Chapter 223: The Immortal Music Physique and the True One-Heart Flute Melody (3)
‘To gain enlightenment from music… Are they truly born with the Immortal Music Physique?’
It was a phenomenon that occurred as the mother and daughter, both born with the sensory gifts of immortals, played the legendary music score together.
For them to reach a new realm of martial arts while simply playing instruments was a marvel. So-mu stood frozen, unable to move for a long time.
‘Now I understand why Grandma Eun-hwa dedicated her entire life to completing this duet.’
Grandma Eun-hwa had been another master born with the Immortal Music Physique. Although the old woman had died without realizing her dream, her lingering regret up until her final moments remained vivid in his memory.
Deeply impressed, So-mu quietly found a suitable spot nearby and listened to the music.
If the breakthrough process were interrupted by any external disturbance, all their progress could go down the drain. He decided to stand guard as a protector to ensure no one could approach them.
Savoring the blended notes of the tung flute and the seven-string zither, he completely lost track of time.
Dozens, even hundreds of times, the same melody repeated without pause, yet he did not feel the slightest bit of boredom.
By the time he came to his senses, darkness had already fallen.
‘My word…’
As if trapped in an eternal loop, the mother and daughter’s performance continued.
He couldn’t force them to stop either. Along with the duet, their bodies were undergoing subtle changes at an extremely slow pace.
His wife, who was already in the ranks of superhumans, was not a concern, but he worried about So-so. In all of history, there was no record of someone reaching the Realm of Transcendence at such a young age.
Anxious about potential side effects, So-mu did not take a single step away, staying close to guard them.
Two days passed in this manner.
“Whew.”
Even with the mental fortitude of the Realm of Revelation, it was hard not to feel a bit restless.
Playing a duet for such an extended period defied all common sense.
The two of them had likely lost all track of time. Still, he could not bring himself to stop them.
Another day passed.
Suddenly, Yeon Seo-hwa’s body, crossed-legged in meditation, floated about an inch off the ground.
‘The end is finally here.’
It was the final phase of the transformation.
Soon after, a change occurred in So-so’s body as well.
The brilliant golden light that enveloped her body was absorbed, disappearing as if evaporating into her skin.
At that exact moment, as if by agreement, the music stopped.
“Father, when did you arrive?” So-so asked, blinking her eyes while clutching her tung flute.
Her gaze was completely restrained, her eyes as calm and deep as an abyss.
So-mu was certain that the process had succeeded.
The Realm of Transcendence. She had reached the realm of absolute masters at the tender age of nine.
“I arrived three days ago.”
“Hehe, you’re joking, right? We haven’t been here that long.”
So-mu smiled, gently tousling the girl’s bangs.
“Haha, you little rascal. You don’t believe your father?”
“But really… Father, I feel strange right now!”
It was only natural to feel strange, as she could now sense things she had never felt before and hear sounds she had never heard before.
Moreover, her body felt as light as a breeze, giving her the sensation that she could run across the sky.
After stomping her feet a few times, So-so suddenly darted off somewhere like a gust of wind.
Whoosh—!
It was a movement entirely different from before. As So-mu watched his daughter speed away with a proud smile, a voice spoke close to him.
“You’ve been here for three days?”
So-mu was startled. In the blink of an eye, Yeon Seo-hwa had appeared right in front of him. This was definitely not a movement that could be executed at the Peak Demonic Realm.
That wasn’t the only change.
Although she had always looked youthful, her beauty had now reached its absolute peak.
Her skin was fairer than white jade, and the contours of her body were flawless. She possessed the majestic elegance of a peerless beauty.
“Yes. How do you feel?”
She did not seem particularly surprised, as if she were already fully aware of the changes that had occurred within her.
She simply extended her right hand to the side. In response, a massive boulder floated into the air. It was a rock so large that ten strong men would struggle to lift it.
As she clenched and opened her fingers, sharp, ink-colored currents shot toward the boulder.
Thud—! Crack—!!
The dark currents pierced through the rock and began to coil like snakes. After another breath, the boulder shattered into countless fragments.
Crash—!!!
Yeon Seo-hwa watched the scattering dust and muttered expressionlessly, “Well, not bad.”
“You don’t look particularly happy.”
She crossed her arms and said indifferently, “Even if I’ve shed my demonic energy, it doesn’t mean much to me. I’m just an ordinary housewife who retired from the Jianghu.”
“What are you talking about? Have you ever seen such a beautiful housewife?”
Even a beast would dance when praised. A faint, barely perceptible smile played on Yeon Seo-hwa’s lips.
Just as she was about to say something, she turned her head to look to the right.
So-so had already completed a loop around Mount Yangju and was returning. She stood with her back turned, clutching her small, chestnut-like fists.
At that moment, So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa heard their daughter’s quiet murmur.
“Now I’m ready.”
Curious, So-mu walked over and asked, “Ready for what?”
“I’m going to spar with Uncle Il-gwang again.”
Since childhood, sparring with her uncles had been a game to her. It seemed her current goal was to defeat Il-gwang, whom she had never managed to beat.
So-mu couldn’t help but worry for Il-gwang, who would surely suffer at the hands of his niece.
“You mustn’t bully your uncles.”
So-so did not reply. Instead, she turned around, grabbed her father’s belt with her small hands, and shook it.
“I’m hungry~ Hurry and make something delicious, Father!”
Come to think of it, they were supposed to boil chicken together.
However, the raw chickens he had brought up the mountain had already gone bad and smelled sour. Seeing this, So-so’s face instantly crumpled.
“Aww. What about my chicken…”
Yeon Seo-hwa walked over, patting So-so’s shoulder from behind.
