Chapter 101: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (52)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (52)
She stopped and glanced back at me.
"F-Forget what just happened..."
"Of course, Master."
I tried my best to look serious, but I felt a laugh about to burst out.
"D-Don't you laugh...!"
Her voice was a mix of shame and a hint of anger, but unlike her usual cold, dignified self, she just seemed cute right now.
"My apologies, Master. Let's get moving again."
I managed to suppress my laughter and looked ahead. Seo Ryeo-hwa turned her face away and started walking again.
I shared the way out of this place with Seo Ryeo-hwa.
Following the marks, we made our way toward the center of the maze.
We took short breaks but pressed on, and before long, the fog surrounding us began to thin. Our blurry vision cleared little by little, and the outline of the path became distinct.
"The fog is lifting."
I said, scanning our surroundings.
"Just as you said."
Just then, a faint light appeared ahead. It flickered as if guiding us, hinting at the maze's end.
"That must be it."
"This is the last stretch. Let's be careful."
"Yes."
We walked slowly toward the light. As the light grew brighter, the fog thinned even more, and a wide, open space began to reveal itself before us.
"Wait."
Seo Ryeo-hwa quickly stepped in front of me, her hand on the sword at her waist. In an instant, her aura turned sharp.
I drew my sword as well, remaining on guard.
As we stared ahead, we heard the sound of heavy footsteps. Then, a man's silhouette emerged from the light.
"Wi Gwang..."
She muttered his name under her breath.
"Khuhuhu..."
Wi Gwang looked at us with a grim laugh. He didn't look to be in good shape.
'The side effects of the Red Elixir?'
His eyes were bloodshot and darting around erratically. A red aura twisted and surged around him.
"Seo Ryeo-hwa, and you... we finally meet..."
Wi Gwang said in a low, rough voice. He staggered as he walked, but his eyes were filled with a thick killing intent.
Perhaps due to the backlash from the Red Elixir, his breathing was rough and irregular. His movements also seemed unnatural, but that only made him feel more threatening. His face, contorted with madness, showed that he had little sanity left.
Seo Ryeo-hwa adjusted her grip on her sword and took a step forward.
"Wi Gwang, have you no intention of ending this madness?"
Hearing her, Wi Gwang gave a faint smile. It sounded like a sneer, but it was laced with unstable madness.
"Heheheh, giving up is not in my vocabulary... I'll take you with me, even if I have to cut off your arms and legs."
He shouted, raising the fan in his hand. His movements were unsteady, but his killing intent grew even stronger.
"Seo-yun, stand back."
Seo Ryeo-hwa said in a low voice. Her gaze was fixed on Wi Gwang, her body tense.
"But, Master..."
I wanted to help her, but her eyes were firm.
"He's my opponent. Don't interfere. Just wait behind me."
I hesitated for a moment before nodding. Just as she was about to start the fight, Wi Gwang laughed with a crazed look in his eyes and charged forward.
-Clang! Crash!
The sharp clang of metal rang out as their swords met in mid-air. Wi Gwang's movements were unstable, but his attacks were still sharp and powerful. Seo Ryeo-hwa, too, held her sword firmly, meeting his attacks without being pushed back an inch.
"Khuhuh."
A red aura swirled like a vortex around Wi Gwang's hand. The red energy erupting from his hand was explosively intense. But Seo Ryeo-hwa's moonlight-like sword light calmly met it, maintaining the balance.
Each time their swords clashed, the air trembled, and explosive energy radiated outwards. Their duel continued in a tense stalemate, with neither gaining the upper hand.
'They're evenly matched.'
I thought, watching from behind. Wi Gwang's condition was clearly unstable, but whether it was the effect of the Red Elixir, his power was abnormally strong.
But Seo Ryeo-hwa didn't back down either. Her sword strikes were sharp and precise, and they seemed much more powerful than before.
'Did her fight with the illusion help?'
Seo Ryeo-hwa's movements were more solid and steady than before.
-Crash! Clang!
Wi Gwang unleashed a flurry of attacks, but Seo Ryeo-hwa met them without wavering. Her sky-blue hair fluttered with her fierce movements, and her moonlight-like sword aura shone even more intensely.
-Kwoong!
The air vibrated as their energies collided. Wi Gwang's crazed attacks flew relentlessly at Seo Ryeo-hwa, but she countered them all by unleashing the forms of the Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance.
"Kuh... How did she get so strong?"
His voice was a mixture of bewilderment and rage. Despite the power of the Red Elixir, he was gradually being pushed back.
