Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Quick Swordplay with the Coiled Sword
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“Anyway, you really seem like a rotten bastard to the bone.”
Ak Muyoo lifted his right foot high and slammed it down hard.
Thud!
“Argh!”
Yaul Gob’s head burst open like a watermelon, and he died instantly.
“Old man, clean up the body.”
Ak Muyoo said to the old man before heading toward where Seo Haran had collapsed.
“You okay?”
Seo Haran asked.
“With what?”
“You just swallowed that pill on your own.”
“Poisonous stuff doesn’t faze me.”
“......So that’s what it was.”
Seo Haran glanced at the Solar Heaven Sword lying beside Chak Hong with her eyes and said.
“What are you talking about?”
“The weapon that took down Jeok Yeom-cheon.”
“If you and Mok Bu-seong keep your mouths shut, I might save your life a few more times down the line. You can manage that, right?”
“Sure.”
“Can I at least say ‘ahh’?”
“You trying to feed it to me?”
“It’s the last one I’ve got. If it’s not the antidote, I’m out of options too.”
“Ever think it might be an aphrodisiac?”
“Aphrodisiac?”
“The Desert Five Villains raped countless women.”
“So you’re not gonna take it?”
“Hand it over.”
“What if it is an aphrodisiac?”
“You’ll take responsibility.”
“Responsibility?”
“Take me into the ger and hold me tight. Then take responsibility for the rest of my life too.”
“That’s not something to say to a guy who can barely take care of himself. And you’re a monk. You’ve gotta keep loving Buddha from here on out.”
Ak Muyoo placed the pill in Seo Haran’s mouth. She chewed and swallowed it.
The two waited with tense faces.
“It’s the antidote.”
Seo Haran said as she sat up.
“Good thing.”
“Not disappointing?”
“I told you, my own life’s a handful.”
“Still stings my pride though?”
“Pride stung because you can’t sleep with me? That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
He said while feeding the pill to Mok Bu-seong.
“That’s a woman’s heart for you.”
“A woman’s heart?”
“If it was an aphrodisiac and you held me, I might kill you out of shame. But if you say you won’t, I’d think, ‘Guess I’m not appealing enough,’ and my pride gets hurt.”
“Complicated.”
“That’s women for you.”
“Good it wasn’t an aphrodisiac.”
He fed the antidote to Mok Bu-seong, then to Luha and Ara. Soon, the group shook off the dust and stood up.
That’s when the old man returned after dumping the body.
Ara, Luha, Seo Haran, and Mok Bu-seong all flinched at once. An immense aura emanated from the old man. But it vanished just as quickly.
“It’s a puppy.”
Ara said softly.
A puppy trailed behind the old man.
“I’m Ta-geuk.”
The old man introduced himself.
“Follow me.”
Ak Muyoo said as he headed to the lake.
“Why there?”
“There’s a smell coming from you, old man.”
“A smell?”
Ta-geuk sniffed his own shoulder.
“Don’t smell anything.”
“Come anyway.”
“Jabujong, let’s go.”
Ta-geuk said as he walked to the lakeside.
But the puppy didn’t follow the old man. It went to Ara’s side and plopped down against her.
Ta-geuk turned to look at the puppy.
“You little shit, after I cut your umbilical cord myself?”
“That’s why I told you to wash up.”
Ak Muyoo said.
“So it went there because I stink?”
“It’s not your smell. There’s a good smell over there.”
“Good smell?”
“Smells like meat.”
“......Ungrateful mutt.”
The old man grumbled as he followed Ak Muyoo.
Ak Muyoo stripped and entered the lake. Ta-geuk followed into the water, still clothed.
“Huh? Nice.”
Ta-geuk grinned wide in the warm water.
“I’m heading out first.”
Ak Muyoo washed quickly and left. He paid extra attention to the fear demon. He had to clean it thoroughly since he’d be grilling meat again.
Arriving at the fire, he hung the fear demon over the flames.
“Why didn’t you get poisoned?”
Seo Haran asked.
“I’m pretty resistant to poison.”
“You didn’t take the antidote either?”
“On purpose.”
“Why?”
“You guys can circulate your qi to detoxify, but I can’t.”
“You skipped the antidote on purpose to build tolerance to poison?”
Mok Bu-seong asked.
“Yeah.”
Ak Muyoo nodded.
“Poisonous fellow.”
“My body’s like that. Can’t help it.”
“You targeted their legs on purpose against the Desert Five Villains?”
Seo Haran asked again.
“When fighting someone stronger, you gotta aim where they least expect it for a shot at winning. Charge in thinking one hit kill, and boom—this happens.”
Ak Muyoo swiped the edge of his hand across his throat.
As they talked, the fear demon heated up. He added the meat Seo Haran had left on the chair atop it, piling on more belly. It sizzled merrily as it cooked. He flipped it once and poured liquor over.
Flames shot up.
“Whoa! What’s that?”
Seo Haran asked.
“Gets rid of the porky smell like this.”
“Makes the meat tastier?”
“Yeah.”
Ak Muyoo took out the well-done meat and sliced it into bite-sized pieces.
“Try it now.”
He gave the first slices to the three women. Then he laid ribs on the fear demon.
The women ate the tenderloin first, then the belly.
“Grilled, it’s insanely good.”
Seo Haran loved it most.
“You’re serious about meat, huh.”
He said while slicing.
“Meat’s my favorite food in the world.”
“No one carries it around like a partner the way you do.”
