By Zephyria 
The next moment, Young-pa was resting his cheek against his chest. Even while being held, it was a broad, warm embrace he had longed for. Biryoo hugged Young-pa’s shoulders as if to crush them, burying his lips into the nape of his neck.
Having reclaimed the divine power of a divine beast, Biryoo was no longer the man Young-pa had known. His hair, of a beautiful hue, fluttered like clouds, and a propitious, subtle light radiated from his skin.
Yet, strangely, he smelled like a human. A vulgar scent of emotion and desire, far removed from divinity. As Young-pa breathed in deeply, the scent of a male mixed with a clear fragrance flowed into his body. Young-pa felt as though he wanted to burst into tears, but none came.
“Young-pa, my person.”
It was a spell to reassure himself—that the one he had searched for had returned, and that everything would be alright. Because the one he had felt was too precious even to look upon had been steeped in grief, Young-pa could not bring himself to answer.
“Now that you have returned, it is enough. Come with me.”
The words of certainty Young-pa had so desperately craved returned to him as claws scratching at his heart.
Biryoo’s palm slid up Young-pa’s back and wrapped around the back of his neck. As he pulled his face closer, Young-pa closed his eyes, unable to resist.
The inside of Biryoo’s mouth was hotter than he remembered. He kissed Young-pa, holding him as if he would never let him go again.
‘How could I not wish to wipe away your tears? How could I not crave the greed of holding your hand and achieving ascension?’
Young-pa dreamed that they would never be parted, forever like this. At the same time, he knew it was a meaningless act. Even in this moment, time was pushing them toward the future, and Young-pa reminded himself that even now, his enemy was watching everything.
As he pushed Biryoo’s chest away with trembling arms, their lips parted. Young-pa reached out and wiped the blood-stained corners of Biryoo’s eyes.
Biryoo wore a look of confusion. Young-pa looked away and took a step back. He dug his nails into his palm, creating a wound so that the blood of the two would mingle.
“Biryoo.”
A torrent pouring down in blue light. Wings spread wide, rising, swirling, and surging again. A single spark capable of dominating the king of the heavenly realm.
As the sorcery was activated, the divine orb was pulled from its master’s embrace and floated into the air. Biryoo’s complexion turned pale, and his gaze wavered helplessly.
“Since you possess the blood, the name, and the heart, your divine power shall henceforth belong to me.”
The spellcraft entwined with the wish-fulfilling orb from thousands of years ago was revived. An existing crack expanded, and a sensation of connection surged forward. Black sorcery, resembling a spider’s web, enveloped the deep blue orb. After binding the orb, the mesh extended toward Biryoo.
To ask for power simply because a heart was given—what a cruel spell. Young-pa was in the same position as Yeon-hwa. How was he any different from the human a thousand years ago who had enslaved his beloved for the sake of something he could not give up?
‘You repaid kindness with betrayal and flipped your promises like the palm of your hand. You proved yourself to be a wretched being, utterly untrustworthy, just as all you humans are.’
The elegant man did not resist, as if intuiting the fate that awaited him. The fear and sense of betrayal in his eyes were entirely justified. It was only natural that he hated humans.
‘I wanted to be different for you… I suppose I am an irredeemable villain.’
Once, Young-pa had asked Biryoo if there was anything he feared. Biryoo had not answered properly, but Young-pa now knew the answer. The reason Biryoo had not shown his heart clearly, why he had been evasive, and why he had revealed no certainty.
What he feared next to boredom must surely have been giving his heart to a human.
‘Do not forgive me.’
As Biryoo collapsed from the aftermath of the spellcasting technique, Young-pa approached and knelt beside him. The man, now limp and powerless, looked more beautiful than ever.
The feeling of stealing his heart and making it his own was devastating. Young-pa was a hideous creature, unworthy of even uttering the word love. In a situation where an apology would still be insufficient, the words that left his mouth were of an entirely different nature.
“So why did you give your heart to a wicked human like me?”
Biryoo did not look into Young-pa’s eyes. His pupils, staring into the void, were empty.
