Chương 297: Her (3)

I reminisce about the past while conversing with her as Seo Li.

The second time was different from before; I had been the one to ask her out.

Kang Min-hee accepted too.

It was on the third evening since we got back together.

After work hours.

I was dumped by Kang Min-hee.

Just three days in.

"Haah..."

I snuffed out my cigarette in the smoking area and looked back.

The sunset was almost over, and it was getting dim.

"Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you? Thanks to you, I've had enough consolation for three days."

I smirked.

In various ways, we had become evil friends (frenemies).

She lit another cigarette.

"Go now."

"Smoke moderately, man."

"Hey, you're just an ex now. Just scram. Shoo."

"Probably no one else breaks up after just three days of dating."

I chuckled at this bizarre situation.

During our first relationship, she was the one to initiate and I the one to end it. But somehow, it was the opposite this time.

"What dating? It was more like I received some fancy psychotherapy. I'll transfer the therapy fee to your account later."

"You always have to say it like..."

"What? Feeling regretful now that you're letting me go?"

"Enough. I'm leaving."

I opened the door of the smoking area.

Kang Min-hee's voice followed from behind.

"Now that my therapy is done, take care of your junior, you idiot. It's suffocating to watch."

"Huh? Who? Jo? Kim?"

"Kim Yeon, you idiot. Jo is a guy, why would you care about him? She's been finding nice lunch spots for you, not because she's Michelin but because she wants to have lunch with you."

"...? But we all eat together during company dinners. Why should I pay special attention to Yeon? Is she having a hard time lately?"

"Ha, fuck.. this stupid bastard... Just get lost. I'm about to explode. See you tomorrow, Team Leader Seo."

I waved her, who's talking nonsense, off and turned around.

"Sure~ See you tomorrow, Deputy Kang."

That day was the last time we were close.

After that, we truly became 'not on good terms' as colleagues.

'Hmm, thinking back, I was indeed an idiot then.'

I had thought Kang Min-hee was joking about Kim Yeon.

Back then, Kim Yeon was just a cute junior to me.

Anyway, after that day, my relationship with Kang Min-hee became quite strange.

Publicly, we were in a very bad relationship.

But privately, although we verbally said we disliked each other, it was hard to truly hate each other.

Yes.

We had become what you would call evil friends.

However, after becoming 'evil friends' from 'enemies,' it didn't feel as suffocatingly awkward and uncomfortable as before.

"... Well, that's about all the information I have on the Nether Ghost Realm's main branch. I don't have much information about the Nether Ghost Realm itself…but interestingly, when Elder Heo Gwak reported my innate qualities to the main branch, they said 'do not come to the Nether Ghost Realm,' which is strange."

"Hmm, that is peculiar. With the talent Grand Elder Kang possesses, shouldn't the Nether Ghost Realm be more suitable?"

"That's what I thought. But I've heard…from the main branch of the Nether Ghost Realm, that a 'higher being' is always watching over, so it could be dangerous for me to go there."

"Higher beings…"

I recall the information Seo Hweol had given me in my previous life.

'The Nether Ghost Realm is always under the watchful eyes of those at the Entering Nirvana stage.'

It was said that there is a shortcut to the True Immortal Realm in the Nether Ghost Realm, and for that reason, those at the Entering Nirvana stage always keep an eye on the Nether Ghost Realm from the Astral Realm.

'Certainly, if that's the case, it could indeed be dangerous for Kang Min-hee to go there.'

Kang Min-hee pauses and fumbles around her.

Click― Soon after, she picks up a long pipe from a nearby table.

"Light."

Hssss― Then, the will-o'-the-wisp in the room moves and attaches a ghost fire to the end of her pipe.

'Always smoking in private spaces and areas where she doesn't have to worry about others…some things never change.'

"It's my room, so I'll smoke. Let me know if it bothers you."

"Haha, it's something Grand Elder wants to do, so how can I possibly object?"

"Hmm..."

At my reply, Kang Min-hee pauses to look at me.

"You, that thing on your face. It's a spell, right? Release it for a moment."

"Ah... yes."

I release the Black Devil Mask spell that has been covering my face.

Yuan Yu's beauty is then revealed before Kang Min-hee.

"Oh... you look really pretty. Hmm... but your expression is totally different, why is that..."

"Yes?"

"Never mind. You just remind me a bit of someone I used to know. Even the way you indirectly say you dislike something is exactly the same."

Even as she speaks, Kang Min-hee doesn't put out her pipe but just holds it in her mouth.

Huuuu- Blue smoke billows from her mouth.

It seems she is using quite a refined spiritual herb as tobacco.

'If she knows I don't like it, can't she just stop for a bit?'

Although it doesn't have carcinogens like those on Earth, she often smoked in places like inside cars or indoors as long as it didn't harm others, unlike me who believed cigarettes should only be smoked in designated smoking areas.

