Chapter 55: Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (5)

Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (5)

The first night arrived after I started traveling with the Hwasan Sect.

Although it was an unexpected companionship, in reality, nothing much changed by traveling together.

Practically, because the Hwasan Sect handled their own food and lodging.

Rather, traveling at our speed would have been a disadvantage from their perspective.

‘Because it’s something that must be taken along, even while enduring something like that.’

Considering the value the rare item held, it was perfectly understandable.

I don’t know about families or sects that don’t have one, but at least the Nine Great Sects and the Four Great Families would possess at least one rare item each.

Ultimately, this was an issue related to symbolism.

‘That they went and bet something like that… wow.’

If it was this bad, wouldn’t Elder Ghost, who would flare up even just mentioning the Hwasan Sect, not say a single word about this part?

[Ahem….]

“…Betting it is a problem, but the person who brought it after winning it is also a problem.”

Does it even make sense to just accept it when they offered it?

I could imagine Elder Lee revealing his pearly white teeth and accepting it, saying it was great.

‘…Because of that, I even got caught by a minor demon.’

[A minor demon?!]

“Anyway, that’s enough about that; you said you had something to ask, didn’t you?”

In the middle of the night, using training as an excuse, I walked out to a place a little further away.

Despite my status, my internal energy had increased, allowing me to deploy even a very faint Qi barrier.

Once the preparations were finished, the ghost…

Ah, what should I even call you?

[Call me Hwasan Sword Immortal, Great Hero.]

“I’ll simply call you Shin Noyah.”

[…You really don’t listen at all. Not even Shin Cheol, but Shin Noyah? Who calls a title like that?]

“Would it be better if I called you Elder Ghost-nim?”

[Just call me whatever…]

Shin Noyah sighed, as if resigned.

Whether he really was a hero of the past, the Hwasan Sword Immortal, or not, that wasn’t what was important.

‘Whether harm comes to me or not.’

That was the important part.

The feeling of having two minds attached to one body was bothersome, and I didn’t want to feel the anxiety that my body might be taken away in this process.

If possible, I wanted to escape, but a method wasn’t just going to pop out of nowhere.

‘Right now, considering I controlled the energy inside my body just now, it seems like a dangerous situation.’

Is there a way to deal with such aspects?

It’s a troublesome situation.

As I was chewing my tongue in my mouth, Shin Noyah’s voice interjected.

[You seem to be thinking a lot.]

“Yes, it’s a troublesome situation, isn’t it?”

Since he could know my thoughts even a little anyway, he would know what I’m worried about.

There’s no need to hide it unnecessarily.

“How can you leave my body?”

[If I knew how, would I be stuck to you? Right now, what are scattered around are the children of Hwasan.]

Shin Noyah made an annoyed ‘keung’ sound and continued speaking.

[Don’t worry unnecessarily; I have no interest in your body or anything like that.]

“That’s not easily believable, though.”

[If you can’t believe it, what will you do? Is there another way?]

“…Won’t I find it if I look for it?”

[Don’t take it lightly. You seem worried about moving the Qi, but hiding it was the limit, so don’t worry.]

“…Then how did you knock me out?”

If Noyah’s words were true, what explanation would there be for that intense pain when I faced the Sword Dragon?

The Qi that roamed through my body arbitrarily was a disgusting sensation, enough to give goosebumps.

To my question, Shin Noyah said, as if dumbfounded.

[That wasn’t me. You brat.]

“What?”

[Whether you believe it or not is your freedom, but isn’t it strange to hope to be fine after harboring something so damn inside your body in the first place?]

Harbored?

“What am I harboring?”

To my question, Shin Noyah replied, as if surprised.

[…Oh ho, I see. So you were completely unaware you were harboring it.]

“You need to explain what you’re talking about…”

[Since I seem to have answered as much as I could, now it’s my turn. Shouldn’t we both gain something?]

