Setelah Gadis Ilahi yang baru muncul dan Sang Pemimpin membawa Ah-young pergi, api di Kediaman Kera Putih lenyap seolah tidak pernah ada. Bahkan, tidak ada satu pun bekas hangus di bangunan itu. Hal ini mungkin terjadi karena itu adalah Api Ilahi, namun tetap saja sulit dipercaya.
Saat kembali ke Kediaman Naga Hangus, Woon-seong masih memikirkannya. Api Ilahi itu konon ditinggalkan oleh Iblis Surgawi Pertama... Woon-seong duduk di tepi tempat tidurnya, bersiap untuk tidur dengan pikiran melayang. Menurut legenda dan teks di dalam Sekte, Iblis Surgawi Pertama telah mencapai alam di luar makhluk semi-ilahi. Makhluk ilahi yang sejati! Namun, ia menggelengkan kepala. Ia tidak percaya. Alam makhluk ilahi? Bahkan Sang Pemimpin, yang melatih Pedang Pikiran, baru saja menginjakkan kaki di alam semi-ilahi. Manusia yang memasuki ranah mitos...
Ia memejamkan mata, mengepalkan tangannya. Apakah seperti ini pandangan orang biasa terhadap praktisi bela diri? Tapi bagaimanapun aku berpikir, aku tidak bisa memahaminya. Membelah bulan dengan Pedang Pikiran saja sudah sulit kucerna. Namun, sosok yang mencapai lebih dari itu... Apakah itu berarti dia benar-benar dewa? Woon-seong menggeleng lagi, mengusir pikiran itu. Tidak... Itu tidak mungkin. Itu hanya sosok yang tidak bisa kupahami. Sebaiknya aku berkultivasi daripada membuang waktu memikirkan alam makhluk ilahi. Entah itu semi-ilahi atau ilahi, keduanya jauh di atas levelnya saat ini. Masih ada waktu untuk memikirkannya setelah ia mendapatkan kekuatan yang cukup.
Saat memikirkan tentang kekuatan, ia teringat pada kultivasinya saat ini. Gunakan Bunga Gelap Roh Merah untuk membagi pikiran menjadi dua dan menetapkan dua kehendak. Pembelahan Pikiran, Kehendak Ganda. Gunakan satu kehendak untuk mengingat Bunga Gelap Roh Merah dan yang lainnya untuk mengingat Bunga Sejati Terolah... Kalau dipikir-pikir, Bunga Gelap Roh Merah punya nama lain. Itu juga merupakan Koneksi Pertama dari Seni Ilahi Iblis Surgawi... Woon-seong duduk bersila di tempat tidur dan mencoba mencapai ketenangan yang diperlukan untuk berkultivasi.
Lalu... "Kapten." Ada suara di luar kamarnya, memanggil Woon-seong. Ugh... Suara itu menghapus pikiran sebelumnya dan membuat kesadarannya tersentak. "Masuklah."
Pintu terbuka dan seorang wanita muda muncul. Kulitnya putih berseri dan rambutnya disanggul. Itu adalah Baek Woon-ji, salah satu dari sedikit anggota wanita di unitnya. Woon-seong memiringkan kepala. "Ada apa?"
"Kapten, ada tamu untukmu."
"Tamu?" Woon-seong menoleh ke luar jendela. Di sana, ia melihat bulan menggantung tinggi di langit. Sudah larut untuk menerima tamu. Itulah sebabnya ia bingung saat melihat Baek Woon-ji di pintunya—sudah aneh jika Gwan Tae-ryang berkunjung selarut ini. Terlalu larut bagi siapa pun untuk berkunjung. Namun, aku punya tamu...
"Siapa..." Woon-seong mengetuk dagunya pelan. "Tidak, tunggu. Kurasa aku sudah tahu." Woon-seong bangkit dari tempat tidur, berjalan menuju pintu. Indranya kini sangat tajam hingga bisa mengenali anggota Unit Naga Hangus hanya dari kehadirannya. Ia hanya perlu sedikit fokus untuk mengenali orang lain, tapi aku tidak mungkin melupakan kehadiran unik ini.
