Chapter 87: Blood Falls from the Heavens
Chapter 87: Blood Falls from the Heavens
The younger of the two men stepped forward first, offering a formal fist salute.
"I am So Tae of Shaanxi. I have long held the Divine Cult in the highest esteem, and by a stroke of luck, I have come to meet the Demon Lord and stand before you today. This gentleman here is my master."
The old man followed with his own greeting.
"I am Jongmak, also of Shaanxi. It is a true pleasure to meet the heroes of the Divine Cult."
In truth, no master and disciple named So Tae and Jongmak lived in Shaanxi. They never had, and they never would. Their true identities were the men known as the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics.
Masters of disguise, altering their age was child's play for them. They could transform into thin men, fat men, merchants, monks, or even women. In reality, the "young man" who spoke first was the First Monster of the pair, and he was actually older than the Second Monster disguised as the old man.
They used their disguises to deceive and commit countless atrocities. They plundered the wealth of merchants and harassed or murdered strangers simply because they didn't like the way they looked. Their lust was equally insatiable; if a beautiful woman caught their eye, they would inevitably violate her, murdering anyone who tried to stop them.
The Murim Alliance had declared them Public Enemies, but they were never caught. Between their high-level martial arts and their mastery of disguise, they were elusive prey. They lived long, full lives. At one point, a certain saying became popular because of them:
Heaven is not indifferent; it is simply dead.
And, most crucially, these bastards were the ones who ruined my life.
The First Monster, still disguised as the young man, spoke up.
"It would be the honor of my family if the esteemed Second Young Master, whom I have long admired, would grant me a lesson."
What is meant to happen, happens. The same thing had occurred around this time in my life before the regression.
Back then, I was a fool. A fool among fools, a total idiot. Why on earth did I accept the duel?
Of course, back then, the duel didn't happen here; it was under different circumstances. They had followed the Demon Buddha then as well. The Demon Buddha had introduced the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics at a banquet for the cult’s demonic practitioners and egged me on so I couldn't refuse.
He played my psychology perfectly. Instead of suggesting I teach them a lesson, he had scolded the First Monster.
"How dare you ask for a duel with such a noble person? This is not your place. If the Second Young Master were to get hurt by some mistake, you wouldn't keep your life."
He said the same thing then as he did now.
If you want to get someone to flip a table, you don't tell them to "flip it like a man." It’s much more effective to say, "Would a coward like him even dare?" At twenty years old, when I would have staked my life on how others perceived me, I fell for that shallow provocation.
Furthermore, at the time, I was desperate to reclaim my reputation after losing a duel in the New Demon Competition because I had been poisoned by Energy-Scattering Poison. I proved through my own actions that the lower one's self-esteem, the easier it is to fall for a provocation.
The result was disastrous.
I had naively thought I couldn't possibly lose to someone my own age, but we weren't actually the same age. I ended up with a broken arm, cracked ribs, and a face so bruised I couldn't show myself in public for weeks.
The physical injuries weren't the problem. My pride was shattered by the fact that I had lost to a "peer," and the self-loathing from falling so easily for a provocation tormented me. Not only my father, but all the demonic practitioners of the Main Cult were disappointed in me. I had been thoroughly thrashed and humiliated by an outsider; my authority and prestige hit rock bottom.
The Yunnan Twin Eccentrics fled that very day, and their true identities weren't even discovered at the time.
And now, those very bastards had appeared before my eyes again. Imagine how thrilled I was when they followed the Demon Buddha into my room.
"Of course. We can't have this precious body getting hurt," I said smoothly. "Rising stars these days are quite terrifying, after all."
I could have just declined. The more confident a person is in their skills, the more relaxed their response. Of course, I didn't actually intend to let them go today.
"But it would be rude to refuse such an earnest request, wouldn't it?"
I was curious. Did my brother know what kind of people the Demon Buddha was associating with? Brother, whether you know or not, it’s a problem either way.
"Thank you for accepting the duel," the First Monster said. "You truly live up to your reputation, Second Young Master."
"By the way, you've been shoveling flattery since you got here. What exactly have you heard about my reputation? Tell me just one thing I've done recently."
The First Monster flustered, clearly not expecting me to ask so bluntly.
"My memory is poor, so I don't recall well. I am uneducated and lack manners. I hope the Second Young Master can understand."
