Chapter 278
Chapter 278
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 76
>Chapter Title: Blood Star (4)
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Great Swordsmith Ou Yezi.
The legendary swords—Giant Threshold, Dark Dew, Pure Hook, Victory over Evil, Fishgut, Dragon Abyss, Tai'a, and Gongbu—all sprang from his hands.
Even he, the renowned master smith, had forged a demon sword from the indestructible Black Iron of Guan Ya, which no human sacrifice could melt, according to unofficial records.
That demon sword was one of the three infamous blades unearthed from a collapsed royal tomb.
Wicked Instant, Roaring Cleaver, and Plunder Fiend.
These three swords were discovered in the ruined tomb by a local official and a wealthy merchant.
Their emergence unleashed a storm of bloodshed across the martial world.
“Is that one of the three demon swords, the Plunder Fiend blade?”
At Mok Kyung-un’s question, the Sixth Blood Star, Nim Baek-ha, snorted in response.
“Three swords... Yeah, that’s the rumor.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. That’s not the point. I don’t know why this thing’s here, but it’s turned into a real pain in the ass.”
Nim Baek-ha glanced at the Plunder Fiend sword, then at Joo Un-hyang’s eyes, which gleamed with an eerie light.
It looked like she’d been fully consumed by the sword’s demonic nature.
Clicking her tongue, she muttered,
“Of all the blades, she had to get ensnared by the one called the worst.”
“The worst? That bad?”
“You wouldn’t know, but after that sword reappeared in the world, it went through three owners. Together, they slaughtered nearly a thousand souls.”
‘A thousand? Ho.”
Interest sparked in Mok Kyung-un’s eyes.
Just how potent was the sword’s demonic aura to enable such a massacre?
Could a sword’s demonic nature alone truly incite a bloodbath like that?
It was right then.
“You all... your bodies... look... fine... to me.”
Whoosh!
Joo Un-hyang, enthralled by the demon sword, launched herself at them.
She closed the distance in an instant and swung the Plunder Fiend blade, unleashing a ferocious gale laced with demonic energy that raged outward.
“Hmph!”
Slash-slash-slash-slash-slash!
But Nim Baek-ha wasn’t one to take it lying down.
“Out of the way.”
She shoved Mok Kyung-un aside and stepped forward.
Unleashing her signature Blood Jade Hand, she dyed her palms crimson and unleashed a flurry of claw strikes, slicing through the incoming energy.
She didn’t stop there. With graceful footwork, she burrowed right up to Joo Un-hyang’s face and unleashed the pinnacle technique of Blood Jade Hand.
‘Blood Jade Hand, Third Form: Unchanging Blood Claw!’
Slashhhhh!
The blood-red claws, infused with azure energy, wielded devastating might.
The sheer power was enough to rip the opponent apart in one go.
Yet Joo Un-hyang drew a circle with her sword toward the incoming claws.
Then,
Pop!
The air inside the circle rippled like waves, and—
Slash-slash-slash-slash-slash!
—the Blood Jade Hand’s pinnacle technique was flung back entirely.
The rebound carried the full force, forcing Nim Baek-ha to hastily block and stagger backward.
Skreeee!
Pushed back five paces, she muttered irritably,
“Shifting Energy Scripture...”
Was this one of the Plunder Fiend sword’s famed abilities she’d only heard about?
She hadn’t expected it to deflect her pinnacle technique outright.
Experiencing it firsthand, it was as astonishing and exquisite as the warnings had suggested.
Swish!
She looked up at Joo Un-hyang.
Her lips curled faintly white.
The malevolent aura made it hard to gauge the exact level through her senses, but the demonic energy was immense, drawing out power far beyond the girl’s normal limits.
At this rate,
‘The kid possessed by the demon sword might not last long—her core energy could burn out completely in a few hours and kill her.’
If they just stalled, she’d weaken over time.
Of course, there were other counters.
‘Overwhelming internal energy.’
The stronger the opponent, the more the demon sword would force from its host.
That would accelerate the host’s core energy depletion and lead to death.
‘That’ll do it.’
Hummmm!
