Chapter 23
Why are you venturing out again…? (3)
The residence of Gu Yangcheon shook, disrupted by the raging Qi of the Sword Emperor. The Second Elder quickly unfolded a Qi barrier to envelop the mansion.
It was rough and wild. Who would have thought that a sword practitioner could unleash such cutting energy without even drawing their sword?
“They say dragons grow larger with age, and that rings true…”
A bead of sweat trickled down the Second Elder’s chin. This was the extent of the Qi that seeped out amidst the Sword Emperor’s tumultuous emotions.
Heavenly Venerable.
The Sword Emperor was undoubtedly proving that title was not an empty boast.
“You’re crossing the line, Gu Ryoon.”
“You know exactly what I meant when I asked that.”
The sight of a master martial artist was vast. If a master of the Second Elder’s caliber unleashed their full Qi, they could overlook at least half of the Gu clan.
It might not be possible to monitor every movement of a high-ranking figure like Gu or the Sword Emperor, but they could at least perceive others within the clan.
The presence one holds becomes clearer to other martial artists.
Thus, the Second Elder realized,
“You must already know this, so why pretend to be oblivious?”
He thought of Wi Seol-Ah.
She possessed an otherworldly beauty, yet to the discerning eye of the Second Elder, she was anything but.
There was nothing there.
Wi Seol-Ah exuded no sense of presence that a human ought to have.
Awe, perhaps fear—
These contradictory terms sprang to mind when thinking of Wi Seol-Ah.
By rights, as a human, she should possess something, yet inside this hollow shell of a girl existed something entirely different.
Was it light, or darkness? At the Second Elder’s level, he couldn’t discern.
But could the Sword Emperor not see it?
“That child, what is she?”
“My granddaughter is human, Gu Ryoon!”
The Sword Emperor slammed his hand on the table, splintering it instantly.
A loud crash! as the table broke under the force, and in the same breath, the Sword Emperor’s Qi erupted.
The shockwave hit the Second Elder, who had been surrounding the residence with his own Qi for protection.
But he didn’t allow it to show.
Swallowing back the hot blood that surged to his throat, the Second Elder pressed on.
“Do you think finding the Immortal Healer will fill that child’s void with something else?”
The Immortal Healer, that ancient figure revered as a godsend—could even someone with that kind of power achieve such a feat?
Even the King of Shadows, once king of the Night Reapers, couldn’t fill the void within Wi Seol-Ah.
Yet another mystery nagged at the Second Elder; what exactly filled that void inside her?
It was fundamentally different from the innate energy every human carried.
‘What could that possibly be…?’
For humans, ignorance equals fear. The Second Elder felt that very fear emanating from Wi Seol-Ah. What could such a small child be hiding? Curious, yet terrified to find out.
His instincts whispered: some things shouldn’t be uncovered.
“Is this why you’re hiding, afraid she will be discovered?”
How would other martial artists perceive how she truly was? If they could see through to her, what if they were like the Second Elder?
Surely there weren’t many martial artists in the world able to reach that depth of knowledge about her. Yet, there were certainly some…
What if they, like the Second Elder, grasped the secrets hiding within her guise?
What could they deduce about the unfathomable oddity of her presence?
Though the Sword Emperor’s expression was serious, it felt like more than just that was at stake, though now didn’t seem the time to press for further information.
He felt an unsettling prickling at the back of his neck, as though dozens of invisible blades were aimed at him from the shadows.
Nothing was in the Sword Emperor’s hands,
Yet the Second Elder was aware: all those blades belonged to the Sword Emperor himself.
“Is this the ‘Mind Sword’, the pinnacle martial art of a swordsman?”
The Second Elder, not being a swordsman, had no way of knowing for sure.
Thus,
“If I ask any more, you might slice me to pieces without hesitation.”
“…Gu Ryoon, you’re only alive right now because you understand. So don’t feel too poorly about it.”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking or why you keep that child close. And honestly? I don’t care.”
He had no interest in others’ thoughts. Just trying to traverse his own life was challenging enough.
That was the Second Elder’s viewpoint.
“The you from back then wouldn’t have worried about this.”
To the Second Elder, the Sword Emperor appeared precarious.
The once eternal Sword Emperor he perceived was beginning to dull, tarnished by the years.
He was the ‘Infinite Sky’ that the Orthodox Faction revered, the pillar of their strength.
At one time, the Second Elder had looked up to this man with reverence—an existence carrying the strength of Heaven itself.
But now?
Now, the sky showed signs of cracking.
As he regarded the Sword Emperor, the Second Elder spoke.
“If you claim that child to be human, then I shall treat her as such. If you choose to protect her, then do so. But,”
The Second Elder rose, his back to the remnants of the shattered table.
He had to heed the Lord’s request and venture to Namgung.
“Do not harbor regrets later from your choices now. I’m sure you understand that there is nothing more pitiful than that.”
Shortly after the Second Elder exited, the Sword Emperor’s furious Qi began to settle.
Withdrawing the sharp energy surrounding the room, he ran a hand across his face…
“Is that child even human?”
The echoes of the Second Elder’s words weighed heavily in his mind.
Was she human? Without a doubt, she was human.
The Demon Realm.
That’s where the Sword Emperor had brought Wi Seol-Ah from. He chose to erase that memory.
From the first moment he met her, from when she first spoke his name, to the day they walked together hand-in-hand,
All those moments insisted to the Sword Emperor that she, Wi Seol-Ah, was human.