"I thought as much. Seeing as you asked for a duel the moment we met, you clearly have no manners. And seeing as you're doing this without knowing my personality or skill, you're definitely an idiot. At least you're self-aware; that's something."
At my mockery, the expressions of both twins stiffened simultaneously. I could feel them struggling to suppress their malice.
"Since I'm an idiot, let's just enjoy a round with our bodies, Second Young Master."
"Let's do that."
With that, we went outside and faced each other in the courtyard. Everyone else followed.
"Do you use fists and palms?" I asked.
"I do."
"I use sword techniques, so be careful not to let those two hands get severed by my blade."
"You should be careful too, Second Young Master. You might have to hold that sword with your left hand from now on."
As he glared, trying to build tension, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stepped forward.
"I'll be heading out first. I've been getting sleepy early in my old age."
He seemed utterly uninterested in the result of the duel. He clearly didn't want to stay in a place where the First Young Master and I were together any longer than necessary.
The One Flower Sword Venerable followed suit.
"I'll be going as well. My skin gets dry if I don't get enough sleep."
As the two of them bid their farewells, Geom Mu-yang bowed politely to them.
"Then please, get some rest. I will visit you separately later."
The Demon Buddha asked the question my brother wanted to ask.
"It seems you aren't worried about the Second Young Master."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon didn't even spare me a glance as he walked away, tossing a single remark over his shoulder.
"Worry? Like hell."
The One Flower Sword Venerable walked behind him. At least in this moment, they were of one mind. They knew well enough to avoid the gossip of being present at such a petty fight, and more importantly, they didn't have a shred of worry for me.
Surprisingly, Jang Ho also stepped forward.
"Then I shall take my leave as well, as I have business to attend to."
When the quick-witted bear moved to leave, the nine-tailed fox followed.
"I'll be going too," Lee An said.
I spoke to her. "Lee An, you're going too?"
"Yes. I have to go train."
"Even if everyone else leaves, you should at least stay and pretend to be worried. You've changed!"
"Of course I've changed. Someone kept singing to me about how I needed to change, after all."
As she walked away, she looked back at Seo Dae-ryong. "Aren't you coming?"
"I'm going to stay and watch. I think it'll help with my training."
Just then, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon shouted from the distance.
"There's nothing for you to see that'll help! Go the fuck to sleep!"
Since his master said so, he couldn't stay. Seo Dae-ryong grinned at me.
"So he says. His ears are far too sharp."
Once even Seo Dae-ryong left, the Pungcheon Cult Leader moved as well.
"If I'm the only one left when everyone else is gone, I'll look like I have too much free time, won't I?"
And so, they all left after leaving a parting word.
"You people are too much!" I shouted.
No one looked back at my hollow cry.
But I knew. Their reasons for leaving might have differed, but their actions were rooted in respect for me. They were showing my brother: We trust the Second Young Master this much.
By leaving, they had demonstrated their loyalty to me in a way that was quite sophisticated. Now, only Go Wol, who lived with me, remained.
"You are truly my only loyal subject," I sighed.
"I was actually about to say I was going in to sleep as well," Go Wol replied. "I don't particularly enjoy watching fights."
"You can't. At least one person has to watch."
"Then please finish it quickly."
"I will."
The others watched this exchange with shocked and bewildered expressions. Feeling thoroughly ignored, the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics showed blatant displeasure, and even Geom Mu-yang, who rarely showed emotion, couldn't entirely hide his surprise at the situation.
The First Monster took a step forward.
"The audience is gone, which takes the wind out of the sails, but the strength in my fists hasn't faded. Let's get on with it."
He was in a hurry, perhaps fearing the duel might be canceled.
Don't worry, villain.
"Let's. I've waited a long time for this fight."
Longer than you could possibly imagine.
I accepted this duel for my own revenge, but more so to punish them for the atrocities they had committed. These men were included in the "Absolute Evil" I had spoken of. Some are called Absolute Evil because they are overwhelmingly powerful, but others are Absolute Evil because they are cunning and wicked, like these two.
Men who are so skilled in disguise that there is no way to catch them once they hide. Men who treat the lives of others like flies but cherish their own lives above all else, doing anything to survive. The kind of men who live well until they die of old age—they, too, are Absolute Evil.
It seems Heaven didn't like the rumor that it was dead, seeing as it sent these two right to me.
"Now, I won't go easy on you just because you're the Second Young Master, so watch out!"
