This is the story of the grand clown Balliaji.
“This is also a tale from the Western Regions, dear fairy. Do you know anything about mental illness or depression?”
“Well, it’s a disease that afflicts those who are inherently flawed or weak.”
Is this the pre-modern martial artist’s mindset?
“Indeed, there is such a tendency. However, even steadfast individuals can suffer from a heartbreak so great that it results in a mental illness.”
“Hmmm, that’s true.”
“Yes. This is a story about such a man.”
And so the tale begins.
“A sorrowful man consulted a doctor, saying he was too sad due to his mental illness to live.”
“Can doctors treat mental illnesses?”
“There are indeed doctors in the Western Regions who can.”
“I see. That makes sense. When a person is in despair, they want to consult someone.”
The man begged the doctor to cure his ailment.
“The doctor said, ‘You are lucky! The famous grand clown Balliaji has just arrived in this city! If you see his performance, surely it will lift your sadness!’”
“Indeed. A performance by a grand clown would surely lighten the mood.”
“Right?”
The Jade Flower Sword listened intently to my story.
“But oddly enough, upon hearing the doctor’s words, the man suddenly started to clutch his face and wailed like a madman.”
“Eh? Why?”
“Why do you think?”
“No, is this suddenly a riddle?”
“Guess.”
“…Hmmm.”
The Jade Flower Sword crossed her arms and started to ponder. But with her ample bosom, even just crossing her arms accentuated her fierceness.
Even though it was covered by martial robes, just how big could they be in reality?
“Why did he cry… Oh, he must’ve thought that a performance wouldn’t cure his depression? That’s a bit anticlimactic.”
“Nope.”
“Maybe he had a reason he couldn’t see the performance, like a feud?”
“Not that either.”
“Ugh. Just tell me already! What’s the reason?”
“Well…”
I cleared my throat dramatically.
“When the man started to wail, the doctor was taken aback. The doctor asked why he was crying. The man barely managed to reply.”
—Pheww.
I dramatically covered my face.
“O doctor! I am the grand clown Balliaji!”
“Gasp!”
My vivid performance startled the Jade Flower Sword, making her eyes widen.
Seeing that reaction brought strange joy to my heart.
Thinking back, before coming to this martial world, I had dreams of becoming an actor! I aimed to manipulate others’ emotions through acting.
My talent was just proven. Look at that reaction from the Jade Flower Sword. She was entirely impressed by my storytelling!
“No way! The man was actually the grand clown!”
“Right? A grand clown renowned for making others joyful can’t find joy for himself. That’s the contradiction.”
“I’m truly amazed! How can such a story exist?”
Pleased seemed she clapped her hands in admiration.
“Hehe, I’m glad you’re satisfied.”
“Geunhyeop, you really know a lot of great stories. You certainly don’t seem like an ordinary commoner.”
“That’s just who I am.”
“Do you have any other stories?”
“Well, let me tell you a simple story. But this one is more of a guessing game than a tale.”
“Oooh, a ghost story? I’m looking forward to it.”
I was sleeping on the second floor when suddenly I heard my mother’s voice. She warned me to come down quickly as it could be dangerous up here.
So I went down, but then I heard my mother’s voice coming from her room on the second floor. When I listened, she said she just heard that sound, so I must not go down.
Who is the real mother?
“…!”
Jade Flower Sword started to deduce upon hearing the story. So I spent some time chatting with her about this and that.
* * *
In the meantime, I stopped by a town to clean up nicely.
I was covered in blood, so I was feeling quite uneasy. But I had no spare clothes, so I was forced to get robbed by the townsfolk and buy new clothes, which was a significant expense. These damn country bumpkins!
Anyway, while I was in town, I lay down in my room without a shirt to rest.
—Knock knock.
I heard a knock.
“Yes.”
“Geunhyeop. Are you there?”
“Ah, wait! I’m shirtless right now!”
“That’s perfect!”
What’s perfect?!
—Creak.
Jade Flower Sword opened the door and walked in.
“Ahhhhh!”
“What a girlish scream… Quickly lie down. I’m going to take your pulse.”
“Taking my pulse? Ah.”
Right, we agreed to check my pulse briefly before arriving at headquarters. Since I just ate that strange fruit, something should be off.
“I’ll lie down right away!”
“Do so.”
She closed the door and walked softly towards me.
But something feels strange. Being in a room alone with a beauty like Jade Flower Sword while I’m shirtless.
“Now, slowly. Move your internal energy as if breathing exercises.”
“Yes.”
—Swoosh.
Jade Flower Sword’s gentle palm was gliding across my back.
“Hehe.”
“Hmm?”
“Oh, it’s just that it tickles too much…”
“Don’t make strange noises.”
“Wait! It really tickles, so please go a bit slower.”
“Is this considered ticklish?”
—Swoosh.
“Eeeeek!”
Of course it tickles if you scrape bare skin with your fingers!
“Eeeeeek?! What bizarre sounds you make. And you’re squirming like a fish. Hmph, there’s a limit to making a fuss.”
“Oh my god, it’s just really ticklish!”
“I told you to hold it.”
“Ugh!”
So I endured the ticklishness and focused on maneuvering my internal energy. Let’s see. Slowly, like I’m breathing. Spreading my internal energy through the meridians.