"Ah-young. Tidak, kurasa aku harus memanggilmu Gadis Ilahi Muda sekarang." Mendengar kata-kata Woon-seong, Baek Woon-ji tampak bingung. Gadis Ilahi Muda...? Ah-young baru saja dipilih oleh Api Ilahi sore tadi, jadi berita itu jelas belum diumumkan ke publik. Tentu saja, meskipun belum disiarkan secara resmi, posisinya sudah mutlak. Karena itu, Woon-seong memanggilnya Gadis Ilahi Muda.
Seorang wanita muda muncul di belakang Baek Woon-ji. "Bisakah kita bicara sebentar?"
"Sudah larut, tapi kurasa bisa."
Cheon Ah-young, yang melangkah dari balik Baek Woon-ji, meminta bicara selarut ini. Woon-seong, meski latihannya terganggu, menerimanya tanpa keberatan. Semuanya dilakukan dengan wajar, seolah tidak ada hal luar biasa yang terjadi.
"Aku ingin tahu apakah kita bisa bicara sambil berjalan di taman..." Ah-young berbicara ragu-ragu, suaranya mengecil saat ia berjalan menyusuri koridor menuju luar. Ia menoleh ke belakang, seolah takut Woon-seong menolak. "Tolong."
Itu bukan permintaan yang sulit, jadi Woon-seong mengangguk tanpa kata. Ah-young tersenyum penuh syukur. Baek Woon-ji, yang masih bingung, menatap cemas interaksi antara Woon-seong dan Ah-young.
Ah-young dan Woon-seong berjalan dalam diam di taman di luar Kediaman Naga Hangus untuk waktu yang lama. Baek Woon-ji, yang merasa tidak tenang dengan peristiwa yang terjadi begitu cepat, mengikuti keduanya dari kejauhan dengan alasan mengawal kaptennya. Akhirnya, keheningan menjadi terlalu canggung dan Woon-seong bicara lebih dulu.
"Aku lebih suka kita langsung ke intinya jika kau punya sesuatu untuk dikatakan..."
Ah-young berhenti berjalan. Woon-seong pun ikut berhenti. Ia menatap Woon-seong. Mungkin karena kata-kata ayahnya, wajahnya terasa panas. Matanya bergetar saat menatap Woon-seong. Namun, tak lama kemudian, ia tenang. "Mereka bilang aku akan menjadi Gadis Ilahi Muda."
"Itu sudah jelas, mengingat kau telah dipilih oleh Api Ilahi."
Ah-young mengangguk. Entah bagaimana, suara tenang Woon-seong membuatnya merasa sedikit bodoh. Ini semua karena ayah mengatakan hal-hal seperti itu. Ah-young menggelengkan kepala dan perasaan itu hilang. "Apakah kau tahu siapa dan apa yang dilayani oleh Gadis Ilahi?"
Kali ini, giliran Woon-seong yang merasa canggung. "Hmm." Meski tampak tenang, Woon-seong panik di dalam hati. Ia akhirnya menyadari apa yang ingin dikatakan Ah-young dan tujuannya malam ini. Cheon Ah-young menyelamatkannya dari kebisuannya.
"Api Ilahi dan Iblis Surgawi," ucapnya. Ia mengatakannya dengan begitu santai hingga Woon-seong terkejut. Itu bukan hal yang bisa dibicarakan dengan ringan. Betapapun hebatnya dia, sepertinya putri Iblis Surgawi pun memiliki hati seorang gadis. "Itulah mengapa ayah bertanya padaku, tentang apa pendapatku mengenai dirimu..."
