Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Like a Flame (3)
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Seoran's face was a sight to behold.
Pitiful fate eyebrows and drooping mouth corners.
It was an expression that embodied the concept of sadness.
Her condition seemed even worse.
Yi Agum asked Seoran.
"Sister, want to go for a walk?"
Seoran didn't respond, still curled up.
"Not feeling like it? Got it."
Yi Agum left the room with Ho Hye-mun.
"Now she doesn't even react at all. What do we do?"
"Hmm..."
Ho Hye-mun pondered before offering her opinion.
"For now, how about changing the environment first? Staying in a quiet place when she's fallen into a heart demon doesn't seem like a wise choice. She'll just keep repeating negative thoughts in the silence."
It sounded plausible even to Yi Agum.
"A somewhat rowdy place..."
"And avoid leaving her alone as much as possible. Separate her from anything connected to the cause of her heart demon. That's all I can think of."
"No, Sister Hye-mun. That's a huge help."
Yi Agum cracked the door open and peeked inside.
Seoran still wore a gloomy expression.
Every so often, she glanced toward the pills from the Medicine Hall.
Her already wrinkled face crumpled even more.
"As expected, only the secular world..."
Yi Agum planned a filial outing tour for Seoran.
The secular world was moderately noisy, with hardly any people or things that might remind her of cultivation.
Since she wouldn't walk on her own, someone needed to carry her and provide constant care.
Yi Agum chose not to join of her own accord.
She planned to develop sweet decoctions with the alchemists.
Just in case Seoran might eat them.
Damcheong was half-forced into not participating.
He had to alternate with the Great Earth Mother God in welcoming the pilgrimage group.
It was a moment when the Siren Church's foresight in even minor risk management shone.
The travel members were Ryu Seoran, Ho Hye-mun, and Geum Youngyoung.
Their destination was the Yang Kingdom capital, brimming with sights, and they planned to go via Geum Youngyoung's flying carriage.
Finally, the morning of departure to the capital arrived.
Yi Agum fussed over everything.
"Here, this is Seoran sister's luggage."
Geum Youngyoung took the bundle and asked.
"What's this?"
"Clothes, shoes, handkerchiefs, and a blanket. Please bathe and change her clothes daily if possible. And make sure to check that she covers her belly with the blanket when she sleeps."
Geum Youngyoung loaded the bundle onto the carriage and thought.
What is this, are they mother and daughter?
As she turned her head after loading the luggage, Yi Agum held out another bundle.
"What's this one?"
"Snacks for sister to eat if her mouth gets bored on the way. Don't give her too much at once. And make sure she brushes her teeth before bed after eating."
Geum Youngyoung changed her mind.
No, it's a zookeeper and an animal.
Surprisingly, there was yet another bundle.
They were the miscellaneous books from Seoran's bookshelf.
She didn't forget to ask that they read to her if she got bored.
Geum Youngyoung hurriedly set off in the carriage.
She was afraid there might be more bundles.
The metal carriage, without horse or wheels, soared into the sky.
It was quick to the Yang Kingdom capital.
*****
The group parked the flying dharma vessel near a senior cultivator's residence and immediately began enjoying the capital's sights.
Thanks to the festival underway, the capital was abuzz.
Dazzling acrobatics from performers and crowds beaming with huge smiles.
Joyful music and beautiful singing voices filled the air.
Fireworks continuously painted the sky in vibrant colors.
The three wandered the streets without a particular destination.
Ho Hye-mun kept gazing up at the fireworks shooting into the sky.
Geum Youngyoung roared with laughter at the jester's jokes.
Seoran, riding piggyback on Ho Hye-mun, chuckled softly.
Hearing the leaking-wind-like giggles, Geum Youngyoung whipped her head around and said.
"Oh, Seoran's laughing!"
Seoran swiftly put on a gloomy face.
Forcing back her smile made her mouth corners twitch.
It looked just like the comical mask used in a pantomime play.
The festival continued into the night.
The three ascended the seven-story pavilion called Heavenly Grace Tower.
Geum Youngyoung, who usually went to bed early, was already dozing off.
Ho Hye-mun set Seoran down on a chair and sat in the seat beside her.
The two silently watched the night market below, where lights still burned despite the late hour.
Quiet settled in as all the noise faded away.
The laughter and bustling energy vanished.
Seoran sank back into her thoughts.
Don't want to cultivate, but want to play more.
Don't want to be hated, but must cultivate.
But don't want to cultivate.
Negative thoughts chained one after another.
It was the precursor to the heart demon that would soon arrive.
But she wasn't alone tonight.
Ho Hye-mun suddenly spoke.
"Do you know why this pavilion is called Heavenly Grace Tower?"
Even without a response, Ho Hye-mun didn't mind.
"Heavenly Grace Tower was built centuries ago. They say it was constructed in gratitude for heaven's grace. That's what I learned as a child. Of course, after becoming a cultivator, I learned the truth: the gratitude was directed not at heaven, but at the sect."
