Chapter 81 – The Child Who Plays the Flute (2)

Chapter 81 – The Child Who Plays the Flute (2)

The bustling streets of Hanzhong Fortress were exceptionally lively today, all thanks to a child walking through the thoroughfares while playing a tung flute.

The merchants cheered and applauded her incredible skills.

It was "Haesimso" (The Sea Heart's Smile). This melody, a favorite of So-so's, had a way of soothing the mind and bringing joy to those who heard it.

As her tune drew to a close once more, a nearby street vendor—a kind-faced, middle-aged woman—beckoned her over.

"What is your name, little one?"

"Hehe. I'm So-so!"

"What a lovely child. Here, try some of this."

It was a sweet fruit preserved in honey. Quickly accepting the treat, So-so bowed politely and said, "Thank you!"

After snacking on various treats given by the vendors, her mood brightened significantly.

She had been rather gloomy that morning because she had no one to play with. Her father was nowhere to be found, and her master had said she would be resting until tomorrow. Left to her own devices, So-so had decided to wander the streets to pass the time.

The beautiful melody flowing from her tung flute captured the attention of everyone around. The townsfolk welcomed the lively performance that broke the monotony of daily street life, but there were others who observed her with a different purpose in mind.

Around a corner in an alleyway about ten zhang away from where So-so was walking, five martial artists clad in white robes watched her, carefully concealing their presence.

"Is it even possible for a child to play the tung flute that naturally?"

"It is definitely suspicious, Team Leader."

"There is definitely something to it. Didn't they say the Jade Flower Goddess's specialty is the seven-string zither?"

"Not necessarily, sir. They say there isn't an instrument she cannot master."

"Then perhaps she is connected to that child."

They were members of the Fierce Tiger Squad, belonging to the Martial Alliance.

Just then, the scout hiding at the front spoke urgently.

"She's coming this way!"

"Fall back. It will be troublesome if she realizes we're tailing her."

The men retreated deeper into the alley. They all walked with strange, awkward gaits as if their legs were injured—looking very much like people who had recently been beaten black and blue.

Before long, they tilted their heads in confusion, sensing something off. Despite widening the distance, the sound of the tung flute was only drawing closer.

"What's going on?"

"She's still heading straight toward us."

"It's just a coincidence. Keep moving."

They were confident that their tailing had not been exposed. After all, they were specialists trained in tracking techniques. They were far too skilled to be detected by a mere child.

"T-Team Leader… it's a dead end."

"Damn it… why does that kid keep coming this way?"

"What do we do? If the Jade Flower Goddess is nearby, we're dead meat."

Anxiety began to grip the squad. Fortunately, there was no sign of the Jade Flower Goddess yet; only the young child playing the tung flute approached them slowly. She even seemed to be glancing in their direction with a mischievous smirk.

Scaling the alley walls now would be a dead giveaway that they had been tailing her.

"Act natural and blend in. Don't look at her."

To avoid eye contact with So-so, the men quickly pretended to be occupied with other things. Some leaned against the wall with closed eyes, while others squeezed into corners with their backs turned. The team leader squatted on the ground, pretending to doodle in the dirt with a pebble.

After a moment, the tung flute music stopped, replaced by the clear, bright voice of the child.

"Misters, why are you following me?"

The men flinched in surprise. The team leader, still squatting without looking up, replied dismissively,

"Huh? Who is following who?"

"Hehe. I know everything! You've been following me for a while, right?"

"U-Us?"

The team leader's voice trembled slightly.

Then came the child's next question.

"Were you too shy to listen to my music up close?"

At that moment, the tension evaporated, and the men exhaled sighs of relief. Phew, how did she know…?

"You noticed us?"

So-so nodded and said,

"Hehe. This is my favorite song, and I'm playing it just for you misters."

Her small, cherry-red lips met the mouthpiece of the tung flute as she began to play. The song was "The Lament of Flowing Clouds and Wind". The pure, clear melody was so ethereal that it made them feel as though they were drifting through the clouds on a gentle breeze.

Without realizing it, the tension in the squad members began to melt away.

When the performance concluded, the men clapped in unison. While partly intended to maintain their cover, their applause carried genuine admiration.

"T-T-That was amazing!"

"Wonderful!"

So-so shrugged, clearly pleased by their praise.

Just then, one of the members sent a message via qi transmission to the team leader.

What should we do? Should we take her in for questioning first?

Hold on. Have you forgotten the basic rule: never mess with someone who can detect their pursuers?

They had a painful memory of picking a fight with the wrong person just yesterday. Because of that, their legs were injured, and they hadn't been able to leave for the Martial Alliance headquarters yet.

Instinctively, the team leader sensed something ominous. Since the child carried a small sword at her waist, he needed to test her first.

The team leader squeezed his internal energy into the pebble in his hand and shouted,

"A bee!"

It was a clumsy performance, but that didn't matter.

He threw the pebble with all his might, aiming to pass it right under the child's armpit. If she had trained in martial arts, she would react. And his prediction was spot on.

"Hiya!"

The child's hand blurred. Before they knew it, she had drawn the sword from her waist, slicing the pebble in midair.

Crack!

The stone split cleanly in two, as if it were soft tofu.

He had expected her to dodge or ignore it, but he never imagined she would cut it. Moreover, there was a milky-white sword qi surrounding the blade.

How is this possible…?

Instantly manifesting sword qi was a feat that even seasoned experts struggled to achieve without immense internal energy. Of course, the Martial Alliance had plenty of such masters, but the problem was that she was just a little girl. Witnessing an unprecedented event in martial history, all sorts of thoughts rushed through his mind.

