Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Cho-wol's Night
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“What? What did you hear?”
“He said those warriors are hiding it from us to use for themselves. He said it’s not that they don’t have any! Can we stand for this?”
“I-Is that really true?”
“I’m telling you, it’s true!”
“We deserve to be paid for our labor! We have to fight for our own rights!”
“Y-Yeah, that’s right!”
“Right! He’s right!”
“That’s right! We deserve to be paid fairly for our labor!”
Their minds, weakened by addiction, and their bodies, exhausted from labor, were instantly dominated by the emotion of anger.
As a result, the compensation they wanted for their labor was ‘white powder’—in other words, Bewitching Soul Powder. To think that fair compensation for labor was a drug like Bewitching Soul Powder—any passerby would have been horrified, but the ignorant farmers were already swept up in the atmosphere.
The subtle tightrope walk between lies and truth was more powerful than one might think, and in the end, it was I, Baek Mu-heun, who was using them.
Having laid the groundwork for the instigation, Pa-sun shouted loudly.
“To the central pavilion!”
“““To the central pavilion!”””
United as one, Pa-sun and the farmers of Blade Leaf Valley strained their voices and charged toward the central pavilion. It was a true display of solidarity.
Their chant was for ‘white powder.’
“Give us the white powder!”
Chanting for the powder, they reached the central pavilion with unstoppable momentum. Pa-sun had done a better job than I expected.
Not only had he instigated a protest, but he had even reached the point of persuading the warriors sent to suppress it.
“Come on! Honestly, you warriors must have families too, right? We’re not asking for anything outrageous! All we want is to work for the Divine Cult and receive fair compensation for our work. Is that really so difficult?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“What have we done so wrong? Is it a crime to work until we bleed and sweat?”
In truth, the warriors had no reason to sympathize with or accept the farmers’ words. They could have simply suppressed them by force according to the Divine Cult’s principles.
After all, the ruthless logic of the strong preying on the weak applied more intensely in the Demonic Cult than anywhere else. But the warriors did not use force.
“We understand. We do, but please, calm down and go back inside for now.”
It wasn’t that they lacked a pretext.
Since the Divine Cult had forbidden Bewitching Soul Powder, they could have arrested the farmers for drug use without any issue.
However, the soul-bewitching art Mu-heun had given Pa-sun had swayed their hearts.
“That’s right! We are merely demanding what is rightfully ours!”
But as the saying goes, even good medicine can become poison in excess. The warriors, fundamentally trained with internal energy, had disciplined bodies and minds. Thus, their wavering hearts soon settled, and the warriors, who had been gently placating the farmers’ complaints, began to grow weary.
“Alright, alright! Calm down. It’s not that we don’t want to give it to you, but didn’t we say there was a fire? We’re looking for a solution in every possible way, so just wait!”
Nevertheless, the farmers’ protest only grew more intense.
Just then, Gu Cheong, having heard reports of the protest, appeared leading a group of warriors. His eyes, approaching without hesitation, were filled with killing intent.
“What’s all this commotion about?”
Pa-sun, who had been at the front of the crowd, immediately slipped to the very back, out of sight, the moment he saw Gu Cheong approaching. He then waved a yellow towel to signal Un-pyo.
Unaware of this, Gu Cheong, intending to quell the protest, roared, infusing his voice with internal energy.
“I asked, what is all this commotion about!”
At the ear-splitting shout, a momentary silence fell. The farmers stopped their clamor. To be precise, their raised voices died down, and they began to murmur in very low tones.
Watching their murmuring forms, Gu Cheong shouted.
“Listen up! It is an undeniable fact that the warehouse containing the white powder caught fire last night. That’s why we are currently tracking the culprit!”
Gu Cheong’s thin features turned terribly grim.
“From this moment on, anyone who makes a scene will be considered an accomplice of the culprit! I will torture you for information and then chop off your heads, so behave yourselves.”
The farmers stared at him, tense.
Though the threat was somewhat crude, when Gu Cheong spoke with his internal energy infused, the farmers grew frightened and watched him nervously. As the surroundings quieted, Gu Cheong once again swept his gaze over the farmers, his eyes filled with killing intent.
He scanned their expressions, their gazes, and their reactions, hoping to find a clue about the black-robed, masked man. Was anyone showing signs of anxiety? Was anyone avoiding eye contact? But they were all terrified, their heads bowed low as they trembled.
‘To think I have to waste my time on these farmers who haven’t even learned martial arts… Fine. They’re all going to be wiped out with the Blade Leaf Demon once this is over anyway. I just have to endure it until then.’
“Hoo—”
Seeing the farmers’ reactions, Gu Cheong let out a sigh and spoke.
