Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: A Deal with the Jade Qilin
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Wi Seongcheon caught the limp body of the Jade Qilin over his shoulder. Then he turned his head and glanced at Bang Jun.
Bang Jun's face was deathly pale as he pressed his legs together. Even though it hadn't happened to him, any man could sympathize with that horrific agony.
Still, since the guy had been running his mouth, there was no pity to be had. Bang Jun slowly stretched out his clenched legs and asked.
"What now?"
"You?"
"Me? Well, even without that foaming-at-the-mouth Jade Qilin over there helping out, I was just gonna sit tight like he said."
"What if he wakes up and asks me to do something to you?"
"Not that I particularly want to, but I'd have to put on a show, right?"
Bang Jun chuckled, and Wi Seongcheon grinned back. Even in this moment, he was sensing his surroundings with his sharpened awareness.
'This is unexpected.'
The fight with the Jade Qilin hadn't lasted long. But with all the explosions booming loudly, it wouldn't have been strange if someone else had shown up by now.
Surprisingly, though, no other students from the academy had approached. He could easily guess why. Ominous killing intents were clashing fiercely.
It hadn't escalated into a fight yet, but it seemed the Black Overlords—who had been eyeing the fisherman's profits—were now facing off against each other.
'Doesn't look like they're planning to get along nicely.'
The radiating killing intents were far from ordinary. They were as sharp as if facing mortal enemies. Wi Seongcheon extended his senses further. Fortunately, he picked up on presences he recognized.
'Heera and Hwangbo Seongu... So one side facing off is the Slaughter Ghost Yang Jeon.'
U Heera and Hwangbo Seongu weren't emitting killing intent, but their presence together meant one of the confronting Black Overlords was Yang Jeon.
Then who was facing off against Yang Jeon? Yang Jeon had fallen out with his sworn brother, the Mad Dog Go Jeoksa. Were the two trying to reestablish their pecking order with this opportunity?
No, the killing intents were too vicious for mere hierarchy squabbling. And he couldn't sense Yuk Jin-il or Dang Heeran who should be with Go Jeoksa, nor Yeongjin.
'Acting separately? No reason for that... Or is it really Go Jeoksa facing Yang Jeon?'
Even from this distance, the killing intent was sharp enough to raise goosebumps. Wi Seongcheon recalled when he'd just disembarked.
There had been two Black Overlords inflating a tense standoff at the harbor.
The Black Dragon Sanggwan Hu and the Slaughter Ghost Yang Jeon. When he'd asked Baeng Ri-hyang about their relationship, she'd said Sanggwan Hu had been needling Yang Jeon right up until the ship arrived.
Mocking him for losing to the Black Heaven Young Master but keeping his stars, slinking back alive in disgrace.
'Got it. The ones facing off are Yang Jeon and Sanggwan Hu.'
They'd run into each other while approaching to snatch the fisherman's gains. With no goodwill between them, neither would yield.
In their prideful standoff, they'd forgotten about the easy pickings and collided instead.
It was good news for Wi Seongcheon. He smirked, then propped the Jade Qilin—still slung over his shoulder—against a tree.
The crotch of his loose pants was soaked dark red, and Wi Seongcheon deliberately averted his eyes.
Wi Seongcheon was thinking the exact same thing as Bang Jun. He'd gone too far. Pitiful. But more than pity, it was just uncomfortable to watch as a fellow man.
"Hey."
That didn't mean he was going to play nice.
Slap!
Wi Seongcheon's palm struck the Jade Qilin's cheek. The blow snapped his eyes open.
"Huh!"
He was awake, but couldn't move. It wasn't a reckless wake-up; Wi Seongcheon had sealed his pressure points long ago. But even beyond the acupoint seals, the Jade Qilin wasn't trying to move.
The warm, wet sensation from his groin. And the heavy pain chilling his spine! The Jade Qilin's face twisted.
"Uwaaaah!"
He howled like a beast. His wide eyes bulged red with burst vessels, bloody tears streaming from torn corners. The moment consciousness returned, the Jade Qilin realized the horrific tragedy that had befallen him.
"You dare, you dare!"
"Only one popped."
A handsome man with a clean face weeping snot and bloody tears wasn't a pleasant sight.
"You've got two anyway, so you can spare one, right?"
"That one holds value you lowlifes can't even imagine!"
