< body >
– Cough, cough.
Woo-yong Jin’s soul kept hacking away.
He had forcibly transferred his memories, even utilizing spiritual energy in the process.
“Are you all right?”
Upon returning to his own mind, Jin was questioned by Byul Rak.
– Do I look okay? I feel like I’m about to pass out from dizziness.
In response, Jin gruffly replied and immediately collapsed onto the ground.
Memory is the history of a person.
And the history—more specifically, a non-insignificant span of two days—had been forcefully injected.
Though it wasn’t as serious as violating the sacred laws of ‘Heavenly Mandate Leakage (天機漏洩),’ revealing ‘Human Affairs (人間事漏洩)’ was not something to undertake lightly.
Hence, from Jin’s spirit, wisps of smoke were rising, signaling his distress.
Clearly seeing that this wasn’t a good sign, Byul Rak felt sorry and thought inwardly.
‘Rest easy.’
– Boy, I don’t die that easily.
‘Take a nap, and you’ll feel better.’
– Right, I should sleep for a while.
Woo-yong Jin mockingly smirked as if to show everyone, then returned to his gaunt expression and quietly closed his eyes.
– Still, it’s not suffocating, so that’s good. I won’t regret this.
Gradually succumbing to a deep slumber, he slipped further into the unconsciousness of his mind.
In the blank canvas of a white page, a crimson river surged, and the heavens and earth flipped over again and again, painting an unreal scene.
If someone were to see it, they would undoubtedly question whether it was a madman’s dream.
Yet that very strange and fantastical scene unfolded right now within the mind of Jade Flower.
As if drawn by a renowned artist with intricate detail, her eyes could not tear away from this spectacle.
– Kuuuugh… Sword Sage, you bastard…!!!
From the white page emerged a red-haired woman shouting defiantly.
Although she’d likely never met this woman before, Jade Flower instantly knew who this was without deep thought.
The Blood Cult’s Second Leader mentioned by the Sword Sage in the past.
Haa, haa… for someone like you to have been under Blood Demon’s influence, it truly is hard to believe.
– Hold your tongue! Who the hell is under who?! This despicable woman… if I had fully confronted her, I’d never have lost!
– For you to so casually call someone despicable… I see that you’re no ordinary foe. In truth, I fought Blood Demon openly and purely through martial skills…
Sword Sage trailed off, pointing to his own chest. Beneath the severely torn fabric, his chest bore a blackened wound and various scars.
– Hah! Were it not for the internal injuries I sustained beforehand, I wouldn’t have resorted to poison and demonic arts either!
– …Is that so? Such confidence you have. Now tell me, what do you plan to do next?
Drip.
Sluuurrrp.
A stream of blood trickled from the Sword Sage’s lips.
At the same moment, his hand began tracing a semi-circle with a translucent blade gleaming faintly.
Jade Flower observed the characters etched onto the sword carefully: Qing Guang Bao Jian (淸光寶劍), a sword the Sword Sage cherished since the Great Blood Cleansing War centuries ago.
It transformed into a familiar technique.
– Di Wang Jian Xing (帝王劍形) - Emperor’s Sword Form.
A martial art considered the peak within the wulin’s annals, ranked among the “Three Great Ultimates” (中原三绝).
– Di Jian Jiao Tian Zheng (帝劍矯天正) - Emperor’s Sword Corrects the Heavens.
A majestic yet arrogant sword technique that aimed to right heaven itself, embodying righteousness and greatness through its sheer force.
– I haven’t wielded this in a long while… perhaps three thousand years.
The Qing Guang Bao Jian shone brightly, akin to thunder cracking through the sky.
This unfathomably transcendent skill, far beyond the imagination of mortals, descended upon the red-haired woman in a torrent.
Or perhaps, it targeted everything in its vicinity, sweeping through the entire area, leaving no room to single out mere individuals.
– W, what… kind of monster is this? Stronger even than Blood Demon! There was no one like this three hundred years ago!