Nim Baek-ha’s palms gleamed with even greater luster as she decided her approach.
When Blood Jade Hand’s power reached seven stars or higher, the hands took on a jade-like sheen, smooth and radiant.
Boosting her energy, she said to Mok Kyung-un,
“Go on ahead. I’ll handle this girl myself.”
“By yourself?”
“What do you take me for? Even possessed by demonic energy, she’s not enough to need help. And the longer we delay the breakout, the worse it gets for us.”
“You’re right.”
Mok Kyung-un’s lips curved slightly.
He hadn’t even asked, yet she was playing right into his hands.
If she’d stall on her own and draw the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s attention too, what could be better?
“Then, with thanks...”
He started to say he’d go, but his gaze shifted to Joo Un-hyang, gripped by the demon sword.
She’d been somewhat to his liking.
He had no idea how she’d gotten so ensnared, though.
Mok Kyung-un shrugged.
She was likable, sure, but that was it.
He had zero intention of wasting his time saving her over that alone.
Still,
“If it’s not too much trouble, could you take the sword without killing the guy if possible?”
“This isn’t just any demon sword—it’s the Plunder Fiend. She seems fully taken by the demonic nature. You think that’s doable?”
“Don’t push it if it’s tough.”
“You two that close?”
“Not quite—just a guy I like, let’s say.”
“......Don’t get your hopes up.”
Whoosh!
With that, Nim Baek-ha shot toward Joo Un-hyang.
Watching, Mok Kyung-un chuckled softly.
If heaven smiled on her, she’d survive. Otherwise, she was doomed to die here.
* * *
Leaving Joo Un-hyang, possessed by the demon sword, to the Blood Star of the Crimson Blood Cult, Mok Kyung-un headed to the innermost depths of the Infinite Golden Prison.
There, in cell 270, was the prisoner he needed to extract.
Having memorized the entire layout, he navigated the trap-filled corridors without triggering a single one.
A cell barred with thick iron grates.
Light flickered in Mok Kyung-un’s eyes as he stood before it.
In the dim cell sat a figure in meditation, eyes closed. Torchlight revealed a somewhat haggard yet elegant old woman.
She held a high position in the Hundred Flowers Cult, he’d heard, but she wasn’t what he’d expected.
Clang!
He flicked his finger, rattling the bars.
The old woman slowly opened her eyes and turned her head.
Staring straight at Mok Kyung-un, she said,
“Mealtime?”
“Yes. Mealtime.”
“But empty-handed.”
“Yeah, came in a rush.”
“In a rush?”
Hearing that, the old woman’s lips curved up. She rose from her seated position.
Clank!
Iron shackles, chains, and weights bound her legs, making her stumble before she steadied herself.
Having struggled to her feet, she said to Mok Kyung-un,
“Worth the wait, then.”
“W-Wait...?”
“You’ve come to fetch me, haven’t you?”
“......”
His eyes narrowed at her words.
She spoke as if she’d known he was coming.
It reminded him of what Command Deputy Inspector Sang Ik-seo of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—who held the Lonesome Widow seal—had said.
[The Hundred Flowers Cultist received a revelation from something called the Holy Fire, granting her foresight of the future.]
That was why she’d been imprisoned in the Infinite Golden Prison all this time.
She could foresee the future.
But according to Sang Ik-seo, she’d lost that ability after incarceration.
They’d tested her repeatedly without warning, and she couldn’t do it at all.
The palace higher-ups and the Emblem organization speculated it was because the Holy Fire Spirit Lord had hidden the Jewel, stripping her foresight.
Yet could she still foresee independently?
Mok Kyung-un asked,
“Did you foresee me coming?”
“I knew someone would come to save me.”
“You foresaw it?”
“Didn’t I say? I already knew you’d come to rescue me... You are here to save me, right?”
Doubt crept into the old woman’s eyes.
His questions made her suspect a ploy by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to deceive her.
Mok Kyung-un shook his head.
“I am here to rescue you. But since you mentioned foresight, I was just curious if it’s really possible.”
“......How am I supposed to believe that?”
“If you won’t believe it, I guess you don’t plan to leave this place.”
