Chapter 201: I’ll Be Back. (1)

I’ll Be Back. (1)

Something’s wrong.

I never expected Elder Lee to show up.

Elder Lee, whose eyes met mine, scanned me up and down before narrowing his gaze and speaking to me.

“The world calls that an escape, you know.”

“No, I can see why you’d think that. But I’m really not!”

Why did he have to show up now?

What terrible luck.

Elder Lee watched me silently for a moment, then set down the basket he was holding and spoke to me.

“If you didn’t, then explain it. In a way I can understand.”

His eyes clearly stated that he wouldn’t let it go if I didn’t explain.

Elder Lee probably intended to assess the situation rather than punish me immediately.

Of course, it was only natural for him to misunderstand given how bizarre the situation was.

However, it was actually a much simpler story than he might have thought.

---

This happened after the bead emitted light early this morning.

‘My vision changed.’

It was a foreign sensation I’d never felt before.

One eye seemed to see normally, but the other was different.

‘What is this?’

It was pitch black.

What am I looking at right now?

For a moment, I thought I’d gone blind in one eye.

Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case, as something gradually began to appear in the darkness.

‘What is it? Bars?’

It felt like something was reflecting light intermittently, illuminating the surroundings.

What on earth am I seeing right now?

I wanted to turn my gaze, but it seemed beyond my control.

In fact, even if I tried to shift my gaze, it didn’t move.

[Why are you acting like this?.]

“Can’t you see, Noya?”

[What?]

Even Noya, who seemed to share a part of my body and emotions,

couldn’t seem to properly read the vision I was seeing or the thoughts I was having.

‘What could this possibly mean?’

Why this phenomenon suddenly occurred….

‘I don’t need to worry about it.’

It must be because of the bead I’m holding right now.

It’s obvious from the circumstances.

‘…What kind of item is this?’

I needed to figure out its purpose.

‘Will it disappear if I let go of the bead?’

I tried to let go of the bead to check, but…

“…!”

Suddenly, something caught my eye.

Perhaps my eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

In the moonlight shining through a tiny window, someone’s figure appeared faintly.

Familiar red martial robes and long black hair.

A woman with a distinct appearance that seemed fierce yet possessed deep beauty.

‘Gu Huibi…?’

The woman was definitely Gu Huibi.

I could see Gu Huibi looking around, glancing here and there.

She touched the bars and ran her hand along the wall.

She seemed to be looking for an escape route.

In between, she seemed to be speaking to someone,

but unfortunately, I couldn’t hear any sound.

It seemed I could only see, not hear.

‘…Why am I seeing this?’

Never mind that my vision changed, why did it have to be Gu Huibi I was seeing?

Moreover, it wasn’t even from Gu Huibi’s perspective,

but from a third-person viewpoint?

If this wasn’t an illusion,

‘…Where is she? I need to know the location.’

Putting my panic aside, I focused on what needed to be done.

Fortunately, Gu Huibi’s body seemed unharmed.

She didn’t seem to have been dragged away violently or tortured.

After confirming that, I tried to focus my eyes and gather information about the surroundings, but…

‘The vision is too dark and narrow to see clearly.’

All I could tell was that Gu Huibi’s figure was faintly visible,

and that it was a prison.

It wasn’t easy.

‘Is this Black Night Palace?’

Although the Palace Lord took her, there was still a possibility it wasn’t Black Night Palace,

so I wanted to find out more.

I wished I could see from a little further away….

“Ugh…?”

Just as I was thinking that, a sharp pain shot through my eyes, and I instinctively covered them with my hands.

As much as it hurt, I had to close my eyes, but…

strangely, the vision didn’t disappear.

That wasn’t the only surprising thing.

‘…It’s moving away?’

The vision I was seeing was focused solely on Gu Huibi and a tiny area around her, but…

that narrow field of view began to slowly pull back, showing the surrounding situation.

It moved further and further away from Gu Huibi,

gradually capturing the surrounding scenery.

A massive building surrounded by thick fog.

Although the fog obscured the view, it seemed to be the middle of a forest.

‘…A foggy forest.’

