Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Three Maidens Who Repel Evil
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‘So this is the famed Green Robe Guard? They look impressive.’
Yu Sumin watched the green-robed warriors steadily guarding their surroundings as she rode along.
If the old Gale Wind Squad had been the Tang Clan’s strongest strike force, then the Green Robe Guard was said to be their finest defensive unit.
Their vigilant postures exuded not just discipline, but an air of refined elegance.
They gave off an unshakeable sense that no enemy would ever breach their lines.
It was a different kind of admiration from what she had felt toward the Pure Wind Hall agents during the fight against the demonic ghosts.
‘This must be the true might of the Tang Clan, overlords of Sichuan’s martial world.’
The Emei Sect’s rules were strict too, but they applied mainly to personal cultivation.
Among fellow disciples, bonds were warm and close, without much hierarchy.
The Tang Clan was different.
Strict obedience to superiors.
Rebellion from below seemed utterly unthinkable.
The Dark Venerable and the Green Robe Guard had learned of the branch family’s crisis only after entering the Nine Dragons Precinct.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Dark Venerable had rushed ahead with a few elite experts as the vanguard.
The rest of the Green Robe Guard had followed, staying alert for any additional North Sea Sect forces.
Thanks to them, Yunhwi’s group had survived the North Sea Sect Leader’s demonic grasp.
If they had arrived just one watch later, it would have been a razor-close disaster.
‘If they had been late, what would have happened to us?’
She couldn’t easily imagine it.
Could they have held out for the first few seconds?
Maybe they could have.
They had Tang Gon and the old Gale Wind Squad members here.
And Yunhwi too.
‘The killing intent I sensed then... it was no joke. I’d never felt anything like it.’
The killing intent she had sensed when Yunhwi emerged from the shattered formation.
Even that brief glimpse had overwhelmed Yu Sumin with something primal.
It stirred a deep-seated fear in her chest.
Even her Demon-Exorcising Force, which had achieved unmoving mind, had wavered violently.
The Yunhwi of that moment hadn’t seemed like the Yunhwi she knew at all.
‘Well, he did take down a Demonic Dao Lord, so maybe it’s natural. Still, that murderous aura was so intense it wouldn’t have been out of place on a true demon.’
If the lingering aura after the battle was that strong, how ferocious must the killing intent have been in the heat of combat?
Unimaginable.
Her unmoving mind might have shattered completely.
Yet even Yunhwi, who had displayed such an overwhelming presence, was mere firefly to the sun before the North Sea Sect Leader.
That was the problem.
The North Sea Sect Leader was far too powerful.
And the demonic ghosts were far stronger than Yu Sumin had realized.
These two facts alone demanded utmost vigilance.
‘The Demonic Cult is openly baring its ambitions now... the martial world will be in chaos soon.’
When Yunhwi had first told her about the Demonic Cult, she had half-doubted it.
She had offered to help, but thoughts like ‘Isn’t the Demonic Cult still embroiled in civil war?’ lingered in her mind.
But after facing the demonic ghosts herself—even confronting the North Sea Sect Leader—she understood.
This was reality now.
‘Righteous-Demonic Great War...’
A calamity that every martial artist dreaded might be right upon them.
“Haa.”
Yu Sumin let out a deep sigh.
If the Demonic Cult launched a full invasion of the Central Plains, Sichuan’s martial world would suffer first.
The Emei Sect would be in peril too... Just thinking about it made her chest tighten.
“What’s wrong? Is your injury not fully healed?”
At that moment, Sima Seonui rode up beside her, concern etched on her innocent face.
It was hard to believe this was the same girl who had just coldly carved through demons moments ago.
“No. It’s nothing. I’m fully recovered. You?”
“I’m fine too. Thanks to the clan leader.”
“He was truly exceptional.”
Yu Sumin recalled how, after the battles ended, the Dark Venerable had personally checked each of their pulses.
He had lightly examined them, saying they had suffered greatly, and given each a unique pill.
The effect had been immediate.
Her internal injuries vanished like a lie after taking it.
No—her qi circulation felt even smoother, her inner power more vibrant.
