Sniff, sniff-sniff.
So So Namgung’s dirt-smeared nose twitched. A medley of scents infiltrated her nostrils.
Grass smell, forest smell, wood smell, wild animal smell… and so on. These were methods she often relied on when her energy was low.
From an unimaginably distant childhood, So So Namgung had mastered the use of innate energy and the ability to capture scents.
‘Songshan… it’s so vast… How am I supposed to find Shaolin here…’
Though her head spun dizzily, she couldn’t afford to collapse. So So Namgung forced her weakening feet to keep moving with her remaining willpower.
Sniff, sniff, sniff-sniff-sniff.
Her eyelids, having done their job, shut as if weighed down by a thousand jin. Yet she did not waver, focusing entirely on her sense of smell.
Any scent would do. The sweat from martial arts practice, the clean aroma unique to temples, the salty scent of cooking—anything, please, just let me catch a whiff of something.
‘Scents… I need to find a scent… Rely on my sense of smell…’
Fortunately, her uncannily sharp nose quickly picked up the scent of habitation.
Though her consciousness flickered, it was undoubtedly the smell of human habitation.
The problem was…
“Keuk!”
Because she had lost too much blood, So So Namgung’s legs began to act up.
To make matters worse, her breathing grew shallow. Each breath felt like daggers piercing her lungs.
“Haa… Haa…”
Her weakened legs dragged her forward step by step as she relied solely on her sense of smell.
However, the world isn’t so easily conquered by willpower alone.
Thud!
Ultimately, So So Namgung’s exhausted knees gave out shortly after.
‘Just a little further…!’
Through the thinning forest, her blurred vision caught a glimpse of Shaolin. It would only take crossing two more peaks.
Just half a li more—if she pushed through, she’d make it.
“Cough…”
She collapsed onto the ground with a thud. The brown earth grew red with her spreading blood.
“Guh…”
She no longer had the strength to move even a finger. Total exhaustion weighed down on So So Namgung.
Her senses gradually faded. The pink energy radiating from her chest wound finally dissipated entirely. There was nothing left to sustain her.
And so, she lost consciousness. A crushing weight pressed down on her.
As if attempting to ensure she would never rise again.
“Amitabha…”
Crackling leaves stirred.
The sound’s originator was an old monk.
“Lord of the Alliance…? No… There’s someone inside.”
This venerable monk lived in seclusion in a small hermitage tucked away in a secluded corner of Song Mountain.
“How did it come to this… First, we must treat him.”
So So Namgung’s collapse near Shaolin, without reaching it, could almost be considered a stroke of good fortune.
Had she gritted her teeth and walked fifty more paces, she might have gone undiscovered by anyone.
The fact that the venerable monk resided not in Shaolin but in his isolated hermitage, was also a matter of luck.
“Whatever could have happened to bring her here…”
The monk, frail yet strong, lifted So So Namgung with ease, despite it being nearly three years since his last exertion of strength.
This was because he had reached the pinnacle in both internal and external martial arts.
“Jaebyeong and now outsiders… Truly, the times are changing. This must be the will of the Tathagata…”
Carrying So So Namgung, disguised as the Lord of the Alliance, the monk swiftly but steadily made his way back to his secluded hermitage.
“Jaebyeong leaving and this one appearing immediately after…”
As the monk thought, an image of a man formed in his mind.
A robust, statuesque man with a cleanly shaved head exuding an indomitable righteousness.
“Where could Jaebyeong be now…”
Lost in thought, the venerable monk glanced at the night sky, pondering where his companion might be.
“Are you still unable to find the assailant’s whereabouts!”
The chief of the Mighty Tiger Division of the Martial Arts Alliance bellowed.
In response, there was only silence. The chief’s face contorted in anger.
“I… Twelve dead and thirty-two injured! And you’re telling me you still have no idea who the assailant is!”
“We apologize, Chief! The assailant’s martial arts… They were entirely unfamiliar…”
“Haa! This is truly disheartening! To think that someone dared to wreak havoc in the inner chambers of the Martial Arts Alliance and no one knows who it was! Does this even make sense!”
“Ahem… We’ve already contacted all the sects of Henan Province and laid out the Ten-Thousand-Net Strategy. They won’t be able to escape and will likely be captured soon.”
“Tent-Thousand-Net Strategy… Though I’m reassured to hear that…”
The chief looked around.
The sight was grim. Warriors with severed limbs groaned in pain, and others clutched the bodies of their fallen comrades, weeping.
