Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: The Black Star
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In the heart of the Black Forest stood a towering spire that overlooked the entire city. At its summit was a pavilion where the Black Demon King made his abode, and the denizens of the Black Forest called it the Black Star with reverence, visible even from afar.
"A few months from now, the Martial Alliance Leader will come."
From the Black Star, one could see not only the Black Forest and the city below but also the moon and stars in perfect clarity. The Black Demon King sat astride the railing, his back to the brilliantly risen full moon. Yeomyeong, guided here by the emissaries of the underworld, stared at the Demon King silhouetted against the moon with a troubled expression.
"...Why?"
"Because I wrote down everything you told me about the Demonic Cult and sent it in a letter."
"What?!"
"The letter hasn't arrived yet, of course, but at the end, I wrote this: If you grasp the gravity of the matter, don't bother replying—just bring every one of the Righteous Ten Heroes and come to the Black Forest."
Yeomyeong's mouth fell open at those words. Ignoring his shock, the Black Demon King continued with a chuckle in his voice.
"Travel time being what it is, it might be faster for me to go myself. I could take you with me by the throat, but I can't resort to such crude measures with the Hundred Flame Witch. In the worst case, I figured it's better to stay on this island."
"...And what exactly is the worst case?"
"If the Demonic Cult sends a pursuit squad after you. From what I've gathered, the Heavenly Demon Hyeok Wol-un isn't the type to move personally for something like this. Ah, but you'd know better than me. What do you think, Jinchung? Would the Heavenly Demon leave the Demonic Realm and come all the way here just to catch you?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yeomyeong hesitated before answering. He had spent over a decade in the Demonic Cult, deep in its core, yet he had only crossed paths with the Heavenly Demon a handful of times.
The Heavenly Demon, Hyeok Wol-un... He left an impression of someone inscrutable, beyond comprehension.
He was profoundly desirous, yet utterly desireless.
"...He won't come."
Yeomyeong slowly shook his head.
"I failed the task he gave me and fled thanks to the Dawn Command, but the Heavenly Demon won't be angry about my failure or my escape. To begin with, he probably has little interest in me now."
"Is that so? Still, we must prepare for the worst. If there's even a chance the Heavenly Demon comes... leaving this island wouldn't be wise."
"You expect me to hole up here for the rest of my life...?!"
"Of course not. I figure a year at most. If they leave you alone for a full year, it means the Demonic Cult has no intention of pursuing you. So after that, I'll let you go."
The Black Demon King grinned slyly.
"Truth be told, the Heavenly Demon isn't what worries me most. The Ten Demons of the Cult go without saying—they're no threat. Handling all ten by myself would be a stretch, but they're hardly worth fretting over."
Arrogant words, to be sure, but they came from the Black Snake Alliance Leader, Black Demon King Baekri Mu-won.
"Then what does worry you, Black Demon King?"
"Ebony Night."
The Black Demon King's voice grew low. A chill ran down Yeomyeong's spine at the name. He swallowed hard and instinctively glanced at the moon shining nearby. Fortunately, it gleamed untouched by darkness.
"If she came herself... it would be very—very—difficult."
"...That's why you called the Alliance Leader and the Righteous Ten Heroes."
"We must prepare for the worst. And there's plenty to discuss with them about what you've told me."
It made sense, but Yeomyeong's expression soured. His relations with the Righteous Ten Heroes weren't exactly cordial—even setting aside the Black Demon King before him. For starters, the Supreme Sword Lord had blackmailed him decades ago and taken two of the only remaining Dawn Heaven Divine Pills.
But more than the Supreme Sword Lord, what Yeomyeong dreaded was Poison Fog Queen Dang Sa-yeong. If possible, he never wanted to face her again.
'...No. That little girl holed up in the Tang Clan would never come all this way.'
Still, he clung to some hope. The matter was grave, sure, but the optics were poor. Would the Alliance Leader and Ten Heroes, representing the righteous martial world, really trek to the Black Forest on the strength of a single letter?
A midpoint summit made sense, but for the venerable elders of the righteous sects to visit the unorthodox stronghold at the southernmost tip of the Central Plains? That was prime gossip fodder for the riffraff, and would face-loving righteous folk stomach the ridicule?
"...Ahem. Black Demon King, hypothetically—if the Alliance Leader and Ten Heroes receive your letter but don't come here themselves, sending a reply to set a time and place instead...?"
"Then I'll lead the Black Snake Alliance elites straight to the Martial Alliance and slaughter that shortsighted Leader and his so-called elders obsessed with face."
"What?"
"If they dare send such an insolent reply to a letter I slaved over all night, the Martial Alliance has no right to exist in the righteous martial world. Killing off those stubborn old fools who've only grown more pigheaded with age won't diminish righteous strength by a speck."
Outlandish talk, yet it rang utterly serious. The Black Demon King Yeomyeong knew was the sort to do such mad things without batting an eye. Staring at Yeomyeong's horrified, frozen face, the Demon King let out a smirk.
"That won't happen. The current Alliance Leader, Baek Gun, may lack prowess, but he's sharp-minded."
"...The Leader changed?"
"It's been nearly ten years since Won Gwang Bul stepped down. If he were still Leader, this mess wouldn't even be on the table."
