Chapter 62: Demonic Arts (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62: Demonic Arts (2)
"Take care, then."
"See you around."
Leaving the Guild Master’s farewell behind, Seo-jun stepped out of the gisaeng house, mentally reviewing the mechanical trap formation.
That level of craftsmanship isn't much on its own, but... if someone really put their heart into it, it could be a massive headache.
It wouldn't just be a lone trap. Though he hadn't experienced it firsthand, he knew they would likely be installed in tandem with a formation.
Places like the Six Great Clans or the Nine Great Sects would have far more thorough defenses. Most martial artists would probably end up as cold corpses before they even got to draw their weapons.
He figured it might be a good idea to plaster his future home with mechanical traps and formations when he eventually settled down to live happily ever after with Chun-bong.
"Mm. Good."
Nodding with satisfaction, Seo-jun tucked one scroll into his robe and unfurled the other.
"Let's see..."
Dizzied by the sheer swarm of characters crammed onto the parchment, Seo-jun promptly shoved it toward Chun-bong.
"Read it for me."
"This brat, seriously..."
Chun-bong glared at him, her expression screaming that she had a lot to say.
What am I going to do with him? She pondered for a moment before realizing there was no answer. With a sigh, she decided to just read the scroll.
"Hmm."
After a quick skim, Chun-bong summarized the contents.
"This is about the Black Lotus Union. It says the war will likely break out as early as this year. The expected battlefield spans from the Hebei Peng Clan westward to the Yellow River. Apparently, very few factions within the Seven Evil Black Sect oppose the war, so the vast majority of the Black Lotus Union's forces will participate."
"The Seven Evil Black Sect?"
"Yeah. They're basically the Evil Faction's equivalent of the Six Great Clans or the Nine Great Sects."
"Aha."
They were the heavy hitters of the Demonic Path—or more accurately, the heavy hitters within the Black Lotus Union.
Scratching his head, Seo-jun pulled out the remaining scroll.
"And this one?"
As soon as he handed it over, Chun-bong shot him another glare, but she began reading without a word.
Our Chun-bong is such a tsundere.
As Seo-jun chuckled to himself, Chun-bong finished her speed-reading and clicked her tongue.
"Don't get your hopes up for this one."
"Why?" Seo-jun asked.
Chun-bong just stuck her tongue out and passed the scroll to Namgung Su-ah instead.
Namgung Su-ah skimmed it just as quickly and blinked in surprise.
"Oh dear. You're right, it's certainly nothing to get excited about."
"Hey, what is it...! Why am I the only one being left out?!"
As Seo-jun hopped around in frustration, Namgung Su-ah giggled and handed him the scroll.
"It says there's a suspected secret cave nearby. However, it's not certain what's inside, and considering it's remained untouched until now, it's probably nothing special."
Seo-jun tucked the scroll away without even reading it and nodded.
"But if it's nothing special, wouldn't mediocre martial artists have already looted it?"
"Apparently, the entrance is blocked by a boulder made of a peculiar material."
"Oh."
If that was the case, didn't that mean there actually was something valuable inside?
"Where is it?"
"There's a map on the scroll."
"Ah."
Pulling the scroll back out, Seo-jun immediately handed it right back to Chun-bong.
"Check the map for me."
"Agh, seriously...! At least try, you brat!"
"Pretty please?"
"What are you going to do if I'm not around?"
"I can't live without our Chun-bong. I'm never letting you get married...!"
"...Fine. Give it here."
Looking inexplicably pleased, Chun-bong took the map and began to examine it.
Just then, the street grew unusually noisy. It was already crowded, but this was different from the usual bustling murmur of the city.
"Something's happening, right?" Seo-jun asked.
Namgung Su-ah nodded. "Yes. Shall we go see?"
"Sounds good."
Seo-jun scooped up Chun-bong, who was still entirely focused on the map, and started walking.
— What on earth is that?
— Good grief. To think such a thing would happen in Henan.
— That fellow certainly has some nerve.
Squeezing through the murmuring crowd, Seo-jun hoisted Chun-bong high above his head.
"Miss Geum, see anything?"
"Lift me a bit higher."
"Like this?"
Seo-jun stood on his tiptoes while Chun-bong craned her neck to look ahead.
"That's..."
Tap, tap. Chun-bong patted Seo-jun's hand, and he lowered her back to the ground.
"Let's go."
Chun-bong began aggressively parting the crowd, shoving her way forward.
"Stop pushing!"
"Who is that?!"
People grumbled and cursed, but they were no match for Chun-bong, a master in the Peak Realm.
When the group finally broke through to the front, Seo-jun's eyebrows shot up.
"Oh..."
"It's a mummy."