The First Monster was merciless from the very first move. Their mission was to beat me and disappear, regardless of how the situation unfolded. I wondered how much the Demon Buddha had paid them. Since it involved facing me within the Main Cult, it must have been a substantial amount.
I dodged the incoming punch and lightly grabbed his wrist. The man was horrified; he never imagined his wrist would be caught on the first move. Just as he tried to shake me off, his eyes widening in disbelief—Could it be?—my sword flashed out like a lightning bolt.
Squelch!
In a single strike, the man's wrist was severed.
"Ugh!"
A short scream escaped him as he instinctively tried to stop the bleeding.
Swish! Squelch!
Without a moment's hesitation, I severed his other wrist as well.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
He let out a scream of agony, flailing his stumped arms and spraying blood like a fountain. Blood poured down like rain. I didn't dodge it, and neither did my brother. We simply stared at each other through the falling crimson droplets.
At that moment, the Second Monster launched a surprise attack at my back. He likely intended to subdue me and then treat the First Monster. I was about to turn and block him, but I stayed still when I saw my brother draw his sword.
Sh-sh-sh-shing!
A violent burst of sword qi, unleashed in an instant, grazed my cheek. I didn't even blink as I continued to stare at my brother. The sword qi that passed me sliced the charging Second Monster clean in half.
In an instant, the courtyard became a sea of blood.
I asked the Demon Buddha, "What exactly were you expecting?"
It was a question loaded with meaning. My brother might have been away, but you have heard and seen everything about me. Did you think these Yunnan Twin Eccentrics could insult me by beating me? Did you think I would be cowering in a corner after being defeated by them, just like in the past?
I reached down and ripped the mask off the face of the unconscious First Monster.
Riiip.
The face of a middle-aged man was revealed beneath.
"Who are you?" I asked.
I deliberately revealed his identity to see my brother's reaction. The First Monster only glared at me with resentful eyes and said nothing.
"I'll cut off your ankles too."
As I raised my sword to strike, the man screamed.
"...We are the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics."
Thwack!
In that instant, the First Monster's head exploded. A golden light shimmered around the flowing blood before vanishing. It was the Demon Buddha who had killed him.
The Demon Buddha's eyes flickered with golden light, and a massive aura pressured the surroundings. This was not the same Demon Buddha who had been bickering with the Pungcheon Cult Leader. He radiated a fiercer momentum than anyone as he spoke coldly.
"You asked what I expected? I wanted to show your brother the reality of the situation. That the person who is his rival is someone who can cut down the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics in a single strike. I wanted to show him you slaying them with the Black Demonic Sword, which the Cult Leader did not give to him. I wanted him to see the reality he is facing right now."
He wasn't talking to me. He was talking to my brother. This man, the Demon Buddha! He was certainly evil, but his devotion to my brother was genuine.
My gaze shifted to Geom Mu-yang. Like me, blood was dripping down his face.
Geom Mu-yang asked me in a calm tone, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Thanks to you, no."
"I am glad to see your martial arts have improved so much. It is a good thing for the Cult as well."
"My martial arts have improved, but your acting has gotten better, Brother."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You aren't the type of person to just hang around anyone."
"If you're asking if I knew they were the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics, I didn't," he replied flatly. "I'll see you tomorrow morning when we greet Father."
With that, my brother and the Demon Buddha left. I acknowledged my brother for maintaining his composure even in this situation. I could see why the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had supported him in the past. He was worthy of it.
I walked toward the corpses of the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics sprawled on the ground. I had killed them easily because I didn't want to grant their deaths any significance. For men like these, even a single last word was a waste. Even the cold rice served in the dungeon was a waste. Killing them like insects and forgetting their very existence was the ultimate punishment.
I searched the pockets of the two corpses and found banknotes. They each carried a banknote worth a hundred thousand taels.
"Take note," I said to Go Wol. "For two hundred thousand taels, you can hire someone to beat up the Second Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
Go Wol gave a faint smile at my joke. I handed the banknotes to him.
"Use this for the work you're doing. Or do you think this is dirty money since it came from them?"
"Money has no name tag," Go Wol replied. "Its value is determined by how it is used at any given moment."
Go Wol never made me regret my choice. This was why I had put so much effort into bringing such a strategist to my side.
"I will clean up the bodies. Please go inside and wash off the blood."
I looked up at the sky and spoke as if to myself.
"Now that my brother has returned, a rain of blood falls from the heavens."