Ruined pavilions and shattered walls littered the scene.
A veteran of the Martial Arts Alliance for over twenty years, this was the first time the chief had ever witnessed such a situation.
The supposedly impenetrable fortress of the Martial Arts Alliance, blessed by nature, had been breached with alarming ease.
Regardless of how immersed everyone was in peace, this was not to be overlooked.
“Just wait until we catch who did this…”
Clenching his teeth in anger, an old man approached him.
The man’s wrinkled face and piercing gaze stood out.
One of the Twelve Elders of the Central Plains Martial World, known as the Thunder Respected One, he carried immense authority.
In fact, the supreme elder held the entirety of the Martial Arts Alliance’s power in his hands.
“Tck, lost to your emotions, have you?”
“S, Supreme Elder! Why are you here?”
“Upon hearing the commotion, I came out to see what the fuss was about.”
“S, S, Sorry! It’s my failure!”
“Tsk, is the Lord of the Alliance alright?”
“A! The Lord!?”
The chief quickly looked around but realized the Lord wasn’t to be seen, though he had assumed the Lord was merely resting somewhere.
“Ah, the Lord is gone too. What a shocking development.”
Typically, the Lord had a low profile, so much so that his disappearance went unnoticed.
“Did the assailant abduct the Lord?”
“Eh? No! No! That man ran off alone, I saw it with my own eyes!”
“I see. Then this means the Lord voluntarily disappeared.”
The elder sighed and massaged his temples, deep in thought, strategizing for the future.
“What did the assailant look like?”
“It was too dark to get a proper look… But giant. Unbelievably giant person.”
“Giant, you say. And as for his martial arts?”
“Only that he wielded great fists and a massive sword.”
“Understood. You may leave.”
Amidst the chaos of the night, while everyone was confused and in disarray, the elder’s eyes gleamed.
*
“Let’s go, Jade Flower.”
“U… Uh. Let’s go.”
At the call, Jade Flower instinctively raised her head.
The first thing she saw was swirling cherry blossom petals. It was spring—a season of gentle breezes that carried the petals like a painting.
Within this picture stood a man. With silken white hair flowing to his waist and shining azure eyes, Jade Flower instinctively swallowed her saliva.
“Indeed… The extreme contrast is striking.”
Jade Flower’s gaze shifted to behind the man.
Endless dark clouds stretched into view.
It seemed unreal that just a mere ten li away, the skies were bright.
“I guess, logic and reason have no place in the Celestial Sky Valley. Isn’t it the land where the laws of heaven are inverted?”
A strange valley where dark clouds never parted and the sun never shone.
A terrifying gorge that seemed to touch the abyss of hell.
It was infamous for “those who enter never leave” and counted among the Three Forbidden Lands of the Martial World.
Celestial Sky Valley.
As she gazed upon its overwhelming majesty, Jade Flower felt an intangible pressure.
It seemed like nature itself was warning her to turn back. It was as if the land was cautioning her against greater misfortunes.
Having survived countless battles and obstacles as a martial hero, she understood this place was different from the trials she’d faced.
The sky was dark despite the day, and she wondered if she’d even see ahead once inside those cloud-filled valleys.
“Do you feel fear?”
“To be honest, a little.”
“If you’re scared, you may turn back. I won’t force you.”
“No. If I’m not here, who will support you?”
“That’s not exactly necessary.”
“…There’s no one around to even serve you.”
Changing her stance immediately, Jade Flower steeled her resolve.
The Celestial Sky Valley was not her destination for selfish gains.
“Thorough justice… It’s time to set things right. What kind of justice would it be to falter in the face of such fear?”
An action she hardly ever practiced as a Taoist of Kunlun but was ready to embrace due to enlightenment.
Due to the intervention of Byul Rak.
Rumble!
As they approached the Celestial Sky Valley, the sound of thunder grew louder. Occasional flickers illuminated the cloud-filled valley.
It was not a natural phenomenon. The unsettling atmosphere hinted at forbidden rituals or defiance of nature.
Byul Rak spoke up.
“Don’t let fear overcome you unnecessarily.”
“What?”
“The Celestial Sky Valley is a place brimming with Yin energy. Negative thoughts or unsettling memories here amplify several folds. Thus, we must maintain control over our emotions.”
“I believe I understand… It’s truly dark and damp here.”
Byul Rak took the lead, and Jade Flower followed. It wouldn’t make sense for her to walk ahead not knowing the path—she might just end up being a hindrance.
