Chapter 95
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Lesser Formless Art (1)
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If it were the savage Geum Sihyeon of the past, he would've drawn his sword first and gone on a refreshing killing spree.
But now, I'm the civilized Geum Sihyeon.
I simply waved my hand lightly, as if to say hello.
Crack!
The White Rainbow Palm Force extended smoothly, instantly bursting the blood iron corpse's head.
"Tsk."
I clicked my tongue while watching the blood iron corpses, now deprived of their driving force, crumbling away into ashes.
When the Black Tiger Sect Leader whined about blood iron corpses being planted in Yunnan, I'd honestly let it go in one ear and out the other.
I figured the Demonic Cult's intelligence network was more accurate, so even if the Blood Cult bastards were there, that Poison Demon or whatever would be around.
But damn, there really are blood iron corpses...
[Me: With Little Sis]
[Me: Hope everything's alright?]
[Me: Rumors are going around about those blood iron corpses we saw back then appearing near Yunnan. Please be careful.]
I left a message packed full of concern for With Little Sis.
She must be incredibly busy since returning to the Beast Palace, because unlike when she was at the academy, there was no instant one-second reply.
[With Little Sis: Young Master😊]
[With Little Sis: Luckily, there don't seem to be any near the Beast Palace...! I'll be careful! Hehe]
Even so, as I hopped back on the wolf pup and rolled along, a reply came soon enough.
I deliberately didn't mention stopping by Yunnan.
After all, excerpts from the romance books I'd read said women usually love surprises.
Once I'd taken care of business here, I'd make an unannounced visit to the Beast Palace.
Well, assuming things went smoothly, that is.
* * *
I have no idea what kind of antics Elder Hong Sundok is pulling, but I've already taken down over twenty blood iron corpses on the way to my destination.
And ironically...
My luggage has grown that much richer.
"Kyawoo..."
"Hang in there just a bit longer. We're heading to a big city soon."
The wolf pup whined in complaint due to the increased load, but there was no helping it.
I'd gathered the belongings of merchants who'd been attacked by the blood iron corpses.
There were things like tea leaves that would fetch a high price if they made it through the trade routes up ahead.
But I'm not hurting for money.
Those kinds of goods, I cremated along with the bodies of people who hadn't fully turned into blood iron corpses yet, while praying for their peaceful rest.
But heirlooms belong with their families.
Only then can those endlessly waiting in uncertainty accept reality, shake it off, and move toward the future.
"Hoo..."
I swallowed the lingering unease deep in my chest.
And finally arrived at my destination—
I took in the majestic scenery of the Stone Forest with my eyes.
Huge rocks jutting upside down like martial artists yearning to reach the heavens—a grand landscape perfectly fitting the term "grotesque formations."
Add a dash of humanities and geography sensibility,
and it was a textbook example of pinnacle karst topography unfolding before me.
The name "Stone Forest" was spot on, so the person who coined it must have had naming sense on par with mine, if not better.
Enough sightseeing commentary.
"Let's see, from here—"
I pulled out the crumpled map I'd tucked away in my robes and examined it closely.
Unlike the full map of China, this was a small sketch marking the location of the individual annex.
The minor issue was...
"—I have no clue..."
It looked just like a crudely drawn treasure map straight out of a movie, and maps are drawn from a bird's-eye view overhead to begin with.
But before my eyes were nothing but towering rocks, pointed rocks, flatter rocks...
Just a pile of stones everywhere.
In that case.
"Wolf pup, now I'll carry you."
"Kyau!"
No choice but to climb one myself and survey the whole area.
I eyed a peak that looked relatively easy—still obviously over twenty meters tall.
I figured I could scale it in one go.
"Whoa, uh—whoa."
I nearly slipped midway, barely jamming my hand into a rock crevice and hauling myself up bit by bit.
The process was a bit ugly,
but the result was fine, so good enough!
Finally, the entire Stone Forest came into view at a glance.
And my conclusion.
"Fuck, I still have no clue..."
Apart from spotting a somewhat picturesque lake not too far off, I gained no useful intel.
I gave up on finding it easily and decided to roam around, circulating the Northern Bright Divine Art to sense resonances.
Wait for me!
My opportunity!
* * *
"Hee hee hee. Sleep well."
Hongryeon softly stroked the cheek of the Jeomchang Sect swordsman, who stared blankly with unfocused eyes, and whispered.
Thud—
She indifferently kicked aside the corpse that rolled limply across the floor, as if its soul had been sucked out.
"Hmm, not here either, it seems."
