Chapter 170: The Truth-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: The Truth-1
The woman who entered the village made her way toward the crowded areas.
Pushing through the throngs of people in the bustling market, she searched for an inn. After a bit more legwork, she spotted a very small establishment.
She stepped inside without hesitation.
Ordering a cup of tea, she opened her ears.
It was late afternoon. From the early drinking sessions of those who had finished their work for the day, various stories drifted over.
"The farming lately is..."
"In Chang'an..."
Just as the repetitive, trivial information was beginning to grate, a topic arose that piqued her interest.
It was a story about a madman.
As is the case with most rumors, it was bloated with exaggeration in places. The woman parsed the rumors in her own way and succeeded in extracting a single piece of information.
After finishing her tea, she stood up, paid the bill, and left the inn.
The sword hanging at her waist gave a low, resonant ring.
*
The woman walked for an entire day before arriving at the foot of a certain mountain.
Even at a glance, the terrain looked rugged, but it was precisely because of that ruggedness that she had to climb it. She needed to verify the rumors.
A martial artist who has lost their mind...
They might have fallen into Qi Deviation for some reason, or perhaps a fit of madness had suddenly taken hold. Whatever the story, such a person was a danger to the common folk.
And suppressing that danger was her duty as the successor to one of the Three Great Inherited Martial Arts.
The woman began her ascent.
The hike started with a gentle slope, but the incline gradually steepened. It wasn't exhausting for her, but the passage of time was unavoidable.
"Beautiful..."
As she neared the summit, a breathtaking view stretched out beneath the cliffs, catching her eye. She forgot her purpose for a moment and took in the scenery. The beautiful, peaceful sight of nature refreshed her spirit slightly.
"...I should keep going."
Traces of human presence, which hadn't been visible on the mountainside, began to appear near the peak. She wondered if it might be a village formed by people fleeing taxes, but the fact that the tracks belonged to only one person confirmed the reality of the rumors.
"I hope it's an opponent I can handle."
If it turned out to be a master of an even higher realm, things would get complicated. As the signs of human life grew denser, she drew her sword.
The ring of the blade echoed through the mountain.
Wary of a potential ambush, she moved forward with slow, deliberate steps. Following a path worn down by foot traffic, she saw a dilapidated building. From its appearance, it looked like a place where bandits once stayed.
Any presence...
She couldn't sense the multiple presences one would expect from a bandit stronghold. She reached out and pushed the door open.
—Creeeeeak.
The sound of the old wooden door opening cast a somber, eerie atmosphere over the mountain.
"The inside is... cleaner than I expected," she muttered, looking at the wide interior.
"...There's someone over there."
Were they not even trying to hide? She sensed a presence in one of the buildings—one that looked like it had been repaired somewhat recently.
The woman, Cheong-yeon, who had inherited the name of the Ice Wheel Art, entered that building.
*
Just as when she had opened the main gate, the orange light of the setting sun spilled into the room as she opened the door.
The moment the door opened, a foul, nauseating stench pierced her nose.
"......"
Covering her nose with her wide sleeve, she searched for the source of the smell and found it almost immediately.
In the center of the building—which consisted of nothing but a floor, pillars, and a roof—sat a small coffin.
Inside that coffin lay something shaped like a human, wrapped tightly in bandages. Before it sat a woman, demurely stroking the figure.
"Hehe... You're such a sleepyhead. To think you'd keep sleeping even when I'm nagging you like this."
The woman murmured in a sweet voice.
Cheong-yeon doubted her own ears. she moved her legs, stepping closer.
"Haa... It's so wonderful for the two of us to be like this. You think so too, don't you? My lovely disciple."
The woman sitting before the coffin rose slightly and rubbed her face against the corpse. Despite the stench that made it difficult to remain sane, the woman seemed completely unfazed.
"I hope you wake up soon. I'm getting a little bored."
As the woman murmured while clasping the corpse's hand, Cheong-yeon could no longer contain herself and called out the woman's name.
"...So-yu?"
At Cheong-yeon’s words, the woman's movements stopped.
The woman called So-yu did not look back. Instead, she raised her hand and stroked the head—or what was presumed to be the head—of the corpse inside the coffin.
"In-ho. Wait. I'll be away for just a moment. Don't be too sad."
The moment those words ended, So-yu’s body blurred and vanished.
"!!!"
Cheong-yeon reflexively raised her sword to defend, but a heavy impact slammed into her chest.
Struck by So-yu’s kick, Cheong-yeon was sent flying, smashing through the door and landing in the courtyard of the stronghold.
"Ugh..."
Despite the impact making it difficult to breathe, Cheong-yeon used her sword as a crutch to stand and took a combat stance. However, So-yu was nowhere to be seen in front of her.
"Who the hell are you? Why did you come here?"
As So-yu spoke from behind her, having moved there in an instant, Cheong-yeon swung her blade.
The sharp sword traced a semi-circle, aiming for So-yu’s head, but So-yu ducked to avoid it and thrust her palm into Cheong-yeon’s stomach.
"Agh!!"
Cheong-yeon used her ice to cushion the blow, but the impact was still enough to rattle her entire body. She tumbled across the dirt floor several times.
"This is the home of In-ho and me. It's not a place for you to come."
As if issuing a threat, So-yu stomped a foot infused with internal energy, making the ground tremble.
"So-yu... In-ho... is he dead?"
Cheong-yeon asked, rising unsteadily, hoping against hope.
"......"
At the question, So-yu’s movements, which looked ready to pounce at any second, came to a halt.
"I just... I heard rumors of a dangerous person and came here to check."
Sheathing her sword, Cheong-yeon signaled that she had no intention of fighting.
"So-yu... is In-ho really dead?"
"No."
When Cheong-yeon asked again, So-yu answered immediately.
"No, he's not dead. You saw him too. He's just sleeping over there, isn't he?"
Like a broken doll, So-yu broke into a wide, beaming smile. And then, tears began to stream down from her eyes.
"He's not dead. I said he's not dead!!"
Every time So-yu screamed, flames erupted fiercely from her body. The heat instantly evaporated the tears running down her cheeks.
"So-yu... you..."
Cheong-yeon was left speechless by the mere fragment of the aura So-yu was emitting. The sheer magnitude of So-yu’s internal energy was several times greater than that of her own master.
"HE'S NOT DEAD!!!!"
Watching So-yu’s flames, which had turned a murky, dark hue, Cheong-yeon fell silent.