Chapter 319: After the Fire (4)

Cheong gave it some real thought. What was weighing on her mind?

"Here. Don't just stand there like a scarecrow. Sit."

The Heavenly Martial Emperor tapped the stone floor in front of him with a long, condensed thread of sword force emanating from his blade. It was a new usage of sword energy Cheong hadn’t seen before.

"That's... stone, though. Don’t people usually offer a seat beside them? There’s plenty of room on that boulder."

"You planning to sass your elder? If I sit here, then naturally your butt belongs on the ground. Judging by how much meat you got on those cheeks, you don’t need a cushion. Bet you're nice and plush wherever you sit."

"That’s seriously supposed to be my subconscious talking? You think I want to be talked to like that?"

"Beats me. Maybe you’ve got some deep-seated beef with your body. So? You gonna keep standing? Suit yourself."

So Cheong sat. Damn it, it was stone.

Supporting herself with one hand, she lifted her butt slightly and swept beneath with the other. A few brisk sweeps with the young Water Ox Demon Art sent the grit and pebbles flying.

"Now. Look up."

The Heavenly Martial Emperor pointed his blade skyward with a thread of sword energy. Cheong leaned back, lifting her gaze—

"Oh."

The sky above was a sea of stars—white, blue, red, and pale, glittering and flowing like a river.

The Milky Way. Like she’d only ever seen on screens back home. The kind of photo so over-edited it might as well be fantasy. Maybe it was thanks to transcendent eyesight. Maybe it was because medieval Murim hadn't developed petrochemicals, and even coal was rarely used, leaving the air pure. Maybe it was because there was no manmade light to banish the dark. Maybe it was all of the above. On a land untouched by pollution and human glow, seen through inhuman eyes.

"That’s Tianhe. The Heavenly River."

To the people of the Central Plains, the sky is black. They’re taught that from birth. The character for heaven, ‘cheon,’ is written alongside the character for black: ‘hyeon.’ Heaven is black, earth is yellow—cheonjihyeonhwang. That’s why they call a clear day a blue-sky-white-sun day, and bright noon simply high noon, but night? Night is just night. No one says "black sky." No need to add black to what is already black. Same as how, even back home, you wouldn’t say “black Black person.”

"Those Zhongnan bastards are obsessed with stars. Heaven's Thirty-Six Swords. Celestial Star Sword. Infinite Pole Sword. Silver River Meteor. Grand Supreme Divine Art. Galactic Heavenly River Divine Art. Primal Heaven Art. Big Dipper Divine Art. Galactic Wandering Flight. North Star Heavenly River Formation. It’s all stars, stars, stars."

"They sound cool, though."

"Tch. Look at the heavens again. Every person is born with a star. That’s why there are as many stars as there are heads in the world."

"Pretty sure there are way more stars."

"And how would you know? You count them all? Counted every human on Earth and every star in the sky?"

"Well, no. But it’s just common knowle—wait, if we go by your logic, don’t you have to count them too before claiming they’re equal?"

"Tch. Splitting hairs like a brat. You a kid? Huh? You’re grown, right? Though you’re grown way too much in the wrong places."

Oh come on. Seriously? Cheong was left speechless. Was he the greatest martial artist in the land or the king of verbal takedowns?

"Why bother arguing when a blade does the job just fine? One clean stab and done."

"Can you not keep reading my mind?"

"Anyway. Each person bears a star inside them. That’s what we call one’s celestial nature—a destiny ordained by heaven, born as starlight."

"Mm. In my world, stars do more than just shine. They scream and stuff."

"...? Why are we talking about space now?"

To a Murim native, there is no concept of ‘outer space.’ Only the Heavens Beyond Heavens, the Daoist immortal realms, or the Buddhist Three Thousand Worlds stacked vertically. To them, the word for ‘universe’ refers to space and time itself—not anything outside the sky.

"Whatever. The problem is, your star—it’s a damn evil one. A malignant star if there ever was one. And the timing of its transit is all wrong. It shouldn’t even be lighting this world up yet. So why the hell are you carrying a celestial killing star like that inside you? Huh?"

"How would I know? What even is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you were born a first-rate fucking psycho. Now. Tell me. You feel it, don’t you?"

The way he talks... Cheong just let it slide.

"Mm. Honestly? People keep telling me I’m not qualified. And I don’t know. I just... wanna head in a good direction? Somehow?"

"Good direction how?"

"Like... maybe killing is fun? Like, I love hearing them sob and scream while pissing themselves? Like it never gets old? Like I just wanna keep doing it?"

"I came down here expecting some mess, but you’re even worse than I thought. You’re the textbook definition of a grand demon."

"Wait—did you just say came down here—"

The Heavenly Martial Emperor cut her off.

"You say that, but your karma's sky-high."

"Oh! So you can see karma too?"

Cheong perked up. Wait, seriously? It’s not just her? She wasn’t the weird one?

The Heavenly Martial Emperor gave her a mocking smirk.

"Scrub-tier chumps like you wouldn’t know a damn thing."

