EP.55 Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (5)
Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (5)
After starting the journey with the Huashan Sect, the first night arrived.
Although it was an unexpected journey, in reality, nothing much changed by traveling together.
Since the Huashan Sect took care of their own food and lodging.
In fact, it might have been a disadvantage for them to adjust to our pace.
'They must have accepted this inconvenience because they needed to retrieve the treasure.'
Given the value of the treasure, it was entirely possible.
I don't know about lesser sects or families, but at least the Nine Great Sects and Four Major Families would each have at least one treasure.
This ultimately boiled down to a matter of symbolism.
'To think they bet it on a drinking game... really.'
No wonder, even when the topic of Huashan came up, the old man Yu Ling, who usually got angry, didn't say a word about this part.
"...The problem is not just that they bet it, but also that the person who won it took it."
How could anyone just hand it over like that?
I could see the Elder revealing his white teeth and happily accepting it.
'...Because of that, I ended up being caught by a minor demon.'
"That's beside the point, you said you had something to ask, didn't you?"
In the middle of the night, I walked a bit away from the camp, pretending to practice.
My inner strength had increased slightly, allowing me to set up a weak barrier.
After finishing the preparations, Yu Ling...
Ah, what should I call him?
[Call me Huaxian Xianjian.]
"I'll just call you Xin Lao."
[...You really don't listen, do you? What's with calling me Xin Lao? Who calls a Daoist like that?]
"Should I call you Yu Ling Lao?"
[Just call me anything...]
Xin Lao sighed as if he had given up.
Whether he was really the past hero, Huaxian Xianjian, or not, that wasn't the important part.
'Whether I get affected by it or not.'
That was the crucial part.
It felt like having two minds in one body, and I didn't want to feel the anxiety of possibly losing control of my body.
I wanted to get out of this, but no solution suddenly appeared.
'For now, just like controlling the energy in my body earlier, it seems to be a dangerous situation.'
Is there a way to handle this?
As I was chewing my tongue in my mouth, Xin Lao's voice interrupted.
[You seem to be thinking a lot.]
"Yes, it's a headache, isn't it?"
If he can read my thoughts, he would know what I'm worried about.
There's no need to hide it.
"How can you leave my body?"
[If I knew, would I be attached to you? Look around, they're all Huashan's disciples.]
Xin Lao made a sound as if he was annoyed and continued.
[Don't worry unnecessarily, I have no interest in your body.]
"That's not easy to believe."
[What can you do if you don't believe me? Is there another way?]
[Don't be so hasty. You seem worried about the bet, but hiding it was the limit. Don't worry.]
"...How did you make me faint, then?"
If what Xin Lao said was true, how would he explain the intense pain I felt when I faced the Sword Dragon?
The energy moving through my body was so revolting.
Xin Lao responded as if he found it ridiculous.
[Believe it or not, it's your choice, but it's strange to expect to be fine with such a thing inside your body.]
"What do you mean by 'inside my body'?"
To my question, Xin Lao answered as if he was surprised.
[...Oh, so you didn't even know you had it.]
"Could you at least explain what you mean...?"
[It seems I've answered enough. Now it's my turn. We need to get something out of this.]
From the way he spoke, it seemed he didn't intend to explain further.
He's a slippery old man, and no matter how I look at it, he doesn't seem to be the famous Huaxian Xianjian.
Especially, his temperament is a mess...
[You don't want to hear it, do you?]
"...No, it's just that your broad and endless mind is truly befitting of a Daoist."
Damn... Why is this Daoist so narrow-minded?
[...I can feel your thoughts, so it's pointless anyway.]
"...Let's get to the point, then."
We were just having pointless chatter.
We should stop the unnecessary talk and get to the main topic.
[There's something I want to ask you.]
[Do you know how many generations the current leader of Huashan Sect is?]
The current leader of Huashan Sect... is he talking about Mei Hua Xian?
He was one of the few swordsmen who could be compared to the Sword Sage, the best swordsman in the world.
Although, in my case, he's the one who bet the treasure in a drinking game.
Anyway, how many generations has Mei Hua Xian been the leader?
"...Well, usually, people don't care about how many generations the leader of another sect is. I'll ask the Huashan disciples later."
[This damn... No, no. Then I'll ask something else.]
Xin Lao, with a more serious tone than before, asked me.
[What happened to the Blood Demon?]
I had to pause my thoughts at Xin Lao's question.
Suddenly, Blood Demon? I had to think for a while to understand the context of this sudden question.
[It's a straightforward question. Do you know about the Blood Demon?]
"How could I not know? I've heard about the Blood Demon War so many times."
