Descent of the Vermilion Bird
A strange man stood before Yeong-hwa, bamboo hat pulled low over his brow, his entire body wreathed in plum blossoms of crimson flame.
As if it were nothing at all, the man blocked Yeong-hwa’s Songmun Ancient Sword with his bare hand.
Skang—
Skang—
At the same instant Hyeonsong and Jaheo drew their swords and rose.
Jaheo’s face filled with disbelief as he asked in a trembling voice,
“Who… who are you?”
Amid the scattering plum blossoms the man merely looked at Jaheo and lifted the corner of his mouth.
“It can’t be…”
Struck by a familiar sensation, Jaheo let the tip of his sword droop, his expression vacant with shock.
Taat—
In that opening Yeong-hwa recovered the Songmun Ancient Sword and retreated.
Thud— Thud— Thud—
The man walked over to Wol-yeon, who still trembled and could not regain her senses.
Cha-ra-ra-ra-rang—
He seized the transparent iron chain Yeong-hwa had been trying to sever.
Whoosh—
The invisible chain dyed itself scarlet and revealed its form.
The man put strength into his hand.
Crack— Crack-crack-crack—
With a grotesque sound the scarlet chain snapped.
“Wol-yeon.”
In a gentle voice the man called to Wol-yeon where she lay collapsed on the floor, lifting the chain.
“Come with me.”
Without hesitation he forced open Wol-yeon’s mouth and stuffed the chain inside.
“Keuhhhhhh—”
Wol-yeon screamed and rolled across the ground.
At that bizarre sight and the unbelievable situation, no one could speak.
Only Yeong-hwa glared at the burning man, tilting the Songmun Ancient Sword back over his shoulder.
Then Elder Jangjin recovered his senses and roared,
“You… you are…”
The man wore a bitter smile.
“Is that not Myeongjeong!”
“Elder Jangjin…”
Myeongjeong, wreathed in the blazing plum-blossom flames, raised a hand to his bamboo hat.
The hat turned to ash in an instant.
“Well, no need to hide it anymore.”
Blocking Wol-yeon with his body, Myeongjeong asked Yeong-hwa,
“How did our Taoist Yeong-hwa… figure it out?”
Crack— Crack-crack— Crack-crack-crack—
Wol-yeon’s body, having swallowed the scarlet chain, began to twist grotesquely.
“That I was the culprit?”
Yeong-hwa swallowed hard, face tense.
“The one who gifted the gold to Taoist Wol-yeon was Elder Jangjin.”
Yeong-hwa leveled the Songmun Ancient Sword at Myeongjeong and continued.
“The one who recommended that Taoist Wol-yeon perform at Baekmaejongheon Palace was Sect Leader Jaheo.”
The Xuanwu pattern carved into the back of Yeong-hwa’s right hand glowed black.
“The only point of contact between those two who do not get along is you, Taoist Myeongjeong—eldest disciple of Huashan. Only you.”
“Not bad.”
Yeong-hwa lifted one corner of his mouth.
“You seem to have hidden a fragment of Blood Jade inside your body behind the Vermilion Bird God’s barrier…”
Boom— Boom-boom— Boom-boom-boom— Boom-boom-boom-boom—
Hagun kept beating the drum without pause.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
Yeong-hwa raised a silver bell in his left hand.
The specialized shamanic ritual that seals the grudges of the living and binds evil spirits with sacrificial beasts.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom— Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom—
At Yeong-hwa’s cry, Hagun’s drumsticks flew in a frenzy.
With the surging drumbeats Yeong-hwa’s eyes turned pure black.
Kuuuuuuuuung—
Black tortoise shells rose over the entire ritual ground.
“You run wild relying on the power of the Blood Jade…”
Yeong-hwa said with a bitter smile, looking at Myeongjeong.
“I’ve already experienced it once, you see.”
Thuk—
Yeong-hwa drove the Songmun Ancient Sword into the floor.
At the same moment Hagun, who had been beating the drum, seized the two kitchen knives at his waist.
Thuk— Thuk—
Hagun flung the drumsticks aside and drove the knives straight into the ox head and pig head on the ritual table.
Yeong-hwa shook the silver bell while staring at Myeongjeong.
“Go to hell.”
Suddenly Myeongjeong bent at the waist, clutching his stomach.
Yeong-hwa looked down at him with an expression that said he had expected exactly this, and chanted the mantra.
“Jiji yeo yul ryeong sabaha.”
Then the thrashing of Myeongjeong’s waist stopped cold.
Myeongjeong’s mocking laughter spread across the ritual ground.
