As Red got to the end, he took a deep breath to calm himself down and closed the book, setting it aside. He continued browsing for a while longer, but found nothing else that arose his interest like the booklet.
With that, Red picked up the booklet and walked over to the counter, setting it down in front of the monk.
“You said this is a tale. Is it not real?” He asked.
“It’s hard to say,” the man shrugged. “It’s very sparse on details for such an important matter, much more so for such an important figure as Patriarch Great Oak. I am of the opinion it is likely real, but it’s not the original report.”
“So you think the original report still exists?”
“Hard to say, but if it exists, it’s not on our… I mean, on the Desert Blossom Sect’s library.”
Red fell silent. There was no reason to believe the monk was lying, and if the Patriarch Great Oak left behind some information about what he saw on the moon, there was just no way for Red to know about it. Yet, this didn’t dissuade him.
“Is this the last report about what Patriarch Great Oak did before he died?”
His thought was that even if there was no more information about the moon, perhaps whatever else the great figure did before passing away could be a clue.
“If I can be honest, little brother, very few people know about the Patriarch’s late life,” the monk said with a regretful expression. “It is reported he became a recluse in his last few decades of life, and this trip to the moon is one of the last things of note that we know he did.”
“So you don’t know anything else?”
The large man hesitated before responding. “…Return here in two months. If there’s anything else, you’ll know by then.”
Red nodded and picked out a handful of spirit stones out of his pouch.
“No need,” the monk held his hand up to stop him. “It would weigh on my conscience to accept money from a fellow follower of the Way.”
This confused Red, but he didn’t insist on it. “Thank you.”
With nothing else to say, he turned around to leave the store.
“Wait, little brother.”
The monk’s voice caused him to stop in his tracks and look back, his entire body tensing. The large man was staring at him with a conflicted expression.
“You practice the Radiant Current Meditation technique, right?”
Red felt his blood run cold. This meditation technique the man spoke of was something Eiwin had taught him back in the trial world to control his body’s reactions. Later on, he found out this technique was capable of much more, though, as he developed an expanded awareness that allowed him to communicate with Aurelia and the crimson mist through his mind, as well as travel the Soul Realm.
The fact the monk knew about such a technique wasn’t what surprised him, but rather the fact the man could guess Red practiced it. It wasn’t a technique that should leave a trace in his body, or so he thought.
Red stared at him in thought before nodding. “I do.”
He didn’t see a point in lying. Although he couldn’t feel it, Aurelia’s warning was enough to tell him that this monk was extremely powerful, and Red knew better than trying to make a fool of such an individual.
The large man smiled at his response. “I thought so… Look, this might surprise you, little brother, but I’m actually a disciple from the Desert Blossom Sect.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, many people are surprised by this, but it is the truth. In any case, is this little brother a part of our Order?”
Red frowned beneath his mask. He could guess where this conversation was going.
“I am not.”
“Ah, truly?” The monk seemed surprised. “Might I ask who taught you this technique, then?”
“A friend… She might have been part of such a subsidiary of your sect.”
This was the conclusion he came to. Eiwin had always carried herself like a monk, so it was no surprise she came from a temple.
“I see…” The monk nodded in understanding. “You don’t need to be tense, little brother. The meditation technique you used is not a hidden secret of our sect, and even if it was, we do not persecute people for using them. At most, we force them to join our sect.”
Red didn’t feel relief at hearing this.
The man continued. “This, however, ties in with my second question, little brother. Have you come across any demonic corruption lately?”
This question shocked Red even more. He nodded, feeling apprehensive.
“I see. Were you involved in that accident with the serpent cult a few months ago?”
“I scoured the sewers searching for them,” he admitted.
“To fight against the evil of the demonic cult is commendable, little brother. However, you need to be more careful!”
The monk’s tone was impassioned, and Red didn’t know how to respond.
“It is understandable that you might be confused, since you’re not a part of our sect, but let me explain.”
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The man made to get up, only to hit his head on the ceiling.
“Ugh, I mean,” he sat back down. “The Radiant Current Meditation technique is actually a foundational technique meant to cultivate one’s soul. It seems you have already reached initial mastery over it, so you must be able to manifest your soul inside your own body, right?”
Red nodded, but he wasn’t surprised to learn this. Back when he first entered the Soul Realm by accident, he encountered another disembodied soul that taught him about this. Now that he thought about it, it was likely that individual was also a member of this Desert Blossom Sect.
“Well, cultivating the soul is very beneficial for one’s perception, but it is also a double-edged sword. The state you are in is the most basic manifestation of the conciousness, which is impressive for someone of your age, but also very dangerous. That is because you are exposing your soul to outside influences, but because you are in this initial stage, you also don’t have the means to defend yourself against them. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
How could he not understand?
“Has my soul been corrupted?” He asked with a heavy heart.
Corruption was a process that generally happened outside-in. That was to say, the physical form was the first thing to be corrupted, and the soul was the last - which was why this was a very concerning matter for Red.
“There are probably trace amounts of lingering corruption, little brother,” the monk said with a serious expression. “It can’t even be felt at a glance, but I have seen similar cases before. Your soul is pulsating at a slightly irregular rhythm, like a heart plagued with an illness, and that is generally a symptom of corruption.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Not in this state, but it can continue to grow if you’re not careful, and it may affect you at very critical junctures.”
This wasn’t what Red wanted to hear.
“Is there a way to cure it?”
