56. Heavenly Wolf Sect (7)
Heavenly Wolf Sect (7)
56. Heavenly Wolf Sect (7)
I had come in desperation and haste, but we returned to Yeongsan Sect slowly and comfortably. We recovered Murong Rin's prized horse on the way, which made the journey easier. There was no reason to hurry now. For the women's safety and recovery, we traveled peacefully and without haste.
Son Yeong, who had suffered the worst of it, had just barely reached the point where the swelling had subsided a little and she had regained consciousness. Lee Eun-ha and Cho-ryeong, whose stamina was weak, were gradually returning to their original state. And Master and Jeong-hyang were already completely healed. The effects of the Yin Blossom Art's 3rd Stage had healed every last minor scrape, and through the benefits of the 4th Stage, they had each drunk a little of the other's breast milk, recovering even their stamina entirely. Master and Jeong-hyang lamented that the milk was effective only for cultivators of the Yin-Yang Art's 3rd Stage and above; and even though they had stopped at renowned restaurants everywhere they went and eaten lavishly on their first outing in years, their expressions remained uneasy the whole way back.
Ban Ho-jeong. A truly capable woman. Throughout the journey, she found the finest inns and the choicest restaurants, and, fittingly for a bandit of the Green Forest, led us along scenic routes ordinary folk would never know. She was probably stalling for time so that the White Tiger Stronghold bandits who had stayed behind at the Heavenly Wolf Sect could hurry back and search for its treasures. Before we knew it, Master and my martial sisters, who had little wariness toward people of the martial world, had grown remarkably close to her.
While we rented a large room at an inn along the main road and were resting, I spoke to the Flame Emperor's spirit.
—Elder, I am sincerely grateful. It is all thanks to you.—
—Keh-ha-ha. Think nothing of it. Thanks to you as well, for the first time in a hundred and fifty years, I was able to swing a sword to my heart's content.—
—What I can do for you is little, but I wish to do whatever you desire. Wine, or food. If you use my body, you could enjoy it without limit.—
—Ah, what need has a martial artist for wine? It only hinders training.—
I had assumed that with his bold, hearty nature he would be a lover of wine, but the Flame Emperor unexpectedly refused it.
—Then is there nothing else you need, Elder?—
—Something I need? A good fight is enough for me. Well, if you call it a request, it is a request. Geo Am and Heosan. Those friends weigh on my mind. They too must have been greatly unsettled, speaking to someone for the first time in a hundred and fifty years. I understand your anger, but you have now rescued your master and senior sister. Would it not be possible to be generous and forget, and to give them one more chance? To drift alone as a ghost through all that long time is truly a torment. And those friends' strength would be of great help to you.—
—If you say so, Elder, I will visit them once more.—
I had been a little heated at the time, but the truth was they owed me nothing at all. I must not resent them for refusing to help. Of course. That did not make their usefulness vanish, nor my irritation disappear.
—What about the Founding Patriarch? Shall I prepare some wine?—
When I spoke to the White Feather Fan, the one I had thought would answer with delight replied in a calm voice.
—I shall pass this time as well. I have another request. Give me paper, an inkstone, a brush, and enough time to possess your body. After witnessing this incident firsthand, I, the founder, have burdened the disciples with another debt that can never be erased.—
I shall make a few improvements to the Spirit Vessel Art. So that when one touches a spirit-infused vessel, even someone other than you can see my form and hear my voice. The divine power will be drawn from you, of course, but your divine power overflows, so it will be no great burden.
—That is fine with me, but what do you intend to do with it?—
—As founder, I will inform the Sixth Sect Leader that the duties and restrictions imposed on female disciples are hereby abolished.—
Ah... so Hwangseong had been considering that in his own way. Of course, obtaining the title of Daoist was probably his highest priority in life, but would my Senior Sisters truly be happy to become Daoists? Master, at least, would certainly be delighted, so I decided to follow his plan.
—Ah, Founder. While you are making alterations, could you also adjust the Spirit Possession Art a little?