"Excuse me, but °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° I’m kind of a big deal."

"Since when is a peak-stage master a big deal? Maybe once you hit the Profound Realm, you can call yourself a baby. You only start seeing things clearly once you cross into Life-and-Death. So tell me, why does a brat like you have karma like that?"

"Because I kill bad people, obviously. I only go after the ones who deserve it. That’s a good thing, right? Beneficial to the world and all."

"No problem with that. But go on."

"And yet, they all say the same damn thing. Who are you to judge? And yeah, that gets under your skin. I mean... I’m just enjoying a hobby that happens to help society, right? It’s not like I go around calling myself Heaven's Punishment."

"And?"

"And it just makes me think. Am I in the right? Do I deserve to? Maybe even the bad guys don’t stay bad forever. Maybe one in a hundred could change. Maybe."

"Funny thing to say for someone who kills without blinking."

"Yeah, well. One bad guy changing means a lot of good people suffering in the meantime. Why should they suffer just so one dirtbag gets a shot at redemption? Those good people could be doing better things with their time."

"Mm. Not sure where to even start with this. But I hear you. That’s the most womanly nonsense I’ve ever heard. You sound like a real piece of work."

Another barrage of verbal abuse, out of nowhere. Cheong grimaced.

"Seriously, why again?"

"You want someone on your side, don’t you? Want me to say your killing is justified, that karma proves Heaven gave you a license to be the world’s executioner. That you’re righteous. And that’s just typical girl crap. You kill people and then go, 'I didn’t mean it like that! Say I’m still good!' If that’s not garbage-tier, what is it?"

"I could really use some comfort here, you know? I might go off the deep end. I could turn full evil cultivator!"

The Heavenly Martial Emperor snorted.

"Comfort, my ass. If it’s the path you chose, don’t beg for understanding. Don’t run from the outcome. Own it. That’s what it means to be a martial artist. Damn right."

"So even if I do go nuts and start slicing everyone up, you’ll just be like 'cool story, bro'?"

"Then the whole world will rise to stop you. And you hate being hated, don’t you?"

"Well..."

"Now then. The Seventh Form: Gazing at the Moon, Forgetting the Finger."

"Wait—you’re teaching me a form now? Just like that?"

"Watch closely."

The Heavenly Martial Emperor drew his sword and swung once vertically, once horizontally.

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

"You didn’t even use sword energy."

"Sword energy is starlight. But once you’ve seen the moon, you forget the finger that pointed to it. When you reach the star your blade aimed for, forget the light that led you. Once you stop leaning on Heaven, once you stop following destiny, once you become the center of the world by understanding your own heart—then your sword no longer needs to shine."

Cheong turned back and gawked.

At some point, a massive cross-shaped scar had burned itself into the cliff wall. Ten palms wide. Ten palms tall.

Seventh Form of the Lone Ancient Sword: Gazing at the Moon, Forgetting the Finger.

"Back in the day, Taoists were called heaven-defiers. Seeking to escape the lifespan Heaven allotted. Seeking immortality. Seeking endless youth and pleasure with a different concubine every night."

"Did you have to put it like that?"

"And that’s why ancient Daoist arts were all like that. Arrays to fool Heaven’s eyes. Elixirs made of forbidden shit no human should eat. Yin-yang coupling to raise internal energy without ever actually conceiving children."

Over time, defying Heaven became obeying it. Since Zhongyangzi solidified the Way of Quanzhen, cultivation became about understanding Heaven’s will and merging with it.

"But humans shouldn’t do that. Don't just accept your nature. Overcome it. Understand your heart and move it by your own will."

"Uh, wait. Hold on."

Suddenly her mind wavered. The world blurred. Stars traced huge arcs across the sky.

"Fate is the celestial star you were born with. Talent, wickedness, low birth—all the same. People despair, say ‘What could I do, being born this way?’ But will you just sit there and sigh forever? Humans are born to change the world."

The Heavenly Martial Emperor rose to his feet.

For a moment, that frail old man standing on solid ground seemed larger than the world itself.

"You were born with the harshest of stars. Struggle. Suffer. Think fiercely. And one day, when you can move your heart by your own will, you won’t be shaken by starlight."

Amid all that, the brilliance of the old man’s humanity radiated through him. And though his expression was unreadable, somehow it felt like he was smiling.

Cheong’s body moved on its own and drew her sword.

"W-wait, what?"

"You have to swing it once, at least. Peak stage? Your cultivation’s a joke, so you're gonna be a wreck for a while. Don’t even think about viewing another Sword Wall for at least two months or you will die."

Come to think of it, that smile looked awfully sly.

"Hold on a—AARGH!"

Her danjeon roared. Her inner energy surged, flooding every meridian.

Even with mastery over countless sacred arts and a qi flow beyond her level, her raw inner strength was overwhelming. Her main meridian, the danjung-hyeol, failed first, tearing open.

Agony. Her whole qi flow went berserk.

Why wasn’t her inner energy listening—

And Cheong realized.

Oh shit. I’m fucked.