Chapter 15: Killing a First-Rate Demon (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: Killing a First-Rate Demon (3)
"Wait!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs instinctively and drew my sword to deflect the blade aimed at Mok Seon-hwa’s abdomen.
Since I had drawn my sword while suddenly channeling a measly speck of internal energy, the strike wasn't particularly powerful. Consequently, I was half a beat slower than the thug’s blade.
However, that delay actually turned my sword into a threat.
My blade failed to parry his, but it was now heading straight for the forearm of the hand that was trying to stab Mok Seon-hwa.
"Wh-whoa?"
A startled sound escaped my lips.
In reality, hacking off a piece of human flesh is no easy feat. But the thug, thinking I was intentionally aiming for his arm, panicked and changed the direction of his sword toward me.
I, however, was already lowering my sword, terrified that I might actually cut his arm off.
Unaware of this, the thug lowered his stance to swing at me, and his forearm collided directly with my descending blade.
Squelch!
How should I describe it? It felt exactly like the sensation of slamming a kitchen knife down on a fish.
Flop! Flop!
My mind went blank as I watched the severed forearm twitching on the floor like a landed fish.
Part of it was the sudden exhaustion of my internal energy, but I was also dazed by a wave of guilt. Despite all the dangers I’d faced, I had never shed a drop of blood until now, and yet here I was, having just lopped off someone’s arm.
But a worry far greater than guilt flashed through my mind.
If Mok Seon-hwa, who was with me, were to be injured, I would be a dead man walking. The life of a wanderer like me could never compensate for failing to protect a young lady from a great power like Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress.
The sight of blood sent all sorts of disastrous thoughts racing through my head.
Even in my frantic state, I saw another thug thrusting his sword toward my flank. I couldn't avoid it. My posture was too broken to dodge that strike.
Suddenly, Mok Seon-hwa swung her sword and parried the incoming blade.
"Brother, get a hold of yourself!"
Ah! Chills ran down my spine. I had almost been sent to the afterlife.
I forced my trembling legs to stand firm and glared at the thugs.
"You dare try to harm a lady of Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress? Do you have ten lives to spare?"
I shouted, emphasizing the words "Lady of Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress." I believed that even the most wretched scum would tuck their tails and run at those words.
Exactly! They looked startled. Judging by their expressions, there was a high chance they would retreat.
However, as I heard their next shout, I felt myself sinking into a swamp.
"You? Bwahahaha! We finally meet!"
They were looking at me. Why were they so happy? Did they know me? I looked closely at their features and realized their faces were familiar.
Come to think of it...
Weren't these the bastards who had been impersonating lama masters from the Western Regions a while back? And here they were again, causing trouble.
I felt a surge of relief. Since I had already beaten them once before, they were bound to be wary of me. They only looked terrifying because of their hideous faces; everyone else was just intimidated by appearances.
"You scoundrels! You still haven't fixed your wicked ways. I spared your lives back then out of mercy, yet here you are committing such atrocities again!"
The thugs flinched at my fierce reprimand.
The people in the tavern were now watching the situation unfold with curious eyes. Seeing these men, who had been acting like bloodthirsty demons, get their wrists sliced and silenced in an instant, the crowd's fearful gazes began to shift into looks of support for the hero confronting the villains.
"Red Sword! What are you doing here? Hehe, what a stroke of luck. They say enemies always meet on a narrow bridge."
The man with the severed wrist pointed at me as he spoke. I flicked my sword slightly and replied.
"Shall I cut off your other wrist as well?"
I tried to threaten them with those words, but it didn't seem to work. Instead, they began to radiate a thick murderous intent toward me.
"Hehe, today, I’ll be the one cutting off both of your wrists."
Then, they started glancing out the window. I figured they were acting like cornered rats prepared to fight to the death, so I decided not to press them further. Even a rat will bite if pushed too far into a corner.
"If you apologize and leave now, I shall forgive you."
The person most moved by my words was Mok Seon-hwa. To her, my behavior was exactly like that of a chivalrous hero from a novel. She clasped her hands to her chest and looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
Seeing that, my mischievous streak was triggered. I leaned further into the hero persona she craved.
"If you refuse, do not blame my sword for being heartless!"
How much could their swordsmanship have improved since the last time I thrashed them? They were the type to run if intimidated enough.
The one with the rat-like face, who had been peeking out the window, spoke up.
"Red Sword! I’ve dreamt of tearing you apart. To think Heaven would help me find you like this. I’ll repay the humiliation we suffered in Guryong. Back then, we were weakened by Energy Dissipating Poison and couldn't use our strength, but things are different now!"
The man burst into a loud, mocking laugh and suddenly bowed toward the entrance.
"Master, that’s the one! That’s the bastard called Red Sword!"
A disheveled old man wearing red robes entered the tavern. My heart began to thud painfully.
Even at a glance, the old man in the red robes looked like a master with immense internal energy. He walked as if he were gliding across the floor. Realizing that was the movement art of a true master, I immediately began to regret my choices.
Damn it! I should have gotten out of here sooner instead of playing hero...
The old man stared at me intently before speaking.
"Is that the boy called Red Sword who looked down upon our sect?"
His bloodshot, bulging eyes were chilling. His pupils had almost vanished, leaving only the whites of his eyes visible. He was undoubtedly a demon who practiced sinister martial arts.
A moment later, a horrified scream erupted from someone in the tavern.
"My God! It’s the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon!"
Gasp! I nearly collapsed in shock.
