Chapter 713: Aunt-Master (1)
"Greetings, Elder!"
From far away, Huiyang practically slid through the air and prostrated herself.
Apparently that was only natural—Ji-ryeon’s masters had declared that I was the husband of their disciple, the divine being Huiyang served.
I returned the greeting with an unconcerned expression.
“Earlier there wasn’t time to speak. My name is So-ryong.”
“Oh! What a truly gallant name. Allow me to greet you again. I am Huiyang. I lead the Nine-Heaven Demon Tower.
Our Nine-Heaven Demon Tower serves the three—Sonyeo, Hyeonnyeo, and Chaenyeo...”
From speaking with her, it was exactly as expected: the Nine-Heaven Demon Tower was an organization like a lower-realm Daoist order devoted to Sonyeo, Hyeonnyeo, and Chaenyeo.
She said it consisted entirely of human female cultivators.
If the Ten-Thousand Demon Forest was a group composed only of female spirit-beasts because it lacked males, then this place felt more like a convent in an immortal-cultivation world.
The surprising point was that although the three were masters of bedchamber arts, most of the women here were virgin bodies. If they served them, you’d expect the three to occasionally bestow a little grace in passing—but hearing that such a thing had never happened made me suspect the reason.
'Could it be that since they’re all virgins, the three—Sonyeo, Hyeonnyeo, and Chaenyeo—simply have no interest?'
That’s how dual cultivation is.
It may seem trivial, but the impermanence of life and all its joys and sorrows are contained in it.
If you don’t know that, how could you comprehend the Dao?
While listening to her, I looked at the peach trees and asked,
“But aren’t peaches originally the symbol of the Queen Mother of the West? Not the three?”
It had been the same with Ji-ryeon—something about this didn’t quite make sense.
As far as I knew, peaches were the symbol of the Queen Mother of the West.
Wasn’t it in Journey to the West?
Sun Wukong stealing peaches from her orchard and rampaging until he got beaten senseless.
Huiyang stammered, looking slightly confused.
“Uh... th-that is...”
Was it because I’d asked something the husband of the Nine Heavens Hyeonnyeo’s disciple ought naturally to know?
I scratched my head and explained,
“Ah, I haven’t been ascended very long.”
“How long has it been?”
“Not even a full year yet...”
“Gasp!”
At the words that I hadn’t even been ascended a year, Huiyang was shocked.
She looked like she might faint if she learned it had only been a little over a year since I’d even begun martial training.
Only then did she nod, as if realizing that made sense, and explained,
“Am-amazing. Not even a year since ascension and already at the Primordial Infant Stage. Ah—but that’s not what matters. I should answer your question.
Peach trees are indeed the symbol of the Queen Mother of the West. But peach blossoms are the symbol of the three. So we planted peach trees to view the blossoms rather than the fruit.”
“Ah.”
Since peach blossoms had symbolized eroticism even in the Central Plains, it made sense they were the three’s symbol as well.
I nodded, then decided to move to the main point.
“We’ve chatted enough. I’d like to ask something important now. If you know anything, could you explain in some detail?”
Huiyang, who had been slightly relaxed, immediately straightened her posture.
“Of course, elder.”
First, I asked about my master.
That was what I was most curious about.
Above all, what I wanted to know was why he had stolen married women.
“My master. Do you know what exactly happened?”
At my question, Huiyang fell briefly into thought as if searching her memory, then began speaking.
“He wasn’t a widely known cultivator. Or rather, he was expected to be great at first, but quickly forgotten.
About a hundred and fifty years ago? When he appeared as a cultivator of the brute-force path, expectations were high—but he failed to reach the Primordial Infant Stage, and the association he belonged to was left with someone it didn’t quite know what to do with.
Brute-force cultivators lack attainment in Law Arts or Dao techniques, and they don’t pass on their martial arts. So they aren’t very useful to their association—and since his realm never rose, he was quickly forgotten.”