"Seo-yun, watch closely. This is the path you must walk in the future."
She gripped her sword tightly and took another step forward. Her aura, slicing through the air, grew more and more intense.
The sword light extending from her hand shone silver, and the surrounding air began to tremble. Then, a calm yet deeply resonant voice flowed from her lips.
"Phantom Moon Lotus."
With those words, a soft light spread from her sword, growing to envelop the entire space. The sword light, soft and cold like moonlight, spread out in a brilliant trajectory, as if a lotus flower were blooming in mid-air.
"Kugh...!"
Wi Gwang gritted his teeth and swung his red aura.
Cold, moonlight-like lotus petals began to swirl around Wi Gwang's body, cutting into him. The silver sword light danced around him, relentlessly slicing his skin. Each time the sharp sword light passed, his skin split open in shallow cuts, and uncontrollable pain twisted his expression.
"Kuaaack!"
Wi Gwang's scream tore through the air. His robes were shredded to pieces, revealing skin underneath that was stained with countless wounds. Blood dripped to the floor, mixing with his red aura.
"It's over."
The lotus-like sword light extending from her sword suddenly erupted with explosive energy.
The silver lotuses scattered all at once, flying toward Wi Gwang as a final blow.
-Shuk!
Seo Ryeo-hwa's sword pierced his heart, and Wi Gwang's body went rigid. As if realizing the sword had run him through, he stared at Seo Ryeo-hwa with wide eyes.
"How... could this be..."
Wi Gwang's voice was faint, and the madness slowly faded from his bloodshot eyes. The red aura surrounding his body gradually dispersed into the air.
Seo Ryeo-hwa lowered her sword and calmly caught her breath, looking down at Wi Gwang's fallen body.
"My revenge is finally complete..."
Her voice was low and calm, but it was tangled with unspeakable emotions.
I quietly approached her.
"Master, are you all right?"
"I'm fine... We still have a ways to go. Let's move forward."
Seo Ryeo-hwa collected herself and faced forward again.
We approached our destination slowly, one step at a time. It appeared to be a large, circular space with a massive door in the center.
"This seems to be the end."
"So it seems."
Seo Ryeo-hwa cautiously approached the door.
"Yin-Yang Harmony...?"
She slowly read the characters engraved on the door.
I stood beside her and examined the door as well. A clear Taegeuk symbol was carved in the center, surrounded by intricate engravings of images representing yin-yang. There was a moon symbolizing yin (陰) and a sun symbolizing yang (陽).
"Master, would you place your hand on the moon engraved on the door?"
"Hm...? Do you know how to get through?"
"This part was written in the manual."
I replied calmly, gesturing to the door.
"It said we need to combine the energies of yin-yang. You just need to place your hand on the symbol and infuse it with your internal energy."
"I see."
She nodded and carefully placed one hand on the moon symbol. Instantly, the moon symbol glowed with a silver light, and a cold energy spread out.
I placed my hand on the sun symbol. As soon as I touched it, I felt a hot energy at my fingertips, and the sun symbol began to shine with a bright golden light. The two energies flowed into the Taegeuk symbol at the center of the door, creating a harmony.
-Kuuung...
The sound of the door opening filled the space. A bright light slowly seeped out from behind it. We squinted, peering inside.
"Let's go in."
Seo Ryeo-hwa said in a low voice and stepped through the door first.
I followed her across the threshold. The moment I passed through, the sound of the door closing echoed from behind. I looked back, but the door had vanished completely. The space was empty, as if the door had never been there at all.
"This place is...?"
A well-decorated room appeared before us. With its lavish decorations and soft fragrance, the space was reminiscent of a honeymoon suite. A large bed sat in the middle of the room, and an old-fashioned plaque hung above it.
"No Sex, No Exit...?"
Seo Ryeo-hwa read the characters on the plaque and turned to me, flustered. Her face instantly turned red.
"'No Sex, No Exit'... It seems to mean we can't leave unless we perform the act."
"That's absurd... What kind of formation is this?!"
Seo Ryeo-hwa stared at the plaque for a long moment before letting out a small sigh.
"If this room is part of the formation... then I suppose we can't escape unless we follow what these words mean."
"That seems to be the case, Master."
Seo Ryeo-hwa seemed lost in thought for a moment. She tore her gaze from the plaque and began to slowly scan the room.
"There might be another way out. Let's search the room carefully."
I nodded and pretended to look around the room with her.