“We have ordered an additional supply of the powder to distribute to you, and it is on its way here. However, it will take some time to arrive, so you can all relax and return to your quarters now.”
That was the end of the carrot.
Next came the stick.
Gu Cheong’s eyes widened as he spoke.
“Mark my words. From now on, anyone whose actions interfere with the next day’s schedule will also be dealt with severely!”
There were no further excuses or persuasion.
Just as the mentally unstable farmers were nodding and about to disperse at Gu Cheong’s words—a clever mix of blatant lies, carrot, and stick—a warrior came running up breathlessly and reported.
“Sir Gu Cheong! A fire has started in the cultivation fields. It’s him, the one in the black robes from before! He set the fire while you were away dealing with the protest! When our warriors responded, he fled immediately.”
“What did you say?”
Tension flooded Gu Cheong’s entire body.
‘It’s a trap. Something is wrong. This is clearly a deliberate trap.’
Yesterday, he attacked the Bewitching Soul Powder warehouse and set it on fire.
The very next day, as soon as the farmers learned there was no powder, they started a protest. They didn’t even believe it was gone; they were convinced we were withholding it.
Most of all, was it just a coincidence that he set fire to the now-empty cultivation fields at the exact moment the protest drew me and the other warriors to the main gate of the central pavilion?
Gu Cheong concluded that everything was a trap set by the black-robed, masked man.
Traps always have a purpose. Chasing after him now would be a foolish move. He couldn’t repeat yesterday’s mistake.
‘You… Do you really think I’ll be dragged around by your schemes forever?’
Reinforcements would be arriving soon, and among them were five warriors at the peak level.
‘You little rat in a jar, run wild all you want. Soon enough, you’ll be a mouse caught in a trap.’
Gu Cheong regained his composure and spoke.
“You lot, go to the cultivation fields. Don’t chase him. Just put out the fire and wait there.”
“Yes, Sir Gu Cheong.”
“And be careful not to let the cultivation fields sustain any more damage. If he appears, confront him with a sword formation and call for me or the Golden Fang Poison Claw.”
“Yes, Sir Gu Cheong.”
Gu Cheong pointed to a group of warriors gathered on his left and gave them instructions.
“You two, go to the watchtower and report this incident to the Golden Fang Poison Claw. And watch his movements. Report back if you notice him plotting anything!”
He dispatched two warriors separately to the Golden Fang Poison Claw.
“You two, go outside Blade Leaf Valley and inform the reinforcements sent by the Pavilion Lord that we need to find and capture the black-robed, masked man. Ask for their cooperation and tell them to set up a net to prevent the black-robed man from escaping Blade Leaf Valley.”
“Yes, Sir Gu Cheong.”
“The rest of you, follow me. If his target is ‘that item,’ then this entire commotion is a trap. We can’t be swayed now. We must surround and capture him.”
“Yes, Sir Gu Cheong.”
Gu Cheong took all the remaining personnel and went to protect the item created in cooperation with the Tang Clan.
“It seems one of the Blade Leaf Demon’s subordinates remains. I’ll make him regret not running away.”
***
Pa-sun had instigated, and Gu Cheong had fallen for the provocation, creating a scene of chaos. After observing the spectacle, I packed medicine, food, and water into a cloth bundle. I also tucked the various needles and poisons I had brought from the Divine Cult into my clothes.
It was a considerable amount, but I tied it all tightly so it wouldn't make a sound or let any air escape. Then, I donned the black robes and put on a mask.
Finally, I placed a letter I had asked Un-pyo to write beforehand into my robes.
‘Just hold on a little longer. I’ll treat all of you soon.’
I murmured softly towards the farmers, then erased my presence with the Art of Shadow Diving. Leaping over the wall of the central pavilion, I cautiously made my way to the room where Cho-wol was being held.
***
At the same time, Byeok-gi, the former general manager of Blade Leaf Valley, entered the dispatch office. As fate would have it, he had been assigned to clean the central pavilion on the day of the decisive battle. Taking advantage of the chaos, he was able to enter without raising any suspicion.
Byeok-gi recalled what Mu-heun had said to him.
—Sir Byeok-gi, rescuing the Blade Leaf Demon and defeating the Golden Fang Poison Claw of the Tang Clan is not all. As one of the Five Pavilions of our cult, the Red Demon Pavilion is involved in this matter, so we cannot rule out the possibility of being framed. Therefore, when all is said and done, we will need evidence to submit to the main cult. Will you secure that evidence for us?
The Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family, Baek Mu-heun.
