Chapter 124: The Mysterious Woman
The wall slid sideways with a heavy rumble.
The exit is opening!
The instant that thought crossed my mind, I moved.
Paat!
I activated Void Night Shadow Step and hid myself in the darkness.
Keeping my presence buried within the shadows along the edge of the stone chamber, I waited to see what would happen next.
Goeong saw me disappear and shouted excitedly,
“Waaah! Mujin disappeared! Are we playing hide-and-seek? This is fun!”
I sighed inwardly.
Please, just stay quiet.
Ignoring Goeong, I stared at the wall as it slowly opened.
Before long, someone stepped through the gap.
A middle-aged woman.
She had a cold expression, and a sword hung at her waist.
But before her appearance could fully register, something else caught my senses first.
The aura flowing from her body.
Thin and sharp like a finely honed blade.
It quietly spread from her entire body, carrying the sensation that even breathing carelessly might slice open one's skin.
An expert.
And a formidable one at that.
The moment she entered the chamber, the woman swept her sharp gaze across the interior.
I stood completely still, holding my breath.
Whenever her gaze passed near me, I couldn't help feeling slightly tense.
But I soon calmed myself.
No one has ever detected me while I'm hidden with Void Night Shadow Step.
And just as I expected, she didn't notice my presence at all.
After a moment, the woman looked toward Goeong.
“Elder, did you strike the stone wall again?”
Her tone toward him was unexpectedly respectful.
The moment Goeong saw her, he became even more excited than before.
“I was happy! So I couldn't hold it in! I was too happy!”
“If you were happy... then that is fortunate.”
The woman approached him and looked over his hands.
Goeong naturally held them out.
Her touch was careful and full of genuine concern.
This wasn't forced courtesy.
She examined the back of his hands and every joint of his fingers one by one, like someone who had repeated this same routine countless times over the years.
It was obvious the two shared a close relationship.
“Fortunately, you don't seem to be injured.”
Goeong smiled brightly.
“I don't get hurt! I'm really strong!”
The corner of the woman's mouth moved faintly.
It was such a small reaction that I couldn't tell whether she'd smiled or swallowed a sigh.
Then she asked him,
“Is there anything else you need?”
Goeong shook his head.
“No! I don't deserve to receive many things! I have to be punished!”
"..."
The woman's expression darkened.
She silently looked at Goeong's face.
There seemed to be a strange mixture of sorrow and pity in her eyes.
After a moment, she let out a short sigh.
Then she turned toward the inner part of the chamber.
“I'll check whether you're running low on anything.”
“Do that! Hehehe! I'll keep playing here!”
Goeong shouted as he ran around the stone chamber.
The woman headed toward the sacks and jars piled in the corner.
She lifted one sack of fasting pills and muttered to herself,
“Hmm... Elder ate more fasting pills than usual this time. Was he especially hungry...?”
The fact that she noticed such a tiny change in the amount showed just how carefully she normally looked after Goeong.
I glanced back toward the open exit.
Now.
The woman was checking the supplies.
Goeong was running around excitedly.
If I wanted to escape, this was the moment.
Still maintaining Void Night Shadow Step, I slowly moved toward the opening.
Then—
“Found you! Mujin is over there!”
Goeong suddenly turned toward the exact place I was hiding and shouted.
W-What?
I was completely hidden with Void Night Shadow Step.
There was no way my location should've been exposed.
I-It has to be a coincidence.
No expert had ever detected me while I was using this technique.
Surely Goeong couldn't actually see me?
I calmed my startled heart and continued moving toward the wall.
Then Goeong shouted again.
“Huh? Mujin got caught, but he's still not coming out! He's running away!”
What?
Can he really see me?
Then—
“He still won't come out! Hehehe! Then I'll catch him myself!”
Goeong burst into laughter and charged straight toward me.
Then he threw a punch.
Are you insane?!
WHOOOOOM!
One glance was enough to tell me that fist was packed with internal energy.
If I took that directly, I'd be finished.
I couldn't stay hidden any longer.
Paat!
I immediately released Void Night Shadow Step and jumped out of the shadows.
At the same time—
BOOOOM!
A tremendous explosion erupted behind me.
The wall where I'd been standing moments earlier shattered completely.
Fragments of rock and dust flew in every direction, and even the floor of the stone chamber shook.
“Haa... haa....”
I stared blankly at the place where I'd been hiding.
That was close....
One entire section of the wall had been caved in.
It was almost unbelievable that the chamber hadn't collapsed.
The destructive power was absurd.
If that hit me properly... I'd be dead on the spot.
And yet Goeong just laughed happily.
“Hehehe! You came out! Mujin came out! I caught you!”
I could only stare at him.
What the hell is this old man...?
He could even detect my presence while I was hidden with Void Night Shadow Step?
But I didn't have time to think about it.
Shing!
A cold sensation touched the base of my neck.
My gaze slowly dropped.
The sharp tip of a sword rested near my throat.
I followed the blade upward.
“Who are you?”
The woman was staring at me with an icy expression.
Haa.
Nothing ever goes smoothly.
“Speak. Who are you?”
I didn't answer immediately.
What should I do...?
