Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Into the Fourth District
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As expected, you heard it.
Yuri glared at Ha-ryeong with a crumpled face. Tracing it back, it was all because that dog-like Blood Fiend Ghost left behind that bullshit as his dying words.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have sent a transmission. Should I say it loud and clear?”
Yuri’s eyebrow twitched at the words delivered with an expressionless face, and Ha-ryeong’s eyebrow did the same.
What approached subtly was unmistakable killing intent. From the foul scent of blood embedded in that murky intent, Ha-ryeong could guess the two years of life this man had lived.
Thunder Cloud.
Not a nickname famous enough to circulate widely, but one slowly spreading in the Black Dao circles.
In the light, he hunted wanted criminals; in the shadows, he was known as a “fixer.” Proxy duels in petty quarrels, conflicts between Black Dao sects, and more. A young martial artist who never missed a chance to throw himself into any fight.
There were too many 3rd Tier and 4th Tier in the world.
In a world where power meant survival, the more power you had, the more you gained and could do.
Those with some strength trained in martial arts; those who could use their heads a bit studied magic. Among them, “martial arts” were especially accessible. Even without a proper manual, grabbing a cheap sword let you take your first steps as a martial artist. With exceptional talent, you could awaken internal energy just from killing a few people with a blade.
Of course, such cases were rare exceptions. The vast majority ate a bit of sword rice, picked up cheap techniques, or joined third-rate sects to bulk up blindly and learn third-rate arts.
That’s how they were filtered. The hopeless ones died stuck at 2nd Tier; those who scraped by accumulated experience to reach 3rd Tier, then spent their lives at the mortal limit of 4th Tier.
A young man just past twenty at 4th Tier, and a martial artist at that. Black Dao sects had given Thunder Cloud various commissions half to verify his skills before recruitment, half with the malicious intent to crush him before he grew too big.
He had survived all of it.
The killing intent Yuri now exuded gave Ha-ryeong, who remembered what that man looked like in the mansion two years ago, no choice but to feel various emotions.
“I’m not asking to threaten you, so no need for killing intent between friends.”
“That just sounded like a threat to anyone.”
“Maybe it’s been two years; you seem to have forgotten what kind of person I am. That was just a joke.”
Fair enough. Yuri smoothed his furrowed brow and withdrew his killing intent. If Ha-ryeong had really meant to threaten him using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art as pretext, she wouldn’t have come here alone.
“It doesn’t seem like a question I have to answer. No reason to, either.”
“Secrets between friends are upsetting.”
“You have plenty of secrets yourself, Ha-ryeong.”
“Then how about exchanging secrets?”
“You probably have many, but I doubt they’re as heavy as mine.”
“Aren’t you curious if I’m older or younger?”
“I assume older sister for sure.”
Yuri still didn’t know Ha-ryeong’s exact age, but given her 5th Tier, she had to be older.
“Then why don’t you call me older sister?”
“Ha-ryeong noona.”
Trying it once, it felt like something he couldn’t say. He’d hardly ever used the word “noona” in his life, so it stuck awkwardly to his tongue, rough like chewing sand.
“Eww.”
Ha-ryeong’s reaction wasn’t good either. Her expressionless face rarely twisted openly in disgust.
“Let’s not.”
“Yes.”
“But why assume older sister? Does my face look that aged?”
“No.”
At face value, she even looked younger than him.
Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. The sudden phrase wasn’t out of nowhere. Ever since the Blood Fiend Ghost left that dog-like dying words two years ago, such questions were inevitable.
Among the Peerless Sovereigns, the untouchable existence was the Heavenly Demon. The Demonic Cult as a force rivaled groups like the Black Dragon Society or Righteous Heavenly Alliance, but beyond that, the name Heavenly Demon alone carried weight.
And that Heavenly Demon had taken a disciple. The exact timing wasn’t clear, but rumors already swirled about the enigmatic disciple.
“You said you possessed at twenty... right after the Black Snake Gang raid. Honestly, it’s hard to believe. Even with a possessor’s talent, reaching 4th Tier in less than half a year after starting martial arts?”
There was much to think about.
A 4th Tier martial artist couldn’t use qi projection. You could chalk it up to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but when and how did he even learn it?
“I’ve never lied.”
The killing intent was gone, but his gaze was fierce.
‘Better not pry more.’
Something was there, but relentlessly digging into a past he didn’t want to share was wrong. Ha-ryeong shrugged and replied.
“My mistake.”
“You fucking bastards.”
The apology’s response came unexpectedly from the side.
The waiter who’d been hit by Ha-ryeong’s bead earlier was glaring at them with a limp, surrounded by thugs with ugly faces drawing weapons.
“If you came to eat, eat quietly and leave. What’s with the racket?”
“Seems like a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding!”
