The Spirit Fire's Deception
“No way, they said someone would come out to greet us from over there!!”
The setting sun painted the sky in blends of purple and navy. The air was growing chill. We'd started climbing Mount Mosan around lunchtime, so about half a day had passed? And we were still wandering the mountain.
“We're sure we followed the path, right?”
“Yeah. Just in case, we even backtracked twice on paths we'd already taken and climbed up from the start again. We followed clear signs of human traffic. No forks in the road either.”
“I'm gonna lose my mind...”
In novels or comics, when people get lost like this, they usually end up going in circles. So I tried carving noticeable gashes into nearby trees. Pointless, but whatever.
We weren't looping the same spot. We were steadily progressing somewhere, yet failing to reach our destination. No sign of the Mosanpa buildings either.
“Should we just sprint full speed to the summit? We might spot something from up high.”
“Hmm. Even then, it wouldn't lead us straight to the Mosanpa, milady.”
Maybe from skipping lunch? Hong Yeonhwa looked a bit drained as she shook her head. She pulled the jade orb from her bosom—the one given to us by the Murim Alliance Leader.
In the dimming surroundings, it glowed faintly. But unlike before, it wasn't a steady light; it was blinking rhythmically.
“This lady isn't well-versed in sorcery, so I'm not certain, but it seems like it's sending some kind of signal.”
“And yet no one's come to greet us despite the signal...”
“Either they never planned to, or they can't. One or the other.”
“Mm. This lady thinks so too.”
Paeng Soso sighed worriedly, while Hong Yeonhwa nodded calmly. This was why I'd gone through the Yongbong Tournament to get the Alliance Leader's help, even if it meant a detour...
“What now? Head down for today and try again tomorrow?”
Hong Yeonhwa pondered briefly, then shook her head with a serious expression.
“Having come this far, I don't wish to delay until tomorrow. Though it galls me, this lady has no choice but to use a bit of power.”
She tucked the jade orb back into her bosom and stepped forward a few paces. Aiming at a spot slightly above the summit, she slowly gathered her inner energy.
Wooong—
A mass of inky-black gangqi formed above Hong Yeonhwa's hand. A ganghwan the size of a man's head.
As if a hole had been punched in the air, the pitch-black orb shrank rapidly. Compressed to fit in her small palm, it looked like a pretty roadside pebble.
Of course, its power was nothing to scoff at. It could probably obliterate whatever was making us lost in one shot. Even if not, Mosanpa Taoists would come running at orbs like that whizzing overhead.
Hong Yeonhwa bent only her thumb and middle finger, like she was about to flick a pebble. The ganghwan hovered before her.
The Heavenly Demon Bead Strike—capable of leveling a house—was about to launch.
“D-Demonic qi! You fiend! I won't let you!”
Someone burst from the bushes, flailing his arms as he charged us. White Taoist robes. Long beard. A wooden sword at his waist radiating odd energy. A bundle of talismans on the other side. A middle-aged man dressed somewhere between martial artist and shaman blocked Hong Yeonhwa's path, sweating bullets.
“No reply despite my contacts, so I came down myself... To think it was the schemes of a demonic scum!”
“Hm? Contacts—you mean...”
“The jade orb in your filthy hands spells disaster for the Murim Alliance! But mighty Mosanpa shall never bow to vile wretches!”
“Calm yourself and hear this lady out. It's not like that; it's merely...”
“Begone! Fiend! Think you can deceive Pung Cheongwol of Mosanpa's second-generation disciples?! Such demonic qi would be sensed at the main sect! Even if I return to the Primordial Heavenly Worthy's embrace today...”
“Tch!”
“Guhk!”
Pung Cheongwol raised his wooden sword in his right hand and talismans in his left, voice resolute. But Hong Yeonhwa lightly flicked her finger, and the pre-made ganghwan struck him down pathetically.
“...He's not dead, right?”
“What do you take this lady for? I suppressed the power maximally—it's like getting beaned by a pebble.”
A closer look showed a small lump on the self-proclaimed Pung Cheongwol's forehead instead of a hole.
“Did you have to knock him out? Couldn't you just acupressure him and clear the misunderstanding slowly?”
“Ah... This lady got carried away without thinking!”
So she lashed out first and thought later... As I stared in disbelief, Paeng Soso reflexively released her saber hilt and tilted her head.
“By the way, Hong unnie. That Pung Cheongwol guy mentioned trying to contact us—what's that about?”
“Oh yeah, that bugged me too. You reacted like you had an idea, Yeonhwa.”
