Chapter 84: The Great Demon (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 84: The Great Demon (4)
-Swish-!
The sharp sound of a blade cutting the air echoed relentlessly.
-Swish-Swish!
Each swing was precise and deadly, the sword leaving visible trails of qi in its wake. The patterns resembled flowing water—swift and dazzling.
The Steps of the Blue Dragon, a heritage technique of the Namgung Clan, enhanced the swordsmanship, granting it speed and fluidity reminiscent of a dragon’s sinuous motion.
Namgung Bi-ah pushed herself, maintaining her clan’s signature art, the Master of Swords, even as her qi dwindled. She had no other choice.
Only a few minutes had passed since the fight began, yet her body already screamed in protest. It felt as though she had been swinging her sword for an entire day. Her broken left arm throbbed with every movement, and her inexperience in real combat left her movements stiff and unresponsive.
I can’t… reach him…!
The gap between them was staggering. Ya Hyeoljeok hadn’t even drawn his weapon—he had only dodged.
She bit her lip hard, drawing blood in an attempt to sharpen her fading focus. Her qi was nearly spent, and her sword strokes grew weaker, their luminous trails dimming. As her movements slowed, Ya Hyeoljeok seized the opening and struck out with a casual swing of his arm.
“Uggh!”
The light blow sent Namgung Bi-ah tumbling across the ground.
“It seems my little sweetheart has never killed anyone,” Ya Hyeoljeok mused aloud.
Namgung Bi-ah struggled to breathe as he studied her.
Is she over twenty? Her skin is smooth—she could be younger.
But her age didn’t matter. What mattered was her beauty. She would be… delicious.
He was mildly surprised. He had heard of the Namgung Clan’s male heir, the so-called “Lightning Sword.” He’d found it laughable that the clan’s current generation failed to live up to their “Sword Dragon” legacy. Neither the clan leader nor the Heavenly Venerable had brought true glory to the Namgung name in this era.
But this girl forced him to reconsider.
The Sword Queen, they call her.
The Master of Swords art exerted a heavy pressure on the surroundings, draining the user’s qi at a staggering rate. Merely maintaining it was a physical trial, yet this girl had moved fluidly while wielding it.
Are all the prodigies of this generation like this?
He had dismissed titles like “Dragon Sword” and “Sword Phoenix” as empty boasts, but Namgung Bi-ah made him reconsider. Given time, the world would be overrun by monsters like her.
Well, no matter.
Ya Hyeoljeok began walking toward her.
I’ve already wasted too much time.
He had held back to avoid marring her face. It would have been simpler to bisect her, but that seemed wasteful. A martial artist of her caliber would retain her youth for years—he wanted to keep her intact.
“I’ll have to be careful with her.”
The thought of enjoying himself was tempting, but he remembered the girl who had escaped. How long until Mount Hua learned of his presence? He estimated thirty minutes before reinforcements arrived.
“Hmm, erasing all traces would be troublesome.”
He touched Namgung Bi-ah’s neck, immobilizing her with a seal.
“…!”
“Hold still, little sister. This brother has business to attend to.”
She had no energy left to resist, but he took no chances. With her secured, he turned toward the barrier.
An invisible force halted his advance. Up close, he sensed the qi of a Taoist master. As Baechong had said, only one person in Shaanxi could erect a barrier of this magnitude: the Celestial Plum Blossom.
“Leaving something so valuable unguarded… What is he thinking?”
Ya Hyeoljeok scanned the area with his qi but found no one. If his senses detected nothing, the coast was clear.
Mount Hua’s carelessness was his gain—assuming the Immortal Healer was inside.
“I’ll find out by breaking through.”
He channeled qi into his greatsword. The air around the blade distorted under the concentrated energy.
Namgung Bi-ah gasped silently. The amount of qi was staggering, compressed into a single point with terrifying control.
“Uuu…”
The seal stifled her voice. She had exhausted her qi helping Gu Ryunghwa escape, but she had no idea when help would arrive. At this rate, she was doomed.
She knew what the man wanted. However naïve she was, she understood the fate that awaited her if taken.
