Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Encounter
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The land known as the Central Plains is enormously vast.
Even the regions called cities, on a local scale, are as grand as small countries.
Yun Gang County, home to the Martial Alliance.
Xiangyang County, seat of the Zhuge Clan.
Even within the same Hubei Province, the distance between those two places took a full week on foot.
Of course, that was just for ordinary folk. For martial artists employing lightness skills, it wouldn't take nearly so long.
A new beginning always brings a thrill.
"Hmm~ Hm-hmm~"
So-hyang hummed a cheerful tune, her face beaming with smiles as she moved with light steps.
These weren't just figuratively light steps.
Having recreated the lightness skills ingrained in her body from before, and now bolstered by the spirit energy from her Spirit Sword, So-hyang could truly perform genuine lightness skill.
Her prowess wasn't merely additive—it had multiplied dramatically.
Her steps were literally lighter than a feather.
With a bit more effort, she could even tread the air layers, achieving Void Treading Step.
Of course, there was no reason to step on empty air when solid ground was right there.
She ran across flat plains, leaped onto treetops in forests to run as if on flat ground, and bounded over mountains like hurdles. The journey was remarkably smooth.
It wasn't just smooth—it was profoundly valuable time.
Even as she simply walked, So-hyang accumulated achievements.
From the moment of its forging, the Spirit Sword had begun absorbing the qi of nature.
For a martial artist, this surpassed ordinary earth absorption; it rivaled the efficiency of peak realm experts gathering spirit energy.
Natural qi dispersed in the air, vital energy exhaled by plants and trees, the power of earth veins flowing underground, pure essence in sunlight and moonlight.
The Spirit Sword absorbed the heaven and earth spiritual energy of the entire world, converting it into its own pristine white glow.
Unfiltered by adaptation to a human body, its purity was unparalleled.
The Alliance Leader had remarked that even a martial artist's internal energy, built solely through Taiji Fist true qi, wasn't this pure.
It was energy touching the very origin.
However, this was the Spirit Sword's inherent function, not precisely So-hyang's own achievement.
Of course, since the Spirit Sword was part of her spirit and existence, distinguishing them might be meaningless—but it was a matter of personal feeling.
"I don't like relying too much on the sword. I need to do some things myself."
The Spirit Sword was a tangible object yet also an intangible spiritual being.
As part of So-hyang's spirit, wasn't it strange if she couldn't perform what her spirit could?
With this realization, So-hyang observed how the Spirit Sword accumulated heaven and earth spiritual energy.
Its existence, operation, and spirit energy modulation.
After brief contemplation, she succeeded in understanding its mechanism.
But unlike the Spirit Sword, born as a divine vessel from the start, a human body couldn't easily absorb spiritual energy just by existing.
A method was needed to handle the dark turbid qi inevitably produced when a living being took in energy.
"I need some separate approach..."
The pondering didn't last long.
There was no need to invent a new method here. The long history of Central Plains martial arts already provided answers.
For instance, breathing.
Exhale the old, inhale the new.
The foundational principle of all martial arts, first established and spread by Immortal Zhang Sanfeng.
Inhale to receive, exhale to expel.
By adding the process of breathing to the enlightened principle, a new method was complete.
A way to breathe in bright power, expel dark power, harmonizing with the sword.
Suddenly, she recalled Bright Mystery Pavilion in Cheonun County, where the original child was born and raised.
The name fit perfectly, so So-hyang decided to use it for her hometown.
"...How about Bright Mystery Sword Art?"
Though self-created, the Bright Mystery Sword Art was an extraordinary technique.
It wasn't just doubling efficiency with two intake channels; the sword and body interacted, creating amplification.
As a result, spirit accumulation efficiency exploded to nearly three or four times.
Separately, their essences growing similar made her body even better at accepting the Spirit Sword's power.
"Ho, the Spirit Sword feels even more attuned to my hand now."
As if such a system had always existed, So-hyang's body quickly adapted to the breathing method.
As a grandmaster opening new horizons in martial arts, So-hyang had newly created a foundational technique for the Sword Path Sect lineage.
This singularity born of her uniqueness could now potentially be taught to others.
Though she had no intention of teaching anyone yet, making it irrelevant for now.
Even as she moved, So-hyang lightly circulated spirit energy and murmured in fresh wonder.
"...What a convenient power."
Beyond use in martial arts and swordplay, spirit energy had vast applications.
A faint layer over skin and clothes repelled dust and stains, naturally eliminating odors.
She hadn't traveled overly long, but there was none of the inevitable grime from the outdoors.
Maintaining a fresh, just-bathed crispness on the road was revolutionary—even beyond her previous life's technology.
"Above all, replacing meals is the real jackpot."
Most miraculous, spirit energy absorption substituted for eating.
Truthfully, So-hyang's biggest worry when departing was food.
Her skeletal muscle mass, compressed as densely as an equal volume of gold.
Inevitably, she required over ten times the intake of a sturdy adult male.
Thanks to maximally optimized metabolism, it was modest relative to her physical prowess, but still burdensome for travel.
She'd agonized over unsealing her body for full speed during transit or loading a cart with massive provisions.
In the end, forging the Spirit Sword rendered all that moot.
Simply absorbing spirit energy sated hunger.
She'd suspected mere bodily illusion, but internal inspection confirmed actual calories and nutrients supplied.
She still needed occasional minimal meals for essential minerals, but liberation from caloric intake remained unchanged.
Intangible energy manifesting as tangible matter.
A mystery mocking mass conservation, but since this world defied logic anyway, So-hyang didn't dwell on it.
Thus, her gear was exceedingly simple.
One white outfit.
One light travel pack.
One sword.
