Chapter 977
Chapter 977
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 977
Chapter Title: 977. Path to Glorious Ascension
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"I get that Mother likes this guy. But look at him—he seems like a nice enough fellow. You think he'll work with us? Why don't we just take care of him cleanly?"
"You bastard!"
The old hag snapped in anger. The middle-aged man's body flinched. It wasn't fear of some decrepit crone. It was a reaction etched into his body like an ancient habit, something that just felt natural.
"This one's got eyes for me like no other. Full of love, they were. He's going to be your new father, so show some respect!"
"...Yes, Mother."
The middle-aged man muttered a half-hearted reply, as if it was too much trouble to even speak, and began meticulously checking each of the fallen ronin one by one. Before long, he was holding a bowl filled with fresh blood, grading their faces as upper, middle, or lower class.
"This one's got a big frame, all muscle... top quality.... This one's got a solid build, but his internal energy feels lacking, so middle class.... Heh heh. Plenty of middle class and above."
He was appraising and sorting them like merchandise.
"You know we've got guests coming for dinner tonight, right? Pick a suitable lower-class one from the bunch and prep it for cooking."
"You help out too, Mother. I can't do brains well, you know that."
"Tsk tsk. Foolish boy. Brains are the delicacy of delicacies. You need to learn to cook on your own soon. How long do you expect your mother to keep helping? I don't have much time left."
Black Spot.
A place that killed passing travelers and sold human flesh. A horrific den.
"Come on, don't say things you don't mean. You've found a new husband—how can you talk like that?"
"I can feel it.... Not much time left. Three years at best."
"Mother, please don't say that. How could you leave me behind and go first?"
"Sigh. When are you going to get married?"
"I already did. The problem is normal women can't handle our line of work. Catching runaway wives gets old...."
"You'll find someone who suits you if you look. And son... if I die, bury your new father with me. We didn't spend much time together in this life, so we should make up for it in the next."
"...I'll do as you wish, Mother."
The middle-aged man kept working through the conversation. He soon approached me.
"This rude one's got decent looks, and leading a band of ronin means he's skilled too... top-top quality...."
His finger reached for my face. The thought of that blood-stinking bastard's finger touching me made bile rise in my throat.
I snapped my eyes open and swung the liquor bottle reverse-grip at the man's head.
"Graaack!"
The bottle shattered, soaking his head in the remaining booze. The man's knees buckled.
"Son!"
The startled old hag gaped at me, eyes wide.
"H-how? You're fine after the soul-loss drug?!"
"Soul-loss drug? Fancy name. Deserves it, though."
Even I, at the Five Qi realm, had nearly succumbed to sleep. Without my heavenly mind, it would've been disastrous—I might've died right there.
"Eek!"
The old hag's hand darted to her waist. A hidden weapon flew at me. Impressive handiwork for a civilian. I just tilted my head to dodge. The slender needle sailed past and clattered to the floor, its tip coated in sticky poison.
"M-Mother! Run! I'll handle him!"
The middle-aged man grabbed my leg. It was almost laughable. A non-cultivator trying to stop me?
Crackle.
Lightning qi arced from my body, electrocuting him. I didn't kill him—just knocked him out. A flicker of curiosity spared them for now.
The old woman was sweating bullets. Instead of fleeing, she knelt right there, clasping her hands in plea.
"P-please spare us, great hero! We were wrong...! Take our money!"
"You tried to kill me, and now you beg for mercy? Shameless doesn't even begin to cover it."
"Great hero... please...! We had no choice—we needed to eat!"
"Sure, sure. Had to spike the food with sleeping pills, kill sleeping people, sell their flesh... no choice at all."
"Ugh... just spare us...."
The old woman trembled as I approached. Truth be told, I'd let my guard down because neither she nor her son cultivated martial arts. But that didn't mean I'd let it slide.
I ignored her for now and grabbed the shoulder of Sung Ji-gon, collapsed beside me. He was out cold, oblivious.
Smack! Smack!
I slapped his cheeks hard. Handprints bloomed on his face. Still no stirring.
'Can't wake him by slapping? He'd probably sleep through death.'
Time for a change.
Crackle.
I channeled thunder qi into his body. No reaction.
'Give up and wait? ...Huh?'
Something odd. A sticky, alien energy. I realized it was the drug's residue.
'Think I can burn it out with thunder qi?'
I tried. If it went wrong, I'd stop. My controlled thunder qi started purging the drug from his system. About three minutes in, his eyelids twitched.
"Sung Ji-gon! Wake up!"
"Ugh, ugh... Yu-jin...?"
Sung Ji-gon woke. He shook his head, standing groggily. His dazed expression turned to horror in seconds.
"R-right. Suddenly got so sleepy... damn! We got drugged! Is this really Black Spot?!"
"Sleeping pills, not poison. Can't sell poisoned meat."
