Chapter 94: He’s Back (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: He’s Back (5)
In a dark room, a middle-aged man with his eyes covered by a blindfold walked out slowly, supported on both sides by attendants.
Judging by his attire, he was a physician.
Once the door was closed, the attendants removed the blindfold covering the physician’s eyes.
“Phew.”
Just then, someone with a massive stature—nearly twice the size of the physician—approached the door.
He was so large and muscular that one couldn't help but feel instinctively intimidated.
“Is there no sign of improvement?”
“...I am deeply sorry, but the bleeding will not stop.”
“Then shouldn't you make it stop?”
“I do not know. In my thirty years as a physician, I have never seen a phenomenon where blood refuses to clot at the wound site. At this rate, she won't last more than a few days.”
Thump!
Unable to contain his rage, the giant of a man stomped his foot.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone floor.
“Hieee!”
The physician turned pale, terrified by the display.
“That’s enough, Brother Hae. What fault does the physician have that you must scare him so?”
Someone intervened, restraining the massive man.
It was an old man with a large longsword strapped to his back.
The muscular giant was none other than the Third Venerable, Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon, one of the four pillars of the Blood Cult. The old man restraining him was the Second Venerable, Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma.
Despite Seo Gal-ma’s intervention, Hae Ak-cheon grabbed the physician by the collar and lifted him up.
“If you call yourself a physician, shouldn't you be saving lives?”
“M-my abilities are insufficient. You would be better off seeking the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments!”
“That son of a bitch is nowhere to be found, so a bastard like you should at least—”
Grab!
Seo Gal-ma caught Hae Ak-cheon’s wrist.
He shook his head with a look of regret, his eyes signaling that badgering the physician would achieve nothing.
At this, Hae Ak-cheon roughly threw the man aside.
Thud!
“Oof.”
As the physician tumbled onto his backside, Hae Ak-cheon barked at him.
“Get out of here this instant. If I see your face within this cult in the next half-hour, I’ll tear you limb from limb.”
The physician, white as a sheet, scrambled to his feet and fled.
Watching the retreating man, Seo Gal-ma gave a subtle nod toward the shadows.
A shadow flickered across the floor, following the direction the physician had gone.
Hae Ak-cheon, whose face had been filled with rage until a moment ago, wiped the expression away and spoke to Seo Gal-ma with a look of dissatisfaction.
“Hmph! I suppose the role of the hot-headed idiot always falls to me.”
“You’re a natural at it, Brother Hae.”
“Don't give me that.”
“In any case, let us go inside.”
Hae Ak-cheon shook his head and knocked on the closed door.
A faint sound came from within.
He opened the door and entered with Seo Gal-ma.
Inside the dim room, a lamp was lit. A red-haired woman sat on the bed in thin battle garb, one leg crossed in a half-lotus position.
It was Baek Hye-hyang.
“Oh.”
The two men quickly averted their gaze.
Baek Hye-hyang was in the middle of loosening her battle garb, her chest wrapped in bandages. Though it was a situation that might be shameful for a woman, she didn't seem to care in the least.
“Did you put a tail on him?”
That was the first thing Baek Hye-hyang asked the two Venerables.
Seo Gal-ma replied.
“We did. That man is likely a mole from the Martial Alliance.”
They were already certain that the physician who had just fled was a spy. It was the only way the Martial Alliance could naturally infiltrate their ranks.
“He’ll surely be convinced that I’ll die within a few days.”
“...Most likely.”
Seo Gal-ma answered bitterly.
Seeing his expression, Baek Hye-hyang scoffed.
“Second Venerable, you’re looking at me as if I’m about to drop dead this second.”
“...Please do not overexert yourself. Even if Brother Hae’s True Blood Golden Body cultivation method controls the movement of blood, it cannot stop the bleeding entirely, can it?”
At Seo Gal-ma’s words, Baek Hye-hyang bit her lip.
Throb!
She had just changed her bandages, but the area around her back was already growing damp.
She continued to refine and circulate the True Blood Golden Body, but the hemorrhaging persisted.
“That damned Calamity Slaughter Sword.”
It was all because of that blade.
Her back had been slashed by the Calamity Slaughter Sword held by Killing Fiend Jue Xin.
The problem was that wounds inflicted by that sword never stopped bleeding.
‘...One cut, and you won't last a month. Two cuts, a week. Three cuts, and you won't survive the day.’
That was the legend of the demon sword, the Calamity Slaughter Sword.
She had been slashed only once, yet the bleeding truly would not stop.
