The White-Haired Ghost Flower of Henan’s Black Merchant Sect (3)
I finished my fifth session of qi circulation and rose from my spot. Only then did the White-Haired Ghost Flower finally speak.
Her voice was surprisingly clear and rather lovely.
Our introductions came a little late, but that was the end of it. Baek Dan-yeong offered no further words. She simply drew her sword again.
"Hold on. I enjoy crossing blades with you too, but shouldn't we at least eat something first?"
Even after I said that, Baek Dan-yeong simply stood there watching me. Her eyes seemed to say, That doesn't matter. Just raise your sword already.
"You need to eat well and rest well. The edge of your sword is growing dull. I have no interest in sparring with someone in that condition."
Her eyes widened slightly. It wasn't a huge display of emotion, but I could tell she had received quite a shock.
"So how about we go eat something? Then get some proper rest? Taking care of your body is the foundation of being a martial artist. I won't discuss the sword with anyone who can't even manage that much."
Now I could clearly feel her agitation. She really was an easy woman to read. How could someone with such a blank face have every emotion written so plainly across it?
"Follow me. Let's head down the mountain. Oh, do you have a face cloth?"
Baek Dan-yeong pulled a white cloth from her robes and covered her face with it. Good. I had been worried she might pull out a mask instead.
With that, I led Baek Dan-yeong down the mountain.
The village right at the foot of Mount Hua had probably enjoyed considerable prosperity before the Righteous-Demonic Great War. It made sense. Mount Hua had been one of the pillars of the righteous path, a sect that once commanded tremendous prestige. Countless branch families and visitors hoping to pay their respects to the sect would have filled these streets, turning the place into a bustling hub of activity.
But fourteen years after the Righteous-Demonic Great War, that was no longer the case.
No one came here anymore. Most of those who had once lived here had already left. All that remained was a single inn for passing travelers.
And even inside that inn, there weren't many customers.
We stepped into the quiet establishment. A waiter approached us with clear lack of enthusiasm. I ordered some simple food and glanced at Baek Dan-yeong.
Her eyes carried a faint trace of nostalgia. That made sense. The inn looked quite old; it had probably stood in this exact spot even before the war. Had she visited back then? Fourteen years ago, she would have been little more than a child.
Soon the food arrived. I urged her to eat.
Yet Baek Dan-yeong simply stared at the dishes as if she didn't know how to consume them.
"Eat. Only then can we spar again."
Only then did she pick up her chopsticks. She lifted the food beneath her face cloth and began chewing in small, careful bites. It was surprisingly cute. She looked like a little hamster.
Just how long was she going to chew that single piece of meat? At least her digestion would be excellent.
There was no rush, so I ate slowly. The food wasn't particularly outstanding—just decent enough to fill the stomach. Nothing special, but not bad either.
I glanced around in case anyone might try to start trouble, but it didn't seem like that would happen.
The meal took quite a while. Baek Dan-yeong had eaten about as much as a teardrop from an ant. There was no need to wonder if that was enough for her. After all, I had once survived for decades in closed-door training on nothing but Wall-Breaking Pills.
In truth, bringing her down the mountain hadn't been out of genuine concern for her eating habits. I simply wanted to give this inorganic woman a chance to refresh her mind. Once someone reached the Transformation Realm, things like eating and sleeping naturally became less important compared to ordinary people.
"Shall we head back now?"
The moment I suggested returning, a spark returned to Baek Dan-yeong's eyes. It was painfully obvious that she had only gone through the motions of eating because I had asked her to. Her steps as we climbed back up Mount Hua were noticeably lighter. She really must have been itching to pick up her sword again.
It was nice that her desires were so clear. Made her easy to understand.
And so we crossed swords once more.
Since I had already mastered all the forms of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art, I was able to properly receive every strike she unleashed. Before long, Baek Dan-yeong began calling out the names of her own techniques as she executed them, as if she were a master teaching her disciple.
A slightly larger motion. Her sword still carried countless layers of illusion and mystery.
The wide arc of her blade and the endless variations hidden between each strike. Hmm… in that case, the best response would be to use Plum Blossom Chaos Heaven to block it, right?
When I deployed Plum Blossom Chaos Heaven and blocked her strike, a faint smile deepened on Baek Dan-yeong's face. Then came the next technique. Another form.
This time it was a thrust. But not a simple one.
A strike that hid the tip of the sword and stabbed in from a blind angle. A plum blossom that suddenly bloomed in full.
I called out the technique name as I deflected her sword. Even though her attack had been blocked, Baek Dan-yeong continued swinging with clear joy, still smiling brightly.
She kept swinging her sword until her inner energy was completely exhausted, then sheathed it and sat down right where she stood. Her qi circulation had become completely natural now. She didn't seem to entertain even the slightest thought that she might be in danger. Watching her like this made her feel like a wild cat that had finally allowed me to get close. Or perhaps like a stray dog that had permitted me to touch its belly?
