Chapter 55: The Plum Blossom Dragon (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: The Plum Blossom Dragon (5)
Tonight marked the first night of our joint travels with the disciples of Mount Hua.
While their sudden company was unexpected, it hadn't inconvenienced us much. They handled their own provisions and lodging. If anything, they were the ones suffering for it, forced to match our pace.
But that was the price they had to pay to keep their clan's treasure secure. Considering the priceless nature of what we carried, their behavior was understandable. Lesser clans might not comprehend it, but the great sects of the Ten Sect Alliance and the Four Noble Clans surely possessed at least one such treasure—a symbol of their power and legacy.
And to lose such a treasure over a drinking bet… it was unthinkable.
Even the old ghost, who usually nagged me whenever I spoke ill of Mount Hua, had fallen silent on the matter.
[Ahem…]
"…Betting the item is one thing," I muttered. "But actually accepting it is another."
Why would anyone take such a wager seriously? Frankly, I could easily picture the Second Elder grinning like a fool as he handed it over.
…And because of him, I ended up with this lowly ghost.
[How dare you call me a lowly ghost!?]
"Anyway," I said, changing the subject. "You mentioned you had a question for me."
I had used the excuse of evening training to slip away from the camp. With my increased Qi, I'd even managed to erect a weak sound barrier. Once my preparations were complete, I addressed the ghost.
Oh, right. What should I even call him?
[You may address me as Elder Divine Sword of Mount Hua.]
"Too long. I'll call you Elder Shin for short."
[…You truly are insufferable. You could have at least used 'Shincheol.' 'Elder Shin' sounds so… detached. What kind of person addresses someone like that?]
"Would you prefer 'old ghost'?"
[…Call me whatever you like.]
Elder Shin sighed in resignation. Whether he was truly a legendary hero or the Divine Sword of Mount Hua mattered little to me.
I just need to know if he's going to be trouble.
That was the only thing of importance. The idea of sharing my mind with another consciousness was deeply unsettling. I only had one body, and the fear of him seizing control was a constant, unwelcome thought. If possible, I wanted to be rid of him entirely, but that didn't seem like a simple task.
Earlier, he manipulated my Qi… That could be dangerous.
How do I handle this?
It was a massive headache.
As I stewed in my thoughts, Elder Shin interrupted.
[You seem to have much on your mind.]
"Naturally. It's a problematic situation."
If he could read my thoughts even a little, he already knew my concerns. Hiding them was pointless.
"So, how do you leave my body?" I asked directly.
[Do you think I'd be stuck with you if I knew how? I'd much rather inhabit one of the Mount Hua disciples here.]
He continued, his tone almost dismissive.
[Don't waste your energy worrying. I have no interest in your body.]
"And I'm just supposed to take your word for it?"
[What other choice do you have? Do you have a better solution?]
"…We might find one if we look."
[It's not that simple. You're worried about how I controlled your Qi, correct? Suppressing its presence was the extent of my ability. You needn't fear me taking over.]
"…Then how did you make me faint before?"
If he was telling the truth, what had happened during my encounter with the Sword Dragon? The memory of my Qi moving violently on its own, a disgusting, prickling sensation stabbing through my meridians, was still vivid.
Elder Shin responded, sounding utterly exasperated.
[I didn't do that, you little brat.]
"Huh?"
[Believe me or not, that's your prerogative. But frankly, it's a miracle you're still functioning at all while containing that thing.]
Contain?
"What do you mean, 'contain'?" I asked, a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach.
Elder Shin seemed surprised by my question.
[…Hah. So you don't even know what you're harboring within your own body.]
"Can you at least explain—"
[I believe I've answered enough. It's my turn now. A fair exchange is only right.]
Tsk…
He clearly had no intention of telling me what I was 'harboring.' What an infuriating old man. Was this really the world-renowned Divine Sword of Mount Hua? His personality was a complete mess, nothing like the noble hero of the stories—
[It seems you don't wish to hear my question.]
"…I was just joking," I backtracked quickly. "I think you have a very broad and profound mind, truly symbolic of a great clan."
For heaven's sake… Why is he so petty?
[…I can read your thoughts, you know.]
"…Just ask your question already," I grumbled, deciding to cut my losses.
The conversation was going in circles. It was time to get to the point.
[I have a question for you.]
"Go ahead."
[Do you know which generation the current lord of Mount Hua belongs to?]
The generation of the current lord? That would be the Celestial Plum Blossom. He was one of the few swordsmen said to rival the Sword Venerable himself. Of course, to me, he was just the man who lost his clan's treasure in a drinking bet.
But as for his generation…
"I have no idea."
[…?]
"…Why would I know or care about the lineage of another clan's lord? I can ask the Mount Hua disciples later if you're that curious."
[You little br—… No, never mind. I'll ask something else.]
"Fine."
Elder Shin's tone shifted, becoming uncharacteristically serious.
[What happened to the Blood Demon?]
"Huh?"
The Blood Demon?
The question brought me up short. What did he mean?
"What are you asking?" I said, confused.
[My question is plain. Do you not know of the Blood Demon?]
"Of course I know him. I've heard the tales of the Blood Disaster so many times my ears are bleeding."
[…It's a relief the stories have been passed down. But that's not what I'm asking. I want to know what ultimately became of the Blood Demon.]
