Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Heretical Young Master, Sama Geuk (1)
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The Black Tiger Gang, the underworld faction that once dominated Dongting Lake, had vanished.
Yet even with the Black Tiger Gang gone, the people of Dongting Lake found no peace.
With the gang's disappearance, the ruffians of Dongting Lake, once a single group, splintered into many.
As a result, the protection money they once paid to a single entity now had to be paid to several different groups of thugs.
‘Finally, I get to take this.’
Jinmyeong, the very person responsible for this situation, had not emerged from the training chamber in the garden of Myeonghwaru for ten days.
During that time, he was engrossed in consuming and absorbing the elixirs he had obtained from the Black Tiger Gang.
‘To think they had elixirs of this quality.’
The elixirs were unbelievably potent, far exceeding what one would expect from a third-rate underworld faction like the Black Tiger Gang.
He didn't know their exact names, but there were five pills in total.
Jinmyeong had absorbed them in the order indicated by the numbers on their surfaces, leaving only the final one.
‘I'm glad I got to keep them all.’
Shin Yehyang, who had helped him deal with the Black Tiger Gang, had refused the elixirs.
Shin Yehyang was the daughter of the Mad Demon, the Vice Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, a man second only to one and above all others.
She had consumed a vast amount of elixirs since childhood.
Moreover, unlike Jinmyeong, her dantian was already full, so she believed taking more elixirs would be useless and gave them all to him.
‘Where did those bastards get these?’
The information from the Underworld Sect had only mentioned that the Black Tiger Gang's leader hid his treasures beneath his bedroom floor.
While it suggested there might be elixirs, he had never expected to find any of this caliber.
‘Judging by the dense heretical energy, they might be connected to the Heretical Alliance.’
However, these were different from ordinary elixirs.
They were imbued with an ominous energy, different from demonic energy.
Jinmyeong instantly recognized this energy as heretical.
He wouldn't have known if he hadn't experienced the energy of the Heretical Young Master, Sama Geuk.
‘It should be fine.’
He hesitated for a moment.
Getting entangled with the Heretical Alliance could complicate things unnecessarily.
But he couldn't give up on the final elixir before him.
The four he had already taken were substantial, but this last one emanated an entirely different kind of energy from the others.
‘It's a shame that filtering out the heretical energy reduced the elixir's potency.’
Even so, it contained a significant amount of internal energy.
‘I'm looking forward to this.’
Jinmyeong immediately placed the last elixir in his mouth.
As it dissolved on his tongue and slid down his throat, he felt an immense surge of energy.
‘The heretical energy is too strong.’
The heretical energy was so potent that the slumbering Divine Arts of Heavenly Flame within him stirred as if startled awake.
‘This is going to take a while.’
The final elixir, unlike the others, was dense with heretical energy and contained a vast amount of power, so the purification process seemed like it would take longer than he expected.
It seemed he had underestimated this elixir.
‘If I can just absorb it all…’
Convinced that converting all this dense heretical energy into the energy of the Divine Arts of Heavenly Flame would be a great boon, Jinmyeong meticulously began the purification.
“...”
While Jinmyeong was deep in the process of absorbing the elixir's energy, Shin Yehyang stood outside, quietly gazing at the pavilion that housed his training chamber.
‘Such incredible energy.’
The energy was so potent that even Shin Yehyang, standing outside, could feel the dense heretical presence.
That was how she knew Jinmyeong had taken the elixir and begun meditating to circulate his energy.
She stood almost motionless, watching over the pavilion.
It was as if she were standing guard over Jinmyeong's meditation.
“What is it?”
How much time had passed?
Shin Yehyang snapped her head around.
“Tsk! So he took it after all.”
There, having scaled the wall, were two intruders: the Heretical Young Master, Sama Geuk, and the Blood Fiend Captain.
Sama Geuk scowled as he looked toward the pavilion where Jinmyeong was.
“This seems like the perfect opportunity, don't you think?”
But as he asked the Blood Fiend Captain, a slow smile began to spread across Sama Geuk's lips.
“As you wish, Young Master.”
“Is that so? Then we can't let this chance slip away.”
With that, Sama Geuk turned his head to look at Shin Yehyang.
“Excuse me, but would you mind stepping aside? I have business with the man inside.”
“It seems Young Master Jin is occupied. You should come back another time.”
“No, I must see him now.”
For a martial artist, meditating to circulate energy was a state of extreme vulnerability.
Especially now, while absorbing an elixir, being forced to stop could very likely lead to qi deviation.
Sama Geuk had no intention of letting this moment—when Jinmyeong was vulnerable and couldn't stop his meditation—pass by.
“Why are you targeting Young Master Jin?”
“Don't play dumb. Stalling for time is useless.”
Saying so, Sama Geuk immediately drew a folding fan from his robes and charged toward Shin Yehyang.
Shin Yehyang swung her saber at the approaching Sama Geuk, but her blade cut through empty air.
Sama Geuk had abruptly changed direction, bypassing her.
Realizing that Sama Geuk's target had been Jinmyeong all along, Shin Yehyang immediately tried to pursue him.
“My apologies.”
But the Blood Fiend Captain had already moved to block her path.
“However, you were the ones who stole our property first.”
“...The heretical energy was dense, but I didn't think they actually belonged to the Heretical Alliance.”
She couldn't understand why such items were in the possession of a third-rate gang like the Black Tiger Gang, but she had no intention of solving that mystery now.
Right now, she just had to get past the Blood Fiend Captain and stop Sama Geuk.
