Chapter 54: Cooperation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: Cooperation (2)
Just one day ago.
Inside a dark prison surrounded by iron walls.
Boom! Boom!
Baek Hye-hyang unleashed her palm techniques against the iron wall with all the strength of her Ten Stars internal power.
The iron wall buckled under the strikes, denting in the shape of her palms. However, no matter how she struck it, fundamentally destroying the iron wall was an impossible task.
"Huff... huff..."
She exhaled ragged breaths as she stared at the immovable iron wall. She had been striking it without rest for nearly an hour. It was only natural for her to be exhausted.
"Dammit."
A coarse curse escaped her lips as she slumped to the floor. She wasn't the type to regret her actions, but this time, she couldn't help but feel she had been foolish.
I was too impatient.
After emerging from her closed-door training, she had come to Luochuan in Shaanxi Province to personally persuade the Third Venerable, Blood King Gu Je-yang. However, she had failed to achieve her goal. Gu Je-yang had already decided to serve under Baek Ryeonha.
[Following the law is the destiny of a cult member, Young Lady.]
No matter what incentives she offered, persuading Gu Je-yang had proven impossible. With this, three of the Four Venerables had joined Baek Ryeonha’s side. Losing three Venerables in addition to the Blood Demon Sword was a significant blow to Baek Hye-hyang.
Ultimately, she had to return to Kaifeng without any real gains, but on her way back, she heard an intriguing rumor.
[It is said that the Merciless Wind God, one of the Eight Great Masters of Peerless Fortress, is seeking a successor.]
The news that the opportunity was open to anyone, regardless of whether they belonged to the Orthodox or Evil factions, left her deep in thought. She was already stuck against a "wall" in her cultivation. She had tried to overcome it through closed-door training, but she hadn't gained any enlightenment.
If she could find a clue from one of the Eight Great Masters—those who had reached the realm of superhumans—and break through that wall, she could turn the entire situation around. Additionally, she would gain the power of one of the Four Great Martial Sects of Peerless Fortress.
Judging it a worthy challenge, she had impulsively detoured to Peerless Fortress on her way back. But things did not go as planned.
"Muchen Sword Emperor!"
She ground her teeth. She had never predicted that man would become such a variable. Since the first exam ended, she had been trapped here for two days, unable to move an inch.
"Aaaaah!"
Boom!
Her anger reaching its peak, Baek Hye-hyang began striking the iron wall like a madwoman again. It was during this relentless assault that she sensed a faint presence outside.
As she stopped her palm strikes, a voice drifted in.
"How foolish, Young Lady. Do you really think you can escape this prison that way?"
It was the voice of Kang Mu-hyeok, the disciple of the Muchen Sword Emperor.
Baek Hye-hyang stood before the wall, her gaze cold as if she were staring right through the iron.
"I swear. When I get out of here, I’m taking your tongue and your eyes first."
"Hahahaha! You make such gruesome jokes so easily."
"Does it sound like a joke to you, brat?"
Boom!
The voice outside the iron wall went silent for a moment after her strike. But soon, it continued.
"Young Lady, an opportunity like this doesn't come often. My Master said he would take you as his disciple without questioning your past, even though you entered Peerless Fortress wearing a human skin mask."
"I told you, I don't need it."
Having met the Muchen Sword Emperor, Baek Hye-hyang had read his greed and ambition at first glance. That man was someone who would use her or block her path, never someone who would truly help her.
"You certainly are stubborn."
Baek Hye-hyang spoke with a twisted smile.
"I’ll give you a chance."
"A chance?"
"If you open this iron door right now, I’ll stop at just gouging out your eyes. This is your last chance to keep your life."
"Hahahaha! To think you’d threaten this Young Master when you don't even know what's going to happen to you."
A hint of anger flickered in Kang Mu-hyeok's voice. After laughing for a long time, he spoke again.
"I’ll say one thing to you as well, Young Lady. You will soon find yourself begging me to let you out. Even if you have to spread your legs to do it."
"What!"
"Who knows? If you spread them now, I might just open this door. Hahahaha!"
