Ep473 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

News of Baek Woo-jin's arrival at Qinghaeseong quickly reached Jin Miyeon. No matter how much she wished to remain oblivious, it was inevitable for her to find out. Faces that until a day ago had seemed devoid of life began to regain their vigor. "Damn it." Jin Miyeon, who had infiltrated Qinghaeseong with a completely altered appearance and physique, ground her teeth in frustration. “At this rate, it’s impossible to conquer Qinghaeseong…!” The resurgence of morale among the warriors was troubling, but the presence of Baek Woo-jin and his team posed an even greater concern. If they decided to step forward and stall for time, their current demon forces wouldn’t be able to break through. Delays would only mean more reinforcements from the Alliance could arrive. "Sigh..." Acknowledging that time was not on her side, Jin Miyeon sighed deeply. Standing there in a moment of melancholy, she resolved her intentions. “I'll abandon Qinghaeseong.” Seizing Qinghaeseong had only been a thought if circumstances allowed; her primary target had always been Baek Woo-jin. With the added endeavor to seize Qinghaeseong proving too challenging, refocusing solely on Baek Woo-jin was inevitable. She calmly reassessed her objectives. "Firstly, I must kill Baek Woo-jin." Jin Miyeon’s deepest desire was his death. Ideally, by her own hands, ripping his flesh and savoring his heart. But she was also aware of the impossibility of this scenario. If every plan she had devised to kill him failed... "Preventing him from ascending to Kunlun would be next." The Heavenly Demon’s true command was to prevent his entry to Mount Kunlun by any means necessary. She momentarily wondered. “Why go to such lengths to stop him?” Mount Kunlun was the domain of the Kunlun sect. It was undoubtedly a territory belonging to the righteous martial world, so why stop his entry? Yet such questions quickly dissolved. "The reason doesn't matter." The reason was inconsequential. If her deity desired it, she, his humble servant, would simply obey. Surrendering what was dispensable and embracing what was not to be abandoned. Simplifying her actions in this manner, she left through the city gates, heading to a prepared hideout a short distance away. Time was pressing if she was to finalize her preparations. --- Myeong-hyeon's body, cleansed of any demonic influence, recovered swiftly. It wasn't a miracle brought about by the aged body amplifying its healing capacity alone. "Heh heh... You’re back again?" "You're not fully healed yet." "Nearly there now." "What if you succumb to loneliness being alone?" "...No, surely I'm not that frail." "Please, lie down." Despite Myeong-hyeon’s staunch refusals, Baek Woo-jin visited him daily. To swiftly restore his shoulder, Baek Woo-jin infused it with his energy. This was his way of atoning for guilt. From his perspective, he had arrogantly intervened and saved someone who had lost their will to live. His reasons for saving him were rooted purely in his own personal interests. This was his meager attempt at lessening that guilt. "You’re quite the stubborn one." "So are all those who reach the level of Hyeongyeong." "Heh heh... Well, that's true." Masters who ascended to Hyeongyeong level built their own domains with firm convictions. Once they resolved not to fall, nothing could break them. Myeong-hyeon questioned Baek Woo-jin as he infused energy into his shoulder. "I hear you’re about to head out soon." "That's correct." While meticulously tending to Myeong-hyeon, Baek Woo-jin also diligently prepared to venture outside Qinghaeseong. Was it because the news of his presence at Qinghaeseong had reached Jin Miyeon’s ears? The daily onslaughts by the beasts had stopped for several days since his arrival. Seizing this opportunity, Baek Woo-jin hastened the repairs and fortifications of the damaged Qinghaeseong. He boosted the morale, which had hit rock bottom, to a reasonable level and even sparred with them. Rusty swords from long battles were sharpened, and scattered supplies were reorganized and replenished. In this process, the leadership of Qinghaeseong, including the castle lord, spared no effort in offering assistance. It was only natural. Should Qinghaeseong fall, they all faced the same grim fate. With everything in place by yesterday. “Do you really have to venture outside the castle?” “They won’t come to us, so I must.” For over five days, not a single beast had been sighted outside Qinghaeseong. Thus, he pondered momentarily. Should he wait inside the castle until the beasts launched another attack? Or, should he instead head out to find and strike them in their hiding places? “Perhaps waiting would be safer.” Initially, he thought so, but his mind soon changed. "She’s not the type to just sit quietly." Jin Miyeon was not a woman who easily turned her back, especially after losing so much. "They said the creatures changed significantly after she appeared." Perhaps she was biding her time, waiting to evolve the monsters even more. Although he struggled with them in their current enhanced state, it was all