Chapter 16: Killing a First-Rate Demon (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: Killing a First-Rate Demon (4)
As the middle-aged man approaching from behind raised his sword high to strike, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon’s form blurred as he spun in a full circle.
The movement of drawing his sword and slashing the man was so swift and clean it appeared as though he had merely turned around.
The upper body of the swordsman slid off and fell backward.
His lower half remained standing, while only his torso tumbled to the floor.
“Aaaaah!” Mok Seon-hwa shrieked at the sight, clutching my waist and burying her head against me.
Nausea surged within me, and I bit my lip hard. I had seen limbs severed before, but this was the first time I’d witnessed a body sliced in two, spilling its entrails.
I could no longer believe the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was blind. If he could detect and slay a swordsman approaching silently from behind in a single stroke, there was no reason he wouldn't see me standing right in front of him.
Escape was impossible.
My life is over.
Despair clouded my vision. I felt as though I might burst into tears. In this moment, the Chivalrous Eight Iron Rules I had clung to so stubbornly were useless. Before a true master, I was nothing more than a fragile insect caught in a spider's web.
In the end, it seemed Mok Seon-hwa was determined to hasten my demise. After trembling with her face buried against me, she suddenly snapped her head up and glared at the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon.
Drawing strength from who-knows-where, she unsheathed her sword.
However, her left hand still gripped my waist tightly. Her heart was filled with righteous indignation and a desire to attack the demon, but her body refused to follow. It was the classic "dual-behavior pattern" common among those who have just stepped into the Murim.
Then, that damn Red Robed White-Eyed Demon began to take an interest in the tearful, glaring Mok Seon-hwa. Strangely, he began to tilt his head.
The hand Mok Seon-hwa used to hold her sword trembled, gradually drooping downward. It was difficult enough for an eighteen-year-old girl to witness such a gruesome slaughter, but enduring the thick, suffocating bloodlust of the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was an even greater ordeal.
Once again, crimson liquid sprayed before my eyes.
A warrior who had been part of the encirclement was decapitated as he stepped within one zhang[approx. 3 meters] of the demon. The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon attacked mercilessly the moment anyone entered his range.
The distance between the demon and me was still a little over three zhang.
Though others stood behind him with weapons drawn, poised to strike, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon remained focused on me. I hadn't even drawn my sword yet, but perhaps he mistook me for a master, as he seemed most wary of me.
Then, in this touch-and-go situation, a disaster occurred.
If only she had stayed still.
This girl, Mok Seon-hwa, clearly still believed that her Seonhwa Palm or Seonhwa Sword Technique could truly part water and split rocks.
“I shall execute you with my Seonhwa Sword!”
She screamed as if she had a death wish and lunged toward the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon. Because her body still wouldn't follow her heart, her posture was awkward, and her blade didn't even reach the demon's chest.
It is truly because of children like this that my life is being shortened. This was exactly why I had avoided getting near such people, yet had the heavens forsaken me?
The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon faltered for a moment as Mok Seon-hwa lunged, then raised his sword high. I pulled her back without hesitation, but his blade was already sweeping horizontally toward her neck.
The trajectory of the sword was lined up perfectly with my own neck as well.
I imagined both our heads rolling across the floor in perfect harmony.
It was then.
Someone cut through the space between the demon and Mok Seon-hwa’s neck, parrying the blade.
Clang!
A slender, graceful figure, perfectly suited to the sword of a fair maiden, stood there swaying like a willow.
“Ah! It’s the Ice Jade Ice Sword!” someone who recognized Doyeon shouted.
“M-Master...” the terrified Mok Seon-hwa whimpered.
Belatedly, I was consumed by such rage at her impulsive behavior that I reflexively slapped her across the face.
Slap!
Mok Seon-hwa’s head snapped to the side, and she glared at me. Her eyes were filled with resentment, asking why I had struck her. Seeing that look, my hand moved beyond my control.
I delivered another sharp slap.
Slap!
Having been struck on both cheeks in quick succession, Mok Seon-hwa’s eyes welled with tears.
“B-Brother, why are you doing this? Why are you hitting me?”
“Do you still not understand the situation, you brat?! Where do you think you are, swinging a sword like that? When you swing a blade, you stake your life on it, just like those dead warriors over there! Don't make things harder for everyone else with your half-baked swordplay!”
