Chapter 267
Chapter 267
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Demonic Flowers (2)
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‘Heavenly Demon Divine Lord, of all things.’
Even as he uttered the name permitted only to the supreme leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, his master wore a faint smile.
He didn’t seem at all like the man who had just yielded the throne allowed only to him moments ago.
What flustered her most was the reaction of the young man standing beside her master.
“What are you talking about?”
He was an exceedingly beautiful youth.
Just a glimpse of his face had made her heart skip a beat.
“Handle the annoying stuff yourself, old man.”
The moment her gaze was stolen by those gleaming golden eyes, his words made her feel like her breath had stopped.
‘Old man?’
Who in the world called the mighty Heavenly Demon Divine Lord “old man”?
Even more astonishing was her master’s response.
“The title of Divine Lord is a honorific granted only to the undefeated grandmaster. Since you’ve been defeated, you must yield the jade throne.”
“What? That’s your problem.”
The youth made a face like he’d been swindled in a job scam.
“If you’re trying to push some pipe dream like unifying the demonic path, give it up.”
“It’s a great undertaking no one has achieved since the Heavenly Demon Ancestor.”
“I’ve got way more important things to do than that hassle.”
“Huhu. Hassle, you say? The elders might bite their tongues and kill themselves if they heard.”
“They say old folks’ ears sharpen with age. Just keep your mouth shut so I don’t see an ugly sight.”
“Hahaha!”
She couldn’t believe what was happening.
But the moment she turned toward the faint stench of blood wafting from somewhere, she saw dozens of corpses strewn about.
‘Those are...’
Though they were all crushed beyond recognition, their ornate attire gave away their identities.
‘The young cult leader and Fifth Elder.’
Behind the two corpses, a puddle of congealed blood marked the remains of the North King Iron Demon Squad that had followed them.
‘How did they die without a sound?’
These were elites comparable to the Heavenly Demon Black Wind Squad, who guarded the cult leader at close range, yet they were mangled beyond identification—and she hadn’t even noticed the fight until arriving here.
Her eyelashes trembled in shock.
A voice continued.
“Before worrying about unifying the cult or whatever, old man, you should clean up your own house first.”
“You fear no words, even before the lord of the demonic path.”
“The same guy who just offered me the lordship of the demonic path is backpedaling already.”
Astonishingly, the youth didn’t yield an inch, even to her sky-like master.
“Since you’ve already stepped down, why not leave it empty tonight instead of picking it right back up?”
“What are you saying?”
“Take off the rank insignia and let’s just drink openly. I’ve heard the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult has some great liquor.”
“Ha. Just booze?”
“Probably. Would you believe half the reason I came here and caused this mess was because I coveted the famed liquors in the Heavenly Demon Pavilion?”
“Kek. That’s priceless. The cult suffers an indelible humiliation... all for booze.”
He summoned attendants, and soon jars of liquor and lavish delicacies covered the table as cups clinked.
Gulp. Gulp.
By the time she grew weary of refilling cups that emptied in an instant, Gal Jung-hyeok called to her.
“Come listen, you too. It’ll greatly aid your future studies.”
Mae stood mesmerized by their side, absorbing the conversation.
“Have you ever faced the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?”
“Nah, first time just now.”
“Then how did you withstand this seat’s martial arts? It’s a technique undefeated since ancient times.”
The youth replied.
“I just saw it from a different angle.”
“Different angle?”
“I’ve learned all sorts of martial arts myself. Even lowly grabbing techniques. Probably no one’s devoured as many random arts as I have. After mastering so many, a question popped up. ‘What would a handsome genius like me think once he masters martial arts too?’”
“No one gilds their face quite like you.”
“Listen. It hit me soon enough. No matter how many hundreds or thousands of techniques you learn, killing an enemy always boils down to one strike. If you end it in a single blow, third-rate or transcendent arts make no difference.”
“...A radical notion.”
“Once you reach mastery, things simplify weirdly. Never happened to you?”
Gal Jung-hyeok swirled his cup and answered.
“Reminds me of my youth. Hundreds of sword grips, dozens of stances—I noted them all daily to avoid forgetting.”
“You don’t bother with that nonsense now, right?”
“Once you grasp the big picture, the details follow naturally.”
“Exactly. That’s mastery. After learning countless forms and arts, only the essentials remain. Same for the Heavenly Demon. After absorbing all the world’s martial arts, he kept just three forms, right?”
“The Heavenly Demon Three Sword Forms.”
“Mount Hua’s Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword, Shaolin’s Demon-Subduing Diamond Fist—all melted into those three.”
“You too?”
“Not quite yet. But I boiled it down to nine forms.”
“Hoo. All the world’s martial arts, reduced to nine forms? What’s it called?”
“Infinite Void Sword.”
“Infinite Void. A distant, profound sword of martial extremity. Quite grandiose.”
“Didn’t you see that clan’s second-in-command and elder’s kids’ heads fly from those forms earlier?”
Their talk wasn’t limited to martial arts.
From the enigmatic Mangcheon Society to insights on endless major and minor events in the jianghu.
She couldn’t fathom how so much knowledge fit in one head.
The dreamlike exchange ended at dawn the next day.
As Gal Jung-hyeok slumped drunk over the table, the youth rose.
He’d drained three jars alone without a hint of intoxication.
“You’ve had it rough. Wasn’t too hard, was it?”
Mae bowed at the hand stroking her hair.
