Heaven's Slaughter Star Falls in the Murim
The Heavenly Slaughter Star suddenly fell in the Murim.
But in the slums, a massive monster had crashed in and swept away everything around it. Then, just like when it first appeared, it vanished without a trace in an instant.
The Taoist priests and Tang family members who had come late to the slums had clashed with those two martial artists over the truth of the chaos. But they were all gone already.
All that remained at the scene were the ruined homes of the poor and a group of dazed people lying on the ground, pushed around by the dark tide.
Overdoing something is a threat to your life, but if you use your abilities wisely, it's a kind of method for preserving life.
'What if I summon the Blood Seed, run away, and then what?'
I didn't have the confidence to take on the whole city with everyone. But summoning the Godzilla and then bolting was something I could do.
Being surrounded and getting hit doesn't scare me. Having a burden on my shoulders doesn't matter because my legs are fast.
Somehow, after committing the crime and running away, I felt a kind of excitement. But—
'Actually, I like it.'
It seemed like it was right for me to live without restraining my desires.
Feeling satisfied, I left the crime scene and, avoiding people's gazes, moved to the warehouse where I had already scouted— one that was rarely visited.
“Okay, Plan B succeeded.”
It would have been best if our minds clicked on the first meeting, but this way of getting serious wasn't so bad either.
With a nod of my head, I lowered the old woman bound in shadows to one side of the warehouse.
It felt like breaking and entering and kidnapping at the same time. But it was also a way to protect someone with good intentions.
As long as the heart understands each other, that should be enough.
Thinking that, I waited.
The old woman bound in shadows seemed to sense that we had arrived at the destination, and soon she wriggled. Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, she tore through the shadows directly with her black hands.
Crack—
The old woman stood up from the split shadows, staring at me with a face full of suspicion.
Realizing that a fist couldn't do it to me, she didn't swing wildly, but she looked like she was ready to flee at any moment she got the chance.
“……Who are you, exactly?”
Oh, so you still wanted to talk after all.
“I told you earlier. I came to protect the old… no, grandma.”
“……Then, by whose orders? The Sun and Moon Cult? Or the Blood Cult?”
I blinked blankly at her.
The Sun and Moon Cult, I vaguely remembered, but what was the Blood Cult? The Heavenly Blood Cult Master or something like that?
Tapping my chin, I thought about my identity for a moment, then shook my head.
“Neither. I just came because there's this crazy old lady.”
“……Earlier you said it was an order.”
“Well, it's a kind of way to get closer quickly? Method? If we're awkward with each other, it's a problem. You understand my heart, right?”
“……I see. At least you are crazy.”
Oh, suddenly throwing out profanity. I'm not going to put up with it just because she's old. What a troublesome person.
Where should I start untangling this misunderstanding?
'Just reset the mission?'
Something in her expression made me think she was worried. The Black Hand Old Woman, who had been glaring at my face the whole time, suddenly let out a deep sigh and sat down on the spot.
“……Haa. I don't know who you are, but I know you don't intend to kill me right away.”
“Uhm.”
On the contrary, a murderous intent had just arisen in me. But I didn't add anything unnecessary.
Agreeing right away as if her words were correct, I sat down on the floor next to the old woman.
“Right. Since we don't really know each other's identities, let's talk? Okay?”
“……Even though you came looking for me, why do you say you don't know me.”
Because I didn't know you. All I knew was that you were an old man living in the slums and that the Black Hand had gone crazy.
Are you that famous?
Oh, the urge to say that out loud was bubbling up, but since I sensed we were almost there, I smiled bashfully and rubbed my hands together.
“Haha, it could be. Let's just talk openly with each other? Yeah?”
“……Huu.”
The Black Hand Old Woman took a deep breath, her wrinkled face frowning even more, then stared straight into my eyes and answered.
“Okay, let's talk.”
Um, I guess I don't need to reset after all.
Our conversation, which had barely started, continued until the warehouse outside grew completely dark.
Since it was impossible to accurately explain the Heavenly Slaughter Star and the System, I had to explain my situation roundabout, and it took a long time.
The old man had lived such a complicated and long life that summarizing was too difficult.
Losing our parents— being an orphan, having gone through hardship— that part was fine. But what I focused on was the fact that this old lady had fled from the Sun and Moon Cult.
“So, the grandma didn't become the big boss of that place, but she was quite the powerhouse there?”
