Chapter 69: Variable (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: Variable (3)
—...This actually worked?
The Lesser Conversation Sword sounded impressed.
Earlier, it had been making a fuss, worrying about what we would do if the bluff failed.
I had also been half-doubting myself, throwing it out there with a "nothing to lose" mindset, but it actually paid off.
Since my martial prowess while only having my Middle Dantian open didn't reach the level of this Fake Blood Demon, I wondered if he would be fooled. It was likely the Golden Eye that did the trick.
It wasn't as if people with a single Golden Eye were common.
As far as I knew, the only ones with it were me and the man known as the "Golden Eye" who led that mysterious organization.
The gamble based on that assumption had succeeded.
The Fake Blood Demon remained still, his head bowed.
—What are you going to do now?
I have to squeeze as much out of him as possible.
It’s only a matter of time before he catches on. Before that happens, I need to make him reveal something—anything—about the Golden Eye and their organization.
The problem was that I had to predict the situation to draw a reaction out of him.
—How?
There’s a method I used most often during my days as a spy when meeting an unknown contact.
"Why did you fail to recognize me?"
—!?
It’s about pressuring the opponent.
I couldn't act intimidated or shrink back, but I also couldn't jump straight into fishing for information.
"Why is there no answer?"
At my question, the Fake Blood Demon replied with his head still lowered.
"How could someone like me dare to judge the Jonju? I simply ask for your forgiveness, as I failed to recognize you due to your different appearance."
—Oh... he’s falling for it.
I can't let my guard down. A single small slip of the tongue could make him feel that something is off. In times like this, it’s better to list things the enemy doesn't know.
"It seems I have unintentionally revealed an identity I use for moving alone."
"I shall keep my mouth shut."
"You should. The Blood Demon is not currently in the Right Army Commander's Office. That clever bastard already finished the trial. Did you find him here?"
At my question, the Fake Blood Demon shifted slightly.
He seemed puzzled.
Did I make a mistake?
I needed to change the subject quickly. Just then, he spoke.
"The Blood Demon did not come by this route."
"What?"
"I heard the trial was to take place at noon. If that is the case, the original plan to drive a wedge between the Blood Cult and the government and recover the Blood Demon Sword has become difficult."
'Ah!'
So that was their goal.
Now I understood why he had taken on my appearance.
He would disguise himself as me in the morning and slaughter the disciples of the Quanzhen Sect and the people from the Martial Alliance branch.
If that happened, by the time the trial started, I would be accused of escaping the Right Army Commander's Office and committing a massacre before I could even clear my name.
In that case, even Gyeongwang would find it difficult to protect me.
'Were they trying to make me ignore the trial, escape, and clash with the government? But why kill everyone?'
It was excessive. Even killing just a few would have been enough to corner me.
It was as if they were creating a path for me to escape, even if it meant ruining my relationship with the government.
Regardless, that wasn't the priority right now.
"If the plan becomes difficult, it is only natural to move to the next one."
There was bound to be a backup plan for when things went south. What could it be?
The Fake Blood Demon stood up. Then, he clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and spoke.
"I will go and stir up chaos in the Right Army Commander's Office immediately."
...Damn it.
Stirring up chaos while disguised as the Fake Blood Demon meant he intended to worsen the relationship between the Blood Cult and the government until the very end.
—What are you going to do? Are you just going to let him go?
Let him go? No way.
If I did, everything would go exactly as they wanted. Even if it was a bit forced, I had to change his direction.
"...No. This plan is retracted."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Now that I think about it, the Blood Demon has already left the Right Army Commander's Office. If he returns and wreaks havoc there, it might raise suspicion of third-party interference instead."
At my words, the Fake Blood Demon asked doubtfully, "Wouldn't planting a seed of suspicion be enough?"
"Are you questioning my orders now?"
I spoke in the deepest, most authoritative voice I could muster.
Immediately, the man dropped to one knee and apologized.
"I beg your forgiveness."
I wanted to dig deeper, but since I had already changed his course of action, any more would increase the risk. Having achieved my primary goal, it was better to send him away now.
"Return and await orders."
—Clap!
The Fake Blood Demon clasped his hands. It was a gesture of affirmation.
Phew.
Thank goodness.
Pretending to be the Golden Eye, who I assumed was their leader, had worked.
Once I sent him away, I would take Taoist Master Manjong and head to the Right Army Commander's Office. I had to recover the hidden Blood Demon Sword and the Evil Connection Sword anyway.
