Dropped into Murim with an Instant-Kill Skill - Chapter 42

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Chapter 42: In April, All the Flowers of the World Have Faded (13)

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On the battlefield after the fighting had ended, Yi Yubaek spoke.

"You ruptured your innate true qi."

Innate true qi filled the Eight Extraordinary Vessels.

It was the purest and hottest energy a person had to preserve, so it did not mingle with the postnatal qi that flowed through the Twelve Regular Meridians.

But if the walls of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels were destroyed,

then the innate true qi that had remained in the deepest places would flow out and heat the entire body.

Death would inevitably follow, but for a short while, it granted tremendous power.

"Still, that isn't something you can normally rupture so steadily..."

When the Eight Extraordinary Vessels ruptured and innate true qi began to leak out, a person usually burst into flames.

If kindling the inner fire and True Flame, the flames created through internal energy cultivation, were fires, then innate true qi was lava, far hotter and thicker.

There was no way a human body could remain unharmed when something like that came surging out from within.

"I believe she had an assassin's secret art. It was like artificially creating Severed Meridians. She severed part of her Eight Extraordinary Vessels and let the innate true qi flow out steadily. Then she forced her body, which had already fulfilled its function, to move through the harmony of qi contained in that innate true qi."

Yeon Sowol thought back.

Eun-yeong's face, strangely flushed despite her condition.

The heat he had felt when he touched her.

"Even so, it must have been painful. Moving a body that had already reached the end of its life by consuming qi-blood and essence-blood could not have been endured with an ordinary mind."

Yeon Sowol stared blankly down at Eun-yeong.

"Ha..."

Mo Cheong let out a long sigh beside him.

He trudged over and stood next to Eun-yeong. Taking off his robe, he covered her body with it.

Her blood-soaked clothes clung to her like seaweed. That must have bothered him.

Yet his robe, too, slowly turned a dark red.

Frowning, Mo Cheong rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a dried flower petal that had been tucked between a wooden frame.

He slowly placed it against Eun-yeong's chest.

"If I'd known this would happen, I should've carried a sachet too. I had one made in red, something pretty..."

Yeon Sowol barely managed to swallow.

‘So that had been for Miss Eun-yeong.’

He remembered Mo Cheong calling Eun-yeong pretty during their boat ride on the Jipseong River.

His throat felt strangely tight as he forced himself to ask,

"Are you... okay?"

Without turning around, Mo Cheong answered.

"How could I be okay?"

His eyes settled on Eun-yeong's face, then slipped away. Settled there again, then slipped away.

"I was only just starting to think I might like her."

"..."

Flutter.

Yi Yubaek took off his robe.

He laid it over Eun-yeong, who was already covered by Mo Cheong's robe.

After wiping her face as clean as he could with a cloth, he wrapped her in the robes and placed her on a cart.

"We must inform Cheongun Pavilion. Anyone who wishes to come may follow."

Yeon Sowol immediately followed. Mo Cheong came after him, followed by Kang Muhyeok and Seon Jehun.

On the way to Cheongun Pavilion, the people of Windflow Martial Academy ran into Hang Inwoo.

Members of the White Dragon Gang, weapons in hand, trailed behind Hang Inwoo in a cluster.

Yi Yubaek asked in a slightly broken voice,

"Will you blame me?"

Hang Inwoo's eyes wavered.

After a brief silence, he straightened himself and asked,

"Did you kill them all?"

"I killed them all."

"Muryang too?"

"Seo Muryang too."

"..."

Hang Inwoo looked up at the sky.

He squeezed his eyes shut once, then asked,

"Are you all right? What about your internal injury?"

"It'll be fine after a few more days of rest."

"How many times have you said that? At this rate, you'll never recover. Internal injuries are like fire. Keep neglecting one because it's minor, and it'll burn down the whole house."

"I believe I've said that to you before..."

"And a righteous hero who knows that still says such things?"

Hang Inwoo clicked his tongue.

"I should at least find you some medicine."

He passed Yi Yubaek.

"You lot can go back now. Elder Brother is safe, and that's enough."

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the White Dragon Gang members and wandered off alone toward the Golden Powder Gang.

"Elder Brother must have had his reasons for killing Muryang. Still, I need to offer a drink to my close friend."

"Offer one for me as well."

"I'll have to think about that..."

Hang Inwoo gave a bitter chuckle as he walked away. Yi Yubaek also smiled bitterly and turned his back.

At last, the cart carrying Eun-yeong arrived at Cheongun Pavilion.

The sounds of wailing did not cease until deep into the night.

* * *

It was April.

Flowers bloomed.

Flowers fell.

