Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Die, You Crazy Bitch! (4)
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"So, you're asking me to believe that? You killed two peak experts, locked up the people you kidnapped for a whole month, and did nothing to them?"
"Why not just ask them yourselves?"
"...They might have forgotten it themselves."
"I'd have to have covered up incidents like that in the past for that to fly."
The Sword Saint had nothing to say.
Though it wasn't known to the world, he knew better than anyone that the Blood Demon was a master of the Enthrallment Spell.
The Enthrallment Spell was a terrifying technique. Anyone with weak mental fortitude or weak internal energy could have their mind reshaped overnight, turning them into the caster's puppet.
The spell in the hands of a lust demon seemed like the most horrifying thing imaginable, but strangely enough, the Blood Demon had his own code of aesthetics.
"Once you learn it yourself, little brother, you'll see—there's no fun in violating women like that."
"I have no interest in finding out."
If the Blood Demon had actively used the Enthrallment Spell to aim for domination of the martial world, the Sword Saint would have sworn to mobilize the full might of the righteous factions to hunt him down.
Not that it would have succeeded.
"Rewriting memories wholesale so they don't even know they've been violated—what kind of fun is that..."
"If you have nothing more to say, I'll be going."
The Sword Saint rose to his feet. Talking with the Blood Demon only ever led to sophistry justifying his hedonistic life.
"Looks like it's going to be tough again this time, huh?"
"If I thought I could take even an arm, I'd have tried by now, but it seems impossible. Brother, please treat your body roughly for once and die quickly."
"Tsk, such sharp curses you hurl. Safe travels, little brother. Oh, and the Underground Network boys are getting antsy, so don't go showing off your strength needlessly."
"...Tell them that as long as they cooperate obediently, my sword will never point at them again."
With that, the Sword Saint ground his teeth, shut the door, and stepped out of the thatched hut.
Again, he couldn't reach him.
This game of cat and mouse had repeated dozens of times already.
Every time evidence surfaced of the Blood Demon's misdeeds, he'd track down the Underground Network—his hands and feet—and they'd reveal the Blood Demon's whereabouts as if under prior orders.
That was one reason he allowed the Underground Network to persist rather than wiping them out. They were the most reliable informants leading straight to the Blood Demon.
He'd sharpen his blade each time, vowing to kill him for sure, only to sense the vast gap in power and retreat. That had become the routine.
In his younger days, he'd fought to the bitter end despite lacking strength, but as time passed and the gap widened, even he was helpless.
Today, he'd known it the moment his first strike was blocked. An uncrossable chasm existed between them.
He wasn't even confident of victory against the Demonic Cult's Divine Demon Leader, let alone the Blood Demon—measuring that gap was impossible.
It was a disparity that made him realize the unorthodox factions were deliberately letting the righteous ones live.
Trembling with despair, the Sword Saint forced a smile for the two women watching him with worried eyes.
"Great Madam, Lady Namgung. Rest easy. This Huangbo Mo will escort you all the way to An Hui."
"Thank you, Alliance Leader."
Eon So-young bowed deeply with a bright smile. The Sword Saint found her expression strangely unfamiliar.
He'd never placed much weight on ties with the Five Great Families to begin with, but compared to their last meeting, she seemed somehow...
More beautiful.
'She should look worn after a month in captivity... How peculiar.'
Dismissing it as unimportant, the Sword Saint took the lead in descending the mountain.
Then, his granddaughter—lured to the opposite side of Mount Emei—crossed his mind.
'She should be fine, right?'
Clang!
At that very moment, Huangbo Hyo-seon was pushing Kang Yun to his limits with everything she had.
She'd been on high alert against his lightness skill at first, but soon relaxed upon realizing his overall skill was below her expectations.
Judging by his sub-first-rate prowess, she figured his exceptional movement technique was either luck or some unique effect of the skill itself.
After nearly losing her life to that complacency when he struck true, she vowed never to underestimate him again and pressed him relentlessly.
But soon, a new terror washed over Huangbo Hyo-seon.
'He's... reacting to my sword strikes?'
She'd thought it a fluke at first. He had impressive internal energy for his age—maybe from some rare elixir—but his technique execution was sorely lacking.
At that level, he'd have few peers among the young generation, but he was no match for her.
Now, though, she was certain. He was gradually keeping up with her sword strikes.