“If we were back in our sect, maybe, but now… I’d advise you to keep practicing your meditation technique and reach the next stage of consciousness manifestation. That way, you will be able to cleanse the corruption yourself.”
“I don’t know how to progress.”
This was a matter Red had been stuck with for a while. Of course, he focused on other areas of his cultivation since opening his Spiritual Sea, but he felt as if his expanded awareness had not improved despite him using it constantly to monitor his condition and to speak with Aurelia.
“That’s because you are focused on the wrong things, little brother. There are two parts of the soul,” the monk pointed at his head. “The consciousness and the mind. You have achieved success in expanding your consciousness, but what about your mind?”
Red was a bit at a loss. This wasn’t the first time he heard of such a division, but both terms were almost interchangeable in meaning, and it was difficult to internalize their differences. As far as he understood, the mind was the collection of every thought and sensation he ever experienced, while consciousness was the experiencer of everything he ever experienced. The latter was what interacted with the world, while the former was what interpreted these interactions.
“I don’t know how to do that,” Red admitted.
In other situations, he might have tried to figure it out by himself, but he didn’t dare to take the threat of soul corruption lightly.
“It is not something that can be forced, little brother,” the monk said. “Just keep meditating and expand your horizons. When you have finally organized your thoughts, you will know the way forward.”
Red didn’t like the man’s explanation. He wasn’t the type to passively wait for a problem to solve itself, so having to just idle by for a solution to appear wasn’t natural to him. Yet, how could he discount a more experienced person’s advice? If they told Red to wait, then he would wait, no matter how hard it might be.
“Thank you for the help, senior,” Red held his hands together and bowed towards the man.
He had never been an ingrate, and the help the monk provided him was invaluable.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the monk waved him off. “Just remember to be careful. There are terrible things happening in this city, and I won’t be able to help even if I want to. Make sure that when the time comes, you are ready for anything.”
Red nodded. “I will.”
With that, he left the store and walked back into the busy slum streets. Only when he walked far away from the store did he grab the moonstone core in his pouch and extended his awareness into it.
“You didn’t tell me my soul was corrupted.”
“Cultivators normally don’t cultivate their souls until they’ve reached the Spirit Awakening Realm,” Aurelia said. “The technique those monks used are different from anything I’ve ever come across in my sect.”
“So you didn’t know?”
“…My perception in this form is limited. Even now, I don’t sense anything wrong with your soul.”
“Was he lying then?”
Aurelia didn’t respond.
Red sighed and let the matter drop. “Where do you think my soul corruption came from?”
“There are four suspects. Which of them do you think is more likely?”
He knew who these suspects were:
The first was the snake demon in the sewers, which had hit Red with a wave of corruption, though it hadn’t lasted for long.
The second was probably the Infernal Emperor, whom Red had spoken about with Emer at length, which caused him to experience a strange sensation that he guessed was corruption.
The third was the crimson mist in his body, though he didn’t think it would act to his detriment at this point in their collaboration.
The fourth was, of course, the slaughter demon sealed in his sword, which had lashed out against its prison just recently and whose seals were constantly weakening.
Realistically, the more likely culprits were the second and fourth option. Red was leaning more towards the latter, though, as he was in constant contact with the imprisoned demon, so it seemed likely he would be affected if the seal weakened. There was also the fact he could only effectively shield himself against this fourth option as well, so it might be the only one relevant to his consideration.
“What do I do about this demon?” Red asked.
“Look for someone who can re-seal it,” Aurelia said. “Alternatively, throw the sword in a lake and run away. Even if it can save your life, it’s not worth it if it may kill you before you can use it.”
He was compelled to agree, but he didn’t know of a way to dispose of the sword without causing a potential calamity to the entire country. Red did have another idea, though.
He retracted his expanded awareness from the moonstone core and moved it towards the pit of his stomach, where the crimson mist lay.
“Do you know of a way to seal the demon in the sword?” He asked.
The crimson mist stirred in response. “Absorb.”
Red frowned. “What are the consequences of that?”
“…Half-demon.”
He guessed this was to say that if he absorbed the slaughter demon, then Red, in turn, would complete the transformation into a half-demon. Perhaps he would keep control of his mind with the crimson mist’s help, but he refused to turn into a monster.
“Can you protect my soul from corruption?” Red asked.
The crimson mist stirred, as if in affirmation, though it seemed reluctant. “Soul… Weak. Body… Powerful.”
Red wasn’t too sure what it meant by this, though he assumed it was trying to tell him it wasn’t as effective in protecting his soul as it was his body. Whatever the case, it seemed the help it could provide was limited.
‘I need to…’
His thoughts slowed down as he recalled the monk’s words.
‘This is a matter that can’t be forced. Keep meditating and expand your horizons.’
This was a state of mind that was hard to reach when one’s life and sanity were on the line, much more so for Red who tried to figure out solutions for every problem in his way, even if they were out of reach. Yet he understood that overly worrying was detrimental to one’s mental state. As long as he was sure he was doing all that he could, then what was the point of worrying? He needed to be confident in his own efforts and abilities, as only that way would he progress through the path he was meant to travel.
Perhaps this was a state of mind that had eluded him recently, or that he never reached in the first place. Red still didn’t think that he was close to it, but maybe just knowing the right direction was enough to set him on the right path.
Whatever the case, these were considerations for later. Right now, he had some cultivators to kill.