Chapter 362
Chapter 362
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 362
Chapter Title: Heaven Beyond Heaven (3)
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A brief moment passed as Sagyeom and the Ghost-Faced Elder discussed the creation of Manin Blood on Sakwol Island by Gui Mianweng and the Ten Thousand Bloods.
"Then, shall I take my leave understanding it that way?"
"...Yes."
"Understood. However, my ship has been smashed to pieces, so I must borrow one vessel."
"I'll provide one when my subordinates arrive."
The fleets under his command, each flying silk sails, finally arrived at Hyeo Island.
Kikikikik-grrrk!
The shattered flagship.
Sagyeom, drenched in blood.
Before such a Sagyeom stood the Ghost-Faced Elder, exuding an inexplicably overbearing aura.
"Division Leader! Are you alright?!"
Heo Uk, the vice division leader of the pirate fleet, drew his sword upon witnessing the scene.
"What are you waiting for! Surround the ones encircling the Division Leader and that masked figure!"
Chaechaechaechaeng!!!
At the vice leader's command.
Sagyeom's subordinates drew their weapons one by one and leaped from the ships like a pack of wild dogs.
It was then that Sagyeom bellowed at them.
"Stop! What do you think you're doing, Heo Uk?!"
"Pardon? I thought something had happened to you, Division Leader..."
"No need for the fuss. The ship was swept away by the waves just moments ago."
"...And that blood?"
"Right. Here I am, covered in blood. This is nothing either. It's not from any injury."
"...I-Is that so?"
"Yes. So put away those drawn blades and provide the Ghost-Faced Elder over there with a suitable ship. Clear the way."
"...Yes."
"Ah, and Heo Uk."
"Yes."
"Hand over the roster I entrusted to you last time to the Ghost-Faced Elder."
"...Understood."
Heo Uk and the crew faithfully followed Sagyeom's orders.
As the Ghost-Faced Elder, Dugochul, and his ten subordinates leisurely departed Hyeo Island.
Heo Uk approached Sagyeom and spoke.
"Division Leader. I followed your orders as instructed, but what exactly is going on here?"
Not all members of Sagyeom's pirate fleet had pledged allegiance to the Blood Cult.
However, those aboard the flagship and the captains of the subordinate fleets had accepted the Blood Cult.
Among them, those on the flagship had witnessed the Ghost-Faced Elder's true face.
But Heo Uk and the captains who arrived late from the subordinate fleets had not experienced it.
"Is it really okay to let those guys go?"
They couldn't comprehend Sagyeom treating the Ghost-Faced Elder with such deference.
As Heo Uk spoke on behalf of the latter group.
Sagyeom, who had been staring at the ship carrying the Ghost-Faced Elder, replied.
"What are you trying to say?"
"If even you struggled so much against them, they must be from the Blood Heaven Asura Palace..."
"And?"
The Blood Cult had expanded its forces meticulously over a long time.
Though forms varied by faction.
Sagyeom's organization, which battled the vast ocean daily and faced all manner of foes, was particularly unique.
"Just give the word, and I'll blast them away right now."
They had merely accepted the power of the Reverse Blood Asura Grand Technique.
Their loyalty to Sagyeom personally was stronger than to the cult newly dubbed the Blood Heaven Asura Palace.
"Haha. Blast them away? You, Heo Uk?"
"Don't we have cannons captured from the Portuguese red-haired barbarians?"
"No need. The premise itself is wrong from the start. The Ghost-Faced Elder isn't from the Blood Heaven Asura Palace."
"...Is that so? Then what is all this about?"
To Heo Uk's question.
Sagyeom let out a hollow laugh and answered.
"Today, I beheld the heaven beyond heaven."
"...Are you saying the Ghost-Faced Elder is the Blood Demon?"
"No. I've met the Blood Demon in person. It wasn't that kind of presence."
Sagyeom briefly recalled the Blood Demon, then stared again at the receding ship carrying the Ghost-Faced Elder and spoke.
"Not the Blood Demon... However, he seemed dissatisfied with the Cult Protector Kings' actions."
"That's the same as us."
"Especially regarding Manin Blood—our thoughts aligned perfectly. He said it must be eradicated as a root of disaster."
"...That's the conversation you and I had, Division Leader. So who exactly is the Ghost-Faced Elder?"
"I don't know. Only that he operates a secret society called the True Blood Group."
