〈 Chapter 609 〉 Biwegun.
As I moved my steps, sensation returned to my eyes.
What must my pupils look like now?
Probably similar to the Palace Lord's.
[…Huh?]
The Palace Lord's eyes widened upon seeing this.
I spoke while looking at his face.
"If you laid so much as a fingertip on them. Rebellion or whatever the hell else. You'll die by my hand first. Understand?"
[Haha.]
As I approached radiating heat, the Palace Lord let out a laugh.
What was so funny? Seeing that only made my anger flare up further.
[Do you truly think yourself capable of such?]
No matter how much my strength had waned due to the curse, my opponent was the Palace Lord.
He was the ruler of a region, and I could tell instinctively.
That the Palace Lord was stronger than me.
And overwhelmingly so.
Even so.
"So what."
What of it.
Fwoosh.
Qi coiled around my hand.
The qi gathered and rotated, and in an instant, a Yeomok formed above my palm.
"So, should I grovel before you?"
I have too nasty a temper for that.
I've already endured far more than this.
Besides.
"I don't even treat scum who lay hands on my people as human beings."
No matter how strong they are. If they touch what is mine, I will hunt them to the end and tear out their throat.
Even if it's a 'god' who may or may not exist.
The Yeomok, emitting a blue light, rotated ceaselessly.
I could feel its intensity growing stronger with each rotation.
This was the power of rotation I had learned from my father long ago.
The Yeomok emitted heat into the surroundings as it spun, and conversely absorbed cold energy.
[...]
Surprise did not vanish from the Palace Lord's expression upon seeing that.
Maintaining the Yeomok, I spread my qi sense through the surroundings.
Not knowing when the cold energy would move, I didn't hide my vigilance either.
I expressed my rage, but kept my head ice-cold.
When should I detonate it? How should I detonate it?
Just as I was thinking only of that.
[Haha.]
The Palace Lord, who had been watching this, suddenly let out a burst of laughter.
"You're laughing?"
Does he think this is a joke?
My face twisted into a scowl as I tried to take another step toward him.
[I apologize.]
The Palace Lord's apology reached my ears.
[I have made a grave mistake.]
"What?"
[I have done nothing to your companions. I swear upon the honor of the Palace Lord.]
I answered immediately.
"What honor does a sick old geezer holed up in the back room have?"
I spoke with a sneer.
[That is true as well. Then, 'Yucheon.' I shall swear upon my name. Nothing whatsoever has happened to your companions.]
The Palace Lord nonchalantly admitted it and even swore upon his name.
Hearing those words, I slightly reined in my qi.
Inwardly, I couldn't help but be a little surprised.
I hadn't expected him to admit it so easily.
Ah, of course, I didn't retract the Yeomok.
As I continued to look at the Palace Lord with heated eyes, he spoke while looking at me.
[You truly seem to be his son.]
Saying I take after my father?
Of all times to hear such words in this situation, they absolutely did not sound like praise.
As if there had been a similar situation in the past.
"Tsk."
I clicked my tongue.
And with a sweep, I hurled the Yeomok I held behind me.
Immediately.
Hwoooosh—!! Kwaaaang—!!!!
An enormous sound erupted from the entrance.
Glancing over, the iron door was dented and slightly gaping.
'I did control it to some degree, but.'
It took a direct hit from the Yeomok, yet it was merely dented.
That meant the iron door was no ordinary object.
Honestly, I'd thrown it intending to break it, so ending with just that felt a bit embarrassing.
Then.
Screech—!!
The dented iron door opened, and a man entered.
It was the man called Heuksaja or something who had opened the door earlier.
The man opened the door, came in, and looked this way.
"Palace Lord—!"
The moment he saw the situation, he immediately began emanating fighting spirit.
Proximity to the Palace Lord. Me, radiating heat from that distance.
A situation ripe for misunderstanding... no.
'It's not a misunderstanding.'
Since I had indeed threatened the Palace Lord, it was no misunderstanding.
"You bastard...!"
The man's face contorted like an evil spirit.
It seemed like things were about to get troublesome.
In that situation.
[Grand General.]
The one who stopped the man was none other than the Palace Lord.
At the Palace Lord's call, the Grand General's feet froze.
[Stop.]
"Palace Lord...?"
[The one who acted rudely first was I.]
The Palace Lord admitted his own rudeness and spoke to the man.
[Return to your post swiftly. That is an order.]
Even at the Palace Lord's words, the man could not move, so in an instant, an enormous pressure poured forth from the Palace Lord.
It was so heavy it couldn't compare to the pressure he had shown me earlier.
