Chapter 198
Chapter 198
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Jade Qilin's Ecstasy
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His body leaped like it was flying, feeling incredibly light. Jade Qilin savored an unprecedented thrill from the surging power within him. He'd indulged in yin-yang dual cultivation countless times before, but this was something special.
'As expected of the world's greatest.'
He vaulted over the wall in a single bound, and a satisfied smile crept onto his face without him realizing it.
Just a few days ago, when one of his balls had burst and an arm had been severed, he'd resented the world. Now, everything in it seemed beautiful.
It was all thanks to Yeomyeong's treatment. His severed arm hadn't regrown, but that miraculous physician had restored his damaged testicle even better than before.
And that wasn't all. The pill she'd tossed him, saying it would help replenish his vital energy—he hadn't expected much at first, but it surpassed any aphrodisiac he'd ever taken in his life.
'I want another one...'
Revenge against the Ancient Temple and the Black Heaven Young Master. At first, resentment and greed had burned fiercely within him, but now... who knew? Was there any real reason to cling to such things? Even without them, the world was still beautiful, overflowing with pleasures to enjoy.
'Why bother with revenge? That Mad Dog bastard lost an arm too. And why challenge the Black Heaven Young Master just for more glory? It might just wreck my body further.'
Soaring through the sky, Jade Qilin mulled over these thoughts. They were utterly different from what he'd felt just days ago. Yet he felt no dissonance within himself. The only discomfort was a persistent ache in his loins, despite all his recent indulgences.
'Isn't this bliss enough? The world is beautiful without chasing revenge or fame, and I'm enjoying it fully. Yes, this must be the pinnacle of life.'
He felt a twinge of regret leaving her behind. He'd spent his time at the Demonic Palace bedding every disciple of the Fragrant Gate, immersing himself in the arts of the bedchamber, leaving him with no outlet for his surging lust right now. But it wasn't a real problem.
This was the heart of the Black Forest. Among the hundreds of Black Forest Holy Disciples residing here, fewer than ten were full-fledged adult disciples. This place offered indulgences unavailable even outside. Naturally, Jade Qilin's thoughts turned there. The Demonic Palace was off-limits for now anyway, and Bang Jun was probably still fuming.
'A few days at the brothels...'
As he descended with that in mind—
Jade Qilin's eyes snapped wide open.
* * *
"What was inside?"
The abrupt question left Dang Heeran looking utterly exasperated. Despite her blatant expression, Yuk Jinil stared at her with wide, earnest eyes.
"...I'm not telling you."
"Come on, that's not fair. You could at least say what was in there."
"There's nothing you'd be interested in."
Dang Heeran let out a hollow laugh as she replied. She'd acquired the Black Dark Secret Case that Cheonsal had planted at the Twin Stone auction and had spent the time up until yesterday in his secret chamber. It contained a variety of his hidden weapons and many other mysterious items.
"How would you know if I haven't even seen it myself?"
"If you wanted to see it so bad, you should've bid on the Black Dark Secret Case yourself. Instead, you up and left the forest without a word."
"There were circumstances."
Yuk Jinil replied with a sullen expression.
"If I hadn't picked up that Mad Dog bastard and left the forest then, he would've died at the hands of another Holy Disciple. If that happened, you wouldn't have been able to use the Twin Stones you'd been gathering so diligently, Senior."
"If Mad Dog had died in that forest, I would've just allied with another Holy Disciple right away."
Dang Heeran snorted in response. It hadn't come to that in the end, but while wandering the forest gathering Twin Stones, she'd prepared for the worst. She couldn't ally with Jeon Jeon-hyeon, where her sister Dang Seona was, so Dang Heeran had considered Haji-eun's side.
"Junior. Why not just be honest?"
"...About what?"
"Why a Kunlun Sect disciple like you is so interested in Master Cheonsal's secret chamber. Be upfront about it, and if it makes sense to me, I might cooperate to some extent. Master didn't tell me to keep quiet about what's in there."
"..."
"Honestly, it doesn't make any sense to me at all. Why would Yuk Jinil, the pride of Kunlun Sect's younger generation, be so curious about Master Cheonsal's secret chamber? If you don't come clean, Junior, I'll have no choice but to stay on guard."
"...Why stay on guard?"
"Because my imagination will run wild otherwise. You don't suspect Master Cheonsal of ties to the Demonic Cult, do you?"
Dang Heeran's eyes narrowed. At his words, Yuk Jinil halted and glared at her.
Until a few hundred years ago, Kunlun Sect had resided on Qinghai's Kunlun Mountain as its name implied. They guarded the border between Qinghai and the Demonic Realm, battling the Demonic Cult and demonic beasts. But they ultimately failed to repel a sudden surge of demonic beasts and were forced to abandon the mountain. Thus, Kunlun Sect Taoists hated the Demonic Cult and beasts more than any righteous faction.
"Three."
Yuk Jinil's lips parted.
"Transcendent Spear, Yeomyeong, and Cheonsal. These three are the most elusive even among the Ten Heroes."
Dang Heeran stopped walking as well. She stood still, meeting his sharp gaze.
"Poison Fog、後 doesn't leave the Tang Clan. Moon Shadow Immortal is said to have secluded in Green Forest. Taiji Sword Lord and Strange Hero openly wandered the Demonic Realm while maintaining steady contact with the Murim Alliance. Everyone knows Black Demon King is with Black Snake Union, White Flame Witch is in Black Forest, and Green Forest Demon Emperor stays near his own Mountain King Stronghold."
"...Right."
"But not those three. Even longtime allies Taiji Sword Lord and Strange Hero don't know Transcendent Spear's whereabouts, only speculating he might be near Black Demon King without certainty. Same for Cheonsal and Yeomyeong."
