Chapter 874: Sound in the East, Strike in the West
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 874: Sound in the East, Strike in the West
"............Is this... the right place?"
Sun-woo spoke, his expression blank with shock.
"It is. This is the spot," Ha Su-ryeon replied, nodding.
"Are you sure we didn't take a wrong turn?"
"Not a chance. I’ve been here several times. There’s no way I’d get the location wrong."
Ha Su-ryeon shook her head firmly as she continued. After receiving the coordinates from Sun-woo, she had personally scouted the area multiple times. It was impossible for someone like her to mistake the location.
"But... this is just..."
Sun-woo trailed off, his face twisted in a grimace. He still couldn't believe the sight unfolding before his eyes.
What lay before them was a plain—a perfectly flat, featureless plain. There wasn't a single trace of a mountain to be found. No remnants of trees, no shattered boulders—nothing remained.
As Ha Su-ryeon had put it, saying the mountain had been "extinguished" seemed the most fitting description.
"That’s why I told you... it’s as if the mountain itself has ceased to exist."
"I thought you were speaking metaphorically."
"Unfortunately, it’s not a metaphor. It’s the reality."
"........Hah."
Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh, staring out at the flat land. He couldn't tear his eyes away from a reality that defied his own vision.
"So that’s why you insisted on coming along."
Sun-woo spoke as the realization dawned on him. Ha Su-ryeon had stubbornly insisted on accompanying him, even though he’d said he could go alone. At first, he had wondered what her angle was, but now he understood.
She had come to guide him personally, fearing he wouldn't be able to find the way. If the terrain had changed this drastically, he would have undoubtedly been confused and lost his way.
"Yes, exactly. The path itself has completely changed, so I thought you might not even recognize the spot and just pass it by."
"Thanks... If it weren't for you, I really would have been wandering in circles."
Sun-woo expressed his gratitude. He truly felt that with the landscape altered to this degree, he might have walked right past it without a second thought.
"I only did what is natural for a servant of the Master," Ha Su-ryeon replied with a radiant smile.
"I certainly picked a good slave," Sun-woo joked, a playful smirk on his lips.
"Indeed. Your ancestors must have been watching over you. You should make sure to prepare a feast for them every year that makes the table legs buckle."
"You prepare it, then."
"..........On second thought, isn't it more likely because the Master is so exceptional rather than the ancestors? I don't think it's right to credit everything to ancestral spirits."
She changed her tune without a moment's hesitation.
Pfft.
Sun-woo let out a chuckle at her antics. Her rapid shift in attitude was quite amusing.
She’s more of a nutcase than I thought.
He realized then that she was a far more lighthearted woman than he had initially imagined.
"Well, forget the rituals. Just tell me why the mountain vanished."
Sun-woo cut the banter and asked the question that was burning in his mind. He wanted to know how a mountain could simply disappear.
"The reason the mountain vanished?"
"Yeah. You must have investigated it."
Sun-woo looked at her, his eyes full of trust. If it was the Hao Clan, with ears in the heavens and eyes in the earth—and if it was the thorough and insightful Ha Su-ryeon—he believed she must have looked into the cause of this disappearance.
"I don't know."
"........Huh?"
"I said, I don't know."
"You didn't investigate?" Sun-woo asked, looking bewildered.
"I did."
"Then why don't you know?"
"Because there’s nothing to know."
"............"
"............"
An awkward silence settled between the two.
"After I realized the mountain was gone, I went around the nearby villages to ask questions. I asked if they knew the mountain had vanished and why it had happened," Ha Su-ryeon finally began to explain.
"........And no one knew? A whole mountain disappeared!"
"Yes, no one knows. They said that at some point, they just looked over and it had become a plain."
Ha Su-ryeon continued in a calm tone.
"................."
Hearing this, Sun-woo’s expression turned somber. The mystery was only deepening. It might have only been a large hill, but it was still a mountain. How could such a thing vanish instantly without anyone noticing?
