Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Green Forest King (4)
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A vast desert stretched endlessly, with no end in sight.
Before entering the great tent, she had signed a contract with the merchant caravan and set off. Navigating the immense desert alone to reach her destination was too daunting. She needed a guide well-versed in the terrain.
She commissioned the Gold Fox Merchant Group, which handled exchanges between Inner Mongolia and the continent. Upon checking beforehand, they were the only caravan heading to a region not far from her target.
The journey proceeded smoothly.
Occasionally, unsavory characters with ill intentions appeared, but she demonstrated her prowess to prevent any interference. The merchants and their escorts regularly traversed the harsh desert. Showing weakness to such folk would have been unwise. She nipped potential troubles in the bud early on, blocking unnecessary encounters.
However, after parting ways with the caravan, she endured considerable hardship in a fierce battle against the Red Wind Pirates. Known as the nightmare of the desert, they were a notorious bandit gang. They robbed caravans, trafficked humans, and murdered as casually as eating breakfast.
Though not their main force, the pirates' experience in desert combat gave them an edge. After an unexpected struggle, she finally arrived at the location he had described.
Lee Seo-jeong exhaled ragged breaths. She had pushed her lightness skill to the limit after the fight.
Haah... haah!
The barren desert lay desolate.
It was only an approximate spot, but he had said she'd know it upon arrival. Yet all that remained was the scorching sun and heated sands.
Crunch!
"That bastard tricked me!"
It had taken a considerable amount of time, and the journey had been fraught with trials. Evading the Red Wind Pirates' pursuit had left her mentally and physically drained. These were words she wouldn't normally utter, but the emptiness fueled her rising anger. Staring at the endless sea of sand made it hard to contain her fury.
Fuuu!
This was no time for that.
Excitement was poison in desperate moments. She took deep breaths to calm her rage. She needed to assess the situation coolly. He had no reason to deceive her; other methods would have sufficed. Above all, she had made the choice herself. Blaming him now was a needless waste of energy.
Hm?
A hazy outline shimmered, like the surface of a lake rippled by a stone.
A desert mirage?
It didn't quite match that form.
The sun hung at the desert's edge. Dusk would soon bring darkness. In the boundary of light and shadow, the sunset glow faintly illuminated the area hidden by the veil.
The sun sets quickly.
Lee Seo-jeong dashed toward the wavering space without delay. Missing this moment would make it vanish like a castle in the air.
Swaaaa!
Entering the space her instincts had guided her to, she couldn't help but marvel at nature's mystery. Though not far, it unfolded into an entirely different world. The dry, desolate desert had vanished, replaced by a lush green oasis surrounded by trees and foliage.
She rushed to the oasis and gulped down the water. She hadn't shown it, but her throat had been parched.
Gulp, gulp!
Like rain after drought, vitality surged through her desiccated body.
Lee Seo-jeong caught her breath. Though night was falling, the moon and stars soon shone brightly. Remarkably, the space absorbed external light, making it quite bright—not quite daylight, but illuminating enough.
"Northwest from the center of the Moon Lake Oasis, he said."
There was a rock resembling an upturned plate. It matched his description. Quicksand lay beneath it. Leaning against the rock to rest would have swallowed her whole.
Yet there were no other options.
After recovering her strength, Lee Seo-jeong stepped into the quicksand.
Whoosh!
The narrow quicksand engulfed her in an instant, as if drawing her in.
And soon after.
Thud!
Before she could even focus on the sand blinding her vision, she landed on solid ground. It was a vast underground space.
Sniff, sniff!
A cool, fishy scent assaulted her senses. Her senses detected something approaching rapidly from ahead.
Scraaaatch!
An ominous premonition struck her mind. She immediately lit a small torch to illuminate the front.
Sssizzle!
It was a bizarre eyeless sand worm.
She had heard of them from merchants. These small insects dwelled beneath the sand surface, akin to earth dragons, known as subterranean sand worms. Don't underestimate them despite their size, they had warned. A bite could cause fever and suffering.
But.
The one before her eyes was far beyond mere suffering.
"What the hell is that?"
It was huge.
An elongated, grotesque serpent-like form without eyes, only a mouth lined with sharp, saw-like teeth that spun when it opened.
"...You should have told me something like this was here!"
Mujin's words that it was nothing popped into her mind, igniting her ire. Overwhelmed by his dominating strength without landing a single blow, she had vowed to grow stronger. Blinded by his power, she hadn't seen the full picture.
Today, she was more irritable and talkative than usual. The successive battles had frayed her composure.
"One... damn it!"
As if her words had summoned them, three now swarmed her.
She clamped her mouth shut and drew her Ice Dragon Sword. The sword energy inherited from her master had evolved crossing the desert.
Swaaak!
Sensing her resolve, the sand worms charged undaunted.
Swish!
Cold sword energy fanned out like a peacock's tail, targeting the oncoming worms' faces. Sliced skin oozed blood that melted the sand. The worms' blood was highly acidic.
Kraaaargh!
The wounded worm thrashed, shaking the cavern as if it might collapse.
'I have to kill it in one go.'
A prolonged fight with the sand worms spelled danger.
She unleashed the Cold Heaven White Dragon Art to its maximum. A swirl of pure white frost formed around her, rotating fiercely.
-Ultimate Ice Heaven Sword Art: Snowstorm Blade!
Had she known such a monster lurked, she would have rested a day at the oasis and fully recovered before proceeding. That man's vague instructions were forcing unnecessary hardship upon her.