The weather was bright and lovely.

The people of Shinheung County were in high spirits.

"Sole Crimson of the Jipseong River. I never thought our Young Hero Yeon Seonhong would take down Seo Muryang."

"I wonder where all the people who used to compare Young Hero Yeon Seonhong to Resentful Dog have gone."

"Have you noticed? The inns in Shinheung County have been serving better food these days."

"Not just the inns. Even the goods in the market have improved."

"These days, children can play until sunset without their parents telling them to come home."

You could not see much of a difference just because one or two Black Path fighters disappeared.

But when the Black Path was completely uprooted, the change became obvious.

The people who had swindled and robbed others at every turn were gone, and public safety had improved. Life in Shinheung County had become noticeably more comfortable for its people.

There might have been no evidence. They might have claimed they had not crossed the line.

But once they were gone, everyone could see.

Whether they had only harmed others, or brought any benefit at all.

With perfect clarity.

"Still, Heavenly Road Mountain is truly finished now."

"How do you know that?"

"The Black Path of Shinheung County and Seo Muryang were the final obstacles to subjugating Heavenly Road Mountain."

"What makes you say that?"

"You haven't heard the rumors that Seo Muryang was secretly working with Heavenly Road Mountain?"

"Well, he was the sort of man who would do it."

"If someone like him was firmly entrenched in Shinheung County, could Windflow Martial Academy, the Severing Sword Sect, or the White Dragon Gang head out to battle without worry?"

"Mm... They would be anxious."

"Exactly. If the factions of Shinheung County, who were supposed to lead the charge, held themselves back because they feared being stabbed in the back, what would happen? It seems Yi Yubaek intended to gather righteous heroes from all across Guangdong."

"Ah. Everyone would see them in a bad light. They asked people to fight, yet they themselves were hesitant..."

"That's what I'm saying. It was such a serious matter that it could have ruined everything. But now that Seo Muryang and the other Black Path fighters have all been wiped out at once, how reassuring is that? Every possibility of someone causing trouble from behind has been killed off."

"Mm...!"

"It won't be long now. May at the earliest, June at the latest. It will be settled within two months."

"I pray the subjugation succeeds. If the Heavenly Road Mountain route can be opened safely, Shinheung County will become twice as prosperous."

"Then whenever you travel elsewhere, speak of Great Hero Yi Yubaek and Young Hero Yeon Seonhong."

"Young Hero Yeon as well?"

"Stories of young men with bright futures are popular."

"Mm!"

"Be sure to do so. The greater their reputations become, the more righteous heroes will join the subjugation of Heavenly Road Mountain."

"Mm! Mm!"

Yeon Sowol's reputation had already soared high enough to pierce the skies in Shinheung County.

Now his name spread beyond Shinheung County, throughout Guangdong.

* * *

After the fight with Seo Muryang, Yeon Sowol spent his days extremely busy.

Was it because he had fought while repeatedly facing the danger of death?

Or because of Eun-yeong's guidance?

His skill at handling martial force improved at an astonishing rate.

"This... This makes no sense..."

Yi Yubaek, who had been checking his progress, was left speechless for a long while.

For some time, Yeon Sowol focused on stabilizing his rapidly improved skills and continued training.

But he could not spend all his time training.

With the subjugation of Heavenly Road Mountain now only a month or two away, Yeon Sowol also had to deliver letters and meet people in Yi Yubaek's place.

As he trained, ran errands, and spent each day busily, memories quickly grew faint.

Even the shocking memory of killing dozens of people in one place, and watching someone he knew die before his eyes, gradually faded in less than four days.

Yet even if he set those memories aside for a while, the emotions remained. Every now and then, Yeon Sowol felt an inexplicable emptiness and discomfort.

"..."

That day, he was returning to Windflow Martial Academy after finishing an errand.

He saw a red cart standing before Cheongun Pavilion.

Decorated with red cloth and flowers, with a feast set out nearby, it looked as though someone was getting married.

He heard people chatting around him.

"Choran is getting married?"

"What marriage? They didn't choose an auspicious day, there was no matchmaker, no exchange of birth charts, and no betrothal gifts. Have you ever seen a marriage like that? She's just a courtesan being sold off as someone's concubine."

"Well, that's true."

"Tsk. What a shame. They say Choran is so beautiful, but I still haven't seen her once. Someone bought her up before I had the chance."

"Ha ha. I've seen her. She was incredibly beautiful. She sang before my very eyes, and I still can't forget it."

Yeon Sowol stopped walking.

‘She’s getting married?’

She was entering as a concubine, but still.

He stared blankly at the red cart and the lavish decorations above Cheongun Pavilion's front gate.

