Love Ballad of the Tyrant King

Chapter 48: Seolyoung, Asks Jaseung

Lee Jaseung had never once thought about how he would answer the question, but the answer came naturally.

“I’m a bastard of the Unorthodox with big dreams.”

Yes, it was a short phrase, but it described his path better than anything else.

“Hahahahaha.”

Yim Sayeon laughed again. This time, she laughed heartily, her throat visible from how wide she opened her mouth.

What had she felt from his answer?

Had she sensed his desire to unite the world under one rule?

Grinning, Yim Sayeon raised the bottle.

“Come, sit and have a drink.”

Lee Jaseung politely accepted the drink. Yim Sayeon did not mention his identity any further.

As she poured him another drink, she asked about Un.

“Is Un doing well?”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“He passed away more than twenty years ago.”

“I see.”

Yim Sayeon drank with a sorrowful expression.

Lee Jaseung could tell. There had been some unspoken story between his grandfather and Yim Sayeon. His grandfather had never once mentioned her.

But then again, he hadn’t spent that long with his grandfather either. After passing on the Yama's Dagger Art and laying the foundation, his grandfather died the following autumn.

Still, Lee Jaseung could never forget that time he had with him. Without his grandfather, he would never have survived in the world of martial arts.

Lee Jaseung calmly asked,

“What did you mean when you said that drink was mine?”

“That drink was brewed by Un. He used to say all the time that he’d give it to his disciple someday. I’m glad his martial arts didn’t fade away but were passed down to you.”

A spark of emotion passed through her eyes.

It was clearly joy at being able to fulfill her disciple’s wish, even now.

From the beginning, the earlier test hadn’t been something Baek Seolyoung’s father had left. It had been Yim Sayeon’s excuse to return the drink.

Of course, Baek Seolyoung’s father had asked her for a favor. To evaluate the character of the man who would become his son-in-law. And if he was worthy, to allow him into the secret cave that had been passed down through the Northern Sky Clan.

So while assessing Lee Jaseung’s character, she had also used the test as a reason to take him to the cave where the drink was kept. But unexpectedly, Lee Jaseung had refused to take the test.

In the end, Yim Sayeon had made it up on the spot, saying that refusing the test was what it meant to pass.

Setting the drink’s price at thirty million silver coins had also been her personal way of testing his character, and perhaps a bit of entertainment.

A question naturally arose in Lee Jaseung’s mind.

But why had she kept the drink? What exactly had happened between them?

He was curious, but he didn’t ask. He felt it wasn’t something to ask or answer lightly.

Trying to change the mood, Yim Sayeon grinned.

“I thought about drinking it myself.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? A woman can’t drink it.”

“But you’re not an ordinary woman, are you?”

Then Yim Sayeon gave a meaningful smile.

“Yes, that’s true. I could have drunk it. People think that as you age, you reach a state of detachment, but that’s not true. You become more greedy, more attached. Because you don’t have much time left. Around then, I did consider drinking it. But when you grow even older, everything just becomes a bother. I mean everything. Even lifting a bottle feels like too much work!”

“Hahaha.”

Lee Jaseung laughed heartily. She had used the word “bother,” but perhaps it was a reflection of a deep enlightenment that surpassed worldly desires.

“What is your relationship to the Northern Sky Clan?”

“I owed a debt to the late Lord. I was just planning to stay until Seolyoung was properly settled, then leave.”

“I see.”

She grinned and added,

“To be honest, I have nowhere to go. I’ve lived a hundred years, and yet there’s nowhere left for me.”

Her joke carried a hint of sincerity, and it left a faint ache in his heart.

After that, the two drank in silence. Even without speaking, the atmosphere wasn’t uncomfortable.

After a few bottles, Lee Jaseung left.

Left alone, Yim Sayeon brought out another bottle and drank again.

By the time she finished the new bottle, her eyes were filled only with longing.

* * *

Baek Seolyoung stared silently at the darkness outside the window.

“It’s late.”

Said Chu Sang-gi, who was worried by the deep sorrow in her expression.

“Sang-gi.”

“Yes.”

“To be honest, I’ve lived my life thinking I was quite amazing.”

“You are amazing, my Lady!”

He blurted it out emotionally, then regretted it immediately. That wasn’t what she needed to hear. It might have had the opposite effect.

Sure enough, she continued in an even gloomier tone.

“I think I’ve been wrong about something the whole time.”

“…My Lady.”

“What could it be?”

Ever since meeting Lee Jaseung, she had been constantly challenged by him. At first, she thought it was because he was rude. But after today, she realized that wasn’t it. There was a fundamental difference between him and her.

Something deep inside whispered to her.

Find out what it is.

She turned and left the room. Chu Sang-gi followed.

“Where are you going?”

She marched ahead and said,

“If I don’t know, I’ll ask directly.”

* * *

When Lee Jaseung returned to his lodging, Baek Seolyoung was waiting in the alley in front of the inn.

“Want to take a walk?”

Lee Jaseung nodded.

They walked through the night. Almost as if planned, their steps led them to the lakeside.

On the way, they passed a couple. They looked like lovers, whispering to each other and laughing. They looked so happy.

Baek Seolyoung turned her gaze away.

Their wedding was less than two months away, and yet she felt her relationship with Lee Jaseung was so cold and distant.

Had they ever laughed together like that? Would they ever?

But she quickly shook off the sorrowful thoughts.

‘No, Seolyoung. Now is not the time to get sentimental.’

Eventually, the two reached the lake.

After staring silently at the water for a while, she finally spoke. It was something she had wanted to ask him all day.

“What am I missing?”

It was an incredibly broad question.

But Lee Jaseung could guess what she meant.