Even at this moment, Ji Seo-gu was watching. Before he could appear and demand that the Azure Dragon be handed over, Young-pa commanded:
“Return to the heavenly realm, Biryoo.”
The divine beast who had become a human’s puppet, the man bound by the collateral of affection, transformed into a giant dragon. Young-pa did not take his eyes off the Azure Dragon as it ascended into the air.
Having to witness his wounded state was the price of his choice, so Young-pa endured the pain. Once the Azure Dragon’s back disappeared from sight, he turned away from the wreckage.
“Not bad. Beyond my expectations.”
A shadow rose from the nape of his neck like smoke, whispering gloomily.
“Hehehe, now let’s head west.”
Young-pa did not answer. From the beginning, he had only one goal. He began to run swiftly.
He slid down the hill and dove back into the mist. The torrential rain had stopped, but the flooded waters remained. An endless expanse of the Man-gyeong waves stretched out before him like unfurled silk. Deeming even the time to swim a waste, Young-pa used sorcery to lighten his footsteps and ran atop the water.
Light and Darkness
“Thank you. Thank you, Noble Immortal Flower… If it weren’t for you, that child, our family….”
The man could not continue, choking back tears. Immortal Flower handed the young child back into his arms.
“Jin-dol, Jin-dol! You’ve come back from the dead!”
He had four children. During the evacuation, the youngest had been swept away by the rapids, but Immortal Flower, who happened to see it, had jumped into the water and rescued him. However, not everyone was so lucky.
“Oh, please save this person. Anyone, please….”
“My wife is dying! Help her!”
“Father, Father, please open your eyes!”
Immortal Flower had only one body; no matter how much passion he poured in, there were people he could not save. That fact tormented him. No matter how many he saved, every time there was a casualty, Immortal Flower felt that life had no value. It was the destiny of one born noble.
“Noble Immortal Flower, my grandfather, my grandfather is badly hurt!”
“Where is he?”
“Over there, over there!”
The girl gasped for breath as she pointed the way. Immortal Flower moved quickly, cutting through the crowds.
An old man lying on the ground was convulsing, clutching his stomach. He was thrashing and screaming, and since it didn’t look like a common ailment, people stood at a distance, fidgeting anxiously. His clothes were stained with blood, appearing as though he had fallen. When Immortal Flower removed his jacket, a puncture-like wound on the abdomen was revealed.
“A fire has been lit in the eastern clearing. Go and bring boiling water and clean cloths from there.”
“Yes!”
The girl immediately ran off. In the meantime, Immortal Flower wrung out the damp jacket and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. The old man wailed, his body trembling thinly. He was worried as the bleeding would not stop.
Suddenly, he raised his head, sensing something out of place. Beneath the shade of a tree where he thought no one was, a dark figure was flickering.
“I wondered when you’d notice.”
Despite Immortal Flower’s sharp reaction, the enemy’s attitude was indifferent. Disheveled short hair, tattered clothes that must have once been white, and an ominous smile playing on his lips. The man he thought he would never see again sneered, crouching there.
‘Why did I not notice his presence?’
Immortal Flower glared at him, his entire body frozen. The enemy was far too close. While several ways to subdue him flashed through his mind, a great question arose simultaneously.
‘Why didn’t he attack?’
The man’s expression was hard to read. A mocking smile hung on one side of his mouth, but his eyes shone with a certain malice. On the other hand, he gave off an aura of someone who had transcended all worldly affairs, perhaps due to whatever he had experienced underground.
“Ugh, aaaagh!”
As the old man struggled, the blood began to spurt again. Immortal Flower had no choice but to press down on the man’s arm with both hands. Young-pa did not approach; he simply watched.
‘He doesn’t seem to have any intention of attacking.’
Feeling a strange sense of stability, Immortal Flower put all his effort into stopping the bleeding.
By the time the granddaughter returned, the patient’s condition had stabilized considerably. Immortal Flower carefully wiped around the wound and tied a clean cloth around it. After finishing the emergency treatment, sweat poured down his face. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and let out a sigh of relief.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Noble Immortal Flower. You saved my grandfather. Thank you so much.”
