Chapter 74: A Bit of a Scratch (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: A Bit of a Scratch (3)
Blaze
The unruly flames that had threatened to devour the entire forest slowly receded, carried away by the wind.
With a single motion of my hand, the inferno that had raged through the woods was drawn back into my body. As the last of the raucous flames vanished within me, I felt a small portion of my Qi replenish.
“…Whew.”
I let out a sigh after fully retracting my Qi, watching hot steam leak from my mouth.
How much did I use just now? It felt like a considerable amount.
[Well, at least you’re aware of it.]
Elder Shin’s voice sounded weary.
[Do you have any idea how hard it is to calm that fucking thing down when it’s hell-bent on destroying everything in sight?]
“Was it really that dangerous?”
[If you had pushed even a little more Qi into it, I probably wouldn’t have been able to hold it back any longer.]
“It was that close, huh…”
The truth of his words became clear as I surveyed the scorched corpses. Having held nothing back, there wasn’t a single body left untouched by the flames. The forest, once filled with a refreshing cool breeze, was now saturated with the overwhelming stench of burning flesh.
As I brushed off my uniform, a thought crossed my mind.
First time.
This was the first life I had taken since my regression.
The feeling was strange, but I didn’t dwell on it. I hadn’t made some vow to never kill again just because I was reborn. These were members of the Black Palace, a faction of the Unorthodox Path, and they had come for my little sister.
So why is my heart pounding so fiercely?
I belatedly noticed my hands trembling in time with the frantic beating in my chest.
Is my mind at odds with my body?
I shouldn’t overthink it.
This had happened in my previous life, too. It got better with time. I just had to ignore it until it did.
[What about the one who ran away?]
The man who seemed to be the leader of this ragtag group had ultimately fled. I gazed in the direction he had disappeared.
Initially, I’d been determined to hunt him down and kill him like the rest. But I’d changed my mind after sensing the faint traces of Demonic Qi within him. Letting him live to extract information seemed the wiser course. It was incredibly faint, but the energy he possessed was unmistakably Demonic Qi.
How did Black Palace thugs get their hands on Demonic Qi? Do they already have ties to the Demonic Cult? That shouldn’t be possible.
There were still years before the Heavenly Demon and the Demonic Cult were supposed to emerge.
Was it even Demonic Qi to begin with?
I couldn’t be certain; the memory of its sensation had mostly faded. Moreover, it felt too weak to be labeled as true Demonic Qi. The regret of letting him escape grew stronger.
“He was faster than I expected.”
I should have burned his legs instead of his arm. It had been so long since a real fight… My mind wasn’t reacting as sharply as it should. I knew the slightest mistake could have cost me my head, yet I’d made an error like that. Perhaps I’d already grown weak-minded in this era of peace.
“…And how am I supposed to clean all this up?”
A throbbing ache bloomed in my head as I looked at the corpses strewn across the forest floor. If I were stronger, I could have reduced them all to ashes…
My anger flared again when I saw the man I’d killed by twisting his neck. I should have started by burning his internal organs from the inside out, but I’d ended up giving him a painless death. He didn’t deserve such mercy. The fact that he’d harbored such vile thoughts about a child who barely reached his waist was enough to make me want to torture him endlessly. And the fact that the child was Gu Ryunghwa only intensified my murderous rage and frustration that I hadn’t been able to make him suffer.
[You act like you treat her like shit, but you do care about your sister after all.]
Not necessarily.
[‘Not necessarily’ my ass. At least say that after you fix your expression first.]*
I needed to discuss this with the Celestial Plum Blossom. What worried me was how he would take the news. This was murder, and he was a Taoist first and a martial artist second.
Then Elder Shin spoke again, his words giving me pause.
[You only killed people who deserved to die. I don’t think you should dwell on it too much.]*
A Taoist before a martial artist. A martial artist before a Taoist. Having lived through the Great War of the Blood Demon, a cataclysm that shook the world, Elder Shin didn’t seem particularly shocked by this scene. But I had no idea how the Celestial Plum Blossom, living in this peaceful age, would react.
