146
146
It isn't unusual for one sect to invite someone from another.
But for Mount Hua Sect to specifically invite someone from Wudang Sect—and not an elder, but the Taiji Flower herself—was exceptionally rare.
Had Mount Hua and Wudang ever been on close terms? Hardly. Both ranked among the Nine Sects and One Gang, but the two sects had never had much contact.
After the Cheonhwa Incident spread from Wudang, Mount Hua had practically cut off all communication. If not for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Mount Hua warriors would have had no reason to visit Hubei.
In the years since, while Wudang rose triumphantly on the strength of the Taiji Flower and the Taiji Wisdom Sword, Mount Hua, as a fellow member of the Nine Sects and One Gang, could hardly have applauded with genuine delight.
There had to be a reason for this invitation. To find out what it was, I pressed Taoist Hyeonta.
"I don't know either. It's a letter delivered to the Sect Leader, and he's kept his mouth shut."
I'd infiltrated Wudang just to wake Taoist Hyeonta from his sleep, and the man claimed he knew nothing.
The message from Mount Hua had gone directly to the Sect Leader, and he'd summoned Sagong Hee while keeping its contents to himself.
"Gyeon-hui, what did he say the reason was?"
"He wouldn't tell me exactly."
"Is that bastard playing games?"
How dare a man whose martial arts now lagged behind even Taoist Hyeonta's order her to Mount Hua without a proper explanation? This couldn't be let slide.
"Gyeon-hui, go get a clear answer... No, I'll go myself."
"What? You're coming with me? They'll panic if Taoist Mubung shows up."
"No, I meant I'll go alone. Don't worry. I won't get caught."
I didn't need the Body Transformation Art or any cover identity.
"He won't even know I stopped by his room."
All I had to do was cloak my body in the Taiji Divine Art, melt into nature, and erase my human presence. The Wudang Sect Leader's martial realm was still far too low to detect me.
"Erasing my presence is one of my specialties."
"Ah... I think I know the feeling. You become one with nature?"
"A similar effect, but I'm not at that stage yet."
The realm of true unity with nature, based on the Tiger-Dragon Qi, was a level beyond the Profound Realm.
I hadn't reached it yet, but the very atmosphere of Wudang Mountain, the sect's foundations, and the power of the Taiji Divine Art made it temporarily possible.
"Unless someone wields the Taiji Divine Art better than I do, they won't sense me. I'll be back shortly."
I left Sagong Hee to her sparring match against Dokgo Yeon and ran across Wudang Mountain.
Sticking to paths unseen by human eyes, I gathered medicinal herbs here and there, climbed to Wudang Mountain's peak, and slipped into the Sect Leader's quarters in a single bound.
'Taoist Hyeoncheol, Jung-geom.'
The man who had once conspired with a Demonic Cult agent to steal Taoist Hyeongi's position.
The man who, too proud to learn the Taiji Wisdom Sword directly, entered Wudang's secret archive, accessible only to the Sect Leader, and trained using the records Taoist Hyeongi left before his death.
A capable leader who had opened a new golden age for Wudang, yet schemed behind the scenes to exploit Sagong Hee for the sect's gain.
I still lacked a proper justification, but I wanted to remove him quickly and seat Sa Jeong-hu as Sect Leader. It would make life at the Cheon Clan estate far more comfortable.
'Good. He's not in his office right now.'
If he had been, I might have smacked him across the back of the head and searched for the letter, but for whatever reason, Taoist Hyeoncheol was absent.
'That's fine by me.'
I slipped into the office and searched for the letter from Mount Hua.
"Huuuuh."
I pushed the Taiji Divine Art to its limit and inhaled deeply. With the Dragon Eye, I scanned the room, seeking any trace of the Plum Blossom Fragrance Qi.
'There you are.'
They say that to hide a leaf, you should hide it in a forest.
The letter supposedly from Mount Hua was mixed in with correspondence from other sects. From the pile, I pulled out two letters that carried Mount Hua's distinctive energy.
'Two?'
One was addressed to the Sect Leader, Taoist Hyeoncheol.
The other was for the Taiji Flower, Sagong Hee.
'This son of a bitch?'
What rankled was that the envelope was already torn open—and there were clear signs the letter had been pulled out and shoved back in.