It was exactly as Namgung Su-ah said. A mummy. Or simply put, a completely desiccated corpse. The shriveled body lay abandoned in an alleyway just off the main road.
Approaching the mummy, Seo-jun crouched down to examine it.
He didn't have any medical or forensic knowledge, so staring at a corpse wouldn't normally tell him much. Yet, he felt a strange sense of familiarity radiating from it.
It was dark and gloomy, yet somehow... cozy and virtuous.
As he stared at that peculiar energy as if possessed, Namgung Su-ah let out a low groan.
"Demonic Qi... It seems a demonic practitioner has truly entered Henan."
"Demonic Qi? This?"
"Yes. A sinister yet sticky, acrid, and horrible energy. That is Demonic Qi."
Horrible? It's not that bad... It's actually kind of 'adorable.'
Watching the Demonic Qi ripple cutely in the air, Seo-jun scratched his head.
You've had a hard time, haven't you? Getting hated on is just part of your daily life.
If even Namgung Su-ah—who possessed a genuinely kind nature despite her eccentric tastes—spoke of it with such revulsion, it was obvious what ordinary martial artists thought of Demonic Qi.
"Please move aside!"
"This is urgent, so please excuse us, Benefactor."
While Seo-jun was busy mentally comforting the Demonic Qi, a group of glowing figures approached them.
"Ugh...! My eyes...! Is this sorcery...?!"
"He's just bald, you idiot, shut up!"
Several bald monks pushed their way to the front.
"Amitabha. Benefactor, we meet again."
Hye-un was among them. He bowed slightly, but his expression instantly contorted upon seeing the mummy.
"That demonic wretch has committed such an atrocity again."
"Hye-un."
"...My apologies."
A 'reverse long-haired monk' scolded Hye-un and stepped forward. Meaning, his head was completely smooth, but he sported a very long beard.
"Benefactor, did you happen to see anything?"
Seo-jun looked around. It seemed the bearded monk was speaking to him.
"No. I just got here myself."
"I see. We must examine the body, so would you mind stepping aside for a moment?"
"Ah, yes."
Seo-jun stepped to the side and sidled up to Hye-un.
"Who is he?"
"He is my martial uncle, Great Master Ji-am."
"Aha."
The name didn't mean much to him, but he got the general gist.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
"This happened within Shaolin's jurisdiction. We cannot trouble a benefactor with this."
"Is that so?"
Seo-jun watched Ji-am examine the mummy for a moment before nodding toward Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah.
"Shall we head out for now?"
Staring at the mummy any longer wouldn't reveal anything new, and there was no need to play detective. The group left after a brief farewell to the Shaolin monks.
"Is that secret cave or whatever close to here?"
At Seo-jun's question, Chun-bong nodded. "It's close."
"I think I've figured out how you people talk. That means it's about a three or four-day journey, right?"
"What are you talking about? It shouldn't even take a day."
"What?"
What on earth did 'close' mean in the Murim? He felt like martial artists called anything up to a week's journey 'close.' He just couldn't wrap his head around their sense of distance.
"Anyway, let's go then."
The Chun-bong Spirit Herb Expedition was officially underway.
*
The Guild Master of Hyeon-wol Pavilion, the Henan branch of the Hao Sect, closed his eyes tightly at the approaching presence.
He had a terrible feeling about this.
A subordinate's voice drifted in from beyond the thin paper sliding door.
"...Guild Master, we have an intruder. He doesn't seem like an ordinary expert. What should we do?"
"Don't provoke him unnecessarily. Let him in."
"Yes."
Soon, footsteps drew near. It was his subordinate. But when the sliding door opened, two figures were visible.
A bizarre sense of dissonance washed over the room—the intruder was clearly standing right there, yet his presence felt as if he didn't exist at all. Frowning, the Guild Master looked at him through the bamboo blind.
"What is your business?"
"That is for you to find out. Is that not your karma?"
"Hah..."
Letting out a hollow laugh, the Guild Master observed the old man through the blind.
The elaborately crafted blind prevented the outside from seeing in, but the Guild Master could see the visitor perfectly.
A white-haired old man. A terrifying expert. Judging by the sinister aura he exuded—despite his suppressed presence—he was definitely not someone who walked the righteous path.
His hands were clean, and his attire was impeccable. However, his eyes were heavily bloodshot, and deep traces of fatigue marred his features.
The Guild Master couldn't know everything, but he could make a very educated guess.
"Are you the one Shaolin is pursuing?"
"Heh heh, you're not entirely useless."
Damn it. The Guild Master gritted his teeth.
If he wasn't careful, today would be his last. Not everyone who was insane practiced Demonic Arts, but ten out of ten people who practiced Demonic Arts were insane. He could tell just by looking into the old man's eyes. This man was completely out of his mind.
