Chapter 67: Immortal Healer (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 67: Immortal Healer (4)
Hundreds of figures knelt in the oppressive darkness of a vast hall. Among the martial artists clad in uniforms of unrelenting black, a single man paced slowly forward. Each demonic human kneeling in the room trembled, thoroughly suppressed by the Demonic Qi that leaked unconsciously from the man’s form.
Yet, his gaze never wavered from the path ahead. He looked only to the end of that walkway.
[We are pleased you have returned safely.]
A calm voice emanated from the far end of the hall. The man’s pace quickened slightly at the sound.
[Ugh…]
[Aghhh!]
The Demonic Qi radiating from him crushed everything in its vicinity.
[Oh my, it seems you are angry.]
Despite the suffocating pressure, the figure at the end of the path continued to sip his wine with infuriating calm. Seeing that composed silhouette, the man finally roared.
[Are you satisfied now!?]
His words were laced with escaping Demonic Qi, a manifestation of the rampaging emotions within him.
[What do you mean?]
In response, the man gathered the scattered Demonic Qi and hurled it toward the seated figure. But before the attack could even reach its target, it dissipated into nothingness.
-Crack.
The man gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on the person who remained untouched, still protected by the Heavenly Demon’s power.
[My Lord, with my small brain, I cannot comprehend the reason for your fury.]
The seated man brushed his long hair back with a hand, revealing a scar that ran from his cheek up to his eye.
[We conquered Sichuan as planned, and repelled the Tang Clan in the process.]
And during that campaign, the Poison Queen had taken her own life.
[There was an unexpected death in the war, but we gained more than we initially desired.]
They had successfully slaughtered the majority of the Orthodox Faction’s warriors and taken the head of their leader under the pretext of his irresponsibility. But the Demonic Sword Queen had died as well.
[So, what is the problem?]
His voice carried the faintest trace of a chuckle, grating on the ears. He positioned a fan to cover his mouth.
The standing man forced himself to endure the headache ravaging his mind.
[Lord.]
The seated man beckoned him closer.
Zhuge Hyuk.
The only man among these demonic bastards who was not a demonic human. He had risen to become a key member of the cult through his silver tongue alone, and now he looked at the approaching man with a calculative smile.
[This was what our Lord desired.]
[They say you cannot cover the sky with your hand, yet you try to cover the sun with your mouth?]
[I do not know why you are acting this way. Is it because that woman died?]
- Blaze!
At those words, seething flames instantly erupted, engulfing the room. Yet, the flames never reached the man sitting there with his wretched smile.
[Aghhh!]
[My body…! I’m burning alive!!]
The inferno soon consumed the unfortunate demonic humans around him, but the man’s eyes were locked solely on Zhuge Hyuk. Finding something amusing in the situation, Zhuge Hyuk’s smile never faltered.
[Your soldiers are all burning alive. You should calm down.]
The vicious flames showed no sign of weakening. The more emotional the man became, the more unruly and violent the flames grew.
After the war between the Demonic Cult and the Tang Clan, Sichuan had been rendered a wasteland, unsuitable for life. Within the never-ending poisonous fog lay the Poison Queen, who had ended her own life.
And the Demonic Sword Queen, who had swung her blade under the faint moonlight, gazing at the sky in search of that ethereal moon, had finally closed her eyes under that same sky, never to open them again.
The moon she had so dearly loved was nowhere to be seen, already shrouded by the dark clouds of rain and despair.
So, what remained in the end?
Nothing…
That was the meaning of sacrifice, and the seething man knew that better than anyone else in this world.
Then why am I so angry?
Did I still retain a shred of humanity, even after casting away that title?
The irony was palpable.
Slowly, the man’s hand, which had been reaching for the insufferable bastard’s neck, lowered. The chaotic flames engulfing the hall in their wrath began to die down.
Zhuge Hyuk only giggled at the sight.
[So you’ve finally calmed yourself, hmm…]
[Shut your mouth. I am restraining myself with great effort from tearing it from your face.]
[I hope you are not mistaken.]
Zhuge Hyuk’s eyes, which had been lightly closed, opened slightly as he spoke to the man who seemed to be burning from the inside out with emotion.
[We all came here voluntarily. Your behavior just now is not helpful.]
[What are you trying to say?]
[Do not forget that our Lord is still here. That is all I am saying. You serve only our Lord, and nothing else.]
Zhuge Hyuk folded his fan and tapped it against the man’s shoulders.