One, to make it so that the Spirit Possession Art can be released only by my own will. The other, a method, like the Spirit Vessel Art, of lodging a soul within another person's body rather than my own.—
—Hm? Ordinarily, a soul cannot release the Spirit Possession Art by its own will. That is something only I, capable of the Spirit Possession Art, can do. And Spirit Possession Art upon another's body? It would consume a vast amount of divine power, but that in itself is intriguing! Do you plan to later place the souls of masters into your other disciples to protect them from enemies?—
—Not that, but it is an indispensable ability.—
If the physical body's internal energy is meager, the Spirit Possession Art yields little enjoyment in combat. But if it possessed this function alone, I felt I could set quite amusing events in motion. And besides, that the ability to release the Spirit Possession Art by one's own will was something only Hwangseong, the creator of the Spirit-Binding Art, could manage—that was better news than I had expected.
I sent an inn servant to buy paper, ink, and brushes. As soon as he returned, I let Hwangseong possess my body. He began covering the paper at tremendous speed, calculating for a long time as though solving a mathematical formula, then erasing lines and writing them anew. I knew nothing about how spells worked, but when he repeatedly made calculation errors, I quietly began correcting him.
—Founder. That is incorrect. If you multiply twelve by twelve, the result is one hundred and forty-four.—
—Oh? Can it be that you possess a talent for arithmetic?—
—A little, I suppose.—
Since I had learned twenty-first-century mathematics, the square of twelve was a simple matter.
—If so: from the four cardinal directions, eight branches each extend, and each branch bears leaves of three colors—how many leaves in total?—
Four times eight times three. That made ninety-six.
—Ninety-six.—
—Magnificent! With your help, I can finish much sooner than I thought!—
I had no idea what connection existed between mathematics and Taoist arts that commanded ghosts, but I became Hwangseong's calculator for a while and answered his questions. With progress moving far faster than expected, he said the improved Spirit-Binding Art should soon be completed successfully. Had I received a talent for programming in this life instead of Unlimited Magic Power, perhaps I too might have been able to create Taoist arts like Hwangseong.
I had fulfilled Hwangseong's request, so now it was the Flame Emperor's turn. The sun had already set, but Dong-o Peak lay right before this inn. Using the Flame Emperor's Flame Aura as a torch, I climbed the mountain in the dark of night and arrived once more at Dong-o Peak.
—Why do you seek us again? The Flame Emperor's power must not have been enough! Serves you right! By now, your women are likely enjoying their days as playthings for that master!—
A mad bitch who, the moment I employed the Spirit-Summoning Art, launched into curses without warning. She was too tiresome to deal with, so I transferred her soul into a pebble lying nearby and placed it in my pouch. Indeed, Spirit Vessel Art. Once out of my sight, forced release. The clamorous woman's voice was heard no more.
—Did you rescue your sect family? I am sorry I could not help.—
The Daoist, who spoke to me with a face that was subtly worried.
—Tch. Now that I think on it, what business has a long-dead ghost debating the Mandate of Heaven? If you still need my aid, I shall lend you my strength this time.—
The one who spoke as he scratched his bald head, looking a little sheepish.
—I have already rescued my sect family. The reason I sought out the departed again is to borrow your strength so that henceforth, no crisis may even approach our sect.—
—Rescuing your sect family, that I can help with. But, that... that is a little...—
—It is all right. I intend to persuade you slowly.—
All the while, Hwangseong within the White Feather Fan had been using the Spirit Vessel Art upon them. I placed their souls into the pebbles around us, put the three stones into my pouch, and swiftly descended Dong-o Peak.
As Son Yeong recovered, Master and my Senior Sisters visibly brightened as well. During the little that remained of the journey, Master, Jeong-hyang, and Ban Ho-jeong left the palanquin because it felt stuffy. Only Lee Eun-ha, who tended to Son Yeong, and Cho-ryeong, who enjoyed riding in it, remained inside. Within the quietly moving palanquin, Son Yeong sat cross-legged—not circulating her qi, but sunk in deep contemplation.
—Elder, is our Senior Sister truly all right?—
—Do not worry. That child is in the midst of gaining enlightenment from the desperate battle of that day.—
—What? From a fight of that level?—
—That is what innate quality and talent are. When an ordinary person gazes at Mount Tai and realizes the height of the heavens, a genius comprehends the height of the heavens even while looking at a flat plain.—
Whoa...