Whether it was an explosion, a typhoon, or an earthquake, the aftermath should have been felt far and wide.
"........What are the chances it was a typhoon or an earthquake?"
"Almost zero," Ha Su-ryeon stated firmly. "An earthquake or typhoon powerful enough to make an entire mountain evaporate would have been felt across all of Shandong Province. There’s no way the local villagers wouldn't have known."
".........It’s like a ghost story."
Sun-woo shook his head. It was impossible to understand through common sense. Even in the modern world, erasing a hill without a sound or a trace was impossible. How could such an impossible feat occur here in the Central Plains? It defied logic.
What on earth happened here!
A deep furrow formed between Sun-woo’s brows.
".............Still, isn't this a good thing? Your goal was to find Lee Jae-won, who was buried in the mountain. If he vanished along with the mountain, isn't that actually a stroke of luck?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked as she watched him. Sun-woo’s original goal had been to completely destroy Lee Jae-won’s body. Even if he hadn't done it personally, if the man had disappeared with the mountain, wasn't that a favorable outcome?
"I don't know... I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not."
"Why is that?"
"...........It could be a stroke of luck... but it could also be a disaster."
Sun-woo spoke with a grave expression.
"A disaster?"
"........Because it could mean Lee Jae-won has been resurrected."
"That’s impossible. He was stabbed through the heart with a sword. How could he possibly be resurrected?"
She spoke as if the idea was utterly absurd.
"He was a piece of trash, but he was undeniably a monster who transcended humanity...... I can't rule out the possibility of such a miracle occurring."
Lee Jae-won was originally the protagonist of this world. He was the hero of a Wuxia novel, receiving the World's Blessing under the guise of "Plot Armor." If he were to be resurrected in the name of "overcoming a crisis"—if the World's Blessing gave him another chance—it was entirely possible.
That was why Sun-woo was uneasy. He feared the man might have transcended death to return, appearing as an even more formidable enemy.
"It will be fine. Both his eyes were gouged out, his limbs were severed, his genitals were crushed, and his heart was pierced, wasn't it? Even if he somehow survived by some miracle, he won't be a threat to you. He was no match for you even when he was whole; what could he possibly do in that state?"
Ha Su-ryeon spoke calmly. She had heard the details of Lee Jae-won’s condition from Sun-woo. That was why she was certain. Even if he had survived by some fluke, he wouldn't be a threat. What could a man do with no eyes, no limbs, and a sword through his heart? Even Marrow Cleansing wouldn't be enough to recover from such catastrophic injuries.
"........I hope you're right.."
Despite her words, Sun-woo couldn't shake his anxiety. The fact that this had happened specifically where the man was buried felt far too contrived. It was as if the mountain had been erased specifically to dig him out.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
Ha Su-ryeon stood beside him, clenching her small fists in a gesture of encouragement.
Pfft.
Seeing this, Sun-woo let out a small laugh. Her attempt to cheer him up was quite endearing.
"......Thanks."
Sun-woo reached out and gently stroked her hair, which was as smooth as black silk.
".......Wh-what?!"
At his touch, Ha Su-ryeon’s eyes widened in surprise. She was flustered by the sudden gesture.
"It’s a reward for being good. So just take it."
Sun-woo spoke nonchalantly, continuing to stroke her hair even more tenderly.
".............."
Ha Su-ryeon accepted his touch in silence, her face turning as red as a ripe persimmon.
.........Please, let it just be my imagination.
Sun-woo thought as he stroked her hair. He prayed that his anxiety was nothing more than a groundless worry.
Slap!
"Aaaaagh!"
A large palm struck a woman’s cheek with brutal force.
Snap!
Blood sprayed as the woman’s head was whipped to the side.
"Not a bad feel to it."
The man who had struck her, Ouyang Jin, spoke with a thick smirk on his face.
"It... it is... an honor."
The woman looked at him with tear-filled eyes, clearly struggling to endure the pain.
"Kuhahaha! Then I shall make it even more honorable for you."