Tsk…

Judging by the feeling, he didn’t seem to have any intention of telling me.

A slippery old man; no matter how I looked at it, he seemed problematic for the famous Hwasan Sword Immortal.

Especially, unlike what was rumored, his disposition was a complete mess…

[You seem to dislike hearing it.]

“…It’s not that… Being broad-minded and endless is indeed fitting for a symbol of Taoism.”

Damn it… Why is this guy who calls himself a Taoist so narrow-minded? So narrow!

[…Since I can feel your thoughts, it doesn’t really matter anyway.]

“…Just tell me what you wanted to ask.”

It was useless chatter for both of us.

We should stop the unnecessary talk here and slowly get into the main point.

[I have something I want to ask you.]

“Yes, please ask.”

[Do you know which generation the current Sect Leader of the Hwasan Sect is?]

If it’s the current Sect Leader of the Hwasan Sect… are you talking about Maehwaseon?

He was one of the few swordsmen comparable to the Sword Saint, the World’s Number One Sword, when discussing swordsmanship.

Although, inside me, he had become the kind of person who sold off rare items in a drinking bet.

Anyway, if you ask which generation Sect Leader Maehwaseon is…

“I wouldn’t know.”

[…?]

“…No, people usually aren’t curious about even which generation another sect’s leader is. If necessary, I’ll ask the Hwasan disciples later.”

[This damn… No, never mind. Then I’ll ask something else.]

“Yes.”

Shin Noyah asked me, not with the careless voice from just now, but with a much more serious tone.

[What happened to the Blood Demon?]

“What?”

The Blood Demon?

At Shin Noyah’s words, I couldn’t help but pause my thoughts for a moment.

Suddenly, the Blood Demon? I had to think for a long time about what those abrupt words meant.

“What do you mean?”

[It means exactly what it says. Don’t you know about the Blood Demon?]

“How could I not know? The stories I hear until my ears get calluses are about the Blood Demon War.”

[…Fortunately, it seems the stories remain even to later generations. That’s what I’m asking. What happened to the Blood Demon in the end.]

“If you are the Hwasan Sword Immortal, isn’t it stranger not to know?”

The hero who repelled the Blood Demon and brought light to the Central Plains.

Is the very person who made Hwasan even stronger afterwards asking about the Blood Demon?

[First, answer me. What happened to the Blood Demon?]

“If I tell you what remains in the records, the Blood Demon died. It wasn’t anyone else but you who repelled it, wasn’t it?”

[You guys?]

If you ask who, it was five absolute masters, including the Hwasan Sword Immortal.

As I mentioned their names one by one, Shin Noyah said with a relieved voice.

[…Fortunately, it seems I too was there.]

“At this point, I’m even more curious. Why are you asking me this? Are you really the Hwasan Sword Immortal?”

[I am indeed Shin Cheol, the Hwasan Sword Immortal, but.]

Shin Noyah paused briefly after starting to speak, then continued.

[The final battle with the Blood Demon, that part specifically, I don’t remember…]

“…What do you mean?”

You don’t remember?

[Seeing the title Shin Hyeon, I can tell quite a lot of time has passed, and seeing your thoughts, I could tell I was alive even after I repelled the Blood Demon.]

“Yes.”

[But… why is there no memory after that?]

“Then you don’t know the reason for being possessed by the rare item either?”

[If I knew that, would I have been ranting like this to you?]

“You… knew you were doing something… similar?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say ‘ranting’, so I softened my words.

If I listen to Shin Noyah’s words, it seems like he’s talking about gaps in his memory.

Is it like a side effect caused by being possessed by the rare item?

Why is it that everything I get involved with always has something unresolved?

‘…Is it karma?’

If it’s karma, I really had nothing to say.

If you don’t like it, you shouldn’t have lived so damn miserably.

It felt like someone was telling me that.

[I can’t know…]

“Regardless, the Blood Demon is dead and the Hwasan Sect remains, so isn’t that a good thing?”

