Chapter 42: The Blood Demon Sword (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: The Blood Demon Sword (1)
The sword, once dyed a brilliant scarlet, returned to its silver hue.
However, because it was still drenched in gore, the blade retained a lingering reddish tint.
Around Baek Hye-hyang, dismembered corpses were strewn in such gruesome forms that it was almost impossible to look at them directly. Even though she had obtained the sword she desired, she didn't look particularly pleased.
Instead, she was staring at the blade with suspicious eyes.
"To think it could withstand the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art... It is undoubtedly the Blood Demon Sword."
The man who had been disguised as a physician approached her and spoke in a joyful voice. Yet, it was strange; she didn't seem happy at all.
"Is something the matter?"
"...It’s different from what I heard."
"Pardon?"
Without a word, Baek Hye-hyang tossed the sword toward the man.
Startled, the man didn't catch it but dodged instead. The sword plunged into the ground.
"...Why did you do that?"
The fact that the Blood Demon Sword was a legendary demon sword was known not only to the Orthodox Faction but to everyone in the Blood Cult. There were even rumors that anyone who touched it recklessly would be cursed.
"Grip the hilt."
"Pardon?"
"I said, grip it."
At her stern command, the man hesitated before finally grasping the hilt.
His brow furrowed. Despite his apprehension, he felt none of the sinister energy one would expect from a demon sword.
Baek Hye-hyang asked him, "Did you send Artisan Shim to Kaifeng?"
"Yes. Didn't you tell me to send him to the main headquarters of the Hwayue Merchant Group?"
The main headquarters of the Hwayue Merchant Group—the base of the First Blood Star, Thunder Blood Sword Jang Ryong.
"Why do I get the feeling this is his handiwork?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"...This isn't the real Blood Demon Sword."
She was certain. She had put on a grand show of bravado in front of the Tang Family warriors as if she had reclaimed the real thing, but no matter how much she thought about it, this sword was a fake.
"How could this happen!"
"Chief Strategist Zhuge Won-myeong. This must be his trick. Interesting. It seems he’s still as sharp as he was twenty years ago."
"This is my failure."
The man knelt on one knee and apologized. It wasn't actually his fault, but he did it to soothe Baek Hye-hyang's temper.
Baek Hye-hyang snorted. "Forget it."
The opportunity had already slipped through their fingers. By now, the Martial Alliance would have brought the situation under control to some extent.
The decoys running around with imitation Blood Demon Swords would have been caught, and the city, turned into a shambles by explosives, would be regaining stability. Re-infiltrating was out of the question. The Martial Alliance wasn't an organization that would be toppled by a scheme of this level in the first place.
"It's over."
"......"
"But it's the same for that girl's side."
"You are correct."
As Baek Hye-hyang said, the Martial Alliance would not leave any more openings after this incident. They would undoubtedly establish internal defense lines far superior to what they had now. If that happened, a second infiltration would be virtually impossible.
However, this applied not only to them but to Baek Ryeonha’s side as well.
The brats sent by Lady Baek Ryeonha will have no choice but to withdraw as well.
She had carried out this diversionary operation partly to ensure that outcome. Though she hadn't obtained the Blood Demon Sword, she had at least accomplished one of her goals.
Shing!
The man respectfully offered the sword back to Baek Hye-hyang with both hands.
"My Lady. If it's a sword that can withstand the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art, then even if it is an imitation, is it not infinitely close to the Blood Demon Sword?"
One of Baek Hye-hyang's eyebrows arched at the man's words.
He continued in a meaningful tone, "Sometimes, a fake becomes the real thing."
Baek Hye-hyang stared at him blankly for a moment before speaking with narrowed eyes.
"You'd better not disappoint me this time, Jang Ryong."
The identity of the man hidden beneath the human skin mask was none other than the First Blood Star, Thunder Blood Sword Jang Ryong.
*
It was truly strange.
I had followed that chilling, resentment-filled voice to this place. But now, not a single sound came from the sword. I hadn't expected the talismans to be this effective just by sticking them on.
The Lesser Conversation Sword and the Namcheon Iron Sword also said they couldn't hear the sword's voice.
[It... it's the real one, right?]
Jo Seong-won asked via Sound Transmission, tilting his head in doubt.
On our way here, we had spotted one of the decoys fleeing with an imitation Blood Demon Sword. That was likely why he found it hard to be certain.
