This Is a Secret
Rumble, rumble.
"I think the building is shaking a little..."
Mencius once said, “What goes out from you will return to you.”
A passage warning us to refrain from evil deeds and live virtuously, for whatever we put out into the world will eventually come back to us.
Whether metaphorically or literally, could there be a more fitting phrase for my current situation?
"As expected, you can't ignore the wisdom of the sages."
Step, step.
"Phew..."
I had met Jegal Yeong, and Moyong Cheon wouldn't be bothering me for the time being, so there was only one place left to go.
The Wind Thunder Unit, the elite combat force of the Murim Alliance.
To be precise, it was time to meet its leader, Yeon Mu-sang.
"I really don't want to go."
He was warm and kind to me, but for some reason, he made me incredibly uncomfortable.
Was it because he held such a high position in both the Murim Alliance and the Blood Sect? Or was it because I couldn't read his true intentions?
Rustle.
"Excuse me, do you know the way to the Wind Thunder Unit?"
There was no point in agonizing over it; it wasn't like I could avoid it forever.
Steeling my resolve, I asked a passing servant for directions and headed toward the Wind Thunder Unit.
"This is the Wind Thunder Unit."
Wind Thunder Unit
Looking up, I saw a worn but sturdy main gate. Hanging above it was a plaque with the words "Wind Thunder Unit" handsomely embossed in steel.
Shift.
Shifting my gaze further back, I saw a sheer cliff. Bordered by that cliff, a training ground lay to the left, while several buildings lined up to the right.
And finally...
"Cough, cough. Is it always like this here?"
"Since it is a combat unit, I suppose it cannot be helped."
The stench of dust and sweat vibrated all the way to the entrance!
Bow.
"Then, I shall take my leave."
"Cough. Thank you."
The servant bowed and left the moment we arrived. Honestly, I wouldn't want to stay here any longer than necessary either.
Step, step.
Thud, thud, thud.
"Ugh..."
The moment I crossed the main gate, a heavy, rhythmic vibration shook the ground.
What kind of training were they doing to cause this?
"Is it over there?"
The source of the noise was, unsurprisingly, the training ground.
As I walked in that direction, I saw the members of the Wind Thunder Unit in the middle of intense training.
Gasp.
"My goodness..."
"Two hundred fifty-one! ...Two hundred fifty-two!"
"Pant... pant...! My legs... I can't feel my legs!"
"Please, just let us rest for a moment!"
Some were holding horse stances while loaded down with heavy iron weights, while others were scaling the cliff face with their bare hands.
Still others were walking on their hands, circling the training ground as if undergoing some sort of disciplinary punishment.
Sip.
Standing on the podium, supervising all of this while leisurely sipping tea, was a woman.
"If your body is weak, you may collapse. If your spirit is weak, you may give up."
Her voice was completely flat—neither passionate nor cold.
"The world is full of mediocre fools. A few more added to the pile today won't change a thing."
"Eeeek!"
"Two hundred fifty-five! ...Two hundred fifty-six!"
Spurred by her words, the unit members gritted their teeth and held on with everything they had.
Whoa...
She seems terrifying. But why does she look so familiar?
...
Flash.
"Ah!"
Now that I thought about it, wasn't there a woman who poured tea for us when I first met Yeon Mu-sang?
I thought she was just a Blood Sect member, but she follows him around in the Murim Alliance too?
Pause.
"Huh? You are...?"
Because I had spoken aloud, the eyes of the training ground shifted to me.
"Didn't they say a peerless beauty received the Blue Jade Plaque?"
"Then that person must be the one who received the Leader's recommendation..."
"Silence."
Whoosh.
The woman sipping tea closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye.
She was so fast that I reflexively activated my Guihua Preservation.
Tap.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Yeonhwa. I am Gongson Yeon."
"Hello. You're the one who poured tea back then, right?"
"Yes. Though I am lacking, I serve as the Vice Leader of the Wind Thunder Unit."
Hmm...
Judging by how the unit members are on the verge of death, she doesn't seem lacking at all...
Bow.
"I shall guide you to the Leader's office. Please, this way."
How is this possible?
The stench of dust and sweat reached all the way to the main gate, yet the Leader's office was completely odorless.
It wasn't masked with incense; it was just pure, sterile nothingness.
It felt like a reflection of Yeon Mu-sang himself, which made it a little creepy.
"What are you thinking about so deeply, Blood Plum Blossom?"
Startled.
"O-Oh, it's nothing! Anyway... that's how it happened."
When meeting someone awkward, the standard approach is to break the ice with small talk.
So, I rambled on about what had happened since we parted ways at the Blood Sect hideout.