Swirling winds generated as the air split howled in all directions.
Even though Jade Flower merely observed, she felt an eerie sensation as if her spirit was projected into the unfolding memories.
“B, body projection…?”
No, this wasn’t mere body projection or hallucination.
Sha-lak.
The strands of her real-life hair began swaying gently, responding not to the natural wind, but to the storm from within the memory.
Di Jian Jiao Tian Zheng. A skill potent enough to alter dimensions and space was now affecting reality itself, tearing through the boundary between memory and existence.
“This… is known as martial arts among humans?”
Despite her amazement, the memory continued to unfold.
– Huh??
– Chough, chough! Ugh…
Surprisingly, the Sword Sage’s overwhelming attack that influenced even reality…
Pas-sus.
…had absolutely no effect on the world within the memory, dispersing harmlessly.
The Sword Sage sat slumped over, clutching his abdomen as if his dantian were damaged, coughing up a revolting blackish substance from his mouth.
The red-haired woman burst into laughter, looking down at him.
– Haha! So you’re not perfect after all!
– Unfortunately, since my hundredth reincarnation, I no longer maintained all poison immunity*. It’s catching up to me now.
– Hmm… I must commend you. You were a formidable opponent, even more impressive than the Blood Demon you faced two hundred years ago. So now, die already!
– Haha…
Smiling cruelly, the red-haired woman approached the fallen Sword Sage.
Within her one hand, a red sphere of ominous energy formed.
However, when the distance between them closed to three zhang…
Stop.
– Khheh…! Damn it! After being so peaceful, why now…?!!
The woman suddenly began spurting blood and quickly dispelled the red sphere.
Her complexion was deathly pale.
– Haha… looks like you’re in bad shape too, just as I am.
– You piece of…! If it weren’t for my internal injuries… Damn you, Sword Sage! It seems heaven wishes to spare you!
– …If only I were dead, this hellish life would finally end…
After a brief but intense exchange, the red-haired woman disappeared with curses.
Judging by her limping gait, she had suffered quite serious internal injuries.
Of course, this wasn’t important to Jade Flower.
Her gaze remained fixated on the Sword Sage, who was once Namgung Cheolbin, related to Byul Rak, and known as the White Blade Wanderer.
– Ugh…
After a pained sigh, he struggled to rise to his feet.
– Dying this way might just save me from those tiresome accusations…
Though he faltered and slumped momentarily, he stood up again.
– No, I won’t give up so easily. I’ve earned this peace, so I’ll live on.
– Yes, I have to keep going, somehow.
“…”
The sight of his resilience seemed pitiable, heart-wrenching even.
“Gi, Sword Sage…”
It overlapped with his near-corpse-like appearance when he had last approached her.
– In Kunlun, they can heal me… Jade Flower would never turn me away… She would understand…
Slowly, Jade Flower started to crumble.
– Jade Flower… is my ‘fellow comrade’…
The words the Sword Sage murmured in his memory pierced deeply into Jade Flower’s heart.
As if intending to tear her soul apart.
“Comrade…? B, but I… refused you…”
Despite his hopes in the memory, in reality, she had rejected him outright.
She even drew a blade to his neck and pushed him to the brink of death, all because he came to her after battling ‘evil’ that could overshadow the martial world.
“Ji, Sword Sage… I…”
Tears streamed down Jade Flower’s face, uncontrollably flooding her cheeks.
Her guilt had finally surfaced, surpassing all her fears, guilt she should have realized much earlier.
“Jade Flower, lift your head.”
At Byul Rak’s gruff voice, Jade Flower slowly raised her head.
And what she saw…
“Ahh…”
His hair, much whiter now than in her memories, had entirely turned snow-white.
“Sword Sage, Sword Sage, Sword Sage…”
His eyes, once devoid of emotion but now lacking the spark of righteousness they once possessed.
