WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 124: Winter 5
──────
After flying back to the Righteous Sword Pavilion, Yuri went to Lorelia's room because he still could not shake his concern.
He had sworn that one day, he would punch Lorelia in the face. That did not mean he took pleasure in seeing her injured by someone else.
“Come in!”
A voice came from inside before he could even knock.
“Fuck, that scared me.”
He had been given permission, so he opened the door, only to let out a startled cry at the sight before him.
“What is there to be so surprised about? Does this Lorelia look that dreadful?”
“Why are you like that?”
Lorelia sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. Not on the floor, though. She was seated cross-legged in midair, her upturned hands resting on her knees.
Seeing someone sitting in the air was startling enough, but Lorelia was not even wearing her priestly robes.
Instead of her usual robes, she wore shorts. She had no top on at all, with only bandages wrapped around her chest.
“No matter how devout a priest this Lorelia may be, I will not insist on wearing priestly robes that have become rags!”
“I mean your clothes. Either take them off or put them on. Pick one.”
“I will put them on once my wounds heal!”
Lorelia truly had many injuries. With her robes off, Yuri could clearly see every wound she had sustained.
They were peculiar wounds. Frost had formed over every one, freezing the blood within, and some were deep enough to expose bone.
“It was no easy opponent.”
Perhaps sensing Yuri's gaze, Lorelia smiled brightly. She was dressed in little more than underwear, but Lorelia showed no embarrassment. After his initial surprise, Yuri did not feel particularly awkward either.
It was difficult to feel that way looking at her body.
Lorelia's snow-white body combined the beauty of a divine statue with the savagery of a beast, no, a monster.
Every muscle fiber looked like a work of art honed solely for violence.
Beyond the injuries she had received in her fight against Baek Eun-mu-hu, Lorelia's body bore countless scars, large and small.
One scar stood out in particular. It ran from her stomach to her chest. It was not a burn, but it looked as though flames themselves had left the scar behind.
Yuri was briefly at a loss for words, stunned to learn that such a wound had been hidden beneath those spotless white priestly robes.
“This Lorelia's body is not particularly pleasant to look at, so please do not stare too intently.”
Lorelia said it with a bright smile. Yuri's expression turned serious as he shook his head.
“I was not looking at you that way. But do scars not disappear even after a transformative rebirth?”
“Ordinary scars disappear. The scars remaining on this Lorelia's body are not ordinary, which is why they have not vanished.”
“Not ordinary... Who gave you those scars?”
“Who else could it be?”
A crack ran through her faint smile.
“The Heavenly Demon.”
The man who had once been Lorelia's senior brother.
“Long ago, this Lorelia was defeated by his Heavenly Demon’s Divine Art, and it left scars on her body that cannot be erased. I have undergone transformative rebirth several times since then, yet these wounds have never disappeared.”
“...”
“But the wounds inflicted by Baek Eun-mu-hu will not leave scars.”
“How was your fight against Baek Eun-mu-hu?”
“In the past, this Lorelia won without suffering serious injuries. This time, I was able to enjoy a rather satisfying battle. While this Lorelia was wandering through heartfire and struggling to control it, Baek Eun-mu-hu must have trained diligently. Her Conceptual Apotheosis was particularly impressive.”
“If I had seen the two of you fight in person, I would have learned a great deal.”
“It was not a battle that could have spectators.”
Crack.
The ice clinging to her wounds shattered and fell away. Thin smoke rose from the injuries with a faint hiss.
Without using holy water, wounds deep enough to show bone began healing rapidly before Yuri's eyes.
“This Lorelia must finish healing and eat. Yuri, you need not worry any longer.”
It was a roundabout way of telling him to leave. Yuri nodded and slowly stepped back.
“You were injured, so please rest properly for a few days.”
“I will be perfectly fine by tomorrow! Ah, Yuri!”
When Yuri stopped, a bottle of holy water flew toward him from Lorelia.
“Give it to Baek Eun-mu-hu. She must have suffered a great shock as well, so she may not wake right away, but her injuries should be healed, should they not?”
“Yes.”
Yuri took the holy water and left the room, heading for the Uicheon Sword Gate's infirmary.
There, Yeonri Eunha stood with a devastated expression beside Gongsun Myeong, the head of the Uicheon Sword Gate. Yeonri Sangah lay on a bed, her whole body wrapped in bandages.
