Chapter 85 – The Child Who Plays the Flute (6)

Chapter 85 – The Child Who Plays the Flute (6)

Wujin and Murong Hou gaped in astonishment, unable to find their words.

Who would dare touch the Sword Saint's wife? If he ever raised his sword against the orthodox sects, the destruction would be beyond imagination.

After recovering his senses, Wujin sent a transmission to Murong Hou.

It seems we almost made a catastrophic mistake.

At least we didn't kill her, so that is a relief.

But how could the Sword Saint fall in love with a demonic witch? And they even had a daughter together.

So-mu noticed that the two were conversing via qi transmission. Since he could easily guess the content of their conversation, he felt rather uncomfortable.

"Are you going to keep standing there?"

Wujin let out a sigh and replied,

"Sigh. It feels like only yesterday we were hunting down the Demonic Cult together, yet to reunite like this… What do you plan to do from now on?"

"My wife and I will not interfere in the affairs of the martial world, so do not come looking for us again. If anyone steps foot here again, I will not show mercy."

Murong Hou sent another transmission to Wujin.

The Sword Saint is resolute. We have no choice.

Indeed. And we cannot afford to tarry here. We have overlooked something critical.

What…?

The Sword Saint's daughter. If she is harmed by the White Dragon Squad, it will be our ruin. The Wudang Sect and the Murong Clan might face total annihilation.

Murong Hou's pupils trembled.

Distracted by the shock, they had forgotten the most important thing: the White Dragon Squad was currently pursuing the Sword Saint's daughter.

They had to resolve this before it was too late.

"Then we shall take our leave."

"May you grow old together in peace."

So-mu clasped his hands in return.

"Safe travels."

The moment the greeting ended, Wujin and Murong Hou vanished like lightning. They dashed at full speed along the trail left by the White Dragon Squad.

Once they were gone, Yeon Seo-hwa spoke in a weak voice from behind him.

"Seeing you here, it seems my disciple is safe."

"You still have the energy to speak, I see. Sit up straight."

Her internal energy was completely disrupted by her injuries, so they had to stabilize her meridians immediately. As she sat cross-legged, So-mu helped her circulate her qi from behind.

After about ten minutes, a bit of color returned to Yeon Seo-hwa's face.

"Can you walk?"

She shook her head.

Since they also needed to treat her external wounds, they had to move her to the hermitage. He gently lifted her in his arms. She was as light as a reed, weighing almost nothing.

Yeon Seo-hwa wrapped her arms around So-mu's neck. In that instant, a pleasant floral scent wafted from her. As a blush crept onto So-mu's face, Yeon Seo-hwa teased him.

"Why? Are you shy? You called me your wife earlier."

"That was…"

Before he could finish, Yeon Seo-hwa cut him off, as if she didn't want to hear the explanation.

"Never mind. Just apply some salve to my wounds."

So-mu nodded awkwardly, approached the hermitage, and opened the door. The interior was neatly kept, with a wooden bed, a study desk, and tidy utensils. He carefully laid her on the wooden bed and asked,

"Where is the healing salve?"

"On the bookshelf."

The healing salve was in a round wooden container decorated with lotus petals.

To apply the salve, he peeled back her torn outer robe. He then carefully began to spread the salve over her wounds.

"Urgh."

"Are you complaining about this much pain? Fortunately, you avoided any fatal wounds."

"If you hadn't wasted time putting on that bamboo hat and arrived earlier, I wouldn't have been hurt at all."

Even as she groaned, her grumbling looked quite endearing. A chuckle escaped So-mu's lips.

"Did you know I would come?"

Yeon Seo-hwa hesitated for a moment, unable to answer. She had hoped he would, but she hadn't been certain.

After a quiet pause, she spoke softly.

"Thank you…"

No further words were exchanged.

So-mu silently applied the salve to her wounds. The cuts on her shoulder and left flank were somewhat deep. He applied it as meticulously as possible to ensure no large scars would remain.

A long moment passed.

As he was applying the salve, a question suddenly crossed his mind.

