The Darkness of the Tang Family
"Finally!"
Ryeong thrust her fist into the air as she took in the sudden shift in her surroundings. It was unmistakably the very domain she had entered when she first laid hands on Mount Qingcheng's sacred relic—the ethereal expanse where she had met Hyeok upon receiving the Celestial Immortal Divine Art.
To be fair, cutting down Dang Cheol-ryeong with the Red Cloud Divine Sword had felt like the more pressing priority, so being whisked away the instant she touched the blade left a lingering sting of regret. Yet unlike before, Hyeok did not appear right away. Just as she began to wonder if he wouldn't show up at all, his voice echoed through the void.
"[I am late. Forgive me.]"
"You haven't changed a bit," Ryeong remarked. "Is that just what being an immortal is like?"
"[It brings me little joy to see the Tang Family of this era fallen into such corruption.]"
"Wait, isn't time frozen out there? Don't tell me time is actually flowing! Then what happens to Dang Cheol-ryeong?"
"[I took care of him. Worry not.]"
Seeing Hyeok deliver the news with such nonchalance, the corners of Ryeong's mouth twitched. To 'take care of' someone clearly implied he had put the man in his grave.
"Didn't you tell me never to strike first against someone bearing killing intent?"
"[He harbored murderous intent toward you, so I slew him. That is hardly what matters now. Our reunion feels somewhat overdue.]"
"Old man, I busted my ass to make it this far. I've got more than a few questions for you."
"[Time is reasonably on our side today. Ask them one by one.]"
"Is the evil I'm supposed to eliminate really the Demon Blood Divine Cult?"
Even with ninety-nine percent certainty, she had always kept that one percent of doubt tucked away in her chest. An assumption needed absolute proof to become the undeniable truth.
"[What you suspect is likely correct.]"
"What do you mean, 'likely'? You don't even know?"
"[I cannot ascertain the exact name of the organization. However, the faction disturbing the Murim most grievously in this era is precisely the evil you must thwart.]"
"So it really is the Demon Blood Divine Cult."
She still lacked a complete grasp of the cult's true scope; so far, all she knew was that Dang Cheol-ryeong had been colluding with them in secret. Even so, hearing Hyeok's confirmation lifted a considerable weight from her shoulders. Whatever path she took, all she had to do was crush the Demon Blood Divine Cult and be done with it.
In fact, Ryeong welcomed it. She had been itching for a chance to pay them back in full for the bitter raid on Mount Jongnam. Now she could focus solely on confronting the cult, shoving everything else straight to the bottom of her priorities.
"What I'm most curious about is this cultivation art nestled in my middle dantian," she said, leaning forward. "What in the world is the Celestial Immortal Divine Art? Is it a technique you immortals use?"
"[That art contains the culmination of everything attained by one who realized the ultimate truth. You may think of it as the peerless martial art of this age, capable of mastering every discipline save for demonic arts.]"
"And do you use this art as well?"
"[Once one attains immortality, the boundary between cultivation arts and martial techniques blurs. There is no reason to adhere strictly to the Celestial Immortal Divine Art alone.]"
Ryeong nodded. She had suspected an immortal created this divine art, but to think it was forged by someone who grasped the ultimate truth was staggering. Grand as it sounded, it could be boiled down to a single fact: she was currently cultivating the greatest technique under the heavens, past and present.
"[You would do well not to rely excessively on the Celestial Immortal Divine Art. It was never suited for mortals in the first place. Striving for complete mastery will inevitably force your feathering ascension.]"
"So train in moderation, and don't reach complete mastery unless I want to die? Got it."
Great power demanded a steep price. Because the Celestial Immortal Divine Art had never been crafted for mortal flesh, its apex culminated in feathering ascension. 'Ascension' was just a poetic euphemism for dropping dead and leaving this world behind. Ryeong had zero intention of ascending to godhood. You only lived once, after all—why leave before enjoying everything the world had to offer?
"[I shall grant you one final question.]"
"What? You said you'd answer plenty! You said we had enough time!"
"[I believe I already mentioned this: the Celestial Realm must not meddle excessively in the mortal world.]"
"Why the hell not?"
"[Is that your final question?]"
At Hyeok's prompt, Ryeong shuddered with irritation. She had never imagined he would prove this uncooperative. I'm offering to save the damn world, and you can't even give me the full picture? I had to face off against the Acting Head of the Tang Family just to get my hands on the Red Cloud Divine Sword!
Yet given who she was dealing with, what could she do? She knew all too well that she couldn't land a single blow on him. Throwing a fit would only leave her empty-handed.
"...Fine! Screw it, let that be my last question. Isn't the Celestial Realm supposed to oversee the mortal realm? Why can't you intervene freely?"
"[It is the consequence of the balanced distribution of the Celestial Sovereign's power. Excessive interference shatters the order of the lower realm and brings forth an inhuman monstrosity.]"
"An inhuman monstrosity? What does that even mean?"
"[The threshold for intervention has been exceeded. If you wish to speak further, seek out the next sacred relic.]"
"Are you out of your damn mind?!"
He hadn't answered the most crucial part. Ryeong lunged forward, ready to grab Hyeok by the collar, but the harder she pushed, the farther away he seemed to drift. The realm itself was rejecting her, casting her out into the void.