"To who?"
"To me! And to all the women I've had and will have!"
The Jade Qilin wailed bitterly. To Wi Seongcheon, it sounded utterly shameless, but he didn't nitpick.
"Want me to crush the other one? Or twist it off?"
Instead, he threatened in a cold voice. The Jade Qilin's face drained white. He stopped the tears and whipped his head toward Bang Jun.
"You'd better think carefully, fleeting Jade Qilin. You're acupoint-sealed right now, one arm's broken. With one ball smashed, even moving your legs must be hell. Right?"
"......"
"You're free to sic other students on me. But I'm confident in my skills? I already turned you into this mess. So you get what I'm saying?"
"......What are you getting at."
"Pain must be addling your brain. Even if you send students after me, I won't go down. I'll just get pissed and smash your last ball. Or just kill you."
Wi Seongcheon's voice sank lower. The Jade Qilin swallowed hard. He couldn't dismiss it as mere bluff.
He'd heard how the Sleeping Dragon Wi Seongcheon had massacred the Blood-Soaked White Sword—who'd received a blood warrant—and his gang.
"But I haven't done that yet. Why do you think?"
"......What do you want from me?"
"Good thing your head's not completely rusted. But since you're thinking, why not think a bit deeper? What would I want from you in this situation?"
"......The twin stones......"
"You know it. Hand over all the twin stones you have. That's my only demand."
Wi Seongcheon's eyes flashed. The Jade Qilin glared without answering immediately.
"......Hand over the twin stones. That's all you demand?"
"Yeah. Give up the treasure hunt and leave the forest if you want. Or stay and try your luck."
"Not afraid of repercussions after letting me live?"
"You'd better think twice before saying that. I'm graciously giving you a chance. But hear that crap, and I'll have to reconsider."
The Jade Qilin's eyebrows twitched. He knew that much. Spouting it anyway was just petty pride.
He was a Black Overlord, supreme talent of the unorthodox paths, young lord of the Primordial Fragrance Sect—one of the Demonic Six Gates. Accepting defeat to some Heavenly Flower Sect young lord was unbearable. No, more than that.
'The Soul Absorption Great Law......'
He couldn't accept falling to that.
"Repercussions? Nah, not scared. If we hadn't fought, maybe, but we just did. I'm confident I'd beat you ten times out of ten. Even if you ambush or pull dirty tricks."
"......You bastard......!"
"I'm offering mercy and it's not good enough? Hmm, actually, that was just to piss you off."
The sudden taunt twisted the Jade Qilin's expression. Bang Jun, listening quietly from behind, looked curious about what Wi Seongcheon meant.
"No need for me to kill you here."
The follow-up taunt blanched the Jade Qilin's face. Bang Jun shook his head in disbelief.
"The students here have no loyalty to each other. You're not from Uicheon Academy—you're a Black Forest student—so the Black Demon King's 'word' won't protect you. Even if I don't finish you, the Black Overlords hungry for this chance will do it for me."
The Jade Qilin's body began to tremble. It was true. Any certainty of escaping from the forest's heart to the No-Kill City without encounters?
None. Impossible.
The flashy fight had drawn the Black Overlords' attention. Even if none crashed in now, any could at any moment.
"Finally realizing your spot, huh."
Wi Seongcheon chuckled. The Jade Qilin gnawed his lower lip. Rage over his crushed ball had already faded.
One remained intact, and the crushed one might recover with proper care.
"You've got few options. Hand over the twin stones and run like hell. Or stay brave and survive."
Wi Seongcheon had said as much earlier. But he added one more.
"Or beg me for your life."
"......What?"
"I'll help you escape this forest to the best of my ability. Oh, the price isn't the twin stones, though. I'll take those anyway."
"What do you want from me then......?"
"A life debt."
Wi Seongcheon answered nonchalantly. The Jade Qilin swallowed again.
"You want repayment from a demonic warrior?"
"Righteous or demonic, people are people. Any decent one would repay a debt. Unless you're lower than a beast."
Bang Jun stared at Wi Seongcheon in confusion. To him, killing the Jade Qilin here was cleanest.
Or just leave him. But Wi Seongcheon was going out of his way to look after him.
It made no sense. There was no friendship between Wi Seongcheon and the Jade Qilin. If there had been, Wi Seongcheon wouldn't have crushed one of his balls.
