The First Day
Within an inner chamber of peerless antiquity and splendor, a woman draped in elegant crimson robes, a gold hairpin strung with red thread pinned in her hair, leaned against the headboard of her bed and narrowed her lovely eyes.
Her slender hand swept through the empty air, and with a soft whisper a single transparent window rose up before her.
Murim World Records Gallery
"Mmm..."
Out of habit, the woman skimmed the newly posted threads—until her hand suddenly stopped.
It was the thread from that newbie who had caught her eye so persistently of late.
At first, she had assumed some nobody peddling a half-baked gimmick had wandered in. But the symptoms described were far more specific than she'd expected. The person had followed her instructions to the letter, too—and had even seemed to have genuinely given up the yang-bearing elixirs.
Her gaze drifted naturally downward. The last conversation they had shared came into view: the talk of receiving teachings from the Ice White Demoness.
A small laugh caught on the woman's lips.
"The Ice White Demoness, taking on a student?"
If one knew even a sliver of that woman's temperament, it was a thought that could never be entertained. After all, as far as she knew, she had turned down even the Heavenly Demon's requests more than once.
The woman browsed a while longer before closing the gallery. She was just shutting her eyes to sleep when—
With a flick of her fingers, her eyes opened again, and the gallery rose back up.
There was nothing particularly worth reading. And yet, the woman's slender eyes narrowed slightly.
"...I wonder if they won't show up today."
The newbie claiming to suffer from Nine Yin Severed Meridians. Recalling the replies she had traded over the past few days, the newcomer seemed to be telling the truth, not spinning a tale.
But.
As far as she knew, every person who had ever suffered from Nine Yin Severed Meridians was dead—every one except Cheon Yu-hwa, the daughter of the Heavenly Demon. And now, another bearer of Nine Yin Severed Meridians had appeared.
If I could see them with my own eyes, I could speak with far more certainty.
The woman, who had kept vigil alone through the night, finally let her eyes fall shut only after several hours had passed.
That night.
Lying in bed, I kept one eye on the gallery. These days, ending my day with the Murim World Records Gallery had practically become routine.
"Seriously, these bastards never change, no matter what world it is."
That's how anonymous communities usually are—rambling, incoherent, everyone just saying their piece. And for the most part, it's all manner of idiotic content. The posts before my eyes right now were proof enough.
Even as I browsed, though, today's events kept resurfacing.
I had been given the chance to receive instruction directly from Bingbaek Jonja. Of course, I wasn't her disciple yet—all I'd heard was to come back the next morning. Even so, I couldn't help the anticipation. I now had the chance to learn martial arts firsthand from an absolute master counted among the finest in all the world.
What will she teach me first, I wonder? The basic heart method, probably?
Or perhaps a qi circulation technique. She wouldn't hand me peerless martial arts right off the bat, but still—this was one of the Three Venerables of the Demonic Cult. I'd picked up a mentor or two through the Murim World Records before, but this was on an entirely different plane.
"How could I not look forward to it?"
Like an idiot, laughter kept spilling out of me. Then, on a whim, I posted a thread of my own.
It must have been decent bait, because the comments piled up fast.
"So now they just see me as a concept troll."
Well, that suited me fine, actually. It was far more comfortable than having them suspect I was Cheon Yu-hwa.
As I skimmed the steadily accumulating comments, a welcome name caught my eye.
It was Goe-ui.
I deliberated for a moment, then replied.
Pfft.
Laughter leaked out even as I typed the reply. Call it the urge to brag—I couldn't give away who it was, but there was no helping the way my heart soared.
Trading comments back and forth with Goe-ui, a sudden curiosity took hold of me.
"Come to think of it, there can't be many people in this world who could be called Goe-ui."
Of course, being called Goe-ui on the gallery and being called Goe-ui in the real world would be two different things. Even so, anyone who could offer advice at a single glance based on nothing but my symptoms had to be far from ordinary.
Who could it be?
My curiosity about Goe-ui flared, but it was short-lived. I soon emptied my mind. The simple fact that I was to meet Bingbaek Jonja tomorrow left no room for other thoughts. This might be a meeting with my future master, after all.
"I should prepare myself properly, too."
Even knowing a careless smile kept creeping onto my lips, I couldn't contain the giddiness.
Dawn the next day.
I arrived at Seolbingwon before the sun had properly risen.
"My lady, the wind is still cold."
At my side, Suran followed along, looking faintly worried.
"I'm fine. I ought to be able to endure at least this much."
Arriving at Seolbingwon, I found thin frost settled everywhere under the early light. And yet my steps were lighter than yesterday's. Small wonder—the night before, I had dug through the gallery for threads on yin arts and heart methods, and I'd experienced qi flow and circulation countless times in the game. On top of that, Cheon Yu-hwa, daughter of the Heavenly Demon, was bound to possess absurd talent of her own.
I might be better at this than I give myself credit for.
So I'd even worked up a baseless sort of confidence.
