Chapter 89
Chapter 89
Translator: Penny
Chapter 89
At the Monster's Tail (1)
The martial arts levels of those surrounding the building varied greatly. Some were strong, others weak.
A man I had initially dismissed was now unleashing a tremendous aura, while others remained mere merchants, just as they had appeared at first glance. Despite their weak martial arts, they stood their ground without flinching.
I sensed that this was the power of collective madness—a willingness to die at a moment's command.
Facing these enemies, I felt a long-dormant tension stir within me.
It wasn't their numbers or strength that concerned me. Annihilating them would be no difficult task.
The No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill.
The very thing I thought had vanished from the world had resurfaced. Those using it to expand their organization had emerged. With the Demonic Cult's elixir now in play, the situation had become far more serious than a mere game.
The enemies I'd faced until now had been mere pawns, easily toyed with and sufficient for honing my skills. But now, true adversaries had finally emerged.
What I saw before me was merely the tail, not the body.
Chu Dochi lacked the capacity to build an organization of this scale using the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill.
If this was just the tail, what if it was merely a single whisker?
"You're afraid," Chu Dochi said.
His words sparked a sudden realization.
I had been determined to annihilate them all. The moment I saw the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill, memories of the war against the Demonic Cult flooded back, igniting a fierce hatred.
Eliminating these enemies would be possible with the Immortal Crane Secret Art, and drawing the Asura Radiant King Sword would make their annihilation even easier. Though Chu Dochi seemed formidable, he wasn't beyond my reach.
But I knew I couldn't let things end like this.
I had to uncover the mastermind behind these men.
Yes, I needed to feign fear. Only then would they lower their guard, and only when they lowered their guard would they reveal an opening.
"Hmph! You think so?"
I forced my voice to sound strong, but it trembled. First, I'd try to approach them. If that failed, I'd kill them all.
Adopting a defeated expression, I asked, "Can I take the Heavenly Craft Pill now?"
The No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill was useless to me, thanks to my Invulnerability to All Poisons Constitution. Since the pill was based on poison, my body would simply neutralize it.
Regrettably, I'd also lose the Half-Cycle of cultivation progress it offered. My body's detoxification process would eliminate both the poison and its benefits.
Chu Dochi, believing he had regained the upper hand, regained his composure.
"You should have taken it before killing my subordinates."
"I can work extra to make up for the ones I killed, right?"
"What?"
Sensing a sliver of opportunity in his reaction, I swiftly began to persuade him.
"Introducing a master of my caliber to your superiors would greatly enhance your standing, wouldn't it?"
"Your arrogance is astounding. Do you really think someone like you could impress them? Do we look that easily swayed?"
"If you looked easily swayed, I wouldn't be trying this. Very well, let's speak frankly. I guarantee that killing me would cost the lives of two-thirds of your men. And if I pretended to be insane and focused solely on killing you, even your own life wouldn't be safe."
He couldn't refute that. He had witnessed my skill firsthand when I killed Shim Hwang and his ten subordinates earlier.
"Let's say you kill me. What report would you file with your superiors? 'A madman stormed in, we lost most of our men, but we killed him'? Do you think they'd be pleased?"
Chu Dochi hesitated, his mind torn by the pointed words.
He must have harbored similar concerns. But since the deed was already done, he likely intended to eliminate me first and deal with the consequences later.
Yet he also worried that a clumsy introduction might escalate the situation further.
"I don't want to die in a place like this," I said.
A moment of silence hung in the air. Chu Dochi glared at me, his mind racing, before finally making his decision.
"Remove your conical hat."
I obediently took off the hat and tossed it aside.
I was wearing the mask I'd worn when I killed Yeom Hwa. Having spent a fortune on the highest-quality mask specifically for my activities as The Nameless One, Chu Dochi didn't realize I was wearing it.
Chu Dochi's gaze shifted to the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill lying on the ground.
"Consume the Heavenly Craft Pill."
"As you wish."
Without the slightest hesitation, I swallowed the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill and began to circulate Qi and regulate my breathing.
Sssssss.
The sensation of the pill being absorbed into my body felt remarkably authentic.
Even those who had never taken an Elixir before, or had only taken one or two, would never suspect this was a fake.
But I could clearly sense the unique discomfort that came with consuming a counterfeit Elixir.
Though every trace of the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill had vanished from my body, I feigned delight and exclaimed,
"Oh! It's truly a Heavenly Craft Pill! My internal energy has increased by half a Cycle!"
