Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 112: Protecting the Nine Demons Chamber (2)

While Bi Cheong was heading outside, a momentary opening appeared in Hong Myeong’s defense. I seized the chance and used the Tongue Flicking Art, firing a burst of energy from my mouth toward the pulse point on the wrist of his sword hand.

"Ack!"

Hong Myeong gasped in shock as the hand holding the sword to my throat was suddenly paralyzed. In that instant, I slipped away from the blade and fired another burst of Tongue Flicking Art at his dead blood point, completely sealing his movements.

The effort I had put into studying pressure points after mastering the Tongue Flicking Art was finally paying off.

With Hong Myeong suppressed in the blink of an eye, Bi Cheong raised his sword and leveled it at me.

"How? You definitely drank the Energy Dissipating Poison!"

"Why? Are you surprised? Did you really think a measly dose of Energy Dissipating Poison could do anything to me?"

At my words, Hong Myeong’s face twisted in horror as he stammered, "That’s impossible. That poison even affected the Master. Are you saying your internal energy is higher than his?"

He was so shaken that he let the truth slip from his heart without realizing it.

Hearing that, I finally knew who the internal enemies of the Sword Demon, Ham Jeok, were.

"You treacherous bastards! Come at me!"

Furious, I shouted at Bi Cheong. However, Bi Cheong had already lost his fighting spirit. He simply stood there, holding his sword limply.

As I moved past Hong Myeong to approach Bi Cheong, the Blood Gu in my stomach suddenly began to writhe violently.

What? Why now? Is the aphrodisiac finally kicking in?

The agitation was so intense that I couldn't help but worry.

But as my Blood Gu thrashed, Hong Myeong’s body began to convulse.

"K-ugh... Argh!"

Hong Myeong’s eyes rolled back into his head, and white foam began to spill from his mouth.

As the Blood Gu continued its frantic movement, I clutched my lower abdomen. A pain as sharp as if my intestines were being severed washed over me.

Then, something bizarre happened. A black, caterpillar-like insect began to wriggle its way out of Hong Myeong’s mouth.

"It’s a Gu parasite!" I shouted in surprise.

Bi Cheong rushed over. As soon as the parasite left his body, Hong Myeong collapsed, losing consciousness from the agony.

As Bi Cheong drew closer, my Blood Gu thrashed again.

"Stay back for a second!"

When Bi Cheong retreated, the Blood Gu calmed down.

Only then did I understand the situation.

The Blood Gu had absorbed all the aphrodisiac I had consumed, and now it was feeling a twisted sort of "lust" for other Gu parasites.

It was absurd, but it was happening right before my eyes.

The other parasites were responding to the temptation emitted by my Blood Gu. This was confirmed as the parasite that had crawled out of Hong Myeong’s mouth began to wriggle toward me.

As it crawled across the floor, the Blood Gu inside me started squirming again.

I brought my foot down hard on the parasite.

Squelch.

I felt something burst under my boot. Immediately, the Blood Gu went still.

"Mmm... Haa..."

I turned around to see that Seo Rin was in a bad state. Completely overwhelmed by the aphrodisiac and stripped of her reason, she was twisting her body and rubbing herself frantically. Seol-a, sensing her master’s distress, was pacing around her, meowing anxiously.

"Do you have the antidote?" I asked.

Bi Cheong nodded.

"Hand it over!"

I pursed my lips, ready to subdue him with the Tongue Flicking Art if he refused. However, Bi Cheong handed the antidote over without a fight.

At that moment, Seo Rin lunged forward and hugged me tightly. Her firm breasts rubbed against my back so vigorously that for a split second, I felt a surge of desire I hadn't expected.

I grabbed Seo Rin’s chin and forced the antidote down her throat.

Even after taking the medicine, the effects didn't vanish instantly. She continued to knead my body, desperately trying to strip off my clothes.

"Do you have a Gu parasite in you as well?" I asked Bi Cheong.

He nodded.

"Then come here!"

As Bi Cheong approached, the Blood Gu thrashed once more. Bi Cheong began to tremble like a leaf in the wind.

"Aaaargh!"

He let out a pained scream, tears streaming down his face. A pitch-black parasite crawled up his throat and fell onto the floor.

I crushed that one under my boot as well.

Once the parasite died, Bi Cheong finally fainted.

Seo Rin, who had been fumbling over my body until then, seemed to lose her strength as the aphrodisiac slowly wore off. Regaining her senses, she began to weep.