“What… have I done…”
“Tsk, your beauty was one of the finest I’ve ever known among all regrets, yet now it’s twisted…”
“!!”
His harsh tone, which she hadn’t paid much attention to when they first met as the White Blade Wanderer, struck her with full force now.
而且.
“那道伤疤是…难道…?”
A single-linear scar ran across Byul Rak’s right cheek, stretching down to the neck.
It pounded into Jade Flower’s heart like a nail being driven into the ground.
“So, you’ve finally chosen to face the truth.”
“Sword Sage… I, I… what on earth did you do to me…?”
“Let’s set that story aside for a moment and start by accepting the truth.”
“…Acceptance?”
Byul Rak was wearing a faint smile.
It carried just a hint of wickedness, a sneer that could almost be mistaken for sadness if one didn’t look closely enough.
Jade Flower’s vision blurred with tears, so all she could perceive was the sadness.
“You must admit that you’ve been committing evil deeds, not righteous ones.”
“!!”
“What’s the point in simply feeling guilt and shame towards me? It serves no purpose. There would be no progress, no change from this.”
Jade Flower was slowly being backed into a corner by Byul Rak.
He wasn’t even sure why he was doing it.
He merely followed the urges of his heart.
The more he drove Jade Flower toward the verge of breaking, the better he felt—strangely so.
“So you’re calling me evil?”
“I won’t call you evil for falling for false rumors. Honestly, I’m hurt by that, but if you’d done so, you’d have been foolish, not evil.”
“Sword Sage, please stop. Just stop already…”
“But you know the truth. You covered it up. Why? Because you needed a villain—an archetypal villain—to satisfy your obsessive sense of justice. To fulfill your personal desires.”
“Stop… stop this already. I’ve already felt the pain deeply. Just stop.”
“Felt the pain? What exactly are you talking about? Are you admitting that you’ve been the evil one in this story?”
“Ugh….”
“You’re not foolish. Instead, you’ve been wicked, cruel, and evil.”
As a piece of the truth was revealed, she began to understand the many deceptions that had been consuming her.
As Byul Rak had said, her actions weren’t merely foolish—they had truly been evil. All of it.
Of course, she couldn’t readily accept that.
“Or are you still denying it? Am I the villain, the demon, the trash deserving of condemnation?”
“…Yes…”
Fear isn’t something one can control solely by willpower.
“Say it again. Am I the villain? Are you the righteous one?”
“Yes… yes, it’s right. It’s true…!!”
“Is that so? Then let me ask you one last question. Am I the righteous one? And you, the villain?”
But now, at this point, it was too late to give in to fear.
“…Yes.”
“Indeed, you’re a person with at least a minimal sense of conscience.”
“…I’m… sorry.”
Jade Flower felt an overwhelming sense of guilt toward Byul Rak.
Realizing her own corruption, even if it meant her ruin, she could no longer turn away from him.
Her heart was tearing apart.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Your apology feels as if it’s the first I’ve ever heard it.”
“I’m sorry. I truly… truly did wrong.”
“Hmm…”
Sssshhh…
Thud…
Collapsing powerless, Jade Flower sobbed and clung tightly to Byul Rak’s knees with both hands.
“I did terrible things to you. Because of sheer selfishness, I committed acts I absolutely should not have.”
“Jade Flower.”
“I know there’s no way to atone. I should have never turned my back on you… But I did, because of fear. Just plain fear…”
“Jade Flower.”
“You were the righteous one. I thought labeling you a villain wouldn’t create too many problems—some unconscious part of me must’ve underestimated you, using you as my emotional outlet. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Jade Flower…”
One by one, her karmic burdens started flowing out of Jade Flower’s mouth.
With each confession came waves of deep regret.
“I’m sorry for pushing you away. For threatening you, for treating you rudely, for turning my back on you as a fellow comrade-in-arms… It’s all my fault, a reflection of my ugliness. Let me reiterate: I am sorry.”
