Chapter 133
Chapter 133
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Hwa Ryeong's Tears
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Snow began to fall again.
Snow piled up on Hwa Ryeong's head as well.
Crunch! Crunch!
Hwa Ryeong's steps as she left the Northern Legion felt utterly devoid of strength, unlike her usual gait.
Her face, without any inner energy channeled, had turned red from the cold air.
But her two eyes remained fiercely alive, her breathing ragged with fury directed at someone.
‘I didn't fail. So why…….’
The profound sense of betrayal welling up from the depths only grew stronger as time passed.
What filled her mind tight was not the black-robed man or the blue-robed man, but the Empress.
Whoosh!
Swish...
Snowflakes swept along by the wind brushed across her entire body. Hwa Ryeong kept walking and walking, without even thinking to brush off the snow covering her face.
How much time had passed like that?
Drip!
Hwa Ryeong halted her steps.
And slowly drew her sword.
Shing!
"Are you scared of prying eyes, so you chased me all the way here?"
"Of course. I couldn't kill you back at the camp."
The black-robed man and blue-robed man revealed themselves from behind like ghosts. Hwa Ryeong slowly turned around.
Just moments ago, she had obeyed the black-robed man's order to return to the Imperial Palace. It had been an unavoidable choice due to the internal injuries she'd sustained on the mission.
Yet they had followed her.
The reason was obvious.
"Is this Her Majesty's command too?"
"I'll say it again: She tolerates not even a single mistake. So if you must die, blame yourself for failing to complete the mission, Hwa Ryeong."
Shing!
The black-robed man drew his sword. The blue-robed man, meanwhile, kept his arms crossed without drawing his own, moving off to Hwa Ryeong's left.
He raised both hands toward her and grinned.
"I can't stand unfair fights, so I'll just watch. Don't worry about me—fight your heart out. Heh heh heh."
Hwa Ryeong fixed her gaze on the black-robed man once more.
"A palace maid groveling for the king's favor. Can you even call yourself a warrior?"
"If I can earn that favor, is there anything I wouldn't do? And you were the same, weren't you? You did whatever it took to win Her Majesty's love. Right?"
"Hmph! I earned Her Majesty's trust purely through my abilities. That's why you've always envied and resented me. Because you could never do it."
Twitch.
The muscle near the black-robed man's eye twitched.
"Provoking me won't change the outcome, Hwa Ryeong."
"Shut your mouth and come at me, you bastard."
"I was just about to send you to hell anyway."
Sizzle.
The black-robed man's sword brimmed with sword energy.
But Hwa Ryeong's sword showed not the slightest change.
‘I need to finish it in one strike. To do that, I'll have to conserve my energy to the utmost...’
She had no other options.
In her injured state, time was entirely on her opponent's side. And to top it off, there was that loathsome blue-robed man.
The black-robed man began slowly advancing toward Hwa Ryeong.
"I've always wondered, looking at you: Just what are you, that Her Majesty treasures you so? And now I've finally found the answer."
Sizzle!
The sword energy coiling around the blade began to surge wildly.
"Her Majesty didn't trust you as a person. She saw you as nothing more than a hunting dog. Otherwise, she never would have discarded you so easily. Isn't that right?"
"You think you're any different?"
"Of course she'd see me as a hunting dog too. But what if I brought back the head of Zhao's Crown Prince or the Fourth Imperial Prince? Things might change then."
Flash!
The black-robed man vanished like a puff of smoke.
But Hwa Ryeong's eyes clearly captured the sight of him charging at her like a bolt of lightning.
In that instant, Hwa Ryeong's two eyes were dyed in blue light.
Flash!
* * *
"Huh?"
The blue-robed man's eyes, which had been watching leisurely with arms crossed, widened slightly.
The two after their single exchange looked markedly different. Hwa Ryeong staggered with blood flowing from her chest, while the black-robed man stood tall like a wooden post in place. At a glance, it seemed like Hwa Ryeong's defeat.
But the blue-robed man saw beyond that.
"A wounded tiger demands even greater caution. Tsk tsk tsk."
