Chapter 652: Back to the Central Plains.

Grrr….

Groaning sounds could be heard.

It was the sound Uhyeok was making inside the prison cell, devoid of even a single torch.

Although it hadn’t even been half an hour since Gu Yangcheon started his ‘talk’ with Uhyeok.

What had transpired in that time was a continuous series of events too difficult to put into words.

“Hngh…. Hngh….”

The guard who had been watching the prison cell had collapsed from the brutal violence that had occurred earlier.

It couldn’t be this rough, even for a scuffle between acquaintances.

The space was filled with the sound of shattering bones and the smell of spilled blood.

The lamp that had barely illuminated the room was nowhere to be seen, having gone out at some point.

Because of that, it was a scene of nothing but darkness, yet the guard couldn’t help but be terrified even by the dimly visible shapes.

Grind-grind-grind.

A rough sound could be heard amidst the groans.

It was the sound of broken bones being set.

Seeing that, Gu Yangcheon’s eyes lit up with interest.

It was a wondrous sight.

Bones setting themselves without any action.

‘I did break them intentionally to make them easier to set, but its performance is quite decent.’

Not only external wounds but internal injuries healed quickly too.

Regeneration. It truly was a power that lived up to its name.

‘If I pulled off an arm, would that regenerate too?’

Yuseon and Mang seemed capable of it. I wonder if Uhyeok can do that as well.

‘I’m curious?’

Jerk-!

As Gu Yangcheon watched with interest, Uhyeok seemed to sense something and trembled.

“Grr… cough.”

Uhyeok violently coughed up blood.

It wasn’t from being injured. It was something that happened during the process of internal injuries healing.

‘It would be troublesome if it didn’t heal, so let’s skip that.’

I was curious, but it’s not something I need to try.

‘If it were my body, I would have tried it.’

Since Uhyeok is the owner of the body, let’s let it slide. Gu Yangcheon thought so and nodded.

“…Hoo… hoo….”

After trembling for a while, Uhyeok seemed to have barely regained control of his body and looked at Gu Yangcheon with a weary expression.

“…I’m sorry.”

The first words Uhyeok uttered were an apology.

It wasn’t the kind of thing you’d expect from someone who had been getting beaten senseless until now.

Seeing that, Gu Yangcheon let out a deep sigh.

‘I thought beating him would relieve some of my frustration.’

Instead, I felt more stifled and annoyed.

Still, my emotions had calmed down a little.

It’s probably because I realized that such actions were meaningless anyway.

Looking at Uhyeok, Gu Yangcheon asked.

“Why did you do it?”

“…”

“No matter how crazy you are, I don’t think you’d do something like this without a reason. So explain it. In a way I can understand.”

It wasn’t so much a conviction that there was a reason.

It was closer to a wish that there had to be a reason. Uhyeok had to convince himself here.

“A reason….”

To the question, Uhyeok slowly closed his eyes.

The reason he had to do it. To recall that reason, one had to look into Uhyeok’s past-.

“Ah, don’t do any reminiscing.”

However, at Gu Yangcheon’s words, Uhyeok had to carefully open his eyes.

“It’s a waste of time, so summarize it in three lines. I’m busy.”

“…”

As Gu Yangcheon said it as if it were a bother, Uhyeok looked at him with an incredulous face.

At that gaze, Gu Yangcheon frowned.

“What, punk?”

“Don’t people usually wait a bit in situations like this?”

“Why would I be curious about your life story? Just tell me why you did it. And keep it as short as possible.”

“…”

It sounded right, but it felt strangely irritating.

While thinking that, Uhyeok had already resigned himself.

It was because he had long known that understanding that guy was impossible.

No, perhaps it was precisely because of that that it was easier.

Uhyeok chuckled awkwardly and said to Gu Yangcheon.

“Three lines might be a bit difficult.”

“I mean, just make it reasonably short…”

“When I was young, my father tried to kill me.”

“That’s a fucked-up story right from the start. Alright, go ahead.”

Gu Yangcheon was about to get annoyed but subtly adjusted his posture.

He plopped down onto the floor. The floor was covered in the blood Uhyeok had spilled, but he didn’t care.

More than that.

“My mother was seeing someone else behind my father’s back, and my brother was gay.”

“…”

What was coming out now made Gu Yangcheon even more uncomfortable.

He secretly cleared his throat.

It wasn’t an easy story, not as expected.

To the point where he wondered what he had just heard.

“Furthermore, my father was someone who dreamed of rebellion. I had caught wind of such facts.”

“Seems like you were quite quick-witted.”

It wasn’t so much being quick-witted as simply hearing things one shouldn’t have.

Uhyeok didn’t bother to elaborate on that.

“When I was young, I didn’t know there were things I shouldn’t know, so I blabbed about the facts I discovered. That became the root of the trouble.”