Even during the three weeks we dated, she smoked in her car when we went driving saying she doesn't consider me a stranger, which nearly killed me with discomfort.

It was her car, but that was when I confirmed that she and I really didn't match.

'I still feel quite emotional. It's been over 2000 years, yet...'

The thought that I didn't get along with Kang Min-hee is vividly recalled.

"Seo Li, was it?"

"Yes."

"You have such a strong aura of death around you that I can't quite grasp what your soul looks like... but with your qualities, you should easily reach the Heavenly Being stage. You'll probably catch up to my avatar in no time."

"Thank you."

"With the right support and some good fortune or fate, you might even reach the Four-Axis stage within 500 years... Anyway, let's try to get along well from now on. Sorry that the Ghost Soul Hall didn't accept you; it's just our policy, please understand."

"Yes, of course. I understand."

Kang Min-hee smiles and pats my shoulder.

Strangely, her touch on my shoulder doesn't stir any strong emotions.

"Have all your questions been answered? You can go now."

I bid farewell to Kang Min-hee and leave her office in the Ghost Soul Hall.

Through her, I am able to understand one thing.

'Indeed, nothing has changed since 100 years ago.'

Communicating through Jeon Myeong-hoon will only be the worst-case option.

'I really did well to bring Yeon along.'

Kim Yeon is currently registering in Temporal Fate Island and is undergoing various investigations regarding the Mad Lord.

I waited on Temporal Fate Island, thinking.

If Jeon Myeong-hoon and I were to contact her now, we would probably end up swearing at each other and hanging up.

Even if we were to meet by the Grand Cultivator's command, she would smile outwardly, but privately, she'd grow even further apart.

Still, Yeon was a junior beloved by everyone in her department, so Kang Min-hee would not likely be stern with her.

After some time, Kim Yeon emerges from Temporal Fate Island.

"Is everything settled?"

"Yes."

Reading her intent, I can tell she has something she wants to do.

"What are your plans moving forward?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Kim Yeon pulls out [Her] left arm.

"Eun-hyun Oppa, you too... I don't know how, but you're learning the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon."

"Yes. I came across it by fate."

"If so, you must have seen the enlightenment contained in this left arm, right?"

"That's right."

She looks at me.

And I'm momentarily startled by her gaze.

Her eyes are burning with a zeal I have never seen before.

"I will find out."

Squeeze…

Gripping [Her] left arm, Kim Yeon's eyes blaze even more with determination.

"The ultimate teachings of the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon left by the Mad Lord. What exactly does that scene signify? What did he gain, and what did he lose to become such a madman…"

What could it be?

It's a resolve I have never seen in my past lives.

Why has she changed from her previous selfs As I ponder, I quickly realize the reason.

'This life's Kim Yeon... although I guided her, she reached the pinnacle stage through her own strength.'

What is martial arts?

There are many definitions, but one of them is certainly 'making oneself stronger.'

A technique and a study of self-discipline.

That is what martial arts is.

She rose to the pinnacle through her own power.

It doesn't just mean she became a tiny bit stronger.

It required numerous acts of self-conquest, overcoming one's own limits.

Of course, if that was all, she might have still gone mad.

However, by connecting with her and endlessly conversing in her dreams, I prevented her from being tainted by the Mad Lord's madness.

In this life, Kim Yeon is in her most perfect state.

"Discovering the truth about the Mad Lord... and after uncovering it…"

Kim Yeon declares with firm resolve in front of me.

"I will seek revenge."

"Revenge?"

"Yes. The greatest revenge I can take on him."

Although Kim Yeon speaks of revenge, her intent appears incredibly calm and devoid of malice.

I nod.

If she has decided something about the Mad Lord, it isn't my place to question her attitude.

Returning to Heavenly Cauldron Mountain on Heavenly Human Island, the Grand Cultivators greet me.

Kim Yeon, along with Jeon Myeong-hoon and Hong Fan, has a cave residence near Heavenly Cauldron Mountain to cultivate and train.

However, Hong Fan is in the Earth Tribe territory, and Jeon Myeong-hoon is at the ruins of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect almost daily, so the three rarely meet.

'Now, I just need to make contact with Kang Min-hee through Kim Yeon...'

Unexpectedly, a Grand Cultivator meeting is suddenly called.

I am summoned to the summit of Heavenly Cauldron Mountain.

There, the projections of eight Grand Cultivators are present.

Wo-woong― Among them are the projections of Hon Won from the Heaven-Earth Palace and the secretive Tae Yeol-jeon. This is an indication of a matter of grave importance, critical enough to involve Hon Won, who is recuperating in Heaven-Earth Palace and thus makes it hard to send a projection, and Tae Yeol-jeon who is shrouded in secrecy and mystery.