“This guy’s out cold. Whip up some hangover remedy.”
Her candid master mumbled nonstop, face planted on the table.
“Me too... urp... Dark Soul Black Wind Squad...”
‘Dream or reality?’
As she blinked, the golden-eyed man grinned and tapped her cheek.
“I’m off.”
With that, the youth vanished.
Like a mirage.
“Sister. What’re you thinking? You didn’t answer when I called.”
Turning at the hand on her shoulder, Guk eyed her suspiciously.
“Oh, nothing.”
“What is it? Your face is red. Don’t tell me—a guy?”
“I said nothing.”
“Little sister! Fourth sis! Big sis is... mmph!”
Mae swiftly clamped Guk’s mouth at the noise, earning sharper eyes.
“Oh? A real guy?”
“No.”
“Not many catch our sister’s eye. Don’t tell me—Eldest Senior Brother?”
“No.”
“Who else could we meet? Rumors say he’s next young cult leader material. Perfect.”
“No...!”
As she reared back to scold Guk sharply.
Zing. Zing.
A warning bell rang in her mind, and the qi of four armors stirred from her dantian.
‘Enemy?’
She yanked Guk behind her and circulated qi—just as low whooshes pierced the darkness.
Shiiik! Shiiik!
Attacks approached soundlessly from the shadows.
Her waist sash split, and the indigo soft sword writhed in her hand.
Clangclangclangclang!
She didn’t just block.
Her slender hands whipped the air, stretching the soft sword a zhang as it tore through the darkness beyond.
“Hah!”
A gasp from the shadows.
But as azure sword qi rippled from her palm’s phantoms, Mae spun wildly, footwork chaotic.
Then, Blood Wolf Swordsmanship.
Blood Wolf Blade Art was meant for a longsword, arduous with a flowing silk-like soft sword—but Mae, having grasped its essence, melded the blade forms flawlessly into the soft sword.
Clangclangclang!
The hand executing palm strikes shifted to slap away the soft sword with infinite variations.
‘Ugh!’
Feeling the qi surge along her blade, Mae sensed the foe’s immense mastery.
‘My four-armor qi is being pushed back?’
An expert rare even in the cult. No one here could claim certain victory.
“Well, well. Didn’t expect you to block this old man’s strike.”
Mae snapped sharply at the figure emerging from the dark.
“Who are you?”
“No need to know my name.”
“Attacking me in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s domain—do you know what you’re doing?”
“I know. Someone just wants to see you girls and sent an invitation.”
“Hmph! Even your invitations are rude, you brigand.”
Watching Mae’s sharp cry, Punggae’s mind churned.
Honestly, when he first unleashed the eight forms of Wind God Art, he’d expected easy suppression.
But she not only blocked but counterattacked.
‘Not full power, but no mere child should’ve withstood it.’
A talent for the ages.
‘Indeed worthy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Lord’s notice. Not for nothing called the cult’s future.’
It was such a pity.
For the Blood Demon’s greed to target such genius.
“If you want to invite, come properly with etiquette!”
Even more impressive: her composure amid chaos, subtly buying time.
No ordinary girl.
But admiration was fleeting.
Punggae replied coldly.
“No time for etiquette—forgive me.”
He unleashed Wind God Art, circling swiftly behind her.
‘Quick-witted, sharp calculator.’
But flaws existed.
“Eek!”
The hidden girl spotted Punggae and thrust her sword in fright.
Considerable skill.
‘But a clear gap.’
Demonic Flowers, they said.
Not all flowers bore heavenly fragrance.
Crack!
Grabbing the thrusting blade, he clenched his fist into a palm strike, smacking the sword body.
Thud!
Unable to withstand the infused qi, the foe staggered.
“Agh!”
“Second sis!”
“Guk sis!”
The other girls joined, but to Punggae, it was fortunate.
‘All at once? Grateful.’
He’d missed five breaths dealing with them.
In that instant, the cult experts scanning the trees charged like demons.
‘Subdue quickly!’
Yet the sharpness of swords stabbing from three directions made Punggae click his tongue.
‘Passed on Heavenly Demon Sword Art? To these girls?’
Transcendent secret art—even from children, it felt threatening.
Especially the soft sword tip pecking his crown, dizzyingly erratic—not amateur work.
But who was Punggae?
Among Mangcheon Society’s constellation of hidden masters, he grasped the third heaven.
Unsettling, but no worry over immature swordplay.
‘Can’t kill them.’
Bam! Bam bam!
Extending hands, he shredded the smallest girl’s and tall one’s sword auras, then printed palms on their chests.
“Agh!”
“Hng!”
“Guk! No!”
As the two lost cool in the crisis, he closed in and sealed their acupoints swiftly.
While catching the crumpling girls, an old man like a full moon grimaced demonically and charged.
“You bastard! Who are you?!”
By a hair.
Finishing subjugation, Punggae skipped fighting, stirred Wind God Art to loft the girls airborne, and kicked off the ground.
Whoooosh.
A small whirlwind lingered beneath, propelling his form skyward.
“You won’t escape!”
Meanwhile, Maeng-seong leaped ten zhang, spraying red sword gang as he slashed.
Pararak!
Punggae dodged ethereally and plunged full force into the darkness.
Boom!
The stray sword gang crashed, exploding dirt in a roar.
“Damn.”
Maeng-seong gnashed his teeth, glaring at empty sky.