It seemed my master had struggled to step into the realm beyond Life-and-Death.
For us, registering spirit-beasts made advancement easier than ordinary cultivation.
I suspected he simply hadn’t found spirit-beasts he liked.
Even if my realm stayed low, I’d still refuse to collect hairy creatures.
'A lion may starve, but it won’t graze grass.'
As I nodded, Huiyang continued.
“Then one day, grim rumors began spreading that cultivators were disappearing one by one. And Tang Hwa-seong was identified as the culprit. A cultivator claimed to have seen spirit-beast cultivators being drawn into him.
Other groups demanded explanations from the association he belonged to. °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° He fled, pursuit followed, and the victims increased. And by the time he began invading associations and sects to abduct cultivators, no one could stop him.”
Huiyang only knew the surface story.
And although she mentioned that wives had been lost in various places, she didn’t seem particularly emotional.
I could guess why.
What my master targeted were spirit-beasts—so the Nine-Heaven Demon Tower, composed of human female cultivators, had suffered no damage.
So she didn’t know much and spoke of it like someone else’s story.
I recalled how earlier, when other cultivators attacked me with bloodshot eyes, she’d stood far back behind them.
“It seems the Nine-Heaven Demon Tower didn’t suffer losses then?”
“No. What he targeted were spirit-beasts—and women.”
“Do you happen to know which association my master belonged to?”
To learn the details, it seemed best to inquire at the association he had belonged to.
Someone inside might know circumstances never revealed outside.
An unexpected answer came.
“The place he belonged to was the Ink Shadow Altar.”
“The Ink Shadow Altar?”
“Yes, elder.”
“What sort of association is it?”
“Ah—an organization that handles all information in the Lower Heavens from the First through the Eighth, excluding the Ninth.”
I had naturally assumed my master would have chosen a place where spirit-beasts were.
But it seemed he had belonged to an information organization.
Since I needed to contact them anyway to learn the whereabouts of a spirit-beast to heal Senior Sister, I asked how to reach them, planning to inquire about my master’s traces as well.
“How can one meet them?”
“They’re located beside a Wind Passage leading from the Fifth Heaven to the Fourth.”
“Wind Passage?”
“I’ll explain. So...”
From what she said, the structure from the First through the Eighth Heaven was unusual.
Like floating islands from fantasy, there were exactly eight lands suspended in the sky.
Eight vast islands—from the First Heaven down to the Eighth—floating one beneath another.
And the means of travel between them was the Wind Passage.
Like a wormhole connecting islands.
Enter one side, emerge from the other.
“Ah—so they’re based beside the Wind Passage on the fifth floating land from above that leads to the fourth below?”
“Exactly, elder. This is the Third Heaven, so they’re farther down. Where sects and associations reside differs by their strength.”
To treat Senior Sister and find traces of my master, it seemed I’d have to search below.
I asked whether there was a place I could use as a temporary residence.
My wives and others could stay inside Dokmul-hyang, but my Primordial Infant or I would need somewhere to reside in turns.
I’d reached the Primordial Infant Stage quickly, but above that was the Huashen Stage.
I’d heard that beyond that could take centuries—so I certainly needed a base.
“Also, is there perhaps somewhere suitable for me to reside?”
I’d meant it as: since the three had told her to assist me, could she spare me a room?
But what I heard was different from what I’d expected.
“I would be honored to host you, but this place is humble. It would be better if you went to the First Heaven.”
“The First Heaven?”
“Yes, elder. Originally no faction may occupy that place—but since the disciple of Nine Heavens Hyeonnyeo has come, it is proper that you take possession of it.”
“Is there a reason I must take it?”
“It is where the earth-vein and heaven-vein overlap—the place in the Nine Heavens with the highest energy density.”
“Ah.”
I remembered hearing of earth-veins and heaven-veins from Senior Sister.
The energy density of the cultivation world here was higher than the lower realm, and some places were higher still.
