Chapter 238
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Attribute Training
“Attribute... training?”
“Yes.”
Ye So-ha nodded gravely in response to my question.
“If things go wrong, you already know what the consequences will be.”
“...Aren’t we preparing like this right now to make sure nothing goes wrong?”
“I know. But the world doesn’t always go according to plan, does it? No, in fact, it fails to do so more often than not.”
I had no choice but to shut my mouth at her irrefutable words.
She was right.
We were doing our utmost to prepare, but the chances of everything proceeding smoothly as planned were slim.
That much was clear from what happened at the Zhuge family.
Hadn’t Zhuge Cheon-sang, driven mad by the blood essence, ruined the plan we’d so carefully devised?
“...So, what are you trying to say? Get to the point.”
When I asked in a slightly stiff voice, Ye So-ha silently pulled something from her bosom and held it out.
“Here.”
“...A bead?”
In her hand were four beads.
At first glance, they just looked like plain white orbs.
Was it a coincidence that the number matched our group, excluding the three from the Hao Sect?
“What are these?”
“They’re called Spatial Transfer Jades. Give one to each member of your group.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
What on earth were they for?
After a brief silence at my question, Ye So-ha let out a small sigh and answered straightforwardly.
“Spatial Transfer Jades. As the name implies, they’re beads that connect spaces. In a critical moment, they can teleport the owner once to a designated location.”
Teleport.
They moved you somewhere else.
“The designated location is the Hao Sect’s main branch. It’s at least several hundred li from here.”
“...Miss Ye.”
“If we can’t destroy the sapling in time, then I’ll...”
“Miss Ye.”
I called her name, my face hardening.
She stopped explaining and looked straight at me.
“...Young Hero, is preparing for the worst so bad?”
“No. It’s just that I don’t like the idea of abandoning the Wudang Sect and the people of Gyunhyeon.”
“...In the worst case, we have to prioritize your life, even if it means sacrificing all of them.”
I was momentarily speechless.
What was this woman saying right now?
“What about the Heavenly Fragrance Tower members? They’re Hao Sect disciples too—are you planning to abandon them as well?”
“If necessary.”
“Miss Ye!”
She stood her ground against my shout.
“Young Hero, you need to look at your position more objectively.”
“...What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Do you think this fight with the Bloodwood Cult will be the last?”
“...That’s.”
Of course it wouldn’t be.
They were probably lurking throughout the Central Plains, and there was a high chance they were targeting the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.
The downfall of the Nangong family through Tyrant Heaven Fortress.
The horrific human experiments at the Zhuge family.
And now the demonization on Wudang Mountain.
The Bloodwood Cult was involved in all of it.
“They’ll come at us with even more vicious and cunning schemes from now on. What we need to counter them isn’t an army of a hundred thousand powerless civilians. It’s a peerless warrior worth a thousand men.”
“......”
“If we don’t stop the Bloodwood Cult, the Central Plains—this entire world—will be finished. In a situation like this, your life is worth more than the hundred thousand people of Gyunhyeon...”
“Enough.”
I raised my hand to cut off Ye So-ha’s words.
There was no point in listening further.
As my sense of balance slowly returned, I stated firmly.
“We won’t need that Spatial Transfer Jade or whatever. We won’t fail.”
“Young Hero.”
“So put aside those useless thoughts and make sure you’re fully prepared to destroy the sapling.”
I turned away from Ye So-ha and headed back to the training ground.
Then, a low voice reached my ear.
“If we fail, you’ll lose your lady forever too, you know?”
—Halt.
I froze involuntarily at those words.
The moment she voiced the fear I’d been trying to suppress and ignore, my facial muscles twisted beyond my control.
“You...!”
I turned back, grinding my teeth, and Ye So-ha strode toward me, looking up into my eyes as she spoke.
“As you said, Young Hero, I’ll focus on the original plan. Destroying the sapling in time to avert disaster is the best outcome. As for this Spatial Transfer Jade... do whatever you want. Give it to your group or throw it away. I just hope you make the right choice.”
She forced the jade into my hand and walked past me.
I stood there for a moment, and as soon as she vanished from sight, I nearly hurled the Spatial Transfer Jade away.
—If we fail, you’ll lose your lady forever too, you know?
“......”
But I couldn’t.
Her words had wrapped around my hand like heavy chains.
In the end, my hand holding the jade dropped limply.
What should I do?
Even after that day’s training ended, I reached no conclusion.
*
Late at night.
Still clutching the Spatial Transfer Jade I couldn’t bring myself to discard, I stepped out of the hall.
Lost in tangled thoughts, I wandered aimlessly until my senses picked up a familiar presence on the outskirts.
“...Hwa-ryeon?”
The presence came from a small training ground on the edge.
As I entered, I saw Hwa-ryeon swinging her sword repeatedly.
—Whoosh! Whoosh!
Her sword cleaved the air with heavy whooshes.
Compared to when we’d first set out, her prowess was like night and day.
“...Ja-seong?”
Sensing my approach, she called out and lowered her sword.
“Sorry, did I interrupt you?”
“No. It’s fine. I was just about to finish anyway.”
She didn’t seem to be making excuses—sweat beaded on her forehead.
Given the timing and the chilly mountain air, she must have been training for quite a while to work up that sweat.
“Why are you staring like that?”
Catching me gazing blankly, Hwa-ryeon blushed slightly and shot me a gentle glare, perhaps embarrassed.
Seeing her expression, I smiled faintly.