Immortal Flower had no time to answer. This was because his eyes met Young-pa’s. Caught in that composed yet intense gaze, he found himself unable to move.
“I assume you came to fight me?”
“I came to kill you.”
Young-pa answered without batting an eye.
Since he had approached so close without a sound, it would not have been difficult to assassinate him from behind. Immortal Flower wondered why Young-pa had waited. But that was not the important issue.
“If we fight here, innocent humans will be harmed. May we move to another location?”
Immortal Flower asked politely. Since Young-pa had first shown consideration for his convenience, his own attitude had softened.
“Do as you wish,” Young-pa muttered and stood up.
Only then did Immortal Flower realize that the humans were looking at him with anxious expressions. His heart wavered as he passed them.
The woman with drooping eyes was named Jeong-i. Decades ago, Immortal Flower had saved her mother from a bear. The child waving at him was a descendant of a man named Jang-soe, who had died long ago. When famine struck, Immortal Flower had shared food so that the people of Jang-soe’s village would not starve to death. Beyond them, every single face looking at Immortal Flower was familiar and affectionate.
“The rain has stopped, so there is nothing to worry about. I will be gone for a moment, so please help each other here.”
Immortal Flower leaped to a high hill overlooking the blue sea. He moved for a long time until the humans were no longer in sight. Young-pa followed in silence.
The place Immortal Flower chose was a mountainous region where a sharp peak rose like a pillar. The Thousand Peaks and Ten Thousand Cranes, submerged in mist, looked like an archipelago. With no one around and an open view in all directions, it was an ideal place to contest sorcery.
“Do you want to die in a place with a nice view?”
Young-pa stood on a hill just like Immortal Flower. His posture was slanted, arms crossed.
“This place shall be your grave,” Immortal Flower answered calmly.
It would be a great mistake to think they would fight as equals just because they branched from the same root. While receiving life from White Tiger, Immortal Flower had obtained a special ability that a human like Yeongparang could never have dreamed of. Not only that, but he had undergone grueling training for three hundred years, reaching a realm that someone trapped underground could not approach.
“Fuck, why so confident? You don’t know who’s longer or shorter until you measure them.”
Young-pa chuckled, but he didn’t seem particularly amused.
Immortal Flower found it uncomfortable to face him. That swaggering attitude, the vulgar language, the rough behavior—it was all repulsive. Above all, it was unpleasant that such a person wore the same shell as himself.
He was a being who should not have existed in the first place. He was a shadow fashioned from the wicked weaknesses that had been removed from Immortal Flower. Vile from his very existence, he had killed tigers and caused a riot upon appearing at the fortress of light. Thus, White Tiger had captured him and summoned the deities to send him back underground. This was the extent of the facts Immortal Flower knew.
“How did you get out of the underground?”
“It’s a long story. Let’s just say I escaped because I missed you.”
Young-pa stretched as if loosening his body. Immortal Flower watched him out of the corner of his eye, preparing for a sudden charge, but Young-pa merely yawned with a bored expression.
“Your dullness is beyond words. I feel like it would be more exciting with a spectator; why don’t you call your mother?”
“What?”
“I said, call Po Ui.”
Immortal Flower assumed Young-pa had made a slip of the tongue. However, his brazen expression remained unchanged.
Immortal Flower’s master was a just and merciless deity. Hating evil, he would try to kill Young-pa the moment he saw him. Having been captured once, Young-pa surely knew this. Immortal Flower could not understand why Young-pa was attempting such a suicidal act.
“What are you staring at, you bastard? Call your master.”
Immortal Flower’s eyes narrowed. He had originally intended to quietly finish Young-pa and bring the corpse to White Tiger, but that had been a courtesy for the consideration shown to him. There was no need to bestow unwanted kindness.
“If that is what you wish.”
Immortal Flower cracked his neck and howled toward the sky. The roar of a tiger flowed from his throat like boiling water.
