Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Translator: Penny
Chapter 95
Beyond the Door (2)
At the door, Iho spoke respectfully.
"It's me. I'll be escorting Young Master Ma and the Nameless Great Hero inside for a moment."
He specified exactly who would be entering, demonstrating his deep respect and caution toward the person within.
Iho opened the door, which swung open smoothly—it wasn't locked this time.
"Please come in."
He left without entering, as if his duty was complete.
Ma Lingyin and I stepped inside, our senses on high alert, unsure of what awaited us.
The room was filled with objects I had never seen before. Before we could examine them individually, a powerful odor pierced our nostrils.
An ordinary person might mistake it for the medicinal scent of a physician's clinic, but I recognized the true nature of this smell immediately.
It was the scent of two components I knew best: the strangely mingled aromas of Elixir and Poison.
Within this scent lay all sorts of objects. The first thing I saw was a large sphere. Connected to the sphere were over a dozen bamboo tubes, each terminating in several vessels.
The vessels were different colors, suggesting that various Elixirs and Poisons were being channeled through them into the central sphere. The box wasn't just for collecting substances; it also had heating and cooling mechanisms attached, as if to boil and chill the mixture.
The mystical energy I had sensed earlier emanated from this sphere—or more precisely, from the substances contained within it.
One side of the room was piled high with medicinal herbs and boxes containing venomous creatures like snakes and centipedes.
On the opposite wall, a large sheet of paper was covered in unfamiliar symbols and numbers. It looked like some kind of calculation, but it was beyond my understanding.
A desk stood against the paper-covered wall, buried under mountains of books that overflowed onto the floor around it.
Between the piles of books sat a woman with her back turned to us. She was engrossed in reading and didn't even glance up when we entered.
Of course, I had sensed her presence the moment I stepped into the room, but an ordinary person would likely have overlooked her entirely.
The space was filled with so many eye-catching objects, yet she remained as still as a doll, so much so that she seemed like part of the room's background. Strangely, she fit perfectly into the space.
Ma Lingyin addressed her.
"When someone arrives, at least turn around and greet them."
Without turning, the woman replied, "You're not human, are you?" Her voice was clear yet resonant.
Having heard such remarks countless times, Ma Lingyin showed no offense. "That's why I brought a human here."
"Same old story, I suppose."
Ma Lingyin glanced at me with a faint smile, radiating warmth toward her. She must be someone essential to him.
"The trial failed again."
Suddenly, the woman's voice lost its strength.
"I know."
Only then did she rise from her seat and turn to face me.
The moment I saw her, I was stunned. She was far more beautiful than I had imagined. Moreover, she wore a figure-hugging dress that accentuated her voluptuous curves. Her breasts were full, her waist slender, and her legs long and straight.
With such striking looks, she seemed utterly out of place in this secluded corner, poring over books. This very contrast made her all the more captivating.
And there was one more thing.
Her age was impossible to guess. At first glance, she could have been in her early twenties, yet at other times, she seemed closer to thirty. If she were indeed in her thirties, she possessed an astonishingly youthful appearance.
And crucially, she was an extraordinary martial artist—far superior to Ma Lingyin and even Chu Dochi. Of course, she couldn't compare to me, but it had been a long time since I'd encountered a female martial artist of this caliber.
When she noticed me, she approached and sniffed the air.
"A new recruit? Your scent is pleasant."
Ma Lingyin chuckled. "No, she's a friend of mine."
"A friend? I didn't know you were capable of such things." She glanced at Ma Lingyin before turning to me. "Getting close to someone like him will lead to an early death."
It wasn't a joke, but it wasn't entirely serious either, leaving me unsure how to respond.
"I've been feeling that acutely lately."
"Then why do you still associate with him?"
"I've been caught in a trap."
"Traps are terrifying, especially Ma Lingyin's. They're incredibly potent."
Despite the blatant remark, Ma Lingyin showed no reaction.
The woman stared intently at me.
"You... you're quite peculiar."
She seemed to sense something unusual about me. Peculiar was exactly the impression I had of her.
Her gaze shifted from me to Ma Lingyin, her expression as if asking, "This one?"
Ma Lingyin chuckled. "He's a friend I'd capture even with a trap."
It was both an answer to our earlier conversation and a response to her unspoken question.
In that moment, I understood. The "it" he had mentioned before was connected to this woman. He was going to make me take the test he had given those others.
Pretending ignorance, I stared at Ma Lingyin. He smiled at me with a disarmingly friendly expression. The subject of his test had died, bleeding from all seven orifices. How could he smile like that after trying to kill me?
Losing interest, the woman returned to her seat and resumed reading her book.
Ma Lingyin and I surveyed the room.
Standing before a container of poison, I asked, "What exactly are you making here?"
"Medicine," he replied.
"Medicine?"
"This is a medicine that makes the user invincible. It's also the medicine that will save you."
"Surely not? This place?"
"Exactly. This is where research is underway to eliminate the 'No Regrets' from the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill and replace it with 'Invincible.'"
In other words, they were researching how to eliminate the side effects of the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill.
"You deceived me. You made it sound like you already had a solution."
"Wouldn't it be stranger if such a medicine did have a solution? But I assure you, we'll succeed within a year."
Ma Lingyin turned to the woman and asked, "Isn't that right?"
Without turning around, she replied, "Because you came here and disrupted our work, it might take about a day longer than a year."
Ma Lingyin glanced at me and smiled.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely succeed within a year. Now do you understand why I wanted to show you this place?"
I nodded.
Ma Lingyin continued, "Trust me."
At that moment, the woman suddenly spoke without turning around, "Do you happen to know how to drink?"