too clear what might happen if they grew even stronger. "We mustn’t give or allow her more time." The realization that they might not be the only ones in need of more time motivated him to act. "When is the planned date?" When asked, Baek Woo-jin replied. "I’m thinking in two days." "I see..." A brief pause enveloped their conversation. Myeong-hyeon, lost in thought, finally spoke again. "I will join you in two days." This surprised Baek Woo-jin, his eyes widening. "...Are you saying you’ll return to the battlefield?" "Indeed." It was no empty promise. The resolve in his eyes, though directed at Baek Woo-jin, was already set on the battlefield ahead. Thus, it was even harder to understand. No one knew better than Myeong-hyeon himself how his body weakened with each passing day. Yet, why make such a decision? Seeing Baek Woo-jin’s concern, Myeong-hyeon addressed it. "I have unfinished business there." "Unfinished business?" Age, young or old. Body, healthy or frail. Regardless of the circumstances, he at his core was a warrior. A warrior who feels joy in victory, bitterness in defeat. The time had come. To put down the sword and step back. To remain not on the blood-soaked battlefield, but slightly removed as a symbol of the martial world. He understood. The reason this young man saved him was no different. Treating him with utmost care was driven by a personal sense of guilt. "A truly righteous young man." Despite a slightly arrogant demeanor with time, his character was undeniable. Thus, he felt no resentment. Instead, upon waking and seeing him, he reflected on himself. "It’s not like there’s no role for an elder who cannot wield a sword." Whether it was because body and mind both aged, he never considered it. As one of the Three Respected, the Wise Elder. One of the three pillars of the martial world, his death would cause ripples. Moreover, his mere existence provided strength to allies. "It’s time to step back." Acknowledging it, he realized his voice and passion now belonged elsewhere, not the battlefield. Which only made him more attached to it. "I don’t want to retreat as a defeated old man." The half-demon woman who pierced his shoulder with five holes. He didn’t want to leave the vendetta against those five wounds to others. "I’ll handle that woman myself." His vigorous gaze, hardly believable from a ninety-nine-year-old, turned to Baek Woo-jin. After contemplation, Baek Woo-jin sighed softly and asked. "Are you confident?" Those words, almost a reluctant permission, prompted Myeong-hyeon to nod with a smile. "Of course." It wasn’t the stubbornness of an old man or the arrogance of the defeated. He had replayed the moment his shoulder was pierced countless times, calculating the odds. Believing firmly in his chance of victory, he insisted. Everyone has at least one moment they're unwilling to concede, harboring regrets. Baek Woo-jin knew having experienced such moments himself. "Very well, do as you wish." He couldn’t find it in himself to stop Myeong-hyeon. --- Two days later. Led by Baek Woo-jin and his team, the warriors of Qinghaeseong exited through the castle gates. Before departing, Baek Woo-jin addressed them all. He declared that with this single battle, they would reclaim the ground they lost. Victory in this fight meant regaining everything they had lost. In other words, should they face defeat, everything would be over. With somber determination, they stepped out through the gates. "They’re not far." He sensed the foul demonic energy clustering not far away. Baek Woo-jin headed directly for it. His heightened senses, vigilant against potential traps or ambushes, detected nothing. Baek Woo-jin arrived at the monsters' stronghold, finding the scene eerily calm. "Graaaah-!" "Grkrrrk...!" "Kuwahhh!" The monsters let out blood-curdling roars filled with murderous intent upon spotting a human, charging at him with ferocity. Srrng! Swick! With a mere single stroke, he slaughtered dozens of approaching monsters, his expression twisting into a frown. "Something's not right." The charging monsters were all of the usual kind. None of the evolved ones, the ones that had jeopardized Qinghaeseong’s existence, were anywhere in sight. "What’s going on?" Despite expanding his sensory range, he sensed neither Jin Miyeon nor any other monsters within several hundred feet. "Did they split their forces into two camps?" Puzzled, he severed monster heads with relentless precision. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of black smoke rising from a nearby mountain slope. Engulfing the trees and growing larger was none other than a fire demon (火魔). This was no naturally occurring fire. The implication was clear. Jin Miyeon, absent from this place, along with the evolved monsters, were causing havoc on that mountain. Someone who noticed the blackened smoke soaring into the sky shouted in alarm. "The, the Konlun Mountain is on fire...!" Only then did Baek Woo-jin realize. This place he had reached was nothing more than a decoy Jin Miyeon had discarded long ago. Author's Note: I’ll see you in the next chapter. Thank you, as always, for reading.