Chapter 81: Seolyoung, Decides

“What on earth happened here?”

After receiving the report that Yang Jeong had escaped, Baektong rushed over and shouted angrily. Standing in front of him with their heads bowed were three or four men. They were the warriors who had been guarding the place.

“Not a single one of you saw who did it! You useless trash!”

He roared at them, but Yang Jeong’s whereabouts were still unknown.

The Bear Tyrant, who had come with Baektong, said nothing. With his rugged face, he only kept his eyes half-lowered.

After scolding his subordinates, Baektong came to the Bear Tyrant and spoke.

“It must have been Yang Seokwon who took him.”

The Bear Tyrant asked with a doubtful look,

“How would he know this place?”

“Well… I have no idea either.”

This location was the most secret of the secret. Without an insider betraying them, there was no way Yang Seokwon could have found it. Baektong glanced at his subordinates and grinded his teeth.

“It is possible one of these bastards is a traitor.”

Just then, one subordinate ran in and reported quickly,

“Yang Seokwon took sick leave and disappeared.”

Baektong ground his teeth hard.

“So it is definitely that bastard’s doing!”

Since Yang Seokwon had vanished, it was certain that he was responsible.

“Send all the men out and find him! He must be found.”

“Understood.”

The man ran off quickly.

Baektong’s eyes flashed viciously as he spoke,

“I will make sure he regrets this.”

The Bear Tyrant strode forward and swung his sword mercilessly at the warriors who had been standing with their heads lowered.

They all died without even putting up proper resistance. Even Baektong, who had been in a rage, looked disgusted at the sight.

‘That lunatic! They may have failed, but for him to kill them all!’

But he could not voice such thoughts. If the Bear Tyrant truly went berserk, Baektong’s own life would not be safe either.

“Well done. If there was a traitor, this makes it certain.”

The Bear Tyrant with a dark expression, turned away without a word.

It was not because he had killed the warriors, nor solely because Yang Seokwon had rescued his son.

An inexplicable unease kept creeping into his heart. As a martial artist, he knew well that this was the instinctive sense of danger at work, which only made his heart heavier.

* * *

“They are now desperate to find Yang Seokwon and Yang Jeong.”

Despite the report, Dan Woobin was calm. The two had been taken separately to different safe houses of the Black Way Alliance, so there was no way they could be found.

These safe houses had been operated right under the nose of the Murim Alliance for decades. There was no way Baektong’s men could locate such hidden places.

“To link Ban Yeo to this, they are continuing to investigate the Bear Tyrant.”

The important thing was evidence. Without it, this entire effort of spiriting away Yang Seokwon and Yang Jeong would end simply with punishing Baektong and The Bear Tyrant.

It would be like cutting off a lizard’s tail. And the body would only become more alert.

That was not what Lee Jaseung wanted. When facing a strong enemy, if you caught an opportunity, you had to press without giving them time to breathe.

So Lee Jaseung simply gazed out the window, lost in thought.

Sometimes, when Dan Woobin looked at Lee Jaseung’s back, he felt a certain loneliness. That was exactly what was happening right now. Today, he looked lonelier than usual.

“How are things between you and the Lord?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I’m talking about. I am dying to see Lady Song.”

Dan Woobin’s lover, Songhwa, was currently at the Black Way Alliance’s main base. If he tried to visit her too often, he might put her in danger. For now, being at the main base was the safest for her.

“Just endure a little longer. You will see her soon.”

“Yes.”

Of course, that was not why he had brought it up. Dan Woobin spoke again to hint at him.

“I heard you are still using separate rooms. Why not start sharing one?”

Lee Jaseung gave no reply.

Dan Woobin felt a bit anxious, wondering if he had said something unnecessary. For other matters, he could risk his life to give advice, but this was different.

Still, thinking there was no turning back now, he voiced what had been on his mind for a while.

“I know how important a dream and goal the unification of the world is to you. But I think there is something even more important than that.”

“What is it?”

“Happiness.”

After a pause, Dan Woobin continued,

“Your happiness, my Lord.”

Lee Jaseung was silent for a moment.

“It’s not something you would expect to hear from the chief strategist of the Black Way Alliance.”

“Well, it was your choice to appoint a sentimental young man like me as chief strategist.”

Lee Jaseung smiled faintly. He understood exactly what was in Dan Woobin’s heart. That made him grateful, and also a little burdened. Of course, the gratitude outweighed the burden.

Happiness huh.

Happiness was like a fragrance created by the soul. Was there really space in his soul for such sweetness?

Dan Woobin believed that being with Baek Seolyoung would make him happy.

He loved Songhwa deeply and found happiness in that love, so he believed others would also find happiness if they loved someone.

Lee Jaseung, knowing how genuine and pure Dan Woobin’s concern was, did not contradict him.

“I will try.”

At that, Dan Woobin’s face brightened.

‘Thank you. Just hearing you say that is enough.’

At that moment, Baek Seolyoung arrived.

“You were in the middle of a conversation. I can come back later.”

“No. We are done talking. I will take my leave now.”

Dan Woobin quickly stepped aside. He might not have been able to force them to spend time together, but he certainly wasn’t going to interrupt.

