After leaving Jean, Seol Hwa walked around for a few minutes before heading home since it was already evening.
There was nothing worth noting except for the bizarre encounters of her day.
Through undeliberate interactions with the mortal world, one could learn ordinariness and what it constitutes.
And as fate would have it, Seol Hwa got herself a seemingly ordinary sword that she couldn't wait to demystify.
The moment Seol Hwa opened the door, she found Min-Seo lying on the couch, a bowl of popcorn in her arms.
Cinematic explosion sounds blasted off the stereo speakers.
Seol Hwa wondered what Min-Seo was watching so carefreely while throwing popcorn into her mouth.
"I'm home," Seol Hwa said as she entered the living room.
She glanced at the large TV mounted on the wall.
As expected it was an action movie.
'Are there martial arts movies? I should check them out if they exist. The mortals of this world seem talented enough to create almost any form of entertainment,' Seol Hwa thought.
"Hey sweetie. Where have you been?" Min-Seo paused and gently asked.
"Just taking a nature walk. I wanted to immerse myself in the mortal world," Seol Hwa calmly replied.
Min-Seo creased her eyebrows with a weird expression.
"Mortal world? You really are speaking a bit… archaically. Like you're different?" Min-Seo remarked, voicing her wonder.
"Have you been reading martial arts novels?" Min-Seo then curiously asked, her eyes trailing to the sheathed sword tightly clutched in Seol Hwa's hand.
Seol Hwa didn't betray any change in her expression.
'Yes, I'm different… mom. And I'm over 800 years old,' she mused.
"No. I've never read such books," Seol Hwa answered truthfully.
'I've read martial arts techniques. Do those qualify as martial arts novels?'
"I think you have, honey. The old sword in your hand sums it all," Min-Seo said with certainty, an amused smile on her vibrant face.
The evidence was there. Her daughter was becoming a bona fide martial arts nerd.
Who would walk with a sword in broad daylight if they weren't delusional about some kung fu?
'Well, if Seol enjoys it. Then, I'll just let her be,' Min-Seo sighed.
Seol Hwa didn't know what her mother was thinking.
"I got it for ten dollars at a pawn shop." Seol Hwa subtly shrugged.
"You got it for ten? That was cheap. But…" Min-Seo said before sitting upright.
She paused the movie and then stared at her daughter.
"What are you planning to do with a sword?" she asked in a serious tone.
Seol Hwa wasn't surprised that Min-Seo would ask about that.
Her current world had strict laws over walking around with armed weapons unless you were licensed.
She was lucky no police officer on duty had spotted her.
If Seol Hwa didn't want to be spotted, then she would not be even if the men in blue had a thousand eyes.
The purpose of her walk hadn't been to hide in the shadows but to breathe in the openness of nature anyway.
'Now, what am I supposed to tell her?' Seol Hwa wondered.
Her eyes gleamed when she remembered that there was a certain unpopular club at school.
"I bought it for my sword practice. I'm in the Kendo club," Seol Hwa answered confidently.
It was both a truth and a lie. The lie was for reassurance purposes.
"Oh." Min-Seo's face mellowed. "So you're in the Kendo Club? Why didn't I know about that?"
"Because I had forgotten to tell you. Now you know," Seol Hwa replied before casually scooping a handful of popcorn from Min-Seo's bowl.
Min-Seo reacted too late, her slap missing Seol Hwa's wrist.
"My popcorn are off-limits, lady," Min-Seo lightly warned, hugging the bowl tightly.
"You should wash your hands before touching food," she educated Seol Hwa like she was a child, pointing a finger at her.
Seol Hwa smiled at her and ate the popcorn. "I eliminated them long ago with my Gong."
"See? You've truly become crazy for Wuxia." Min-Seo shook her head, her lips curved into a motherly smile.
'Maybe I should catch up on my K-drama list.' She made a mental note.
"Now if you'll excuse me. I can't take more of your movie time," Seol Hwa said as she started leaving.
"That's thoughtful of you, Seol. It's rude to take your mom's movie time," Min-Seo chuckled, shifting her focus to the paused movie.
'I didn't know that,' Seol Hwa pondered as she disappeared in the hallway.
~~~<>~~~
[Inside Seol Hwa's Room]
Seol Hwa sat in a lotus posture on the floor.
She gazed at the sheathed sword lying across her lap.
