Chapter: 101
The Ferocious Beast was an old man who had lost both of his legs. Instead of being able to walk, he could create anything with his wrinkled hands.
The Heavenly Demon offered him legs, but he responded that he didn’t need them and instead asked for more time.
The Heavenly Demon accepted this and granted more time to the Ferocious Beast, who was already knocking on death’s door.
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but think that the Heavenly Demon might not be human after all.
Was it possible to interfere in a person’s life and death without being a god?
With the time given by the Heavenly Demon, the Ferocious Beast began to reconstruct the Demonic Cult.
It took merely half a year for one man to turn a castle into a fortress.
I recalled the old man’s sunken, insane expression, twisted and worn down from hardship.
‘Had he already been working for the Black Palace before meeting the Heavenly Demon?’
A device that responded to demonic Qi… The only human capable of creating such a thing was that old man.
Behind the door, there were stairs leading down.
I expected this place wouldn’t be a normal one judging by the bloodstains smeared all over.
I descended the stairs without extinguishing the flames in my hand.
With every step down, the smell of blood grew stronger.
It became so intense that I had to cover my mouth and nose with my sleeve.
‘What on earth was happening down there?’
Looking at the dried and faded bloodstains on the walls, it seemed quite some time had passed.
Just when I was starting to wonder how much further I had to go, I finally spotted the bottom of the stairs.
Underneath, a long passage lay ahead. The air was already filled with a foul stench, and I could hear an unfamiliar sound resembling boiling water emanating from the passage’s end.
With my sleeve still covering my mouth, I cautiously approached the source of the sound.
And when I arrived…
“…!”
I bit my lips, horrified by the gruesome sight in front of me.
In the room, a small pond filled with bright red blood lay before me.
It was difficult to calm my racing heart in the face of such a shocking scene.
The pungent odor of rotting corpses filled the air, and the bodies of the Mount Hua Sect’s swordsmen were scattered across the floor.
Seeing this, I couldn’t help but curse.
“…These bastards.”
Even a fool could tell whose blood filled that pond.
What for?
What on earth were they trying to accomplish to pull off something like this?
I quickly scanned my surroundings, needing to understand the purpose of this atrocious room.
Before long, I found it.
A small flower blooming at the center of the pond.
It was strikingly colorful, as if it thrived on the blood’s nourishment.
Contrary to its beautiful appearance, it radiated an ominous aura, and I could even sense a faint trace of Taoist Qi emanating from it.
It was clear that this flower was not a trivial matter.
“Could it be…”
That red flower?
Was all of this done for that flower?
What is that thing that they would go this far…?
As I was about to step closer with trembling eyes, I discovered something strange.
Among the corpses of the Mount Hua Sect’s swordsmen, there were some bodies that looked relatively intact.
Although they wore the same white uniforms, unlike the ones that had rotted due to neglect, these corpses seemed to have died not long ago.
I examined the uniform on one of the corpses and sensed with my Qi.
The Alliance.
That corpse belonged to the Murim Alliance.
Furthermore, it appeared that this individual had not been dead for long.
That means the Murim Alliance didn’t withdraw…
Swish-!
A presence slipped through the Qi I had spread across the area.
I didn’t have time to ponder who it was.
Quickly, I moved to protect my neck.
– Slash!
A blade grazed my shoulder, sending blood staining the ground.
– Whoosh!
I summoned flames to shield my body while also illuminating the dim room, scattering the shadows.
I concentrated, scrutinizing the figure that had ambushed me.
Clad entirely in black, his appearance was hard to discern.
– Drip. Drip.
Blood trickled from my wounded shoulder.
‘That was close.’
I had managed to defend my throat.
All the corpses of the Murim Alliance showed signs of having been stabbed or slashed around their necks.
Thanks to that, I was able to predict the attack and defend myself. I gazed at the assailant and asked,
“Are you from the Black Palace?”
He nodded in response. Thankfully, he wasn’t completely incapable of speech.
“You have no manners, little one.”
As he chuckled, I shot back,
“Why does everyone from the Unorthodox Faction want respect these days? Do you actually think you have manners for ambushing me?”
“How did you dodge it?”
“Your attack was just that pathetic.”
Despite what I said, I clung to the desperate hope of finding out more about him.
‘He’s an assassin.’
Sweat trickled down my cheek. He was a formidable opponent. This wasn’t just an ordinary martial artist, but an assassin.
I had dodged the first attack, but if we were on equal levels, he was more likely to win the one-on-one.
At least the small, enclosed room worked to my advantage, but the odds weren’t in my favor.
I rotated my Qi to boost the flames. He nodded at my display of power.
“A small body with a fierce expression, a red robe, and the use of flame arts… Right, so you must be Gu Yangcheon.”
I frowned at his observation.
“You know me?”
“You were on our list… Luckily, you came to us yourself. This makes our job easier.”
The vibe of his demonic Qi felt similar to that of Ya Hyeoljeok’s. He absolutely belonged to the Black Palace.
‘So they know about me.’
Did they gather information because I killed Ya Hyeoljeok? I anticipated this, but I didn’t expect it to spread so quickly.
Does that mean whatever is happening here is vitally important? That flower? Or the Immortal Healer?
What should I do?
My opponent is an elite assassin, far superior to Ya Hyeoljeok.
I heightened my focus with Qi, but he maintained his relaxed demeanor.
Yet, I didn’t let my guard down. What a nightmare of a situation I had found myself in.
Escaping wouldn’t be easy with him blocking the entrance, and I had little chance of winning against him.
I would at least hope he would make a mistake like Ya Hyeoljeok, but he showed no sign of carelessness.
In the midst of boosting my Qi, he offered,
“I have a proposal.”
“What?”
His sudden words took me off guard.