Chu Dochi then offered me the remaining two No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pills.
"Take these as well."
"Are you serious? There's no reason for you to show me such kindness."
My suspicion prompted his response:
"Since things have come to this, I'll wager my life on you."
After feigning hesitation for a moment, he swallowed the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pills one after another.
Whether he knew exactly what the pills were remained uncertain, but one thing was clear: he recognized them as No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pills.
The reason I forced him to take all three was to avenge the deaths of my subordinates—to condemn him to live only a year. After all, there was no benefit in me living any longer.
This would also make a good excuse to tell my superiors: "The fool has consumed the Elixir. We might as well exploit him for a year and then discard him. A strong pawn is better than a mediocre one."
After swallowing all three pills and completing the First Cycle, Chu Dochi examined my body to verify my internal energy. The internal energy nearing One Cycle was my original level.
He would likely believe that the internal energy I had just gained came from the Elixir. Three of them amounted to one and a half Cycles, and he would assume the rest was my original internal energy, leaving no room for doubt.
Only then did Chu Dochi speak to me.
"The Elixir is laced with poison. Don't even think about trying anything foolish."
"Understood."
My calm acceptance surprised him.
"You're not surprised?"
"I had my suspicions. They wouldn't just hand them out freely."
"You're not as stupid as you look. Follow me."
I followed him out of the room.
The men standing outside parted to make way.
Feeling their undying madness directed at me, I walked behind Chu Dochi.
Inside the speeding carriage, Chu Dochi asked, "They call you a knight-errant in the Martial Arts World, don't they? The Nameless Great Hero."
"It just happened that way. But I hate the term 'knight-errant.'"
"Why?"
"It feels like they're pushing me to do things they can't do themselves. I've always loathed taking losses."
"I heard you even warned the Heavenly Blade Gate that day?"
"Everyone was staring at me with such admiration that I couldn't help but shout something grand. I only had a grudge against The Butcher."
"Heh. A fake Great Hero, then."
"Still, the word 'fake' stings a bit."
Chu Dochi chuckled, and I softened my tone slightly.
"Isn't the difference between a knight-errant and a petty man just a thin sheet of paper? If you spout lofty ideals, you're a knight-errant. If you're honest like me, you're a petty man."
Of course, this was just nonsense meant to portray me as worldly.
Though I spoke dismissively of knight-errants, I deeply respected them. I had striven to live justly my entire life, but that didn't make me a knight-errant. My sense of justice, though requiring tremendous effort, ultimately served my own interests—a justice aimed at satisfying my own sense of fulfillment.
But knight-errants never act for themselves. They are genuinely selfless, sacrificing themselves to aid the weak. This is why becoming a knight-errant is far more difficult than becoming a martial arts master.
The carriage arrived in Zhengzhou, located in the northeastern part of Fangcheng.
Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, was a bustling hub where countless people gathered.
As we entered Zhengzhou, Chu Dochi blindfolded me with a thick cloth.
I focused all my attention on memorizing the carriage's route. I noted its speed, how far it traveled before turning, the feel of the road beneath the wheels, and the sounds around me: the wind, birdsong, and the voices of people nearby. I strained my ears for anything unusual in their conversations.
The carriage door creaked open, and moments later, the vehicle came to a halt. We had entered some kind of building.
"Alright, get out," Chu Dochi said.
Still blindfolded, I followed Chu Dochi as we walked.
As we entered a chamber, the ground beneath our feet began to tremble and descend. A mechanism had been activated.
Whirr...
The smooth descent indicated a mechanism crafted by a master artisan.
We descended quite deeply before the mechanism finally stopped.
This time, we walked down a long corridor.
A palpable killing intent emanated from all directions—not the killing intent of humans, but the cold, mechanical malice of the mechanism itself.
The killing intent emanating from the mechanisms was subtly different from that of humans—artificial yet chillingly cold.
One mechanism, two mechanisms, three mechanisms, four mechanisms.
By the end of the corridor, four mechanisms had been installed.
My ability to sense the mechanisms' killing intent stemmed from my daily exposure to the countless mechanisms within the Alliance Leader's Hall.
Beyond the corridor lined with mechanisms, I walked through a section where the killing intent felt distinctly human.
Masters!
A formidable aura emanated from the rooms on either side of the corridor.
While their exact skill level remained unclear, they seemed to be at least Shim Hwang-level. There were no fewer than eight of them.
But that wasn't all. As I rounded another corner, an overwhelming energy surged from a room on the left—a power unlike anything I had ever sensed before.