“Heh— Heh— Heh— Heh— Heh— Heh—”
Head bowed, Myeongjeong laughed softly, slowly, madly.
Hagun looked at Yeong-hwa, face full of alarm.
“Yeong-hwa…”
Yeong-hwa spoke to Hagun with an expression of pure disbelief.
“Without a Blood Jade fragment… he couldn’t produce power like this!”
Yet nothing happened to the ox head and pig head with the kitchen knives driven into them on the ritual table.
“Our Taoist Yeong-hwa still…”
Myeongjeong straightened and wiped tears of laughter while looking at Yeong-hwa.
“…has not properly seen the endless desires of humankind.”
“It can’t be…”
Myeongjeong swept his hand toward the black tortoise shells that sealed the ritual ground.
Whooshhhhhh—
Crimson plum blossoms scattered and melted the tortoise shells away in a single breath.
“Uwaaaaaaaaah—!”
At the same instant Hagun was blasted outside the ritual ground.
“This is not mere spirit possession.”
Myeongjeong gazed at the plum-blossom flames wreathing him, rapturous.
“I, the master of Huashan, have personally manifested…”
Myeongjeong’s once-clear pupils dyed themselves scarlet.
He gestured toward Wol-yeon behind him.
Wol-yeon rose like a puppet on strings and tilted her head back.
Skaaaaang—
She drew her Plum Blossom Sword and gazed with a dazed expression at the full moon floating above Huashan.
“The scent of the human world is always fragrant, even after so long.”
Myeongjeong’s voice changed—neither man nor woman, an alien timbre.
Yeong-hwa stared at him and muttered in a trembling voice,
“You mad bastard… what did you offer the Vermilion Bird God?!”
Skaaang—
Myeongjeong drew the Plum Blossom Sword with elegant grace and gazed at the blade as though it were beautiful.
“Do you not know?”
“This is… this is…”
Unable to finish the words, Yeong-hwa was answered by the Vermilion Bird God now manifested in Myeongjeong’s body.
“Well, the only thing a lowly human can offer in exchange for power is the thread of his own life.”
Yeong-hwa’s black eyes blazed as he roared,
“It wasn’t just lifespan, was it!”
“It was what he himself desired. I merely accepted the bargain a worm proposed.”
The Vermilion Bird God took a light step, turned, and laid a hand on Wol-yeon’s shoulder.
“Let us see.”
He corrected her entire posture as though handling a precious doll.
Each time his fingertips brushed her body, crimson plum blossoms bloomed from them and sank into her flesh.
Wol-yeon kept murmuring something, as though she could never forget the words.
The Vermilion Bird God put his ear to her lips and listened to the monologue.
“Ah, so you have found a true love.”
He stroked her cheek with an expression of amusement.
“Even you, who claimed you needed neither the greatest martial talent of Huashan since ancient times, nor the title of Greatest Under Heaven, nor an immortal body… even you have finally grown a desire…”
He giggled and whispered to her,
“Do you not want to possess it?”
Wol-yeon slowly nodded.
“Yes… I do.”
“But what can you do?”
The Vermilion Bird God continued with a look of pity.
“That Taoist named Yeong-hwa stands between you and Taoist Hagun…”
“Why… does everyone… obstruct me?”
Yeong-hwa barely fended off the Vermilion Bird God’s heat that crashed over him and shouted to Wol-yeon,
“Do not listen! Taoist Wol-yeon!”
Yet tears of blood ran down both of Wol-yeon’s cheeks.
“I… hate it…”
“Yes. But there is a problem.”
“What… is it?”
“Have I not always told you?”
The Vermilion Bird God smiled sweetly and whispered,
“Without power you can possess nothing.”
Yeong-hwa cut through the plum-blossom flames blocking his path with the Songmun Ancient Sword and forced himself closer to Wol-yeon.
“No, Taoist Wol-yeon!”
“O… Vermilion Bird God.”
“Yes, speak! One word is enough!”
“I… desire it…”
“Good… That is how a swordsman of Huashan whom I have chosen should speak.”
Tak—
The Vermilion Bird God flicked his fingers lightly.
At once scarlet sword-qi condensed along Wol-yeon’s Plum Blossom Sword.
Taat—
Wol-yeon stepped the Jade Ring Marvelous Steps and charged at Yeong-hwa.
Yeong-hwa stared at her with a vacant face and muttered,
“Damn it…”
In that moment a fierce gale tore a temporary hole through the wall of flame the Vermilion Bird God had raised.