“The main palace wants you. They issued a command to capture you alive rather than kill you, if possible. So how about you come along peacefully?”
This was absurd.
“Even after trying to kill me?”
“I didn’t know it was you at that time. You seem like the child of a notable family. Wouldn’t it be easier to come with us than end up just a tragic tale?”
“You’re a real joker.”
“I will have to restrain your strength, but I promise to spare your life.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his ridiculous offer.
So now he wanted me to beg for my life from the Black Palace? It was highly likely that they had ties to the Demonic Cult.
My life is valuable.
I felt that even more strongly since I had been granted a second chance at living. However, it wasn’t precious enough for me to bow down to him. At the very least, I wasn’t going to do that to these filthy demon humans.
I wore a smirk before replying to him,
“Fuck off, trash.”
The man’s eyes twisted in response to my foul language.
Even if I couldn’t see his face, I could tell.
“You should say that after you’ve wiped that murderous intent from your eyes, dimwit.”
“Hmph… You’re quicker than I thought.”
He clearly hadn’t intended to keep his promises. I realized that as soon as I laid eyes on him.
This assassin doesn’t even bother hiding his emotions, huh?
How much does he underestimate me?
He halted his laughter and stated,
“I am Nachal.”
“Why are you suddenly introducing yourself? Do you want to become my friend?”
“You should at least know who you’re dying to. I’m just showing some consideration.”
What a load of bull. So are the assassins supposed to introduce themselves telepathically before they kill their targets in ambush?
Of course not.
He was merely toying with me.
‘Nachal… That’s a name I’ve never heard before.’
I doubted he was being truthful and didn’t recall any significant names.
After all, almost no assassins were well-known besides the Shadow King.
The critical issue at hand was that the man before me was a dangerous assassin, and I needed to survive.
‘…Tsk.’
I never expected the Black Palace would get information about me this quickly. It was my own fault for acting hastily.
I conjured various plans in my head, but I lacked the power to confront him.
Still, I needed to do something.
Focusing my Qi nonstop to activate my body, I prepared to charge at him.
「…I just woke up and you’re already in trouble.」
My feet, ready to leap towards him, suddenly froze.
「Tsk tsk… The world should acknowledge that even after death, I can’t get a moment of rest.」
It was a familiar voice.
Inappropriately, a wave of joy washed over me despite the grave situation.
‘Elder Sh-’
「Don’t be foolish, step aside.」
In that instant, the world went dark.
What’s happening?
Confused, Nachal stared at Gu Yangcheon, who unexpectedly bowed his head.
The orders given by the Black Palace were to retrieve a ‘liquid’ from the branch hideout, to kidnap the Immortal Healer, and to gather information on the Gu Clan’s child.
Finding the liquid was easy. The Heavenly Qi was necessary to activate the device, so all one needed to do was go down and fetch it.
I eliminated the Murim Alliance pests blocking the hideout in one strike and set their bodies aside.
It would take at least an hour for anyone to notice something was amiss.
Thus, with the liquid in my possession, I concealed myself upon sensing an unknown presence.
As it got closer, it opened the door and moved down into the basement.
At first, I thought it was someone from the main palace, but to my amazement, it was just a boy.
‘I worried for nothing.’
I didn’t know how he had gotten in. I thought I had locked the entrance, but perhaps I had forgotten to?
Ultimately, killing him was the only objective, but astonishingly, the boy dodged my fatal blow.
Then came the surge of flames filling the room, and as I caught a glimpse of his face, realization struck me.
He was the offspring of the Tiger Warrior currently residing in Shaanxi.
When the leader commanded to gather information on Gu Yangcheon, we were also given the leeway to take him out.
Even though he had killed Ya Hyeoljeok, the boy was still an elite martial artist.
I could most likely finish Ya Hyeoljeok in one strike if the situation played out right.
‘But he truly is monstrous for his age.’
Observing the amount of Qi in the flames enveloping the room, I couldn’t help but silently gasp in astonishment.
To let such a monster live even after opposing the main palace would surely lead to future troubles.
That moment, I aimed to eliminate Gu Yangcheon.
However…
“Agh, my back…”
Gu Yangcheon, beginning to move again, felt entirely different.
“Why must I go through this hassle at my age…”
Is he playing around right now?
‘He must be trying to buy time.’
Even so, nothing had changed. I drew a dagger from my pocket and infused my Qi.
Neck, and preferably, the heart.
I was set to end him in one swift motion.
I had no intention to wait for him to finish his pathetic act, and as I charged forward intent on finishing it without delay.
‘…!’
But Nachal could not take more than three steps.
With a single step, his neck was severed, and after another step, his body was invaded by numerous strikes.
In that fleeting moment, hundreds of deaths flashed before my eyes.
“…What in the world…”
“No matter how much time passes, kids like you continue to exist.”
The voice came from a different location.
Quickly turning around, I saw Gu Yangcheon swinging a sword pulled from the corpse of a Mount Hua Sect swordsman.
“I despised them, trying to erase their presence, but now I realize that not much changes in this world.”
I unconsciously took a step back at his words. Then I frowned at my own disgraceful actions.
Ignoring my reaction, Gu Yangcheon continued.
“What was it you said earlier, that it’s necessary to know who you’re dying to?”
“…What have you done?”
Chuckles…
Within the void, the sound of Gu Yangcheon’s laughter echoed. His voice carried no Qi to amplify it, but it rang loudly in my ears.
I should have only been able to smell the stench of decaying blood through the mask covering my face, but for some odd reason, I sensed a sweet aroma.
Gu Yangcheon remarked,
“Nice to meet you, rookie.”
A breeze surged into the room, flowing across the walls and swiftly filling every corner.
“I am Shincheol.”
The grandest plum tree that had fallen victim to the passage of time…
…bloomed anew in this place.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.