Chapter 101: Nice to Meet You, Kid (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Nice to Meet You, Kid (2)
The Ferocious Beast was an old man who had lost both his legs. Though his gnarled hands possessed the talent to build anything he desired, he could no longer walk.
The Heavenly Demon had offered him new legs, but the old man had refused. Instead, he asked for more time. The Heavenly Demon accepted his request, granting a stay of execution to one who was already knocking on hell’s door.
Hearing this, I was reminded that the Heavenly Demon was not human. What mortal could hold the power of life and death without being a god?
With his borrowed time, the Ferocious Beast set to work reinforcing the Demonic Cult. In just half a year, a single man transformed a small castle into an impregnable fortress. My only memory of him was of a frail, skeletal old man, utterly consumed by madness.
Had he already been working for the Black Palace before he met the Heavenly Demon?
A device that responded only to Demonic Qi… There was only one person capable of creating such a thing.
Beyond the door, a staircase descended into darkness. The bloodstains splattered everywhere made it clear this was no ordinary place. I descended slowly, a flame flickering above my palm.
With each step, the metallic stench of blood grew thicker, so potent I had to cover my mouth and nose. What in the world were they doing down here? The varying shades of brown on the walls suggested the blood was old, spilled long ago.
Just as I wondered how much deeper the stairs went, I finally reached the bottom. A long passage stretched out before me, filled with a putrid smell. From the far end came a mysterious sound, like water boiling.
Pressing my sleeve to my face, I moved cautiously toward the noise. When I arrived…
“…!”
I bit my lip hard, stifling a gasp at the horrific scene.
In the center of the room was a small pond, filled not with water, but with congealed blood. The shock of it made my heart pound. The stench of rotting corpses saturated the air, and scattered across the floor were the missing swords of the Mount Hua Sect disciples.
The sight forced a curse from my lips. “…Those pieces of shit.”
Anyone with half a brain could guess who the blood in that pond belonged to.
Why? What could possibly justify such an atrocity?
I scanned the room quickly, needing to understand its purpose. It didn’t take long to find it.
A single flower bloomed in the center of the bloody pond. Its petals were a disturbingly beautiful color, as if nourished by the vile fluid. Despite its allure, the flower radiated an ominous aura, and I could sense a faint, twisted Taoist Qi emanating from it. This was no ordinary plant; it was something profoundly wrong.
“Perhaps…” Was all of this… for that single flower? What is it, that they would go to such lengths?
My eyes fixed on the flower, I took a shaky step forward when I noticed something strange. Some of the corpses were in much better condition than the decomposed Mount Hua swordsmen. They weren’t wearing white uniforms; their bodies looked relatively fresh.
I examined the clothing on one of the better-preserved corpses and probed with my Qi.
The Murim Alliance.
This corpse was from the Alliance. And it hadn’t been dead for long.
That means the Murim Alliance never withdrew…
- Swish-!
A presence registered on my Qi, which I had spread thinly through the area. I had no time to guess who it was. Instinct took over, and I threw up an arm to protect my neck.
-Slash!
A blade sliced into my shoulder instead, and blood sprayed onto the ground.
-Blaze!
Flames erupted around my body, both as a shield and to illuminate the room, banishing the shadows. I focused my sight, trying to identify my ambusher.
He was clad head-to-toe in black, making identification impossible.
-Drip. Drip.
Blood trickled from my wounded shoulder. That was too close. I had barely saved my throat. All the Murim Alliance corpses had fatal wounds around their necks; that observation had saved my life.
I glared at the figure. “Are you from the Black Palace?”
The man nodded. Thankfully, he wasn’t a complete mute, as he decided to speak. “You have no respect, little one.”
He giggled. I responded coldly. “Why is everyone in the Unorthodox Faction suddenly so concerned with respect? Do you think you have any manners to speak of? You ambushed me.”
“How did you dodge it?” he asked, his voice curious.
“Your attack was just that poor.”
Even as I said it, I was pouring all my focus into assessing him. An assassin. Sweat trickled down my cheek. This was a dangerous opponent. Not a standard martial artist, but a professional killer. I had blocked his first strike, but if we were of similar skill, an assassin held the advantage in a one-on-one fight. The room offered no hiding spots, which was good, but the advantage was still his.
I circulated my Qi, causing the flames around me to burn brighter. The man observed my actions and nodded slowly.
“A small body with a sharp expression, a red uniform, and Flame Arts… Right. You are Gu Yangcheon.”
I frowned. “You know me?”
“You were on the list… But thankfully, you came to us yourself. That makes our work easier.”
His Demonic Qi felt similar to Ya Hyeoljeok’s. He was definitely from the Black Palace. They know about me. Did they get my information because I killed Ya Hyeoljeok? I expected this, but not so soon. Does that mean their business here is that important? That flower? Or the Immortal Healer? What do I do?
My opponent had reached the peak realm. He was on a completely different level from Ya Hyeoljeok. I heightened my senses with Qi, but he remained relaxed and calm. I couldn't afford to lower my guard. This was a shitty situation. With him blocking the only exit, escape would be difficult, and my chances of winning were virtually nonexistent. I'd hoped he'd be overconfident like Ya Hyeoljeok, but he showed no such inclination.
