Chapter 30: Iron Woman. (2)

Splish- splash-

I step slowly, treading on deep puddles of blood.

Mountains and cliffs made of corpses are now just a familiar sight.

Rotting, decaying corpses, not a single intact part visible; the smell that hung thick in the air was undoubtedly a noxious poison gas (毒氣).

The land, once pristine, was now soaked in poison, rotten, and cracked.

How long would it truly take for this vast land to regain its original form?

It would take at least several centuries, I’d guess.

Even as I walked, I ceaselessly circulated energy within my body to block the poison gas.

The land of Sichuan, once so vibrant and brilliant, had already become cursed land.

It was no longer a place where humans could possibly live.

At the end of the path I carved by treading through puddles of blood, the original source of the seething poison gas sat demurely.

Her eyes, once holding a green hue, had been brutally gouged out, leaving only thick blood trickling down her cheeks.

[Is it over now, Poison Consort (毒妃)?]

Tang Xiaoye, the Poison Consort, who had been bowing her head with her eyes closed, lifted her face at my voice.

[….Is it you.]

Her once clear voice was gone, replaced by a raspy, exhausted sound thick with phlegm.

[What a pathetic sight. Your kin fled to other lands long ago… Did you think guarding this place alone would change anything?]

[Nothing will change.]

[Then why?]

At my words, Tang Xiaoye laughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

[Then why did you come here?]

[A foolish question. Isn’t it obvious? I came to cut off your last remaining thread of life.]

[I see.]

Splish.

I walked slowly towards Tang Xiaoye. Strangely, I felt the poison gas thinning with each step I took.

While Tang Xiaoye remained here, the Tang clan’s kin were able to safely evacuate towards Shaolin.

Thanks to that, they could make preparations for the future.

So, what about Tang Xiaoye?

[Foolish creature.]

What remained for her, left alone?

Should the righteous sects win the war someday, perhaps a single line would be etched into history.

-Thanks to the sacrifice of Tang Xiaoye, the Poison Consort, a future could be promised.

That single line would be all that remained. Truly a futile tale.

Two days.

That was the time Tang Xiaoye alone spent fighting against the onslaught of demonic cultivators (마인) to defend Sichuan.

Tang Xiaoye’s eyes were gouged out, and a noxious poison gas accumulated around the land where the Tang manor once stood.

During that time, she caused the deaths of countless demonic cultivators, but…

It was still insignificant.

As long as the Heavenly Demon (천마) didn’t die, this war wouldn’t end.

As I arrived before her, Tang Xiaoye opened her mouth.

[…I am truly sorry to you.]

I frowned at her absurd words.

[An apology to a demonic cultivator? You must have truly lost your mind. Poison Consort.]

[Yes, I suppose I’ve finally lost it. I wish I had lost it a little earlier… There are so many things I can see now that I’ve lost my eyes.]

[Enough of that nonsense. Is that all you have to say?]

I slowly reached out and grasped her neck. It was a slender neck, thin enough to break with just a little pressure.

[It’s not a wish someone like you should make, but if you have any time left in this world.]

Her body trembled slightly. I couldn’t tell what emotions she held as she spoke.

Perhaps it was just the lament of someone left behind, regret for the sacrifice she was only now experiencing.

None of it was anything I cared about.

[You…]

Tang Xiaoye tried to continue speaking, but her voice wouldn’t come out, so I couldn’t tell what she said.

Without hesitation, I then applied pressure with my hand.

With a cracking sound, Tang Xiaoye’s head slumped forward.

I removed my hand and stepped aside, and Tang Xiaoye’s body collapsed powerlessly to the ground.

The surrounding blood was all corroded by the poison.

Even with immunity to all poisons (만독불침), a body whose breath has been cut off and vital energy (내기) has escaped would soon rot and melt away.

She had ended her arduous sacrifice, but not even a piece of her body would remain.

That is the nature of sacrifice.

I immediately turned around and took a step to leave the land of Sichuan.

Perhaps it was the surrounding poison gas, but standing here felt utterly repulsive.

This land.

And myself.

