Chapter 161
The Heavenly Slaughter Star and the Guiding Star
After several days of winding our way through the mountains, we finally reached Grandfather’s safe house deep in the wilderness.
The trail narrowed until it became almost impossible to take the carriage any farther. After some deliberation, we unharnessed the horse and let it go.
Then, in place of the horse, we hoisted the carriage onto our shoulders and began climbing the twisting mountain path.
“Brother... doesn’t this feel a little strange?”
I feel less like a person and more like a horse.
“At least now I know for certain that my little sister is stronger than one. All right, let’s put it down here.”
Yeon Ryang chuckled as he stopped in a broad clearing and tapped the ground with his foot. With a groan, I slowly lowered the carriage.
After carrying the heavy thing uphill for hours, my shoulders were stiff and aching.
There was supposed to be a formation marker somewhere around here that deactivates the array.
I thumped my numb arms and scanned the area, only to spot an old man dressed in worn, tattered clothes.
He sat alone atop a large boulder, leisurely drinking.
When our eyes met, he smiled and called out to me.
“Are you the owner of the safe house?”
“Uh... more or less?”
The old man twirled his beard and gave a disbelieving laugh at my vague reply.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“It belongs to my grandfather, so while he isn’t here, wouldn’t that make me the owner?”
“I see. You make a fair point, young lady.”
Laughing heartily, the old man tossed his cup into the air.
Cracks spread across an invisible wall, and the scenery around us melted away like paper soaked through with water.
A neatly maintained thatched cottage appeared in the middle of the clearing, where moments ago there had been nothing but weeds.
The boulder the old man had been sitting on was actually part of the surrounding wall.
Flustered, I blinked up at Yeon Ryang. After exchanging a glance with me, he addressed the old man politely.
“May I ask why a master of your stature is staying here?”
“The house was empty, so I took the liberty of imposing—”
The old man’s expression suddenly hardened.
He glared fiercely at Yeon Ryang, and for an instant, I thought I saw murderous intent flash through his eyes.
I flinched and hurriedly stepped in front of my brother.
“Excuse me, sir. I already told you this is my grandfather’s house.”
“So?”
“What do you mean, ‘so’? You stayed in someone else’s house without permission. You can’t threaten the owner when she comes back.”
“Oh...?”
The old man studied me from head to toe with a peculiar expression, then picked up a fallen branch.
“Very well. Endure three moves from me, young lady, and I shall vacate the premises.”
“What?”
“If you fail, however, I will continue staying here. You there—do not interfere. I have no intention of harming her.”
Yeon Ryang clasped his hands respectfully and slowly retreated.
“Brother? Where are you going?”
“Ha ha. You’ll be fine.”
“What do you mean, I’ll be fine? Sir, I told you this is my grandfather’s house! The owner is here, so naturally you should leave!”
Why are all old masters like this? He broke into someone else’s home, yet he’s acting as though he owns the place!
When I raised my voice in disbelief, the old man burst into laughter and swung the branch at me.
“Ha ha ha! It has been a long time since a child dared raise her voice at me. How bold. Let us see whether your martial arts are as impressive as your tongue.”
Startled, I sprang back.
He held nothing more than an ordinary branch, yet I had the illusion that a razor-sharp sword was hurtling toward me.
I frowned at the smell of alcohol drifting through the air, but then the familiar movement caught my attention, and I tilted my head.
That’s strange. His sword path resembles Daoist Jinseong’s.
“Sir, are you from Wudang?”
“What an imagination you have. Have you ever seen a Taoist who drinks?”
Plenty of them. I’ve seen them drinking right below Mount Wudang.
When I gave him a suspicious look, he denied it again.
“I truly am not. There is no Taoist in the world quite like me.”
That made sense. A master from a sect as distinguished as Wudang would hardly wander around looking like a beggar.
Daoist Jinseong, for instance, always wore spotless white robes and kept his Taoist cap perfectly arranged.
Convinced, I quickly settled into a stance.
The old man waited until I had found my balance, then chuckled and unleashed his second move.
The branch sliced through the air, creating a gust that tore leaves from the surrounding trees and sent them pouring toward me.
The leaves shot for my throat like a barrage of concealed weapons.
My mouth fell open.
With a shriek, I threw myself to the ground and rolled out of their path.
“Ha ha! To think I would live to see a proud daughter of the Tang Clan perform the Lazy Donkey Roll! Age truly does bring all manner of amusing sights.”
“It’s better than dying!”
“Indeed. Better than dying. What good is pride once your head has been cut from your shoulders?”
The old man threw back his head and laughed, then raised two fingers in a sword gesture and adjusted his stance.
His presence sharpened.
“I like you, young lady. I look forward to seeing what you will show me this time.”
White sword energy coiled around the branch.
My chest tightened.
I had a terrible feeling that meeting that strike head-on would shatter my wrist.
Steadying my breathing, I slipped a hand into my sleeve.
Poison would not work on someone like him. Nor was he an opponent I could possibly counterattack.