Just then, the man started walking toward the unconscious Taoist Master Manjong, who had been struck in his pressure points.
It looked like he intended to kill him.
"Leave that man. I have things to look into, so I will deal with him personally."
The Fake Blood Demon stopped at my words. He turned around and said, "I shall follow your command. Before I go, may I ask the Jonju one thing?"
Ask something?
This was the most awkward situation. Before I could say anything, he clasped his hands and spoke.
"Please grant the request I made last time."
Ah...
The tension left my body. It was easy to brush off a question like this.
I didn't know what the "request from last time" was, but if I refused, he might question why. If I agreed, I could end the conversation right there.
"Fine."
I gave him a short answer.
Suddenly, the man's eyes turned cold.
What?
"I have never made a request to the Jonju. What exactly are you agreeing to?"
...Damn it!
I thought things were going too smoothly. To think he would use his head like this in this situation.
The moment I reached for my sword, his imitation Blood Demon Sword was already aimed at my throat.
He was someone who had reached the pinnacle of the Fast Sword.
"I suggest you don't move."
"...How did you know?"
At that question, he spoke in a voice that had turned ice-cold.
"The Jonju does not easily retract an order once given. And I thought it was strange that your unique aura of intimidation was lacking for someone like him... You are quite the clever one."
As expected, trying to change the enemy's course of action was a bridge too far.
The man thrust his sword closer to my neck and asked, "That eye... how did it become like that?"
Did he not know the secret even though he served under the Golden Eye?
I decided to probe him.
"You people should know better than anyone. Why ask?"
—Ssh!
The sharp tip of the sword touched my neck.
"If you don't want to die, just answer what you're asked."
"And if I don't want to?"
"If you think there's only one way to make someone open their mouth, you're mistaken."
His killing intent thickened. I let out a sigh and spoke as if conceding.
"If I tell you, can you guarantee my life?"
"...You're not in a position to bargain."
"I don't think keeping my life is that big of a bargain."
The man stared intently into my eyes. Then, he spoke.
"You realize it's impossible for someone of your skill to escape me, right?"
"Are you accepting the bargain?"
"Talk..."
—Flash!
Before he could finish his sentence, I threw my body backward.
At the same time, I hooked the left Silver Smoke Thread onto the Lesser Conversation Sword and sent it flying.
—Clang!
The man swung his sword and parried it.
In that split second, I reached out with my right hand, fired the Silver Smoke Thread to snag the Namcheon Iron Sword, and pulled it toward me.
Seeing this, the Fake Blood Demon tried to swing his sword to stop me, but my left hand wasn't just sitting idle.
—Swish, swish, swish!
The Lesser Conversation Sword twisted like a snake, aiming for him from various directions.
It was the 5th formation of the Flash Shadow Throwing Dagger Technique: Snake-Shaped Flying Sword.
I had trained in it whenever I had the chance after meeting the man who claimed to be the Dagger-Killing King's master at Peerless Fortress.
However...
—Clang, clang!
The man read the trajectory of the Snake-Shaped Flying Sword far too easily.
With just a light swing of his sword, he neutralized the formation.
But thanks to that, the Namcheon Iron Sword was back in my hand.
Seeing me recover the sword with the Silver Smoke Thread, the Fake Blood Demon spoke in a voice laced with anger.
"How do you have that?"
As expected, he recognized the Silver Smoke Thread. He must know the man who claimed to be the Dagger-Killing King's master and had infiltrated Peerless Fortress.
But I had no reason to answer him.
Since I had to fight him anyway, I would no longer hide my strength.
I opened my Upper Dantian, stirred my Mental Focus, and underwent the Blood Demon Transformation.
'!!!'
The man's pupils shook as he saw my hair turn red and my other eye turn crimson.
He seemed bewildered to see my true identity.
"You... what is that form?"
"I suppose the one who was imitating me doesn't recognize the real thing."
—Slash!
I sent a sharp wave of killing intent toward him.
As the space rippled with the flying energy, the man swung his sword downward and split it.
Compared to the Crimson Killing Intent produced when using the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Art, regular killing intent seemed weaker. He blocked it too easily.
The Fake Blood Demon let out a hollow laugh as if the situation was absurd. Then he spoke to me.
"The Golden Eye... the Silver Smoke Thread, the Namcheon Iron Sword... and the Blood Demon? Just what is your true identity?"
"Find out for yourself, if you can."