My mother’s infidelity.

My brother’s secret.

And my father’s deep ambitions.

He resented his past self. For not being able to hold back, for not knowing what he should have kept quiet about.

Uhyeok still resented it.

“The man my mother was seeing was killed by my father’s hand. And my brother was locked away where no one could see him.”

It was the fated conclusion.

If he hadn’t been found out, perhaps, but once it reached his father’s ears, this was bound to happen.

His brother, dragged away by the warriors, resented Uhyeok.

It was a secret he might have carried forever.

Seeing that, Uhyeok learned about what shouldn’t be said, but it was already too late.

“I, too, who had blabbed about such secrets, had to live confined in a small residence, separated from the family.”

Father must have been scared.

Perhaps fearing that I might find out about his secrets too.

He seemed to have been afraid of that.

I had known about it long before, but by then, I had already learned to keep my mouth shut.

A lonely life began.

Days that were quiet yet noisy.

Perhaps.

[My name is Yuri.]

If there wasn’t something to cling onto, Uhyeok’s life would have ended then.

Because there was something to hold onto, I could still endure.

I thought I could somehow manage to breathe. I tried to live thinking that, but.

“A problem arose.”

“A problem?”

“Yeah. The last wall that allowed me to barely endure, even while confined to my residence, crumbled.”

“What kind of incomprehensible thing are you-“

“It means I wasn’t my father’s blood relative.”

“Damn it.”

Gu Yangcheon unintentionally cursed.

She was seeing someone else behind my mother’s back, and it connects like this?

“Upon realizing that fact, my father immediately tried to kill me.”

The wall had crumbled.

Once the pretense of being his child, which he had barely maintained, disappeared, father intended to deal with me without hesitation.

It was a very cold night, and also a very noisy night.

Terrible sounds kept tickling his ears, and Uhyeok ran away to escape those sounds.

However, just how fast could a child’s running be?

He couldn’t escape completely, avoiding skilled warriors.

Yes, if not for someone’s help. He certainly would have.

An arrow hit his shoulder, and blood flowed.

In front of the young Uhyeok, who had collapsed while enduring the pain.

[Miss, is this young master really him?]

A white-haired man stood there, having knocked down all the warriors.

Pale blue hair catching the moonlight.

And blue eyes to match.

“Uh… that. Perhaps.”

“That’s right. It was my teacher.”

That was the first meeting between the Taoist Hermit Namgung Hyung and Uhyeok.

And, next to Namgung Hyung.

[…That’s right. It’s him.]

There was a young girl with white hair much whiter than Namgung Hyung’s.

“…”

Gu Yangcheon, listening to the story, nodded slightly.

‘I wondered how someone from the Northern Sea ended up in the Central Plains, let alone joining the Wudang Sect.’

Was he brought by the hermit from the Northern Sea in the first place?

‘What was that old man doing in the Northern Sea?’

He tried to ponder the question for a moment. But he already knew the answer.

‘Ah. Was it because of the Thunder Fang (雷牙)?’

It was easy to figure out if one recalled what the hermit carried back then.

At the time, the hermit possessed the Thunder Fang.

He was someone who could hear Namgung Myung’s voice, which was inside the Thunder Fang.

‘…Since Namgung Myung in the Thunder Fang said his main body was in the Northern Sea.’

If he went to the Northern Sea because of that, it fits perfectly.

And.

So Uhyeok managed to survive thanks to that?

I roughly understand the circumstances.

But.

“He ran away that way and lived in the Central Plains… So, why did you do this?”

I still hadn’t heard the important part.

Hearing the question, Uhyeok smiled bitterly and continued.

“…It was for revenge…”

As Uhyeok explained it as a reason, Gu Yangcheon promptly hit him on the head with his fist.

Bang-!

“Gk!”

“You were doing fine, then you start lying. Wanna die?”

I couldn’t stand him spouting bullshit this far.

Revenge? Ridiculous. I know well that Uhyeok isn’t the type to live consumed by such things.

‘Maybe if it were me. But this guy isn’t like that.’

If it were myself, covered in lingering resentment, maybe. But not Uhyeok.

“You’re blatantly leaving out important things even in your words. I’m holding back, but are you going to keep acting up?”

Grind-grind.

Gu Yangcheon gritted his teeth and said to Uhyeok.

“Yuri.”

“…!”

“Why do you keep leaving her out?”

Uhyeok’s eyes widened at the mention of the little princess.

Gu Yangcheon knew that Uhyeok was intentionally omitting her story.

He understood well that the guy had lived a miserable and unfortunate life.

While calmly explaining it, Uhyeok hid the core issue.

Anyone else might think he hid it well.

“That doesn’t work on me, you bastard.”

It was utterly impossible for Gu Yangcheon.

The reason is simple.

‘Because I’ve done that the most.’

