Chapter 276: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (106)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 276: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (106)
To find the missing Young Cult Leader, Gwonma Macheon led his sword unit across the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains and into the Central Plains.
“Haaah… That damn kid should have just stayed put. Why the hell did she have to run away from home…”
He pulled a wineskin from his waist and downed it in one go.
He grumbled, catching his breath with the help of the alcohol.
“I wonder who she takes after to be so disobedient… Hmph.”
Geumma, who was walking beside him, chuckled. The corners of his lips curled into a playful grin as he spoke casually.
“Keke, Gwonma. Are you that worried about the Young Cult Leader you cherish so much? Seeing you search for a whole month… isn't this practically playing the role of a father?”
Macheon took the wineskin from his lips and slowly turned to glare at Geumma.
“After the Cult Leader went into seclusion, I raised her. I'm no different from a father.”
“Keke, the Cult Leader is too much, making his master act as a nanny for his child. Or perhaps, Gwonma, you're secretly enjoying it?”
“If you're going to spout nonsense, shut your mouth and get lost.”
“Hey, now~ Why so prickly? Don't worry so much. The Young Cult Leader may be naive, but she's still the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, isn't she?”
“Damn it… That's not what I'm worried about. The world is full of smooth-talking scoundrels. That girl is so pure she's practically foolish. What if she falls head over heels for some guy like that…”
“Oh… That would be the worst.”
Macheon let out a deep sigh. His face was etched with genuine concern, completely devoid of any humor.
“And you know what the situation in Murim is like right now.”
“Some worthless bastards… impersonating our cult to destroy the Kunlun Sect… It's a shame we can't hunt them down and kill them right now.”
Macheon’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“They're bastards who deserve to be chewed to death. They clumsily tarnished our cult's name, so we have to find them and kill them.”
“By the way, Gwonma, why did the Young Cult Leader run away in the first place? What happened?”
Macheon set down the wineskin and sighed again, long and deep.
“She was making a fuss, saying she'd catch the impersonators herself, so I stopped her. It was obvious she'd get hurt if she rushed in without knowing what kind of people they were. I told her to just wait a bit… and the next day, she vanished, leaving only a single letter behind.”
“Hahaha! That's just like the Young Cult Leader.”
Just then, a subordinate rushed over from behind.
“Lord Gwonma! I believe we've found the Young Cult Leader's whereabouts!”
At those words, Macheon’s expression instantly brightened.
“Where is she! Where!”
“Sichuan Province. We tracked her route… It seems she headed to Sichuan from Xining, passing through Kongtong.”
“What, why did she go there of all places!”
Geumma burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha! Come to think of it, the Young Cult Leader has a terrible sense of direction. She wouldn't even blink if she read a map upside down.”
“This is no time to laugh! If those Orthodox Faction bastards find out her identity… there's no telling what might happen!”
Macheon’s voice cracked with sharpness. At his words, Geumma stopped laughing and his expression grew serious.
The subordinate then added.
“Also… there's a report that the Young Cult Leader was seen with an unidentified man.”
“What…?”
Macheon's face hardened. The effects of the alcohol vanished in an instant, and killing intent began to rise in his eyes.
“…Who is he.”
“His exact identity hasn't been confirmed yet. But he was reportedly conversing with the Young Cult Leader…”
“Conversing? Alone with a man? Do you even hear yourself?!”
Macheon slammed his wineskin down and stood up.
“Geumma. We head for Sichuan. Immediately.”
“I don't know who he is, but that guy… getting on Gwonma's bad side… He's got some seriously shitty luck.”
Geumma shrugged and quietly followed behind him.
And so, the sword unit of the Heavenly Demon Cult began to move once more.
*
After recovering to some extent, I took the soul stone extracted from Baek Ha-rim's heart, along with the crest and token symbolizing the Celestial Sphere assembly, and went to a Haomun branch.
“Welcome, Great Warrior Jin.”
The man who greeted me had a neat appearance.
A merchant operating in Sichuan, he was one of Cheong-wol's trusted subordinates.
Without a word, I wrapped the soul stone and a letter in a cloth and held it out to him.
“Deliver this… to Cheong-wol.”
“Understood.”
He accepted the items respectfully, then added cautiously.
“Also… Lady Cheong-wol left a message for you, Great Warrior.”
“A message?”
“She said a large-scale battle with the Demonic Faction has broken out in Shandong.”
“…Shandong?”
I lowered my gaze for a moment. Shandong was a region densely packed with Orthodox Faction forces.