As I reinforced my body with Qi, he spoke again. “I’ll offer you a deal.”
“What?” His proposal came out of nowhere.
“The main palace wants you. They ordered us to capture you alive if possible. So, how about you come with us peacefully?”
His words were absurd. “Even after you tried to kill me with an ambush?”
“I didn’t know it was you back then. You seem like a precious scion of a great clan. Why not come willingly, instead of becoming just another tragic tale?”
“Oh, you can even joke.”
“I’ll have to suppress your strength, but I’ll at least let you live.”
I smirked. He was telling me to beg the Black Palace for my life, an organization likely tied to the Demonic Cult. My life is precious. It felt especially so since I'd been given a second chance. But it wasn't so precious that I would bow my head to him. At the very least, I wouldn't grovel before these shitty demonic humans.
The smirk stayed on my face as I spoke. “Fuck off, trash.”
The man’s eye twitched visibly beneath his mask at my vulgarity. I was sure of it.
“You should say that after you at least get rid of that murderous look in your eyes, you retard.”
“Hehe… You are keener than I thought.”
I knew he wouldn't keep his promise the moment I laid eyes on him. An assassin who can't even hide his emotions? Just how much is he underestimating me?
The man stopped giggling. “I am Nachal.”
“Why are you introducing yourself all of a sudden? Do you want to be friends?”
“You should at least know who you are dying to. I’m just being considerate.”
What dogshit consideration. Do they introduce themselves telepathically when assassinating someone from the shadows? Of course not. He was just toying with me. Nachal… I’ve never heard that name. I doubted it was real, but even if it was, it meant nothing. Besides the Dark King, few assassins were known to the world.
The only thing that mattered was surviving a confrontation with this skilled killer.
…Tsk. I hadn't expected the Black Palace to identify me this quickly. My haste was to blame. I ran through every possible tactic, but I simply lacked the power to overcome him. Even so, I had to try.
Gathering my Qi, I prepared to charge.
[…I just woke up and you are already in trouble.]
My feet, poised to leap, froze instantly.
[Tsk tsk… The world should know that I can’t get any rest even after death.]
A familiar voice. Despite the dire circumstances, hearing him filled me with relief.
Elder Sh-
[Don’t be stupid and step aside for a bit.]
The world around me stilled.
* * *
What’s going on?
Nachal was confused. Gu Yangcheon had suddenly lowered his head.
The Black Palace's orders were clear: retrieve the ‘liquid’ from this branch hideout, capture the Immortal Healer, and gather information on the Gu Clan child. Finding the liquid had been easy. The device required Heavenly Qi to activate, so all he had to do was retrieve it.
I ambushed and killed the Murim Alliance flies blocking the hideout and moved their corpses aside. It would be at least two hours before anyone noticed.
After securing the liquid, he had sensed an unknown presence and concealed himself. When the presence—a mere boy—entered the basement, he’d initially been relieved. I was worried for nothing. He thought he’d closed the entrance, but perhaps he’d left it open.
Killing the boy should have been simple, but surprisingly, the kid had dodged his killing blow. Then the room filled with flames, and Nachal recognized him: the son of the Tiger Warrior currently in Shaanxi.
The order regarding Gu Yangcheon had been clear: gather information, but elimination was permitted. Even though the boy had killed Ya Hyeoljeok, he was still only a first-rate martial artist. I could probably take out Ya Hyeoljeok in one strike if things went my way. But for his age… he’s a monster.
Feeling the density of Qi in the flames, Nachal couldn't help but be impressed. Letting a monster like this live, especially one hostile to the main palace, would invite future disaster. He decided to eliminate Gu Yangcheon here and now.
However…
“Ugh, my back…”
The boy who began moving again seemed completely different.
“Why must I go through this hassle at my age…”
Is he playing around? Trying to buy time? It didn’t matter. Nachal drew a dagger from his pocket, channeling his Qi. Target the neck, or if possible, the heart. End this in an instant. He had no intention of watching this poor performance any longer.
He charged, resolved to finish it.
…!
But he couldn't take more than three steps.
After one step, his neck was cut. After the second, his body was stabbed. In a single instant, a hundred deaths flashed before his eyes.
“…What in the world…”
“No matter how much time passes, there are always kids like you.”
The voice came from behind him. Whirling around, he saw Gu Yangcheon swinging a sword he had pulled from the corpse of a Mount Hua swordsman.
“I hated their kind, so I lived to eradicate them. It seems the world hasn’t changed after all.”
Nachal found himself taking an involuntary step back. He frowned, disgusted by his own reaction.
Ignoring him, Gu Yangcheon continued. “What did you say earlier? That you have to know who you die to?”
“…What did you do?” Nachal stammered.
“Haha…”
Gu Yangcheon’s chuckle echoed through the silent room. No Qi amplified the sound, yet it was deafeningly clear. Despite his mask, which should only let through the smell of rotting blood, Nachal swore he could smell something sweet, something floral.
Gu Yangcheon spoke again. “Nice to meet you, greenhorn.”
A gust of wind blew through the room, bouncing off the walls and filling the entire space.
“My name is Shincheol.”
It was as if the largest plum blossom tree, long since succumbed to time… had chosen this very spot to bloom once more.