Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
64. Faith and test (12)
Power of Fate, Wúzhīqí, Tao Sihu’s Gwangrim.
To dig into those clues, the priority was to personally meet Tao Sihu.
In the past, Jang Namuk told me that the highschool cadets of the Player Military School could go out of the school until 10 pm, so I thought if I hurry, I won’t be too late.
I drew a movement route in my head, but there were a few variables.
One of those variables was Hwang Jiho.
“You’re not hurt, eh? The air limousine is on the stand-by. Ah, would it be faster to move on foot?”
It wasn’t a dangerous matter, and as I was just going to the Military School, I could go alone, so there was no need to go together.
I was a bit worried, but because I couldn’t come up with an excuse to refuse Hwang Jiho’s company, I decided to go with him.
“… I’ll ride.”
As if he liked that I was going to obediently ride, Hwang Jiho’s eyes curved up and he smiled.
It was also because he was slightly rumpled, but because I almost never saw Hwang Jiho in his twenties, he was extremely unfamiliar.
‘It seems that each alter-ego of a different age takes on a different role.’
Hwang Jiho operated alter-egos of several ages.
The elementary school student Hwang Yuho and the 1st year class 0’s lunatic Hwang Jiho were irrelevant.
The two shamelessly mixed among the children and attended schools, so it was proof that the geezer didn’t know how to act his age.
The teen Hwang Jiho was slowly revealing himself to the press, but he didn’t have any particular role yet.
But the alter-egos of other ages were a bit different.
‘The Hwang Jihos in his thirties and sixties are probably for the ‘external appearance usage’. It’s the appearances he usually takes when doing external activities.’
The leader of the Hwang Myeong Group and the chairman of the Hwang Myeong Foundation, appearing to be in his sixties Hwang Myeong-ho.
The one who appeared in Hoyeon Building at the time of Kwon Jane’s domestic concert, listened to her performance and faced Kwon Jane as the Hwang Jiho in his thirties.
Even when facing Hyeon-mu and Lǐ Wěi, it was his thirties appearance.
‘What kind of role the appearance in his twenties is playing?’
I didn’t know how much the alter-ego’s outer appearance influenced him when he used his power.
Even so, wouldn’t the twenty years old version be easier than the alter-ego in his sixties or an elementary school student?
Perhaps this twenty years old version alter ego was fighting in the unseen places or on the front lines.
Like a moment ago, conquering the otherworld.
‘… No, It could be because of another simple reason.’
After getting into the air limousine, my fellow passenger commented on that ‘simple reason’ I thought of.
“He looks like the class 0’s lun… Hwang Jiho.”
Besides Hwang Jiho, there was another variable here.
The one and only Yu Sang-hun.
When we were going back to the surface, each of us went up the route we infiltrated.
It was An Dain’s suggestion, who asked if it wouldn’t be advantageous to fight or hide in the place which we familiarized ourselves with at least once in case something happened.
Yeom Junyeol was a bit regretful, but in the end everyone accepted An Dain’s suggestion.
After safely escaping underground, Yu Sang-hun abruptly spoke up to me, who said “see you tomorrow”.
— When I see you return to the dormitory, I’ll go.
Yu Sang-hun acted like he knew that I had things left to do.
Then wouldn’t it be better to go back to the dormitory and then go?
Was it a mistake not to answer right away? Yu Sang-hun quickly figured out my thoughts.
— Don’t pretend to go back to the dormitory.
After that, Hwang Jiho also joined us.
As if he believed it wouldn’t be a problem even if Yu Sang-hun found out about him, Hwang Jiho acted calmly, even though he knew that he was being observed.
‘As Yu Sang-hun commented, his twenty years old appearance is very close to teen Hwang Jiho. It seems difficult to hide it with the clothing, hairstyle and atmosphere.’
Didn’t Hwang Jiho grow recently?
If the twenty years old appearance was freely walking around, Hwang Jiho’s true identity may be easily revealed.
“But where are we going?”
Did Yu Sang-hun get in without even knowing where are we going?
Because I sent the coordinates after boarding, this air limousine was automatically heading to the destination.
I lifted the Gwangrim and took off the crow mask, as I replied.
“The Military Academy. I sent Jang Namuk a message, but he didn’t reply yet.”
“Why there?”
“I have something to check. If I can’t contact Jang Namuk, Tao Sihu…”
Ding.
At that moment, the device message arrived.
The message came from Jang Namuk.
[Jang Namuk] Uisin-ah.