Unsure if she was addressing me, I glanced at Ma Lingyin with a confused expression.
Ma Lingyin nodded as if to confirm.
Only then did I reply to her, "Of course. But I never drink alone."
She stood up and grabbed a robe hanging nearby.
"Perfect. Let's have a drink together."
Before Ma Lingyin could follow, she added, "Just the two of us. So don't even think about it."
An hour later, we were drinking at a tavern. Iho had brought me here, blindfolded.
Whenever she moved, Iho moved with her. Even now, he was waiting in the carriage parked outside the tavern.
It occurred to me that Iho's primary mission might not be to monitor Ma Lingyin, but to protect her.
She claimed it had been a long time since she'd had a drink, and she made sure to eat snacks with every sip.
"Drinking on an empty stomach will ruin your health," she said.
"If you're so concerned about your health, you shouldn't be cooped up in that underground place," I replied.
"It's my job. Something I have to do."
"Is there really such a thing as something you have to do? Why not just close your eyes and run away?"
"Run away?"
I had expected her to say something like, "How fortunate for you," or "How irresponsible," but instead, she smiled brightly and said,
"Just thinking about it makes me happy."
Her expression was so radiant at that moment that I knew the plan could never come to fruition.
Even after seeing her again, she remained an enigmatic woman. She possessed an intellectual aura that seemed incongruous with her sensual appearance. She was as mysterious as the mystical energy emanating from the Sphere.
One thing was certain: this woman was in charge of the Underground Trial. The way Ma Lingyin treated her and how Iho clung to her side made it clear she held a position of great importance within the organization.
"What's your name?"
"Are you in any position to ask for someone else's name?"
She was referring to Iho's introduction of me as "The Nameless Great Hero" when we entered the room.
"It's frustrating enough not having a name myself, but it's even more frustrating not knowing the name of the person sitting across from me."
I didn't expect her to reveal her name so easily, but to my surprise, she did.
"Im Yeonjeong," she said.
"Ah, a fine name. Since we've met by chance, let's toast to fate."
She cheerfully raised her glass and drained it in one gulp. She was clearly a skilled drinker.
"What kind of research are you working on?"
"Research to make a living."
Even under the influence of alcohol, she didn't slip up. She was meticulous, revealing nothing that could hint at her true identity. She didn't even mention her age. Yet she peppered me with questions between sips.
"How did you come to know Young Master Ma?"
"We met by chance."
I recounted the story of how I had discovered the cipher through Jo Byeok, who ran a brothel with young girls, and how that led me here.
"So you were always a knight-errant at heart."
"A knight-errant? No, it just happened by chance."
Im Yeonjeong stared at me quietly. In moments like this, she seemed utterly devoid of any trace of evil. But one shouldn't judge someone based solely on impressions and feelings.
"Then how did you come to know Young Master Ma?"
"For a far more mundane reason than yours."
Instead of answering, she took a drink. Like most of my questions, this one fell into the category of questions she wouldn't answer.
As we talked, she would burst into laughter one moment and grow sorrowful the next. Her emotions were unpredictable, but one thing was clear:
She must have felt deeply stifled recently. She seemed to have longed for someone to share drinks with, to laugh and chatter with. The fact that she chose me, a complete stranger, for this purpose suggested her life hadn't been easy.
Looking at Ma Lingyin, one felt a sense of fullness. Whether it was evil or ambition, he was brimming with it. Iho was the same.
But she was different. She radiated a sense of emptiness, a void in her heart.
Only after emptying three bottles of wine did she finally rise from her seat. We had been so focused on drinking, as if in a competition, that not much time had passed.
As she was about to leave, she left one final remark:
"In the Martial Arts World, when you associate with villains, you must become even worse than them. Only then can you survive."
"I don't believe Young Master Ma is such a bad person."
After studying me silently for a moment, she left with a parting shot:
"If you lack the ability to judge people, at least keep your ears open."
When Im Yeonjeong returned to the Estate, Ma Lingyin was waiting outside her room.
"Did you two have a good time?"
"It was much easier to drink without having to look at your face."
"I'm glad I could be of service, even in that way."
As she scoffed and turned to enter her room, Ma Lingyin suddenly said, "You're going to make him take the experimental antidote, aren't you?"
Im Yeonjeong froze. A flicker of sorrow crossed her eyes. She knew better than anyone that taking an incomplete antidote meant certain death. The user's power would surge exponentially, causing them to lose control and ultimately bleed to death from all seven orifices.
"You're clever. You wouldn't believe me if I said a cure had been developed in just a few days. Just tell him it's the first dose he needs to take for treatment."
"What if he refuses?"
"Then make him drink it."
Even without Ma Lingyin resorting to such crude threats, Im Yeonjeong was in no position to refuse her request. With a light sigh, she finally asked, "When should he take it?"
"Ten days from now, on the opening day of the Golden Grand Banquet."
"I understand, but before he takes it, I need to bring him here. There are matters we need to settle first."
"Weren't you drinking to make that easier? That's what I thought."
Im Yeonjeong's expression darkened at Ma Lingyin's slippery, "Do as you see fit" response.
Ma Lingyin stopped provoking her and took a step back.
"I'll help too. So proceed with the plan as agreed."
When she didn't respond, Ma Lingyin probed, "Do you... like him?"
"There are people who just click with you at first sight. You're one of them, and so is he."
"What about me? What about him?"
"Just know that you're complete opposites."
"He certainly received a glowing review. Hahaha."
As Ma Lingyin turned to leave the room, she snapped, "You call him a friend?"
Ma Lingyin replied indifferently, "Didn't you say I'm not human?"
One might expect a hint of irritation in the way he closed the door, but he shut it politely and quietly before vanishing.