose."
Sun-woo looked at her with eyes full of conviction.
"..............."
Even facing his confident gaze, Joo So-yang still looked at him with anxiety. She knew his genius was beyond belief, but her unease wouldn't fade. It was likely a side effect of having witnessed Lee Jae-won's transcendent power firsthand.
"Of course, you're not entirely wrong. For now...... I might not be able to handle Lee Jae-won."
Sun-woo admitted as he looked at her. Even he thought it was too much for now. Although he had obtained the Ethereal Body—a legendary, cheat-like physique—he had yet to establish his Sword of the Mind. There was no way he could handle Lee Jae-won in his current state.
"But if a little more time passes..... I'll grow enough to handle him easily."
Sun-woo spoke, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at Joo So-yang.
"So, will you wait for me until then? I'll protect you, no matter what."
"..........Sun-woo."
Hearing his words, Joo So-yang looked at him with eyes full of emotion. She was deeply moved by his words. Currently, she was nothing more than a plaything and a sow he was keeping. And yet, he had declared that he would protect her with all his might.
How could she not be moved?
".....I'll wait.... I'll wait as long as it takes..... Ten years... a hundred years... I'll wait forever."
She began to nod her head vigorously.
"It probably won't take that long."
Sun-woo replied in a calm tone.
Because the Plot Armor Lee Jae-won had has moved to me.
His eyes began to sparkle. His gaze was now filled with hostility toward Lee Jae-won.
CRASH!
SNAP! CRUNCH!
SHATTER!
"Ah, fuckin' hell!!!"
Upon returning to his quarters, Lee Jae-won began to turn the room into a complete mess. He brought down the ceiling, smashed the walls, broke the floor, and ground the bed and table into powder. It was as if he were venting all his pent-up rage.
"GYAAAAAAAH!"
The movements of his hands as he destroyed everything in sight grew even more violent.
BOOM! CRASH!
How much time had passed?
"Huff.... huff... huff... huff... huff.."
Lee Jae-won, having finally calmed down, began to breathe heavily. He had been so enraged that he had continued his destruction without even remembering to breathe.
"Huff... fu... ck... huff... those bastards... huff."
Still breathing heavily, Lee Jae-won slowly looked around.
Thud.
He then sat down on the half-destroyed bed. He sank into deep thought, his expression grim. He was trying to figure out how to resolve this goddamn mess.
How much time had passed?
Lee Jae-won's brow furrowed deeply. No matter how much he thought about it, no smooth solution came to mind. Thanks to Zhuge Ju-kyung's quick defense, he had some breathing room, but he was still the prime suspect.
Some of the leadership might have already concluded that he was the culprit. The circumstances were just that clear.
Ah, fuck, I should have been more careful!
Lee Jae-won regretted his past actions. He regretted slaughtering the Gu Clan on a whim without any plan. He should have been more circumspect. He should have been more cautious. If he had, things wouldn't have come to this.
Fuck, why is nothing going my way lately!
Lee Jae-won felt his irritation rising. Until now, even if he did a sloppy job of cleaning up, he had never been caught. A typhoon would blow in or a heavy rain would fall at just the right time, destroying all the evidence. That was why he had been able to commit the act and return this time without a second thought.
But that thoughtless action had come back to haunt him. How could he not be annoyed?
Should I just kill them all?
Lee Jae-won fell into serious contemplation. He was tempted to just kill everyone according to his temper and then claim it was the work of the Heavenly Demon. Maybe then he could start over.
Shake, shake.
But he soon shook his head. Even he wasn't confident he could commit such a mass slaughter without leaving any witnesses.
".......Fuck."
Lee Jae-won's distress only grew deeper.