The Namgung Family, the Demonic Cult, the Green Forest expert, and so on.
Hahaha.
"The story of Bae Man-gang, the Ridge-Cleaving Tyrant Axe, is a masterpiece. A death truly fitting for a Green Forest bandit."
"I agree. She has made another contribution to the Sect."
"Huh? A contribution?"
What was that supposed to mean?
Pour.
Gongson Yeon said as she poured tea into a cup.
"Since they mistook a Green Forest expert for a spy, the Alliance of Evil Sects will let their guard down for the time being. This will make it easier for our Sect's Apostle, who has infiltrated them, to operate."
Wait, what?!
Is that how they're interpreting it?
"Hahaha! I knew I had an eye for talent! Wouldn't you agree, Gongson Yeon?"
"I am not so sure about that—"
"Which is exactly why I keep you by my side."
"Few in the Sect can match the insight of the Second Apostle."
Shake head.
Sigh...
I want to sever ties with this damn cult as soon as possible, but I keep getting dragged back in.
"I have something I'm curious about. Can I ask?"
If I let them keep talking, they'd start babbling about me being the Sect's rising star again. I needed to change the subject quickly.
"Of course. Ask anything."
"You seem to be highly respected in the Murim Alliance. Did something happen?"
"Did something happen, you say..."
Tilt head.
"It's a rather famous incident, yet you don't seem to know. How curious."
"Well... I have my reasons. Hehe."
I was kidnapped by a crazy eunuch and subjected to brainwashing cultivation, so I had zero knowledge of the outside world.
Sip.
"Four years ago, I cut down the Left Guardian of the Demonic Cult."
"The Left Guardian...? W-What? Really?!"
The Left Guardian of the Demonic Cult was basically the Heavenly Demon's left hand!
To think he cut him down... Does that mean the Blood Demon's left hand is stronger than the Heavenly Demon's?
"I gained fame for it, but... unfortunately, it didn't have a major impact on the grand scheme of things. A Left Guardian can always be replaced."
"I suppose so...?"
The Demonic Cult—or rather, the Heavenly Demon Cult—felt like an independent military faction located far from the Central Plains.
Since their scale was incomparable to ordinary sects, they could probably replace a Left Guardian easily.
Shake head.
"It is regrettable, but it cannot be helped. After all, the world is naturally filled with mediocre fools."
"Pardon?"
Why was he suddenly bringing up something so random? Mediocre fools?
"Ah, you wouldn't know yet. This is a secret, but—"
Startled.
"Second Apostle?! You shouldn't speak of that so lightly—"
"Our Sect and the Heavenly Demon Cult originally shared the same root."
"...What?"
Isn't this an incredibly massive secret? This didn't feel like the kind of story you just casually listen to over tea.
Step, step.
"Ugh, my head..."
There is a saying: “Ignorance is bliss, and knowledge is a disease.” That was exactly my situation right now.
My mind was in such a whirl that I barely even remembered how I received the recommendation letter.
Shake head.
"So that's why they hate each other so much."
According to Yeon Mu-sang, once upon a time, people who wished to ascend to immortality founded a religion.
Eventually, one faction sought to ascend through slaughter, becoming the current Blood Sect.
The other faction completely shifted direction, believing that a savior would descend to rescue them, becoming the current Heavenly Demon Cult.
Nod.
"No wonder that crow was throwing such a fit."
Setting aside the fact that the Blood Sect was completely insane, the Heavenly Demon Cult had retained none of its original form.
They were considered heretics, yet they had more followers? The original faction must have been absolutely seething.
Step, step.
"Anyway, now that I have the recommendation letter, I'm done! I'm not getting involved anymore!"
Whether it was the Blood Sect or the Heavenly Demon Cult, I wanted nothing more to do with them! They could kill each other for all I cared.
I needed to leave for the Shaolin Temple immediately. Maybe looking at a Buddha statue would calm my mind.
Scratch.
Mount Song is right next to Luoyang...
In modern terms, the distance between the two regions was about sixty kilometers.
It was close enough that I could arrive after taking a quick nap in a carriage.
And if that was the case...
"It's probably better to travel at night, right?"
Wake up from a nap in the carriage, and boom, Mount Song. What an efficient route!
They said traveling at night was dangerous, but surely no one would target a carriage leaving the Murim Alliance.
...
Or so I had thought.
...
Clench.
Rummage, rummage.
"Found it! Here is the plaque!"
"Is this... jade?"
"Useless. Something like this stands out too much; we can't even use it."
Mocking my expectations, the moment I left Luoyang, I was ambushed by uninvited guests who were now looting my luggage. It seemed the coachman was in on it too.
