Chapter 875: The Beast King
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 875: The Beast King
Sun-woo intended to leave for Nanchang immediately.
Now that he knew Lee Jae-won’s corpse had vanished along with the mountain, he felt there was no reason to linger.
However, an unexpected companion had joined him.
It was none other than the Leader of the Hao Clan, Ha Su-ryeon.
"Why are you suddenly following me?" Sun-woo asked her, his tone laced with confusion.
He couldn't understand why she was going out of her way to accompany him.
"Why do you have to put it like that... as if you don't want me here?"
She puffed out her cheeks slightly in dissatisfaction. Sun-woo’s attitude—asking as if her presence was a nuisance—clearly displeased her.
"No, it’s not that I don't want you here... it’s just so sudden. Is it really okay for you to just abandon the Hao Clan headquarters and follow me?"
It wasn't that he disliked her company. If he had to choose, he actually preferred it. Having a woman as charming as her to talk to would certainly keep things from getting boring.
But he couldn't fathom her reason. Her main base was in Jinan; why on earth was she following him?
"Yes, it’s fine," she said dismissively.
"Did you quit being the Clan Head or something?" Sun-woo asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"...Master, is it really that strange to you that I’m coming along?" Ha Su-ryeon asked, looking exasperated.
"It is. I thought you’d live your whole life holed up there."
"I’ve said it before, but I really think you have a personality problem, Master," Ha Su-ryeon muttered, glaring at him with narrowed eyes. "I’ve decided to move the Hao Clan headquarters to Nanchang."
"To Nanchang?"
"Yes. That’s why I’m following you. Since we’re going the same way anyway, it’s better to travel with you."
"I didn't know you liked me that much."
"It’s not so much about liking you as it is about efficiency." Ha Su-ryeon shook her head slightly.
"Efficiency?"
"Yes. It’s not every day one gets the chance to travel safely under the protection of the strongest man in the world. And for free, no less." She offered him a bright smile.
"When you put it like that, it makes me want to charge you a fee." Sun-woo looked at her with a mischievous grin.
"You’re my Master! Can’t you show your slave at least that much consideration?" Ha Su-ryeon raised her voice slightly in protest.
"Nope."
"A man with so much money, why are you so stingy!"
"Don't you know you have to save to live well?"
"Don't you know that if you don't give, your wealth will leak away?"
"First time I've heard that in my life."
"Well, now you know, so be careful."
The two began to trade childish banter. Though their voices rose occasionally, it didn't look serious at all. Light smiles played on both their lips as they joked around.
And so, continuing their bickering, the two began to walk.
Toward Nanchang, where the Uicheon Alliance was located.
*
A jungle located south of Yunnan Province.
"Hahahaha! Pour it and drink!"
"Drink! Drink! Drink until you drop!"
"Drink! Drink! Let the alcohol flow!"
A massive crowd was gathered there, carousing loudly.
A huge bonfire blazed. Countless slabs of meat were being roasted haphazardly. Large jars were filled to the brim with liquor. Men and women lay scattered about, slumped over in drunken stupors.
With the sounds of boisterous laughter echoing in every direction, it was a scene that could only be described as a festival.
How long had the festivities lasted?
Sssssss—
Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold began to spread through the area.
Silence.
As the frigid air took hold, the laughter of those enjoying the festival died instantly. A heavy, cold silence descended. The festive heat that had been building up was snuffed out by the chill.
Thump. Thump.
Then, the sound of footsteps broke the silence. They fell at a perfectly steady interval.
People turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.
There, they saw a diminutive old man, as pale and gaunt as a corpse.
Vroooooom—
Upon seeing him, the crowd bared their teeth and cast hostile glares. Just facing him stirred an unbearable sense of revulsion within them.
"I didn't come here to fight, you beasts," the old man spat, his expression one of pure annoyance.
They weren't strangers, yet their immediate display of hostility displeased him.
"Call the Beast King. I have a message to deliver." The old man spoke in a weary tone.
Grrrr...
Growl...
But they only continued to snarl. Not one of them moved to fetch their leader.
'This is exactly why I said I didn't want to work with these animals...'
The old man felt his irritation deepen. The thought of being treated poorly by these mindless, beastly creatures made his temper flare.
"Put your teeth away before I pull them all out and turn them into a necklace," the old man continued, releasing a sinister aura. He intended to break their spirit.
Grrrr!