The blue-robed man clicked his tongue as he uncrossed his arms. Then he slowly drew his sword.
Shing.
The moment the blade fully cleared the sheath, the black-robed man—who had stood utterly motionless like a post—toppled forward like a felled tree.
Thud!
The piled snow swallowed up the black-robed man.
Blood flowed from the black-robed man's neck, dyeing the surroundings red.
"Urk!"
Hwa Ryeong doubled over at the waist and vomited blood as well.
Splatter!
"Impressive. Even with his carelessness, he's no one you could kill in a single strike."
Hwa Ryeong stared at the approaching blue-robed man as she corrected her stance. But she no longer had the strength left even to properly raise her sword.
It was because she had poured everything into that one exchange with the black-robed man.
She had meant to hold back some strength in preparation for the blue-robed man, but the black-robed man had been too strong for that.
Smirk.
Hwa Ryeong smiled toward the approaching blue-robed man.
"It's not that you hate unfairness—you were aiming for this from the start, weren't you? You despicable cur."
"If that's how you take my kindness, I'm hurt. That guy was like a friend who'd been with me for ten years. So yeah, it stings quite a bit."
"Just one thing I want to ask."
"What? I can grant you that much kindness."
"Did Her Majesty really order you to kill me? For real?"
"Doesn't that guy's answer say enough?"
"Don't play word games—just answer me!"
"Of course she ordered it. That's why he was so thrilled. He finally got the chance to take out you, the thorn in his eye."
Tremble...
Hwa Ryeong's two eyes shook once. Curses toward the Empress followed from her lips.
"You bitch."
Then she raised both hands high and laughed again.
"I'll accept the deal."
"What?"
That was when it happened.
Ju Tae appeared behind the blue-robed man. And one more: Yi Hwan.
* * *
Moments earlier, a strand of transmitted voice had flowed into Hwa Ryeong's ears as she sank into resignation.
[If you fight like this, you're dead.]
"……!"
It was Yi Hwan's voice.
‘How did this bastard get here...’
[How about I make you a proposal right around now?]
[What?]
[Work for me, and I'll spare your life. Refuse, and you die—along with them.]
"……!"
[Delay your answer, and I'll watch with great amusement as their swords take your head.]
Tremble...
Hwa Ryeong's eyes quivered.
[Did you know from the start it would come to this?]
[No way. But I had a rough sense that something was off.]
Grit.
Hwa Ryeong bit her lip.
[Then I'll await your swift decision.]
With that, Yi Hwan's transmission ended.
Hwa Ryeong plunged into the greatest dilemma of her life. But that time was exceedingly brief, and in the end, she chose to keep on living. Had it not been for the Empress's betrayal, she never would have agreed, even if it meant death.
* * *
The blue-robed man whipped around like a thunderbolt.
Ju Tae flashed his signature rough grin toward him.
"Surprised?"
"How did you get here..."
"The way you were seeing off a departing comrade looked fishy as hell, so I followed. And lo and behold, here you are messing around."
Shing!
Ju Tae drew his sword.
Yi Hwan did not step forward, merely leaning against a tree as he watched Hwa Ryeong.
Hwa Ryeong dragged herself arduously to his side. A long trail of blood stretched in her wake.
"If you want to put me to good use, save me first."
"You look pretty beat up."
"Feels like death..."
Hwa Ryeong collapsed before she could finish. Yi Hwan extended a hand, caught her by the waist, and propped her up against the tree. Then he pressed his palm to her back and infused her with qi.
‘They say you never know what lies just ahead in life.’
A wry chuckle rose in him.
Something had felt off, so he'd trailed after her—but he never could have imagined things unfolding like this. In truth, he had already been planning to use Hwa Ryeong for other ends.
But not in a scenario like this.
Hwa Ryeong regained consciousness.
No sooner had she than she vomited blood again.
"Urk!"
"Just lie there."
"Huff huff!"
Hwa Ryeong lay flat in the snow.
Tears traced down from the corners of her eyes. It was a choice made for survival, but even so, she had betrayed the Empress—who had been everything to her.
Separate from the fact that the Empress had betrayed her first.