However, she had endured for over a month.
If not for the True Blood Golden Body’s energy circulation method, she might have already died from blood loss.
“Have you found the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments?”
“...Not yet.”
Information was cut off north of the Yangtze River, so they had even commissioned the Haomen Sect, but there was still no news.
She was gradually growing weaker.
One only had to look at her pale face to realize she couldn't hold out much longer.
Baek Hye-hyang spoke to the grim-faced Hae Ak-cheon.
“Venerable—no, Third Venerable. I will be participating in tomorrow’s ambush as planned.”
“You cannot!”
Hae Ak-cheon frowned and spoke firmly.
In her current state, it was a struggle just to stay alive by circulating the True Blood Golden Body. If she pushed herself and the bleeding worsened, the worst-case scenario would unfold.
Second Venerable Seo Gal-ma also tried to dissuade her gently.
“It is impossible. With the Cult Leader missing, if something were to happen to the Vice Cult Leader as well...”
He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
The Blood Cult was currently in a state of crisis. In times like these, the figurehead holding them together had to remain safe.
“Damn it all!”
Hae Ak-cheon couldn't contain his fury.
If only that Killing Fiend Jue Xin hadn't suddenly interfered, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. They would have reclaimed the entire region south of the Yangtze River, starting with the death of the Wudang Sect’s Taiji Sword Emperor, Taoist Master Zhongxian.
Baek Hye-hyang spoke to the two Venerables.
“What if the Merciless Blade, the Alliance Leader himself, is among the five branches of the Martial Alliance leading the vanguard?”
“That is...”
The two men fell silent.
It was a hypothetical, but they had to assume the Merciless Blade might join the vanguard alone. If that happened, the vanguard’s strength would double.
Not just in terms of martial prowess, but the boost to their morale would be immense.
“This is the Great Orthodox-Evil War. With him gone, if I don't step out, who will raise the cult’s morale? The Second Venerable? Or the Third?”
“........”
It was an undeniable truth.
Baek Hye-hyang stood up, tightening her bandages.
“They already think I’m in critical condition. Showing them that I’m perfectly fine is the only way to boost our allies' morale and crush theirs.”
“Vice Cult Leader...”
Whoosh! Clack!
Baek Hye-hyang reached out, using Void Object Retrieval to pull the Imitation Blood Demon Sword into her hand, and spoke with a voice full of resolve.
“I will join the battle tomorrow.”
*
Early dawn on the day of the decisive battle.
Baek Hye-hyang, who had been lying face down, rolled onto her back.
She had avoided lying on her back because of the bleeding, but her heart was pounding so violently that she couldn't stay face down.
No matter how bold she was, she couldn't escape the extreme tension. The weight pressing down on her shoulders was too heavy.
‘...Damn it.’
A curse escaped her lips.
Tomorrow’s battlefield could very well become her grave.
To be honest, she wasn't afraid of dying at all.
—Die! Someone like you is useless! Just die already!
—I never expected much from a mere girl like you.
The voices of the dead wraiths echoing in her head were irritating. These were the words that had shackled her all her life.
‘Shut up.’
She could potentially survive a little longer by sacrificing countless cult members. But if she did that, everything she had tried to prove would come to nothing.
All those years she had spent running forward with gritted teeth would become meaningless.
‘It’s more shameful to die having done nothing.’
To that bitch who tried to strangle her.
To that bastard who never thought of her as his child.
She didn't want to suffer such disgrace.
Staring at the ceiling, Baek Hye-hyang reached out her hand.
‘A bed is not my grave.’
She clenched her fist.
The wound on her back throbbed, but she didn't care. If things went wrong, the worst that could happen was death.
As she steeled her heart, a certain someone’s face flickered through her mind.
‘That bastard.’
She had even given up her position for him, only for him to disappear and annoy her like this.
It was a feeling she had never experienced before. The feeling of missing someone.
Though it was likely useless now.
‘If I can see him after I die, I guess it’s not a total loss.’
The corners of Baek Hye-hyang’s mouth curled up.
*
Passing through Hengxian, the forces of five Martial Alliance branches, numbering nearly seven thousand, were marching forward.
The Blood Cult’s main headquarters was located in Mount Yeong, a natural fortress surrounded by numerous mountain ranges. Thousands of orthodox martial artists were currently traversing those mountains.
Because of their numbers, it would have been easier to move along the lower mountain paths, but they had chosen the more difficult route to avoid being ambushed from above.