However, his threat only served to fuel their hostility. Despite the significant pressure he exerted, they showed no sign of fear.
"Do you really think you stand a chance, you animals?" The old man frowned, genuinely angered now.
He realized they were underestimating him. Otherwise, there was no way they would look at him as if they were about to devour him.
'These pieces of shit! How dare they!'
Vroooooom—
His pride wounded, the old man began to gather internal energy in his hand. He intended to make an example out of one of them.
Thump.
Thump.
Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate.
Flop. Flop.
In an instant, the creatures that had been baring their teeth at him slammed their heads against the ground. It was a gesture of absolute submission.
'What?'
The old man turned toward the source of the vibration.
There, he saw a massive man walking toward the feast grounds.
He had a terrifyingly fierce countenance and eyes that burned with a savage, predatory light. He stood nearly eight feet tall, with muscles so large they looked like boulders grafted onto his frame. A large tiger skin was draped around his waist.
Everything about the man screamed primal savagery.
".......Beast King."
Overwhelmed by the man's monstrous presence, Sima—the Corpse Demon—spoke with a hint of tension in his voice.
"What is it, Sima?" the man known as the Beast King asked in a calm, heavy tone.
"......The Great Plan has begun." Sima forced the tension out of his voice as he spoke.
"........And what am I to do?" the Beast King asked, his expression questioning.
"Destroy the Diancang Sect."
"Is that all?"
"It is." Sima nodded.
"A simple task."
Upon hearing the answer, the Beast King turned around immediately. He began to walk away with an incredibly relaxed stride.
"Wh-where are you going!" Sima asked hurriedly, taken aback.
They weren't finished. He hadn't even explained the details of the plan or how he was supposed to bring down Diancang. Yet the man was leaving before the conversation was even over?
"Did you not tell me to destroy Diancang?" the Beast King said, glancing back slightly.
"Are... are you planning to go alone!" Sima asked, his face full of shock.
"I am enough on my own," the Beast King replied dismissively.
"Arrogance!" Sima exclaimed, his expression one of pure horror.
Who did he think the Diancang Sect was? They were a member of the Nine Great Sects, a prestigious righteous sect that had been famous for its swordsmanship for centuries. How could he utter such arrogant words about destroying such a place single-handedly?
"The weak can never understand the strong."
The Beast King spoke those words flatly, then turned his head and continued forward.
Sima stared blankly at the Beast King’s retreating back until his figure completely vanished from sight.
".......Are you calling me weak!"
Only then did he snap out of it and begin to scream. He had realized belatedly that he had been insulted.
But the Beast King was already long gone. He was far beyond the reach of Sima’s shouts.
*
"Yaaaawn... I'm sleepy."
Mu-ryang, a third-generation disciple guarding the main gate of Diancang, let out a massive yawn. He couldn't help the drowsiness washing over him.
"Hey, kid... how much longer until the next shift?" He turned to the junior disciple beside him, Mu-sok.
"Yes, sir! Exactly! Half a shijin remains!"
"Sigh... I feel like I've been standing here forever, but it's only been one shijin?" Mu-ryang sighed. Time was moving much slower than he had hoped.
"Yes, sir! That is correct!"
"Hey, you're gonna burst my eardrums. Why are you shouting so loud?"
"Understood! I will be quiet!"
"Even that's too loud, kid." Mu-ryang muttered, annoyed.
"My apologies!"
"Forget it, forget it. Let's just not talk." Mu-ryang shook his head. He realized it was useless to keep correcting him. His junior was the type to do everything with maximum effort, including answering questions. It wasn't a habit that would be easily broken.
"Sigh... I'm bored... Hey, kid."
"Yes, sir! Please speak!"
"Sing a song."
"A... a song, sir?"
"Yeah. Let's see how well our youngest can sing."
".......But... we're on duty..."
"Who's going to come by at this hour? Don't worry and just sing. You're not going to disobey me, are you?" Mu-ryang narrowed his eyes. It was a silent pressure to obey.
"I will sing!" Mu-sok answered loudly.
"Good... good..."
Mu-ryang closed his eyes, intending to enjoy the song.
"................"
But no matter how long he waited, no song came from Mu-sok. Only silence filled the air.
"Kid, what are you doing? Sing already." He scolded Mu-sok, telling him to hurry up.
Yet, the surroundings remained silent. Not a single sound could be heard.
"Kid, are you rebelling—"
Snap.
Mu-ryang snapped his eyes open, intending to reprimand his junior for this sudden streak of defiance.
