Chapter 275
Chapter 275
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Breakthrough (4)
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North Ghost Gate.
The gate where only corpses could pass.
Paradoxically, it was the most bustling place in the tightly sealed shell of the Asura Blood Cult, like a turtle hidden within its carapace.
"It seems Gu Il-so has completely lost his mind. He's not even trying to hide the human sacrifices?"
"He can't hide it anyway. In the short time we watched, hundreds of corpses were carried out. How many more have there been up to now?"
Sama Yul was right.
Among the Asura Blood Cult's demonic arts, many had vicious cultivation methods that occasionally involved using lives.
But no demonic art required the blood of thousands for cultivation.
Wi Ji-geuk spoke.
"With the lives of so many cultists offered as sacrifices, people who sense something amiss will appear. It would be good if they cooperated."
"That's unlikely. Those guarding the gate are ones out of favor with the cult leader. Gu Il-so must know that, so he's probably surrounded it with loyalists."
Jin Se-hyeon affirmed.
"As you say, my lord. Even if the cult leader dislikes them, there are countless who would follow his orders with their lives."
He also pointed out a painful truth.
"Above all, the regrettable part is that my lord is currently a criminal who has violated the cult's laws."
The cult's laws took precedence over the cult leader's commands.
"The cult's laws punish apostates more harshly than massacres."
It was a bone-chilling point, but Chu Un-hwi nodded immediately.
"Do you have a clever idea?"
"If violating the laws is the problem, we should negotiate with those who made the laws."
Sama Yul and Jin Se-hyeon exchanged glances upon hearing this.
"The Law Protectors' Hall?"
"Yes. The Law Protectors' Hall that oversees the cult's laws."
"But isn't the Law Protectors' Hall in the heart of the cult?"
"That's why we're going through all this trouble."
Chu Un-hwi, who had been standing with arms crossed and eyes closed, smirked.
"Looks like a good delivery boy is coming right on time."
***
Thud thud thud thud.
Over a hundred red horses galloped, shaking the earth.
Leading them was a giant a head taller than most men.
He held a sharp iron halberd at his side, and several black wagons followed behind him.
"Don't stop—full speed ahead. The cult leader is waiting."
At his gesture, the red horses accelerated like shot arrows.
Lion Overlord Halberd Song Baek.
He suddenly spotted a shadowy figure flickering ahead on the path.
'A person?'
Blocking the way was a silhouette like a human shadow.
'Why is there someone on the road?'
The Path of the Dead to North Ghost Gate could only be entered by those under the cult leader's orders.
Especially when escorting children to be offered as sacrifices.
'Something feels ominous.'
Without slowing his horse, he gripped his side-mounted halberd tightly.
The dark shadow on the road showed no sign of moving.
'I'll trample right over it.'
Thud thud thud thud.
Gripping the reins with one hand, he kicked the horse's belly three times with both legs.
The sudden acceleration caused the following red horses to fan out into a charge formation.
Experts who maintained their mounted ranks organically with just a small signal.
This was the true face of the Lion Blood Wind Squad, renowned even within the Asura Blood Cult.
Song Baek bellowed a lion's roar at the wavering shadow.
"You! Get out of the way! Unless you want to be trampled to death!"
Whirling the halberd overhead, it scattered dark red energy.
Wooong wooong wooong.
The spear gale created a small whirlwind, surging a full chi above the halberd tip, piercing the shadow now right before him.
'It doesn't move?'
Yet the shadow didn't budge.
No—the dark form's mouth split wide, flicking out a blood-red tongue.
"Kill!"
The halberd pierced the shadow, sending a pile of dirt flying into the air beyond.
Kuuuung.
Bursting through the roaring explosion and scattering sand fragments—
"Hiihihihing!"
"Huh?"
His loyal steed, which had never retreated, reared up on its hind legs and stopped.
"Squad leader!"
Amid his subordinates' cries, Song Baek punched the saddle and spun his body into the air.
"Hiihihihing!"
The horse collapsed under the heavy fist, skidding forward.
Shiiish shiiish shiiik!
But the halberd, flipping in midair and slashing left and right, didn't stop.
Soul-Severing Shred.
The fierce assault that severed flesh and soul swept the area with a heatwave, pushing back the shadow.
Piririk. Thud.
Landing on the ground, Song Baek was stunned.
"It's gone?"
The form that had clearly blocked his path had vanished without a trace.
"Squad leader. What's wrong?"
"Didn't you all see the one standing in our way?"
"What do you mean? There was no one on the road."
"Impossible. Check around!"
Thud. Stamping the ground with his halberd shaft, his subordinates kicked off their saddles and leaped into the air.
But none who returned gave him a satisfactory answer.
"Sorry. Nothing there."
"Did you really see something?"
Faced with doubt from his ever-loyal subordinates, Song Baek was speechless.
'Did I see a ghost?'
He couldn't believe it, but with all saying they saw nothing, he had no choice but to withdraw.
"Handling these gruesome tasks for so long must have unsettled my mind."
"...Squad leader."
"Of course. With so many cultists' souls sent by my hand to places more wretched than hell, how could I escape curses? If the previous cult leader's spirit lingers, it would surely rain down wrath."
Muttering this, he remounted his horse.
"We're turning back. The cult leader is waiting."
***
Thud thud thud thud.
Entering the pass, he urged his subordinates.
"Hurry and unload the premium goods. The elder will arrive soon."
As he watched them carry the unconscious children one by one—
Soon, a lavish carriage adorned with gold halted before North Ghost Gate.
Tatata tat.
