Chapter 203
Chapter 203
“Why are you staring straight into my eyes like that? Surely you aren’t thinking of pulling them out, are you?”
Youngho fell into brief contemplation as he watched the woman exhale smoke from her mouth.
The sight of the woman leaning her back against an Ancient Tree and staring at Youngho was strangely eerie.
She was a presence completely at odds with the place that had seemed so mysterious.
Jongpal also seemed to sense that the woman before them was no ordinary person, and his hand naturally moved to the sword hilt.
Youngho continued to look at the woman, and the woman did not avoid his gaze either.
Ohhyo, who should have mediated the situation, was simply overwhelmed with emotion at witnessing the meeting between two spirits.
Youngho moved his lips slightly for a moment as though he did not know what he should say.
Perhaps frustrated that Youngho merely stared without saying anything, the woman revealed a sensual smile.
“Why are you staring so intensely? Did you fall for me or something?”
“That’s not it. You just look older than your appearance suggests.”
Crack!
The pipe in the woman’s hand snapped. She had clenched it so hard that it did not merely break—it seemed almost crushed to pieces.
Without bothering to hide the veins bulging on her forehead, the woman asked,
“Mentioning a lady’s age is not a good habit.”
“For someone claiming to be a lady, you look more like some monster of an old hag—”
“I’ll admit it. You have realized the same nature as I have.”
The woman interrupted Youngho’s words and spoke.
“My name is Yusurin. I was born with the sacred blood of the Five Venoms Sect and I am the spirit of this era.”
Only then did Youngho nod slightly as if he finally understood.
“Well, if you weren’t a spirit, it wouldn’t make sense for you to have lived that long.”
“…How do you know my age?”
“I’ve realized a little about the principles of life and death—and the soul.”
“You have realized a providence that would not be an exaggeration to call the entirety of the world.”
Watching the two exchange meaningful words, Jongpal subtly approached Ohhyo and asked,
“What exactly are they talking about right now?”
“As someone who serves the same spirit, let me offer some advice—understanding a spirit’s words is extremely difficult. When a spirit speaks about nature, the level becomes entirely different.”
It was a short answer, but Jongpal accepted it.
‘Their realms are simply too high for normal conversation.’
That was understandable. The gap between Youngho and Jongpal’s realms was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
“Still…”
Jongpal asked again with an uneasy expression.
“What is that conversation supposed to be?”
“…The thoughts of a spirit are not something we can comprehend.”
Even Ohhyo, who worshipped the spirit, could not hide his uncomfortable expression as he listened to their conversation.
“Why do trees rot?”
“So that they can be useful to animals or people.”
“For example?”
“Humans endure winter by using rotten wood as firewood, and animals extend their lives by eating the insects that grow inside the rotting wood.”
…It was impossible to say what exactly that meant. It was truly incomprehensible.
“So then, why did I end up coming here?”
At Youngho’s question, Yusurin snorted as if he had asked something obvious.
“Obviously because I called you here to ask for a favor.”
“You’re quite shameless. In a harsh world like this, shamelessness is essential for survival.”
“Thank you for acknowledging that. So I have a favor to ask. Naturally, there will be a reward.”
“I refuse.”
“Right. As a reward, I’ll… what?”
Yusurin thought she must have misheard. Who in the world would refuse a reward from the Beast Palace?
Yet the answer she received was the same.
“I said no. I came here to travel, not to solve the Beast Palace’s problems.”
Yusurin stared blankly at Youngho. Her pupils became unfocused, as if she had completely lost her train of thought.
Even so, Youngho continued speaking without concern.
“I planned to tour the sightseeing spots of Yunnan with my disciple. So if you could just recommend a few good tourist destinations, that would be nice.”
Hearing Youngho’s words, Jongpal grabbed the back of his neck. As Jongpal nearly collapsed, Ohhyo swiftly caught him and looked at him with a wistful expression as though he had met a kindred spirit.