—Sssssssss!
As I activated the True Blood Golden Body, the blood throughout my body circulated rapidly, and steam began to rise from my skin.
I didn't know his identity, but he was a Superhuman who had Broken the Wall. If he was on the level of the Eight Great Masters, I would only have a sliver of a chance if I gave it my absolute all.
—Flash!
Lunging toward him, I immediately unleashed one of my best sword techniques.
'New Path Life-Drawing Sword Technique, 3rd Formation: Illuminating Shadow Sword.'
The sword moved strangely, like a loach, splitting into several paths as it aimed for the Fake Blood Demon's vital points.
The Fake Blood Demon's gaze turned serious. He gripped his sword properly and unleashed a technique of his own.
—Clang, clang, clang, clang!
His sword drew a complex trajectory like a spiderweb, interfering with the path of the Illuminating Shadow Sword.
I knew he was skilled, but his swordsmanship far exceeded my expectations.
Blue sparks flew as our blades collided.
In that interval, our swords clashed incessantly, each of us looking for an opening in the other's defense.
'I have to aim for the gap between the trajectories.'
I couldn't see his energy, but I focused on the trajectories with my Golden Eye. There had to be a flaw within them.
The Sword Immortal had said that not only the New Path Life-Drawing Sword Technique but any sword technique in the world could never be perfect.
—Crash!
Just then, his sword pierced through a gap in the Illuminating Shadow Sword's trajectory first.
It lunged straight for the center of my chest.
I used the Lesser Conversation Sword in my left hand to strike the incoming imitation Blood Demon Sword upward.
Immediately after, his kick slammed into my abdomen.
—Thud!
"Urgh!"
Even though I was protecting my body with the True Blood Golden Body, I was pushed back nearly two steps.
Without missing the opening, the man unleashed a finishing move.
"I shall show you the wingbeat of the Great Peng."
—Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!
As if watching a Great Peng spreading its wings wide, his sword created countless sword shadows in every direction.
It wasn't a Great Peng; it was more like an Asura with hundreds of hands.
The wings of sword shadows spread wide, reaching out to seize me like the hands of a demon.
If there was no way to avoid it, I had to meet it head-on.
I focused everything into my sword.
The blade of the Namcheon Iron Sword began to shimmer with a white light.
It was Divine Sword Unity.
—Boom!
Stomping firmly on the ground, I thrust my sword forward while rotating it.
New Path Life-Drawing Sword Technique, 6th Formation: Great Chasing Return Sword.
As his technique tried to seize me with its numerous sword shadows, the Great Chasing Return Sword collided with them, creating a whirlwind.
—Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
An ear-splitting metallic screech and blue sparks blinded my vision.
Because I had achieved Divine Sword Unity, I thought the power of my single strike would be superior, but he met my sword by clashing two or three times for every one of my strikes with his Fast Sword.
He was a monster.
'...I'm being pushed back.'
—Slash!
A sword shadow pierced through the whirlwind and cut my shoulder.
Was this truly the capability of a master who had Broken the Wall?
The sword speed he displayed was beyond what I could keep up with, even with the Blood Demon Transformation and True Blood Golden Body.
—Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
Through the gaps in his mask, I could see the Fake Blood Demon's eyes smiling.
It was as if he was mocking me now that my disguise had been stripped away.
—Slash, slash, slash!
Sword shadows that had bypassed the Great Chasing Return Sword stabbed into my left collarbone, thigh, abdomen, and chest.
"Kh..."
My body felt like it was about to collapse from the pain.
If I continued to be pushed back like this, I would eventually be consumed by his technique.
A chill ran down my spine, and my senses sharpened.
I could feel death approaching.
Was I hitting my limit because I hadn't Broken the Wall?
Was this difference in level what was driving me into a corner?
—Wake up! Are you going to give up just because you're outmatched in skill? Who cares about "the wall" or whatever!
The Lesser Conversation Sword's scolding echoed in my head.
What was I just thinking?
It was right.
What did "the wall" matter when fighting an enemy?
It was only natural for someone trying to kill an enemy to be prepared to die.
—Grit!
I clenched my teeth. I put strength into my toes.
The wall didn't matter.
In a fight to the death, the winner is the one who survives.
The only thing that mattered was the singular intent to kill him.
'Kill him!'
I will kill him, no matter what.
If the enemy moves fast, I move faster. If the enemy swings his sword with power, I swing mine even harder.
—Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
The man's gaze changed.
