Jade Flower’s journey with me ended up being more peaceful than expected.
She was quiet by nature, and I usually meditated or scribbled in my diary unless I was checking up on Gayoung Jin’s condition.
The headquarters of the Beggars’ Sect wasn’t particularly close, but thanks to Jade Flower’s tireless stamina, we didn’t waste time on unnecessary things.
Eventually, we arrived at the Beggars’ Sect without much delay.
Swish.
Jade Flower and I entered the thatched hut made of straw and reed matting together.
This place, which looked like it could collapse at any moment, was the Beggars’ Sect.
One of the nine great sects, the Beggars’ Sect was a group of beggars who revered righteousness.
“Sword Sage… are you sure everything is alright? Once you step into the Beggars’ Sect, every bit of information related to you will be thoroughly investigated. I mean, all the information about you as the White Blade Wanderer. Your goal of starting a new life may become meaningless.”
“Do not worry. I’ve long discovered the method to keep my identity from being uncovered by the Beggars’ Sect.”
“T-That’s good. If that’s the case, it’s fortunate… but still…”
“You there, just stay calm. We are from the same righteous sects, so why are you trembling like that?”
It seemed as though Jade Flower was feeling uneasy, possibly fearing our encounter with Suksun in the near future.
However, there was nothing that would make me turn my steps back.
“Suksun, it has been a while.”
Pushing the dilapidated door open, we saw the greasy old man swaying, fully immersed in alcohol.
He truly was the epitome of his nickname, Suksun.
“What the hell do you mean saying ‘it has been a while’ to an old man like me? Who the hell are you?”
“I am the White Blade Wanderer from the Taewon Jin Clan. Pleased to meet you.”
“White Blade Wanderer? Ah, that influential figure from the Taewon Jin Clan? I see… but why does your face seem so familiar…?”
“Ha ha.”
As Suksun’s eyes, hazy from alcohol, looked at me, his pupils began to dilate.
By the time they had swollen like barrels, they showed just how shocked he was.
“Jade Flower greets Senior Suksun.”
“Wha-! O, OJade Flower? W-Why have you come here? No… more importantly… who exactly are you…?”
Suksun stammered while addressing me.
Though his image was somewhat ridiculous, I didn’t have much time.
“I’ve come to ask you something.”
“To ask me something…?”
“I’m looking for an elixir called Isanghwan. As the overall leader of the Beggars’ Sect, you must know something about it, right?”
“…!”
The moment I mentioned Isanghwan, his pupils violently shook left and right.
Although Suksun eventually returned to his usual self after a moment, the time it took felt like an eternity.
“It seems you do know something about it.”
“Ho…”
“I will pay you sufficiently. I need Isanghwan.”
“Also the Dang Clan’s people… Recently, there have been many people seeking this item.”
Very quickly, he regained his composure. Truly, worthy of being among the Twelve Elders, his state of tranquility has reached quite a high level.
Still, what does this mean, Dang Clan people aside from me also seeking Isanghwan?
…It’s normal that they exist. Since it’s an item rarely seen in this era, it would be natural that they would be looking for it.
Only, because its origin itself is so rare and unclear, there hasn’t been much talk of it yet.
“By any chance, does Poison Lord have any relation to Isanghwan?”
At this point, Jade Flower, who had always been behind me until now, stepped forward.
“Jade Flower, I didn’t know there would come a day when you would ask Old White a question.”
“Please give a clear answer. Is it true that Poison Lord is also seeking Isanghwan?”
“…Yes, it’s true. Normally, this kind of information should come with a price… but I’m sure you’ll pay for it, right?”
“Poison Lord… Poison Lord….”
Jade Flower’s voice held a sense of irritation.
Had she been sworn enemies with Poison Lord? If that were the case, who had Jade Flower not made enemies with?
…Indeed, ever since the martial world conference, where everyone except me and Seung agreed that she should be driven out, her solitary nature had become quite evident.
Of course, that’s not the current important matter.
“Let’s set other things aside and just tell me the location of Isanghwan.”
“It’s in the Mucheon Gorges, where no one who enters can come out alive.”
