The Vampire True Face
Chapter 14
The Monster Demon was a vampire.
Or rather, that was the best guess anyone had. There was still no way to be certain, but unless some kind of Blood-Draining Art had been unleashed through its teeth, that corpse made no sense.
“A vampire... a being that drinks blood. Yeah, that checks out, more or less.”
Heo Injun nodded, glancing back and forth between the corpse and the bite marks.
“But do all Monster Demons drink blood?”
He had only heard rumors about Monster Demons, so he asked with obvious curiosity.
“No. This kind is new to me too.”
I hadn’t made it my life’s mission to travel the world hunting Monster Demon masteries, so I hadn’t seen every kind out there. But I had seen a lot.
Monster Demons that were basically the viral influencers of the monster world, like goblins and orcs.
Beast-type Monster Demons, like werewolves and that giant snake I’d used to make my blood-red cloak.
Golem-type Monster Demons, their whole bodies covered in rock or steel.
Ghost-type Monster Demons that had abandoned flesh entirely and moved only as spirits.
Among them, though, I had never seen a vampire-type Monster Demon.
Is it a new species?
Honestly, if this were a wuxia story, someone might even ask what in the world orcs, golems, and vampires were doing here in the first place.
But this was a world where inns sold napolitan pasta and Americanos instead of wheat noodles and bamboo-leaf liquor.
At that point, a vampire showing up wasn’t weird at all.
In fact, if I started reacting seriously to every weird thing, I’d be the one losing.
“Sword Hero, what do you plan to do now? If it’s a new kind of Monster Demon, this clearly isn’t a small matter. Shouldn’t we report it to the Martial Alliance?”
For an ordinary citizen like Heo Injun, if something happened in the martial world, the rule was to call the martial world’s police station: the Martial Alliance. It was basically common sense, though apparently not written into any official law code.
“The Martial Alliance?”
But Geom Mujin was skeptical.
The Martial Alliance headquarters was in Henan Province.
From here in Gangneung to Henan, you could generously estimate the trip at about a month.
And that was assuming you didn’t run into bandits or wild beasts along the way.
“A month is more than enough time for a Monster Demon to grow stronger.”
I’d almost forgotten to mention it, but Monster Demons could grow too.
They didn’t just eat beasts and humans because they were hungry; they did it to become stronger.
“Then I’ll try to find a carrier pigeon, at least.”
A pigeon that could fly messages might save time.
“Hah. No need to waste money on that. I’ve got a much classier guy who can’t even be compared to some random pigeon.”
I snorted and stopped him.
“Huh?”
“I’ll call him right away.”
Who did they think they were, acting like they had any business becoming chopped meat for my Sodam’s feet?
I called out to Sodam in my head.
Sodam.
-Kki-eek.
Through the psychic link between us, Sodam’s cry rang out, and my vision shifted.
Sodam, who had flown all the way to Gangseong after a grueling journey following his master, was resting in a nearby forest.
Wait, had this guy built a nest in the meantime?
Sodam was sprawled out in something that looked like a nest, staring up at the sky.
Huh? Is there someone next to him—
-Kki, kkieeeek...!
Sodam, who had completely forgotten he was in a video call, flapped his wings in a fluster.
Then something beside him hurriedly flew off somewhere else.
It was only a flash, but it looked like a female bird.
-Kki, kkiii...
Sodam, still panicking because he’d forgotten all about the shared vision, asked what was wrong.
......
For no reason at all, a snake-like feeling rose up inside Geom Mujin’s chest.
You little bastard.
I had been alone for nearly fifty years now, including both my life before transmigration and this one.
And this so-called spiritual beast partner had somehow managed to go off and have a romance in the span of a moment?
Sodam was indignant.
It wasn’t because he liked the female bird, not exactly, though it wasn’t like he didn’t like her, either. And no, it wasn’t that he liked her a lot.
It was simply a noble effort to drive away the uncivilized birds of the Central Plains and spread the superior Baekdu bloodline far and wide.
But as always, his explanation never reached Geom Mujin.