He was different from Gwang-a-rang. Gwang-a-rang was crazy, sure, but he was crazy within reasonable limits. That level of madness could easily be passed off as mere eccentricity.
But this old man? No sane person could have eyes like that. The Guild Master wouldn't be surprised if this maniac dropped to all fours and started gnawing on the floorboards of the gisaeng house right this second.
"Since you got one right, I'll tell you one thing. What I am looking for is..."
Step—
The old man trailed off as he took a step forward.
The Guild Master looked at the floor, where the newly repaired mechanical trap formation lay hidden. Should he say something? There was no guarantee the traps could kill this level of expert. The Guild Master made a split-second decision.
"Be careful. There is a mechanical trap formation ahead, so it would be best not to approach."
"A mechanical trap formation? Do you think such a trifling thing can stop this old man?"
Why is it a given that he'll just keep walking into it? This is exactly why you shouldn't associate with Murim people.
The Guild Master gritted his teeth as the old man confidently took another step forward.
Clack—
The floor gave way. Arrows and poisoned needles erupted from all directions.
The old man twisted his body in mid-air to stay afloat, releasing a violent burst of Qi to deflect the incoming barrage of hidden weapons.
Boom—!
The entire gisaeng house shook from the sheer force of the old man's Qi. However, a second later, the old man's eyes widened in shock.
Swords and spears lunged upward from the floorboards with a slight, deliberate delay. The momentum behind the thrusts was extraordinary.
"You tricked me!"
The old man violently contorted his body. A spear grazed the very tip of his nose. Simultaneously, he coated his hands in Astral Qi to deflect the rising swords, kicking off a passing spear shaft to propel himself out of the kill zone. He landed back where he had originally stood, far away from the Guild Master.
A long, bleeding gash now marked the old man's cheek.
Licking the trail of blood that ran down his face, the old man glared at the Guild Master with blood-red, murderous eyes.
"You wretched bastard! You repay this old man's grace with enmity!"
"I clearly warned you that there were mechanical traps."
"Shut up! Who made this?! No, someone has tampered with it! To deceive me?! Reveal their name this instant!"
The Guild Master cursed inwardly while trying his best to maintain a calm, steady voice. "I know nothing of this. Who are you saying tampered with the traps?"
"Someone touched it! Someone definitely touched it!"
The old man stomped his foot in an absolute frenzy, looking as if he would pounce through the bamboo blind at any moment.
The Guild Master subtly signaled his hidden guards not to come out, cold sweat trickling down his back.
"Look here. First of all..."
"I won't ask again. Who was it?!"
If that crazed old man attacked now, the Guild Master's head would be crushed like a watermelon in a single strike.
The Guild Master's eyes hardened.
Even if he gave up a name, there was no way a madman like this would let him live. In that case, wasn't it better to go out with some dignity?
A stiff, awkward smile formed on the Guild Master's lips.
"Even if the Hao Sect is a third-rate group of bottom-feeders, we are not without our own righteousness. Do as you wish. It won't go according to your—"
"Damn it!"
Crash—!
The old man suddenly smashed right through the solid wall of the gisaeng house and leaped outside into the night.
The Guild Master stared at the gaping hole in the wall with a bewildered expression.
"What on earth was that...?"
A split second later, another figure flew in through the exact same hole.
Rolling his eyes, the Guild Master clutched his throbbing head.
"Sigh... What is it this time, Shaolin?"
"My apologies, Benefactor. Did the demonic practitioner who just left say anything?"
"He just babbled some nonsense and ran away."
"Amitabha... I see. Thank you."
The monk immediately leaped back out through the hole in pursuit. The Guild Master let out a deep, heavy sigh.
"...Boys."
At the Guild Master's call, his hidden guards rushed out immediately.
"We're sorry, Guild Master!"
"Forget it. If you had come out, things would have only gotten more complicated."
Sighing, the Guild Master slid down the wall and sprawled out flat on the floor.
"These damn Murim people."
The Guild Master practiced martial arts himself, but he would never understand the minds of those who truly immersed themselves in the Murim.
"Should we just close up shop?"
"G-Guild Master..."
"It's a joke. But this really sucks."
Letting out a hollow laugh, the Guild Master stared up at the ceiling.
Thank you, Gwang-a-rang. I lived because of you.
If the crazed old man hadn't been forced back by those modified mechanical traps, the Guild Master's neck would have been snapped before Shaolin ever arrived. He had no desire for such a meaningless death.
"Next time we meet, I'll buy you a drink."
‘Wow, really?’ He could almost hear Gwang-a-rang's voice echoing in his head.
On second thought, it would probably be best if he never met Gwang-a-rang again, either.
※Illustration Warning!!※