“Lorelia gave me holy water for her.”
Having already seen what holy water could do, Yeonri Eunha's face brightened. Gongsun Myeong accepted it with a relieved sigh.
“Thank you for bringing it. I was planning to visit Lorelia myself shortly. How is she?”
“She is recovering, and it does not seem like it will take long.”
“Is that so...”
A bitter smile spread across Gongsun Myeong's face. He could not bring himself to say it aloud, but he had expected Yeonri Sangah to lose.
Even so, seeing his elder sister defeated made his heart ache.
“What did the Calamity Star say about my Master?”
Yeonri Eunha, who had kept her lips tightly shut, finally spoke.
Even in the snow cave, Yeonri Eunha had said that Baek Eun-mu-hu's Heavenly Snow White Blossom Art was the greatest martial art under heaven, and that her Master stood close to being the strongest person under heaven.
‘She will achieve the revenge she has long desired today.’
Yuri could still vividly remember Yeonri Eunha nodding firmly and speaking with complete certainty. Still, he was not enough of a bastard to mock someone whose Master had lost and now lay unconscious in such a state.
“She said she enjoyed the fight.”
“What...?”
He had simply repeated what he heard, but Yeonri Eunha's expression turned grim.
“She did not mean she fought while playing around, so do not misunderstand.”
“I-I was not misunderstanding anything.”
Yeonri Eunha quickly composed herself, then rose and gave Yuri a cupped-fist salute.
“Thank you for bringing holy water for my Master.”
“I only ran an errand.”
“I will visit the Calamity Star before the day ends and thank her as well. And, young hero, it seems you may have some misunderstandings, so I should say a few things.”
“Misunderstandings...?”
He had no idea what she suddenly wanted to say.
“What misunderstandings? I do not have any misunderstandings about you, young lady.”
“No, young hero, you must have misunderstandings. If they are not resolved immediately, misunderstandings slowly fester. I will clear them up right now.”
“Ah, yes... I do not know what you mean, but yes.”
“The Heavenly Snow White Blossom Art is the greatest martial art under heaven.”
“What?”
“I never said my Master was certainly the strongest person under heaven. I only said she was very close. I have not changed my mind, even now. There are likely only enough martial artists stronger than my Master to count on one hand, so she remains close to being the strongest person under heaven.”
“...”
“Though my Master did not achieve the revenge she desired today, this too will become the past tomorrow, and one day, she will achieve the revenge she seeks.”
Yuri could only blink at the rapid stream of words, unable to decide how to respond. Gongsun Myeong, holding the bottle of holy water, also looked bewildered, unable to understand what this was suddenly about.
“So, young hero, I hope you will take this to heart without misunderstanding and seriously consider my Master's proposal.”
Having cleared up every misunderstanding, Yeonri Eunha nodded with a satisfied expression.
“May I leave now?”
“Wait.”
He was stopped again as he tried to leave.
“Just as my Master fought the Calamity Star, I wish to duel you as well, young hero.”
“Are you confident?”
Yuri asked because he was honestly curious. She had watched Hwangbo Jin-cheol get beaten senseless without being able to do a thing, yet she wanted a duel?
His judgment was not perfect, but Snow Princess Yeonri Eunha seemed to be about half a step ahead of Hwangbo Jin-cheol.
Even so, she was only close to the upper end of the fifth tier, and she would certainly lose against Haryeong. At that level, she had no chance of producing an upset against Yuri.
“Confident?”
A chilly smile crossed Yeonri Eunha's lips.
“It seems you think me laughable as well because you toyed with that dullard Hwangbo Jin-cheol. I am Yeonri Eunha, disciple of Baek Eun-mu-hu and heir to the great Yeonri Family. I know you are stronger than me, young hero, but I will not suffer a hollow, laughable defeat like Hwangbo Jin-cheol.”
“Hmm... I see.”
“My Master said that though she lost to the Calamity Star in the past, she gained insight into martial arts through that defeat. I too will lose to you, young hero, but I expect to learn something from it.”
“Hmm... I am sure I can teach you something.”
Learning from defeat was something Yuri had heard often, and while staying at the Uicheon Sword Gate, he had experienced it several times himself.
Defeat hurt.
Losing after getting beaten with fists hurt even more.
If Yeonri Eunha wanted to learn from defeat, Yuri swore he would sincerely give her that painful lesson.
“Then when would you like to duel?”
“After my Master regains consciousness.”
“Hmm... In my opinion, I think it would be better to duel tomorrow, even if Baek Eun-mu-hu does not regain consciousness.”
“Why?”
“If she wakes up and immediately sees her disciple lose, the shock will not be minor.”
He had meant it as consideration, but Yeonri Eunha's eyebrow twitched.
“Hmph... I know you are strong, young hero, but those words are too arrogant. Even if I lose, I will make certain that you understand that the Yeonri Family's and Baek Eun-mu-hu's Heavenly Snow White Blossom Art is the greatest martial art under heaven.”
“Yes, I understand. Let us duel tomorrow.”
“You must not take me lightly like Hwangbo Jin-cheol. You must face tomorrow's duel sincerely.”
It was true that the difference in tier determined victory and defeat, but Yeonri Eunha's eyes did not waver.
The Heavenly Snow White Blossom Art was the greatest martial art under heaven.
* * *
Yeonri Sangah only opened her eyes two days later.
“...”
She stared blankly at the ceiling.
Where was she, and why was she here? Such thoughts did not occur to her. Everything she had seen and experienced before losing consciousness remained far too vivid.
‘I lost...’
She had entered that battle prepared to risk her life. From the start, she had fought at full strength, no, with desperate, life-risking effort.
She had fought far better than when she lost long ago. She had guided the battle along the course she had envisioned hundreds, thousands of times, and she had deployed every carefully prepared ploy without error.
Yet she lost. That was the only plain truth. Just as Yeonri Sangah had never stopped tempering herself for decades, the Calamity Star had done the same.
“Mashter.”
As she lay staring blankly at the ceiling and dwelling on her defeat, a trembling voice came from beside her. Yeonri Sangah did not turn toward it. After continuing to stare at the ceiling, she let out a short sigh.
“How much... time has passed?”
“Two daysh have passhed.”
“Ha... I see. This woman lay bedridden for two whole days...”
Flames as red as blood kept rushing forward no matter how many times she froze, shattered, or pushed them back.
She had been certain of victory several times, only for it to be overturned each time.
The Crescent Moon Netherwedding Blade, which could cut anything, could not cut the Calamity Star's fists and feet. The Calamity Star's fists and feet had crushed the martial arts Yeonri Sangah had built up, bit by bit.
“Urgh...”
Merely recalling those vivid memories made her stomach churn. She let out a low groan and slowly raised herself.
“Mashter, you shhould resht a little longer...”
“It is fine. This woman is fine... My physical injuries have already healed.”
She felt a little stiff, but there was no pain. Though she had vomited blood several times, even her insides did not hurt.
A martial artist like Yeonri Sangah could recover from even grievous injuries as long as they did not die. But the price of sparring with the Calamity Star should not have been wounds that could heal completely in only two days.
“Who treated this woman?”
“The Calamity Shtar gave us holy water.”
“Haah...”
At her disciple's answer, Yeonri Sangah let out another long sigh. Realizing her body was perfectly well, she had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed only made her feel worse.
“Is the Calamity Star at Sword Mountain Peak again?”
“Yesh.”
Sure enough, the sun had already set outside the window, and darkness had fallen. Yeonri Sangah looked outside blankly and nodded.
“This woman was certain of victory, yet it ended like this. You saw something shameful, Eunha. Though this woman lost once again, next time will be different.”
“No, Mashter.”
What?
Yeonri Sangah had been staring out the window, hollow after failing to achieve the revenge she had prepared for decades. Her brow furrowed.
She thought her hearing was still dull because she had only just regained consciousness, but that did not seem to be the reason.
“Eunha?”
Yeonri Sangah turned her head to look beside her.
Yeonri Eunha was lying on the bed right next to hers.
The face once praised as that of the Snow Princess was swollen badly across both cheeks, and her lips were split. Bandages were wrapped around her right arm and left leg.
“E-Eunha!”
Yeonri Sangah sprang up from her bed in horror.
“Mashter.”
Happy to see her Master, who had suffered grave injuries and regained consciousness only after two days, rise so easily, Yeonri Eunha gave a faint smile.
Her smile, drawn by split lips, revealed a gap where one front tooth was missing.
“Eunha, Eunha?! What happened to your face?”
“I dueled the Cloud Dwagon...”
