“That… I’ve already told you multiple times! I didn’t do it!”
The girl screamed. Woo-yong Jin jumped in shock and instinctively clamped his hands over his ears.
“You, you wench! You’re going to make me go deaf! These days, youngsters don’t hesitate to raise their voices in front of their elders!”
“But… isn’t that not the main issue right now?”
“Then what is the important matter?”
“I already told you last time! It’s the manipulation of human emotions! It wasn’t me—it was my original self!”
“To me, it’s all the same. What difference does it make whether it’s your doppelganger or your original?”
“Ugh… I shouldn’t even bother talking to you, Elder Jin!”
The girl sniffed haughtily and turned her back.
Woo-yong Jin, who hadn’t yet obtained the information he wanted, chuckled and teased her.
“Hehe, why so pouty? I was just kidding around.”
“Considering you don’t even hear me out properly, Elder, what’s the point of my words?”
“If that were true, I wouldn’t be asking for your opinion now, would I? It was just a joke.”
“…Is that so?”
The girl’s ears perked up at Woo-yong Jin’s casual persuasion and fell for it. As he observed her, Woo-yong Jin found himself confused—was she a young girl or an otherworldly being?
“Then, tell me. What do you know about the reason for the inconsistency in Byul Rak’s memories?”
“That… it’s a bit complicated! It’s hard to explain simply!”
“Complicated? Why is that?”
This girl gestured with her fingers toward the sky as she exclaimed.
“Because this person wiped their own memories—though they don’t remember doing it themselves!”
“This person…? What do you mean by that?”
“That will be revealed soon enough! Aren’t we approaching the Muchtone Grotto?”
“That’s correct. Byul Rak is currently inside the Muchtone Grotto.”
“Then, I suggest you wait a little longer! It will unfold more vividly than anything I could explain verbally! The truth of the past will be revealed!”
At the girl’s words, Woo-yong Jin frowned. In the end, she was just refusing to tell him, wasn’t she?
“Hmmph, it would be more convenient if you just told me. You’re troublesome.”
“I’m busy, you know! There’s so much preparation needed! Can’t you see that things have happened earlier than expected?”
“Let’s hear more about that. What preparation have you been talking about all this while?”
“Uh, that’s a secret?”
“What? A secret?”
“I can’t just hand this all over to you outright, you know! It’s only natural that it remains a secret.”
“Ugh… This infuriating little thing! Wasn’t it last time you said you were going to interfere with Byul Rak’s personality again?”
“That’s exactly what I’m preparing for! Since this person’s mind is inherently unstable, I need to make some adjustments to manipulate it without causing damage!”
With that, the girl clicked her heels and wandered through the imaginary space.
The space was full of wounds, blood, and turmoil, openly revealing Byul Rak’s mental state.
“Hmm, you’re not going to do something that harms this person, are you?”
“Ah… the concept of harm is subjective, isn’t it? It depends on the person.”
“….”
“Don’t worry too much! I am, after all, just an embodiment created by the original for a not-quite-evil ending! While I might interfere with this person’s work, ultimately, it’s all for their benefit!”
As the girl proudly declared with her chest puffed out, Woo-yong Jin shook his head.
Looking at her again and again, her features remained eerily familiar.
*
Jade Flower groggily opened her eyes, previously obscured by a veil of black smoke.
In her ghostly white pupils, lightning flickered.
Byul Rak still held her tightly by the wrist.
Swish-swish.
The residual force of the explosion brushed past Jade Flower’s ankles.
For a moment, still disoriented, it took her some time before she fully grasped the situation.
“Where are we…?”
Before she could listen to Byul Rak’s response, Jade Flower already knew where they were.
The lower floor.
That horrifying place known as the den of ghosts.
Swish-swish-swish.
A chill once again swept past Jade Flower’s ankles.
Her petite frame visibly shivered.
The unknown fear emanating from a spiritual source was something even she, the cold-blooded sorceress, couldn’t escape.
In a sudden moment, dread arose.
Even though she was aware of her duty to assist Byul Rak, that lingering fear couldn’t be erased.
The coldness enfolding her whole body combined with the uniquely eerie atmosphere of Muchtone Grotto, making it worse.
At that exact moment, warmth surged through her wrist and embraced Jade Flower’s body.
It was a pleasant warmth that calmed her mind and spirit.
“Are you feeling any better?”
“It’s… Byul Rak?”
“You’re too cold. You need to warm up.”
“Ah… thank you. I always seem to owe you.”
“It’s nothing, don’t mention it.”
Without even noticing, Jade Flower raised her hands and wrapped them around her arms, wanting to preserve the warmth Byul Rak had given her.
But something felt slightly off.
‘Why… does it feel a bit… unfamiliar…?’
During the Seven Flowers Tournament, Jade Flower had once directly come in contact with Byul Rak’s energy when he placed her hand on his lower abdomen to prove his innocence.
At that time, Jade Flower had witnessed the purest type of energy she had ever seen. It was so clean that she thought it might resemble the essence of the Southern Kung family’s Heaven Prison Energy, if only the fundamental aspects were extracted.
It was undoubtedly like that at the time, but now?
‘Is it not as pure?’
Now, compared to that time, it seemed somewhat murkier. Clearly more so.
It also carried a trace of sourness and coldness, completely opposite to the thunder essence of the Heaven Prison Energy.
