---

**

Seob Honyohee looked down at the man who had fallen into the bathtub.

How impressive. Starting from his physique, the scar etched on his face gave a rough idea of the life he had lived.

He must have undoubtedly led a difficult life. Just looking at that sword hilt piercing the Yoma Illusionary Realm says it all.

His movements were perfectly clean, devoid of any unnecessary flourishes. Like a meticulously crafted sword, he split the center of Yoma Illusionary Realm with precision.

A rare master. That level must be…

Beyond an apex, perhaps even at the transcendent level.

“……”

It was a realm only reachable by exceptionally aged and experienced warriors. Yet the fact that this man had reached it indicated something about his genius.

…Wait a second. Thinking about it feels strange. To label it genius…

His swordsmanship seemed too crude. There was hardly any finesse.

The straightforward sword path looked as if it could suck you in. In those movements lacking in variation, there was little sign of genius.

All that appeared was a sword that had been wielded and sharpened daily.

“…….?”

Seob Honyohee tilted her head at the oddity that didn’t quite add up.

Could one truly reach such a level merely through sheer effort?

If that were possible, the world would be filled with geniuses who work hard everywhere. Seob Honyohee Black Danhwa knew just how absurd that notion was.

Thus, her gaze lingered even more. On this bizarre man.

…But.

That was as far as it went.

—Bubble, bubble.

Bubbles began to rise. Seob Honyohee stepped back. The man before her, seemingly asleep like the dead, was trapped within a world of his own making.

The water filling this bathtub was not ordinary water, but rather Musubekyu (霧水白柔).

Though it looked like water, it was simultaneously not water. This entire liquid was essentially a collection of immeasurable energy raised up by the Yoma Illusionary Realm.

The much deeper water depth proved that it was far more profound than it appeared to be. This was nothing less than the sea of energy. It was a substance that could drown an opponent in an instant.

“……”

For someone who could not handle it, the end result would be the same.

Becoming just a fragment in the countless depths of the sea, scattered like the unnamed martial artists before him.

Seob Honyohee wiped away the dripping Musubekyu. After leaving the bathtub, she changed into new clothes.

Deep down, she knew. This was not just a test; it felt quite like a death sentence.

But… wasn’t that okay? These were individuals lured in by nothing but outer appearances. The ones who wanted to shake their waist for the sake of beauty, without even knowing what the three characters “Black Danhwa” truly meant.

In any case, it was just chastising the moths drawn to the flames. They wouldn’t be killed, as she simply absorbed their energy without taking their lives.

So perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing…

“……”

…She knew.

It was foolish and utterly meaningless.

Yet even so, she couldn’t stop.

If she didn’t, where could she vent this restless anger?

…A demon.

A title given to someone consumed by their own deeds.

“…If Seob Honyohee’s name is not that of a demon, then who could be called one?”

Seob Honyohee loosened her collar.

“A demon is one who drags those they encounter into the same mire. Blaming the luck of the warrior… ”

—Crack.

Seob Honyohee froze mid-step as she was about to leave the room.

There was something odd about the sound. She tilted her head, wondering if she had misheard, but the sound came again.

—Crack.

Musubekyu began to boil. Despite it not being a liquid that should boil, it was certainly boiling.

“What…?!”

The clear and transparent water, that freely indulged in the innate energies of countless martial artists.

It surged upward as if to flip over. The overflowing liquid crawled out of the bathtub, and within it, a human, who should have completely withered away from having all their energy drained, rose.

The culmination of the Yoma Illusionary Realm.

The martial artist who had broken free from the myriad illusions woke up.

“…Incredible.”

He said.

“That was an astounding prank, Seob Honyohee.”

Seob Honyohee stepped back.

. . .

Feeling refreshed. It was as if she had awoken from a deep slumber, her entire body felt light.

She moved her hands. Placing one on the edge of the bathtub, she fully lifted herself up.

Her dantian was filled to the brim with energy. Of course, most of that energy didn’t belong to her.

The amount her body couldn’t accept would naturally be expelled over time. As she wasn’t cultivating through a spirit pill, it felt just like pouring too much water into a glass.

Since it wasn’t hers, it would eventually leak out. It was simple logic.

However…

That was rejected by Cheongeop.

While she was away, it had endlessly fed upon it. It forced the overflowing cup to expand its entirety to hold more.

