A thick, white smoke fills the surroundings.
The dense fog is so heavy that it’s impossible to see even a few feet ahead. Despite using my inner energy to clear it, the visibility doesn’t improve much in this place where malevolent energy is rampant.
“Stay close to me, Jade Flower. Grab my sleeve if you can.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
This is a place where even a moment’s distraction could cause one to lose the way. I’d been here once before, and the Misty Valley truly is an unsettling area.
Jade Flower held onto my sleeve with one hand, lightly stroking her sword scabbard.
“Later, when we return, I have no idea where we’ll even be heading.”
“There’s a way. I’ll inform you later.”
She had always been courageous, even when facing blood fiends, but it seems the ominous energy of Misty Valley has stirred up her innermost fears.
However, Misty Valley is not a place where one can let their guard down.
“From now on, follow precisely where I step.”
“Only where you step? Is there any specific reason for that?”
“In case you happen to step on the wrong spot—”
At that moment, I extended my leg and pressed down on a spot distinctly different from my previous steps.
Ker-thud.
With just a little weight applied, the stone surface sunk slightly.
Swish-sh!
Several sharp arrows whistled through the air, flying from somewhere unseen. I deflected them all with a wide motion of my hand, and Jade Flower gasped in shock, asking,
“What… what is that? Those arrows?”
“They’re arrows. Can you not see?”
“No… Why are there arrows here? Is this place inhabited by people?”
“Traps.”
I gave a brief answer before continuing on.
Jade Flower, still bewildered, continued questioning.
“Traps? What kind of traps could be in Misty Valley?”
“Why do you think Misty Valley became a forbidden zone? If it were truly a place haunted only by ghosts and malevolent energy, it would’ve been purified long ago by countless Taoist priests and demon slayers.”
“I know many have come here before, none of whom returned, making this a forbidden land.”
“True. What killed them were these very traps here. There’s no telling when or from where an arrow might shoot, or when a trigger might cause fire or floods. No wonder mere Taoists skilled only in spiritual energy couldn’t survive.”
“So… why are these traps here in the first place? If there’s a trap, it means human intervention.”
To her continuing questions, I clarified.
“It’s because this Misty Valley is the treasure vault of the legendary thief, Shentou.”
“…What?”
“The ancient martial world’s Shentou. His lifetime collection of treasures is safeguarded right here, in Misty Valley.”
“The… the treasure vault of that legendary thief is Misty Valley?”
Jade Flower’s eyes widened in disbelief. She looked quite shaken.
“That’s correct. All the traps here were installed by him. They say he used knowledge stolen from the Zhe family.”
“…! I did hear that Shentou’s final fate was unclear…”
“He was a ghost of a man who only stole others’ things in life, knowing nothing of giving. Even after death, he built this enormous vault to guard the treasures he had stolen. Where safer than Misty Valley?”
Shentou.
The name and identity of this ancient martial thief remain a mystery. However, his skills in stealth and lightness are still considered the best in history.
He was so extraordinary that it’s said he infiltrated the forbidden zones of the imperial family. Some sects in Haro even revere him as their deity.
Though in my opinion, they are quite pitiful. What is so important about mere material wealth?
“Hold on… does that mean…”
“Did something come to mind?”
“Does the existence of an Immortal Reincarnation Pill here also derive from Shentou’s influence?”
Jade Flower’s eyes gleamed with sharp insight.
“Most likely. There’s a high chance it’s one of Shentou’s treasures. If not, how could something like an Immortal Reincarnation Pill exist here?”
“Huh…”
“The Immortal Reincarnation Pill is something immortals consume to achieve eternal life. Even something from the immortal realm isn’t safe from the greatest thief, is it?”
“Shentou… truly a remarkable figure.”
“He’s still just a thief at the end of the day.”
Tap, tap.
Engrossed in conversation, Jade Flower and I had reached quite deep inside. However, there was still no sign of the Immortal Reincarnation Pill’s energy.
“How do you know all these truths, Sword Sage?”