[Your simple logic seems insufficient for people, but seeing it like this, I envy it too.]

“Why are you cursing me in such a profound way?”

[…You’re quick-witted again.]

…Damn old man.

“Now, please resolve my curiosity.”

[What are you talking about?]

“The thing I am harboring, what does that mean?”

What Shin Noyah had said kept lingering in my mind.

What could he mean by harboring?

Whether my worries amused him, Noyah chuckled.

“Why are you laughing?”

[Do you think it will change just by listening, you who doesn’t even believe me?]

“Still, shouldn’t I listen first?”

[Shameless fellow, you don’t even deny it.]

“Since you probably know everything anyway, why hide it?”

It felt convenient not having to put on an act.

As I wore a tired expression, Shin Noyah said.

[What is in your body, I don’t know well either.]

…What is he saying?

Didn’t he say earlier as if he knew well?

As expected, he was a con artist…

[Ah, wait a moment, I’m telling you.]

“Ah, yes.”

[From my perspective, it’s even stranger that you feel nothing at all.]

“What does that mean?”

[Really? You feel nothing even while harboring such a violent thing in your dantian?]

Violent? Is he talking about the Nine Yang Fire Wheel Technique?

Since it’s such an overbearing cultivation method, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that, but.

Shin Noyah’s words felt more like describing a beast than a cultivation method.

[It was displeased by my entering your body and tried to run wild arbitrarily, so I put it to sleep instead. Be grateful, youngster.]

“…You put it to sleep?”

[Even now, if I loosen the leash, it would run wild, biting everywhere. Do you want to test it?]

As soon as Shin Noyah finished speaking, the same intense pain as before suddenly surged.

A goosebump-inducing sensation from the intense pain, like sharp Qi was piercing my entire body.

“Gkkh…?!”

Without being able to breathe properly, one knee automatically buckled in pain.

Unable to control my staggering body, just as I was about to lose consciousness.

[Do you understand now?]

The moment Shin Noyah’s words were heard, the intense pain instantly disappeared.

Only then could I breathe heavily.

“Huk, huk…. What is this…”

I felt my startled heart beating much faster.

[Looking at your state, it seems the energy contained in the rare item provoked it. That’s why I told you to eat moderately, didn’t I?]

“I told you I didn’t eat it on purpose…”

Even if my body isn’t accustomed to pain, to almost lose consciousness after experiencing it for just a few seconds…

‘It feels like I’ve gotten involved with the wrong thing.’

Is it a problem with the cultivation method? Or a problem with the demonic technique? Or something else?

Or perhaps it might be that Shin Noyah is lying.

The road ahead is long enough as it is, and it felt like my ankle was caught by something strange.

Accidents happen on every path I take; if it’s this much, isn’t it my fault?

[I can feel you doubting me; it’s impressive in many ways that you still do after coming this far.]

“Hey, stop reading my mind!”

[Blame yourself for thinking in a way that’s easy to read. And by now, you should know.]

While half-listening, I removed the barrier I had spread around.

If it got any later, the guards would come looking for me.

[My being attached to you now isn’t entirely bad. I don’t like it either, but I will endure it, so stop grumbling and go find a way to resolve this situation quickly.]

“How?”

[Didn’t you say you were going to Hwasan? Both me and the rare item originally belong to Hwasan, so who knows if the answer is there.]

So, stop grumbling now – that was the feeling. If I go to Hwasan, will there be a way?

I sincerely hope there is.

…Because I didn’t want to keep being together with this ill-tempered old man.

[You damn bastard! Who are you calling…]

Ignoring Shin Noyah’s words, I first moved my feet towards the campsite.

The something that tries to run wild in my dantian, and also…

Shin Noyah, who is supposedly suppressing it, is also a question, but.

…In the end, since there’s nothing that can be resolved in the current situation, it meant I had to go to Hwasan for now.