Chapter 48: The Three Forbidden Grounds (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: The Three Forbidden Grounds (1)
Clip-clop! Clip-clop!
It was the middle of the night.
A carriage sped frantically through the darkness. Inside, a woman lay with her luscious red hair spread out like a peacock’s tail.
She was Baek Hye-hyang, one of the candidates for the position of Blood Cult Leader. Watching over her was the First Blood Star, Thunder Blood Sword Jang Ryong.
The carriage had been traveling for some time, jolting and swaying violently, yet Baek Hye-hyang had remained unconscious—until now. Her eyes fluttered open.
“Young Lady! Are you awake?”
A red glint slowly returned to her eyes as she spoke.
“Did I lose?”
That was the first thing she asked upon waking. Jang Ryong gave a bitter smile and nodded.
“The opponent was simply too much,” he said, attempting to console her.
Their adversary was one of the Twelve Superhumans of the martial world, a monster ranked among the top five. No matter how much natural talent Baek Hye-hyang possessed, the gap between them was currently too vast.
Baek Hye-hyang spoke again. “Do you know who it was?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Jang Ryong answered.
“It was Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak, one of the Four Great Villains.”
Jang Ryong was inwardly worried. Baek Hye-hyang hated losing more than death itself. He feared she might become obsessed with this defeat.
“Why did he attack us?”
Jang Ryong gave the answer he had prepared.
“It seems he was looking for someone and mistakenly believed that person was with us.”
“And then?”
“Once we proved they weren't there, he withdrew.”
At his words, a crease formed between her fine brows. She looked deeply displeased.
“So, he causes all that havoc at his own whim and then just... lets us go?”
Because of that man, thirty first-rate guards had been slaughtered. Even she had been defeated. It was only natural for her to react this way.
Jang Ryong spoke cautiously.
“...Please do not be too disheartened. The Four Great Villains are monsters regarded as natural disasters in the martial world. Their actions cannot be predicted by the common sense of ordinary men. That is why they belong to no organization and act with such arrogance...”
“He’s strong.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, he’s strong.”
Jang Ryong was surprised by how readily she acknowledged her opponent’s strength.
“He was strong, and I was weak. That’s the result. What else is there to say?”
“Ah...”
Even when she had lost to the First Venerable, she had refused to accept it, stubbornly demanding duel after duel. Now, she was calmly accepting her defeat.
“He’s damn strong.”
“...They don't call them Superhumans for nothing.”
“And you’re saying the First Venerable is the only one who can somewhat stand against people like that?”
The First Venerable was the undisputed strongest master of the Blood Cult. He was a peerless master and the only one among them whose skills approached the level of the Twelve Masters. He was currently in closed-door training, but when he emerged, he might truly step into the realm of Superhumans.
“Come to think of it, the First Venerable must have been taking it easy on me all this time.”
Jang Ryong did not deny it. The First Venerable was a loyal servant of the Blood Cult who served her father as his lord. It would have been stranger if he had shown the same merciless brutality toward Baek Hye-hyang as the Moon Evil Sword had.
“And there are officially twelve people like that? No, thirteen if we count the First Venerable.”
‘...Is she only counting those she considers definitively stronger than herself?’
Based on her tone, it seemed so. In truth, it was a difficult matter to discuss. Baek Hye-hyang had reached the peak of the Supreme Peak Realm; she certainly had no equals among her peers. Even in the context of the entire martial world, she was undoubtedly among the top one percent.
However, the Central Plains were vast, and martial artists were countless. New powerhouses were always emerging, and if one included hidden eccentrics and hermits, trying to calculate exactly how many people were 'above' her was a meaningless exercise.
‘Take that... golden-eyed monster, for instance.’
Back during the era of the Six Lords and Twelve Blood Stars, that monster had suddenly appeared during the Great Orthodox-Evil War and killed the First Venerable of that time. For over twenty years, they had tried to find a trace of him, but to no avail. No one knew anything about him.
As Jang Ryong was lost in thought, she spoke again.
“I need to enter closed-door training.”
“Pardon? Closed-door training?”
“I realized something while fighting him.”
“You gained an insight?”
Jang Ryong was inwardly astonished. He knew she was constantly growing, but to gain a realization in the midst of such a crushing defeat was nothing short of remarkable.
“But Young Lady, right now...”
“I’ll be out in a fortnight. A month at most.”
“...Will that be enough time?”
“It’s not a matter of internal energy.”
“I understand. Then, regarding the Blood Demon Sword...”
