Chapter 26: The Demon Sword (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: The Demon Sword (3)
This tale is from a time now past.
In a desolate mountain range, cold corpses lay piled upon one another—members of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions, alongside demonic cultivators. And standing amidst that carnage was Namgung Bi-ah, her sword in hand as she gazed blankly at the sky.
[Demonic Sword]
Hearing my call, Namgung Bi-ah slowly turned her head toward me.
She looked more terrifying than usual, with droplets of blood stark against her pale cheeks. Then there were her eyes—pools of black that held no emotion whatsoever. Staring into them felt like staring into an abyss.
[You’re the only one left. Did you kill all the rest?]
Every sword wound on the bodies around us, whether martial artist or demonic human, bore the distinct mark of Namgung Bi-ah’s blade. In the heat of battle, she had cut down anyone in her path, ally or enemy alike.
Witnessing the slaughter, I spoke again.
[I told you we’re short on time. What the hell were you thinking?]
At my words, Namgung Bi-ah began walking toward me. The blood-soaked sword in her hand stood out vividly as the distance between us closed. She showed no killing intent—but that was precisely what made her so dangerous. Namgung Bi-ah never revealed her intent to kill. No matter what.
A person whose emotions never shook her core—that was what made her such a frightening swordsman.
Now standing directly before me, she wiped the blood from her cheek and spoke.
[There was nothing here.]
[Yeah, because you wiped it all out.]
Swish.
With a sudden flick of her wrist, she sent all the blood on her blade splattering to the ground, leaving the steel gleaming and pristine. A massive sword arc followed the motion, stirring the wind violently for a brief moment.
After cleaning her sword, Namgung Bi-ah asked me a question.
[What did the leader say?]
[They ordered me to bring you back. Said you’d probably run amok like a madwoman.]
[The second part—was that your own addition?]
[I see you’ve still got a shred of sanity left if you noticed that.]
Namgung Bi-ah had gone mad—mad for her sword, and nothing else.
She sheathed her blade and began to walk away. I sighed as I watched her.
[You’re going the wrong way, Demonic Sword.]
[…Where is it again?]
[To the left.]
[Ah…]
[…It’s the other left.]
It took several corrections before Namgung Bi-ah finally started in the right direction. Here was a master who had just slain hundreds without breaking a sweat, now acting utterly clueless. It was bizarre to see someone so overwhelmingly lethal also be so… foolish.
Demonic Sword—the name suited her perfectly.
After walking slowly for a time, Namgung Bi-ah halted.
[Hey.]
[What?]
[The Sword Venerable must be strong, right?]
[…Asking something like that, maybe I spoke too soon about your sanity.]
I stopped walking as well and answered sharply, my tone stern. She seemed to be entertaining strange ideas.
[Let me do you a favor and remind you, in case you’ve forgotten: don’t overstep your bounds. The Sword Venerable is reserved for our lead—]
[What do you think the Sword Venerable’s sword is like?]
[Sigh… You crazy bitch.]
I shook my head, turned around, and continued walking. After a few steps, I realized she wasn’t following. When I glanced back, I saw Namgung Bi-ah muttering quietly to herself—once again heading in the wrong direction.
[…]
Do I really have to stop her?
I hesitated only a moment before picking up a nearby rock. Channeling a bit of Qi into it, I hurled the stone straight at her head.
Mid-flight, the rock split cleanly in two and dropped to the ground.
[Looking for a fight?]
Namgung Bi-ah was already facing me, sword drawn. This was the only time she ever showed emotion. Her Qi pressed down on the area, a palpable force that made my body ache.
Rubbing my face to ease the discomfort, I spoke.
[You’re going the wrong way.]
[…Oh!]
Hearing this, she sheathed her sword instantly. The crushing pressure of her Qi vanished. A few seconds later, she started off again—seemingly on the right path—only to stop once more, a conflicted look on her face.
[Now what?]
[I’ve been thinking.]
[About what?]
[This doesn’t feel like the right way, no matter how I look at it.]
