Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Keeping the Promise
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"Cheongyo, I'm sorry, but please make sure no one approaches the room."
I asked Cheongyo.
This task was something only I, Yeoseol, Songran, and Cheongyo needed to know about.
The fewer people who knew Yeoseol's secret, the better.
"No one comes to our place at this hour anyway, but I'll stand guard so not even an ant can get in."
Cheongyo glanced anxiously at Songran.
"Sister, don't worry. It's not that dangerous."
"Okay. Got it."
Songran soothed Cheongyo and closed the door.
Yeoseol was deep in slumber under the influence of the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye, so sound asleep she wouldn't notice if someone carried her off.
I had already explained to Songran how to transfer Mae Yuyeon's soul, so I quietly watched as she worked.
"I'll use the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye to pull out the cocoon where Mae Yuyeon's soul is dormant and bring it into my consciousness. Scholar Cheon, if she resists during the process, please block her spirit energy."
To prepare for any contingencies, I was following Songran's Soul Subjugation Divine Eye into Yeoseol's consciousness.
"Shall we begin?"
I was holding Yeoseol's wrist, while Songran placed her palms over Yeoseol's eyes.
"Entering now."
As Songran entered Yeoseol's consciousness, I injected spirit energy into Yeoseol's body and looked into Songran's eyes.
The moment I met Songran's gaze, it felt like I was being sucked into a swamp.
I found myself in a vast, silent sea. There, I saw a woman approaching a white cocoon.
'Songran.'
I slowly moved toward the cocoon as well.
Songran was right.
It truly looked like a cocoon, tangled up in something.
'That must be Yeoseol's consciousness.'
Songran carefully peeled away the white threads binding the cocoon, one by one.
Each time she did, Yeoseol's body twitched faintly.
Fortunately, once all the threads were removed and Songran picked it up, Mae Yuyeon's soul seemed to sense danger and unleashed a massive burst of spirit energy.
"Ugh!"
Songran's body flailed like a freshly caught fish.
To protect her, I spread my spirit energy and enveloped the cocoon.
When my spirit energy clashed with the cocoon's, countless blue flames erupted and flickered wildly.
"Transferring it now."
Songran hugged the cocoon, now wreathed in blue flames, and walked toward the exit from Yeoseol's consciousness.
After walking a short distance across the vast sea, the scene suddenly shifted to a garden bursting with flowers.
'This must be inside Songran's consciousness.'
Songran set the cocoon down in the flowerbed.
That's when the abnormality occurred.
The cocoon suddenly grew enormous.
It expanded enough to crush the flowerbed, and Songran muttered,
"So this is the difference!"
"What do you mean?"
Naturally, my spirit energy had also expanded to cover the massive cocoon, putting increasing strain on my body.
"Yeoseol's consciousness is so vast that Mae Yuyeon's soul shrank to fit it. But my consciousness is relatively small compared to hers, so the soul expanded."
"Then what do we do?"
Songran looked at me with despair in her eyes and shook her head.
"It looks like we've failed."
"Failed...?"
Songran gave a wistful smile.
"I won't be able to contain Mae Yuyeon's soul and will die. Scholar Cheon, we had a promise, remember? Please take care of my sister. In return, I'll die with Mae Yuyeon's soul."
"Ah!"
I had nothing more to say and just stared blankly at Songran.
That was when it happened.
Someone abruptly entered Songran's consciousness.
"Sister!"
Songran gasped in shock at the newcomer.
Cheongyo had entered Songran's mental world.
Cheongyo had opened the door upon sensing an ominous aura from the room.
She was startled to see blood trickling from Scholar Cheon and Songran's mouths.
Especially from Songran's mouth and nose, where blood poured steadily. Sensing something was gravely wrong, she tried to pull Songran's hands away from Yeoseol's eyes—and got dragged into Songran's consciousness.
Cheon Taesan was stunned by Cheongyo's mental world.
It was a vast plain filled with flowing melodies.
The moment she entered, Cheongyo instinctively understood the entire situation.
Connected consciousnesses allowed understanding without explanation.
"Please move that cocoon into my consciousness."
Cheongyo said to Cheon Taesan.
"Sister, no. It's too dangerous."
Even she, with the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye, couldn't control Mae Yuyeon's soul. She couldn't let her clueless sister take it into her own mind.
"My consciousness is vast enough to hold it."
"Are you prepared for that?"
When Cheon Taesan asked, Cheongyo smiled sadly.
"For Ran, I can do anything."
Cheon Taesan nodded.
Her eyes said she'd resent him forever if he didn't transfer it and let Songran die.
As he reached for the cocoon, he noticed its base had already taken root in Songran's flowerbed.
'Damn.'
It was proof that Mae Yuyeon's soul was struggling to survive.
The flowers in the garden wilted and died one by one.
Realizing this meant Songran was dying, Cheon Taesan grew urgent.
'I'll cut it down.'
He said to Songran,
"Miss Song, I'll sever this cocoon. Do you have a sword?"
"No."
Songran shook her head gloomily.
Her mental world was all flowers—no tools to cut the cocoon.
In his haste, Cheon Taesan entered Cheongyo's consciousness.
Golden strings littered the plain.
He grabbed the largest one and returned to Songran's mind.
Songran looked at him in astonishment.
Cheon Taesan snapped the seven strings attached to it.
Twang twang!
He gathered the seven strings into one bundle, gripped it, and channeled spirit energy.
The strings straightened, sword aura gleaming along them.
With it, Cheon Taesan sliced the massive cocoon.
Fortunately, it wasn't tough.
Krunch! Rip!
The sound of silk tearing echoed as the cocoon split.