Perhaps because it wasn’t his first time experiencing this, Young-pa’s face remained calm. However, Immortal Flower saw the corners of his mouth tremble slightly.
‘I don’t know what scheme led him to ask me to call the Master, but he will regret it.’
The ground beneath them shook subtly, and a few clumps of weeds fluttered. The flow of air changed, striking the mortal realm with a heavy weight. A sudden storm wind scattered the hair of both men. In the next moment, he appeared, tearing through the mist.
The King of Tigers, who pacified the chaos of the mortal realm with a merciless command. As White Tiger leaped high, the sun was eclipsed, and the whole world turned dark.
Po Ui transformed into human form and landed lightly on the highest peak. His long white hair and the hem of his ankle-length robes fluttered in the wind blowing between the mountain peaks.
As the master of the mortal realm stood erect and looked down upon the world, his majesty was such that any mere creature would be terrified and flee just by looking at him.
“Master.”
Immortal Flower bowed deeply, but Po Ui did not even glance at him. His piercing, blue-flaming gaze was fixed on one spot.
“What does Black Tortoise consider an agreement? Do they dare mock me!”
The once-silent sky rang out thunderously, scattering even the mist-clouds. Immortal Flower kept his head bowed and glanced at Young-pa. He saw him grinning like a madman.
“Black Tortoise? When I said I would kill Immortal Flower, they were so happy they let me go.”
“What?”
“Not only that, they lent me this.”
As Young-pa lifted the hem of his trousers and stamped one foot, the clear sound of a bell rang out. White Tiger’s face turned even more red and blue with rage.
“Unforgivable!”
The tiger’s roar seemed to tear the blue sky. At the shout that scattered even the clouds, Immortal Flower prostrated himself. Though his emotions could become intense when angry, Po Ui possessed a cold and calm nature befitting a divine beast. Such a furious display was foreign even to Immortal Flower, who had been with him for three hundred years.
Even as the fiercest of beasts glared with piercing eyes, Young-pa showed no sign of fear. Instead, he swaggered and provoked Po Ui.
“The divine artifact certainly lives up to its name. I approached from behind, and yet he didn’t even notice. I almost slit his throat, but I stopped. That’s just not very fun.”
Young-pa’s eyes glittered wickedly.
“After all, it would be most entertaining to kill him in front of his beloved.”
His insolence had crossed the line; thinking it was all over, Immortal Flower closed his eyes tight. However, the Master did not lose his reason. With a cold expression, he scoffed and reached for the scabbard at his waist.
“It is only right to respond to a divine artifact with another divine artifact.”
As he drew the sword, a cool and heavy sound flowed. With a shape curved like a fang and several bone-like protrusions, it was not a beautiful sword. However, the way the pure white light slid like a wave along the snow-white blade was dazzlingly mystical.
The name of the sword imbued with the divine power of the mortal realm was the Tiger Tooth Severing Sword. It was said that in the distant past, White Tiger had pulled out his own tooth and forged it with divinity. Since Po Ui always carried it but rarely used it, seeing this sword with one’s own eyes was extremely rare.
‘He truly intends to kill that man.’
There was no time for long deliberation. Immortal Flower leaped up and blocked the enemy’s path. Having done such a thing, Immortal Flower himself was the most surprised; his wide-spread arms trembled violently.
Immortal Flower was a man who did not know defiance. For three hundred years, he had never once gone against his master’s will. Confusion was added to White Tiger’s gaze, which was already filled with rage.
“Noble Immortal Flower, what is the meaning of this?”
“Please forgive me, Master.”
Immortal Flower spoke breathlessly and continued.
“It is presumptuous, but please allow me to deal with this man.”
“Are you saying you did not call me because you needed my help?”
Po Ui raised an eyebrow threateningly.
“He… for now, I felt I needed to know his scheme, and also… I felt this was not a matter for me to decide alone….”
“Why are you stepping forward to deal with this fellow?”
Po Ui glared at him as if he wanted to cut down both Immortal Flower and Young-pa behind him at once. Immortal Flower felt a pang of sorrow, as such a gaze was unfamiliar. Though he flinched, he forced himself to lift his head.
