Chapter 290: A Night of Respite
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 290: A Night of Respite
“The Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor?”
At my question, a strange look crossed Danri Sohwa’s face.
It was the kind of reaction that said, Why on earth are you asking about him?
“Because no one I know has ever heard of him.”
I shrugged.
I had asked Cheon Yeo-hwa, but she said she’d never heard the name before. Of course, considering the distance between Mount Tian and the Central Plains, her ignorance wasn't all that surprising.
So I had also discreetly asked Mujin.
-Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor? Hmm… I’ve never heard that title before… Still, it’s so pretentious. The kind of title storytellers in the market would love.
At first, it was simple curiosity about the man who created the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art.
But gradually, I began to question the very existence of the Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor.
His title suggested he was likely one of the Three Sovereigns, yet the fact that no one seemed to know him felt unnatural.
“I suppose… it makes sense that Master Mujin wouldn’t know. The Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor is a figure who was erased from history, a disgrace to the Orthodox Faction.”
“A disgrace to the Orthodox Faction?”
Danri Sohwa nodded.
“Hundreds of years ago, a martial artist from the Hebei Peng Family began to distinguish himself. His name was Peng Yugang. At the tender age of twenty, he earned the title of Blade Emperor and became one of the Five Emperors. He was a prodigy of the realm, righteous and benevolent, and was respected by countless martial artists.”
Peng Yugang. That was the name of the Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor written in the manual for the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art.
“But this man had a secret that no one else knew.”
“A secret?”
“The Heavenly Killing Star.”
Heavenly Killing Star. I’d heard that name somewhere before.
‘The 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends?’
The 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends are the 108 malevolent stars spoken of in Taoism. Legend has it that 108 demon kings who threw the world into chaos were sealed by a Taoist master and became stars in the sky.
And the Heavenly Killing Star was known as one of the most vicious among them.
“Peng Yugang was hiding the fact that he was the Heavenly Killing Star.”
“That’s absurd.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa, who had been listening from the side, spoke up.
“There’s no way a mere human could suppress the malevolent energy of the Heavenly Killing Star for decades. Besides, those depraved monks from Henan would have read the stirrings of the star’s energy and dealt with him long ago.”
“As you say, young lady, it is common for those born under a malevolent star like the Heavenly Killing Star to be ‘disposed of’ at a young age. However, Peng Yugang was born during a time when the entire Central Plains was engulfed in successive wars. The heavenly aura was in disarray, so it wouldn't have been strange for them to notice the birth of the Heavenly Killing Star a step too late.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa’s reaction to Danri Sohwa’s explanation was grim.
Was the Heavenly Killing Star really that dangerous of an existence?
“Ahem. To continue my explanation, Peng Yugang massacred the Wind Dragon Unit of the Murim Alliance, which he had been a part of, and then carried out indiscriminate slaughter throughout the Henan and Anhui regions. It’s said that tens of thousands died. It’s not certain why he revealed his true nature at that particular moment, but the prevailing theory is that he could no longer suppress the malevolent star’s energy. Thus, he came to be called by the title Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor, and before long, he met his end at the hands of the Sword Venerable, the Murim Alliance Leader of that era.”
I was a little surprised by Danri Sohwa’s story.
From his title, I had guessed he wasn't an ordinary man, but it turned out he was even more of a lunatic than I’d thought.
“At the time, the Hebei Peng Family joined hands with the Murim Alliance and began to erase all records of Peng Yugang, their family’s shame. Not just his name, but even the martial arts he created. As the years passed, those who remembered the slaughterer called the Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor vanished one by one.”
“Then how do you know about him, Miss Danri?”
“Because I am the Hubei branch leader of the Hao Clan. Of course, what I know is closer to speculation than fact. So you may use it as a reference, but whether you believe it completely is up to you, Young Master.”
“Hmm…”
A business-like smile played on Danri Sohwa’s lips.
The fact that it was speculation bothered me, but it wasn't a major issue.
I had only asked to satisfy my curiosity in the first place.
“May I ask one last thing?”
“And if I say no?”
Shing.
“…Please, ask away.”
