〈 Chapter 569 〉 To Hanam.
Heat flares in my barely cooled head.
Thump, thump.
The sound of my heart reverberates through my entire body, and the corners of my eyes tremble. My breathing is ragged.
I can feel it, yet I cannot control it.
What kind of expression am I making?
If I'm thinking about this right now, it means I'm not managing it.
'Scent?'
My stomach churns at Wubongchwigae's words. He said he sensed my scent at Yeomyeong?
It's already been quite some time. There was no way my scent would still remain. Then is he fishing? Maybe.
But.
'Fuck.'
It's too late to think of that now. If I was going to play dumb, I should have kept it up to the end. It's already far too late to deny it.
Then what should I do?
What should I do?
'Can I kill that old man right here?'
Can I erase him without a trace, not just kill him?
What the hell should I do?
What's the justification to kill him? What excuse should I find?
No, can I even kill him in the first place?
It would take months to heal naturally. It would take at least ten days before I could control and exert my strength. Moreover, the opponent likely suspects my condition is not good.
Furthermore.
'I don't know Wubongchwigae's realm.'
I have no way of knowing what level of strength he has built up. I have no information about the opponent, while conversely, the opponent knows something about me.
It couldn't be more desperate.
Then should I just leave it at that?
I couldn't. If I'm already exposed, it's all over from here on out. Everything I had planned would turn to nothing.
Is there really no way to kill him?
'No...'
If I searched for one, there was a way. It's just—
'I can't use it right now.'
It was a 'strength' that wasn't ready yet. Once, the Paejon who verified this strength had sternly told me. He had even said never to use it if I wasn't confident in my preparations. He said if I used it wrong, my body would be destroyed.
But.
'I have no choice.'
That was the only option right now. I couldn't leave things as they were, and if playing dumb was at its end, this was an unavoidable choice. I didn't know if I could kill Wubongchwigae with this, but it was time to do it.
Of course, even if I succeeded in killing him, I wouldn't know what to do after that, but—
'For now, kill him first.'
Right now, I had to kill Wubongchwigae.
After organizing my thoughts for a brief moment, just as I was about to channel strength to my core,
"Hol-hol."
Wubongchwigae spoke with a laugh.
"Even making those eyes—you really take after your father."
"..."
When my father was mentioned, I unknowingly loosened my strength slightly. Because of that brief hesitation, Wubongchwigae continued.
"I do not know what intentions you had in touching Yeomyeong. The reason I have come here is none other than this."
Hearing his words, I narrowed my eyes. Wubongchwigae was only talking about Yeomyeong. Seeing that, I recalled.
'Could it be he doesn't know about the raid?'
He might not know that I killed Ubaek while putting on an act.
'That could be it.'
Even if he discovered my traces at Yeomyeong, it would be difficult to connect that to me representing the Heavenly Demon and raiding Wudang. There was also the matter of Jicheol dying in between, but since I made him commit suicide using demonic energy, it could be a part Wubongchwigae has difficulty grasping.
If so, that's fortunate. If it's only about the precious object, I can somehow get through it.
While thinking so and composing my breathing internally, Wubongchwigae began to speak, and at the words the old man brought up, I had to frown.
I couldn't help it.
"If you tell me how you did it, I was thinking of quietly letting this matter pass."
It was something I simply could not understand.
"Excuse me...?"
Hearing his words, I unknowingly asked back. If I tell him the reason, he'll just let it pass?
"...I don't quite understand what you mean by that all of a sudden."
Could it be he's trying to entice me? Just as I was wondering if he came out like this to extract a confession from me,
"I have a debt I must repay to your father."
I furrowed my brow at Wubongchwigae's words. I hadn't expected talk of my father to come up here.
'Debt?'
And a debt at that. What debt had my father incurred with Wubongchwigae? An unexpected question arose. But contrary to my doubts, Wubongchwigae merely continued.