Wait, why am I doing this? Her arms aren't injured; she could apply it herself.

When So-mu gave her a puzzled look, Yeon Seo-hwa asked defensively,

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He knew he could never win an argument against her anyway. Just as he decided to ignore it and continue, the door to the hermitage burst open, and So-so rushed in. The sight of her master lying on the bed sent a wave of panic through her face.

"O-Oh no… Are you okay…?"

Yeon Seo-hwa glanced at So-mu and spoke in a weak, theatrical voice.

"So-so… I think your master is going to die. Because your father arrived so late…"

Tears streaming down her face, So-so began to pummel So-mu's waist with her small, chestnut-like fists.

"Wah… Why did you take so long!"

Thud! Thud!

"Ow. Are you trying to kill your father too?"

She hadn't held back her strength, and his lower back was throbbing.

He understood how his daughter felt. During his days in the martial world, he had seen many disciples go to the ends of the earth to avenge their masters.

Still, being beaten up after saving her master felt rather unfair. To make matters worse, Yeon Seo-hwa chimed in with a relieved tone.

"I feel a bit better now."

So-so held Yeon Seo-hwa's hand, large teardrops rolling down her cheeks.

"You can't die… Promise me, okay?"

So-mu had already assessed her injuries. Since her qi had been stabilized, she would be able to move around after a few days of rest. Watching the two of them act in perfect sync, So-mu shook his head in amusement.

After a moment, once she had calmed down, So-so asked,

"Master, are you hungry?"

Yeon Seo-hwa suppressed a laugh upon seeing the look in So-so's eyes. It was obvious the child was asking because she herself was hungry.

An expert who had reached the Ultimate Demonic Body could survive for over ten days without food or water. Missing a single meal would not make her hungry.

She cast a sly glance at So-mu and said,

"Yes, but my body is in this state, so I cannot cook…"

So-so's head whipped toward him.

"Father, do you know how to cook?"

Seeing the mischievous glint in Yeon Seo-hwa's eyes, So-mu smiled inwardly.

How could they know? The former chef of the Soho Tavern stood right before them.

He had thought he would never have to hold a kitchen knife again after closing the tavern. But if his daughter wanted it, there was nothing he couldn't do.

"What do you want to eat?"

So-so looked at Yeon Seo-hwa and asked,

"Master, don't you want noodles?"

Yeon Seo-hwa nodded and said in a fading voice,

"Noodles sound delicious… The ingredients are… in the kitchen…"

So-mu let out a long sigh and walked out of the hermitage.

Sigh. Master and disciple really are two of a kind…

***

At the Guard Battalion courtyard in Hanzhong Fortress.

The standoff between the Wolf Fang Squad and the White Dragon Squad was still ongoing.

The surrounded White Dragon Squad members remained silent and tense. The martial arts level of their opponents was by no means inferior to theirs, and they were overwhelmingly outnumbered.

The patrol constables had backed away to the corners, watching the situation unfold.

Just then, two figures flew down in a hurry.

"Everyone, halt!"

The arrival was swift, accompanied by voices carrying deep internal energy. It was Murong Hou, the representative of the Murong Clan, and Wujin, the top sword of Wudang.

A tense expression appeared on the faces of the Wolf Fang Squad members. Even a glance told them these two possessed extraordinary power. It was the same feeling they had when facing Zhang Jun, the Bureau of Military Affairs director—perhaps even more intense.

Murong Hou stepped forward and said,

"We have no intention of causing trouble, so please stand down."

The Wolf Fang Squad hesitated for a moment.

If they fought to the death using their formations, they might have stood a chance. But it would undoubtedly result in mutual destruction. There was no need to take such a risk.

Il-gwang waved his hands and said,

"Everyone, stand down."

The Wolf Fang Squad widened the distance, breaking the encirclement.

The White Dragon Squad members were flushed with embarrassment, feeling humiliated at being pushed back by government troops. But there was a more important matter at hand.

The White Dragon Team leader stepped forward with a dark expression.

