Chapter 200
Chapter 200
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 200
Chapter Title: 8. Chaos is Like a Swamp, Drawing Everything In (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yu Kyung's gaze wavered. It was because of the one man standing before her eyes.
He was a rustic villager in plain clothes. The kind of person you could see anywhere, utterly unremarkable. The middle-aged man before her was just that.
The only incongruous sight was the pipa held in his hands. The instrument, worn and stained from years of use, was a divine relic symbolizing a legendary figure.
A legendary warrior said to be able to wipe out all life within ten li with a single pluck of the strings.
The rustic man before her was none other than the Ten Li Without Life, So Cheon-san.
The Demonic Cult housed numerous branches inheriting martial lineages. The one So Cheon-san had inherited was specialized in mass slaughter above all.
While they might yield somewhat in direct confrontations between absolute masters due to elemental disadvantages, no warrior was more efficient at massacring ordinary martial artists.
That was why So Cheon-san held a particularly special place even within the Demonic Cult.
He could exert a more tremendous influence on the battlefield than any absolute master. Even those stronger in martial arts dared not treat him lightly.
So Cheon-san gave Yu Kyung a faint smile.
"Saintess."
"For even Great Hero So to come here... Is this the Cult Leader's command?"
"Indeed."
"Ha! If Great Hero So steps in, too many people will die."
"I know."
The sonic arts So Cheon-san wielded made no distinction between friend and foe. A single misstep could lead to the mass death of not only the Murim Alliance but even the Demonic Cult's warriors.
Despite Yu Kyung's concerns, So Cheon-san's expression remained relaxed.
"I know full well what troubles the Saintess. But have no fear. I've recently attained enlightenment and can now control my sonic arts precisely. None of our Cult's warriors will suffer harm from them."
So Cheon-san gave a slight bow and passed by Yu Kyung.
He showed her respect as the Saintess, but his demeanor made clear he would tolerate no further interference.
At So Cheon-san's departing figure, Yu Kyung let out a faint sigh.
Though she bore the title of the Demonic Cult's Saintess, she had been granted no real authority or power.
She was merely fading into a symbolic existence.
Yu Kyung gazed toward the battlefield.
It had been a lightning-fast surprise attack. Even she, the Saintess, had received no prior notice of it.
This was proof that the Cult Leader not only distrusted her but actively rejected her.
'Just how far does the Cult Leader intend to go? At this rate, both the New Cult and the Central Plains martial world will meet utter ruin.'
Yu Kyung bit her lip.
Finding the divine relic was important, but she could not stand by and watch countless lives perish like this.
She hurled herself toward the battlefield.
Fierce combat raged in every direction. Already, countless had lost their lives or been wounded.
The problem was that there was no sign of the battle ending. If anything, it grew fiercer with time.
Yu Kyung stepped into the Sakju branch grounds. Some warriors spotted her and shouted.
"That woman's a Demonic Cultist too."
"Kill her!"
Sreeek!
Their swords flew toward Yu Kyung's vital points. She easily evaded them, then struck their pressure points with her sword fingers.
The Murim Alliance warriors, their pressure points sealed, collapsed like puppets with cut strings.
Leaving the fallen Alliance warriors behind, Yu Kyung pressed deeper into the Sakju branch.
'I need to find the Branch Chief and warn him.'
She had to locate the Branch Chief before So Cheon-san unleashed his Ten Li Annihilation Sound.
It was then.
"Halt."
A woman blocked her path.
She wore simple clothes of violet silk. Her eyebrows and hair strands shimmered with a faint blue aura, contrasting strikingly with her snow-white skin.
It was Hae So-wol.
Bloodstains dotted Hae So-wol's garments. She too had been fiercely resisting the invading Demonic Cult warriors.
Hae So-wol instantly recognized Yu Kyung as no ordinary foe. Yu Kyung sensed the same of her.
They were the female martial artists representing the Murim Alliance and Demonic Cult, respectively. Sensing each other's extraordinary presence was only natural.
Yu Kyung recognized Hae So-wol first.
"You're Hae So-wol of the Azure Flower Sect."
"And who might you be?"
Peeeng!
