Chapter 153: An Unexpected Problem
The flame was burning before my eyes.
At first, it was nothing more than a tiny spark the size of a finger.
Then it grew to the size of a palm.
And before long...
it swelled even larger.
WHOOOOSH!
The flames surged upward.
The Sacred Flame filled the brazier atop the altar and pushed back the darkness of the Heavenly Demon Hall.
I watched in silence.
The Sacred Flame.
The holy fire that the followers of the Demonic Cult revered so deeply...
had finally returned.
As I watched it burn, a strange emotion rose inside me.
I knew almost nothing about the doctrines or faith of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
And yet...
looking at the flames before me, I could feel an inexplicable sense of sanctity.
It was as though my muddled breathing had settled...
and my scattered thoughts were slowly returning to their proper place.
I could understand why the members of the Demonic Cult called this fire the Sacred Flame and treated it as something holy.
Then a familiar line suddenly crossed my mind.
逐靑雲而行, 歷神妙之焰而歸.
Following the Azure Cloud, I went forth, and returned after passing through a mysterious flame.
The record Elder Hyeoneom of Mount Hua had told me about.
The words Immortal Yeonha had supposedly left behind.
The mysterious flame that she and True Immortal Cheongun had once encountered.
I instinctively knew it.
The Sacred Flame burning before me...
was that flame.
The same mysterious fire Cheongun and Yeonha had seen two hundred years ago.
And now...
I was looking at it myself.
It almost felt as though everything had been connected by a single thread of fate.
Then—
Hissss....
The blue flames that had been raging along the Heavenly Law Sword began to die down.
Before long...
the blue fire wrapped around the blade vanished completely, as though it had never existed.
After burning away the impurity that had consumed Dokgo Jinak and reviving the Sacred Flame...
the Heavenly Law Sword returned to its original appearance.
I looked down at the sword in my hand.
It was strangely quiet.
So quiet that it was hard to believe this was the same sword that had been blazing so violently only moments ago.
The Heavenly Law Sword....
A mysterious blade that had burned away the impurity within the Sacred Flame...
and restored the extinguished holy fire.
But I still knew almost nothing about it.
A sword once wielded by the previous Heavenly Demon, Dokgo Cheonyul.
That was all.
What the hell are you?
Just as my thoughts began sinking deeper into the mystery of the Heavenly Law Sword—
“Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit.”
A heavy voice pulled me back to reality.
I turned my head.
Muk Jincheol stood there.
His fierce eyes were focused on one person alone.
Dokgo Jinak...
who was still in my arms.
Yeom Yuhwa, who had been staring at the Sacred Flame in a daze, finally came back to her senses as well.
She hurried over to me, checked Dokgo Jinak's complexion, then spoke.
“We need to take the Cult Leader back to his quarters.”
Her expression was serious.
“I cannot properly examine him here.”
I nodded.
Muk Jincheol stepped forward.
“I'll carry the Cult Leader.”
Unlike before, his tone toward me was noticeably more respectful.
“Understood.”
I immediately handed Dokgo Jinak over.
Muk Jincheol carefully took the Cult Leader's body in his massive arms.
“Let's go.”
Yeom Yuhwa quickly took the lead.
Muk Jincheol followed.
I was about to leave the Heavenly Demon Hall behind them when—
...Huh?
I stopped.
Then slowly turned around and looked toward the Sacred Flame Altar.
Something's strange....
Yeom Yuhwa noticed I'd stopped and called out.
“Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit, is something wrong?”
I stared at the Sacred Flame Altar for another moment.
Then shook my head.
“It's nothing.”
I frowned slightly.
“I think I imagined it.”
Then I started walking again.
I could've sworn someone just called me....
It had been extremely faint.
But I felt certain I'd heard it.
And yet...
there was nothing now.
Did I hear wrong?
I glanced back one more time.
Contrary to my suspicion...
everything was quiet.
Only the Sacred Flame burned calmly atop the altar.
Leaving the blue flames behind...
I turned forward and continued walking.
We brought Dokgo Jinak back to his quarters deep within the Heavenly Demon Palace.
Muk Jincheol carefully laid him down on the bed.
“Do we need to call a physician?”
The moment I asked...
Muk Jincheol let out an incredulous laugh.
“The best physician in the Divine Cult is already standing right here.”
I blinked.
“Physician?”
At that exact moment...
Yeom Yuhwa moved beside Dokgo Jinak and placed her fingers on his wrist.
She checked his pulse with such practiced ease that it looked completely natural.
Muk Jincheol continued.
“The Flame Attendant doesn't exist only to protect the Sacred Flame.”
He glanced toward Yeom Yuhwa.
“She also serves the Heavenly Demon, the master of the Divine Cult.”
His voice remained matter-of-fact.
“Naturally, caring for the Heavenly Demon's body is part of that duty.”
His explanation reminded me of something.
The Heavenly Forbidden Prison.
The stone chamber where I'd first encountered Dokgo Jinak after falling into Falling Death Valley.
He had been confined there for a long time.
His mind had deteriorated until he was like a child...
yet strangely, his body had remained in relatively good condition.
I hadn't thought much of it at the time.
But now it was obvious.
Yeom Yuhwa, who visited the Heavenly Forbidden Prison regularly, must have been maintaining Dokgo Jinak's health as well.
Huh.
So Yeom Yuhwa is the best physician in the Demonic Cult.
It was a surprisingly unexpected fact.
Then—
“Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit.”
Yeom Yuhwa turned toward me after checking Dokgo Jinak.
“Are you all right?”
I instinctively pointed at myself.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
She looked over my body.
“During the process of severing the impurity from the Cult Leader, it seemed you suffered more than a few injuries.”
I shrugged lightly.
“Fortunately, I don't think there's anything serious.”
“Even so...”
Yeom Yuhwa's expression remained firm.
“Just in case, I would like to examine you later as well.”
I nodded.
“I'd appreciate that.”
Yeom Yuhwa gave a short bow.
Then immediately continued.
“For now, I need to examine the Cult Leader in detail.”
She looked between us.
“Please leave the room for a while.”
“Understood.”
I quietly stepped back.
Then Muk Jincheol suddenly cut in.
“Could you take a look at me too?”
Yeom Yuhwa turned toward him.
Muk Jincheol rolled one shoulder and grimaced.
“The places where the Cult Leader hit me are still throbbing.”
He gave her a hopeful look.
“I'd appreciate it if you checked them.”
Yeom Yuhwa answered without hesitation.
“No.”
Muk Jincheol blinked.
“What?”
“The Flame Attendant exists only to serve the Sacred Flame and the Heavenly Demon.”
Muk Jincheol stared at her in disbelief.
Then pointed at me.
“What are you talking about?”
His voice rose.
“You just said you'd examine the Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit!”
Yeom Yuhwa replied firmly.
“Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit restored the Sacred Flame.”
A pause.
“His case is different.”
Muk Jincheol clicked his tongue.
“Coldhearted woman.”
He sounded genuinely disappointed.
“I wanted to experience for myself just how impressive the Flame Attendant's medical skill was.”
He grumbled...
but didn't push the issue further.
Yeom Yuhwa looked at both of us.
“Then please leave now.”
Muk Jincheol sighed.
“Fine.”
Then he looked toward Dokgo Jinak.
“Take good care of the Cult Leader.”
With that...
Muk Jincheol and I quietly left the room.
Once we were outside, Muk Jincheol slowly looked toward me.
“By the way, Heavenly Demon's Kindred Spirit.”
His tone had grown even more respectful than before.
“The Divine Cult now owes you twice over.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Twice?”
“What do you mean?”
