Chapter 47: The Four Great Villains (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47: The Four Great Villains (1)
A thin mist clung to the Yangtze River.
Four ships drifted steadily down the center of the river’s expanse.
On the deck of the ship positioned on the far right of the wing-like formation:
“Yaaaawn.”
A cultist standing guard on the deck let out a wide, gaping yawn.
The cultist beside him, a man with thick eyebrows, scolded him.
“Pinch your thigh if you’re that sleepy. Don’t mess things up by dozing off.”
“I haven’t been able to rest lately. I’m exhausted.”
“There’s only half a shijin left until the shift change, so just hang in there.”
“This is killing me. I don’t even know what we’re doing on this boat. Even if the Waterway Stronghold shows up, they’ll appear at the bow or the stern anyway.”
“If you’re going to keep grumbling… Huh?”
The cultist stopped mid-sentence and stared out at the water.
Seeing him squinting at something, the sleepy cultist asked the thick-browed man, “What is it?”
“……What is that?”
“What do you mean?”
In the direction the cultist pointed, there were no ships or anything of the sort.
However, small ripples were forming on the surface of the water.
Every two zhang, a new ripple appeared, and with each one, a faint shadow could be seen.
“What the—?”
Startled, they leaned over the railing, staring intently at the surface of the Yangtze.
It was drawing closer.
It was too strange a phenomenon to be a fish surfacing.
“What on earth… Ah!”
In that instant, both cultists’ eyes widened in shock.
“A… a person is on the water…”
As the shadow drew near, they realized it was a human figure.
One of the panicked cultists hurriedly reached for his horn flute to sound the alarm.
It was then.
Thwack!
The moment he brought the horn to his lips, something pierced through his forehead.
The other cultist caught his falling comrade in shock, only to find that the man with the pierced brow had already breathed his last.
“You—”
Phut-phut-phut!
Just as the thick-browed cultist tried to scream, something struck his mute point and blood points.
As he began to collapse, tangled with the corpse of his comrade, someone caught them before they hit the deck.
It was a mysterious figure clad in black robes.
‘!!!’
The figure’s face was as pale as a ghost, sending a shiver down the cultist’s spine.
He wanted to scream that an enemy was attacking, but he couldn’t utter a single word due to the pressure point technique.
The mysterious figure’s voice rang in his ears.
[Are Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon and a brat named So Woon-hwi on this ship?]
‘Huh?’
“You can’t!”
At Sama Yeong’s cry, everyone’s eyes turned toward her.
The situation had become incredibly awkward.
-What are you going to do?
I frowned at the Lesser Conversation Sword’s words.
The situation was already complicated enough, and her sudden appearance only added to the chaos.
Blood Hand Witch Han Baek-ha seemed displeased by Sama Yeong’s sudden intrusion. She spoke in a chilling voice.
“Great Leader Sama. Fall back immediately. This is not your concern.”
Normally, a cultist of the Great Leader rank would be terrified and obey a warning from a Blood Star, a high-ranking official.
The problem was that Sama Yeong was not a normal cultist.
“I cannot do that.”
‘!?’
Han Baek-ha’s eyebrow arched at her bold reply.
Even Baek Ryeonha’s face, which had been flushed red, was turning cold.
Han Baek-ha spoke to her again.
“This is my final warning. This is not a matter for a mere Great Leader to interfere in. If you do not step back at once, I will deal with you severely—”
“They say the lower stream is only as clear as its source.”
“What?”
“Is it not the Sixth Blood Star who is currently being disrespectful and threatening the Blood Demon, the head of our Cult?”
Han Baek-ha was momentarily speechless.
Sama Yeong’s words were factually indisputable.
Han Baek-ha and I were still locked in a tense standoff.
Shring!
Sama Yeong drew her sword and boldly aimed it at Han Baek-ha.
“Step away from the Blood Demon immediately.”
-Aha! That’s Sama Yeong for you.
The Lesser Conversation Sword cheered her on excitedly.
I don’t care if you like Sama Yeong, but this isn’t the time for that.
The Blood Hand Witch wore an expression of utter disbelief.
“I warned you not to interfere.”
With those words, she reached out toward Sama Yeong.
‘Ah!’
In that split second, I kicked her wrist upward.
Thud!
The blow forced her hand to veer upward.