Gadis ini... Tanpa disadari, mata Woon-seong melebar. Sepertinya Ah-young menganggapnya lebih dari sekadar saingan, meskipun ia sendiri tidak selalu menyadarinya. "Jadi, aku penasaran dengan apa pendapatmu mengenai diriku."
Mendengar kata-kata Ah-young, ekspresi Woon-seong sedikit melunak. Ia memejamkan mata, berpikir. Hidupku sudah dipenuhi dengan upaya balas dendam... Emosi seperti cinta mungkin terlalu mewah bagiku. Lagipula, tidak ada jaminan aku bisa mencapai balas dendamku. Musuhku bukan individu, melainkan seluruh masyarakat Aliran Putih. Tapi aku tidak mungkin menjelaskan semua ini pada Ah-young.
"Kau mungkin tidak tahu, tapi ada banyak hal yang harus kulakukan."
"..."
"Aku telah menjadi Pemimpin Muda seperti yang kuinginkan, tapi aku masih belum yakin bisa mencapai tujuanku. Mungkin tidak akan ada bedanya bahkan jika aku menjadi Iblis Surgawi."
Ah-young masih mendengarkan. Ia tampak menunggu kata-kata selanjutnya. "Jadi... aku tidak bisa memberikan emosi yang kau inginkan dariku. Karena ada hal lain yang harus kufokuskan saat ini. Hal lain hanya akan datang setelah aku mencapai tujuanku. Jika itu benar-benar terjadi."
Ah-young tetap diam, mencerna pikirannya. Woon-seong pun diam. Ia telah mengatakan semua yang ingin ia katakan. Meskipun tidak diucapkan secara langsung, ia merasa itu cukup untuk menyampaikan maksudnya. Cheon Ah-young cerdas; ia pasti mengerti sepenuhnya.
Keheningan berlanjut. Baek Woon-ji mengamati dari kejauhan dengan gugup. Tidak masalah baginya untuk menguping. Kapten... ia bergerak dengan gelisah. Akhirnya, Ah-young memecah keheningan. "Begitu. Aku mengerti apa yang kau katakan."
"Syukurlah."
Woon-seong perlahan memejamkan mata. Aku merasa baru saja melakukan sesuatu yang kejam pada wanita bernama Cheon Ah-young, mengingat ia harus menjalani sisa hidupnya sebagai Gadis Ilahi... Namun, jawaban Cheon Ah-young di luar dugaannya. Ia tertawa kecil sebelum berkata, "Kalau begitu, mari kita kesampingkan percakapan ini sampai kau selesai dengan tujuan-tujuanmu."
Woon-seong mengangguk dan berbalik. "Benar. Aku senang kau... Tunggu, apa?"
Woon-seong menoleh dengan terkejut, tapi Ah-young sudah menghilang. Di kejauhan, Ah-young keluar dari taman Kediaman Naga Hangus, menuju bangunannya sendiri. Ah-young menjadi titik di cakrawala, meninggalkan aroma parfumnya dan Woon-seong yang menatap kosong.
"Itu... bukan yang kuharapkan."
Woon-seong menggeleng. Saat berjalan masuk kembali ke bangunan, ia berpikir. Apa yang dipikirkannya? Aku memberinya tanda yang jelas bahwa itu tidak akan terjadi, namun dia hanya mengesampingkannya 'untuk saat ini'? Pikirannya berputar dengan berbagai ide kompleks, tapi ia menunda semuanya. Kurasa dia benar, tidak ada gunanya terus memikirkan sesuatu. Aku hanya perlu mengkhawatirkannya saat waktunya tiba.
Woon-seong mengalihkan perhatian dengan kembali berkultivasi. Ia kembali ke posisi semula. Pembelahan Pikiran, Kehendak Ganda. Bunga Sejati Terolah dan Bunga Gelap Roh Merah. Energi yang bersirkulasi menyapu pikiran kompleks tentang masa depan. Namun tak lama kemudian, ia menyadari perubahan. Sesuatu sedang mekar di dalam darahnya, menyebar seperti api. Itu tidak membakarnya sama sekali, meski terasa menyengat. Malah, panas itu terasa samar-samar familiar. Apa yang terjadi? Kekuatan di dalam Bunga Sejati Terolah yang kuterima dari Sang Tak Tercatat berdenyut. Seolah menyambut perubahan di dalam Bunga Gelap Roh Merah.