[Jang Namuk] Did you perhaps contact me knowingly?
Jang Namuk replied with an uncharacteristically short message without even asking for my wellbeing.
It was clear that something happened.
I didn’t ask back, and instead decided to get straight to the point.
[Me] What happened to Tao Sihu?
When I sent this message, it was read straight away, but a reply didn’t come right away.
It seemed like he was writing a long message.
In the meantime, the twenty years old Hwang Jiho and Yu Sang-hun, who both sat at my sides and watched the hologram I turned on, started a conversation.
‘For the twenty years old-looking Hwang Jiho and Yu Sang-hun it would be the first meeting…’
Of course, the teen Hwang Jiho and Yu Sang-hun knew each other, but they didn’t have much exchanges.
But the two seemed to get along from the quiet conversation.
“It involves Tao Sihu?”
“Do You know Tao Sihu?”
“I was involved with him in the past. I never personally met with Tao Sihu, but I had an opportunity to talk with Jang Namuk.”
“… With Jang Namuk?”
When Jang Namuk’s name came out, Yu Sang-hun turned his head with a ‘whoosh’ sound and looked at me.
His face clearly revealed his feelings.
I guess Yu Sang-hun wanted to ask what kind of scripting and scheming were we doing without his knowledge.
Before I could say something, Hwang Jiho opened his mouth:
“If we’re going to meet them right now, it’s better that you know, eh? You’re going to find out anyway if you’re going there, it seems.”
Considering Yu Sang-hun’s current readiness, it seemed like he would figure things out.
There would be no misunderstandings if I told him personally, but I didn’t like at all that it probably meant sweeping Yu Sang-hun in a dangerous matter.
However, it already seemed too late.
“Won’t it be okay to speak? Aren’t you, Jo Uisin and Jang Namuk close friends?”
“Is it related to today’s events?”
“It probably has some relation. Because Jo Uisin is going to see Tao Sihu right now.”
There was a relation, but what are you doing saying it like this?
With Hwang Jiho putting it like this, Yu Sang-hun would know that Jang Namuk and I did something without his knowledge.
“Then I’ll listen. I’ll also talk to Jang Namuk.”
Saying that, Yu Sang-hun threw a message into the group chat right away.
[Yu Sang-hun] I plan to hear about it.
… Wasn’t it an extremely short way of saying it?
I was worried what Jang Namuk would think if he read that message at this time.
The message Yu Sang-hun sent was marked as read right away, but Jang Namuk, who was in the middle of writing a long message, had no way to reply right away.
As if belatedly thinking that it was an insufficient explanation, Yu Sang-hun typed in an additional message.
[Yu Sang-hun] I’m going too.
The additional explanation added even more confusion.
As if Yu Sang-hun thought he said everything he needed, he closed the hologram window and started to listen to 20-looking Hwang Jiho.
“Do you remember the opening ceremony of the exchange with the Military Academy? There was an incident at that time.”
“Ah… Something happened at that time, huh? I thought so.”
Yu Sang-hun glanced to me, and then focused on the geezer’s story again.
The geezer laughed once, as if he was pleased by this situation.
“Hahaha! I guess you guessed this much, eh?”
If he laughs like this, he overlapped with the 1st year class 0’s lunatic — his identity would be revealed right away because of it.
But Hwang Jiho sometimes laughed without bothering about it, and continued to explain.
In the meantime, the message from Jang Namuk arrived.
[Jang Namuk] Sihu just fainted. The situation was settled a moment ago, but I’m rather flustered. If not for Gyeyeon-i, it might have been dangerous. I don’t know where I should start to explain this. Before Sihu fainted, he activated his Gwangrim, and when I looked at him with my eyes, it looked like Sihu was submerged in water.
[Jang Namuk] Uh? Sanghun-ah?
[Jang Namuk] Can you explain in a bit more detail what do you mean?
I guess that Jang Namuk was typing in a long message, but seeing Yu Sang-hun’s message, he ended up cutting in the middle.
Regretfully, Yu Sang-hun already closed the device message window.
[Me] Please explain what happened to Tao Sihu.
[Jang Namuk] Ah… okay…
Jang Namuk quickly gave up on hearing an answer from Yu Sang-hun.
Instead of that, he organized the story a bit better than in the first message he sent and explained what happened.
Sudden activation of Tao Sihu’s Gwangrim.
Something dark, heavy and deep as seen by Jang Namuk’s eyes.
Formless stream tightening around Tao Sihu’s windpipe.