“I’ve been here before.”
“You’ve been inside Misty Valley? Tch, truly, with you, the more I learn, the more surprises I find.”
“…Though, I haven’t ventured to the lower levels.”
“Lower levels? Is there something beneath us?”
Jade Flower tapped the ground lightly with her hoof, where I had stepped.
“There’s another level. A place connected to the depths of hell. Though I’ve never been there… if we can’t find the Immortal Reincarnation Pill by searching this floor, we’ll have to go there.”
“Hmm… understood. Let’s move on.”
As she spoke, Jade Flower stepped forward.
Simultaneously, she wavered slightly.
“Jade Flower!”
“!”
“Keep your eyes fixed forward. Don’t step on the wrong spot.”
Before her foot touched the ground, I stopped her. Luckily, she halted about two inches above the floor.
“Phew, that was close. If I’d been any slower, it could’ve been disastrous.”
“What is happening here…? I was clearly following behind you.”
With a disbelieving voice, Jade Flower mumbled as though stunned. This is a process anyone entering Misty Valley for the first time would inevitably experience.
“There are more than just traps here. The wandering spirits of this world who couldn’t ascend to the next attempt to bewitch humans. You never know when hallucinations or auditory delusions might occur.”
“Hallucinations? Auditory delusions? Even for someone at the peak of martial prowess?”
“This is a place where the laws set by heaven do not apply. It’s not called Mu Tian (No Sky) for no reason. Do not solely trust what you see.”
“Can I sense fire energy here? Are there gunpowder traps as well?”
“You’ve spotted correctly. Shentou, who stole everything that existed in the world, including gunpowder managed solely by the state, set up these traps with it, naturally.”
“He must be mad. What if it causes an accidental explosion?”
“How could we understand the thoughts of such a madman? Nevertheless, be cautious. One wrong step could trigger an explosion.”
“I understand.”
After hearing my words, Jade Flower immediately closed her eyes. To the untrained eye, it might seem reckless, but she had begun to walk with her martial sense.
“Very good.”
Indeed, she was a smart woman who took action upon instruction. As long as she doesn’t accidentally stray into dangerous routes…
“Also, be most careful of your mental state. No matter how great one is, in this place, the mental barrier can collapse at any moment.”
“I understand.”
While warning her about the various worst-case scenarios one might face in Misty Valley, Jade Flower and I kept walking.
In search of the Immortal Reincarnation Pill, which was surely hidden somewhere unseen for now.
“It’s eerily dreadful.”
The group led by the two renegade martial artists moved through Misty Valley, shrouded in heavy mist.
They were the Four Great Demon Generals of the Blood Cult.
“Feels like a ghost might pop out any moment, huh? Looking for the Immortal Reincarnation Pill in a place like this, our sect head sure has high expectations.”
“Indeed, ghostly apparitions appear.”
“What? Is that true?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. Even thousands of wandering spirits could be expelled by me.”
Demon General of Heaven’s Sundering bragged confidently.
“Tch, boasting as always.”
“Your confidence is commendable. But you get scared easily, don’t you?”
“You! When you met Sword Sage in the past, didn’t you spout similar words? I remember you running away first.”
“T, that was because all of you abandoned me and fled as well!”
As curt as his replies were, the Four Demon Generals were inwardly relieved by the Demon General of Heaven’s Sundering’s assurance.
They knew it for a fact. The Demon General of Heaven’s Sundering was outstanding enough to rival the best in the art of illusions and necromancy.
Considering that he had staked his prestige on his words, perhaps they could trust him.
“Well, just follow me carefully, and it’ll be fine…”
Suddenly, General’s words stopped. His steps, too, halted.
Because through the thick mist, two figures were spotted.
-There’s someone! Draw your weapons!
-I’m not sensing any energy. How did they get here?
-It could be due to the overwhelming malevolent forces preventing them from spreading their energy! Everyone, be cautious!
Since they couldn’t yet tell if the figures were friend or foe, the Four Demon Generals exchanged silent commands and assumed combat stances.
