Love Ballad of the Tyrant King

Chapter 47: Jaseung, Reveals His Identity

Lee Jaseung was curious too.

Why had the old woman sold him a drink that would grant him one hundred eighty years worth of inner Qi?

He had gained one hundred eighty years worth of inner Qi for thirty million silver coins.

Of course, this Qi wasn’t the same as simply gaining one hundred eighty years worth.

The two types of inner Qi hadn’t merged into four hundred and twenty years worth. Instead, the extreme Yin energy had been added to his existing Yang energy.

In quantity, it had become four hundred and twenty years worth, but that didn’t mean he could unleash techniques with the strength of that amount.

But Lee Jaseung thought this outcome wasn’t bad at all. Even the original amount he had possessed was already substantial in terms of sheer volume.

The strange phenomenon of extreme Yin and extreme Yang energy coexisting in a single Dantian made it hard to guess what result this might bring later. But he believed this would ultimately be helpful.

People would have different opinions about this deal.

Some wouldn’t buy it even for three million silver coins. Others would want it even if it cost three hundred million.

Lee Jaseung had never imagined he would gain such inner Qi when he signed the promissory note. So to him, it was a perfectly satisfactory deal.

The most important thing going forward was his own martial strength.

No one knew which master might block his path in the future. Even if he had ten billion silver coins in hand, it would all be meaningless if he died.

The question was whether the old woman knew his true identity. Considering she had asked for thirty million silver coins, it seemed possible.

“Why? Why did you show kindness to him?”

When Baek Seolyoung asked again, the old woman looked at Lee Jaseung. Both of them waited tensely for her answer.

At last, the old woman opened her mouth.

“He’s handsome, isn’t he?”

The reason was so ridiculous she couldn’t even smile. With a serious face, the old woman emphasized again to Baek Seolyoung.

“I like faces like that. Arrogant and cold, looking like a jerk but oddly charming.”

As Baek Seolyoung still didn’t respond, the old woman suddenly raised her voice.

“I’m a woman too, you know. What, do you think women stop being women just because they get old?”

Baek Seolyoung could tell the old woman had no intention of sharing the real reason.

Lee Jaseung stood with a baffled expression, but inside he was debating whether he should investigate her.

It was not a decision to make lightly. Discovering her true identity would be difficult. On top of that, it could expose his own. He still wasn’t sure if she truly knew who he was.

Anyway, one thing was clear. Thanks to her, he had gained an incredible opportunity, and the old woman completed that opportunity with what she did next.

Riiip-

She tore up the promissory note. She ripped it again and again until it turned to dust.

Both Lee Jaseung and Baek Seolyoung were shocked. That had been a promise to repay thirty million silver coins.

The old woman looked at them and spoke.

“I only wanted to see if you had the courage to sign it. If you hadn’t, I promise you I wouldn’t have given you the drink.”

Baek Seolyoung turned to Lee Jaseung and asked.

“Did you guess she’d do that?”

She wanted to know if he had signed the promissory note expecting the outcome.

“No.”

Lee Jaseung shook his head.

Baek Seolyoung quietly sighed. She could tell he was telling the truth.

It was a complete defeat on her part.

Still, she did not feel bad about it. If she could not have the inner Qi herself, it was better that Lee Jaseung, who would become her husband, received it.

But whether or not the elixir was something she could take, it was something that should’ve been given to her first. Only after that should she have heard that women could not consume it.

Instead, she had been overwhelmed by the price tag of thirty million silver coins and only focused on the immediate consequences.

She had worried about the destruction of her clan if she recklessly signed the deal. She had also feared that if Lee Jaseung went into debt, she would be forced to repay it as his wife.

‘Ugh! How foolish I am.’

She had only been looking at what was in front of her.

Of course, there were reasons she had been misled.

The first two drinks had been just regular alcohol. Naturally, she had assumed the third would be the same. She had fallen for a trick.

Baek Seolyoung looked at Lee Jaseung.

But he had not fallen for it. Whatever his reason for signing the promissory note, he must have sensed that there would be something worthwhile. He must have felt something she had not.

‘I’ll have to admit it. He had made a far superior judgment.’

Baek Seolyoung accepted it. There was no need for excuses or justifications. She had simply fallen short compared to him.

The old woman smiled and said,

“Did you really think I meant to take thirty million silver coins from you? Don’t worry about the first and second bottles either. What would an old woman like me need money for?”

Lee Jaseung bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you. I won’t forget this favor.”

“No, I should thank you. Because of you, I had a delicious drink. And… I saw the kind of boldness that’s rare in young people these days.”

Their eyes met in the air. Lee Jaseung’s gaze was deep like an abyss, and the old woman’s eyes seemed to contain infinite years.

He couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. But instinctively, he could feel one thing. There was another reason behind all of this.