Chiiiiiiisss—
Someone leapt into the flames and raised a sword.
Kaaaaaang—
Wol-yeon’s scarlet sword-qi was stopped by the pure white sword-qi of a man whose robe was soaked through.
It was Hagun.
He looked at Wol-yeon and pleaded,
“Taoist Wol-yeon, please come to your senses!”
Hagun spun his body.
Wol-yeon’s sword was drawn into his own.
“Do not… stop me.”
Wol-yeon surrendered her body to Hagun’s sword and thrust her left hand forward.
Plum blossoms bloomed fully upon the outstretched palm.
The palm art of the Huashan Sect.
Not to be outdone, Hagun also thrust his left hand forward.
A gentle, pure wind wrapped his palm.
The palm art of the Wudang Sect.
Hagun’s and Wol-yeon’s hands collided.
Kuuuuuuuuung—
The plum blossoms bloomed without end; the pure wind grew ever fiercer.
Yet the plum blossoms finally forced their way through the majestic wind and blossomed.
Hagun hastily withdrew his left hand and shoved Wol-yeon away with the flat of his blade.
Landing in front of Yeong-hwa, Hagun glanced back.
“Yeong-hwa!”
But Yeong-hwa seemed lost in shock and gave no answer.
“Yeong-hwa!”
“Senior Brother Hagun…”
“Is there no other way?”
Yeong-hwa looked up at the pitiless full moon and spoke.
“We must kill the one who shattered the laws of the human world and performed the manifestation.”
At those words the Vermilion Bird God cackled at Yeong-hwa.
“Can you do it?”
As though he did not care in the least, he spread both arms wide.
“Come… Taoist Yeong-hwa, hurry and stab me!”
The Vermilion Bird God spoke in Myeongjeong’s voice.
“Myeongjeong, eldest disciple of Huashan, loses his life at the hands of a third-generation disciple of Wudang!”
He laughed as though the idea delighted him.
“How great a blood calamity will that cause?”
Keeping Wol-yeon in check while listening to the Vermilion Bird God’s voice, Hagun muttered,
“Damn it all…”
The Vermilion Bird God raved like a madman.
“Catastrophe! In the end it is catastrophe!”
Still laughing wildly, he spoke to Yeong-hwa and Hagun.
“Simply make me a promise…”
The Vermilion Bird God’s eyes curved into crescents.
“That you will take your hands off Wol-yeon and Huashan and quietly return home!”
Yeong-hwa, collapsed on the ground, bit his lip hard.
He seized Hagun’s soaked robe with difficulty.
“Senior Brother Hagun…”
“Do not give up!”
As though the words were not even worth hearing, Hagun took up the Songmun Ancient Sword and assumed the ready stance.
“Was the spirit you learned in that mountain of yours such a paltry thing?”
At that Yeong-hwa slammed his fist into the earth and shouted,
“There is no choice!”
“No—there must be one!”
“Senior Brother Hagun!”
Kaaaaaang—
Stepping the Jade Ring Marvelous Steps, Wol-yeon pressed Hagun from every side with the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
She hid her body amid the crimson plum blossoms and ceaselessly launched real and feinting strikes.
Hagun majestically unfolded the Taiji Thirteen Swords to meet her.
Like the flow of the great river he diverted the killing moves and shattered the feints, advancing little by little.
Hagun’s Taiji and Wol-yeon’s plum blossoms intertwined, painting a single monochrome landscape.
Seeing that back, Yeong-hwa drew the Songmun Ancient Sword from the earth.
At the sight one of the Vermilion Bird God’s eyebrows arched.
“Have you made your decision?”
He seemed not to care in the least about the life of the body he had manifested into.
“Come, hurry…”
His voice rose in excitement.
“Show me the grand spectacle of human desires tangled together, wounding and destroying one another!”
Yeong-hwa steadied his trembling hands and raised the Songmun Ancient Sword.
With difficulty he assumed the ready stance.
The tip of his sword aimed at Myeongjeong’s heart.
“Buk… Bukgwi…”
He could not bring himself to finish the mantra.
Kuuuuuuuuung—
A vast wave of force spread, and for a brief instant the wall of flame split open.
At the same moment the Vermilion Bird God’s leisurely expression changed; he hastily swung the Plum Blossom Sword.
Kaaaaaaaaang—
In a flash crimson plum blossoms and purple plum blossoms collided, scattering petals in every direction.
“Taoist Yeong-hwa, you are late!”
Before Yeong-hwa stood a man in a long robe embroidered with white plum blossoms, upright and commanding.