As I was committing these features to memory,

a stinging sensation flashed through my eyes, and the vision returned to normal.

As the pain subsided, nausea welled up, making me feel like I was going to vomit.

I couldn’t leave a mess in the already cramped prison, so I forced myself to swallow it down.

“…Ugh….”

[What? Why are you suddenly acting like that…?]

“Wait…. Please don’t talk to me for a moment.”

Noya’s words echoed directly in my voice, making it quite dangerous right now.

“…Fog and forest.”

Even while covering my mouth, my mind was racing.

I thought, ‘What’s so special about just a foggy forest?’ but…

the fact that it was such a densely fogged area was important.

More importantly, if Gu Huibi had already arrived in a specific region,

‘I need to calculate the distance from the front lines.’

Recalling that the travel period wasn’t very long,

one location came to mind.

‘The Misty Mountain Range (霧董山脈).’

It’s a vast mountain range covered in fog year-round.

Long ago, a monster emerged from the White-grade Demonic Mirror Gate.

The fog blanketing the Misty Mountain Range’s vast forests is a remnant left by that monster after its death.

Considering this, if it wasn’t a hallucination,

it seemed Gu Huibi was likely in the Misty Mountain Range.

If this is true, I need to pass on the information….

“Ack…!”

Just as I was about to call someone, I felt a shock run through my body and stumbled.

I desperately tried to steady myself by grabbing the wall, but…

I soon collapsed powerlessly and lost consciousness.

“…And so, I woke up to find myself here?”

“Yes.”

I nodded at Elder Lee’s question.

If you ask why I lost consciousness, it’s probably because the backlash from using my internal energy hadn’t subsided,

and I couldn’t withstand the accumulated backlash.

After that happened, I woke up past noon.

Elder Lee’s expression was grave after hearing my explanation.

I had roughly explained what happened, but he didn’t seem to understand it well.

“Yangcheon-ah.”

“Yes?”

“What does that have to do with you escaping prison right now?”

“…Ah.”

Right, I forgot to mention the most important part.

I needed to clarify the most crucial point first.

“It wasn’t an escape.”

“Coming out of prison is usually called an escape, you damn grandson.”

“No….”

This was truly unfair.

As soon as I regained consciousness, I tried to get up, but I was still unsteady,

and who could have known that the prison door I grabbed for support would open on its own?

“Are you saying the door was unlocked?”

“Surprisingly, yes.”

Hearing this, Elder Lee examined the door behind me.

Indeed, there were no signs of forced entry or damage.

“If I had really intended to escape, I wouldn’t have done it so foolishly.”

“So you’re saying you cause all sorts of trouble because you’re so clever?”

“…”

I couldn’t think of anything to say to that.

“…The door was unlocked, you say.”

Elder Lee, lost in thought, nodded and clenched his teeth as if something occurred to him.

“I see…. Those senile old fools.”

“Elder Lee?”

“No…. More importantly, tell me about what you mentioned earlier. About seeing Huibi’s location.”

To Elder Lee, who urged me impatiently, I took out the bead from my pouch and showed it to him.

“Do you know what this is?”

“…This is…”

Elder Lee’s eyes widened slightly the moment he saw the red bead.

“The Bead of Heavenly Captive (天虜), isn’t it? How did you get this….”

“The Bead of Heavenly Captive… you mean?”

It was the first time I’d heard that name.

At least, since Elder Lee recognized it and knew its name, I could tell it wasn’t something a street vendor would sell.

“My sister gave it to me. Told me to carry it.”

“Huibi gave it to you?”

As if realizing something then, Elder Lee wore an expression of regret.

“No wonder she went into the Vault through the Family Head, saying she wanted something.”

“The Vault…? Did you just say the Vault?”

“Yes, didn’t Huibi tell you?”

As if she would! I’m hearing this for the first time.

If Gu Huibi really retrieved this from the Gu family’s Vault, it meant it was at least a rare artifact.

‘She bought something like that from a street vendor…? That crazy woman…!’

Even without this, I was unknowingly adorned with precious items.

This means there was one more without my knowledge.

At this point, my body was practically a walking treasure chest.

