1015 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"You're heading to the Ma-ryeong Mountain?" "Yes." Before setting out towards the next Divine Tree, I engaged in a conversation with the turtle at the entrance leading up to it. As before, the turtle was using its staff to communicate with me. "...Did your master really say to go to Ma-ryeong Mountain?" "That's correct." "Hmm..." "Is there a problem? We must visit all the Divine Trees anyway, don't we?" Since it was necessary to find all the Divine Trees, it seemed logical to head towards the one located at Ma-ryeong Mountain. "It's a matter of distance." "Distance?" "Yes, in terms of distance, the Black Phoenix Palace is actually closer than Ma-ryeong Mountain, so why Ma-ryeong Mountain...?" "Black Phoenix Palace?" The name was rather peculiar; it meant 'the castle of the Black Phoenix.' "Is there a significant difference in distance?" "It would be at least double. If you were to head to Yaywul, it would take half a day; meanwhile, it would take two months to reach the Black Phoenix Palace and twice that to Ma-ryeong Mountain." "I see..." Hearing that made the distance difference sound significant. For a typical traveler to cover that distance implies a substantial gap. 'If I were to assume my pace…' It would probably take about seven days and nights, I reckoned. 'Furthermore, since external barriers are diminished, it might be even quicker.' This was primarily due to the speed, but it still struck me as odd when considering the turtle's perspective on the distance. '...Is there a specific reason for first choosing Ma-ryeong Mountain?' This, too, seemed like it could be my mother's intention, but I couldn't fathom its meaning. 'If I hadn't spoken with my mother's apparition.' I might have opted to head to the Black Phoenix Palace first upon hearing about the distances. 'Would something have changed if that had been the case?' A thought crossed my mind about the order possibly causing a variation. 'Anyway.' Pondering it now wouldn't make any difference. The immediate destination was Ma-ryeong Mountain. Wasting time on such deliberations seemed pointless. "In any case... Whether it's Ma-ryeong Mountain or the Black Phoenix Palace, I must set out. I thought I could gain some information." I needed information about Ma-ryeong Mountain. Moreover, knowing that the Black Phoenix Palace was along the way. 'There's no need to go out of my way; I can pass through as I go.' By reducing the route, I could gain some advantage. "Information, huh..." The turtle seemed lost in thought momentarily before speaking again. "First of all, there's hardly any information about the Black Phoenix Palace." "Pardon? None at all?" "In essence, all that is known is that its master is unlike Yusa, not of the Wollyeo tribe, and that their appearances have been sparse." "......" Even though they're in command and own a territory, there's no information or identity known? It's impossible not to find that peculiar. 'This is a bit disappointing.' Knowing your opponent in advance versus not knowing makes a world of difference. Even the latest information about the newly appointed general, Yarangg, is accessible to some extent, yet there is a void regarding the master of the Black Phoenix Palace. This was an odd discrepancy worth noting but one to put aside for now while asking about other matters. "Well then, what about Ma-ryeong Mountain?" "That place is somewhat famous. It's notorious because a certain nasty individual used to preside there." "The nasty individual?" "Yes, I've heard that you've also met him before?" "Pardon? Ah." The first day in Man Gye flashed through my mind immediately at the turtle's remark. That creature I encountered then. I was told he was a general too. His name was… "Du-ryeong." "That's right. Ma-ryeong Mountain is Du-ryeong's territory." A black bull that exhaled flames through its nose. A massive being possessing tremendous power. It had come, obeying the master of Man Gye's orders, to kill me. 'But it was beaten by Shin Noya.' I recalled it being unmercifully struck down. "So Ma-ryeong Mountain is that fellow's domain..." Given its location, the mountain seemed fitting for it. "Hmm..." I reminisced about Du-ryeong, who had antagonized me with fire, and inquired with the turtle. "Are there any precautions I should take?" "If you must fight Du-ryeong, never do so at night." "Why?" "When the moon is out, he is utterly unkillable." "Unkillable?" "Yes, truly." I frowned at the turtle's confident assertion. Unkillable, really... 'Indeed.' That was the case back then, too. Despite Noya slicing and hacking like mad, Du-ryeong didn't die. Was it immortality? That's what I heard about Du-ryeong's power. 'Ha.' I couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing that. "Then it doesn't matter." "What?" The turtle sounded puzzled by my response. If one claims invincibility due to some power, it truly does not matter. 