Deep within Kunlun Mountain, far from the secular world, in a hidden abode, a blue-haired girl sat cross-legged. Her gentle, ethereal appearance masked a far less delicate reality; those who spoke with her quickly shed any illusions.
Her isolation wasn’t solely due to her status in Kunlun.
"!!"
In the stillness of spring, ditating silently, she snapped her eyes open and leapt to her feet.
The heavens have spoken!
She rushed to seize an item—a bundle of wooden plaques inscribed with the eight trigrams: Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, Kun. Clutching them, she closed her eyes.
Woooom.
The air around her stirred with celestial energy, an indescribable current neither rising nor falling. Even in Kunlun, a land of Taoists seeking immortality close to the heavens, this was beyond mortal reach.
Crackle.
A streak of blue lightning struck her crown from the swirling celestial currents, dissipating instantly, leaving no trace.
"...How dare they!" she hissed, her eyes blazing with fury at the heavens’ revelation.
A re fortune-teller, mocking the heavens, insulting the sky with arrogance—it was unforgivable. Who had received the heavens’ rcy, only to repay it with ingratitude?
I won’t forgive this.
Education was needed. The heavens hadn’t sent this vision for her to kill them—only to teach a lesson.
Shing.
No ti to linger in the mountains. Checking on that Demonic Cult woman was important, but she’d holed up in her cult, indifferent to the secular world. A brief detour wouldn’t cause chaos.
If only that monster would die of old age. She’d love for her to rot away naturally, but waiting was foolish. That creature caused the heavens no small trouble.
She couldn’t interfere directly, but she could act elsewhere—teaching an ungrateful foreigner their place. That was her task now.
Dan Yuseong’s POV
"Wow, the damage is insane. Must’ve been a huge fight," I said, staring at the wreckage.
"Y-Yeah, seems so," the Sword Empress replied, her voice tight.
After breakfast, we’d visited the tavern from last night’s incident. The destruction was undeniable—half the building had collapsed. It’d be a long ti before they could reopen.
"Ugh, I told that woman to just warn them, not smash everything!" a man muttered nearby, clutching a splintered piece of wood.
Reactions around the ruined tavern varied. So rchants, perhaps rivals, gloated. Others lanted the loss of foot traffic the tavern drew.
This world’s really dangerous, I thought. Who’d have imagined this massive tavern reduced to rubble overnight? If I were an architect here, I’d question my career. What’s the point of building if a few sword swings could level it?
After surveying the wreckage, the Sword Empress and I left. Our brief escapade was over—it was ti to head back. Sohow, we’d ended up in Guangdong from Anhui. The journey back to Shaanxi would be long.
"Should we head straight to Shaanxi? Or stop sowhere—"
"Straight to Shaanxi," she cut in firmly.
"Alright, sure," I agreed.
The tavern’s drinks had been phenonal, but after last night, I didn’t crave more just yet. If I had any desire, it was for sightseeing—but trouble seed to follow everywhere. Even with a reliable bodyguard like the Sword Empress, I couldn’t relax.
What a chaotic world.
Maybe I should just return to Shaanxi, reopen my fortune-telling shop, and live quietly.
Dang Ayeong.
Her na felt strangely distant. Before the Sword Empress, she’d been my greatest ally in Shaanxi after I’d escaped the mountains into this world. She’d helped set up my shop, protected from rough custors, and even taught basic self-defense out of concern.
Not that I’d ever had to use it.
Wonder if she’s been waiting long?
Co to think of it, it had been quite a while since I left Shaanxi. I’d ant to send a letter now and then if my absence dragged on, but being whisked away to Guangdong hadn’t exactly left room for that.
Dang Ayeong wasn’t a plant—she’d manage fine without . Still, as my only real "friend" in this world, it was natural to miss her a little.
"Miss, here’s the information you requested."
"Thank you," Dang Ayeong replied, unfolding the paper to review the details she’d commissioned through the Beggar’s Sect.
It tracked the movents of the "Faceless Golden Ghost."
I didn’t want to resort to this, but he’s been gone far too long, she thought. Calling it a trip didn’t justify the absence. A letter would’ve sufficed if it was going to drag on like this. Waiting endlessly without a word was enough to fray anyone’s patience.
"The last trace was in Anhui?" she asked, her eyes scanning the report.
"Yes," the informant replied. "After that, no matter how much they searched, he vanished."
"Hmm..."
Had he been kidnapped by bandits? The thought of his fragile fra sparked a flicker of worry. But the next line shifted her mood entirely.
[Before disappearing, he had a companion. Female. According to the coachn, they looked like a married couple.]
Crunch.
The paper crumpled in her grip.
"...Miss?" the informant ventured cautiously.
"What?" she snapped, her tone sharp enough to make him flinch.
"N-Nothing!"
Whether he’d return to Shaanxi and reopen his shop remained uncertain.
What is a Taoist?
To common folk, they’re reclusive eccentrics dwelling in mountains, abstaining from liquor and at, chasing immortality. But eting one often shatters that image, leaving people bewildered.
True Taoists, the genuine ones, stay far from the secular world, rarely crossing paths with others, which skews perceptions. Most self-proclaid Taoists are little more than martial artists in na, compromising with human desires and the realities of the world.
Dan Yuseong’s POV
Clop, clop.
The steady rhythm of horses’ hooves against the ground filled the carriage as I stared blankly out the window, my eyes lifeless.
How many days had we been riding? At least two weeks.
The realization hit again—why I’d risked escaping the mountains into the martial world, despite its dangers.
Boredom.
So might call it a trivial reason, but not . Imagine going from Earth’s real-ti entertainnt and blazing internet to a world where letters travel by carrier pigeon.
Why’d it have to be a martial world? I lanted for the hundredth ti since arriving.
Next to possessing this body, it was my biggest grievance. A fantasy world might’ve offered magic-powered faucets or so semblance of comfort. But no—this was a martial world with primitive technology and might-makes-right rules.
If I’d had a choice at the start, I’d have picked fantasy without hesitation.
Still, I’d adapted sohow. If given the chance to return to Earth now, I’d hesitate. Ten years ago, maybe not, but I’d built mories and bonds here. Going back alone would feel bittersweet.
Oh, right.
I opened the shop window for the first ti in a while. As always, one item lood at the top.
[Return]
[Price: 10,000 points]
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