The man leading them at the front was the current Martial Alliance Leader, Merciless Blade Jeong Cheon.
The martial artists were brimming with morale.
The Blood Cult Leader’s life was in jeopardy, and even the First Venerable, Blood Breaking Sword Emperor Dan Wi-gang, the cult’s strongest master, was dead.
On the other hand, they were led by the Merciless Blade, who was counted among the top five of the Twelve Superhumans.
Victory belonged to the Orthodox Faction.
“Hmm.”
Jeong Cheon, the Merciless Blade, had a long beard that brought to mind the legendary Guan Yu.
He gazed at the mist-covered mountain range.
They had forced their way through other areas, but the mountains they were about to cross were steep and high on both sides, making it difficult for those with weak martial arts to climb.
‘That must be the place.’
Jeong Cheon was certain. The Blood Cult’s forces would be lying in ambush there.
Stopping in his tracks, Jeong Cheon raised his hand and commanded.
“Raise shields! Archers, prepare to return fire!”
Even among martial artists, the nature of warfare was similar to a military campaign until the moment of direct contact. At Jeong Cheon’s command, the orthodox martial artists silently raised their shields.
Those with bows moved close to the shield-bearers.
“Continue the advance, slowly.”
As they moved forward, Jeong Cheon leaped toward the left mountain range. He intended to personally prevent an ambush from at least one side.
‘As I thought.’
As he drew closer, he sensed numerous presences. This was the starting point of the Second Great Orthodox-Evil War, the first in twenty years.
And he intended to end the war right here.
Swish, swish, swish!
As he scaled the mountain, he stepped onto thin air.
It was the pinnacle of lightness skills, known as Void Step.
Stepping through the air to reach an entirely unexpected height, Jeong Cheon saw the numerous cultists lying in ambush.
“Hah!”
Now that he had found the enemy, there was no need for hesitation.
He drew his precious blade, Muil-do, and channeled ten stars of internal power. He was about to unleash a blade of sharp killing intent so dense it made the air shimmer.
It was at that exact moment.
“Keke! Merciless Blade!”
As he was about to strike with his blade wrapped in sharp killing intent, someone lunged at him with a piercing cry.
The massive man dressed in tiger skin was none other than Hae Ak-cheon.
His entire body was stained red, and steam rose from his skin; he looked like a demon crawled out of hell.
“Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon?”
For a moment, Jeong Cheon couldn't hide his surprise.
The Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon he knew was a master at the Supreme Peak Realm, but the momentum he was displaying now clearly showed he had broken through the wall and reached the Realm of Superhumans.
‘He was hiding his strength.’
He had expected them to have a hidden card.
But he didn't care. He was confident that the gap between someone who had just crossed the wall and himself was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
“Let’s see what you’ve got!”
‘Ridiculous. I’ll cleave you in one strike! Peerless Hegemon Saber!’
Just as he was about to unleash his ultimate technique, the Peerless Hegemon Saber, someone else lunged at him from the left.
An evil ghost mask and a blade stained blood-red.
‘The Blood Demon?’
Something unexpected was happening.
According to the spies, the Blood Demon was supposed to be in critical condition, on the verge of death. Yet here he was, defying all expectations.
Jeong Cheon, who had been about to attack Hae Ak-cheon, twisted his body and redirected his blade.
Whirl!
Since he was in mid-air, this was the only way to face both of them at once.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The three masters clashed in the air above the mountain range.
As their ultimate techniques collided, intense sonic booms echoed in all directions.
Hae Ak-cheon’s entire body was in a state of Indestructible Diamond Body due to the True Blood Golden Body’s secret technique, Red Blood Golden Body, yet his skin burned wherever Jeong Cheon’s blade touched.
‘He’s sharp.’
He was truly worthy of being called the greatest bladesman in the current martial world. The sharpness imbued in every single one of his saber forms was legendary for a reason.
Flash! Clang!
After exchanging about ten forms in an instant in mid-air, they landed on the mountain peak.
Their airtime was on a different level compared to ordinary masters.
The cultists cleared a circle, surrounding the three masters so they could join the fray at any moment.
Seeing this, Jeong Cheon smiled leisurely.
“You’ve prepared quite well, haven't you, Blood Cult Leader?”
Baek Hye-hyang, wearing the evil ghost mask, scoffed and replied in a disguised voice.
“You’re fearless, charging into the enemy camp alone.”
“This much is well within my capabilities.”
His tone was arrogant. Yet, no one took his words lightly. He was a man who ranked in the top five of the Twelve Superhumans and had reached the pinnacle of the saber.