“Proceed as we discussed. I don't care what means or methods you use.”
“What about your plan to persuade the Third Venerable yourself?”
“You handle it. If you want to be called a master strategist, you should be able to manage that much.”
Jang Ryong let out an internal groan. In the end, he had to shoulder all three tasks.
‘Still, it’s not a bad thing.’
Fortunately, perhaps due to the awakening brought on by her defeat, all her focus was now directed toward improving her own martial prowess. He had been worried she might demand he track down the Moon Evil Sword for a rematch. He didn't even need to make excuses now.
‘I’ll just have to hope the Moon Evil Sword does his part well.’
As long as that man moved in the direction they wanted, just as he had when he approached them, everything would proceed smoothly.
*
Seventeen days later.
Gyewol Valley, Sichuan Province.
A small thatched cottage sat on a rugged mountainside. Like a natural fortress, it was hidden behind a high cliff and shielded by dense thickets and a plunging ravine, making it nearly impossible to find.
In front of the cottage stood Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon, Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma, Blood Hand Witch Han Baek-ha, Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho, and Baek Ryeonha. Around them, Great Leaders like Song Jwa-baek, Song Woo-hyeon, and Jo Seong-won were leading cult members in a search of the cottage and the surrounding area.
Seo Gal-ma spoke to Hae Ak-cheon, who stood with a deeply displeased expression.
“Are you certain Gyewol Valley is the Moon Evil Sword’s hideout, Brother Hae?”
“I told you it is!” Hae Ak-cheon snapped.
He was more frustrated than anyone else. His disciple, So Woon-hwi, had been kidnapped in the middle of the Yangtze River. After scouring the surrounding area to no avail, they had finally come to Gyewol Valley, which was known to be Sama Chak’s base.
However, they had been searching the entire valley for two days now and had found nothing. Even this cottage was completely empty.
‘You brat...’
Hae Ak-cheon had only learned of this location from So Woon-hwi himself. The fact that they couldn't find a single trace was maddening.
Do Jang-ho spoke up. “...Is it possible he moved his residence?”
“Moved?”
“The Young Lady and the Venerable mentioned it earlier, didn't they? That the Moon Evil Sword’s daughter, Sama Yeong, said she came from Gyewol Valley.”
“They did.”
“Would a man as clever as the Moon Evil Sword continue to use a hideout once its location has been compromised?”
Everyone nodded, finding his logic sound. But Hae Ak-cheon’s face grew even darker. If the hideout had been moved, finding So Woon-hwi would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Grit!
Hae Ak-cheon ground his teeth. “Even if that’s the case, we must find him by any means necessary!”
He was prepared to turn the entire Central Plains upside down if he had to. Woon-hwi was his disciple and the Blood Demon who would become the heart of the cult.
However, the others seemed to have different thoughts. Seo Gal-ma spoke with a troubled expression.
“Brother Hae. We all feel the same as you. But we cannot continue to devote our entire strength to this search indefinitely.”
“What are you saying?”
“We brought our full force because we might have had to face the Moon Evil Sword, but we cannot waste this strength searching the entirety of Sichuan—no, the entire Central Plains. If we do, we risk exposing ourselves to the Martial Alliance and Baek Hye-hyang’s faction.”
“Are you saying we should just give up on my disciple—on the Blood Demon?!”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying that acting like this puts us all in danger.”
Hae Ak-cheon, who had been shouting in rage, fell silent. It was an undeniable truth. With the incident of the Blood Demon Sword’s theft, the Martial Alliance would have already sensed the Blood Cult’s attempt to rise again. Furthermore, Baek Hye-hyang’s side surely suspected they were the ones who had taken the sword and would undoubtedly increase the pressure.
“...It’s one obstacle after another,” Do Jang-ho sighed.
They should have been moving quickly to integrate the cult’s forces, but instead, they were in the worst possible position. Both the Blood Demon Sword and the Blood Demon himself had vanished.
Hae Ak-cheon spoke with simmering rage. “Then I shall find him alone!”
At those words, Han Baek-ha spoke up cautiously.
“Venerable... what if, by some slim chance, the Young Master—the Blood Demon—has already met his end at the hands of the Moon Evil Sword?”
“What?!”
Grab!
Enraged, Hae Ak-cheon instantly seized her by the collar and lifted her off the ground. It looked as though violence was about to erupt.
Just then, Baek Ryeonha spoke.
“Venerable. Please, calm yourself.”
“Young Lady! But—!”
