Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Cheon Hong - When the Grass Withers, It Becomes a Firefly
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'Hee Yeon. Geum-gang. Take care of what I asked.'
The Right Envoy—Baek Mu-heun—had left one request before departing.
Take care of the young Heavenly Demon.
'I'll come back for Ha Jin, so she's a pitiful one.'
Grow stronger while searching for Ha Jin.
And protect the Heavenly Demon.
Geum-gang had clearly replied like this.
'The Heavenly Demon's no concern of mine.'
"Hmm."
Hee Yeon stroked her chin, half-closing her eyes as she stared piercingly at something.
Just look at the sight before her.
The peak of Heavenly Mountain.
The sacred incarnation of faith in the Heavenly Demon along the Shin River basin.
The Sixth Heavenly Demon King.
That being...
Was following Geum-gang around like a puppy.
"Sigh..."
Pat pat.
"Geum-gang, Geum-gang. Summer's almost here. Will you take me to the stream even in summer?"
"Yes. Sure."
Look around. Look around.
"Geum-gang, where did you go?"
"I ate and came back. Food."
Pat pat pat.
"Geum-gang, don't go anywhere. It's scary."
"Yeees."
After basking in the sun with Geum-gang, Cheon Hong enjoyed several more night walks.
Yeo Jin-ok seemed to know as well... but she stayed awfully quiet.
After once overwhelming Yeo Jin-ok with sheer presence, she had become quite docile.
Whatever agreement she reached with the Cult Leader, she followed Geum-gang and Hee Yeon's words without complaint.
"Jin-ok. Food, please."
"Tch... Yes, Left Envoy."
Now she called them Left Envoy or Right Envoy instead of their names.
'Threats are the way, huh.'
Though she hadn't struck her, it felt like she'd given her a good thrashing.
Of course, her attitude toward Cheon Hong remained unchanged.
When Geum-gang or Hee Yeon were around, she at least watched her step, but when they weren't, she acted the same as before.
"Argh, I told you it's dangerous outside Heavenly Demon Hall."
"Lady Cheon Hong. How can you be so incompetent?"
Always barking orders and pushing her around.
At those times, Cheon Hong felt like her vision was spinning.
Sensation dulled slowly from her fingertips, her breath growing labored.
She wanted to drag Melancholy into her room and hold it tight.
'Dawn, Dawn.'
Now Cheon Hong squeezed her eyes shut and pictured golden sunlight.
She recalled those nights and days from long ago.
Even the pitch-black ceiling of Cheon Hong's room began to sparkle with one or two stars.
Geum-gang found the Heavenly Demon chasing after her from behind adorable in one way, but inconvenient at times.
Sometimes she even followed her to the bathroom.
"Heavenly Demon, I have a lot to do today."
On days she wanted to focus on training, pushing Cheon Hong away like this made her eyes well up red.
"Left Envoy, have you come to hate me now...?"
"Ugh..."
There was no choice but to soothe her.
Even during training sessions she had to do, Geum-gang sat Cheon Hong down and trained.
Cheon Hong would drag a chair to the window and toss words at Geum-gang and Hee Yeon, which sometimes sparked growth.
Whether from a child's perspective or an absolute one's that had reached the Profound Realm, who could say.
"Left Envoy, is that really the spot?"
"Mm. Your thrust is fast. Right Envoy, go slower."
When watching their sparring, her eyes would sharpen as she stared intently.
"Here I go. South Piercing Sword—Shaking Light."
As she assumed her stance, Hee Yeon's body tingled like lightning had struck.
With flashing internal energy, Hee Yeon kicked off the ground at a speed that left afterimages.
"Fast."
Hee Yeon's afterimages targeted Geum-gang from all directions.
Once at the neck.
Once at the wrist.
Once at the shoulder.
As attacks came from every angle, it was tricky even for Geum-gang.
Especially since Hee Yeon's piercing strikes weren't something to take with the body.
'Faster, even faster...!'
Power was proportional to speed.
As Hee Yeon's speed increased, the power multiplied exponentially.
"Try blocking this, Geum-gang!"
Geum-gang alternated fists and palms like the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, but even she couldn't block them all—they were too swift and fierce.