“Looks like you’ve cooled off a bit?”
“W-When did I say I was mad?”
Her flustered denial deepened the curve of my smile.
Hwa-ryeon rolled her eyes at me, then suddenly tilted her head curiously.
“But... are you worried about something?”
Her sharp question caught me off guard, and I gave an awkward laugh.
“No? I’m just thinking about breaking through that horde of monsters the day after tomorrow and smashing the Bloodwood.”
“...Hmm?”
Hwa-ryeon let out an odd hum at my answer and stepped closer, pressing me.
“That doesn’t sound right. Don’t suffer alone—be honest and spill it.”
“...You’re like a ghost.”
With a wry smile, I glanced at her face slyly before asking indirectly.
“Hwa-ryeon. What if... just what if... we had a way to escape if we failed...?”
“I’d get mad.”
She scolded me the moment I brought it up.
Under her stern gaze, I grumbled softly.
“Hey, you told me to open up...”
“...Go on, then.”
At Hwa-ryeon’s prompting, I told her about the Spatial Transfer Jade from Ye So-ha and our conversation.
She listened without changing expression, then spoke as soon as I finished.
“That’s not like you, Ja-seong.”
“...What isn’t?”
“The Ja-seong I know wouldn’t agonize like this or hold onto that bead. He’d hand it right back to Miss Ye in front of her and say he didn’t need it.”
Yeah, that’s what I would’ve done normally.
No such thing as failure.
So this thing was utterly useless.
I would’ve said that and tossed it away.
“Why not?”
“......”
Why didn’t I?
I couldn’t easily put it into words.
Not because I didn’t know the answer myself.
Quite the opposite—I knew it all too well.
That made it even harder to say.
“Ja-seong. Tell me.”
Hwa-ryeon drew even closer.
Perhaps from the sweat, her intensified body scent washed over me.
Sweat usually smelled foul, but for some reason, Hwa-ryeon’s carried only a refreshing fragrance.
Intoxicated by it, my hidden feelings slipped out unbidden.
“...I’m scared.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m scared—that’s why.”
Her face showed clear bewilderment at the unexpected confession.
I caressed her cheek and continued.
“I’m confident I can protect you from any threat—whether it’s Tyrant Heaven Fortress or the imperial court. I can crush them all so they can’t lay a finger on you.”
“...Ja-seong.”
“But... but this is something I can’t control. If by some chance we fail, I’d have to watch you turn into one of those monsters out there, powerless to stop it.”
“......”
“That terrifies me.”
*
Hwa-ryeon stared blankly at Ja-seong’s unfamiliar face.
His head hung low without strength, his eyes sunken in gloom.
It was an expression she’d never seen before.
‘...He’s scared.’
He’d always been brimming with confidence, afraid of nothing.
Even facing any foe, he’d never shown fear—instead, he’d grin fiercely and provoke them.
To see such a man show weakness for the first time.
And the reason was fear of losing her.
Ja-seong’s unforeseen confession left her flustered... and her heart aching sweetly.
It gladdened her that she held such a large place in his heart, yet it pained her too.
The whirlwind of emotions inside her ignited a fierce impulse, and Hwa-ryeon yielded to it without resistance.
She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight.
“H-Hwa-ryeon?”
Ja-seong looked down in bewilderment at Hwa-ryeon clinging to his torso with all her might.
A trembling voice whispered in his ear.
“It’s okay.”
“W-What is...?”
“We’ll never fail. So don’t worry.”
Ja-seong fell silent at her words, then hugged her back and asked.
“...How can you be so sure?”
“I’ll protect you just as much as you protect me.”
“...!”
Ja-seong flinched.
Feeling it through her tight embrace, Hwa-ryeon looked up at his face.
“I won’t just be protected by you. I’ll fight by your side, not behind your back.”
As she said it, Hwa-ryeon suddenly recalled Ja-seong’s words at the Nangong family.
—I’ll always be by your side from now on.
Yes, he’d said that.
Just as you promised to always be by my side, I’ll always be by yours.
“So we won’t lose. We’ll fight together to the end.”
Hwa-ryeon’s resolute words.
Ja-seong stared blankly for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha...! Man, I can’t win against you.”
“Were you trying to?”
At her playful retort, Ja-seong couldn’t hold back and pressed his lips to her cherry-like mouth.
“Mmph...!”
Hwa-ryeon’s eyes widened in surprise, but soon she closed them gently, savoring the sweet sensation on her lips.
Moments later, Ja-seong pulled back and said.
“Let’s win. Smash the lair, the sapling—everything. Save Wudang Sect and all the people of Gyunhyeon.”
“...Yes.”
Hwa-ryeon replied with unwavering eyes.
Meeting her sparkling gaze, Ja-seong asked cautiously.
“...Can I kiss you again?”
Hearing that, Hwa-ryeon wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
“You don’t have to ask.”
Their lips met once more, fusing as one without parting for a very long time.
The next day.
“Here, I’ll return this.”
“......”
Ja-seong handed the Spatial Transfer Jade back to So-ha.
She glared at him displeased for a moment, then clicked her tongue and snatched it away.
Through all-day training, every Wudang disciple mastered the Taiji Sword enough for real combat.
Confirming all possible preparations were complete, Ja-seong ordered everyone to rest and sleep as much as possible for tomorrow.
Of course, given the circumstances, no one could relax or fall asleep easily.
Thus passed the night of tension and restlessness, and finally, the day of the decisive battle dawned.