Thanks to that, the aftereffects of the Blocked Meridian Great Law were completely gone now.
Sima Seonui had fully purged her Heart-Piercing Ice Poison too.
Only Tang Gyujin, who had forcibly opened her upper dantian, remained unconscious.
“Sister Jin will be okay, right?”
“Don’t worry too much. The clan leader said it’s just from the shock to her body—nothing serious.”
“Yeah. Got it.”
Sima Seonui glanced back at the carriage where Tang Gyujin lay, then subtly turned her head toward the one ahead.
The carriage carrying Yunhwi and the Dark Venerable.
Seeing this, a wry smile tugged at Yu Sumin’s lips.
One person in that carriage...
Wasn’t he the one with that kind of relationship with Young Master Yunhwi?
‘...Good intentions don’t bend principles, but how can anyone resist the Poison Flower of the world?’
Yu Sumin wondered how to break this news to her friend.
But then.
“Sumin.”
“Yeah?”
“I want to get stronger.”
The sudden declaration caught her off guard.
Yu Sumin’s eyes widened slightly.
She saw Sima Seonui’s grip tighten fiercely on the reins.
Crack.
In that instant, Yu Sumin felt like she’d been struck hard in the back.
‘...I’m the real fool. I didn’t even notice Seonui’s true feelings.’
She had assumed Sima Seonui’s constant staring at Yunhwi’s carriage meant another case of puppy love.
But it seemed otherwise.
In the recent battle, Yunhwi and the Pure Wind Hall had shone brilliantly, while she and the others had struggled.
Sima Seonui must have felt deep anger from that.
Not at the demonic ghosts.
At her own weakness.
Powerlessness.
Emptiness.
Those emotions were fueling a fire in her heart.
And perhaps what Sima Seonui felt for Yunhwi wasn’t some soft, romantic flutter.
Something far greater—like worship of an idol...
“Can I do it?”
Sima Seonui muttered, biting her lower lip, as Yu Sumin placed her hand over the one gripping the reins.
“You can. If it’s you.”
“...Really?”
“If it’s the you I know, you can absolutely do it. So let’s work hard together.”
“Yeah...!”
The two ignited their resolve against the enemies soon to come.
And soon, the Nine Dragons Branch Family’s grand estate appeared before the group.
* * *
Two pieces of news set the Nine Dragons Branch Family abuzz.
The first: the Dark Venerable’s visit.
It was sudden.
They had received word of his imminent arrival, but not this soon, leaving the leadership scrambling without prior preparations.
To ordinary guests, though, it wasn’t much of a shock.
Everyone knew he was coming, and the second news carried far greater weight.
A report of victory.
An overwhelmingly decisive one.
—The Demonic Cult’s North Sea Sect extended its claws toward the Nine Dragons Branch Family.
—But the Nine Dragons Branch Family’s divine defenses slaughtered all the demons without a single casualty.
—The abducted Heavenly Leaf Sage, Pure Moon Fairy, and White Sword Orchid weren’t truly kidnapped—it was a ploy to lure out the demons.
The guests were terrified, yet they cheered.
News of the Demonic Cult stirring again after years secluded in the Heavenly Mountains shocked everyone.
But the tale of the three talented maidens who threw themselves into the fray with righteous spirit and camaraderie was deeply moving.
Three Maidens Who Repel Evil.
Some guests were already calling them that.
And then.
—The young branch leader severed the head of the Demonic Dao Lord Seven Breaths Escape.
This additional rumor turned cheers into frenzy.
What were the Demonic Dao Lords?
The ten young prodigies said to lead the next generation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Though called later-generation experts, they were already peak masters who had reached superhuman realms young and founded their own lineages.
Especially Seven Breaths Escape Gu Min-chae, who sat at the lowest among them but bore the heavy weight of the North Sea Sect Leader’s bloodline.
Yet the Nine Dragons Branch Family’s heir had defeated him.
The same one who recently took down White Bone Net Demon and North Wind Ghost.
He had crushed the vanguard of the Demonic Cult’s invasion force!
