Chapter 73: A Bit of a Scratch (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: A Bit of a Scratch (2)
Gu Ryunghwa’s day began before dawn.
Like all true disciples of Mount Hua, she did not simply rise with the sun. She awoke in the deep, quiet dark, waiting for the first light to crest the horizon.
After dressing in her sect uniform, she moved with practiced silence, careful not to disturb her master’s slumber.
Her mornings were usually spent training in the forest or tending to chores around their secluded hut.
But today was different. Today, she had an errand in the city.
The Immortal Healer had sent her to purchase medicinal ingredients. Clutching the silver coin she’d been given, she set off for the market.
A child buying such things would normally be cheated—given inferior goods or turned away entirely. But the distinctive white and blue uniform of Mount Hua Sect guaranteed her fair treatment. Here in Huayin City, nestled in the shadow of the great sect itself, no merchant would dare swindle one of its disciples. In fact, they were more likely to give her extra.
The Immortal Healer, it seemed, was well aware of this advantage.
Gu Ryunghwa glanced at the list in her hand, swiftly gathering everything written there.
…It smells so bitter.
She left the apothecary with a box of herbs, the pungent, bitter scent clinging to the air around her.
Outside, the market was coming alive, food stalls sending tempting aromas wafting through the streets. Her steps slowed for a moment, drawn by the delicious smells, but she didn’t stop. The temptation of food was nothing compared to her duty to her master.
“Time to return…!”
Has Master woken up yet?
Lately, her master had been sleeping more and more, a clear sign of her fading strength. The thought that she might still be asleep worried Gu Ryunghwa. She hoped a meal would be ready by the time she returned to the hut.
Her thoughts turned, reluctantly, to the Immortal Healer’s grandson. Circumstances had forced her to spend much of her recent days with him, which she found bothersome.
Yet, she had to admit… the boy was surprisingly capable in the kitchen. She didn’t know much about him, but he was clever and efficient with chores. It was… impressive.
…I need to be like that, too.
She wanted to be more useful to her master, to learn more skills that could help.
Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly froze mid-step.
-She wouldn’t make it past this year.
The Immortal Healer’s cold, clinical words echoed in her mind.
-Drop
A tear fell before she even realized she was crying. She quickly wiped it away, scrubbing at her cheeks. She hated crying in front of others, and most of all, she hated worrying her master. Her master always knew, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
But once the tears started, they were hard to stop. Like a crack in a dam, a single drop could lead to a flood.
That’s why Gu Ryunghwa hated crying.
She wiped furiously at the endless stream and let her mind wander to the unthinkable.
…If Master passes away…
What would be left for her?
Nothing. There would be absolutely nothing.
She was certain of it.
Family?
I hate that word…
Just the thought made her shrink inwardly with a deep, familiar fear.
Even now, the memory of that night remained vivid—a horrifying clarity amidst the fog of her past. A night she could never forget.
The day the light vanished from her life.
The sound of her mother’s weeping. The cold, detached look in her father’s eyes as he stared down. And Gu Yangcheon, kneeling on the ground…
It was the last time she saw her mother. The day everything was ruined.
But then, what about the Mount Hua Sect?
She shook her head, unsure. She always snarled at anyone who tried to get close. As a latecomer who had been accepted as a second-generation disciple, she had never fit in with the third-generation students.
Would the sect even let her stay after her master was gone? And if they did, could she bear it?
The tears still showed no sign of stopping.
Eventually, she arrived near the hut. She forced herself to pull herself together, to look normal. It was the least she could do as a disciple.
Steeling herself, she took a step forward… and vanished completely.
It was as if she had dissolved into the air itself, like smoke blending into the atmosphere.
This sudden phenomenon left a group of men who had been quietly watching her utterly bewildered.
“…Where did she go?”
“Did she notice us?”
“You think a little girl who barely qualifies as a second-rate martial artist could spot us? I’d sooner believe the Celestial Plum Blossom himself transformed into that girl.”
“Enough. Shut up and start searching. I think we’ve finally found something.”
A small man wearing a black bandana began scrutinizing the spot where Gu Ryunghwa had disappeared. The area seemed ordinary, but something felt off.
Could it be… a spatial art?
But why would someone set such a thing up in the middle of a mountain? He reached his arm out toward the empty space.
- Thump—!
“…!”
His hand bounced back as if it had struck an invisible wall—a surprisingly solid and harsh one. He massaged his numb hand.
Not a spatial displacement, then.
It seemed to incorporate concealment arts, but its primary function was that of a barrier. And a powerful one, saturated with a tremendous amount of Qi.
“…Did the Celestial Plum Blossom do this?”
It was possible someone else was responsible, but the only person he could imagine capable of erecting such a formidable barrier in this place was the legendary Celestial Plum Blossom. Even his own branch manager, a monster in his own right, couldn’t have managed this.
“It seems I did find something…”
He wondered if the person they were searching for was truly inside.
I should report this to the branch manager first.
He knew he lacked the power to break this barrier. Any reckless attempt would only alert the Mount Hua Sect.
“We’re pulling back.”
As soon as he gave the order, a disappointed grumble came from the man beside him.
“We’re really leaving…?”
The voice was accompanied by the sound of teeth grinding together, thick with displeasure.
The bandana-wearing man was sure this pig of a subordinate was just upset about the girl who had vanished before their eyes.
“What’s your problem, Dusum?”
“…That girl we saw. She was a pretty little thing. Can’t we have a little fun with her before we go, boss?”