"...Yet you're joining forces with him? Even handing over intel on the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?"
"The level of his blood arts was different. He instantly altered the nature of my Blood Ring Myriad Deaths, and there was no backlash from using the Blood Quick Technique. It wasn't just the Ghost-Faced Elder—Dugochul and his subordinates showed no signs of bulging veins or strain."
At Sagyeom's words, Heo Uk widened his eyes in disbelief and retorted.
"Our divine technique reverses the blood points... How is that possible?"
"Exactly."
To that question, Sagyeom chuckled hollowly again.
And he recalled what the Ghost-Faced Elder had mentioned at the end of every sentence.
'...The true path to Blood Flame World Domination.'
He hadn't specified what that path was.
But Sagyeom could sense the true intent from the Ghost-Faced Elder's attitude.
'A person with such blood arts and prowess...'
Dugochul aside, the subordinates would seem insignificant.
Yet the Ghost-Faced Elder had even eliminated their side effects.
'He seeks to build a cult that fulfills the devotees' aspirations, not a petty kingdom ruled by the Cult Protector Kings.'
As that thought crossed his mind.
Sagyeom reflected on why he had pledged to the Blood Cult.
'Come to think of it, I joined the Blood Cult to wipe out the pirates. It was called the Blood King Division back then.'
Now, Sagyeom had become a pirate infamous along the entire South Sea coast.
'They say one knows heaven's will upon reaching the age of knowing heaven's mandate. Today, I truly saw heaven.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While sailing away from Hyeo Island's waters on the ship Sagyeom provided, I stood at the stern.
Master posed a question toward me.
- Isn't the bow better for striking a pose? Why loiter at the tail?
'Do you think I'm doing this to show off?'
- Aren't you?
'Just in case Sagyeom attacks. Though, incidentally, it's also to leave an impression of the Ghost-Faced Elder on him.'
- How far away are we now? What attack?
'They have cannons, don't they?'
- Cannons? Touch those, and the government troops won't stay quiet.
Master wasn't wrong.
In the Central Plains, individuals handling gunpowder recklessly was a grave crime punishable by extermination of the clan.
But this was a place where Central Plains common sense didn't apply.
'This is the lawless sea.'
Thus, assuming they might fire cannons from over there, I maintained tension for quite a while.
Finally, once we were beyond even cannon range.
I addressed the True Blood Group members aboard the ship.
"You can consider the South Sea Archbishop aligned with our True Blood Group's cause."
In response, the members saluted, led by Song Ho-gyeom.
"Sagyeom must have been convinced by the true will of Blood Flame World Domination."
"Especially the point that, at the moment of independence bought with our brothers' blood, we must not rely on something like Manin Blood—it has deeply ingrained itself in our hearts."
Seeing their attitudes.
It seemed they had already accepted the cause of eradicating Manin Blood.
Having confirmed their resolve.
It was time to prepare returning as Eon Yong-un.
To naturally create a pretext for moving separately, I gazed at Dugochul and spoke.
"What are the plans for the White Path Martial World folks going forward?"
"...We've decided to scout our assigned points individually, then rendezvous at Dongsi, one of the black markets in the Yin-Hua Archipelago. We're covering Hyeo Island waters here and up to Jangsado."
"Then let's part at the entrance to Jangsado waters. I have another place to visit."
"Yes."
Dugochul responded crisply.
But he sent a separate transmission.
[Chairman. But can we really trust Sagyeom has pledged to our True Blood Group?]
[If not, he would have attacked. That's why I stayed at the stern the whole time—to prepare for that.]
[...Ah. I see.]
[At least for this instance, he'll cooperate. After that, he'll inevitably join the True Blood Group.]
[True. Once we eliminate Manin Blood as planned, it'll bind us together anyway.]
I nodded.
A moment later, Dugochul asked an unexpected question.
[By the way, how do you impersonate a cranky old man so well? Even knowing your identity, I kept forgetting you were the Ghost-Faced Elder.]
[I know one particularly irascible old man. I modeled it after him.]
[Ah, the Sichuan Quadruple Freaks elders?]
[No, someone way beyond those guys.]
[...Huh? You specified one person?]
[Yes. The kind who, at every chance, criticizes people for bad character or showing off. And can't hold back with liquor.]
[?]
As Dugochul tilted his head at my words.
Master spoke up.
- Is that irascible old man me, by any chance?
