Chapter 129
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: The Ice Jade Fairy
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A cold glint of light flashed from the relentlessly moving tip of the sword.
The Hainan Sect's unique masterpiece, the South Sea Thirty-Six Swords, had revealed itself.
The ghastly sword energy sliced sharply through the air, tracing a bizarre trajectory.
*Slice!*
The limbs caught at the end of that trajectory were severed clean off.
“……!”
The pirate chief’s face was filled with horror as his limbs flew off in the blink of an eye.
He wore an expression of disbelief at what had just happened to him.
“My dear Beom.”
At Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s words, Beom Gye-wi nodded.
“Ah, you wanted me to cauterize the wounds.”
Beom Gye-wi picked up a crossbow bolt rolling on the ground and drew upon his qi.
The iron bolt instantly glowed red-hot.
The color drained from the pirate chief’s face as he belatedly came to his senses.
“Give it here.”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong snatched the heated bolt from Beom Gye-wi’s hand.
A thick leather wrap had appeared on her hand.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong grinned at Beom Gye-wi’s quizzical gaze.
“I’ll handle the rough stuff.”
Her next words sent a shiver down Beom Gye-wi’s spine.
“Because you’re precious, my dear Beom.”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong turned her gaze toward the pirate chief.
Her once gentle eyes had changed in an instant.
“W-Wait…! Aaargh!”
*Sizzle.*
The acrid smoke of searing flesh and a horrific scream tore through the air.
But Byeok Hwa-ryeong didn’t even blink as she cauterized the stumps where his arms and legs had been severed below the elbows and knees.
She called it cauterizing, but it was a brutal method no different from torture.
Unable to endure the terrible pain, the pirate chief soon foamed at the mouth and passed out.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong looked down at the unconscious man lying in a pool of blood as if he were an insect, then slowly turned around.
A bright smile graced her lips as if nothing had happened.
Beom Gye-wi shuddered at her transformation, which was like switching between ice and fire in a matter of moments.
Then a question occurred to him.
“By the way, why are you keeping this one alive?”
“I have to hand him over to the authorities. They’ll behead him there anyway.”
“Then there was no need to cut off his limbs, was there?”
“He’s a very cunning bastard. He has a history of bribing officials to escape before.”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong let out a deep sigh.
“It’s a hassle, but I have no choice. That’s the condition of our deal. In exchange for capturing guys like him, the authorities grant us favors, and they get the credit to report to their superiors. It’s mutually beneficial. Besides…”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s gaze shifted behind her.
Her eyes, filled with a bitter light, took in the women and children trembling with fear.
“It’s for them, too. They’ll only be able to escape their nightmare when they see his miserable end with their own eyes.”
Beom Gye-wi slowly nodded.
At first, he thought she was just a crazy bitch, but it turned out there was a reason for her actions.
It was then that the thick fog surrounding the island began to lift.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong went around gathering large rocks.
Beom Gye-wi was puzzled at first, but it didn't take long for him to realize their purpose.
Once the fog had completely cleared, Byeok Hwa-ryeong began throwing the rocks into the sea.
*Splash!*
A pillar of water shot up where a rock landed in the sea.
“What are you doing?”
“This? It’s instead of a buoy.”
“A buoy?”
Nodding, Byeok Hwa-ryeong continued to throw rocks.
The pillars of water that shot up in succession extended further and further out to sea.
It was then that a ship came into Beom Gye-wi’s view as he followed the water pillars.
It was a Hainan Sect warship.
As if Byeok Hwa-ryeong had given them a heads-up before heading here, the ship, which had been floating in the distant sea, slowly began to approach the island.
Its path perfectly matched the locations where the water pillars had erupted.
“I checked for nearby reefs when we approached the island on the speedboat earlier.”
Beom Gye-wi looked surprised at her words.
“You can see them?”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong answered nonchalantly.
“You read them from the color and flow of the water.”