White Night City of the Nine Heavens had also been built on such a convergence.
So she meant that in the First Heaven, whose density far exceeded below, I should take the very best site.
“What do you mean no one may occupy it?”
Even as a parachuted outsider, one couldn’t break order too badly.
I’d asked just in case—but with this reason, it seemed acceptable.
“There were constant conflicts over it. About a hundred years ago, it was agreed to leave it empty and allow anyone who needed it to use it without fighting. If you occupy it and still allow access, there should be no great objection.”
“I see. Then where is the First Heaven?”
“I’ll guide you.”
I used the gate Huiyang opened and went to the First Heaven.
Arriving and rising into the sky to look down, an island roughly the size of Seoul spread below.
Sensing the flows of energy, I felt currents winding and converging at a single point.
The very center of the island.
I flew there at once—arriving at the most prime land of the Nine Heavens.
I looked around.
'Hmm. No life detected.'
I’d thought someone would have already seized such a place—but there was no one.
Seeing that, Huiyang said,
“They likely vacated after hearing you had appeared, elder.”
“Ah.”
So that was why no one was here—they’d withdrawn on their own.
Assuming they’d be displaced by me anyway.
I placed my hand on the ground and felt the energy flows directly.
The currents winding through the earth surged upward beneath my feet.
From the sky as well, energy poured down into the ground.
'This is good.'
The earth-vein and heaven-vein were excellent—but there was nothing a person needed to live.
Just a single rock in an open field.
That was somewhat disappointing—when suddenly a very good idea struck me.
It would be perfect to bring out White Night City here.
Since I needed to travel around to gather information anyway, and the energy inside my Dokmul-hyang took time to equalize with the outside—
The energy that passed through me flowed back into Dokmul-hyang, and that reflection took time.
So for a while its flow would match the Nine Heavens.
If I brought out White Night City here, everyone could raise their realms freely in this superior environment.
I decided to discuss with Senior Sister and my wives, set White Night City on the earth-vein beneath the heaven-vein, and then head directly to the Ink Shadow Altar.
“I’ll be back shortly.”
“Will you be alright, So-ryong?”
“Well, who would dare touch me now? Nine Heavens Hyeonnyeo stands behind me.”
“That’s true.”
“Right. So stay here and cultivate well.”
I decided to leave my wives and most spirit-beasts here.
They could raise their realms while I went below.
Only Geumdo, the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings, the subterranean Azure Steel Immortal Ant, and Zihwa remained stored in the temple within my Dokmul-hyang.
“Let’s go, Cho.”
—Tsrrr. “Yes, Dad.”
It would just be Cho and me, moving quickly.
But just before departure, a companion wished to join our journey.
—Kishit. “Yo-hwa wants to come too, brother.”
I’d told Yo-hwa to remain here absorbing earth-vein energy—but she insisted on coming.
“Inside Dokmul-hyang there won’t be other spirit-beasts. You’ll be bored.”
I told her following was fine—but she’d have to remain inside Dokmul-hyang alone.
Her large body made it difficult to travel outside with us.
Cho could carry her, but that would slow us.
Then suddenly Yo-hwa’s body creaked—and began changing into a form she’d never shown before.
—Krrrck.
“Gasp.”
Her abdomen and legs shrank back behind a human body.
She transformed into the form from the stone slab where she’d once become the Golden-Faced Spider King.
A human figure with three pairs of legs rising from her back—but able to conceal them.
Soon even the legs slipped away.
And her appearance was not Hwa-eun’s—but Yo-hwa’s own.
—Kishishi. “Yo-hwa can follow outside too, brother.”
If Yo-hwa decided to follow somewhere, she wouldn’t be stopped.
At those times she was stubborn.
But after returning, she would behave quietly for a while.
So it was hard to refuse—I allowed her along.
“Alright. Let’s go, Yo-hwa.”
We mounted Cho’s back and headed straight for the Fifth Heaven.