Meanwhile, the mist slowly began to clear, revealing the figures’ faces.
“Eh?”
The Demon General of Great Strength let out a stunned gasp. After that, they were unable to utter a single word for a while.
A deep silence descended upon them. A chilling ominousness enveloped them. Their hair stood on end.
Incredulous, Demon General Rakshasa blinked multiple times, rubbed her eyes, closed them for a few seconds, then opened them again.
But the sight before them remained the same. It was an image too hard to believe, too hard to accept.
The blue eyes, which could neither be forgotten nor wished to be remembered. Those eyes now glared at them with an icy, piercing intensity.
How could they forget them?
Every time those eyes flashed in the past, it signaled the massacre of dozens, even hundreds, of their own.
The apocalyptic disasters of mountains splitting and rivers surging still haunted their occasional nightmares.
“Wh- Wh-!”
A strained gasp filled the space. There was no other reaction they could have.
Although his hair had gone white, and his face had changed a bit, and his gaze had grown slightly colder than before, his piercing blue eyes were unmistakable.
The eyes they could never, ever forget.
How could they?
Every time those eyes flickered, countless comrades perished one after another.
The calamities that tore apart heaven and earth still occasionally revisited their dreams.
“Choking…”
The Blood-sucking Demon General couldn’t control his hiccupping.
“Ughh…”
Rakshasa Demon General let out an incomprehensible sound of terror.
Squelch!
The muscular thighs of Great Strength Demon General were soaking wet with urine.
Each of them had a pale complexion.
Observing this, Demon General Heaven’s Sundering snickered.
“What’s with you? You fools?”
“H, h-he, it’s… Sword Sage!”
“Isn’t it obvious? This is just a hallucination. How could you fall for it after all my warnings?”
Heaven’s Sundering Demon General cast a disdainful look at the Four Demon Generals. Only then did they snap out of it, but the legs of Blood-sucking, Rakshasa, and Great Strength Demon Generals gave way, and they collapsed onto the ground.
Though they quickly rose again by injecting blood energy, their shaken minds wouldn’t settle as easily. Heaven’s Sundering Demon General mocked them as cowards.
“Listen well. In a place saturated with evil energy like this, ghosts could be lurking everywhere, constantly scheming to take your soul and your bodies.”
“…”
“This hallucination is an example of that. It shows us our deepest fears. If you continue to remain dumbstruck, it won’t be long before your bodies are taken over by those ghosts.”
“S, so that’s what it was… Damn. My pride’s hurt.”
“Think logically! Why would Sword Sage be here randomly in Misty Valley?”
Heaven’s Sundering Demon General’s words resonated with reason, and the Four Demon Generals nodded in agreement.
“Hmph, but what can we do? You remember Sword Sage from the Pure Blood War, right?”
“That’s true, but there’s no need for such extreme fear.”
“Sword Demon Namgung Cheolbin. His image still haunts me…”
With bitter reminiscence, Rakshasa Demon General brought up the past. Everyone recalled those days for a moment.
The Pure Blood War was not only a nightmare for the Central Plains martial world but also, perhaps even more so, for the Blood Cult members.
And the Four Demon Generals were among those who faced numerous horrors during that war.
Until they came face-to-face with Sword Sage, that is.
‘Kuh…’
Their bodies shivered involuntarily from the deeply imprinted memories of past terror.
“Tch, I understand your feelings, but this is merely a hallucination. Sword Sage would not be here, would he?”
Saying that, Heaven’s Sundering Demon General took one step forward.
He extended his hand confidently toward the motionless figure of Sword Sage standing straight before them.
Thump, Thump.
With indifference, he casually slapped the figure with the back of his hand.
“See? This is merely an illusion, an illusion…”
Then, at that exact moment, something seemed off.
“…?”
Rakshasa Demon General’s voice quivered as she questioned. Her face showed discomfort.
“Still… Can illusions even be touched?”
An ominous chill began to creep up and envelop them.
*