How can I…
She refused to be taken. The memory of Ya Hyeoljeok’s hand brushing her cheek made her skin crawl. It was disgusting—unlike another’s touch.
The thought disappointed her. …Even at a time like this. Here she was, facing an uncertain future, thinking of someone else.
Please…
She struggled against the seal, though she knew it was futile without qi. Even if it damaged her body permanently, she had to try. The thought of never seeing him again spurred her on.
Just as she mustered her strength, pushing through the pain—
“…Don’t be so reckless.”
She froze at the sound of that voice. The seal’s grip vanished, and she was free.
“Ah…!” Her voice remained strained, unable to form the words she wanted to say.
The boy looked at her. “Stay quiet. I’m not going to listen even if you tell me to run, so hide and keep still.”
He patted her head gently, careful not to hurt her.
“…Thank goodness.”
With a sigh of relief, he turned and stepped toward Ya Hyeoljeok.
Namgung Bi-ah tried to stop him, but he had already transformed into a whirlwind of flames.
* * *
A chill ran down Ya Hyeoljeok’s spine. He twisted his torso on instinct, qi flaring around him.
-Thrust-!
He avoided a fatal blow, but not entirely—searing pain erupted in his stomach. As he focused qi to the wound, the sheer danger of the attack forced him backward.
-Skid.
His feet tore through the grass as he slid away.
“Ptooey…!”
He spat blood onto the ground. His defensive qi had been a moment too late; his stomach quivered unnaturally. The smell of burning flesh rose from his abdomen.
Enraged, he glared at his attacker. Despite the pain, a smile spread across his face.
“You little shit…”
-Blaze-!
Flames engulfed the area, and Ya Hyeoljeok immediately recognized his opponent.
“…I was planning to visit you soon, Young Master. How kind of you to come to me.”
He had intended to send subordinates to locate him, but here the boy stood—wreathed in fire, a living testament to his bloodline. He looked every bit the Flaming Demon who once dominated battlefields.
A direct descendant is true blood after all.
Ya Hyeoljeok grew serious. The boy was younger than expected, barely at the beginning of his martial path, yet his attack was unmistakably potent.
Earlier, Ya Hyeoljeok’s qi sweep had detected no one. This meant the boy had concealed his presence completely, setting up this ambush.
There are more monsters than I thought.
Namgung Bi-ah was one thing, but this boy was on another level. He hadn’t reached the peak yet, but it was only a matter of time—unlike Ya Hyeoljeok, who had stagnated for decades.
“…How annoying.”
Talented youths like these, once they bloomed, would inevitably surpass him. That was why he enjoyed crushing them early—snuffing out their light before they could shine.
This boy, in particular, needed to be stomped out.
The timing was inconvenient, though. I wanted to be done with this already.
Tsk.
He would have preferred to torture the son of Gu slowly, but time was short. A quick death would have to suffice.
Ya Hyeoljeok gripped his greatsword and settled into a stance. He had lowered his guard once; he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. This was just a talented youngster—
What the? Where did he—
The flames before him vanished abruptly. Such intense fire couldn’t dissipate that quickly. He swept the area with his qi and found the boy—right behind him.
-Swish!
His sword cut through empty air. At the same time, a powerful blow smashed into his flank, hurling him through the air.
He tumbled across the dirt, heat and dust clouding his vision.
“You little…!”
Furious, he swung his sword, clearing the dust with a gust of wind.
-Swoosh!
The flames were gone. Only the boy remained, standing firm. The fire had vanished as if it were never there, leaving only residual heat.
“I remember now.”
Ya Hyeoljeok growled at the sound of Gu Yangcheon’s voice. His pride was wounded—twice struck by a boy who hadn’t even reached the peak.
Gu Yangcheon stared at him, his eyes and hair tinged with red. A mere first-rate martial artist.
“Ya Hyeoljeok… I think that was your name.”
The boy spoke his name slowly, with certainty.
“Don’t just blurt out an adult’s name so rudely.”
How did he know? “Giant Oni” was known throughout the world, but his true name wasn’t common knowledge.
And more importantly—
Fuck, what is this sensation?
A chill crawled up Ya Hyeoljeok’s spine the moment Gu Yangcheon spoke his name.