Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Ghost Forge
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Her gaze was sharp. I chose my words carefully.
What should I say first? I pondered for a moment, then decided to flash a slight smile.
"...Long time no see, Senior Seol-ran."
"Yeah. It has been a while."
My ear was grabbed.
It twisted right then.
"Ow!"
"I told you to contact me when you got out. You trying to die?"
"Hey, I didn't fully get out..."
"Then what's this? A Punishment Demon Unit member? You joined the Punishment Demon Unit? That's impossible unless you left the Blood Demon Squad. And more than that..."
Eun Seol-ran leaned in close. She was smiling, but it was an incredibly cold smile.
Like she'd make me pay if I said the wrong thing.
"You dare pretend not to know me?"
I had no choice but to spill everything that had happened. My connection to the First Demon and the reason I'd come to Sealed Demon Cave.
And at the end, I even explained why I couldn't act like I knew her.
"A rational relationship? You and me?"
"It might not seem strange between us, but it could look odd to others, right?"
"...That's not wrong."
Eun Seol-ran glanced at me.
"Still, it's infuriating. How could you not give me even a heads-up? At least slip a letter into my luggage secretly."
"I didn't know what might happen if my sudden actions got exposed..."
"Is that ghost sword really that important? What's a transforming sword anyway?"
"It's a form created by blending different energies. According to the First Demon..."
I recalled her teachings.
"All energies have yin and yang aspects, right? A transforming sword draws those out to their extremes in an instant. The core swords, Frost White Divine Sword and Fire Wheel Demon Sword, symbolize yin and yang respectively."
"Then what about that Black White Lotus Sword?"
"I heard the sword made of demonic energy would mediate between them. And if done right, it could even achieve yin-yang unity..."
"The First Demon...said that?"
Eun Seol-ran muttered in disbelief.
"No way... Yin-yang unity isn't that easy... It's weird to think she could do it herself...? Sure, success would mean obtaining something unbelievable... But what about your Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art?"
"I'm still learning it."
"How's that going?"
"I heard it's the foundation of everything. Ultimately, you can't know without going through it all..."
"So the transforming sword, the theory of yin-yang unity, the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art-all taught by the First Demon?"
"Yes."
Eun Seol-ran clicked her tongue.
"She's a monster. Building that much theory alone...and figuring out the method too? Even if your body is abnormal, planning to implement such a crazy idea...? I get why they said the Heavenly Demon of this generation was set before her official retirement from politics. In terms of talent...how many levels above me is she?"
"What martial art does Senior Seol-ran practice?"
"My master's art, Ghost Demon Seven Swords. It's a sword of the path. Master called it the Path of Slaughter too. The Heaven and Earth Eight Demons each receive supreme arts directly from the Cult Leader, tailored perfectly to their talents and dispositions. The Fourth Demon received the Ghost Demon Seven Swords."
Eun Seol-ran looked down at me.
"Each one mimics a beast's thrashing. Its ferocity is the fiercest among the Heaven and Earth Eight Demons-they say it's the pinnacle just in terms of 'power.' I like it too."
"Mastering it to that level in such a short time... Seniors really are on another level."
"It's not that much. Just about average."
"If everyone was average like that, our cult would have unified the world by now..."
"You've gotten better at joking. What's your deal with the First Demon anyway? Building that level of theory would take an immense amount of time, even for a genius... You don't mean..."
Eun Seol-ran glared at me sharply.
"You're not like a pillar husband or something, are you?"
"I'm just someone who wants her as a master."
"...And now?"
"It's a bit hard to call it a simple master-disciple relationship..."
Eun Seol-ran's brow furrowed. She grabbed my face and fiddled with it.
"...Nothing at all?"
"If anything, it's close to superior and subordinate."
"Hmmm."
Eun Seol-ran pulled me to my feet. She turned her head.
"I'm pissed you deceived me, but I'll let it slide since you had your reasons. So now I can think of you as half a Blood Demon Squad member? Working under the First Demon and all."
"You could see it that way. At least for the time being."
"...You're not coming to Black Death Sect? My offer still stands. I even reserved a spot for you under me. It's vacant-my bodyguard position."
"Weren't there two who came with you here?"
"Those were just official show guards. First time I've even seen their faces."
Eun Seol-ran spun around. She slammed her palm against the wall beside me.
"Stop beating around the bush and answer. You turning down my bodyguard spot?"
"...I'm tied to the First Demon by circumstances."
"Once that job or whatever is done?"
Done.
I couldn't help imagining the future. If the day came when I returned to the cult after finishing my work in the orthodox faction...
What would I be doing then?
"I...don't know."
It's too far off.
To picture right now.
Eun Seol-ran sighed. She pulled her hand from the wall.
"...What the hell have you been up to? I'm letting it go because you answered seriously. Got it?"
"So that means..."
"No suitable candidate anyway, so it'll stay vacant. Not for you, mind you? Just because there's no one else. But if you want..."
Eun Seol-ran turned her back.
Her ear peeking through her hair was slightly flushed.
"I could slot you in."
"...Senior hasn't changed a bit."
"Shut up. I've changed plenty. You know how much I train daily? Learning all sorts as the official heir to the Heaven and Earth Eight Demons. Change too much more and you might not recognize me. So hurry up and make up your mind."
"If circumstances allow, I will."
"Yeah, right."
Eun Seol-ran rummaged through the interior. I belatedly searched the structure too.
There was a smell. Of iron and metal. But one side reeked of blood, so it didn't seem like an ordinary building.
A somewhat spacious interior. I brushed dust off an anvil.
"Looks like...a forge..."
"Blood and ghostly energy permeate everywhere. Feel it?"
"It's cold."
"Right? Not even winter... Too cold for underground. Feels like resentment hitting full force. Stuffy. Want to open the door, but can't."