The pressure he exuded was enough to make the hearts of the weaker cultists tremble.
Jeong Cheon pointed his blade at Baek Hye-hyang and spoke.
“Blood Cult Leader. You are pushing yourself.”
“Pushing myself?”
“I already know that you are a woman, and I know that the wound you received from the Killing Fiend has not healed.”
“Hmph!”
Baek Hye-hyang scoffed at his words.
She had leaked false information, but since he had examined her pulse, she had expected him to discover she was a woman. Whether the leader was a man or a woman didn't matter much to her.
Baek Hye-hyang cast aside the evil ghost mask.
Her face was revealed along with her fluttering red hair.
“...How surprising. To think the leader was such a young woman.”
Jeong Cheon let out a small exclamation of wonder. He hadn't expected the Blood Cult Leader, whose gender and face had been hidden, to be such a young and beautiful woman.
‘Though her eyes look quite fierce.’
That was the end of his assessment. Whether man or woman, she was the Blood Cult Leader. If he killed her here, it would be a practical victory for the Orthodox Faction.
‘...Her injuries definitely haven't healed.’
He was certain that her martial prowess was weaker than the rumors suggested. She felt like she was barely hanging onto the Realm of Superhumans. While that still made her a top-tier master in the martial world, facing her two-on-one wouldn't be particularly difficult.
“Is there a need for more words? Both of you, come at me.”
Jeong Cheon leisurely gestured for them to come with one hand.
At this, Baek Hye-hyang smirked and said, “I’m sorry, but we’re not in a position to worry about saving face.”
Several formidable figures stepped out from among the cultists. They were the remaining Venerables and the Blood Stars.
There were quite a few outstanding masters among the five branches of the Martial Alliance, but if they could just kill the leader and the strongest master, Jeong Cheon, the odds would shift.
Watching them approach, Jeong Cheon muttered, “The feeling is mutual.”
If he killed the Blood Cult Leader and the top executives, the situation would be over. And if the first to fall was the head of the cult, he could crush the morale of everyone else in a single stroke.
There was no reason to drag this out.
‘Muchen Sword Scripture!’
It was the ultimate technique he prided himself on, the fastest strike in his Peerless Saber Style.
Flash!
In an instant, his figure vanished.
No one could track his movement. Before anyone could react, his body and blade were already reaching for Baek Hye-hyang.
The only one who noticed was Hae Ak-cheon.
“You bastard!!”
Hae Ak-cheon barely managed to lunge forward and swing his fist.
However, Jeong Cheon skillfully evaded it with his footwork and drove his blade toward Baek Hye-hyang’s neck.
“Urgh!”
Thanks to Hae Ak-cheon, the trajectory was slightly altered for a split second, allowing Baek Hye-hyang to notice it.
She immediately unleashed the third form of the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Sword, the Meridian of No Blood.
She concentrated her energy at the tip of her sword to trigger a Penetration Scripture effect, intending to deflect Jeong Cheon’s blade.
However—
Snap!
The moment the blade and sword collided.
‘Ah!’
The Imitation Blood Demon Sword snapped in half.
Even though it was an imitation, it was still a fine blade, yet it had been shattered so effortlessly.
But there was no time to be shocked.
Jeong Cheon’s blade, having smashed the imitation sword, was now sweeping toward her throat.
‘I can dodge it.’
The speed of the fast strike had slowed down upon impact with her sword. Baek Hye-hyang tried to twist her body desperately, but—
‘Gah!’
A searing pain tore through her back where the Calamity Slaughter Sword had struck.
She had barely been keeping it under control, but the internal energy that had surged in during the clash with Jeong Cheon’s blade caused the wound to burst open.
‘Is this the end?’
In that split second, time seemed to slow down.
Facing death, all sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind.
She wasn't afraid. She had been prepared for this, and Jeong Cheon’s martial prowess had exceeded her imagination.
But she felt a lingering regret.
Would she be able to see that bastard after she died?
It was then.
Clannnnng!
Jeong Cheon’s blade, which had been flying toward her neck, was blocked by a blood-red sword.
Screeeech!
Jeong Cheon’s figure was instantly pushed back five paces.
“...!”
Baek Hye-hyang’s eyes trembled.
Reflected in her red pupils was fluttering red hair, just like her own.
After staring blankly for a moment, she suddenly burst out in a scream, her voice thick with emotion.
“Where the hell have you been, you piece of shit?!”