Episode 321
Was it April already? The heavy rain felt impossible for spring, so I couldn't help grumbling, "It's raining."
I pulled my hat down tight. In truth, it made little difference; I was already soaked, like a rat that had fallen into water. Still, it prevented rain from entering my eyes, so it wasn't completely useless.
It had been the same in the north. For some reason, I never seemed in sync with the weather. Why did it feel like the sky always turned hostile whenever I had something important to do?
I pushed through the bushes, then stopped short.
"Ugh..."
The Dark Qi that I had drawn from the Iron-Blooded Lord was raging inside me. There was no time to delay, yet I couldn't keep moving. There was nothing I could do when the pain tore through all my veins.
I swallowed the blood rising in my throat and suddenly wondered, How could such energy exist in the world?
It reminded me of the time I mistakenly swallowed an elixir that I couldn't digest due to Master's prank, but this was dozens of times worse. The sensation was disgusting, like swallowing the venom of a snake or centipede.
Even I, a priest capable of handling Dark Qi, had been reduced to this state. Any ordinary church member who tried to absorb this kind of energy wouldn't survive. Their bodies would be overwhelmed, and they would collapse.
Fortunately, this rampage didn't last forever. The energy raged, then subsided, only to surge again in cycles.
In fact, my physical condition was so unstable that it would be better for me to stay still. I immediately needed to regulate my energy through internal energy circulation. One mistake could leave me with a permanent disability or drive me into the dreaded demonic possession that I had only heard about. The sad thing was that I couldn't afford that right now.
The moment the Dark Qi subsided, I forced myself forward through the rain-soaked forest.
I had recovered all the Dark Qi from the Iron-Blooded Lord's body. It hadn't been as difficult as Lise had said, nor as I had feared.
Strangely, Behemoth's malignant Dark Qi had abandoned the Iron-Blooded Lord the moment I made contact with it. It had surged out as if it had been waiting for that moment.
That caught me off guard. After all, Dark Qi was tenacious and difficult to extract. Thanks to that, the retrieval itself had been clean and swift.
The real problem came after that. The retrieved Dark Qi started to run wild inside me.
I suddenly drew the Yin-Yang Dao and looked at my reflection on its blade. A laugh slipped out. I look like a walking declaration that I am a church member.
My eyes had changed, their colors inverted into the likeness of the Blood Moon Demon King that I had once seen; my skin had darkened, as if stained with ink; my teeth had grown jagged; and Dark Qi seeped from every part of me. Even an ordinary person could tell that I was a church member. In fact, I looked more like a demon.
Suddenly, I wondered how the Iron-Blooded Lord would react if he saw me now. Naturally, he would draw his sword and cut me down.
I walked through the heavy rain, my thoughts fixed on him. Now that the Dark Qi had been retrieved, he would probably awaken soon. Thanks to his natural strong vitality, he would return to work at once.
What would happen after that? By now, the Badnikers would have marked me as a target and formed a pursuit team. I had scattered the Dark Qi so openly that the entire family had to be in turmoil.
I had already been prepared to run away, so withdrawing wasn't difficult. However, the Badnikers wouldn't let me escape so easily. If word ever spread that a church member had emerged from the Iron-Blooded Lord's bloodline, the family's status would plummet. The impact would exceed that of a few knights or Great Masters being exposed as members.
Of course, I didn't have the slightest intention of going around claiming to be a church member, but the Badnikers weren't fools. They wouldn't believe me.
As I kept pondering, the rain poured down around me. Frankly, the weather worked in my favor. I had cursed it earlier, but the downpour now aided my escape. The rain would naturally hide my tracks. Moreover, the dense forest made escape easier.
However, the opponents were the Badnikers, geniuses of hunting and tracking. If not for the damn Dark Qi, I could have escaped. Not anymore. Even this downpour wouldn't erase its heavy presence. Therefore, it could be said that the possibility of successfully escaping under the current circumstances stood at fifty percent. Even if I reached my destination, I couldn't be sure about my survival.
