CHAPTER 32: JUST KIDDING!

I stood on my tiptoes, resting my chin on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear.

"I’m not ready yet either... I’ll definitely show you later."

Thump! Thump!

Pressed so close, I could hear Tang Ayeon’s heartbeat echoing into me.

"I trust you, Miss... Don’t you trust me?"

That was the finishing blow.

"I-I trust you! Of course I do! Who says I don’t?!"

Tang Ayeon, her face now beet red, stumbled back.

That’s how my encounter with her ended that day.

...

...

"...Hm."

After stepping out of Tang Ayeon’s house, I replayed what had just happened. The strange(?) behavior I’d shown toward her definitely wasn’t my own idea. It was like... my body moved on its own, I guess?

’What was that?’

Thanks to it, the situation somehow wrapped up nicely, but I couldn’t shake an odd feeling. For some reason, a chill ran through me too.

’Gods of heaven and earth?’

As a fortune teller, when I get a weird vibe like this, the first thing to suspect is the heavens. Our skies are so playful and fickle that a mere human often can’t grasp their intentions.

’...Whatever.’

I decided not to overthink it. I’d just go back, drink some liquor, and finish prepping for my trip—that’s all I planned. For some reason, I didn’t want to dig deeper.

Every martial artist carries at least one inner demon. Inner demons vary in form for everyone—some can be overcome surprisingly easily, but for most warriors, they’re a fatal weakness. For those of lower cultivation, it might not matter much, but the higher a martial artist’s realm, the more dangerous their inner demon becomes. Thus, warriors must always guard against them. They’re not just obstacles to surpassing a wall; in the worst cases, they can consume you, leading to qi deviation.

"..."

It happened again. Today, without fail, the inner demon crept in.

"Sigh..."

’Back then, I thought at this level, inner demons wouldn’t trouble me anymore.’

If overcoming one and scaling a wall meant you’d never have to worry again, it wouldn’t be called an inner demon. The slightest trigger was enough to summon that scene in my mind.

["Master, you’re here?"]

My one and only disciple, whom I’d once cherished beyond measure. A child like my own, who’d even inherited my nickname from my late-blooming days, had her hand resting on a boy’s chest. The boy, not yet even of age, had his clothes torn savagely, tears streaming from his obsidian eyes.

["But it seems you’re a bit late."]

Her hand slid from his chest down to his navel. A manic grin spread across her face.

Crack!!

The boy screamed. A cry filled with pain, rage, emptiness, and betrayal couldn’t escape his lips, stifled by her hand as it faded.

Throb throb.

I’d seen this scene hundreds of times by now. Though I’d never witnessed it in reality, it played vividly in my consciousness.

’It’s all my karma...’

If I’d trained my disciple better. If I’d noticed sooner how oddly obsessed she was with that boy, Dan Yuseong. I could’ve spared that boy’s life from ruin. I’d simply watched, pleased to see my disciple take an interest in someone for the first time, and let it slide. I could’ve realized it if I’d tried. She was my disciple, after all.

"Hoo..."

It’d been over ten years since then. If that boy were still alive, he’d be a grown man by now. But if he wasn’t? The Central Plains aren’t kind enough for someone with that frail body—his martial arts ruined, his health broken—to survive alone. In the worst case...

["Ahh... that child must be struggling out there in the world now. Seducing other women like he did me, exploiting their hearts and wealth to get by."]

"Ugh..."

That bright, pure boy couldn’t possibly do such a thing. If he did, it’d be out of sheer desperation, forced upon him. And even if, somehow, he managed to rise above the scars—

["Still, no matter what woman he meets, he’ll never forget me."]

He’d never live a normal life. Not with wounds that deep. So I couldn’t blame anyone else for carrying this inner demon. It was all my fault, a burden I’d bear for life.

But I couldn’t stay blocked by this demon, unable to scale the wall forever.

["That person will take something precious from your guest."]

I couldn’t fully trust that fortune teller’s words, but I couldn’t dismiss them either. Rumors suggested he had a real knack for reading the heavens.

"What should I do..."

Thinking of the Heavenly Demon who might invade someday, I needed to break through soon. But with this inner demon in my way, I saw no path forward. Even if it meant taking a risk—

’...No need to rush.’