Lee Jaseung hid his thoughts and bowed again.

“Thank you for thinking kindly of me.”

“Come on now. Let’s get going.”

Looking satisfied, the old woman left the cave first.

Lee Jaseung and Baek Seolyoung slowly followed behind.

“If your inner Qi really increased by a hundred eighty years worth, then you must have gotten much stronger.”

“Gaining inner Qi doesn’t automatically make you stronger, but I should be stronger than I was before.”

Baek Seolyoung stopped walking, and Lee Jaseung stopped with her.

She reached out her hand.

“Congratulations.”

She had fully accepted her defeat, and because it was sincere, her congratulations were also genuine.

Lee Jaseung looked at her quietly and took her hand. It was warm. Was it because he had suffered from the cold of the extreme Yin energy? Her warmth made him feel good.

“Thank you.”

At least in this moment, Lee Jaseung meant it with all his heart.

* * *

That night, Lee Jaseung visited the One Fleeting Dream tavern alone.

The old woman was drinking by herself. Maybe it was the solitude, but the atmosphere was different from earlier in the cave.

“You came?”

She didn’t seem surprised at all, as if she had expected him.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Yes, please.”

The old woman poured him a drink.

After emptying his glass, Lee Jaseung asked her a question.

“Please tell me the real reason.”

He was sure there had to be one.

But the words that came out of her mouth were something he never could have imagined.

“That drink was originally yours.”

Lee Jaseung’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t understand what she meant.

He had never had such a drink before, nor even heard of it. So how could it be his?

But there was no trace of jest in her expression.

Lee Jaseung poured himself another glass. He drank again.

One thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps! Was it related to the man named Seop Mu-pyeong?

Without showing any of his thoughts, Lee Jaseung calmly asked,

“What do you mean?”

The old woman looked at him with deep eyes.

“What is your relation to Un?”

Lee Jaseung couldn’t answer right away. No face came to mind immediately with the name Un.

Then he flinched.

Could it be?

A name he had forgotten for so long suddenly resurfaced.

Gang Un.

Indeed, the person she referred to was Gang Un.

“I’m talking about Gang Un?”

With a trembling voice, Lee Jaseung answered,

“He was my grandfather.”

A quiet exclamation escaped the old woman.

She looked at him with eyes filled with wistful emotion and said softly,

“Gang Un was my disciple.”

“Ah!”

Lee Jaseung looked stunned.

He never imagined he would meet his grandfather’s teacher. He hadn’t even known she was alive.

Now he understood. Why he had been drawn to this place and why he kept being drawn to this old woman. Why, whenever he entered this tavern, it felt strange but oddly warm, like coming home.

“When did you know?”

“I didn’t know at first. You were hiding your Qi well.”

The old woman knew he had reached the State of One’s Origin.

“But the more I saw you, the more familiar you looked. At first I thought you were a child I’d met before, or maybe a descendant of someone I knew. If that had been all, I probably would never have realized. But then, for a moment, you revealed your Qi once.”

“When was it?”

“When Seolyoung fell into your arms.”

That day, when Baek Seolyoung had drunkenly clung to him, some of his Qi had escaped without his knowing.

“That Qi was special. Yama's Dagger Art belonged only to that boy.”

Now that she had said “Yama's Dagger Art,” there was no more doubt.

Lee Jaseung jumped up and bowed deeply.

“Let me greet you formally. I am Jaseung.”

This was not as the leader of the Dark Path, but as a grandson paying respect to his grandfather’s teacher. That was why he used his real name, not Seop Mu-pyeong.

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

The old woman gently stroked his head.

When was the last time someone patted his head? Not since his grandfather had patted his head when he was a boy.

“Stand up now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Lee Jaseung rose.

The old woman looked at him with eyes full of emotion.

“To think I’d meet that child’s grandson. I’m overwhelmed as well.”

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

“My name is Yim Sayeon.”

At last, the old woman’s name was revealed. It had been a long time since she had told anyone.

“Lee Jaseung, I am the current leader of the Black Way Alliance.”

He revealed his identity without hiding anything. Not just because she was his grandfather’s teacher, but because there was something special about her.

Rather than feeling like an enemy, there was something warm about her. She also deserved respect as a martial master.

She was clearly a more skilled master than he was. He concluded that there would be nothing good about hiding anything from someone like her.

Yim Sayeon wasn’t surprised at all. Instead, she simply gave a faint smile and asked,

“Why did you reveal your identity to me?”

Lee Jaseung calmly replied,

“You told me the first day we met that I looked like I came from the Unorthodox Faction. Then you said, ‘So what if you’re not part of the Orthodox Faction? The Orthodox ones are worse these days.’”

“Hahaha”

She burst out laughing. Then, she cut it off and asked a serious question.

“So what kind of Unorthodox man are you?”