How could this be? I had messed with the disciples of the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon? He was a notorious villain widely known throughout Sichuan Province. The number of orthodox masters he had killed was beyond counting.
There were rumors that after he defeated masters from the Emei and Qingcheng Sects, those sects had dispatched a large force to execute him, but he had slipped away and returned to the Western Regions.
Why was a monster like that here?
While I was paralyzed with fear at his appearance, Mok Seon-hwa looked ecstatic. To her, the scene had been getting dull as the thugs weakened, but now a new source of excitement had arrived. She looked as if she were anticipating a desperate, bloody battle between a great hero and a grand demon, just like in her novels.
"Ohohoho! So you are the infamous demon, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon? What a perfect encounter. Today, you shall all become lonely ghosts under the blade of the Silent Star Throwing Sword, the Red Sword Hero, Young Hero Eo!"
Mok Seon-hwa was definitely trying to get me killed today. She was babbling without any idea of how terrifying this demon was, and even her bodyguard’s face was turning pale.
Mok Seon-hwa laughed brightly, treating them as if they were already dead.
I was restless. I had to focus all my wits if I wanted to get out of this place in one piece.
I took a long, deep breath and extended my sword forward. At that gesture, the three thugs flinched and stepped back.
Then, I performed my trademark move: I sheathed my sword.
Both Mok Seon-hwa and the thugs looked bewildered when I sheathed my blade instead of attacking.
At this point, I decided to return to being a true weakling. I thought a demon as famous as the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon wouldn't bother with a mere third-rate martial artist.
But my naive hope was ruthlessly crushed. How could things get this twisted?
I never imagined that even a demon like the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon would misunderstand my act of mimicking a master.
"I’ve heard much about you from my disciples. They said you were an incredible master. Seeing you in person, you are indeed a rare talent. To be at a realm where your internal power is completely hidden... that is a remarkable achievement for your age."
What? This old freak has gone senile.
Where do I look like a master? I’m a weakling! I’m a third-rate nobody who would fall like a leaf in autumn with one swing of your blade!
Please, don't misunderstand. I want to live!
The murderous intent from the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon made me feel like an insect caught in a spiderweb, unable to move. What do you mean, "hidden internal power"? I just wanted to survive. So, throwing away my pride and everything else, I spoke honestly.
"I will be frank with you. I am a weakling. I am not worthy of crossing swords with a master like you. And since it seems no one in this tavern wishes to fight you, I would like to end this quietly."
Was my tone too calm? Should I have begged with a more pathetic and miserable expression? Realizing my voice had sounded a bit stiff, I tried to plead again.
I did so because I saw the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon’s face contort terrifyingly.
"Are you mocking me?"
The demon’s roar thundered through the tavern. But an answer to his shout came from an unexpected place.
Two young men sitting in the corner of the tavern jumped to their feet and shouted gallantly.
"Young Hero Red Sword’s words have deeply enlightened this one! We are the Twin Heroes of Guiyang. From this moment on, we shall cast aside the title of 'Heroes.' For the Red Sword Hero—whom even the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon acknowledges as a master—to call himself a weakling and claim he has no desire to fight is a rebuke to our cowardice! We carry blades, yet we tremble before a demon just because he is a master. How can we dare speak of chivalry? We are utterly ashamed of ourselves for sitting idly by until now!"
You idiots! Shut up and stay down! What the hell are you babbling about? Those words are going to get me killed!
I felt like I was about to foam at the mouth and faint.
They thought I was scolding the martial artists gathered in the tavern. To someone living in the Murim, calling oneself a "weakling" was unthinkable. Even if one truly was weak, admitting it was considered an act of throwing away one's pride as a martial artist—a term usually reserved only as an insult.
Due to the sudden "confession of conscience" from the Twin Heroes of Guiyang, the other martial artists in the tavern began to stir.
"This one also cannot sit here in shame any longer. Young Hero Red Sword’s words make me want to find a hole to crawl into. I became a man of the Murim to pursue chivalry, yet I am so ashamed of cowering in the face of this grim reality that I wish to bash my own head in!"
As a massive man spoke those thunderous words, the crowd of armed martial artists in the tavern rose one after another.
"What a load of bullshit."
The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon sneered, his eyes glinting with even more murderous intent.
My thoughts exactly. This is total bullshit.
Why the hell are you all acting like heroes now? You should have just stayed quiet like before!
A drop of sweat rolled down my forehead. I was so tense that I could vividly feel the sensation of that single drop tracing its way down.
Every nerve in my body was on edge. I had no idea when or from where the demon’s sword would strike.
Unconsciously, due to the murderous aura the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was emitting, my hand moved toward my sword. But I couldn't bring myself to draw it.
I stared directly into the demon’s milky-white eyes and began to imagine various things.
He doesn't have pupils... is that old monster blind? How can someone have only whites in their eyes? It’s impossible to see like that.
In the meantime, the foolish "weaklings" were forming a crude formation and surrounding the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon. Fortunately, this increased the distance between the demon and me.
I’ve worked so hard to survive this long; I can’t die a dog’s death here. Stay calm, Ja-seo.
I planned to slip out of the tavern the moment the martial artists attacked the demon. This was a life-or-death situation; I was in no position to keep playing the part of a Murim hero.
So, I began to shuffle my feet, inching toward the door.
However, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon couldn't seem to track my movements properly. Every time I shifted slightly, he would tilt his head in confusion before turning his gaze toward me.
Wait... is he really unable to see?
I began to strongly suspect that the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was blind.
But I quickly shook my head. If he were blind, how could he have fought against the orthodox masters and survived all this time?