---

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

My thoughts ended.

I hated how unwanted memories surfaced so clearly at times like these. I met Tang Xiaoye’s eyes.

Due to the incomplete effects of her immunity to all poisons (만독불침), only one eye retained its green hue.

Within a few years, both her eyes would be dyed green.

Tang Xiaoye, the Poison Consort, or perhaps now the Poison Phoenix (毒鳳)?

“If you won’t answer, I’ll have someone…”

Tang Xiaoye was about to speak when Namgung Bi-ah whispered something beside her.

At Namgung Bi-ah’s words, Tang Xiaoye relaxed her frowning expression.

She took a step closer to me and adopted a formal tone.

“I am Tang Xiaoye of the Tang clan. I apologize for raising my voice excessively towards a guest who has visited our main manor.”

It was a swift, decisive judgment.

“…I am Gu Jieye.”

I answered too, using the name Gu Jieye again.

I should stop this quickly… Or maybe I should just confess now?

This method wouldn’t have worked if I were even slightly famous, but why does no one question my name?

If just one year had passed, simply mentioning my name would have cemented my reputation as the bastard of Shanxi.

While I was agonizing intensely, Tang Xiaoye spoke.

“I see. Young Master Gu, this is a place where those who are not members of the main clan cannot enter.”

“…Isn’t the young lady Namgung beside you also an outsider?”

“She is permitted by the clan members, so it is acceptable.”

In other words, she was saying I hadn’t been permitted, so I should leave.

How petty… Though I was planning to leave anyway, so it didn’t matter.

Besides, Tang Xiaoye’s sharp gaze kept falling on me, which was burdensome.

Why was she glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me? Did she dislike my presence here that much?

“Then I shall take my leave.”

I finished speaking and turned to leave with Wi Seol-ah.

After we left, Namgung Bi-ah looked at Tang Xiaoye beside her and asked.

“Xiaoye.”

“Yes, Unni.”

“Why were you glaring so menacingly?”

“…I didn’t like that he didn’t offer a single apology after I pointed out he’d entered incorrectly.”

“Ah…”

“Does being handsome make up for everything? Honestly, I can’t stand people who rely on their looks.”

“Huh…?”

Handsome… what?

Hearing Tang Xiaoye’s words, Namgung Bi-ah scrutinized the face of the young man who had just passed by once more.

He had sharply slanted eyes and an overall sharp facial structure.

Though his eyes, nose, and mouth were perfectly proportioned, combined they created an appearance that drew more comments about being fierce and intimidating rather than handsome.

He certainly wasn’t ugly enough to be called unattractive, but it seemed a stretch to call him handsome.

His features were distinct enough that even Namgung Bi-ah, who often saw people vaguely and didn’t remember them well, could recall them clearly.

“…Sigh, as expected, it’s better to be with someone who’s a bit plain but warm and kind.”

“…Mm-hmm.”

‘Honestly, those good-looking ones.’ Muttering various incomprehensible things, Tang Xiaoye walked forward, and Namgung Bi-ah slowly followed.

Even as they walked, the question marks floating above Namgung Bi-ah’s head did not disappear.

---

It was the morning after entering the Tang clan manor.

Opening the door with half-asleep eyes, I was suddenly confronted by two faces I didn’t want to see.

Namgung Bi-ah.

Namgung Cheonjun.

The ‘Blue’ siblings were right in front of me.

…Why do these two keep showing up and causing trouble?

Now that I’ve arrived at the Tang manor, can’t they just pretend not to know me?

I opened my mouth, looking at that damn sight.

“…Why have you come again?”

Namgung Cheonjun wouldn’t have come looking for me on his own, so I asked, looking at Namgung Bi-ah beside him.

It was obvious Namgung’s son just tagged along obediently.

Namgung Bi-ah, who had been looking at me, answered my question.

“Food…”

“Food?”

What food…?

“We have to go eat.”

“…Yes, go ahead.”

If you’re hungry, just go eat. Why report it to me?

Namgung Cheonjun, who had been listening quietly beside us, seemed a bit frustrated and added.

