Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: Welcome to the Beast's Heart
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A dense jungle that allowed not even the slightest ray of sunlight.
Krrrng!
Kuwaaah!
In the heart of that jungle, two particularly massive tigers were tangled together in a ferocious battle.
The surrounding animals hurried away, fearing they might get caught up in the fight, leaving the two beasts alone to continue their savage clash.
Tigers, called the kings among beasts.
The two tigers glared ferociously, their eyes flashing as they lashed out wildly with their forepaws.
Vicious claws raked across each other's bodies, tearing deep gashes that spilled blood in rivulets.
Yet they kept fighting.
As if they couldn't stop until one of them breathed its last.
The cause of the battle was simple.
It was an unavoidable clash between a beast defending its territory and an intruder trying to seize it.
They rolled across the ground, locked in their brutal struggle.
Fsssh!
Then the entwined tigers crashed through the underbrush, tumbling onward.
Undeterred by the change in terrain, the beasts were about to tear into each other savagely when—
Twitch.
Suddenly, they froze like stone statues, sensing an overwhelming presence.
Trembling, the tigers slowly turned their heads.
Their eyes, once filled with ferocity, now brimmed with terror as they looked up toward the source.
A towering pile of beast bones stacked sky-high, like a mountain itself.
Atop that bone tower sat a middle-aged man, his sharp gaze piercing the air.
Not a thread of cloth adorned his muscular upper body, which was etched with colorful tattoos.
"……."
Interrupted during a brief rest, he stared fixedly at the two beasts that had appeared out of nowhere.
His pupils gleamed with a predatory savagery that overwhelmed the tigers.
In that instant, the two tigers—instinctively sensing danger—flipped onto their backs and lolled out their tongues toward him, as if their fierce battle had been a lie.
It was a desperate bid for survival.
The man watched them for a moment, then abruptly turned his head away.
Whoosh.
The moment he averted his gaze, the tigers scrambled to their feet and fled without looking back.
Left alone once more, he slowly licked his lips.
"Tch. Right when it was perfect."
His refreshing nap had been ruined just before drifting off, souring his mood as he clicked his tongue.
Normally, he would have slain them with a single stroke, but right now, he felt too lazy to exert himself on such trifles.
Thus, on a mere whim, he had let the two tigers go.
'No going back to sleep now.'
It was just a daytime nap, not nighttime slumber—once awakened, slipping back into it would be difficult.
With a regretful expression, he turned his gaze elsewhere.
Rustle.
A rustling came from the underbrush where the tigers had emerged.
But moments later, what appeared was no beast—it was a man.
The man's cheek bore a diagonal blood-red scar.
The seated man spoke upon seeing him.
"What is it?"
The subordinate bowed respectfully and extended something forward.
"Palace Lord, a letter has arrived from the Demon Cult."
"…The Demon Cult?"
Frowning at the unexpected news, he sprang into motion.
Whoosh!
Leaping from the top of the bone tower, he landed silently before the subordinate.
Despite the immense height, he made no sound—bending his knees with elastic force and channeling his internal energy to absorb the impact.
"A letter from the Demon Cult, you say."
The Demon Cult, which had severed ties with the Southern Wild Beast Palace for decades, sending a letter out of the blue.
Curious about their intent, the Palace Lord swiftly unfurled the missive.
After reading it—
"Hah."
He let out a hollow laugh.
Crumple.
Gripping it in one hand, he crushed the letter and dropped it.
The subordinate picked up the crumpled paper and ventured cautiously,
"What in the world did it say…?"
The Palace Lord replied in a tone of utter disbelief.
"They're sending an envoy."
An envoy.
The subordinate nodded at the words.
With no direct contact for so long, it seemed like an effort to mend relations.
"Guests will set foot on our palace grounds. We'll prepare to host them without shortcoming."
The Palace Lord smirked.
"You'd better. It says the Heavenly Demon himself is coming."
The Heavenly Demon!
The subordinate's eyes widened in shock.
An envoy would have to venture deep into foreign territory.
The Demon Cult and Southern Wild Beast Palace weren't enemies, but hardly allies either.
Yet the cult's leader was coming straight to its heart.
Stunned by the rarity of it, the subordinate could only say one thing.
"We shall exert ourselves to the utmost in preparation."
His mind reeling with what to do next, the subordinate swiftly departed for the palace.
Alone again, the Palace Lord slowly licked his lips once more.
"Coming to our palace at a time like this, amid all the chaos."
Was it mere coincidence?
Or…
His eyes gleaming sharply, the Palace Lord of the Southern Wild Beast Palace, Suli Tae, began walking slowly toward the jungle.
The massive beast emblem tattooed on his back writhed as if alive.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's envoy heading to the Southern Wild Beast Palace.
They had now passed the southern tip of the Shin River.
Leading the envoy, Hyeok Mulin rode leisurely in his carriage.
Gazing out the window, he spoke.
"Seems like there are several times more people than on my last trip to the Central Plains."