Having said that, she vanished from sight. I rubbed my face again, this time in sheer frustration.
[…That’s not it either, you idiot…]
I reached our destination in less than a day. Namgung Bi-ah, who had gone off on her own, arrived four days later.
* * *
All eyes turned toward me after my outburst. Namgung Bi-ah’s gaze, in particular, was terrifying. It only reinforced my desire to stay far away from her, even if it killed me.
The prestige of the Namgung name? Her beauty? Her peerless swordsmanship? None of it mattered. She was a psychopath—and that overrode everything else.
“Young Master?” Muyeon looked at me, confused by my sudden cursing outburst.
I desperately wanted to stay silent, but this was too much.
Namgung Bi-ah looked my way and asked, “Are you the leader of this caravan?”
Goosebumps prickled across my skin the moment I heard her voice. Should I even answer?
Not waiting for a response, she bowed slightly. “I am Namgung Bi-ah of the Namgung Clan. If it’s not too much trouble, might we travel together to Sich—”
“No, we’re not going to Sichuan, and yes, it would be trouble.”
My instant refusal widened every eye present. Namgung Bi-ah herself tilted her head, as if surprised by my response. I suppose no sane person would refuse a request from a member of the Namgung Clan—but I wasn’t done.
“We can’t be certain you’re truly from the Namgung Clan. It’s dangerous to allow an unknown martial artist into our group.”
Her light blue hair and robes, embroidered with the Namgung insignia, clearly marked her lineage—but my argument was technically sound. Not that it mattered; I wouldn’t accept her no matter what.
Upon hearing my refusal, Namgung Bi-ah simply said, “Ah…” and nodded. Then, without warning, she drew her sword.
Muyeon, who had been watching her closely, reacted fastest, immediately falling into a combat stance. But Namgung Bi-ah just stood there, eyes closed.
A familiar dread washed over me. This bitch isn’t about to…
The very flow of the air began to change. It felt as though I were standing on a bed of blades rather than solid ground. The atmosphere grew sharp enough to shred flesh. I knew this feeling all too well from my past life’s dealings with the lunatic before me.
After a few seconds, she slowly opened her eyes. The moment she did, her terrifying Qi erupted, engulfing the entire area. The previously lax escorts instantly drew their swords.
Yet, before any of them could strike, Namgung Bi-ah’s Qi vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Multiple blades were pointed at her, but her calm expression amid the threat was utterly insane to behold.
The Master of Swords—the pride of the Namgung Clan—was reflected in this seemingly frail young woman.
“I haven’t fully mastered it yet, so this is all I can show for now. But I hope it serves as proof of my identity.”
To prove who she was, Namgung Bi-ah had chosen the most reckless and foolish method possible—yet also the most definitive. Every escort present was now certain she was indeed the Young Lady of the Namgung Clan. She had used the clan’s iconic technique, after all.
I nodded slowly. “An immense display of Qi. However, there is now zero chance we will travel with someone so dangerous. My apologies.”
Proving her identity didn’t mean I’d changed my mind.
* * *
Having successfully refused Namgung Bi-ah’s company, we resumed our journey to Sichuan. Surprisingly, she accepted my rejection with only a nod.
Had I finally dodged one of life’s great troubles? I thanked the heavens.
How in hell did I end meeting her here? The memory of her slaughtering everything in her path—friend or foe—was still vivid.
And why was the daughter of the Namgung Clan wandering alone out here?
“Sigh… I’m exhausted.” That brief encounter had drained me more than four days of travel.
“Young Master! Young Master!” Wi Seol-Ah called from the carriage window, looking out at something. “She’s still following us.”
“…What?” A dreadful understanding dawned. Please, no…
As if reading my mind, Wi Seol-Ah confirmed my nightmare. “That pretty lady from before—she’s following us.”
Oh, gods. Peering out the window, I saw Namgung Bi-ah trailing our caravan at a distance.
Was that what her nod meant? That if we didn’t accept her, she’d follow anyway?
