Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Glinting Eyes
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‘I’ve never heard of a seven-year-old kid using Void Step anywhere!’
In truth, Cheon-seong was riding on Pipi, but Red Cloud, unable to see Pipi, had no way of knowing that.
All he could see was Cheon-seong as a genius wielding Void Step.
And rightly so, since Cheon-seong was a complete novice who hadn’t trained even a speck.
The Heavenly Demon wanted Seol Cheon-seong to live in a peaceful world like an ordinary person.
He knew better than anyone that stepping into the martial world as the daughter of the Heavenly Demon would mean days drenched in blood.
Unlike himself, he wished for Cheon-seong to see only the good things in life.
He didn’t want to pass on his own life to her, even if his own became harsher and more painful.
So there was no way the Heavenly Demon had taught Cheon-seong any martial arts.
‘And Void Step is such an advanced technique that even the Heavenly Demon, hailed as a martial genius, didn’t master it until after age ten... There’s no way to awaken it this quickly through orthodox methods. So how on earth?’
Washing his eyes with flowing water wouldn’t change the astonishing sight. Red Cloud forgot to even follow her, then hurriedly chased after in a flash.
“A few days ago, the cult was attacked by mysterious assassins, right?”
There, Cheon-seong was boldly predicting the future with a confident face, as if she knew everything happening in the cult.
‘And she even claimed to know who was behind those assassins.’
If that was true, Red Cloud couldn’t deny that Cheon-seong was a talent the cult desperately needed.
‘I already thought she was a highly desirable talent just from that.’
But Cheon-seong’s talents didn’t end there.
‘The spring water from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains that Cheon-seong fetched.’
It was on a whole different level from the water Red Cloud had drunk.
‘Just drinking it mended my disrupted inner energy and temporarily boosted my martial prowess.’
And that was from just half a cup.
‘The ability to turn ordinary spring water into miracle water... Seol Cheon-seong has astonishingly unique talents. Even I, the young cult leader, have never heard of such abilities.’
At this point, Red Cloud understood why the Heavenly Demon had praised his daughter as a genius until his mouth went dry.
‘I thought it was just a doting dad bragging about his daughter.’
Now Red Cloud realized Cheon-seong’s talents were too great for him to hide.
‘The only regrettable thing is that she has no martial arts to protect herself. If her presence grows in the cult, she could be in danger.’
Red Cloud pulled out a red yaksha mask from the wooden drawer.
‘I have no choice but to report to the Heavenly Demon.’
He should have reported sooner, originally.
The moment Red Cloud was about to don the yaksha mask,
“It can change. A power born from someone’s death can become a power that protects someone.”
“As long as the young cult leader truly wishes to protect someone.”
Red Cloud recalled Cheon-seong’s resolute eyes staring straight at him,
“Why do you want to stay in the cult so badly?”
“To save someone precious.”
and her beautiful smile beaming at him.
Thud.
Startled by the unfamiliar emotion, Red Cloud dropped the yaksha mask from his hand.
At that moment, he sensed a commotion outside.
“It’s that kid ghost again! I have a name, you know?”
There, Cheon-seong was yelling loudly in dissatisfaction.
‘She’s small but her voice sure is loud.’
Red Cloud unwittingly let out a small chuckle.
‘Why do I feel like I want to keep watching over that child?’
Pondering the question, Red Cloud finally arrived at an answer.
‘Well, she’s a talent anyone would covet. Makes sense, right?’
Continuing to watch Cheon-seong through the window, Red Cloud noticed Jang-ryu and Chae-chae by her side.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been calling you kid ghost without knowing your name. What is it?”
“Seol Ch... No. Seol!”
“Seol, huh? Pretty name.”
It was just casual talk, yet to Red Cloud’s eyes, they seemed closer to Cheon-seong than he was.
‘When did they get so close?’
Gazing at them, Red Cloud felt an inexplicable unease stir in his heart.
Red Cloud’s gaze kept drifting toward Cheon-seong.
After finishing my talk with the young cult leader, I sat on a rock between buildings, lost in thought.
“Then if the young cult leader has no intention of teaching me, I’ll go find someone else.”
I’d boasted like that, but who in the cult knows me to teach me martial arts?
‘Ugh... Should I ask Daddy?’
I have to get home before Daddy wakes up, so training would be more efficient than wasting time.
A long time ago, I’d jokingly asked Daddy.
“Daddy, what if I learned martial arts too? I could beat up the bad guys who bully the weak with strong power, all cool-like!”
His reaction to those words was something to behold.
“Star, what if you hurt your hand wielding a sword?”
“If you use martial arts, your opponent would just stand there taking hits, dying to even touch you. Daddy couldn’t bear to see that. Can’t you learn later?”
‘Yeah, learning from Daddy is impossible.’