"You bastard!"
Boom!
Infuriated by his insults, Baek Hye-hyang struck the iron wall frantically. At that moment, smoke began to rise from a hole in the wall.
"You think you can put me to sleep with something like this?"
"I suppose not. But this smoke isn't a simple sleeping incense or energy dispersal poison. The moment you inhale it, you’ll realize that you, too, are nothing more than a frail human being."
"Shut up!"
Boom!
With that final strike, Kang Mu-hyeok’s presence vanished. Holding her breath and protecting her heart meridian, she tried to resist the smoke.
But as time passed, something strange happened. The scenery before her eyes began to change.
!?
A house filled with red lanterns. It was a place far too familiar, a place she could never forget. A beautiful woman, heavily adorned with her lips painted a deep red, appeared before her like mist.
Baek Hye-hyang’s eyes trembled.
"You!"
Tears of blood were streaming from the beautiful woman's eyes. The sight was horrifying. Staring with eyes full of resentment, the woman lunged at Baek Hye-hyang.
Baek Hye-hyang tried to strike her away, but—
Swoosh!
The woman turned into smoke, passed through her, and then grabbed Baek Hye-hyang’s neck with both hands.
Her strength left her body, and Baek Hye-hyang fell backward. Though she knew it was an illusion, she felt her breath being cut off as the woman squeezed her throat.
"Gah!"
She flailed her hands to shake her off, but the woman only scattered like smoke for a moment before reforming. The woman, weeping blood, spoke to Baek Hye-hyang.
—It’s because of you. If you had been born a man, he would have accepted me!
Baek Hye-hyang’s expression froze at the woman's words. It felt as if she had been transported back to that time—the childhood she never wanted to remember again.
—Die! Someone like you is useless! Just die already!
As the woman strangled her, her airway tightened.
"Gasp... huff!"
Even as she told herself it was just an illusion, she couldn't bear the pain. Baek Hye-hyang swung her hand violently at the cheek of the blood-weeping woman. But her hand only passed through the smoke.
—Die! I said die!
To the woman trying to strangle her to death, Baek Hye-hyang spoke in a cold voice.
"Is it a sin that I couldn't live up to the greed of a mere woman from the red-light district? Was I really not supposed to be born?"
—Yes. You should never have been born. A girl like you should just die.
"......You’re a woman too."
—Die! Die!
The woman weeping blood continued to scream nothing but the word "die." The eyes of Baek Hye-hyang, who seemed like a woman of iron, began to turn red.
Staring at the blood-weeping woman, she spoke in a mournful voice.
"A bitch like you is no mother of mine."
The woman weeping blood and harboring such deep resentment was none other than her own mother.
"Ugh!"
This was baffling. I thought she had recognized me, but suddenly Baek Hye-hyang’s pupils dilated as if she were under a spell. She screamed "You bitch!" and started strangling me.
"Why... all of a sudden...!?"
I tried to shake her off, but when I saw the tears welling in her reddened eyes, I froze for a moment. She was someone who was always arrogant and full of confidence. I couldn't understand why she was making such a sorrowful face.
Grip!
Baek Hye-hyang tightened her grip and said, "A bitch like you is no mother of mine. Why wasn't I supposed to be born? Why did I have to be hated by you?"
Mother?
Her voice was thick with resentment. The tears that had gathered in her eyes fell onto my face. Sobbing, she bit her lip hard and spoke.
"Watch from the underworld. Watch as the girl you tried so hard to kill takes everything from the man whose side you only ever coveted."
What on earth was she seeing? She seemed to be looking at someone else, not me. Though her words were firm, as if making a vow, her appearance and voice were incredibly pitiful.
Squeeze!
"Urgh!"
At this rate, things were going to get ugly. I wanted to pull her hands away, but the internal power from my lower Dantian wasn't enough.
Ultimately, I opened my middle Dantian. A warm energy spread from my heart throughout my body, and the power of Innate True Qi, incomparable to the strength of the lower Dantian, surged forth.
Creeeak!