"Because of this, I cannot repay all of it, but if I save his child, that child would look upon me favorably as well."
The sight of the old man referring to my father as a child was incredibly awkward. That my father had ties to the Leader of the Beggars' Sect was also surprising. Wubongchwigae was speaking with his characteristic laugh, and on the surface, it was clearly a favorable situation for me, but I couldn't laugh hastily.
With narrowed eyes in a tense atmosphere, looking at Wubongchwigae, I spat out the words I had been hesitating on.
"How can I possibly believe that?"
The moment I said this, it was no different from admitting I was related to the matter of Yeomyeong, but it was an unavoidable choice for me. It was even more so because there was no other suitable option besides killing Wubongchwigae.
"Hol-hol...."
At my question, Wubongchwigae let out a short laugh.
"If you cannot believe me, is there another way?"
"..."
Killing you. I didn't voice that remaining option. I didn't think Wubongchwigae would expect that far.
"You seemed troubled having been found out. Child. You must not have another way."
He's right. For now, believing Wubongchwigae was the best option. The problem was whether that was easy. At the moment I was worrying over what to do, Wubongchwigae suddenly extended his hand to me.
Wondering what this was, I looked at him.
"Take my hand."
Wubongchwigae told me to take his hand. Seeing that, I hesitated for a moment. For martial artists to hold hands is a considerably dangerous affair. Especially at a time when I have internal injuries like now.
However, after hesitating briefly, I clasped Wubongchwigae's hand. If need be, I could pour demonic energy into him while in contact. Using demonic energy was also a dangerous state, but comparatively, it was the safer choice.
Thinking so, I held hands with Wubongchwigae while harboring tension, and—
Wuuung-!
"...!"
Immediately, I felt Wubongchwigae's energy. Wondering what he was trying to do, I was about to burst forth with demonic energy immediately, but—
Ung.
Realizing what Wubongchwigae was trying to do with his energy, I had to stop the movement of my demonic energy.
'This is....'
The flow of energy was strange. Wubongchwigae's energy wasn't trying to do something to me. On the contrary, it was doing something to himself. Was clasping hands meant to show me that kind of energy movement?
Realizing that and examining the energy closely, I understood before long.
'It's a restriction.'
Wubongchwigae was currently placing a restriction on himself. And it was a considerably strong restriction at that. I could tell just from the amount of internal energy going in and the complex formula.
When I was wondering what on earth he was trying to do, Wubongchwigae spoke while looking at me.
"Child, if my words saying I will let this matter pass are false, I will take my own life."
"...!"
At Wubongchwigae's words, my eyes went wide. At the same time as those words,
Clack-!
I felt energy intertwining inside Wubongchwigae's body. The restriction embraced Wubongchwigae's words, and a loop was formed. Looking at the flow of energy and the state of the restriction, I couldn't help but know Wubongchwigae's words were true.
I looked at Wubongchwigae with trembling eyes. Having come this far, I couldn't help but ask.
"Why on earth are you going this far?"
"Hol-hol."
Wubongchwigae laughed.
"Did I not say? I am doing this purely for your father's sake."
Even so, I couldn't understand. However—
'He even placed a restriction right before my eyes.'
He staked his life and formed a restriction with his energy and words. A restriction of that level was absurd. He even held my hand to show me as he cast it. His intention to make me believe by any means was clear.
On top of that—
'...I've mixed in demonic energy.'
While Wubongchwigae was weaving the restriction, I had secretly mixed in demonic energy. In case things went wrong, it was to use this. Demonic energy is difficult to feel unless activated. Since I controlled such energy very faintly and let it flow in, Wubongchwigae couldn't have felt it.
Whether he knew or not, Wubongchwigae continued to smile at me.
"If I've shown you this much, wouldn't it be easy to speak?"
"..."
Hearing his words, I recalled. What had he asked earlier?
'Had he asked why I committed the act regarding the precious object?'