Beom Gye-wi looked at Byeok Hwa-ryeong with a newfound sense of wonder. Then he snapped back to his senses.
‘Still, not this woman.’
No matter how he thought about it, some things were just not meant to be.
Beom Gye-wi quickly glanced toward the warship and changed the subject.
“They remember the way surprisingly well.”
The water pillars that had marked the reef locations instead of buoys had vanished long ago.
Even the circular ripples spreading around them had long been swallowed by the waves.
Yet the Hainan Sect warship cut through the waves without hesitation, approaching the island.
Beom Gye-wi peeked at Byeok Hwa-ryeong out of the corner of his eye.
Fortunately, the compliment seemed to have worked.
“Don’t underestimate our Hainan Sect. Do you have any idea how I trained them? When it comes to handling a ship, they’re incomparable, even to the imperial navy.”
While the barbarians of the plains were said to have the best eyesight, they couldn’t compare to sailors.
And these were the elite of the elite, trained by her personally.
But at that moment.
The smoothly sailing ship lurched.
It had scraped lightly against a reef.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong's proud expression crumpled.
It was a moment that made her recent boast quite embarrassing.
“Those idiots.”
Having lost face in front of Beom Gye-wi, Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s eyes once again became those of a demoness.
Seeing that murderous gaze, Beom Gye-wi felt sorry for the Hainan Sect warriors heading their way.
A short while later.
The Hainan Sect warriors, having arrived on the island in several small boats, lined up before Byeok Hwa-ryeong.
“All have disembarked!”
Perhaps in his mid-forties.
A middle-aged man with sun-browned skin that reeked of the sea reported to Byeok Hwa-ryeong.
But the response was a voice dripping with coldness.
“Can’t you do it properly?”
“Pardon?”
“What do you mean, pardon? You all get an extra hour of special training when we get back.”
The middle-aged man’s face fell.
“M-Mistress…”
“Do I have to be embarrassed in front of my dear Beom?”
“But that location was where the Mistress…”
“Enough. I’ll give you this much. Gather everyone, including the hostages over there. Especially that bastard.”
When Byeok Hwa-ryeong pointed at the pirate chief, the Hainan Sect warriors sighed and began to move.
Another thunderbolt struck them.
“Why is everyone so dense today?”
At her words, the Hainan Sect warriors flinched and trembled.
Then they quickly scattered in all directions.
Their movements were not just disciplined, but desperate.
Perhaps because of that, the area was cleared up in an instant.
The pirates' hidden loot was collected as spoils of war, and the hostages and the pirate chief were also loaded onto the boats.
It was then that Beom Gye-wi felt a chilling sensation.
He turned his head at the strange feeling and saw Byeok Hwa-ryeong giving him a profound look.
“Should I tell them to leave and come back in a few days? In the meantime, we can make this island our bridal chamber…”
Before she could finish, Beom Gye-wi’s form vanished from the spot as if erased.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and get on.”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong, who had been looking around with startled eyes, turned her head toward the source of Beom Gye-wi’s voice.
Beom Gye-wi was already aboard the boat.
“Don’t be so shy.”
Beom Gye-wi clutched his chest in relief at the sight of Byeok Hwa-ryeong boarding the boat with a sidelong glance.
Upon returning to the Hainan Sect, Beom Gye-wi immediately ran to Cho Ak-ryang.
“Let’s get out of here now.”
“Already? But…”
Beom Gye-wi cut Cho Ak-ryang off, patting the box tucked under his arm.
“We’ve got the Flame Iron Ore, so let’s scram.”
Cho Ak-ryang chuckled at Beom Gye-wi's informal speech.
“Why? We have to take Hwa-ryeong with us.”
But Beom Gye-wi, who he expected to lash out, let out a sigh so deep it seemed the ground would collapse.
“Even if life is a gamble, this is just wrong.”
Seeing the utterly serious look in Beom Gye-wi’s eyes, Cho Ak-ryang gave a bitter smile.