In the end, Geum-gang drew out a new technique.
"Spiral Vortex—Defense."
"Urgh...!"
Clearly bare-handed.
Yet Hee Yeon's sword was flung away by some rotational force.
A 'clang' sound.
Not a noise from a human body.
Hee Yeon regripped her sword and resumed her stance.
"What was that, Geum-gang?"
"Made it for defense. What do you think?"
"Cool. Just checking, but you don't have an offensive version, right?"
A bad premonition hit her.
Geum-gang grinned and took her stance.
The final exchange with the Eighth Elder.
His technique, True Wave, had inspired her greatly.
Like embodying ocean waves in spear arts—beautiful.
A beauty of order hidden within.
Geum-gang was a disciple of the Heavenly Robe Sect.
The Heavenly Robe Sect had one common trait.
They couldn't resist pretty things.
"Spiral Vortex—Wave."
Geum-gang had mimicked someone else's technique again.
She roughly manipulated the principles of rotation, expelling it outward.
Twisting the center of power within her body diligently, unleashing rotational force from her fingertips.
Like...
"Palm wind?"
Hee Yeon, collapsed after taking Geum-gang's technique, just blinked.
One of those esoteric moves said to require Peak Realm mastery for free use.
Like every kid trying mid-air flips, martial artists at Peak Realm always tried firing palm wind.
And now Geum-gang had done it with pure body, no internal energy.
Judging by the gouge in the ground, its power might even be greater.
'Sigh...'
Ughhh...
Hee Yeon started rolling on the ground.
"Lost again! Waaah—!"
Sparring with Geum-gang: 13 matches, 12 losses, 1 draw.
The glorious draw ended with Geum-gang declaring hunger.
'She wasn't this strong when we first met. The gap's widening.'
She hadn't even landed a proper hit this time.
As time passed, Geum-gang's prowess grew unfathomable.
The 'Resolve' she had offered.
She wanted to become a martial artist worthy of those words.
Hee Yeon felt downhearted.
"Geum-gaaang..."
"Ah."
Geum-gang had only recently learned this, but when Hee Yeon's frustration and sorrow peaked, she underwent a shocking change.
Stretch.
"Pick me up."
Arm extended straight, staring blankly.
Where had the usual young lady gone? Only a brainless girl remained.
"Ugh... Lost again... I'm an idiot... a fool..."
If ignored, the state lasted ages, so Geum-gang tried her best to cheer her up.
She'd seen blood from ignoring her before.
"Still, yeah. All my techniques came from you, Hee Yeon. Right?"
"Don't know... Hate you, Geum-gang... Idiot..."
Hee Yeon plopped down with a tearful face and whined for a while.
Cheon Hong poked at the curious Right Envoy and played beside her.
"Mm. Right Envoy. You alright?"
"Ugaaah..."
"Ha..."
Geum-gang sighed at the thought of tending to these two.
She even remembered a long-forgotten friend.
'Want a smoke.'
Thud thud.
Thud thud thud.
That familiar sound now.
Geum-gang had waited for Cheon Hong these past few nights.
'Never thought I'd be babysitting here too.'
Cheon Hong cried and laughed over trifles.
"Right Envoy, your hair's falling out. Ahahaha."
"Heavenly Demon..."
Geum-gang wanted to ask why.
But fearing she'd stop smiling if she pondered the reason, she held back.
The same for her crying.
"Hic... Sniff... I want to die. Kill me, Geum-gang. It's scary. I can't endure it..."
One couldn't comfort what one didn't understand.
Wanting to die? She wanted to live.
Three years surviving the martial world already...
Wait.
'Come to think of it, what's with the Flowing Willow Dawn Chronicle plot...? The name of Justice should be echoing by now...'
No, it was way overdue.
Three years since meeting Ha Jin.
Justice's name should have resounded across the land a year ago.
No news of Unit Heaven either.
'This... needs investigating.'
With war between righteousness and evil looming, Geum-gang had to maximize her future knowledge.
Tsk.
Anyway, for unknowable pains, silence was best.
Geum-gang simply stroked her hair gently.
Thud thud thud.
"Ah. Right."
She'd forgotten the sound amid her thoughts.