Moments ago, Byul Rak had passed on this energy to her, so there hadn’t been any kind of corruption.
As if kindly explaining the confusion in Jade Flower’s mind, Byul Rak spoke.
“Ah, it seems we’ve landed ourselves in an even worse situation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Perhaps you’ll be fine, but the energy here in Muchtone Grotto is far from ideal. It appears I won’t be able to use my inner energy freely either.”
“I don’t understand. What does this place’s energy have to do with your inner power?”
“A state called Natural Assimilation. I don’t solely store my energy in the elixir field. In emergencies, I reserve most of my internal powers there, but usually, I pull energy from nature as and when required.”
“In normal circumstances, if what you say is true, wouldn’t your internal energy be infinite? Drawing energy from nature directly and channeling it? Such tales have never been seen or heard of in the martial arts annals!”
“Normally, that would be the case, but unfortunately, not now. The energy here in Muchtone Grotto is too polluted, and much of it is unmanageable by inner energy. To put it simply, it’s like having my limbs bound.”
Jade Flower couldn’t fully understand what Byul Rak was saying.
Natural Assimilation? Wasn’t that only possible for immortals who had merged with nature and transcended humanity?
How could he talk about such legendary feats so casually? As if it was nothing?
The words were shocking in many ways, but ultimately, Byul Rak’s message boiled down to one simple point:
He couldn’t use his full power. If he had stored energy in his elixir field like others, it wouldn’t have been an issue.
“Don’t worry.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll protect you. No matter what happens.”
With an unwavering resolve, Jade Flower declared her vow.
‘I’ve made a promise. To dedicate the rest of my life to you. Whatever crises befall you, I will shield you. If my sword breaks, I’ll use my body; if my body is destroyed, I’ll protect you with my soul. I’ll use everything I have to safeguard you.’
Her gaze was so intense that the vow she repeated inwardly was vividly conveyed to Byul Rak.
“…Reliable indeed.”
It wasn’t that Byul Rak fully trusted the reliability of her declaration.
The gap in their levels was too vast. If a child said they would protect you, it would only seem adorable.
Still, Byul Rak found a certain amount of comfort in the words.
It was her unshakable determination, so solid it reminded him of the past Jade Flower, that shone through.
That unconditional goodwill, directed entirely towards him.
It felt much like the warm, fuzzy feeling he experienced when he looked at Gayoung Jin, which now resurfaced.
Crack!
Just as Byul Rak and Jade Flower were exchanging warm glances, the ground violently trembled.
“Arrgh!”
The stone floor split down the middle, and underneath, several iron Jiangshi emerged.
Equipped with what looked like extremely heavy double-handed broadswords, each Jiangshi wielded one in each hand.
Turning his head toward them, Byul Rak murmured calmly.
“Hmm, it seems some thief might have stolen the Blood Cult’s Jiangshi manufacturing method.”
“This is remarkable enough to marvel at. What an incredible thief.”
“Indeed, the greatest thief in history. Naturally, isn’t it?”
The number of iron Jiangshi was roughly dozens. Their coppery skin revealed they were no ordinary foes.
‘Right from the start, we’re facing an obstacle…!’
Jade Flower, thinking of fleeing with Byul Rak at the slightest hint of trouble, reached for her sheath. She was so frantic that she twice slipped, causing her some trouble.
“Rawrrr! Rawrrr!”
The iron Jiangshi charged forward, screaming. Jade Flower moved her body in a circular motion according to the Cloud-Dragon Great Eight Techniques, unsheathing her sword as she prepared to counter.
Clang!
Jade Flower’s sword clashed with those of the Jiangshi. Individually, she clearly had the upper hand, but the Jiangshi, driven purely by instinct, exploited their numerical advantage to outmaneuver Jade Flower.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But Jade Flower wasn’t an ordinary martial artist. Every time her sword moved like the wind, the Jiangshi were forced to retreat a step.
“Heaven Soaring Dragon!”
Driven by an anxious heart, Jade Flower swung her sword wildly. She had resolved not to let even one Jiangshi near Byul Rak.
However, her anxiety created vulnerabilities. A few Jiangshi slipped through her sword’s wind current, screaming as they headed towards Byul Rak.
“Ah, no! Come to me!”
“Damn! A Sword Sage whose inner energy is restricted by the ghost energy here…”
In a flash, countless thoughts raced through Jade Flower’s mind. Without looking back, she immediately sprinted towards Byul Rak.
Irrelevant were the Jiangshi following her. Her single-minded goal was to block the handful of iron Jiangshi trying to get at Byul Rak.
At that moment, Byul Rak’s fingers blurred.
Boom!
The Nine-Fold Point Skill Byul Rak released simultaneously from nine extended fingers pierced through the Jiangshi’s foreheads. Blue blood spurted into the air.
The efficiency seemed almost like a casual show of skill compared to Jade Flower’s elaborate techniques she had been proudly demonstrating, leaving her feeling perplexed.
The seemingly nonchalant Byul Rak blew on his fingers with a casual “Huh.”
Jade Flower’s lips quivered unpleasantly, embarrassed that her frantic worry seemed unnecessary now.
“That… didn’t you say your inner energy was locked by the ghost energy of Muchtone Grotto? How…?”
Byul Rak responded matter-of-factly with an air of indifference.
“If one doesn’t use inner energy, then there’s no problem, right?”