“Still, you should at least say goodbye before you go.”
“Ah, come on, Brother Cho!”
Just as Beom Gye-wi, unable to hold back, shouted.
A person came through the moon gate and approached the two of them.
It was Byeok Hwa-ryeong, carrying a mountain of tea and snacks.
“Well, who is this?”
Cho Ak-ryang stared at Byeok Hwa-ryeong with surprised eyes.
It was because of her appearance; she had changed from her usual tight-fitting combat attire into an incredibly elegant and beautiful dress.
Just a change of clothes had completely altered her atmosphere.
The image of the powerful woman who commanded the seas was gone, replaced by a stunning beauty exuding a pure, fresh charm.
“Even if you’re leaving, at least stay for a cup of tea.”
Beom Gye-wi flinched at her words, while Byeok Hwa-ryeong smiled wistfully.
Moved by her sorrowful and pitiful gaze, Cho Ak-ryang dragged Beom Gye-wi over and forced him to sit.
After setting down the refreshments, Byeok Hwa-ryeong also sat gracefully opposite them.
An awkward silence descended upon the three of them.
After a moment.
Beom Gye-wi suddenly spoke up.
“Is there something you want?”
“You know what I want.”
At Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s reply, Beom Gye-wi quickly added a condition.
“Anything but marriage.”
An unconcealable sadness crept into Byeok Hwa-ryeong's eyes as she stared at Beom Gye-wi.
“Do you hate me that much?”
“……”
Feeling guilty, Beom Gye-wi wore a troubled expression.
“It’s not that…”
“Just take it.”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“You said you needed it.”
“Of course I need it. But you’re just giving it to me?”
“You know…”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong trailed off for a moment, then gazed at Beom Gye-wi with affectionate eyes.
“I’ll give you anything you want, my dear Beom.”
As Beom Gye-wi flinched, Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s expression turned serious.
“I’ve already given you my heart, and I’ll give you anything else you need, be it my body or my fortune. If you want, I can even give you the Hainan Sect.”
She spoke with sincerity, her voice filled with conviction.
“So go ahead, try and refuse me.”
“……!”
Beom Gye-wi’s eyes wavered.
This situation was deeply troubling and difficult for him.
It was truly the crisis of a lifetime.
He almost longed for the days when he fought entangled with the demons that had vanished beyond the Qilian Mountains.
It was then that a startling remark escaped Beom Gye-wi’s lips.
“Do you remember the bet we made ten years ago?”
“……”
“I won.”
Cho Ak-ryang shot him a warning glance from the side, but Beom Gye-wi continued.
“I have a lover.”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong was speechless for a moment.
She looked as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
Cho Ak-ryang was just as surprised.
“Hey, you crazy bastard! Why would you say that?”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s gaze shifted to Cho Ak-ryang.
“Brother, you knew too?”
“Well, that’s…”
Flustered, Cho Ak-ryang trailed off before letting out a sigh.
“I’m sorry.”
Unable to meet her gaze, Cho Ak-ryang turned his head away with an embarrassed expression.
After staring blankly for a moment, Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s eyes turned venomous.
“Who is it? Don’t tell me it’s that wench you mentioned earlier, ‘our Physician Dan’?”
“No! Physician Dan is a boy!”
“Then who is it!”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong shrieked.
Beom Gye-wi’s and Cho Ak-ryang’s eyes met at the same time.
—*If you reveal who it is, there’ll be a string of funerals! All of Yunnan will become a sea of blood!*
Beom Gye-wi’s pupils trembled at Cho Ak-ryang’s telepathic message.
Knowing Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s personality, it was a very plausible warning.
She pressed him.
“Who the hell is this wench?”
“Han Seol-hwa!”
“What?”
Beom Gye-wi answered again to the stunned Byeok Hwa-ryeong.
“It’s Han Seol-hwa.”
“The Ice Jade Fairy?”