Haruskah aku mengendalikannya agar mengalir normal lagi? Woon-seong sempat mencoba mengendalikan qi, tapi segera menyerah. Tidak... kekuatan paling baik dibiarkan mengalir sesuai keinginannya. Melihat situasinya, tidak mungkin ada hal jahat yang mencoba menelanku dari dalam. Seni kultivasi ini pasti bergerak menuju arah yang ditakdirkan. Baiklah, mengalirlah sesukamu.
Begitu Woon-seong melepaskan kendalinya, energi dari kedua sisi bercampur menjadi satu. Energi itu bercampur di dantiannya, berputar melalui pikiran dan tubuhnya. Sulur cahaya dan energi memanjang dan runtuh, menjalin satu sama lain. Tanpa sepengetahuan Woon-seong, tekanan terbangun di sekitarnya. Saat ia duduk di sana, ia membuat seluruh Kediaman Naga Hangus bergetar. Energi misterius menyelimuti bangunan dan tempat latihan di sekitarnya, membuat anggota unit menghentikan aktivitas mereka dan melihat sekeliling. Woon-seong, bagaimanapun, telah mengidentifikasi penyebabnya.
Aku mengerti sekarang.
Ia membuka mata, menatap telapak tangannya. Bola api, seukuran manik-manik kecil, berkedip di telapak tangannya. Ia tersenyum cerah. Itu adalah esensi dari api. Itu adalah momen ketika Bunga Gelap Roh Merah mencapai alam yang lebih tinggi, membentuk Api Berbentuk Ilahi.
Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon
Chapter 69 – A Conversation
Translated by : moonchildkhz
***
After the current Divine Maiden showed up and the Leader took Ah-young with him, the fire at the White Ape House disappeared like it never existed.
Not to mention, there was not a single trace of fire on the White Ape building.
This was possible because it was the Divine Flame, but it was still hard to believe.
When he got back to the Charred Dragon House, Woon-seong was still thinking about it.
The Divine Flame is known to be left behind by the First Heavenly Demon...
Woon-seong sat on the edge of his bed, mindlessly getting ready to turn in for the night.
According to the legends and texts within the Cult, the First Heavenly Demon reached a realm beyond that of a semi-divine being.
A true divine being!
He shook his head at this thought though.
He did not believe it.
The realm of a divine being?
Even the Leader, who practiced the Mind Sword, had barely set foot into the realm of a semi-divine being.
A human entering the realm of myths...
He closed his eyes, gripping his hands.
Is this how martial artists look from the perspective of normal people?
But no matter how much I think, I can’t possibly fathom it. Splitting the moon with the Mind Sword is already something I can barely understand. But a being who has achieved beyond that... Does that mean he was an actual god?
Woon-seong shook his head again, banishing that thought.
No... It can’t be. It’s just a being I can’t begin to comprehend. I should probably be cultivating rather than waste time thinking about the realm of divine beings.
Whether it was semi-divine or divine, both were way above his current level. There would still be time to revisit these things after he gained the necessary strength.
As he thought about gaining strength, he naturally thought about his current cultivation.
Use the Dark Flower Red Heart to split the mind into two and set up two wills. Mind Split, Double Will. Use one will to remember the Dark Flower Red Heart and the other to remember the Tempered True Blossom... Now that I think of it, the Dark Flower Red Heart had another name. It is also the First Connection of the Divine Art of the Heavenly Demon...
Woon-seong sat down in a lotus position on his bed and tried to reach the headspace necessary for cultivation.
Then...
“Captain.”
