I've Never Told a Lie in My Life

The old monk was holding on with everything he had, but it didn't look as though he could last much longer. The vine's strength and toughness were simply overwhelming him.

"Fool. Melon-headed baldy."

Yi Yeok shook his head. If you truly couldn't win, shouldn't you at least have the sense to run? The way the man kept bracing himself made it plain something was wrong upstairs.

"Did going without the warmth of his hair rot his intelligence?"

He muttered it, glancing toward Hwan Mong and the others. They had already all but finished off the monks the old man had brought with him.

Heukmok came up beside Yi Yeok.

"Master, you are truly magnificent! To think you would employ such a splendid stratagem!"

"What stratagem?"

"The stratagem of setting a tiger to catch a wolf, of course!"

"Stratagem? It wasn't anything like that. Just a sincere transaction. I've never told a single lie in my life."

Then he added,

"And what exactly is that thing supposed to be?"

"It is a wood spirit known as the Dark Gold Spirit Vine. It does not seem fully grown yet."

"That isn't fully grown?"

Yi Yeok ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made no effort to hide his surprise.

"When a Dark Gold Spirit Vine reaches maturity, it can stretch for dozens of miles. This one still has a long way to go."

Heukmok went on.

"The ancient Buddhist sects are said to have used Dark Gold Spirit Vines as gate guardians. With a single fully grown vine, they say it hardly matters how many come — anyone below the rank of Heavenly Daoist is useless against it."

With a heavy crash, the old monk coughed blood and collapsed. In the next instant the Dark Gold Spirit Vine had him wrapped tight. He tried once more to raise his Golden Bell Art, and was crushed where he lay.

Drenched in blood, the vine advanced until it stood before Yi Yeok.

He smiled, perfectly at ease.

"Heukmok. Seems you were right."

Thorns along the Dark Gold Spirit Vine kindled a ghastly blood-red light and slowly closed around him.

In the hand he lifted rested a sarira.

The vine's tip split, baring a tight row of fangs. That was its mouth — small, and deeply unpleasant.

"Hehe..."

Yi Yeok's laugh was low and crooked. Everything has a weakness. If something looks without a gap, it only means you haven't watched it closely enough.

The instant the Dark Gold Spirit Vine moved to swallow the sarira, Yojiyu flashed like a streak of light and shot into its mouth.

"Whoops. Looks like today I finally told the first lie of my life."

He was already falling back. Heukmok had latched onto the cuff of his trousers before he even noticed.

The Dark Gold Spirit Vine began to thrash as if it had gone mad. Inside it, Yojiyu spun, savagely carving its flesh away. The vine retreated in a rush down into the gorge, and Yi Yeok and Hwan Mong's group followed.

Below, it twisted in agony like a snake. Its movements grew weaker and weaker while Yojiyu, driven all the way to the root, kept cutting without pause.

With a low hum, Yojiyu burst free in a spray of blood-red sap and settled back into Yi Yeok's hand.

"There you are."

He crouched and plucked a lotus-red fruit from beside the vine's roots.

"A fine thing."

Yi Yeok's eyes narrowed. If he used this together with the sarira, could he recover the Silver Blood he had lost?

Heukmok burst out, delighted.

"Congratulations, Master!"

More than anything, they were glad to have rendered a service. It was as good as having saved their own neck.

Hwan Mong asked quietly.

"What is this thing, exactly? How can it be this strong?"

"According to Heukmok, it's called a Dark Gold Spirit Vine."

"That's right. Among wood spirits born from transformed plants, it is one of the strongest. It comes into the world already bearing Dark Gold Thread."

Yi Yeok tilted his head.

"What do you mean?"

Heukmok pointed at the Dark Gold Spirit Vine.

"If you look at the cut face, there ought to be something like thread."

Yi Yeok studied the severed surface closely. Sure enough, golden threads as fine as hair ran through it. A moment later, a skein of them rested in his hand.

"The toughest thread in the world — Dark Gold Thread! A natural spiritual material formed from a plant's soul. Its uses are endless!"

Heukmok explained, and Yi Yeok nodded. It looked even better than the Dragon Gold Silkworm Thread he had used before. Satisfaction welled up in his chest.

Hwan Rang spoke, openly envious.

"Congratulations, Phantom. That's one hell of a haul."

He shot a glance at Heukmok. He himself had only thought of killing the wood spirit, while Yi Yeok had boldly meant to take them as a subordinate. He had never imagined that difference would lead to a result like this.

Yi Yeok chuckled.

"Let's head back."

Heukmok spoke as if they had been waiting for the chance.

"Please take me with you as well. Here — this is what I found earlier in that damned monk's robes."

They held out a Buddhist spirit treasure shaped like a wooden fish. Yi Yeok nodded in satisfaction, stored it in the Qiankun Ring, then hefted Heukmok and set them on his shoulder.

"From now on, I'll see to it you live in style as my subordinate."

"Let's move. Now."

Hwan Mong's group hurried. Word of what had happened here would spread in an instant, and if they lingered, powerhouses from a high Buddhist sect ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠might appear and put their lives at risk.

Yi Yeok only kept grinning. If he studied the sarira and the Sacred Blood Lotus Bodhi Seed, another chance to raise his strength might come.

Hwan Mong slowed until she walked beside him and asked in a low voice.

"What are you planning to do from here? Are you going to stay in the immortal sect?"

"I've got a debt to pay."

Yi Yeok raised his hand and showed her the Qiankun Ring. Hwan Mong had already guessed as much. Unless he had struck a deal with someone, he could never have stolen a treasure like that and walked away unharmed.

"And after that?"

"Obviously, I settle a personal grudge. After that, I'll drift free as a cloud."

"Who's the enemy? You can trust us."

"The hardest debt in the world to repay is a debt of feeling. I won't drag anyone else into it."

Hwan Mong frowned.

"Someone important, then."

"Don't ask. Truth is, I don't even know who that woman is, or what her name is."

Seeing that he had no wish to say more, Hwan Mong closed her mouth.

Yi Yeok glanced at her. Even among flying thieves, Hwan Mong was a peculiar existence. Female flying thieves weren't all that rare, but most of them had the sort of face that made you think, well, of course she had nothing left but theft. A woman this beautiful had endless ways to make money in safety.

Hwan Mong asked again.

"Didn't you escort some girl not long ago?"

"I couldn't pass up a chance to make money, could I?"

"That doesn't sound like you. Escorting people isn't a flying thief's work."

She paused, then went on.

"Don't tell me you're interested in that girl?"

"I'm not interested in anyone. You included."

Hwan Mong forced a smile.

"I know. That's why I'm more curious. What reason you could possibly have had for doing something like that."

"I don't much like people prying into every little thing. It irritates me. What I like even less is someone watching me in secret."

Hwan Mong sighed inwardly and changed the subject.

"...Your brother, Yi Pyeong. He's outstanding enough that even Ilun Gate has great expectations for him. There's even talk he might enter a high immortal sect next year."

Yi Yeok said nothing, but inwardly he was deeply startled. Since entering an immortal sect, he had come to feel just how vast the presence and influence of those so-called high immortal sects truly were.

Could the woman of Guryeong Immortal Sect have pulled strings behind it? But if her goal had been to raise Yi Pyeong into a high immortal sect, would there have been any need for so roundabout a method? Or had Yi Pyeong's aim never been merely to enter a high immortal sect at all?

Before he knew it, he muttered.

"Yi Pyeong... just what are you scheming?"