Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Night Parade of a Hundred Demons (7)
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Just as she let out a sigh.
Tak.
The booklet closed.
Yoran dreaded what response would follow.
'If only a single word of praise would come back.'
Did her expectation reach the other's heart?
What returned was a warm voice.
"Luju."
"...Yes. Milord."
"I understand your hardships."
For some reason, the chill in her chest from moments ago melted away with those words.
"But it seems Luju doesn't know me well."
"There are certainly parts I don't know."
But she knew he was strong.
If asked to name the most secretive and dangerous person in the world, she would surely point to the one before her eyes.
"No. You don't know me."
"I..."
"If you did, you would understand my consideration."
She was at a loss for words.
'Consideration? Where in the world?'
Wasn't he the type who came and went as he pleased?
As if understanding her small grievance, Chu Un-hwi smiled.
"When your mind feels complicated sometimes, a walk is good."
"At a time like this?"
"Shall we stroll a bit?"
"S-sure, if you think so."
She answered haughtily out of habit.
What returned was a faint chuckle.
"Would you spare some time to enjoy a walk with you under the serene moonlight?"
The Dark Lord politely requested, extending his hand.
"Yes, gladly."
Yoran, her cheeks slightly flushed, offered the back of her hand.
The nighttime stroll began.
As the Dark Lord was about to leave the inn, he said something unexpected.
"It's going to rain."
"Rain?"
Yoran tilted her head, peering at the bright moonlight beyond the crumbling old ceiling.
"There's not a cloud in the sky."
"It will surely rain."
Sudden rain on a clear moonlit night.
"Luju. Prepare an umbrella for us."
Though puzzled, since he was so certain, she had nothing to say against it.
'He's such a mysterious person, so maybe he can read the heavens.'
Thinking lightly of it, Yoran smiled brightly.
"Yes, I'll make sure to bring one."
The midnight stroll was truly simple.
No golden carriage, no lavish procession trailing behind.
Just an ordinary walk.
The only odd thing might be sharing an umbrella on a clear moonlit night?
Through the arm wrapped around his left arm, she could feel his solid build.
And the hot warmth within.
Sabak. Sabak.
As they walked carefully, a voice sounded from beside her.
"It feels like this is the first time we've strolled together like this."
Yoran's gaze traveled up from the hand gripping the red umbrella.
Passing firm forearms, neatly dressed martial robes, and on to the shadowed face.
For some reason, the more she looked, the hazier his impression became in her mind.
As vague thoughts drifted about, another voice came.
"Have you heard of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, Luju?"
Nod.
Yoran nodded deeply.
"I've heard of it. Even children know the story."
The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
It was a eerie tale that when night fell, the path for ghosts opened, and yokai and spirits poured out through the ghost gate to march through the village.
Chattering, Yoran whispered leaning on his arm.
"When I was little, it was so scary I couldn't sleep alone."
"Is that so?"
"I even trembled in fear at the bell of the vendor selling sticky rice cakes at night or the footsteps of the tofu seller at dawn."
Isn't it funny?
"Haha. You must have been quite the cute child."
Recalling old memories, Yoran laughed too.
"I never imagined I'd become the Luju of the Hao Gate back then."
"Who can predict how the world turns?"
"Not even you, Milord?"
"No. How could I?"
Yoran covered her mouth laughing at the man who could one day overlook the world.
"You don't seem to believe my words."
"It's not that I don't believe. It's just amazing."
Pfft. The lips in the shadows curved into a smile.
"By the way, going back to that story earlier."
Have you ever seen it?
"Seen what?"
"The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
"I've never seen a ghost in my life."
Shivering slightly, wondering if he meant to scare her, amusement colored his voice.
"I'm not trying to frighten you."
"This isn't a story to tell while walking in a remote place at night."
"Well, true."
Walking the continuing path, Yoran suddenly noticed the brightening road ahead.
Strangely, just moments ago they had been along the riverbank of the small town.
'A bamboo grove?'
Thinking she might be possessed by a ghost, she widened her eyes, and a voice came again.
"Whether to call it good luck or bad."
You might see it for the first time tonight.
At his following words, Yoran asked.
"See what?"
The Dark Lord answered.
"The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
What on earth did he mean?
Exiting the bamboo grove, Yoran realized his words from before were not a lie.
'When exactly.'
An eerily deserted path with no sign of human presence.
In the silence where not even a needle drop could be heard, she thought only the two of them were there.
But that was an illusion.
'People at the treetops.'
Dressed in black garb, some in red martial robes, some with masks covering up to their noses.
Clearly human, yet they stood on thin bamboo leaves, swaying up and down with the wind.
Ooh, chills.
A truly unreal sight sent goosebumps crawling over her skin.
'Desert Assassins.'
Existing yet undetectable, visible yet indistinguishable from reality.
She could tell they were all highly trained assassins.
Realizing this anew, her fingertips trembled.
"They say you can witness yokai and ghosts, but you can't touch or catch them."
Existing yet not.
Their figures swaying on bamboo leaves matched that perfectly.
"My lord. Preparations are complete."
At some point, the old man with the grinning face stood beside them.
His features, scribbled messily, were hard to remember clearly.
"Heh heh heh. It's been a while since a night outing."
Dan-ya shook his bandages threateningly, spitting a word laced with ecstasy.
Yoran wouldn't miss this.
"No way. Milord, you..."
"The moon is bright tonight. Perfect time for the ghost gate to open."