“What would happen if I used the Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor’s martial arts in front of people from the Hebei Peng Family?”
Hearing my words, Danri Sohwa’s expression turned grave.
Her eyes, fixed on me, trembled faintly.
“Don’t tell me…”
“It’s just a hypothetical.”
The look on Danri Sohwa’s face seemed to say, Yeah, right.
“I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you have a very beautiful name, Miss Danri.”
“Eek! I’ll keep my mouth shut, so stop threatening me! Haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘A cornered rat will bite the cat’?!”
“Even so, isn’t it the rat that dies in the end?”
“…”
Hearing that, Danri Sohwa pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a heavy sigh.
“Hah, how did I get tangled up with a guy like this…”
The dignity she’d had as a branch leader when we first met was long gone.
“…To get to the point, it probably wouldn’t be a huge problem. The Hebei Peng Family has forgotten about the Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor as well. Perhaps only the family head and a few elders might have a vague recollection.”
“Oh.”
That was welcome news.
I had been secretly worried that I might have to completely seal away the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art in this world.
But my hopes were dashed by Danri Sohwa’s next words.
“However, if you use the Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor’s martial arts in front of them, they will consider you a villain who stole their family’s techniques.”
“?”
When I gave her a look of incomprehension, Danri Sohwa continued with an indifferent expression.
“It makes sense. There are stories that the martial art he is known to have created was based on the Hebei Peng Family’s own art, the Primordial Thunderclap Divine Art. Of course, I can’t say for sure, but looking at the remaining records, it’s safe to assume he borrowed from it to some extent.”
“…”
Danri Sohwa added that it was just her speculation and she couldn't guarantee it would cause problems, but I couldn't feel at ease.
The Crimson Cloud Thunder Art was a lightning art that dealt with extreme yang lightning qi. And the Hebei Peng Family, along with the Namgung Family, was one of the clans famous for wielding lightning qi.
Could the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art, created by the Blood Cloud Thunder Emperor who was born into the direct line of such a family, truly have no connection to the Hebei Peng Family?
It was possible, but there was always the variable of ‘what if’ in the world.
It was best not to create any possibility of becoming hostile with the Hebei Peng Family, one of the Five Great Families.
Not that I intended to give up the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art completely.
In any case, it was the martial art of someone from hundreds of years ago. If I got caught, I could just make the excuse that I hadn't learned it intentionally.
Surely those self-proclaimed Orthodox Faction bastards wouldn't just draw their swords without even listening to my side of the story.
…Right?
‘Tsk, this is tricky.’
Most of the martial artists I had encountered in this world were anything but normal.
From the Mount Hua elder who tried to kill me on the spot for having sex with his disciple, to the crazy old man who carried around tens of thousands of centipedes.
Given my experiences so far, I couldn't just assume the Hebei Peng Family would be normal.
‘In the end, do I have no choice but to be as careful as possible?’
It wasn't a conclusion I particularly liked, but if things seemed like they would get out of hand, I could always go to the Murim Alliance and secure a position for myself.
The law of the jungle wasn't exclusive to the Evil Faction.
*
My conversation with Danri Sohwa didn't last long.
I wanted to ask her all sorts of things, but her expression was growing increasingly stiff.
Since I wasn't curious enough to pay an information fee, I decided to end our meeting there.
Just before we left the tunnel, Danri Sohwa grabbed my collar and left me with a warning.
“You have to keep our deal!”
“As long as you keep your end of it, Miss Danri, I will also keep my mouth shut.”
“Ugh… How did I end up like this…”
Leaving the whimpering woman behind, we left Monghyeonru and headed straight for the inn.
The streets of Seoyu County were bustling with people who had rushed out of their homes due to the earthquake. We made our way through the crowd and returned to the inn.
The place we were staying was known as a high-class inn in Seoyu County, but to me, it looked like a cheap hovel in some backwater village.
First, I used magic to block out the surrounding noise, then replaced the bed and various pieces of furniture.
Before long, the inn room was transformed into a luxury hotel suite. I even installed a temporary bathroom in an empty space, and Cheon Yeo-hwa and I soaked ourselves in the tub.