She frowned at his words.
“It’s true my fate leads to escape around now, but caution never hurts. My savior must share a profound bond with me. Show me proof.”
“If you can foresee the future, why need proof?”
“Foresight is like finding a path through smoke-filled haze. Reading the path doesn’t reveal every detail.”
“Do you need the Jewel for it?”
Clang!
No sooner had he spoken than the old woman’s face stiffened, and she staggered back.
“......You’re testing me again.”
“Not a test. I’m just wondering if everyone’s real reason for seeking you is your foresight—or something else.”
Frowning, the old woman replied,
“I can’t yet tell if you’re truly here to save me or if this is another Embroidered Uniform Guard trick. Even if you are genuine, dragging this out to sate your curiosity could trap us both here.”
“If you foresaw me coming, shouldn’t you be certain we’ll escape?”
“Even one who reads heaven’s will can’t know every future event. Even with the Holy Fire’s revelation, I don’t know all. I merely interpret the visions with these eyes and seek the righteous path.”
“You’re just speaking in riddles. Fine, I’ll ask straight.”
“What are you—”
“The Hundred Flowers Cult wants to free their Holy Fire Spirit Lord, naturally. But the Heaven-Earth Society’s Lord...”
Creak! Creak!
Mok Kyung-un used his energy to etch something into the bars.
It was an emblem: two verticals bisected by a single horizontal line piercing the center.
The old woman’s eyes widened at the sight.
“...and this Emblem organization also seeks you—or rather, the Jewel. I’m curious why.”
Trembling, she asked,
“......Who are you? How do you even know that emblem...”
Before she could finish—
“Please be quiet for a moment.”
“What?”
Mok Kyung-un turned his head slightly, gazing at the rightmost of the three passages.
From it emerged someone wearing a bamboo hat.
The figure casually removed the hat, revealing none other than Elite Guard Mok Seom.
Mok Seom spoke coldly.
“Other prisoners broke out of their cells, so I rushed here first on a hunch. And look, right on the money.”
“Who are you?”
“That’s my question. How does an Embroidered Uniform Guard trainee end up here? No need to ask—you’re from the Hundred Flowers Cult?”
Shing!
As he spoke, Elite Guard Mok Seom slowly drew his sword.
The moment he did, an overwhelming aura thickened the air, suffocating.
The old woman gasped and collapsed to the floor.
Step-step!
Approaching, Mok Seom said,
“If you don’t want your head rolling, start talking.”
“Is this the Second Division?”
‘!?’
Elite Guard Mok Seom froze at the unexpected question.
What the hell was this guy?
He’d assumed a Hundred Flowers Cultist because of the Holy Fire Spirit Lord’s cell.
But how did he know his division?
“You...”
Swish!
Mok Kyung-un clasped his hands behind his back, exuding a crushing pressure with his aura.
Ruuuumble!
“What should a Second Division member do upon encountering a First Division officer?”
‘What?’
Mok Seom stared at Mok Kyung-un, face rigid.
Only First and Second Division members assigned palace duties—or higher-ups in the organization—knew of the Second Division.
Yet he’d never seen a First Division face.
The only known First Division figure was the Ghost Sword.
He couldn’t confirm if this man was truly one.
He prepared to utter the organization’s secret passphrase.
“Thre—”
Before he could,
Mok Kyung-un cut in.
“No choice, then. Since you won’t show proper respect and keep your head held high, later when you face Him—no, the Third...”
Thwack!
Before he finished—
Elite Guard Mok Seom dropped to one knee, bowed his head, and pressed his hands together in salute.
“This Second Division Mok Seom pays respects to the First Division executive.”
His bowed head trembled.
The mention of the superior’s title left no doubt: this was a high-ranking First Division officer.
Mok Kyung-un approached him.
“Finally showing respect.”
“......My apologies. I hesitated without confirming the passphrase or emblem. Please forgive my caution.”
“No need for forgiveness. Not after falling for it so easily.”
“Fallen... for...”
Slash!
In that instant, Mok Seom—head still bowed—felt searing pain as his salute-forming arms tumbled to the floor.
‘!!!!!!!!’