Answering this was easy. It wasn't about the raid, only about how I touched the precious object. The problem was only whether I could overlook Wubongchwigae's words saying he would let this pass, but—
'If he's placed such a restriction.'
Not believing was the harder part.
After hesitating for a few seconds like that, I looked at Wubongchwigae and cautiously spoke.
"...It was because I knew Wudang would mess around with Huashan's precious object."
Upon hearing this, Wubongchwigae's expression changed.
"Ho...."
He looked intrigued.
"How did you judge it so?"
This too was easy to answer.
'Because the circumstances were so.'
The Pungun Gwido, who had vanished without a trace over a decade ago. It was strange that he suddenly appeared, and odd that he immediately sought out Wudang. Wasn't it also exquisite that the situation coincided with the time Huashan and Wudang were trying to exchange precious objects? What's more, it was a time when Wudang needed to solidify its standing, so I thought they might be trying to gain benefits using this.
When I brought up the story to Wubongchwigae in that manner,
"Hm."
Wubongchwigae stroked his beard, and his barely visible eyes gleamed.
"So that's why you stole Yeomyeong."
"Yes."
I answered while nodding. This was the answer I had prepared. The part about Jicheol, who died at dawn, could be problematic, but this was something Wudang wouldn't have told Wubongchwigae. Rather, it was something they would have to hide.
Upon hearing this, Wubongchwigae took a sip of tea. I thought he might be convinced, but unfortunately—
'That's not it.'
It was an answer that sounded fine on the surface, but there was clearly a problem within it. Wubongchwigae couldn't be unaware of such parts.
Just as I was thinking so, sure enough,
"Strange."
Wubongchwigae asked, looking at me.
"They said there was no problem with the Yeonuiseon you were wearing at the time."
"..."
"Moreover, breaking through that boundary—just how did you take Yeomyeong?"
Wubongchwigae sharply questioned, poking at the gaps in my answer. The Yeonuiseon prepared by Wudang to monitor us at that time. Ignoring that and moving was one thing, but breaking through a fearsome boundary and stealing the precious object—how did I plan to get past these parts?
Wubongchwigae asked with that intention. It was a natural question, and I had thought it was a question he would naturally ask. So I brought out the words I had prepared.
"I cannot answer that."
Rather than bringing out words that would be problematic, I chose not to answer at all. When I spoke while exuding an atmosphere as if there was a reason I couldn't answer,
"Hol-hol...."
Wubongchwigae laughed lowly. Seeing that, I inwardly broke into cold sweat.
'There's no way he'll let this pass.'
That old man wouldn't let this answer pass. I said it even though I clearly knew.
The reason being—
'Because then he'll ask again.'
Naturally, I had prepared an answer. I had prepared to explain the fatal flaw in the Yeonuiseon and the reason I could sneak in and steal Yeomyeong. Nevertheless, the reason I gave such a perfunctory answer was to set the stage.
So that—
'It would be a bit more dramatic.'
Saying he can't overlook it like this, asking if I'm mocking him—drawing out Wubongchwigae's reaction, I was then going to bring up the story about the Yeonuiseon.
'...Specifically, about the flaw in the Yeonuiseon.'
The reason I could move around despite the Yeonuiseon. The Yeonuiseon that Wudang had created had a flaw that no one knew about. This was information Wuhyeok had told me in my previous life. It was a Yeonuiseon that Wudang had forcibly placed on Wuhyeok, who had been constantly running away, but it was a problem Wuhyeok had personally found in order to somehow escape despite wearing it.
I was now unraveling this information to Wubongchwigae to turn the situation around. Those were clearly words brought out for that purpose, but—
"Then it is done."
Huh?
"Chief, what did you just say...?"
"If you can't answer, it can't be helped."
"Excuse me...?"
"More to the point, I stole some snacks. Won't you at least have some of these?"
Looking at Wubongchwigae speaking so casually, I couldn't help but make a bewildered expression.