A battle with the Demonic Faction there… it might not end as a simple clash.
“What's the scale of the conflict?”
“The full details aren't known yet, but it seems the Murim Alliance has urgently dispatched troops. The Sword Empress and your companions have also headed to the region to provide aid.”
I frowned at his words. Seo Ryeo-hwa wouldn't lead my women onto a battlefield without a good reason.
“My master… Do you know why she took my women with her?”
“My apologies. As for that… Lady Cheong-wol didn't mention anything specific…”
The man bowed his head.
“…I see.”
I gave a short reply and turned away. Leaving the Haomun branch, I walked through the streets, lost in thought.
‘If Seo Ryeo-hwa made a move, she must have had a good reason.’
And I wasn't too worried. The other women had already become strong enough, so I had little cause for concern.
I quietly left the Haomun branch and, instead of heading to where Ju Yeon-hwa and Hong Seo-rin were, I entered a more boisterous inn.
Amidst the tables filled with loud chatter and laughter, I sat in the most secluded corner and took a book out from my robes.
‘My original plan was to check the book and sample the women while traveling, but I forgot all about it while I was busy fucking Hong Seo-rin.’
I opened the book.
The first page was inscribed with bold, red letters.
『The Four Flowers of Murim』 Four blossoms in which the beauty of the Central Plains is crystallized. He who sees these four women loses sight of all other colors in the world.
Below it, the first woman was listed.
Illusionary Heart Flying Sword - Bang Na-yun
Affiliation - A lay disciple of the Emei Sect.
Age - Twenty-four
Appearance - Large eyes and charming eyebrows with beautiful, delicate curves. She has a high nose and full lips. Her skin is as white as snow.
Characteristics - A gentle and affectionate personality, but with a strength that allows no compromise in her beliefs. Many martial artists admire her, but it is said that no one has yet won her heart.
Last Known Location - Rumored to have been seen near Cheonsu Mountain.
The back of the page was filled with various rumors.
There is a rumor that Bang Na-yun is actually the real daughter of the Emei Sect's leader, but this has not been confirmed.
She is said to have rejected three marriage proposals, one of which was from the young master of the Cheongmyeong Sword Sect.
Her sword art is said to steal the hearts of those who watch it, earning it the name 'Sword that Steals Hearts.'
She is said to only wear silk clothes made from a special lotus, the texture of which is said to be like her own skin.
I turned the page with interest.
The introduction for the second woman began.
Plain Hand Bewitching Woman - Cheon Dan-so
Affiliation - Four Dark Alliances
Age - Twenty-two
Appearance - Long pink hair, skin so pale it's almost white, and captivating eyes with sharp, upturned corners.
The corners of her lips are always subtly raised, making it hard to tell if she's smiling or sneering.
Her hands are as fine and slender as white jade, but it is said that the moment they touch you, your soul escapes.
Characteristics - She does not use ordinary fist or sword techniques, but a strange martial art that allows her to subdue opponents with just her fingertips.
Those who meet her gaze or brush against her hand are said to fall into a pleasure and hallucination so intense they lose their sense of self.
Personality - She appears innocent and playful on the surface, but is in reality a highly calculating person who seeks to control the entire situation. Her speech is short and dry, but she has a knack for unsettling others with unexpected remarks.
Last Known Location - An incident occurred in the Hebei Songrim area three months ago where she instantly incapacitated a lone male master.
According to the victim's testimony, ‘She just reached out her hand, and my body stopped listening to me.’
The next page had Hwa Yeon-seol's name on it.
“This one's already my cocksleeve…”
I turned the page.
“Let's see… Next is a daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan?”
Scarlet Flower Blade - Dang So-soo
Age - Twenty-one
Origin - Sichuan Tang Clan, direct line of the Tang Gate
Appearance - Full lips and a smooth jawline. Her long, drawn-out eyes hold pride and a cold chill.
The faint blush on her cheeks hints at a duality lurking beneath her cold impression.
Characteristics - The legitimate daughter of the Sichuan Tang Gate, she is rumored to be plotting something to become the next family head.
As befits a direct descendant of the Tang Clan, she has a strong resistance to poison, and the scarlet flowers she uses are considered a form of art, blending poison and aesthetics.
-There is information that the head of the Tang Gate is recently trying to marry her off to the Hwangbo Clan.
Last Known Location - Currently staying in an annex within the Tang Gate. She has almost no external activities.
I closed the book and chuckled.
“Collecting all of these is going to be a chore.”