After crying for a while, she wiped her eyes and straightened her posture.

"I have shown you a disgraceful sight."

"Not at all. You were poisoned; don't take it to heart."

As expected of the Junior Chamber Leader of the Nine Demons Chamber, she composed herself quickly. Any ordinary woman would have caused a scene, claiming she wanted to die out of shame.

Still, Seo Rin found it difficult to speak further. She sat in silence, waiting for the other two to wake up.

When they finally regained consciousness, Seo Rin asked, "Why did you two make me so miserable? For what purpose?"

Hong Myeong answered her question. "It wasn't you. Young Hero Eo was the target."

"Why?"

"He is on their list to be eliminated."

Hearing that, I spoke up. "Are you talking about the Divine Light Sect?"

When I mentioned the name, both of them snapped their heads up, their faces masks of shock.

"How did you...?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I fell into thought.

So, because I’ve thwarted their plans a few times, I’ve become a target for elimination. It seems there’s no point in trying to run and hide anymore.

A sigh escaped my lips.

"Even if you were controlled by Gu parasites, how could you poison your own Master and cause him to suffer Qi Deviation? If you were real men, you should have just died!"

At my rebuke, the two lowered their heads again.

"If it were just us, we would have taken our own lives. But those bastards poisoned our families with Gu as well and used them to blackmail us. They told us they weren't going to kill the Master—just keep him in a state of Qi Deviation until the vote for the Divine Light Sect alliance was over, and then they’d give us the antidote."

In truth, if the order had been to kill their Master, they might not have gone through with it even if their families were at risk. But being told he would only be incapacitated for a while and then cured made it impossible for them to refuse. The meticulousness of the Divine Light Sect’s schemes sent a chill down my spine.

"Why did you spare us?" Hong Myeong asked. He was still unable to move because I hadn't released his pressure points.

Bi Cheong didn't even need to be bound. He looked like a dead man, slumped over and devoid of all will.

"Who gave you the Gu parasites?" I pressed them for the identity of their handler.

"We don't know. That’s why we were in this mess. The people threatening us only identified themselves as members of the Divine Light Sect. We don't even know when we were infected. Their orders were always delivered through the west side, so we don't even know who the spy within the sect is."

They were just as much in the dark as anyone, suffering in silence.

"Young Hero Eo, I have a request." Bi Cheong looked at me with eyes full of grim determination.

"What is it?"

"Can you remove the Gu parasites from our families?"

I nodded. "I will. Not just yours, Bi Cheong, but Hong Myeong’s family as well."

Hong Myeong spoke up. "Thank you, Young Hero Eo. Could you... release my pressure points?"

Seeing the lack of life in Hong Myeong’s eyes, I released the points.

The two looked at each other and then raised their hands toward the crowns of their heads.

They were about to commit suicide. Startled, I shouted, "Stop!"

Bi Cheong spoke in a voice thick with regret. "We are people who can no longer look at the sky. Do not stop us from atoning for our sins with death."

Their gaze was so resolute that it seemed impossible to dissuade them.

However, something welled up in my chest, and I yelled, "Do you know which animal truly cannot look at the sky?"

My sudden, random question made them pause and look at me.

"It’s the pig. A pig lives in abundance until the day it dies, yet it never once looks at the sky. Because it is so fat, it cannot tilt its neck upward. If you die like this, you are no different from pigs. Because, as you said, you won't be able to look at the sky. Don't you realize that by taking the easy way out and dying, you leave others behind to suffer even more? Do you know how you can look at the sky with your heads held high? It is by confessing your sins and accepting your punishment. That is how you die as a human, not a pig. You should be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠looking at the sky when you die! Isn't that what it means to be a man and a warrior who carries a sword?"

Their hands slowly lowered.

An idea struck me, and I continued.

"Do you really think your Master is unaware of what you’ve done? Have you never considered that he might have known all along and is simply waiting for you to come and confess?"

They both shuddered violently.

Then, tears began to pour down their faces. They walked out of the room like hollow shells of men.

After they left, Seo Rin finally spoke.

"Phew... it feels like I’ve just woken up from a nightmare. But is it really alright to let them go like that?"

"We have to leave it to them now."

"Regardless... I’m in quite a state."

Her upper garments were torn, exposing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her chest, and she was barely covering herself with my outer robe. She was worried about the rumors that would spread if she walked out like this.