“…This thing, its effect is what I suspect, isn’t it?”

“Yes, what you saw wasn’t a hallucination but the bead’s power.”

The power to observe someone far away.

Although it doesn’t allow hearing, only seeing, it’s truly an unbelievable effect.

‘So seeing Gu Huibi means…’

Does it mean Gu Huibi also possesses a similar bead?

“I knew about it, but Huibi is truly devoted to you.”

As Elder Lee said that with a sigh, I nodded emphatically in agreement.

“I know, right? Giving me something like this just to torment me.”

“Hm?”

“What a terrifying person.”

Elder Lee wore a subtle expression, as if the conversation was going astray, but…

he quickly smoothed it out.

“But, it’s truly fortunate. Thanks to it, we now know where Huibi is.”

“…Yes.”

“You said the Misty Mountain Range, right? I must quickly send a message to the Family Head.”

I stopped Elder Lee, who was hurrying away.

“…Take this.”

It was to hand the Bead of Heavenly Captive over to Elder Lee.

I didn’t want to keep such an unsettling bead that let me see what others were doing.

More importantly,

it would be better to send it to my father to aid the search.

However, Elder Lee looked at it and shook his head.

“The condition for activating the bead is to stain it with one’s own blood.”

“Ah…!”

If Elder Lee was telling the truth, it seemed the bead’s power activated because I touched it with my injured hand yesterday.

But Elder Lee’s next words were even more shocking.

“Once blood is infused into the bead, no one else can use it until the owner dies.”

“…What? What kind of crappy item is that?”

An item that not only observes others but clings to them possessively.

It felt like an item made with every unsettling thing in the world.

“If you think I’m lying, would you like to die once?”

“…”

At Elder Lee’s words, I quietly put the bead back into my pouch.

“So, carry it obediently. You could put it back in the Vault if you wanted, but knowing your personality, you probably won’t.”

He hit the nail on the head.

“…For now, since we can’t chat any longer, I must be going.”

“Yes…. Understood.”

Now that Huibi’s location was known, Elder Lee’s steps were hurried.

I watched Elder Lee hurry off, then slipped back into the prison and closed the door myself.

I wondered what a pathetic situation this was, but I had to do this for now.

As I stood inside the prison after closing the door,

Elder Lee, who had been walking hastily down the corridor, suddenly stopped and looked back towards me.

Then, Elder Lee called out to me in a serious voice.

“Yangcheon-ah.”

I met Elder Lee’s gaze.

with a look that asked what was wrong.

“I have a request for you.”

“Please, tell me.”

“Don’t go.”

“…”

Elder Lee’s words made my eyes widen like saucers.

It was completely unexpected.

Regardless of my expression, Elder Lee continued.

“There’s nothing you can do even if you go.”

“…What are you talking about? Where would I go?”

“Yes, that’s why, don’t go.”

“Elder Lee. What exactly are you saying right now….”

“Answer me.”

Elder Lee cut me off firmly.

Even the urgency I felt moments ago was replaced by a look that said he wouldn’t go unless I answered.

Seeing that, I finally sighed and spoke to Elder Lee.

“…Alright.”

“Thank you.”

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Elder Lee turned and headed back towards the main house with hurried steps.

Only the basket containing the food Elder Lee brought remained on the floor.

“…”

The food had already gone cold.

It was food Elder Lee had brought, intending to share it with me.

“…Why is the distance so far again? Is he telling me to just open the door, go out, and eat it myself?”

It was clear how urgent things were for Elder Lee.

Seeing that made me chuckle involuntarily, but…

my mind was filled with other thoughts.

Neither Elder Lee’s words just now,

nor the Bead of Heavenly Captive that Gu Huibi spitefully gave me,

-My dear sibling, please be happy.

It was the face of the woman who spoke to me in my past life.

Her final farewell, given with a smile when tears would have been more appropriate,

still left me wondering why she did that.

Now, I could vaguely understand what emotions and feelings she had when she said those words to me.

Because I could understand it, even vaguely.

“I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t help but apologize.

Because I didn’t think I could grant Elder Lee’s request.

---

Night fell.