Watching her, Byul Rak swallowed a bittersweet lump in his throat before speaking.
“Jade Flower, there’s something I want to ask you. It’s not very significant, but I feel it’s something I must say to you.”
In response, Jade Flower nodded repeatedly.
“Speak. Say whatever you want to. You can scold me, criticize me, anything. I deserve every bit of it. I am a woman who deserves condemnation.”
“Nothing as harsh as that… I’m simply curious. Why did you reject me?”
“What… you already said it, didn’t you? Because I am wicked, hypocritical… everything…”
“No, not that.”
It seemed that Byul Rak intended to squeeze every ounce out of Jade Flower’s limits—perhaps even beyond her breaking point.
“Let me tell you a story. About the current disciplinarian of Shaolin Monastery. Someone with whom you’ve always been at odds.”
“Disciplinarian…?”
“The disciplinarian is the one who enforces the discipline and decorum of the Shaolin Monks, right? You don’t know him?”
“Never heard of him.”
“Since you don’t know, let me enlighten you. The disciplinarian of Shaolin is, in fact, a member of the Blood Cult. An almost forgotten fact. His name and nickname are quite famous: Yu Hyeongchul, the First Evil Light among the Seven Demons.”
“……??”
Jade Flower’s eyes widened.
How could the disciplinarian of Shaolin, a linchpin of the monastery, be the First Evil Light? It was indeed a shocking revelation.
As Byul Rak’s seemingly random story unfolded, Jade Flower slowly started to understand why he was bringing this up.
“In fact, he was the one who killed Dharma Dragon, the beloved disciple of the Shaolin elder. This happened when the elder was still active, during the great war when he served as the abbott.”
“I’ve heard this story… I know the elder was extremely grief-stricken and furious over it.”
“True, he was furious. He traveled all over the country searching for First Evil Light. For exactly three months.”
“…? Three months…?”
Byul Rak’s next words shocked Jade Flower profoundly.
It was a shock tinged with bitter regret.
“First Evil Light came to Shaolin himself. He begged for mercy. He couldn’t kill people anymore. He could no longer practice the Blood Art, a cursed art that consumed the very soul. He pleaded with the elder for salvation.”
“Salvation…? C, could it really…?”
“You’ve guessed it correctly. Surprisingly, the elder bestowed mercy upon the First Evil Light, who had killed his beloved disciple. He advised him to stay by his side and dedicate his life to atonement, living the lives of all those he had killed.”
“Nonsense! There’s no way out once someone masters the Blood Art! It’s dark energy, pure evil! A human being cannot break free of such an addiction to dark forces!”
“I thought the same too, until the elder showed a miracle. In the end, the First Evil Light abandoned all his blood-related powers, discarded the Blood Art, and started anew with Shaolin martial arts. Supported by the elder’s guidance, he began again from scratch, dedicating himself solely to the path of salvation. Eventually, rising from a third-rate, to second-rate, to first-rate, he is now a disciplined disciplinarian of Shaolin Monastery.”
“…!!”
“Do you understand why I’ve told you this story?”
A ripple ran across Jade Flower’s face. Her eyes were trembling intensely.
“Even if you thought me evil, you could have chosen the path of salvation. Given that you were not just anyone but someone I considered a comrade and a close friend, you could have saved the so-called ‘demon Sword Sage’ with your righteous spirit and the teachings of Kunlun.”
“…I’m sorry, I… I’m not the elder.”
As she started saying sorry again, Jade Flower heard something she didn’t expect.
“During the war, there were many stories about you within the alliance. How your methods were excessively cruel. Especially when, to find a single Blood Cult member hiding in a village, you sacrificed an innocent person as an example… The elders and even the head of the alliance discussed whether you should be expelled from the righteous factions. You know what that means.”
“…I see. So, without me even realizing it, I narrowly escaped death.”