Looking at Zhuge Hyuk with ferocity rumbling in the depths of his eyes, the man clenched his jaw hard and turned around. He had not come here to engage in such a conversation with this individual.
[The Lord of Heaven is dead.]
Zhuge Hyuk’s voice reached his ears, but the man chose to ignore him and continue walking away.
[The Dishonored Venerable will soon meet the same fate.]
The man’s steps did not falter.
[The Sword Venerable has lost an arm, so the Lord Heavenly Demon will not have to expend much effort either.]
Maintaining his pace, the man reached for the doorknob.
[Then who do you think remains?]
- Pause.
The man had no choice but to stop at Zhuge Hyuk’s final words, spoken with a smile.
But he did not turn around. He was unsure what expression he was making.
[Think carefully. The Lord will undoubtedly leave this matter to you.]
- Shatter.
The sound of metal shattering into pieces echoed through the room. The doorknob, grabbed by the raging man, had shattered under the uncontrolled strength of his grip.
[I hope you make the right decision, sir.]
Those words, spoken with an unsettling smile, soiled the man’s ears.
After breaking the door open, the man created a sound barrier and screamed at the top of his lungs. Having screamed his lungs out, he felt he could breathe again.
He stood still for a moment, then began to move once more. He managed to somewhat compose his previous expression.
The Demonic Qi still rampaged within his body, but he could not afford to let it show.
Slowly, the man walked forward.
The man—no, Gu Yangcheon’s next destination was Henan.
* * *
The Heavenly Demon was often spoken of as a unique entity born for the sole purpose of tearing the masks from human faces.
But even it was human.
No matter how powerful, the demonic cult formed by the Heavenly Demon was still a group. However, it was evident this was no ordinary group, as most of its members had gone mad or become raving lunatics after their transformation.
And even such a crazed, disoriented gathering had managed to conquer regions of the Martial World, thanks to one man.
Even the territory inhabited by the world’s greatest clan had been erased by the machinations of the demonic cult. The Murim Alliance, renowned as the very heart of the Orthodox Factions, had been destroyed by that very same man.
Zhuge Hyuk—the brains of the demonic cult, often referred to as the ears and mouth of the Heavenly Demon.
That devilish man was the person I had been desperately searching for since my regression. The man so elusive it made me nervous, fearing I would never find him in time… was now standing right before me.
“Why are you here?”
Unable to control my surging emotions, my voice leaked a trace of anger.
He looked slightly younger than me. His hair was unusual—one side of his head was black, the other white. His bangs covered almost half of his face, so I reached out and parted them to the side.
“…?”
The scar I had seen… the scar covering half of his face… it was not there.
Hmm. Perhaps he hasn’t acquired it yet.
“You…”
I called out to him in a low voice.
There was no response. Only his gaze, silently staring back at me. Even after a moment, nothing came from him.
Is he ignoring me?
That thought caused my anger to boil over. The wrath sprouting from the very core of my being… the rage I had been suppressing finally reached the top of my head.
Oh, maybe I should just kill him now?
That was the first thought that came to mind. I already had the intention to kill him; there was really no need to hesitate—
[Hey-!]
“…!”
Elder Shin’s sudden shout jolted me from my daze.
[What in the world are you doing!? Let him go!]
Let go? Let go of what?
Belatedly, I looked down at my hand and was shocked to see I was gripping the boy’s neck.
…When?
What was I trying to do just now?
An ominous feeling washed over me. I understood I was emotional, and this young body was prone to such impulses, but to act so rashly without considering the consequences?
Something was definitely wrong. I was infuriated, yes, but to lose control like that…
…It’s.
It’s as if I was being controlled by—
“What are you doing!?”
Along with the sudden shout, I was literally shoved away from the boy, tumbling onto the grass. After rolling for a bit, I struggled to my feet.
“…What are you doing, appearing out of nowhere so randomly?”
A voice brimming with unbridled anger reached my ears. Looking toward its source, I saw the uniform of the Mount Hua Sect.
She had short hair that barely reached her shoulders and facial features reminiscent of the Gu Clan. However, her face wasn’t as sharp as my other siblings’, probably resembling more the parent who wasn’t from the Gu Clan.
It had been a while since I’d seen my little sister. Though I never expected to see her under these circumstances.
Gu Ryunghwa shouted angrily as she looked at my face. “It’s already hard enough for me to just see and tolerate that wretched face of yours! Why are you making this more difficult for me!”
