Chapter 338 : Change (2)
Chapter 338: Change (2)
A suffocating wave of thick bloodlust was suddenly directed straight at Hwangbo Se-hui without warning.
Hwangbo Yeon immediately began drawing on her interal energy to protect her younger sister, but Il-mok had already reacted faster than her and unleashed a roar before she even had the chance to act.
"Seon-ah!!!"
The crushing force behind that roar made Hyeokryeon Seon-ah falter for just a moment, and that was all the opening that was needed.
Swoosh.
Seizing that split second, Jin Hayeon shot forward and swiftly sealed Hyeokryeon Seon-ah's paralysis acupoints.
Having subdued Seon-ah in the blink of an eye, Jin Hayeon turned to look at Jeong Hyeon.
"Hyeon, take Seon-ah and wait outside."
"Ah, y-yes."
Jeong Hyeon helped support the paralyzed Seon-ah and the two of them left the room.
The moment they were gone, Jin Hayeon quietly returned to her position behind Il-mok and resumed her respectful stance with a composed face like nothing had happened at all.
Il-mok played it off as if the whole thing was nothing, letting out an awkward laugh before cupping his hands toward the two Hwangbo sisters.
"Hahaha. My apologies. It seems she mistook the sudden removal of the veil for a sneak attack. I'll give her a good scolding, so please don't take offense."
"Ah... well, it certainly seems she is a guard with an incredibly f-fierce sense of loyalty. Hahaha."
Since the situation had passed without any real incident, Hwangbo Yeon simply let it go with an equally awkward laugh.
"Yes, well. She is quite a devoted one."
Il-mok smiled bitterly to himself and sighed.
‘Seon-ah needs to reach Transcendence soon.’
During their time in Tibet, Seon-ah had managed to reach Extremity.
It was an exceptionally fast pace for her age and certainly something worth celebrating, but the problem was everything that came after.
Her obsessive need to monopolize him had reached an extreme.
‘Sigh. Once she breaks through to Transcendence and the side effect gradually start to fade, Seon-ah will go back to normal too.'
Il-mok believed that the possessiveness she directed toward him was nothing more than a side effect of her Demonic Art. So, once she managed to achieve Transcendence, he figured she'd naturally find her own path from there.
He simply felt terrible that his cute little sister was suffering from such heavy side effect at her age and just wanted to take care of her until she was cured. And since he strictly viewed her as a cute little sister, he honestly wouldn't be heartbroken at all when she eventually moved on and left him.
As Il-mok quietly worried over Seon-ah in his head, Hwangbo Yeon was also considerably shaken on the inside, though not because of Hyeokryeon Seon-ah's killing intent.
‘...I've clearly broken through to the Supreme Peak Realm, and yet I still can't read him at all.’
It was the masked man standing right in front of her who had left her shaken.
The roar he'd released had gone off before she could even react to the killing intent herself.
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary roar infused with Qi, but what made her shaken was the fact that its force had been concentrated entirely onto the woman who had released the killing intent, which was precisely why Hwangbo Se-hui had come out completely unharmed despite her being unlearned in martial arts.
And he had pulled off that incredibly refined feat without her sensing even a trace of internal energy being circulated.
On top of that,
‘...I barely felt that woman move either.’
The woman who had subdued the attacker and was now standing quietly in attendance was also several levels above Hwangbo Yeon herself.
'Am I still nothing more than a frog in a well?'
She had felt a certain pride in herself since breaking past the Peak Realm, but she couldn't help being genuinely astonished by the depth of the Maitreya Luminous Cult's strength.
That said, Hwangbo Yeon wasn't the type to crumble or stew in jealousy over something like that.
Far from being discouraged, the flame of competitive spirit was already flickering to life in her eyes.
"I know it's a presumptuous request, but would it be alright if I asked you for a bout of sparring? As I mentioned in my letter, the reason I came to the Maitreya Luminous Cult was precisely because I wanted to cross swords with you and discuss the Martial Path."
Hwangbo Yeon bowed her head and directly asked Il-mok for a match.
"If you wanted to discuss the Martial Path, why didn't you just say so back then?"
Il-mok asked with a puzzled tone, and Hwangbo Yeon answered.
"At the time, I felt I wasn't at a level worthy of crossing swords with you. So I intended to come after breaking past the Peak Realm and achieving the Supreme Peak Realm, but now that I see it, even reaching the stage beyond seems like it might still fall short. Hahaha."