“The Tang clan has invited us for a meal, and my sister thought it would be good for Young Hero Gu to join, so we came to ask.”

“I see. Understood. I’ll pass; you go ahead and have your meal.”

Hearing the explanation only made me dislike it more. Why would I possibly want to sit face-to-face with you lot over a meal?

As if he hadn’t expected me to refuse, Namgung Cheonjun’s brow furrowed.

‘How dare someone like you?’ The sentiment radiated strongly from him.

Though he quickly regained control of his expression.

“I don’t have an appetite.”

“It’s a good opportunity to foster camaraderie among the righteous sects. Young Hero Gu.”

“I’m rather shy around new people. I’d prefer to eat more comfortably.”

“Shy…?”

That last word came from Namgung Bi-ah.

When I glared at her, Namgung Bi-ah immediately averted her gaze.

“Anyway, I’m not going. I won’t go, so you two go ahead and eat.”

The Tang Bing Battle Assembly (唐兵展會) is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

Until then, I planned to just grab something quick to eat and catch up on my training.

Moreover, I doubted my stomach would remain intact if I ate crammed in with those two.

Finally, after repeated refusals, Namgung Cheonjun, his expression showing a slight crack in his facade, approached me.

“Why don’t you come with us instead?”

Saying that, Namgung Cheonjun grabbed my arm.

Quite forcefully, too.

Perhaps because it was out of Namgung Bi-ah’s line of sight, he wasn’t managing his expression at all.

The look Namgung Cheonjun gave me as he looked down held intense disgust and irritation.

Squeeze.

The grip on my arm tightened.

It seemed he intended to drag me along by force if I refused.

‘What should I do.’

This is annoying and irritating.

Why have so many people been provoking me like this lately?

I’m trying to endure it, but if they keep this up, it won’t end well.

I could already sense the faint killing intent he harbored towards me.

Even if he seemed crazy and unstable to me, I thought he might be of some help later on.

Given the Namgung name, I was holding back, but if they keep this up, I’ll want to clash with him.

Or maybe, wouldn’t it be fine to just kill him?

Hooook!

Perhaps because I unintentionally harbored a bit of killing intent, a faint aura of it escaped for a moment.

Startled, Namgung Cheonjun took a step back from me.

…Ah, that was a real mistake.

I immediately calmed my mind and gathered my energy, but it was too late; Namgung Cheonjun was staring at me with wide eyes.

Perhaps due to my weakened body, I couldn’t easily control my emotions or the energy stemming from them.

Fortunately, the killing intent didn’t seem to reach Namgung Bi-ah’s position, as she tilted her head, unaware of what had happened.

I looked at Namgung Cheonjun and gave an awkward, wide smile. It seemed I had no choice but to go.

As I spoke, I naturally put my arm around Namgung Cheonjun’s shoulder. It was quite awkward, as Namgung Cheonjun was taller than me.

The guy seemed offended by my momentary step back, and after a look of surprise, he glared at me with burning eyes.

As he tried to shrug off my arm, I tightened my grip and whispered quietly.

‘Straighten up your expression again, your precious Unni is watching you.’

Grind.

Perhaps mentioning Namgung Bi-ah displeased him, as his jaw tightened.

Seeing that, I smiled again.

However, he seemed to have taken my advice to some extent, quickly returning to his usual handsome young master appearance.

“Thank you for agreeing. Young Hero Gu.”

“Don’t mention it. Since you asked so persistently, I couldn’t refuse.”

Hahaha. Hiding our true intentions, he and I exchanged smiles.

If he kept his killing intent towards me hidden, I wouldn’t mind.

As long as we parted ways, we wouldn’t have to see each other again.

At most, we might cross paths once or twice at righteous sect gatherings.

Let’s just leave it at that.

He has eyes, after all; he wouldn’t dare provoke me further rashly.

He’s from the Namgung family, surely he thinks before acting…

Thinking so simply, I realized not long after.

This guy doesn’t think at all…

That afternoon, Namgung Cheonjun asked me.

“Young Hero, wouldn’t you like to spar with me?”

…Ah, damn Gu Jieye.