I shoved Mok Seon-hwa back with force. If I didn't do at least that much, I felt I would go mad with rage. My own head could have flown off just because I was standing next to this brat; how could I not be angry?
Mok Seon-hwa stumbled back and looked toward the Ice Jade Ice Sword.
“Young Hero Eo is right. Stand back,” Doyeon said.
Mok Seon-hwa retreated, thick tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Who are you?” the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon asked, staring directly at Doyeon. “I sense a familiar energy.”
“I am Doyeon, a disciple of the Emei Sect.”
“No wonder I smelled incense on the wench.”
The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was a public enemy of the Murim, a monster whom the Nine Great Sects had pursued relentlessly. Naturally, he was well-acquainted with the energy signatures of those sects.
“A mere girl like you thinks she can stop me?”
As the demon roared and attacked Doyeon, I backed away. I wanted to believe that the martial arts of the Ice Jade Ice Sword—ranked just below the Four Dragons of Sichuan—would be enough to at least hold her ground, even if she couldn't win. I wanted to believe that desperately.
However, the Ice Jade Ice Sword was struggling just to defend herself, let alone find an opening to counterattack.
“Hah!”
As she was pushed back, someone else joined the fray to double-team the demon. It was Mok Seon-hwa’s guard.
With the combined assault of Doyeon and the guard, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon faltered for a moment. But it was only for a moment.
Thump!
With a sound like a leather drum bursting, Mok Seon-hwa’s guard flew through the air like a kite with a broken string.
Crash!
He slammed onto a table, coughing up torrents of bright red blood.
The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was a first-rate master who wielded both sword and palm techniques with ease. With a sword in one hand and palm strikes in the other, even a decent expert couldn't easily withstand him.
I quickly dragged the guard out of the combat zone.
“Protect... Lady Seon-hwa...”
The guard’s head slumped. I truly wished I could fulfill his dying wish. I wanted to escape too.
Seeing her guard die, Mok Seon-hwa seemed to explode with rage and raised her sword again. I saw my chance.
“Everyone, I shall take this young lady to safety and return, so hold him off until then!” I shouted with a voice full of feigned righteousness.
“Red Sword Hero, do not worry about us! Quickly, take the young lady and get out of here. There's no telling what will happen if you stay!”
I scanned the crowd with a solemn expression and moved toward the door.
Phew, I barely made it out alive.
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly and was about to lead the trembling Mok Seon-hwa out of the inn.
“Ah! Master!” Mok Seon-hwa wailed.
Doyeon had finally been wounded by the demon’s sword. As she retreated, her own sword was shattered by a palm strike, leaving her in a dire predicament. She remained standing, but her trembling limbs suggested she was barely holding on.
Martial arts isn't just about knowing many forms or having vast internal energy. Ultimately, it is about fighting, and fighting is a matter of experience and maturity. Due to the gap in experience and age, the Ice Jade Ice Sword was no match for the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon.
First, the demon kicked whatever debris was in his way toward Doyeon. Since there were even corpses scattered about, she was forced to focus entirely on dodging. She couldn't bring herself to slash at the bodies of the innocents.
Dodging created openings, and the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon exploited them relentlessly, preventing Doyeon’s refined techniques from ever finding their rhythm.
If she couldn't stop him, no one here could. Among the warriors in the inn, there were no others who could be called masters.
Running away is the only way to save my skin.
There was no time for hesitation. I grabbed the struggling Mok Seon-hwa and moved quickly toward the door. It was the first time a door handle had ever felt so far away.
Only five more steps.
Just a little more.
Just as I was about to grab the handle...
“The only master capable of killing the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon, the Silent Star Throwing Sword, is right there!”
Suddenly, someone shouted toward me.
At those words, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon used his lightness skill to flash across the room, blocking the door.
Startled, I looked at the bastard who had shouted.
Which son of a bitch...!
When I saw his face, grinning at me, I was speechless. It turned out Mok Seon-hwa wasn't the only one who had been following me. I didn't remember his name, but he was the fellow who had tried to expose me as a weakling, only to have his fingers broken and get beaten half to death by Sim Geol.
That absolute rat!
To think someone would throw ash on my path at such a life-or-death moment. Death often comes in the most absurd ways because of people like him.
The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon turned his head toward me.
Ugh, I thought I’d escaped because of the Ice Jade Ice Sword.