For now, I was playing along just to see who these audacious bastards were.
Scratch.
"As expected, infiltrating the Murim Alliance won't be easy."
"Leader, what should we do with the girl?"
"What else? Have your fun with her, then dispose of her."
"Thank you! May the Heavenly Demon descend, and ten thousand demons submit!"
The Heavenly Demon's descent?
Oh, come on! The Demonic Cult this time?!
Fling.
"Hey! I said I didn't want to get involved, so why do you keep showing up and ruining my day?!"
I shouted, flinging the carriage door open. Seriously, whether it was the Blood Sect or the Demonic Cult, I had no idea why they kept intruding on my life.
"Huh?!"
"Wasn't she tied up?"
Step.
"Stay calm. Prepare for battle!"
"Yes, Leader!"
They seemed reasonably well-trained, as they immediately assumed combat stances at their leader's command.
Huh?
None of them are carrying weapons. Are they bare-handed? Is there some special reason for that?
"Ah, whatever."
They were going to die anyway. I activated my Guihua Preservation and swiftly swung my sword at their necks.
However...
Clang!
"???"
Even though I had coated the Danya Sword in sword qi, it bounced off instead of cutting through.
"What, is this Body-Protecting Qi?"
Chuckle, chuckle.
"Stupid wench. Do you think this is Body-Protecting Qi?"
"Then what is it?"
At my question, the man who appeared to be the leader sneered and spoke.
"We are the Submerging Stone Unit of the Heavenly Demon Cult. For the sake of infiltration, we have trained purely in external martial arts without cultivating any internal energy. Mere sword qi cannot pierce our skin."
"Your skin can block sword qi?"
"It is the price of a lifetime of agonizing training. A greenhouse flower like you could never imagine—"
"Blood-Boiling Palm."
Sizzle.
Bubble, bubble.
"Aaaaaargh!"
"L-Leader!"
"How could a body tempered by the Submerging Stone Art...!"
Shrug.
"No matter how tough your skin is, what can you do when your blood starts boiling?"
I had avoided using this on humans because it was too cruel, but I would make an exception for these Demonic Cult bastards.
I was already feeling uneasy, and they just had to crawl right in front of me and push my buttons?
Gasp.
"Boiling blood! Don't tell me!"
"The Blood Sect! You're a witch of the Blood Sect!"
Snap.
"What? A witch?"
You ambush someone who was sleeping peacefully, and now you're calling me names? They were really making my blood boil.
Surge.
As anger rushed to my head, the bloody qi of the Myeolcheon Sura-gong began to surge from my body.
"Wh-What?!"
"W-Wait! Calm down—"
"Yeah! I'm from the Blood Sect! Do you think I joined because I wanted to?!"
Bubble, bubble.
Sizzle.
"Aaaargh!"
"Vice Leader!"
"It's bad enough I was forced into it! Why do you keep showing up in front of me?!"
"The Heavenly Demon will strike you down with divine punishment!"
"Don't make me laugh. How can a mere human hand out divine punishment?"
Sizzle.
"You blasphemous...! Aaaargh!"
Still, thanks to Yeon Mu-sang's explanation, some things finally made sense.
Like why they kept talking about the Heavenly Demon's descent and divine punishment when a person called the Heavenly Demon was already alive and well.
Originally, they probably referred to the messiah of the Heavenly Demon Cult as the Heavenly Demon.
Then, at some point, they must have started calling the strongest person among them the Heavenly Demon.
Scratch.
That aside...
"Blood-Boiling Palm. Blood-Boiling Palm."
"Ugh...! How frustrating! To think the Submerging Stone Art I dedicated my life to would fail so miserably...!"
It probably would have been a huge pain to deal with these guys using a sword, but the Blood-Boiling Palm made quick work of them.
As expected, compatibility in martial arts is everything.
Thud.
"Ugh... ah..."
"Is that all of them?"
Since I took them down one by one with a single strike, the self-proclaimed Submerging Stone Unit was cleaned up in no time.
"But what do I do with this horse?"
Since the coachman was one of them, the horse attached to the carriage was now essentially orphaned.
I could just walk away, but the horse would probably die out here...
"Can't be helped. Let's go to the Shaolin Temple together."
Whinny.
I unhitched the horse from the carriage and lightly mounted it.
Since I was technically a martial arts expert, riding a horse shouldn't make my pelvis sore, right?
Clop, clop.
Bounce.
"???"
Uh, wait. Why are my breasts bouncing so much?
It doesn't exactly hurt, but rather...
Gallop, gallop.
Squish, squish.
"Kyaah?! W-Wait! Stop! Something feels weird!"
Clop, clop, clop, clop.
"I said stop!!!"