There was a voice outside his room, calling for Woon-seong.
Ugh... It erased the previous thoughts in his mind and caused his consciousness to jolt.
“Come in.”
The door was pushed open and a young woman appeared. Her white skin was glowing and her hair was tied up.
It was a visit from Baek Woon-ji, one of the few female members of his unit.
Woon-seong tilted his head. “What is it?”
“Captain, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
Woon-seong turned his head and stared out the window. There, he saw the moon floating high in the sky.
It was a late hour to be having visitors.
That was why he was confused when he had seen Baek Woon-ji at his door — it was already weird for Gwan Tae-ryang to visit him at this hour.
It’s too late for anyone to visit me. And yet I have a visitor...
“Who...” Woon-seong tapped his chin lightly. “No, wait. I think I already know.”
Woon-seong rose from his bed, walking towards the direction of the door. His senses had now become so sharp that he could identify the people of the Charred Dragon Unit by their presence alone. He only needed to focus a little bit more to identify other people, but I can’t possibly forget this unique presence.
“Ah-young. No, I guess I should call you the Young Divine Maiden now.”
At the words of Woon-seong, Baek Woon-ji wore a confused expression. The Young Divine Maiden...?
Ah-young had only been chosen by the Divine Flame earlier that evening so the news had obviously not been announced to the public yet. Of course, even if it was not officially broadcasted, her position was set in stone. Thus, Woon-seong called her the Young Divine Maiden.
A young woman appeared behind Baek Woon-ji. “Can we talk for a moment?”
“It’s getting late, but I guess we can do that.”
Cheon Ah-young, who stepped out from behind Baek Woon-ji, casually asked to talk so late into the night. Woon-seong, despite being interrupted from his practice, accepted without being difficult. This was all done with an air of normality, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
“I was wondering if we could talk while having a walk in the garden...” Ah-young spoke hesitantly, trailing off as she walked down the corridor, heading outside. She looked back, as if afraid he would refuse. “Please.”
It wasn’t a difficult request, so Woon-seong nodded without saying anything.
Ah-young smiled gratefully.
Baek Woon-ji, still confused, looked anxiously at the exchange between Woon-seong and Ah-young.
Ah-young and Woon-seong walked silently in the garden outside the Charred Dragon Unit for a long time.
Baek Woon-ji, unsettled by the rapidly unfolding events, chased after the two some distance away in the name of escorting her captain.
Eventually, the silence became too uncomfortable and Woon-seong spoke first.
“I prefer we get to the point already if you have something to say...”
Ah-young stopped walking. As she had paused, Woon-seong had to stop walking too.
She looked over at him. Maybe it was because of her father’s words, but her face burned. Her eyes shook as she looked at him. Soon, however, she calmed down.
“They say that I’ll become the Young Divine Maiden.”
“Which is obvious, considering you’ve been selected by the Divine Flame.”
Ah-young nodded at his words. Somehow, his calm voice made her feel a bit foolish. This is all because father said things like that. Ah-young could only shake her head and the feeling disappeared.
“Do you know who and what the Divine Maiden serves?”
This time, it was Woon-seong who was embarrassed.
“Hmm.” Although he had seemed calm, Woon-seong was panicking internally.
He had finally realized what Ah-young was trying to say and her purpose here tonight.
It was Cheon Ah-young who saved him from his lack of words.
“The Divine Flame and the Heavenly Demon,” she stated.
She said it so nonchalantly that he was surprised. That can’t be something for her to talk about so lightly. No matter how skilled she was, it seemed that even the daughter of the Heavenly Demon had a maiden’s heart.
“That’s why father asked me, about how I think of you...”
This girl... Without him realizing it, Woon-seong’s eyes widened. It seemed that Ah-young had viewed him as more than just a rival, even if she hadn’t always known about it herself.
“So, it made me curious about how you thought of me.”
At Ah-young’s words, Woon-seong’s expression softened just a bit. He closed his eyes in thought.
