The Flute's Claimant
Who the hell carries a sword around… And Seomun Cheong’s ironclad rule as the victor was to show proper courtesy to the defeated. It was a noble act—honoring the loser’s will and inheriting their belongings. So that was exactly what she did.
But then.
No money pouch?
…No, how could this be!
Seomun Cheong was furious. This was a grave betrayal. Even if the villain had willingly offered his back to be stabbed, how could there be no reward after doing a good deed? This kind of reality should not exist.
Seomun Cheong conducted another thorough body search, just in case. During the process, her hand brushed against something. It was an object sewn inside his inner robe. It was rolled up tightly and felt hard—definitely not a money pouch. But if someone had gone to the trouble of hiding it, it had to be something valuable.
Right, this was it! She knew it!
With a bright expression, Seomun Cheong tore the inner robe to shreds. The moment something fell into her hand—
The Martial Arts Window suddenly demanded to be opened. From her experience, this only happened when she obtained a complete manual or heard a technique’s oral transmission.
Seomun Cheong opened the Martial Arts Window. A newly added technique sparkled before her eyes.
Maiden’s Joy Art.
The border was gold. Gold came right after purple. And it was an internal energy cultivation method? The more internal energy, the better. She should go back and ask her master if it was any good before learning it.
Yes. Even Seomun Cheong had grown.
But before that.
Seomun Cheong recalled Seomun Su-rin’s instructions. Since my disciple keeps running into martial arts, I must warn you: if you obtain a manual and wish to learn it, memorize it completely, then burn it. If it is evil, burn it immediately. Simply possessing a manual can sow the seeds of conflict.
She was sick of conflict by now.
Seomun Cheong took out her fire-starting tube. It was a specially made container for holding embers. Though quite expensive, Seomun Su-rin had given it to her frail disciple who could not yet produce Samadhi True Fire. For reference, Samadhi True Fire was a technique used by Transcendent masters to raise the temperature at a single point using the principle of energy circulation. It was nothing more than stuffing true energy into something, but its convenience had long been recognized. Of course, Seomun Cheong was still only at the Peak realm, so she had to rely on the fire-starting tube like this.
She gathered a handful of dry autumn leaves and touched them to the tube. Flames quickly caught. The Maiden’s Joy Art manual was written on oil-soaked bamboo slips, but in the end, it was still just wood. How long could it possibly last?
The Maiden’s Joy Art manual burned. The secret art of the Joy Palace, passed down only to its successive lords, went up in flames. Beside it lay the lord’s corpse. In that moment, the lineage of a sect’s treasured secret technique was severed.
After glancing around once, Seomun Cheong continued on her way. She had no idea what the villain had been planning. But with over four hundred evil karma points, it was probably some kind of trap. She had no desire to get involved and end up like the mess at Dongting Lake.
——
“…So, in summary,” Ji Seungju reported with a blank expression. “Seomun Cheong ambushed and killed the Joy Palace Lord, then found the manual, burned it, and headed toward the Sinnyeo Sect?”
“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes.”
The answer came from an assassin belonging to the Demonic Cult’s Outer Hall, Secret Operations Division. He was one of the operatives sent along with Hamwol to assist in the mission. To the assassin, Seomun Cheong was no different from a fellow professional. Her killing intent never leaked even slightly, and her single strike was executed without a moment’s hesitation. Even a late-stage Transcendent master had been unable to respond and died instantly. If she were an assassin, she would have made a name for herself in the Central Plains long ago. It was not something an ordinary mind could accomplish.
“She didn’t even look at the manual?”
“She has no interest whatsoever in a demonic practitioner’s manual.”
“She’s even more vicious than I thought. As expected of Seomun Su-rin’s disciple.”
Ji Seungju clicked his tongue. Seomun Su-rin’s hatred of lust demons was famous. And that hatred made no distinction between men and women. Male lust demons were trash that should not exist. Female lust demons were trash that brought shame upon all women. And she had declared that all trash must be burned, even setting fire to corpses. Of course, the fifteen-year-old Ji Seungju had never witnessed the old master in action during her prime. But even from the remaining records, he knew Seomun Su-rin had been a thoroughly deranged killing ghost. He had thought she had mellowed after withdrawing from the jianghu and secluding herself in the Sinnyeo Sect, but it seemed she had passed that hatred down intact to her disciple.
After all, how else would her disciple have recognized that old monster from the remote corner of the Central Plains and dealt with her?
“A righteous female hero with a murderous heart… This is going to be troublesome. And of all places, the Boksinjeok had to drift there.”
It was estimated that the Boksinjeok, imprinted with its owner’s internal energy, would take at least forty years to completely erase its traces. That was already the minimum estimate. And this was happening right before the completion of their great mission. The key had fallen into the hands of a righteous martial artist.
