Chapter 494 - Let Me Hold It Just Once.
A brilliant white demonic stone rested atop the desk.
To the eye, it gave off no energy whatsoever, appearing no different from an ordinary jewel; however, this was a demonic realm gate of the highest grade recorded among the demonic beasts in the current Central Plains. It was a trace left behind by the highest-ranking demonic beast to emerge from that place.
The so-called White Demon Stone.
By now, it was a stone that contained an energy incomparable to the stones left behind by blue-grade demonic beasts or the red-grade demonic beasts that had begun to slither out. If one considered only its energy, including the Dokcheondan I possessed, it held an immense energy that did not pale even when compared to Shaolin’s Daehwandan; but in the current Central Plains, and even in the future, white-grade demonic beasts would not appear, so it was safe to say there was no way whatsoever to obtain a White Demon Stone.
The object before my eyes.
I believed this to be the only remaining White Demon Stone in existence.
I had originally planned to consume it immediately upon obtaining it, but—
*‘I was too busy to find the time.’*
Because I had been running around here and there since returning, I hadn’t had the time. It was something I had needed to stabilize my incomplete realm in the first place, so given the current situation, there was no rush, either. I had been saving it, thinking I would use it someday even if not now.
*‘I never thought I’d end up using it like this.’*
To think I’d use it for a purpose like this.
Sinui was staring at the White Demon Stone placed on the desk almost as if glaring at it. He wore an expression that seemed to doubt whether the object before his eyes was truly what he thought it was.
"...This."
"Yes, it’s a White Demon Stone."
"...!"
As if driving certainty into him, Sinui’s eyes grew wide as lanterns.
"If you cannot believe it, there is little I can do, but this is indeed a White Demon Stone."
I might mistake such a stone if I were anyone else, but the Madocheonheupgong in my body was telling me so.
"...This... why do you have this?"
"Someone gave it to me. Told me to use it."
"What?"
At my words, Sinui’s eyes widened in disbelief.
It was the truth.
It had been given by Dang Je-mun, so I had indeed received it as a gift, but Sinui looked unable to believe it. Whether he believed it or not did not matter. What mattered was that I possessed a White Demon Stone.
"I shall ask again. You said you needed this, Sinui. Do you need it?"
"..."
Sinui’s eyes trembled at those words. I did not press for an answer and simply watched him quietly. I must not press him here. Doing so would show that I was the one in a hurry, and that would not do.
I waited quietly for his answer.
After a few seconds had passed.
"...Yes."
Sinui answered with difficulty.
*That’s done.*
It seemed I had cleared the first hurdle with ease.
Hiding my inner thoughts, I held a faint smile and opened my mouth.
"If you need it, I can give it to you."
I could give him the White Demon Stone I possessed.
One would think Sinui would be overjoyed to hear this, but he was not. Rather, his slightly furrowed brow was filled with discomfort.
Seeing this, surely Sinui knew as well.
*‘That me saying I’ll simply give him the White Demon Stone I have...’*
...meant there was something else I wanted from Sinui himself.
"What... do you want from me?"
As expected, Sinui asked me.
Two things could be discerned from this.
That he asked what I wanted rather than what my goal was. That he was asking what I wanted as if he would accept regardless, without even knowing what I needed.
Considering these two implications.
*‘Sinui is trying to take the White Demon Stone unconditionally.’*
I could tell he would never be able to give up on the White Demon Stone before him.
Why on earth?
At least for someone like me who could not absorb the stone’s energy with Madocheonheupgong, the White Demon Stone was nothing more than a white rock rolling around. So why was Sinui so obsessively fixated on the White Demon Stone?
*‘It doesn’t matter.’*
I did not know the reason, but that didn’t matter either. I could learn of such things from here on out.
"There is something I wish to ask you, Sinui. If you simply answer it well, I can give this White Demon Stone to you. It is not something I particularly need."
That it was something I didn’t need was, of course, a lie. Only because I possessed dozens of Dokcheondan could I afford to let it go; normally, that would have been impossible.
"An answer?"
"Yes."
"..."
Sinui offered no answer to my words.
Here, silence must signify affirmation.
Sensing that, I caught my breath and uttered my first words.
"First, I wish to know why you need the White Demon Stone."
"..."
"If we must split hairs, it may be rare, but in terms of efficacy, it is merely a useless rock. Why do you need this?"
Why did Sinui need the White Demon Stone? He had no greed for wealth despite the fame he enjoyed in the Central Plains, and appeared to be a man devoted solely to the medical arts. Why would he need a White Demon Stone? I was curious.
"What if I do not answer this?"
"It does not particularly matter, but surely the White Demon Stone I intended to give as a gift would disappear, would it not?"
