Chapter 104: The Title of Number One Under Heaven (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 104: The Title of Number One Under Heaven (5)
What on earth had Cheol Su-ryeon’s spirit fragment experienced within the Heavenly Authority?
Having fully regained her memories, she was now weeping and pleading, telling me she would do anything I asked.
It wasn't a bad situation for me, but seeing her haggard face was truly astonishing.
“Please...”
I spoke to the sobbing woman.
“I assume you don’t want to experience that place again?”
I needed to make sure she was properly intimidated.
At my question, Cheol Su-ryeon nodded her head frantically. It seemed she desperately wanted to avoid a repeat performance.
—It’s only natural, considering she was trapped there for quite a while.
Just as the Lesser Conversation Sword snickered, her spirit fragment had been imprisoned for a long time if you counted the period she spent within the Fuse.
Since she had been stuck with the spirit fragments of the grudge-filled Blood Demon and Zhu Sarlen the entire time, her reaction was perfectly understandable.
Swish!
I reached out my hand, and a large cloth sitting in a corner of the hollow flew through the air via Void Object Retrieval.
“What is this?”
“Cover yourself.”
“You’ve already seen everything, and now you’re telling me to cover up?”
“Just do it.”
When I tossed it to her, Cheol Su-ryeon wrapped it around her body.
Perhaps because she had been blind, she didn't seem particularly bothered by her own nudity, but I certainly was. My eyes felt much more at ease once she was covered.
I spoke to the now-clothed woman.
“You said with your own mouth that you would do anything, right?”
“T-That is...”
As I made a slight motion to raise my right hand, she began nodding her head like a madwoman.
This struck me as odd, so I asked her, “Can you see?”
I hadn't consciously noticed it before, but I saw her pupils moving.
As far as I remembered, she had gone blind as a side effect of the forbidden arts she used to repeatedly steal the bodies of others in her quest to find a vessel capable of bearing a child. When she was a crone, both her eyes had been white.
At my question, she replied as if she didn't understand it herself.
“...I don’t know. Ever since my spirit fragment was trapped inside you, I’ve been able to see.”
“You can see now?”
“Yes.”
I wasn't sure what kind of phenomenon this was either.
In fact, the reason I hadn't immediately recognized her when I first saw Mu Jongyu was partly because her eyes were perfectly normal.
Hmm... then does it have something to do with her spirit fragment being absorbed into the Heavenly Authority?
I couldn't be certain of the exact reason, but it was clear that she had been affected in some way.
Cheol Su-ryeon looked at me and asked, “So, what is it you want?”
I got straight to the point.
“First, answer my questions.”
“Your questions?”
“Have you already forgotten what I said to you earlier? Fine. I’ll say it one more time. You planted Ja-gyeong-jeong’s spirit fragment into the Calamity Slaughter Sword at Noejangjo’s request, didn’t you?”
“That is...”
She hesitated for a moment at my question.
Even though she had just promised to follow any command, it seemed her heart felt different now that she was out of immediate danger—like the difference between entering and leaving a latrine.
In response, I activated the Heavenly Authority and moved to place my hand on her head.
But before I could even touch her—
“Aaaagh!”
She suddenly clutched her head.
She was in such agony that the veins on her forehead bulged, and surprisingly, something faint began to shimmer and crawl out of her head.
—What is that?
It was Cheol Su-ryeon’s spirit fragment.
I didn't know why, but even without direct contact, her spirit fragment was being pulled out of her body of its own accord, attempting to be absorbed into the Heavenly Authority on the back of my hand.
Ah!
Could those words have meant this?
Now that I thought about it, I remembered something my Master had said. He told me that spirit fragments or strong Mental Focus absorbed by the Heavenly Authority would become completely bound to me.
I hadn't realized it meant something like this.
Vroom!
“Haa... haa...”
When I withdrew the power of the Heavenly Authority, the pain seemed to stop. She looked at me while drenched in a cold sweat.
It seemed the pain of one's spirit fragment being pulled out of the soul was indescribable.
“Please... please... don’t do that.”
She prostrated herself before me and begged.
She was a mess of tears and snot. I hadn't intended for this, but she actually looked a bit pitiful.
However, the effect was certain even without resorting to torture. Even her manner of speech had become polite.
I looked down at her and spoke in an overbearing voice.
“I assume you’ve realized exactly who is the master here?”
“T-this humble girl was out of line. I will serve you as my master, so please, anything but that...”
Cheol Su-ryeon spoke piteously, even grabbing onto my leg.
I truly wanted to ask what on earth had happened to her inside there. For a woman who had spread such infamy to discard all her pride and offer to serve me as her master...
—This is incredibly convenient. From now on, if anyone doesn't listen, we can just absorb them with the Heavenly Authority.