Slap!
"Aaaaagh!"
Slap!
"Aaaaagh!"
Ouyang Jin immediately raised his hand and began to strike her all over her body. The room was soon filled with the woman’s screams.
After some time had passed...
Thud.
The woman’s body suddenly went limp.
"Well now.... she’s gone and died."
Ouyang Jin, who had been in the middle of his assault, spoke with a sheepish expression. It seemed he had failed to control his strength in his excitement.
"I haven't even tucked it in yet... how could she."
Ouyang Jin looked disappointed. He had only just finished the "warm-up." But with her sudden death, he had no way to resolve his urges.
I can't exactly stick it in a dead bitch.
Doing it with a corpse would feel like nothing more than coupling with a log.
"Hey! Bring me a new wench this instant!"
Ouyang Jin shouted urgently toward the door. He felt pressed for time, needing to procure a woman before his arousal from the warm-up subsided.
Creak.
Suddenly, the door began to open. A man stepped into view—an elderly man with one arm missing.
"What is it? Ma-noe."
Recognizing him, Ouyang Jin spoke with an irritated expression. He was annoyed that Ma-noe had appeared instead of the pretty maid he was expecting.
"That is enough for today, Flame Disaster."
"I am not yet satisfied. Stop your nonsense and bring me a woman worth bedding."
Ouyang Jin spoke in a cold tone.
"There has been a summons from the Heavenly Demon."
"..............From the Heavenly Demon?"
"Indeed."
"How annoying."
Ouyang Jin scowled deeply. He began to clumsily pull on his clothes. He couldn't afford to ignore a summons from that monster.
"Where am I supposed to go?"
Having thrown on his clothes, Ouyang Jin looked at Ma-noe and asked.
"To the Clan Head's Hall."
Ma-noe spoke with a polite bow.
"Dispose of this bitch yourself."
Thud.
Ouyang Jin tossed the limp woman onto the floor and spoke. He then immediately headed outside. Ma-noe watched his retreating back with a smirk full of mockery.
Step, step.
Ouyang Jin walked briskly.
Bang!
He threw open the doors to the Clan Head's Hall without hesitation. A massive hall came into his view—the Clan Head's Hall, a space where only the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult could reside.
"It has been a long time, Flame Disaster."
A voice of immense power echoed through the hall. Ouyang Jin slowly raised his gaze toward the source of the voice. There, he saw the Heavenly Demon sitting arrogantly upon a massive jade throne.
"Why did you call for me? Didn't you tell me to rest for a while?"
Ouyang Jin spoke with an irritated voice. He didn't appreciate the Heavenly Demon’s sudden summons.
"I have a task for you."
The Heavenly Demon spoke in a calm tone.
"I think you're mistaken. I am a collaborator, not your subordinate. Don't give me orders as if I'm your underling."
Ouyang Jin glared at the Heavenly Demon, his voice laced with annoyance. He was incensed by the Heavenly Demon’s commanding attitude. He wasn't a subordinate, so how could the man be so rude?
"I will give you the latter half of the Great Void One-Qi Art."
The Heavenly Demon spoke nonchalantly.
"................"
Hearing this, Ouyang Jin fell silent. His anger vanished in an instant, replaced by an irresistible and alluring offer.
".......What do I need to do?"
Ouyang Jin asked, his tone now curious.
"Go to Guangxi Province."
"Guangxi?"
He looked at the Heavenly Demon, puzzled. The sudden order to go to Guangxi was unexpected.
"Yes. Turn that place into a sea of fire."
The Heavenly Demon continued, his eyes gleaming with a profound light.
"Why Guangxi, of all places?"
Ouyang Jin asked, not understanding. Guangxi was practically a wasteland with no significant Murim sects. He couldn't understand why he was being sent to such a place.
"When the east rings, the west is left empty."
The Heavenly Demon spoke with a faint, knowing smile. Seeing that look, Ouyang Jin thought to himself: I don't know what it is, but he’s definitely up to something.