Jongpal felt a sense of shared suffering when he saw Ohhyo looking at him with pitiful understanding.
“…It might be best if we take some time to adjust the conversation between the two sides.”
“I agree. If you would grant us some time, we would be grateful.”
“We also have several matters to discuss among ourselves, so please speak comfortably.”
Jongpal nodded and approached Youngho.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Did you deploy a Qi Barrier?”
“I did, but just in case, I’d appreciate it if you deployed a Hardened Force Barrier as well.”
After deploying the Hardened Force Barrier and blocking out the surrounding sounds, Youngho asked with an indifferent expression,
“So why?”
“Right now, the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance is visiting the Beast Palace. And the Beast Palace has just asked for a favor, promising an appropriate reward in return. So what do you think our proper course of action should be?”
“It’s annoying, so we just run away.”
“You crazy bastard!”
Jongpal spoke harshly to Youngho, who was the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance.
“You’re going to kick away an opportunity like this just because it’s annoying?! At least hear them out first!”
Youngho could not help but admire Jongpal for saying something so reasonable.
“Jongpal, I never thought you’d say something so sensible.”
“And you’re the one who knows that—ugh!”
At this rate, it felt like Jongpal might die of Qi Deviation from sheer frustration.
Despite Jongpal’s anger, Youngho merely yawned leisurely.
“We came here to travel in the first place. It’s literally a vacation. So why would we work?”
“Of course we should! If we can build close relations with the Beast Palace, even someone suffering from Nine Yin Meridians would cough blood and still work!”
“The Beast Palace is weak.”
“That’s only from your perspective! Among the lands beyond the frontier, the Beast Palace is considered the greatest! If the Murim Alliance received an offer like this, they’d jump up even in the middle of a meal!”
“The Unorthodox Alliance isn’t weak.”
“It is weak! You’re strong, not the Unorthodox Alliance!”
Jongpal felt suffocated as the conversation went nowhere.
“Please, just treat this the way you treat the Young Lady—just a quarter of that would be enough!”
“Are you Seojeong?”
“If the Young Lady wanted to become the Emperor, you’d probably give her the throne—wait?”
Jongpal suddenly widened his eyes as something came to mind.
“That’s right. If it’s the Young Lady’s request, you’d give her the Emperor’s throne, wouldn’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Lord, please wait a moment.”
Jongpal removed the Qi Barrier and went to speak with Yusurin and Ohhyo.
Assuming it would not make much difference anyway, Youngho pretended not to care and ignored their conversation.
Because of that, he naturally failed to notice that Yusurin’s previously dark expression had brightened.
“Hoo!”
After washing herself refreshingly, Yoon Seojeong smiled brightly at the warmth rising throughout her body.
“This feels great!”
Walking through the palace grounds, Yoon Seojeong used her Internal Energy to perfectly remove the moisture remaining in her hair.
With her face now soft and fresh, she looked completely different from before she had bathed.
People even turned their heads to look back whenever she passed by.
“Where could Master be~”
While humming to herself as she walked, Yoon Seojeong suddenly turned around when she heard a sound in the distance.
“…What was that sound?”
Yoon Seojeong slowly sharpened her Qi Sense.
Within the range of her senses, now amplified beyond human limits…
“…There’s nothing?”
She felt nothing. The only presences she sensed were the palace servants working inside the palace. She could not locate the source of the sound.
Yoon Seojeong walked toward where the faint sound had come from. After walking for about a Quarter-Hour, voices began to reach her ears.
“How could you, a member of the Giant Panda clan, betray our Great Ape?!”
A thunderous roar was coming from one of the guest rooms. It was enough to make one wonder what could be happening inside to warrant such shouting.
‘I’m sure they deployed a Qi Barrier, right?’
Judging by Maeng Yulho’s realm, he should at least have deployed a Hardened Force Barrier.
‘But the sound is leaking out like this?’
If someone without martial training stepped into a Hardened Force Barrier, their eardrums would burst and their brain would turn to mush.