Ak Muyoo offered sliced meat to Mok Bu-seong.
“Thanks.”
Mok Bu-seong said.
“No problem.”
Ak Muyoo added ribs and kept slicing belly, distributing to the group. Mok Bu-seong, mid-bite, suddenly stood and went to his camel. He returned with a large leather sack and cups.
“What’s that?”
Ak Muyoo asked.
“Booze.”
“Pfft! She’s meat, you’re booze?”
“The taste of a morning shot...”
Woof!
The puppy, now by Ak Muyoo, nipped and tugged at his clothes.
“When’d you get here?”
Ak Muyoo sliced meat for the puppy.
“Cool this down for me.”
Mok Bu-seong handed the sack to Seo Haran.
“Cooler’s tastier?”
Seo Haran asked.
“Perfection.”
“With everyone here, all these tasty tricks come out.”
Seo Haran pressed her palm to the booze sack and circulated her qi. Frost soon formed on its surface.
Mok Bu-seong set cups floating in midair. With a flick, they lined up before the group.
He tapped the sack lightly.
Spurt!
Liquor shot from the spout, splitting into five streams that filled each cup precisely.
“Whoa—!”
Ak Muyoo exclaimed.
The perfect pour was pure showmanship. Something he couldn’t do dead or alive. Ak Muyoo grabbed a floating cup. Cool liquor inside made the cup chilly too.
“Let’s toast.”
Ak Muyoo raised his cup.
“To what?”
Seo Haran asked.
“We toast surviving. You toast new friends.”
“We’re friends?”
“Until weapons are drawn, might as well be. Sound good?”
“......Sure.”
Seo Haran smiled and raised her cup.
“Pour me one too.”
Ta-geuk, fresh from washing, sat by Ak Muyoo. Ak Muyoo glanced at Mok Bu-seong, who tossed a cup.
Ak Muyoo poured from the sack into Ta-geuk’s cup.
“Cheers.”
“Cheers!”
Ak Muyoo shouted, and the rest echoed, downing their drinks.
“This is a real treat.”
Ak Muyoo grinned. Mok Bu-seong’s booze was tangy mare’s milk liquor. Chilled, it tasted crisp.
“How much longer for the meat?”
Ta-geuk asked.
“Hold on.”
He sliced belly for him first.
“Been so long since I had meat, don’t even know.”
Ta-geuk shoved it in greedily. The group passed cups and ate.
Some time later, Ak Muyoo pulled a rib and sliced it on the fear demon. Red flesh had turned pink. Perfectly grilled.
“Here.”
He offered it to Ta-geuk.
“Just eat it like this?”
“Yeah.”
Ak Muyoo grabbed a rib and tore in.
One bite flooded his mouth with juices. He chewed vigorously. Meat shredded fine, sliding down with juices.
He looked at Seo Haran with misty eyes.
“What’s with that sappy look?”
She asked as their gazes met.
“Tears of gratitude.”
“You really grateful to me?”
“Yeah. If I were an all-powerful god, I’d grant all your wishes.”
“No wishes needed. Just clear up one curiosity.”
“Shoot.”
“I concluded you took down Jeok Yeom-cheon. Am I right?”
She’d seen how he used the coiled sword, but Jeok Yeom-cheon was too strong for that.
“Not me. The three of us ganged up on him. Before fighting us, he flew over the sand death zone and battled someone on his level. Simply put, when he fought us, he was weaker than you are now. My assessment, of course.”
“He’s really dead? Jeok Yeom-cheon?”
Ta-geuk asked in shock.
“He was trying to kill us. No choice.”
“So you killed him...”
“The three of us, I said.”
“How?”
“With this...”
Ak Muyoo stood, fetched the coiled sword, and pushed it into the sheath.
The group watched in bewilderment. Martial artists with qi could slide it in with a whoosh. But Ak Muyoo fed it in from the tip. First time seeing a sword sheathed like that.
“That’s why it’s my trump card.”
Ak Muyoo said, aware of the stares.
“Heh! Makes sense.”
Seo Haran chuckled.
She recalled him killing Chak Hong. He’d drawn close and yanked the coiled sword fast. His hands were a blur to the naked eye. Even coiled, it straightened on draw. Yank hard, and no qi needed to slice.
“Right. Even off a cliff, people guard against expected attacks. That’s when coiled sword quick-draw comes out...”
“So you planned to take him out falling from the cliff from the start?”
“......You got a thing for me?”
“A thing?”
“Romantically.”
“......My standards are sky-high!”
“Same here. Want this?”
He thrust out a rib.
“Same how?”
“Mine too, higher than you’d think.”
“You’re hilarious.”
Seo Haran pouted, glared at Ak Muyoo, and tore into the rib, chewing hard.
Ak Muyoo kept grilling. The others ate heartily. Half a shichen passed, and they dropped off one by one. Ara raised hands first, then Luha, then Mok Bu-seong.
He stood, unloaded from the camel, and set up the ger.
Ak Muyoo ate slowly.
Soon only Seo Haran, Ta-geuk, and him remained. Then she left too.
“Really no inner power?”
“Why ask?”
“Even caught off guard, Jeok Yeom-cheon wouldn’t lose to someone without it.”
“What’s your real name?”
“......A Geukta.”
“Iron Wolf A Geukta, lord of Great Desert Wolf Heaven?”
“That’s right.”
“......”
Ak Muyoo stared silently at A Geukta.