𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟖𝟒
“Three votes for subjugating Taotie, three votes for cultivating and taking action, and one vote for exploring the information on Polar Night first.”
Quite a close result.
In that case, the options were narrowed down to two.
“Wouldn’t it be too precarious to leave Taotie behind and explore the information on Polar Night? Likewise, who knows how he might backstab us while we’re cultivating.”
“. . . However, according to Xue Laifu, Taotie is an incredibly powerful yokai. It’s unknown whether we can stand up to him with our current power.”
Opinions were divided in various ways, but in the end, it all came down to these two.
It would be unwise to give Taotie time, so we should settle things with him first.
Or, it would be too dangerous to face Taotie with our current strength, so we should cultivate a bit more.
Honestly, there was no way to conclude since both sides had valid points.
As we continued to deliberate, Ho-chung suddenly interjected and shared his opinion.
“Donors, I would also like to add my vote to cultivating our strength first.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I noticed something from the information you donors have obtained.”
It was an unexpected statement, and everyone’s gaze turned to Ho-chung.
He faintly smiled and proceeded to share his opinion.
“This is the first time I’ve learned about the covenant between Seo Cheon-ye and the great yokai. And we heard from Xue Laifu that the constraint lost its legitimacy due to Baekryeo’s death.”
“That must be true since Xue Laifu was able to act completely as he pleased.”
Cheong Juhwa tilted her head, but Ho-chung slowly shook his head.
“That’s not the case because the circumstances surrounding the Pyeong Clan haven’t changed. I received this information from a reliable source just a short while ago, so it’s unlikely to be a mistake.”
From those words, I was able to grasp what Ho-chung was trying to say.
“Then, are you saying that the power of the constraint is still in effect?”
“At least that’s the case for Seo Cheon-ye and Taotie. In other words, I believe that Seo Cheon-ye had established a more stringent constraint on Taotie than the other three from the start.”
If that was truly the case, then it would make sense.
In short, it would mean that Taotie was an exception, even in a situation where the constraints on the other great yokai were lifted.
“Come to think of it, Oppa. Xue Laifu said that he became subject to the covenant only because he possessed a certain level of power, but he wasn’t originally the main subject of the contract.”
I had heard that as well.
Considering all the information we had gathered thus far, Ho-chung’s hypothesis made perfect sense.
「𝘽𝙖𝙚𝙠𝙧𝙮𝙚𝙤’𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩.」
She wasn’t involved in the current world and had merely dragged us, beings from the outside, into a space, rather than committing an action that violated the constraint.
After considering various possibilities, we concluded that Ho-chung’s judgment was worth following.
“Then, it seems like we’re going to focus on cultivating our strength for the time being.”
“. . . Since Taotie can’t move directly anyway, time is on our side.”
In the end, we decided to dedicate ourselves to cultivation and focus on refining our skills for a while.
And so, time passed little by little.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
“. . . . . . .”
Whoosh.
Whiiiiiish.
One day at dawn, as everyone else was still asleep, I couldn’t sleep, so I went outside and wandered around the mountainside.
Two months had passed since we had started cultivating again, and another season had changed in this martial arts world.
The results were quite significant.
No, rather, it would be more accurate to say that they were unbelievable.
We had gained far greater power than when we had first fallen into this era, and Yoo Ha-on had blossomed with the brilliant potential of the Anti-Demon trait.
A strange sense of anticipation filled me that if we continued on this path, we would surely accomplish everything.
“. . . Oppa, it’s cold. What are you doing?”
It wasn’t Han Seo-ah.
It was So-yul, the girl I had first met when I entered the martial arts world.
I was lost in my memories and greeted So-yul with a sly smile.
“Can’t sleep?”
“Yes. I was about to go for a walk, but I saw Oppa.”
“I was just thinking about something.”
She was a pure girl with the innocence of someone her age.
So-yul’s appearance hadn’t changed a bit since I had first met her.
Perhaps that’s why I felt even more nostalgic.
“. . . You’re really consistent.”
That’s right. So-yul hadn’t changed. Not one bit.
I could tell because she had been the one I first met about 8 months ago, and at the same time, it was the reason for the awkwardness I had felt since meeting her again.
I chuckled and decided to get to the point.
“No matter how much I think about it, I think it’s time to stop turning a blind eye.”
“. . . . . . .”
“What are you really up to? Guimei.”
At those words, So-yul smiled faintly.
It was the same pure smile as always, but for some reason, it felt strange.
That’s when I was finally able to confirm that my suspicions were correct.
“. . . As expected, Oppa is perceptive. Though it’s not as if I’ve been trying to hide it.”
“I didn’t need any concrete evidence. Once I thought about who could possibly do something like this, the answer was clear.”
The great yokai Guimei, who was said to have a thousand tricks up her sleeve—that was So-yul’s true name and identity.