However, this was the sword that Chief Strategist Zhuge Won-myeong had tried to protect even at the cost of being struck in the back of the head.
[It's the real one.]
Still, I suppose I should check.
Just in case, I drew the sword slightly.
The moment the blade, covered in talismans, was revealed, a voice filled with madness erupted in my mind.
Goosebumps broke out all over my body at the voice that blended resentment, murderous intent, rage, and insanity. It had been chilling from a distance, but hearing it up close, the complex cluster of the worst possible emotions caused a splitting pain in my head. I reflexively let go of the sword.
"Whoa!"
Jo Seong-won hurriedly caught the falling sword. The moment he grabbed it, his face turned deathly pale.
Watching this, Sama Yeong kicked the end of the slightly open scabbard, forcing it shut.
"Huff... huff..."
Jo Seong-won panted heavily. Judging by the cold sweat on his forehead, the demonic aura leaking from the sword was truly eroding his sanity.
The Lesser Conversation Sword and the Namcheon Iron Sword expressed their concern. If even they, as swords, felt this way, it was truly a demon sword. I wondered if it was even possible to communicate properly with such a blade.
[V-Vice Unit Leader. What should we do with this?]
Jo Seong-won asked me, wiping away his cold sweat.
This had become a difficult situation. If it was this bad even with the talismans attached, I couldn't even imagine what it would be like once they were removed. The problem was that we had to leave the original scabbard behind to avoid detection.
I asked Sama Yeong.
[Young Lady Sama. Did you feel any chilling or sinister energy when you drew the sword earlier?]
[No. I didn't feel anything.]
So, those who aren't in direct contact with the blade don't feel it. In that case, we just needed to keep the talismans on the blade and put it into the scabbard we had prepared.
The Namcheon Iron Sword was acting extremely reluctant. For a fellow who usually loved being in contact with anything, this reaction meant it was a truly ominous sword.
Sama Yeong sent me a Sound Transmission.
[As long as we don't touch the blade, won't it be fine? We're carrying it in a scabbard.]
This was driving me crazy. A normal person would be fine as long as they didn't touch it. But for me, the problem was hearing its voice. If only I couldn't hear it...
'Ah!'
A good idea suddenly occurred to me. I concentrated my Innate True Qi into my head to block the ringing voices of the swords. If I increased the intensity, wouldn't I be able to temporarily cut off the sword's voice?
'I have no choice.'
We had to get out of here immediately while things were still chaotic. Just handing the sword over to my master, Hae Ak-cheon, would mean half the mission was a success. I couldn't let the sword's madness cause any setbacks.
The Lesser Conversation Sword sounded worried, showing that they had indeed been together for a long time.
He was right, but I felt incredibly sorry. I'd have to sharpen his blade for him later.
'I will.'
Having made the promise, I drew more Innate True Qi and concentrated it in my head. Immediately, the faint ringing voices from my surroundings were cut off.
'Lesser Conversation? Namcheon?'
I couldn't even hear the voices of the Lesser Conversation Sword or the Namcheon Iron Sword. After listening to their constant chatter for so long, the sudden silence felt quiet yet strangely empty.
I needed to move the sword quickly and then unblock my senses.
*
The Namcheon Iron Sword sighed inwardly.
The imitation sword that had shared its space was gone, and soon, the Blood Demon Sword, wrapped in talismans, entered the scabbard. A horrifying sound began to torment the Namcheon Iron Sword.
A resentment steeped in madness. It was something even the Namcheon Iron Sword had never experienced. If it had been human, it would have gone into convulsions just by being near this thing.
But what could it do? It just had to endure somehow.
Strange. Is this really the sword's ego?
The Namcheon Iron Sword felt a sense of doubt. The resentment felt far too complex to be a simple sword ego. It felt, quite literally, as if it were possessed by a vengeful ghost.
After a moment of thought, the Namcheon Iron Sword tried to speak to the Blood Demon Sword.
Communication was completely impossible. It was filled with nothing but murderous intent, resentment, and madness. This meant it would have to keep listening to this noise.
Woon-hwi. You'd better stroke me a lot later.
To make up for this suffering.
But then, another faint ringing voice reached the Namcheon Iron Sword's ears.
It was a voice entirely different from the one filled with madness. While the Namcheon Iron Sword was feeling bewildered, it couldn't hide its dismay at the sudden turn of events.