It was the action he had done the most and was best at.

“Revenge? Bullshit.”

Hiding his true intentions behind trivial justifications and constantly belittling himself.

It was what Gu Yangcheon had done his entire life.

And.

Perhaps Gu Yangcheon would continue to live like that in the future.

The fact that Uhyeok was also doing such a stupid thing infuriated him.

This kind of thing was something only he should do.

“You said you couldn’t possibly summarize it in three lines? Don’t make me laugh. You don’t even need three lines, you idiot.”

“You….”

“Just to put it bluntly, you did this bullshit because of a woman. Sorry. That’s all it takes, one line.”

“…”

Uhyeok was speechless at the words spoken.

Because it was a statement that pierced through everything.

“How….”

“How what? You’re frustrating, Uhyeok. Do you really want to get hit?”

Should I hit him again? Last time I just felt annoyed.

If I hit him now, I think I’d feel truly refreshed.

How did I know? How could I know.

‘Your actions are similar to mine.’

More precisely, they were subtly similar to what I used to do in my past life.

“You said you had a fiancée, right? That woman… no, the little princess, right?”

“…!”

Uhyeok’s eyes widened like saucers.

Damn it, why try to hide it when he reacts like that?

“But the little princess seemed unaware… Is it perhaps unrequited love?”

“…”

“Look at that disgusting expression. It seems real?”

My friend’s unrequited love, that’s creepy.

“It’s not like that.”

“Not like what? What kind of crazy bastard starts a war to save a woman he doesn’t even like?”

I didn’t know it in my past life, but looking at it now, that’s how it is.

Men are inherently simple creatures.

To put it plainly.

“That reason alone is enough.”

Not some grand justification or life narrative.

Just one simple, ignorant reason was enough.

“So, I’ll ask again, Uhyeok.”

Gu Yangcheon leaned forward and met Uhyeok’s eyes.

Gu Yangcheon spoke as if there were no second chances.

“Why did you do it?”

It was the same question, but the meaning behind it was different.

As if no more lies would be tolerated. A powerful aura emanated.

Answer honestly. To such words filled with certainty, Uhyeok, after a moment of silence, finally

“…The day the First Princess started to rampage. She told me. If I didn’t do it, she would kill the Second Princess.”

“Kill her?”

“She said she could touch the illness that afflicts the Bloodline of the Ice Palace.”

Hearing that, Gu Yangcheon frowned.

‘That statement seems to mean she could touch the Ice Spirit’s curse.’

That was probably because Mang had interfered with her, and if so, that means.

‘Could it be that the curse on the Palace Lord suddenly worsened too?’

It was a plausible guess.

The problem is, why did Yuseon approach Uhyeok and cause trouble?

‘Seriously, why bother?’

Out of so many people, why Uhyeok of all people?

‘Did she think threatening him using his sister would work?’

It seemed like a decent motive, but even so, there was no need for it to be Uhyeok.

If she needed a puppet to stand in front, someone else would have been better than Uhyeok.

‘Besides.’

The fact that the First Prince and Second Princess were locked in prison also bothered him.

The Palace Lord’s condition worsened.

Rebellion occurred, and the two sons were nowhere to be found.

Among them, the only one remaining nearby was Yuri, the Second Princess.

Then, you see.

‘Since Yuri is the only one who can be sent to the Central Plains, sending her is a natural progression.’

This is like.

‘It seems like she created a reason to send Yuri far away.’

To somehow get Yuri out of the Northern Sea.

It looked like she had made such a move.

But did Yuseon really need to do that?

After thinking this far, Gu Yangcheon asked Uhyeok.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“You, are you somewhat acquainted with the First Princess too?”

It’s a bit strange to call her the First Princess now that she’s dead, but.

When asked about his relationship with Yuseon, Uhyeok tilted his head for a moment before answering me.

“A little when I was young?”

“A little more specifically.”

“There’s nothing specific. I just saw her a few times with the Second Princess.”

“Really? Nothing particular happened or anything?”

“…Well?”

Uhyeok looked genuinely clueless. Seeing that, Gu Yangcheon couldn’t help but nod.

What could I do if he said he didn’t know?

“So, unable to resist that threat, you started a rebellion, cut off your teacher’s arm, and stabbed the kid in the stomach, right?”

“…”

Uhyeok’s eyes trembled at the blunt, harsh words. Did he notice the pathetic sight?

“Stop acting pitiful. Snap out of it!”

He had caused trouble, so there was no intention of looking at it favorably.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Forget the apology. Just explain the reason.”

It was what I had been asking all along.

Rather than useless apologies, why he had to do it. It was more important for me to hear that.

“…At the time, I thought that was the best move.”

“The reason?”

“My teacher was attacked while trying to stop the First Princess, and the First Princess then approached me, using my teacher’s life and the Second Princess’s life as collateral.”