From the beginning, the chance of saving the Iron-Blooded Lord had only been fifty percent. That left my own chances of survival at less than twenty percent.
However, if asked whether I regretted it, my answer would be no.
A groan escaped me. I had been swallowing the blood that occasionally rose in my throat instead of spitting it out, but the dizziness from blood loss persisted.
If I lose consciousness like this, will my body temperature drop until I die? To meet my end soaked in rain would be a pitiful fate.
The Butterfly Forest was vast. Anyone without the skills of a Badniker could wander it for a lifetime and never find a way out. It was easy to lose one's bearings even without unusual circumstances. The forest was large enough to contain several cities, and rumors claimed that even the Badnikers hadn't completely mapped it.
In my opinion, it wasn't a rumor but a fact.
I was heading north, using the mansion as my reference point. As a child, I had heard that the north was the one direction I absolutely had to avoid if I became lost in the Butterfly Forest.
My childhood memories were faint. Before I received no blessings and faced discrimination, I had someone who could be called a nanny. I vaguely remembered what she had once told me.
"Young Master. The east, west, and south are fine. However, not the north. It is hell there."
I suddenly stopped. I didn't know how far I had walked from the mansion, but I knew that I had reached the hell my nanny had warned me about; the surrounding scenery had changed without warning.
The hell before me was a sheer cliff, unlike any ordinary cliff in scale or shape. It felt as if the ground had been intact one moment, only for a cliff to suddenly appear. It was as though a being as huge and powerful as Ymir had torn the ground apart.
A strange atmosphere rose from below. For some reason, it gave me the unsettling impression that a fall into it would lead straight to the underworld.
I didn't know what existed in the northern reaches of the Butterfly Forest. Naturally, I didn't know what lay beneath this cliff.
I looked down, but even with my eyesight, I couldn't see the bottom. I couldn't tell whether it was the fog from the heavy rain, my half-crippled state, or something inherent to the cliff itself.
Just... I stood with my back to the cliff. I could sense many people approaching. Moments later, a large group emerged from the bushes. From their number and faces, it was clear that the Badnikers had assembled a large pursuit team.
Among them stood Archmage Assad, the Collector Benga Organ, Elder Phyllis, and finally, the Iron-Blooded Lord
I met his gaze. He didn't look well. We were the same. His face was still pale, and it felt strange to see him dressed only in the thin shirt he had been wearing in his bedroom. Perhaps he had rushed here in haste.
At that moment, someone gave the order. "Kill him."
It was Assad.
I couldn't help laughing. What did this guy say to me last night? He declared that I alone was worthy of becoming the next family head and even claimed he would be my patron.
It was absurd that the same man was now ordering my death. I felt no hatred. I just couldn't understand Assad's attitude.
I steadied myself and took a stance. I had no intention of dying here. As such, I didn't expect that someone would suddenly intervene.
"Stop."
At first, I assumed the rain had distorted the sound, but that wasn't the case.
The Iron-Blooded Lord... As I paused, the Iron-Blooded Lord stepped forward and blocked the knights' path.
An uncomfortable silence followed. Only the sound of heavy rain filled my ears. Then a white flash split the dark clouds.
For a moment, the world seemed to turn white. Thunder followed, loud enough to shake heaven and earth as if the sky was about to collapse.
The Badniker army had retreated. Of course, it wasn't due to the thunder. More than rain, wind, thunder, or lightning, it was the awe-inspiring figure that stood in their way.
"Delac." The Archmage appeared shaken, but unlike the others, he showed no fear. Assad asked with an expressionless face, "What are you doing right now?"
"That is what I want to ask, Assad. Why did you give the order to kill him?" the Iron-Blooded Lord asked.
"What?"
"There are still many unanswered questions. We should understand the circumstances first," the Iron-Blooded Lord reasoned.
Assad's expression hardened, and he glared at the Iron-Blooded Lord. "What are you saying right now?"
"Is it hard to understand what I am say—"
"That isn't what I am asking!"
I was surprised. This was the first time I had seen Assad scream. I closed my mouth and remained silent.
