Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Darkwood Sect (2)
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How vicious can a woman's grudge become?
The prime example was Jeok Hwa-ryeon.
Her past was filled with the loss of her parents, marked by utter misery and despair.
To avenge it, she had resolved to sell even her soul and began practicing demonic arts.
Of course, she started as a mere errand runner doing odd jobs, but her efforts gradually earned recognition, allowing her to join the Demonic Cult's main sect.
In essence, her entire life had been pawned for revenge.
But even that would have been fine if the revenge had succeeded.
Unfortunately, her vengeance failed.
Revenge has its own timing, and though she had sacrificed everything to sharpen her blade for it, by the time she was ready, the Darkwood Sect had already been wiped out.
The Darkwood Sect, a branch of the Demonic Cult, had secretly attempted to break away from the Cult's control.
As a result, they were all slaughtered, and the sect annihilated.
Not even corpses remained.
Jeok Hwa-ryeon heard only the single phrase: "The Darkwood Sect has been destroyed."
The moment of ripened revenge had arrived, only for her to learn that the target had vanished.
She hadn't witnessed it herself, confirmed it herself, or even achieved that one act of vengeance to relieve her chest.
She had lived her whole life for revenge, yet the blazing karmic fire in her heart froze solid at those words.
And in that void, emptiness inevitably settled.
Demonic arts feed on negative human emotions.
Naturally, the stronger the negativity, the more the demonic qi swells, and those consumed by it always meet the same end.
Bodies torn to shreds.
Atop a mountain of corpses, Jeok Hwa-ryeon with blood-smeared face, letting out a faint smile.
It was as alien as a scene plucked straight from hell.
That was her in the "original story."
One of the flashback scenes from Jeok Hwa-ryeon, the Three Great Captains of the Heavenly Demon Blood Sword Squad and the Four Blood Heavenly God.
"From now on, I am the Darkwood Sect Lord."
"……"
Silence hung in the air at Cheongun's declaration.
Warriors in sect robes were rushing over from afar in a horde.
They halted upon grasping the situation and stared at Cheongun.
His internal energy was so profound that the aura pouring from him made his figure shimmer hazily, resembling not a man but a specter wandering the Ninth Heaven.
And that was not all.
His icy blue eyes flashed, and azure lightning crackled around him.
Any warrior could tell at a glance.
The man before them was a supreme master far beyond expectations.
In truth, all their lives hung by a thread at his whim.
They exchanged glances among themselves.
Black道 scum are inherently consumed by a lust for life.
Thus, they are quick to read the room, light on loyalty, and value their own necks above all.
As Cheongun strode forward, the intimidated rabble hastily parted like the Red Sea.
On the other hand...
"...What?"
Jeok Hwa-ryeon could scarcely believe the scene unfolding before her.
She knew the Pavilion Lord was strong, but this was beyond all norms!
One swing of his sword halved the entire hall, turning over a dozen men to ash in an instant!
She had pegged him as a raving madman, only to discover he was a damn strong raving madman.
The difference between those two was worlds apart, and realizing vengeance was now within reach, thoughts like "Could this actually work?" flooded her mind.
Having devoted her life to revenge, Jeok Hwa-ryeon had imagined it in countless ways, employing every ounce of creativity.
At first, she feared dying to this lunatic Pavilion Lord before even getting her shot; now, seeing his power, she realized he could sweep the Darkwood Sect's home base single-handedly. Joy surged.
Her face twisted through a whirlwind of emotions, drumming her own solo chaos.
Seeing that raw expression, Cheongun chuckled.
"Hwa-ryeon-ah."
"Yes."
"How's it feel inside?"
"...Refreshing."
Of course.
Cheongun nodded in satisfaction.
As he dragged his sword along the ground and advanced, the ragged mob scattered like mice fleeing a cat, in chaotic unison.
"Pinpoint him. I'll deliver him right to you."
"Understood."
Cheongun grabbed Jeok Hwa-ryeon's nape again and hoisted her up.
It looked just like a mother cat carrying her kitten by the scruff.
With that, he unleashed his lightness skill toward the deeper recesses of the Darkwood Sect's headquarters.
For a so-called sect, it was vast; he ran for quite a while without seeing the end.
That was when it happened.
"Attack!"
One clueless beggar lunged, swinging his sword.
Whoosh—!
The blade arced from above toward Cheongun's head.
Cheongun lightly raised the Crimson Night Sword bestowed by his master and swept it horizontally.
As the enemy's sword plunged down, his sliced from left to right.
In an instant, the foe's blade split like tofu.
A steel sword, cleaved?
Caught off guard, the man couldn't block the sword that continued to his throat.
Thud. His head fell, blood spurting like a fountain from the stump.
"Die!"
Another beggar burst from a blind spot, sword flashing.
Cheongun had already swung, unable to immediately counter the rear attack.
His Diamond Indestructible body would shrug it off, but old gamer habits craved no-hit clears.
Cheongun thrust the dangling Jeok Hwa-ryeon toward the descending blade.
Facing the incoming edge, she screamed.
"Show me, Hwa-ryeon-ah!"
"Wha— wait, you crazy Pavilion Lord bastard!"
Screaming while suspended in midair, Jeok Hwa-ryeon thrust her palm center outward at the falling blade.
The art she practiced was the Blood Thunder Scattering Soul Palm.
