As I sat quietly waiting, it wasn’t long before the Plum Blossom Sword opened her eyes.
“I heard you were hurt… but thankfully it seems like you’re okay.”
The Plum Blossom Sword spoke in a dry voice.
I could only nod in response to her worried words.
I had no idea what to say.
First, I had to hide the complicated feelings swelling up inside me as I caught a glimpse of the demonic Qi swirling within her.
“If you had been seriously hurt, it would have hurt my heart deeply. I’m really relieved…”
“…Thank you for worrying about me.”
“No… I’m the one who should apologize for having you come here when you must be busy and not fully healed yet.”
“It’s alright. The Immortal Healer told me I can move freely now.”
Saying that, my eyes were still diverted elsewhere.
‘That demonic Qi is too dense.’
The energy radiating from her was thick and potent, certainly incomparable to the trifling energy possessed by Ya Hyeoljeok.
It reminded me so much of the Qi the Heavenly Demon had.
So strikingly similar that it would not be an exaggeration to say they were one and the same.
I couldn’t have been mistaken about that.
‘Could that be the reason the Sword Master is slowly dying?’
But if the demonic Qi was to blame, why on earth did the Sword Master possess such a thing in her body?
After returning from my previous life, I was being shown too many impossible things.
Had the Sword Master already encountered the Heavenly Demon in this life?
Not everyone with demonic Qi transforms into a demonic being the moment it enters their bodies.
Just look at Ya Hyeoljeok and the fellows from the Black Palace.
The Sword Master before me was a prime example.
The key difference between Ya Hyeoljeok and the Sword Master was that Ya Hyeoljeok was slowly accepting the demonic Qi and evolving into a demonic form,
Whereas the Sword Master resisted and endured the rampaging demonic Qi.
‘She looks so normal on the outside while chaos brews inside her…’
Given that the Sword Master hailed from a Taoist clan, her Qi most likely came from pure origins,
Yet even that purity was likely being consumed by the demonic Qi.
I could tell just by looking at her.
The Sword Master, weakened by the tormenting demonic Qi, was in a state where my level could observe her.
Her Qi reserves were almost depleted.
Even as she neared empty, I could see her still fighting, resisting the wild demonic Qi within her.
And through all that unbearable pain, not once did the Sword Master frown.
Even though she was obviously suffering.
In that moment, the Sword Master looked at me and spoke, her voice tinged with regret.
“I wish I could have seen you a little earlier in life. I’m sorry I can’t even treat you to a meal…”
“…It’s not a problem at all.”
The Sword Master continued to apologize.
I had no idea what she felt so guilty about.
Even if she was friends with my mother, in the grand scheme of things, we were practically strangers.
Yet, she took it upon herself to care for Gu Ryunghwa and even brought her here.
That alone was enough for me.
‘As long as I could handle it on my own.’
‘…Though, I honestly didn’t manage to endure it properly.’
The Sword Master hesitated for a moment while gazing at me before she whispered,
“…Can I hold your hand?”
“Hold my hand?”
It was sudden, but it was a simple enough request, so I extended my hand toward her.
In front of me was the Sword Master’s wrinkled hand.
“I apologize for my wrinkly hand.”
‘…Why apologize for such a trivial thing?’
It felt more like the Sword Master simply wanted to express her regrets to me for nothing at all.
While I thought this, I carefully took hold of her hand.
With a weak smile, the Sword Master said,
“If I were… a bit healthier, it would have been nice.”
It felt as if she was slowly releasing her emotions one by one, standing at the end of her life…
And there I was, unsure of how to respond to this touching moment.
Should I just remain silent?
Or should I offer her some comforting words about how she looked fine no matter the state she was in?
After pondering for a brief moment, I realized remaining silent wasn’t an option, so I steeled myself to speak.
Just as I was about to share my thoughts…
Swish!
“…!”
“Ugh…!”
At that moment, I instinctively jerked my hand away from the Sword Master’s, and she was left staring in shock between our hands.
No wonder she was surprised; the very demonic Qi that had been residing inside her was now flowing into my body.
‘…This is…’
It became apparent as I regained my thoughts and felt the demonic energy within me.
What was inside my body was reminiscent of Ya Hyeoljeok’s.
But what flowed in me right now was not just similar; it was unmistakably his.
‘…Did I really absorb it?’
Am I capable of absorbing not just from demonic stones, but from living beings too?
‘Is this also part of my demonic absorption ability?’
Could it truly be that I have this power?
Considering I hadn’t experienced anything like this in my previous life, it was clear something had changed.
The minuscule amount of demonic Qi I had just absorbed from the Sword Master was quickly being purified by my fiery techniques.
It seemed the demonic energy I had extracted from Ya Hyeoljeok was completely purified as well.
“This…”
The Sword Master was left speechless, clearly bewildered by what just transpired.
It seemed she was struggling to grasp the reality of the situation.
Then a thought struck me: if it truly was possible for me to absorb the Sword Master’s demonic Qi,
‘Then maybe I can…’
Save the Sword Master.
That thought crossed my mind.
While I entertained this notion, the door of the hut suddenly flung open.
“What are you all doing?”
It was the Immortal Healer.
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