…I’m going to lose my mind.
As much as I wanted to scream at her to get lost, I had no grounds to do so. I told her we weren’t going to Sichuan! Why is she still following us? Does she have the same destination? Impossible. I’d never seen that madwoman head in the right direction.
Fine. I’ll ignore her. That’s the only way.
…
The real problem came at nightfall, when we made camp. We’d found a decent spot and lit a fire—only to see another campfire flickering not far away.
It was Namgung Bi-ah. I didn’t know where she’d found it, but she was roasting a frog over her fire. Despite her vacant expression, her absurd beauty made even that simple act seem elegant. She was just sitting there, blatantly tailing us. And where did she get a frog?
I turned away, refusing to acknowledge her, and spotted Wi Seol-Ah running around with a plate of dumplings for the escorts. I’d once heard that the guards felt less tired when she handed them food—a notion I’d dismissed as nonsense. Now, having experienced it myself, I had to admit it felt true enough.
“Young Master! Dumpling!” She offered me one.
I took it and ate. Yeah… dumplings do make things better.
…At least I have you here.
I must have been hungrier than I thought; two dumplings vanished quickly. Still peckish, I looked around for Wi Seol-Ah to grab another.
…Oh, no.
Wi Seol-Ah was offering a dumpling to Namgung Bi-ah.
Namgung Bi-ah stared at the offered food with a rare expression of surprise, as if caught off guard by the kindness.
“Would you like one?” Wi Seol-Ah asked.
“…Ah.”
I stood immediately and strode over. Taking Wi Seol-Ah by the shoulders, I pulled her back. “What are you doing, giving food to an outsider?”
She looked hurt at my sharp tone. “It’s just… sad to see her eating a frog…”
“She probably likes frog. Don’t act recklessly. Go back.”
“Okay…” Wi Seol-Ah retreated, dejected.
Meanwhile, Namgung Bi-ah watched me, dumpling still in hand.
Once Wi Seol-Ah was gone, I turned my irritation on Namgung Bi-ah. “Why are you following us?”
“We just have the same destina—”
“Don’t give me that ‘same destination’ nonsense.”
She fell silent, caught off guard as I cut her off and predicted her words perfectly.
“I know you’re from the Namgung Clan.”
“Then… why not let me join your caravan?”
“I didn’t feel like it. I’m not obliged to accept you just because of your name.”
“Oh…”
“What I don’t understand is why the precious Young Lady of the Namgung Clan is traveling alone to such a distant place.”
I felt goosebumps again—this time from showing her deference—but it was necessary…
Namgung Bi-ah scratched her cheek awkwardly with her free hand. “…We set out together, but… I lost them along the way…”
I had no words. She was probably with a full escort, in a carriage… how do you get lost like that!?
…If I hadn’t known her in my past life, none of this would make sense.
I remembered how she could barely tell her right hand from her left. The Demonic Sword was heaven-blessed with the talent to get lost under any circumstance.
“We’re not going to Sichuan.”
“Really…? It felt like you were.”
Somehow, the girl who was always lost had oddly sharp instincts about this.
I coughed lightly and continued. “…Anyway, I won’t say more about you following. But do only that. Nothing more.”
That should be enough. It had to be.
As I turned to leave, Namgung Bi-ah stopped me. “Um, Young Master.”
“…Hm?”
“I’m Namgung Bi-ah.”
“…Yes, I know.”
Several seconds of silence passed as she simply stared at me. What does she want me to do with that information?
After an awkward pause, she tilted her head again, as if realizing something. “Now that I’ve introduced myself… may I know your name?”
“No—” I started, not wanting to deepen our connection.
Then a better idea struck.
“—My name is Gu Jeolyub.”
“Huh?”
“Jeolyub, of the Gu Clan. Gu Jeolyub.”
Namgung Bi-ah nodded slowly, as if committing the name to memory.
…Sorry, Jeolyub. I’ll be borrowing your name for a while.
I never thought I’d feel guilty toward Gu Jeolyub.