The bandana-wearing man visibly recoiled at Dusum’s words.
“For fuck’s sake, I told you not to cause a scene here. Are you out of your mind?”
Despite the scolding, Dusum just slurped his tongue in disappointment, completely ignoring his superior’s words.
“…But boss, it’s been so long since I’ve had a taste. Wouldn’t you enjoy it too?”
“Stop with that disgusting talk. She’s a child, you idiot! Wake the fuck up!”
“But she was wearing a Mount Hua uniform. Wouldn’t the branch manager be pleased if we brought her to him?”
“She’s a goddamn child! What intelligence could we possibly get from her? Fuck! Just leave the kids alone!”
“Right, leave the children be.”
“Okay, then let’s get back to—”
His words cut off abruptly.
At the same time, every man lurking near the barrier froze.
A new, unfamiliar voice had joined their conversation.
The bandana-wearing man didn’t hesitate for a second. His sword was out in a flash, slicing through the air toward the source of the voice with all his strength.
- Swish—!
The blade cut nothing but empty air. Yet, he was certain he had felt a presence there.
- Crack—!
“Ughh…!”
The sickening sound of breaking bone was followed by Dusum’s choked groan.
The bandana-wearing man looked over just in time to see the gigantic man collapse to the ground. Dusum wasn’t as massive as their branch manager, but he was still a mountain of a man.
- Thud—!
His body hit the forest floor with a heavy, earth-shaking thud that echoed through the silent trees. His neck was twisted at an impossible angle, leaving no doubt that he was dead.
“You… Who are you?” the bandana-wearing man demanded.
Behind Dusum’s fallen body stood a boy.
His hair was mostly black, but the ends were tinged with a faint, bloody red. His eyes, however, were a vivid, freshly-spilled crimson. He stood with a firm, unshakable posture, clad in a red uniform that marked him as a martial artist.
The boy’s gaze fell upon the man.
His voice was dripping with murderous intent.
“What would you do if I told you, you scum?”
A curse left his lips, and an instant later, a wave of destructive flame erupted from his body, engulfing everything in its path.
* * *
The quiet, peaceful forest was instantly transformed into a battlefield.
- Roar—!
The wild, unruly flames spread with terrifying speed.
The man, Baechong, couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
Who is this monstrous boy? Where did he come from?
He had only come to scout the area. He never expected to run into… this.
He had taken every precaution to avoid the Mount Hua Sect… only to stumble upon this demonic youth.
His eyes darted to Dusum’s corpse. Aside from the grotesquely twisted neck, there were no other wounds. The kill had been instantaneous, executed with bare hands.
He didn’t hesitate at all.
How could a boy that young be so ruthlessly efficient? And to kill a man like Dusum with his bare hands…
How is this possible? He can’t even be twenty years old!
Furthermore,
- Roar—!
“Fuck…!”
Baechong barely managed to deflect the onslaught of raging flames with his sword.
What kind of fire art is this? There’s no one in all of Shaanxi who uses flame arts like this…!
And within the chaotic inferno, he saw it—the boy had absolute control over the all-devouring flames. That level of mastery was something most martial artists could never achieve in a lifetime.
It meant that Baechong, a martial artist who had long surpassed the ordinary first-rate realm, was utterly helpless against him.
Is he a monster wearing human skin?
As Baechong clenched his fists in despair, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air.
“Aghhhhh!”
One of his men was caught by the hair. The monstrous boy enveloped his hand in flame and burned the man alive.
“…Ah… Aghhhh!”
The agonized screams of a man being incinerated echoed through the forest, yet the boy’s eyes remained utterly emotionless, unchanged from the moment he appeared.
“I made a small mistake.”
The boy spoke slowly. His voice sent chills down Baechong’s spine. It was an abyss—empty and unfathomable.
“I should have burned that pig’s insides first. I got sloppy. It’s been a while since I’ve killed anyone.”
How can a boy so young be so accustomed to this?
His cruel words and actions seemed to suit him perfectly, as if this was his natural state.
Baechong asked, trying desperately to hide the cold sweat soaking his clothes. “…Wh-What the hell are you?”
“Did you not hear me? What will you do with the information?”
“Do you even know who we are…”
“It’s obvious. You’re flies serving the master of the Black Palace.”
“…!”
Hearing the boy speak that name, Baechong froze solid.
“How did you…”
The boy smiled, taking a step closer. The blistering flames followed him, and on his way, he casually killed another man.
“Kyaghhhh!”
Another harrowing scream echoed and was swiftly cut short.
“Let me ask you something.”
- Crackle
To Baechong, the boy slowly advancing toward him seemed less like a human and more like a living embodiment of flame.
This incarnation of fire drew nearer and asked, “I didn’t know much about you. But I recently discovered something interesting.”
Baechong felt like the world itself was melting around him.
How can a person be like this?
This was a fear entirely different from what he felt for his branch manager. While both were fear, the levels were incomparable.
What in hell am I facing right now?
As the thought crossed his mind, a tendril of flame snaked out and seized one of Baechong’s arms.
“…Oomph…!”
He couldn’t even scream as he watched his arm burn to ash, paralyzed by an all-encompassing terror. He could only try to retreat, to escape this malevolent force of despair.
The flames continued to speak, the boy’ gaze pinning him in place.
“Why is it…”
His sharp, blood-red eyes glinted.
“That you people have Demonic Qi inside you?”
The boy’s question was accompanied by the stench of severe burns.
Baechong had no answer.