My life is already occupied with getting revenge... Emotions like love might just be too much of a luxury for me. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that I can actually achieve my revenge. My enemy isn’t an individual but the whole Orthodox society.
But I can’t possibly explain all of this to Ah-young.
“You may not know, but there are a lot of things I have to do.”
“...”
“I’ve become the Young Leader like I’ve always wanted, but I am still not confident that I can achieve my goal. It probably won’t make a difference even if I become the Heavenly Demon.”
Ah-young was still listening to his words.
She seemed to be waiting for his next words.
“So... I can’t give you the emotions you are wanting from me. Because there’s something else I have to focus on right now. Anything else will only come after I achieve my goal. If that actually happens, that is.”
Ah-young remained silent, processing her thoughts.
Woon-seong, too, was silent. He had said everything he wanted to say. Although he not spoken directly, he considered it enough to convey his thoughts.
Cheon Ah-young was clever; she must have fully understood what he said.
The silence continued.
Baek Woon-ji watched all this from a distance, looking nervous. It was no problem for her to eavesdrop on the conversation. Captain... She shifted uncomfortably.
Ah-young eventually broke the silence. “I see. I understand what you’re saying.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Woon-seong slowly closed his eyes. I feel like I’ve just done something terrible to the woman named Cheon Ah-young, considering she has to live the rest of her life as the Divine Maiden...
However, Cheon Ah-young’s answer was not what he had expected.
She laughed lightly before saying, “Then let’s put aside this conversation until you’re done with your goals.”
Woon-seong nodded and turned away from her. “That’s right. I’m glad you... Wait, what?”
Woon-seong snapped his head towards her in surprise, but she had already disappeared. Some distance away, Ah-young was exiting the garden of the Charred Dragon House, heading towards her own building.
Ah-young became a dot in the horizon, leaving behind only the scent of her perfume and a blankly staring Woon-seong.
“That... wasn’t what I was expecting.”
Woon-seong shook his head. As he walked back inside the building, he thought to himself.
What the hell is she thinking? I gave her a clear sign that it isn’t going to happen, yet she just puts this aside ‘for now’?
His mind was spinning with all sorts of complex ideas, but he put them all on hold.
I guess she is right though, there’s no end in just thinking about something. I just need to worry about it when the time comes.
Woon-seong distracted himself by going back to cultivating. He resumed his earlier position.
Mind Split, Double Will. The Tempered True Blossom and the Dark Flower Red Heart.
The circulating energy swept away any complex thoughts about the future he may have had.
Soon however, he noticed a change. Something was blooming within his blood, spreading like a wildfire. It didn’t burn him at all, though it seemed to sear. Rather, the heat seemed vaguely familiar.
What’s happening? The power inside the Tempered True Blossom that I received from the Unrecorded is twitching. It’s like it’s welcoming the changes within the Dark Flower Red Heart.
Should I control it to flow normally again? Woon-seong momentarily tried to control the qi, but gave up just as quickly. No... power is best left alone to flow the way it wants to.
Looking at the situation, it’s unlikely that some evil thing is trying to engulf me from the inside. The cultivation art must be moving towards its destined direction. Okay then, flow the way you want.
Once Woon-seong freed his control, the energy from the two sides mixed into one. It mixed in his dantian, swirling through his mind and body. Tendrils of light and energy extended and collapsed, weaving together.
Unknown to Woon-seong, a sort of pressure built up in his surroundings. As he sat there, he caused the entire Charred Dragon House to tremble. Mysterious energy covered the building and surrounding training grounds, causing the unit members to pause their actions and look around.
Woon-seong though, had identified the cause.
I get it now.
He opened his eyes, staring at his palm. A ball of fire, the size of a small bead, flickered in his palms. He smiled brightly.
It’s the essence of the flame.
It was the moment that the Dark Flower Red Heart reached a higher realm, forming the Divine Shaped Flame.
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