“We should have Dalong catch some wild game.”
They also had to feed the Mountain Lord, who had been starving in the yard for three days.
So-so’s face brightened as she looked into the distance. She gazed toward the far-off walls of Chang’an, where their home lay.
Taking a short breath, So-so let out a thunderous shout.
“Dalong!!!”
Her resonant voice vibrated through the entirety of Mount Yangju.
A normal tiger’s hearing is ten times better than a human’s, but the Mountain Lord’s hearing transcended imagination.
There was no way he wouldn’t hear her. Although he was tied up, breaking the leash would be trivial if he wanted to.
After a brief moment of silence, the Mountain Lord’s response echoed from below the mountain.
Roar—!
The roar of the Mountain King sent the forest birds fleeing in terror.
A moment later, the Mountain Lord arrived. Judging by how he was panting with his tongue hanging out, he had run at full speed.
So-so approached the Mountain Lord, lifted one of his ears—which was larger than her face—and whispered, “Dalong, I’m hungry…”
The moment she finished speaking, the Mountain Lord sprang forward.
Ta-at!
The giant tiger vanished from sight in less than a breath.
“We should get things ready quickly.”
No matter what he hunted, it wouldn’t take more than seven or eight minutes for him to return.
So-mu and So-so gathered firewood to build a fire, while Yeon Seo-hwa went into the cottage kitchen.
By the time the sky grew dark, about an hour had passed.
The family of three sat around the campfire.
Each held a skewer of wild venison, while the Mountain Lord lay behind them, gnawing on the rest of the carcass.
Yeon Seo-hwa sat gracefully, bringing her skewer to So-so’s mouth.
As she fed the pieces of meat to the girl, she asked So-mu, “When do you march?”
“We’ll leave immediately after the strategic meeting tomorrow morning.”
“So soon?”
So-mu turned his skewer and chuckled.
“I’ve already been here for three days. The target is not far, so we need to settle this as quickly as possible.”
At that, So-so asked in a tearful voice, “Father, where are you going?”
She blinked her eyes, her mouth stuffed with meat.
Juice dripped from her cute lips. Seeing the tears welling in her eyes, it was clear she didn’t want to be parted from him.
“There are still many hungry and suffering people in the world. I’m going to rescue them.”
Swallowing her food, So-so pouted and muttered, “So-so wants to help sad people too.”
So-mu patted his daughter’s head and spoke gently, “Everything has its time. One day, your father will leave the military. When that time comes, who will protect the world?”
“I will…”
It was an automatic response, spoken without hesitation.
Suppressing his laughter, So-mu nodded solemnly.
“Yes, you know it well. Our So-so must train hard from now on for that day. Do you want to leave your mother here all alone and follow me?”
So-mu and So-so both turned to look at Yeon Seo-hwa.
Meeting their gazes, she seemed temporarily flustered before putting on her most pitiful expression.
Looking at her, how could So-so say she would leave her behind?
“…No.”
Her face brightening, Yeon Seo-hwa wrapped an arm around So-so’s back.
“Our So-so is better than your father.”
“Hehe.”
“I have something to discuss with your father, so why don’t you take Dalong for a walk?”
“Okay, I will!”
So-so jumped up, scrambled onto the Mountain Lord’s back, and zoomed off.
Once the surroundings quieted down, Yeon Seo-hwa set her skewer down and asked, “Wanyan Hui, was it? The Grand General of the Hui Dynasty is also in the Realm of Revelation, right?”
“Yes. We must finish him off this time no matter what. Only then can we drag the Emperor down.”
“Do you need my help?”
An expert who had shed their demonic energy possessed immense strategic value, capable of matching an entire army on their own.
Although she would be a powerful ally, So-mu shook his head without hesitation.
To defend their territory while the main force was away, someone had to stay behind. Furthermore, they couldn’t expose her newly attained realm so easily. She had to remain their hidden trump card for a critical moment.
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve already fought him a few times.”
Once at Xiangyang Fortress, and once at Luoyang. He was an opponent who had even blocked the ultimate forms of the Sword Saint’s soul-reaping swordplay.
While it was highly disadvantageous that the enemy knew his techniques, the situation was different now.
Through his six months of closed-door training, he had mastered the Heaven-Shattering Swordplay. It consisted of three deadly stances. Though he had yet to use them in actual combat, he was confident.
“Don’t regret it later. If you change your mind, let me know.”
“I’ll be fine. Just take good care of So-so. You’ll stay here, right?”
Yeon Seo-hwa reached out, and the seven-string zither in the corner floated gently into her hands.
Tuning the strings on her lap, she murmured, “The duet is nearly complete. I plan to stay here with So-so and unravel the secrets of the True One-Heart Flute Melody.”
“I see. But is that score truly safe? Having listened to it for three days, it doesn’t seem like a simple piece of music.”
Seeing So-mu’s worried face, Yeon Seo-hwa burst into laughter.
“What? Are you worried that So-so and I will turn into madwomen and ravage the world?”
So-mu smiled gently and shook his head.
“I know better than anyone that you and So-so don’t have such wicked hearts. It’s just that I felt a formidable power within it.”
“It’s just music, so don’t overthink it. We can’t stop now that we’ve come this far, can we?”
Completing a masterpiece was an instinct for those born with the Immortal Music Physique. So-mu nodded in understanding.
“Haha. I suppose I was worrying too much. I look forward to hearing the completed piece once this battle is over.”
Ye Yeon Seo-hwa’s slender fingers began to pluck the strings of the zither.
As the clear, refreshing notes drifted through the air, So-mu felt his mind turn wonderfully clear.
“Then make sure you don’t die and return safely. My daughter and I will be waiting for you here.”