Chapter 200. The Frozen Land (2)
Siberia.
A cold and barren land stretching north beyond the Russian Far East.
But even an environment like this wasn’t much of a problem for the demons of Pandemonium.
The hell they once lived in had been far harsher.
Come to think of it, what happened to Hell? Holmes said the various afterlives were merged together ten years ago.
Thinking about that, I looked over the Siberian landscape spread out before me.
“It’s cold.”
“I’m glad we dressed warmly.”
Beside me, Yang Jian and Princess Longji hunched their shoulders against the cold.
Right now, we had descended into the Material Realm using [Avatar Descent].
“By the way... I didn’t know you could descend to the Material Realm too, ‘Fairy Who Controls Water.’”
I spoke to Princess Longji as though I had only just learned that fact.
That was because I was currently posing not as the ‘Nameless King,’ but as an ordinary Contractor named ‘Kim Nameless.’
“I once descended from Heaven to the Material Realm in the past.”
“That story is why.”
Princess Longji stared at me as she answered.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No reason.”
“I was just thinking that you resemble your Constellation.”
“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”
“They say Contractors start resembling their Constellations.”
I had altered even my face and voice.
I was also consciously changing my expressions and mannerisms, so she probably wouldn’t realize we were the same person.
“Enough pointless chatter. Let’s move.”
Yang Jian cut in.
“And Kim Nameless, I’d prefer it if you stayed back whenever possible.”
“This is a task the Nameless King entrusted to us.”
“Yeah, fine.”
Yang Jian was obedient enough when dealing with the ‘Nameless King,’ but he seemed rather prickly toward ‘Kim Nameless.’
Maybe he still resented me because he believed I was the one who had lured him into that trap.
“I was only ordered to help with whatever you two are doing anyway.”
“I’ll follow your lead.”
Truthfully, if it had been up to me, I would have brought Belial or Daji instead of Princess Longji and Yang Jian.
But this was territory controlled by Pandemonium.
There was a chance someone here might recognize Belial.
And Daji was currently in Korea supporting Kang Yujin and the others.
So I decided to rely on Princess Longji and Yang Jian, who had volunteered themselves.
“The person we’re looking for should be somewhere inside that forest.”
An enormous coniferous forest spread out before us.
Somewhere inside it was Alexei Sivedov, the Contractor of the B-rank Constellation ‘Young Man of Red and Black’ and someone who had once attracted the Count’s attention.
Our task was to find him and learn how the Count had interfered in his life in the past.
“This was a little unexpected.”
“What was?”
Deep inside the thick forest, Princess Longji listened to Yang Jian.
“You volunteering to descend to the Material Realm to help the Nameless King.”
Yang Jian shrugged.
“When you were part of the Mountain-Sea Alliance, I don’t remember you ever being this proactive.”
“We are already bound to the Nameless King’s fate.”
Princess Longji answered stiffly.
“Many Constellations already see us as part of his faction.”
“If the Nameless King falls, we will fall with him.”
“Well, our Origin Power would certainly plummet.”
“If Sherlock Holmes really was attacked by someone, then something similar could happen to us.”
“We need to do what we can.”
“Even taking that into account, it’s still surprising.”
“Descending all the way to the Material Realm to help him... that isn’t like you.”
That much was true.
Princess Longji possessed the Constellation Skill [Avatar Descent], but she had almost never used it.
This was the first time she had used it specifically to help someone else.
“You really are devoted to the Nameless King.”
“I’m not particularly devoted.”
“You’re probably working yourself to the bone for him too, aren’t you?”
“That’s because he has leverage over me.”
“You aren’t being blackmailed by him.”
“That’s...”
“I simply can’t understand why you cooperate with the Nameless King so much.”
Yang Jian smiled.
“Hmm. Could it be this?”
“Do you like that Constellation?”
The moment she heard that...
Princess Longji’s hand moved first.
Slap!
The sound echoed through the coniferous forest.
“You’re one to talk.”
"..."
Princess Longji glared at Yang Jian, who maintained a cool expression despite being slapped.
“Looks like you’ve given up on your ambitions now.”
“What?”
“Do you really think I don’t know why you left the Mountain-Sea Alliance and created your own organization?”
Yang Jian looked puzzled by the sudden accusation.
“You wanted to create a new world in China with your own power.”
“Wait. What are you suddenly talking about...?”
“You’re undeniably a genius.”
“Even three thousand years ago, your ability stood out.”
“As a Taoist Immortal using mystical arts.”
“As a strategist commanding armies.”
“You possessed extraordinary talent in every field.”
Princess Longji spoke without stopping.
“But you were never the protagonist of that age.”
“The protagonist back then... was Taigong Wang, Jiang Ziya.”
That was right.
Three thousand years ago, the Zhou dynasty waged war to overthrow Shang.
And alongside that war came the conflict among the immortals.
The one who directed all of it was Taigong Wang, Jiang Ziya.
As a Taoist practitioner, his skill may have been below Yang Jian’s.
But as a hero capable of moving an entire era...
few could compare to him.
“You were the one who helped him.”
“A supporting character, all the way through.”
And the one who served as Jiang Ziya’s right hand was Yang Jian.
He assisted Jiang Ziya in countless ways and watched as Jiang Ziya led the war to victory.