Sizzle!
'!?'
The talismans attached to the blade of the Blood Demon Sword were slowly tearing. No, they were being corroded as if they were burning away. It spread across the entire talisman like a spreading poison.
At this rate, all the talismans on the blade would disappear in no time. The panicked Namcheon Iron Sword shouted:
But So Woon-hwi, who had blocked his hearing, could not hear it.
*
Taking advantage of the chaos, my companions and I slipped out of the Martial Alliance castle. I had considered staying behind for a while to avoid suspicion, but carrying the Blood Demon Sword was too much of a risk. It was better to rendezvous with my master, Hae Ak-cheon, and hand over the sword first.
Then, if we returned to the Martial Alliance, we could naturally act as if we had nothing to do with the incident caused by Baek Hye-hyang's side.
By the way, did the twins, Song Jwa-baek and Song Woo-hyeon, manage to escape properly in the midst of all that?
'I don't know if those guys made it to the meeting point.'
Ah...
I had instinctively talked to myself in my head out of habit, even though I had blocked the voices with Innate True Qi. It really did feel empty.
We headed toward the forest to the southwest, our designated meeting point. It wasn't the original rendezvous spot; Hae Ak-cheon had changed it in case Baek Hye-hyang's side tried to pull something.
'I hope he's there.'
I was worried. It was pure chaos outside the Martial Alliance castle as well. People who had fled the castle were crowding the area. With a situation this dire, Hae Ak-cheon would surely know that something had gone wrong inside. I hoped he had realized it and come to the meeting point.
However...
'Damn it.'
There was no one at the meeting point. It seemed we would have to hide somewhere and conceal our presence. I was worried because the Martial Alliance would soon have the situation inside the castle under control.
"Let's hide in the trees for now."
The forest was dense and there were few eyes around, making it a suitable place to hide. Just then, I sensed a presence nearby. Someone was walking toward us through the brush, making no effort to hide themselves.
'Master?'
No. The stride and the sound of the footsteps were different. They were light rather than heavy. Given that they had gotten this close without me noticing until now, they were definitely a master.
Then, the person emerged from the brush.
'Bukyeong Doseong?'
It was someone I hadn't expected at all.
The one-armed Bukyeong Doseong, Gwak Hyeong-jik, stood there with his saber slung over his left shoulder, staring at me with a sharp gaze.
"Young Brother So."
Sama Yeong and Jo Seong-won glanced at me, unsure of what to do. I calmly offered him a Fist-and-Palm Salute.
"Greetings, Great Hero Gwak."
As soon as I finished speaking, Bukyeong Doseong Gwak Hyeong-jik questioned me.
"Why are you here?"
It wasn't just a simple question; it was clearly laced with suspicion. I answered as naturally as possible.
"Strategist Zhuge asked me to apprehend those suspected of being spies, so I was pursuing them."
"Is that so? How very strange. I'd like to ask why you were moving among the crowds from the Martial Alliance."
'...Sigh.'
That confirmed it. Bukyeong Doseong Gwak Hyeong-jik hadn't appeared here by chance; he had definitely followed us. I had been as careful as possible while moving, yet I had missed him. He wasn't compared to the Namcheon Sword Guest for nothing. Since he was a master of that caliber, it was difficult even for me to sense his presence.
'Damn it.'
As I stood there in a bind, Gwak Hyeong-jik spoke again.
"A while ago, someone was tailing me. When I checked, it turned out to be warriors from the First Strategist Division, sent by Strategist Zhuge to watch me."
Ha!... So he even put tails on Bukyeong Doseong. Chief Strategist Zhuge Won-myeong—he really was an incredible man. To think he would suspect even someone he had a long-standing relationship with without a moment's hesitation.
"So I asked him. I asked why he had put people on me. Strategist Zhuge honestly told me that it seemed information had been leaked."
"......"
"Naturally, I am not the one who leaked that information. That means it either leaked from the inside or it was you... but of course, I thought it couldn't be you. Who would imagine that the disciple of the great Namcheon Sword Guest would be a spy?"
My heart pounded faster with every word he spoke. Bukyeong Doseong pointed a finger at me.
"I still believe in you."
"......"
"So, can you clear my suspicion toward you?"
"......How, exactly?"
"Would you mind if I took a look at your scabbard?"
'!!!'