“The racket wasn’t me...”
Sigh. Yuri let out a deep breath and stood. No point protesting innocence; they wouldn’t back off with an “Oh, sorry.” Now they’d grab any excuse to extort.
So Yuri swept the leg of the nearest one.
“Argh!”
The tumbling bulk clutched his broken leg, screaming. Argh, argh, argh! Screams followed in succession.
“Let’s go.”
Ha-ryeong blinked down. The five surrounding the table all had one leg broken amicably.
“You’ve gotten fiery in the time I haven’t seen you.”
“This is all because you stirred unnecessary trouble.”
“I never asked you to handle it for me. If you’d left it, I would have.”
Yuri left without paying as if it were natural, and no one in the restaurant stopped him.
“Is this your usual temperament? Or did you change in two years?”
“Changed.”
“Will you accept my apology?”
“For now. Keep it up, and we can’t be friends.”
Yuri didn’t want to kill Ha-ryeong.
Two years had passed, but the time in Lutran held precious memories for him.
Even if it ended in catastrophe.
“I want to be close friends with you too, so I won’t ask more.”
Pry further, and they’d truly become enemies. The words were close to sincere, so Ha-ryeong decided to shelve her curiosity.
Asking outright about the Young Cult Leader and Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a big risk for her. To maintain stability, she could’ve ignored it as “unheard,” like two years ago.
But she didn’t want to. That was a lesson from that catastrophe.
Relationships built on lies end badly.
Whether Yuri’s art was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, she didn’t know. Nor where he got it. But it seemed like an art of unclear origin.
It needed addressing, and if rebuffed—what then? Since she’d come this far, would she cling?
‘Oh, I see.’
Wouldn’t she back off saying that? If they tried murder?
“Yuri.”
She didn’t dwell on hypotheticals. Ha-ryeong caught up to the walking Yuri and lowered her voice.
“I’m actually from the Tang Clan.”
“...?”
An abrupt confession. Ha-ryeong’s face, turning startled, was the same as always. Yuri stared piercingly for a moment before speaking.
“I know.”
He’d heard the Blood Fiend Ghost spit it at her.
“Yes?”
He’d mustered courage to confess, yet this reaction.
“You knew and pretended not to all this time?”
“You had reasons to keep it secret.”
“Right.”
“So I didn’t ask more.”
“You pry into my secrets then treat me like trash. In the subtleties of yielding, you’ve reached the pinnacle unseen.”
Wouldn’t most at least flinch? Ha-ryeong was inwardly puzzled.
‘She has so many secrets herself she avoids prying into others’?’
A bit flustered, but this distance was what she wanted. Just as Yuri had no intent to reveal the Heavenly Demon Divine Art or other secrets, Ha-ryeong had no desire to chatter about the Tang Clan.
To her, the Tang Clan was...
Something she wanted to sever ties with entirely, if possible.
A loathsome, resentful family she couldn’t escape.
*
Of the five districts excluding the center, District 3 where Yuri and Ha-ryeong were could be called neutral ground.
It was lawless, so security was poor. But no corpses littered the streets.
Among the lower districts, the worst wasn’t expanding 5 but closed-off 4. Unlike 5, which absorbed displaced residents, 4 was more insular than the center.
Yuri had reached 3 but couldn’t enter 4. They’d walled off the outskirts, rejecting outsiders.
District 4 was a den of wicked laws born in lawlessness.
“I’m really exhausted.”
Guzen, met the next day, looked like death.
“Passes for District 4 aren’t as easy to get as you think. Supply doesn’t meet demand. More scum want into closed-off 4 than you’d imagine...”
“Did you hear my words yesterday with your ears plugged?”
Since they already knew her background, Ha-ryeong hid nothing. She openly drew her Tang dagger and dangled it before Guzen.
“No, I mean, it’s not that I couldn’t get it. I did...”
Guzen immediately caved.
“But I didn’t get this for free...”
Asking for payment, ultimately.
“Even if I’d cleaned your 5th District shit, you’d charge?”
“W-well, I have business ethics, so not much. Thunder Cloud, you heard from Royce too, right? Passes aren’t for just anyone. Only someone like a branch head like me can get them.”
Ha-ryeong opened her mouth, but Yuri stopped her with a hand. With a bored face, he pulled his back bag forward, opened it before Guzen, and rummaged.
“Friend with business ethics.”
Guzen’s face brightened at the money-drawing motion but crumpled at the amount on the desk. Barely under 100,000 sel.
“Fuck, kidding? Know how much a pass costs?”
“Yuri, isn’t that too much?”
Guzen’s head snapped at the words. Thunk! The Tang dagger stabbed the desk.
“...”
Guzen swallowed rising curses, glaring at the Tang dagger.