'Who knows? Does it hit home?'
- Hit home? You said it loud enough for me to hear!!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Our ship cleaved through the waves for a long while.
"Devote yourselves to the missions assigned under Dugochul's command. Then, the day will come when you meet this old man again."
"Yes!"
Before long, we neared Jangsado.
I transferred to the small boat loaded on our ship.
Shedding the Ghost-Faced Elder guise, I headed alone to Dongsi.
Upon arriving at the rendezvous, my older brother Socheon, disguised as a pirate leveraging his massive build, awaited.
"You're here."
"Yes. Is everyone gathered?"
"...Hmm."
"?"
"Not quite."
"Do you have to think that hard before answering?"
"Can't be wrong."
"No, if not everyone's here... even if just one is missing, they're not all here?"
"Ah?"
Inside, all my younger siblings had arrived except Dugochul and Jeong Wonhae, the young palace lord of the Crimson Dragon Palace.
Among them, Dang Okgi spoke first.
"But why are you alone, Eon Yong-un? Didn't you go with Jeong Wonhae?"
"I had separate business, so we split midway."
"What business?"
"Well, the business was..."
Thus beginning, I recounted everything that happened on Hyeo Island with Sagyeom.
"...And that's how it went."
To my words.
Dang Okgi widened her eyes and spoke.
"Anywhere hurt?"
"As you see."
After briefly checking my pulse to confirm I was fine, she immediately clicked her tongue.
"Damn you, Eon Yong-un. How long ago was 'sorry' in Muchang, and you're pulling this again? When will you ever grow up?!"
Following Dang Okgi, Eon Yong-myeong sighed and said.
"Truth be told, when you said you'd move with the Crimson Dragon Palace people without any of us, it felt off... but you went alone to such a dangerous place again."
"Hey, Yong-myeong. Brother didn't go completely alone. Technically, he took Dugochul along."
Cheon Jang-ho's steadfast opinion worked in my favor for once.
"And how would he bring us into the Blood Cult's den? One slip, and we'd be exposed. Anyway, Yong-un hyung is the mad one. A grand archbishop—that's high rank—and you pierced his nose."
Peng So-jin spoke up.
"So how much does Sagyeom move to our tune?"
"Think of the Blood Cult's goal as shifted from acquiring Manin Blood to eliminating it."
"We can consider him a potential ally? Hm. That's big in itself. It looks like a three-way battle, but really, we just need to target the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
The conversation continued for a bit.
Jeong Hyeon, who had been listening, nodded.
"Primeval Heavenly Lord. This is quite the peculiar bedfellows situation."
I nodded back and produced the document from Sagyeom.
"And this. These documents list the black path operators near the Yin-Hua Archipelago who supplied Manin Blood research materials to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. We need to cross-reference. How's our intel gathering?"
Not long after my return, the disciples who finished scouting and Crimson Dragon Palace members began returning one by one.
Combining Sagyeom's provided intel, ours, and the Crimson Dragon Palace's.
A seamless net formed.
"Capture this one-eyed guy named Geon-ga here. From what we've ascertained, he supplied the most materials. Including people."
"Yes!"
The pursuit operation went without saying.
[Hyungnim. A ship presumed to be Geon-ga's is docking. Strike now?]
[Let them go through procedures. Flashy handling could clash with the black market managers. Primary goal is eradicating Manin Blood.]
[Yes.]
[Yong-myeong, you and Dang Okgi stand by nearby and quietly put the crew remaining on the ship to sleep when the chance arises. I'll be near where the bastard gambles with So-jin noona and nab him.]
[Yes.]
My siblings and I moved stealthily, neutralizing Geon-ga's pirate crew.
"Wh-What... Kek!"
We captured Geon-ga himself in an instant.
"From now on, answer my questions truthfully. One lie..."
"Aaaagh! I-I'm just an errand boy! Ask anything, I'll tell all!"
Evidently, Geon-ga's role was naturally set up to spill information.
His spirit broke easily.
Thanks to that, my siblings and I learned how materials and research supplies entered and exited Sakwol Island.
"Handed over entire ships. Receivers were Cheongpung Merchant Association, Changdong Escort Agency, Namhae Uk Family... Cheon Jang-ho."
"Yes."
"Pass this to Eun So-jeo and the others on the mainland."
"Yes!"
"We're heading to Sakwol Island."