“You must think rationally. I do not want such an outcome either. But the fate of all of us is at stake. We must consider every variable.”
At her words, Hae Ak-cheon gritted his teeth and finally released Han Baek-ha’s collar. He felt like smashing and destroying everything in sight, but he had to accept the cold reality.
“Does the Young Lady have a plan?”
Baek Ryeonha could not answer. If he had been kidnapped by the Martial Alliance, they might have been able to track him down, but in this situation, there was no way other than a time-consuming, wide-scale search.
As the heavy silence lingered, Do Jang-ho spoke.
“There is no other way.”
“Are you suggesting we give up too?”
“Not give up. But it is undeniable that keeping all our personnel tied up in a search is dangerous.”
“Then what do you propose?”
“We must adapt to the situation.”
“Adapt?”
“Baek Hye-hyang’s side is likely certain that we stole the Blood Demon Sword.”
“And?”
“But they don't know who its master is yet. They will naturally assume it is the Young Lady.”
With those words, Do Jang-ho turned to look at Baek Ryeonha and explained the solution he had in mind.
“I believe it would be best to use this situation to our advantage.”
“Are you saying we should hide the true Blood Demon’s existence?”
“If it becomes known that the current Blood Demon’s whereabouts are unknown, it only benefits Baek Hye-hyang’s side.”
“......”
This, too, was an undeniable fact.
“Let us keep the information regarding the Blood Demon hidden until we find the Moon Evil Sword. For the time being, we must continue the integration of the cult centered around the Young Lady. Our priority is to win over the Third Venerable and the Second Blood Star.”
There were no better ideas to offer. Seo Gal-ma and Han Baek-ha’s eyes gleamed at Do Jang-ho’s suggestion. In truth, they had thought of this plan as well. They simply hadn't dared to voice it, fearing that Hae Ak-cheon or Do Jang-ho—who supported So Woon-hwi—would object and cause a rift in their forces.
Everyone looked at Hae Ak-cheon. The decision was now his.
Hae Ak-cheon, who had been deep in thought with his arms crossed, spoke in a begrudging voice.
“Only until we find the Blood Demon.”
Hae Ak-cheon looked up at the sky and muttered to himself.
‘Brat. You’d better be alive. If you’re dead, I won’t forgive you!’
*
Whoosh!
I had never seen a place like this in my life.
Valley water was plunging like a massive waterfall into a giant hole about sixty feet wide. The sight unfolded precariously beneath a suspension bridge. The water being sucked into the hole was so vast that I couldn't even begin to guess its depth.
‘Where on earth is this?’
—I only know it’s somewhere in Shaanxi Province, the Namcheon Iron Sword replied.
‘Shaanxi?’
I was dumbfounded. Along the way, I had been woken up for about fifteen minutes at a time to be fed dried meat or rice balls and to relieve myself. This happened about once a day. Every time, I wanted to try and escape, but I couldn't move my body because of the long needles driven into my arms, legs, and spine.
‘Damn it. I’ve been like this for fifteen days.’
Even now, I couldn't move anything except for a slight turn of my neck. Sama Yeong was looking at me with pity.
—While you were out, Sama Yeong tried to pull those needles out of you several times, but she failed every time. That monster of a man wakes up like a ghost the moment she tries, the Lesser Conversation Sword said, clicking its tongue.
I saw Sama Chak standing with his hands behind his back, staring at me. During the journey here, his behavior had been coercive, and he hadn't even bothered to answer anything I said. But now, it felt like he might actually talk. At the very least, he hadn't woken me up just for food or a bathroom break.
I carefully parted my lips.
“...Senior, may I ask why you have brought me here?”
At my question, Sama Chak, who had been looking at me with disapproval, finally spoke.
“Originally, I intended to kill you.”
I already knew that. Why else would he have pushed me so ruthlessly on the boat?
“However, for some reason, this child seems to care for you deeply.”
Sama Yeong looked away, seemingly embarrassed. Sama Chak continued.
“After my wife passed away, this child is all I have left. Do you have any idea how precious she is?”
“......”
I didn't dare answer, fearing that one wrong word would lead to disaster. As I remained silent, Sama Chak approached me.
“I, Sama Chak, have lived my life as I pleased, but I am not a man who ignores a debt of gratitude.”
“A debt?”
“I saw you risk your life to save my daughter.”
Ah... he was talking about when Sama Yeong fell into the Yangtze River. Sama Chak stood close to me and spoke in a blunt voice.
“Therefore, I am going to give you a chance to be joined with my child. Will you accept it?”