A blatant threat.
A threat that if he did not answer, I would not give it.
"Ha, how petty."
"I apologize. I have my circumstances as well."
In my heart, there were things I wished to give to Sinui. But my situation was not good enough for that. It was not a matter of whether I trusted someone. It meant there were too many people I wished to protect, and I was too busy thinking only of them.
"..."
Sinui, who had been staring quietly at the White Demon Stone as if deeply troubled, soon bit his lip slightly and slowly began to speak.
"...I will use it for my grandson."
"If you mean your grandson, do you mean Hyeok?"
"Yes."
He would use the White Demon Stone on Jegal Hyeok?
I had to tilt my head at Sinui’s words. How could he use this on Jegal Hyeok when it was neither a medicinal herb nor an elixir, but merely a rock to an ordinary person?
"What do you intend to do with it?"
"I shall open his throat."
"Excuse me?"
He would open the throat of the mute Jegal Hyeok?
"...I do not quite understand."
Just how did he intend to do that with a White Demon Stone? No matter how much I thought about it, I could not understand.
"Must I answer this as well?"
"Yes. I cannot simply let it pass without understanding."
"What if I am lying?"
"I do not believe you would do such a thing... If so, there is nothing to be done."
"..."
I had no intention of doing anything even if Sinui lied. It was merely a foolish belief that Sinui would not do such a thing.
"..."
Perhaps my answer was unexpected, for Sinui’s expression grew even more uncomfortable.
"If it is truly impossible, I shall simply ask something else—"
"The child’s inability to speak is not a physical problem."
"Oh?"
"His voice not coming out is not a physical problem?"
"If not that, what do you mean?"
"To be precise, it is part of a ‘curse.’"
"A curse."
Curse.
A word I had heard in passing.
I had heard it was a technique used by the pseudo-practitioners of the Daoist line on the Demonic Faction side. Had I not heard its efficiency was quite poor? I had heard that because it was a technique that hardly worked even on first-rate experts while costing an absurd amount to maintain, those who used it were extremely few.
*‘A curse...? Then.’*
I recalled Cheon Yuranga of my previous life.
He was a madman who wore a half-mask and hid his laughter behind a fan, but unlike the current Jegal Hyeok, he had not been mute. I had thought that the Heavenly Demon had used some means to restore his voice, but could that means have been breaking the curse Sinui spoke of?
"Then, are you saying you need the White Demon Stone to break that curse?"
"...Yes."
"Why?"
"I cannot speak of that."
"Hmm."
I nodded at Sinui’s answer. Not because I understood. But because I felt I would definitely have to give up on that part.
*‘Something is entangled in this.’*
Setting aside Sinui’s prickly personality, he was a man who detested seeing those around him hurt or harmed. Judging by his answer now, it seemed answering would cause a problem.
Then, someone’s face flashed through my mind like a passing thought.
Cheol Jiseon—the relationship between him and Sinui suddenly came to mind and passed.
*‘This is not something to ask here.’*
This was not something to ask. Not of Sinui.
*‘Because I must hear it from Cheol Jiseon.’*
It was a matter for a specific person.
Having thought that far, I spoke to Sinui.
"Very well. I shall pass over this matter."
"..."
At my words, Sinui let out a shallow sigh of relief.
"The next matter concerns my physical condition."
"Your condition, you mean what I said last time..."
"Yes, you said my vessel was on the verge of shattering soon. But I recently shattered my vessel and remade it?"
"...Yes... No, what? Wait, what did you just say?"
"You shattered your vessel and remade it?"
"Yes, somehow. That is what happened."
"What do you mean, ‘somehow’?"
"I wonder. I find it quite surprising myself."
It was something even I had not expected, so I had nothing to say.
From Sinui’s perspective, it must have been shocking to hear from a man he had given a terminal diagnosis of less than ten years to live that he had died and come back to life within days.
"No, what on earth...? First, give me your hand. I must see for myself."
"I will give it to you later... but for this part, I would like you to make a promise."
"What?"
"A promise that no matter what you see in my body, you will keep your mouth shut."
"...!"
Perhaps sensing something unusual, Sinui’s expression stiffened slightly.
"Will you do it?"
Even if he felt something, Sinui had no other answer.
"...Very well."
As long as the White Demon Stone lay before him, Sinui was in the subordinate position.
"Thank you."
Of course, seeing Sinui in such a state was quite bothersome to me as well. Honestly, I held no ill will toward Sinui; rather, I only had good feelings for him. Making such a man act so wretchedly was truly a foul feeling for me as well.
Petty and despicable.
I knew that all too well myself.
But I had to do it anyway.