If it weren't for the Celestial Sphere assembly, I'd be on a tour to taste the pussies of the Four Flowers of Murim by now.
It was a shame, but it didn't matter. All women are destined to become my cocksleeves eventually.
I got up from my seat and left the inn.
Just as I was about to head back to the lodging where Hong Seo-rin and Ju Yeon-hwa were staying, a familiar voice called out to me.
“Huh? Isn't that Brother Jin!”
I turned around and saw a familiar face.
Tang Ji-myeong.
The second son of the Sichuan Tang Clan, and one of the guys who used to hang around with Namgung Hyeok.
“Brother Tang, it's been a while.”
“Haha, I heard you were busy with a mission. I never expected to see you here, Brother Jin. But what happened to your hair color?”
“It's partly a disguise. I changed it to blonde for a while due to unavoidable circumstances.”
Tang Ji-myeong chuckled and nodded.
“Haha, blonde suits you surprisingly well.”
“Seeing you in Sichuan, Brother Tang, does this mean you've returned to your family?”
He nodded, glanced around, and then spoke in a low voice.
“The situation in Murim is unsettling these days. The Demonic Faction is causing a large-scale conflict in Shandong, and there's a restless energy within the Orthodox Faction as well… My father summoned me back.”
“What happened to the others?”
“Brother Namgung and Hwangbo Yun have also returned to their respective families. Lady Namgung and Lady Hwa… they've headed to Shandong with the Sword Empress.”
“Do you know how the conflict in Shandong started?”
Tang Ji-myeong looked around once more before leaning in close to me.
Having some dude get this close was annoying, but I put up with it to get information.
“It's not confirmed, but… the rumor is that the next head of the Hwangbo Clan, Hwangbo Myeong, raped a female disciple of the Black Lotus Gate.”
I furrowed my brow.
“How did that happen?”
“…I've heard stories about his brother from Hwangbo Yun from time to time, and apparently his usual conduct wasn't very good. According to rumors, he would secretly imprison captured female martial artists or disciples from the Demonic Faction and repeatedly do that to them. This time, he messed with a female disciple from the Black Lotus Gate, and they've come for direct revenge.”
“…He's a crazy bastard.”
“I agree. I can't for the life of me understand how someone bearing the name of the Orthodox Faction could do such trashy things.”
“So… you're saying the Black Lotus Gate is currently attacking the Hwangbo Clan?”
“To be precise, the Black Lotus Gate gathered in the Shandong region first, and the Hwangbo Clan defined it as a provocation by the Demonic Faction and retaliated. The Murim Alliance and the Four Dark Alliances have stepped in to mediate… but I hear blood has already been spilled in a few places.”
“By any chance, do you know why my master headed to Shandong?”
Tang Ji-myeong nodded and said.
“Ah, it seems you don't know yet, Brother Jin. There's a famous story. The Sword Empress's childhood friend is the current mistress of the Hwangbo Clan, Lady Mi—in other words, Hwangbo Myeong's mother.”
“Lady Mi?”
“That's right. They were friends who trained at the same school as children. The story goes that back then, when they were attacked by remnants of the Demonic Faction in the mountains, Lady Mi risked her life to save the Sword Empress. Lady Mi, seriously injured and covered in blood, carried the Sword Empress on her back and walked for three days and nights to get down from the mountain…”
“So she owes her a life debt.”
“Correct. The two have walked different paths since then, but they share a special bond.”
I nodded, my eyes narrowing.
“Lady Mi might have requested her help directly.”
“That's highly likely. Besides… I've heard that even within the Hwangbo Clan, Lady Mi is greatly distressed by Hwangbo Myeong's atrocities.”
“…This incident won't end as a simple clash.”
“I think so too. The prestige of the Hwangbo Clan is at stake, and the Black Lotus Gate has no intention of backing down… Even if the Sword Empress intervenes personally, the situation won't be easily resolved.”
I pressed my lips together for a moment.
The reason Seo Ryeo-hwa had made her move wasn't just a simple matter of principle; it was rooted in an old bond and an emotional debt.
“Thank you, Brother Tang. That was very important information.”
“Haha, it's only natural, given the bond we share, Brother Jin.”
“Well then, I'll be on my way.”
Tang Ji-myeong nodded and smiled.
“Alright. Once your mission is over, please stop by my family's home sometime.”
“I will. I'll pay a visit once my mission is complete.”
After parting with Tang Ji-myeong, I headed for the place where Ju Yeon-hwa and Hong Seo-rin were staying.