Chapter 91: The Immortal's Music Sheet (3)
Silver Flower Granny was utterly disoriented by So-mu’s relentless onslaught.
For nearly a century, she had never met her match, and she had believed she never would until the day she died.
Sound Arts. While it was a supreme martial art capable of easily causing mass slaughter, its effects were useless against a superhuman who had reached the Profound Realm. How could she have anticipated that her lazy habit of relying solely on Sound Arts against the weak would lead to her current plight?
Silver Flower Granny seemed deeply resentful.
“You bastard!”
The fierce palm force unleashed by the old woman’s hands was undeniably terrifying. Her monstrous internal energy was bottomless, and the heavy power within it was enough to shatter mountains.
However, as time passed, her monotonous attacks gradually ceased to work against So-mu.
Except for the brief period he spent running the Soho Tavern, his entire life had been spent in the heart of battlefields. The Sword Saint’s body remembered countless irregular attacks and reacted reflexively. Excluding raw internal energy, he was at no disadvantage whatsoever.
A brilliant, blinding flash erupted in front of the old woman.
Flash!
The moment the light faded, So-mu was already thrusting the tip of his sword at the old woman’s flank.
Clang!
Though she managed to block it at the last second, the old woman was clearly driven into a corner. Burning with rage, her palms unleashed a furious wave of palm force as she launched a counterattack. However, So-mu, who had already anticipated her response, had already shifted his footwork.
Swoosh!
Just as Silver Flower Granny’s right hand swept through empty air, So-mu unleashed a burst of sword qi from behind her back once again. Startled, the old woman quickly spun her upper body, thrusting out her left hand to meet it.
Boom!
Using the recoil of the impact, So-mu spun like a tempest in the opposite direction. At that moment, his fist, enveloped in qi, struck Silver Flower Granny squarely in the waist.
Crack!
“Agh!”
Silver Flower Granny staggered backward.
She had slaughtered countless lives over the years, but it had been nearly a century since she herself had been struck by someone. The suffocating pain left her gasping for breath—an experience she could never get used to.
So-mu was not one to miss the brief opening she revealed. Lightly kicking off the ground and leaping into the air, he drew his sword back over his right shoulder.
Soul-Reaving Sword Technique, Fourth Form: Traceless Annihilation. It was a deadly strike that unleashed and exploded an immense amount of internal energy in a single, fleeting instant. Imbued with the grand momentum of heaven and earth, the tip of his sword traced the path of the cosmos.
Blue flashes poured continuously from So-mu’s blade, heading straight for the old woman. At that moment, a fierce dark flame erupted from Silver Flower Granny’s hands as she thrust them forward.
The blue halo of light and the black air currents collided, shaking the very heavens and earth.
Kabaam!
The thick blanket of snow covering Nanhua Peak was instantly blown away, creating a violent blizzard. Both of their figures vanished into the raging snowstorm.
Watching this scene from a distance, Yeon Seo-hwa clenched her hands in suspense. It was a peak clash between the greatest master of the current generation and a legend of the past. The outcome would be decided shortly.
The fierce snowstorm continued to howl relentlessly.
A moment later, a man stumbled backward out of the blizzard. A trail of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, indicating he had suffered an internal injury. Yeon Seo-hwa quickly rushed forward to support him, her eyes warily scanning the front.
So-mu said in a low, strained voice.
“Damn it… She got away.”
Though he scanned the area with his sharp eyes, Silver Flower Granny was nowhere to be seen in the blizzard. Yeon Seo-hwa wiped the blood from his mouth with her sleeve and asked with a worried expression, “Are you alright?”
“Didn’t you say you hated getting your clothes dirty? It’s just a mild internal injury.”
A look of doubt crossed her face.
“Are you sure you’re really okay?”
“Yeah… That old woman’s internal energy is truly monstrous.”
“Then why are you still leaning on me?”
Now that she mentioned it, So-mu’s right arm was naturally draped over Yeon Seo-hwa’s shoulder. Feeling embarrassed, So-mu smiled and said in a low voice, “Didn’t you call me husband earlier?”
