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I introduce Yu Hwa and Gyu-baek to the companion who came with me.
Click, click, click―
It's a puppet of the Mad Lord.
The puppet, resembling the Mad Lord and at the Nascent Soul stage with bee wings on its back, is something I had seen in a previous life when I was chased by the Mad Lord and committed suicide.
The puppet, clicking beside me for a while, suddenly starts biting its own arm like crazy and begins to rave.
[Seo Hweol, Seo Hweol, Seo Hweol, where are you! Where is Seo Hweol! Where is Seo Hweol! Seo Hweol, Seo Hweol, Seo HweolSeoHweolSeoHweol….]
Seeing the suddenly raving puppet, Gyu-baek frowns.
"What is this unpleasant toy?"
"It's not a toy. This is…."I point at the puppet shouting for Seo Hweol.
"A communication network directly connected to Seo Hweol's archenemy."
"Seo Hweol's… archenemy?"
"Yes. Let me introduce you. This person is known as Mad Lord Jo Yeon, a puppeteer cultivator who Seo Hweol most dreaded before he ascended in the lower realm."
Gyu-baek shows little reaction, but Yu Hwa, on the other hand, jumps back in shock.
"Mad, Mad Lord Jo Yeon!? The one with a notorious reputation not only in the Earth Tribe but also in the Heaven Tribe Territory…!?"
It seems that after arriving in the Earth Tribe Territory, Yu Hwa had looked into the recent trends of the Earth Tribe and the situation in the Bright Cold Realm, including information about the Mad Lord.
Yu Hwa, while fearful of the infamous Mad Lord's reputation, seems intrigued by the artificial soul contained in the puppet, unable to take her eyes off the Mad Lord's puppet.
"I have gone through great lengths to persuade the esteemed Mad Lord to face Seo Hweol, securing his assistance for this time. However, he moves as he pleases, so we couldn't set a date. But the Mad Lord will come to the Earth Tribe Territory in 103 days from now and start bombing Seo Hweol's location at Cloud Heart Lake."
"…!"
Upon hearing my words, Yu Hwa seems interested while Gyu-baek has a complicated expression.
"Then, let's plan how to lure Seo Hweol and trap him in the remaining 103 days."
"Sounds good."
"Let's do that."
Thus, Yu Hwa, Gyu-baek, and I started planning against Seo Hweol together.
After the meeting, I left the pavilion.
By now, the sky has turned to night.
"Sigh…."
After seeing Yu Hwa and Gyu-baek and having an intense meeting, I finally sigh, feeling relieved from the crisis.
'I really thought I was going to be modified.'
The Mad Lord was surprisingly logical.
It's just that his logic is that of a madman's, not quite fitting with the world.
He's a cultivator who would listen to anything as long as it aligns well with his mad logic.
―Oh ho, what's this? To come to my Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress on his own, what do you think my dear? This fellow has come on his own seeking an opportunity for evolution, as long as it's possible, let it be a splendid….
―Greetings, esteemed Mad Lord. I have come to make a proposal.
―Let's see, you said your name is Seo Eun-hyun, correct? General Seo, Prince Seo, Duke Seo, choose whichever you like.
―Does Sir perhaps know that Dragon King Seo has found a lover? I am preparing to marry off Seo Hweol this time. If the wedding proceeds and he becomes a husband to the person he loves, perhaps even Seo Hweol, with his filthy heart essence, might become a slightly better being, don't you think?
―…What?
―The Dragon King is about to get married. I invite you to the wedding, Sir Mad Lord, to come and help Seo Hweol become husband and wife with his loving partner.
―Seo Hweol… Seo Hweol… SeoHweolSeoHweolSeoHweolisgettingmarried? ThenofcourseI'llhavetohelphefinallyfoundsomeonehelovesverygood…!
Delighted at the thought of personally marrying off Seo Hweol, the Mad Lord agreed to come to the Earth Tribe Territory on the set day to assist with Seo Hweol's wedding ceremony.
―Then, let us meet on that day. Communication can be done through this puppet. Also, I have always admired the Mad Lord's puppetry, so I would like to learn from the Sir's disciple. Could you permit your disciple to accompany me until the day of the event?
―……
―Sir Mad Lord?
"...You, while talking about Seo Hweol, cunningly pushed the conversation about your own evolution to the back. So, which one will you choose among General Seo, Prince Seo, and Duke Seo?"
"...I will borrow the disciple. From now on, let's communicate through this puppet!"
After that, I managed to escape from the Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress with Kim Yeon and somehow made it to the Earth Tribe Territory.
Fortunately, by keeping in touch with the Mad Lord through the stolen puppet and exchanging opinions, the Mad Lord was indeed determined to personally oversee Seo Hweol's marriage in 103 days.
'We've succeeded in drawing in the Mad Lord, so what remains is for us to plan and extract what we want from Seo Hweol.'
Now, it's just a matter of coordinating what each of us wants.
With that thought in mind, I approach someone standing far away, gazing at the distant moon while dressed in a light pink palace attire next to the Demon Ape Pavilion.
It's Kim Yeon.
"Yeon-ah, aren't you cold?"
"…."
"Let's go inside."
I had succeeded in rescuing Kim Yeon from the Mad Lord's grasp.
However, the state of Kim Yeon is strange.
Her consciousness had retreated back into her skull and would not come out. Her eyes are dull and cloudy, and she does not speak a word.