Instead of answering, Yu Kyung thrust her sword at Hae So-wol. Unfazed, Hae So-wol swung her longsword to guard her entire body.
Clang clang clang!
The two women's swords clashed, sparks flying in the air.
Yu Kyung swung her blade fiercely while mouthing words.
—The Ten Li Without Life, So Cheon-san, will soon unleash his sonic arts. Those with weak internal energy will have their heart meridians rupture and die. Hurry and lead the people out of here.
Her transmitted voice pierced Hae So-wol's ears.
'What?'
—There's no time to delay. The moment So Cheon-san unleashes his sonic arts, this place will become hell.
Yu Kyung suddenly swung her sword wide.
The ultimate technique of her Falling Moon Divine Sword poured toward Hae So-wol. Hae So-wol countered with the Azure Sea Severing Wave Sword.
Clang clang clang clang!
Amid the sounds of clashing steel, blood seeped from Hae So-wol's sleeve. Yu Kyung's attacks carried immense power. Yet Hae So-wol blocked them all and prepared a counterstrike.
"......"
But she could not. The ferocious attacker, Yu Kyung, had vanished like a lie.
Empty Spirit Cloud Mist Step.
Yu Kyung executed the Demonic Cult's secret lightness skill and slipped out of the area.
Left suddenly alone, Hae So-wol stood dazed for a moment. Then she recalled Yu Kyung's warning.
"The Ten Li Without Life..."
If Yu Kyung's words were true, hell on earth would unfold here.
She hurriedly sought out Gong Son-jung, the Sakju Branch Chief.
Gong Son-jung was bellowing at his subordinates.
"When the hell are reinforcements coming?"
"The east gate's been breached. We need to send support there."
"The main gate's in peril too. We can't spare anyone for the east."
"There's the Hundred Battles Sect. Request support from them."
"They're guarding the annex right now."
"Who's in the annex?"
"Elder Hyun So of Mount Hua and the children."
"Damn it! Why drag a useless old fart like that along for..."
Gong Son-jung spewed curses.
Usually praised for his rationality and composure, the dire situation had stripped him of his cool judgment and reason.
The midnight raid had pushed the Sakju branch to the brink of collapse. The creeping fear of total annihilation gnawed at Gong Son-jung's heart.
Into this chaos, Hae So-wol found him.
"Branch Chief!"
"What now?"
Gong Son-jung snapped irritably.
Normally, he would have greeted her politely, but now even basic courtesy was forgotten.
"I've received word that the Ten Li Without Life, So Cheon-san, is stepping in."
"So Cheon-san? That demonic bastard who slaughters everyone within ten li with his sonic arts?"
Gong Son-jung's face drained of color in an instant.
He knew how So Cheon-san had massacred the Murim Alliance's pursuit squad.
"Th-then this is bad?"
"Yes. We must pull back those with weak martial arts. They'll be the first to die when So Cheon-san unleashes his sonic arts."
"But..."
Even at Hae So-wol's words, Gong Son-jung hesitated.
The situation was desperate enough that even a cat's paw would help. Even the weak had their uses, and pulling them now would tip the battle sharply against them.
Gong Son-jung's eyes wavered.
"We can't spare the manpower now."
"Then everyone dies."
"Where did you hear this? There's no guarantee the Ten Li Without Life has even appeared. And even if he has, no guarantee we'll be the ones to suffer. We just need to take him down before he unleashes it."
"Who's going to take him down?"
"You, and... with others helping, it should be possible, no?"
Hae So-wol felt a surge of anger rising within her at Gong Son-jung's words.
Even as the pinnacle among later-generation experts, she was nowhere near a match for one of the Seven Great Demonic Experts like So Cheon-san. Ordering her to face him was no different from telling her to leap into flames carrying her own faggots.
"We can't pull back our full strength now. So keep him in check and stop him from using his sonic arts."
Gong Son-jung said it without shame.
The others averted their eyes from Hae So-wol. Their faces were flushed red. They knew his words were unreasonable, but with the battle turning so urgently, they consoled themselves that there was no choice.
It was then.
Ting-a-lang!
A clear pipa melody suddenly rang out across the battlefield.
The moment they heard it, everyone's faces stiffened. The subtle pipa sound burrowing into their eardrums shook their very souls.