That was its current form. Normally, forcing an object to stretch that much would lead to cracks and ruin, but…

The one responsible was Cheongeop. A mysterious force bestowed directly by the Heavenly Demon.

Her dantian had expanded according to the energy it had taken in, and black roots had fixed into the various parts of her body that should have been broken.

Literally reinforcing her to be consumed.

If one were to learn the famous Absorption Technique among the martial arts, this feeling could be said to be similar. She clenched her fist and then released it.

She didn’t know exactly what the liquid she had been submerged in was, but…

It was showing the same efficiency as consuming several elixirs at once.

Feeling like her very being itself had been enhanced by a level. Of course, the wall of martial arts was incredibly high to break through, but…

The important thing was that just the sheer increase in energy meant there were things she could accomplish.

Like this.

—Squish.

The Cheongeop that seeped through the broken vessel. What had strengthened wasn’t just her energy.

External power. That too had become stronger. She had thought her natural muscular strength had reached its limit, but now it felt like she had exceeded that as well.

The bathtub cracked under her proper strength. Seob Honyohee let out a gasp.

“How, how is this possible?!”

In fact, it was only possible due to a crafty method. If there hadn’t been Ear Sword Bai Ya, she might have become a dried-up husk, lost in the fantasy of women appearing before her. Without Cheongeop, she would have fainted, unable to resist properly, collapsing into a deep sleep.

But she had Cheongeop and Bai Ya.

One was given to her by the Heavenly Demon, and the other by the Soul Extractor.

It could be seen as a symbol of fate.

She reached out, donned her outer garment, and reattached the sword she had loosened.

Ear Sword Bai Ya was pouting. However, having realized the meaning behind their long conversation, she now merely found it cute.

Their candid exchanges. Hidden meanings wrapped within the stoic and fierce temperament.

While it ended with Bai Ya expressing intent to target her neck, she recognized the feeling of loneliness embedded within.

It was an infinitely persistent loneliness.

As if it was a natural emotion one should harbor as an Ear Sword, Bai Ya was worried more about being abandoned than feeling stifled. Truly, a child’s tantrum.

To prove that point, she had promised to use her exclusively for a while. Of course, it was merely a one-sided promise.

After all the upheaval…

Could it be that in the end, it all turned out beneficial?

To decorate that finale, I gazed intently at Seob Honyohee.

Her newly donned clothes. Water dripped from the tips of the fabric she wore.

I walked slowly. Standing before her, she trembled slightly as she sat half on the ground.

My hand went to my sword.

Seob Honyohee gasped.

So…

I asked.

“Where is the exit?”

“…Huh?”

“I asked where the road to Eungmin is.”

“W-wait, I’m not… don’t… touch me…”

“I told you from the beginning that’s not what I wanted. I have no particular interest in whether you’re known as the greatest treasure or famed for your beauty. From start to finish, I held interest in just one thing.”

It was frustrating to think about the nonsense committed, but on the flip side, it felt slightly pitiable as if I’d been stripped of all my possessions.

It was bad enough to destroy this bizarre conglomeration of energy all at once, but in the end, the Ear Sword Bai Ya had even shattered a part of that strange truth.

When considering what had been committed, it felt akin to uprooting the very foundations of a family.

So, I made a resolution. I decided to leave this place.

“The only road leads to Eungmin, Lady So.”

“…You’re not going to pull off this veil, will you? You’ve passed all the tests. Now all that’s left is to take me, Seob Honyohee Black Danhwa.”

“I already said I don’t need it.”

“You can use me as a mere plaything. Take me as you wish and toss me onto the street, I don’t mind.”

“Is that what you wish?”

“…To say I wish would be a lie. But a promise is a promise.”

Seob Honyohee Black Danhwa stood up.

“Don’t you find yourself curious about the face behind this veil? It’s all yours. Take me as you like, cast me aside as you will. I, who made this rumors, have decided I won’t shy away if such a day arrives. It’s a fitting fate for someone who trampled on others to be trampled upon themselves.”

Seob Honyohee spread her hands.

“Do as you please. With this Seob Honyohee.”

“…Very well, Seob Honyohee. Then let me ask you.”

“…Yes.”

“Where is the road to Eungmin?”

“……? I just offered myself to you, didn’t I?”

“So I asked Seob Honyohee. Where is the road to Eungmin?”

“That way, I think…”

“Then that’s settled. You are free.”