After a brief silence, Ho Hye-mun asked.
"This story isn't that interesting, is it? Shall I tell another one? Hmm..."
Ho Hye-mun pulled out various conversation topics.
Impressions of scriptures, preferences for writing tools, the Yang Kingdom's top ten scenic spots, insights on fist techniques.
Then she said something impossible to ignore.
"Seeing you, Ryu Susa, often reminds me of my father."
Seoran, who had been a man in her previous life, flinched.
Unthinkingly turning her head, their eyes met.
Ho Hye-mun smiled faintly.
"Now you're interested."
As Seoran averted her gaze again, Ho Hye-mun asked.
"Are you curious about my childhood spent with my father?"
Seoran nodded while gazing at the distant mountains.
"Then let me ask one question. Of all the land in the northwest district of this capital, what portion do you think our family owns?"
Afraid she wouldn't hear the rest if she didn't answer, Seoran guessed roughly.
"About this much?"
Ho Hye-mun chuckled briefly before giving the correct answer.
"No way, that's too modest. The answer is at least sixty percent. And that was twenty years ago, so it might be even more now. This Heavenly Grace Tower belongs to our family too. That's the secret to why the three of us could rent out the top floor even during the festival."
Seoran was quite shocked.
This was the northwest district that divided the vast capital into nine parts.
She couldn't believe one family owned over sixty percent of such immense land.
Excluding the royals, it meant they were the wealthiest house in the Yang Kingdom.
She grew even more curious about the story to come.
Ho Hye-mun, gazing at the lantern lights stretching like a river along the streets, soon began her childhood tale.
As a child, Ho Hye-mun was renowned as a prodigy.
It was thanks to inheriting her father's genius.
Her father had been born with talent far surpassing Ho Hye-mun's.
Wealthy noble house, handsome features, brilliant intellect.
The position of prime minister—one below one, above all others—was all but promised to him.
A future of soaring like a phoenix with wings spread wide.
But illness clipped the genius's wings.
His worsening cough began bringing up blood.
A frail body that couldn't walk without a servant's support couldn't bear the weight of ruling a great nation.
The glory that had been nearly in his grasp slipped away.
Yet the man still had much.
Fields stretching to the horizon, a great house second only to the royal family in fame, and countless kin.
But he obsessed over the lost glory.
He resolved to create a genius successor—his own double.
He continually took concubines and sired children.
As soon as they could speak, he tore them from their mothers and threw them into a harsh education environment.
Fierce competition among blood siblings.
It was in this jar of solitude that Ho Hye-mun was born.
To the man, Ho Hye-mun was not a daughter but a double.
The background to the birth of the prodigy girl who memorized countless scriptures at seven: education bordering on abuse, bloody competition.
The father who bellowed demands by his own standards.
Siblings who saw each other only as rivals.
Others were mere objects of fear.
Ho Hye-mun had nowhere to attach her heart.
She once secretly raised a stray kitten.
Of course, once it grew a bit, it fled over the wall.
The festival beyond the wall, fireworks painting the sky.
It wasn't until she was ten that Ho Hye-mun escaped the wall.
Her obsession with the protective fist art might have stemmed from the fear buried within.
Having finished her story, Ho Hye-mun said to Seoran.
"Then by chance, I met you, Ryu Susa. A misunderstanding led to friendship, and as we spent time together, my fear of others gradually faded. Casting off those shackles, I reached Foundation Establishment. You hold no small share in that process. I'm grateful—of course to Agum too."
Seoran asked, as if entranced.
"How much of a share do I have?"
"Hmm, well. Roughly, three..."
Seoran felt anticipation.
A big share, so thirty percent?
Fifty would be nice, but there's Agum too.
Thirty percent would be fine.
Ho Hye-mun announced the result.
"One, three fen or so."
A disappointed sound escaped naturally.
"Ack?"
Ho Hye-mun smiled faintly and said.
"Sorry, but it's my life—I can't just be swayed by others. Honestly, even three fen is generous."
As Seoran smiled back, a sudden curiosity struck her, and she asked.
"How did you overcome your childhood wounds?"
"I'm not sure if I overcame them, but at least I hold no grudge against my father."
"You forgave him?"
Ho Hye-mun shook her head.
"That's not it."
"Then what?"
"My emotions are still useful in many places now. For you, Ryu Susa, Agum, Geum Susa, the Dragon Lady, and the students I teach. It's simply a matter of priorities. Well, if a few centuries pass and I have time on my hands, I might forgive him then."
Seoran asked in surprise.
"You're aiming for Primordial Infant Realm?"
Ho Hye-mun smiled confidently and replied.
"Of course. I'm confident. I'm a genius, after all. A Dual Spirit Root User becoming a Primordial Infant cultivator—honestly, that's greater than a Single Spirit Root Holder, isn't it? It's extremely rare, but it happens sometimes."