Hongryeon swallowed her disappointment.
This was a town with nothing to her liking.
Even within Yunnan, some areas were humid, others cool, some crawling with bugs.
It might be fine to settle in one livable spot, but it wasn't great for wandering around.
And moreover.
"Rain again, huh... Damn it, rotten, trashy place."
It rained every other day—absolutely dreadful.
If she were in her true body, her immunity to cold and heat would make such weather irrelevant.
But operating these blood iron corpses infused with her intent from afar meant control weakened with distance or bad weather.
These ones undergoing blood iron transformation now would likely turn into mindless wraiths attacking the living once she left.
"Not my problem, anyway."
In any case.
Another bust.
The annex rumored to hide Reverse Heaven power somewhere in Yunnan.
She'd even ventured into remote places like Mount Ailao, risking Jeomchang warriors chasing her, but only found stuffy Daoists spouting nonsense.
Of course, they'd all probably scurried off to that Primordial Heavenly Lord they adored so much by now.
"Adore him so much, hee hee... I miss our Young Lord sooo much..."
Hongryeon's body trembled.
Their last meeting had been ruined by that filthy Green Forest bandit wench and old man Wijiryang—who she'd love to devour raw—but she was certain.
She and the Young Lord were connected by the red thread of fate...!
"Hee hee hee, hee hee... Hee..."
Just imagining it heated her body, making her shudder once more.
Moments later.
"Hnnng... So, where to next?"
Gazing at the church's directive, Hongryeon pondered.
Three remaining candidates.
Beast Forest.
Baoshan.
And Stone Forest.
"Come to think of it, that madman Poison Demon is still hanging around Yunnan too..."
The mere thought of the Poison Demon furrowed her brow unconsciously.
His looks, his personality.
A man she had no desire to run into.
He'd headed to the Five Poisons Sect, so Beast Forest was closest from there.
With Jeomchang already hot on his trail for poison offenses, heading further west to Baoshan would be tough.
In that case.
"Guess I'll check out Stone Forest."
Hongryeon decided her next stop.
* * *
['More Martial Arts Addition Mode' activated...]
"Found it..."
"Kyau!"
It had been blazing midday when I first entered the Stone Forest.
After enduring a downpour like a torrent, and even after sunset with plans to camp if needed, I finally found it by darting around everywhere.
The biggest trial and error?
Assuming, like the Shaanxi annex before, it'd be in some cave somewhere.
A little thought would've shown these stone piles—pointy up top but not that wide—couldn't have space for it...
The entrance was near the lakeside, buried deep in the ground.
So deep even the Northern Bright Divine Art barely detected it.
"Good job, wolf pup."
I tossed a whole strip of jerky into its mouth as praise for digging down like a champ—thanks to its love of burrowing—
then infused qi into the entrance.
Soon.
Rumble—
I watched the entrance open in resonance with my qi, picked up the wolf pup again, and calmly descended.
After descending a good while, I arrived.
Before a door engraved with "Chamber that Conquers Color."
I recalled the previous ones.
Room of Illusion.
Ah... I want sushi...
Room of External Temptations.
Memories of crashing stock charts...
Room of Proof.
Wooden puppets going thwack-thwack.
Everything but the last room was illusion-based.
Probably similar this time.
Conquering color... Overcoming lust...
Something kinda pervy about it.
"Wolf pup, baby. Stay here and wait."
"Kyau?!"
"I'll be right back. Guard it."
No telling what effect it'd have on a spirit beast, so bringing it in felt risky.
The wolf pup was a bit flustered by the sudden order,
but
"Awoo!"
True to its canine nature, it swiftly switched to loyal guard dog mode, plopping down and glaring at the entrance we'd just come through.
I set down the luggage weighing on my shoulders while I was at it.
Creak—
I pushed open the door, which screeched harshly from years unopened, and stepped inside.
Just like before.
A strange fragrance wafted through, and as I comfortably inhaled...
Grrr, grrr—
Growl, screee—
The wail of the 1992-era stockbroker's lament.
Splash splash whoosh—
Splash splash crash tu-ling thud—
The refreshing crash of waves battered my eardrums.
Before I knew it, my vision had transformed.
No matter where I looked, only the sound of breaking waves on a crisp white beach, cool and refreshing.
"Kya..."
I'm originally from a landlocked place, so I hated the sea more than liked it.
But after nearly three years without seeing it, emotion welled up.
As I took in the scenery for a moment,
"Eep."
A bold yet pure girl playfully and cutely threw herself into my arms.