“B-but I’m the greatest beauty?! Seob Honyohee Black Danhwa whom all men have drooled over?!”

“I have no interest in others’ opinions. What matters is what you truly wish to do.”

I shifted my foot towards where she pointed.

“I’m only wishing to head to Eungmin.”

“Could it be that you desire the Turtle Messenger Black Wild Dan even more than the greatest beauty?!”

“Seob Honyohee Black Danhwa.”

I sighed. Meeting her trembling gaze beyond the veil.

“Even if you utter those words while trembling, what does that signify?”

“…H-have you peered inside?”

“I only saw your shivering. I don’t know what it is you’re trying to do, but…”

I took a step forward.

“I won’t acknowledge you nor will I take you in. Do not beg for what you don’t desire, but walk on your own. Seob Honyohee Black Danhwa.”

“……”

I exited the manor.

The fog cleared, and an open path lay ahead.

I hurried my pace.

To avoid being late.

. . .

I set up camp to rest. Gathering nearby timber, I lit a fire.

Bai Ya whined. I gently stroked over the scabbard.

When what had been mere guessing turned into conversation, we confirmed the feelings we both bore.

Loneliness was an emotion that could be filled. As I expressed it piece by piece, Bai Ya would surely come to trust me.

Though the road ahead still felt long, I felt as if I had grabbed some direction.

That thought delighted me much.

“Mu Gongja. You seem to be caressing like a lover.”

“……?”

The rumbling Bai Ya spewed out a thin line of complaint. A man, who had joined naturally, crawled into the light. He quickly snatched one of the jerky pieces.

“What a terrifying sword you wield. Mmm. This jerky is absolutely delicious. It looks rather expensive; where’d you buy it?”

“What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing. I am also headed toward Eungmin. Since our paths intersect, I was thinking to travel together. Didn’t we just have a hot time in that forest?”

“I remember it was only the Black Prince swinging his waist in the air.”

“Forget that, would you?”

The bushes rustled. Something else popped out.

A woman who naturally wore the veil sat next to me.

“…Seob Honyohee?”

“Can I have a piece of jerky?”

“…I suppose you can…? ”

“You told me to choose freely what I wanted to do. Since my past has been entirely shattered, I’m thinking of finding what that is. Right now, what I want to do is find out what kind of person you are. So will you please let me follow you?”

“Seob Honyohee? The one called Seob Honyohee Black Danhwa? You’re!? If you could just lift the veil just once…”

“Leave before I split your face in half.”

“…Black Prince. Black Lady.”

I let out a sigh directed towards the two strange individuals who shared the Black surname.

“I’m not here for leisure.”

“I know that. But listen. This Black Wind could be quite useful. I’m rather quick on my feet, you know. I could help you out since our paths have crossed. You’ve also indebted me, it seems. If you hadn’t broken through the Yoma Illusionary Realm, my energy would have been completely drained. It’s like owing one’s life to your savior.”

“I’m in the same boat too. I could help more than that thunder idiot. I’ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve and can improvise on the spot. I’ll show you why the title Seob Honyohee was given to me. Since I’ve regained the life I’d owe, I’ll repay that debt through hard work.”

“Besides…Looks like the Black Prince here is a bit foolish. Going to Eungmin now is practically lawless; I can imagine you getting hit hard looking like that.”

“There are loads of things in this world that can’t be resolved with powerful martial arts. It doesn’t matter if it’s just casual wandering, but if there’s a clear purpose, you’ll undoubtedly need someone well-versed in the world.”

Their pouring opinions turned into a barrage directed toward me. As I was pelted with their words, I brushed my face.

“Whatever it may be, I’ll refuse.”

“Hmm. If you’re going to be that stubborn…”

Black Wind casually snagged another piece of jerky.

“How about just going as far as Eungmin together? Our paths do intersect.”

“I can’t say that isn’t entirely wrong. You rogue.”

“Please speak a bit more nicely.”

In a scenario where separating felt impossible, I eventually had to yield.

…Fine. If we part ways after reaching Eungmin, what’s the harm if our paths are similar for now?

“…I’ll join you all the way to Eungmin. After that, we go our separate ways.”

“Great! Sounds good!”

“We’ll think about what comes next after we arrive.”

All of a sudden, my group had expanded.

An unknown man who had seemingly rolled in from somewhere.

And a girl who had devoured the inherent life force of others.

 

---