"What happens once all the sacred relics are gathered?! Who holds the final relic after Jongnam, the Tang Family, Qingcheng, and Wudang?! And what the hell is an inhuman monstrosity?! Answer me, you bastard!!"
"[Until next time. If anyone can overcome these tribulations, it is you.]"
"Screw your tribulations! Answer me, you damn fossil! Dammit all—!!"
A blinding flash erupted. Before she could scream another syllable, Ryeong was hurled from the domain.
Unbeknownst to her, Hyeok had provided as much aid as the celestial laws permitted. Had he divulged even a shred more, he likely would have birthed yet another anomaly into the mortal world. He knew she would harbor even deeper resentment toward him now, having received so few concrete answers.
It was not as though he enjoyed speaking in riddles either. He would have vastly preferred to lay everything bare and resolve the matter cleanly, but Ryeong was not the only soul bearing the weight of this existence. A single reckless move would imperil not just him, but every inhabitant dwelling within the Celestial Realm.
"[Which means you still have much to do, Ryeong.]"
The Demon Blood Divine Cult, was it? Their invasion would commence soon. To an immortal like Hyeok, 'soon' translated to a fair amount of time by mortal standards, but skirmishes and ambushes would inevitably break out across every corner of the land.
"That son of a bitch old bastard—"
Spitting curses as her consciousness snapped back to reality, Ryeong's urge to rain down vitriol upon Hyeok vanished the moment her eyes fell on the corpse before her.
It had been cleaved cleanly in two. Not a single drop of crimson stained the Red Cloud Divine Sword. What was more, there were no footprints on the stone floor. That meant he had struck the enemy down without moving so much as an inch from this exact spot. Could he have executed the strike using the legendary Formless Sword?
"Good grief, that old guy is terrifyingly strong."
Dang Cheol-ryeong had been a master of the Profound Realm—by no means an inferior martial artist who would fall helplessly. Yet here he lay, split down the middle without mounting even a shred of resistance. Her last memory of him was his grotesque, successful Poison Human Transformation. To obliterate a Poison Human without suffering a single scratch, without even taking a step? Even an expert of the Transcendent Realm would struggle to accomplish such a feat. Any lingering urge to rebel against the immortal shrank right back into the depths of her mind. Immortals truly were beings one must never cross.
"Anyway..." Ryeong glanced around the chamber. "To think he stockpiled this many Poison Stream Pills."
His aim had undoubtedly been to elevate the Tang Family to greater glory. But the moment Dang Cheol-ryeong colluded with the Demon Blood Divine Cult, that grand scheme had degraded into worthless filth unfit even for a gutter. Given the circumstances, the Young Clan Head, Dang Jin, likely knew about the plan to mass-produce Poison Stream Pills as well.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a sudden realization struck her like a bucket of ice water.
"Wait... the Tracing Incense scent is gone?"
Only now recalling her promise to Jin-young, Ryeong kicked off the ground. In that same breath, she unleashed the True Samadhi Fire across the crates of Poison Stream Pills.
He must've burned the Tracing Incense relatively recently, right? Please tell me he did!
Fortunately, as the crates caught fire, disposing of Dang Cheol-ryeong's corpse ceased to be an issue. Rather than taking the secret passageway she had used to descend, Ryeong slipped out through the route the Demon Blood Divine Cult bastard had entered. She had expected it to lead to the outer courtyard, but to her surprise, it opened directly into the inner court.
The stench of blood is overwhelming... In that case, I have to make this convincing!
Drawing her dagger, Ryeong drove the blade into her own arms and torso, carving out gruesome-looking wounds. At the same time, she struck her own solar plexus with a harsh blast of palm energy, forcing a mouthful of blood to erupt past her lips. Then, pouring every ounce of internal energy into her lightness skill, she bolted at full speed toward Jin-young's quarters.
Meanwhile, inside Jin-young's pavilion...
"Did she truly just go to wash her hands?"
"Y-Yes, indeed. She will return shortly, so please wait just a moment longer."
"...Haaah."
Dang Jin sat across from Jin-young, his expression sour. He had come looking for Ryeong only to be told she had stepped away to wash her hands, leaving him waiting endlessly. As the minutes dragged on with no sign of her return, Dang Jin reached the limit of his patience and rose to his feet.
Just then—
KABOOM!
"What was that sound?!"
A deafening crash erupted just outside the pavilion, prompting both Dang Jin and Jin-young to rush through the doorway. There on the stone pavement lay Ryeong, collapsed in a mangled heap, soaked in fresh blood.
Both men rushed forward in sheer panic.
"L-Lady Ryeong! What in heaven's name happened?! Can you stand?!"
"By order of the Young Clan Head!" Dang Jin roared, turning toward the perimeter. "Bar all passages to the inner court immediately and reinforce the guard! Summon a physician at once!"
"Understood!"
Jin-young hurriedly gathered the bloodied girl into his arms, while Dang Jin barked relentless orders to the clan warriors to lock down the inner court. Trembling violently, Ryeong choked out a single phrase before slumping limp into unconsciousness.
"T-The Demon Blood Divine Cult..."
"The Demon Blood Divine Cult?!"
"Those bastards actually dared to target the main clan?!"
Naturally, it was all an act. But by burying a small commotion under a catastrophe, she had achieved her goal.
With her head bowed limp against Jin-young's shoulder, Ryeong hid a sly smile where no one could see.