*Fwoosh! Clang!*
The saber Shin Yehyang swung was blocked by the Blood Fiend Captain's sword.
“As expected!”
After parrying Shin Yehyang's attack, the Blood Fiend Captain glanced at his own trembling hand.
‘She's strong.’
Though Shin Yehyang was much younger than him, she was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
He continued to parry her relentless attacks, inwardly marveling at her skill.
“...You have no intention of winning.”
After attacking for some time, Shin Yehyang stopped her saber. In response, he too lowered his sword and stood still.
Seeing this, Shin Yehyang became certain of her suspicion.
The Blood Fiend Captain had no intention of fighting her seriously. To be precise, he didn't need to defeat her.
“I only need to keep you occupied.”
If Jinmyeong were conscious, it would be a different story, but since he was immobile while absorbing the elixir, Sama Geuk could kill him alone.
And as far as the Blood Fiend Captain could tell, the only people in this brothel who could defeat Sama Geuk were Jinmyeong and Shin Yehyang.
Therefore, as long as he kept Shin Yehyang busy, no one could stop Sama Geuk.
“...”
Shin Yehyang immediately turned and stomped her foot, preparing to dash in the direction Sama Geuk had gone.
“You dare turn your back on me!”
Seeing Shin Yehyang turn her back while facing an enemy, the Blood Fiend Captain's face hardened.
Even if his only goal was to stall her, her action was a blatant display of disrespect.
“Damn bitch!”
Had he lost his temper?
The polite demeanor the Blood Fiend Captain had shown just moments ago was gone.
He cursed crudely and charged at Shin Yehyang with incredible speed, attacking. She hastily spun around and swung her saber.
“Ugh!”
She managed to block the attack, but lost her balance and was pushed back.
‘He's gotten stronger.’
It was surprising enough that the Blood Fiend Captain was faster, but that wasn't all. Unlike before, he now had enough strength to overpower her.
“I said I was just stalling, didn't I?”
The Blood Fiend Captain rushed at Shin Yehyang, swinging his sword relentlessly.
Shin Yehyang moved her saber quickly to block his attacks, but she was gradually being forced backward.
“So why are you ignoring me! How dare a wench like you!”
The Blood Fiend Captain pressed his assault, spewing vulgarities.
With each ferocious swing of his sword, small cuts began to appear on Shin Yehyang's body.
“If you hadn't disrespected me, you wouldn't be dying like this.”
If she hadn't, he would never have become this agitated.
“Is that bastard so precious to you? Precious enough to risk your life to protect him!”
It seemed the Blood Fiend Captain had even forgotten that Shin Yehyang was the Mad Demon's daughter.
His mind was consumed by a single thought: he had to kill this woman who had disrespected him.
“You seem quite confident you can kill me.”
“Of course. Just look at the state you're in!”
Though he was agitated, the Blood Fiend Captain was unscathed, while Shin Yehyang was covered in wounds. To put it mildly, she was not in good shape.
“Hah!”
Without a word, Shin Yehyang swung her saber with great force.
A massive storm of energy erupted from her blade, engulfing the Blood Fiend Captain.
“Ha! The Gale Saber Arts!”
The Blood Fiend Captain grinned at the massive storm. Then, without hesitation, he plunged into it.
“Kuhahaha! Not bad!”
When the Blood Fiend Captain emerged from the storm, his body was covered in wounds.
But he let out a great, joyous laugh and thrust his sword toward Shin Yehyang.
“Ugh!”
Never imagining the Blood Fiend Captain would attack so recklessly, Shin Yehyang's reaction was a fraction too slow.
As a result, his sword grazed her right shoulder.
“Khehehe. If I hadn't turned my sword just now, it would have pierced your throat.”
“...That's quite unpleasant.”
As Shin Yehyang's expression hardened, the savage smile on the Blood Fiend Captain's lips widened.
“Unpleasant, isn't it? That's how I felt.”
The Blood Fiend Captain charged at her again, swinging his sword.
*Clang!*
Shin Yehyang swung her right hand, the one holding the saber, and blocked the attack.
Though her wounded shoulder must have been throbbing with pain, her expression remained unchanged.
“Hmm.”
The Blood Fiend Captain could tell that something about Shin Yehyang had changed.
A moment ago, even when she blocked his attacks, she would be pushed back by the force, stumbling.
But this time, she had perfectly blocked his attack.
‘What changed?’
Her expression was the same, but her aura felt different.
“Hmph! It doesn't matter.”
The Blood Fiend Captain dismissed her successful block as a fluke and thought nothing of the change in her aura.
“Still, I'll spare your life!”
It seemed he had regained enough sense to remember that he shouldn't kill her.
The Blood Fiend Captain swung his sword toward the hand Shin Yehyang used to hold her saber. Shin Yehyang, in turn, swung her saber at him.
*Clang!*
“Ugh!”
He had intended to make her drop her saber, but instead, his own sword was knocked back.
Seeing the Blood Fiend Captain stumble, Shin Yehyang immediately swung her saber.
‘She's certainly impressive.’
He couldn't help but be impressed by how freely she wielded such a massive saber.
But the Blood Fiend Captain had no intention of being defeated so easily.
*Clang!*
Shin Yehyang's saber and the Blood Fiend Captain's sword clashed in mid-air.
*Screeeech!*
As they pushed against each other with all their strength, a grating sound pierced the Blood Fiend Captain's ears.
“Hup!”
After a long struggle of strength, the Blood Fiend Captain deftly maneuvered his hand to push Shin Yehyang's saber aside.
At the same moment, his palm strike flew toward Shin Yehyang's abdomen.