“What shall we do?”
“I will take direct command. Mobilize every single cult member and secure Seomun Cheong. Before Seomun Su-rin notices.”
The assassin swallowed hard. Did this mean he would get to witness that magnificent command in person? Ji Seungju’s own martial arts were barely at the Second-class level. However, the true value of the Young Demon Brain lay not in martial prowess. The heavenly net commanded directly by the Demon Brain was—
“Pavilion Master! I have a report!”
At that moment, another assassin burst in and shouted. Ji Seungju looked at the second assassin with a blank yet somehow reproachful expression.
“If you’re here too, then who’s tracking the target?”
The second assassin answered.
“The Jijon has captured her personally.”
——
“Hey. You there.”
It was a languid voice. Seomun Cheong whipped her head around in surprise. The man had long hair that reached his waist. With a face that looked stubborn due to his firm jaw, he was smiling faintly as he looked at her.
Seomun Cheong’s expression hardened. She was a master. It was not easy to deceive a master’s senses. Failing to notice someone this close was not normal.
Seomun Cheong quickly checked the man’s karma.
-998.
She immediately regretted it.
Shit. I shouldn’t have checked.
She had a feeling she might end up filling that last point herself.
Seomun Cheong was, at her core, someone who was harsh toward the wicked and lenient toward the good. Yet she was also someone who was lenient toward the weak and harsh toward the strong. Weak villains made good playthings, but when faced with strong villains, she would shrink back. After all, dying would be unfair. She had clawed her way through garbage bins, eating rotten food and using bugs as side dishes just to survive. She had only just started to feel some attachment to this world.
Seomun Cheong decided to attempt conversation first.
“Who are you?”
“This Lord?”
Ah, fuck.
Seomun Cheong’s face twisted. Someone who referred to himself as “this Lord”? He had to be completely out of his mind.
“If I had to put it in simple terms, I suppose I’m something like a creditor. Since you’re in possession of this Lord’s property.”
“Me?”
“Yes. A flute about this long. Have you seen it?”
The man spread his arms. It was a very familiar length. Seomun Cheong glanced at the man’s eyes for a brief moment. Even though he was clearly within her field of vision, he somehow looked blurry, not quite human. Either he was not human, or he was an incredibly powerful master.
Seomun Cheong made her decision immediately.
“Ahaha. I found it on the roadside. I didn’t know it had an owner. Shall I return it?”
She should not act cocky for no reason. Seomun Cheong immediately took out the Boksinjeok and held it out. The man smiled brightly.
“Good. A thieving cat that knows its manners.”
A chill ran up Seomun Cheong’s arm. A thieving cat? Did he just call himself a thieving cat with his own mouth? What kind of sane person would say something like that? He was definitely a complete lunatic.
Seomun Cheong made her decision again. She would not get involved.
The moment she made up her mind, the man asked,
“By the way. Did you blow it?”
She had heard that once you played a single note, the magical flute would recognize you as its owner from then on. Would he believe her if she lied? What if she lied and got stabbed?
Seomun Cheong’s eyes darted around. The man grinned.
“You did blow it, didn’t you?”
“……What if I did?”
“Can’t be helped. Not only did you take this Lord’s property without permission, but if you’ve become its owner, then you too must be counted as this Lord’s property.”
How could every single line of dialogue be so perfectly unhinged? Seomun Cheong took a deep breath. She exhaled slowly and calmed herself.
“Sorry to ask this upon our first meeting, but what realm are you at……?”
“This Lord? I am one who will soon reach the Nature Realm.”
The Nature Realm was a legendary realm that the Sword Emperor was said to have reached in his later years. According to Seomun Su-rin, no one in the world had ever reached it, so it was nothing more than a lie people had made up. And yet he claimed he would soon reach the Nature Realm. So he was right below that?
“Uh. Are you at the Energy Heaven Realm?”
“No. I will soon reach the Energy Heaven Realm as well.”
“Then are you saying you’re at the Life and Death Realm……?”
“No. I will soon reach the Life and Death Realm as well.”
What kind of bullshit was this? Seomun Cheong barely endured five hundred repetitions of holding back curses. Don’t say anything bad. Don’t act cocky.
“Then are you at the Profound Realm?”
“If this Lord truly set his mind to it, he could reach the Profound Realm as early as tomorrow.”
Which meant he was not at the Profound Realm either. Why did the number keep going down? Seomun Cheong held onto a sliver of hope. She could probably manage up to the Transcendent realm. As long as he was not some ridiculous monster after all that posturing. She would hit him with five hundred Yeorae Shinjang.
Seomun Cheong continued her questioning.
“Then the Harmonious Realm……?”
Instead of answering, the man snapped his fingers. Seomun Cheong’s expression filled with disappointment.
Damn it! Just a little more, why stop there……