"Time to see what you are," she murmured as she slowly unsheathed the sword from the part-metallic, part-leather scabbard.
'It looks disgusting now that I'm having a second look,' she thought as she re-examined the thick rust etched on the blade.
'I doubt even electrolysis that I learned in Physics could save you.'
She gracefully trailed a finger on the rusty surface before manipulating a thread of spiritual essence into the sword.
She closed her eyes, feeling the entirety of the sword's structure like it was a part of her.
Then, she vibrated the sword using her essence.
The sword hummed silently, her essence qi controlling its vibrational frequency.
Seol Hwa was resurrecting the sword to its intended glory as the rust and other impurities were expunged.
She could subtly feel the agedness of the sword, the lonesome centuries of its existence and the imprint of its creator.
After some time, Seol Hwa opened her eyes.
A silver light reflected in her eyes.
She could see herself on the blade.
The blade was silvery like the moon's surface.
It radiated the sharpness and lethality of a weapon that could be used by her.
Seol Hwa gently traced her fingers along the sword body.
"This material…" Her brows arched in surprise. "What type of divine metal was molded to such a fine sword?"
She ran a finger along the sword's sharp edge and a hairline cut appeared.
She retracted her hand, looking at the tiny cut on her index finger before it instantly healed.
"Truly commendable to be capable of drawing an insignificant drop of blood from me, sword," Seol Hwa whispered, a satisfied smile stretching her lips.
'It doesn't even have a sword spirit. But what did I expect? The metal alone already qualifies as a heavenly material. Its level is slightly behind the Eternium metal ore,' she analyzed.
All in all, the mortal sword was the best in its class.
In her hands, it was no longer the forgotten sword in some pawn shop.
It had become a sword of annihilation.
If she still had the [Demonic Flames of Nihility], then she would have elevated its status to a supreme demonic blade.
But reality didn't work that way.
The [Demonic Flames of Nihility] was tied to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and her past.
'I can just create my own supreme flames when I grow stronger. I wonder if this world has any heaven and earth flames,' she thought, sighing softly.
Now that she had resolved the sword's issues, two problems arose.
She couldn't swing the sword inside the room. It was inconvenient to practice there.
Destroying the room would be quite easy and Seol Hwa didn't want to make Min-Seo angry.
The other problem was about walking around with the sword even while sheathed.
It would be so conspicuous and attract unnecessary attention.
It was a pity she didn't have a storage ring. Her storage ring got destroyed in the battle with Heaven's Will.
Seol Hwa's face twisted in annoyance, from just remembering that bitch.
"The first problem can be easily resolved and the second one… I'd need to carve concealment arrays on the scabbard," she exhaled lightly.
She understood how setting up micro arrays was more tiring than large-scale ones.
Still, it had to be done, or she wouldn't be a former divine array expert.
Seol Hwa immediately began to work.
She slowly touched the hilt and concentrated her qi on her fingertip.
The trick was harmonizing the two arrays on both the sword and the scabbard for invisibility.
She etched tiny runes on the scabbard and the sword surface, each inscription carrying her intent.
Two hours later, the formation runes interlinked to form micro-thin lines that actively absorbed the ambient qi to power themselves.
The sword and the sheath were inherently one, so the two arrays were locked together.
Almost immediately, the sword turned completely invisible.
Her hand which was initially on the hilt, seemed to be holding empty air. However, Seol Hwa could still feel the weight of the sword.
When she unsheathed the sword, it shimmered back to existence and then she sheathed it, concealing everything.
"Now that's done, but it surely consumed my mental energy," Seol Hwa muttered, her face slightly pale but almost negligible.
If she didn't have such fine control over her own spiritual essence, then she would have depleted her own reserves.
She breathed rhythmically and started meditating to recover her mind energy.
Soon, the color on her face returned to normal.
"SEOL HWA! Food is ready!" Min-Seo called out to her from the hallway.
'It's already time for dinner?' Seol Hwa thought as she stood up. 'Why couldn't she wait for me to cook for her?'
'What an impatient woman.' Her lips twitched in slight annoyance.
Seol Hwa had promised to cook most of her mother's meals, but it seemed Min-Seo just loved cooking for her.
And now that she was on her day off and after the Qi massage, her mood had been boosted.
'Anyway, I'll just enjoy what she will serve.' Seol Hwa faintly smiled and left her room.
