Chapter 57
Chapter 57
Ch. 57 .｡.:✧ The Road to Anhui - 3 ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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A hazy dream. A giant screen loomed before him.
Light from a distant projector illuminated the screen, images flashing by in rapid succession.
– I see. Since there is no dimension you desire, I shall choose for you.
A shimmering white figure with wings spoke.
The scene changed.
– I think In-ho needs some correction. Just sleep for a while.
A voice whispered, accompanied by a stinging sensation in his neck.
The scene changed again.
– Then I’ll have to come again. With In-ho-ssi.
Someone sat beside him, smiling, their face obscured by shadows.
He was adrift in darkness.
He thrashed and kicked, his limbs flailing, but there was nothing to grasp, nothing to hold onto.
Like an astronaut lost in the void of space.
A wave of anxiety washed over him.
– Yes, I am yours.
Where was he?
What was he doing?
How could he escape?
His limbs grew heavy, unresponsive.
His mind was awake, but his body was trapped.
A nameless dread, a suffocating mix of fear and helplessness, consumed him.
‘Help me. Get me out of here.’
Had he spoken the words aloud, or were they just thoughts echoing in his mind?
He felt like he had opened his mouth, but he heard no sound.
He focused all his will on his fingers.
‘Move, please…’
‘Move!’
His head spun. He needed to escape.
‘Please, someone, get me out of here.’
– …Master
‘Get me out.’
– …Young Master.
‘Please!’
“Young Master Kang. Wake up.”
“Ah… a dream?”
He had been having a nightmare. His back was drenched in cold sweat.
He was lying down, someone looking down at him.
Who was it?
As her features came into focus, memories flooded back, like a dam bursting.
“Your good little So-yeon was letting you use her lap as a pillow~”
The monster wearing Namgung So-yeon’s face gazed at him.
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In-ho, having regained consciousness, stared blankly at the ceiling, still caught between dream and reality.
Sensing his unfocused gaze, Namgung So-yeon leaned closer.
“Don’t you like my lap pillow?”
Her question snapped him back to the present.
Namgung So-yeon, kneeling on the stone floor, looked like a graceful noblewoman. But all In-ho could think was,
‘Crazy bitch…’
He was smart enough not to say it aloud.
The image of her bloodshot eyes and crazed expression as she choked him was still fresh in his mind.
He had no intention of provoking her.
His priority was to find a way out of this situation without upsetting her.
The Heavenly Demon’s obsession, while intense, had been somewhat manageable. He had been able to reason with her, to find common ground.
But Namgung So-yeon was different. He knew that instinctively.
Her obsession, regardless of its origin, was rooted in delusion.
She had fabricated a relationship that never existed, heard endearments he had never spoken.
Her delusions had warped her perception of reality, making her impervious to reason.
And any attempt to challenge her delusions would only result in him being “corrected,” forced to conform to her fantasy.
“I… I like it. Your lap pillow.”
He forced a smile and played along.
She beamed, her expression as innocent as it had been during their journey to Sichuan, and gently stroked his nose.
“I’ll do it for you often. Now, get up. We have a long way to go.”
She pulled him up, and he rose unsteadily, like a fish on a hook.
His head spun from the sudden movement.
“Where are we going?” he asked as she led him down the hallway, her hand still gripping his.
“To Anhui, of course. We agreed to go to the Martial Arts Alliance headquarters.”
She spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
‘Oh, right.’
He remembered their agreement to travel to the Alliance headquarters.
He stumbled out of the Ritual Hall, still being pulled along by Namgung So-yeon, and his eyes widened at the sight of the devastated Black Heaven Cult.
“What happened here…?”
“They were a vicious bunch. To think they would wipe out the entire Azure Dragon Unit! The Cult members charged blindly, and their leader used poison. A truly wicked group!”
Buildings were burning, the Heavenly Demon Palace and other structures reduced to rubble.
The gardens where Yeon-hwa had led him with her hand gripping his sleeve, were now defiled.
“Oh…”
At the entrance to the Cult, bodies lay scattered across the ground.
Most of them wore the uniform of the Black Heaven Cult. Their skin was discolored and rotting, blood oozing from their eyes, noses, and mouths.
“What in the world…?”
“Poison. Their leader used poison, and everyone died. To use such a technique, knowing his own people would be caught in the crossfire… He was a cruel man.”
“Don’t go near them, Young Master Kang. There might still be traces of poison.”
Namgung So-yeon stopped him from approaching the bodies.
He strained against her grip, trying to get a closer look, but he was held fast, like a dog on a leash.
“Hmm… I shouldn’t have shown you such unpleasant things… My apologies. Just a moment~”
She released his hand and waved her arm.
The bodies began to float, rising into the air.
They converged, forming a grotesque pile, like a macabre mountain of flesh and bone.
In-ho’s eyes widened with each addition to the gruesome heap.
And then he saw a familiar figure among the dead, and his legs gave way.
“That’s their leader.”
The Head Administrator’s body, headless and with a gaping hole in his chest, landed on top of the pile.
Inho saw it all clearly.
The face of Jegal Hwi, eyes wide open in resentment. The half-melted remains of Mae-hwa’s face. And the familiar figures of the Black Heaven Cult members who had once greeted him with smiles and nods.
“N-no… no…”
“Fire is the best way to clean up, wouldn’t you agree?”
Namgung So-yeon snapped her fingers, and flames erupted at the base of the pile.
The fire consumed the bodies, slowly creeping upwards, devouring flesh and cloth.
As the pile turned into a giant pyre, In-ho broke down, tears streaming down his face.
“No… Head Administrator… Mae-hwa…”
He sobbed, pounding his fists against the stone floor.
-Bang, bang, bang
Blood flowed from his knuckles.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… it’s all my fault!”
He choked on his sobs, his body wracked with grief. Namgung So-yeon knelt beside him and took his hand, her touch surprisingly gentle.
“You poor thing… you’ve been through so much…”
She pulled him into a hug, holding him close.
Like a mother comforting a child, she patted his back.
“It’s alright now. I’ve taken care of all the bad people. You’re safe.”
She pulled back slightly, a gentle smile on her face, and cupped his cheeks in her hands.
– Squeeze
She held his head firmly, her thumbs pushing up the corners of his mouth.
“It’s a happy day. Smile.”
She forced a smile onto his face.
Tears continued to stream down his cheeks, but his mouth was stretched into a grotesque grin.
He cried and smiled as the pyre burned, reducing the bodies to ash.
“Such a happy smile~”
Namgung So-yeon giggled, seemingly delighted by the sight.
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