I grabbed her hands and forcibly pried them from my neck. As her hands were pulled away, Baek Hye-hyang’s pupils wavered.
Thud!
Not missing the opening, I kicked her in the abdomen. Baek Hye-hyang’s body was pushed back. However, it wasn't a clean hit; the moment my foot touched her, she used a body lightening method to leap backward and dodge.
Even while out of her mind, her martial talent was admirable. The voice of the Namcheon Iron Sword echoed in my head.
—It seems she’s been hit with a special drug that eats away at the mind, Un-hwi.
A drug that eats the mind? Is there a way to bring her back?
—Seeing as she recognized your voice earlier, she isn't completely lost to the drug. It might be dangerous, but apply a shock to her Spirit Command Point or the Sea of Brain Point.
I wasn't sure if that would be easy. She was incredibly strong even in this state. As I was debating how to strike her, Baek Hye-hyang lunged at me again.
She tried to strangle me once more, confirming that her mind was definitely compromised. In that case...
Snap!
I fired the Silver Smoke Thread at one of the iron bars of the prison. Once it caught, I used my body lightening method to dodge her charge. As Baek Hye-hyang used her footwork to try and catch up, I circled around her, evading her movements.
Thank goodness.
She couldn't see the Silver Smoke Thread at all. I had tried it on a whim since she was seeing me as someone else, and it seemed that if she couldn't see the thread, it would be much easier to subdue her.
Swish!
Whoa!
I let my guard down for a second, and she shifted direction with a strange footwork. Then, she attacked me with a sophisticated finger technique. At that moment, I yanked the Silver Smoke Thread.
Whirrrr!
The Silver Smoke Thread, which had been loosely draped around her, snapped taut, binding her arms and body.
Now!
I lunged at her, intending to strike her Spirit Command Point. But even bound by the thread, she kicked off the ground, spun her body in mid-air, and launched a kick at my head.
I raised my left arm to block her kick. The impact pushed my body slightly to the side.
Slide!
Her internal power is like a monster's.
Even with my middle Dantian open, her internal power was more than just deep—it was monstrous. Whether it was a special constitution or she had been fed spirit medicines, her raw power was freakishly strong.
The fortunate thing was that the gap in our martial prowess was no longer that large. Moreover, she wasn't in her right mind.
Step!
As I was pushed back, I lowered my body, spun, and swept her legs with a roundhouse kick. Hit in the legs, she fell straight down. I mounted her without hesitation and struck her Spirit Command Point, injecting my internal power.
Bam!
"Ah...!"
A groan escaped her lips. I had controlled my power, but the Spirit Command Point was a dangerous spot, often called a "death point." The pain must have been immense.
Shocked, she stared up at me with vacant eyes. I thought it would take a while for her to come to her senses.
But...
"......Who are you?"
The life had returned to her vacant gaze. She stared at me intensely, one eyebrow arched. The mournful face was gone, replaced once again by an arrogant and lethal look.
Just to be sure, I asked, "Are you back to your senses?"
Baek Hye-hyang frowned and stared at me. Then, with a faint, mocking smile, she spoke.
"You... you're So Woon-hwi, aren't you? Is that a human skin mask on your face?"
Ah.
I should have disguised my voice. I was so focused on bringing her back to her senses that I forgot. Still, she was sharp. To recognize me instantly by my voice even while I was wearing a mask.
"......I'm glad you're back to normal."
"How long are you going to stay on top of me?"
"Ah. This is..."
Grip!
Suddenly, Baek Hye-hyang wrapped her legs around my waist and, with incredible strength, twisted her body to flip us over, pinning me beneath her.
She licked her upper lip with her tongue and said, "I'm the one who has to be on top."
"........"
—Is that even the same person?
The Lesser Conversation Sword sounded exasperated.
Sitting on top of me, she glanced down at the Silver Smoke Thread binding her arms and said with a sultry look, "Is this your kind of thing?"
"......I tied you up because you were out of your mind, Young Lady."
At my words, her eyes flickered strangely. She tried to act like it was nothing, but her face flushed slightly. It seemed she had regained some memory of what happened while she was delirious.