"Now... there is one last thing I wish to ask."
The questions asked earlier were stories that did not matter much either way. What was important was what I would ask now.
"I wish to ask about Wi Seol-a."
"..."
As if Sinui had expected this as well, I could see one corner of his eye tremble.
"I heard that you and the old man, the Sword Lord, did something to that child using a Sealing Demon Stone."
The Sealing Demon Stone that had been in Cheon Yuranga’s room in my previous life.
And Wi Seol-a, who had regained her presence.
I had judged there was likely a connection between these events.
Recalling the words I had heard from Wi Seol-a, I wished to ask Sinui.
Why had the Sword Lord made such a choice?
What was Wi Seol-a’s current state?
I intended to hear of this by any means necessary.
"..."
Upon hearing my question, Sinui’s face was filled with dark clouds as if he had fallen into deep thought.
After quite some time had passed, Sinui’s mouth opened with difficulty.
"Does that child still resent the Alliance Leader?"
A rather abrupt remark.
Did he mean the Sword Lord by Alliance Leader?
The previous... No, he was the Alliance Leader two generations ago now, but surely he meant the Sword Lord.
And if he was asking whether Wi Seol-a still resented the Sword Lord—
"Yes."
I knew.
I knew of the uncomfortable expression Wi Seol-a made whenever the topic of her grandfather came up.
Hearing my answer, Sinui let out a sigh and spoke to me.
"I do not much like the Alliance Leader. I acknowledge his ability. But because he prioritized other things over his convictions, he made many choices unbefitting of an Alliance Leader."
In terms of standing alone, he was a man who held the greatest influence among the Alliance Leaders of the Martial Alliance throughout history, save for the first Alliance Leader, Yeon Ilcheon. But Sinui did not seem to think so.
"However, I understand him separately from that. Because I know that he, too, is human."
"What do you mean...?"
"As an Alliance Leader, he ought not to have done so. But as one man’s father and one child’s grandfather, he can be understood."
Various emotions were mixed in his voice.
As Sinui spoke, resentment could be felt, yet sorrow and a sense of kinship suddenly seeped from within.
"There was only one reason the Alliance Leader had to do that to the child. Because it was only that one reason, I helped him despite my reluctance."
"That reason is..."
The moment I asked, hiding an unease I could not understand, Sinui spat out the answer in a calm voice.
"If the child’s potential had not been sealed..."
Though she had been breathing just fine until now,
"...that child would surely have died before long."
The moment I heard Sinui’s words, I felt somehow choked.
******************
The Shanxi Gu Clan.
The path with the garden leading to the Patriarch’s chamber.
Between the brilliantly blooming white flowers under the sunny sky, a woman moved with graceful steps.
From her unwavering posture between steps and her elegantly straightened upper body, one could tell she was a woman of high breeding; yet for some reason, her steps exuded a rare brightness.
While walking, the general manager who was tending the flower bed discovered her and immediately showed courtesy.
"I greet the Lady."
The woman’s identity was none other than Mi Hyoran, the lady of the Gu Clan and the head of the Baekhwa Merchant Group, one of the so-called Three Great Merchant Groups of the Central Plains.
She stopped walking and lightly bowed her head to the general manager.
"Is he inside?"
"Yes."
"May I enter now?"
At Mi Hyoran’s words, the general manager slightly stepped aside.
It was a sign of permission.
Only three people could enter the Gu Clan’s Patriarch’s chamber without permission: the current First Elder Gu Ryun, the general manager of the Gu Clan, and the lady of the house, Mi Hyoran; yet she always sought permission from the general manager before going to the Patriarch’s chamber. Even though she was told there was no need to do so.
Watching her, the general manager asked,
"My Lady."
"Yes."
"You appear to be in good spirits."
"Ah."
Mi Hyoran smiled faintly at the general manager’s words.
"No. Nothing in particular."
She said so while heading toward the Patriarch’s chamber, yet anyone could see she was a woman with happy tidings. And rightly so, for it was rare to see Mi Hyoran smile so brightly.
Seeing that, the general manager also held back a smile and resumed tending the flower bed.
Click, clack.
There was clearly something graceful in Mi Hyoran’s steps toward the Patriarch’s chamber.
Though she had denied it to the general manager, she was actually in a good mood.
The reason was thanks to the letter she held in her hand.
It was because it was a letter sent by Gu Yangcheon.
It was likely the first time.
That Gu Yangcheon had sent a separate letter to Mi Hyoran.
The letter that had arrived since morning bore the seal of the Baekhwa Merchant Group. It seemed to have been sent through a branch office, but more important than that was the content written inside.