If he wanted to be understood, he’d have to learn human speech first.
This won’t do. Sodam, you need to make a trip to Henan for me.
Actually, I had no intention of reporting this to the Martial Alliance, but this was absolutely not because I was deliberately making him do it out of spite!
-Kki-eek?
But Sodam cocked his head, asking where that even was.
Ah.
I remembered something I had blanked on.
This idiot didn’t know a single road in the world, did he?
There was no way a bird that had only ever lived on Baekdu Mountain would know the geography of the Central Plains.
Even coming this far, he had followed right behind me the whole time.
...Sorry for bothering you. Keep doing what you were doing.
My head starting to ache, I cut the connection.
“And when exactly is that incomparable fellow supposed to arrive?”
“...He says he can’t come.”
“I see.”
It was a completely pointless exchange, but Heo Injun took it in stride.
Anyone who had broken into one of the great sects of the righteous martial world—Mount Tai and North, one of the taesangbeoks of the Murim world—to steal spiritual medicine, whether he denied it or not, was someone whose odd behavior you were better off accepting as normal. It was healthier for the mind.
“Forget it. I wasn’t planning to report this to the Martial Alliance anyway.”
“Is that allowed?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m not even a member of the Martial Alliance.”
Which meant I had no obligation to report every little thing.
“I’m going to see this Monster Demon for myself.”
A variable had appeared that hadn’t existed in the original story.
I needed to check it with my own eyes.
“You, Sword Hero?”
Aside from martial artists, no ordinary person ever welcomed a Monster Demon appearing in their neighborhood.
And now one of the Seven Martial Stars was going to deal with it?
That was the kind of thing you’d welcome with both arms spread wide.
“Then are you leaving right away?”
“No. I’m planning to go without revealing my identity.”
I had almost forgotten, but recently I’d caused a total mess in Maehyang Sword-Queen’s turf.
At the time I’d stayed quiet because I was treating the protagonist, but her nerves would still be on edge.
If I went around making a big scene here, I could end up drawing her aggro.
So if I was going, I had to do it quietly.
“Hmm... that won’t be easy if it’s anything like you say. Do you have some plan in mind?”
Right now, every sect in Gangneung had its eyes on the Monster Demon.
In that situation, even Geom Mujin would have a hard time wiping it out without being noticed.
“I didn’t have a separate plan, but I think I’ll have one soon.”
“What does that mean—”
Knock, knock.
“Sir.”
Just then, Songbaek, the gatekeeper of Heo’s Medical Clinic, came in after knocking on the door to the antechamber.
His face looked a little stiff.
“What is it?”
“...The people from Taeho Sect have arrived outside. They say they want to buy large quantities of wound medicine and healing ointment.”
At that, Heo Injun turned and looked at Geom Mujin.
Now that the Qingsha Sect had failed in its Monster Demon hunt, they’d come to buy wound medicine and ointment in bulk?
That could only mean one thing.
“Well? A customer’s come to buy the medicine they need for hunting Monster Demons.”
I was planning to get in on Taeho Sect’s Monster Demon hunt.
* * *
“It’s been a while, Doctor Heo.”
“Have you been well, Vice Leader?”
When Heo Injun came out with Songbaek and Geom Mujin in tow, a man with squinting eyes greeted him.
He was Jo Pyeongho, the vice leader of Taeho Sect.
“I’ve already heard the story through the warriors of this clinic. You came to buy wound medicine, correct?”
“Our sect is planning to hunt a Monster Demon soon. If that happens, there’ll be quite a few injured people, and if we’re going to use anyone’s medicine, whose should it be but the famed medicine of Heo’s Medical Clinic?”
Without changing expression in the slightest, Jo Pyeongho showered Heo Injun with flattery.
It was easy to see why he had landed the vice leader position.
“You could have sent subordinates. No need to come yourself.”
“If I’m coming to buy medicine from Doctor Heo, I should at least show this much sincerity.”
While the two men talked, I caught something.
Through the slits of those narrow eyes, his pupils were moving nonstop.