[...It's fortunate that the story has been passed down to later generations. I'm asking about the end of the Blood Demon.]
"If you are Huaxian Xianjian, not knowing this would be strange, wouldn't it?"
The hero who stopped the Blood Demon and brought light to the Central Plains.
The one who made Huashan even stronger afterward, asking about the Blood Demon?
[Answer first. What happened to the Blood Demon?]
"To put it simply, the Blood Demon died. It was you and others who stopped him, not just anyone."
If you're asking, it was the five absolute experts, including Huaxian Xianjian.
As I named each one, Xin Lao responded with a relieved tone.
[...It seems I was also there.]
"At this point, I'm more curious. Why are you asking me? Are you really Huaxian Xianjian?"
[I am Huaxian Xianjian, but...]
Xin Lao hesitated for a moment before continuing.
[The final battle with the Blood Demon, I can't remember it...]
[From the Daoist name Shen Xian, I can tell a lot of time has passed, and from your thoughts, I can tell I survived after stopping the Blood Demon.]
[But... why can't I remember anything after that?]
"Then, you don't know why you were possessed by the treasure, either?"
[If I knew, would I be bothering you like this?]
"You knew you were doing something similar, right?"
I softened the words, not wanting to call it "bothering."
From what Xin Lao said, it seems there are gaps in his memory.
Could it be a side effect of being possessed by the treasure?
Why does something always seem to be missing in the connections?
If it's karma, there's not much to say.
If you're annoyed, you shouldn't have lived such a life.
It felt like someone was saying that to me.
"Regardless, the Blood Demon is dead, and Huashan Sect is still standing, so it's all good, isn't it?"
[Your simple logic makes you seem lacking, but it's also enviable.]
"Why are you insulting me?"
[...You're quick to notice.]
"Now, can you answer my questions?"
"What you said I have inside me, what is it?"
Xin Lao's words kept bothering me.
What did he mean by "having something"?
Noyah chuckled, finding my worry amusing.
[If you don't believe me, will it change anything by hearing it?]
"Still, I should hear it, right?"
[You're shameless, not even denying it.]
"Since you know everything, why hide it?"
It felt easier not to play the annoying act.
With a tired expression, Xin Lao said,
[I don't know much about what's in your body.]
Didn't he say he knew it well just now?
[Ah, just wait a bit, I said.]
[It's more surprising to me that you can't feel anything with such a violent thing in your dantian.]
"Violent? Are you talking about the Nine Yang Wheel Technique?"
It's a tyrannical technique, so it's not a problem to call it that.
But Xin Lao's words felt more like describing a beast.
[It's trying to rampage because it doesn't like being in your body, so I've been suppressing it. Be grateful, kid.]
"...You've been suppressing it?"
[If I let it loose now, it would tear you apart. Do you want to try?]
As soon as Xin Lao finished speaking, the same intense pain from earlier hit me.
The sharp energy piercing my body felt terrifying.
I couldn't even breathe properly, and one of my knees buckled from the pain.
As I staggered and almost lost consciousness,
The pain disappeared instantly as Xin Lao's words reached me.
Only then could I breathe heavily.
"Huff, huff... This... What is this?"
I could feel my heart beating much faster.
[From your state, it seems the energy in the treasure is stimulating it. I told you to control it, didn't I?]
"I didn't eat it on purpose, as I said..."
Even if my body wasn't used to pain, a few seconds shouldn't have made me lose consciousness.
'It seems I made a wrong move.'
Is it a problem with the technique? Or a problem with the demonic technique? Or something else?
Or maybe Xin Lao is lying.
It feels like I have a long journey ahead, and I'm getting entangled in strange things.
It seems like I'm causing accidents wherever I go.
[You're still suspicious, even at this point. You're impressive in many ways.]
[It's your fault for thinking so clearly. And at this point, you should know.]
I half-heartedly dissolved the barrier I had set up.
If I waited any longer, the guards would come looking for me.
[Being attached to you isn't entirely bad. I don't like it either, but I'll endure it. Stop sulking and try to find a solution to this situation.]
[We're going to Huashan, right? I am, and the treasure originally belongs to Huashan. Maybe the answer is there.]
It felt like he was saying, "Now stop whining and let's go."
I hope there's a solution at Huashan.
...I don't want to continue being with this bad-tempered old man.
[You damn... Who are you talking to...!]
Ignoring Xin Lao's words, I headed back to the camp.
The something in my dantian trying to rampage,
And Xin Lao, who claims to be suppressing it, is also a mystery.
...But in the current situation, there's nothing I can solve, so I have to go to Huashan.