Thus, he severed Mae Yuyeon's soul from filling Songran's consciousness.
Once halved, the enormous cocoon shrank to a size he could hold in both hands.
But then, the severed half extended tendrils toward the rooted cocoon, as if trying to reconnect.
Sensing Songran would be in danger if they merged again, Cheon Taesan and Cheongyo exchanged glances.
Cheongyo suddenly grabbed the detached half and dashed into her own consciousness.
"Sister! No!"
He couldn't let her ignorant sister take such a dangerous thing.
But Cheongyo knew Songran would die if the halves rejoined, so she didn't stop.
In the end, Cheongyo vanished with half the cocoon.
"Sister, you fool..."
With Cheongyo taking half the cocoon into her mind, Songran's consciousness rapidly stabilized.
I, Cheongyo, and Songran couldn't believe we'd returned to reality. We eyed each other searchingly.
"Are you alright?"
I asked Songran.
Blood streamed from her mouth and nose, staining her collar red.
My own collar was tinged reddish with my blood.
Songran wiped the blood from her face roughly and looked at Cheongyo.
"Sister, why do something so reckless? Were you trying to get yourself killed?"
Her eyes and tone mixed resentment, scolding, and worry, tugging at my heart.
"If you live, there's nothing I can't do. I could do even worse for you."
Songran sighed at Cheongyo's calm reply.
"Does it hurt anywhere?"
"No. What about you, Ran?"
"I'm fine too."
I spoke up.
"Since we split Mae Yuyeon's soul cocoon in half and divided it, maybe it's dissipated?"
Songran thought for a moment and shook her head.
"No. If it had, the roots left in my consciousness would have vanished too, but they're still there."
As the owner of the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye, she could sense Mae Yuyeon's presence.
Songran said,
"Still, Yeoseol lives, I live, and Sister lives, so we can call it a success for now. Mae Yuyeon's soul won't exert its full power like before. It's dispersed across three consciousnesses."
"That's a relief."
I said to her sincerely.
"And thank you. Without you two, Miss Song and Miss Cheong, it would've been disastrous."
"We've owed you a great debt until now, Scholar Cheon. This is just a little repayment."
"Please monitor your conditions closely. If anything happens, I'll help without hesitation, so call for me if there's a problem."
"Understood."
I left a few more words of caution, hoisted Yeoseol on my back, and returned home.
Seeing Yeoseol asleep, her full weight on my back, lightened my heavy heart.
I handed letters to Nangong Cheolung, Nangong Hwajun, and Nangong Pyo, informing them of the Demonic Cult's stirrings.
Yesterday, after laying Yeoseol in her room at home, I wrote long letters.
They were for Nangong Hak.
"The three of you leave for the Nangong Family with Eunbi at dawn tomorrow. Deliver these letters to the Family Head upon arrival."
I'd given them prior notice days ago, so they nodded.
"Thanks to Master, we've made great progress. Thank you."
The three stood and bowed deeply to me.
I started to stop them but let it be, sensing their sincerity.
"When you return to the Nangong Family, the Family Head will treat you well. You already surpass the direct lineage in martial prowess. Live well there."
"We hope Master completes his business safely and returns."
"Yes. And take this."
I divided three bills worth a hundred gold nyang each.
"This is..."
"Put it away. Once your status changes at the Nangong Family, you'll need money for many things. Change your station, and the scenery changes. Change the scenery, and how you spend changes—that's the way of the world."
As they hesitated, I continued,
"Besides, didn't you risk your lives fighting for me at the Lake Hyeon Battlefield? It's not exactly payment, but a master can give his disciples some pocket money, right? I got a gold mine this time and received a lot from the Sect Leader. This is just a portion, so no need to feel burdened."
Only then did they tuck the bills into their robes.
Suddenly, tears dropped onto the floor from Nangong Cheolung, who was prostrated.
The biggest in stature, he was also the most sentimental.
"Looks like Nangong Cheolung's short on funds."
As I pretended to reach into my robe, he startled, stopped crying, and Nangong Hwajun and Nangong Pyo chuckled.
Nangong Cheolung's deeper feelings stemmed from absorbing his inner energy with the Pure Inner Force Transfer.
"We'll never forget this grace. Stay well until we meet again."
We'd played at master-disciple half in jest, but in this moment, it felt truly real.
I called Eunbi aside separately.
I gave her a bill for a hundred silver nyang.
Too much money could be a curse given her status.
"You've worked hard tending to me and Yeoseol. This is for your efforts. Thank you."
Even prepared as she was, Eunbi teared up at parting.
Yeoseol hadn't woken, so no goodbyes there.
"Yeoseol and I will head to the Nangong Family after finishing our business, so don't be too sad. Did you say goodbye to Miss Cheong and Miss Song?"
"Yes. I did this morning."
Eunbi bowed lightly and stood.
"Scholar Cheon, see you at the Nangong Family."
I watched them leave Hyuncheon Gate, then entered the room where Yeoseol slept.
As I gazed at her sleeping form, someone shouted from outside.
"Scholar Divine Sword!"
In Gangseo, I was known as the Scholar Divine Sword.
Embarrassing name—I'd told them not to call me that—but they did anyway, perhaps to tease.
"What is it?"
A familiar Hyuncheon Asura Unit warrior stood there.
"The Supreme One summons you."
He'd never called me this early, so I asked why.
"People from the Sacheon Tang Clan have arrived."
I'd expected the Sacheon Tang Clan to visit eventually to reclaim their poison techniques, so I wasn't too surprised.
It just happened to be today.
"Understood. I'll go shortly."
I entrusted Yeoseol to Cheongyo and Songran, then headed to Hyuncheon Gate.