I ignore the peculiar gaze that Hon Won's projection casts at me and take my seat.

"Let's begin the Grand Cultivators meeting. Thank you all for gathering. Cultivator Seo and Cultivator Hon were out, so they might not know, but a report came in recently that we absolutely cannot ignore."

The Grand Alliance Leader, Jun Jae, starts the meeting with a grave tone.

"Specifically…the information that Hyeon Eum, the Black Dragon King of the Black Dragon Race, a former ally of the Human Race, has betrayed us."

"…!"

"What the...!?"

The meeting hall is stirred.

Wi Ryeong-seon sighs deeply.

Hon Won expressionlessly taps his fingers against his crossed arms.

Then, Tae Yeol-jeon, who had been silent, speaks up.

Her projection is blurry and difficult to discern compared to the other Grand Cultivators.

Regardless, I can tell she is a woman by her voice.

"Should we punish him as a warning?"

"Let's discuss that here. First, let me summarize the situation. A few days ago, we received a report that the entrance to the True Devil Realm had collapsed. The Four-Axis stage cultivators guarding the entrance reported that a dragon named Seo Hweol, claiming to act under the orders of the Black Dragon King, caused the collapse."

It seems this Grand Cultivator meeting is due to the incident I had initiated.

"Upon questioning the Earth Tribe, it turns out that Seo Hweol is Grand Prince of the Sea Dragon Tribe and had recently gone missing. Wi Ryeong-seon was dispatched to investigate the entrance to the True Devil Realm, and Wi Su used a soul-searching method to read the memories of those Four-Axis stage cultivators.

Information from a spy within the Earth Tribe confirmed that the attacker looked exactly like Seo Hweol, and Wi Ryeong-seon found significant residues of demonic power and immortal beast strength near the entrance."

Jun Jae's statement is continued by the Chief Military Strategist, Wi Su.

"The recently missing Seo Hweol, the mysterious attacker of the True Devil Realm entrance, is of the Sea Dragon Tribe—a branch of the Black Dragon Tribe, the Black Dragon King was pointed out as being behind it, as well as... the subordinate sect of the Black Dragon King, Black Scaled Fish Commanding Sect, which is currently completing some kind of curse commissioned by the Earth Tribe. Considering all these factors, the likelihood that the current Black Dragon King, Hyeon Eum, will betray us is high."

Grand Cultivator Eung Yeon cautiously asks.

"Could it be possible that the person claiming to be Seo Hweol isn't actually him? Perhaps an internal faction within the Earth Tribe impersonated him to sabotage..."

"Based on the memories recovered through my soul-searching technique, Seo Hweol did reveal his name and backers but tried to destroy the evidence immediately afterward. Luckily, he was poisoned by the Four-Axis stage cultivators and had to release their souls. So, while we cannot dismiss the possibility of a framing, it is also likely it was indeed Seo Hweol himself."

At Wi Su's words, the expressions of the assembled Grand Cultivators darken.

Gae Jin sighs.

"Black Dragon King... why would someone of his extraordinary combat ability among those at the Integration stage choose such a time to act…?"

At that moment, Hon Won speaks harshly, arms crossed.

"We should have killed him back then. You all debating his utility and stopping me led to the situation becoming this complicated."

It seems that Hon Won had previously fought with the Black Dragon King and had nearly managed to kill him.

Eung Yeon recalls something about that incident.

"Ah, I've heard about it too.... Was it 43, 000 years ago? Cultivator Hon, and his fiancée joined forces to miraculously gain the upper hand against the Black Dragon King and tremendously..."

At this, Hon Won suddenly grows stern and glares at Eung Yeon.

From Hon Won's projection, I can see a tremendous surge of red intent.

The siblings Wi Ryeong-seon and Wi Su simultaneously speak to Eung Yeon as if they have a headache.

"Cultivator Eung!"

"Cultivator Eung, have you forgotten that it's taboo to mention 'her' in front of Cultivator Hon?"

At this, Eung Yeon coughs and averts his gaze.

"Ahem. Sorry. I've been so busy lately, I must have forgotten."

However, Hon Won growls and snaps at Eung Yeon.

"How could you forget? How?"

"No, Cultivator Hon. My apologies. I misspoke."

"Busy? Are you saying you have more duties than I, the Lord of Heaven-Earth Palace? Maybe you'd remember if your eyes were gouged out like mine?"

Kugugugu!

Terrified by the killing intent emanating from Hon Won's projection, Eung Yeon begins to tremble, and Jun Jae grimaces and coughs.

But Hon Won does not lessen his intensity even under Jun Jae's gaze.

That's when it happens.

"Cultivator. Hon."

With a clear voice, Tae Yeol-jeon speaks to Hon Won.

Suddenly, she is close to Hon Won's projection.

Flinch!

And then, I feel a chill run down my spine.

