Chapter 98
“Those bastards reached out to the Huashan Sect after the Emei Sect!”
“The Blood Demon Guard laid an ambush...”
“The death of young hero Hwarong is a great loss to the martial world.”
People from the Huashan Sect came and took Hwarong's body away in a coffin. Everyone was filled with grief! I wasn't in a great mood either.
A casualty had occurred right next to me, after all.
Can't be helped.
I'm not the protagonist. I don't know how—or even want to learn how—to fight while protecting reckless allies who charge in because they think they're hot shit.
“...Something's off.”
The little Fist King muttered the moment the Huashan Sect folks left.
“What is?”
“How did the Blood Demon Guard know our position and set up an ambush?”
“Uh... yeah, good point.”
I almost glossed over it with my modern mindset, but the martial world didn't have advanced info tech. If tracking locations was that easy, the Nine Dragons Five Phoenixes would've been kidnapped or killed by the Blood Demon Guard ages ago while wandering the Central Plains without proper escorts.
“There has to be a traitor inside the Huashan Sect.”
“And?”
“Huh?”
“If even you figured it out, Fist King senior, then the Sword King must've noticed too.”
The Huashan Sect leader who beat the Heavenly Demon at go wasn't an idiot.
“W-Well... yeah.”
“We just stick to the plan and head to Sichuan Province.”
“You're not gonna help the Huashan Sect? What about avenging Hwarong?”
“Don't get the wrong idea. I'm sad and heartbroken about Hwarong's death too—he was like family to us. But I'm yielding the revenge to the furious Huashan Sect.”
“Ah! Got it.”
So we decided to wash our hands completely of this conspiracy. The Huashan Sect's future? Not my problem. All I needed to focus on was finding Mao Zai quick and convincing him to wake up from this dream.
“Hwarong young hero wasn't a bad guy. Kinda disappointing.”
Mi-bong said it with a face that showed zero disappointment.
“Did you like him even a little?”
“Nope. Not at all.”
“Then let's forget Hwarong and hunt for the Demon Dragon instead.”
Back to Sichuan Province. Since we skipped the spots where the protagonist's treasures were hidden, it didn't take long.
Well, not entirely.
We'd wasted quite a bit of time handing over Hwarong's body to the Huashan folks.
“Fist King senior.”
“Yeah?”
“You're buddies with the Beggar King, right?”
“What good's friendship with that old beggar?”
“I wanna ask him where the Demon Dragon is.”
The Beggars' Sect. The staple info network in wuxia novels. They gathered intel by exploiting the eyes and ears of beggars living everywhere in the chaotic, welfare-lacking Central Plains... In other words, the Beggars' Sect was an exploitative evil corporation profiting off beggar labor. And the Beggar King was its CEO.
“Young hero Kang. I think this girl can help.”
“Huh? You, Mi-bong?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Mi-bong flashed a bright smile at my surprised question.
“You'll see.”
* * *
East or west, ancient or modern, romance always had demand.
And celebrity love lives, adored by the masses, drew the most attention!
In the Central Plains martial world, Mi-bong—the second most beautiful woman—was undoubtedly a celebrity.
“It's an honor to meet the heroes who crushed the Blood Demon Guard. This humble beggar is the Beggars' Sect's Little Division Leader, Beggar Dragon.”
Beggar Dragon. Heir to the evil corporation Beggars' Sect. One of the Nine Dragons Five Phoenixes, he was the go-to pushover the protagonist exploited most for intel.
Handsome as hell! But his beggar rags hid those good genes.
“Sorry to call you out of the blue.”
“No problem. When Mi-bong calls, I come running anywhere.”
“Thanks.”
“Don't mention it.”
I'd planned to use the Fist King's connections to summon the Beggar King, but Mi-bong had her own wide network. Color me impressed?
In the original novel, she was a problem child who drew in hot-blooded studs just by breathing.
Slurp!
Clack!
While we emptied one bowl of noodles, Beggar Dragon vacuumed his fourth like a Hoover. Mi-bong had offered to buy the noodles, but watching him love freebies made it feel like self-loathing among beggars. Uncomfortable.
“Beggar Dragon. I want the Demon Dragon's current location.”
“Hmm. I already know Mi-bong's bust and waist measurements...”
“Bet you're wrong.”
“...Huh? Yeah, looks like it. Did you shed your mortal form while I wasn't looking?”
“Yep.”
Beggar Dragon paused at Mi-bong's straightforward reply, slowly setting down his chopsticks and licking his lips.
“You dropped such huge intel so casually, it threw me off. So many heroes obsess over Mi-bong's private life—it's like stars in the night sky.”
“Cut the crap and tell me the Demon Dragon's location.”
“Of course.”
Beggar Dragon glanced at me with a meaningful smile before answering.
“The Emei Sect.”
“Ah!”
The Emei Sect. Home to the Emei Divine Sword. No mystery why the Demon Dragon headed there.
Right! I told him that!
I'd taught him that beating the Emei Divine Sword fair and square three times would let him date her.
But would it happen right away? The Emei Divine Sword, thrashed by me at the Sichuan Martial Tournament, was still too injured to move properly. A fair duel was impossible.
“Beggar Dragon. Thanks.”
“No biggie. I learned it while investigating the horrific aftermath of the Blood Demon Guard's raid on the Emei Sect.”
“I see.”
“We're sniffing around where the Blood Demon Guard took Sword Phoenix, Emei Divine Sword, Emei Fairy, and Sichuan's Number One Beauty from the Emei Sect.”
“...Sounds busy.”
We knew exactly where those kidnappers of beauties were headed. Awkward. Why not just tell him?
That was the winner-loser divide. Classic villain trait: weak against the strong, strong against the weak.