With a soft crunch of frost underfoot, I stepped into Seolbingwon proper.
"You have come."
Bingbaek Jonja had been waiting for me with aloof grace.
"Yes."
I looked at her with a faint smile. Then, glancing around, I found myself puzzled.
Nothing else here, huh?
I'd expected secret manuals, or equipment I'd need for training—but the grounds looked almost exactly as they had yesterday. If anything, the only change was a small table set near the training hall, where two teacups sent up curling wisps of steam, the leaves apparently freshly brewed. They caught my eye for no particular reason. Just then, Bingbaek Jonja gestured toward them.
"Please, sit and make yourself comfortable."
"...Yes?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
"Is something the matter?"
"Oh—no, nothing."
For now, I did as she bade and took my seat.
Ah. She's going to explain things first, isn't she?
Come to think of it, that made sense. A supreme master wouldn't simply order you to start swinging a sword or drilling your body out of nowhere. The moment I'd convinced myself of this, Bingbaek Jonja elegantly raised her teacup.
"So—how is your body? Any unusual changes?"
"Yes, I'm quite well."
"Did you sleep well?"
"Very soundly."
Truth be told, I doubted I'd managed more than an hour or two of sleep with my heart racing the way it had, but outwardly I answered with plenty of energy.
"And was breakfast to your liking?"
"Yes, I ate well for once."
"I see."
Bingbaek Jonja drank her tea with perfect composure. Lifting my own cup, I felt something odd for a moment.
Is this really the conversation we're having?
It felt less like she was about to teach me anything and more like we were exchanging pleasantries. Silence settled between us for a while, each of us merely sipping at our cups. And yet my brow kept threatening to crease all on its own.
Why is this so bitter?
It was bitter enough that I wondered whether I had ever drunk a tea this bitter in my life. Bingbaek Jonja looked at me.
"Is the tea I prepared to your liking?"
"Um... may I be honest?"
"Speak freely."
At her gentle smile, I felt myself relax a little without meaning to.
"It's too bitter."
Behind me, Suran's shoulders flinched. Bingbaek Jonja gave a small laugh at the sight of me, then nodded.
"Indeed it is. But this Dragon Fragrance Tea is the tea the Cult Leader favors."
"Leaves this bitter?"
"Ah—my lady."
Suran gasped softly. I turned around reflexively.
"What?"
"...It is nothing."
Her face was utterly devoid of reaction.
"Honestly, it doesn't suit my taste."
But I had to say what needed saying. We would be seeing each other often from now on, and I'd rather have it said properly now than drink tea this bitter every single time.
That was when it happened. The corners of Bingbaek Jonja's lips curved upward, ever so faintly.
"Young Cult Leader—would you say the same to the Cult Leader's face?"
"Well, there's nothing stopping me."
It wasn't as though she would kill her own daughter for calling the tea bad. Especially not the Heavenly Demon, who had cherished Cheon Yu-hwa so dearly.
"You are brighter than I took you for."
Bingbaek Jonja studied me for a moment, then smiled softly and raised her cup. And so our conversation flowed on in a fairly warm and cordial atmosphere. I, for one, found this time spent facing Bingbaek Jonja not the least bit uncomfortable. Only—the talk of training I had hoped for somehow never came.
"Then tell me—what does the Young Cult Leader usually do to pass the time in her chambers?"
"...Well."
My words caught in my throat. How was I supposed to know what Cheon Yu-hwa had done with her life?
"I suppose... I read various books, and things of that sort?"
"Why do you speak of your own deeds as though they were another's?"
Bingbaek Jonja stared at me as if puzzled. Her transparent blue eyes seemed to peer straight into my heart.
"Ah, well, you see... I never really felt like I read them all that closely."
Feigning composure, I swept my hair back behind my ear.
"And my memory has been a little hazy lately, you see."
"Ah. Is that so."
Fortunately, Bingbaek Jonja did not press further.
"Come to think of it, you have rarely set foot outside your chambers."
With a quiet pour, Bingbaek Jonja refilled my empty cup. I watched the bitter tea fill it to the brim with some displeasure, then lifted my head.
"I imagine you have been terribly lonely all this while."
"..."
I nodded without thinking. Then, for no particular reason, I let my gaze wander over the interior of Seolbingwon, and the scenery of the cult unfolding beyond it. Countless pavilions of the cult spread out below, and far in the distance, towering peaks rose high into the sky. The Heavenly Demon Cult was truly, enormously vast. And yet the lofty Cheon Yu-hwa herself had never once managed to leave her chambers.
It must have been suffocating.
The thought came to me unbidden.
"Do you have anything you are particularly fond of?"
Bingbaek Jonja's question followed.
"Fond of, huh..."
My words caught once more. Food, or places. Or even some light hobby. If I wanted to bluff, there was plenty I could have claimed to like. But not a single one actually came to mind to say.
"...I don't really know either."