“O noble White Tiger, this man is but a trivial human who has come to kill me. There is no need for my Master to intervene in such a minor matter.”
Tense, the words did not flow as smoothly as usual. Immortal Flower hoped Po Ui would look upon him with affection, as he always had. However, the other’s gaze remained cold.
“Black Tortoise violated the agreement between the Four Symbols. It is only right that I handle this personally and raise the issue.”
Since White Tiger’s answer was logical, Immortal Flower was left speechless. It wasn’t that he pitied or wished to save Young-pa, who was nothing more than a rotten shadow. However, there was a reason he had resolved to send him away with his own hands.
“Please forgive me, Master. This man… this man kept his promise.”
“A promise?”
“Despite possessing that bell, he did not ambush me, and he waited for me to finish helping the villagers. Therefore… therefore…”
“You wish to give him a chance for a fair duel?”
“Yes…”
Immortal Flower’s voice seemed to trail off. While Po Ui remained silent, he became so nervous that he forgot how to breathe.
“My human, you are far too upright and righteous. At times, it is utterly exasperating!”
“I am sorry.”
“But that is the reason I keep you by my side.”
Immortal Flower lifted his head. It was then that his Master’s stiff expression softened as if by magic. As that one-of-a-kind gaze, reserved for a cherished one, returned, Immortal Flower could finally breathe easily.
As he lowered his wide-spread arms, the sound of Young-pa chuckling could be heard from behind.
“In my heart, I wish to personally sever that creature’s neck and throw it in Black Tortoise’s face, but leaving it to you should still make for a fine spectacle.”
Po Ui spat the words out as if chewing them and gestured for Immortal Flower to come closer. Immortal Flower leaped and knelt before his Master.
“My human, you shall act in my stead to execute that wicked mass of malice!”
At the frost-like command, Immortal Flower bowed his head. When he looked up, Po Ui was smiling faintly. Then, something unbelievable happened. Po Ui held out the tiger tooth severing sword.
“Take it.”
Immortal Flower stared at the divine artifact with a bewildered face before carefully receiving it. A soft light emanated from the precious sword, so much so that he wondered if he even dared to touch it. As he gripped the hilt, he felt a sensation that was both light and strong. He was inwardly surprised by how well the longsword fit his hand.
“It seems it was originally yours.”
In Po Ui’s confident smile, there was no hint of doubt toward Immortal Flower. Having been the benefactor who gave him life and the teacher who taught him to develop beyond his innate abilities, Po Ui knew well how quick-witted and strong Immortal Flower was.
“Your grace is immeasurable, Master. I shall repay you by bringing back that man’s head.”
As the sweet moment passed, Immortal Flower turned around to face his enemy.
Young-pa had not moved a single step from where he originally stood. He let out a yawn that stretched his mouth wide, then twisted his lips in a sneer.
“That’s a fancy sword. Can I have it if I win?”
Immortal Flower’s brow furrowed. They were facing a duel that would only end when one of them died. Yet, what was with that lighthearted attitude? Was this man truly devoid of fear? It was simply bizarre that he could boast so nonchalantly even after seeing the majesty of the tiger tooth severing sword.
As Immortal Flower swung his arm diagonally, the blade sliced through the air with a swish and dropped smoothly to his feet.
“That will not happen.”
Before he even finished speaking, he warped space and leaped toward where the enemy stood. In the blink of an eye, he was facing Young-pa. Sring. The tiger’s sword carved through the air in a wide swing.
Young-pa, twisting his body to evade, immediately swung a fist at Immortal Flower’s stomach. A whirlwind enveloping the fist like a membrane was visible even to the naked eye. Immortal Flower knew this technique, having seen it when Young-pa had infiltrated the fortress.
“No matter how much you howl, you are but wind before a rock. Pitiful!”
Immortal Flower hardened his body like stone to absorb Young-pa’s attack. As strength clashed against strength, the two were pushed back as if by an explosion. Young-pa’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then he let out a deep smile and lunged forward with agility.