[I already knew you had your secrets, but what you did just now was still a bit surprising.]*
I smiled wryly at Elder Shin’s words. I knew he was trying to be considerate.
The appearance of the Black Palace, and that Demonic Qi…
“I wonder what brought them to this area.”
It didn’t seem like Gu Ryunghwa was their primary target… Weren’t Yung Pung and the other Mount Hua disciples scouting the area because of their missing people?
Could this be related?
I have a feeling I’m getting dragged into something troublesome.
First, I dispersed the residual heat from the surroundings and gathered all the corpses into one spot. Trying to hide them far away would only cause more problems. I would have to discuss the cleanup with the Celestial Plum Blossom after returning.
After a quick clean-up, I headed toward the hut. It seemed the intruders hadn’t been able to breach the barrier, but I passed through without any resistance. The entry was smooth.
What was the difference between us? Elder Shin soon answered my curiosity.
[It’s because of the Mount Hua Sect Qi within your body.]
…You mean it’s because I absorbed the power from that treasure?
[That seems to be the most likely explanation, yes.]*
A barrier can detect something like that?
It was another reminder of the Celestial Plum Blossom’s profound power.
As I neared the hut, the smell of something delicious wafted through the air. Were they preparing a meal? I found Gu Ryunghwa bustling about outside.
“What are you doing out here?”
She turned at the sound of my voice, her face instantly contorting into a displeased frown.
“Why are you back?”
“The Sect Leader asked me to deliver something.”
“To you?”
“To me.”
Her reaction confirmed that it was indeed strange for me to be running an errand for the leader.
Yes, I find it extraordinary, too. To be tasked with something like this over a single yakgwa…
I noticed Zhuge Hyuk chopping ingredients behind her. When our eyes met, he gave a slight nod in greeting.
“…What’s he doing?”
“Can’t you tell? He’s cooking.”
“He can cook?”
A question I probably shouldn’t have asked, judging by his proficient onion-chopping.
“…He’s better than I expected.”
She said it in a tone that sounded like the admission itself wounded her pride.
What’s her problem?
“Where is the Immortal Healer?”
“Inside… taking care of Master.”
“Okay.”
I moved to enter the hut, but Gu Ryunghwa suddenly grabbed my sleeve with a firm grip.
“What?”
“Woah… What’s wrong with your hand?”
My hand?
I looked down and saw a small cut. I thought I’d dodged everything, but something must have nicked me. It was just a scratch, hardly worth noting.
But seeing my sister’s face forced me to think. What would have happened if I hadn’t been here today? Honestly, probably nothing major. They didn’t seem strong enough to break the barrier. Still, the thought did nothing to improve my mood or change my opinion of those bastards. My impatience and foul temper had simply demanded I vent my anger by annihilating them with my Flame Arts.
It’s for the best.
I pulled my sleeve from Gu Ryunghwa’s grasp.
“It’s just a scratch.”
Her expression turned suspicious, but she had nothing more to interrogate me with.
“Stop worrying about me and get back to what you were doing.”
“Who said I was worried…!”
Ignoring her shout, I gave a light knock on the door.
Knock. Knock.
“Who is it?”
The Immortal Healer’s voice came from inside immediately.
“It’s Gu Yangcheon, from the other day.”
“Who— Oh…”
The door opened shortly after. The Immortal Healer wore the same uniform as before, and his face soured the moment he saw me. My arrival was clearly unwelcome.
“What do you want?”
“The Celestial Plum Blossom ordered me to deliver this to you.”
As I handed over the letter, his expression darkened progressively, like water coming to a rolling boil.
…Now that I think about it, he sent me because he was too scared to do it himself, wasn’t he? …I wouldn’t put it past him.
Unable to direct his anger at me, the Immortal Healer could only click his tongue and stuff the letter into his pocket.
“That piece of shit Dohwa is definitely going to hell.”
“…”
How could he speak that way about the sect leader…?
Anyway, my delivery done, I prepared to leave.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Huh?”
Surprisingly, he stopped me.
