Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Blood is Thicker Than Water (3)
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Yun Chang-hwa was a warrior from the Acupoint Sect.
Even within the sect, he was considered a promising talent, but as a collateral disciple rather than a direct one, his growth had hit a ceiling.
He burned with ambition for martial arts and a strong desire to rise in status, but it was impossible in the Acupoint Sect.
So when he heard the Murim Alliance was being formed, he was overjoyed, practically jumping for it. He believed that while he had limits in the Acupoint Sect, the alliance would let him surpass them.
He petitioned his sect leader and was ultimately dispatched to the Murim Alliance. Once he joined, Yun Chang-hwa worked harder than anyone, dashing about tirelessly.
As a result, he earned the elders' trust and was appointed leader of a pursuit squad.
"We need to track those bastards down quickly."
There were thirty warriors assigned to his squad.
Over twenty such pursuit squads were out there.
They were closing the net like dragging a lake bottom with a net, following Danho's trail.
"If they escape Hunan Province, it'll be hard to catch them. We have to overtake them before then."
Yun Chang-hwa urged his men on.
Just then, a warrior of similar age approached him—his deputy, Bok Woo-gyeom.
Bok Woo-gyeom was from the Zhongnan Sect and got along famously with Yun Chang-hwa.
"Leader, you sure about this?"
"About what?"
"Chasing the Fist Demon. You saw his monstrous power yourself."
"So?"
"Even if we get lucky and track him, facing him means we're dead meat."
"Probably."
"And you're still going after him?"
"Do we have a choice? Orders from above—we follow."
"Damn it! Better prep our coffins now."
"Just spot him first and send up the signal. Reinforcements will come running. He's human, after all."
"He's beyond human."
"Still, he's alone. With combined assaults and rotations, he'll fall."
"But..."
"Worrying won't change anything. And it's not our call anyway."
Yun Chang-hwa replied curtly.
Seeing his foul mood, Bok Woo-gyeom let out a quiet sigh. He could understand Yun Chang-hwa's position.
Tracking the Fist Demon of the world meant bearing responsibility for thirty lives—an enormous mental burden, naturally.
"Any sign of him?"
"That's the weird part."
"What is?"
"The trail leads toward the Yangtze."
"What's weird about that? Looks like he's planning to ride it out of Hunan."
"That's what makes it strange."
"So what's the issue? A boat would get him out of Hunan way faster."
"Maybe. But it could backfire—stranded on a boat. Isolated in the middle of the Yangtze with nowhere to go. Why risk it?"
"Hmm."
"The Fist Demon isn't stupid. Far from it—he's pretty sharp. Hard to believe he'd make such a blunder."
Bok Woo-gyeom was extremely cautious and a deep thinker, so his words carried weight.
"So you're saying he's luring us deliberately?"
"Just my guess."
"No evidence, then."
"Right."
"Then we keep tracking. Without proof, this is our best shot."
"Hmm."
"Got it?"
"As you command. You're the leader; decisions are yours."
In the end, Bok Woo-gyeom nodded.
As deputy, he could raise doubts, but the final call was Yun Chang-hwa's.
Even if something felt off, once decided, they followed.
Yun Chang-hwa's pursuit squad headed north, tailing Danho's tracks. How far had they gone?
"Who goes there?"
Suddenly, a warrior at the front tracking the trail shouted loudly.
"What happened?"
"There's a suspicious guy blocking the road ahead."
At his subordinate's words, Yun Chang-hwa and Bok Woo-gyeom pushed through to the front. There, in the middle of the road, stood a man.
A middle-aged man in plain clothes—nothing special, just an ordinary villager. The striking thing was the pipa in his hands.
Twang!
He stood there casually plucking the pipa. The sight felt utterly out of place.
Yun Chang-hwa stepped forward.
"We're warriors of the Murim Alliance. Who are you, blocking the road like this?"
"My name is So Cheon-san."
The man smiled as he answered, still plucking away.
A pleasant melody echoed down the road, but Yun Chang-hwa couldn't relax his furrowed brow.
For some reason, his chest felt uneasy.
It was something he'd never felt since learning martial arts.
Yun Chang-hwa found it odd but couldn't pinpoint why.
A sidelong glance showed Bok Woo-gyeom's eyes half-lidded. Unlike the emotional Yun Chang-hwa, Bok Woo-gyeom was armed with cool rationality.
Seeing him so slack-jawed was a first.
Come to think of it, all thirty in the pursuit squad wore the same dazed look.
'Something's wrong.'
The thought hit him.
Not one or two—all thirty, lost in a trance.
They all seemed entranced by the pipa music.
'Pipa?'
His gaze shifted to the instrument in the man's hands.
From it flowed notes that muddled the mind.
Realizing that snapped him alert.
"Everyone, snap out of it!"
He infused his voice with qi and bellowed.
"Huh!"