Baek Seolyoung spoke to Lee Jaseung,

“Can you come out with me for a moment? I have something to ask.”

Lee Jaseung readily agreed.

She led him to the training hall. She had encountered a block in her martial arts training.

Recently, she had experienced two things related to martial arts. Watching Lee Jaseung practice the Yama's Dagger Art, and crossing swords with him using all her strength.

Something had changed since then.

“I cannot focus well during training.”

At least regarding martial arts, she had decided to speak frankly with Lee Jaseung. Through physical training with him, she had already advanced a step in her martial skills.

“I’m not falling into Qi deviation, am I?”

That was her worry. She had once heard that Qi deviation did not only occur during inner Qi training. External shocks could also cause it.

Lee Jaseung smiled faintly and asked,

“Why? Are you scared?”

“I am.”

‘Of course I am. I am a martial artist. Wouldn’t you be scared too?’

As she thought this, Lee Jaseung suddenly spoke.  

“You’re right. It's a Qi deviation.”

Baek Seolyoung was startled. Was he teasing her? She studied his expression, but he was serious.

“I said it is true.”

“To say something so serious so casually! You would not even do this to an enemy you were fighting!”

Lee Jaseung found her expression amusing.

Perhaps it was because this was a face she did not show others. To outsiders, she usually showed a refined smile or a blank expression. Such expressions were rare to see.

“Fortunately, it is just the early stage of Qi deviation.”

Relieved by his tone and manner, she felt it was not too serious.

“So it really is a Qi deviation then. I doubted it.”

He nodded with a serious expression.

“Your heart has developed desire.”

“Desire?”

She understood what he meant. She had developed the desire to become as strong as Lee Jaseung.

She kept recalling his movements, frustrated that she could not move like that. The gap had driven her into Qi deviation.

“So what now?”

“There are two ways.”

“What are they?”

“Abandon the desire, or fulfill it.”

She couldn’t say anything for a moment. She knew that both were hard to give up.

If the desire was so strong it caused Qi deviation, how could she easily abandon it? And how could she reach his level?

Lee Jaseung asked while gazing into her eyes.

“Which do you want to choose?”

* * *

After she left, Lee Jaseung trained until late at night.

Under the moonlight, he was practicing the close-combat techniques of the Limitless Iron Chest.

He had already repeated the ten forms hundreds of times, and they were becoming gradually more familiar.

The hand techniques were delicate, the foot techniques powerful, and the body techniques were strange.

Even so, he had not yet tried to mix them with the Yama's Dagger Art. The right moment would come naturally, as always.

Nor had he tried using extreme Yin inner Qi with a technique built on extreme Yang.

After a bout of practice, he finished with breathing exercises. Now he could freely use both Yin and Yang inner Qi.

He had not given her an answer on purpose. There was no single correct answer. It differed for each person.

When he finished, Baek Seolyoung entered.

“Hey, I have decided.”

“Good.”

“But first, I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“You have faced such a choice before, haven’t you?”

He nodded.

“And you overcame it with effort?”

He nodded again. Effort had overcome all obstacles for him.

“Do you think I can do the same?”

She was asking if she looked like someone who could truly make the effort.

After looking at her for a moment, he answered with a serious look.

“Yes. You do. Perhaps even more than me.”

It was the highest praise he could give.

She smiled faintly.

“Thank you for saying that.”

Her expression brightened.

“I did not interrupt your training, did I?”

“I was about to finish anyway. Let’s go together.”

They walked side by side.

Under the soft moonlight, the mood felt pleasant.

After a while, she suddenly spoke.

“I chose to give it up.”

Lee Jaseung was surprised. From her earlier questions, he thought she would choose to pursue it.

“That does not mean I will stop training. I will work hard, like I just asked you.”

“Then why?”

“I will work hard, but I will give up the desire.”

She stopped and looked at him.

“At first, I thought, I will work hard like you with all my strength, and reach at least half your level. But the whole time I thought that, my heart was boiling. I thought it was passion at first, but it was not.”

“What was it?”

“Greed. That was greed. Greed dressed up as passion and effort. It may sound strange, but I saw my own greed then. I know what it feels like, and what it looks like.”

He said nothing. He could not know exactly what she felt, but he knew she had gained a deep insight that would change her life.

She smiled awkwardly at the seriousness of the moment.

“I just want to think simply. You know the saying, you can fill the sea but not human greed? I should not be greedy at my age. I want my heart to be like a calm, cold lake. Something that calms you just by looking at it. Like the lake where we first met.”

At that moment, Lee Jaseung thought to himself.

Perhaps this was the best choice she could make now. It was not simply choosing one of two options. She had drawn out the most important thing from countless possible outcomes in her heart.

And this small choice might one day lead to something great.

She asked suddenly,

“Oh, with this mindset, can I overcome Qi deviation?”

He smiled faintly.

“You ask quickly.”

His tone was curt, but his expression was bright. His next words were even brighter.

“Of course you can.”

She smiled brightly.

Lee Jaseung knew then. The moment she had chosen this, she had already escaped Qi deviation.

She was continuing to move forward.

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