Since Yeon Ryang had obediently backed away, this was probably nothing more than an old master amusing himself.
I would just dodge.
Nothing but dodge.
I bit down on my lower lip and launched three butterfly blades at once.
The old man’s branch swept through a smooth arc and split each of them in two.
A scream tore from my throat as the six perfectly halved pieces fell to the ground.
“My butterfly blades!”
“Oh dear.”
The old man apparently had not meant to destroy them. Looking apologetic, he scratched his cheek.
“To think they would split in half from a mere branch. The Tang Clan’s metalworking has certainly fallen into decline.”
You can’t even buy these with money... I’d only just gotten used to them...
With my world collapsing around me, I picked up one of the severed butterfly wings.
The old man scratched his head, then took a small wooden case from inside his clothes and opened it.
“My apologies. You must have been accustomed to using them. Would you accept these instead?”
Eight golden needles lay neatly arranged inside.
They were far more intricate than the Feather Needles I normally used.
My mouth watered at the sight.
Is he serious? He’s just going to give me concealed weapons this finely made?
I suspected he had some ulterior motive, but my desire for such beautiful equipment overpowered my doubts.
I nodded eagerly.
“Yes. I’ll take them.”
“Are you certain? Once you accept them, there will be no returning them.”
“What? That sounds like something I should be saying. Even if you ask for them back later, I won’t give them to you.”
“Ha ha! That suits me perfectly. The golden needles are yours now.”
Laughing, the old man closed the lid and handed me the wooden case.
I beamed and tucked it deep inside my sleeve.
“Thank you! I’ll put them to good use!”
“How old are you, young lady?”
“Seventeen.”
“A difference of four years. Perfect. Do you drink?”
“What?”
“I am rather fond of it. It would be nice if you could share a cup with me. My disciple is so rigid that he acts as though even touching alcohol would bring about the end of the world.”
“...What?”
“Then again, what does any of that matter? So long as the person herself is happy. Do you like mountains? You are not afraid of heights, are you? What about somewhere high enough to be covered in mist? The slopes are rather steep.”
My mind grew increasingly hazy as he continued spouting incomprehensible questions.
What in the world is this old man talking about?
When I stared at him in speechless confusion, he scratched his head.
“Ah, I have gotten ahead of myself. I should have asked what sort of man you prefer first.”
“Excuse me, sir? What exactly are you talking about? Do you know me?”
“You and I have met for the first time today, have we not?”
“Then why do you care what I like?”
“There are reasons.”
The old man stroked his beard and laughed, gazing at me with obvious satisfaction.
My eyes darted around as I struggled to make sense of the situation.
At last, I asked cautiously, “In any case... you are leaving, right?”
“Of course. A promise must be kept.”
He looked at me with the warm smile of a kindly grandfather.
Then his gaze moved to Yeon Ryang, and his expression twisted with contempt.
“However... you need to cultivate a better eye for people, young lady. Where did you pick up a thing like that? One born under the Heavenly Slaughter Star cannot escape the fate of a murderous ghost.”
“...”
“Tsk. His condition is already so poor. At this rate, he will soon be consumed.”
Under the old man’s piercing gaze, Yeon Ryang looked away and smiled awkwardly.
Has everyone recently learned the phrase “murderous ghost”? Why do they keep calling him that?
My mood soured instantly.
Struggling not to raise my voice again, I said, “That is a rather cruel thing to say to someone you have only just met.”
“Do not dismiss it, young lady. Old men do not always speak nonsense. There are things one cannot understand until one has experienced them.”
He answered gently, swallowed a sigh, and turned away.
“One last piece of advice. You—do not give your sword a name.”
Yeon Ryang blinked.
“Pardon?”
“Weapons worthy of being called divine armaments inevitably gather lingering will and resentment. The instant you give that blade your affection, it will be tainted by sinister energy and become a demon sword.”
“Wait, sir—!”
Before we could argue further, he disappeared into the distance.
With a single leap, he crossed more than two hundred feet. It was a movement technique bordering on the miraculous, but I was far too angry to admire it.
I huffed furiously.
“What was that about? The Heavenly Slaughter Star? How dare he compare my brother to some ill-omened star?”
“It is possible.”
“What do you mean, it’s possible? I told you, it’s nonsense. If everyone had to live according to the fate of the star they were born under, why would rebellions happen? Why would dynasties ever change?”
I spoke firmly, as though there were no need to give it another moment’s thought.
“I already told you, Brother. People live according to their own choices. There is no such thing as predetermined fate. There are only the consequences of the decisions we make.”
Yeon Ryang burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha! You truly are fascinating. There is no chance the Tang Clan taught you to think like this, yet you are so certain of yourself. My little sister really does have a rebellious streak.”
As though trying to improve my mood, he joked around and pushed me toward the cottage.
“Come on, let’s go inside. We still need to unpack. You’re hungry, aren’t you? Shall I stir-fry some meat?”
“Use plenty of scallions.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll make it delicious.”
Nodding, Yeon Ryang began carrying the food from the carriage into the cottage.