As the name ended in "Palm," it was a palm technique.
Palm arts used the palm itself.
Unlike fist arts concentrating on a single point, they spread wide and exploded—an area-of-effect attack.
Her qi-charged palm collided with the incoming blade.
At that moment, warm vital energy surged from Cheongun's hand gripping her nape.
Natural Qi drawn by his trait flowed through his body into internal energy, then straight into Jeok Hwa-ryeon.
Vast power gathered in her palm center and erupted like a palm wind.
Boom—!
The blade shattered into fragments, embedding into the attacker's body with a barrage.
"Well done."
"Are you actually insane, Pavilion Lord?!"
"I'm always insane."
"No, tone down the crazy a bit... Shit! Behind! More coming!"
"Go, Hwa-ryeon-ah!"
"Kyaa! Cut it out!"
Her floating form spun 180 degrees on Cheongun's wrist snap.
Sure enough, another blade flew in.
Boom—!
It shattered against her palm like cracking ice.
"Excellent."
"You madman!"
Cheongun kept leaping through space with lightness skill, spinning Jeok Hwa-ryeon like a top to smash incoming blades.
He continuously infused her with ultra-refined internal energy in real time.
Each palm strike unleashed extraordinary destructive power beyond her norm; blades shattered, shards raining like meteors to fell foes. She was getting hooked.
Growing accustomed to the disorientation, she spun freely in her suspended pose, unleashing palm strikes.
Cheongun accelerated his lightness skill and stomped into the air.
Faint moonlight poured down.
Cheongun and the dangling Jeok Hwa-ryeon in his grip stood out clearly.
He landed lightly on a hall roof.
Then bounded roof to roof, wall to wall, gliding effortlessly toward the Sect Lord.
Finally, the main hall.
There, beyond, sat the Darkwood Sect Lord, chin propped on his hand.
Facing him, Jeok Hwa-ryeon gritted her teeth.
"That's the bastard."
"He's the Darkwood Sect Lord?"
"Dunno about that, but yeah, that pufferfish-looking fucker."
Traumas etch memories vividly.
Even without names or details, the place, time, atmosphere, and the enemy's face burned indelibly.
Cheongun eyed him closely.
Cheeks puffed like a venomous pufferfish, tiny eyes buried in fat like needle holes.
Short, flat nose with oversized nostrils, thin lips stretched long in a punch-me smirk.
Hmm, yeah, unforgettable mug.
Then, a fatty voice rang out.
"Who the hell are you?"
Cheongun answered the question.
"I am the Darkwood Sect Lord."
"...What nonsense? I am the Darkwood Sect Lord."
"No, from now on, I am."
The former Sect Lord glared unpleasantly.
"You're a lunatic."
"Not a lunatic—the Darkwood Sect Lord."
"You damned shit!!"
He bellowed.
Infused with power, the single shout shook the hall like an earthquake.
Whatever.
Cheongun asked the floating Jeok Hwa-ryeon.
"Ready?"
"R-ready for what?"
"Revenge."
"Huh? Wait. What crazy—!"
Before she finished, his afterimage blurred everything.
Wind pressure made her lips tremble, muffling her voice.
When she came to, she was nose-to-nose with the Sect Lord.
Startled by Cheongun's mystic movement that skipped space, the Sect Lord shot up.
And thrust his palm.
The Darkwood Sect Lord was a demonic practitioner.
Using the same palm arts as Jeok Hwa-ryeon.
Why she chose palm arts among countless demonic techniques.
To kill him with the same later.
Time seemed to slow around Jeok Hwa-ryeon.
He thrust his palm; she did the same.
Palm arts aim to quake the opponent's internals.
p>The essence of penetrating qi projection.
Naturally, when palms clash, the stronger internal energy wins.
And now.
Palm centers met.
"!!!"
Rumble—!
Shockwave erupted on contact; qi exploded, flinging hall objects.
Visible qi streams formed from each palm center—clearly, the Sect Lord's was larger.
Then, Cheongun's energy flooded into Jeok Hwa-ryeon again.
Vast power condensed in her palm.
Brilliant azure lightning burst from her center.
It crackled, branching toward the Sect Lord's palm.
Electric current raced through his veins.
Immense force ravaged his acupoints and meridians.
"Grrk...!"
The Sect Lord began losing ground in the internal clash.
His face twisted.
Jeok Hwa-ryeon gritted her teeth, drawing up more energy.
Her palm inched forward.
His retreated.
Pressing on, it shoved past his bulging elbow into his gut.
Continuing, his elbow pierced flesh with a squelch, boring a hole in his belly.
"...Cough!"
The Sect Lord spewed blood.
Finally, his palm yielded; elbow joint snapped grotesquely, crumpling inward with a crunch.
"Guhk..."
He collapsed with a heavy thud, emitting a metallic groan.
Jeok Hwa-ryeon panted, slumping to the floor.
Aftermath of expending all her energy.
Tears welled in her eyes.
The revenge she had longed for.
And though the method was bizarre, she ended him with her own hand.
It felt so good.
Didn't matter that she had help.
Like a fishbone lodged in her throat finally dislodged—her body chilled refreshingly, mind light and unburdened.
Then Cheongun smiled.
"Good work."
"Pavilion Lord...!"
"Not Pavilion Lord—Darkwood Sect Lord."
"......"