And Namkung Gyu-yeon’s power, which prevented the situation.
[Jang Namuk] Gyuyeon-i stabbed the shovel in the ground and a wall of earth shot up, covering Sihu. Then Sihu was able to breathe properly.
Earth conquers water.
According to the Yin Yang and Five Elements theory, earth energy blocks water based on the relationship of oppositions.
When Tao Sihu was covered by water energy, Namkung Gyu-yeon used the earth energy and blocked it.
I was glad to confirm Tao Sihu’s safety, but something bothered me.
‘Namkung Gyu-yeon uses energy of earth? The person, who didn’t properly appear in PMH, had such a power…’
Considering the strength possessed by Power of Earth in this world, it was significant.
In addition, Namkung Gyu-yeon was a member of the Namkung Group.
Considering how the Namkung Group was involved in the development of the Power of Earth terminal, it bothered me even more.
‘Hong Gyubin had to throw away his name to become a Player, but Namkung Gyu-yeon is different.’
There was an age gap between Hong Gyubin and Namkung Gyu-yeon, so it was a possibility they changed their educational policy in the meantime.
However, I thought it wasn’t that.
They were so stubborn that they erased an excellent son like Hong Gyubin from the family register, so it didn’t seem like they would change their values so easily.
‘… Let’s think about Tao Sihu for now.’
At the words I was going to see Tao Sihu, Jang Namuk was very happy.
It seemed he trusted me more to examine him rather than leaving him to the Military Academy hospital, whose nurse officer was involved in Tao Sihu’s failed assassination conspiracy.
“We’ve arrived.”
The set location was a hotel close to the Military Academy.
As if finishing the conversation while moving made Yu Sang-hun and Hwang Jiho instantly become close, they were sometimes each exchanging a few words.
It felt that the two talked more with each other than me.
When we sat down to wait for Jang Namuk and Tao Sihu in the suit reserved by Hwang Jiho.
“When will Jang Namuk come?”
“He received a permission for overnight stay out a moment ago, so he will come soon.”
“Let’s have a drink while we wait. It’s included in the room costs, so order what you want.”
Hwang Jiho said that, while he took out the orange juice from the guest room mini-bar, and put ice in it, before handing it to me.
Hwang Jiho also handed Yu Sang-hun his share in a natural manner, so I guess Yu Sang-hun liked it.
Lastly, when Hwang Jiho was about to prepare his share of a drink.
“…!”
Hwang Jiho’s hands stopped, and he swiftly jumped to the door.
Looking at the door, Hwang Jiho’s expression was serious.
“What’s the matter?”
“… Coming. Everyone take a step back.”
At those words, I and Yu Sang-hun reflexively hid ourselves in the guest room.
As we were hiding in the guest room and looking outside, the door opened.
The one who appeared at the front after the door opened was Jang Namuk, who opened the door with a key card.
The problem was the being standing behind him.
“Why are you here?”
Behind Jang Namuk stood Qítiān Dàshèng, holding Tao Sihu in his arms.
*~*~*
Translator’s note: If I think of Hwang-ho’s different appearances with the ‘simple reason’ in mind, this chapter makes sense to talk about them, but if I think about any other possible reasons… this title will drive me crazy.
Patron thank you note:
Thank you patron, Nobody, please accept this Gelsemium sempervirens’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Al, please accept this Anopterus macleayanus’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Dust, please accept this Blackstonia perfoliata’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Maru, please accept this Celiantha imthurniana ‘s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, kamisonk, please accept this Centaurium erythraea’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Kasimir Ilmonen, please accept this Centaurium littorale’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Tara Hess, please accept this Centaurium pulchellum’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Ice, please accept this Centaurium scilloides’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Hematite, please accept this Centaurium tenuiflorum’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Deflubs, please accept this Chironia albiflora’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, TheFloorGuy, please accept this Chironia baccifera’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Akemidy, please accept this Chironia gratissima’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, vicky moch, please accept this Chironia jasminoides’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Diana-Maria, please accept this Chironia linoides’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Reichie, please accept this Chironia palustris’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Ch W, please accept this Chironia peduncularis’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, aila ilzyana, please accept this Chironia purpurascens’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, MeltedMochi, please accept this Chironia tetragona’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Links to support this translation and access to 8 advanced chapter (Patreon & Kofi)
> Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LibraryKeyTranslations
> Kofi-Euro: https://ko-fi.com/wanthetranslator
> Kofi-USD: https://ko-fi.com/wanthetranslatorusd
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
Leave a Reply