NOVPUB
Chapter 115: Continuing Their Journey
Aldrian pondered over his gains today. While they might not have directly increased his strength like his experience in the temple of the Piercing Heaven Sect, they were still invaluable. The knowledge he gained would undoubtedly help him in the future.
"What Baek Ji-Min said about the Being’s essence wasn’t far from the truth, It’s impossible to visit something that has an abstract nature and no fixed form. A Being’s essence is merely the embodiment of their true self, something even they might not fully understand." he thought.
"Each Being’s essence holds its own truth, and that truth can take many forms. It is shaped by our past actions and the origin that always follows us—the karmic ties that persist, even through reincarnation cycle."
"Luckily, I have my golden energy, which is connected to my past and my true self, and it has led me to my Being’s essence, allowing me to visit it. Essentially, you must find a part of your true self, embrace it, and acknowledge it for what it is. Only then can you step into that realm. The challenge is that it’s almost impossible to find your true self."
"You need deep meditation and introspection to discover it, but with so many distractions inside and outside the body, one could easily spend an entire lifetime searching. Most people don’t bother to search it. And even if they do find their true self, they won’t acknowledge it."
Aldrian placed his hand on his chin and pondered,
"With these systems that shape us—even connected to our past lives—does Heaven want some of us to reflect and introspect on how we’ve become who we are today?" He understood that, with such a system and its limitations, not all beings have the privilege of self-reflection, as if Heaven reserved it for the chosen few.
He didn’t have the answer yet, but he felt he was heading in the right direction. Closing his eyes, he immersed himself in self-introspection, recalling the moment when the golden energy became his own, not just some external power, but a part of his origin. Time began to slip away, and soon he felt his body lighten, as if floating in space.
When he opened his eyes, he was back in the dark space, the same place he had been before awakening from his comprehension state in front of the Heavenly Demon’s Scripture. He could still see the distant lone star, shining its light as if trying to guide him down the right path. But this time, he chose not to move toward it.
Instead, he remained still, focusing on his surroundings. Even though he couldn’t sense anything at first, he was determined to feel everything—even if that meant embracing the void, embracing the nothingness.
"This is all part of my truth, part of my origin. Who was I in the past to have a Being’s essence like this?"
He recalled the words of the Heavenly Demon and his wife: "If you find your answers in the future, don’t blame yourself." They clearly knew him, and they knew his past. "What did I do for them to warn me not to blame myself?"
He continued to reflect, and after what felt like hours, he decided it was time to wake up from this state. Before leaving the dark space, he glanced at the distant star once more before disappearing from the void.
When he opened his eyes, sunlight was already streaming into his room. He stood up and stretched, easing the tension in his muscles.
"It’s much easier to enter my Being’s essence now that I understand how to do it," he remarked to himself.
He then spread his senses throughout the entire sect until he spotted the three girls in one of the gardens. They seemed to be discussing something, and although Sylphia and Baek Ji-Min still had an occasionally awkward dynamic, they appeared more harmonious than before. At this point, they were aware of his agreement with Sect Master Baek Ha-Yoon and had adapted to it.
He also looked at Xin Haotian, who was cultivating in his own room, detaching himself from the world. Everyone seemed to be doing well, and now that his business here was complete, it was time for them to continue their journey to the Forgeheart Kingdom!
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After gathering all the group members, Aldrian informed them of their departure for Forgeheart Kingdom, but then he noticed Baek Ji-Min looking restless.
"What’s wrong? Is something bothering you? Do you want to stay here?" Aldrian asked.
"No, I’m just nervous because it’s my first time leaving the Demon territory. And I keep thinking about my mother. I want to leave with you, but I’m also worried about her. It’s the first time I’ve seen her push me to go beyond the Demon territory. I’ve never been so far away from her, and I don’t know what she plans to do once I’m gone."
"Do you want to hear my opinion?" Aldrian asked through a voice transmission. Baek Ji-Min responded with a nod.
"Sect Master Baek Ha-Yoon is stronger than you think. You’ve already seen her other side, haven’t you?"
She nodded again.
"Your mother seems to be hiding secrets and an agenda, but don’t you think she might be doing that to protect you from the shadows?" Aldrian suggested.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, puzzled.
"I’ve been thinking," Aldrian continued, "after I looked at your mother’s Being essence. Maybe we saw the same thing, but I viewed it from a different perspective. This is just a hypothesis, but her cold demeanor, from the time your father disappeared to the moment she allowed you to leave with me, might be her way of protecting you."
Baek Ji-Min remained silent, her mind processing his words.
"I don’t know what she’s planning, but with you in the sect, you could be her weakness. I suspect that once you’re outside Demon territory, she’ll be able to take care of business she couldn’t handle while you were here."
There was another reason Aldrian had reached this conclusion. When he agreed to Baek Ha-Yoon’s request to take her daughter with him, he sensed a wave of relief from her. He didn’t fully understand why, but he guessed it had something to do with her own struggles. It was as if she had been waiting for the right time to let her daughter go.
Aldrian couldn’t figure out exactly what Baek Ha-Yoon was planning or thinking, so he couldn’t provide more details. However, he firmly believed it had something to do with her own personal matters that required Baek Ji-Min to leave the Demon territory.
Baek Ji-Min’s eyes widened as she considered his words. What Aldrian said made sense. Her mother, who had always maintained a cold demeanor and rarely showed any emotion, had never truly placed her in difficult situations, except for the time she brought her to the scripture. Her life in the sect had otherwise seemed normal. The only difference was that she became isolated, and the nature of the people around her almost drove her mad.
"Did you ever ask her about why she sent you out?" Aldrian asked.
"As usual, she didn’t say much," Baek Ji-Min replied. "In the end, I can only trust her."
"Then that’s all we can do—trust her. We can’t do anything if she doesn’t want to reveal her intentions," Aldrian said reassuringly.
Baek Ji-Min nodded in agreement. Xin Haotian and the others noticed the silent exchange between Aldrian and Baek Ji-Min through voice transmission but didn’t interfere, understanding that it was a personal matter concerning Baek Ji-Min’s mother.
"Alright, let’s get going! We’re departing for the Forgeheart Kingdom!" Aldrian announced.
Everyone smiled upon hearing this. After more than a year and a half in Demon territory, they were finally resuming their journey.
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When they departed, there weren’t many people escorting them out—just a few elders. Even Sect Master Baek Ha-Yoon gave them only a brief farewell before returning to her duties. Now, they were already inside the carriage, leaving the Thorny Flower Garden and heading toward Blooming Flower City to use the teleportation station.
Unbeknownst to most of the group, though not to Aldrian, who sensed it as he looked back at the Thorny Flower Garden, Sect Master Baek Ha-Yoon stood on a high cliff, smiling down at them. It was a genuine smile, full of affection.
Aldrian sighed to himself, knowing that he could only wait for future events to unfold. What would this thorny flower do next?
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Meanwhile, as Aldrian’s group traveled to the Forgeheart Kingdom, at a hidden assassin hideout, an old man read through a report from one of his men. His eyebrows raised in surprise as he finished, then he destroyed the paper with a flick of lightning.
"The rumor about the Golden Swan Commerce being in cahoots with devils has been spreading recently from Demon territory, what a bold move from them, leaking such a sensitive rumor. Even if it’s just gossip, it will tighten the shackles on the Golden Swan Commerce, restricting their freedom of movement."
He leaned back, contemplating the implications.
"’He’ will be busy dealing with the rumors, so there won’t be any significant moves from ’him’ for a while. Well, that’s good—he won’t have time to pay attention to master."