Yoon Seojeong protected her ears with Internal Energy beforehand and quietly knocked on the guest room door.
Knock knock.
As soon as she knocked lightly, the voices leaking from inside immediately stopped.
Click!
Soon, a man opened the door. Seeing the now-clean Yoon Seojeong, he asked,
“You’re a palace servant I haven’t seen before. Who are you?”
The man, who had a long Fist Strike scar across his cheek, rubbed his eyelids tiredly as he spoke.
“The atmosphere inside the palace is tense right now, so do not act recklessly. And do not come near this area again. That’s an order.”
As the man finished speaking and tried to close the door, Yoon Seojeong grabbed his wrist.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
At his question, Yoon Seojeong responded as if dumbfounded.
“You don’t recognize me? We met earlier when you were taking Uncle Maeng Yulho.”
“What are you—?”
The man stopped mid-sentence, stared at Yoon Seojeong for a moment, and then said,
“…That dusty little girl from before?”
“That’s very rude. I’m actually quite sensitive, you know.”
“Ahem!”
Embarrassed, the man coughed awkwardly and cleared his throat.
“My apologies. You must be a guest of Lord Ohhyo. My name is Geomhyeok.”
“Yes. I’m looking for my master. Do you happen to know where he is?”
“He is currently with Lord Ohhyo.”
“Then where is Lord Ohhyo?”
“Well… that is…”
Geomhyeok hesitated, unable to hide his troubled expression.
Yoon Seojeong looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“You don’t not know, do you?”
“I do know. But that place is not somewhere I can enter freely…”
“I can go.”
At that moment, Maeng Yulho roughly grabbed Geomhyeok’s shoulder. He gripped it so hard that Geomhyeok felt a dull pain spreading through it.
‘If it were anyone else, their bones would have shattered.’
Geomhyeok had been born with a naturally sturdy body. If Maeng Yulho knew that and controlled his strength accordingly, that would be fortunate…
Geomhyeok looked directly into Maeng Yulho’s eyes, which seemed ready to lose their rational restraint at any moment.
“You must not meet that person in your current state.”
“Why? Do you think I can’t control a mere emotion?”
Maeng Yulho spoke with sarcasm. Although it was something that could easily offend, Geomhyeok advised his longtime friend.
“You know that when you lose your temper, there are very few who can stop you.”
“Then let that great spirit stop me.”
“Yulho!”
Geomhyeok glared at Maeng Yulho with burning eyes. The anger in his gaze carried concern for his friend.
“Do not say such things here.”
“You were the ones who drove us out of the Beast Palace first.”
“That would not have happened if you had properly controlled your son.”
It felt as though a fight could break out at any moment. Their martial presences collided, and the hand gripping Geomhyeok’s shoulder tightened further.
A hair-trigger situation.
In the middle of the dangerous tension, Yoon Seojeong thought,
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have come here.’
It truly felt like she had come for nothing.
“My, my. Why is a member of the Great Ape clan so angry?”
At that moment, a woman’s voice was heard.
Startled by the rich voice beside her, Yoon Seojeong turned her head.
A woman wearing a strange outfit that slightly revealed her hips showed a sensual smile.
“How about restraining yourself a little? After all, we let you into the palace so that we could talk.”
The spirit of the Beast Palace, Yusurin, puffed on her pipe and exhaled smoke as she spoke.
“Hoo. Anyway, I have something to discuss with the child named Seojeong, so I’ll be leaving now.”
BANG!!
At that instant, Maeng Yulho launched a punch at lightning-like speed, and Geomhyeok barely managed to block the attack with his palm.
However, he could not block the wind pressure created by the punch, and Yusurin’s hair whipped violently in the air.
When Yusurin looked at him with round eyes as if surprised, Maeng Yulho roared with fury in his voice.
“You wretched woman!!!”
Maeng Yulho—acknowledged as the strongest of the Beast Palace and unmatched in brute strength—charged toward Yusurin with the form of a Rakshasa.