~~~<>~~~
9 PM.
The dinner constituted bulgogi served over rice and Seol Hwa enjoyed the dinner since it was filled with… love.
That's what Min-Seo had said. As much as she enjoyed her daughter's divine cooking, she was also allowed to serve her.
After dinner, Seol Hwa did the dishes while Min-Seo, still energetic, forced herself to go to sleep.
Her work shifts were resuming first thing in the morning.
After making sure that Min-Seo was deep asleep, Seol Hwa caressed the sword with a thoughtful expression.
She opened her window and jumped into the night.
A few moments later, she was back in the same park Jean had shown her.
It was empty. The old man and his pigeons were nowhere to be found.
The heaven and earth spiritual energy in the park was more passable than the one in her room.
Certain elements like the trees contributed to the concentration of nature energy.
If she cultivated here, Seol Hwa knew it would accelerate her progress.
She sat cross-legged on the bench that she had sat on during the day and started her cultivation session.
It was a slightly secluded place so the chances of being disturbed were pretty low. And she had already surveyed the area.
She activated [Primordial Unity Demonic Scripture] and began absorbing the energy from her surroundings.
Three hours later, she opened her eyes, a tiny smile on her face.
Sixty eight percent of her dantian had been filled with thick spiritual essence.
The next major realm was really in sight.
She exhaled slightly, looking down at the invisible sword.
Seol Hwa stood up from the bench and unsheathed the sword.
SHING!
The sword hummed silently.
It was a moonless night, but the blade still reflected a bit of silver light.
Her gaze was steady, her face as serene as an unperturbed lake.
Seol Hwa slowly moved away from the bench, so that she wouldn't cut the public property.
She stood there in the center of the park, sword raised vertically, her form embodying stillness.
She began executing the most basic swordsmanship moves.
She sliced, parried, stabbed, her moves as graceful as a swan as the sword glided through the air.
There was an aura of infinite continuity in her swordsmanship, making it unpredictable and ever-changing within its simplicity.
In that moment, Seol Hwa easily entered the first level of the Sword Path: The Sword-Body Unity.
The fine sword was a natural extension of her limb.
There were no wasted movements and beyond her own body's uniqueness, the first level granted one the ability to easily fight in the darkness or with eyes closed.
SHING!
Without looking, she allowed her body and the sword to guide her senses and sliced through the wind.
A leaf that was gently falling from a tree was shredded into numerous, tiny parts by one fluid motion.
Her own Sword-Body Unity existed to cause disharmony.
She opened her eyes to see the sliced parts land on the ground like green snowflakes.
'I've still got it,' Seol Hwa mildly thought before moving on to the next step.
She smoothly channeled her pure Qi into the sword, a golden color clinging to its sharp edges.
She could feel the immense destruction it promised if she executed a lethal move.
That was the second level of the sword path: Sword Qi Assimilation.
It tested a sword user's qi manipulation as it simply involved the channeling of one's energy into the sword, further amplifying its cutting power and durability.
'The two levels are enough for survival, even for a mortal,' Seol Hwa thought and continued to casually practice some more.
It wasn't easy to extricate herself from sword practice.
Min-Seo hadn't been wrong about one thing.
She was a huge martial arts fanatic.
Time trickled as she lost herself in letting the sword entertain her—ironically, it was a sword that could kill thousands of armed men.
~~~<>~~~
Two-point-five miles away from the small park, a figure in dark red was acrobatically jumping and moving between buildings, pausing from time to time.
He stood on the edge of a building, his masked face, looking but not looking.
The tiny horns on his head and his eerie silhouette made his form… menacing.
Like a devil…
His ears slightly twitched unnoticeably, sensing the chaos of New York, more specifically the chaos in that area.
The city never slept. The air vibrated more aggressively, its density and vibration fluctuating from time to time.
Crime thrived in the blanket of the darkest night.
Voices, a lot of them overlapped.
It was indistinct at first, then slowly as he focused the sounds became lucid.
He had been forced to cross the East River when he was following a lead.
That man's influence was like a virus deeply infecting every inch of space.
Fisk, the head of the snake, that he felt the URGE to decapitate.
How he wished it was that simple.
But soon, he will fall.
He guaranteed it. It was a personal oath.
Human trafficking made him sick to his guts.
The men responsible had to be served the justice they deserved.
His OWN justice.