*—I apologize for reaching out like this. I hope you have been well.*
It began with light greetings, but the later content was rather interesting.
That he had obtained a fortuitous encounter and sold goods through the merchant group, and the story about having used Mi Hyoran’s name in the process.
That was precisely the issue.
*—While speaking with the branch manager, there was an unavoidable situation in which I had to call Lady Mi ‘Mother.’*
How long had she stopped at that part?
She had probably paused for quite a while.
*—In case you learn of this later and feel displeased, I offer my apologies in advance.*
An apology. She could not understand why Gu Yangcheon was apologizing to her.
Collecting her hazy mind, Mi Hyoran read on, and unfortunately, she soon reached the last line.
Because the letter was not very long.
*—Ah, and. The Sichuan branch manager seems to be doing his job well.*
*—Well then, I shall see you next time.*
After reading the short letter, Mi Hyoran took several breaths.
*‘The Sichuan branch manager...?’*
The content written at the end of Gu Yangcheon’s letter.
Mi Hyoran also knew the Sichuan branch manager.
*‘He had an excellent eye for people, but was a man of strong ambition and greed.’*
His name was Dae... What was it? She could not remember.
He was not a particularly important figure. She had planned to deal with him soon anyway.
However.
*‘If that child saw him favorably, there must be a reason.’*
Gu Yangcheon had seen him favorably.
In that single phrase, the fate of the Sichuan branch manager was overturned.
Immediately, Mi Hyoran wrote a letter to be sent throughout the merchant group and stamped it with the head merchant’s seal.
The content: halt all affairs and prioritize the matters entrusted by Gu Yangcheon.
After sending the rather radical letter through a servant, she carefully and neatly folded the received letter, tucked it into her bosom, and moved on.
Her destination was the Patriarch’s chamber where Gu Cheol-un was.
Mi Hyoran was ignoring her own emotions, but this was clearly for the sake of boasting.
She could not wait to shove the letter she had received before Gu Cheol-un.
Before long, she arrived before the door.
Mi Hyoran grasped the door to the Patriarch’s chamber and opened it.
"That child sent a let—"
Normally she would have greeted first, but Mi Hyoran was in such a hurry that she tried to jump straight to the point. But unfortunately, she could not.
"...Dear?"
Because the atmosphere inside the Patriarch’s chamber was unusual.
Gu Cheol-un was sitting at the desk with the same expression as always, but the atmosphere radiating from him was strange.
Rage.
The emotion felt from Gu Cheol-un was clearly rage.
Moreover, it was a considerable rage that Mi Hyoran had not felt from him in nearly ten-odd years.
Mi Hyoran said nothing and first observed Gu Cheol-un.
He was stroking his beard with one hand while looking at a letter with the other.
It was a seal from a place Mi Hyoran also knew.
*‘Tangmen?’*
It was the seal of the Sichuan Tangmen.
Tangmen was the destination Gu Yangcheon had headed for, and judging by the timing, he should have arrived around now.
That a letter had come from there meant...
*‘Has something happened?’*
The moment she thought that and her expression stiffened slightly—
Creak.
Gu Cheol-un rose to his feet.
Whoooosh—!!
In that instant, a heat swirled within the room that even Mi Hyoran could feel.
"...Urk!"
Though Mi Hyoran was a martial artist before she was a merchant, her realm was no more than between second-rate and first-rate. It was merely martial power built up for self-defense, so it was not very high. Because of that, Mi Hyoran struggled to endure the aura Gu Cheol-un emitted.
That made it all the more surprising.
Gu Cheol-un normally kept his power sealed so that those around him would not be harmed. What could have happened to elicit such a violent reaction?
"What on earth..."
"Four days."
Gu Cheol-un’s tense eyes turned to Mi Hyoran.
"I shall return within four days."
"What does that mean...? Dear, your schedule with the merchant group after this...!"
Mi Hyoran tried to add urgently—
Pop—!
Gu Cheol-un turned into a spark and vanished before her eyes in an instant.
Seeing that, Mi Hyoran immediately turned and rushed out of the Patriarch’s chamber.
To catch Gu Cheol-un? Impossible. Mi Hyoran could not catch him.
Rather, it was to deliver word to the general manager and to raise the issue with the merchant group. She had to warn them that something seemed to have happened and they needed to prepare.
And rightly so, for in her youth—whenever Mi Hyoran had experienced after Gu Cheol-un disappeared displaying such a violent reaction, unbelievable things had always occurred.
One day, the overlord of the Demonic Faction would burn to death and vanish, or a sect that sought to build military power would be erased from the map.
Because Mi Hyoran had experienced all such things, she had to hurry.
Her husband, who was so enraged—
she could not guess what he would do this time.