Fist, foot, then fist again. Reckless attacks that an ordinary person could never execute against a sword-wielding opponent rained down. At the same time, his defense was outstanding; every time Immortal Flower tried to slash, the tip of the white blade narrowly missed its target. Rapid attacks followed in those gaps.
Young-pa’s martial arts were difficult to describe as human movements; even Immortal Flower had to admit that his footsteps were as light as feathers. However, as the right hand assisting White Tiger, Immortal Flower had never been outpaced in speed. As Immortal Flower raised his arm, a wide slab of rock appeared, blocking the path between them.
Boom!
Immortal Flower waited for Young-pa to break the stone before swinging his sword horizontally. As Young-pa retreated, Immortal Flower immediately closed the distance and sliced the air vertically. Young-pa continued to retreat, and Immortal Flower gave him no room to breathe.
The situation reversed, and it became a chase with Immortal Flower pursuing and Young-pa fleeing. Immortal Flower drove the enemy back with terrifying momentum. He pursued before the enemy could even realize what was happening and swung his sword without giving him a chance to dodge. Even so, Young-pa repeatedly managed to evade, escaping death by a hair’s breadth.
The tip of Immortal Flower’s sword sliced the air where Young-pa’s neck had been a moment ago. As he bent his body to dodge, the collar of his jacket was cut away.
“This brat is actually decent, huh?”
‘I want to slice that smiling face.’
Muttering inwardly, Immortal Flower summoned a wall of rock behind Young-pa. He intended to trap and slash him, but noticing his retreat was gone, Young-pa leaped high and escaped to another mountain ridge. From that point, a game of tag began.
“Stay there, you despicable coward!”
Since Immortal Flower possessed the ability to shrink space and move rapidly from one point to another, chasing the enemy was a piece of cake. Whenever Young-pa fled, Immortal Flower caught up and ambushed his back. However, Young-pa was no pushover. He used spellcraft to escape crises or performed acrobatic flips to save his life.
Irritated, Immortal Flower claimed the peak before Young-pa could land, leaping out and swinging his sword in a wide arc. In response, Young-pa conjured a violent gale to confuse Immortal Flower and dropped into a hazy mist.
Immortal Flower immediately followed, but he lost him. Because of the mist, he could see nothing, and because of the bell, he could hear nothing; there was no way to track the enemy.
Immortal Flower returned to the peak, which looked like an island in a vast ocean, and sharpened his senses in all directions. Hostility was carried on the drifting wind.
“Usually, the seeker takes turns!”
When a voice sounded from the east and he looked that way, the sound of rustling clothes immediately came from the north, and the next moment, a mysterious laugh echoed from the south.
Swish!
Immortal Flower hurriedly ducked, but a piece of sorcery flying through the mist sliced the tips of his hair.
An original cannot be defeated by a fake. Growing impatient, Immortal Flower looked up at the highest ridge. Seeing that Po Ui was still standing with a relaxed attitude gave him a bit of strength.
“Stop daydreaming!”
This time, several pebbles imbued with sharp dust devils flew toward him. Instead of dodging or parrying the projectiles, Immortal Flower leaped toward the source of the voice. Not long after his vision was blurred by the mist, he crashed into the brush.
“You’re less patient than you look.”
The enemy’s voice sounded close by. As Immortal Flower raised his hand, a heavy boulder dropped onto that spot.
Immortal Flower knew from the sound alone that he had failed. Dealing with someone without a presence was no easy task.
Immortal Flower sprang up, held his sword, and searched the surroundings. As he swung his blade in the dense pine forest, the winding, tall pines collapsed like reeds. People told Immortal Flower that he was calm. They said he had a noble character and rarely became agitated.
Then why was he so impatient?
“Where are you!”
Immortal Flower screamed, his hair disheveled. Anxious that the enemy might target his back, he constantly turned his head. The hilt of the sword he gripped tightly became damp with sweat.
“Why don’t you use the wind?”