“What are you—”
“What were you trying to do to a child who can’t even speak? Did you do that because you thought it would make me suffer, since he seems important to me?”
“What?”
“Even after coming all the way here, you…”
What had Gu Ryunghwa just said?
He can’t speak…?
I looked at Zhuge Hyuk with a shocked expression. His eyes remained emotionless. Even when a stranger had suddenly grabbed his neck with a firm grip, he had only offered light resistance, his expression not changing for a second.
He can’t speak?
My mind reeled. The boy I had believed to be Zhuge Hyuk was actually disabled?
…Is it not him?
He didn’t have that grotesque scar, and he couldn’t speak… The only things matching the description were the approximate age and his unusual hair. That could just be a coincidence.
And yet, for some reason, I remained certain. The boy sitting there with that eerie gaze was Zhuge Hyuk.
[Organize your thoughts first.]
I took a deep breath upon hearing Elder Shin’s words.
As soon as I had left the Sect Leader’s residence, Elder Shin had reappeared, complaining about how frustrating it was not to be able to speak. Whether this was due to the location itself or perhaps the power of the Celestial Plum Blossom, I wasn’t sure.
I didn’t have time to find out. The moment the Celestial Plum Blossom emerged from his residence, he ordered some of his disciples to help my entourage find shelter and immediately ran off somewhere. Told to follow, I had no choice but to run with him.
…And what is this.
In a place located a short distance from Mount Hua, there stood an old hut in the middle of a beautiful forest. And here was Zhuge Hyuk. Moreover, Gu Ryunghwa, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was also here. But I, as if possessed, had gone straight for the boy, ignoring her completely.
Elder Shin asked, [You know this child?]
…
[To say ‘no’ wouldn’t explain why the beast within you suddenly started rampaging wilder than ever before the moment you laid eyes on him.]
I hadn’t even used my Qi. What had happened to make it run amok like that?
Finally calming down, I saw the Celestial Plum Blossom approaching me.
“It seems you two were closer than I thought.”
That came out of nowhere.
“What do you mean…?”
“Weren’t you angry because your little sister was with another boy?”
“…Pardon?”
What kind of nonsense is he spouting? The Celestial Plum Blossom was truly blooming flowers in his head, living up to his title.
Gu Ryunghwa made a face full of disgust upon hearing his words. She glanced at Zhuge Hyuk, then at me, and goosebumps visibly trailed over her skin. She looked as if she wanted to scream in revulsion but was trying her best to hold it in out of respect for the Mount Hua Sect Leader.
- Creaaak.
The door to the hut slowly opened. Emerging from the building was an elderly man with a head full of white hair.
Who is that…?
[He doesn’t look like a martial artist.]
I thought the same. Judging by his physique, he didn’t seem to be one. But I reminded myself not to judge by appearance alone; even the Sword Venerable had a similar build to the old man I was now gazing upon.
The elderly man looked around and spoke. “Why are you all causing a hassle in front of someone’s property!”
The Celestial Plum Blossom smiled at the man’s words. “Tae! I’m here!”
The old man frowned deeply. “You fucker…! You show up now, after keeping a busy man like me stuck in the middle of these mountains!?”
To speak to the Lord of Mount Hua like that…
Yet, the Celestial Plum Blossom didn’t seem to mind the cursing. He then pointed toward me. “Please, take a look at this kid, Tae!”
The elderly man looked at me. He seemed unwilling, so I just stood there, unsure of what to do.
After staring at me for a moment, the old man shouted at the Celestial Plum Blossom. “There’s nothing to see here! Screw off!”
- Slam!
After the hut’s door slammed shut, I couldn’t help but ask the Celestial Plum Blossom, “Who is that man…?”
Combing his beard with his hand, the Celestial Plum Blossom spoke in an awkward tone. “He’s just a healer I know, but he seems more sensitive than usual.”
“…I see.”
“Here, let’s go inside first.”
“Huh? But he told us to screw off—”
The Celestial Plum Blossom just laughed at my words. “He told us to screw off, but he didn’t say we couldn’t come in. It should be fine.”
“Isn’t that basically the same thing?”
Whether he didn’t hear me or chose to ignore me, I didn’t know, but he simply opened the door and entered the hut.
-Tae!
-Hey, you… piece of shit…!
I didn’t know what to think, listening to the screams and shouts leaking from the hut. For some reason, I could see the visage of the Second Elder in this highly respected Taoist of the Mount Hua Sect.
Now I understand why they are friends…