Even as she spoke of her own shortcomings, she laughed it off in a frank manner.
The laugh faded quickly, and she returned to a serious expression.
"I know my skills are still embarrassingly lacking, but I am begging you for this spar because I realize that if I keep waiting until I'm 'ready,' I will never be able to catch up to your shadow in this lifetime."
Looking at her earnest expression, Il-mok quietly pondered his options.
She called it a spar, but considering the astronomical gap in power between the two of them, it was actually going to be nothing more than a glorified teaching time.
Il-mok was certainly no stranger to giving out instructional spars, but the main issue here was that she was a prominent rising star of the Orthodox Faction.
‘Hmm. Well, there's no reason to sour things with the Hwangbo Clan right now, so I can play along to a degree. As long as I spar with her and don't actually give her any pointers, it should be fine.’
Having made up his mind, Il-mok gave a small nod and replied.
"This isn't really the right place for a sparring match, so let me take you to the training grounds first."
***
While Hwangbo Yeon and Il-mok were busy crossing swords out in the Maitreya Luminous Cult's training ground...
"I've calmed down now, so could you please undo this?"
Hyeokryeon Seon-ah, whose body was completely paralyzed but whose mouth was left free to speak, addressed Jeong Hyeon in an incredibly frosty tone.
But Jeong Hyeon refused, even if she stumbled over her own words doing it.
"N-no."
"...If you're only refusing because you're scared of Senior Hayeon, you don't need to worry about her."
"It's n-not because of Senior Hayeon. It's because of the Young Master."
When Jeong Hyeon brought up Il-mok, Hyeokryeon Seon-ah's expression soured.
"...What does Big Brother have to do with this?"
"Because you keep g-getting in the Young Master's way, Seon-ah."
While Hyeokryeon Seon-ah was left completely speechless by the timid girl's unexpectedly sharp words, Jeong Hyeon nervously pushed forward.
"I-I'm fully aware of the nasty side effects caused by the Blood Fox Crimson Claw Art. And the Y-Young Master probably understands that too, w-which is why he forgives your mistakes."
Even though she kept stumbling on her words and couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact, she pushed forward without hesitation.
"H-However, as his maid, I c-cannot just stand back and watch you h-hinder the Y-Young Master anymore."
"You're saying I'm obstructing Big Brother?!"
"Yes."
Although she had once suffered from crippling social anxiety due to the side effect of the Ghostly Spirit Divine Bow, she was no longer terrified of simply speaking to other people thanks to Il-mok’s efforts.
Her constant stuttering and refusal to make eye contact were simply lingering, deeply ingrained habits born from suffering through the Demonic Art’s side effect for so many years.
"The Y-Young Master is a great person. H-He receives the reverence of m-many."
"...I know that."
"N-No. You don't. Y-You threw a fit just a few moments ago, remember? A-At this rate, are you p-planning to kill a-all the believers who praise the Y-Young Master? Just to keep him all to yourself?"
"Th-that’s..."
Caught completely off guard, Hyeokryeon Seon-ah lost her words. For the first time, she nervously shifted her eyes away, actively avoiding Jeong Hyeon's gaze as she muttered her excuse.
"That... was merely because of my Demonic Art's side effect."
"T-That may be t-true. B-But you have no intention of trying to overcome them, do you?"
"What do you mean..."
"Y-You have zero intention of ever a-accepting the countless other people who respect and follow the Y-Young Master, do you? A-And it's definitely not because of your Demonic Art's side effect."
"!!!"
Seon-ah's eyes went wide as the words struck into her core.
"I-I know the truth. I know that the real reason you act so possessively over the Y-Young Master isn't because of the side effects."
Because Jeong Hyeon harbored her own feelings for Il-mok, it was incredibly easy for her to recognize the same affection in someone else.
Her obsession might have initially started purely as a side effect, but those extreme emotions had long since permanently fused with Hyeokryeon Seon-ah's very sense of self.
This was the exact reason why the vast majority of highly talented demonic practitioners ultimately failed to escape the Extremity stage and devolved into bloodthirsty madmen.
It was because a terrifying number of practitioners who reached the Extremity would secretly begin to justify their twisted desires while cultivating.
'Why should I fix this? Acting like this actually feels pretty good, doesn't it?'