As he said, the procession was far longer than usual for Hyeok Mulin's travels—but it made sense.
This was an official envoy, unlike before.
Transporters carrying gifts for the Southern Wild Beast Palace.
Carriers with supplies to feed the horses and men en route.
And the martial force to protect the envoy.
With Hyeok Mulin personally leading, the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad had joined to escort the Cult Leader.
But that wasn't all.
Besides the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad, another unit accompanied the envoy.
The Man Clan's elite force, the Manma Docheon Corps.
"…My apologies. I tried to leave them behind, but they wouldn't hear of it."
Man Ho, riding in Hyeok Mulin's carriage as Right Protector, offered his regrets.
Truth be told, he hadn't brought them.
Upon hearing of the envoy's formation, the Man Clan had volunteered to protect Man Ho at his side.
"No need. Having them along only makes me feel more secure."
Hyeok Mulin hadn't refused.
After all, wasn't the Cult Leader stepping out for this official occasion?
He'd been thinking the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad alone might leave the escort a bit short on warriors.
'But there was a dilemma.'
The new unit recently formed in the Heavenly Demon Army lacked the organization for long-distance escorts.
Hyeok Mulin had no intention of rushing it.
He knew that building a tower required a solid foundation first—speed could come later.
Haste sometimes led to worse results than going slow.
Thus, after excluding that unit, he pondered which Heavenly Demon Army detachment to reinforce with—when the Man Clan's request arrived opportunely.
'All the better.'
It was a chance to keep the Man Clan's warriors close and gauge their temperament firsthand.
With Man Ho as Right Protector, their loyalty rivaled the Heavenly Demon Army's—trustworthy enough.
And so, Hyeok Mulin crossed the Shin River with the long procession and continued smoothly.
Move, move, and move again—the terrain gradually shifted.
Mountains and plains vanished; before they knew it, they had entered the jungle.
Then, abruptly, the envoy halted.
No path lay ahead; carriages could go no further.
Thud.
Stepping down from the carriage, Hyeok Mulin gazed slowly ahead.
Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, vines weaving between them like spiderwebs.
Moss-covered rocks and withered trunks dotted the surroundings, vibrant flowers and mushrooms abounded, and the air reeked of rotting vegetation.
Grrrowl—
Eerie cries echoed from the jungle depths, countless beastly eyes glinting from bushes and branches, watching them.
It was easy to see why even wandering martial artists shunned this southern wilds.
As the envoy paused to survey the area—
Step, step.
A figure emerged from the front.
A young man with elongated ears, a snake-fang tattoo slanting down from his eye.
Standing before the envoy, he bowed politely to Hyeok Mulin.
"It is an honor to meet the Divine Cult's Cult Leader."
"From the Southern Wild Beast Palace?"
"Yes. The path to the palace is treacherous, so I've come to guide you."
Hyeok Mulin nodded as the man offered to lead.
"Show the way."
"Understood. First, stable the carriages here and have everyone dismount. The jungle floor is uneven—riding risks injury to both horse and rider."
At the guide's explanation, the men dismounted, took the reins, and prepared to walk alongside.
"Very well. Follow me now."
Confirming this, the guide turned and drew his blade, hacking through brush and vines to forge a path ahead.
Thus, the men pressed on for days more, growing ever wearier.
The deeper they went, the denser the growth—not to mention bizarre flora and fauna threatening them at every turn, keeping tension high without respite.
Just as exhaustion set in, wondering if they'd ever reach their goal or if this was even the right path—
Slash.
In the jungle's midst, amid millennial trees, radiant light poured through.
No thick trees, vines, or brush there—nothing.
The heart of the southern wilds lay before them.
A vast palace of beasts sprawled there.
"This is…."
"The Southern Wild Beast Palace…."
The men marveled at the spectacle beyond the jungle.
The entrance mimicked a tiger's maw, menacing in form, flanked by symmetrical pillars shaped like enormous fangs.
Passing through in awe, they noted beast claw marks vividly etched on floors, pillars, ceilings, and walls everywhere.
The guide led them through inner paths and plazas, glancing at Hyeok Mulin before proceeding straight.
Soon, stairs soared skyward before them.
The guide then raised his voice.
"The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's envoy has arrived."
Stepping aside, he allowed Hyeok Mulin to slowly lift his head.
Flanking the grand stairs stood hundreds of bare-chested, tattooed warriors, gripping chains binding snarling, ferocious beasts whose eyes gleamed fiercely.
At the top of the stairs.
A throne of beast bones—and upon it, a middle-aged man.
His chiseled torso bore beast tattoos glowing red, undulating like living things.
Simply seated, he exuded a wild aura as if breathing like a beast itself, forcing the creatures to submit and bow.
In an instant, he dominated the atmosphere, then slowly spoke from the summit.
"Those who have crossed the threshold of the southern wilds."
Gazing intently at Hyeok Mulin, a chill smile crept across Palace Lord Suli Tae's lips.
"Welcome to the heart of the beasts."