"What?"
Thankfully, it worked—Bok Woo-gyeom and the others came to.
"He's bewitching us with the pipa. Circulate your qi and resist the sound!"
Bok Woo-gyeom and the men paled, channeling qi to counter the music.
At that moment, a faint smile curled the lips of the man who'd been playing so leisurely.
"Not bad. Keeping your wits after the Soul-Capturing Heart-Breaker Melody."
The Soul-Capturing Heart-Breaker Melody lived up to its name, seizing the listener's mind. Those with weak qi or unsteady hearts fell to it easily.
Shing!
Yun Chang-hwa drew his sword, aiming at the man.
"Who are you? Reveal yourself. Playing such demonic tunes."
"Didn't I say? So Cheon-san."
The man calling himself So Cheon-san spoke softly.
His voice was gentle and pleasant. But Yun Chang-hwa and the squad weren't swayed.
Instinct told them this man was no ordinary foe.
"Who are you? Connected to the Fist Demon?"
"Fist Demon? Oh, that kid stirring up the world. Interesting junior, but no connection."
"Then why block us? You know we're Murim Alliance warriors?"
"That's exactly why I'm blocking you."
"What?"
"Didn't you form the Murim Alliance to stop our cult?"
Yun Chang-hwa tilted his head, not grasping at first. Then his eyes flew wide.
"Our cult? You don't mean..."
"Right! From the Divine Cult."
Divine Cult.
The term Demonic Cultists used for themselves. No upright warrior would utter it.
"You're a Demonic Cultist."
"I said Divine Cult."
"Daring to show your face in Murim Alliance territory. Got guts."
Yun Chang-hwa raised his voice, his tone carrying undeniable force. But So Cheon-san just kept smiling.
"The Murim Alliance? So what?"
"You bastard!"
"'Bastard' isn't a word for nobodies like you."
Twang!
Even as he spoke, So Cheon-san didn't stop plucking.
That's when Yun Chang-hwa shouted.
"Attack! Capture him and haul him to the alliance!"
They'd long forgotten about pursuing Danho. His men felt the same.
"Waaah!"
The pursuit squad charged So Cheon-san as one.
In that instant, So Cheon-san's lips twisted upward. A deep crimson gleam flickered in his eyes.
He strummed the pipa string hard.
Dooong!
A sonic wave swept the area.
Like thunderbolts crashing to earth, like massive waves battering a lone rock—it struck Yun Chang-hwa and the squad.
"Guh!"
"Kek!"
Those hit staggered wildly, vomiting blood. Amid the splattered crimson were chunks of shattered organs.
"H-how?"
Yun Chang-hwa and Bok Woo-gyeom's pupils shook.
Ringing filled their heads; the world turned red.
One sonic blast had pulverized their heart meridians.
Inconceivable destructive power from a sound technique.
So Cheon-san explained kindly.
"It's called Ten-Mile Annihilation Sound. Haven't used it in ages—feels off."
Ten-Mile Annihilation Sound.
True to its name, a horrific sound art that could slay all life within ten li.
So Cheon-san was its sole inheritor.
In the Demonic Cult, his moniker was Ten-Mile Lifeless.
Meaning no living thing survived within ten li of him.
Thud!
Yun Chang-hwa and Bok Woo-gyeom dropped to their knees.
They desperately wanted to stand. But with heart meridians crushed, survival was impossible.
Death shadowed their faces.
So Cheon-san sneered.
"Why mess with us, huh?"
"When did we—"
"We wanted peace, but you provoked us. Time to pay."
"Urk!"
"No need to feel hard done by. Others will join you soon."
"D-don't make me laugh. We die, but the Murim Alliance will avenge us. Filthy Demonic Cult scum—there's no room for you on this land. Khek!"
Yun Chang-hwa spewed a pint of blood mid-curse and collapsed, still. He was gone.
Bok Woo-gyeom followed moments later.
So Cheon-san tsked at the corpses.
"Still clueless about our cult's power. No wonder you dared provoke us."
So Cheon-san was one of the Demonic Cult's Seven Great Demon Lords.
In war with the orthodox sects, he'd lead the vanguard. His appearance meant the Demonic Cult had emerged.
For decades, they'd endured, biding time.
Grown their strength.
Now the world would know.
The Demonic Cult's might.
So Cheon-san muttered suddenly.
"Fist Demon... Seems a decent guy showed up in the martial world."
Fist Demon was the moniker he'd heard most on his way here.
A traitor from the Volcanic Sect turned demon.
So Cheon-san rather liked him.
"Guess we'll meet someday."
He departed.
That day, it wasn't just Yun Chang-hwa's squad wiped out.
Over three hundred from a dozen squads within ten li of So Cheon-san—all spewed blood from seven orifices and perished.
Ten-Mile Lifeless.
No life remained within ten li.
The great upheaval in the martial world had begun.