Unlike Il-mok or Jeong Hyeon, who had been disgusted by their own side effects and desperately wanted to be rid of them, there were those who had trained in the Demonic Arts from a young age and had their side effects fuse entirely with their sense of self.
Hyeokryeon Seon-ah was exactly one of them.
"A-As long as you don't get in the Y-Young Master's way, I-I really don't care w-what twisted thoughts you have, Seon-ah. H-However, that clearly isn't the case anymore, is it?"
"Are you saying I'm the one who's wrong?"
As tends to happen when someone has been struck on a sore spot, Seon-ah fixed Jeong Hyeon with a murderous glare, but Jeong Hyeon, though she still wouldn't meet her eyes, kept her mouth moving without flinching.
"Yes."
"I-If you genuinely harbor affection for someone, w-wishing for their success and happiness is the r-right thing to do. W-Wanting to help them achieve their goals is basic h-human decency. H-However, Seon-ah, you are just selfishly p-prioritizing your o-own twisted feelings over his well-being, aren't you?"
"Big Brother hasn't said a single word about any of this, so who the hell are you to lecture me?!"
Beyond Seon-ah's will, the Qi of the Blood Fox Crimson Claw Art rampaged throughout her whole body.
Yet, even with Seon-ah glaring at her murderously as she slowly succumbed to Qi Deviation, Jeong Hyeon didn't stop.
"The Y-Young Master will keep forgiving you because to him, you are his c-cute little sister. H-However, if you keep throwing these tantrums, y-you will never be able to escape the laber of ‘little sister’ from his mind for the r-rest of your entire life. B-Because you're just acting like a spoiled c-child who constantly needs to be babysat."
"..."
The moment those last words left Jeong Hyeon's mouth, Seon-ah instantly froze and fell dead silent.
The undeniable truth that she’ll always be treated like a child if she continues to act like this continues to play in repeat in her mind like a broken record.
***
The Maitreya Luminous Cult's training grounds.
"Impressive skill."
After humoring her attacks for roughly thirty exchanges, Il-mok effortlessly subdued Hwangbo Yeon and offered a polite compliment.
He could have ended it in one or two exchanges, but since this was essentially a glorified teaching session, Il-mok played along nicely, properly blocking and smoothly deflecting her various techniques so she could gain some insights.
He hadn't given her any outright pointers since she was a prospect of the Orthodox Faction, but sparring with someone far stronger than yourself had its benefits in all sorts of ways.
"I can only be grateful for your guidance."
Despite having been completely outclassed and subdued, Hwangbo Yeon wore a bright expression as she offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute.
In her view, the fact that her opponent had so easily blocked and evaded her techniques was a perfect opportunity to identify her own weaknesses.
While Il-mok and Hwangbo Yeon were cheerfully chatting in a highly amicable atmosphere, Hwangbo Se-hui suddenly stepped up to Il-mok.
"My sister has accomplished what she came for, so allow me to explain why I'm here, sir."
Il-mok, who had assumed she had just tagged along for the outing, gave her a puzzled look.
"Go ahead and tell me."
"The political situation in the Central Plains has been growing unstable lately, and our Hwangbo Clan has been considering forming an alliance with the Maitreya Luminous Cult."
"I see."
It was a pretty enticing proposition, but a question still lingered.
Why had this woman come along in person to deliver something that Hwangbo Yeon could have relayed on her own?
And then Hwangbo Se-hui's next words only made that question grow.
"On that note, if it wouldn't be too rude to ask, could I ask how old you are?"
What did his age have to do with an alliance?
‘Is she trying to gauge my experience by my age?’
Having made a rough guess at her intentions, Il-mok answered.
"I haven't quite reached forty yet."
He technically wasn't lying, but it was a deliberately vague answer designed to make him sound like someone with a good deal of experience.
If he phrased it like that, they would naturally assume he was somewhere in his late thirties.
His guess hit the mark because the moment he finished speaking, Hwangbo Yeon looked visibly startled, while Hwangbo Se-hui let out a breath of quiet relief.
Looking relieved, Hwangbo Se-hui then flashed him a dazzling smile and asked her final question.
"In that case, what do you think of me?"
"......"
He spent a moment wondering what on earth she was talking about, when all the scrambled puzzle in his head clicked and came together.
'Wait... when she said "alliance"... she meant a political alliance sealed through marriage?!'
***
TL Note: Man, I’m proud of Jeong Hyeon in this chapter.