If I could absorb spirit fragments at will, that would be true... Ah!
I looked down at Cheol Su-ryeon, who was sobbing while holding my leg. Through her evil arts, she could transfer souls and spirits into other bodies.
—There’s a way for everything.
Indeed.
If I could master this technique, it would be perfect for subjugating others.
However, it would be best not to do it unless absolutely necessary.
—Why?
When I told my Master about the absorption of a living spirit fragment, he said that defying the natural order would eventually carry a heavy price.
She had already defied the laws of all things to extend her lifespan by repeatedly stealing the bodies of others.
—Tsk. And here I thought we found a shortcut.
Well, even so, subjugating one of the Five Great Villains wasn't a loss.
“Now, shall we have those answers?”
“Yes. Just as you asked, I accepted his request and placed the spirit fragment of the man named Ja-gyeong-jeong into the Calamity Slaughter Sword.”
It was exactly as I had seen in the memories.
I continued my questioning.
“Why did you grant that request?”
“He said... it could ruin that man’s long-cherished ambition, so I helped.”
The man she was referring to was undoubtedly the Golden Emperor.
I remembered that her resentment toward him was significant because he was the reason she could no longer bear children. If she was willing to sabotage his ultimate goal, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she loathed him.
But this made one thing certain.
—What?
Noejangjo isn't serving the Golden Emperor as his lord at all.
The moment he shared a purpose with Ja-gyeong-jeong, it became impossible for him to truly serve the Golden Emperor. His goal was to completely control or destroy the martial world.
Of course, they did have one thing in common.
—Revenge against you?
Exactly.
Both of them want me dead.
Since they shared a common enemy, there was a high probability that Noejangjo hid his true self and stayed by the Golden Emperor’s side. He believed the opportunity to reveal his hidden fangs would come when the five demon swords were gathered.
Is he related to that being?
The entity with snake-like eyes I had seen in Ja-gyeong-jeong’s memories. Noejangjo clearly seemed to serve him like a master.
I had a feeling he was connected to that person.
If I had been able to examine Noejangjo’s memories instead, I might have known more details, but since Ja-gyeong-jeong’s memories were heavily fragmented, it was a bit disappointing.
“Do you know how he said he would ruin the ambition?”
“He didn't say.”
“Do you know why he’s gathering the five demon swords?”
“...He believes he can overcome his weakness with them.”
This answer was the same as before the memory loss. It seemed that while Noejangjo had asked many favors of her, he hadn't shared much information.
Ah! I should ask about that.
“Do you know why Noejangjo tried to restore Ja-gyeong-jeong’s memories?”
“He didn't tell me. But...”
“But?”
“He said he only needed him to remember the final events Ja-gyeong-jeong experienced.”
“The final events?”
What did that mean?
He didn't need to restore the memories completely, only the final moments?
The last thing that man remembered was me stopping him at the Fuse. What could be gained from remembering that?
As I was wondering, she spoke to me.
“...Actually, while I was conducting various experiments to restore Ja-gyeong-jeong’s memories, he drew something.”
“He drew something?”
“I managed to get it while Noejangjo was away for a moment, so it’s only a part of it.”
She had managed to steal it even in that situation.
However, it must have been useless to her. I could tell because she was revealing it now, even though she could have kept it hidden despite her spirit fragment being bound to me.
“Bring it.”
“I understand.”
Cheol Su-ryeon went to a corner of the hollow, opened a metal box, and brought something back.
It was a piece of paper that had been chemically treated. When I unfurled the scroll, I saw numerous characters inscribed on it.
The characters weren't written from top to bottom but were drawn in a circular pattern like a diagram, and as Cheol Su-ryeon said, it was cut off in the middle.
What is this?
I tried to read just the written characters.
But as I read through it, I couldn't hide my bewilderment.
The Spirit Treasure Brush Method?
—The Spirit Treasure Brush Method?
Ha!
So the memory he was trying to recall was this?
Having received teachings from Great Immortal Jeongyang, the supreme master of the Fuse, I was someone who knew a portion of the dharma tool, the Spirit Treasure Brush Method.
Among the dharma tools of the Fuse, the Spirit Treasure Brush Method was considered the finest alongside Cheondun.
Unlike Cheondun, which was a weapon, the Spirit Treasure Brush Method held power in its own right, but its greatest legacy was said to be the secret arts written within it.
[Aaaah! ...My Lord. I have waited fervently for this day to come. Gyeongjeong has finally... remembered the oral formula of the Brush Method... the dharma tool that has bound you for hundreds of years.]
I wondered what this meant.
If so, had Noejangjo used the secret arts of the Spirit Treasure Brush Method to save someone?