The sound came from above. Young-pa was standing on the treetop of a towering pine. Immortal Flower charged toward him, but he was blocked by something. Perhaps the enemy had cast a spell; a veil of wind shimmered faintly around Immortal Flower.
“You might remember now. This is the spellcraft that was written here. Though it’s hard to see.”
Young-pa was holding a tattered white folding fan. As he placed his palm on the fan, a strong wind struck the prison of wind in which Immortal Flower was trapped. A sorcery that confused the senses made him stagger even beneath his feet.
“I have forgotten those days!”
Immortal Flower hardened his skin intensely to repel the sharp wind. Filled with rage, he chanted a spell, and the ground bubbled as sharp rocks erupted. Those stones grew like plants, fighting against the rake-like storm wind. Still, their power was insufficient to break the barrier.
‘Does this insignificant thing dare try to trap me?’
Growling, Immortal Flower leaped high and sliced through the wall of the whirlwind with the tiger tooth severing sword.
Boom!
An impact occurred that shook the very space.
‘How dare you!’
Immortal Flower sliced forward with his sword once more.
Boom!
The weapon imbued with divine power shattered the human sorcery in two strikes. From afar, Po Ui’s satisfied laughter could be heard. Now free again, Immortal Flower rushed out to hunt the enemy.
“The games are over!”
It was then that grass rustled on the opposite side of the forest. Immortal Flower warped space and grabbed the enemy.
“Do you still remember nothing after seeing this?”
No, what he had grabbed was not Young-pa, but the fan he had left behind. Dozens of branches imbued with sharp whirlwinds flew like arrows toward where Immortal Flower stood. In a blur, Immortal Flower grabbed the fan and leaped atop a pine tree.
A rotten fan that his past self had supposedly used. Even holding the relic in his hand, Immortal Flower felt nothing. As he applied pressure, the old white folding fan snapped in two.
“Even if I remember, what are you going to do about it?”
“Then I might be able to persuade you.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
As Immortal Flower charged toward the sound, Young-pa vanished into the mist once again.
The annoying game of tag continued a few more times before ending as Young-pa stood upon a mountain ridge. Instead of evading, the enemy waited holding a long tree branch. When Immortal Flower lunged and swung his sword, he blocked it with the branch.
How much spiritual energy had he infused for a mere branch to withstand a divine artifact? Their strengths collided, making his wrist tremble, but Immortal Flower pushed him back with force. As Young-pa was pushed back, Immortal Flower immediately swung his blade violently, restricting his movements.
A sense of loathing boiled up from deep within his heart. Blocking a divine artifact with a pathetic branch, spouting jokes, wasting time with prank-like sorcery, hiding in the mist—not a single thing about him was pleasing.
They were the light and shadow of a human existence. Perhaps they were destined to hate each other from the day they were split in two. This was a place where one of them had to die. Immortal Flower had known from the start who would win.
“Since you are so impossible to reason with, I have no choice but to kill you,” Young-pa muttered, parrying the attacks of the tiger tooth severing sword with the branch.
“Everything you say is absurd.”
“I’ve always lacked a sense of propriety. It’s both a flaw and a strength.”
He dared to try and slash Immortal Flower’s back, but it was a futile effort. Instead, Immortal Flower charged and slashed his collar. As Young-pa turned and struck down vertically with the branch, Immortal Flower blocked it. The two weapons clashed in the center.
Young-pa, who had been sly until now, contorted his face. Immortal Flower took the attack with all his might. The branch, which had held out remarkably well, snapped in half.
“Foolish brat! Immortal Flower is not someone you can coax and manipulate!”
White Tiger’s voice thundered from above. The tone was satisfied, as if enjoying the fight. Immortal Flower missed a moment while feeling relieved by those words. Young-pa did not miss the crucial opportunity to switch from defense to offense.
It was as if he had allowed the enemy to enter his range and swing a fist. Immortal Flower quickly hardened his body to avoid taking damage, but because Young-pa struck down, he lost his grip on the sword.