From where I stood, I couldn't see the Iron-Blooded Lord's expression. Perhaps that was why he looked unusually fragile today as he stood in the pouring rain.
Assad asked, "Unanswered questions? Understanding the circumstances first? Delac, you have seen him with your own eyes, and you still say such nonsense? Look at Luan Badniker! Look at how the miasma had consumed him and even changed his appearance!"
He raised his voice again. "I was skeptical too! I had placed my hopes in his performance, and that hope soon turned into certainty! He would be your successor... I thought he was a talent who could be entrusted with the Badnikers' future! I followed you here to see if I had missed something and clear up any misunderstandings!
"But look at him now! Does that still look like your son to you? Do you still think he is Luan Badniker? Do you think that monster, steeped in miasma and shaped into a demon, is your own blood?"
Assad gasped. It wasn't from physical exhaustion. A mage's mental power was closely tied to their mental state, and that state had a great impact on the body. It was proof that even the Archmage was far more shaken by the Iron-Blooded Lord's unexpected stance than he let on.
"It is something I never considered," the Iron-Blooded Lord said, his voice low.
"That is why you're saying we should listen to you? You can still say that after seeing him like this?"
"Yes." The Iron-Blooded Lord's voice didn't waver. "In this situation, we need to have a conversation."
I looked at the Iron-Blooded Lord's back, surprised.
"If you had possessed even a shred of a father's awareness, shouldn't you have given me one more chance? At the very least, you could have come to speak with me before cutting my tendons. That is what I believe a father should have done."
Did he remember?
"A conversation isn't the problem! The other person is a priest! Delac, are you going to give up everything you have built so far? Even the Iron-Blooded Lord is just a father, helpless in front of his own bloodline, unable to attack because it is his child! What do you think will happen if your enemies find out about this?" Assad shouted.
Assad's hair was a tangled mess in the pouring rain. The desperation in his voice carried a hint of madness. An Archmage, a man of reason and wisdom, was shouting.
"In the end, they will target your family first! You know better than I do how thoroughly and ruthlessly those disgusting heretics exploit weaknesses." Assad's voice trembled slightly. "Delac... Delac! Please listen to me this time..."
A priest had come from the Iron-Blooded Lord's bloodline. It didn't matter whether it was corruption or loss of control over my body. What mattered was the result. I had become a church member. If it were the Iron-Blooded Lord I knew, he would have immediately drawn his sword and swung it at me.
I had prepared for that. I had braced myself to receive his attack once he regained consciousness. I had resolved not to feel regret, even if I were seriously injured or died.
Yet the Iron-Blooded Lord was now standing in front of me. He didn't deny Assad's words or try to persuade him, but he didn't raise his sword against me either.
Now I could see it. The Iron-Blooded Lord's shoulders were trembling slightly.
"Father."
That was enough.
"Thank you."
It was enough for me to smile. It wasn't out of bravado, pretense, or despair. At its core, this smile came from joy over the sudden development. At the very least, he felt conflicted and was thinking.
You, who always think of duty, missions, and results, showed hesitation for the first time. I believed that this trembling was a sign of change. The Iron-Blooded Lord was a person who could also change.
"Luan," he began.
I cut in, "There was a time when we were deeply at odds. There were moments when I feared you and others when I hated you. I had a lot of grievances against you. I will let them go now. The past is the past. They say that no matter how good a memory is, it becomes harmful if you cling to it for too long."
"What are you saying now?"
I smiled as I looked at the Iron-Blooded Lord, who finally turned to face me. "We should both just let it go."
People often talked about forgetting the past. I maintained my smile as I silently pondered on the words that I couldn't and wouldn't say here. I will never forget what you said today. I will also remember the expression on your face when you looked at me. Even if you forget... Even if everyone here forgets... Even if this world forgets... I won't forget. It's possible not to forget.
After all, that was the unique blessing I possessed.
"I will see you soon." I laughed and threw myself off the cliff.
I could see the Iron-Blooded Lord rushing toward me. He reached out with a desperate expression.
