Chapter 62: Hovering Between Life and Death (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62: Hovering Between Life and Death (1)
It was a terrifying thought.
What would become of this world if the leaders of the Demonic Cult, the Blood Wash Cult, and the Worship Cult all appeared at once?
But could the Demonic Cult League really pull off something like this on their own? The thought suddenly occurred to me.
The Demonic Cult League was a force the Murim Alliance could sufficiently keep in check. In terms of high-level masters, they didn't even measure up to the Nine Demons Chamber, and their influence paled in comparison to the Black Fortress, the greatest power of the Black Path. Could such a league be orchestrating this independently?
It didn't quite make sense.
My gut told me there was a hidden power pulling the strings behind the Demonic Cult League.
But I didn't need to worry about that. The affairs of the Murim were for the true masters to fret over.
"What can they even do with those spirits? They’re just the souls of the dead."
"It’s not that simple. With the Soul-Soothing Three Spirit Bell, one can control these spirits. If they are made to possess someone, that person can gain the power of the masters of old. That is why those masked men tried to kidnap me. If Young Hero Eo hadn't rescued me and these items had fallen into their hands... I don't even want to imagine what would have happened to the Murim—no, the world. And I would have become a pathetic disciple who failed to uphold the Sect Leader’s dying wish."
Sigh. A heavy breath escaped me involuntarily.
This was not something I was equipped to handle. This was a matter for the Murim Alliance Leader and the entire martial world to address.
I was starting to get genuinely scared.
"First, we must disguise Young Hero Hwang’s face. It will be troublesome if the black-masked men recognize him."
Hwang Chu nodded and pulled something out of his bundle.
"I used this often when I was on the run."
He held up a thin, paper-like object with holes in it.
Oh, so that’s the human-skin mask I’ve only heard stories about.
It looked incredibly real.
"This is a genuine human-skin mask made by peeling the face off a corpse, so the likeness is perfect."
Ugh! I almost gagged at his words.
"I had no choice. I had to hide, even if it meant doing this."
I did feel a bit sorry for him. Living a life on the run due to sect business must be soul-crushing. To think he had to go as far as peeling a face off a corpse to make a mask.
Once he attached a beard, he looked exactly like a middle-aged man.
"With that, no one will recognize you, Young Hero Hwang."
I forced back the bits of jerky that had traveled halfway up my throat.
Under the lead of Do Yeon and Jeok Yeong, we headed toward the location of the secret manuals with Hwang Chu at the front.
I had absolutely no desire to lead this journey to find the manuals.
The problem was, even if I didn't want to go, I had no choice but to be dragged along.
After all, I was the New Dragon of Sichuan, the Great Small Hero, the Silent Star Throwing Sword, and the Red Sword Hero.
Right, exactly. That’s just an excuse—the truth was that Jeok Yeong and Do Yeon were stuck to my sides, practically dragging me along.
We had no choice but to follow Hwang Chu’s lead.
As we galloped along the path he indicated, several people blocked our way.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
I pulled the reins and stared at the people obstructing the road.
They were unexpected figures.
I glanced behind me. I was ready to flee the other way if necessary.
But more of them were already crawling out from the forest behind us.
"They are masters from Ancient Wood Valley," Po Zhongyin muttered under his breath.
We had managed to shake off the Ghost Pursuit Squad, who were said to be able to track even ghosts, only to be cornered by these random people.
I needed to know their intentions first, so I spoke up.
"Why are you blocking our path?"
A middle-aged man in brown robes at the front looked at me.
"Who are you?"
I had no choice but to clasp my hands in a formal greeting.
"Eo Ja-seo, a humble junior of the Murim, greets the seniors."
"Eo Ja-seo? Are you the one they call the New Dragon of Sichuan?"
"I am, Senior."
Perhaps because he practiced the Ancient Wood Divine Art, his skin had a deep, brownish tint that was somewhat off-putting, but his gaze and tone were calm.
"I am Gan Cheon-seong, known as the Blood Wood Black Hand. I lead the Blood Wood Group of Ancient Wood Valley."
"This junior is lacking in learning and failed to recognize Senior’s great reputation."
I had never heard the name before, but I saw Hwang Chu tremble at the mention of it. He was likely a significant master within Ancient Wood Valley.
Seeing my consistently humble attitude, Gan Cheon-seong seemed satisfied and spoke calmly.
"I apologize to my junior, but I intend to take one person with me."
I feigned ignorance.
"To whom are you referring?"
Gan Cheon-seong smiled.
"There is no need to play dumb. We are also descendants of the Profound Heaven Sect’s lineage, so we are quite skilled in the art of disguise."
Gan Cheon-seong’s eyes were fixed precisely on Hwang Chu, who was disguised as a middle-aged man.
"But how did you find us? Even the black-masked men couldn't track us."
