Qinghai, North of Sichuan
Qinghai Province, north of Sichuan.
"Haha! As expected of a daughter of a prestigious house. Even as an orthodox martial artist, it’s only right to root out those black-path bastards completely."
The man flicked the blood off his sword.
As the sun sank through the trees and dusk began to gather, the ground had been stained a dark red with blood, and dozens of corpses lay strewn across the earth. Every time the wind blew, the thick stench of blood drifted outward.
Anyone could see at a glance that the man before me had made that slaughter happen.
The blade gleamed with a razor edge, so sharp it looked as though it could cut you just by being seen. The sword in his hand was Dragon Spring, one of the finest swords in the world.
"You flatter me… It was all thanks to Young Lord Wei’s skill. We didn’t do anything at all. Everyone, wouldn’t you agree?"
When she, Guyang Jihee, turned and spoke, everyone answered in one voice.
"That’s exactly right. As expected of someone from the Guyang family, your insight is truly remarkable."
"It’s really true!! Young Hero Wei is surely the rightful successor to the Alliance Leader…!"
"Indeed. Aren’t all of us here thanks to Young Lord Wei?"
The entire squad scrambled to praise his swordsmanship and martial prowess.
He had heard those praises and exclamations thousands of times before, but this was when Wei Shiyun liked it most.
Everyone was trying to curry favor with him, the son of the Martial Alliance Leader.
He folded his arms and nodded while listening to the chorus of admiration.
"I’m embarrassed you’re all painting such a fine face on me. Please, stop. I only did what was natural, didn’t I?"
They were humble words spoken without a shred of sincerity, but the squad had followed Wei Shiyun long enough to know exactly how to respond.
"You call it natural, but not just anyone can do it. The common folk will continue to sing the Young Lord’s praises!!"
"Exactly. Who would come all the way to Qinghai to exterminate evil bandits? This is all thanks to Young Lord Wei’s grace."
"Didn’t the Young Lord personally receive instruction in swordsmanship from the Alliance Leader? No wonder his art is on an entirely different level. Every time I see it, I can’t close my mouth."
The squad members listed his virtues until their tongues ran dry.
And each time they did, Wei Shiyun waved a hand and shook his head.
Guyang Jihee watched the ridiculous performance and clapped along, naturally just to soothe his ego.
Still, this is a relief. He’s moving exactly the way I wanted.
Wei Shiyun was famed as a champion of justice and talent even within the academy—no, throughout the Central Plains—but he had a few weaknesses.
He was a lecher, and he was absurdly obsessed with his reputation.
That was why he had come all the way here, near Qinghai beyond Gansu.
To build his fame.
"The Flying Heaven Martial Sword Art is invincible. Aside from my father, who in the world could stop me?"
"You speak the truth!"
"But all of it was possible thanks to the squad who trusted and followed me!"
Wei Shiyun was a man full of hypocrisy, but she didn’t care.
If I keep traveling with him, my own honor and name will rise with his.
After all, she stood to gain something too.
"Let’s head back to the city. If we’re any later, we may have to camp for the night."
"Oh, already? Time really flew. Let’s hurry."
"Yes, Young Lord!"
What they didn’t know, however, was this.
"Tell the Blood Castle about this at once."
""Yes, sir!!""
"...If we bring back the son of the Martial Alliance Leader, Blood Demon will be pleased."
Someone had been following them.
*
*
*
Before long, the ninth flower bloomed in my lower dantian.
Even though I’d refined a vast amount of demonic energy and turbid qi, scattering my energy repeatedly in the process, I had still managed to obtain a considerable amount of pure Sun and Moon qi.
At last, I’m one step away.
It was a speed one could only call miraculous.
Especially since the Ilwol Eumyang Singong I cultivated was a martial art notorious for progressing at a glacial pace.
At this rate, calling it astonishing wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
If my master saw me now, he’d probably be so shocked he’d slap me across the face.
Slowly settling the remaining energy, I opened my eyes.
I had spent the entire week training without sleep, yet I didn’t feel even a shred of fatigue.
"……."
More than that, my skin glowed with vitality, and my whole body overflowed with energy.
After swallowing a grain of fasting pill, I pressed a hand to my chest and felt the pulse of my heartbeat.
The fragment of the Blood Jade Divine Relic had blended into my heart without issue.
I drew in a deep breath and slowly began circulating the Sun and Moon qi.
I hadn’t opened my middle dantian through the proper, orthodox steps. I’d forced it open with the aid of a divine object called the Blood Jade Divine Relic, so it might have been imperfect.
But that worry turned out to be pointless. After a careful inspection, it was perfectly open.
When I clenched my fist, the channels within my body surged, and in an instant the Sun and Moon qi gathered into my hand.
Woooong—
With the middle dantian opened, I could manipulate my qi more delicately and at greater speed.
A satisfying pace.
When I opened my clenched hand, a shiver of delight ran up my spine.
I’ve gained an unexpected stroke of fate.
Who would have thought a sorcerer of the Blood Cult would be carrying such a rare divine object?
It was like finding a lucky bluebird.
I moved my arms and legs, loosening my entire body. Martial artists got immense satisfaction from rapid progress in their martial arts.
"Ha, ha, haha, hahahaha!!"
