Chapter 50
Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Ah, now I feel alive again."
Soaking in the hot water made me forget all about that flag I'd just raised.
'Sitting here like this, it feels like all the fatigue in my body is melting away.'
I dunked my small body all the way under the steam rising from the wooden bathtub, then came back up.
The knots from nonstop day-and-night training loosened under the warm heat, and a pleasant smile slipped out.
'At first, my body felt so heavy and annoying that I didn't want to move, but I'm glad I listened to Golden Immortal Lotus.'
Just as I was savoring this rare bit of simple happiness...
Boo! Boo!
A chilling bird cry echoed from outside.
The Heavenly Demon Cult was surrounded by mountains on all sides, so hearing wild animal calls was common.
'Usually, Golden Immortal Lotus or Ppippi are with me, so I don't pay much attention... but being alone makes it feel eerie.'
Maybe because I'd heard the Tang Clan of Sichuan guys were gunning for me, I felt extra sensitive.
Back home, I never even considered that bathing could be dangerous with Daddy always protecting me.
Now that I remembered my past life, looking back, Daddy had always been careful not to let me feel Mom's absence since I was little.
When I was very young, Daddy used to bathe me himself.
"Time for our Star to take a bath!"
"Nooo, I don't wanna bath! Star hates baths!"
"Why not? If Star takes a bath, Daddy will make yummy noodles for you?"
"Hmm, noodles sound good, but baths are yucky! Star's gonna run away!"
"Star! Stay right there! Daddy's coming to catch you!"
"Heehee, catch me if you can, Daddy!"
"You little rascal!"
We'd play tag like that until I got tired, then I'd get dragged into the tub.
'Thinking back, catching me must've been nothing for him...'
I thought Daddy was slower than me because he was sickly.
What a huge misunderstanding.
Daddy was the Heavenly Demon, after all.
But it wasn't entirely wrong.
'His body might be healthy, but his heart is hurting, so that's true enough.'
As I got a bit older, when I bathed, Daddy would stand guard nearby, ready to jump in and help anytime.
"I can wash myself now!"
"Okay, Star's gonna do it alone?"
"Yeah! I can wash my hair too! Like this, make bubbles and put them on... Ow, my eyes sting! Daddy, my eyes hurt! Waaah!"
"Let me see! Egghead, I told you to close your eyes tight when Daddy washes your hair."
"Waaah! Daddy!"
Until I got good at washing my own hair, crying for Daddy every bath was my daily routine.
Even though it must've been annoying, Daddy never once got mad at me.
"Next time, close your eyes tight so no bubbles get in. Got it, our Star?"
"Yeah, got it."
"Aww, our Star answers so well. Good girl!"
'He just encouraged me to try again and praised me.'
Thanks to Daddy, I became someone who could face new challenges without fear.
And now I could even wash my hair by myself!
Remembering those bath-time memories with Daddy suddenly made me miss him.
'I hope Daddy's resting well.'
I hoped he wasn't having nightmares like last time...
They said the medicine had side effects, but it was okay to take it weekly?
It was such a strong sleeping pill it caused nosebleeds.
It definitely wasn't good for his health.
To get Daddy off the sleeping pills, I needed to find a cure for his mental fragility here, fast...
Adapting to the cult had been overwhelming enough; I hadn't even found a single clue.
Hunched in the wooden tub with a sigh, I suddenly remembered that Golden Immortal Lotus had lived in a nearby cave for a long time.
'Maybe Golden Immortal Lotus knows something about curing mental fragility!'
Sarahk.
Then, a strong gust rustled the leaves.
'The leaves sound just like footsteps.'
No way... the Tang Clan guys weren't coming for me, right?
Pfft, the cult's guards aren't that sloppy!
They'd let any passing kid wander in?
I chuckled at the ridiculous thought, then caught sight of my plump, childish face reflected in the water.
'That's the passing kid who wandered in.'
Come to think of it, when I barged into the cult, I didn't see any guards either.
That's how I got in so easily...
Of course, things were different now. As a novice aide unskilled in martial arts, lax security was dangerous for me.
'The Tang Clan could totally sneak in. That's why Gwang-yu warned me so intensely.'
That realization sent a chill down my spine.
'Gotta wash up quick and get out. I can't beat seasoned Tang Clan guys yet!'
I came to the cult to change the original story's ending—I didn't want to die a dog's death here to those guys!
I wanted to soak longer, but fear won out.
As I hurriedly dried off with a soft cloth, a man's voice came from outside the bathhouse door.
"Dead?"
I instinctively held my breath.
'Who’s that?'
And who the heck was dead?
Straining to hear if more voices came, I perked up my ears toward the door.
Knock knock.
Then someone knocked on the bathhouse door.
'What do I do? Should I answer? What if it's the Tang Clan coming to grab me?'
Aaah! I shouldn't have raised that flag before entering the bath!
I screamed silently in my head, frozen in the tub, unable to move.
Then the knocking came again.
Bang bang bang!
This time, harder.
A man's urgent voice followed.
"Did you really drown or something? Human!"
'Wait, that voice...!'
"...Golden Immortal Lotus, is that you?"
"Who else would know you're in the bathhouse, human?"
"Ugh, seriously! I thought the Tang Clan was sneaking in for a raid and got scared!"
"What raiders knock first?"
'Asking if the person bathing is dead isn't normal either...'
'No point arguing. Lucky it's just Golden Immortal Lotus.'
Relieved, I finally leaned back comfortably in the tub.
"So why'd you come? Got something to say?"
"Felt like you might be shivering in fear, so I checked."
'It's a ghost. I never said I was scared...'
"...How'd you know?"
"In the hall on your way to the bathhouse. Your face looked bad."
'He means when I raised that ominous flag?'
I must've hesitated for a split second, and he noticed my anxiety.
'Being a spirit beast? He picked up on my brief negative vibe.'
"This body will guard this place, so relax."
'He came to stand watch because he thought I was scared.'
I got mad without realizing.
I felt bad for Golden Immortal Lotus.
With a much calmer mind, I sat in the tub and spoke loud enough to be heard outside.
"...Thanks."
"If you're grateful, answer this body's questions from now on?"
He jumped right in, so he must have something on his mind.
'Better than silence after saying thanks.'
"Sure, what is it?"
"First, as you asked, I accepted the twins as my disciples."
'Unexpected. Thought he might refuse...'
Golden Immortal Lotus really had a warm heart despite his words.
"That was a tough request, thanks for doing it. You've done a lot for me today."
"I'm not bringing it up to hear your thanks."
His voice from outside wasn't its usual arrogant tone.
'He's being serious, and it's making me tense too.'
"I hate beating around the bush, so straight to the point. Why ask me to take the twins, keep up holy energy to make prophecies, and work for the cult's revival?"
"I already answered that. The cult's future is my future."
"But when you first came to me, you said you needed power to save your sick father. Now you're doing more for the cult than saving him. That's what I'm curious about."
'Oh right, Golden Immortal Lotus still doesn't know who my daddy is.'
I'd meant to tell him sometime after the last question, but no chance arose.
Since he gave me the flower seed, he'd be with me going forward, so better to be honest.
"Lotus, actually, our daddy is..."
I opened my mouth carefully.
"Heavenly Demon."