It was then that amidst the cacophony of noises, he picked up a unique rhythmic sound.
Her heartbeat was so steady, unnaturally calm the same as her breathing.
The sound of a blade slicing through the wind.
Same disciplined, repetitive movements, over and over again.
'What kind of person practices ninja sword moves at night?' Matt was intrigued.
He decided to move closer to the source of that sound.
There was a sense of otherworldliness, of alienness that he couldn't just ignore.
'A woman,' he thought as he got closer.
'An extremely beautiful woman,' he corrected himself.
How did he know?
He just did, the moment he picked up her scent.
It was a scent like no other. She smelled of winter, summer, autumn and spring combined.
And it didn't make sense. She DIDN'T make sense.
'It's like… she isn't human,' Matt thought.
The feeling was eerily similar to the one he got a few days ago from that warehouse.
The feeling of Death made flesh.
It was then that the movements suddenly stopped.
And all interpreted information he'd gathered about the swordswoman vanished into nothingness.
She had disappeared like she just hadn't been there.
Matt tensed, tightening his hold over the stick.
It was just impossible for someone's aura to fade just like that.
'Inhuman.' The word surfaced inside his mind, his vigilance raised to the maximum.
"Why is a blind man spying on me?" A cold, almost apathetic voice sounded from behind.
Matt almost threw the billy club at the person and stopped himself at the last second.
They harbored no ill intent towards him. Matt could infer all this from a person's movements, heartbeat, breathing and muscle contractions.
But could the same rule apply to this… person?
"Guilty as charged. I didn't mean to though. Curiosity got the better part of me," Matt answered honestly as he turned his body to face the woman. "It's not every day you see a beautiful woman practicing sword moves in the middle of the night."
'How did she… how did she move so fast?'
'How did she know I was blind at such a distance?'
'Are her senses just like mine?'
'I can't move like THAT though.' Various thoughts barraged his mind.
"You aren't lying, I see," Seol Hwa dryly said, clearly immune to the blind man's flattery.
She then deliberately caressed her sword, knowing that the man's senses were attuned to shifts in the air movement. "If you had lied, I was prepared to make your existence… blind."
Matt's heart lurched in his throat.
Cold chills immediately ran down his back as he stood frozen.
Those words were absolute truth. Ruthless.
"I… I didn't mean any harm," Matt stammered nervously, raising his hands to show surrender.
"I know. You're just like that web-slinger kid," Seol Hwa casually stated.
"Spider-Man? You know him?" Matt asked in surprise, arching his brows under the mask.
"You both share similarities in what you do. But he's stronger," Seol Hwa replied, unbothered to expose the kid.
"Uh," Matt chuckled with embarrassment.
Since the woman wasn't an enemy, he relaxed slightly.
"When you lose one of your senses, the others are forced to evolve beyond the norm. The sixth sense or rather a blind man's cultivated senses," Seol Hwa commented.
Matt suddenly felt exposed.
"How did you know I was blind?" he asked.
"I can see beyond the five senses," Seol Hwa answered as she slowly walked around.
Matt tilted his head following her movements.
"You aren't blind, but your senses are better than mine," he stated, more like questioning.
"Of course," Seol Hwa said flatly.
"I think I have entertained you long enough." She then paused.
Just like she had appeared, she disappeared into thin air again.
"How… how does she do THAT?" Matt mouthed his astonishment, trying to shake off his trembling hands.
It was then that her voice sounded in his ears as if she were there next to him.
"Don't spy on me again. Don't die a meaningless death."
Matt whipped his head around, trying to maximize his senses. However, she wasn't there.
'Another awesome ability,' he noted.
And there was another thing which he had noticed.
Matt slightly rolled the mask upwards, exposing his unfocused eyes.
In his world of fire, she was like the blazing sun, so bright that he feared going blind.
For the second time.
~~~<>~~~
Author's Note:
Yu-ner here, again.
Here's a small glossary of the few words that I used that you might NOT have heard about:
Bulgogi: A Korean dish that consists of thinly sliced marinated beef. It was served over rice in our chapter. It's yummy.
Gong: Ever heard of Qigong? (I know you thought of King Kong). So Gong is just cultivation in English terms. SO Qigong=Qi cultivation.
Hmm, do tell if I turned a blind eye to other words.
You can read 20+ chapters on my p a treon: https://www.p a t r e o n.com/Yu_ner (remove the spaces)
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