“What’re you doing here alone? Kid ghost.”
In my despair, the red pepper twins appeared before me.
‘Right, these guys!’
I’m a total novice anyway, so starting from scratch with someone on my level might be better.
‘Alright, let’s approach naturally.’
“It’s that kid ghost again! I have a name, you know?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve been calling you kid ghost without knowing your name. What is it?”
Chae-chae asked curiously about my name.
“Seol Ch... No. Seol!”
“Seol, huh? Pretty name.”
Jang-ryu, even kinder than Chae-chae, complimented my name.
“But doesn’t your face sting for some reason? Like someone’s glaring at you with killing intent.”
Then Chae-chae, who’d been quiet, shuddered as if goosebumps covered him.
“Me too. My nape feels prickly...”
Jang-ryu nodded in agreement.
“Did you train too hard? Maybe you’re just tired.”
“Tired? I don’t get tired from normal training! Anyway, did you find the spring properly?”
Chae-chae scanned me up and down worriedly.
“Yeah, I found it easily thanks to you. Thanks!”
“Good. I was worried since there are rumors of a beast nearby. And of all places, near the spring.”
Chae-chae finally sighed in relief.
‘Why mention that crucial info now? I could’ve run into the beast!’
Don’t get mad.
I made it back safe anyway.
Focus on what benefits the present, not the past.
Hiding my sulky face, I forced a smile and asked Chae-chae,
“There are beasts in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?”
“I’ve never seen one myself, but yeah. One with golden fur and golden eyes. They say anyone who enters its territory ends up a cripple with shattered energy core, then dies.”
Chae-chae spoke gravely, like recounting an old legend.
“But why enter such a dangerous place? Didn’t they know?”
“No, they knew. Rumors say it guards a spiritual object.”
“A spiritual object?”
“Yeah, some kind of flower, I think.”
Jang-ryu’s words reminded me of the lotus I’d seen.
‘Nah, couldn’t be. If it was a spiritual object, the beast would’ve shown up ages ago. Anyway, time for the main topic?’
“I see...”
I subtly made a gloomy face.
“Why the long face? Something bothering you?”
Kind-hearted Jang-ryu spoke up.
‘Yes! Hooked!’
“No, I have some worries, but... I just want to share good things with you brothers. Don’t mind it.”
I called them “brothers” wistfully, and Jang-ryu and Chae-chae both clutched their chests.
“What’s wrong? If we can help, we will. Tell us.”
“Yeah, spill it!”
Chae-chae stepped up enthusiastically, showing off his big-bro vibe.
Probably because he liked the “brother” title.
‘Didn’t think childish Chae-chae had a mature side. Surprising.’
Jang-ryu chimed in, visibly moved.
‘This is going well.’
Good vibes.
I brought up the main point as if I’d been waiting.
“Truth is, I want to learn martial arts like you brothers, but no one to teach me... It’d be great if you could, but you’re busy training, right?”
I pouted while gazing at them with sparkling eyes.
But surprisingly, instead of happily agreeing, the red pepper twins exchanged awkward glances.
Jang-ryu, losing the staring contest, spoke reluctantly.
“Seol, sorry. It’d be hard for us to teach you martial arts.”
“As expected, you’re too busy?”
Tears welling, I asked again, and Jang-ryu waved his hands frantically.
“No, I’d love to teach you. But the martial arts we learn are the cult’s. There’s a rule that transmitting them to outsiders means executing the teacher.”
‘Oh... right. In wuxia tales, leaking unique arts to outsiders is taboo.’
It was impossible from the start.
Deflated, I buried my face in my knees and muttered,
“Cult bastards, slow as slugs... How can I learn martial arts like this? Are they slacking off somewhere?”
Venting frustration at the nameless cultists tasked with verifying my prophecy...
“Sorry, Seol.”
“Don’t cry, Seol.”
The red pepper twins sat on either side, thinking I was heartbroken, and patted my back nonstop.
Meanwhile, the cultists suspected by Cheon-seong of slacking were busily carrying out their duties.
“Captain, as you said, salting the wounds on the bodies attacked by assassins turned them all purple.”
As one Three Secret Squad member reported to the Secret King, another appeared from elsewhere.
“We infiltrated the Tang Clan of Sichuan, confirmed Blue Death Grass presence, and salting wounds on bodies killed by it turned them purple.”
“So it really was those Tang bastards?”
The Secret King ground his teeth in rage at his comrades’ corpses.
“What now?”
The Secret King’s eyes sharpened at the squad member’s question.
“Hunt down the assassins who killed our comrades. Kill them the same way.”
“Yes!”
After the Three Secret Squad vanished, the Secret King recalled a child’s face.
Cheon-seong’s.
Thinking of her, confusion clouded the Secret King’s face.
“Just what is that child’s identity?”