…
At first, it was hard to concentrate due to ticklishness, but lying on a normal floor helped. My strength began to drain, and I started to feel my internal energy.
“Hmmm.”
Jade Flower Sword continued to check my pulse with both hands pressed on my back. But I could hear her breath right above me, making it slightly hard to endure.
“I don’t feel anything particularly unusual. I thought I might sense some corrupt energy or peculiar forces after consuming that fruit, but it’s not the case.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Quite a strange situation. I expected you to pass out after eating that fruit.”
Now that she mentioned it, it does seem normal to think so. Why on earth am I okay? Plus, my internal energy is clear, which is baffling.
“It seems I will have to show you to a physician for confirmation.”
“That makes sense. Now, please put your clothes on.”
“Sure.”
I hurriedly put on my clothes. I waited for Jade Flower Sword to leave while doing so, but for some reason, she remained still.
Feeling slightly awkward, I decided to ask what I was curious about.
“By the way, fairy.”
“You can just call me by name.”
“Oh, okay. Lady Namgoong Serin. This is my first time in a cave. Is it usually like this?”
“No. That was a truly unusual occurrence.”
Lady Namgoong Serin shook her head.
“Usually, there’s just a moderately strong demon, but as you know, there was the Four Fairies’ Ardent Spirit and they summoned Madunachal. An unprecedented event.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It should have ended without any significant damage… Sigh. This has turned into quite the dilemma. I’m thinking of reporting it to the clan. We must inform the Martial Arts Alliance to prepare for this incident.”
“The Martial Arts Alliance!”
This was the first time I heard that term since arriving here!
“If we notify the Martial Arts Alliance, will they have a countermeasure?”
“Since this concerns the Four Fairies, they will certainly be cautious. That witch might incite bloodshed again, so an investigation will commence as well.”
It seems that the Four Fairies have quite a notorious reputation.
You should never encounter such a witch. Encountering one equals certain death. The hellish slaughter of the martial world? Leave that to the top experts and those like me can just hide.
“I hope everything goes smoothly. Ugh. Just thinking about that Madunachal makes my heart race. He’s such a powerful demon.”
“Normally it’s said that only a top martial artist would stand a chance against such monsters, but… he was impressively strong. He was in the cave, and only recently emerged from the Gate, so he must’ve been in a heightened state.”
She looks rather gloomy.
Lady Namgoong Serin is a top martial artist. It’s understandable she would feel humiliated facing defeat against Madunachal.
“Well, you didn’t tear him apart, did you? That’s good enough. That Madunachal surely felt immense pain, despair, and a sense of defeat till the very end.”
“I see.”
“More than that… Your martial arts were incredible, Lady Namgoong Serin. Could it be that…?”
“Yes. The Namgoong Clan’s secret technique, the Sword Technique of Boundless Space.”
“Just as I thought!”
I already knew that it was an impressive martial art!
“It felt as though the heavens descended upon the earth… It was so beautiful yet destructive! Truly fitting of the Namgoong Clan!”
“Hmph, that’s an accurate assessment! You possess good insight.”
As I praised her martial arts, Lady Namgoong Serin’s expression relaxed a bit. Undoubtedly, she must be troubled in many ways. She just lost subordinates, after all.
So I comforted her as if I were praising an aunt.
“Geunhyeop, you seem to have a profound understanding.”
“I’m accumulating knowledge alongside mastering martial arts.”
“It’s beneficial.”
Lady Namgoong Serin stood up from her seat.
“Oh.”
Seeing her standing, I thought how beautiful she is. She has such an elegant and dignified impression. But her eyes are slightly sharp, and her expressionless face suits her well.
But why do I see a hime cut in martial arts?
Honestly, it has bothered me since the first time I saw it.
“Please take a rest. We’ll depart early in the morning.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I look forward to your stories tomorrow.”
“Am I some kind of storyteller?”
Lady Namgoong Serin left, and I was left alone in the room.
Finally, I could rest.
* * *
In my dreams, I found myself standing alone in a bloody space. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was hell. A space filled with terrifying flames and the screams of sinners.
In that place, the gruesome demons I had seen before, like Madunachal, were throwing a feast.
Surprisingly, I was also attending this banquet, but astonishingly, my seat was on a huge plate. That’s right. I was served as food for their banquet.
“Ahhhhh!”
Damn, not another nightmare like this!
“Huff, huff!”
It seems I’ve become emotionally disturbed from witnessing horrors in the cave. Have I too developed a mental illness like the grand clown Balliaji?
“Cough.”
I drank water to clear my mind.
Honestly, the sight of a giant demon tearing a man apart and devouring him with its bare hands… was too shocking to forget.
It’s like showing a scene from “Attack on Titan” to South American tribes disconnected from civilization?! They’d react just like those tribes!
Seeing Madunachal tear a martial artist from the River Group in half was no different.
My mind is being consumed by horrible memories.
“Let’s try some breathing exercises.”
I immediately began meditation to rid myself of these negative thoughts. If it were Mr. Song, he would calmly assess his mental state and carry out thorough breathing exercises to heal his PTSD.
—Hooo.
With light meditation, I brushed away negative thoughts and practiced my internal energy cultivation. I felt my mind starting to feel better.
However, while I was doing this, a certain thought began to poke at my mind repeatedly.
Madunachal’s Inner Core.
I want to eat that.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