Then he heard another voice.

"I heard she was injured somehow a few days ago and can no longer bear children."

"Really?"

"Yes. I heard it through a physician. They said she's lucky to have survived."

"Wouldn't that mean he's taking in an invalid?"

"They say this wealthy man named Wang cherished Choran dearly."

"Enough to take her in even though she's ill and can't bear children?"

"Being sick is one thing, but isn't it better if she can't have children?"

"Why would that be better?"

"Think about it. What could be more troublesome than children borne by a concubine?"

"Ah, you're right! That wealthy Wang fellow is quite clever, then."

"Yes. Anyway, Wang cherished Choran deeply. They say she kept refusing him with her nose in the air, but he continued to beg."

"Really? She refused him? Then why did she suddenly agree...?"

"Apparently, a girl she treated like a sister died recently. Wang heard about it and promised that if she became his concubine, he would hold memorial rites for that girl for the rest of his life."

"Goodness. So she agreed?"

"Yes."

"She's doing everything she can not to seem cheap, isn't she? Even selling off her dead little sister."

"Isn't that how courtesans survive?"

Clench.

Without realizing it, Yeon Sowol balled his fist.

He stared at the two people gossiping as they pleased.

Then their eyes met.

"Ah! Young Hero Yeon Seonhong!"

"Isn't that Young Hero Yeon, Sole Crimson?"

They approached with broad smiles, cupped their hands, and greeted him.

Yeon Sowol looked at them with a tangled heart, then let out a short sigh and returned the gesture.

"Yes. Good to meet you. But..."

Step.

Unable to hold himself back, he stepped very close to them.

Yeon Sowol was exceptionally tall by the standards of this place. As he loomed close, the two startled and stumbled backward.

"Y-young Hero. Why...?"

"D-did we commit some offense?"

"..."

Yeon Sowol had wanted to say something.

‘I know Choran.’

‘Watch how you speak.’

All kinds of words circled through his mind, but none came out.

He only stood there, looking down at them.

For some reason, he thought he finally understood why Chu Jinhyeok carried dog shit around.

"E-excuse us."

"P-please forgive us, Young Hero."

The two fled in a panic, watching Yeon Sowol's expression.

"...Ha."

Yeon Sowol felt foolish for no reason.

He turned to leave.

Behind him, the courtesans played zithers and sang brightly.

The world of dust is so laughable,

and foolish love is the dullest thing.

When awake, I smile at others.

In dreams, I forget it all.

When there is wine, we should sing.

I only wish to grow old happily.

The higher the sky,

the smaller the heart.

Songs are sung,

dances are danced.

Today I cry,

tomorrow I laugh.

I do not ask anyone to understand me.

I do not ask how much karma there is.

I fall drunk alone.

Yeon Sowol stopped again.

The people around him continued to chatter.

"Still, even if she's entering as a concubine, it is a kind of marriage. Is that really an appropriate congratulatory song?"

"Leave them be. What do you expect from courtesans?"

"True enough."

Yeon Sowol drew a breath through his nose.

He tried to walk past.

Then tried again.

But the song kept circling in his ears, and eventually he turned back.

Groups of courtesans were guarding Cheongun Pavilion's entrance, but when they recognized Yeon Sowol, they did not block his path.

Step.

The inside of Cheongun Pavilion was cool.

There was not a soul in sight, and pale dust drifted through the sunlight.

In the middle of it all, Choran sat alone, dressed in white and red.

Yeon Sowol's gaze briefly caught on the lovely red sachet hanging at her waist, then slid away.

He stopped about five steps away.

He hesitated once, then twice, before asking in an even tone.

"Do you... happen to need help?"

"Ah."

Lost in thought, Choran had not even noticed Yeon Sowol approaching. She suddenly turned toward him.

Her nose was a little red.

She gave him a pale smile.

"Yes. We're fine."

"...Are you?"

"Yes. Well. I think people are just... made this way. It's just... This is how it is. This is how it has always been. It's nothing special. It's just how things are, so... It's fine. It has to be."

Choran waved her hand.

"I'm really fine."

Yeon Sowol watched her for a moment, gave a slight bow, and withdrew.

After taking several steps, he glanced back.

The smile had already disappeared from Choran's face. Her red eyes stared blankly into the distance.

"Needlessly... I..."

The tiny murmur slipping from her lips reached Yeon Sowol's ears, now considerably sharper than before.

All at once, Yeon Sowol remembered a line from a poem he had learned before.

Ten years of lamps beneath night rain in the Jianghu.

"Will she miss her?"

What a mad world.

The sunlight was brilliant, but the world somehow seemed tilted.