Chapter 23 - Blacksmith (4)

The scent of incense tickled my nose. Not ordinary incense, but a pure, cleansing white fragrance.

In the reverent atmosphere, I could see a body leaning against the ice. A middle-aged woman with skin as white as jade.

Her wrinkles were deep, but not excessively so. It was as if, how to describe it… as if time itself were frozen, everything serene.

＂…Madam?＂

I called out, wondering if she was alive. But she didn't answer. I couldn't feel even a trace of the presence that a living person should naturally exude.

Carefully, I reached out my hand. The moment my fingertips touched her, the middle-aged woman crumbled. The remnants turned into white snow, drifting past me.

＂…Ah!＂

I quickly withdrew my hand, but what remained was also sucked away, turning into snow. When I opened my eyes in the swirling blizzard, everything had already vanished.

There was nothing. It felt like I had dreamt it all. However, as if to prove someone had been there, I saw something placed in the corner.

A strange sword in a worn scabbard.

A booklet lying there, and an antique wooden box.

＂…?＂

The white piece of ice I found inside the wooden box was vastly different from other ice.

I couldn't touch it. My fingers began to necrotize just from brushing against it. I hastily pulled my hand back, but the Yin Qi had already penetrated all the way to my wrist.

It was no ordinary object. Come to think of it, the wooden box itself was intricately carved.

As if special metals were used just to create the box… I turned my attention to the booklet.

The unreadable script was mostly blurred. Parts of the book were torn, some sections missing.

But one thing I could make out. A name, shining brightly in white amidst the damage.

＂Bing Baek Seol…＂

Bing Baek Seol?

…Could it be, that Bing Baek Seol?

The famous Bing Baek Seol, once known as one of the Ten Great Masters, who vanished? Bing Baek Seol, the North Sea Ice Emperor, infamous within the Five Secret Societies?

I hurriedly examined the booklet again. Piecing together the sentences before and after the missing parts, I painstakingly deciphered it.

This was a secret manual. I was certain. The beginning of the book briefly explained the circumstances.

Bing Baek Seol, ambushed and stranded here. The enemy wasn't described in detail, but judging by the scathing curses directed at them throughout the Martial Arts manual, it seemed they had gained a terrible reputation three hundred years ago.

[My filthy, stinking, vile enemy, even mentioning their name…]

Bing Baek Seol had tried to escape this place immediately. But she couldn't.

The injuries she sustained from the assailant were severe, and the Spiritual Medicine she had brought was nothing more than poison without proper refinement.

As she lay dying, she managed to find a book and brush from the corpse of a human who had fallen here, it was written.

Coincidence upon coincidence, Bing Baek Seol made a breakthrough. At the end of the book, she earnestly pleaded.

[I have taught everything, but one thing remains untaught. I inscribe the entirety here, so whoever has the fate to find this, take all that I have and deliver but one thing to the Ice Palace.]

Ancient Script and Forms.

Detailed explanations and an encouraging tone.

The breakthrough of the North Sea Ice Palace, focusing solely on passing down the secret manual, lay before me.

Finally, I reached for the sword.

＂…Ah!＂

The frosty white blade exuded a chilling aura. It was surely a Flashy Sword among Flashy Swords.

To stumble upon an ultimate Ice Art in a place like this… I tucked everything into my clothes.

My first thought was how to handle this.

Fortunately, the wooden box sealed the Yin Qi the moment the lid was closed. The sword was the same. Inside the old, tattered scabbard, no one would know it was a Flashy Sword.

Strange objects, unidentifiable from their appearance. But the Martial Arts manual was filled with regret.

[Bear in mind that this Martial Art cannot be practiced by men.]

The Martial Art left behind by the North Sea Ice Emperor could only be learned by women. She wouldn't have written a lie in the secret manual containing everything she had.

Then what should I do with this? As expected…

Let's give it to the 1st Demon.

I've received much from her. If I give her everything, wouldn't she be at least a little pleased?

Although the body was gone, I offered a brief prayer. I didn't forget to bow deeply at the spot where Bing Baek Seol's body had been, grateful for what I had received.

It wouldn't be bad to deliver this secret manual to the North Sea Ice Palace if fate allowed. But not right now.

The Five Secret Societies are far from the Demonic Cult.

To get closer to them, I'd have to pass through the Central Plains.

A distant place. An absurdly distant place. So far that it’s difficult to monopolize any political advantage from it.

The necrotized tip of my arm regenerated belatedly. It seemed this Spirit Pill temporarily blocked the movement of the Thousand Veils as well.

I now understood why it was mentioned several times in the manual as dangerous. I turned and started walking.

I checked the bodies scattered amongst the icy waterfalls, but none were particularly noteworthy. I found the corpse of a man lying sprawled out with a book in one spot.

This was definitely a place where life and death hung in the balance upon falling. The height was so great that even a Master would likely die from the fall.