“A hidden dragon lurked in the Nine Dragons Branch Family!”
“Now that dragon awakens, coiling to rise!”
“When a dragon ascends to heaven, the earth quakes, the skies part, and storms rage!”
“And those storms are the gales themselves!”
“Is the dormant spirit of the old Gale Wind Squad reviving at last!”
This buzz soon led to another question.
—If he defeated a Demonic Dao Lord, he must be a genius who has reached superhuman heights himself.
—Then.
—Could he vie for the title of Sichuan’s top later-generation expert?
* * *
Thud-thud-thud.
The quiet White Hall suddenly grew noisy.
“Little brother! Little broooother!”
Bam!
The door flew open as if shattered.
“Are you alright! Your body! Any injuries?!”
The Lion Slaughter King panted, sweat dripping.
For a man with stamina to dash from distant Gwiju in a single bound, this showed his urgency.
He must have heard only that I’d clashed big with Demonic Cult scum and rushed over... without news of my victory?
“As you can see, I’m fine. Really.”
“No! You can’t know that! Aftereffects can strike years later without warning! Let me check just a bit!”
“I’m truly okay—”
“Hold still!”
The Lion Slaughter King ignored my words entirely.
But I really was fine.
The Dark Venerable had treated me personally, and my Black Dragon Qi was circulating, aiding recovery.
Even after taking my pulse, he seemed distrustful, making me hop in place, swing my arms this way and that—testing everything.
It wasn’t bad to receive such care, so I complied with a smile.
This guy’s hilarious, though.
He’d longed to see the Dark Venerable so badly, yet skipped going there and came straight here.
Kinda touching?
“Ahem! He looks like he could head into the bandits right now and devour the Chief Escort’s position—”
“More sentimental than he appears.”
“One drink, and he’s fallen head over heels for the young cult leader—soon he’ll offer up his heart, liver, and gall.”
The Lion Slaughter King finally stepped back after a while.
But worry lingered on his face.
“...Looks like the emergency treatment was handled well.”
“The clan leader helped a lot.”
“Still, take it easy for a while and be extra careful. Stick to light porridges or congee, and have at least one nourishing meal a day.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind. Only big brother looks after this fool of a little brother.”
“Ahem! If this fool of a big brother doesn’t look after you, who will... Uh? W-When did you all get here...?”
Mid-cough, the Lion Slaughter King suddenly scanned the surroundings.
Too focused on me, he’d only now noticed the others.
Tang Gon looked a bit awkward.
Lord Zhuge smiled behind his mask.
Yeah, probably.
It didn’t match the Lion Slaughter King’s public image at all, so they were surprised.
Especially Tang Hosan, who had come for a report and now stood with arms crossed, sour-faced.
“This is the Tang Clan. No need for the Lion Clan Lord to worry—treatment here is perfectly handled.”
“Ahem! W-With the tournament so close, I meant to remind you to mind your health... Oh! It’s this late already? I have an appointment. See you.”
The Lion Slaughter King fled, face beet-red.
Slam!
An odd atmosphere hung.
I couldn’t help chuckling lightly, only to catch Tang Hosan’s glare.
“While I was gone, you seduced the Lion Clan Lord into sworn brotherhood?”
“It just happened.”
“‘Just happened’? How does that ‘just happen’? Thinking of the complications you’ve caused... Haa!”
Tang Hosan clutched his head.
Fair enough—even undervalued, the Lion Slaughter King outranked the Dark Venerable by half a grade, so headaches aplenty.
To him, his son had taken as sworn brother someone of uncle rank.
Of course, I ignored his woes.
Deep wrinkles formed around Tang Hosan’s eyes.
Then Lord Zhuge spoke.
“Oh, right—there was an odd rumor among the guests today about the Lion Clan Lord.”
What rumor?
“They say he boisterously boasted to everyone that his little brother smashed Demonic Cult scum left and right.”
“......”
“Everyone wondered who this brother was, but ho ho ho! Seems it’s—”
All eyes turned to me.
Even I, shameless as ever, could only scratch my cheek awkwardly.