The Predator
"Steward Yi, is this my room?"
"Y-yes, My Lady."
This was the room I had been led to by Steward Yi. Since the Acting Patriarch disliked me, I had assumed he would stick me in some dingy corner, but this place was so luxurious it put high-end inns to shame.
Steward Yi bowed obsequiously.
"It has been a very long time since we last hosted a guest in the inner manor's guest quarters. Our clan rarely accepts retainers these days."
"I heard from Namgung Hyeok. It's because of your tight financial situation, right?"
"Yes! And please, My Lady, there is no need to speak so formally to me. You can call me Steward, or even just 'that Yi fellow' if you like. Hehe."
"Oh, come on, how could I do that?"
I figured a chief steward would be a pretty high-ranking figure, but he was acting incredibly sycophantic.
He leaned in slightly.
"May I ask you just one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Well... just how curious are you about the internal affairs of our clan?"
"Huh???"
What is he suddenly talking about? I mean, I am incredibly curious, but...
I scratched my cheek.
"I suppose I am. But why do you ask?"
"Haha, well, wouldn't it be rather odd to force our family's private matters onto someone who has no interest in them? That is why the Acting Patriarch instructed me to ask you beforehand."
"Ah, I see."
Huh. I thought he was just a cranky old bastard, but that's surprisingly considerate of him.
Steward Yi bowed deeply.
"Now that I have my answer, I shall take my leave. Please let me know if you require anything at all."
A few hours after Steward Yi left Yeonhwa's room.
A heated debate was underway in the main hall of the Namgung Clan, the air thick with murmurs of dissent.
"Acting Patriarch! Are you out of your mind?!"
"Why on earth would you willingly expose our clan's weakness to an outsider?!"
The man shouting at the Acting Patriarch, Namgung Jaeyeong, was Namgung Uk. He was the leader of the Blue Sky Squad—the clan's most elite force—and a formidable Hyper-Peak master.
Namgung Jaeyeong took a slow sip of his tea.
"We have already settled the guest in the inner manor. Even if we try to hide it, won't the truth slip out eventually? In that case, showing our hand first is a better way to earn her trust."
Namgung Uk barked back, "Which is exactly why we shouldn't have let a retainer into the inner manor in the first place!"
"Hah! Are you suggesting we throw the benefactor who saved Hyeok's life into the outer manor to rub shoulders with the common sellswords? The Namgung Clan's reputation would drag through the mud!"
"Ugh..."
Since Namgung Jaeyeong's argument wasn't entirely baseless, Namgung Uk and the other elders could only swallow their groans. Seeing this, the Young Patriarch, Namgung Geon, raised his hand to speak.
He spoke calmly.
"In the end, the guest's own wishes are what matter most. If we act rashly, we might end up burdening someone who has absolutely no interest in our affairs."
"The Young Patriarch is correct!"
"There is no reason for us to volunteer this information first."
Encouraged by Namgung Geon's words, the members of the Blue Sky Squad began to voice their agreement enthusiastically. But they were all dancing in the palm of Namgung Jaeyeong's hand.
Namgung Jaeyeong waved his hand dismissively.
"Steward Yi."
At his call, Steward Yi stepped closer to the round table and began to speak.
"When I escorted Lady Yeonhwa to the guest quarters earlier, I took the liberty of sounding her out... and it appears she is indeed highly curious about our clan's affairs. Judging by her reaction, I believe she would be deeply gratified if we were to broach the subject first."
Namgung Geon nodded slowly.
"Is that so... According to Hyeok, Lady Yeonhwa is peerless among the younger generation. Opening our hearts to her and forging a deep bond would undoubtedly benefit our clan."
Namgung Geon readily accepted the steward's testimony.
"Young Patriarch!"
"Please, reconsider..."
The Blue Sky Squad members fretted, their voices trailing off in anxiety, but—
Namgung Jaeyeong tapped his finger on the table, sealing the matter.
"Then it is decided. We shall have Hyeok approach Lady Yeonhwa later."
With both the Acting Patriarch and the Young Patriarch in agreement, the rest of the room had no choice but to fall into a frustrated silence.
After the meeting concluded and the others filed out.
"Bwahahaha!"
"Congratulations, Patriarch."
Only Namgung Jaeyeong, Steward Yi, and a few of Jaeyeong's loyal sycophants remained in the main hall, sipping their tea.
"A blessing in disguise indeed. That wench is turning out to be incredibly useful."
"Indeed, Patriarch. It is a truly brilliant strategy."
They had kept the contents of the letter of introduction strictly under wraps. While their official excuse was maintaining confidentiality, their true motive was entirely self-serving.