—Regrettably, the child beside her seems to possess even less innate talent for martial arts than you. Even so, the youngest child has fairly considerable talent, while your master and that pretty child possess passable talent.—
An accurate assessment from a master. Since I myself was quite on the side of the dullards, even knowing Son Yeong was exceptional, I had never known that Lee Eun-ha was duller than I, or that Cho-ryeong too had talent.
What were we going to do with Senior Sister Lee? Even if someone handed her a transcendent martial art, she looked unlikely ever to leave the kitchen long enough to practice it.
Little by little, they brightened, and the bandits' natural sociability helped—they too had been strung tight with tension, staking their lives on finding Ban Ho-jeong, but as that tension dissolved, jokes began to pass around, and it became a pleasant journey home. And before we knew it, we arrived at the deeply, deeply missed Yeongsan Sect. Though it had not been even a month, it felt as if we had been away for an immensely long time.
The shabby fence and front gate that had welcomed us, the dining hall where we had laughed and talked, our bedchambers, and even the Great Clarity Palace had all been reduced to ash. Burning a sect after raiding it was only natural. The common practice of the martial world was to search thoroughly for treasure, elixirs, and secret manuals, take every spoil, then burn whatever remained so nothing overlooked could help the sect rise again.
The Heavenly Wolf Sect had burned every building in Yeongsan Sect but had not killed its disciples. I had not burned the Heavenly Wolf Sect, but I had burned most of its disciples. I decided to call it a draw.
"S-Senior Sister! Yeongsan Sect..."
Tears welled in Cho-ryeong's eyes as she stared at the ruined sect. To her, Yeongsan Sect was not merely a place to learn martial arts, but the precious home where she had lived since birth. The enormity of the shock left her speechless. Jeong-hyang tightly held Cho-ryeong's hand and gazed at the desolate ruins with the same hollow expression.
But our Master. Master alone let out a small sigh, then with a cheerful face began to soothe her disciples.
"Even so, we are fortunate. If our Yeongsan Sect buildings had been magnificent halls, how regrettable would that have been? They were on the verge of collapse anyway. If a bedchamber had collapsed on us while we slept, we could have been badly hurt. Nobody was injured, so let us not be too upset."
Master was right. They had suffered, but we had lost nothing.
"The Sect Leader's words are correct. Before long, when our fools bring back the Heavenly Wolf Sect's treasures, we will be able to rebuild Yeongsan Sect far more splendidly than before."
Ban Ho-jeong's expression was slightly bitter. Unlike us, they had already lost many of their family.
"Do not worry, Sect Leader.
"Huts enough to shelter you until the buildings are raised again—those we can throw up in no time."
One of the large men from White Tiger Fortress had only just set down the palanquin when he grinned and spoke. In that short time, unlike me, Master and my Senior Sisters had treated the men with genuine kindness, so they had grown quite close. Loosening their thick shoulders, the four men drew crude hand axes and headed into the woods.
"It is just as they said, Sect Leader. Reputed as mountain men, those of the Green Forest are accustomed to such things. When government troops or the Orthodox Faction come charging in, they abandon the stronghold and everything and flee like the wind—that is how they survive. It will be a little uncomfortable for a while, but it will not last long."
With those words, Ban Ho-jeong gathered the charred remnants of the wooden structures and built a campfire. Pots made of iron and the like had not yet disappeared, and she busily searched through the ruins, finding usable household goods. That was because their survival instincts were so strong that no matter how many bandits the Baek Clan Estate caught, they persisted like cockroaches and never vanished.
Yes. We too could not simply stand by watching while the bandits revived Yeongsan Sect; we had to move first, and busily. My martial sisters must have thought the same, for they began following Ban Ho-jeong in finding usable items. And I, the only one among us who carried money, shouldered the iron carrying frame that had survived even the fire, returned to the village, and purchased blankets, food supplies, and all manner of daily necessities.
The Flame Emperor used his Light-Body Art for me, so I really was able to go and return in an instant. This was truly convenient.