Chapter 120
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Dream Wander
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A warrior once known by the moniker Sword Ghost had truly been reborn as a specter.
A wrathful spirit, devoid of intellect or ego, ensnared in the dream it dreamed at the moment of death, wandering the four directions on pure instinct.
The Sword Ghost, a transcendent master even in life, had broken through to True Essence at the brink of death, experiencing the near-death state and ascending to an even higher realm.
In that state, it was corroded by the demon sword, surpassing its limits to become an even greater existence.
It had not quite reached the Aura Realm, but factoring in the peculiarities unique to demonic beasts, its danger was no less.
At least, since its purpose was to hone its blade sharp and elevate its martial prowess, it was fortunate that it did not engage in pointless slaughter.
It did not indiscriminately harm ordinary folk untrained in martial arts or drain their vital blood; it targeted only warriors of a certain caliber and above.
Its blade did not discriminate between good and evil, but it did distinguish between strong and weak.
"Oh...?"
So-hyang's eyes gleamed with unconcealed interest as she listened to the Imperial Princess's tale.
A warrior bewitched by the sword, flying moth-like into death; even in death, unable to relinquish its craving, it had become a crawling demonic thing.
And at the same time, she liked that it did not bully the weak but sought out desperate battles.
It was impossible not to feel a sense of kinship.
Above all, since it had shed its humanity, it was the perfect opponent—one she could kill without qualms.
The Central Plains were rife with people who deserved death, but true villains who had reached a level to satisfy her were rare.
An adversary with whom she could clash in life-or-death combat without pangs of conscience or morality...
She placed a hand on her chest, where her heart began to pound, exhaling hot, excited breaths.
"Haaah..."
Her milky-white eyes softly closed, her shoulders trembling with surging anticipation and ecstasy.
"I-Is it... that exciting for you...?"
No matter that the information had been gathered at her friend's request—the Imperial Princess could not hide her awkward expression upon seeing So-hyang shiver so intensely at the mere mention of the monster.
"Hm, but something feels off."
By all accounts, this monster had existed for over a few hundred years, yet it had never been subjugated.
No matter how close it was to the Aura Realm, it was a mindless demonic beast; if multiple transcendent masters collaborated, they should have been able to suppress or destroy it.
Moreover, it was strange that no rumors of such a being had spread through the world.
Of course, it was good news for So-hyang herself, but she still tilted her head in puzzlement at the lingering questions.
"There are reasons for that."
A being that had been not merely ensnared by its Heart Demon but wholly devoured by it, becoming one with its very essence.
Its desire to achieve higher realms through slaughter and predation had transcended mere abstract notion to manifest as physical reality.
The variability of the demon sword.
The ultimate technique of a transcendent master.
The horrific demonic nature born from the collision of these two reality-warping traits.
The Sword Ghost's ultimate technique had been a domain-type ability, and upon rebirth as the Dreamwalking Sword Demon, it had become a mobile demonic realm—not an exaggeration to say so.
Its power was simple.
To manifest its dream into reality.
The mad craving for the sword—a dream of obtaining power by any means, even killing and devouring people—erodes space itself.
Warriors who enter its domain are forcibly linked to the Dreamwalking Sword Demon's mind, compelled to dream the same dream.
If they directly confront the central Dreamwalking Sword Demon and cross blades, the mental sharing deepens even further.
In other words, it was the contagion of the Heart Demon—a fatal foe for any martial artist.
Truly, a living plague.
One did not avoid its power out of fear or because it could not be killed; they shunned it because it was unclean.
"Ah, I see...?"
"If one attempts to suppress it rashly, their mind becomes disordered, the Heart Demon spreads, and they risk losing their martial arts to become a cripple."
After several incidents where challengers to the Dreamwalking Sword Demon spawned new sword demons ensnared in its dream, the martial world had effectively washed its hands of it.
So-hyang could accept this much, but...
"Hmm, still, doesn't it seem a bit strange?"
If even peak masters couldn't subdue it with force, surely beings beyond that would step in.
There were plenty of Aura Realm venerables, Sage Realm saints, and even demigods who had transcended mortal limits in the empire and martial world.
No matter what, it shouldn't be able to affect the minds of such existences, right?
"Ah, there's a reason for that too."
The "dreamwalking" in Dreamwalking Sword Demon came not only from its sleepwalker-like wandering but because its very essence resided in dreams.
Through anomaly and mystery, its death had been indefinitely suspended; neither fully alive nor dead, it lingered in limbo.
Death is akin to sleep, after all—so it strode the earth awake while drifting in dreams like duckweed.
In other words, it existed simultaneously in the Mortal Realm and the Nether Realm, half-spirit in nature, freely traversing between them.
"For a dead soul, its survival instinct is tenaciously persistent."
To refine the sword, it must remain "alive," so when an overwhelming foe approaches, the Dreamwalking Sword Demon swiftly flees to the Nether Realm.
Once it slips into that otherworld, even transcendents struggle to catch it easily.
Of course, if they truly committed to it, they could, but those beyond mortality were usually indifferent to human affairs and wouldn't bother with such effort.
Unless it was a major event like the Bloody War seventy years ago or unrest on the western front, they ignored such minor demonic pests.
"From the start, the Dreamwalking Sword Demon is like shit dumped by martial artists—harmless to the populace, so the authorities have no reason to intervene."
"Your Highness, that... metaphor is a bit..."
So-hyang shot a glance, thinking it unbecoming of an Imperial Scion's lips, but the princess seemed utterly unconcerned.
"I started as a street peddler rolling in the gutters. What's so grand about shit?"
Imperial Princess Zhu Yeonhwa was a direct descendant of the current emperor, but far from the line of succession.