"This is romance too."
Grinning in satisfaction, So-hyang gauged the remaining distance.
About half a shichen more at this pace.
Half a day since leaving the Martial Alliance, and the destination was nearly upon her.
"Roughly high-speed train speed?"
Common wisdom held that sustained lightness skill over long distances matched a fine steed's gallop.
She moved at least five times faster.
Unsealed, she'd near supersonic; this was leisurely by comparison.
So-hyang freshly realized she'd become a superhuman far beyond her previous life's norms, as she stepped onward.
"Hm?"
And paused.
A dense forest of towering trees.
Shouts and screams filling it.
Sharp metallic clashes ringing in her ears.
Faint scent of blood wafting through.
"Aha?"
Signs of battle and strife.
A faint smile curved So-hyang's lips.
It seemed a welcome encounter amid the boring journey.
She veered direction, heading gladly toward the source.
"Kyaaah!"
Song Seol-ryeong.
Secular disciple of Wudang Sect, a first-rate martial artist.
Heir to the Songwol Merchant Group, and leader of its thirty-fifth trade caravan.
She dodged and deflected the axe hurtling toward her, screaming in sheer injustice.
Yes, injustice—not fear.
Being ambushed mid-trade was par for the course; caravans inherently carried such risks.
But near Xiangyang County under Zhuge Clan protection? That stung a bit.
Well, clan protection didn't guarantee safety always, so fine.
"Heh, hurry up and die already, brats."
Axe-wielding, raggedly dressed, crude speech, bulging muscles—undeniable bandits, with considerable martial prowess to boot.
They were from the Green Forest bandit stronghold she'd generously paid toll to just yesterday.
...Yeah, bandits breaking oaths wasn't odd.
The Green Forest King held no fear? Fine.
But the official escort agency she'd contracted betrayed them too!
"No, don't bullshit me!!"
Song Seol-ryeong felt like she'd go mad from injustice.
"Everything else I can take! But why the backstab from you guys!?"
The kindly-faced escort chief replied mildly to her voice cracking from the throat.
"Heh heh, we have our reasons, so don't take it too hard. No intent to prolong suffering."
She'd selected a reputable agency from the unorthodox, long-trusted locally.
The contract itself was standard, no poison clauses.
Plus, this caravan carried no high-value goods worth such risk—just grains and sundries.
"Ah, seriously-!"
Song Seol-ryeong's mind raced.
Injustice aside, response came first.
Ambushers and traitors coordinated against the caravan.
Right—they were in cahoots from the start.
"You lot must be mistaken—this is a Wudang caravan to the Zhuge Clan!?"
Destination merely Xiangyang in clan territory, but direct to Zhuge headquarters.
Commissioned by Wudang, escalating to inter-sect conflict.
"This isn't just murder and looting!"
Goods were mundane, but the clan would investigate seriously.
Contracts documented and announced publicly; resolution tied to faction credibility.
If they didn't want pursuit by Zhuge—and Wudang—
"Back off now, and we'll keep quiet—"
Truthfully, desperate flailing.
Revealing the secret destination for persuasion, but she rated success low.
"Ha, why's this girl so mouthy?"
"If you were in our shoes, would you just say 'sure' and retreat?"
Too far gone to turn back.
They aimed to kill all; casualties already mounted.
Leniency promises rang hollow from either side.
"One job done, no more knife-for-hire life—what's to fear?"
"Heh, loose lips."
As suspected, third-party instigation with hefty payout to quit bandit/esort life.
"You idiots!? No matter who promised what, you think they'll pay up clean!?"
Even if they did, Zhuge pursuit would prevent keeping it.
She sowed doubt with faint hope, but reaction was tepid.
"Hmph, we're not that dumb. Client's top-tier? Prep and cleanup flawless—no evidence left."
"...What?"
Song Seol-ryeong's whirring mind parsed and inferred.
Prep: intel on clan patrol routes for perfect gray-zone spot.
Cleanup: erasing traces, laundering identities.
Daring that against Zhuge?
Zhuge's tracking formations read not just earthly traces but spirit imprints in earth veins—famous for it.
She grasped the gist, but nothing changed.
"So watch your mouth... Sigh, whatever. All dead soon enough."
Persuasion failed; money no lure.
Only force remained.
"...Remember, I won't die easy."
Her killing intent drew mere sneers.
Though her stalling let caravan recover formation and brace.
Numerical disadvantage, skill gap—situation dire regardless; expected.
Grit. Song Seol-ryeong clenched her teeth.
"Damn...!"
Barring variables, even breakthrough to peak amid death's door offered slim odds.
And a variable appeared.
"Need a hand?"
A soft, not overly loud voice.
Yet piercingly clear, as if inserted into ears.
No prelude or presence—a figure emerged from the trees.
A woman in pristine white robes, untouched by dust or fade.
Loosely fitted yet accentuating sensuous curves.
"Huh, uh..."
But her face.
What about her face—
Ambushers and caravan folk alike froze, minds blanked.
Gentle eye smile, softly curving lips, elegant lines, translucent skin.
Perfect form alone, plus inexplicable allure.
Unutterably beautiful, verging ethereal, almost demonic.
"...!!"
Her pale crimson lips twitched faintly; some stared bloodshot.
Desperately devouring that face, breathtaking beauty halting breath.
Gender, age irrelevant—anyone's gaze stolen by pinnacle beauty.
"Um, everyone?"
Only after her puzzled clap did minds somewhat recover.
"Weren't you in the midst of fighting?"
"Uh, uh, u-uhh..."
These folk newly learned extreme beauty could drop the beholder's IQ.
"Huh...?"
So-hyang touched her cheek perplexed, wondering what went wrong.