"Wait! The one named Tae Yeol-jeon..."

"Let's calm your anger. Cultivator Eung is still a young cultivator, only 8, 000 years old, so please be understanding."

"..."

At her words, Hon Won appears to flinch, then glares at Eung Yeon once more before suppressing his anger.

It seems he unconsciously dreads her.

Seeing this, Jun Jae speaks to Tae Yeol-jeon.

"Don't pressure Cultivator Hon too much, Daoist Tae. It was a deeply painful incident for him. And Cultivator Eung, please be careful in the future too, as there was such an incident involving Daoist Hon at the Grand Cultivator Meeting a few hundred years ago..."

Jun Jae seems to be watching Hon Won's reactions.

Reading his intent, it seems he is more concerned about the something related to Hon Won rather than Hon Won himself.

Tae Yeol-jeon then returns to her place.

I stare at Tae Yeol-jeon for a long while, and sensing my gaze, she briefly looks my way, then turns her head with a surprised expression in her eyes.

Jun Jae clears his throat and steers the conversation back.

"So, let's discuss what should be done about the betrayal of the Black Dragon King Hyeon Eum."

At the Grand Cultivator Meeting, opinions were divided between those advocating for immediate retribution against Black Dragon King Hyeon Eum and those suggesting waiting to see how things unfold.

Eventually, it was decided to capture Seo Hweol and use soul-searching techniques to understand what had happened, while also issuing a strong condemnation towards the Black Dragon Tribe and the Black Dragon King.

If the Black Dragon Tribe does not offer any justification and openly confirms the betrayal, then it was agreed that Tae Yeol-jeon would go to punish the Black Dragon King after which the Grand Cultivator meeting was concluded.

"Then, as discussed, Cultivator Wi will convey our message to Hyeon Eum. With that, today's Grand Cultivator meeting is adjourned."

The projections gathered at the summit of Heavenly Cauldron Mountain disappear.

Hon Won glances at me briefly before nearly vanishing at the end, and Tae Yeol-jeon struggles with handling her ill-defined projection.

"Daoist Tae, are you having trouble managing your projection?"

"Oh, Cultivator Seo. Please understand. The technique of sending projections or clones isn't my specialty, and I always get confused about how to dispel them.""

"I see... Daoist Tae, may I ask you something?"

At my question, she smiles.

"I had a feeling you'd ask that. Everyone was shocked when I first joined the Grand Cultivator meeting, and later, when Cultivator Eung first became a Grand Cultivator, he was shocked to learn my true identity. You might be feeling the same, Cultivator Seo? No, perhaps it's a bit different for you since you're like me..."

I sigh softly at her words.

"Daoist Tae, are you... indeed from the Heart Tribe?"

She is from the Heart Tribe.

And she reached the First Step Before the Throne that's equivalent to the Integration stage at that.

Her subsequent words make me realize that Tae Yeol-jeon is more extraordinary than I had thought.

"Yes, I lack talent in the Path of Cultivation, being only at the Core Formation stage... but I accidentally entered the way of the Heart Tribe and was mentored by the Esteemed One, from whom I inherited the Fighting Spirit, finally reaching this realm."

Tae Yeol-jeon, smiling through her avatar, says,

"As this is our first meeting, let me properly introduce myself. My name is Tae Yeol-jeon. I am one of the twenty-three direct disciples of Heaven-Collapsing Esteemed One."

Wo-woong!

I see a vision where the chilling sharp energy emanating from the clone seems to slice through my throat.

Sreung— The clone grasps the void, and Heaven and Earth spiritual energy coalesces to form a willow leaf saber (柳葉刀, liuyedao).

"Since we've met as fellow Heart Tribe members, there's something we ought to do, right?"

Sweating from the formidable killing intent, I simultaneously feel a dizzying thrill.

"It would be an honor. Please advise."

Earth Tribe True Dragon Alliance.

Black Dragon King's cave residence.

Inside, Hyeon Eum frowns as he receives reports from his subordinates.

"Why has everything become so complicated? Where has Seo Hweol gone now, and why did he destroy the entrance to the True Devil Realm using my name!"

He clutches his throbbing head and scolds his subordinate.

"Damn it… Why did it turn out like this…? The plan has gone awry."

After sitting alone in contemplation for a while, Hyeon Eum opens and then closes his eyes.

He hardens his expression, gets up from his seat, and heads down to the underground of his cave residence.

"It seems... I need to communicate with the main body."

As he descends into the underground, the cave residence of the Black Dragon King falls silent.

It stays quiet for an hour or two.

Kwaaaang!

Until a strange beam of light that comes flying from somewhere hits Hyeon Eum's cave residence before anything else.

Clink, clink, clink, clink...

A bizarre fortress is flying towards the Black Dragon King Hyeon Eum's cave residence.