Seeing myself get this excited about it… I really was a true martial artist.
I mulled over the information the shadow had provided.
The Blood Jade Divine Relic was a legendary treasure even beyond the Seven Great Treasures of the martial world.
In the Demonic Cult, it was called the Heavenly Jade, while different factions had their own names for it, but both sides had treated it as a divine relic of their sect.
I pulled on the upper garment I’d taken off and put it back on.
The righteous and demonic factions had dismissed the whole thing as nonsense, but it had actually existed.
Now I think I understand why Blood Demon and Heavenly Demon fought after killing the Martial Alliance Leader.
It might have had something to do with the fact that the Blood Sect and Demonic Cult were sworn enemies, but it was also because they were trying to seize each other’s divine relics.
A laugh escaped me naturally.
This time, I might be able to become far stronger than before.
I had already absorbed two divine relics.
Including the Heavenly Jade the Sword King had used when summoning souls... no, the Heavenly Jade that had been used to possess me.
It was also a fragment of a divine relic.
How ironic.
I didn’t need to rush headlong, but if I had time, it wouldn’t hurt to look for the rest.
Creak—
The moment I opened the door to the training room, my eyes met someone else’s.
A cute girl with green hair.
It was Ju Yeonhwa, crouched down with her ear pressed to the door.
Still, it seemed she wasn’t leaning her full weight on it, because she didn’t topple inward.
"……."
"……."
Ju Yeonhwa just stared at me blankly from her crouched position.
Her blue-green eyes were as clear and deep as a lake.
Creak—
Thud.
Without a word, I closed the door.
She really was something else.
Normally, academy students went out on missions or spent their own time training, but Ju Yeonhwa didn’t seem to belong anywhere.
No matter how much she was the heir to the Seongcheon Sword Art, wasn’t she being a little too lazy?
That thought crossed my mind, but I shook it away and opened the door again.
"Ahem… Good day to you. Good morning."
She cleared her throat awkwardly and greeted me, but to my eyes it only looked ridiculous.
"Yeonhwa, it’s been a while. What brings you all the way to the training room today?"
"Ah, well…"
"What is it?"
Ju Yeonhwa wiggled her feet, trailed off, and stared at me intently.
What was she looking at me like that for?
"You’ve gotten even handsomer…."
Should I just pretend I didn’t hear that from now on?
If Ju Yeonhwa hadn’t been the heir to the Seongcheon Sword Art, I wouldn’t have bothered with her from the start…
But then I thought of the treasures and elixirs I’d gain from her hideout.
I had to wait until I figured out her location.
The more elixirs, the better.
I didn’t need to get too close, but a moderate friendship would probably be useful.
Thinking of what she’d eventually bring me, I held myself back once.
"I’m honored you’d say that. But I’m in a bit of a hurry, Miss Ju, so would you kindly step aside?"
"Ah, ah! W-wait a moment! I wanted to give you this…!"
Then, making a strange little noise, she thrust out her hand.
"What’s this?"
"...Something you asked for."
What she was holding was a dark red robe.
"So you washed it. Thank you, Miss Ju."
"……."
She still didn’t let go of the robe.
"Miss Ju?"
What an impossible woman.
Her face turned red as an apple.
"Th-that is… in the future, if you w-wash it… th-then…."
Ju Yeonhwa trembled all over and lowered her head, muttering to herself.
What in the world was she trying to say?
"Miss Ju, I’m sorry, but I can’t quite hear you. Could you say that again a little louder?"
"……."
I felt it then.
This was going to take a while.
"Miss Ju, you can keep it."
"Huh? What do you mean…."
She looked up at me, her expression full of confusion.
But the emotion in her eyes was all too clear.
She wanted to keep my clothes, huh….
I was planning to buy another one anyway.
And who knew what she might have done to that robe in the meantime?
"I’ve thought this for a while now, but this robe suits you well. Try it on once."
"Ah…."
I draped the dark red robe over her.
"Oh!"
She actually looked pretty good.
Ju Yeonhwa, wearing the dark red robe over her yellow light training clothes, lifted her head with strange eyes.
Hmm… with that green hair, she kind of looks like a traffic light.
It suited her well enough.
"I-I can’t accept this…."
"Miss Ju, I’m giving it to you, so please take it."
"A-a gift?"
I nodded and met her eyes.
"If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going now."
"Ah…."
Ju Yeonhwa seemed about to say something more, but I hurriedly left.
I was only one step away from the tenth flower.
Now that my middle dantian was open too, there was nothing difficult about it.
Wait for me.
*
"Cheon Sojin…."
I stared blankly at his receding back.
No, I mean Lord Cheon Sojin.
I pressed the dark red robe to my face and rubbed against it furiously.
Ahhh….
How could he be so thoughtful….
"Sss-haa… sss-haa…"
A drug-like scent stabbed into my nose.
...For some reason, it felt as though Lord Sojin were holding me in his arms.
"Suuuup—haaaah—."
Every time I drew in a breath, his fragrance made my head spin and my whole body burn hot.
"Ah!!!!!"
And then, at that very moment, I saw Lord Sojin’s hair.
Before anyone could take it, I hurriedly stuffed it into my pocket.
Today was truly a happy day.
This was Treasure No. 8.
##
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