Did he think I meant to kill myself? I shook my head to indicate a refusal, but his mouth fell open as if he interpreted it differently.
I could see Assad and the knights blocking the Iron-Blooded Lord as he tried to jump after me.
Well done.
Thick fog filled the area. The Iron-Blooded Lord's face soon vanished, and the pouring rain swallowed all sound.
I couldn't tell whether the rain was falling on me or I was falling through it. I didn't know. It felt like I was falling all the way, yet I might suddenly rise somewhere, or perhaps like I was flying in a straight line.
Amid the uncertainty, I remembered my origins. For some reason, it brought me back to Spirit Mountain, to the moment Master suddenly told me to bring Senior Brother He Lou back and pushed me.
That was the beginning. The difference from that time was that this fall was my choice.
Through the fog, I recalled my father's face again. His desperate, urgent, and somehow regret-filled expression didn't match the Iron-Blooded Lord at all.
"I don't want to see it again," I muttered as I continued to fall.
Then my thoughts drifted to something else. After the incident in the north, I often considered the Spirit Mountain's Blessing. Then I reached my own conclusion. No matter how strong the blessing became, it would be difficult for me to completely control it.
I kept turning it over. What was the difference between the disaster at the training camp and the disaster in the north?
Maybe it had little to do with my mindset or circumstances I was in. Basically, it promoted the growth of its holder.
Then came my hypothesis. What if the Spirit Mountain's Blessing worked the same way?
Before my regression, I lost an arm at the training camp. It was a permanent injury. A demon had eaten the severed limb.
What would have happened if I hadn't regressed at that time? Of course, I wouldn't have despaired over the loss. I would have tried to train with my other arm. Even so, for a martial artist, losing an arm was a fatal flaw. No matter how much stronger I became, I would never reach my current level.
I started speaking without much thought. "In my current state, won't I be completely smashed if I fall from this height? I may even become disabled."
Physical impairment alone wouldn't trigger activation. Therefore, I pushed my relationship with the Badnikers to the brink. If I was going to fall anyway, I would fall so grandly that it would bring tears to my eyes.
"What should I do?"
Luan Badniker would become a cripple. How strong could he be once he was no longer a Badniker, once he became an enemy of the empire?
I didn't know, so I went ahead and did this.
I am ready.
Maybe I was crazy. The blessing had no will, and I could have misunderstood the activation conditions. If my hypothesis was wrong, I would have to live the rest of my life half-crippled. Such a life would undoubtedly be far harsher than what I was experiencing now.
It didn't matter. Even in that state, I would continue to aim to be the best in the world. That was who I was.
Then what about you? I smirked at the blessing, as if it had its own will. Are you ready? Are you ready to continue serving me as your master, even if I have become half-crippled? You bastard.
Craaaackle!
Shortly after that, pure white light engulfed me.
***
The usual grating sound that signaled the blessing's activation did not come.
Jingle.
Instead, I heard the clear, familiar chime of a bell.
"You're here." The voice was soft. The distinctive metallic snap of the iron fan opening and closing followed, along with the familiar fog and the air.
I took a deep breath.
"Yes." I opened my eyes and replied, "I'm here."
Senior Sister Tian was standing atop a large rock and looking down at me. Her usual ambiguous smile rested beneath the cloth covering her face. She seemed to be waiting for me to speak.
So I did. "Senior Sister, I've decided that it's time for me to face my roots."
The footsteps of the Heavenly Demon were recorded in the Book of the Birth of Heavenly Evil. She had faced her unclean roots and ultimately changed her very foundation. She couldn't completely abandon the place where she was born, so she changed it instead.
I understood that it wasn't as easy as the book made it seem. I couldn't be like Senior Sister Tian. It was impossible, even if I died and came back.
At the very least, however, couldn't I follow her path? Could I not step where she once walked and trace what she left behind?
Senior Sister Tian smiled softly. The iron fan snapped shut with a rough sound.
Her tone changed as she looked down at me. "Then do it. Are you willing to risk your life for martial arts?"
I responded with a fierce smile.