Chapter 172: Seolyoung, Begins to Resemble

Ssssshhhhhh.

That day, rain poured down in torrents.

Flash!

A streak of lightning illuminated the darkness, revealing the two figures standing there.

The one kneeling on the ground was Cheon Myeongin. Dark red blood was spilling from his mouth. It was the very day that Mountain had betrayed him.

Rumble! Boom!

The groan of pain escaping Cheon Myeongin’s lips was swallowed by the crash of thunder.

With a pale face, he struggled to speak.

“You must have been waiting for this day.”

The look in Mountain’s eyes was utterly vile. The gentle expression he had always shown Rain was nowhere to be found.

Mountain had endured and waited for this day for a very long time. From the very moment he had joined the organization, he had dreamed of taking Cheon Myeongin’s place.

“You filthy traitor.”

“This isn’t betrayal. It’s the price for your failure to see who your real enemy was.”

While gaining Cheon Myeongin’s trust, Mountain had slowly turned each of the men under him into his own.

Then he began sowing discord between the subordinates and Cheon Myeongin.

Very subtly, so that no one could notice.

While Cheon Myeongin built his tower of loyalty, Mountain built his own tower from within.

And Mountain came to realize something.

There was a talent even in betrayal.

And he was a master of it, the greatest traitor under heaven.

All the sentimental appearances he showed Rain and the others afterward were nothing but a mask, meant to hide his cowardice and corruption.

“Spare me your worthless excuses and just kill me already.”

With eyes gleaming in ecstasy, Mountain raised his sword. Today he would kill Cheon Myeongin and finally become the true head of the organization.

He wouldn’t live hidden in the shadows like Cheon Myeongin. In time, he would remove Jang Wonso and seize the Orthodox world openly.

“Hahaha, farewell then.”

Mountain thrust his sword with all his strength.

Swish!

Then, in the next instant, his eyes flew wide open in shock.

The sword had stopped midair.

It wasn’t his doing. Some invisible force had halted it.

Grrrk.

Cheon Myeongin’s eyes split open wide.

From them erupted a terrifying Demonic Qi.

It wasn’t his own. Something else dwelled inside his body.

Something even Cheon Myeongin himself did not know existed.

Mountain had never felt such an aura before. His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

He had experienced Demonic Qi many times in his life, but never one so powerful and dreadful.

Warm urine soaked his pants.

It wasn’t something willpower could stop. His body had simply reacted. Faced with such colossal fear, Mountain was powerless.

Cheon Myeongin opened his mouth.

The energy pouring out of him was not his own, and neither was the voice. It was not human speech, but a demonic resonance that clawed at the soul.

“Stay quiet until the time comes for me to emerge into this world.”

The voice pierced into his entire being.

Each word felt like a blade carving into his skin, branding itself upon him. The pain was unbearable, as if his whole body were being ripped apart simply by hearing it.

Mountain fell to his knees.

A faint, trembling plea slipped from his lips.

“…Please, spare me.”

Mountain opened his eyes.

His body was trembling. Just recalling that day sent chills down his spine.

He spoke in a low voice.

“You won’t die. The Demonic Cult conducted some kind of experiment on you.”

“What?”

“When I tried to kill you, a powerful Demonic Qi protected you. Otherwise, why wouldn’t I have killed you that day?”

Cheon Myeongin was stunned. He had never once imagined that was the reason Mountain hadn’t finished him off.

Mountain didn’t tell him the full truth of what happened that day.

He kept silent about the being that had spoken to him that day.

Of course, he wasn’t lying. The demonic aura had indeed been strong enough to imply deep ties to the Demonic Cult. He was simply telling only part of the truth. To him, Cheon Myeongin was still an enemy who had to die.

The reason Mountain avoided the front lines and hid himself in the shadows was because of that day.

Whatever that immense entity had been, if it ever emerged into the world, nothing would be able to stop it. And the first to be consumed would be the rulers of Jianghu.

That was why he had spent all this time conserving his power. It was also why he hadn’t killed the thorn in his side, Cheon Myeongin, and instead kept watching him.

It was also why he had refrained from killing Lee Jaseung directly.

When he’d received the report that Yim Sayeon had taken Lee Jaseung and asked him to kill Cheon Myeongin, he had actually hoped Lee Jaseung would do it.

So that the being inside Cheon Myeongin would die along with him.

Or, failing that, he had hoped the being would emerge and destroy both sides.

But none of that had happened.

“The poison I used on you was the strongest form of Invisible Poison. Yet you didn’t die. Do you really think you’re still alive only because your body and will are strong?”

It was an unbelievable statement, yet it made terrible sense.

Cheon Myeongin was still confused.

If Mountain’s words were true and a demonic power had protected him, that meant the Demonic Cult had used a high-level spell on him. But… When? He had no memory of anything like that ever happening.

And the bigger question was, why?

Why would they cast such a spell on him, someone who wasn’t even a Demonic Human?

Cheon Myeongin thought of the Elder Demon Lord.

He wondered if Mountain’s words were connected somehow, but then remembered that he himself had been the one to contact the Elder Demon Lord first.