“Cloud Dragon! That bastard Cloud Dragon did this to your face?!”
Yeonri Sangah's hair stood on end.
“I will catch that bastard Cloud Dragon and break all four of his limbs!”
“Calm down, Sister!”
Hearing her shout, Gongsun Myeong hurried into the infirmary.
“Eunha was the one who challenged Cloud Dragon to a duel!”
“What?”
“Eunha grabbed hold of a reluctant Cloud Dragon and challenged him!”
What in the world had happened while she was unconscious for two days?
“Ah... Even if it was a duel! To beat Eunha's face to a pulp like that...!”
“Well... Cloud Dragon did not want to hit her face, but Eunha became angry and asked whether he was taking her lightly...”
What an upright spirit. Yeonri Sangah briefly admired her disciple's pride, then saw her swollen face and injured limbs and felt her hair rise again.
“What about treatment? Why has she not been treated? Was holy water too precious for this woman's disciple?!”
“Not only had you, her master, not yet awakened, but she also suffered the humiliation of defeat in an unauthorized duel. She said she could not allow herself comfort through holy water...”
“Eunha!”
Unable to restrain her emotions any longer, Yeonri Sangah cried out for her disciple.
Now that her Master had regained consciousness, there was no reason to stubbornly refuse holy water any longer.
“I am glad you awoke safely, Master.”
Her broken tooth had not grown back, but the wounds in her mouth had healed, so her pronunciation was no longer badly slurred.
Looking at her disciple's gap-toothed smile, Yeonri Sangah felt pain and sorrow as though a hole had been torn through her heart.
‘A tooth can be replaced...’
She tried to console herself that way, but it did not ease her heart. No matter what, was it not too much to hit someone hard enough to break a tooth?
“How was Cloud Dragon?”
“I felt that I could never defeat him.”
Yeonri Eunha answered without the slightest hesitation.
“It is not simply a matter of tier. Even an expert who had remained at the sixth tier for several more years would not be able to guarantee victory against Cloud Dragon.”
“He certainly has an outstanding talent for using his fists.”
“It is not only his fists. He overwhelmed me in every way he moved his body. Especially...”
Yeonri Eunha paused and sank into thought. Yeonri Sangah waited without rushing her disciple's answer.
“His eyes... Perhaps I should call it his senses, or his intuition...”
“Explain in detail.”
“It felt as if he did not merely read my movements, but read through my inner power itself... As if he saw through it at the moment it began and interrupted it, as if the martial arts I unleashed moved according to Cloud Dragon's intentions... I felt that kind of helplessness.”
“That is strange.”
Judging from his spar with Hwangbo Jin-cheol, Cloud Dragon had received instruction from the Fist King. He did not seem to have inherited the Ten Thousand Waves Severing Fist, but he appeared to have learned its principles.
‘No, did he steal them...?’
The words the Calamity Star had said with a smile circled in her mind. She had not been able to see properly because he held back, but the skills Cloud Dragon used to toy with Hwangbo Jin-cheol were not exactly the same as the Ten Thousand Waves Severing Fist.
‘If Eunha's words are true, and he can use those skills against equals, no, even experts above him...’
If so, there would not be many at the sixth tier who could guarantee victory against Cloud Dragon.
A boy younger than her grandniece, Yeonri Eunha, had already caught up to the heels of the greatest experts under heaven.
“Did you see Cloud Dragon's limits?”
“No, I did not. He will become stronger.”
It was not only Cloud Dragon. Yeonri Sangah also sensed brilliant potential in the Sword Dragon and Dark Blossom.
Several months ago, before they entered Uicheon Mountain, they had been called dragons and blossoms as outstanding members of the younger generation. They would still be young after descending the mountain, but how far would their strength reach?
“... Eunha.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Can you resist an avalanche?”
The Calamity Star's training method, which she had thought was insane, kept coming back to her.
“I will resist one, without fail.”
What she learned from yesterday's defeat was that getting punched hurt.
Cloud Dragon's punches hurt so badly that they made her want to cry.
That pain had become the lesson of defeat. To avoid pain, one had to become strong enough not to get hit. Cloud Dragon's strength had been forged through brutal training so harsh it felt insane.
“Let us return to the family.”
Yeonri Sangah had been moved by the Calamity Star's training, but she did not want to remain at the Uicheon Sword Gate any longer and ask for help with her disciple's training...
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