'He read the letter meant for Sagong Hee?'
It was standard practice for a Sect Leader to check, obviously. But that didn't stop my mood from souring.
'He checked the contents of Sagong Hee's letter and didn't tell Sa Jeong-hu?'
Something was off.
I slowly read through the letter.
"Huh. You shit."
The sheer absurdity forced a curse out of me. I barely stopped myself from crumpling the letter.
- ...Therefore, I formally entreat the Taiji Flower. Before my disciple dies of lovesickness, would you grant him a single meeting?
"This son of a bitch?"
* * *
A short while later.
I hurriedly brought Sagong Hee back to the Cheon Clan estate.
"Hee-unni, what do you want to do?"
"I'll do whatever you tell me."
Sagong Hee left the decision entirely in my hands. That she was willing to risk even her honor on a choice I made was deeply admirable.
"If we don't go, I'm the only one who looks like a villain."
Honestly, there was no reason for Sagong Hee to travel all the way to Mount Hua. Summoning her there on the absurd pretext of lovesickness was suspicious from the start.
And yet, if the plum-blossom swordsman stricken with lovesickness were to die, the blame would fall on Sagong Hee.
"What should we do?"
"You want to refuse, but you have no grounds to refuse."
Part of me wanted to kill him, but that would only trigger a worse disaster. It was maddening.
"Fine. We can't just sit here and do nothing. Time to make a move."
"You mean...?"
"Let's eat out for a change."
I accepted the Mount Hua invitation. The three women clapped their hands in delight at the rare prospect of an outing.
"However, Yeon, Si-a. You two will remain here."
"What?"
"...Pardon?"
Lee Si-a's and Dokgo Yeon's faces stiffened.
"This is a formal invitation from Mount Hua Sect. Moving with you two risks exposure, so Gyeon-hui and I will go quietly, just the two of us."
"Hmph. He's got a point."
"You're both so beautiful that even with your faces veiled, every passerby would stop and stare. One slip and we'd draw attention to the Demonic Cult's Little Princess, or worse, get caught by Dokgo Ja-yeong. For now, please train your martial arts inside the estate."
"Ah..."
Both were deeply disappointed. I hated leaving them behind too, but I couldn't bring them along even if I was willing to accept the risk.
"Can't we just stay nearby? I'm used to sleeping rough."
"No. Didn't you two struggle just to hide out near Henan last time?"
"Well, true, but..."
Above all, while Sagong Hee and I would be treated well inside Mount Hua Sect, I couldn't just stash the two of them in some shabby abandoned house like last time.
If they had to stay somewhere, the Cheon Clan estate was the best option.
"We'll be back soon. I only plan to see his face."
If he still hesitated after seeing Sagong Hee, I'd use the Soul-Hooking Technique and remove him without mercy.
"I'll return as fast as I can. Please wait a little while."
"Yes. I don't wish for you to travel far to Mount Hua either."
"In that case..."
"All right. We'll wait."
Thankfully, both accepted it with good grace.
"But before you go... you know, right?"
"Hee-unni, you'll have him all to yourself soon. Can't you spare us a little time?"
Both glanced at Sagong Hee for permission. She rose calmly with a smile.
"I'll go back to Wudang for a moment."
"To talk things over?"
"Yes. I'll be back soon."
Sagong Hee gave them a smiling glance and left the estate. I stood to see her off, but the two behind me wrapped themselves around my arms and held me in place.
"She said she'd be right back. Do we have time to delay?"
"You're not just going to leave like this, are you?"
"......We have about two sichen until evening."
Sagong Hee had promised to return before sunset, which meant we had ample time until she came back.
"We're short on time, so both of you together."
I scooped them both up and carried them into the Sky-Soaring Palace.
* * *
The Heavenly Demon Divine Palace, where the Demonic Cult's hundred thousand demons—especially its elders—gathered, was brimming with a festive atmosphere.
"Haha, your hair looks especially lustrous today!"
"Indeed! Your own locks are magnificent today! Haha!"
The Old Demons praised one another in newfound harmony.
These demons, normally so irritable they'd brawl if their sleeves so much as brushed, now smiled and nodded even when strands of their hair touched.
"Is this really all right?"