Gan Cheon-seong smirked and pointed to the sky.
A hawk was circling high above us.
"That bird has undergone special training. It can sense the energy of the artifacts held by a disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect."
He was likely referring to the Soul-Soothing Three Spirit Bell or the Soul Spirit Beads. Since they branched off from the Left Path Fang Gate, they were highly developed in such miscellaneous arts.
"And what if this junior were to refuse Senior’s request?" I asked seriously.
Gan Cheon-seong’s expression hardened.
"The items we seek are a matter of life and death for our valley. We have no choice but to seek them even at the cost of our lives."
That single sentence declared their resolve. They were willing to fight to get what they wanted.
With our current strength, we couldn't defeat dozens of masters from Ancient Wood Valley. Even with Jeok Yeong and Do Yeon, we were outnumbered. We lacked a sufficient number of high-level masters.
Escaping without a fight was impossible, and fighting would mean certain defeat.
I have no choice but to hand over Hwang Chu.
As this thought solidified in my mind, another idea struck me like an arrow to the back of the head.
Wait. There might be a way to hand over Hwang Chu while still making it look like I'm doing them a favor. That way, I keep my honor and gain something practical.
From this moment on, my life and the lives of the Demon Subjugation Group depended on my tongue.
"I am also aware that Ancient Wood Valley is a brother sect to the Profound Heaven Sect. If that is the case, I believe Ancient Wood Valley has more right to the treasures of the Profound Heaven Sect than anyone else. Furthermore, I know that the Profound Heaven Sect and Ancient Wood Valley are not part of the Evil Path."
What I said was true. People only avoided Ancient Wood Valley because of the nature of their martial arts; they had never committed any acts that drew the ire of the Murim. In fact, they were quite close to being an Orthodox sect.
"I am grateful that my junior thinks so."
Despite his words, he didn't relax for a second. He was ready to strike the moment I made a suspicious move.
Because of that, the Demon Subjugation Group also remained ready to draw their swords at any moment.
"I know what Senior is looking for. And I know many groups are hunting for those items."
"Indeed," Gan Cheon-seong nodded.
"But do you know who those black-masked men we fought earlier are?"
Gan Cheon-seong shook his head. As expected, he didn't seem to know their true identity yet. The Ghost Pursuit Squad had been careful not to use any martial arts associated with the Demonic Cult League.
"I know who they are and what they want. I believe it would be far better for the secret manuals to go to Ancient Wood Valley than to them."
Gan Cheon-seong stared at me intently, trying to discern my true intentions.
"Young Hero Hwang, am I not right? Wouldn't the manuals be safer in the hands of Ancient Wood Valley than with those black-masked men or the Blood Lama?"
Hwang Chu nodded.
"I like that you are reasonable, junior," Gan Cheon-seong said, giving me a slight compliment. I returned the favor.
"To be honest, if Senior had tried to oppress us the moment you saw us, I would never have considered this. I can guarantee that if I were to fight with my life on the line, not many here would survive."
Gan Cheon-seong chimed in.
"I suppose so. Anyone capable of killing three or four Blood Luo Living Jiangshi in a single move is entitled to such a bold claim."
Now that we were communicating, I began to lay out my proposal in earnest.
"That is why I am saying this. The black-masked men are currently after the manuals. And only Young Hero Hwang knows their whereabouts. I promise that once we find the manuals, we will give one copy—whether the original or a transcription—to Ancient Wood Valley."
A light flashed in Gan Cheon-seong’s cold eyes.
"Judging by your words, you want something from us in return?"
As expected, talking to someone who understood how the world worked was very convenient. He had realized my generosity was a trade.
"That is correct. The black-masked men will undoubtedly pursue us. That means a fight is inevitable, and they will surely attack with a large force. I am proposing that we join forces to defeat them when that time comes."
Gan Cheon-seong listened in silence before speaking.
"You seem to know a lot about them. Who are they?"
I looked Gan Cheon-seong straight in the eye and answered.
"They are called the Ghost Pursuit Squad of the Demonic Cult League, an organization unknown to the general Murim. They are all composed of first-rate masters. They are very dangerous and secretive."
"The Demonic Cult League? You said they are unknown to the Murim, so how do you know this?" Gan Cheon-seong asked suspiciously.
"I had a run-in with them before. I killed two of them, making us sworn enemies."
Gan Cheon-seong let out a long, low groan.
I had intentionally revealed that I killed two members of the Ghost Pursuit Squad. Even the masters of Ancient Wood Valley couldn't easily defeat them. If I told him I had killed two, he wouldn't take me lightly.
"But there is no proof for what you say, is there?"
Gan Cheon-seong didn't seem to believe they belonged to the Demonic Cult League.
I have to play this right, Ja-seo. Whether or not you can convince this Gan fellow depends on your tongue.
