Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Domain of Wolves and Jackals (1)
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*Flash!*
Lee Cheonsang opened his eyes.
*Thud.*
The women massaging his shoulders and legs collapsed with a groan. They had been shocked by the sudden burst of demonic energy from Lee Cheonsang.
“...Hmm.”
Lee Cheonsang stared into the empty air with an unreadable expression.
A moment later.
“Invincible Divine Cult, all demons bow in submission. The Great Protector of the Divine Cult answers the Cult Leader's call.”
“Great Protector.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
“While I was in seclusion, did any of the Protectors enter the depths of the Solitary Bamboo Forest?”
Mu Dam's eyes widened slightly.
“No such thing occurred.”
Lee Cheonsang's gaze deepened.
If something that important had happened, Mu Dam would have reported it long ago. Besides, for warriors of the Protectors' caliber, even reaching the middle section would have been a struggle, let alone the depths.
*'Then?'*
Seeing Lee Cheonsang's stern face, Mu Dam's confusion only grew.
After a long moment, Lee Cheonsang finally broke the silence.
“You said you sent the Third Squad Leader with the Third Young Master.”
“That is correct.”
“I heard he was quite a decent fellow.”
“Yes. He is young, but he is one of the top ten masters in the Hall of Protectors. He is talented, experienced, and has a steadfast nature, so I judged he would be more than capable of assisting the Third Young Master.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
One of the top ten masters in the Hall of Protectors.
Impressive enough, but to Lee Cheonsang, he was just another one of the run-of-the-mill bunch.
*'Eight months... Even if he had a fortuitous encounter, there's a limit to how much he could have grown. Then, was it the Third Young Master?'*
A flicker of interest appeared on Lee Cheonsang's usually impassive face.
“What is today's date?”
“It is the day before the full moon.”
“The day before...”
“...”
“I see. You may leave.”
“Yes.”
As Mu Dam disappeared, the corners of Lee Cheonsang's mouth lifted slightly. It was an incredibly faint smile, but had Mu Dam seen it, he would have been astonished once more.
“Blinded by greed, are you marching toward death?”
*Swoosh.*
Lee Cheonsang closed his eyes. At the same time, the women regained consciousness.
One would expect them to be flustered after suddenly fainting and waking up, but they showed no such signs. Instead, as if it were routine, they bowed to Lee Cheonsang and resumed massaging his shoulders and legs.
The smile had already vanished from Lee Cheonsang's face.
*'Or will heavenly fortune find you, allowing you to race along the ridges of Mount Tai?'*
His martial prowess and demonic power deepened with the passage of time.
To Lee Cheonsang, who was slowly but surely shedding his human guise, the actions of the Third Young Master, Seo Ryang, provided a small amusement.
* * *
“What the hell! What in the world is going on?!”
Ma Dongpil couldn't answer Seo Ryang's question. He was just as shocked.
Seo Ryang quickly examined the corpse of one of the demonic beasts.
A magnificent horse-like body with tiger stripes. Its pure white head and blood-red tail were bizarre.
It was a Lushu. The same Lushu that Seo Ryang had killed after a fierce battle not long ago was lying dead, having vomited blood.
*'No wounds?'*
He looked around.
*'A Cangfu, a Zhu, a Xingxing...'*
There were also corpses of demonic beasts he had never seen before.
It looked like a leopard, but its body was white. It had a strange pattern on its forehead that was difficult to describe in words. Its fangs were incredibly long, extending below its lower jaw.
Ma Dongpil groaned.
“A Mengji?!”
“You know this thing?”
“Yes, Young Master. I've only heard of it, never seen one in person. Even my seniors said they'd never encountered one... To see it like this...”
As if a thought occurred to him, Ma Dongpil began to pace around the area.
“What's wrong?”
“It is said that the Mengji rarely leaves the center of the Solitary Bamboo Forest. Despite its appearance, it's said to have a gentle nature and enjoys being alone.”
“So?”
“Even so, the Mengji is considered one of the highest-ranking beasts in the Solitary Bamboo Forest. It's said to be the most spiritually powerful and difficult beast to deal with, save for one other.”
“One other beast?”