“Only the elder and I opposed that decision. We thought that although the means may have been unclean, the righteousness of the ultimate goal excused it. Because of our opposition, you survive to this day. And yet, why…”
By now, Jade Flower expected what Byul Rak would say next. Though she wanted to cover her ears, she perked them up instead.
Because she believed she deserved this pain.
“You didn’t offer me your embrace.”
Though Byul Rak remembered that, until a few weeks ago, Jade Flower had embraced him.
His current disposition seemed radically different from that time.
“The teachings of Kunlun aren’t like that, are they? I’ve heard Kunlun practices benevolence and righteousness even more than Shaolin or the Southern Palace. They transcend personal glory and live in harmony with the world’s flow on Kunlun Mountain.”
It is said that this is the sect of the half-sages. Yet, can you truly call yourself the leader of Kunlun?”
“Sorry. Sorry. I can’t even begin to offer an excuse. Sorry.”
“Sorry… Ha-ha, words alone cannot turn back the past, and you, more than I, must know this well.”
“Sorry… Sorry! It’s me, Jade Flower, who has erred! I am so very sorry!!”
Crash-!
“…”
Jade Flower pressed her face into the snowy ground.
Perhaps due to the copious amount of tears shed, the snow began to melt rapidly.
“Sorry! This is my apology!! As the chief of Kunlun! As someone who was once your comrade!!”
Her legs and arms neatly folded, she knelt in a position of deep humiliation, revealing just how much she had crumbled.
“So please, curse me. As much as I’ve secretly cursed you through all these years of seclusion. Condemn and hate me. Strike me, or even kill me if you must. If it alleviates your indignation even slightly… Someone like me, who has abandoned the Way, deserves to die countless times.”
Her heartfelt appeal carried an impenetrable darkness.
“Ugh…”
A groan escaped from Byul Rak’s wide-open mouth.
He seemed to be deeply contemplating.
“Jade Flower.”
Finally, he spoke.
Awaiting judgment like a deceased soul waiting for the verdict of King Yama, Jade Flower buried her head even deeper into the snow.
“Do you truly repent?”
“There’s nothing else for me to say but sorry.”
“You deeply regret your actions.”
Byul Rak’s voice carried an undertone of solitude.
Yet, there was also a sense of relief.
“To be honest, I didn’t want to let you live until just a little while ago. It wasn’t out of vengeance… but just because I felt terribly bad. Bad enough to want to dispose of one more corpse.”
“Make me that corpse. If it improves your mood, there’s nothing that would make me happier.”
“But watching you genuinely repent… It has significantly calmed me. Your sincerity makes this possible.”
“So, are you just going to let me go? Don’t. Without receiving punishment from you, every night I will be unable to sleep due to guilt.”
“Enough, just go. Your sincere apology has soothed my heart. Do not let me see you ever again.”
Saying that, Byul Rak turned around.
As she watched his retreating back, Jade Flower thought to herself.
‘Sword Sage, you truly are…’
She could feel the immense breadth of something she could never dream of becoming.
‘You’re a great man. Someone far beyond my imagination.’
Why did his retreating figure appear so colossal?
The fact that such a great person, such a person with a broad heart, had been reduced to this skeletal figure solely because of her.
“Argggh…”
Jade Flower once again felt a sharp pain in her chest.
It hurt. Her self-loathing, the suppressed hatred, slowly surfaced.
“Exactly… What kind of being are you… Cheolbin?”
Jade Flower slowly shifted her gaze.
There lay the sword, the one she had intended to use to cut down Byul Rak.
It was a beautifully honed famous sword.
Clang-
Swoosh-
“…”
Jade Flower grabbed the sword.
Her jaw clenched, she gripped it tightly.
As if she were making a great resolution.
“Cheolbin… Namgung Cheolbin…”
Jade Flower recalled Cheolbin’s face from before.
Various memories flashed before her like a slideshow, but most vividly, the long scar running from his right cheek to the side of his neck came to mind.