Is she a rejuvenated master who has returned to youth? Could this child be the Jade Flower Goddess herself?

Just then, So-so placed her hands on her hips and asked accusatorily,

"Why did you kill the bee? Don't you misters like honey?"

"I-I like it… I'll let them live from now on."

"Promise?"

"Yes, of course! From now on, I'll punish anyone who kills a bee."

So-so smiled brightly and looked up at the sky. Judging by the position of the sun, it was around noon.

"Hehe. Lunchtime! See you later, misters!"

It was time to head to the military camp for lunch. Tapping the ground with her foot, So-so leaped over the alley wall in a single bound and vanished at a breakneck speed.

The Fierce Tiger Squad members let out deep sighs of relief. Her movements were so swift that they wouldn't even dare to pursue her.

"Whew… Who on earth is that kid?"

"I don't know. But if not for my quick thinking, you guys would have been dead meat today."

"As expected of the team leader. What should we do now?"

"There is definitely something going on, but it is clear that tracking her is beyond our abilities. Let's return to the main alliance first and report to the branch leader."

***

Twenty years ago, the Demonic Cult had covertly relocated its headquarters to Mount Jizhang in preparation for their advance into the Central Plains. Located near the border of Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, the majestic mountain could be reached in half a day from Hanzhong using lightfoot techniques.

At the foot of Mount Jizhang, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa walked side by side as if taking a leisurely stroll through the former stronghold of the Demonic Cult.

So-mu scanned the surroundings and muttered,

"It seems some remnants are still lingering here."

"All the decent experts were drafted and deployed elsewhere. The ones left behind shouldn't amount to much."

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I can go alone."

Yeon Seo-hwa looked at So-mu with a puzzled expression.

"Why?"

"Though they were absorbed into the Spirit Cult, they were once your comrades."

"There is no such thing in the Demonic Cult. We only used each other for our own ends."

Before them, about a dozen pavilions came into view, guarded by warriors clad in black robes. Their numbers bordered on a hundred. So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa walked calmly forward, paying them no mind.

"You're surprisingly honest."

Just then, a black-robed warrior blocked Yeon Seo-hwa's path, looking dumbfounded as he barked,

"Halt!"

She didn't even spare him a glance. An ink-colored current of energy simply flared and swirled in her right hand before her palm struck his chest like a flash of lightning.

Crack!

"Ugh!"

With a choked groan, the man was sent flying over ten zhang, crashing to the ground in a limp heap.

As the onlookers gaped in shock, Yeon Seo-hwa spoke again.

"There is only one good thing about the Demonic Cult: there is no pretense."

"Haha. But didn't you serve as their Cult Leader at one point?"

"Only because you slaughtered all the high-ranking leaders. Did you want me to thank you for that?"

At that moment, another black-robed warrior lunged at So-mu. The back of So-mu's hand flicked out reflexively, striking the assailant's face.

Crack!

The ambush master crashed to the ground without even being able to scream, knocked out cold.

"I'll pass on the thanks. How long did you actually rule as the Cult Leader here?"

"About ten days."

"Perhaps because it was so short, your former subordinates don't seem to show their leader much respect."

The black-robed warriors listening to their banter were seized with shock. The woman was the former Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. Now that they looked closer, her appearance matched the descriptions. A few who recognized her paled in terror. Furthermore, the man standing beside her possessed power that was completely beyond comprehension.

The one who appeared to be the leader of the guards shouted,

"She is just the demoness who refused to surrender and fled! Do not back down! Deploy the sword formation!"

Yeon Seo-hwa cast a meaningful smile in his direction. It was as beautiful as a blooming flower, but to the recipient, it felt like the smile of the Grim Reaper.

"I suppose they need a bit of discipline."

So-mu nodded without hesitation.

"Indeed."

The surrounding warriors thrust their swords forward with tense expressions. So-mu let out a soft chuckle and said,

"Let's make a bet. Whoever defeats fewer opponents buys dinner tonight. How about it?"

Yeon Seo-hwa was already holding eight flying needles in her hands. With a flick of her wrists, the needles, saturated with her internal energy, shot outward like beams of light.

Thud! Thud!

"Argh!"

"Ack!"

The needles struck the vital points of the black-robed men with absolute precision. As they collapsed, Yeon Seo-hwa shot So-mu a smirk.

"Eight."

"Using hidden weapons is a bit cheap, don't you think?"

"You're welcome to try it yourself."

Hidden weapons were not So-mu's style.

The moment his blade reflected the crimson sunset, emitting a soft chime, So-mu's figure lunged in a straight line toward the guards.

Moving with lightning speed, he gave the opponents no chance to even form their sword formation. As his blade sliced through the air, a crescent of crimson sword qi swept across the area.

Slash!

By the time five of the guards hit the dirt without even being able to scream, So-mu had already slipped through their gap, initiating a full-scale assault.

Meanwhile, Yeon Seo-hwa was throwing hidden weapons with practiced ease. With every wave of her hand, three or four black-robed men rolled onto the ground, turning into cold corpses. Screams of agony echoed through the mountain air. The guards collapsed like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, unable to offer any meaningful resistance.

Yeon Seo-hwa, the last Cult Leader of the now-historic Demonic Cult and a master of the ultimate demonic arts.

So-mu, the legendary Sword Saint who was once the hero of the Orthodox faction.

No matter how many of them there were, the remaining lackeys of the Spirit Cult were no match for these two.