“Yes. That beast's name is...”
Suddenly, Ma Dongpil's body froze.
Next to the entrance to the depths, there was a bamboo stalk that was cracked and split, all its moisture sucked out. And beneath that withered bamboo lay a red snake with a body that split in two.
It was neither large nor small. Though dead and lifeless, its eyes shone as brightly as a human's.
“...A Feiyi.”
“Feiyi? That two-headed thing is called a Feiyi?”
“That's right. Of course, like the Mengji, I've never seen one.”
“That's the top beast in the Solitary Bamboo Forest? That little thing?”
“So I've heard.”
“It doesn't look that strong, no matter how I look at it. It doesn't look like a venomous snake either. But why is that bamboo stalk all withered...”
For a moment, Seo Ryang's face went blank.
Ma Dongpil tilted his head.
“Young Master?”
“...”
“What's the matter? Are you perhaps feeling unwell somewhere...?”
“Drought.”
“Pardon?”
“The Feiyi is a snake with two bodies. When this snake appears, a great drought strikes the land. That's why in some villages in flooded regions, they say they bury a drawing of a Feiyi in the ground. They're hoping the water will dry up and recede quickly.”
“...?”
Seo Ryang sighed.
“Damn, I knew there was a reason these names were so bizarre.”
“What do you mean...?”
“The Classic of Mountains and Seas.”
“...?!”
“All these creatures are imaginary monsters from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”
Ma Dongpil's eyes wavered.
“The Classic of Mountains and Seas... you mean that collection of myths by an unknown author...?”
“The author is unknown, yes, but a collection of myths... well, in a way, it is. To be precise, it's considered a geography book, but it's full of nonsensical descriptions. It's closer to a child's imaginative scribbles.”
“I've only heard of it, but in reality...”
“Me too. I saw it once a long time ago, but it was such a preposterous piece of miscellaneous writing that I gave up after flipping through a few pages.”
In the first place, it's difficult for members of the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon to even come across a book like the Classic of Mountains and Seas, nor should they.
They have their god and their scriptures. A strange, miscellaneous book like the Classic of Mountains and Seas would harm their faith and corrupt their doctrine. And the same was true for other religions.
“That's not to say it's all complete nonsense. It contains a few records and even ancient scripts that align with actual history. The famous Queen Mother of the West and Kunlun Mountains also appear in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”
“...Is that so.”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
“Still, this seems a bit much. Even if the Classic of Mountains and Seas were real, it makes no sense for all these different monsters to be gathered in this small bamboo forest...”
Suddenly, Seo Ryang's eyes flew open.
*Whooosh.*
A sudden, cool breeze brushed past his face.
*Clang.*
Pushing his sword slightly out of its sheath with his thumb, Seo Ryang stared tensely at the path into the depths.
Ma Dongpil tilted his head.
“Young Master...”
“Shh.”
*Why is he suddenly acting like this?*
Ma Dongpil followed Seo Ryang's gaze and looked at the path into the depths.
*'Why?'*
A cool breeze was blowing, but he didn't feel anything particularly out of place.
The moment he turned his head back to Seo Ryang...
*Zing!*
*'Hmph!'*
Ma Dongpil ducked his head without realizing it. He also stumbled back a couple of steps.
His face was deathly pale.
*'W-what?!'*
Suddenly, his head spun, and his knees felt weak. Goosebumps erupted all over his body, and his heart pounded wildly.
After clenching and unclenching his fists several times, he slowly raised his head.
*'...!!'*
Ma Dongpil swallowed dryly.
He had no idea how to describe it.
Seo Ryang's face was certainly expressionless. But it didn't look expressionless at all.
It was as if he were wearing an invisible mask of a fierce demon. His eyes, neither wide nor narrowed, held a gaze more bloodthirsty than any he had ever seen.
He had abandoned his past as the King of Slaughter, but this was the true face of Seo Ryang, who had not discarded his identity as the Heretic God.
It was the face of a beast that, instead of freezing in extreme tension, reflexively stoked its killing intent to annihilate its opponent.
“Dongpil.”
“...Yes, Young Master.”
“Stay here.”
*Step, step.*
Without waiting for a reply, Seo Ryang strode steadily toward the depths.
