Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Purified Heart
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Dang Gyujin gritted her teeth as she stared at her hands and feet, bound tightly.
‘Minmae, you’ll be okay, right? By now, she should have met Hui-a—’
There was the Blocked Meridian Great Law that Yunhwi had taught her personally.
But since it had been a perilous situation where even a slight delay in activation could have spelled disaster, she couldn’t help but worry.
Gu Min-chae had kidnapped Dang Gyujin and Sima Seon-ui, then locked them away in the underground chamber of an abandoned manor on the outskirts of Gu Ryong County.
Dang Gyujin had tried her utmost to expel the ice poison infiltrating her body, but she couldn’t identify what kind of toxin it was, let alone neutralize it.
‘Even with my Tang Clan knowledge, I can’t figure out what it is. It seems like a type of ice poison, but what exactly is it?’
Had the Demonic Cult’s North Sea Sect been known for handling poisons so adeptly?
She had never heard such tales, so her wariness toward the Demonic Cult surged.
“And yet… where on earth is the hidden escort that Yunhwi supposedly assigned?”
But the biggest issue was the absence of the hidden escort, who was supposed to appear the moment things quieted down and rescue them.
Something must have happened en route—no presence, not even a single trace left behind.
She had told Sima Seon-ui that they could just wait for the rescue team like this…
But could they really afford to?
「Kikikikik! What’s this? Are you worried the Demon King might get hurt coming to save you? I told you! Your little brother can take on a horde of those ghost bastards without breaking a sweat!」
‘…But still.’
「Worry about your own situation first, why don’t you? The hidden escort’s gone missing, hasn’t he? Secure your safety first!」
‘…….’
The blue ghost mask cackled wildly. Then it stopped abruptly.
「So, what now? You’re not planning to just sit there like an idiot until His Majesty the Demon King shows up, are you? Huh? That’d be disappointing, you know?」
His Majesty the Demon King.
It seemed Yunhwi had picked up yet another weird nickname.
‘Unfortunately, that’s not my style.’
Unnecessary movement might interfere with Yunhwi’s actions, but Dang Gyujin thought that made it all the more necessary to proceed calmly.
If something had truly happened to the hidden escort, they needed to find and help him first.
No, she was certain.
Something had definitely gone wrong.
「That’s the spirit. I hate that kind of complacency too. If you’d been slacking off, I would’ve gobbled you up!」
‘That’s a bit scary.’
「Anyway, what’s the plan? Huh?」
‘I’m curious about your opinion this time.’
「Huh?」
‘You’re the one who brought it up first. Doesn’t that mean you’ve got something in mind?」
「Whoa! Trying to push the responsibility onto me like that?」
The blue ghost mask was dumbfounded.
It was merely a supporting personality, after all.
Its role was to help Dang Gyujin rampage even harder when she went wild, but now she wanted it to take the lead overnight?
「Shifting blame like that. Hanging around His Majesty the Demon King must’ve taught you all the bad habits. You don’t need to learn stuff like that.」
But contrary to its grumbling tone, a hint of amusement crept in.
Asking for its opinion meant respecting it that much, after all.
‘Just say something—anything.’
「Ahem ahem! Fine! Since you’re begging so earnestly, I’ll share this elder’s wisdom. First off—」
Dang Gyujin focused intently on the blue ghost mask’s suggestions.
Most were outlandish, but a few were actually useful.
Every single one would harm the body, but they were perfect for immediate use.
As she sorted through her thoughts, she noticed Sima Seon-ui, who had been silently closing her eyes without a word for a while.
She looked as if she were deep in meditation.
From the start until now, she had done nothing but this—no movement at all.
It was right then.
Flash!
Sima Seon-ui suddenly opened her eyes.
Her gaze was so bright it sliced through the dim surroundings, creating the illusion that the poorly lit underground had brightened.
“…Seon-mae?”
Dang Gyujin strongly sensed an aura of untouchable elegance emanating from Sima Seon-ui.
Mulan.
It was as beautiful and splendidly fragrant as her epithet suggested.
‘Azure Heaven Sword Emperor!!’
Dang Gyujin recalled the head of the Sima clan she had met once when visiting the Azure Flower Manor.
“It’s sword fragrance.”
Sword fragrance?
“The trace left by Young Master Yunhwi. I’ve found it.”
“!”
Dang Gyujin’s eyes widened.
‘The missing hidden escort for sure!’
It seemed Sima Seon-ui’s silence thus far had been her waiting to detect the vanished hidden escort.
In that case, they might be able to execute the blue ghost mask’s plan.
“That sword fragrance—is it really nearby?”
“Yes. It is. But—”
Sima Seon-ui hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“It feels blocked by something. Like it can’t approach beyond a certain distance.”
As expected.
Something had happened, preventing it from reaching them.
“Then, it’s probably due to a formation… If we can just reach that point somehow, do you think it could find its way here? What do you think?”
“Not precisely, but since it’s a bizarre entity close to a monster, it should be possible.”
Hearing “bizarre” confirmed it further.
‘That bird from back then.’
The demonic beast that had nearly fallen to her hand but ultimately pledged loyalty to Yunhwi and evolved into a monster bird.
“Good. That’s enough.”
Dang Gyujin’s eyes gleamed.
“For a very short time, I can suppress this poison.”
“!”