I had seen him in memories, but he was a being that could hardly be considered human.
Ah...
This is quite a predicament.
The best way would be to inform Great Immortal Jeongyang at the Fuse. Surely, the Great Immortal would know something.
However, as far as I knew, it would be another ten years before the Fuse opened again.
—We’ll only know for sure if we catch that guy.
Right.
I have to catch Noejangjo. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to uncover his true objective.
—And how do you plan to do that? After what you did to him, do you think he’ll show himself easily?
Of course he won't.
But haven't I already figured out a way to lure him out?
—What is it?
I just have to lure the Golden Emperor.
—The Golden Emperor?
Yes. To open the stone coffin in the Tomb of King Ping, all five of Gu Yaja’s demon swords are required. Since he needs the Evil Connection Sword and the Blood Demon Sword that I possess, he will target me one way or another.
—So he’ll come looking for you on his own?
Exactly.
If the five swords are gathered, Noejangjo will surely reveal his true colors.
For now, I should return to Wuhan City and devise a way to naturally bait the Golden Emperor.
—Are you going back?
I have to. I can't stay here forever.
It took a considerable amount of time to get here, and I’ve stayed up almost the entire night. Once day breaks, the election for the Alliance Leader will take place.
I must firmly secure that position before the Golden Emperor can interfere in any way.
—Ah, right.
There’s a lot to do. I also have to deal with Seobok, whom I’ve kept frozen inside the Bottomless Pouch.
—What about her?
At the Lesser Conversation Sword’s question, I looked at Cheol Su-ryeon.
For now, I had found out what I wanted to know. Thanks to her, I also learned that Noejangjo was planning to betray the Golden Emperor.
I didn't need her right this second, but she likely possessed other information about Noejangjo, didn't she?
“Cheol Su-ryeon. You’re coming with me.”
“Pardon?”
She asked back, her eyes widening like a cat’s.
Who would ever think this woman was the infamous Wicked Heart Granny?
*
Vroom!
The space distorted and the surroundings shifted, and I was back in my quarters within the fortress of the Martial Alliance.
Although I had to stop and rest several times to perform it, the Ground Shrinking Technique was certainly convenient in this regard. Being able to fold space and move to a location I recognized in an instant was a massive advantage.
“Ha!”
Cheol Su-ryeon’s eyes went wide.
We had leaped through space several times using the Ground Shrinking Technique, but it hadn't quite sunk in when we were in the forest. Now that we were inside a room, she seemed truly amazed.
Just then, I heard the sound of someone running from the adjacent room.
The door burst open, and Sama Yeong, wearing a human skin mask, rushed in.
“Young... Master?”
Sama Yeong’s gaze naturally drifted to Cheol Su-ryeon standing beside me.
Sama Yeong, whose face had been bright with relief at my arrival, saw her expression freeze into a cold mask in an instant.
“And who is this woman?”
I quickly spoke to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Yeong-ah. This woman isn't what you think.”
“And what exactly was I thinking?”
“That’s...”
“Yeong-ah.”
At that moment, someone else appeared behind her.
“Father.”
It was my father-in-law, Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak, also wearing a human skin mask.
It seemed he had been in the room next to mine. Well, that explained why he had sensed Cheol Su-ryeon’s presence the moment I appeared in the room using the Ground Shrinking Technique.
The moment Cheol Su-ryeon saw Sama Chak, she spoke.
“Moon Evil Sword.”
When she identified him instantly despite the human skin mask, my father-in-law’s brow furrowed.
Cheol Su-ryeon possessed monstrous hearing, enough to even intercept sound transmissions. Thus, she could recognize an opponent immediately even if their face was disguised.
“Who are you?”
I answered my father-in-law’s question for her.
“It’s Wicked Heart Granny, Cheol Su-ryeon.”
“What?”
My father-in-law frowned, seemingly shocked by her unexpected identity.
Since this was his first time seeing her true form, such a reaction was only natural.
Sama Yeong’s eyes also went wide as she spoke.
“This young and beautiful woman is that Wicked Heart Granny?”
She seemed unable to believe it.
However, my father-in-law, perhaps having sensed her power to some extent, spoke with a voice full of caution.
“How did you end up bringing this woman here?”
At my father-in-law’s sharp words, Cheol Su-ryeon arched an eyebrow and spoke to me.
“Do I have to cater to the whims of others as well?”
It seemed her innate temperament hadn't gone anywhere. She had submitted to me because of the Heavenly Authority, but that didn't apply to anyone else.
“I suppose you want to go back?”
As I slightly raised my right hand, she hurriedly dropped to her knees and spoke to me.
“Please forgive me. Master.”
“!?”
At the sight of her like this, both my father-in-law and Sama Yeong were left utterly speechless.