She continuously plays with small puppet toys in front of her, manipulating them for her amusement.
Decades.
The result of leaving Yeon in the Mad Lord's care and neglecting her for decades.
Kim Yeon has developed mental issues again.
'It was beyond my control not to contact her in this life because of Seo Hweol, but that's all just an excuse.'
Even under Seo Hweol, if I had thought harder, there might have been a way to contact her.
The distance was too far to use Mysterious Bizarre Gu and to communicate over that distance would require a ritual, which is why I left her alone for too long to avoid arousing Seo Hweol's suspicion.
I sit next to Kim Yeon, who resists going inside, and watch her play with the puppet toys for a while.
After some time, she leans tiredly against my shoulder and falls asleep.
I gently embrace her with one arm.
Crackle, crackle….
Suddenly, I see the tips of my fingers turning into electricity and vaporizing.
The remaining time, 103 days.
It's possible that my whole body could vaporize within that short period.
'Let's make it a goal to awaken Kim Yeon within that time.'
If I continue to speak to her heart essence through the Sea of Righteousness and Mountain of Grace, perhaps it might be possible.
I pick up the peacefully sleeping Kim Yeon and enter the temporary shelter I made nearby.
Afterward, I come back outside the shelter to greet a guest who is waiting for me.
"Welcome... Hong Fan?"
I ask, looking at the giant centipede that has grown much larger than I remembered.
The feeling of intent is definitely that of Hong Fan.
But the creature has grown unexpectedly large.
"Have you been well in the meantime, Master?"
"Uh, yeah… You are…"
I hesitate for a moment, observing Hong Fan emitting the energy of the Core Formation stage.
"…Have you reached the Core Formation stage?"
"Yes, that's correct. I was able to reach this realm using the resources you left in the storeroom, Master."
"…How did you open the storeroom?"
Decades ago, I had never taught Hong Fan, who had the consciousness level of a three- or four-year-old child, how to undo the barriers on the storeroom.
"I dismantled the formation and went in. It was easy."
"…."
I mutter to myself, realizing the extent of Hong Fan's capabilities.
'This creature, is a genius.'
Before its intellect awakened, I just thought of it as a mere centipede, but after awakening, it turns out to be such a tremendous genius.
'…I might even fall behind Hong Fan in cultivation if I'm not careful.'
"So, what brings you here?"
"Since you've arrived, Master, it's natural that I come to see you."
"No, besides that, I'm not your master. It'd be better if you address me properly. Just call me Seo Eun-hyun."
"How could I do that to you, Master? From the first day I saw Master, it was my fate to live for you. Please allow me to serve you as my master."
What is this all about?
Setting aside the Earth Tribe's ability to see fate, it's almost impossible for the Heaven Tribe to look into their own fate so precisely.
In short, Hong Fan's words are not really about seeing into fate but rather a metaphor, indicating how much he wants to serve me.
'No, but why suddenly serve me?'
Of course, I am perplexed.
'Because of the Serving Command Seal?'
Thinking about it, the Serving Command Seal, which brings fortune, chose Hong Fan.
In a way, Hong Fan can be considered a source of fortune for me.
'Is it simply because we met through the fortune of the Serving Command Seal?'
That seems to be the only explanation for now.
"...Alright. Later, if you're still serving me, please tell me a more proper reason."
"I have told you already... Well, if I find such a reason later, I'll let you know."
"Is that why you came to see me today?"
"That, and I also wanted to ask where Master have been all this time and what happened."
"Hmm, it's going to be a bit of a long story. Alright..."
I sat next to Hong Fan and told him about various things.
About being betrayed along with Gyu-ryeon by Seo Hweol and falling to the lower world.
How I somehow achieved ascension again in the lower world along with Gyu Baek, the fragment of Gyu-ryeon.
How I went to the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and met a True Immortal...
Crackle, crackling...
I raise one hand and say,
"...And that's how my hand ended up like this."
"How could that be..."
Hong Fan looks at my fingertips.
And at the fluttering other arm, he sighs with a gulp.
That's right.
Already, my left hand has completely vaporized into electricity and scattered, and my right hand is also starting to vaporize from the fingertips.
I am already dying.
―Return....
The whisper of the True Immortal still echoes in my ears.
"Master...! You must not pass away...!"
"...What can I do, it's the price for daring to steal a glance at the True Immortal's jade body."
"That's...!"
"Well, think of it positively. At least through the Heavenly Lightning Banner, I received what you could call a blessing from the True Immortal. Though this state is almost like a curse, my affinity for the lightning attribute significantly increases while being eroded by lightning."
―Return....
Every time this ridiculous whisper echoes, my body vaporizes into lightning.
It's a frightening and terrifying experience, but there are also fascinating aspects.
―Return....
When the whispering stops and my body transforms back from lightning, at the same time, I gain knowledge about lightning.
Literally.
Overcoming the whispers, I come to understand the nature of lightning, the principles of forming lightning.
The basis of lightning cultivation methods, the principles behind lightning attribute techniques, and so on.
'Interesting.'
The whispers seem to be knowledge itself.
In exchange for becoming terminally ill from witnessing the True Immortal's true form,
I have gained the enlightenment of lightning.
'103 days left...'
Hoping that my body will not be completely consumed within that time, I look at the moon.
***
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