Thud.
But Mu-ryang couldn't finish his sentence. His cute junior disciple’s head was gone.
"Mu... Mu-sok...? Wh-why...?"
He stammered, his face pale with shock. He couldn't process the sudden, horrific reality.
Crunch. Snap.
Then, the sound of bones grinding together echoed in his ears.
'Huh?'
At the same time, his head began to float gently into the air. It felt incredibly light.
He slowly lowered his gaze.
There, he saw his own body, with only the neck remaining.
'Ah...'
In that moment, Mu-ryang realized the truth. His head had been ripped clean off.
Slide.
Slowly, Mu-ryang’s eyes began to close.
*
BOOM!
CRASH!
The main compound of the Diancang Sect.
Numerous pavilions were being demolished, the air filled with thunderous roars.
"Aaaaagh!"
"Guaaaah!"
The screams of disciples pinned under the collapsing buildings echoed everywhere.
"Damn it! Block him! I said block him!"
Daoist Gyeong-wol, an Elder of the Diancang Sect, shouted urgently. He was trying to stop the mysterious man who had suddenly appeared and begun destroying everything in sight.
"Yaaaaah!"
"Hah!"
Following his command, dozens of Diancang disciples charged at the intruder, their swords—honed over decades—raised high.
BOOM!
But it was futile. Bodies trained for years were completely crumpled by casual punches and kicks. Swords tempered for decades could not pierce his body, which was as hard as Vajra.
He was a monster that could only be described as a calamity.
"Damn it!"
The Elders charged at him, their blades glowing with Astral Qi. They realized that second or third-generation disciples stood no chance against him.
CRASH!
BOOM!
Thunderous explosions rang out as the Astral Qi collided with his body.
Seeing this, the disciples cheered. They thought they had finally landed a decisive blow.
Snap. Crack.
Snap. Crack.
But that hope didn't last long. In the next heartbeat, the Elders' heads were torn completely from their shoulders.
"Mon... monster..."
"He's a monster..."
"That thing is a monster!!"
Terrified voices began to rise from all sides. A paralyzing fear of the intruder took root in the disciples' hearts. They began to scatter and flee, their will to fight completely shattered.
The man began to hunt the Diancang disciples one by one, chasing them down like a wild beast.
"Stop this at once!"
A dignified, booming shout echoed in his ears. The intruder turned his gaze.
A stern-looking old man came into view. A thick smile spread across the intruder's face. He could guess who the old man was.
It was the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader of Diancang.
"To storm into Diancang and commit such an atrocity! What kind of heaven-defying madness is this!"
Daoist Mu-heo, the Sect Leader of Diancang, roared in fury. The sight of his brutally murdered disciples filled him with uncontrollable rage.
"You're the best of the lot," the intruder remarked calmly, looking at the Sect Leader as if evaluating him.
"You truly have no manners!"
The Sect Leader’s brow furrowed. The intruder’s condescending attitude only fueled his anger.
Shring.
He drew his sword. He felt there was no need to show any courtesy to such an opponent.
Whoosh!
The moment he drew his sword, the Sect Leader swung it toward the intruder. The sword's power concentrated into a single point and thrust forward in a straight line.
The Sun-Shooting Sword Technique, the signature martial art and highest secret technique of the Diancang Sect, revealed its power.
BOOM!
The tip of the sword struck the intruder's chest, triggering a massive shockwave. The sheer magnitude of the force behind the strike was evident.
'His heart must have burst!'
The Sect Leader was certain. Even if the blade hadn't pierced the skin, the internal shock would have surely destroyed the man's heart.
Grab.
But his certainty was shattered in an instant. The intruder had caught the blade of the thrusting sword with his bare hand.
"You were the best of the lot," the intruder repeated, a wide grin spreading across his face.
He yanked the blade toward him. The Sect Leader’s body was pulled along with it.
Whoosh.
Without hesitation, the intruder swung his fist toward the Sect Leader’s head.
CRUNCH!
Struck by a fist that felt like a falling boulder, the Sect Leader’s head exploded. Not a trace of it remained.
Slide.
The intruder let go of the blade.
Thud.
The headless body of the Sect Leader slumped to the ground.
"Now, who's next?"
The intruder scanned his surroundings with savage eyes. Meeting that gaze, the disciples of the Diancang Sect knew.
Today, the Diancang Sect, with its centuries of history, would vanish forever.