Why is he stopping me when he looked ready to kick me out a second ago?
Then I remembered the scratch Gu Ryunghwa had pointed out.
Is it because of that?
“…This is just a small scratch…”
“ ‘Small scratch’ my ass. Are you really going to lie to a doctor now?”
“No, really, it’s the kind of scratch that would heal if I just spat on it. I’m fine.”
“What kind of crazy fucker spits on a wound! This is why I hate guys who have nothing but martial arts in their heads…”
“W-Wait…!”
“Don’t make an old man use his strength. Come inside when I ask you to.”
I was genuinely worried that if I shook off the Immortal Healer’s hand too harshly, his arm might shatter. Unable to use my strength recklessly, I was forced to step inside.
* * *
In the Black Palace, within the branch manager’s room…
Thump—! Thump—!
Baechong repeatedly slammed his head against the hard ground, which was now stained with a bloody puddle. Across from him, Ya Hyeoljeok watched with a blank gaze.
Five men sent out with Baechong were dead. Baechong, the sole survivor, had returned with his left arm rendered useless.
Ya Hyeoljeok finally spoke. “So, who was it?”
“…I… I don’t know. It was a new face.”
“A new face? Hm. I see.”
Crack.
Crackle—!
“Ughh!”
With Ya Hyeoljeok’s words, the air in the cave pressed down violently, forcing blood from Baechong’s mouth.
“You’re telling me everyone died to some random guy, and you’re the only one who came back alive?”
“I’m… sorr—”
“Fuuuck! Are you being serious right now!?”
Ya Hyeoljeok swung his giant sword, and Baechong’s already disabled arm was severed cleanly.
“Aghhhh!”
“Hey, you piece of shit, you think I sent you out with the others for this to happen?”
“Ugghhh…!”
“I thought including a smart-looking one would make things go smoothly. Who would have thought you’d come back like this and disappoint me, you worthless shit?”
“…I’…m… sorry… Branch Manager…”
Ptooey!
Ya Hyeoljeok spat next to Baechong. Their branch was already short-handed, and now most of the scouts they’d sent out were dead. Killed by some random child, no less.
Baechong had reported that this child was a Flame Arts user. There weren’t many martial artists who used Flame Arts, and as far as Ya Hyeoljeok knew, it required immense training just to summon the flames. Where had such a monster appeared from? To make matters worse, the boy knew they were from the Black Palace.
Ya Hyeoljeok grabbed Baechong by his remaining shoulder, speaking to the trembling man.
“Baechong.”
“Yes…”
“You want to live, right?”
“…Yes… Please, give me one more chance, Branch Manager.”
“I intentionally cut off your injured arm. How nice of me, right?”
Baechong looked at the arm severed by this giant bastard. Fury burned inside him, but all he could do was force a smile.
“Y-Yes, of course…! I thank you for your divine mercy.”
“Right, right.”
Ya Hyeoljeok tapped Baechong’s cheek. He wanted to slice his head off and hang it on the wall, but there was no one else in the branch as clever as Baechong. He considered crippling him by cutting off both legs, leaving him only able to talk. But Baechong was still a first-rate martial artist and retained some value, making it difficult to go that far.
“How many days do you need to get information?”
Baechong trembled as he answered. “…I will have information on him within four days at the latest.”
“Four days, huh… You’ll bring information on the Immortal Healer as well, yes?”
“…Yes! I’ll bring back everything.”
“I like your spirit. Do a good job, yeah?”
Ya Hyeoljeok stood up, turned around, and pulled something from his leather pocket, tossing it to Baechong. It was a Qi marble the size of a thumb.
“That’s enough for four days.”
Baechong shuddered in fear upon seeing it.
The martial artists belonging to the various branches of the Black Palace were forced to ingest a ‘seal.’ The seal writhed inside their bodies and would explode if they didn’t consume the necessary antidote in time, melting their internal organs and leading to a gruesome death.
…Fuck.
Baechong clenched his teeth in anger and frustration. Now, he truly had to get all the information within four days, no matter the cost.