At least Uhyeok wasn’t the one who defeated the hermit. That was a small relief.

“So, you had no choice but to do it to save them?”

“…It’s just an excuse, but.”

“Right, it’s an excuse.”

This was the same for Namgung Bi-ah.

I was hearing the reason, but these were things I already knew even without hearing them.

He had altered the escape route to make it easier for Namgung Bi-ah to flee,

And I also knew that Uhyeok had stepped in to cause trouble when she almost failed to escape in the process.

However.

“You probably know that adding any grand reason here is meaningless anyway.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m even more pissed off. What? You’re just going to stay here? Not return to the Central Plains to pay for your sins?”

Kwah-! Gu Yangcheon swung his hand and grabbed Uhyeok by the collar. Uhyeok was pulled along powerlessly.

“What sins? Are you haunted by the people who died in the Northern Sea?”

“…Yangcheon.”

“Uhyeok, stop your bullshit. Rotting in prison your whole life won’t bring you atonement. That’s just running away, you moron.”

With a growling gaze, Gu Yangcheon continued to lash out at Uhyeok.

“If you want to atone, you should just cut your throat and die right now. Isn’t that the right thing to do?”

“…”

“Why? Still have lingering feelings? What haunts you so much you can’t die? What could it be? Ah, right, the little princess?”

At the mention of Yuri, Uhyeok’s eyes gained intensity.

“Then, if I kill that little princess, will your lingering feelings end too?”

“You–!”

For a moment, Uhyeok’s aura intensified, so Gu Yangcheon swung his fist and hit him in the solar plexus.

Thwack-!

“Gk!”

“Oh, so women are precious to you? Enough to forget your mistakes and get angry first?”

Gu Yangcheon’s expression contorted like a demon’s, displeased with Uhyeok’s attitude.

“I was like that too. You fucking bastard.”

Gu Yangcheon threw Uhyeok, whom he was holding, towards the wall.

Crash-! Uhyeok hit the wall with his back and slid down.

“Do you know who you messed with?”

He tried to suppress his emotions, but they kept trying to leak out.

“You don’t know, do you? You still don’t. I was like that before. So I want to make you understand, but since I can’t, I’m holding back.”

Heat began to flow out, filling the prison cell.

Feeling that, Gu Yangcheon put strength into his heart.

It was to prevent his aura from leaking out.

“I’m barely holding back. The only fucking reason I’m not killing you right here is because you’re my friend. That’s why I’m keeping you alive.”

He suppressed his killing intent again and again.

“Then, if you want to atone, reflect, and seek forgiveness, you should do it to me. Not to some nameless people from the Northern Sea.”

“…”

“Can’t you even say it after hearing me? Of course not. You’re not a wicked bastard like me.”

I know well.

That Uhyeok isn’t that kind of guy. That’s why I had to be more certain.

“Then, just live like that. I’ll make sure you do.”

“…What does that….”

“In the first place, if I were going to leave you alone just because you didn’t want to go, I wouldn’t have bothered with the charade with the Palace Lord.”

Thump-thump.

Gu Yangcheon slowly approached Uhyeok.

“Uhyeok. Your opinion doesn’t matter to me at all. I can’t be bothered to try and change you now. I’m just going to take the easy way out.”

After approaching, he bent his knees to meet Uhyeok’s gaze.

“You have to help me live this time anyway. So just follow along obediently.”

“Yangcheon. As I said again…. I don’t want to leave here-“

“If you don’t follow, I’ll kill Yuri.”

“What?”

Hearing that, Uhyeok’s voice turned cold.

His gaze was incredibly sharp, but Gu Yangcheon didn’t care one bit.

“There was a condition attached when I pulled you out from the Palace Lord. Do you know what it is?”

It would be a lie to say I intended this far. The situation just happened to align.

“It’s to take the little princess to the Central Plains.”

“…!”

“And. Since I’ve been asked, I really intend to take her.”

I can’t do that kind of bullshit, like playing the friendship game earnestly or sharing Uhyeok’s guilt.

Gu Yangcheon felt more at ease doing things his own way.

“If you know that and still want to stay here, you can. But keep thinking. If I take the little princess to the Central Plains like this, you don’t know what I might make you do later.”

Or, I might even get rid of her.

Even as he said it, self-loathing suddenly arose.

Because what he was doing to Uhyeok now was the same as what Cheonma had done to him in his past life.

Yet, he had to endure.

After all, no matter how uglier he became, there was nowhere lower to fall.

After delivering his words, Gu Yangcheon got back up again.

“You have until tomorrow to think about it. Figure it out yourself.”

Finishing his words, Gu Yangcheon broke eye contact with Uhyeok and turned his back, walking out of the prison.

As he walked, Gu Yangcheon thought.

‘It’s not easy.’

Whatever it was.

Work was never easy.