Opening the door, Cheon Hong stood there brightly.
"Why so late!"
"Sorry. Fell asleep getting up."
Cheon Hong beckoned her head closer.
Geum-gang swept her hair behind her ear and knelt; Cheon Hong leaned to whisper in her ear.
"Left Envoy. Sneak out today too."
"Sneak. Sounds good. Sneak."
Yeo Jin-ok had already caught on, in fact.
Geum-gang knew that too.
Whatever the reason, it meant tacit approval of their night walks.
So they could enjoy freely.
"Left Envoy. Look at this."
"Oh, candies."
Geum-gang covered her mouth, feeling a flinch, but ignored it.
"Eat one by one. Hehe."
Seeing the beaming child made Geum-gang happy.
She never wanted to see that sobbing kid from their first meeting again.
Cheon Hong spread her arms toward Geum-gang.
Meaning, hug me quick.
It had become utter habit now.
Holding tight, face buried in her chest, they slipped out the window.
"Where to today, Geum-gang?"
"Dunno. Wander aimlessly?"
"Good. Ah, summer air's nice. This scent will linger long."
"Glad you like it."
"If I ever leave someday, you could tie me to this scent."
Heavy words for a girl to say.
Death.
Death...
Geum-gang, hugging the Heavenly Demon tight mid-leap, stopped at a broad grassy field by a trickling valley.
"Here today?"
"Yeah! So much grass. Rustle rustle, amazing."
Dew clung to the lush leaves, enhancing the dawn scent.
Some leaves were rotting a bit.
"These leaves are decaying. Even in a land full of life, death comes—mysterious."
Old soul.
Fearing Cheon Hong's gloom, Geum-gang shared her master's old tale.
"Know this, Heavenly Demon?"
"What?"
"Withered grass in late summer all fly to the sky and become fireflies."
"Fireflies?"
Cheon Hong took interest in the new word.
Fresh topic fuel.
"Yes, bugs that glow themselves. Same color as these leaves."
"Lowly things shining? Amazing."
Green and verdant green.
"I want to see fireflies too. Left Envoy, take me?"
"Haha. We're here. Look there, Heavenly Demon."
Where Geum-gang pointed, green star shards floated.
"Stars floating!"
She grinned wide.
'Success today too.'
Cheon Hong toddled over on short legs, diving into the fireflies.
Poking the bright lights was beautiful.
"Left Envoy, how do you know so much? Heart's pounding. Not scared now."
'Ah.'
Seeing Cheon Hong's bright face, Geum-gang grasped the emotion she'd felt.
Back as Jung-seok.
Even after becoming Geum-gang.
The disgust facing the Cult Leader stemmed from this too.
"More in late summer. Come again."
"Really? Fire... Firefly? Must come back here."
"Haha. Firefly. Firefly. Definitely."
Amid green stars, they made their promise.
But Geum-gang and Cheon Hong didn't know.
Some promises take ages to fulfill.
Deep into the night.
Yeo Jin-ok headed somewhere lantern in hand.
The quiet Heavenly Demon Hall heard nothing.
Knowing the Heavenly Demon and Left Envoy had slipped out, leaving it empty—perfect for a secret talk.
Coming out so late was rare even for her.
At the annex, her appointment awaited.
Indigo hair and sword like a clone.
Hee Yeon leaned against the wall.
"What's this about?"
Pretty prickly attitude.
Yeo Jin-ok chuckled at the young fire, handing over the letter.
"Hee Yeon of South Heaven Sword Family. Message from the Cult Leader."
"Cult Leader...?"
Anxiety flooded Hee Yeon.
Not Right Envoy, not Hee Yeon.
Hee Yeon of South Heaven Sword Family...?
Sure enough, reading the letter froze her expression solid.
Unreasonable.
"This...!"
"Say no more. If you—and your clan—don't want involvement."
Hee Yeon tried retorting but shut her mouth.
Still powerless.
Before overwhelming might, yielding without resistance shamed her to death.
Shameful.
Unjust.
Relieved at safety, she loathed herself.
Tears welled.
"Fuck..."
The beautiful indigo girl.
Spitting a curse she'd never uttered.
Hee Yeon.
Dark night had come for her at last.