Yet it wasn't solely his fault. Even the accompanying merchants had called this area forbidden. It was her mistake not to inquire in detail.
The worm was caught in the pure white sword energy's icy storm. Such sword force should have frozen it solid, but its massive size granted immunity to the chill.
Lee Seo-jeong poured her full power into the desperate struggle. Holding back could prove fatal. Slicing the body yielded no results.
The worms' acidic blood was perilous. She emanated cold to freeze the wounds she inflicted.
Puuk!
After a fierce two-hour battle, she tapped her hidden reserves and pierced the worm's head.
Haaa, haaa!
Her breathing was markedly ragged. Each breath brought backlash from forcibly drawn inner energy, shocking her meridians.
Thud!
Exhausted, she collapsed to the ground, regulating her breath. After circulating the Cold Heaven White Dragon Art for recovery and basic treatment, she stood.
"It had better be there!"
The ordeals had awakened a temper she didn't have. Those who knew her would be shocked by the change. Even without his company, she was starting to resemble him—an astonishing influence.
Was this the trickle-down effect?
The quicksand and worms had carved numerous caves. Darkness made navigation tricky. Yet the Cold Heaven White Dragon Art pointed the way. A pull, perhaps? The cold energy resonated with her inner force.
Woooong!
Drawn inexorably, Lee Seo-jeong advanced.
The cavern she entered swirled with intense cold. The extreme icy aura sharpened her mind.
To taste such chill in the desert—she dispelled her doubts about Mujin.
The cavern's cold leaked outward, condensing moisture farther away. The oasis atop the quicksand formed from this cold clashing with the desert heat, birthing water droplets.
An ancient corpse lay at the cavern's forefront. Cold leaking from the iron box it clutched had prevented severe decay.
The chest wasn't ordinary iron. Forged from cold iron produced in the North Sea. Even so, cracks marred it from the overpowering chill. The leaking cold through fissures affected the surroundings.
Lee Seo-jeong checked the corpse but found no identification token. Time had rotted the wounds, obscuring its condition. Carefully, she laid it aside and paid respects. Whoever he was, this treasure had been precious to him.
Click!
She opened the iron chest.
A blinding pure white light emanated.
Swaaaaa!
It unleashed cold far surpassing anything before. Lee Seo-jeong sat cross-legged and circulated the Cold Heaven White Dragon Art.
"Finally."
Facing the ice crystal that would fulfill her sect and master's long-held wish, emotions surged within her. No one would have imagined such a treasure in the desert's heart.
'How did he even know?'
The question arose, but she pushed it aside. She needed to absorb the crystal and reach the Ice Dragon Ultimate realm of the Cold Heaven White Dragon Art.
Sip, gulp!
She swallowed the sizable crystal whole. Guiding it into her body with the art...
Crack!
The dormant crystal erupted explosively upon its shell cracking.
Kaaaak!
After proper treatment and changing clothes, Jang Pil-do returned to the Green Forest. Despite his burly appearance, he was quick on the uptake. He sensed the backlash coming his way.
Mujin was quite satisfied.
'What do you think of my judgment?'
-Don't get cut by the axe you trust again.
'Talking about yourself?'
-You got betrayed by the righteous sects too—don't change the subject!
'I never trusted them, so where's the betrayal?'
During his time as the War King, Mujin had led the Murim Alliance's vanguard against the Demonic Cult of the Demon God. He had shown heroic qualities saving the beleaguered martial world. But it was mere illusion to the public eye.
Mujin was no savior or great hero of the martial world. He had merely struggled to atone for his mistakes. Thus, no sense of betrayal when stabbed in the back. That was why he entrusted his rear to them in the final battle.
-You wouldn't have let him off if he hadn't returned.
'Can't live with being wronged.'
Had he survived into the future without regressing alongside the Demon King, nightmares would have engulfed the martial world. In hindsight, decay had set in from this era. Tainted by the Demonic Cult, the martial world lost its vitality. Personal ambition and gain corrupted grand ideals.
It was then.
'Ah, bug.'
-What now?
'Nah, nothing. She won't fail to absorb the ice crystal over a bug, right?'
-What if it's no ordinary bug?
'She's the next Sword Empress.'
-You should have warned her. What if the future changes?
'I trust her.'
-You just thought of it now, and you say that!
Mujin had no choice. He didn't know the exact process of obtaining the ice crystal. Fortuitous encounters were heaven-sent, so he trusted her fate and forgot it.
'Greenhouse flowers can't grow strong.'
-Anyone hearing that would think you trained her, you shameless War King!
'How can a sparrow comprehend a phoenix's will?'
-Stop with the classical Chinese, it's annoying!
Mujin was in high spirits after a rare literary flex. He always lacked words for elegant expression. Recently reading the Thousand Character Classic had paid off. A man should know such basics.
'Now for some peace and quiet.'
-Will it go as you wish?
'Don't jinx it. I've earned a break after this.'
-Justice always triumphs.
"...?"
That's not something for this Demon King to say.
Justice from the Demon King!
Through this journey, Mujin had sown many seeds. Time was needed for them to sprout, grow leaves, and bear fruit. Reap what you sow—the natural law of cause and effect. The Demon King merely nitpicked out of dissatisfaction.
"Let's go home."
"Yes."
Though their responses agreed, Cheol-ho, Nareung, and Yuk-chil each schemed differently.
However, Mujin didn't exit the carriage. He minded public eyes.
Hm?
Is absorbing the ice crystal easy?
Eh, whatever.
She'll be fine.
Mujin's concerns didn't linger.