All she had were the dragon blood she fortuitously inherited thickly and her merchant's acumen.
Her current position as the Third Imperial Princess was not granted by birth but seized by her own hands.
A true dragon risen from the mud.
Having clawed her way from the bottom, she wore etiquette like armor out of obsession, but before a trusted friend, she could shed it a little.
It was a sign of closeness, a way to bare her true heart.
So-hyang understood, but she gently took the princess's hand and whispered softly.
"Of course, there's no need to cling to formalities before me, but must you speak so crudely? Words are a mirror of one's humanity."
"...You're more straitlaced than I thought."
An old soul's mind rarely looks kindly on a child spouting vulgarities.
Yet So-hyang did not chide harshly but advised calmly.
In the end, an odd sight unfolded: a royal using foul language, corrected by a courtesan-turned-warrior.
"-Anyway, you're an amusing one."
Recognizing the admonishment came from goodwill, the princess chuckled, nodded, and acknowledged it.
"Good, how virtuous of you."
So-hyang smiled proudly in return, nodding back.
Fundamentally, the Dreamwalking Sword Demon wanders the jianghu at the pace of an ordinary person's walk.
Its indestructible demonic nature obviated the need for food or water; it simply roamed aimlessly.
Day after day, month after month, year after year—even decades of endless walking.
Then, upon sensing within range an opponent worthy of crossing blades, it closes in instantly and swings its sword.
"But the Central Plains are vast, after all. That's why, despite its power, it's not deemed overly dangerous."
"True, if it doesn't actively hunt targets..."
Just one human drifting across the Central Plains—it wouldn't even easily step into populated lands.
However, if an expert of sufficient caliber unluckily crossed its path, the domain would unfurl, swallowing the surroundings.
"They tried sealing it in uninhabited lands, but it escaped via the Nether Realm."
Even while moving, it flickered between Mortal and Nether Realms; observers often saw it vanish mid-sight, reappearing hundreds of li away, making pursuit difficult.
"Thus, the only way is indirect methods to predict its path."
Such as divination techniques.
The most proactive users of such methods were the empire's intelligence arm, the Eastern Inspectorate.
Also called the Dongchang for short, they periodically issued prophecies and predictions against threats to the empire.
Of course, they didn't rely solely on divination; it was mainly for cross-verifying information from various sources.
But some matters required pure foresight, like tracking wraiths such as the Dreamwalking Sword Demon.
"Anyway, according to the latest divination a few days ago, its next appearance will be—"
The princess unfurled a map of the entire Central Plains and pointed to the location.
Outside Beiping, on the outskirts of Hebei Province.
The small city of Tonghua Township, perched right above the Yellow River.
So-hyang stepped into the city, where pale purple paulownia blossoms bloomed vibrantly amid the surrounding trees.
"Oh my, is a festival underway?"
"Yes! Every year when the paulownia flowers bloom, we hold the Tonghua Festival!"
From the entrance adorned with vibrant flowers, lively clamor filled the air—people exchanging floral crowns and garlands, blooming smiles everywhere.
Stalls lined the streets sold all manner of street food; men got rowdily drunk even in broad daylight.
Couples whispered sweet nothings; others drew prizes at events; storytellers recited tales, clowns performed.
A perfect festival atmosphere.
Yet oddly, silence enveloped So-hyang at its center.
"Uh, uh...?"
Her overwhelming beauty, illuminating the surroundings, had the power to halt thoughts entirely.
"Th-the dancer Elder Jihyun summoned... No, that can't be, we weren't told of such allure—"
Her transcendent beauty surpassed even the will to flirt, captivating men, women, and children alike.
But even in that bizarre hush, they couldn't stay silent forever.
"...Miss! Care for a bite!? Tonghua's specialty—chicken skewers grilled over paulownia charcoal!"
"Sure, give me one."
"Chicken's perfect with booze! Try our cloudy rice wine too!"
"Sure, pour me a cup."
"And for dessert, some Bingdangho—"
"Sure, one please."
intimidated at first by her looks, the vendors unleashed a barrage of sales pitches once the ice broke.
So-hyang didn't refuse, strolling the streets arms full of assorted foods.
The taste was mediocre, prices steep—but festival fare was always like that.
With time before the Dreamwalking Sword Demon's arrival, enjoying the festivities was fine.
"P-Pretty big sis... Buy a flower crown...?"
"Nicely made. Want to give me one?"
She bought a pale purple paulownia flower crown from the little girl weaving them by hand, handing over a silver coin.
"Uh, wha—!? S-Silver!? S-Sorry, I don't have change—"
"Now now, when an adult gives, you say thank you and take it."
"B-But... Thank you..."
"Good girl. Don't let bad people take it—go buy something tasty."
Thus adorned with the flower crown, skewer in mouth, sipping cloudy wine from a wooden bowl, So-hyang reveled in the festival.
Occasionally doling out charity to children with her ample coin, she sought lodging amid the search when...
"Sorry, excuse me, coming through!"
A boy bumped into her amid the throng and tumbled.
The crowded street made such collisions unremarkable.
"Whoa, what's the rush? Be careful."
So-hyang caught the falling boy's arm, spinning him upright.
"Th-Thank you. I'll be going now...?"
She smiled softly, linked arms affectionately, and gently locked fingers in a grip.
"So, my little friend, where'd you pick up such naughty habits?"
Tucked between their clasped hands was a silver coin lifted from her pouch.
"...Uh, uh—"
So-hyang leisurely suggested they chat, sitting arm-in-arm at a nearby spot.
"Eaten yet? Have a bite of this first."
"—Y-Yes? Huh?"
The boy's eyes darted frantically between the skewer thrust to his lips and So-hyang's face, shaking with bewilderment and terror.