[What are you doing?]
Unable to comprehend, Bang Jun sent a transmission. Had mercy suddenly bloomed in this situation?
If so, it'd be ridiculous. To Bang Jun, the Jade Qilin deserved death on the spot.
[Passing the yoke.]
[What yoke?]
[The yoke of grudge.]
What nonsense? Bang Jun gaped at Wi Seongcheon, then realized. The Jade Qilin was young lord of the Primordial Fragrance Sect, one of the Demonic Six Gates.
Different worlds, sure, but for Heavenly Flower Sect's young lord Wi Seongcheon, the Jade Qilin's backing was too big to touch lightly.
Killing him could bring Primordial Fragrance Sect's vengeance. Letting him go alive? The grudge remains.
'Not cutting it, passing it. This... mad bastard.'
Bang Jun could only shake his head. Sending the Jade Qilin off here meant he'd likely die to another Black Overlord.
From Wi Seongcheon's view, hands clean, grudge neatly 'severed.' But that wasn't Wi Seongcheon's plan.
He said passing the yoke.
If the Jade Qilin wished, Wi Seongcheon genuinely intended to protect him for now.
If another Black Overlord attacked? He'd shield him as best he could. Key was keeping the bastard alive.
Once he escaped the forest alive.
Where his grudge went was unknown. The Jade Qilin might be such a dog that he'd prioritize the broken arm and crushed ball over the life-saving grace. If so, nothing Wi Seongcheon could do.
But if he could ingrain deeper grudges.
'I need variables.'
Wi Seongcheon silently glared at the Jade Qilin, awaiting his answer. Currently, Wi Seongcheon and Baeng Ri-hyang were most disadvantaged.
Baeng Ri-hyang lagged behind Black Overlords in skill, and Wi Seongcheon was alone. Plus, she was ignored by them. They could crush her anytime they decided.
So he needed variables. More targets for burning grudges, the better.
Look at now.
The grudge between Yang Jeon and Sanggwan Hu had blocked outsiders from targeting them. Unexpected for Wi Seongcheon. Made him need more variables.
Crucial: He could engineer these 'variables.' Wi Seongcheon glanced at the Jade Qilin's dangling arm.
'One arm. Compromise at that.'
Crushed ball and one arm. Which would he grudge more? Not that those alone made him unkillable.
'Don't like the guy, but better not to kill the Jade Qilin.'
'Why?'
'If you kill him, worst case, Dawn's Emissary comes for you.'
From the White Flame Witch before entering the forest. If one of the Ten Heroes, Dawn's Emissary, seriously hunted Wi Seongcheon, he had no way to evade.
Can't kill? Use him like this.
"......Spare me."
Finally, the Jade Qilin bowed his head. His tone had changed. Humiliating, but no choice. Better than death.
"Twin stones first."
"......The other students haven't returned yet. Just wait a bit, they'll..."
"No. No time for that."
Wi Seongcheon cut him off coldly.
"Any Black Overlord could barge in anytime. Better move fast."
"But...... that's......"
He'd begged for life, but the Jade Qilin hesitated. Hoping the seven scouts would return with options.
"I said it from the start? Hand over the twin stones you're carrying."
"What?"
"You think I'm an idiot? No way you'd give all your twin stones to students. What if they got snatched?"
Wi Seongcheon snorted mockingly.
"Two at most, probably. Rest as decoys to fool Black Overlord eyes. You'd keep most, watching from afar. Right?"
A chill ran down his spine. Wi Seongcheon had guessed roughly, but nailed the exact number two. The Jade Qilin eyed him trembling, then gave up and bowed his head.
"......In my bosom. Take them."
"Finally behaving."
Wi Seongcheon smiled as he approached. With the largest group, the Jade Qilin's bosom held a pair of twin stones and two crimson stones. Better haul than expected.
"You begged to live?"
"......Yes."
"I'll do my best. But remember this, Jade Qilin. I'll try to protect you, but you'll have to make an effort too."
"What effort?"
"Trust me."
Wi Seongcheon answered as he released the acupoint seals.
"So nothing goes wrong."
Though he had no intention of trusting the Jade Qilin himself. Wi Seongcheon said it with serious eyes.
Bang Jun, knowing Wi Seongcheon's true intent, shuddered and shook his head vigorously.