'To me.' As long as I possess the means, his power does not work. * * * After departing the Hwasan Sect, I stood at the front. There was hardly any luggage to carry; only a few sets of clothes and some drinking water were lightly packed. Though water wasn't really necessary, I packed it just in case. Considering I packed relatively sparsely compared to the duration, I thought it was reasonable. "...Is that all you have?" "Yes." The Heavenly Demon, who had come out at night, was even more extreme than me. She didn't even bother to bring extra clothes. It meant she had nothing in her hands. "So you're going like that?" "Can't I?" "No, it's not that you can't..." Suddenly, it didn’t seem to matter much. If the Heavenly Demon didn’t mind, then it probably wasn’t an issue. "…Okay." Just as I was about to set off, a peculiar thought crossed my mind. "Hey." "Yes?" "Just how fast are you?" "Sorry?" While setting out was fine, the Heavenly Demon's speed was crucial. Come to think of it, I had no estimation of just how fast the Heavenly Demon could move. I asked, wanting to know since the fastest route was paramount. "I don’t know." The Heavenly Demon answered as if oblivious. "Uh..." After pondering for a bit, I pointed at a distant tree with my hand. "…Do you see that tree over there?" "Yes." "Run to it as fast as-." Whoooosh---!! Before I could finish the sentence, a whirlwind raged past. The ground where the Heavenly Demon had stood dented in from the explosive force. Debris scattered as the surface shattered. Leaving the chaotic ground behind, my eyes focused on the tree. The Heavenly Demon was already there, her hand resting on the tree. "...Is that your best?" I asked, with a slight furrowed brow. "Yes." She answered calmly, just as before. "Well..." She's certainly fast. Without a doubt, she was not slow. '...But she's slower than me.' When compared to myself, she was considerably slower. 'Moreover.' Why did she run like that? She didn't even use martial arts techniques like Qinggong. She simply relied on her natural physical abilities to run. 'Given that, it's an insane speed.' Compared to before I reached transcendence, she was just slightly slower. Yet compared to my current abilities, she fell far behind. 'If it's like this.' Taking her with me might result in wasting too much time. 'What should I do?' Should I leave her behind? I pondered briefly. It seemed better to leave her behind than to waste time with her. "Sigh." After a short, deep consideration, I reached out. Whoosh-! "Huh?" With my energy, the Heavenly Demon's body lifted off the ground and flew towards me without resistance. Thud-! I grabbed the nape of her neck and turned her around. The Heavenly Demon naturally wrapped her arms around my neck. It wasn't quite like carrying her on my back; she was dangling like a pendant. "Hold on tight. If you fall, I won't come looking." "Okay." As she responded, I felt the grip of her hands tighten. Feeling her grip, I let out an annoyed breath. '...It's irritating.' It grated on my nerves. The touch was too familiar. Despite her unique scent, the feel was too reminiscent. Was it because her face looked exactly like Wi Seol-Ah’s? The sensation was quite similar, indeed. What should I call this? In this life I've often carried Wi Seol-Ah. It reminded me of when I had to carry a bleeding Wi Seol-Ah on my back in my past life. Now, to have the very being who used to pursue me on my back— What could I even say to that? It was a feeling that was difficult to articulate. If anything, it felt unpleasant. Complicated, yet that wasn’t all there was to it. It was a feeling that defied a simple explanation. So I didn't say much. Instead, I swallowed my thoughts, focusing all my strength to my feet. Sizzle... Heat gathered as the ground began to emit a burnt smell. Slowly my body descended. The ground was melting under the pressure. Once the heat felt sufficient, I pushed off with my foot. And then— BOOM!!! A tremendous burst of flames shot past, and my body cut through the air. When the roaring flames finally extinguished, seven days and nights, as calculated, had passed. Finally, I landed at a towering mountain predominantly made of rock. * * * With the moon shining above and a gentle breeze mixing with the weather, I tread on the rocky ground. I walked briefly before finding a suitable rock to sit on. "Whoo..." Only then did I exhale a fatigued breath. "That was exhausting..." I was out of breath, and my energy was low. I expected not to tire since there was so much chi in the atmosphere, but contrary to my expectations, my body was considerably worn out. The problem seemed to be the continuous journey without rest. "Whoo..." As I caught my breath, I evaluated my physical state. Based on my assessment, by sunrise, my depleted chi and stamina would likely recover. After some time recuperating... I remembered something I had forgotten and moved my body. I grabbed and tossed what was hanging around my neck. "Ugh!" The silent Heavenly Demon flew into the air. The figure spun around and landed on the ground. "How long do you plan to hang around? We're here, get down." "..." The Heavenly Demon seemed to click her tongue in disappointment. Why the disappointment? I wanted to say a few more words but lacked the energy to do so. "Sigh." As I caught my breath, I surveyed the surroundings. All around were rocks. There seemed to be a few trees scattered here and there, but they were scarce. '...Is this the right place?' Based on the location provided by the turtle, it should be. 'What's this?' It was perplexing. 'Why?' Not even sensing a single presence. 'How is it that there's not a single trace of life out here?' There was no sign of any presence whatsoever. So much so that it felt unnerving.