She had realized something was wrong in her way of thinking. She just didn’t know what it was, and that frustrated her. Like being trapped in an egg.

But breaking the shell was something she had to do herself. What he could do was not break it for her, but let her know another world awaited outside.

She was intelligent, wise, and strong-willed. Of course, she had many other strengths. She was beautiful, noble, kind…

And now she was trying to take another step forward.

In the martial world, fateful opportunities weren’t just about gaining inner Qi or learning new techniques.

Sometimes, a shift in perspective could be a greater opportunity than hundreds of years’ worth of inner Qi

So Lee Jaseung told her what he truly felt.

“Think about where you’re standing and who you’re facing.”

That was all he said. Then he turned and left without looking back. That was all he could offer her for now.

Alone, Baek Seolyoung repeated his words under her breath.

“Where I’m standing… and who I’m facing…”

She stood motionless, repeating the phrase.

* * *

Two hours later, Lee Jaseung woke from a brief nap and began his morning training. He had always been devoted to practice, but now there was even more to train. That meant he had to sacrifice sleep.

In martial arts, there was no such thing as “tomorrow.” If he didn’t do it today, he would lose today’s progress forever.

He began by cultivating his internal Qi.

He activated both internal cultivation methods at once. It required intense concentration and wasn’t easy, but he was working through it by repetition.

There’s only one way to overcome difficulty.

Keep going until it no longer feels difficult.

For now, the awkwardness would continue. Since learning martial arts, his internal Qi had always been of one type. Now, two different types of energies coexisted, so it was natural.

After finishing the energy circulation, he stood.

This time, he cautiously drew out only the pure Yin energy from his Dantian. A cold chill spread through his body, and frost-like air formed around him.

He used the Yama's Dagger Art with extreme Yin energy.

He had previously combined the second and third techniques. Now, Yama's Dagger Art was composed of five techniques.

He moved slowly and carefully. At first, he used only one-third of his inner Qi. There was no collision between the energies, and the technique was executed properly.

He tried again with half his Qi.

Aside from the unfamiliar feeling, there were no problems.

Then he went up to two-thirds, and finally used all his Qi to perform his technique.

Swish swish swish swish swish swish swish!

As cold energy burst forth, his figure danced through the air.

It was completely different from when he had used extreme Yang. If the techniques were unleashed using pure Yang energy, it would’ve had an overwhelming force, but using pure Yin made it feel ominous instead. It didn’t feel like an attack that flew in with great force, but dread instead.

He completed all the forms.

“Whew…”

Sitting back in the lotus position, he drew the Yin energy back into his Dantian.

Only after using the techniques with pure Yin did he realize how well-crafted the Yama’s Dagger Art was. Martial techniques that expressed different feelings depending on energy type were incredibly rare.

From the air, he heard Mook Young’s voice.

“Strategist Dan is waiting.”

“Let him in.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Lee Jaseung took off his top and washed in the flowing stream nearby.

Soon, Dan Woobin arrived.

“Aren’t you cold?”

He shivered slightly at the lingering chill in the air. It wasn’t the weather. The extreme Yin energy still remained.

“I’m fine. What brings you here?”

“Ah, I came to request approval.”

“For what?”

“We’re starting operations against Hae Ryang today.”

“What’s the plan?”

“We’ll make him believe that Hae Gwang is trying to eliminate him. We’re going to use his impulsive nature.”

Lee Jaseung nodded. With what he knew of Hae Ryang, the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan would soon fall into internal chaos.

“Also, for this gamble, he borrowed a large sum from outside sources. If we leak the rumor, they’ll pressure him to repay, and that’ll worsen the clan’s confusion.”

Lee Jaseung nodded again.

“In the meantime, you should begin absorbing the Northern Sky Clan’s power. Now that you’re officially the family head’s husband, you can move freely. As I said before, the first target is the Four Dragons of the Northern Sky.”

“You said the leader was Peng So, right?”

“Yes.”

“Do we have any information on him?”

“It’s right here.”

Lee Jaseung scanned the report. A few notable incidents were enough to tell him the man’s nature.

“He’s not a good guy huh.”

“No. He’s the classic type who latches onto power and leeches off it.”

It made sense, since he had been raised by Yang Sebang.

“Understood. I’ll handle it soon.”

“Sounds good.”

“What about the Demonic Cult?”

“For now, you don’t need to worry. The Grand Elder, Great Demon and Vice Leader, Elder Demon Lord are too busy fighting for power. They won’t have time for anything else.”

“Any variables?”

Lee Jaseung asked shortly. Matters involving the Demonic Cult had to be handled with absolute certainty.

They didn’t know about him yet, which was why they could be handled like a punching bag for now. But the Demonic Cult wasn’t to be taken lightly. Killing a few Elders didn’t mean they could be arrogant.

“If something happens, we’ll involve the Guanghai Blade Sect.”

Since Yang Sebang, who had infiltrated them, was killed by Yoma, there was enough to create a link between the two.

Lee Jaseung smiled with satisfaction.

This was the feeling of having a capable strategist. Everything was moving smoothly.

All he had to do was step in at the end and add the final touch.

“Proceed as planned.”

* * *

Baek Seolyoung stayed by the lake until morning.

The moonlit lake now shimmered under the sun.

She had watched the lake all night in silence. Though Chu Sang-gi had been quietly protecting her from afar, he didn’t interrupt her thoughts.

He sensed this was a critical moment for her.

‘My Lady!’

As always, he silently rooted for her.

Her contemplation lasted another four hours.

When the sun rose high in the sky, she stood. Her face was full of resolve, completely different from the night before.

“I am now certain.”

She strode forward and spoke.

“Summon the Heads of all Seven Halls.”