He was a single ray of brilliant light shining amidst the despair that had fallen over Blade Leaf Valley. At first, Byeok-gi had approached him with a sliver of hope, sharing various stories.
He couldn't describe the relief he felt upon learning they were not from the Red Demon Pavilion.
When he found out the rumored master from the Divine Cult wasn’t with them, he was, frankly, greatly disappointed. But Mu-heun had instead spurred them on, saying that giving up meant it was truly over, and asked if they would fight alongside him as he took the lead.
After speaking with Mu-heun, Byeok-gi felt his own powerlessness to his very bones. He felt he would be of no help this time, having never learned martial arts.
But even Byeok-gi was given a mission.
To secure the evidence.
He steeled his heart, determined to do his best with the responsibility entrusted to him.
He resolved to accomplish this task, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
With such firm resolve, he searched for a long time and finally found the evidence.
Hidden in a drawer in the dispatch office, beneath a flimsy wooden plank, were letters. They were all letters from the Red Demon Pavilion Lord to the Tang Clan.
“I… I’ve secured the evidence.”
Byeok-gi quickly tucked the letters into his robes. Then, pretending to finish his cleaning, he went outside.
***
Cho-wol, the Blade Leaf Demon’s granddaughter, sat in a room that was lavish, yet desolate. Her long, dark brown hair and brown eyes had lost their vitality, making her look utterly wasted away.
Night after night, she had passed the time with tears, relying on a small oil lamp.
Cho-wol ate nothing unless she was force-fed and drank nothing unless water was forced down her throat.
Only a single thought occupied Cho-wol’s mind.
‘By what right am I still alive?’
She lived a life where she couldn't even die as she pleased, for she carried Gu poison within her body. She was being used by the very person who had pushed her grandfather and her family-like kin from Blade Leaf Valley into hell.
Tears of blood streamed down her face out of grief and rage at the fact that she had become the cornerstone of a scheme perpetrated by a wicked old man from the Orthodox Sects.
—Don’t lie! The rumor has already spread everywhere!
She was deep in self-reproach when suddenly, the outside grew noisy, and she heard shouting. Something seemed to be happening, but she couldn’t go out. The Gu poison prevented her from leaving this room.
As she stared blankly out the window, a breeze blew.
In that instant, she felt a chill in the air.
Then, a single letter descended from the ceiling, swaying gently from side to side. It landed silently on the desk, a drawing of a leaf on its surface.
“What is this…?”
The Golden Fang Poison Claw always came to see her directly if he had something to say. He had never once contacted her through a letter. She could sense the sender’s caution from the letter.
‘A leaf emblem…’
Cho-wol picked up the letter and read it.
[ We will reclaim Blade Leaf Valley today. Cooperate with the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family, Baek Mu-heun. We will rescue you and the Blade Leaf Demon.
- Un-pyo. ]
At first glance, the letter seemed almost like a threat.
But anyone could tell it was a letter from Sir Un-pyo.
Just as a sliver of hope began to bloom as she read the letter.
“I have come to save you.”
A voice reached her ears first.
The tone was calm and resolute.
A man dressed in black robes with a mask covering his face appeared.
He had dropped down from the ceiling,
but he was utterly silent.
“Are you the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family, Baek Mu-heun?”
“I am. I brought Sir Un-pyo’s letter in case you wouldn’t believe me.”
“It certainly is… Sir Un-pyo’s letter. But there’s no way he could have planned an operation like this. What’s going on?”
The Blade Leaf Demon’s granddaughter knew Un-pyo well. He wasn’t this clever. That made her suspicious, but for someone cornered, even the smallest glimmer of hope becomes something to cling to.
“There is no time for a long explanation. To reclaim Blade Leaf Valley today, your safety is the top priority. Please, just trust Sir Un-pyo and cooperate.”
Trust Un-pyo and cooperate. To an outsider, it would sound like being asked to trust and cooperate with a fool. But Cho-wol, who knew him well, would understand.
Un-pyo was a man with excellent animal-like instincts; he would sooner die than yield to power and resort to trickery. Moreover, he had a surprisingly keen eye for people.
“I understand.”
In the end, Cho-wol grasped the only lifeline that had been lowered to her. It could have been a rotten rope, but for now, she had no choice but to trust him.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“First, take this, and do not move under any circumstances.”
“Kyaa!”
I fed Cho-wol the antidote for the Tang Clan’s Gu poison I had prepared in advance. It was an antidote I had created at the Tang Clan’s request back when I was the Divine Doctor.
Of course, unless you were the one who administered the Gu poison, it was impossible to remove it without side effects. However, it wasn't as if there were no methods at all.
‘I never thought I’d use it like this, but this is also why they never used Gu poison on me.’