Eun Seol-ran narrowed her eyes.
"Thanks to Demon Valley, piercing the darkness is easy, but I don't want to stare into it forever. Need light. Got anything?"
"I brought my satchel."
"Anything in it?"
"Plenty of food. Over a hundred strips of jerky."
"Jerky doesn't make light."
Fortunately, we found a rusty lantern inside. Lighting it with a fire starter brightened the dim interior.
I'd suspected as much, but it was definitely a forge. The largest I'd seen, yet identifiable at a glance from the tools hanging on the walls.
But it seemed so ancient-dust everywhere, some tools rusted.
"...A rusty underground forge? Overflowing with ghostly energy...? Don't tell me..."
"Know something?"
"Looks like that ground collapse...wasn't just part of the ordeal after all."
---Rumble...
A faint vibration echoed. The forge shook too.
We looked at each other.
"...Those corpses running around earlier. And the disgusting concentration of ghostly energy... Only one thing it points to."
"What..."
"The forge of Ghost Valley Night Smith."
Eun Seol-ran sighed.
"How far did we fall exactly...?"
...
We focused on the occasional sounds outside. Some corpses hadn't left completely, circling nearby.
"Can't go out."
"They'd chase. Don't even know how many. And...they're not normal. Charge out blindly and we'd just bleed."
Thankfully, we'd grabbed some things in our haste, so food was plentiful. The First Demon's satchel was intact too.
"Among those weird things, there were some you 'shouldn't cut.' Saw my sword swings? Sliced dozens at once, but suddenly shocks clung to the blade. Just cutting tangled my meridians and injured my internals-strange feeling."
Eun Seol-ran sighed.
"It's messed up inside. Annoyingly so. Aah... Can't swing properly like this..."
"What do you think those things are?"
"Heard from master. Ghost Valley Night Smith's ghost swords are made mixing lost souls."
"Mixing souls...?"
"That's why they're called ghost swords. The mixed souls aren't human spirits anymore. Just material from Ghost Valley Night Smith's hands. Combine with metal to make swords-that's Ghost Valley Night Smith..."
Eun Seol-ran rested her head on my shoulder.
"Don't know details. Corpses mixed with weird stuff? Half-finished souls or whatever. But...damn junior. Wait, why am I even explaining? To the insolent guy who deceived me?"
"Are you mad?"
"Do I look not mad? My head hurt like hell pretending all that time. You saw how much I acted. And you were smirking from afar?"
"I didn't smirk."
"Then?"
"You seemed to be doing well..."
I smiled.
"I was happy. Really."
"...No jealousy?"
"Why would there be? You're amazing, so the Fourth Demon took you in."
Eun Seol-ran's gaze stabbed my cheek.
"And you're the First Demon's disciple."
"I want to be called that..."
"Same thing. She even taught you swordsmanship-how could you not be? Ridiculous..."
Eun Seol-ran spun around. Slid her hand into my robes.
"S-Senior?"
"Hold still. Let me see...how trained your body is. Huh?"
"Why put your hand there...?"
"Quiet. Revenge."
After groping me thoroughly, Eun Seol-ran grinned.
"Not lying. Peak transcendent Red Cloud."
"And you've entered the Harmony Realm, right?"
"Just barely stepping in. Precarious. Fourth Demon keeps blowing hot air lately-makes me uneasy. Calling me once-in-a-millennium genius and all...Future leader of Black Death Sect...Sigh. Just hearing it weighs on my shoulders."
"Want me to loosen you up?"
"Won't say no."
To my joking remark, she turned her back. Felt weird refusing now, so I placed my hands on her shoulders.
Slender frame. Shoulders not seeming trained in martial arts.
But inside, it was incredible. Highly compressed muscles felt under my fingertips, unlike any I'd touched.
Like mine. Not visible outwardly, but palpable depth when touched.
Can't achieve with talent alone. Effort layered beneath too.
"...Senior Seol-ran."
"Yeah?"
"You're not just talented-you're incredibly hardworking too."
In every way.
As a close acquaintance too.
A woman I couldn't help but respect.
"You're amazing."
"........."
Eun Seol-ran leaned the back of her head against my chest. Looked up at me sideways.
Her small mutter was loud enough for me.
"You're more amazing than me."
"No."
"No what. I thought so before too-you're more amazing. Climbing so high with that body? How much did you grind into it this time? Your effort is abnormal...Must've crossed death's door dozens of times?"
"Not that much."
"Not what. It's all written on your body."
Eun Seol-ran sighed.
"Heard about Heavenly Tribulation. It's embedded in you too, right?"
"........."
"Heard forcing something unfit brings horrific pain. Might fade later...but each moment like being shredded by blades. And you endured it alone? Without showing?"
"Got used to it after bearing it."
"Wanna die? I know that's not bearable pain. Master said even she, with half of it, was horrified. Said the original Heavenly Tribulation is unbearable. You had it even when with me."
Eun Seol-ran reached out. Fiddled with my cheek.
"...You knew Yeon-gwang?"
"First time talking here."
"Why go that far for a stranger?"
"Felt like the right path."
"See? You're the amazing one. Number 30."
I chuckled at the old title. Looked down at her.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"That the martial artist such a person respects is Number 20."
"...Ahaha!"
Eun Seol-ran giggled, her eyes softening. My face naturally pulled into a smile.
Moist eyes. Her upward gaze whispered softly.
"You've always been the same, past and present."
"........."
"Time together was short, actions risky too...but..."
So close, almost touching.
"I really like..."
"What are you doing in my workshop?"
"Eek?!"
Eun Seol-ran jumped up. I turned too.
Part of what I'd thought was wall-a metal plate-had opened. A face peering through the gap.
An old man with a nasty personality scowled.
"You goddamn rascals."