"So?"
"Like you said, Senior, I suspect Cheonsal might have some connection to the Demonic Cult."
"As his disciple, I'd naturally be offended, right?"
"It's not baseless suspicion. If it were, I wouldn't demand it outright from you."
Yuk Jinil's voice grew icy.
"My seniors in the sect are risking their lives to reclaim our ancestral mountain. They wander the Kunlun region without regard for their own safety. But... I've recently received strange news."
"...What kind?"
"Cheonsal was spotted near Kunlun Mountain."
Dang Heeran's brow twitched at that. She'd been with Cheonsal right up until leaving the Tang Clan to return to Heavenly Academy, but even she didn't know where he was now. Kunlun Mountain in Qinghai's depths? Right next to the Demonic Realm.
"...There's nothing Demonic Cult-related in the secret chamber."
"Let me see for myself."
Yuk Jinil stood firm. His tone was too aggressive for a junior addressing a senior, but Dang Heeran didn't rebuke his rudeness. The situation warranted it.
"And it's not just suspicion of Demonic Cult ties."
"Then?"
"Why is Cheonsal frequenting the Kunlun area? Perhaps he knows something we don't, or harbors suspicions... and is investigating it."
"...What do you mean?"
"Senior."
He addressed her but hesitated before speaking. Dang Heeran looked puzzled but didn't press him.
After a brief silence, Yuk Jinil sent a transmission.
[There was nothing in Cheonsal's secret chamber about the God-Sealing Platform—]
"Whoa!"
Before the carefully sent transmission could end, a clumsy yelp rang out as someone plummeted from the sky.
Dang Heeran winced and stepped back. Amid the rising dust, a figure stood tall.
For a moment, she wasn't sure what she was seeing. One-armed, yet he seemed to have three legs. Realizing what that absurd sight meant, Dang Heeran's face twisted in horror.
"You crazy bastard."
Yuk Jinil grimaced even more disgustingly than she did. Brushing off the dust, Jade Qilin turned to Dang Heeran with a beaming smile.
"Lady Dang!"
"Who said you could act so familiar?"
Averting her eyes, unwilling to look directly, Dang Heeran spat the words. Yet Jade Qilin carried on brazenly, as if shame was a foreign concept.
He sauntered over and reached out toward Dang Heeran.
"Haha! Lady Dang, you're as beautiful as ever."
"What do you think you're doing?"
Yuk Jinil grimaced and blocked Jade Qilin. His advance halted abruptly. Jade Qilin clenched his extended fist once,
'Oh right. He's a Heavenly Academy student.'
Then relaxed it. Even so, the hostility he'd flashed for that instant was blatant. Has this guy lost his mind? Yuk Jinil stared at him in disbelief.
"The sun's nice, the breeze is cool—how about we grab something tasty together?"
Ignoring the blocker, Jade Qilin grinned broadly at Dang Heeran. At the overt courtship, she let out a hollow laugh.
"You. What the hell did you take?"
Jade Qilin's pupils were dull and murky, veins around them bulging dark red. Even from a distance, his heartbeat thundered audibly, making veins writhe on his neck each time.
"Take? Haha, what do you think I took? No, more like what I want to devour now."
Jade Qilin guffawed. Leering slyly, he leaned toward Dang Heeran. Yuk Jinil grimaced and tried to shove him away, but Jade Qilin sidestepped past in a few quick steps.
'...?'
The movement was unnatural. Yuk Jinil whipped his head around in surprise, but Jade Qilin was already in front of Dang Heeran.
"Fortune favors the bold."
Jade Qilin slurred.
"So I'll be bold. Lady Dang. Tonight, I want to hold you."
"You crazy bastard."
Stunned by the sudden declaration, Dang Heeran gaped, while Yuk Jinil's blood boiled. Snapping out of it, she shook her head emphatically.
"Insane. Part of me wants to rip you apart right now, but I can't bring myself to, so I'll hold back. And as a fellow human, I'll give you some advice."
"Hm? Advice?"
"You're not in your right mind, so go see a skilled physician immediately and get checked out. And..."
"Oh, so Lady Dang has feelings for me after all."
"What are you talking about?"
"You're worried about my body, right? But don't fret. I've never felt better in my life! I want to share this ecstasy with you—whatever shall I do...?"
"He doesn't get it."
Dang Heeran clicked her tongue and walked past Jade Qilin. He lunged to grab her.
She easily evaded the reckless grasp. Pulling Yuk Jinil's wrist—who was grinding his teeth—she distanced herself,
"The more you play coy, the more tempting you are."
Jade Qilin only grew thirstier at the sight. Moments ago, he'd been praising the world and casting aside vain desires, but now his mind had flipped again. He wanted nothing more than to pin Dang Heeran down somehow.
[Senior, where to?]
[Outside the city. That bastard's following.]
Dang Heeran replied via transmission, suppressing her boiling rage. Yuk Jinil's expression brightened slightly.
[Gonna beat that dog to death?]
[Not quite death, but I'll kick him in the groin for sure.]
How could she just take such blatant harassment? Yuk Jinil nodded vigorously at her response.
[I'll kick with you.]
* * *
BOOM!
Outside the city, in a nearby forest, a thunderous explosion rocked like a thunderbolt grenade.
"Hm."
Yeomyeong, who had been watching Baek Ri-hyang practice the Five Elements Path with pleased eyes, stroked his chin and smiled delightedly.
"It's finally blown up."
"Huh?"
Baek Ri-hyang blinked in confusion at the blast. Yeomyeong chuckled heartily and pointed outside.
"Let's go watch."