Yeomyeong groaned in misery. In the end, all he could do was pray the Poison Fog Queen stayed away. Watching Yeomyeong grimace with delight, the Black Demon King handed him a cup of liquor.
"Little Dragon, what immortal arts do you plan to teach that child?"
"...I've said it a hundred times: I'm no proper immortal. I'm in no position to take disciples."
"Who said anything about a disciple? I said teach her some arts."
"Listen, Black Demon King. I'm genuinely curious—what's your deal with Little Dragon? Is he your secret son or something...?"
"What nonsense."
"Then why do you care so much about him if there's not a drop of blood between you?"
"It's no grand reason, yet you keep prying. I already told you. Little Dragon's a talent worth investing in. Too valuable to die for some absurd reason. I'm ignorant of immortal arts and have no clue how to handle immortal energy. But lo and behold, there's you, who knows them. That's it."
Yeomyeong couldn't easily accept that. The Black Demon King resorting to threats over something so trivial?
"What exactly do you expect from him?"
"The era is changing."
The Black Demon King spoke leisurely, turning his head. He filled his eyes with the brilliant moon and countless stars.
"I consider myself one of the pivotal figures of this era. At least in the unorthodox world... I was a protagonist."
"..."
"Seventy years ago, I stirred a storm in the unorthodox martial world, and for fifty, I led the Black Snake Alliance. I don't know how the next era will judge me, but I did my utmost for it."
"Listen—"
"I see now as the twilight of this age and the dawn of the new. Soon, the era of me and the Ten Heroes will end, and a new one will begin. When it does, we'll face choices."
"...What choices?"
"Will we lay the foundation for the new era while alive? Become sacrifices in death? Or cling to greed and try to usurp it?"
The Black Demon King turned to Yeomyeong. Holding his cup, he wore a gentle smile unlike his usual self.
"I expect Little Dragon to be one of the protagonists in that new era. That's why I take an interest. As a predecessor protagonist, even if from a different world and time."
"...Black Demon King. You..."
"I like this Black Star. It offers different charms by day and night. If I had to choose, I prefer night—the sun's too scorching by day."
The Black Demon King smiled faintly, bringing the cup to his lips.
"Especially on a full moon night like this... I get in a reflective mood while drinking."
Yeomyeong stared at the Black Demon King in silence. The question burning in his throat wouldn't come out.
What choice will you make?
Live as a foundation stone, die as a sacrifice, or...?
"...Maybe I'll teach Black Swallow."
Yeomyeong buried the question deep inside. He didn't know the answer, but whatever it was, it would shift his view of the Black Demon King and bring new understanding.
He had no desire to rethink him now. To Yeomyeong, Baekri Mu-won was plenty mad and brutal as is.
"Why?"
"...Seeing that grown child stirred some greed in me. If you allow it, I might teach her not just immortal arts, but a bit of my own skills."
Yeomyeong spoke cautiously. It wasn't a whim. From the moment he first created Baekrihyang with the Black Demon King's blood and Ebony Night's aid, he had obsessed over shaping the life he birthed. Though decades captive in the Demonic Cult had distanced him from her, Yeomyeong still harbored attachment.
"Take her as a disciple?"
"No."
"You could, as the man Jinchung."
"I have no such intentions."
Yeomyeong shook his head. The Black Demon King eyed him for a moment.
"If you wish it, and she does too, it's not for me to interfere."
The Black Demon King set down his empty cup and replied.
* * *
Having slept the whole day straight left her mind languid.
Fatigue from pushing her body to its limits crushed her entirely.
Self-loathing from comparing her pathetic self to Wise Star Heaven, resentment toward Father... Thirst for denial. All tangled into hatred of herself.
Baekrihyang felt her self-worth erode, forcibly propping up her crumbling spirit. Upon waking, the first thing she checked was, predictably, that Father hadn't come. After that, she wondered if giving up might be easier.
The Black Demon King had said: If you want recognition, prove your worth. If you're lacking, use other means.
Not the first time hearing it. He hadn't kindly explained, but Baekrihyang had interpreted it her way. Want recognition? Prove worth. If lacking...
Other means.
The easiest: leverage being his daughter. Most blatant: marriage. Choosing the right partner could elevate her value.
But that cheap, pathetic path couldn't be his answer. Nor did she want or choose it. Was there even a match in the martial world worth ensnaring as the Black Demon King's daughter through marriage? At best, an emperor or celestial.
Then what other means? Abandon martial arts for other talents? Father might even prefer that. Dive into scholarship for an official post? Now? Propping up a symbolic emperor and spouting empty theories—what meaning in that?
Baekrihyang still hadn't found the answer. Such brooding always ended in hollow despair, tempting total surrender. This morning was no different upon opening her eyes. She didn't recall the dream, but tears had wet her cheeks in sleep. So even more...
She didn't want to give up. Rubbing her eyes furiously, Baekrihyang rose and left the room to wash. Flinging open the door, she spotted a letter on the floor.
"...What's this?"
Unfolding it, her expression changed instantly. The night's lethargy and helplessness shattered as she bolted off on foot. Midway, she froze at the well.
'...A quick wash, then go.'
Yesterday's "you stink" still stuck in her mind like a stone.