Mountain spoke again.

“Whether you believe it or not, I’ve told you the truth.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because this isn’t the time for us to fight each other. And even if we fight to the death, the only one who’ll be pleased is the Black Way Alliance Leader. Why do you think he spared your life?”

Cheon Myeongin couldn’t reply. He already knew that Lee Jaseung was trying to use him.

“The bastard’s exploiting you completely.”

Hearing those words from Mountain left a bitter taste.

But Mountain pressed harder.

“If you don’t want to end your life being toyed with by a young brat, then stop this fight between us. We can settle our score after we kill him.”

“Even if you’re right, how do we eliminate him?”

Mountain’s eyes turned cold.

“The same way he plans to eliminate us.”

Cheon Myeongin immediately understood what he meant. It was to use the Demonic Cult.

“You’re saying to repay him with the same method?”

Mountain drove the point home.

“Besides, you have your own reasons to learn more about the Demonic Cult, don’t you?”

Cheon Myeongin fell silent, deep in thought.

Many possibilities came to mind. Perhaps Mountain was trying to manipulate him.

But there was also an appealing side. If what Mountain said was true, then even without the Revival Pill, he couldn’t die. He might live not just another year, but decades longer. The thought made his heart tremble.

At last, Cheon Myeongin gathered his thoughts. He sensed that the time had come to take a decisive step.

“Fine. If you accept my proposal, then we’ll do it that way.”

“What would that be?”

Cheon Myeongin met Mountain’s eyes and said,

“Do you have the courage to meet the Demonic Cult Leader with me?”

* * *

“You’ve all worked hard.”

At Baek Seolyoung’s words, a cheer erupted.

Finally, their hellish training had ended. It had lasted only two months, but it felt more like two years.

The warriors of the Northern Sky Clan shouted in unison.

“We will defend the clan with our loyalty.”

They were entirely different from two months ago. During that time, they had come to see Baek Seolyoung in a new light.

The Lord of the Northern Sky Clan, the wife of the Murim Alliance Leader.

They had thought she would train for a few days just for appearances and then stop, but she hadn’t missed a single day. She had trained harder and more earnestly than anyone.

The warriors knew that no other Lord in Jianghu had ever trained alongside their subordinates like this, and they were sincerely moved.

Baek Seolyoung herself had also honed her skills through this training. The power of the Northern Sky Sword Art emanating from her one hundred and eighty years worth of inner Qi amazed everyone.

She didn’t hide her martial strength. She believed this wasn’t the time to conceal it but to reveal it. The stronger she appeared, the more her subordinates would follow her.

She had also learned something from watching how Lee Jaseung treated his own men.

“I’ve rented the most famous inn and entertainment house in the marketplace. Everyone, go and enjoy yourselves to your heart’s content!”

A thunderous roar broke out. Shouts of “Long live the Northern Sky Clan!” and “Long live the Lord!” filled the air.

In the past, she would have thought differently.

She would have believed that as Northern Sky warriors, training was their duty, and that visiting such places was forbidden.

But now her thoughts had changed. That was merely her standard, her way of thinking.

There would be some who craved a drink after all the hardship, and others who longed for a woman’s embrace.

And there would be those who disliked both. They simply wouldn’t go.

Let each choose for themselves.

It wasn’t for her to decide. Her job was only to set the stage.

Baek Seolyoung no longer clung stubbornly to what she thought was right. She would keep her mind open, learn through experience, and find out later what truly was right.

That change in her thinking was already changing her life.

The Northern Sky’s Four Dragons approached and bowed.

“You’ve worked hard, my Lord.”

The one who spoke on their behalf was Peng So.

“You’ve worked hard too, Four Dragons.”

Her smile brightened their faces.

Of course, Baek Seolyoung didn’t trust Peng So completely. Human nature didn’t change so quickly. Letting her guard down at a few kind gestures could easily lead to being struck from behind.

But that didn’t mean she should dismiss what she saw as mere pretense either.

She would simply observe, calmly and without judgment.

After dismissing the warriors, she received a voice transmission from Mook Young.

— You’ve done well.

Baek Seolyoung answered with a bright, genuine smile. Though the words were the same, they carried far greater warmth than Peng So’s formal courtesy.

“Not at all. You’ve worked even harder, Captain Mook.”

She couldn’t imagine how reassuring it was to have him by her side.

Mook Young protected Baek Seolyoung just as he did Lee Jaseung. Like her attendant Dan Ah, he was deeply moved by Baek Seolyoung’s relentless effort to grow stronger.

— You two are very much alike.

— With him? Me?

— Yes. You truly are.

Baek Seolyoung smiled and asked,

— Which one of us are you insulting? Is it me? Or him?

Mook Young was flustered.

— That’s not what I meant…

“So you mean I’m like that blunt, foul-mouthed man who always leaves people speechless? Ah, now I’m starting to feel a bit sad.”

She said it and strode away briskly.

Swish.

With an awkward smile, Mook Young stepped into view and watched her go, shaking his head.

“To even make jokes like that, you really are just like him.”

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