“W-Well, you see...”
Hong Yeonhwa fidgeted with her fingers, mumbling awkwardly before speaking up.
“It seems we're lost because of this lady.”
Her explanation: Midway up the mountain, a suspicious energy enveloped us. She figured it was some sorcery—like an illusion making us lose our way or dulling our senses to hide Mosanpa. Having heard from the Alliance Leader that they shunned visitors, even I'd assume the same.
“So it was like a telepathic message to whoever has the jade orb?”
“If that man's words hold, likely so.”
Hong Yeonhwa nodded softly, looking deflated at wasting hours on her account.
“To sum up: Mosanpa knows we're here but not where, contacts failed, so they sent someone to find us. Then you flared your demonic qi big time.”
“Forgive me... This lady was too hasty.”
“Not blaming you. Just recapping.”
If it were me, I'd have done the same. No complaints. I squished her soft cheek reassuringly and continued.
“The jade orb's for emergencies to contact Mosanpa from the Alliance, right? So probably not just one Taoist came looking.”
“Yeah. Plus sensing Hong unnie's demonic qi, they might think it's a sapa pursuer.”
Paeng Soso patted Hong Yeonhwa's head vigorously, nodding.
“Eh, we can clear up the martial arts misunderstanding. No biggie.”
“The Alliance Leader wrote a separate letter besides the orb, right?”
“Yeah. Rumors about you—er, the Heavenly Demon—might be everywhere, but he wrote one in case Mosanpa hadn't heard.”
“Kyeeeng...”
Petted and cheek-squished from both sides, Hong Yeonhwa wobbled like a doll. Paeng Soso had been doting on her more lately. Getting closer, huh?
“Anyway, not as bad as it seems. We wait here, and they'll come to us.”
“As long as those Taoists don't charge like before, we can follow them right to Mosanpa.”
“Sigh... They haven't spotted the scene yet, so no reckless charges this time?”
“Hehe. Jin gaga isn't used to throwing weight around yet, huh? Who are we? The Three Talents Sword Dragon, the Alliance's Flame Phoenix. And I'm Paengga of the North's daughter—your future husband, no?”
Oh. Right. I'm no longer some nameless scrub proving himself.
My Yongbong title and Paeng Soso's backing vouch for me with the Alliance and Paengga. Of course, besmirch their names, and they'd come for my head first... But until then, solid support.
“Th-Then there's an even better way!”
Hong Yeonhwa, squished between us, wriggled free and shouted urgently.
“Tch... What?”
Savoring the lingering cheek feel, I asked. Hong Yeonhwa scurried to the fallen Pung Cheongwol.
“Wake him before other Taoists arrive and explain first. He'll listen more to a fellow sect member than us.”
She tossed his wooden sword and talismans far away, then jabbed pressure points.
Pok pok pok
“H-Huhk?!”
Pung Cheongwol bolted up, face pale like from a nightmare. Before he could grasp the situation, she shoved the Alliance Leader's letter at him.
“Seems there was a slight misunderstanding.”
. . . . .
After that, things went smoothly. We met the Mosanpa sect leader, explained, and in exchange for Hong Yeonhwa teaching some of her martial arts, got their help.
I don't know the details, but soon we found a way to her world. Bidirectional, even. Now Paeng Soso won't part from her family.
Everything perfect. The ideal scenario unfolding flawlessly felt a tad off, but hey—good is good.
Preparations done, we all crossed to Hong Yeonhwa's world together.
And then...
The entrance to Mosanpa. Where pure qi should abound, massive demonic energy surged.
At its center stood Hong Yeonhwa, exuding suffocating killing intent.
“Release the sorcery on those two right now. Else I swear this shall be Mosanpa's final day.”
“Cough... Impossible. I told you—I don't control this trial. Forcing it could endanger them further.”
The entire Mosanpa was now within Hong Yeonhwa's Heavenly Demon Ruling Aura. Disciples had long fainted; only the sect leader clung to sanity amid blood.
The sect was engulfed.
The white-haired old woman glared desperately, pleading.
“I lack the power to end the divine object's trial, but I can glimpse it! If needed, shatter the relic—but please, trust those two and quell your rage!”
“......”
Hong Yeonhwa slowly closed and opened her eyes. The crushing pressure and heart-gripping killing intent vanished.
“Very well. But if the slightest harm befalls this lady's husband or sister...”
Grind.
Hong Yeonhwa ground her teeth, gazing at Jin Sochan and Paeng Soso. The pair stood blankly, eyes unfocused—as if staring elsewhere entirely.