"Argh.... To go down like idiots.... We'd be done for without you, Yu-jin."
"Learn from it. Be careful."
"Got it. No reckless inn stops outside villages...."
Sung Ji-gon glanced around. All the ronin sprawled asleep, blood grades scrawled on their faces. The eerie sight made him shudder.
"Yu-jin, is my face graded too?"
"No."
"Phew. Good. But..."
Sung Ji-gon approached the old hag. She looked up at him desperately.
"I-I never meant to harm you. You treated me with real respect.... We could've been family...! Spare me! I'll do anything you say!"
Tears streamed as she begged. Pathetic. It disgusted me enough to want to kill her myself. But it worked on someone—Sung Ji-gon. He bit his lip. His crotch began to bulge.
"Granny.... No, old hag. You tried to kill me and Yu-jin, and you say that? No forgiveness."
Sung Ji-gon lunged at the old hag.
"Aaaah!"
She screamed bloody murder, squeezing her eyes shut against the violence. But it never came. Puzzled, she opened them.
Sung Ji-gon grinned sinisterly. Lust-glazed eyes roamed her body.
"Won't kill you. Too easy...."
He swallowed hard, hand moving.
"Eek!"
Riiip! He shredded her clothes, stripping her naked in one go. Sagging breasts, grimy skin.... I grimaced and looked away.
"Hey, Sung Ji-gon. Gotta do it here? There's rooms."
"Sorry, Yu-jin. Can't hold back!"
"What if the guys wake up?"
"Who cares if they watch."
"Fair enough."
I headed to the kitchen. No way I was watching that.
"Oh god! Oh god, oh god!"
"Old hag! Your pussy's all dried up! Like sap from dead wood—one drop...! So good, old hag!!"
"Hngh.... Die.... I'm dying...!!"
"I treated you like a fellow wanderer... but you tried to kill me! Die! Old hag!"
"Oh god, oh god!!"
Madness radiated from behind. My neck stiffened.
'Shouldn't look. One glance, and I might catch the crazy. My eyes are precious.'
Into the kitchen.
Surprisingly clean.
'Door inside.'
I opened it. Blood stench hit. Chill air too.
'Refrigerator? No way this world has those. Magic to mimic one.'
Beheaded human corpses hung from the ceiling. Blood dripped. Nearby tub held scalps and bones. Guts dangled on one side.
'Like a butcher shop. Nothing special otherwise.'
Nothing useful.
Back out, I searched elsewhere. Found five gold taels in what seemed her room.
Returning to the inn, I forced my numbing mind to focus.
"Ugh, old hag, that pussy... incredible...!"
"Hah, hah...! Gonna die!"
Frantic sex on the table. Sung Ji-gon pounded her mercilessly, arms flailing as she moaned.
I shook my head, grabbed the unconscious middle-aged man's head, and jolted him awake with thunder qi.
"Keurgh!"
"Awake? Got questions."
"Urgh.... Mother... where's Mother?!"
"Your mom's over there."
I turned his body. Seeing his mother pinned under Sung Ji-gon, moaning, his face paled.
"M-Mother?! Mother!!!"
"Gubo! Gubo, hngh! Mom's dying... dying... hngh!"
"Raping my mother...! You monsters! Let her go!"
"Shut up. Take a beating first."
My fists pummeled his face and body. All that ronin-beating honed my technique.
"Kyaak! Ack! S-stop! S-sorry! Ack!"
Beating over, he went quiet. Kneeling politely. I dragged a chair and sat.
Thud-thud-thud!
Ignored the pounding from behind.
"Got a question. Who's your buyer? Non-cultivators like you running a Black Spot means backers."
The sleeping drug in the food—soul-loss drug—was no ordinary stuff. A group supplying that could yield info.
"Speak. Who do you deal with?"
"Th-that's..."
Lips quivered.
Fear.
Not of me. I summoned the Flame Lotus Blade. Red blade oozed eerie energy. Tip sliced his right wrist gently. Thud. His mouth gaped at the severed hand.
"Aaaaaah!"
"Left hand next. Then feet. Eyes after... Want to care for Mother? Answer honestly. Need limbs intact."
"A-answer and you spare me?"
"I'll spare you."
Could be a lie. He knew. But enough hope.
"We're... with the Ink Ground Alliance. Low-level, but."
"Buyers are Ink Ground Alliance?"
"Yes. Deal every half-month."
"Sleeping pills from them too?"
"Yes. We just follow their methods. Didn't want this.... All their orders."
"Who asked?"
No interest in excuses.
"When do Ink Ground come?"
Eyes flickered.
"No games. Speak."
"Was next week... but sent pigeon earlier. Coming tonight."
"Ah, over thirty goods, so you called. Heh."
"N-no!"
"Liar."
I smacked his head.