Seoran did some mental calculations and concluded it wasn't impossible for Ho Hye-mun.
Ho Hye-mun continued.
"Where was I? Oh, right, emotions. Human emotions are ultimately a finite resource—that's why they're precious."
It was a secret private lesson from writing instructor Ho Hye-mun.
No one in the world wants to be pointed at with fingers.
That's why emotions often become targets of theft.
By comparison, Ryu Susa's legitimate efforts to be loved were beautiful.
I want to become a respected teacher.
That's why I use my father as a counterexample: I don't do to others what I hated.
I hope that when my disciples become parents or masters in the future, they remember me and my teachings.
As she expounded her life philosophy and even her plans for self-realization, Seoran asked.
"What if I lose to the heart demon? If I give up cultivation, won't the sect members hate me?"
The worry filling her heart burst out.
It was a sudden question off-topic.
But the youth education specialist responded quickly.
"Why would that be losing? Spending most of one's life on cultivation just to live longer—what a truly unhappy life. Humans should live for their own happiness."
"Happiness?"
"Yes. Whether respect or love, you need a clear purpose. Cultivation is just a means, but goals can vary. For your happiness, Ryu Susa, you mustn't confuse means and ends. You have to know when to discard mere means if needed."
"Like extending lifespan first, then seeking happiness..."
Ho Hye-mun, lost in her own words, grew more excited.
"Passion, time, emotions—they're not infinite! Even if our bodies don't age, our hearts do! Ryu Susa, follow your heart—for happiness! And remember!"
With cheeks flushed from fervor, Ho Hye-mun said.
"It's impossible to be loved by everyone and love everyone! That's a feat only gods can achieve! But at least! Seoran, I love you! As a friend, of course! If it's too hard, it's okay to give up cultivation!"
Ho Hye-mun's monologue finally ended.
The pavilion, rowdy with late-night revelry, fell quiet.
Only Geum Youngyoung's snores echoed sporadically.
Embarrassment flooded Ho Hye-mun, and she stammered excuses.
"It was a bit disorganized, wasn't it? Saying it out loud, it's quite embarrassing. Probably because it's dawn—please understand. Well, I'll be going now. It was a pleasant conversation, Ryu Susa."
Ho Hye-mun hurried toward the stairs.
"Hye-mun, you really felt like a teacher today. Thank you."
Hearing that, Ho Hye-mun fled even faster.
In the pile of burnt ashes, an ember lifted its head.
Seoran thought to read a book a bit before sleeping and rummaged through the book bundle.
She found the puppet research treatise.
It must have come bundled with the miscellany.
Seoran opened the research treatise and read.
Her past efforts hadn't been meaningless; she could now understand about half.
The author's thoughts peeked through the text—Yeo Gwanbo.
Seoran had heard tales of the puppet enthusiast Yeo Gwanbo.
A Single Spirit Root Holder who ultimately failed to overcome his heart demon.
But the emotions in the research treatise differed from the rumors.
Yeo Gwanbo, the greatest puppet master of the Western Continent.
Pride, fulfillment, satisfaction emanated from it.
He hadn't fled—he had found his path.
Seoran closed the book and pondered.
What do I cultivate for?
Simply to be loved or to become someone precious?
If so, no need to cultivate—I could just marry or rule as queen in the secular world.
But that didn't appeal to her.
As she thought about what she truly desired, the sun rose and morning came.
Suddenly, Ho Hye-mun's words came to mind.
Infinite love is solely the domain of gods.
Seoran wanted to be loved infinitely and to love infinitely.
It was a longing like an eternal, unending sea.
Even if it was a realm permitted only to gods, she didn't mind.
Cultivation was transcendence itself.
Human limits held no meaning for a cultivator.
Naturally, becoming a god was possible too.
Her extinguished passion revived.
Not as fierce as before, but quietly.
Like the flame within a lantern illuminating the darkness.
Seoran smacked Geum Youngyoung's thigh.
"Ugh, what!"
Seoran said.
"Youngyoung, let's go eat breakfast. I'm hungry."
Geum Youngyoung was aghast.
"You're talking?!"
Seoran headed for the stairs.
"You're walking on your own?!"
Only the newly awakened Geum Youngyoung remained in the pavilion.
*****
After the capital sightseeing, Seoran overcame her heart demon.
Of course, she still needed rest and recovery.
So she spent her days taking pills and doing only short sessions of cultivation.
Yi Agum confidently offered a decoction.
Seoran gulped it down and made a profoundly subtle expression.
The thrilled Yi Agum asked for her thoughts.
"How is it, sister? It's the sweet decoction I barely managed to develop. Really delicious, right? I worked so hard on it."
Seoran grumbled.
"It's a bit weird... And who eats medicine for the taste."
This time, even Yi Agum couldn't hold back.