Now, I need to get out of here…

I snapped off a branch. Thankfully, the Fire Starter I brought was still safely tucked away.

My clothes were ripped to shreds, barely deserving of the name, but the pouch still served its purpose faithfully. I blew on the embers within the Fire Starter and lit the tip of the branch.

Now, I just have to go back.

I had a light and had already made it through once, so there shouldn't be any danger…

＂Thirtieth! Thirtieth! Where are you?! Are you really dead?!＂

I heard a voice. I peeked through the gap I had come out from.

I saw a woman holding a flame and screaming. From the Mask she wore to her voice, she resembled someone I knew.

＂Thirtieth! Thirtieth! A-Are you really dead?! Answer me if you’re there! D-…Aaaah!!!＂

At her sudden scream, I moved instantly. I leaped out and forcibly pulled her away from the Blood-sucking Bats that were tearing at her.

We returned to the icy waterfall. 29th, her body mangled from even a brief attack, gasped for breath.

＂Haa… Blood-sucking Bats… W-Why are there so many…＂

＂Why did you come?＂

＂Why did I come?! To repay my debt! You didn’t come out for a whole day…!＂

A whole day?

I looked back at the icy waterfall. Now that I think about it, I felt something strange the moment I entered…

I looked back at the ice cave. The strange, time-frozen air was gone.

Was it some mystical effect emanating from the deceased Bing Baek Seol's body?

I looked back at 29th.

＂You almost died, 29th.＂

＂So did you! Your clothes are all ripped, what the…＂

＂Why did you come?＂

＂I told you, to repay my debt. You can't repay a debt if you’re dead. That's why I came.＂

＂…Just for that?＂

＂Do I need another reason?＂

29th growled.

＂Let me tell you this now, don’t even think about dying before I decide everything’s been repaid. I really hate owing people!＂

＂…Pfft.＂

＂Why are you laughing?!＂

＂I just laughed.＂

This woman is also…

…Not normal.

I grabbed the sword. We now had another torch and another Martial Artist to watch my back.

My body remembers the path, so we should be able to get through directly.

Let's wait until those angry things outside calm down.

＂It would be best to wait here until the Blood-sucking Bats settle down.＂

＂…Alright. I knew they existed, but I didn’t know there’d be so many…＂

29th looked around belatedly.

＂What is this place? And what's with the icy waterfall? What a strange place. Are all places with Crimson Blood Stone like this?＂

＂I suppose so.＂

I didn't mention Bing Baek Seol for now. 29th, after wandering around, leaned against the wall.

She also had various small wounds. At least she didn't have any bite marks, which was fortunate.

A particularly large wound on her wrist was slightly swollen. I didn't have any medicine, so I decided to just bandage it.

I ripped off my sleeve, which was hanging on by threads.

＂Give me your hand.＂

＂…You don’t really need to…＂

＂It’s better to wrap it. It’s bleeding slightly.＂

Hesitantly, 29th extended her hand. I carefully took her wrist and wrapped the cloth around it.

I sat next to her. 29th, looking up, sighed.

＂We can't go up there…can we?＂

＂If you mastered the Ghost Shadow Step to its limits, it might be possible.＂

＂Seriously…is it possible?＂

＂If it were, I wouldn’t have been mauled like this.＂

＂What’s that supposed to mean?＂

29th glared at me from beneath her Mask. She fiddled with the cloth on her wrist.

＂You were mauled like that, but you don't have any visible injuries.＂

＂I have a unique constitution.＂

＂What kind of constitution?＂

＂I heal quickly. But it comes with pain.＂

＂…There's a constitution like that?＂

Since actions speak louder than words, I drew my sword. I lightly cut my wrist and showed it to her.

29th was startled as the wound healed instantly.

＂Are you a monster?!＂

＂I'm far too weak to be a monster.＂

＂…You’re stronger than me.＂

＂Even this was barely obtained after overcoming a near-death experience.＂

29th closed her mouth. Filled with disbelief, it seemed she didn't trust me easily.

29th reached out and pointed at the scar on my cheek.

＂Then why do you have that?＂

I subconsciously touched the scar on my cheek. I had forgotten about it.

As the days without looking in a mirror increased, I had even forgotten what I looked like. I had forgotten about the scar on my cheek.

＂It’s a scar from before my constitution awakened.＂

＂How did you get it?＂

＂I was hit by a liquor bottle thrown by my father. When I was young.＂

＂…It seems you weren't born into a good family either.＂

＂Was it the same for you, 29th?＂

＂For me, there's no good or bad. The first scene I remember is inside a brothel.＂

29th hugged her knees.

＂I didn't have parents. I heard I was sold at a young age, too young to remember. If they weren't there, can there be good or bad? But…selling a young child, they couldn't have been decent people. Have you ever been to a brothel?＂

＂No.＂

＂Really?＂

＂Yes.＂

＂Why?＂

Why.