Seeing that, I had to look at the Palace Lord differently.
'This guy.'
Had he been hiding even more strength?
It was power I had failed to fully gauge.
[Grand General. Are you defying my order?]
"No... I shall obey."
At the Palace Lord's warning, the man withdrew his fighting spirit.
However, his gaze looking at me was still sharp.
I watched that quietly, then.
Thud.
I turned my back to the Palace Lord and strode off on my own.
"How dare...!"
At this action, the man tried to speak out again.
[Grand General.]
The Palace Lord stopped the man once more.
While approaching the open door past the man. I turned my head and looked at the Palace Lord.
"Earlier, there was something you asked me."
The question the Palace Lord had asked me just before.
Whether I was still friends with Woohyeok.
"Must I answer now?"
[Must you not?]
"I'll answer a bit later."
It was closer to a notification. But it was difficult to give an answer right away.
The reason being.
"I don't particularly like listening to only one side of the story."
If Woohyeok had truly started a rebellion as Biwegun, I first needed to know why.
'That bastard wouldn't have done such a thing without thinking.'
There must be a reason.
That thought came first.
Having spoken with such intent, the Palace Lord asked me.
[So, you mean to find Biwegun and speak with him?]
"Yes."
I'll find him and ask.
Did he really do it, and if so, why.
This was the clearest method.
Hearing my words, the Palace Lord smiled at the corners of his mouth and asked further.
[And then, if you come to accept Biwegun's actions, what do you intend? Will you take part in the rebellion as well?]
Hearing the question, I furrowed my brows deeply.
"Have I gone mad? To get involved in such a troublesome matter."
Accepting it is one thing.
Helping is another.
"Fight and argue and do whatever you want. I don't care."
I just want to know.
Why that bastard had to make such a choice.
And if it turns out he caused this for a reason I cannot accept.
'I'll have to beat him back to his senses.'
Beat him until he comes around.
I could at least do that much.
Because in my past life, when that bastard Woohyeok had stepped badly out of line, I'd done the same.
Having organized my thoughts, I moved my feet.
The cold chill could still be felt from behind, but.
I heard neither any further sensation nor the Palace Lord's voice calling me.
It meant he had no intention of stopping my departure.
I continued walking.
Walking out, I thought.
What kind of a mess was this, and where should I start looking?
In a situation like this, finding that bastard Woohyeok was the top priority, but.
More than that.
'Before that nonsense.'
Rebellion or whatever else, I had to take care of why I had come to the North Sea first.
I recalled the ornament hidden in my bosom.
Namgung Bia, whose whereabouts and current situation were unknown.
I had to find her first.
'Where on earth is she and what is she doing?'
Could something truly have happened?
Only impatient and anxious thoughts came to mind.
Since they had said there was no corpse where the ornament was, it meant she had likely only dropped this and left, but.
'With just an ornament like this, how could I possibly know anything...'
I stopped short.
I froze.
'The ornament.'
The ornament Namgung Bia had dropped and left behind.
Recalling it, I suddenly realized.
"Why did I forget about this?"
A way to know Namgung Bia's location when I had no idea where she was.
I happened to have exactly one such method.
******************
Vrrr—!
Vrrrr—!!
A faint vibration from around her waist.
Feeling that subtle sensation, the woman opened her eyes.
"..."
Though she had suddenly come to her senses, the woman did not act hastily.
She raised her heavy eyelids and first surveyed the scene before her.
What she saw was a dark space.
Where is this?
Her eyes hadn't adjusted yet, so she couldn't see properly.
Clang—!
"...!"
The woman reacted to the cold sensation.
Something was bound to her hands.
Checking, they were iron shackles.
Wondering what this was, she tried to move.
"Ugh...!!"
The woman let out a shallow groan.
It was because she felt sharp pain from her waist.
Come to think of it, she had been wounded in the waist.
Judging by the bandages wrapped around, it seemed someone had treated her.
Should she consider this fortunate?
She couldn't tell.
While the woman was barely enduring the sharp pain.
Vrrr—! Vrrrr—!
Frowning at the felt vibration, the woman turned her head.
A rod embedded with jewels wrapped around her waist was continuously vibrating.
It was the Nea.
A strange light flickered in the woman's eyes upon seeing this.
'...Why... is that...?'
Why was the Nea suddenly vibrating?
The moment the woman tried to recall the question.
"I see you are awake."
"...!"
A voice was heard from the front.
At the voice, the woman's head whipped around.
There.
"How is your body?"
Woohyeok with frigid eyes.
No.
The Blue Wolf's Biwegun was looking down at Namgung Bia.