But that was only for a moment. Her expression shifted instantly as she looked around and asked me, "Did you actually come to rescue me?"
There was a slight hint of expectation in her voice. Sorry to disappoint, but...
"It's just a coincidence."
"A coincidence?"
"I was also caught by the Muchen Sword Emperor and dropped down here."
Baek Hye-hyang narrowed her eyes and looked at me with disappointment. This was getting a bit annoying. She was the one who got caught and locked up first.
"If you don't plan on staying locked up, please move."
Noticing the irritation in my voice, she chuckled and got off me. Baek Hye-hyang shrugged and gestured toward the Silver Smoke Thread with her eyes.
I said to her, "I'm not sure why I should trust you enough to untie you."
She was far too dangerous a person to just let loose. Baek Hye-hyang replied, "Wouldn't it look better if you untied it with your own hands rather than me forcing it?"
"Do you think I'll just let you break free?"
"Your confidence has grown as much as your martial arts, hasn't it?"
As expected, she remembered our brief clash. Since she didn't seem to want to talk about her delirium, I didn't press the issue.
"This doesn't seem like the time for us to be fighting."
I infused internal power into the Silver Smoke Thread, causing it to unravel. When I readily released her, she smiled broadly.
She said to me, "A wise choice. You understand well that the enemy of my enemy is my ally."
"That applies to you as well, Young Lady."
"I've never thought of you as an enemy, though."
Baek Hye-hyang said, her tongue darting out as if she were tasting something delicious.
"......."
So she still hasn't given up. That was the scary part about her. She didn't seem to know that I had become the Blood Demon yet; I wondered if she would react the same way if she found out.
—I recommend not mentioning it for now, Un-hwi.
I agree with you, Namcheon.
In any case, I had unexpectedly ended up in a cooperation with a very dangerous ally.
Kang Mu-hyeok hurriedly led four warriors down into the underground passage. He had come down to see what the problem was after hearing that the men he had sent hadn't returned.
It would be troublesome if things went wrong after he had spoken so confidently to the Muchen Sword Emperor.
With that amount of energy dispersal poison and sleeping incense, she shouldn't be awake for more than half a day.
He felt a sense of unease. When he reached the underground prison, the black iron cell was still firmly shut. Since it was quiet, it seemed she was still under the influence of the Heart Medicine Incense.
It won't be long now.
Kang Mu-hyeok smiled thinly. The problem was the other guy. Seeing as the two men he sent were nowhere to be found, something had definitely gone wrong.
In any case, there isn't a huge gap between his skills and mine.
He believed that with the combined attack of four peak-level masters, they could subdue him in no time. He headed toward the passage connected to the shrine's traps.
Upon entering the passage, he saw the two warriors lying unconscious.
Could it be?
Kang Mu-hyeok couldn't hide his bewilderment. When he searched the rest of the underground area, no one was there. He thought of the closed black iron cell, but since it couldn't be opened from the inside once shut, no one but a fool would hide in there.
There's no presence.
He focused his Qi sense, but he felt nothing. Then where could they have disappeared to?
Dammit. This is bad.
If this continued, it would be hard to avoid the Muchen Sword Emperor's reprimand. He needed to check the condition of the fallen men to figure out what had happened. Kang Mu-hyeok led the four warriors into the trap chamber.
"Check if they're dead or not."
"Yes, sir."
Just as the warriors approached the fallen men—
Step!
At the sound coming from behind him, Kang Mu-hyeok whipped his head around.
What?!
He didn't know where they had come from, but So Woon-hwi and Baek Hye-hyang were blocking the entrance to the trap chamber.
"How did you two...?"
They were supposed to be locked up or unconscious. As he stood there in shock, Baek Hye-hyang held out her hand to So Woon-hwi.
"Lend me a sword."
"Sure."
So Woon-hwi chuckled and drew one of the swords he was carrying, handing it to her. Gripping the sword, she spoke in a lethal voice.
"I told you I’d be taking those eyes and that tongue."