Chapter 112 – The Sea of Stillness
The Heavenly Demon Palace.
There, I faced the Heavenly Demon one-on-one, with Mugeuk-i in tow.
“Is that the Firebird?”
Lee Seryeong spoke in a calm voice.
There wasn’t any unusual aura mixed into it, nor did she use martial arts. Even so, her voice alone made my heart pound.
At least it was fortunate that the trembling I’d suffered before seed to have been the effect of sorcery. After being showered in Mugeuk-i’s flas, I didn’t shake like a madman the way I had then.
“Yes. It’s a Divine Beast called the Infinite Heavenly Fla, said to be the direct bloodline of the Vermillion Bird among the Four Directional Deities.”
“I see. No wonder I thought it slled savory.”
I had briefly forgotten that Lee Seryeong possessed the ability to sense the fragrance of qi. Saying it slled savory probably ant simply the scent of fire—but Mugeuk-i sohow interpreted it otherwise, lowering his head in fright.
Normally, Mugeuk-i—who possessed the qi of fire—should have puffed himself up in front of soone who cultivated Ice Arts.
“Co here.”
Piiiik—
Mugeuk-i shook his head even harder than he had with , trembling in fear.
Lee Seryeong’s eyebrows drooped downward.
Mugeuk-i.
I sent Mugeuk-i a sound transmission. The advantage of using Puppet Transmission was that, unlike ordinary sound transmission, it wasn’t vulnerable to eavesdropping. Even Lee Seryeong wouldn’t catch the sound carried by the power of a Treasured Relic.
If you don’t want to end up grilled for real, go.
Piiiik!
With clear reluctance, Mugeuk-i waddled forward, as if afraid to take flight despite being a bird.
“Ohh.”
Lee Seryeong sounded intrigued.
“So it can understand words. Co up here.”
She tapped her own lap while sitting on the jade throne. Mugeuk-i hopped up and climbed onto her knees.
[Impudent creature.]
Skybreaker muttered like he was jealous of a pet.
“Hm.”
anwhile, Lee Seryeong stroked the Infinite Heavenly Fla sitting on her lap.
“It’s quite warm. What is this little one’s na?”
“I nad him Mugeuk, after the Infinite Heavenly Fla.”
“An inconvenient na indeed. It’ll be troubleso to call him that in front of Cheol Mugeuk from the Iron Mountain Cheol Clan.”
Lee Seryeong smiled as though she were holding a warm teacup on a cold winter day.
Soone who always wore an expression close to an icy mask—smiling?
Mugeuk-i’s destructive power was trendous!
“Good.”
Piiiik!
But Mugeuk-i didn’t look so good. Frost began to gather faintly on the tips of feathers where flas should have been burning.
“Supre One.”
“Mm? Ah, I see.”
Lee Seryeong stopped petting him.
Piiik…
Mugeuk-i let out a weak chirp.
“I must have gotten too excited. My apologies, Mugeuk-i.”
She pulled her hand back with an embarrassed look. Mugeuk-i shook his head, whether out of fear or sincerity, I wasn’t sure.
Strange.
[What is?]
The Heavenly Demon.
[Impudent. Do not speak of the Supre One so casually.]
Whatever. But is it possible for soone on her level to leak qi without realizing it?
[Impossible.]
Even at First-rate, one could control their body and qi with precision; by Peak, that control was near perfect. And those at Transcendent Peak or higher could move their qi entirely according to their will.
Lee Seryeong had suffered severe internal injuries. Fighting Do Il-gwang? From her perspective, that was nothing. She’d been injured while researching the Heavenly Demon Divine Art—training to reach an ultimate realm.
She’d been trying to reproduce the Heavenly Demon Divine Art using the Ice Arts she cultivated.
Which is why I gave her the Ice Crystal.
The Jade that had been the core of White Witch Baek Sohyang—an Ice Crystal in which the energy of ice was concentrated.
With that crystal, she should’ve been able to heal at least part of her injuries.
So she didn’t consu the crystal? Why?
While I was thinking, the Heavenly Demon t my gaze. Her eyebrows curved like crescents.
Her beauty was terrifyingly exquisite.
Looking at her didn’t make think of dating or lust. It was closer to the reverent beauty of a sacred work of art.
Naturally, my mind wavered again.
I barely cald myself. Facing soone on an entirely different level was exhausting in many ways.
Still, I let the topic slip out lightly.
“The gift I presented you… you did not consu it?”
At my words, Lee Seryeong’s smile deepened.
“Could I recklessly consu such a precious ‘tribute’?”
Her smile almost stunned , but the word tribute snapped back to reality.
Right—behind that inhuman beauty was an obsessive, unhinged yandere.
She wouldn’t erupt right now, but caution never hurt.
And to return to my original world, I needed freedom of movent.
Requesting the tasks had also been a way to accumulate the justification for that freedom.
“Return.”
Piiiik—!!
Mugeuk-i gleefully scampered toward , obvious enough to be insulting.
Seeing that, the corners of Lee Seryeong’s mouth subtly dipped.
I glanced at her. After a few fake coughs, she returned to her unreadable expression.
“What do you plan to do with the Infinite Heavenly Fla?”
“At the request of Cheol Mugeuk of the Iron Mountain Cheol Clan, I intend to keep it by his side for the ti being.”
Keeping them together made it easier to tease Cheol Mugeuk, and frankly, their abilities had exceptionally good compatibility.