“You can still joke in this situation, I see. Since you called me wife before, I thought I’d try it too.”
So-mu pointed into the blizzard.
“More importantly, she was a master of music, so she must be furious that she can no longer play her instrument.”
As the snowstorm cleared, a surprising sight was revealed. Not far away, a wrinkled arm lay severed on the ground. Yeon Seo-hwa’s face brightened.
“That certainly feels satisfying. The old witch.”
Just then, a furious scream from the old woman echoed loudly from somewhere on Mount Zhunan.
“Just you wait! I will surely repay this debt!”
The heavy roar shook the entire mountain, triggering avalanches in several places.
The ground shook, and a fierce wind blew all the way to where they stood. The unfathomably wild sound waves were enough to send shivers down their spines.
Once the echoes faded, So-mu clicked his tongue and said, “Is this the power of the Lion’s Roar that So-so is practicing? How terrifying.”
“No. The Dragon-Striking Lion’s Roar my disciple is learning is much stronger. That was just a raw burst of internal energy.”
So-mu sighed and shook his head.
“Still, now that a villain like her holds a grudge against us, I’m worried about the future.”
“She is incredibly persistent. I would have felt much safer if we had finished her off…”
Once Silver Flower Granny set her mind on something, it verged on obsession. Yeon Seo-hwa knew this better than anyone. Now that the old woman was driven by venomous spite, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down even a little.
“Let’s circulate our qi first and think.”
They needed to regulate their energy channels to keep their bodies in optimal condition.
Normally, meditating to circulate qi when an enemy was nearby was strictly forbidden. However, those in the Profound Realm, who could instantly control the flow of their qi, were an exception.
After a brief moment, So-mu opened his eyes, his complexion looking much brighter.
“At least we recovered the music sheet. Let’s return to Hanzhong first.”
Yeon Seo-hwa shook her head and said firmly, “No. You don’t know that old woman like I do. Blinded by revenge, she might try to tail us.”
“Hmm. It would indeed be troublesome if she found out our location.”
The two fell into thought. Even if she had lost an arm, she was still a peak master who had reached the pinnacle of the demonic path. If she found out they were in Hanzhong, everyone around them would be in danger.
After some consideration, Yeon Seo-hwa said seriously, “For the sake of the future, it’s best to deal with her for good. Shall we lure her out?”
“She doesn’t emit any demonic energy, so if she deliberately follows us, she won’t be easily detected. We need a deserted place, but is there a suitable spot?”
“How about taking a boat from the Weixian Ferry and traveling to Shaanxi via the Wei River?”
So-mu thought about it.
On the river, she wouldn’t be able to hide and follow them. Even for a superhuman, swimming with one arm for a long time at the age of a hundred and forty was impossible. It was an excellent idea.
“That sounds good. Even if she doesn’t take the bait, we can at least conceal our return to Hanzhong.”
The ferry was relatively close, a distance that even ordinary people could travel in a day. So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa utilized their light movement techniques side by side, heading toward the harbor.
After an hour, they arrived at the ferry to find a flat-bottomed passenger barge docked there. It had once been a bustling hub for merchants, but being near the border, it was now rather quiet.
At the boarding ramp of the barge, two sailors were waiting to collect fares. Soon, their eyes locked onto the approaching Yeon Seo-hwa.
Her elegant stride, her flawless face, and her haughty demeanor exerted an almost magical allure, drawing the sailors’ gaze. Her voice, clear and melodious like rolling jade beads, echoed in their ears.
“When does this ship depart?”
“We just docked, so no passengers have boarded yet. We’ll likely set sail this evening once we have a full capacity.”
“How much is the fare?”
“Ten copper coins per person.”
Yeon Seo-hwa surveyed the structure of the ship. It was over a hundred feet long and quite broad—a large passenger vessel capable of carrying over a hundred people. To prepare for any unexpected situation, it would be better if there were no other passengers.