Namgung Jaeyeong cackled.
"If the Second Prince's precious guest is crippled right here in the Namgung manor, a storm of blood will sweep through this place."
"When that happens, Namgung Geon won't be able to hold onto his position as Young Patriarch either."
If an 'unfortunate accident' were to occur, Namgung Geon would undoubtedly shoulder all the blame himself. In Namgung Jaeyeong's eyes, his nephew was nothing but a self-sacrificing fool who cared only for the family's honor.
Jaeyeong's shoulders shook with laughter.
"Hahaha! The Patriarch's seat is practically mine!"
"I congratulate you on the imminent success of your grand ambition!"
"May I address you as Patriarch from now on?"
"Hehehe, of course. Those bastards who looked down on me just because my cultivation realm was lower... I can't wait to see the looks on their faces once I officially become the Patriarch."
"Wait, what? Are you serious?"
"Yes, Benefactor. Since things have turned out this way, the elders have decided to speak with you in complete candor."
The day after I was assigned my room as a retainer, I couldn't help but stare in bewilderment as Namgung Hyeok told me they were going to reveal the clan's deepest secret. From the tense atmosphere, I had assumed it was a matter of life and death... and they were just going to hand it over like this?
Namgung Hyeok scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"However, it is not a pleasant tale. In fact, it is so heavy that I feel deeply apologetic for even burdening you with it."
"Oh, please. I might not look it, but I've seen some shit in my time, okay?"
I got castrated the second I reincarnated, my very first friend's stepmother tried to have her murdered, I was forced to learn a blood cultivation technique while trying to save people, and then I got practically blackmailed into joining the Blood Sect. What could possibly be worse than all that?
Yes, there was a brief moment when I actually believed that.
"Uh... well..."
Following Namgung Hyeok's lead, I stepped into a secluded annex within the inner manor. Waiting inside were Young Patriarch Namgung Geon, Acting Patriarch Namgung Jaeyeong, and the leader of the Blue Sky Squad, Namgung Uk.
And...
Wheeze... Wheeze...
A literal mummy lay on the bed, barely drawing breath. Apparently, this dried-up husk was the legendary Sword Emperor, Namgung Seon.
I really shouldn't have poked my nose into this.
Honestly, he looked in worse shape than Yeop Huhu did right before I ended him.
Namgung Geon glanced at me and let out a heavy sigh. It must have been agonizing to show his own father in such a pathetic state to an outsider.
"It is Turbid Qi."
"Pardon?"
"One day, a mysterious Turbid Qi of unknown origin invaded the Patriarch's dantian... and that was when the nightmare began."
I blinked in shock.
"Turbid Qi did that to him?"
This completely defied my understanding of martial arts. Usually, Turbid Qi just disrupted the flow of true qi, or at worst, damaged the dantian. How could mere Turbid Qi turn a living human being into a mummified corpse?
Namgung Geon shook his head grimly.
"It is no ordinary Turbid Qi. This particular energy feeds on the Patriarch's true qi, multiplying endlessly."
"What?"
What is this, cancer?
"Then if you leave it alone, it'll eventually devour his innate qi..."
"Which is why this process is necessary."
Taking a deep breath, Namgung Geon stepped forward and placed his hand on Namgung Seon's chest.
A low hum vibrated through the air as the flow of energy began to fluctuate wildly. But Namgung Geon's condition quickly deteriorated. Cold sweat poured down his face like rain.
"Don't tell me..."
"Those of us at the Hyper-Peak Realm or higher take turns drawing a portion of the Turbid Qi into our own bodies to purify it. It is the only way to slow down its spread through the Patriarch's body."
Namgung Hyeok answered with a grim expression. Standing beside him, I could see the frustration burning in his eyes; he desperately wanted to help, but his cultivation realm was simply too low. Wait, if it requires a Hyper-Peak master or higher, doesn't that mean the Acting Patriarch has to do it too?
The air hummed again.
"Whew... Whew... Do not worry too much. It is merely exhausting. Though, if one makes a mistake, they might lose a portion of their total inner force..."
"That is hardly something to smile about..."
Now I finally understood why there was an Acting Patriarch running the show instead of the Young Patriarch. How could anyone manage the clan's daily affairs when they were constantly draining themselves to the point of collapse like this?
"Is there really no way to completely remove it?"
Namgung Geon shook his head helplessly.
"It has already fused completely with the Patriarch's dantian and meridians. Attempting to force it out would kill him instantly. For now, we can only pour precious elixirs into him to keep him alive."
