Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Unhyang's Return
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Cheongryang thought his heart would drop out when he came face-to-face with Baek Idan, the vice castle lord of Shinryeonseong.
He wished Uncheon-geuk had appeared instead. That man was a madman.
A lunatic known throughout the Murim world for his obsession with battle. Despite causing several major incidents, he'd swept them under the rug thanks to Shinryeonseong's backing. That dangerous figure was Baek Idan.
Tap, tap-.
He greeted Cheongryang in the castle lord's residence on Uncheon-geuk's behalf.
Daring to sit in Uncheon-geuk's seat, he drummed his long, slender fingers on his head.
"Now I remember."
Breaking about ten minutes of silence, he finally spoke.
"You were that orphan."
Orphan.
That was Baek Idan's memory of Cheongryang.
Cheongryang really was an orphan. Without parents, he'd learned martial arts and become a Player thanks to Shinryeonseong's support.
But no matter how true it was, he couldn't be happy being called "orphan" instead of by name.
No.
Precisely because it was true, Cheongryang hated being referred to that way even more.
"......Have you been well?"
But Cheongryang couldn't say a word.
How could he possibly challenge him?
This man was the absolute authority in Shinryeonseong, second only to Uncheon-geuk.
"No need to ask questions I don't care about. I have no intention of exchanging pleasantries with vermin like you."
"What... In that case, I'll ask something I'm really curious about."
Cheongryang glanced around the unusually empty castle lord's residence and asked,
"Where's the old man?"
Baek Idan's eyebrow twitched at the question.
He knew exactly who Cheongryang meant by "old man."
Daring to call the lord of Shinryeonseong "old man."
"The lord has urgent business."
"Must be really urgent. Something you've been waiting a long time for, I bet."
"Whatever it is, it's none of your business."
Baek Idan waved his hand dismissively, cutting off the conversation.
"I don't want to waste words, so I'll just ask what I need to quickly."
Just as Baek Idan was about to get to the point with Cheongryang,
"I came alone."
Cheongryang's answer came first.
"......Alone?"
"Yes."
"You know what that means, right?"
"I do."
"Go tell Unhyang."
Uncheon-geuk had said.
"Return to Shinryeonseong, or lose your closest friend. Choose one."
"If you come alone next time too, then..."
It was the first time the inscrutable lord of Shinryeonseong had clearly revealed his true intentions.
It wasn't an empty threat. Cheongryang was certain of that.
"Fearless, aren't you."
"Wrong."
Cheongryang shook his head at Baek Idan's words.
"Unhyang officially recognizes me as a coward. Who isn't afraid of death...?"
Shiver, shiver-.
His legs visibly trembled along with his voice.
Enduring waves of tension and fear, Cheongryang continued.
"But if it's a life bought by selling out a friend, it's better not to have it."
"Impressive."
The corner of Baek Idan's mouth curled up.
His gaze, which had looked at Cheongryang like an insect moments ago, had changed.
If mental strength were a stat, Cheongryang's would rival any high-ranker's.
But the applause for that fortitude didn't last long.
"Unfortunately, your choice won't save your friend."
"...What do you mean?"
"Unhyang is coming here."
In an instant, Cheongryang's trembling body froze cold as ice.
"Un...hyang?"
"I told her what choice you made."
Cheongryang's eyes widened as he fully grasped the meaning.
Though he didn't realize it, they were the widest they'd ever been in his life.
Snap. Something broke in Cheongryang's mind.
"Baek... Idan-!"
Boom-!
He kicked off the ground fiercely, charging at Baek Idan.
Though not a ranker, he was a Player who'd learned martial arts in Shinryeonseong and cleared up to the 7th floor.
Claws extended to tear out Baek Idan's throat, Cheongryang's body soon slammed into the floor.
Crack-!
"......!"
Baek Idan's hand grabbed Cheongryang's head and smashed it down.
Cheongryang's mind reeled from the intense impact, but rage soon overwhelmed him again.
"This... is against the agreement......"
"Right. It's against the agreement. But why should I keep it?"
"You... fucking......"
Grind-.
Though he strained with all his might, Cheongryang knew.
No matter what he did, he couldn't escape Baek Idan's grip with his own power.
But he couldn't just stay still.
Unhyang would find out. About the deal he'd made with Uncheon-geuk.
Which meant she'd know he was going to die here.
'She'll come, that girl.'
She'd done it before.
With Cheongryang's life as collateral, she'd endured that hellish training. Because of that, Cheongryang carried the guilt of dragging her into hell.
For a moment, he'd thought maybe that was in the past, and things could be different now.
No. Not a chance.
Especially now, she'd come.
Their bond had deepened and solidified over the much longer time since then. It had become far more precious.
"Fuck......"
I thought it was my turn to protect her this time.
* * *
The next day.
Night fell over Shinryeonseong. Torches lit up around the castle, and warriors from Shinryeonseong stood guard at the gate.
"The atmosphere's weird."
"Yeah. Feels like war's about to break out."
"You feel it too?"