Forcing an answer in haste could ruin everything. Sometimes, stepping back, taking in the scenery, and finding peace could lead to the solution.

Rustle.

Just then, I sensed someone outside.

"Come in."

"Pardon me."

Slide.

A woman entered, holding what looked like a letter.

"What’s that?"

"You asked to be informed if we found someone who might be the boy you’re looking for."

"...You’ve come at a strangely perfect moment."

Ten years ago, I’d been half-mad, demanding they find that boy at all costs. Since it was none other than the Sword Empress’s request, Huashan complied diligently, despite some reluctance, tracking any trace of him. But oddly, it was as if he’d vanished into the sky—traces appeared, yet the boy himself never did. Time passed, and occasional reports of a man resembling Dan Yuseong came, but each time I checked, it was someone else. Still, with news delivered, I couldn’t just sit idle.

"Guess it’s time to see the world again."

He was a boy whose life I’d ruined through my own fault—If I found him and apologized, it was something I had to do myself. Truth be told, I’d half given up. This wasn’t the first or second time this had happened.

"Anhui, huh..."

But that didn’t mean the time would be entirely wasted. I was searching for a way to overcome my inner demon, and a rare trip outside could offer a clue.

’Reminds me of my youth.’

Back when I was called the Sword Flower, I’d roam the world incognito, helping people, subduing bandits, and reforming them—those were good times. Now, with too many burdens on my shoulders, I couldn’t act so freely—

But maybe reliving a bit of that past wouldn’t be so bad.

"Then I’ll prepare a carriage—"

"No need. Just get me a cloak to hide my body and a decent cover identity. I’ll handle the rest."

"...Understood."

My intent was obvious, but the woman showed no concern. Naturally—

No one would think the Sword Empress could get into trouble. Or cause it, for that matter.

"Miss, did you not sleep last night? Your dark circles make it look like you didn’t catch a wink."

"...I couldn’t calm down easily... The more I did it, the more worked up I got, and I ended up staying up all night..."

It seemed Tang Ayeon had trained through the night.

"Any decent bedding merchants around? I need something to sleep with tonight..."

She must’ve sweated a lot too.

’How long’s it been since I left Shaanxi...’

Though I’d aged, my body hadn’t, and I felt a slight thrill. Then and now, hitching a ride on a carriage was easy. Find merchants heading my way, ask if there’s space, flash a bit of sword qi—they’d let me on instantly. Nowadays, I toned it down to peak-level qi, but even that wasn’t common. Plenty of warriors never reach that threshold in their lifetime. For merchants, giving up a seat for safety on their journey and a chance to befriend a master was a fair deal.

’It’s a shame it’s not straight to Anhui—I’ll stop in Henan for a few days—but oh well.’

Since I’d come out with a purpose, why not take it slow and enjoy it?

"Sir... Shall we depart now?"

"I’ll only speak up if there’s danger—treat me like I’m not here."

"How could I possibly—anyway, let’s get moving—"

"Hey!! Wait a sec!!! "

A frantic voice cut off the merchant. It sounded familiar.

"Huff... huff... hold on... I can’t... breathe..."

The voice’s owner was so out of breath they could barely speak. Seeing them, I remembered where I’d heard it.

’The Masked Golden Ghost?’

Shaanxi’s famous figure, cloaked head to toe, their face eerily invisible under the hood.

"Huff... I heard... this carriage... has space..."

"There’s... a spot left, but..."

The merchant glanced at me. The Masked Golden Ghost, perhaps fearing rejection, pressed on between gasps.

"I’ll pay... Can’t you make it work? The merchant I booked with suddenly said their carriage broke, so my schedule’s..."

He clung to the carriage wall, pounding his chest, clearly having sprinted here.

"I know him. It’s fine to let him on."

"Oh, you’re acquainted? Should’ve said so sooner—there’s space anyway, just hop in. No need for money."

"Huh...?"

The Masked Golden Ghost climbed aboard, flustered, and faced me.

"Oh! Aren’t you the guest from a few weeks ago?"

"Been a while."

"Wow, I never thought we’d meet like this. Where’re you headed, Miss? I heard this carriage stops in Henan for a few days before Anhui..."