"I'll take those tears in a good light."
* * *
‘...Impossible!’
The blue-robed man trembled from head to toe.
He had traded three exchanges with Ju Tae. In the first clash, he had been certain of his victory.
But in the second clash, doubt crept in: ‘This isn't right?’ After the third clash, disbelief began to dominate his mind.
‘Impossible!’
He—one of the top experts in the Empress's secret organization—could not endure even three exchanges against a mere guard of the Great Prince.
Of course, he still had plenty of fight left in him, but his momentum had already been crushed, and his will broken.
On the other hand, Ju Tae was fairly surprised too.
‘What the hell is this guy?’
He looked outwardly fine, but he had barely withstood the powerful shock that twisted his five viscera and six bowels.
‘Gonna be hurting in the privy tomorrow.’
"Ptui!"
Ju Tae spat roughly and advanced on the blue-robed man again. The shock that had rattled his internals showed no signs of lingering. It was thanks to his unique rapid recovery.
The blue-robed man readjusted his grip on his sword, steadied his stance, and clenched his teeth.
Grind!
Ju Tae bared his teeth in a grin at the sound of grinding molars.
"Nice stance. Heh heh heh."
That was when it happened.
Flash!
A streak of light flashed from behind the blue-robed man.
The light sheared straight through the blue-robed man's head.
Splat!
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Ju Tae's face twisted in ugly fury.
The one who had decapitated the blue-robed man was none other than Cheol Mu-ok. He tilted his chin toward the rear.
"That woman's condition looks critical, so I wrapped it up quick. The lord's decided to save her, so we gotta get to treating her fast, right?"
"I was gonna end it in one strike anyway!"
"Yeah, I'll believe you."
"You fucker!"
At that moment, Yi Hwan's voice rang out.
"Enough. Let's go."
* * *
Yi Hwan laid Hwa Ryeong down on his own bed.
She had regained consciousness, but her condition remained dire. Gazing down at her deathly pale face, drained of all color, Yi Hwan asked.
"Should I kill your subordinates? It'll be hard on you otherwise."
"……."
"Agree, and I'll take care of it right away."
Hwa Ryeong recalled her subordinates, who had not followed her out of the camp but instead stayed at the black-robed man's and blue-robed man's sides.
She had never once doubted their loyalty. That was precisely why the betrayal stung and enraged her all the more.
‘Did I bring this on myself?’
She had executed a subordinate who had provoked her, right in front of everyone. That was likely why they had turned.
‘Even so, they shouldn't have done that.’
"If you need time to think it over, take it."
"Kill them."
Yi Hwan, who had half-turned away, looked back at Hwa Ryeong. She continued.
"They're children who already abandoned me, so leaving them alive means word of my defection reaches the Empress. Kill them. But make it painless."
"Understood."
At Yi Hwan's glance, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae—who had been standing by the door—stepped outside.
Hwa Ryeong asked.
"How will you handle their deaths?"
"I'll report to the Empress: They came to assassinate me and died in the attempt. In the process, all your subordinates perished too, and you barely survived."
"Right. But the Empress won't let it go. She might even send someone stronger."
It was here that Yi Hwan asked.
"How many martial artists does the Empress have around her?"
"Can't that wait until later?"
Chuckle.
"Fine."
Yi Hwan turned and grasped the door handle. But before exiting, he did not forget his warning.
"Once you're fully recovered, you'll need to change that tone, that expression, that attitude—all of it to something polite. Those guys won't put up with it more than I will."
"……."
Click!
A gust of cold air swept across Hwa Ryeong's face as the door shut.
Hwa Ryeong stared blankly up at the ceiling.
‘Why did things turn out like this?’
Something she had never even imagined had come to pass.
The reality she refused to accept felt nothing more than a nightmare.
‘If only she'd trusted me just a few more days...’
Trickle.
As her emotions surged, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. The Empress floated up in Hwa Ryeong's mind.
‘Why? Why on earth!’
Hwa Ryeong's once-firm inner world had already shattered to pieces, scattering like grains of sand.
Never to be rebuilt again.