Sima Seon-ui turned to Dang Gyujin with startled eyes.
“No. It’s too dangerous, unni. You’re planning to force your upper dantian, aren’t you?”
Sima Seon-ui knew that just as she possessed the ability to detect sword fragrance, Dang Gyujin harbored the unusual spiritual root known as the blue ghost mask.
Both had talents utterly unlike ordinary people, which was why they had grown close so quickly at the Torch Mountain Alliance Meet.
“But there’s no other immediate solution, right? Who knows when those demonic bastards might barge in.”
“…….”
“So before I completely lose my reason, bring Yunhwi here.”
Sima Seon-ui’s lips trembled, but she eventually nodded heavily.
She had read the weight of determination in Dang Gyujin’s voice.
Dismissing such resolve as unacceptable would be nothing short of insulting her.
Dang Gyujin smiled, saying it was fine.
Then she closed her eyes.
‘…Ghost Mask.’
「Eheheheh! I suggested it, but you’re really going to do this insane thing? What if I take over your body because of it?」
‘No. That won’t happen. Yunhwi will come rescue me safely before then.’
「Kikikik! Fine, let’s do it—give it a try! This’ll be fun!!」
Tzzzzz—
Suddenly, ghostly energy began to seep out around Dang Gyujin, veins bulging fiercely around her eyes.
‘Master.’
She offered an apology to Uho Dojang, her master on Cheongsung Mountain, waiting for her one and only disciple to return.
‘I’ll use this power just this once.’
Uho Dojang had earnestly warned her.
‘With the Heavenly Earth One Qi Gate established in your heart, you can correct that wicked demon within and maintain purified heart. Yet as you roam the martial world, temptations of power may arise to steal your purified heart at times.’
‘What should I do then? Endure it, of course?’
‘No. In those moments, set aside your purified heart and heed the demon’s words.’
‘Huh? That won’t do! If the blue ghost mask devours me—’
‘Thus, you must guard against that as well.’
‘?’
‘As the saying goes, “Water too clear holds no fish.” Just as fish cannot live in overly pristine water, an excessively pure mind cannot properly harbor thoughts.’
‘!’
‘Do not forcibly cling to purified heart. At times, flow like water. Follow the demon’s whims when it wishes, play when it wants to frolic. If it goes too far, simply pull back.’
‘Ah.’
‘Of course, overindulging may muddy the waters beyond clarification, so take care.’
‘Yes. I’ll keep it in mind.’
‘This master wishes to forever behold your bright smile by his side.’
Dang Gyujin’s complexion drained to ghostly white, as if she might die on the spot, only for her face to suddenly become covered in blue veins.
Her eyes, now entirely bloodshot with no distinction between pupil and sclera, looked as hideous as if she had donned a ghastly blue ghost mask.
At the same time, the explosively leaking ghostly energy was so bizarre it was impossible to believe it came from someone initiated in Daoism.
Eerily strange.
A strangeness that was not quite monstrous, a supernatural force that was not quite so, a personality that was and was not—thus, a new Dang Gyujin fully awakened right there.
Kiiiiiaaa…!
The blue ghost mask, hitherto restrained by the Heavenly Earth One Qi Gate, burst forth.
“Ehehehehe! I’m out! I’m free! This world is mine!”
Drip, drop! Splatter!
The spiritual root resided in the upper dantian.
Naturally, upon emergence, the blue ghost mask could draw on its energy, allowing movement regardless of acupoint seals.
It was the upper dantian’s ignition.
But prolonging this would strain the upper dantian immensely, risking mental collapse.
Moreover, she was currently poisoned with the Heart-Devouring Ice Toxin.
Such a burden on the body in this state could worsen the aftereffects severely.
Thus, Dang Gyujin was staking not just her life, but potentially her entire inner energy, to act.
She would crumble before kneeling.
That was the spirit of righteousness she had learned in the Tang Clan and Cheongsung!
Sima Seon-ui was startled by the sight but quickly regained her composure.
Dang Gyujin had entrusted her with the rest.
They had to make the most of this opportunity.
Boom!
An earthquake shook the manor’s underground storage just then.
At the same time, the intensified sword fragrance was detected.
Yunhwi had entered the manor.
Now, while the demons were distracted elsewhere, was the perfect moment.
‘Where is it? The monster’s position—’
The underground storage where they were confined was enveloped in an unknown formation, making it hard to maintain a proper sense of direction.
Likely, the monster bearing Yunhwi’s sword fragrance was wandering, unable to pinpoint their exact location for the same reason.
Even if they couldn’t fully escape the formation, restoring their sense of direction would suffice to break out.
Fortunately, Sima Seon-ui had the skill to roughly read the formation’s flow via the sword fragrance.
The spots where the sword fragrance swirled aimlessly without flowing properly.
Those were the formation’s axes.
And beyond them.
Besides the monster, there was another, very faint bearer of new sword fragrance.
‘Min-a!’
It was Yu Sumin.
She had come to rescue them herself despite her injuries.
Following Dang Gyujin, now Yu Sumin too.
All three shared one heart, one will.
Comradeship.
Sima Seon-ui swallowed her surging emotions and shouted.
“It’s upper left, unni!!”
In that instant, Dang Gyujin slashed downward fiercely with her index and middle fingers extended in a sword gesture.
Riiip!