"The higher-ups have been on edge these past few days."
"Because of the Heavenly Demon?"
News of the Heavenly Demon rampaging again had spread like wildfire.
He hadn't turned his blade on the Murim Alliance or Blue Zone that attacked him.
As if nothing had happened, he'd randomly turned sects into wastelands with no connection to the incident.
People said the Heavenly Demon was a demon after all.
On the other hand, some said,
Why provoke a demon that was minding its own business and cause this mess?
"Think his blade might turn here too?"
"Nah, no way. Even so, Shinryeonseong?"
"The guy who beheaded the Murim Alliance leader—would he spare Shinryeonseong?"
Fair point.
The Heavenly Demon had the power to make the world his enemy alone. No matter how fortified Shinryeonseong was, there was no way to stop his invasion.
"...Shinryeonseong won't fall easily."
Shinryeonseong warriors were proud.
No matter how great the Heavenly Demon was, he was certain this great castle he'd devoted his life to wouldn't crumble so easily.
"The lord's here. And the vice lord too. Even the Heavenly Demon would need to steel himself, right?"
"Well, that's because you don't know the Heavenly Demon well......"
Flinch-.
The soldiers, bantering about the Heavenly Demon, were startled.
A presence emerged gradually from the pitch-black darkness. It approached the main gate openly, neither circling around nor hiding.
Enemy?
The aura felt more hostile than friendly. Guarding the main gate, the warriors sharpened their energies.
A moment later.
"......A woman?"
A warrior muttered hollowly upon identifying the intruder in the torchlight.
A woman. Which meant, at least, not the Heavenly Demon.
That alone eased half the tension.
As sword tips lowered from their strained positions, another guard who'd been talking shouted sharply.
"Snap out of it!"
A small but forceful voice.
He seemed to know who she was.
"......It's the young lady."
"Young lady?"
"The lord's daughter, Lady Unhyang. I heard she fled the castle like a fugitive a few years ago......"
The warrior stared at her with a tense face.
"Why have you returned here?"
"I can hear you."
"...!"
The warriors scattered in all directions at Unhyang's voice, now right beside them.
When had she gotten so close? She hadn't been visible.
As if melting into the darkness and becoming one with it, she moved without a sound.
"Why did I come? Why do you think?"
Shing-.
The metallic ring of a sword being drawn echoed in Unhyang's voice. Her tone was icier than the blade.
"......Because you called me."
Screeech-!
In a flash, it felt like the world split in two.
Hoping against hope, the warriors' eyes turned to the gate they guarded.
Grind, grind-.
Rumble-.
The bisected gate began to tilt slowly.
They never imagined Shinryeonseong's proud emblem, which they had to defend with their lives, would shatter in an instant.
"Dodge!"
The crumbling gate poured down. They dodged the falling rocks with agile movements, but the shock lingered.
Slicing the gate with one sword. It was unbelievable even seeing it.
The Shinryeonseong warrior looked at Unhyang, who had created this scene.
Returning to her home, she glared at Shinryeonseong as if it were a blood enemy.
Sparing their necks and cutting the gate instead meant this house was now her enemy.
Behind the ruined gate waited Shinryeonseong's elites.
"Lady, you've arrived?"
Pung Garyang, captain of the Shinma Unit—one of Shinryeonseong's three major battalions—cupped his fists toward Unhyang.
The Shinma Unit, composed of a hundred men.
Along with countless other Shinryeonseong warriors, they all turned their gazes to Unhyang.
It was as if they'd known she'd arrive at this exact moment.
"Where's my friend?"
"The vice lord said to escort you once you arrive."
"...Where's my friend?"
A chilling killing intent pierced into Shinryeonseong with Unhyang's repeated question.
Facing it head-on, Pung Garyang hesitated briefly before answering.
"Follow me."
Unhyang nodded for the first time at his promise to let her see her friend first.
Step-.
She followed behind Pung Garyang.
For the first time in years, she stepped into Shinryeonseong, the place she'd never wanted to return to.
It was horrific.
More horrific than returning to Shinryeonseong was the thought that Cheongryang might be dead.
'You have to be alive.'
"You idiot, valuing that Lee Soo-hyuk, Lee Soo-hyuk over your own life. Just happy to be a fake manager obsessed with money. You like it that much?"
She recalled the harsh words he'd flung at her.
It had hurt her heart. But back then, Cheongryang's heart must have hurt even more.
'I'm sorry.'
"Damn, you clueless fangirl......"
It still stung thinking about it.
'Sorry for saying that back then. It wasn't sincere.'
Squeeze-.
Her lips, chewed raw the entire way, were bruised.
'That way, I can say I don't hate you.'
Cheongryang.
Her first friend.
That guy had driven her away with cruel words.
He probably thought that by earning her hatred that way, he could protect her.
That's what you thought, right? That if we fought and parted like this, I'd be a little less heartbroken when you died.
No.
Not a chance.
No matter what you say or do, I'll never abandon you.
And so, Unhyang returned to Shinryeonseong.