“If the boat is full, the total fare should be about five silver coins. I will pay you three times that amount if we depart right now.”
The two sailors exchanged glances. Judging by her attire and grace, they were certain she was not joking. What a massive windfall!
“P-Please wait a moment.”
One of the sailors bolted up the gangplank to consult with the captain.
In less than ten minutes, he rushed back down, panting.
“He says we can depart immediately.”
After paying the fee with paper currency, she boarded the vessel with So-mu. So-mu quietly scanned the ship’s surroundings and asked, “Using paper bills… that’s not a small amount. Is it really okay?”
“Of course it’s a lot of money. But if it means catching that old crone, it’s worth every coin.”
Contrary to her words, her personal fortune was vast. When she stepped down as the Cult Leader and left the Demonic Cult, she had taken a substantial amount of funds with her. In fact, she could have bought the entire ship without blinking an eye. It was her compensation for being used all those years, so she felt no guilt whatsoever.
Having no idea of her wealth, So-mu looked concerned.
“I’ll pay you back once we return to Hanzhong.”
“Forget it. Just buy me a drink at the tavern later.”
He was surprised that she, who usually preferred tea, was asking for alcohol.
“You drink?”
“I’m planning to start from now on.”
It seemed that seeing Silver Flower Granny after all this time had left her feeling suffocated—and not in a good way.
They moved toward the stern, which offered an unobstructed view. They couldn’t afford to lower their guard for even a second.
Soon, the boat set off, cutting through the water. With no other passengers, the deck was completely empty.
After about fifteen minutes, So-mu spoke up.
“Have you ever heard of a group called the Divine Demon Cult? There doesn’t seem to be much information about them in the orthodox sects.”
It was a question he had put off, intending to ask eventually. The Divine Demon Cult had usurped the Jin Dynasty, and its leader was now the emperor.
The martial arts of the Divine Demon Cult they had encountered on Mount Hua shared many similarities with those of the Demonic Cult. As a former high-ranking figure of the Demonic Cult, Yeon Seo-hwa might have some information.
“Of course. Only a few people in the Demonic Cult knew about them, including me.”
“Tell me what you know.”
“The Demonic Cult and the Divine Demon Cult share the same roots. About two hundred years ago, there was a faction split within the Demonic Cult. The Vice Cult Leader, the Annihilation Demon Emperor, plotted to seize control of the cult with his followers and conquer the world.”
“Isn’t the Demonic Cult simply a group that worships strength? What grand ambition. To think a single individual would dream of conquering not just the Jianghu, but the entire world.”
“Anyway, it’s recorded that the Annihilation Demon Emperor led his faction to battle the Cult Leader, but he was ultimately overwhelmed and fled to establish what is now the Divine Demon Cult.”
“Retreating without even achieving his goal… I suppose he wasn’t that formidable after all?”
“Not necessarily. Records show that the Cult Leader at the time even received help from the orthodox sects. The situation must have been dire enough that the orthodox faction felt compelled to assist.”
This was quite intriguing. There was no record in the Martial Alliance of the orthodox sects aiding the Demonic Cult. Perhaps peak experts of the Righteous Way had secretly lent their strength under the tightest security.
“And then?”
“The conflict continued for some time after the Divine Demon Cult was established. In the end, they retreated into the shadows, leaving behind a single warning: on the day the Divine Demon Cult returns to the light, the world shall witness the Demon God.”
“Judging by their current actions, the Emperor of the Hui Dynasty is undoubtedly that Demon God.”
“If you ever encounter him, be extremely careful. They prepared for a long time to completely subvert the Jin Dynasty from within.”
So-mu gave a silent nod. Then, pointing toward the horizon, he said, “Your intuition was right. It would have been disastrous if we had returned directly to Hanzhong.”
As Yeon Seo-hwa focused her gaze, a small wooden boat came into view in the distance. It moved forward on its own, without a boatman—a bizarre sight indeed. Standing motionless upon the vessel was a lone figure.
Although the face was too far to discern, they knew exactly who it was. The figure seemed to be staring directly at them.