I thought carefully. There was only one reason I hadn't gone.

＂I didn't have money.＂

＂…You’re not going to say something like you weren't interested?＂

＂I am interested. I’m curious what it’s like.＂

＂If you had money?＂

＂I still don’t think I would’ve gone.＂

＂Why?＂

＂I had a sick younger sister. I had to send her money. Whenever I earned something, I sent it all home. Even if I had enough money to go to a brothel, it would have been the same.＂

＂…You had a younger sister? So you joined the Blood Demon Corps to earn money?＂

＂I did, but she died. She's not here anymore.＂

＂.......＂

29th fidgeted with her fingers. She stammered,

＂I had one too. Not a younger sister, but an older sister.＂

＂What happened to her?＂

＂Similar to you. She’s not dead, but you could say she is. She doesn't recognize me.＂

＂.......＂

＂Actually, she wasn’t my real sister. We just clicked and talked a lot. Someone I looked after since I was young.＂

29th lowered her gaze.

＂There’s a lot of work to do in a brothel. Young girls are sold and learn chores first. They learn one thing after another, and when their bodies mature, they start selling liquor. Most of the money they earn is taken, but they can save some.＂

＂.......＂

＂My sister was the same. Selling smiles and her body…yes, a Courtesan. She was popular. Many people called for her. Thanks to that, her income was quite good.＂

＂I see.＂

＂You don’t have to answer.＂

29th stretched.

＂Only five years older than me, but she was so reliable. She was even mature. Always smiling. She was my idol. Do you know what my sister did for me?＂

＂.......＂

＂Before I could properly work in the brothel, she bought my freedom and gave me a sword, since I loved moving my body since I was young. Thanks to her, I was able to enter the Heavenly Demon Academy. I received so much from her. So much that it was…suffocating. As I grew older, I realized how much she had done for me. I realized that my price wasn’t cheap. I wanted to repay her kindness. I thought that once my sister left the brothel, I would take care of her, and I swung my sword with that thought.＂

＂.......＂

＂Do you know how a Courtesan leaves a brothel? Either they pay the price set by the brothel, or they leave as a corpse. My sister chose the former. Even though the price set by the brothel was absurdly high, she steadily saved. Finally, she was able to afford it. But…the owner didn't let her go. She was still a beautiful flower, someone they could use for another ten years.＂

＂......＂

＂The owner of the brothel intervened. If they touched the money my sister had saved, it would violate the brothel's rules, so they used a different method. They offered a large sum of money, telling my sister to take one last customer before leaving. My sister hesitated, but thinking of me, she accepted. She said that with that money, we could live a better life.＂

29th's shoulders shook.

It was laughter, but not laughter.

＂Do you know who the last customer they brought was? It was Sim Sa-Heun, the Soul-Stealing Madman.＂

＂The Soul-Stealing Madman…＂

＂Yes. A renowned madman even within the Divine Sect. He's considered a Master, but his methods are so cruel that even other sects avoid him. That man bought my sister, and when she was found afterward, she had become an imbecile. Naturally, the owner took the money, and the briefly tumultuous incident was concluded as an accident.＂

＂.......＂

＂My sister is my family. Even though she’s an imbecile, she’s still alive. I tried to get her back, but I couldn't. The owner refused, using protection as an excuse. Only I know that she entrusted my sister to Sim Sa-Heun. I told everyone until my lips were worn, but no one believed me.＂

＂.......＂

＂I was banned from the brothel. They even threatened to cut off my head if I came again. The comfort the owner offered was a single Silver Coin. The price for stealing my family was a single piece of silver. I went to see my sister several times after that.＂

The sound of her biting her lip reached me.

Blood dripped from beneath 29th's Mask.

＂But all I could hear from my imbecile sister’s room were the moans of a man.＂

＂......＂

＂…That’s just…my story.＂

A filthy, ugly, and foul-smelling story.

I looked away. I couldn't bear to look at her.

＂…What happened to your sister?＂

＂That was half a year ago. She’s still at the brothel. That’s why I joined the Blood Demon Corps. To gain the power and money to get my sister out of the Red Summit Pavillion. If I become part of the Blood Death Squad within the Blood Demon Corps, I’ll gain power, then getting one person out of a brothel won’t be difficult.＂

＂.......＂

＂…But actually, I…＂

I could sense 29th forcing her voice to sound cheerful.

＂Never mind. It’s nothing. I talked for too long without realizing. Don’t tell anyone. It wouldn't do for my plan to be exposed, right? I only told you because you seem trustworthy. Got it?＂

＂…As if I would.＂

I stood up.

＂Let’s go, 29th. Let’s get out of here. I see the sun setting. We should be able to slip out without being noticed by the Blood-sucking Bats now.＂