"Ah..."
So this is why their finances are in the toilet. Keeping a dying man on life support with legendary elixirs must cost an absolute fortune.
On top of that, the clan's core powerhouses are constantly overexerting themselves, risking permanent loss of their inner force with every slip-up.
No wonder the self-proclaimed 'Greatest Clan Under Heaven' was crumbling; no family could survive this kind of bleeding.
Namgung Uk stepped forward.
"It is my turn, then."
As Namgung Geon stepped back, drenched in sweat, Namgung Uk took his place.
"Do not come any closer, Lady Yeonhwa. Even for a Hyper-Peak master, this Turbid Qi is incredibly dangerous. If it were to enter the body of a mere Peak Realm master... you would have to prepare for the absolute worst."
Namgung Uk began to circulate his qi, issuing his warning as a low hum filled the room. Hearing that, I figured I should probably back off. If I stayed too close and accidentally touched it... ugh, goosebumps.
I took a step back.
But just as I tried to retreat—
Click.
"Huh?"
My foot suddenly slipped, and my balance crumbled. No, wait, I didn't just slip—it felt like some kind of mechanism had just triggered—
I lurched forward.
"B-Benefactor?!"
"Watch out! Catch her!"
It was so sudden and unexpected that I didn't even have time to react before I went face-first toward the mummified Patriarch.
Thud!
And then—
Something cold and slimy began to squirm its way into me.
"W-What the?!"
I could feel it crawling inside! This was bad! My instincts screamed in pure panic!
"Pull her away, quickly!"
"Benefactor! Stay with me!"
My consciousness began to fade...
Everything went dark, and I collapsed.
The Turbid Qi slithered through Yeonhwa's meridians, invading her body.
She had no way of knowing, but this Turbid Qi was an artificial creation from the western lands of the continent. It was a concentrated mass of countless drops of blood, tears, and deep-seated grudges. Though it was called Turbid Qi, it had refined itself to the point where it could almost be considered a spiritual entity.
And now, this very energy—the same poison that had mummified the legendary Sword Emperor—was coursing through Yeonhwa's meridians. Its target, of course, was her true qi. It would feed on her energy, growing larger and larger until its host was dead. That was its sole purpose, its ultimate goal.
However...
As the Turbid Qi encountered the unique true qi of the Guihua Preservation flowing within Yeonhwa, it faltered in confusion. No matter how hard it tried to devour the energy, its efforts yielded absolutely nothing.
The Guihua Preservation was a divine technique that leaned toward no specific elemental property, making it perfectly optimized to absorb and contain any form of inner force. To the Turbid Qi, attacking this energy was like trying to punch water in a swimming pool—it simply passed through without leaving a single scratch.
After several futile attempts, the Turbid Qi redirected its course toward Yeonhwa's dantian. It intended to bide its time there or simply corrupt the dantian itself. But as it entered...
It discovered a small clump of true qi huddled in a corner of her dantian. It was compressed tightly, completely motionless, as if utterly suppressed.
Having finally found a target it could feed on, the Turbid Qi slithered toward the crimson energy. It wrapped itself around the red qi, slowly beginning to absorb it. This was the true horror of this Turbid Qi: the malice and grudges woven into its fabric would taint other energies, converting them into more Turbid Qi.
Some time passed. By all accounts, a tiny speck of crimson qi should have been completely devoured by now. Yet—
...?
Instead of concluding, the devouring process was actually accelerating. Sensing something terribly wrong, the Turbid Qi looked closer, only to find—
...!
The crimson qi had grown far larger than before. Strangely, the more the Turbid Qi tried to consume it, the larger the crimson qi became, while the Turbid Qi itself shrank. The reality of the situation was stark and undeniable.
The hum of energy resonated.
It was the crimson qi that was doing the devouring.
...!
This Turbid Qi was a product of concentrated human malice, engineered by the Heavenly Demon Sect in the western lands. It was a predator by birth. For it to be consumed in this manner was utterly absurd.
But there was one thing even its creators had failed to foresee.
No matter what malice it carried, it was still a creation beneath the heavens, and thus could never hope to match the truth of Heaven's Destruction. No matter how toxic the grudges it harbored, to an Asura, they were nothing but a welcome feast.
To the Asura of Heaven's Destruction, and the Myriads Heaven Asura Art designed for him, this Turbid Qi was nothing more than a light snack.
Crack! Snap!
Ultimately, the Turbid Qi was devoured whole, leaving behind not even a trace of its futile malice.
Furthermore, even the most terrifying monster can be easily sated with a small meal when it is still in its infancy.