The Dark Lord murmured in a playful tone.
"With luck, you might witness the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
Were those words the signal?
The assassins relying on bamboo leaves soared up silently.
With feather-light movement techniques, those casting shadows under the moonlight leaped toward.
'Mangcheon Society's small town branch.'
The manor where those claiming to support the Jang Cheon faction were.
Whoosh.
Was it an illusion that a chilling wind carrying a fishy blood scent flowed from the manor?
Shushu shushu shushuk.
Though only a dozen or so.
The assassins scaled the branch walls without hesitation.
The manor's people discovered them and rang bells with mouths agape.
But no sound escaped the manor.
"--!"
"---. --!"
"...--..."
What followed were soundless screams.
Under the silver moon, blood fountains erupted, flesh scattered.
The neck of a guard at the gate flew high into the sky, followed by more heads and arms soaring through the air.
Thud thud thud thud.
The two walked straight from the main gate toward the inner quarters.
"I told you. It's going to rain."
Thud thud thud thud.
Only the unusually red patter of rain sounded strangely unfamiliar.
"Aaaah-."
Thud thud. Thud thud.
Sticky blood surging ceaselessly from the air bounced off the umbrella.
Sometimes blood fountains burst right before them.
"You fools. You dare dirty my lord with your filth?"
At the ghost-like Dan-ya's shout, a man in black night clothes swung his bloodied robe to deflect the blood.
Another used his hat.
Some knelt in blood pools, becoming small steps.
They seemed more worried about the blood rain dirtying their lord's casual night stroll than the killing itself.
They were slashed and stabbed yet did not stop.
One even took a sword to the back while blocking blood from splashing on his clothes.
"Good work."
Even as they fell spraying blood, the assassins' eyes smiled.
Even while taking companions along.
"--!"
Two more soundless deaths were born.
In this brutal slaughter scene, what could be heard was.
Thud thud.
The relentless blood rain striking the umbrella.
And
"I used to enjoy walks like this quite a bit before."
Sleep didn't come easily at night.
Only the voice continuing the old tale.
Shiver shiver shiver.
In this surreal reality, Luju's body trembled unwittingly.
They had already walked over fifty steps into the place.
In that time, deaths many times that number had been born.
'Scary. Why show me something like this.'
Now she understood why he mentioned the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
'A warning that those touched by ghosts become like them.'
She understood why he told her to bring the umbrella too.
He must have planned to wipe this place out when he mentioned the stroll.
'The Mangcheon Society's branch falls this easily.'
Mangcheon Society was no mortal enemy to her thoughts.
Just prey.
'Perhaps close to midsummer night's entertainment.'
For someone who came rushing with a warning, it was deflating to the point of terror.
Shudder.
As she trembled again, a voice feigning concern came.
"It's getting chilly. Not good for you, Luju."
"I'm..."
"Shall we head back?"
Sruk.
With a flick of his hand.
The bandages moved, skewering three at once and dragging them into the air.
Chachacha chak!
The old man swinging his sword killed easier than flipping his palm.
More, faster deaths were born.
Chap chap. Chap chap.
As their footsteps quickened, deaths came even faster and easier.
They stopped.
At the innermost part of the inner quarters. The branch master's office.
Yoran's gaze shook.
'This place's master is surely...'
The one summoned by the Eight Thousand Apostles.
Before the abode of this dreadfully fearsome figure, five corpses already lay with heads plunged into blood pools.
"It's about time to go back."
With a flick of his hand, the door creaked open.
Inside, a man with bulging black pupils roared in fury.
"What the hell bastards dare...!"
Black demonic energy visibly poured out.
"Blocking sound with inner power?"
These monster-like bastards!
The demon trembled in monstrous rage.
"Shh. Neighbors hate noise at night."
"What madmen."
That was the end.
Shrik! Puk!
His form flickered, bandages and sword light tangled chaotically.
Not even five breaths passed.
"Grrrk. Kk."
Until the Mangcheon Society powerhouse, found through Hao Gate's many sacrifices, met his death.
Kudang.
He collapsed over the desk, tumbled back, staggered, and slid down the stairs.
Was the final emotion of the corpse, eyes wide at their feet, terror?
Extending a hand beyond the umbrella, the Dark Lord said.
"Seems the rain has stopped."
Meaning it was time to return.
On the way back after the stroll.
"How was the walk?"
Yoran couldn't even open her mouth.
After a long while, she dragged a voice from deep in her lungs.
"I..."
Knowing it carried fear, a low admonition came.
"Don't yearn too much for the Hundred Demons."
"......"
"The closer you get to ghosts, the more you become one."
It's better to keep some distance.
At the heavy response on the way back, Yoran mustered courage and parted her lips.
"I..."
"I crave humanity."
"Milord, I!"
But the Hundred Demons' lord allowed no more words.
"Remain human."
That's best for you too.
For me as well.
With the farewell order, Yoran squeezed her eyes shut and asked.
"Can I see you again?"
"Forgot?"
A small chuckle sounded.
"That I bought your million-nyang smile."
It was a promise, wasn't it?
Seeing the faintly smiling lips under the silver moon, Yoran laughed through tears.
"Yes."
And she intuited.
Perhaps she, bewitched by the Hundred Demons this night, was trapped in a harsh fate of waiting a lifetime for the ghost procession.
Dawn was breaking, pushing away the predawn darkness.
Human time was approaching.