The tiger tooth severing sword drew a wide arc and fell not far away. As if he had been waiting, Young-pa unleashed a fierce onslaught, giving Immortal Flower no chance to retrieve the sword. After blocking a fist flying toward his face, a foot flew toward his stomach, then a knee, then a fist again. The two continued a brawl at a speed that ordinary human eyes could not follow.
Then, as Immortal Flower tried to create a gap to get his sword, Young-pa noticed and wrapped his arms around his waist. From then on, it was no longer a duel, but a chaotic scuffle reminiscent of a commoner’s market brawl.
Young-pa knocked Immortal Flower down and tried to mount him, but Immortal Flower was not one to stay still. The two tumbled over each other. Since they were born from the same body, their strength was equal, making it even more fierce.
It was a meaningless and vulgar struggle of power. However, after having skin-to-skin contact with the enemy, Immortal Flower did not hate him as much as before. In fact, he felt that the man was similar to himself.
‘A futile thought.’
Immortal Flower grabbed the man’s collar and pulled, but instead, his own body was flipped. In the next moment, Immortal Flower was on top of Young-pa’s waist. However, the situation changed as Young-pa grabbed him by the hair and pulled.
“At this rate… we might actually get fond of each other.”
Young-pa was still smiling even in that situation. But it was a smile that was somehow sad.
His actions and manner of speaking were worlds apart from his own. While he was wicked and rough, he himself was kind and elegant. His Master had told him so. But why did doubt begin to surface?
‘He might not be as wicked as I think.’
Young-pa had waited for him instead of assassinating him. Rather than rushing to kill, he had tried to persuade him first. Even while causing a commotion upon arriving in the mortal realm, he had not slaughtered humans. He had even tried to protect the villagers from the serpents in sabi, where they first met.
“Immortal Flower, snap out of it and kill that vicious bastard!”
Po Ui’s patience was wearing thin. Immortal Flower grit his teeth and pulled Young-pa’s collar. As he slammed him into the ground, a rough groan escaped. After the long fight, the enemy’s skill and stamina seemed to be reaching their limit. At this rate, winning was only a matter of time.
‘O Great White Tiger, is this man truly my shadow, made only of evil?’
However, the question floating in his mind tormented Immortal Flower. Even as he rolled on the ground, he could not fully concentrate on the fight.
‘If there is even a shred of goodness in you, it means there is also evil within me.’
The realization that flashed through his mind made his vision go dark. Young-pa had to be completely evil. He had to be. Otherwise, he himself could not be completely good.
In the moment Immortal Flower hesitated, Young-pa threw himself toward the tiger tooth severing sword. Immortal Flower quickly grabbed his waist and pulled him back. Because Young-pa struggled, the two rolled over once, clutching each other.
Young-pa’s face was within arm’s reach. Though his behavior was crude, in appearance, he was an exquisitely beautiful man. He had a face identical to the one he saw in the mirror every day, yet different. The jet-black hair, the eyes shining with defiance, and the playful corners of the mouth were characteristics that Immortal Flower had lost three hundred years ago.
Was it envy for something he could not have? A surge of loathing rose again, and Immortal Flower hardened his fingertips to claw at the enemy’s neck. However, Young-pa grabbed his wrist and instead infused spiritual energy into it. Since both Immortal Flower and Young-pa were using all their strength, the arm-wrestling match did not easily reach a conclusion.
Boom!
Immortal Flower summoning a rock to strike Young-pa’s back was the decisive blow. Perhaps not expecting it at all, Young-pa rolled over with a pained expression. Instead of cutting off his breath, Immortal Flower stood up and picked up the tiger tooth severing sword.
The enemy had been weaker than him from the start. Now that the momentum had shifted, the disruption was over.
Young-pa did not give up and pushed his upper body up. A fighting spirit that Immortal Flower had never possessed burned in those black eyes. The fluttering hair looked like black flames searing the air.
‘They say he was abandoned by the deity because of his arrogance and baseness.’
Yet, why did a captivating light flicker within the crystal of malice? Immortal Flower was confused, unable to understand. He looked up at the absolute being who controlled him.