"…Shouldn't you be the one who knows? You are the Divine Sword of Mount Hua, after all."
He was the hero who had stopped the Blood Demon, bringing light back to the world and cementing his clan's glory. So why was he asking me about the demon he himself had defeated?
[Just answer the question. What happened to the Blood Demon?]
"According to history, the Blood Demon was slain. It was your group that stopped him."
['Your group'?]
I listed the names of the five masters who fought in the Blood Demon War, including the Divine Sword of Mount Hua, Shincheol. After I finished, Elder Shin responded with a note of relief.
[…Thank goodness. It seems I am counted among them.]
"At this point, I'm more curious than you are," I admitted. "Why are you asking me this? Are you really the Divine Sword of Mount Hua?"
[I am indeed Shincheol, the Divine Sword of Mount Hua. However…]
Elder Shin paused, his presence in my mind growing heavy.
[…I have no memory of my final battle with the Blood Demon.]
"…What do you mean?"
He doesn't remember?
[I can infer that a long time has passed, judging by the title 'Celestial Plum Blossom' your thoughts gave to Shinhyun. By reading your mind, I also know that I survived the conflict.]
"Right…"
[But after that… everything is blank.]
"So you don't even know why you were sealed inside the treasure?"
[Do you think I'd be enduring this hassle with you if I knew?]
"At least you're not completely stupi—… I mean, at least you recognize it's a hassle." I caught myself just in time.
According to him, he was suffering from amnesia. Was it a side effect of being trapped in the treasure for so long?
Why do I always stumble into trouble?
…Is this karma?
If it was, I couldn't really complain. It was the price for the life I'd led in my past incarnation. I could almost hear the universe whispering that truth in my ear.
[I don't remember…] Elder Shin repeated, his voice distant.
"Anyway, what does it matter?" I said, trying to brush it off. "The Blood Demon is dead, and Mount Hua remains strong. That's what's important."
[Your simplistic view is precisely why you are lacking… though I must admit, I envy that simplicity right now.]
"Why are you talking like such a pretentious ass?"
[…So you did understand my meaning.]
"Now it's your turn to answer my question."
[Regarding what?]
"This thing I'm 'containing.' What did you mean by that?"
It was the question that had been gnawing at me this whole time. What is inside me?
I felt a flicker of amusement from the old man, as if my anxiety entertained him.
"Why are you laughing?"
[What good would hearing it from me do, when you don't trust a word I say?]
"It's better to hear it than not, isn't it?"
[What a shameless fellow you are.]
"There's no point in me pretending otherwise. You can read my mind."
It was oddly freeing to stop putting on an act. Elder Shin spoke as I let my weariness show.
[To be clear, I do not know the exact nature of what you are containing.]
…What?
He was talking as if he knew all about it earlier!
This fraud—
[Ah, let me finish.]
"Go on."
[I'm more astounded by the fact that you can't even feel it.]
"What do you mean?"
[You truly feel nothing, with that reckless beast raging inside you?]
Reckless? Was he talking about the destructive nature of my Gu Flame Wheel Art? I wouldn't argue with that description; the Qi flow was indeed violent. But the way he said 'beast' made it sound like something more than just martial arts.
[It did not appreciate my presence in your body. It tried to act out on its own, so I put it to sleep. You should be thanking me, you ungrateful wretch.]
"…Put it to sleep?"
[Even now, if I release my restraint, it will run wild. Shall I demonstrate?]
As soon as the words left him, that same vile sensation returned. It felt like barbed Qi was tearing through my meridians, stabbing every part of my body from within.
"Guh…!?"
My breath caught in my throat, and my knees buckled, hitting the ground hard. Just as my vision began to fade,
[See?]
The pain vanished with his words, and I gasped, drawing in ragged breaths.
"Huff… huff… What… what was that?"
My heart hammered against my ribs, pounding from the sudden, excruciating agony.
[It seems the Qi you absorbed from the treasure has awakened the beast you host. That is why I warned you not to overindulge.]
"I told you, it wasn't intentional…"
Even if my body was unaccustomed to pain, the fact that it could incapacitate me in mere seconds was a serious problem. Was it because of my own Qi? My demonic arts? Or something else entirely? It was also possible Elder Shin was lying.
We still had a long journey to Mount Hua, and now I had this to worry about. I was starting to believe that trouble really did follow me wherever I went.
[I can sense your doubt. I'm honestly impressed you can still entertain such thoughts after an experience like that.]
"Please, stop reading my mind."
[You have only yourself to blame for being so transparent. You should know that by now.]
I dissolved the sound barrier I had erected. If I stayed out here much longer, the escorts would come looking for me.
[My presence in your mind is not entirely a bad thing for you. And believe me, I take no pleasure in being here either, but I am enduring it. So, stop your whining and focus on how to resolve this situation.]
"How?"
[You are headed to Mount Hua. Both the treasure and I originate from there. Perhaps you will find your answers there.]
Could I really find answers at Mount Hua? I desperately hoped so.
…If only to be free of this annoying old man.
[You little brat!]
I ignored his outburst and began walking back to the camp.
Both the beast lurking inside me and the old man who could somehow subdue it… Both were deeply troubling.
…But in the end, there was nothing I could do about either here. My path forward led to Mount Hua.