"We lost the demoness's daughter… I apologize…"

Murong Hou and Wujin simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. Wujin's expression brightened as he stepped forward and patted the team leader's shoulder.

"That child was not the demoness's daughter. You need not concern yourself with her anymore."

The team leader looked around and sent a transmission to Wujin.

Yes, Captain. But what happened to the Jade Flower Goddess?

Wujin and Murong Hou had already aligned their stories. If the rumor spread that the legendary Sword Saint had married a demonic witch, the prestige and morale of the orthodox sects would hit rock bottom. This was a secret that only the highest leadership of the Martial Alliance should ever know.

Since the two had retired from the martial world, as long as no one poked the hornets' nest, they would remain harmless.

She is dead. We have completed our mission, so return to headquarters immediately.

The team leader bowed and shouted to his squad members,

"Everyone, retreat!"

The Martial Alliance experts departed the Guard Battalion manor in an instant, like receding tide waters.

The remaining Wolf Fang Squad members were left utterly bewildered. One of the members asked incredulously,

"So-so is the daughter of a demonic witch? Are those guys out of their minds?"

"Crazy bastards. That would make our captain a demonic cultivator."

A few squad members chuckled at the absurdity of the thought.

Il-gwang waved his hands and said,

"It must have been a misunderstanding. No need to pay it any mind."

They seemed to have wiped the incident from their memory in an instant. Seeing this, Cheong-hae, who was standing at the back, whispered to Hyeonjeong.

"Senior Brother, Brother Il-gwang's head must be entirely filled with muscle."

"Undoubtedly…"

Il-gwang walked toward the center of the courtyard with his hands behind his back. At this, Hwang Gae-chil, the commander of the Guard Battalion, reflexively shouted,

"Everyone, line up!"

The five hundred constables quickly moved in perfect coordination to form their ranks.

The patrol force, consisting of a thousand men, was undergoing intense training in two shifts. They had no time to rest.

If one looked closely, the light in the constables' eyes had subtly changed. This was a symptom that appeared in the early stages of cultivating demonic arts. As their level rose, demonic qi would begin to manifest outwardly. From that point on, they would be considered demonic cultivators.

If one reached the Ultimate Demonic Realm like Yeon Seo-hwa, the demonic qi would be completely concealed, making them indistinguishable from ordinary people.

Il-gwang roared with his hands behind his back.

"First form: Demonic Dragon Slash!"

The constables thrust their swords forward in a straight line, then drew a curve to slash the air before them.

"Ha!"

"Hiya!"

Swish! Swish!

The sounds of slicing air echoed through the courtyard. The shouts were impressive, but they couldn't get it right on the first try. Clumsy movements were visible everywhere.

The Wolf Fang Squad members stepped in to correct the constables' postures.

During the day, the constables practiced high-level demonic sword techniques and footwork, and at night, they meditated to accumulate demonic qi in their dantian. The next day, they would swap shifts with the other half of the force. During their duties, they always carried the Tao Te Ching and the Diamond Sutra to study.

Though it was an exhausting, rigorous training regime, not a single person gave up. They still remembered the painful memory of being beaten on the streets by the soldiers of the Evil Dragon Squad led by Zhang Jun. Moreover, who would refuse the chance to legally learn high-level martial arts under the protection of the military?

"Second form: Fire Demon Flash!"

The constables kicked off the ground and spun simultaneously. Normally, this was a powerful stance that projected blade qi forward, but most of them lost their balance and fell.

"Urgh!"

"Ah!"

The Wolf Fang Squad members had to hold back their laughter. The sight reminded them of their own days in the recruit training camp.

The training only ended at sunset. As the Wolf Fang Squad gathered at the entrance of the Guard Battalion, Il-gwang addressed them.

"Good work, everyone."

"But our training starts now, doesn't it?"

They were heading toward the Wolf Fang Squad's private training ground inside the military camp. They were eager to learn the Blood Wind Sword Art that So-mu had given them. Since it was an attribute-less high-level sword technique, it could be used even with orthodox internal energy.

Recently, Il-gwang had also fallen completely in love with practicing the Annihilation Explosive Fist.