Chapter 217

“The martial tournament?”

“Yes. Now that a new Alliance Leader has been chosen, a tournament will be held to demonstrate that the Martial Alliance remains strong. If you make an impression on the Alliance’s leading figures while they’re all gathered in one place, wouldn’t it be much easier to achieve what you want? Anyone who reaches the main tournament earns the right to join the Alliance.”

My eyes lit up at the unexpected suggestion. Seeing my interest, Danmok Seol smiled and continued.

“Even if nothing comes of that, it will be a valuable experience. They’ll offer prizes tempting enough to attract promising young martial artists from across the martial world, so you’ll have the opportunity to test yourself against some exceptionally skilled opponents.”

“If I win, could I join the Demon Extermination Corps straightaway?”

“I’m afraid that would be difficult. Newly admitted young martial artists customarily spend a year in the Dragon and Phoenix Corps. Still, your identity is beyond question, Poison Butterfly. You might be able to transfer to the Demon Extermination Corps after that first year.”

“Then, could you tell me...?”

Struggling to contain my excitement, I began asking her for more details about the tournament.

According to Danmok Seol, this tournament would be the grandest held in nearly a hundred years.

It was a rare opportunity to unite the orthodox factions and elevate the Martial Alliance’s standing.

It would also allow the new Alliance Leader to settle the internal unrest surrounding his appointment and gauge the attitudes of the sects belonging to the Alliance.

“The growing strength of the unorthodox factions and the Murderous Fiend is deeply troubling. There must be someone within the orthodox side cooperating with them... Ah, of course, I’m not suggesting the Tang Clan is involved! Please don’t misunderstand.”

Danmok Seol hurried to explain herself, looking as though she had just realized she had said more than she intended.

I pretended not to notice and listened without pressing her.

After telling me a few more things, she mentioned that an invitation would soon arrive at the Tang Clan as well, then rose from her seat.

“I’m afraid I must excuse myself, Poison Butterfly. I have another engagement to attend to.”

“Of course. Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice.”

“Since Deokju is with you, I won’t assign anyone else to accompany you. Oh, and if you’re interested in our Sichuan branch, please feel free to look around. Someone as talented as you would always be welcome here.”

After lamenting her staffing difficulties—everyone wanted to work at headquarters, while hardly anyone was willing to accept an assignment in Sichuan—Danmok Seol finally left.

Deokju, who had been standing quietly beside me, spoke.

“Would you like to look around, my lady?”

“Shall we? I’ve never been here before.”

I accepted her offer and followed her on a tour of the Sichuan branch.

My mind was elsewhere, though, and I barely heard a word of Deokju’s explanations.

I was too busy turning Danmok Seol’s words over in my head.

Anyone who reaches the main tournament earns the right to join the Alliance.

This was my chance.

What could be more natural than a promising young martial artist joining the Martial Alliance after earning the opportunity through a tournament?

No one would suspect my true intentions in joining the Alliance.

Having to spend a year in the Dragon and Phoenix Corps was a bit of a drawback, but I doubted a better opportunity would come along.

Deokju watched me wrestle with the decision before cautiously speaking up.

“Um, my lady.”

“Hmm?”

“As you know, poison cannot be used in friendly sparring matches. You’ll need to prepare extensively.”

She looked a little worried as she offered the warning. I nodded.

“I know. I’ll just have to accept that.”

“But why are you interested in the Demon Extermination Corps...? Ah, never mind. I’ve overstepped.”

My expression must have hardened without my realizing it, because Deokju flinched and swallowed the rest of her question.

I smiled and offered an excuse.

“I’ve just become interested in it, that’s all. I’d like to meet the Spear King. Brother Un has told me a lot about him.”

Apparently, my clumsy excuse was convincing enough. Deokju’s expression relaxed.

“He used to visit the Tang Clan quite often. He’s very fond of the Second Young Master, so I’m sure he’ll take a liking to you as well, my lady.”

Judging by Deokju’s confidence, Ak Jibaek and Tang Un must be quite close.

Admiring a supreme master so much that I wanted to follow in his footsteps was a plausible enough story. I could always use Grandfather as an excuse, too. I would have to mix the two together whenever anyone else asked.

“By the way, what’s the prize for winning?”

“I’ve heard there’s a strong possibility they’ll offer a Great Return Pill.”

“Really? Not a Small Return Pill?”

“The new Alliance Leader is the Abbot of Shaolin, after all. Offering such a valuable prize would also send a message to the other sects: Shaolin is investing this much in the Alliance’s unity, so they should cooperate as well.”

“I see... If they really put up a Great Return Pill, every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the martial world will come running.”

Even someone who knew nothing about the world would have heard that Shaolin’s Great Return Pill was a legendary medicine capable of bringing a dying patient back from the brink.

There was even a saying that the medicine held in the Medicine Buddha’s hand was a Great Return Pill.

No doubt countless people would be so dazzled by the prize that they would rush to enter the tournament.

Deokju seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

“Yes. I imagine quite a few wanderers will enter while concealing their identities. A Great Return Pill is practically an extra life.”