Though I had seemed on the verge of being overwhelmed just a moment ago, I had taken another step forward.
Because of that, the number of sword shadows piercing me increased.
—Slash, slash, slash!
My body was becoming covered in wounds.
"You... you're insane. Are you that eager to die?"
The man, still performing his sword formations, spoke as if he couldn't understand me.
I replied to him, "No. I'm going to kill you."
And I took another step forward.
As if walking toward death itself.
"Foolish brat. If you want to die that badly, I'll send you to hell."
As if refusing to let me get any closer, he increased his sword speed even further.
The sword shadows were moving so fast they almost looked like a single entity.
How could I kill you without being prepared to die?
'Break through. I will break through his sword shadows!'
That was my only thought.
At that moment, the white light shimmering on the Namcheon Iron Sword intensified.
The sword became shrouded in a pure white light, just as the Sword Immortal had shown me.
Then, the Great Chasing Return Sword transformed into a white gale, pushing back the sword shadows that resembled the wings of a Great Peng.
'!?'
The man's pupils shook violently.
"You... don't tell me you've... the wall, in the middle of this..."
"Die!"
—Boom!
I took a heavy step forward.
At the same time, I gripped the hilt with both hands and twisted the trajectory upward.
In that instant, the white gale surged upward, creating a vortex of sharp energy like a typhoon.
"Th-this..."
—Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
The sword shadows that had been raging like a Great Peng were shattered into pieces, and the man's body was swept up into the gale.
"You bastard!"
Even as he was being swept away, he threw his sword at me.
—Thud!
Since I was in the middle of a formation, I had no room to dodge, and the sword buried itself in my abdomen.
—Un-hwi!
But I gritted my teeth.
If I stopped the formation here, he would survive.
The man's body, which had surged upward, was blown away by the gale.
—Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash!
The sound of something being cut repeatedly filled my ears.
When my hands, which had been moving without rest, finally stopped, the white gale subsided, and the fierce wind of energy vanished.
"Huff... huff..."
My breath came in ragged gasps. Having poured everything into that one formation, my mind felt transparent.
Then, something fell in front of me.
—Thud!
It was the Fake Blood Demon, who had been tossed upward by the Great Chasing Return Sword.
—Holy... he survived that?
—...He truly is a monster.
Even the Namcheon Iron Sword, which had remained silent so I could focus during the battle, spoke in a tone of disbelief.
It was a miracle he was even standing after receiving so many sword wounds.
The man violently ripped off his shattered mask.
His face was also covered in numerous sword wounds; it was a face I had never seen before.
He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties, and he spoke to me in a voice filled with rage.
"It has been nearly ten years since someone pushed me this far. However, there is one decisive difference between you and me."
—Sss!
The man's wounds began to heal rapidly.
The wounds on his face vanished as his veins pulsed. It was the same as the man I had seen at Peerless Fortress.
"Since my sword has pierced through you, you have no chance of winning."
"...I think you've forgotten something."
"What?"
"What this Golden Eye signifies."
I pulled the sword out of my abdomen. Then, I circulated my Innate True Qi.
To his shock, the pierced area began to heal with incredible speed.
—The speed has increased.
I could certainly feel it too. My recovery speed was faster than before. The pain was also fading quickly.
Seeing this, the man's expression hardened.
He bit his lip hard. Then he said to me, "...I will remember you."
He was a rational one.
Perhaps because of his vast experience, he analyzed the situation and gave up on the fight. He likely decided that informing his organization about me was more beneficial than a fight whose outcome was uncertain.
"We shall see each other again before long—"
"No. There's no need for that. With how I'm feeling right now, I think I can kill you."
"You seem to have forgotten one thing. If you couldn't even keep up with my sword speed, do you really think you can catch me with Lightness Skills?"
—Flash!
Without even looking back, the man bolted.
I immediately gave chase.
The moment I activated the Wind Cloud Step, the surrounding scenery blurred past as if I were riding the wind itself.
And before long, I was able to block his path.
The man looked bewildered.
"How did you..."
I gave him a smirk and said, "You're slow."
—Whish!
No sooner had I finished speaking than my body split into eight afterimages.
The essence of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams, which could only be achieved by splitting into eight afterimages after Breaking the Wall, unfolded from me.
The man could not hide his horror at the sight.
"W-Wind Shadow Eight Streams? Just what are you? How do you even know the martial arts of the Merciless Wind God?"
"You don't need to know."
Since you're about to die.