This was, without doubt, the scar she had herself inflicted.
“Even with this, I can’t atone for my sins to you.”
Swoosh-
Jade Flower slowly aligned the sword’s blade with her own face.
Though death filled her with terror, once she had tasted guilt, she no longer had the courage to live.
“If I can deliver even a small measure of satisfaction to you, that would be enough for me.”
Swoosh-
Evildoers must be punished.
She was an evildoer who had committed great wrongs.
Thus, she would punish herself.
What unfurled in her mind, with absolute justice as her creed, was a simple yet unfaltering syllogism that most could not easily execute but was utterly straightforward to her: executing justice. That was all. Exactly as she had lived her thirty-five years.
Swish-
“Ugh.”
She keenly felt the sharp pain traveling along her throat. She wanted to feel more of that pain.
She wanted to forget the emotional pain, even for a moment, with the physical pain.
Of course, she shouldn’t let that happen. She had to feel both intensely. That was the punishment she was inflicting on herself.
Swish… Thud.
At that moment,
“Jade Flower…?”
The figure she thought she’d never see again blocked her sword.
“Surely… did you intend to commit suicide?”
“Y-you, Sword Sage…? Why have you returned… Let go of my sword. The blood is flowing, can’t you see?”
As she said, blood streamed from Byul Rak’s clenched hands, staining the snowy ground red, yet,
“Hold your tongue and answer me…! Did you truly mean to die? How… Why…? Why…?”
Byul Rak’s tone carried a hint of anger as he continued his barrage of questions.
Caught off-guard by his peculiar behavior, Jade Flower gently removed his hands from her sword and replied.
“To apologize to you. And also to myself.”
To which she received an utterly unexpected answer.
“…”
“What? Did you not hear me just now…? Are your ears, like your neck and head, injured as well…? Oh no. That must not be…!”
While Jade Flower fretted over misapprehensions spawning a new sense of guilt,
“Why… does your death absolve you? Why? Why on earth?”
Byul Rak relentlessly peppered her with questions, his tone pointedly accusing.
“Why else… shouldn’t it…?”
“How could I have saved you? After enduring so much to save you, will you just throw it all away like this to feel better? Is that your justification? Am I… so easily dismissed?”
By now, Byul Rak had both hands firmly gripping Jade Flower’s shoulders.
Her left shoulder was stained red by the blood flowing from his sword wound.
“Why? Why do you disregard me… my efforts, my toil? Why do you disregard the lengths I went to save you? How dare you speak of dying for my sake so easily? Is this truly how you understand atonement? Just to relieve your own conscience and seek eternal rest?”
“Just calm down for a moment, Sword Sage. You seem too worked up right now.”
“Calm down! You tell me to calm down!”
Crash-!
The grip Byul Rak had on Jade Flower’s shoulders was unyieldingly strong.
The pain was so intense it felt like her arms would detach, yet amidst it all, the sight of Byul Rak overwhelmed her, leaving little room for other thoughts.
“Death, you see… is a blessing. The ability to die at peace is a blessing! Can you imagine what a great blessing it is to let go of everything and fall into eternal rest! How dare you spout nonsense about dying as atonement or seeking redemption! How little do you think of me! How lightly do you consider my ears, to say such a thing!”
“Sword Sage, I cannot comprehend what you’re saying. Please calm down and explain it clearly. And I absolutely do not look down on you. I neither think lightly of you, nor belittle you. If you’ve felt that way, I will never die. I’ll spend my entire life atoning.”
“You… you ignorant fool. A frog at the bottom of a well, knowing only the tiniest fragment of the world…”
Why?
Witnessing the unprecedented anger and loss of self-control in Sword Sage,
Jade Flower came to this realization.
“There’s something… something I don’t know.”
A scream.
Of the rage and sorrow that continued to build layer upon layer, endlessly accumulating within him.
Of the immense sorrow he harbored in his heart, something she could never fathom.