Splooosh—
As the two of us got in, water overflowed from the tub.
“This feels wonderful…”
Cheon Yeo-hwa, sitting between my legs, let out a faint moan and leaned against me. Drenched in water, she exuded a strange sensuality.
Following my instincts, I buried my face in the nape of her neck.
“Hehe, do you wish to drink my blood?”
In the heat that filled the bathroom, Cheon Yeo-hwa’s eyes were glazed over. I cupped her breast, enjoying the languor the bath brought.
The Yosangdan Pill had healed most of my injuries, but the fatigue in my body still lingered.
“By the way, it is truly surprising that the bloodline of the Danri Family still lives.”
“The Danri Family? You mean Danri Sohwa?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa nodded.
“The Danri Family was a prestigious and historic family based in Anhui Province. Although they were not one of the Five Great Families, they were a clan of comparable stature that enjoyed fame for many long years. Of course, they have since been annihilated.”
“…Annihilated?”
The topic was too serious to brush aside, and my languid mind instantly cleared.
“Five years ago, the Danri Family suffered the calamity of annihilation at the hands of an unidentified group. Not a single person survived, from the family head to the members of the direct and collateral lines.”
“…”
I was at a loss for words.
Seriously, what was with this world? First the Guizhou Jin Family, and now this. Was family annihilation a recurring event around here?
“According to rumors, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was behind it. I don’t know if it’s true, though.”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard? You mean the imperial family?”
“Most likely.”
I was dumbfounded.
“What about the non-interference between officials and martial artists?”
“Isn’t that just a pretense?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa swept her hair back with a captivating smile. Turning her body, she caressed my cheek and slowly pressed her lips to mine.
Sharing a fiery heat, we stared intently at each other for a long while.
“…The principle that ‘well water does not interfere with river water’ lost its meaning long ago. You can tell just by the fact that there are over a thousand soldiers in the empire who have learned martial arts.”
This world was dominated by four great powers.
The Murim Alliance, a coalition of the Orthodox Faction’s martial world.
The Evil Alliance, founded to oppose them from the Evil Faction’s martial world.
And then there was the Heavenly Demonic Cult of Mount Tian and the Jin Empire, the true ruling power that governed the vast Central Plains.
Among them, the strongest power, by anyone’s measure, was the Empire.
But it was customary for the Empire not to interfere in the affairs of the martial world.
This was called the principle of non-interference, or that well water does not interfere with river water.
“I believe there was a daughter of the Danri Family head named Danri Sohwa. If a direct descendant survived such a tragedy, we must assume there are several other survivors as well.”
“…Either that, or everyone else sacrificed their lives to save the direct heir.”
I swallowed hard and pressed a hand to my forehead.
Seeing Danri Sohwa’s unusual reaction, I had guessed she was hiding something, but I never imagined it would be something like this.
‘…I should go apologize tomorrow.’
I had essentially threatened her life.
No, considering the reason she had to hide her name and use an alias, perhaps the word ‘threaten’ wasn't strong enough.
‘Hah… And just like that, I’ve become a piece of trash.’
Perhaps because I had seen too many children who had lost their parents and been thrown out into the world alone, a corner of my chest seemed to ache.
It wasn't guilt.
It would be more accurate to call it a lingering unease.
Just as I was lost in a reverie of sorts.
Poke—
“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa pressed my brow with her fingertip and smiled.
“Does it bother you that you threatened that girl from the Hao Clan?”
“…It’s not exactly a pleasant feeling.”
Hearing that, Cheon Yeo-hwa chuckled.
“It would have been better if my dear husband were a little less kind.”
Splooosh—
As Cheon Yeo-hwa stood up, water once again overflowed from the tub. Rivulets of water trickled down her jade-like skin.
Getting out of the tub, Cheon Yeo-hwa covered herself with a nearby towel and looked at me.
Was it because of the steam filling the bathroom?
Her cheeks, flushed with heat, were tinged with a deep blush.
“Tonight, this humble one shall comfort you, my dear husband.”
The corners of Cheon Yeo-hwa’s eyes curved beautifully.