So I simply told the truth. What could the frail Cheon Yu-hwa, shut away in her chambers all those years, possibly have loved? I had no way of knowing.
"I see."
"Yes."
"Then—is there anything you wish to do?"
This time, I answered without hesitation.
"I want to live a long time."
"..."
Bingbaek Jonja paused. Belatedly, I thought my answer had been too honest.
"But that's the most important thing, isn't it? To experience all sorts of things, you have to live long enough first."
"Indeed. Well said."
"And after that..."
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. If my illness were cured... what then? Would I want to grow strong, like a true martial artist? Or roam the vast world to my heart's content? Even that refused to surface.
"I don't know that either."
Bingbaek Jonja, for her part, asked nothing more. She simply took a quiet sip of her tea, and I followed suit, raising my cup.
"..."
However many sips I took, it was truly, honestly awful. More to the point—
So when, exactly, is the training happening?
It felt as though I had already spent no small stretch of time in conversation with her. Yet still there was not one word about heart methods or martial arts.
My finger tapped idly at the rim of my cup—until, with a soft clink, Bingbaek Jonja slowly set her own down.
"Young Cult Leader."
"Yes?"
"Were you perhaps expecting something else?"
I froze for a beat.
"You saw right through me."
"Yes. You looked like a child who could not have the thing she wanted."
Bingbaek Jonja's eyes curved gracefully. In the end, I admitted it honestly.
"Honestly? Yes. What I was expecting was something else."
"Did you assume you would learn something from the very first day?"
"Isn't that the whole point?"
"At least not today."
Her answer was firm. In that instant, the heart so full of expectation was washed over with disappointment.
"...So I won't be handed teachings right away, then."
Bingbaek Jonja gazed at me in silence for a while. Then, very slowly, she parted her lips.
"In my eyes, your heart seems hasty, Young Cult Leader. When the body is frail, an impatient heart is all too apt to spoil matters."
"..."
That, too, was true. But my disappointment was a separate matter, and there was no helping it.
"So today, spend the day looking about the cult. Take slow steps, and let the cult's nature and its people fill your eyes."
At those words, a deep sigh nearly escaped me.
This isn't it.
This really wasn't what I had hoped for from her. That was why no answer came right away.
"The Young Cult Leader I have observed seems to be someone who has emptied herself. What she wishes to do, what she wishes to see—even what she likes—she cannot easily answer."
"That's..."
I lifted my head without meaning to. Words I had taken for idle chatter suddenly came back to me weighted with meaning.
"And so—if there is something you wish to see, go and see it."
Bingbaek Jonja continued gently.
"If there is something you wish to eat, go and eat it."
I blinked blankly.
"That's my task for today?"
"Yes. Even should you wish to receive instruction, that must come first for now."
"...So other experiences come before learning."
"We will think on the rest tomorrow."
Bingbaek Jonja's eyes curved beautifully once more.
"..."
Suddenly, her figure seized my gaze. Between strands of hair white as fresh snow, those narrowly curved eyes—and above all, that otherworldly blue gaze—seemed endlessly mysterious to me.
"Understood."
Rather than dwell on it, I rose from my seat as I was. If she said to do it, then I had to do it. At the same time, I had taken one thing to heart from Bingbaek Jonja's words as well.
"Then I'll be off."
"Yes. Go and return safely."
"Suran. Let's go."
"Yes, my lady."
I turned away. A few steps in, something occurred to me, and I looked back. Bingbaek Jonja was still seated in the same place, simply watching me with a calm gaze.
"Tomorrow—I want to learn something. Anything at all."
I delivered the words to her with all my heart. No answer came. Instead, it seemed Bingbaek Jonja smiled faintly at me. I decided to take that as a yes.
Right. Let's not be hasty about this.
If I could take one of the Three Venerables of the Demonic Cult as my master, what couldn't I do? Besides, what she had asked of me was by no means difficult.
After Cheon Yu-hwa departed, a heavy stillness settled over Seolbingwon.
Bingbaek Jonja remained where she sat, alone.
Slowly, she raised her teacup.
"..."
The image of the Young Cult Leader who had sat across from her mere moments ago surfaced in her mind. The way she had scrunched up her face the instant the tea touched her lips. The way she had said, without a trace of hesitation, that the Cult Leader's taste was strange. And then—that supremely beautiful face, smiling in pure innocence as it claimed to know nothing at all.
Every bit of it was different from the faint figure she had glimpsed before.
"Truly, much has changed."
Bingbaek Jonja slowly set down her cup.
It was a good change. Only—that was precisely why it weighed on her all the more. Perhaps because the Young Cult Leader had only just resolved to step out into the world, she was excessively without reserve.
And that is exactly what makes her dangerous.
They had spent barely a few hours together, yet she could already tell: this was a woman who could easily captivate the hearts of others. Which was why she could not entrust her to anyone else.
"Perhaps this, too, is fate."
Bingbaek Jonja's lips twitched, ever so slightly.