Sharp daggers, like hidden stingers, shot out from her fluttering black sleeves.
If I had been a moment later, those daggers would have flown straight at Sama Yeong.
‘She actually used a killing move.’
It was absurd.
Just as my anger began to flare, Baek Ryeonha approached Sama Yeong.
“Young Lady Sama. I fully recognize your loyalty in trying to protect the Blood Demon. I will handle this situation, so sheath your sword.”
She spoke rationally, but her voice was ice-cold.
She seemed furious that a mere Great Leader had not only acted boldly toward her confidante, Han Baek-ha, but had even dared to point a sword at her.
However, Sama Yeong did not lower her blade.
“It is only right that the Sixth Blood Star removes her hand from the Blood Demon and begs for forgiveness first.”
Baek Ryeonha’s eyes sharpened.
Her gaze was strikingly similar to the time she had rebuked the Blood Hand Witch in Six Blood Valley for going against her wishes.
“Are you taking my words lightly?”
“Does protecting the Blood Demon equate to taking your words lightly, My Lady?”
“You!”
At those words, Baek Ryeonha bit her lower lip hard.
Trembling slightly, she spoke to Han Baek-ha without turning her head.
“Let go. Now.”
“My Lady!”
“I told you to take your hand off the Blood Demon this instant. Otherwise, I will punish you with my own hands!”
Han Baek-ha looked flustered by Baek Ryeonha’s furious tone.
Baek Ryeonha turned back to Sama Yeong.
“There. Now sheath your sword.”
“The Sixth Blood Star has not yet withdrawn her hand.”
At that, Baek Ryeonha’s face turned completely frigid.
“You’ve finally crossed the line.”
Swish!
The moment she finished speaking, Baek Ryeonha blurred toward Sama Yeong.
With both hands stained crimson by the Blood Jade Hand, Baek Ryeonha unleashed a finger technique.
Sama Yeong did not retreat and met her with a sword form.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
In an instant, the two women’s ultimate techniques collided violently.
Baek Ryeonha’s fingers, protected by the Blood Jade Hand—the signature martial art of the Blood Hand Witch—emitted a metallic sound whenever they struck the blade.
Baek Ryeonha’s finger technique wove through the trajectory of Sama Yeong’s sword, aiming craftily for the space between her brows.
Snap!
It looked like she would be hit.
But in that heartbeat, Sama Yeong kicked Baek Ryeonha’s knee.
As Baek Ryeonha’s balance faltered, Sama Yeong counterattacked, thrusting her sword toward the center of Baek Ryeonha’s throat.
Clash!
Baek Ryeonha deflected the sword upward with her finger technique and leaped backward.
After clashing through two forms in a brief moment, the two women put distance between each other.
Baek Ryeonha’s expression hardened.
She seemed surprised that Sama Yeong’s skills were so formidable that she didn’t lose an inch of ground.
Sama Yeong spoke to her.
“Should you not be punishing the Sixth Blood Star, who is still being disrespectful to the Blood Demon, rather than attacking me?”
“I told you this is not your concern!”
At Baek Ryeonha’s shouting, Sama Yeong’s face also turned cold.
I could tell just by looking at her eyes how angry she was.
“Not my concern? I follow the Blood Demon, My Lady. I do not follow you.”
“Ha!”
Baek Ryeonha was dumbfounded.
Hearing Sama Yeong’s words, it was actually Han Baek-ha who couldn’t contain her rage.
“How dare a mere Great Leader speak such nonsense to the Lady who carries the true bloodline!”
With that, Han Baek-ha broke her standoff with me and tried to lunge at Sama Yeong.
But I blocked her path.
Han Baek-ha glared at me.
“Move. Now.”
Sigh.
I had tried to resolve this peacefully if possible.
But it seemed that wasn’t going to happen.
I spoke to her in a chilling tone.
“I tried to listen to your words as sincere advice, thinking they came from your loyalty to the Lady, but you truly take me for a fool.”
“I do not recognize you as the Blood Demon—”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
It was because I had focused my mind and activated the power of Heavenly Authority.
As the Blood Demonization progressed, her pupils began to tremble.
I said to the Blood Hand Witch, Han Baek-ha:
“If you back down now, I will act as if this never happened.”
“Does that mean you will not accept the Lady?”
