877 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The investigation had reached its final stages. To be honest, there wasn't much left to investigate. Despite calling it an investigation and examining various places, there wasn't much to uncover. Everything had been cleaned up already, so what more could we possibly learn? The only thing left was to endure the stench of blood and organize the corpses. I searched diligently to discover anything within, but nothing appeared. ‘Really did a clean job here.' I knew he must have been quite angry. Yet, even amidst all that, the handling was perfect. Once again, I was reminded of the kind of existence the Dark King was. "That's enough." At my words, the fighters from the Sacred Dragon Division and members of the alliance halted their actions. "No point in continuing." “...” Everyone seemed to agree. Despite searching thoroughly, nothing revealed itself. "Has anything come up?" "There are traces of something being erased, but nothing beyond that." "How could anyone be so meticulous..." We searched the archives and specific locations of the Heavenly Golden Sect, but found nothing substantial even after thoroughly examining both the branch and the main areas. The only thing we could ascertain was that... "Truly, I didn't expect the former branch leader to have sided with the Unorthodox." Through the ledger, we discovered that the person with the surname Mok-Li had allied with the Heavenly Golden Sect. It took quite some time to uncover as it was deeply hidden, but eventually, we did. "Could it be that the Heavenly Demon Sect intentionally left this behind?" "Perhaps they thought there was no need to take information that had already been discovered." "Then why is there no mention of Il Cheonggeom?" Il Cheonggeom had allied with both the Heavenly Golden Sect and the Unorthodox, and was also connected to the Heavenly Demon Sect. That shocking fact was heard directly from Il Cheonggeom’s mouth. "Perhaps it's information the Heavenly Demon Sect had to erase." "That makes sense." "No matter what, since Il Cheonggeom confessed with his own mouth, that's one piece we need not dig further into." Especially since the Heavenly Demon Sect had even come to personally kill Il Cheonggeom. Even if we lost some information, Il Cheonggeom's confession made things certain. "To think someone in such a position within the Alliance would do such a thing behind our backs." "In this chaos, there is no one to trust..." Listening to those seemingly resigned words, I spoke up. "Enough with the chatter, let’s gather what we can." "Understood...!" At my words, the fighters moved quickly. Watching them, I pondered. ‘No one to trust, indeed...’ It really is true; there was no one in this world to trust. Not even myself. ****************** I returned to the branch. By then, it was already nightfall of the following day. "Prepare a summary report to send. Since members of the Tang Clan have arrived to provide support, allow our people some rest." "As you command." "Cut the night sentry in half and inform the Tang Clan, so we can adjust the times." "As you command." Though it had only been two days, it was an intense march. While physical fatigue wouldn’'t be an issue for anyone who had achieved a high level of martial arts, mental fatigue was the problem. Everyone looked visibly exhausted. If I pushed them any more, it seemed like things would fall apart. Therefore, rest was compulsory. If I were to keep using them, accommodating rest was necessary to avoid burning them out. "Once the report is sent to the main alliance, they'll send support, right?" "Yes, it's scheduled to arrive three months later." "Then, by the time they come, we won’'t be here." Three months should be more than enough time for us to return. ‘That will be handled accordingly.' A delayed investigation is merely for show. I didn't have much hope for the main alliance’s handling. "We’ve roughly confirmed everything we needed. Let everyone rest. Inform Branch Leader Seong I'll visit him in an hour." "Understood." After conveying my instructions, I moved. The destination was my quarters. ‘Concerning the Poison King, I'll need to handle it by the day after tomorrow… Also, I must inform the merchant association about the Dokcheondan.' Though Cheol Jiseon should have already informed them, I needed to oversee it. ‘For the Beggars Sect... before the higher-ups find out, I must deal with those who took bribes.’ There were beggars who secretly spread information without the knowledge of the higher-ups. Once the rumors spread, the Grand Chancellor of the Beggars Sect would’ve likely taken action. Clearing everything up before that was the right move. ‘The Dark King seems busy. Na Hi also has her schedule, and I can't trust Tang Deok with such tasks.’ That fool might create unforeseen troubles if left to handle things. I needed to assign it to someone else... ‘Ah.’ Just then, a person came to mind. A guy who should currently be handling matters in the Western region. He seemed like the right choice. ‘I'll send a letter to him later.’ What should I do next? As I pondered that, I opened the door to my quarters. “You’re here.” “...” A chilling voice greeted me. Lifting my head, I was met with green eyes glowing in the dark. “You’re late.” It was Tang Sohyeol. With a blank expression, Tang Sohyeol greeted me. Looking at her, I asked, “Why are you here... No, how long have you been waiting?" “Not long.” Not long? It felt like quite some time. ‘This is troubling.’ I swallowed dryly. Even though I was lost in other thoughts, I hadn’t noticed Tang Sohyeol's presence in the room. Which meant... ‘She truly concealed her presence.’ Tang Sohyeol was fully exerting herself to hide her presence. This implied that she had set something up, not just within the room, but from the entrance. Whoosh—!!! As soon as our eyes met, a barrier enveloped us as if she had been waiting for that moment. It was a Qi barrier, clearly prepared to prevent our conversation from being overheard. “You worked hard today.” “...Uh...yeah. You too.” “I didn’t do anything.” “Is that so? I wonder why.” "I've had something on my mind, and I couldn't concentrate on work. Oh, not working is my fault, so please scold me later." "..." Who could actually scold her when she looks at you with such a fierce expression? I couldn't voice it and merely swallowed the thought inside. "...Are you aware that the head of the Tang Family is here?" "Yes, I'm aware." "Have you seen him?" "No. Would you like me to go see him?" "...No, I was just asking if you knew." "Yes." "..." "..." After that, the conversation dwindled to nothing. Even such a seemingly trivial dialogue was filled with thorns that pricked at my throat. It was a fear I hadn't felt in a long time. Silence lingered between us for quite some time. "Young master." "Yeah...?" Tang Sohyeol looked at me and spoke. "Is there anything you want to say to me?" "..." Gulp. The inevitable had arrived. My throat moved involuntarily. It's a fact I'd momentarily forgotten due to handling matters. No, not forgotten, but deliberately ignored. -I won't let this slide. The words of Tang Sohyeol asking if I was the Heavenly Demon, and her insistence that this time she wouldn’t let it go so easily. Recalling that moment, my body began to tense up. We sat in the unlit room for a long while when suddenly— -Haa. A soft sigh could be heard. "Young master." "...Yeah." As I was unable to answer, Tang Sohyeol continued speaking. "Are you the Heavenly Demon?" "..." She was determined not to let it go, confirming what she needed to know. My heart sank with a thud. All I could see was the darkened room and Tang Sohyeol's eyes. She stared directly at me, unblinking. If I chose not to answer, she would never let it go. "...Ah...." What should I say? What excuse could I give? No, even if I gave an excuse, would it change anything? Tang Sohyeol seemed so certain already. Though she might be curious about what my answer would be, it seemed like she had made up her mind inside. The choices were mine to make. Would I lie to her, considering she knew? Or would I spill a truth I didn't want to share? Those were my choices. But, ‘How?’ How could I make such a choice? My shaky vision blurred with the rhythm of my breath. I stood there, unable to speak, for a long time. Then suddenly— Swoosh. Tang Sohyeol reached out and took my hand. "Young master." Her voice was as tranquil as ever. "I'm not sure what you’re afraid of." A faint smile appeared on Tang Sohyeol's usually expressionless face. "But I like you more than you think." "..." "You know, don’t you? I. And we. How we see you." I, too, we. These alternating phrases held a multitude of meanings. "Normally, I would feign ignorance or avoid a question if I knew it was difficult for you to talk about." Her gentle touch caressed the back of my hand. "But this time, young master, you overdid it just a bit." "...What did I overdo?" I wondered what on earth I had done to warrant this conversation when she continued. "You hesitated when you pushed me away, right?" "..." Her words widened my eyes. She was right. During the chaos while I wore the mask, I hesitated for a brief moment as Tang Sohyeol lunged at me. Despite covering my tracks enough to not make it obvious, I wondered if that was when she noticed? "Not just from that. Normally, I wouldn’t have figured it out, but I’ve watched you so much, young master. I guess it must be." "..." "That's why I was curious. Why are you standing there like that? What are you moving for this time? It’s highly unlikely it’s for yourself. You're not that kind of person." I wanted to refute those words. I wanted to say that this was all for me. That I was far more selfish than she thought. I wanted to say it, but... "So I wanted to ask." "What…?" "I wondered if I was someone you could tell something like this to." "..." "What could you tell us, who aren’t aware of what you’re going through…? That’s why I asked." Her expression softened completely. As always, it was Tang Sohyeol. The calm and chilling demeanor had vanished. The difference now was a sense of slight hurt and disappointment evident on her face. "But it's okay. It just means that it isn’t the right time yet, but someday it will be. So let's consider today’s question never