If that energy had a physical form, it must belong to an incredibly powerful martial artist.
Across the hall, a similar, yet subtly different, energy emanated from another room. This energy felt more mysterious than powerful.
Just what kind of people are these guys?
When I first followed Chu Dochi, I never imagined I'd encounter anything like this.
Soon, I was led into a room.
Only then did Chu Dochi remove my blindfold. The dim lighting made it easy for my eyes to adjust.
Someone was sitting in a chair ahead.
Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a naked man.
Chu Dochi stared at the man silently.
I also stared at the man. He wasn't the person I was supposed to meet. The naked man was trembling with fear, his eyes wide with terror.
After a moment, the man began to convulse.
"Haaah!"
He gasped for air, struggling to breathe properly. I glanced at Chu Dochi, who merely watched.
The man, his eyes bloodshot and his body writhing in agony, screamed.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
He twisted violently, as if undergoing some unknown trial. It was too late to help him.
Who was he, and why was he suffering such torment?
Suddenly, the man's body froze.
Splat.
Blood gushed from the seven orifices in his face as he died.
As soon as he died, the surroundings brightened. Night-Shining Pearls embedded in the walls emerged, illuminating the chamber. The fact that such a facility was built using these pearls revealed the Master's extraordinary wealth.
A man in his thirties entered through a door different from the one I had used.
He was slightly lean with unremarkable features. His very ordinariness made him extraordinary, as no ordinary person would ever find themselves in this place.
The man ignored Chu Dochi and me, immediately examining the corpse. He rummaged through the body without hesitation, unconcerned about getting blood on his hands and clothes.
"Another failure," he clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment, though his tone remained indifferent.
He glanced at me and gestured for me to approach. Chu Dochi, standing beside me, nodded urgently, urging me to go.
I approached slowly, projecting only a moderate level of Aura while attempting to read his.
His Aura was easily deciphered. He wasn't a master of martial arts, yet he exuded an inexplicable presence that made him feel extraordinary.
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"Your impression of this corpse."
It was utterly wretched.
"I feel nothing."
"Heartless. Then what about your impression of me?"
I stared at him for a moment.
This young man was clearly the one giving orders to Chu Dochi.
Who exactly was he?
"I want to beat you to a pulp."
Chu Dochi roared from behind, "Watch your tongue!"
As I'd predicted, the man showed no anger. Instead, he revealed curiosity.
"So you really are a madman?"
"I'm not crazy."
"Didn't you personally swallow three No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pills? That makes you a madman, doesn't it?"
"No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pills?"
I asked, feigning ignorance, though inwardly I was shocked. I hadn't expected him to mention the pills directly.
The man went a step further.
"You have exactly one year left to live."
I widened my eyes as much as possible, half acting and half genuinely shocked. Why would he reveal such a secret so readily?
"Taking one No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill grants you seven years of life. Two pills give you three years, and three pills leave you with only one year."
I whirled around to glare at Chu Dochi, my gaze murderous.
"Is this true?"
Chu Dochi nodded.
I roared, "I'll kill you before I die!"
The intensity of my murderous intent made Chu Dochi flinch and stumble backward.
At that moment, the man spoke up.
"But I know a way to lift that restriction."
I spun back toward him.
"Is that true?"
"What do you say? Do you want to live?"
"Is that even a question? Of course I want to live!"
This man is a master manipulator.
He revealed everything truthfully, except for one crucial fact:
There is no way to break the effects of the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill.
If such a method existed, the Martial Arts World would already be in the Demonic Cult's grasp.
But hearing such words in this bizarre testing ground, any ordinary person would have no choice but to believe them. Especially someone cornered like me.
He might have fooled others, but he can't fool me.
Very well, if you want to play this game, I'll gladly dance to your tune.
I'll find out how you obtained the No Regrets Demonic Spirit Pill and who's backing you.
"What must I do to live?"
"You'll do as I say."
"Just one word before that. I don't kill anyone who isn't evil. I'd rather die than break that rule."
"What a pity. I kill even those who aren't evil."
He looked at me, smacked his lips as if disappointed, and continued, "But among those I must kill, there are plenty of evil ones."
"Who exactly are you?"
The man grinned and revealed his identity. A name I never expected to hear.
"I'm Ma Lingyin."
I never imagined I'd meet Ma Bonggi's successor here.
Why is this bastard here?
Ma Lingyin wasn't the man I'd heard rumors about. He was far darker and more sinister.
I could sense it instinctively.
I had just caught the monster's tail.