Ah. That last comparison probably wasn't appropriate for a woman.
Anyway, I waited. Once her qi circulation ended, she would surely pick up her sword again and stare at me intently.
No matter how great the difference in our realms, facing someone who burned their inner energy like kindling and even manifested sword gang wasn't exactly easy. Baek Dan-yeong didn't know how to properly control her own power. Therefore, enduring it all was entirely my responsibility.
I wondered how many people in this murim could receive this woman's sword to such an extent.
In any case, I also sat in a lotus position and once again savored the energy of Mount Hua. It was a majestic force. The qi of nature itself poured forth endlessly.
Maybe it should have been called Fire Mountain instead of Flower Mountain? This overflowing energy really did feel like lava erupting from a volcano.
Ah. That reminds me of those old "fire arrow" jokes. I miss that kind of silly banter.
Two hours later, I sensed Baek Dan-yeong finishing her qi circulation. I stopped my meditation and opened my eyes. She was definitely going to stand up with her sword again.
But after completing her circulation, Baek Dan-yeong didn't rise. She simply sat there quietly watching me. Her aura had become considerably calmer.
"Not going to continue?"
She gave a small shake of her head.
What? She wasn't saying she wouldn't continue? What did that mean?
"Ah. You want to talk instead?"
She gave a small nod.
Good grief. What was this, twenty questions?
"Did swinging your sword satisfy you?"
She shook her head.
"You want to swing your sword more? With me?"
She nodded.
"But right now you have something you want to say, so you're holding back for a moment?"
She nodded again.
Whew. Good. I had talent for this.
Lucky for me that Baek Dan-yeong was such an easy woman to read. This much was perfectly manageable.
"Alright. Let's see… You still haven't given up on your revenge, right? You can't possibly forgive the ones who reduced Mount Hua to this state?"
Her nod was slightly heavier this time. However, the murderous intent in her eyes had diminished considerably. That was a relief, at least.
"Good. I have no intention of stopping you or getting in your way. Those who deserve punishment should receive it."
Her pitch-black eyes stared directly at me. Having reached the Transformation Realm, she could roughly sense my level of power. That was probably why she was being so obedient.
"I heard you destroyed seven sects."
She shook her head.
"Hm? Not seven? Did the number increase?"
She nodded.
Ah, right. It had been some time since I last checked.
"Eight? Nine?"
She shook her head, then nodded.
Nine, then. She had wiped out two more in the meantime.
"You're also targeting the Black Merchant Sect, correct?"
She nodded.
"But their scale is larger than expected, so you're hesitating a bit?"
Baek Dan-yeong paused for a moment before giving a single, reluctant nod. It seemed she didn't want to admit she couldn't handle it alone.
"Fine. Then I'll help you destroy the Black Merchant Sect. And the others after that as well."
At my now completely casual tone, Baek Dan-yeong looked at me with clear confusion.
"Our goals align, that's all. The Black Merchant Sect deserves to be destroyed. Just listing their illegal activities would fill an entire book. So even if you wipe them out, there won't be the slightest problem. You could call it their own karma."
Her eyes still held traces of doubt. She seemed to want a more detailed explanation. If she wanted one, she could have just said so.
"From what I've seen, you don't just kill anyone indiscriminately, right? The only people whose lives you've personally taken are those who participated in the Righteous-Demonic Great War, correct?"
She gave one firm nod. Her gaze had grown a little deeper.
"Exactly. That's why I'm offering to help you do so. In the process, I only need to take care of one person."
Baek Dan-yeong tilted her head, clearly not understanding what I meant. She really did look like a cat. How cute.
"Let's set it for tomorrow at midnight. So rest until then. I have some business at the Black Merchant Sect, so I'll be gone for a while."
She immediately shook her head, stood up, and drew her sword.
"No. Rest. If you keep acting however you please, I won't spar with you again."
Her mouth opened slightly as she made a genuinely shocked expression. She quickly sheathed her sword and sat back down.
Good heavens. What exactly had happened to make such a grown woman this adorable?
"Why are you sitting? I told you to go rest. Until midnight tomorrow, I want you in the best possible physical condition. That's what I expect from you. If you want to continue sparring with me in the future, follow my words. Then I'll help you with both the revenge you desire and the sparring you want. Understood?"
Baek Dan-yeong, who had been staring at me intently, slowly rose from her seat and headed toward the Golden Heaven Palace. Was she going to rest? Probably.
I stood for a moment and sensed her presence. She had entered one side of the Golden Heaven Palace and was simply sitting there quietly. So that was her version of resting. Unbelievable.
Still, since I had told her to reach peak condition, she would probably manage it on her own. There was no way I had to explain something so basic to a Transformation Realm martial artist, right?
With Baek Dan-yeong taken care of, it was now time to deal with Manager Jeong Gwang.
I hoped things would go well. It would be nice if he turned out to be a reasonable man.
With that thought, I left Mount Hua and headed straight for the Black Merchant Sect.