"Urk!"
"Huh!"
Gong Son-jung and the Sakju branch leaders hastily circulated their energy to resist the pipa sound. Their shaken souls steadied.
But not everyone could protect their heart meridians with internal energy like them. Those with weak energy felt excruciating pain as if their meridians were tearing.
"Arghhh!"
"Save me! Aaaagh!"
Eardrums burst, blood flowed.
Hundreds of warriors collapsed mid-fight, writhing on the ground. The sonic assault churned their brains.
"Urgh!"
"Nngh!"
Even the Demonic Cult warriors battling the Alliance forces paled and fell back.
So Cheon-san had intended to direct the sonic arts only at the Alliance, but even his own side felt the effects.
They weren't struck directly like the Alliance warriors, but their meridians were affected, leaving their insides roiling.
If trained warriors suffered so, ordinary folk like Elder Hyun So and the children could hardly escape unscathed.
"Huuk!"
"Waaah! Grandpa!"
"It hurts!"
Color fled Elder Hyun So's face, and the children writhed in agony.
"You madman! Stop it!"
Cho Yeon-un and the Hundred Battles Sect disciples, who had been fighting nearby Demonic Cult warriors, rushed over.
Cho Yeon-un and some disciples infused energy into Elder Hyun So and the children. The others protected them while fending off the Cult warriors. Naturally, they fell into a defensive disadvantage.
"Damn it all!"
Cho Yeon-un's face twisted unpleasantly.
A single interloper had produced unimaginable results.
So Cheon-san stood in the center of the battlefield, eyes gently closed. A faint smile played on his lips.
His fingers plucking the pipa grew ever faster. The pipa sounds intensified accordingly.
Ten Li Annihilation Sound.
The sonic art that exterminated all life within ten li was unfolding through his hands.
To fully unleash the Ten Li Annihilation Sound required the plucking to reach its peak. And now, So Cheon-san's plucking raced toward that zenith.
'All for the New Cult. If sacrificing a thousand lives can forge a better world for the New Cult, I'll bear all the infamy.'
Countless writhed in torment from his playing.
Eyes bulged bloodshot, heads swelled as if about to burst. A little more time, and brain pressure would shatter their skulls or rip their heart meridians.
"Will you not stop?"
Hyun Geom Jin-in, who had been locked in battle with Deung Cheon-so, roared like a lion. But his lion's roar failed to affect So Cheon-san.
"You bastard!"
Hyun Geom Jin-in tried to launch his sword at So Cheon-san. But Deung Cheon-so blocked his path.
"Hmph! As if."
A sinister smile curled Deung Cheon-so's lips.
Their power had been evenly matched so far. They might have hidden aces, but at least on the surface, that was the case.
He couldn't dispatch Hyun Geom Jin-in immediately, but conversely, Hyun Geom Jin-in couldn't overcome Deung Cheon-so until revealing his hidden card.
Deung Cheon-so blocked Hyun Geom Jin-in while gazing at So Cheon-san.
"These are the ones who oppressed us. Hesitate not—bring down judgment's iron hammer, Cheon-san."
Deung Cheon-so's voice served as the signal.
So Cheon-san's fingers plunged like lightning for the final note.
Twaaang!
The pipa sound shook heaven and earth.
A terrifying sound wave swept the battlefield like a storm. Those exposed clutched their hearts and tumbled to the ground.
Those near So Cheon-san vomited blood first.
Over a hundred perished in an instant. And So Cheon-san raised his hand once more to bring down death.
The moment his hand fell, several times that number would vanish. And when the Ten Li Annihilation Sound completed, the area would become a land of death.
"Aaah!"
Elder Hyun So's eyes turned bloodshot. His and the children's eardrums burst, blood streaming. Cho Yeon-un and the Hundred Battles warriors infused energy to barely hold on, but even that reached its limit.
Through the crumbled walls, So Cheon-san was visible, on the verge of completing the Ten Li Annihilation Sound.
'Is this the end?'
Elder Hyun So embraced the children and closed his eyes.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
His own death held no regret, but the thought of these unbloomed flowers wilting like this filled him with grief.
In that instant, a strange frictional sound echoed across the battlefield.
Srrrrk! Thud!