“In Mucheon Gorges, I understand.”
“…? Don’t you know where Mucheon Gorges is? How can you remain so calm when the thing you are looking for is in a haunted gorge where entering means no return?”
“That’s something I’ll figure out on my own. Jade Flower, let’s go.”
“Hmm? Ah, understood. Suksun, we’re leaving now.”
“Huh? Aren’t you guys going to stay for even a drink? Tsk, these days people have no respect…tch.”
Holding onto Jade Flower’s wrist, I turned around and started to leave. From behind, I could hear Suksun tutting, but there was nothing left for me to discuss with him. We weren’t friendly enough to have an amicable conversation anyway.
Only after we had completely exited the Beggars’ Sect did I release Jade Flower’s wrist.
In contrast to her trembling before our encounter with Suksun, she now wore a completely steady expression.
She seemed to have regained some confidence.
“That’s why I told you not to worry.”
“Umm… this is my first experience with this.”
“What is?”
“You, not being my enemy. I’ve always been too extreme, causing friction whenever I met anyone… so at times, I thought everyone disliked me.”
“Foolish of you.”
“Yes, I was foolish. In reality, if I wasn’t so defensive all the time, others wouldn’t criticize me so much.”
“You’ve realized now, so it’s alright. People grow and evolve.”
“Thank you, because of you, I have another moment of enlightenment.”
“Not worth mentioning.”
Since the day we left Wu Tang Sect, more precisely since the day she resolved to repent during the Seven Wars, Jade Flower had been transforming into a different person each day.
Should I say she has become more gentle? Of course, her occasional characteristic eerie comments still remain, but compared to the past, things have indeed improved.
“Still, Sword Sage, didn’t Suksun mention that Isanghwan was in Mucheon Gorges?”
“Yes, the famous Mucheon Gorges known as one of the three great gorges of the martial world.”
“Are you not worried?”
“Do I have a reason to be?”
Repeating the question back, Jade Flower looked momentarily confused before responding with a challenge.
“Isn’t it Mucheon Gorges? The valley of lost souls where no one returns alive.”
“Do not fear so much. It is merely a place where lost souls unable to cross over to the other side gather.”
“Umm… You’ve always been fearless…”
“Even if I was afraid, I would not fear Mucheon Gorges.”
In fact, I have been to Mucheon Gorges before. Not in this life cycle, but in others.
Since there was a ghost cave at its center that bordered the deeper realms of hell, it helped with my training quite a bit.
This time, all I need to do is find Isanghwan; thus, I don’t need to go deeply into the ghost cave.
“You… indeed, you’re a strong person, in both mind and body.”
“At praises like this, I feel a bit awkward.”
“To think that I watched while you deteriorated…!”
“…”
When speaking with Jade Flower, once in a while, she’d furrow her brows and lower her head like this.
She’d clutch her chest and, after a while, cough before returning to normal, but I don’t know why.
…Could she still feel guilty about me? If that guilt leads to something good, it’s fine, but recalling her upright personality, it doesn’t seem like it will turn out well at all.
“…”
Let’s focus on Isanghwan for now. We need to save Gayoung Jin.
Where human blood flows and gathers into seas,
Where human flesh piles up to cover the earth,
Where wails and cries of humanity fill the air,
Here stands the main temple of the Blood Cult.
“Here’s what the Sect Leader requested the other day.”
Through the blood-soaked halls of the Blood Cult, a man trudged step by step. In his hand, he carried a single plate.
Finally, the plate he carried was handed over to the master of the ornate throne at the end of the corridor.
The master with the peculiar crimson hair and eyes bore the sobriquet Blood Demon. To be precise, the second Blood Demon, who remained deputy until the Blood War.
“Ho ho, did you bring exactly what She ordered?”
“Yes, I ensured there was no error.”
“She only eats beings of three years young or less.”
“…Rest assured. All were strictly selected.”
The Blood Demon licked his lips greedily as he looked at the plate.
Blood droplets were falling from the plate.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The blood droplets that fell thus, began to reverse mid-air and entered the Blood Demon’s open lips.