And the sword she wielded was a light blade. Far lighter than her usual greatsword, allowing her fluid, nimble forms—yet he was barely dodging lethal blows.
'This won't do.'
He was still far from matching her evenly, but the fear gripped her that this skyrocketing skill would soon yank the ground from under her feet.
Should she really use killing techniques to end him?
Unable to dismiss the chance he was innocent, Huangbo Hyo-seon hesitated.
'Huh?'
Then, a strike she'd assumed he'd dodge merely grazed his waist.
His hyper-focused concentration in the dire situation seemed to crumble.
'So, he still falls short of peak-level skill after all?'
She saw his eyes waver, no longer locked on her blade—as if distracted by her chest...
Bam!
"Wh-where are you looking, you fiend?!"
The moment she realized it, Huangbo Hyo-seon poured her full weight into her sword, sending him flying back.
Glancing down urgently, she saw her massive breasts fully exposed, her breastband nowhere in sight.
At least her areolas weren't visible—that was a small mercy amid the massive tear.
"Mocking a woman in the midst of a life-or-death duel!"
"No, Lady Heroine, I didn't look because I wanted to. Why make such a fuss?"
A cheeky reply came right back.
"Is there a man alive who wouldn't want to see a beautiful woman's breasts? No—even if you don't want to look, your eyes are drawn to them. That's what men are."
As he craned his neck blatantly for a peek inside her robes, Huangbo Hyo-seon hurriedly covered her torn chest with her left hand.
"With the light sword drawn and no sash, your outer robe flapped open, and those huge breasts you had pressed down started bouncing around..."
"Sh-shut your mouth, you bastard!"
"Little by little, the fabric gaped wider from the jiggling breasts—showing that to another man. Who wouldn't stare?"
"I said shut up!"
Roaring, she unleashed a sword gust, but he darted behind a tree to evade.
"Great show, Lady Heroine! Honestly, it's a shame to save that just for your husband..."
"Quiet!"
Furious to her core, Huangbo Hyo-seon launched herself at his hiding spot.
Clang!
She sensed an incoming projectile and raised her sword vertically to block.
"A rock...? I'll take that to mean you're that cornered—resorting to tricks."
Realizing he was hurling stones, Huangbo Hyo-seon regained her composure instead.
Martial experts rarely resorted to throwing rocks. It wasted energy and rarely landed solidly.
Unless specialized in throws, it was ineffective—and such experts prepared hidden weapons in advance.
These stones carried some internal energy but flew in straight lines with little curve. That meant one thing.
'He's running low on internal energy!'
Impressive for his youth, but not enough to match her.
Even with one hand covering herself, she wasn't about to fall for parlor tricks.
He switched positions relentlessly, pelting stones nonstop, but she didn't even need her sword.
Her footwork alone evaded them all. Confirming the barrage slowing, she closed in cautiously.
She judged his energy spent, but wariness of a hidden trump remained.
Especially with that boulder behind him—sword still embedded.
"Give it up. Even if your grandfather's crimes come to light, if they're not too grave, I'll push for a chance at redemption and affiliation with the Martial Alliance."
"Cut the bullshit and go jerk off your dick."
Huangbo Hyo-seon frowned at his vulgarity. The middle finger he flipped her was especially grating.
"Don't blame me if something gets lopped off wrong!"
Warning him, she unleashed the Milky Way Swordsmanship's Milky Way Fills the Heavens. Sword qi blazed white in all directions—no escape.
She figured he'd lose an arm or leg at least, but suddenly he charged with the boulder?
'He still had energy for that?'
Inconceivable power, especially as she tired too. But unlike before, she wasn't careless.
The all-encompassing sword qi targeted the boulder as a point. Enough power to shatter it and overwhelm him with the rest.
But mocking her judgment, he hurled the boulder at her.
She judged it dodgeable with a shift—
Then the boulder exploded, shards flying everywhere. Each infused with energy—not to be trifled with.
None weaker than his initial stones.
Redirecting her attacking sword qi to defense, she barely blocked the fragments.
Rage at being tricked again dominated her as she spotted him fleeing up the path she'd taken.
"You bastard! Where do you think you're going?!"
Snatching her rolling greatsword, Huangbo Hyo-seon pursued with her lightness skill.
After all this, letting him escape was unthinkable. He wasn't superior—just several levels below.
Yet no matter how she raced along the path, Huangbo Hyo-seon couldn't even glimpse his shadow.