“Just my two cents, but you'd best avoid the Emei Sect. They're blaming their humiliating defeat—losing all their top experts—on Sichuan's Number One Demon.”
“No shame, huh.”
If a sect folds that easy missing just two people, maybe they should disband clean. Scared of a power gap? Then don't send them to tournaments in the first place. All excuses.
“Young hero Kang. Did you meet the Heavenly Demon well at the Huashan Sect?”
“No interest from this man.”
“Dodging so blatantly means the Heavenly Demon really is there.”
“......”
“And surviving after claiming to be his grandson? That means it's not a claim—it's fact.”
“...Beggar Dragon young hero.”
“Don't mind me.”
“Now I wanna expose your secret.”
His attitude wasn't rude, but he just rubbed me wrong.
“This humble one has no secrets. What secrets does a beggar have—”
“You don't look like your sister. Skin, eyes, hair—none of it.”
“...Haha! Young hero Kang. Need intel anytime? Just say the word—I'll come running!”
“For real?”
“Of course!”
Wall-Eyed Princess's half-brother smiled innocently.
* * *
We had to find the Demon Dragon before Mao Zai, who was after the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. How?
“Let's hurry and rescue the Emei Fairy, Emei Divine Sword, Sichuan's Number One Beauty, and Sword Phoenix from becoming the Blood Demon's wives!”
If the Demon Dragon was tracking the Blood Demon Guard to save the Emei Divine Sword, we'd beat him to it, rescue her first, and lure him in. Perfect plan.
Only issue: Mao Zai cleaned us out!
On the way from Sichuan to Shaanxi Province, the protagonist's treasures were intact. But heading to Henan Province now? Empty caves and boxes. Zero gains.
“All for nothing!”
“Someone got here first.”
The Fist King and Mi-bong, hooked on my freebie fortuitous encounters, were bummed.
“It's the work of the Heaven-Earth Yin-Yang Body. He knows all the spots where martial arts or treasures sleep too.”
“Gotta catch him!”
“I'll help!”
Greed-blinded Fist King and Mi-bong wanted Mao Zai nabbed ASAP.
Me too.
First, find the Blood Demon's hideout somewhere in Henan Province. The original novel never specified the exact spot, so we'd have to search manually...
Ah!
“Mi-bong.”
“Yes.”
“Don't leave my side.”
“Oh! I can do that better than breathing!”
Smack!
Mi-bong beamed and hugged my arm with both of hers.
“Young hero Kang. You think the Blood Demon Guard will target Mi-bong again?”
“Obviously.”
In the original, they never gave up. Was the Blood Demon's marriage more valuable than thousands of minions? Hard to grasp, but it was canon that the Blood Demon Guard—or the Blood Demon himself—would go after Mi-bong.
Plan: Act flashy and provocative to draw them out.
“Wanna go boating? We split the cost.”
“Sounds fun!”
We headed to a ferry on the Yellow River, which crossed the Central Plains.
* * *
The Blood Demon caught wind of Mi-bong boating on the Yellow River and instantly knew it was a provocation.
A challenge to him!
But dancing to their tune hurt his pride. So,
“Let's see what the river bandits can do.”
He'd use water bandits instead of going himself.
“Just watch. Heroes will take you down soon.”
Next to the Blood Demon, in a prime spot overlooking the river, sat a haughty peerless beauty.
The World's Number One Beauty. She'd ignored all men before, but kidnapped by the Blood Demon Guard, now no man but him could approach.
“Puhahaha! Years of 'just watch,' and still no news.”
“J-Just watch!”
Hands and feet bound tight, the World's Number One Beauty could only glare at the mocking Blood Demon.
He savored the Central Plains' top beauty—furious expression and all—as an appetizer, gazing at the murky yellow river outside.
It's starting.
Water bandits appeared on big and small boats. They swiftly surrounded the pleasure boat with Sichuan's Number One Demon and Mi-bong, and...
Boom!
Geysers and sprays erupted everywhere, wiping them out in seconds.
“...What happened?”
The once-yellow river ran red with bandit blood.
Floating wreckage—shattered boats so dense the water vanished—plus bandit corpses.
The pleasure boat amid it all wasn't unscathed, but not from bandit attacks.
Sichuan's Number One Demon. His martial art had grazed it while annihilating the bandits.
“Lord! Your orders!”
“Hmm...”
“Now's our chance while Sichuan's Number One Demon's tired from the bandits!”
“......”
That had been the plan.
“The Blood Demon Guard awaits your command on the riverbank. We'll slay Sichuan's Number One Demon and offer Mi-bong!”
The Blood Demon glanced at his eager subordinate.
“Orders!”
“...Be honest.”
“Yes, Lord!”
“Do you think this lord lacks women right now?”
“......”
“Be honest.”
“No! You've got the Central Plains' most beautiful, the World's Number One Beauty, right here. Plus from the Emei Sect: Sichuan's Number One Beauty, Emei Divine Sword, Emei Fairy, Sword Phoenix. Back at base...”
“Enough.”
“Forgive me, Lord!”
As his loyal sub said, the Blood Demon Guard had kidnapped countless Central Plains beauties for him.
Honestly? Plenty.
In the original, the protagonist's interference foiled them every time. But without him?
No hitches. They'd snag beauties smoothly for the Blood Demon. All along!
The World's Number One Beauty sticking around as his sorta-girlfriend? Because no protagonist rescue.
“Blood Demon Guard, stand down from ambush.”
“Pardon?”
“Ignore Mi-bong too. I have enough women to bear my child.”
“Ah! Retreating now!”
“And tonight, prepare Sichuan's Number One Beauty. Been too long since friends caught up.”
“Right away!”
“Can't wait.”
Kang Moon-soo's provocation fizzled under the Blood Demon's pragmatic judgment.