This was a feat enabled by his martial mastery at its apex.
“Phew, nothing is fresher than ones who have just turned three years. Whether beast or human.”
“…”
“Ugh… hm… indeed, raw is the tastiest, isn’t it…”
The Blood Demon reached for the piece of meat evenly cut on the plate.
A piece of completely uncooked meat entered his mouth.
And he chewed it.
Crunch, Crunch.
The man watching silently winced and lowered his head. Although devoid of moral notions, even he found the Blood Demon’s gourmet preference for eating infants peculiar.
‘Oi, even the previous Blood Demon only ate those above five years old. Exactly how does one keep finding three-year-olds every single day?’
Naturally filled with grievances, he still had to swallow them silently.
The moment something slips out, his body and head would separate.
Thus, instead of exposing his irritation, he asked a question to manage his emotions.
To avoid revealing to the Blood Demon in front of him that he was annoyed.
“…Is there any particular reason you prefer raw?”
“Did you suddenly develop interest?”
“No! Ah… I just… thought it’s a bit remarkable that you prefer raw without cooking or boiling…”
While saying this, the Blood Demon took another piece of soft flesh into his mouth and spoke brightly.
He sounded unusually cheerful, as if experiencing something pleasant.
No one would have guessed that what he was chewing was human flesh until told otherwise.
“When I went to the secluded island nation in the East, I observed their culture of eating raw fish. That’s when I started.”
“H-That place eats fish, not humans.”
“Have you visited the Southwest’s Nanman region? There, the savages often eat humans too. That’s how I realized… humans could make a fine food too.”
“…”
Continuing the conversation would likely make him nauseous, so the man hastily clamped his hands over his mouth to suppress a bout of nausea.
Instead of trying conversations to avoid showing his discomfort, it only increased his revulsion.
The Blood Demon, indeed, was an inhumane being.
“Ugh… I ate it quicker than expected… I was disappointed.”
The Blood Demon looked fondly at the now-empty bowl. Yearning dripped from his eyes.
Or perhaps it was copious and moist saliva.
“Could you bring one more plate… Grrk!”
The Blood Demon groaned and collapsed. The yearning in his eyes transformed into pain, and the saliva that had been trickling from his mouth turned into the red blood that had previously drenched his throat.
Gurgling spits of crimson blood erupted from his mouth into the air. His body had slipped below the royal seat.
“Damn! Khack! Khack! Fuck!!”
With a moan mixed with anger, the Blood Demon hastily pressed his hands over his mouth.
But the more he tried, the more unstoppable the spilling blood became.
“Teacher… Sect Master?”
“Haa… damn… Kack! Cough! Cough…!”
The man, concerned, watched the Blood Demon carefully.
He knew why she was like this and was fully aware of her physical state. Therefore, he dared not take any rash actions.
He could only hope that this episode would pass well.
By some twist of fate, the Blood Demon recovered.
A long while after the seizure began.
“Hahk, hahk…”
The Blood Demon slumped back onto the royal throne, blood-laden streaks pooling at the corners of his mouth.
When the man cautiously offered him a towel, the Blood Demon snatched it irritably.
He resembled a wild beast with an injured wound.
“Fucking… it wasn’t supposed to be fighting that Sword Sage brat… shit…”
Strong curses slipped from his lips.
“Even if I hadn’t suffered internal injuries…! Damn it, regretting it now is pointless!”
Lying slumped on her throne, she called to the man with a low voice.
“Isn’t Isanghwan supposed to be found already?”
“Yes, according to some underground rumors, it’s deep within the Mucheon Gorges.”
“We need to retrieve it immediately. We can no longer delay. This internal wound won’t get better just by waiting. I either need to bathe in the Precious Clear Jade Oil, or consume Isanghwan.”
“I’ll make the preparations immediately.”
“Good. You’re competent, so I trust that you’ll make it as soon as possible.”
The moment the Blood Demon’s orders ended, the man turned and left the Hall.
Watching his departing silhouette carefully, the Blood Demon called out to him shortly before he stepped outside.
“Gather the Four Demon Kings.”