“I will not speak of that matter any further. This is the last time. Step back.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You are overlooking the meaning of the word ‘last.’”
The moment I finished speaking, I drew the Blood Demon Sword from my waist and swung it down at Han Baek-ha.
Startled, Han Baek-ha hurriedly raised both hands, reinforced by the Blood Jade Hand, to catch the blade.
Her eyes widened.
“Ugh!”
As I poured more internal power into the strike, her knees buckled.
Soon, the wooden planks of the deck began to crack, and her feet sank into the floor.
“Grrrgh!”
Han Baek-ha strained with all her might to deflect the downward force of the sword, but it was futile.
Even Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho was no match for me when I was in my Blood Demon state.
How could she, who was lower in rank than him, be any different?
Thud!
Without hesitation, I kicked her in the abdomen.
“Gah!”
The blow sent her flying back more than six paces.
She stumbled but managed to regain her footing.
Then, she expelled the internal energy I had forced into her body.
Cr-cr-crack!
The wooden planks around her feet splintered.
Han Baek-ha took a starting stance, pointing her crimson-stained hands toward me.
She was showing a fierce determination to fight to the end.
“I have no choice, then.”
If she insisted on being stubborn, I had to act.
If I gave in to her demands now, she would continue to disregard my authority as the Blood Demon whenever it suited her.
As I circulated the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art, the Blood Demon Sword turned a vivid crimson.
“Stop!”
At that moment, Baek Ryeonha stepped between us.
“Both of you, stop this.”
As she tried to de-escalate the situation, Han Baek-ha said to her, “I have yet to hear a definitive answer.”
“Sixth Blood Star!”
Baek Ryeonha rebuked her.
But Han Baek-ha showed no intention of backing down.
If she were the type to give up easily, she wouldn’t have started this in the first place.
“You are persistent.”
“What is so difficult about this? The Lady has feelings for you. Do you dislike the idea of marriage for the sake of mutual trust? Through this marriage, you can gain even more legitimacy as the Blood Demon—”
“No!”
Sama Yeong shouted.
Han Baek-ha glared at her with a terrifyingly grim face.
An ordinary person would have been silenced by that pressure, but Sama Yeong stood her ground.
“You wench, I’ll—!”
“Why are you forcing a marriage on the Blood Demon as you please? If there is to be a marriage, it should happen because the Blood Demon desires it. Does bringing up legitimacy and trust make it right? Is this not a matter of the heart?”
Seeing Sama Yeong so worked up, Baek Ryeonha’s eyes wavered.
Staring intently at her, Baek Ryeonha spoke.
“……You. You like the Blood Demon, don’t you?”
At those words, Sama Yeong’s face turned bright red.
Even as bold as she was, she seemed embarrassed to have her feelings for someone mentioned in front of others.
Han Baek-ha spoke as if it were the most absurd thing she had ever heard.
“Ha! A mere Great Leader is truly arrogant beyond belief. No matter how disrespectful I may have been for the sake of the Lady, for the likes of you to think you are a suitable match for the Blood Demon—”
Han Baek-ha couldn’t finish her sentence.
Something entirely unexpected happened.
Before anyone could notice, a man in black robes was standing behind her.
“The likes of her?”
A voice as cold as midwinter frost.
It was enough to make one’s skin crawl.
‘!?’
Startled, Han Baek-ha spun around and lashed out with her Blood Jade Hand.
However, the man in black robes caught her hand with ease.
And then—
Crunch!
He ripped Han Baek-ha’s arm clean off.
“AAAAAAAAAAAGH!”
Her scream echoed across the middle of the Yangtze River.
The sound was so loud that cultists from the cabins, along with Haeakcheon, Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma, and Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho, all came rushing out.
“W-what on earth is—”
They were all stunned by the scene.
A mysterious figure in black robes was holding the severed arm of the Blood Hand Witch.
Haeakcheon roared at him.
“Who are you to dare intrude here!”
At those words, the mysterious figure snorted and pulled back his hood.
A face like a scholar’s, pale and white with a mustache, was revealed.
Then, Sama Yeong’s voice rang out.
“Father!”
‘Father?’
The moment I heard that, both my face and Haeakcheon’s hardened simultaneously.
There was only one man Sama Yeong would call father.
One of the Four Great Villains, Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak.