Chapter 92: The Immortal's Music Sheet (4)
Yeon Seo-hwa said as she looked at the wooden boat following them from a distance, “It seems she doesn’t realize we’ve noticed her tailing us yet. How should we capture that old crone?”
It was indeed a dilemma. At this point, the river was narrow, and dense bamboo forests lined both banks. If they approached her by gliding across the water, she would immediately notice and flee onto land.
“We have to wait until we reach deeper waters. Since she might spot us, let’s head to the bow first.”
The two moved from the stern at the rear of the barge back to the front deck. Compared to their light movement techniques, the speed of the barge was agonizingly slow.
After waiting in silence for a while, Yeon Seo-hwa broke the quiet. “Has So-so ever been on a boat?”
“Since she saw a boat for the first time on the Han River last year, she mentioned a few times that she wanted to ride one. I was planning to take her on a boat trip during my next break, but she hasn’t brought it up lately.”
“Children need to make plenty of good memories while they’re young.”
“How do you know that so well?”
Yeon Seo-hwa hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I… don’t really have any childhood memories.”
It made sense, considering she had been captured and practically imprisoned by Silver Flower Granny from a very young age.
“Memories… we can start making them from now on.”
Yeon Seo-hwa’s eyes stared intently at So-mu. “Then, will you make some good memories for me?”
It felt somewhat awkward. Blushing slightly, So-mu turned his gaze back to the river to change the subject. “The water seems to have gotten deeper.”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Let’s capture the old crone first…”
Having said that, So-mu leaped from the barge as if to hide his flushed face.
Splash!
Submerging into the water, So-mu dove deep.
As an expert who had reached the Profound Realm—the highest height a human could attain—he could hold his breath for up to an hour with a single inhalation.
Settling onto the riverbed more than thirty feet deep, So-mu swam past the stern of the barge and began to approach the small wooden boat. Carp and catfish circled him, blowing bubbles out of curiosity.
He could not afford the slightest mistake. When the distance to the wooden boat closed to twenty zhang (two hundred feet), he halted all movement.
The fish, losing interest, swam away, and the shadow of the wooden boat began to pass directly overhead.
With five zhang (fifty feet) remaining, So-mu gripped his sword and drew it back to his waist. The bottom of the wooden boat was now fully visible.
And in that instant, So-mu struck.
Kicking off the riverbed, he surged upward like a merman cutting through the water.
Rumble!
The bottom of the boat rapidly loomed larger.
A breath later, the sword astral energy formed on his blade cleanly sliced the bottom of the wooden boat, right where the old woman stood, in two.
Boom!
Through the gap of the completely shattered boat, So-mu’s figure soared into the air. Immediately following, a shrill scream echoed along the riverbank.
“Aaargh!”
As So-mu descended, his gaze swept downward.
Silver Flower Granny was stepping on a floating wooden plank from the shipwreck. A deep slash had appeared on the old woman’s left shoulder, from which blood was flowing.
‘Did she manage to avoid a vital spot at the very last second?’
He had been confident in his perfect strike, but she was indeed a formidable opponent. So-mu landed on a bamboo stalk floating on the river and took a combat stance.
“How dare you reduce me to this state! Do you think you will escape with your lives?”
With bloodshot eyes, the old woman’s face was distorted in a terrifyingly gruesome manner. Her severed left arm and her blood-stained clothes made her look wretched, yet it only added to her sinister appearance.
“Today, you will pay the price for all the evil deeds you have committed in the world.”
“Shut up!”
Silver Flower Granny thrust out her right hand, unleashing a powerful wave of qi. Her heavy internal energy, whose limits were unknown, began to stir the river. The wild currents swirled and transformed into the shape of a massive spear.
Throughout the central plains, few had mastered water manipulation techniques. It was because the consumption of internal energy was immense, and the training was notoriously difficult. Yet, her power was terrifyingly formidable.
Standing tall on the bamboo, So-mu sheathed his sword and lowered his stance. At that moment, the water spear launched from the old woman’s hand charged forward.
Swoosh!
It bore an immense momentum that seemed capable of piercing through anything. The moment the distance closed to within ten feet, So-mu’s brow furrowed.
Soul-Reaving Sword Technique, First Form: Soul-Reaving Flash.
In the blink of an eye, the blade leaped from its sheath, unleashing a blinding blue flash.
Slash!
The water spear was split cleanly in two. Seizing the gap, So-mu glided across the water, closing in.
Approaching like a flying arrow over the water, he closed the distance in an instant. The old woman hastily flicked her right hand, causing a column of water to erupt from below like a volcano.
Boom!
“Kh!”
The force of the water column sent So-mu flying high into the sky. Adjusting his posture dozens of feet in the air, he drew his sword over his shoulder and prepared to descend.
Silver Flower Granny’s sole remaining right hand swept ruthlessly through the air. The currents around her swirled, forming a water dragon. As the water dragon soared toward the sky, So-mu descended like a swooping hawk, clashing against it.
Boom!
The water dragon exploded, sending torrents of water spraying in all directions like a flood. Emerging through the downpour, So-mu searched for his opponent’s position.
The old woman was hastily turning back and retreating. She was attempting to flee.
‘Damn it, again…’
It was frustrating. The speed at which she glided across the water, propelled by a hundred and forty years of accumulated internal energy, was too fast even for So-mu to catch. If she escaped like this, there was no way to stop her.
So-mu channeled his internal energy into his sword and threw it forward. The spinning blade hurtled directly toward the old woman’s back.
Sough!
Sensing the sharp energy from behind, Silver Flower Granny spun her upper body and unleashed a palm strike.
Clang!
With a thunderous clash, the sword flew back toward So-mu. Staggering, the old woman tried to resume her flight across the water.
It was then. Before she could steady herself, another figure darted forward and blocked her path. It was Yeon Seo-hwa, who had been preparing a deadly strike.
Demonic Flower Secret Art: Fluttering Death Dance.
Yeon Seo-hwa’s hands blurred into a dozen afterimages as she unleashed fifty flying needles in a single breath.
Thwack!
Fury flared in Silver Flower Granny’s eyes.
“You wrench!”
Sweeping her right hand filled with heavy internal energy, she condensed the water to form a defensive wall. Yeon Seo-hwa’s needles struck the water wall one by one, losing their force and falling harmlessly.
Splash! Splash!
However, Yeon Seo-hwa had anticipated this. Hidden among the dozens of fine needles was a large iron spike, heavily imbued with her internal energy and wrapped in a dark red aura.
Thud!
It was the sound of the water wall being pierced.
It was impossible to perform advanced footwork on the water, leaving Silver Flower Granny no room to dodge from her unstable stance. Her eyes widened in shock.
In that split second, the large spike flew straight toward her right eye.
Squelch!
“Aaaargh!”
A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the old woman’s mouth. But she had no time to wallow in pain. So-mu had already closed in from behind, swinging his sword.
Sensing the chilling energy, the old woman ducked instinctively.
“Hiiek!”
The sword qi unleashed by So-mu sheared off her hair.
Snip!
As her white hair scattered in the air, Yeon Seo-hwa closed in like lightning. Her right hand, enveloped in a dark, ink-like aura, struck the old woman’s chest ruthlessly.
Black Dragon God Hand!
Boom!
“Agh!”
Silver Flower Granny skittered across the surface of the water, coughing up blood. Her right chest, struck by the Black Dragon God Hand, was charred black.
So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa exchanged glances. They charged toward the old woman simultaneously to deliver the final blow.
When they were within thirty feet, the screaming old woman suddenly sank into the water as if evaporating. Yeon Seo-hwa’s face filled with dismay.
“The Thousand-Jin Weight technique?!”
It was an advanced martial art that allowed one to instantly increase their body weight, usable only by those with immensely deep internal energy.
So-mu activated his own Thousand-Jin Weight technique and dove into the water after her. Yeon Seo-hwa stood on the floating bamboo, warily watching the surface and waiting for the result.
A moment later, So-mu broke through the surface. As he landed on the bamboo, Yeon Seo-hwa asked urgently, “What happened?”
“Phew… Her escape techniques are truly peerless.”
Capturing a peak master of the demonic path was no easy feat. Although disappointment flashed across Yeon Seo-hwa’s face, she could not blame him.
“We’ll have to leave our revenge for next time. But since she took a fatal wound, she won’t be able to follow us anymore.”
“We can only wait for the next opportunity…”
For now, they had to be satisfied with recovering the music sheet.
So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa made their way back to the passenger barge on the bamboo. Just then, a venomous scream echoed loudly from the shore about a thousand feet away.
“I will find you! I will dedicate the rest of my life to taking revenge on you two!”
It was a predictable reaction, but the old woman’s voice still displeased Yeon Seo-hwa.
“I should have aimed for her mouth so she couldn’t speak.”
She regretted striking the old woman’s chest instead of her face with her final Black Dragon God Hand. So-mu nodded in agreement.
“Next time, make sure to aim for her face first.”
Reaching the barge, they leapt up simultaneously.
Leap!
Jumping over thirty feet, they landed on the stern. The dozen sailors gathered there flinched in unison. Having witnessed superhumans battling on the water, they were understandably terrified.
So-mu nodded to reassure them.
“Do not worry about us. Just proceed as you were, and we will disembark when we reach Shaanxi.”
Relieved by his words, the sailors warily dispersed to their posts.
So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa stood at the stern, maintaining their vigil. Although they knew the old woman was in no condition to pursue them, they could not afford to let their guard down.
As the vessel picked up speed, time flew by, and the sky began to glow with the colors of sunset.
A long time passed, but Yeon Seo-hwa kept her mouth shut, looking slightly pouted. It was because So-mu had not answered her earlier question. So-mu also felt awkward and kept his eyes on the surroundings.
After a while, Yeon Seo-hwa reached her jade-like hand out over the stern. A piece of bamboo rose from the water and flew into her hand. She drew a fine needle from her waist and began to carve it. In a few moments, the bamboo was transformed into a fine flute.
She pressed her cherry-blossom lips to the flute and blew. A clear, melodious tune spread gently across the deck, calming the atmosphere.
The melody soon turned sorrowful. The soul-stirring tune tugged at So-mu’s heart.
‘Who could call someone who plays such music an evil person…’
He turned to look at Yeon Seo-hwa. Bathed in the sunset glow, she looked like a celestial maiden playing a heavenly melody.
The song was titled The Sorrowful Love of the Husband. How could he have known that it was a song about a woman abandoned by her beloved?
‘She said she has no memories… If she hadn’t met that old woman, her life would have been filled with beautiful days…’
The music stopped.
She tossed the bamboo flute back into the river. She pouted her lips, looking just like So-so when she was sulking.
‘At heart, she is a fragile woman…’
He wanted to protect her.
Making up his mind, So-mu slowly moved his hand toward her left hand.
Thump!
His heart began to race. Even when surrounded by thousands of enemies during the war between the righteous and demonic factions, he had never felt this nervous.
‘Why am I like this? I’m just holding her hand…’
A moment later, his fingertips lightly touched hers. The soft, warm contact felt like an electric shock.
Their hearts beat rapidly in unison, so fast that they could feel each other’s racing pulse.
So-mu finally grasped her hand, wrapping it in a warm embrace.
Hand in hand, the man and the woman silently watched the red sunset for a long time. Eventually, So-mu spoke in a low voice.
“I will… make good memories for you.”
Yeon Seo-hwa silently took a step closer and leaned into his chest.
Neither of them moved until the boat reached the dock. Even after they docked, the sailors did not dare tell them to disembark. Feeling the weight of the surrounding stares, So-mu asked softly, “Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Leaping from the deck together, they headed toward Hanzhong.
After running for about two hours, they arrived at her residence on Mount Dingjun. The night had already grown dark. After escorting her to the front of the hermitage, So-mu said his farewells.
“Rest well…”
As So-mu turned to leave, Yeon Seo-hwa quickly called out to him.
“Wait!”
“Yes?”
After hesitating for a moment, Yeon Seo-hwa blushed and asked, “Would you like to… have some noodles before you go?”