And the reason I was able to see through her was simple.
「. . . 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚.」
At first, I hadn’t suspected So-yul either. After all, I had checked her emotional state several times and hadn’t found anything particularly unusual.
However, that was precisely the clue.
「𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.」
Ding!
【So-yul】
▶Level 19
As my clear eyes shone, So-yul’s information appeared before me, just like the first time.
And her level was 19. The same as when I had first encountered her here 8 months ago.
「𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚.」
I could be certain because it was me.
Just like when I had first awakened in Han Kang-yoon’s body, if one’s original level was that low, it would be possible to achieve a fairly rapid level of growth, even if it wasn’t anything major.
However, So-yul hadn’t grown at all.
Even after nearly being sacrificed to the yokai known as the god of White Stone Mountain, and even after accompanying me and Sophia on several journeys.
That didn’t make sense. If that was possible, there were only two possibilities.
「𝙀𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.」
The sentiment state function wasn’t an immutable truth.
In extremely rare cases, there were instances where it was impossible to discern the true identity of an opponent for various reasons, and I was convinced that So-yul was one such case.
Her height and figure, which hadn’t changed a bit despite being at the age of growth, supported my conjecture.
It was a subtle difference that would have been difficult to notice if I hadn’t paid attention, but I had been able to detect it thanks to the warning I had received from Hong Lin.
“So, tell me your intentions. We don’t have time to hesitate anymore.”
“. . . . . . .”
The reason I hadn’t mentioned it for the time being, even though I was certain, was simple.
I had sensed something different in her actions.
That made sense. After all, if she had intended to seize our bodies and head outside from the beginning, there had already been several optimal opportunities.
Especially in the past, when I had been completely unaware, she would have been able to plunge us into a crisis with her betrayal.
“Why haven’t you revealed your identity and just watched over us? If you don’t clarify that, I will immediately call everyone here and settle this on the spot.”
This wasn’t a bluff or an empty threat.
It was a pledge that I had made after giving it much thought.
No matter what her intentions were, I would settle things with her here and now.
Sensing my determination, Guimei sighed and approached me, sitting down beside me.
“. . . To tell you the truth, I was also confused at first. It was such an unlikely encounter.”
Guimei said with a strange smile.
She had realized the strangeness of the world and my identity within hours of our first meeting, and at the same time, she had laughed at the ridiculous coincidence.
Of all the beings from the outside, you had to meet a great yokai who had reached the realm. Even she must have been taken aback.
“I could take your soul and body and head outside. That thought crossed my mind right away.”
“Then why. . . . . . .”
“Well. . . I was a little more interested for the time being?”
She was a true sorcerer who had mastered a thousand tricks. That’s why her perspective was a bit different, she said.
“Originally, it’s human nature to run away if you eat something too quickly, Oppa. An easy path might not always be the right answer.”
“. . . . . . .”
“It was around the time we arrived in Cheongra and dealt with the yokai that was manipulating water vapor? By that point, I was already convinced that it wasn’t a good method.”
Guimei stood up from her seat rather briskly and began to draw a picture on the ground, picking up a twig.
Swish.
Scrape.
Clickety-clack.
As if she had performed some kind of sorcery, she waved her hand a few times, and a masterpiece was already complete on the ground.
“Well. Let’s say this picture is this world. In that case, me and Oppa, who are looking at it, would be 「𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚」, right?”
“. . . What are you trying to say?”
Guimei mercilessly stepped on the center of the picture with one foot, crushing it, despite all the effort she had put into drawing it.
Then she said to me.
“I think the current situation is something like this. In reality, there might be an even greater difference in hierarchy.”
“. . . . . . .”
“Anyway, I’m now in contact with the world inside this picture, but even if the beings inside struggle and flail around, do you think they could affect my real body?”
“It would be difficult.”
“That’s right. At most, they could only affect the two-dimensional surface area of the body that’s in contact. Even if I were to seize a body here, it’s likely that I wouldn’t be able to completely transfer my soul to the outside.”
However, as far as I knew, if we died here, we wouldn’t be able to revive in reality either. In that case, wasn’t it more accurate to say that we were a bit more closely related?
When I asked her that, Guimei replied as if it were nothing.
“Death will follow. However, it will be a bit different from what Oppa is thinking. . . . . . .”
“What do you mean?”
“Rather than a conventional death, it’s more like the moment Oppa will also become unable to perceive the outside.”
In other words, we would essentially meet the same end, but the meaning of death in this place was slightly different.
I finally felt like I was starting to understand what Guimei was trying to say.
“Then, I guess we have no choice but to think about this. What kind of method should a being from the inside take to ascend to the outside?”
Guimei’s Hawk Eye, which now seemed to hold a certain mystery, asked me a question.
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