That bastard had just confirmed the state of the Qingsha Sect without letting anyone else know.
He was double-checking that the information he’d gotten by using the Qingsha Sect as bait was accurate.
“So how much medicine were you planning to buy?”
“We’d like one hundred doses of wound medicine and one hundred of healing ointment.”
“That’s a bit much to request all at once.”
Heo Injun looked troubled at Taeho Sect’s demand.
Wound medicine and healing ointment were used not only by martial artists but by ordinary people as well.
Heo’s Medical Clinic sold both at a relatively low price, so plenty of people came to buy them.
On top of that, they were effective, so their popularity didn’t need mentioning.
If he sold out all of it at once, people who truly needed the medicine would be unable to buy any.
That was why Heo Injun usually avoided bulk sales like this.
“I understand your position, Doctor Heo, but if our sect is going to eliminate the Monster Demon, then the chances of ordinary people being injured will go down, won’t they?”
“Even so, one hundred each is too much.”
As he said, even for a Monster Demon hunt, buying two hundred medicines at once was excessive.
What they really wanted was to use this as an excuse to stockpile high-quality medicine from Heo’s Medical Clinic.
“This is troublesome, Doctor Heo.”
Jo Pyeongho smiled bitterly and raised his qi along with the disciples he had brought.
That arrogant little doctor bastard.
Jo Pyeongho’s squint narrowed even further.
He had left him alone because the man had such a strong reputation, but if he was going to act like this, then it might be time to press him down a little and make him remember his place.
“Ghk...!”
“...!”
Just as the pressure bearing down on his shoulder made Heo Injun flinch and Songbaek’s hand moved toward the spear in his grip—
Swish—!
A slash of killing intent, cold as a blade, swept across the throats of Jo Pyeongho and the two disciples.
Their gathered momentum was forcibly severed.
“Huh!?”
“!?”
The disciples staggered backward.
Because they had abruptly cut off their qi while forcing it upward, they’d suffered internal injuries.
W-what was that!? Who the hell released that killing intent...!?
Shivers ran across Jo Pyeongho’s entire body as his eyes darted around.
But all he could see were Heo Injun and the two warriors standing behind him.
Could one of those bastards have done it?
That seemed unlikely. The young one’s energy was first-rate, while the one beside him wearing the bamboo hat was even weaker than that.
The other one felt like nothing at all, as if he didn’t know martial arts in the first place.
Nothing at all...?
For one instant, the thought of returning to the basics after transcending the mundane flashed through his mind, but he immediately shook it off.
What, was a master of Returning to the Basics just some common dog name or something? There was no way one would be standing right in front of him.
You useless idiots. How much have you slackened off that you’d make a mistake in a place like this? You’re dead when we get back.
Jo Pyeongho blamed the two disciples and silently vowed to chew them out later.
Seeing how completely he had forgotten his own mistake in that brief moment, he was every inch a demonic sect rat.
“...How about forty doses each of wound medicine and healing ointment?”
Then the moment Heo Injun, with a voice planted in his head, spoke as confidently as if he were riding a tiger, Jo Pyeongho blinked.
“No, going from one hundred to forty is a bit...”
“Forty.”
“At the very least, half—”
“Forty.”
Faced with Heo Injun’s unwavering tone, Jo Pyeongho and his disciples couldn’t press harder.
That was because the icy sensation of that murderous intent from earlier still clung to them.
“...Very well. Forty it is.”
“Thank you, Vice Leader.”
With the dramatic settlement, Heo Injun smiled faintly.
“Songbaek, hand over the medicine to the Taeho Sect guests.”
“Yes, sir.”
After paying, Taeho Sect gathered their medicine and wandered off again.
“Thank you for earlier, Sword Hero.”
Heo Injun expressed his gratitude for the hoit—no, the killing intent—Geom Mujin had used to calm Taeho Sect down.
“Don’t mention it.”
Those little pieces of trash dared to radiate killing intent at me?
How annoying.
And the next day, an announcement went up in Taeho Sect calling for workers to join the Monster Demon hunt.
End of Chapter 14