I couldn’t tell the exact time, but…

I knew the sun had completely set.

I sat still and gently opened my closed eyes.

I got up.

[So, you’ve decided to go after all.]

It was Noya’s question.

I fiddled with the bead in my pocket and nodded.

“Yes.”

The bead didn’t update me on Gu Huibi’s situation.

The bead, which was originally bright red,

had become somewhat dull, suggesting it needed time to recharge for reuse.

Indeed, its color was slowly returning to normal.

[It’s dangerous.]

“I know.”

If that place truly is the Black Night Palace Lord’s main palace,

it would be a far more dangerous situation than anything I’ve encountered before.

And here I am, thinking of walking right into it.

Contrary to my stated goal of seeing a safe future,

I was paradoxically heading straight into danger.

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at my own absurdity.

“It’s because I’ve spent my whole life regretting things.”

Screeeech.

The prison door opened nonchalantly.

It still seemed unlocked.

Besides, no one had come to check on me, which was strangely unusual.

Was it just for show?

Or was there another intention behind it?

I couldn’t tell yet.

“I think I have a vague idea which path would lead to more regret.”

If I were to weigh the regrets,

I felt I could now discern even the slightest differences that were once imperceptible.

“The regret of not going seems like it would be much greater.”

[….]

Noya said nothing in response.

Does his silence, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, mean he respects my decision?

Although Noya didn’t explicitly say anything,

I firmly believed so.

As I approached the exit leading underground, I expanded my senses.

‘Just one entrance.’

Only one person?

Even with rotations,

it seemed unstable enough to question if they even intended to manage it.

At this rate, they might as well be inviting me to escape.

By the time I emerged outside, I easily knocked out the Gu family guard stationed at the entrance with a gesture.

Besides, since my internal energy wasn’t sealed, being imprisoned was pointless anyway.

“…How long has it been since I returned home?”

I think I said the same thing when I went to Hanam.

At this point, I wondered if the world just wouldn’t leave me alone.

Otherwise, it would be hard to have incidents happening without a moment’s rest.

I never intended to escape.

But I actually did.

I had a feeling troublesome things would pile up when I returned.

‘Father will probably go easy on me.’

I wasn’t sure, just felt like ‘whatever’.

Let him scold me. My rampage would be scarier anyway.

[When will you ever mature….]

I ignored Noya’s quiet muttering.

and leaped in the direction with less presence.

Since the family’s forces were currently depleted,

it was easy for someone at my level to slip out unnoticed.

‘…The kids are the problem.’

They must be worried already.

If I disappeared without a word like this, they’d surely give me hell when I got back.

Especially since Namgung Bi-ah had repeatedly hinted that she wanted me to talk to her.

If I got caught this time, it would be genuinely dangerous.

‘She might really draw her sword.’

Namgung Bi-ah was scarier in that regard than Tang Soyeol or Wi Seol-ah.

Especially since I had personally witnessed how she went around slicing people in my past life.

I bit my lip tightly and moved quickly.

But it wasn’t a peaceful enough situation to go find the kids and say goodbye.

‘I guess I can send a letter later.’

Though I wasn’t sure if I could even do that.

Wrapping my body in internal energy and leaping a few steps repeatedly, I soon saw the walls of the family estate.

Without hesitation, I climbed over the wall and landed on the ground.

“…Hm?”

Just as I thought I had successfully escaped the estate,

I had the fleeting impression that something golden flashed before my eyes.

For a moment, I wondered if I’d seen things and looked around, but…

I found nothing unusual.

Beyond the estate walls was only pitch-black darkness.

The night-shrouded trees and the faint chirping of insects were all that greeted me.

‘Was it my imagination?’

Perhaps a firefly just flew by.

Since there were no other presences around, I dismissed it as such.

As I readjusted my direction and prepared to leap again,

“Young Master.”

A familiar voice reached me, and I immediately turned sharply in the direction of the sound.

It was a voice that shouldn’t have been heard here right now.

“…You…?”

There,

“…Why are you here?”

Wi Seol-ah, with her eyes swollen shut, was crouching by a tree, looking at me.