Every time the Earth Qilin Thunder Demon, Grand Duke Ju-ji's subordinate, passed another demon, she felt a surge of disbelief.
"This shouldn't be happening."
The Thunder Demon grew anxious. For the demons to have lustrous hair was a blessing for the cult as a whole, but for her it was a disaster.
"Haha, who could have guessed the Little Princess would get her hands on the Miyeom Divine Art?"
"Ahem. The Miyeom Divine Art? Isn't that the Divine Spear's unique martial art? The art the Little Princess sought and the Heavenly Demon distributed was not the Miyeom Divine Art."
"Ah, of course, of course. Hohoho, happiness has come to the cult thanks to the Young Heavenly Demon!"
Whether glossy hair alone qualified as a cult-wide blessing was debatable, but among the previous generation's Ten Demons, when comparing the Eldest Prince and the Little Princess, the Little Princess commanded far more support.
All of them were martial artists who had cultivated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, made their names in their youth, and now suffered its side effects in their retirement.
"Seniors, if the Eldest Prince seizes control of the cult, the Great Righteous-Demonic War will begin. Please, I beg your help."
"The Great Righteous-Demonic War! The very words stir my heart. But tell me—doesn't my half-bald scalp stir it more?"
"...Senior, what method do you believe is needed to bring down Kunlun?"
"Kunlun! Kunlun has been our sworn enemy for ages. We grew old together, yet those Kunlun Taoists never lost a single hair! Tsk, but now, we Old Demons no longer have to swallow our pride!"
"...Senior, do you truly believe that merely growing a bit of hair makes the Little Princess more worthy of the Heavenly Demon's mantle than the Eldest Prince?"
"Grow! It's not about growing hair—it's a divine art that protects what remains! Are you mocking us?"
The Thunder Demon could not, for the life of her, understand the minds of these Old Demons who refused to hold a rational conversation.
"The Heavenly Demon has distributed the Miyeom Divine Art... no, the Heavenly Demon Hair-Protecting Divine Art. Do you mean to say you haven't learned it yet?"
"I have no particular need for it."
"Tsk. Everything fades in time. Remember that you, too, could lose it all in an instant."
As one of the only two among the former and current Ten Demons not initiated into the Miyeom Divine Art, the Thunder Demon had no stake in it—whether it was called the Miyeom Divine Art or the Heavenly Demon Hair-Protecting Divine Art.
She felt no need for it, and knowing it was a credit claimed by the Little Princess, she had even less reason to learn it.
That would be a betrayal of the Eldest Prince, as the Earth Qilin Thunder Demon.
"Haaah..."
"Why are you sighing like that?"
"Ah, Senior Demonic Sword Consort."
The Thunder Demon felt an unwelcome stirring of joy upon meeting the one other demon who, like her, hadn't learned the Heavenly Demon Hair-Protecting Divine Art—her own hair was already so beautiful she didn't need it.
"Senior, do you have no need for the Miyeom Divine Art?"
"Of course not."
Spoken like the woman hailed as the third most beautiful after Ma-hwa and the Little Princess. Unlike the others, the Demonic Sword Consort showed no side effects whatsoever from the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
"You've been toiling hard, I see. Trying to win the Old Demons to the Eldest Prince's side? Hoho, hardship is best endured when you're young."
"...Yes. Thank you for your wisdom. Senior, would you perhaps assist me?"
"With what?"
The Thunder Demon pulled out a booklet.
"Under the Eldest Prince's orders, I am heading to Mount Hua."
"...Mount Hua? I'm not particularly inclined. There's a certain man I must find."
"You mean the one called 'Sex Demon'?"
"Yes. ...Hm, fine. I'll accompany you as far as Mount Hua. We leave in three days, yes? Fufu."
The Demonic Sword Consort patted the Thunder Demon's shoulder and vanished.
"...With this, the plan is perfect."
The booklet in the Thunder Demon's hand bore the title Wudang's Second Collapse.
"Taiji Flower, if you are guilty of one thing—"
And the subtitle: Internal Strife Between Mount Hua and Wudang Through the Violation of the Taiji Flower.
"—it is the sin of having such beautifully large breasts."
The Thunder Demon clutched the booklet tightly to her chest.