Regardless of what was inside Wi Seol-Ah, no matter if she was entwined in an impending disaster,
None of that mattered if he simply severed that fate away.
That was the singular purpose for which he wielded his sword.
That was the pledge he made to his blade.
No matter what Wi Seol-Ah was, no matter what calamity loomed ahead.
For the sake of his granddaughter, the Sword Emperor would burn away his own worthless life without hesitation.
He began to carefully collect the shards of the broken table.
“I’m sorry…”
After living so long, he still struggled to harness his emotions.
So what if Wi Seol-Ah wasn’t a human?
As a human, he simply needed to fill in her shortcomings.
If necessary, he would even sacrifice his life for her.
The Sword Emperor was ready for that moment.
However,
He only then realized—far too late—that Wi Seol-Ah had vanished from the clan.
How long had it been since we left in the carriage? My butt was starting to feel sore.
Peering outside, the sun had already set. Soon, we’d be entering woodland, and it would be time for a break.
Shortly after, the carriage came to a halt, and we began preparing to camp for the night. A nearby stream made for a convenient spot.
Had I been sitting too long? My entire body felt stiff.
Muyeon had a blank look on his face, then just up and vanished, insisting he needed to train.
He said he’d be back before his night watch, so I assumed he’d return in time.
‘How much longer until we get to Sichuan?’
We still had a few days to go. As usual, it felt like this endless stretch of land was taking ages to cross.
There was a reason the Murim Alliance had sought to tame flying beasts back in the day.
Of course, they had failed miserably, much like their attempts with the Green-horned Hounds.
Ultimately, the Murim Alliance concluded that taming demons was simply impossible.
‘…Except for the Heavenly Demon.’
It was somewhat ironic that the Heavenly Demon could accomplish something the entire Alliance couldn’t, even after years of study.
The Heavenly Demon had indeed tamed demons.
To the extent that their very breath would command loyalty from them.
A creature capable of devouring an entire clan in a single bite was like a pet lamb before the Heavenly Demon.
In my past life, the day demons invaded the Mount Hua Sect, the Heavenly Demon appeared mounted on a giant demon.
How does one even tame a demon?
“Is someone capable of that truly human?”
Even the thought sent chills down my spine.
I needed to shake it off and focus on what was ahead.
Clearing my mind, I began channeling Qi around my body, dismissing the pointless distractions.
Although I had been practicing consistently, the amount of Qi I possessed was woefully inadequate for quick improvement.
It could take ages for me to reach the third level of the flame arts.
It wasn’t just the physical aspect; the most pressing issue was still my Qi reserves.
I realized this during my sparring with Gu Jeolyub.
Due to insufficient Qi, I found myself unable to execute techniques I understood.
This could pose serious risks in real combat.
Stepping forward, I threw a punch into the air.
Bam!
The sound of air bursting echoed as my fist shot out.
Just this single effort left me feeling drained of Qi.
Still, I pressed on, linking movements from arm to leg and back again.
My rigid body prevented me from flowing into natural movements, but I had to keep my Qi flowing smoothly.
Martial arts were about the muscles memorizing that sensation.
Martial arts aren’t easily granted to the unprepared.
In short, I needed to grind through my training.
After repeating the same movements over and over, my lower abdomen began to tingle.
That was the sign that I was out of Qi.
“Huff…”
I let out the last of my Qi as if I was expelling the final remnants of waste.
I hadn’t trained long, yet I was soaked with sweat. The lack of Qi was a real hindrance.
My mind kept returning to the idea of demonic absorption techniques.
They were the quickest and most convenient way to boost my Qi.
If I didn’t use these talents, I couldn’t think of any other effective means to accumulate Qi.
However,
“I just escaped that hellhole—I don’t want to crawl back again.”
Even without demonic energy, it remained a technique of the Heavenly Demon.
Absorbing Qi from just a couple of demonic stones didn’t instill confidence in the technique’s safety.
Plus, I had a strong aversion to being associated with it.
‘Not yet… Not yet.’
This felt like a curse. If reincarnation was a blessing, then this was its curse.
At the very least, I needed to ensure this was safe before I considered using it.
How long had I been training? Perhaps an hour by now?
I stopped practicing and withdrew my flame Qi, only to feel a sudden chill in the air.
Normally, I wouldn’t feel so cold due to my flame Qi, but the sweat rendered me even chillier.
I returned to the camp to change into clean clothes and headed toward the stream.
As much as I wanted to just eat and lie down, self-discipline dictated that I maintain my composure as a royal clan member.
Just as I was about to dip my foot into the stream,
—Kyaa!
I whipped around at the piercing scream.
It came from the direction of the carriage.
Rushing towards it, I pondered what calamity had fallen upon us. Could a bandit raid be at hand? I thought they had all disappeared post-demon gate.
When I reached the carriage, I found a servant skittish near it.
“What happened?”
Other escorts had gathered, including Muyeon.
“Uh… something moved inside the carriage!”
The servant stuttered, fear evident in their voice.
“Inside the carriage?”
Had a wild beast slipped in, tempted by the smell of food?
I hoped it was something we could cook and eat.
One of the guards soon brought a torch to illuminate the interior of the carriage.
There, something stirred.
It didn’t resemble any beast, prompting one of the guards to draw their sword.
And out of the carriage emerged,
“Hmm… Huh?”
None other than Wi Seol-Ah, munching on a carrot.
I was left speechless at the absurdity of it all.
…What brings you here again?
‘…Ah, life.’
The ludicrous situation triggered a long-lost headache.
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