Ma Dongpil wanted to stop him. He wanted to shout that he should go with him.
But unlike before, he couldn't say a word. Seo Ryang's words were like a powerful brand, controlling his speech and actions.
*Crackle.*
With every step Seo Ryang took, the crushed bamboo leaves turned to dust and scattered.
Each and every step was imbued with powerful demonic energy. The unconsciously released energy alone seemed to heat the air.
*Sssshhh!*
The cool, dry wind blowing from the depths of the demonic forest clashed with the hot, humid wind generated by Seo Ryang, creating a sharp tension.
Seo Ryang's eyebrow twitched.
*'What in the world is in there?'*
He couldn't tell. He had no information about it.
*'And what is this terrifying energy mixed in the wind?'*
It was immense. An energy he had never encountered before.
*'And this sense of unease?'*
It was dreadful. An ominous feeling he had never experienced even within the inescapable nets of the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Iron Blood Fortress.
*'This is just like...'*
Seo Ryang's eyes flashed.
*'Right. It's similar to that time.'*
The time he first met Lee Cheonsang.
He had been immensely shocked when he encountered the majesty of a Demonic God who looked down upon even the Ten Grandmasters of the world. He had no information or knowledge about such a level of power.
A being who exuded an overwhelming presence without radiating the slightest aura. Naturally, he had never encountered such a presence before.
Furthermore, the sense of unease Lee Cheonsang gave off was beyond imagination.
An overwhelming energy that made one instantly think of 'death'.
Nevertheless, he had no choice but to go to Lee Cheonsang. For his own purpose, he had made the choice to summon him.
It was the same this time.
The wind blowing from those depths. It was mixed with an immense energy, but he couldn't discern any intent from it.
It was as dangerous as Lee Cheonsang, but just like when he had met Lee Cheonsang, there was a treasure there that he had to obtain. Seo Ryang could feel it instinctively.
*Vrrrr!!*
His extrasensory perception sounded an alarm. His mind's eye, which instilled both foreboding and anticipation, gazed upon the world.
*Saaaaah!*
The deeper he went into the forest, the more intense the pressure became, making his skin tingle.
Cold sweat formed on Seo Ryang's forehead.
*'No. It's hard to endure this.'*
*Wooooong.*
He instinctively circulated the Dark Shadow True Demonic Art. The unconsciously released demonic energy became even denser.
But.
*Kuuung!*
*'Keuk!'*
Seo Ryang's steps halted.
*Drip.*
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. He had projected strong demonic energy, but the backlash had caused internal injuries.
*'Dammit! Just how strong is this energy that my current demonic power can't handle it?!'*
At this rate, he would explode before he even got close.
*'I have no choice. I have to use it now.'*
Seo Ryang took out the Jetakcho from his robes and poured a whole pouch of it into his mouth.
*Bubble, bubble.*
The medicinal power spread with incredible speed.
Seo Ryang's eyes flashed.
*Ssssss.*
The demonic energy that had been pouring out of him vanished as if it were a lie.
*Whoooosh.*
The blowing wind seemed to pass right through Seo Ryang's body.
In an instant, the Shadow Body of the Dark Shadow Arts manifested.
The ultimate concealment technique of the King of Slaughter, said to have reached the pinnacle of assassination in his era, was now in effect.
Seo Ryang closed his eyes.
*Rustle.*
The bamboo leaves brushed past Seo Ryang's body.
They clearly brushed against his skin, yet it felt as if they had passed right through him. He couldn't be seen by the eye, felt by ki-sense, heard by the ear, or smelled by the nose.
It was as if he had literally become a ghost.
*'Let's go.'*
One step, two steps, and then three.
*'Good. The pressure has faded.'*
Ten steps, twenty steps, and then thirty.
*'If I keep going like this...'*
Suddenly, his foot caught on something.
“Hup!”
He nearly fell flat on his face but managed to regain his balance. To almost trip over something like a stone was a disgrace to the King of Assassins.
Seo Ryang cursed without thinking.
“Son of a bitch! What the hell...”
In that moment, his eyes widened.
“...is this? This cheeky little thing?”