happened. No need to worry about it." Having said that, she began to move. She brushed past me, yet paused suddenly to speak to me again. "Oh, by the way, I should tell you..." Our eyes met as she turned. "No matter what form you become... I won't mind." Her words deeply penetrated. Before I knew it, my body moved. "You see, at first I was drawn to you because of your looks... Anyway now, it's..." My arms pulled Tang Sohyeol close. Her small frame fit snugly in my embrace. "Ah, no...!!" Tang Sohyeol's body trembled as she was held. My chest felt warm. I suppose it was her warmth reaching my face. "This, this…. that… it’s…." "Yes." "…Huh…?" "I am." "...!" I couldn’t bring myself to plainly say I was the Heavenly Demon; I subtly confirmed it. It was a slip of the tongue. Watching Tang Sohyeol leave, my body reacted instinctively. "...And also." I hesitated a moment before speaking to Tang Sohyeol. "Just so you don't misunderstand. It's not because you're unimportant that I couldn’t tell you." "Then why?" Quite the opposite, in fact. "I didn’t say anything because I feared you’d hate me." "What?" "That scared me, so I couldn’t speak." "Why would you...?" "..It means. Well, that you matter." I feared what I’m doing would make you dislike me. That fear kept me from speaking. And it remained so even as I spoke, my gaze dropping down. Tang Sohyeol was looking up at me with a face flushed red. And right now, what kind of expression did I have? I didn’t know. I couldn’t even imagine what expression I was making. "So, right now it's that..." "Young master." The words I was about to continue were cut off by Tang Sohyeol. She spoke with a face that looked ready to burst with emotion, a smile on her lips. "I love you." It was an unexpected statement. A remark that seemed completely unrelated to the current situation. "...What?" But I couldn't question it. My mind was too overwhelmed. "I’m sure you already know, but I mean it." As those words reached my ears, my mind went blank. Yes, it was something I should have realized ages ago. Not knowing would have been foolish. Yet hearing it spoken directly had a different impact. As cold sweat began to trickle, clouding my thoughts. "What about you, young master?" Tang Sohyeol asked me. "What do you feel?" "…" Me? ‘What about me…?’ As soon as I thought about it, the answer surfaced in my mind. It wasn't difficult to find since I already knew. But voicing it was another thing entirely. "I..." Just as I was about to respond to Tang Sohyeol. -Do you know that? Suddenly, something flashed through my mind. ‘…What is this?’ It was a memory. But I couldn’t recall what kind of memory. Frowning in concentration, another voice rang out. -What do you mean? It was my own voice. However, it was slightly lower, and it carried a hint of an unknown amusement. -I’m in love with you. This time, it was a woman's voice. -But you probably don't know that. -I do know. -You might know, but not in detail. Could it be imagination? Conversations I had never had were coming to mind. -I understand it well. Why do you think I wouldn’t? -Because you wouldn’t understand. -That makes no sense. -It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand. Just remember it. The woman claimed it was enough and continued speaking. Why did her words seem sad somehow? After all, what were these memories? Why were such thoughts suddenly appearing in my head? As I frowned in confusion, -I love you so much that I could do anything for you. -... -So, you, who are loved by someone as remarkable as I am, should live with gratitude always. -That’s grandiose. -Yes, because I'm grandiose and remarkable. -You have an unnecessarily high self-esteem. Fine, what should I do to deserve love from someone as great as you? -Oh? There’s no need for you to do anything specific. -So, I should just live receiving? -That’s fine with me. That alone is enough. But if you insist on giving something back... Nothing was visible. Not the situation nor who I was talking to. All I could perceive were voices. -Whenever I call your name, answer me. -...That’s an odd reward. Is that truly enough? -It is. It's more difficult than you'd think. Whenever I call is... remarkably challenging, more than you imagine. -It doesn’t matter. I can do that much anytime. -Really? The woman laughed. -Good. I'll trust you then…. It’s more than enough for me. -I don’t quite get it…. I laughed in disbelief. And then. -You know. The woman spoke to me. -Can you call me now? -Now? -Yes. I just want to hear it. To such words from the woman, the me in my memory replied. Unknowingly, I repeated that name out loud. "…Yehwa (嫛華)." It was truly a name as elusive as a mirage. 2 Martial Arts 6 Comments 3.2 / 79 Bellion 2024.09.09 02:37 Report Yehwa.. 0 Gongmyung 2024.09.09 09:20 Report Heavenly Demon… 0 Migook 2024.09.10 01:52 Report True Shil Yehwa 0 Hidetou 2024.10.15 06:15 Report Is Yehwa the Heavenly Demon’s name? 0 Hwawol72 2024.10.21 19:51 Report Yeh..Hwa.. the author really needs to work on the naming! 1 Yeonwoo 2024.10.28 16:29 Report Is that the Heavenly Demon’s real name? 0 Log in to comment. 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