She looked at me as though she wanted to ask whether I was seriously considering entering the tournament.

But from everything I had heard, I had no reason not to.

An opportunity to join the Alliance and a Great Return Pill into the bargain? That was two birds with one stone.

A Great Return Pill could increase my cultivated power dramatically. It could also restore the balance between my essence, energy, and spirit.

And perhaps...

It might even quiet this strange blue energy.

I lowered my gaze toward my core.

The blue energy, which had somehow become a part of me, had dissolved into my poisonous energy until almost none of its original color remained.

Yet every so often, it would release a refreshing coolness, making its presence known.

Whenever it did, I felt a strange discomfort mingled with an equally inexplicable sense of reassurance.

Where on earth had this energy come from?

A Taoist medicinal pill? The inner core of some extraordinary creature?

Sohae.

There was a voice I could faintly remember, so there had to be something...

Deokju’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“...My lady. My lady? Are you all right?”

“Oh, sorry, Deokju. I was thinking about something else for a moment. Let’s go home.”

I rubbed my forehead and turned around.

Whether I wanted to enter the tournament or join the Alliance, I would have to get Grandfather’s permission first.

...Would he even agree?

Lately, Grandfather had been less than pleased with my martial arts training.

Worried that I might fall prey to my inner demons, he had forbidden me from circulating my inner force without his guidance and stayed beside me throughout my early-morning training.

Considering how much he had suffered on my account, I could understand his precautions.

But I couldn’t remain stuck where I was forever.

How was I supposed to persuade him?

I was anxiously chewing on my lip as I entered the inner compound when I noticed someone standing outside my quarters.

The familiar, immaculate white Taoist robes drew a startled squeak from me.

“E-Elder Sword Immortal?”

“It has been a while, young lady. It is even more delightful to see you here at the Tang Clan.”

The Taiji Sword Immortal caught my eye and waved, laughing heartily.

“H-how did you get here...? No, I mean, have you been waiting long?”

Startled by the unexpected visitor, I hurried toward him. He waved a hand as though telling me to calm down.

“Goodness, there is no need to rush, young lady. I have just been to see Elder Tang and thought I would stop by to see your face before leaving.”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll have some tea prepared right away.”

“No need for tea. I have already filled my belly with Mengding tea. I would gladly accept a cup of wine, but it would hardly be proper for an old Daoist like me to cadge a drink from a young lady, so I shall refrain.”

He patted his stomach playfully, then gestured toward the entrance to my quarters, silently asking whether he might come inside.

I nodded and quickly showed him into the reception room.

Once we were seated across from each other, the Taiji Sword Immortal smiled warmly.

“It is good to see you again. Have the golden needles been serving you well?”

“Yes, very well. Thank you for giving me such precious weapons, Elder.”

“Every object is useful when put to its proper purpose. To this old man, those needles would be little more than toothpicks, but in your hands, they make fine weapons, do they not?”

He laughed heartily and stroked his beard.

After asking about this and that, he casually brought up Jinseong.

“It is a shame Jinseong could not come with me. He is in closed-door seclusion, so I had to make the journey alone.”

“Closed-door seclusion? Since when?”

“About a year now. It seems his time with you gave him a great deal to think about. He entered the seclusion cave almost as soon as you left.”

Wait, how much more of a monster is he planning to become?

Was the gap I had worked so hard to narrow going to widen all over again?

My expression stiffened at the thought, and the Taiji Sword Immortal burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! No wonder he found you such a challenge. There are scarcely any youngsters who openly show such a competitive spirit toward that boy.”

“Ah, Elder, it’s not that...”

I belatedly realized I had failed to keep my expression under control and tried to explain myself, but the Taiji Sword Immortal seemed entirely unbothered.

“It is quite all right. That boy needs to learn how vast the martial world is and recognize his own limitations.”

“R-right.”

“I heard you promised to send Jinseong a letter. He was practically wearing a hole in the road waiting for it, right up until the day he entered the seclusion cave.”

“Ah... That’s right. I, um, did promise him.”

Oh, damn it. With everything that had happened, I had completely forgotten.

I swallowed hard as the realization struck me. The Taiji Sword Immortal merely chuckled, as though it were no great matter.

“He would not have been able to read it while in seclusion anyway. You can always send it a little later. Ah, you could write it now, if you like. I shall deliver it for you.”

“W-would that be all right?”

At my answer, Songji, who had been listening quietly, promptly brought over paper, a brush, and ink.

I kept stealing glances at the Taiji Sword Immortal as I wrote a letter filled mostly with little details about how I had been getting on.

Once I had hastily sealed it and handed it over, he tucked it into his robes with a satisfied expression.

“This old man shall deliver it as faithfully as any messenger pigeon.”

After making his little joke, his expression grew serious.

He placed something wrapped in several layers of cloth on the table.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy in an instant.

“This is...”

“I meant to return it, but... I arrived a little too late.”

With trembling hands, I unwrapped the cloth.

My head dropped.

It was Yeon Ryang’s sword.

The meteorite-iron sword that Yeon Ryang had treasured so dearly was now in my hands.