"Senior, think about it. Masters of Ancient Wood Valley are not inferior to those of any great sect. Doesn't it strike you as suspicious that the black-masked men were able to fight you to a standstill? You know well that such masters don't just fall from the sky. There are only a few places capable of raising such a force. And did you check their belongings after they died?"
Gan Cheon-seong must have searched their bodies to uncover their identities.
"I did."
"Did you happen to see an item like this?"
I pulled a token from the bundle tied behind my saddle. It was the token I had taken from the Ghost Pursuit Squad members I killed.
I tossed it to Gan Cheon-seong.
He caught the token, examined it, and nodded. He then said something to a warrior behind him, who pulled something from his robe.
He held up a token that was identical in shape to mine, with only the number being different.
"You're right. It’s exactly the same."
"Then do you believe me now?"
Gan Cheon-seong nodded.
"I do. However, there is no guarantee that you will actually give us the manuals once you find them. If you expect us to just trust you on that, you're treating us like fools, aren't you?"
Of course, he won't just let it slide.
"You are right. Then, Senior, do you have another plan in mind?"
Gan Cheon-seong smirked.
"I don't know if my junior will follow my lead. But if you do, I will gladly believe your words and cooperate with you."
I asked immediately.
"What is it?"
Gan Cheon-seong whispered something to the warrior behind him again. The warrior pulled a small box from his robe.
"That is..."
Hwang Chu was more surprised than I was upon seeing it.
"This is the God-Wood Blood Gu. It is a Gu poison we raise in the poisonous trees of Ancient Wood Valley. If you ingest this, I will trust you to fulfill your promise."
Hwang Chu shouted.
"That is impossible! The God-Wood Blood Gu is a parasite that resides in the dantian and destroys it upon the caster’s command!"
"That is correct. Well? Are you willing to ingest this? I repeat, if you do, we will mobilize all our resources in the Sichuan region to cooperate with you."
I replied calmly.
"That is a fair proposal."
At my words, the Demon Subjugation Group protested in unison.
"Young Hero Eo!"
"Brother!"
"Squad Leader!"
Everyone opposed me, thinking I was actually going to eat the Gu poison.
"What if they break their promise and refuse to remove the parasite after you've eaten it, Squad Leader?"
"Brother, this isn't even worth considering. I'd rather just have a go at them than accept such a proposal."
"I also think it’s far too reckless."
"I will eat it instead, My Lord!"
I waited until everyone had their say before asking Gan Cheon-seong.
"Are there any other restrictions?"
Gan Cheon-seong added to his explanation.
"This parasite dies after destroying the dantian because it cannot withstand the dantian’s Yang energy, so there are no other side effects. However, it is the most feared parasite for a martial artist."
Gan Cheon-seong smirked as he spoke. That smile piqued my temper. It seemed to contain a sneer, as if mocking whether I actually had the courage to swallow it, and a sudden surge of stubbornness rose within me.
Besides, it wouldn't matter even if my dantian were destroyed. My internal energy all originated from my upper dantian and the blood vessels throughout my body.
That was why I could remain so calm in this situation.
"Fine. I will ingest it."
It was a hundred times better than dying in a fight. Furthermore, gaining allies of similar strength was the most necessary thing in this dangerous situation. If I refused, they would surely kill us to take Hwang Chu anyway. If they held the handle of the sword, I thought it was only natural to comply.
The Demon Subjugation Group, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang, and Jeok Yeong were in an uproar. I spoke to them.
"If I can gain the trust and help of our allies by sacrificing myself, what does a mere parasite matter? I could eat ten of them. To me, each of your lives is more precious and important than a dantian that would be destroyed by this parasite. Didn't I tell you? I will do everything in my power to ensure we all return to Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress alive."
Moved by my words, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang lowered their heads.
"My Lord!"
"Squad Leader!"
The Demon Subjugation Group looked at me with reddened eyes. Jeok Yeong’s cheeks twitched, clearly moved.
Perhaps my words were unexpected, as Gan Cheon-seong let out an exclamation of admiration.
"Oh! You truly deserve to be called the new hero of Sichuan. Now I understand why they follow Young Hero Eo’s Demon Subjugation Group instead of the Emei or Qingcheng Sects."
Gan Cheon-seong looked at Hwang Chu. Hwang Chu lowered his head, seemingly unable to look me in the eye. He felt guilty, thinking I was eating the Gu poison because of his situation.
I dismounted and swallowed the parasite Gan Cheon-seong held out.
The wriggling sensation of the caterpillar-like thing in my throat made me want to gag. Still, since I had committed to being a noble hero, I had to maintain an unwavering appearance until the end to keep the emotional impact high.
As the parasite squirmed down my throat and crawled toward my dantian, I felt nothing but a slight itch. There was no pain.