“……What in the world did you hear from everything I said?! She was the Left Protector of the previous Cult Leader! How come you don't understand the meaning of this?!”
The old lady was tapping her chest as if she was frustrated with my words.
Well, I understood the frustration, but what could I do.
In my whole life, I had been more interested in games and novels, all of them fantasy-related.
What I knew about martial arts was that the Huashan Plum Blossom Fragrance was good and that if the Heavenly Demon Michael Jackson made a move, everyone would scream.
The Sun and Moon Cult. I didn't know exactly what kind of place it was, but I knew the grandma in front of me was like a fugitive ninja.
The previous Cult Leader and the current one had fought, and in the end the previous one lost, and the grandma of the previous era went on a wander.
Hmm, so, is she coming to arrest the grandma from the Sun and Moon Cult where the generation change happened?
'Oh, this is definitely dangerous.'
A fugitive ninja is definitely a powerful existence, but only when it's the rival team.
Actually, the old lady who had been turned into something to protect said her realm had dropped due to extreme internal injuries.
Honestly, she was weak from the beginning, so I suspected she was lying to seem strong, but…
Sniff. Yeah.
If I don't believe you, who will?
With a warm smile, I patted the old lady's shoulder, and the old man looked at me with a strange expression.
“So, the Sun and Moon Cult is sending people to arrest the grandma?”
“……I don't know either. While they're busy fixing their internal affairs, do they have the energy to chase an old lady like me?”
The old lady who had gone berserk when fighting me seemed to have no certainty right away, but I knew someone would come looking for her.
If no one was coming, the mission to protect the old lady wouldn't have been issued in the first place.
“In any case, if someone comes, it's there, right?”
“I don't know that either. They might not come, but as I said earlier, the Blood Cult or other demons might come because they want my knowledge as the previous Left Protector…”
“Hm, you're laying too many breadcrumbs.”
Feeling like resetting again, I scratched my cheek and asked the old lady.
“Why, if someone is coming, wouldn't you hide in some mountain somewhere? Why are you living in the city? Just asking about the Black Hand Old Lady, I found you in a day.”
“……As I said earlier, if there are people with strong will power who don't have much time left to live, I was going to pass on my martial arts. You, as a martial artist, must know, right. How sad it is to have to leave this world without heirs.”
No, I don't really know what that means. Moreover, as someone who had very little time left, she seemed surprisingly lively earlier.
I had so many things I wanted to say in my heart, but I picked one and said it.
“Then, there's this, grandma.”
“Uhm?”
I got even closer and rubbed against her, and the old lady narrowed her eyes.
I smiled slyly and whispered.
“So, then I become your disciple, right?”
***
◈ Allows creation of blood summons from the blood of defeated enemies.
◈ Summons powerful blood creatures, including dragons, lions, and giant monsters.
***
In the Tang Family Manor in Sichuan.
Among the luxurious weapons and solemn atmosphere, the Young Master of the Tang Family, Tang Tielu, bowed his head.
It was because he had been caught going to a brothel, which the Young Master, his father, would hate.
'Did I go on a break when the rest of the guys were being nagged about how the remaining blood dragon pavilion was almost gone…….'
As Tang Tielu was about to feel late regret, the Young Master said in a heavy voice.
“Did you see a monster with your own eyes on the street?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Hmm, what was its poison like?”
“……What?”
Tang Tielu, sensing something was wrong, raised his head slightly to check the Young Master's expression, and saw the face of the Poison Demon, full of smiles, after so many years.
“I didn't go outside that time, so I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I knew from the lingering scent left behind that it's a fine corpse poison.”
“……Ah.”
“Haha, at least it's a masterpiece made by grinding up thousands of corpses. I don't know which demon made it, but there's a lot to catch.”
The Poison Demon said.
“Son, form a pursuit team.”
***
In the Qinghai direction.
Even though the sky had darkened, one of the two martial artists who were hurrying quickly stopped in place.
The martial artist who suddenly looked up at the night sky, the man following him tilted his head.
“Senior Left Protector, why are you like that?”
“Hmm.”
The martial artist called Left Protector looked at the stars in the night sky, adjusted his direction, and corrected his course.
The new Left Protector of the Sun and Moon Cult gazed at the red star rising in the darkness and murmured.
“A good omen has appeared.”
Suddenly, the Heavenly Slaughter Star fell in the Murim.
The Left Protector of the Sun and Moon Cult who noticed that corrected his slightly off course. It was toward Sichuan.