The owner of the Fla Jade, which governed all fire, and a Divine Beast possessing an eternal fla—of course they fit well.
Naturally, actual ownership remained mine.
“Not only did you subdue the Firebird, you have contributed to the Demon Cult through it once more. You perford the task admirably.”
“You praise too highly. Please retract it.”
“I shall consider the first task completed.”
I bowed.
“As for the second task, I shall inform you again in the near future.”
“I shall obey.”
“And—”
Clearing her throat, Lee Seryeong looked away for no reason.
“Could you bring the Infinite Heavenly Fla to visit occasionally?”
It seed Mugeuk-i had quite pleased her.
“As you wish. Among my subordinates, I have a child nad Cho Ryang. Through him—”
“No.”
Lee Seryeong shook her head.
“You must co. One such as he may be swept away by my presence.”
“Yes, Supre One.”
True—Cho Ryang was still young and weak. He might lose his mind entirely.
[Tsk tsk.]
I could forget for a second, alright?
[I don’t know whether I should like or resent that you dwell in my body.]
What are you even saying.
I bowed again, and Lee Seryeong descended from the jade throne and left the great hall.
“Haa… Mugeuk-i. A little fla.”
Piiiik!
Mugeuk-i shot a small fla at , but it didn’t change anything. My fatigue was purely ntal.
“Let’s go.”
I stepped outside with Mugeuk-i.
As always, Gu Jin-gyeong, the Heavenly Demon’s steward, saw off. He wore a subtly pleased smile that I couldn’t decipher.
That’s terrifying.
A stiff, stoic man wearing a warm smile—that was far scarier.
As he escorted , Gu Jin-gyeong spoke.
“When ascending to the Heavenly Demon Palace where the Supre One resides, using lightfoot techniques is forbidden in the Ascension Valley. Just like you, Clan Head Sado. Is that not so?”
“It is.”
“However—”
He jerked his chin toward Mugeuk-i.
“There is no rule that says one must not take to the sky.”
“…What are you implying?”
“Affection cos from frequent contact, Clan Head Sado. Rember this. For you, the sky above the Heavenly Demon Palace shall always remain open.”
He even winked.
Chilling. It felt like hearing a murder warning right before my eyes. There used to be a famous pro wrestler with an undertaker gimmick who delivered chokeslams… it felt like seeing his signature move up close.
“…Understood.”
As I exited the palace gates, sothing Gu Jin-gyeong had said brought an idea to mind.
“Mugeuk-ah. Could you give a ride?”
Piiiik—!
Mugeuk-i nodded and grew back to his original size.
Soon, he gestured with his head for to climb on. I sat on his back, grabbing a large feather behind his head. Surprisingly comfortable.
Piiiik!
Flutter, flutter—
With a few flaps, Mugeuk-i shot into the sky.
The world warped like colors swirling in spilled paint.
“Whoa!”
A cry escaped before I realized it.
From this great height, all of Mount Ten Thousand Demon Peaks was laid out beneath .
Below, buildings were the size of fingernails.
[Aren’t you scared?]
We have Supre Reign, don’t we.
[Not much internal energy left though.]
“Ah.”
[A joke. Regulating your fall would be easy enough.]
If worst ca to worst, I could Spatial Shift into a river or lake. The montum would still transfer, so the impact would be harsh, but better than hitting bare earth.
With a body tempered by the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, I could withstand that much.
Anyway—
The view from up here was incredible.
Everything below looked insignificant—people struggling in their little lives.
So this was why people enjoyed flying on airplanes while traveling.
Funny, considering I’d never ridden one in reality. Too busy surviving to go on a trip.
“Can you fly a little higher?”
Piiiik—!
As if bracing himself, Mugeuk-i flapped once then soared upward.
He pierced through the clouds.
A vast sea made of cotton candy spread before .
It was a sea of stillness, where nothing could be heard except the wind and Mugeuk-i’s wingbeats.
For a human to float leisurely above the clouds like this…
For a mont, I wondered: if the Heavenly Demon ever chased , could I escape into the sky?
But with Lee Seryeong, she could tear open the clouds and appear any mont she wished.
“Let’s go down, Mugeuk-ah. You worked hard. Let’s go ask Cheol Mugeuk for so fire.”
Piiiik~!
Letting out a cheerful cry, Mugeuk-i plunged downward. My vision blurred rapidly, and then—
“Hmm?”
The Baekhwae River, the passage connecting Mount Ten Thousand Demon Peaks to the Martial World.
At its far end, sothing like acrid smoke was burning.
[What is that?]
“Mugeuk-ah. We need to go there.”
Piiiik!
Mugeuk-i sped toward the Baekhwae River.
And what we found there—
“Sado… Clan Head… Clan Head…”
A half-destroyed, burning transport ship—and Hwang Sogun, gravely wounded.
The remaining crew of the ship—
“Were turned to ash?”
[Hey, Ghost. Hwang Sogun’s body is on fire.]
I looked closely—on his back, a tiny ember burned.
One might think it could simply be brushed off, but no.
It was a minuscule spark—yet it didn’t go out. It continued burning Hwang Sogun’s body.
I recognized its nature.
It was a fla that would not extinguish until the will within it was severed.
“Ambushed… barely… escaped… escaped…?”
Hwang Sogun forced out more words.
“Maeng… Wi…hak…”
It was the qi of Sword Saint Maeng Wihak.
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