With my last hope extinguished, a surge of stubbornness rose within me. Did you think I’d just take this lying down? I’ll take that rat to hell with me at the very least.
I shouted loud enough for the demon to hear.
“Well done! The fool fell for our provocation strategy and walked right into the area you poisoned!”
The man turned pale and stammered, “No, no! What poison? He’s lying!”
As the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon turned toward him, I shouted again.
“Now! Spray the poison!”
At those words, the demon moved like lightning, closing the distance and grabbing the man by the throat.
“Gack! Ack!”
The man struggled, unable to breathe as the demon’s grip tightened on his neck. His mouth just flapped open and shut.
“What? You say you applied poison to your own body just for this moment? Truly magnificent! I shall remember your self-sacrifice!”
At that, the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon hurled the man against a pillar.
Whoosh!
Thud!
The man’s spine snapped against the pillar, and his entire body convulsed.
“Ah! How tragic! Seeing as the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon is unharmed, your poison must have been useless!”
I continued to taunt the man until the very end. Trembling in agony, he raised a hand toward me—a silent vow that he wouldn't let this go. I walked over and stepped firmly on his hand.
Crunch!
“I’ll avenge you. So don't worry and sleep well.”
The man’s head slumped as he lost consciousness.
The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon, watching me perform this nonsense while ignoring him, roared in exasperation.
“What kind of madness is this? Draw your sword!”
I made a show of drawing my sword, then shoved it back into the scabbard.
The demon spoke again. “If you’ve drawn it, then attack!”
I began to suspect that the doubt I’d been harboring was actually true. Then, the demon’s disciple looked at the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon and shouted at me.
“What are you doing, not drawing your sword? Are you playing games?!”
I moved slightly, shifting my position. The Red Robed White-Eyed Demon’s eyes followed me precisely. However, for a fleeting moment, I felt a discrepancy.
Fine, it’s all or nothing. I’m betting my life on my judgment.
Normally, such an extreme decision wasn't even in my Weakling Mentality. But this situation was a checkmate I couldn't escape, so I pushed myself to the limit. If I somehow survived, I’d have a hell of a story to tell; but if I died or got maimed while running, my life as a martial artist was over anyway.
I decided to gamble on the ten percent chance of survival.
I’ll show you a 'third-rate' tenacity that’s tougher than a weed.
“Fairy Doyeon, I will handle the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon from now on. You take his disciple. Even if you can't kill him, keep him occupied so he can't interfere.”
Perhaps the Ice Jade Ice Sword also felt there was no one else but me to handle the demon, for her haughty, ice-like head nodded.
I asked in a feigned tone of concern, “But can you handle them in your current state? If it’s too much...”
As expected, Doyeon remained proud even in the face of death.
“I appreciate the concern, but I must decline. If Young Hero Eo is risking his life, I cannot simply rest.”
She gave me a refreshing smile.
See? That’s what you call camaraderie. When you cross the line between life and death together, a sense of fellowship and affection naturally develops. In this situation, the thought that I was the only one who could help her made me look even more impressive.
“I might die, but let’s give it a try.”
I spoke with a heart that had almost given up, but the Ice Jade Ice Sword took it differently.
“Very well. Let’s see who dies first.”
I gave her a small smile and turned to Mok Seon-hwa.
“Lady Mok, stay back. When we start fighting, run and don't look back.”
Thinking I was genuinely worried for her, she actually started crying this time.
“I’ll fight too.”
Because she argued with everything I said, my voice rose involuntarily. My inner thoughts leaked out through my mouth. While I feared treating the precious treasure of a rising great sect so roughly, I sincerely wanted to sew her mouth shut whenever I heard her whining.
To hell with it. I might die anyway, so I might as well say what I want.
“Shut up! Listen when I talk! People could die because of you! So stop acting out! Start thinking about others for once, you spoiled brat! Your precious Seonhwa Palm or Seonhwa Sword couldn't cut a single hair on that demon’s head. Do you understand? So please, just stay still!”
I expected her to snap back, but Mok Seon-hwa looked cowed. She lowered her head and answered softly.
“Yes...”
As she retreated to a corner of the inn, I felt a brief moment of pity. No, wait—when I think about what I’ve suffered because of her, I should be fuming. How could I feel compassion?
I snapped out of it and focused on the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon.
If my theory was correct, the probability of defeating him wasn't ten percent—it was a hundred.