Black-clad men descended around the ornate carriage, each bearing a scorpion emblem on their chests.
Receiving their utmost courtesy, the one stepping down was a hunchback with only whites showing in his eyes.
Jangling.
He clutched a skull staff made from a wolf's head; it jingled with each step, wafting a foul stench.
Yin Blood Death Venerable Yeom Po.
A master of poisons and jiangshi, lord of Yin Blood Valley, rivaling the Five Poison Cult.
A survivor of a prestigious demonic sect once purged by the previous cult leader, now the current leader's most favored.
And the overall supervisor of these mountain sacrifices.
Clang. Clang.
At the grating scrape of metal, Song Baek knelt on one knee.
"I pay respects to the Valley Lord."
"Squad Leader Song. How many sacrifices have you gathered?"
"Eighty in total. All boys and girls under thirteen."
"Fewer than expected."
His bloodshot whites darted as he spoke.
"Don't you know the gravity of this? We needed at least two hundred."
"Lately, bad rumors have spread wherever our squad goes. Villages are hiding their children and refusing to hand them over. We barely managed this many."
"Tsk tsk. Isn't it simple?"
His pupil-less eyes gleamed with malice.
"Punish their defiance by exterminating the villages."
"...Understood."
"If that doesn't work, just burn them down. They won't hold out seeing their parents burn alive."
"...Subordinate overlooked that."
"Squad Leader Song."
He spoke as if admonishing.
"This is for your sake. Isn't this your last chance to prove loyalty to the cult leader?"
"...Yes, Valley Lord."
"Remember what happened to others who displeased him."
With that, Yeom Po rattled his skull staff and entered the warehouse.
Watching him go, Song Baek kept his head bowed for a long time.
***
Yeom Po left with the premium goods loaded.
Song Baek, watching, looked up at North Ghost Gate and sighed.
"Do we really need two hundred more?"
Returning to his quarters with heavy steps, he grew even more despondent at the passing demon soldiers' voices.
"Corpse collector. Song Baek."
"Got chewed out by the Valley Lord again."
"Can't follow orders properly, won't defy like the others. Half-hearted fool."
Looking up gloomily, they were warriors from prestigious demonic families.
The cult leader's favored ones, who had retaken control, didn't hide their sneers.
'Corpse collector. Not wrong.'
The lion-like beast that once roamed the deserts was gone.
Only a pathetic existence sustaining itself with mountain sacrifices remained.
'Why does the cult leader do this? Why is the Law Protectors' Hall silent?'
With a heavy heart, he staggered back to his quarters and turned the doorknob.
"Everyone, good work."
But he was soon shocked.
The main hall where his squad should be resting.
His resting subordinates lay on the floor, and men wielding glowing blue swords waited among them.
Thud.
Recognizing one at his feet as his subordinate, he glared wide-eyed.
'Ambush.'
The first thought was the cult leader.
Few in the Asura Blood Cult could silently subdue the Lion Blood Wind Squad.
'Am I to be disposed of now?'
But he soon doubted his eyes.
"Asura Sword Demon?"
'Why is he here?'
Even more shocking was the one-eyed man beside him.
"Hell! Hell Poison Eye Dragon!"
A chill ran down his spine, every hair standing on end.
The Asura Sword Demon was one thing, but the Hell Poison Eye Dragon was once an absolute master soaring beside the demonic heavens.
Far beyond what one leading a militant unit could aspire to.
Shiiik!
Before he could recover from the shock, Song Baek leaned back and swung his halberd.
Papapa pang!
Gazing at the objects deflected by his lightning-fast spinning halberd, he was stunned beyond belief.
"Blood Scholar Jin Se-hyeon!"
"Heh. This mere squad leader has some guts."
'It's real. The real Blood Scholar.'
His appearance was that of a frail scholar, but the dance of the fan in his hand was utterly vicious.
Cha cha chang!
Deflecting the folding and unfolding iron ribs fluttering wildly, Song Baek was pushed back.
Thud.
Realizing his back hit a wooden wall, he saw the iron rib stabbing at his eyes and curled his massive body.
Chachachachak!
The blood-scented fan dance shredded his hunched back in an instant, his mind reeling.
But he had been waiting for this.
"Urghahahaargh!"
Swinging the halberd wide, he unleashed his full power.
A lion's roar infused with two hundred years of cultivation.
The supreme sonic art that swept the room, pushing air away, was one of the Lion Blood Wind Squad's signature techniques.
"Hehe."
Chak! Covering his mouth with the opened fan, the Blood Scholar leisurely absorbed the sound wave and slid back like a stringed puppet, landing a zhang away.
This shocked Song Baek twice.
First.
'I'd heard the Blood Scholar was strong, but to take the Lion's Roar head-on unscathed?'
Second, his voice barely emerged.
It felt like squeezing out sound while submerged head to toe in water.
'My god. He's sealed the space itself with a barrier.'
To melt two hundred years of power like cotton candy—unbelievable even after experiencing it.
Both his intentions had failed.
'Can't do anything to the Blood Scholar, and failed to call for help.'
He had roared the Lion's Roar to alert others, but all failed.
But he couldn't show it.
The moment he faltered, the Blood Scholar's iron rib would slit his throat.
'What now.'
As he mindlessly flared his killing intent in the daze—
"Enough."
A voice from the darkness made his true energy fray and snap.
"You've gotten playful, Jin Se-hyeon."
"Hehe. My apologies, my lord."
The one emerging to the Blood Scholar's utmost respect made Song Baek collapse to his knees.
The one who should never appear here.
No, must not appear—was smiling right before him.
"You. Don't you know me?"