"I’ll go get Lady Ham," I said.

Seo Rin shook her head. "No. Calling my sister might actually make things worse."

I frowned, not understanding, and Seo Rin let out a small chuckle.

"You really don't know women, do you?"

I don't know women? That was the exact same thing Wol Hwa had told me a long time ago.

Come to think of it, if the two of us were found alone in this situation, anyone would jump to the wrong conclusion.

"Meow!"

Now that Seo Rin was back to normal, Seol-a meowed happily.

Just then, a voice came from outside.

"Is Seol-a in here?"

Crap! It’s Ham Bi-hye! I froze, unable to hide.

Creak!

The door swung open, and Ham Bi-hye saw us.

"Oh, Sister!"

She had started to call out happily, but as she saw Seo Rin sitting there in such a state, she froze. Her gaze darted between me and Seo Rin, and her lips began to tremble.

It was understandable. Seo Rin’s clothes looked hastily thrown on, her hair was a mess, and she looked as though she had either been in a fierce struggle or had just shared a moment of Cloud Rain Passion.

"Sister, it’s not what—"

Just as Seo Rin was about to explain, I stepped toward her.

"Lady Ham, you surprised us. I apologize for showing you such a disgraceful sight. But... we are in love."

As I gently placed my hand on Seo Rin’s shoulder, Ham Bi-hye shook as if she’d been struck by lightning.

"How? How could you... Sister...?"

"Bi-hye, wait, that’s not—"

Ham Bi-hye turned and bolted out of the room.

Seo Rin looked at me with a strange expression. "Why did you say something so misleading to her?"

I gave a bitter smile. "Lady Ham is a good match for U-isa."

"Are you alright with this?"

"Who wouldn't want a beauty like Lady Ham? Especially with her background. But she isn't my ideal. I thought it would be best to settle things once and for all, so please, Junior Chamber Leader, do not be too angry with me."

From what I had seen, Ham Bi-hye clearly had feelings for me. I felt the need to cut those ties cleanly, which is why I put on that performance, but I couldn't help feeling a pang of regret now that it was done.

"I might have to live with my sister’s resentment for the rest of my life," Seo Rin mused.

I hadn't thought of that.

"So... wouldn't it be better ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if you actually liked me?"

At her words, I realized my hand was still resting on her shoulder.

"Pardon?"

I jumped back, pulling my hand away, and Seo Rin laughed.

"Hohoho! I’m joking. I’ve never seen Young Hero Eo look so flustered."

Seeing Seo Rin remain so resilient despite enduring a situation that would be unbearable for most women, I felt relieved. She was truly a woman of "soft exterior, iron interior."

Before leaving the room, I caught a glimpse of Seo Rin in the bronze mirror on the wall.

Seeing her sobbing silently with tears streaming down her face, I realized she had been forcing herself to act cheerful.

I walked out, pretending I hadn't seen anything.

I had overlooked the fact that even if she was a martial artist and a leader, she was still a woman.

I really don't know anything about women.

According to what U-isa told me later, Hong Myeong and Bi Cheong confessed their sins to the Sword Demon, Ham Jeok, a few days after the incident.

Ham Jeok sentenced them to ten years of closed-door cultivation, which was a very characteristic punishment for him.

I spent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the next two days exhausted from removing the Gu parasites from Hong Myeong and Bi Cheong’s families.

Because of that, I hadn't been able to come up with a proper plan even though the vote for the Divine Light Sect alliance was fast approaching.

After the incident with the two disciples, I began thinking of ways to counter the Divine Light Sect. If they viewed me as a target for elimination, I had to prepare a defense.

Thinking about it, I realized how fortunate I was to have Jeok Yeong, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang, and the Demon Subjugation Group by my side.

I should treat the Twin Heroes and the Seven Heroes well.

After all, they were the subordinates who would risk their lives to protect me.

"Brother, the Fourth Chamber Leader has returned to the Nine Demons Chamber," Jeok Yeong said as he entered my room.

I had been waiting for the Fourth Chamber Leader’s return.

Knowing he would return before the vote, I had instructed Jeok Yeong to keep an eye on the movements of the Third Refinements Pavilion.

Finally, the day to throw some filth at those Divine Light Sect bastards was drawing near.

"Brother, let’s go."

As I stood up, Jeok Yeong nodded and followed me.