A sudden thought: Is this real? Only Tang direct descendants have them. The secretive Tang meant little known of lineage, but a Hao Sect branch head cowering at one dagger was too humiliating.
“Doubting me?”
The whisper chilled Guzen’s spine. The woman had approached his side unnoticed.
Real or fake Tang dagger aside, the woman beside was undoubtedly a 5th Tier assassin. If suspicious, send them off and investigate later. Something would turn up.
“N-no.”
First, shake off these gangster bastards. Guzen averted from the dagger and opened a drawer.
“What did you do?”
Exiting the rundown brothel, Yuri held the black coin—District 4 pass—to the light. Dense engravings shifted, seeming hard to forge.
“You saw?”
Ha-ryeong’s eyebrow rose in slight surprise.
“You sprinkled something on it.”
“Still sharp eyes.”
Most martial artists wouldn’t notice. Ha-ryeong shrugged.
“Poison.”
“Poison?”
“I don’t like poison as cowardly, but I use it when needed.”
She’d warned him to take it to the grave, but his last gaze on the dagger said he wouldn’t.
So she poisoned it. 4th Tier poison-eye Guzen wouldn’t notice and would die tonight.
“I usually avoid off-duty kills, but you made me break that precept.”
“No issue killing him?”
“No issue, so I did. Given the area.”
Hao Sect gathered the despised, but no bonds there. Empty and scorned, they stabbed each other’s backs.
Especially lower districts, barely cities. From 3, residents were those unable to live in light, seeing disorder as daily. Other cities’ Hao might have loyalty, but here? Nonsense.
Tonight, some underling would celebrate Guzen’s death as his promotion with drinks.
“District 4’s more dangerous than here. Turn back now?”
“If you don’t want to go, stay. I’ll go alone.”
“How can I send a friend into danger alone? I, Ha-ryeong, am not that heartless.”
“I’ll do lots of dangerous stuff there.”
“Didn’t you say you’re hunting cultists? True, that’s risky.”
“Cultists found just by saying so?”
“Exactly. So, Yuri, what’s your plan...”
Ha-ryeong’s words cut off. Eyes wide, she stared at Yuri’s face.
“Wow.”
Unable to compose her surprise, she let out an exclamation. Yuri’s hooded face had completely changed.
“Face-changing technique?”
“Can’t change body, just face.”
“Even face-altering arts are rare; where’d you get it?”
“Made it.”
Full body change was impossible, but over a year let him alter his face.
‘Made it...?’
Absurd, but Yuri’s martial talent was known extraordinary since two years ago. Ha-ryeong sighed and muttered.
“Sadly, Yuri, I don’t know face-altering.”
“Want me to teach you?”
“No confidence using it right away, so I’ll stick to a mask.”
District 4 leaked no internal info; no pass, no entry. Conversely, pass meant anyone could enter. Hide face or name; pass sufficed.
“But Yuri, you were introduced, right?”
“Yeah. Royce, a Hao underling I used a few months before coming here.”
“You learned face-changing to avoid tails. Trustworthy?”
“Killed him.”
“Yes?”
“Promised intro letter, then haggled for money endlessly. Why are Hao guys so money-mad?”
Yuri grumbled, pulling his hood down again.
“Wow.”
Killed and done. Saying it casually showed not just Elena twisted in two years.
“You’ve really gotten fiery.”
ㅡDidn’t expect this fiery.
Ten minutes into District 4? Ha-ryeong blinked, thinking.
“Aaaagh! Fuck!”
“Guhhhh...”
It was obvious justified self-defense, provoked.
Excessive closure in lawlessness meant scum worse than trash festered.
Sure, people lived here, so scum had their codes, but newbies were exempt.
An assassin skilled at hiding presence.
A martial artist showing no internal energy outwardly, reason unknown.
Reverse Aura Concealment was 7th Tier realm, Peerless Sovereign level. Such a figure wouldn’t enter honestly with a pass.
Thus, these two newbies were marks. Whatever circumstances, clean scum washed here...
“First time?”
“Big bro’ll guide you.”
“Hey, relax. Run and you’re dead?”
Five cackling encirclement.
Five waiting at the trash heap entrance they were led to.
All ten scum ended with broken legs today, chummily.
‘5th Tier?’
Ha-ryeong was 5th Tier too.
Coldly, her skill was mid-5th Tier plus. Her arts weakened frontal fights, but in must-kill life-or-death without fair play, she could kill any same tier or at least half-cripple.
‘This is 5th Tier?’
Right beside her.
She hadn’t stepped in, thinking the openly cocky scum followed meekly meant a scheme.
Ambushers revealed, guides blocked retreat.
Yuri moved; Ha-ryeong’s eyes couldn’t track.
Her delayed gaze caught— a swaggering scum’s leg snapping.