Chapter 249
Chapter 249
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 249
Chapter Title: Heaven Realm
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Heaven Realm
The Sword Demon and I headed first to the location where the Black Night Sect's secret techniques and manuals were hidden. Sure enough, the information that Black Demon had staked his life on was true. There were manuals containing the Black Night Divine Art, Black Moon Palm, Black Moon Swordsmanship, and more. The moment I saw the names of the martial arts, I muttered in disbelief.
"They're all prefixed with 'Black Moon.' It's surprising enough that an assassin sect even has proper martial arts manuals..."
The common perception was that assassins were a low-class occupation with weak martial arts. Among assassins available for hire in the martial world, those exceeding first-class level were extremely rare. For an assassin sect to have formal manuals and peak or absolute experts was the truly strange thing.
"It's not that surprising. From what I know, the Black Night Sect used to be a proper sect that secluded itself to cultivate martial arts. It only degenerated into an assassination outfit at some point."
"Hmm."
"That's why Black Demon's skills were fairly high among the Eight Demons."
The Sword Demon, resolving my doubts, continued.
"These arts are worth collecting. Make sure you remember this location well."
"Yes."
If the Sword Demon deemed them worth keeping, the Black Night Sect must have originally been a renowned martial house. I committed the place to memory. That way, if I ever came back, I could retrieve the Black Night Sect's manuals.
After that, we took Black Demon's seal and went to the grand vault. It held glittering gold bars he'd amassed, along with all sorts of house deeds and land documents. We successfully extracted assets worth at least thousands of taels of silver, and the Sword Demon said.
"The gold bars are one thing, but what about the house and land deeds?"
"What do you think, Sect Leader?"
"I'd prefer to convert everything to gold and take it to Goryeo. But I asked because you might have a use for them."
"Hmm..."
I pondered for a moment, then replied.
"Black Demon wouldn't have bought them for no reason. Maybe we should look into their origins."
"You think they're not for land speculation but necessary for running an assassin sect?"
"Possibly."
"You're right. That cunning bastard wouldn't buy land just to make money. We'll look into it."
The Sword Demon nodded in agreement.
"Depending on what you decide to do next, the rest could become assets too."
"You're talking about the fledgling assassins."
The Black Night Sect raised orphans aged 10 to 15 as assassins in preparation for when current ones retired or died. Black Demon had told us the training site's location before dying.
"Exactly. Righteous folk morally shun assassins, but having ones who could become combat strength in a few years is a huge gain."
"..."
The Sword Demon was subtly asking if I wanted to take over the assassin sect. Since we knew the fledgling assassins' training camp location, we just needed to eliminate or recruit the instructors there. After some thought, I said.
"No. I'd rather free them from their yoke."
"Really? You have no reason to show mercy to those fledglings... Even if you use them as assassins or expendables, they won't even think to resent you."
The Sword Demon spoke the truth. Orphans raised as assassins their whole lives had their futures mortgaged; they simply obeyed orders from above. But I shook my head firmly.
"The enemies I'll face going forward won't be swayed by assassin skills anyway. No reason to toy with their lives lightly."
"If you're that set on it, we'll wrap it up today."
"Yes."
Flash!
We went to the fledgling assassins' training camp. We found the instructors training them, subdued them in one exchange, and declared.
"Bloodless Sword. Black Demon is dead."
"..."
At the Sword Demon's words, the assassin instructor Bloodless Sword clamped his jaw shut. As a first-class assassin, he didn't leap to joy or despair rashly. The Sword Demon showed him Black Demon's seal, then continued.
"I could kill you without question, but I'll spare you for now. Within a quarter hour, gather all the fledglings here."
"How can we trust you aren't here to slaughter us?"
The Sword Demon snorted.
"Ridiculous. Do you know who I am?"
"Who are you?"
"I am the Sword Demon, Ximen Dalong."
"...!!"
"Black Demon couldn't even last ten exchanges against me. On my name, I won't kill you, so quit stalling and gather them."
Bloodless Sword stared at the Sword Demon in disbelief, but when he sliced ten trees at once with his Demon Subduing Sword, his jaw dropped. He'd witnessed the supreme demonic expert's prowess beyond imagination. Grasping the situation, Bloodless Sword dashed off somewhere.
Soon after, he returned with all the fledgling assassins. This remote mountain area had them living in huts scattered about. Not just fledglings, but two or three instructor-level assassins came too.
The Sword Demon Ximen Dalong declared.
"The Black Night Sect is finished. You are Black Demon's legacy, so I'll take custody."
The instructor assassins exchanged glances. Then Bloodless Sword stepped forward as representative.
"Shall we continue their training as is?"
"No need. From today, you're Shadowless Sect affiliates and will relearn martial arts from scratch."
"...!!"
"I'll warn you: any who don't conduct themselves as proper Shadowless Sect disciples will be executed on the spot. Raise your hands if you're prepared."
The instructors and fledglings exchanged looks. After a moment, they all raised hands. The Sword Demon had already created an irresistible atmosphere. Securing consent through pressure, he smiled satisfied.
"Good."
I stored them all in my neck pouch. Then to Sword Demon Ximen Dalong, I said.
"We've gained 26 new disciples."
"Perfect timing. We were short on underlings for odd jobs. In the Central Plains, I had subordinate sects, but in Goryeo, it feels conspicuous..."
Muttering that, the Sword Demon said.
"Now let's thoroughly investigate Black Demon's assets."
Over the next few days, the Sword Demon and I toured vaults across the region to assess Black Demon's wealth. The fields and buildings he owned were vast, rivaling a city's top magnate. We also uncovered his suspicious intentions—or lack thereof.
The Sword Demon said incredulously.
"This mad bastard... He lived just for the thrill of hoarding money!"
"..."
"He even bought a prince's estate?"
Indeed.
There was no grand scheme. Black Demon simply hoarded assassination earnings like treasures or snapped up buildings. Watching his wealth grow daily must have been his hobby. Even purchasing a massive garden from an imperial prince kin outright screamed money-burning folly.
Unable to comprehend, I said.
"Does assassination pay that well?"
"Black Demon was the Central Plains' top assassin, and Black Night Sect the premier contractor. Jobs poured in nonstop from righteous and demonic alike—odd if they didn't rake it in. Their fees were exorbitant too."
"Hmm..."
"A commoner hiring Black Night Sect would go bankrupt."
Suddenly, I recalled the village chief hiring them to kill me back then. I'd been too resentful of dying unjustly to think much, but even a local tyrant like him needed a fortune for one hit.
Curious, I asked the Sword Demon.
"Is Black Demon truly the Central Plains' greatest assassin?"
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
"Just curious..."
"Ah, you're wondering if he's the limit of what an assassin can be."
The Sword Demon chuckled.
"Of course not. No way Black Demon is the top killer in the martial world."
"Yes?"
"There's a rumor floating secretly: an ultimate assassin has reached the 'No-Kill' realm, from a one-man lineage sect. Some once thought it was Black Demon, but he's far from it."
"'No-Kill'? You mean he doesn't kill? That's not an assassin..."
"Not quite. It means appearing to kill nothing, yet able to slay all life—the Death God's realm. It's inverting 'anything alive can be killed.'"
The No-Kill realm!
The mere phrase piqued intense curiosity. Not fully grasping, I asked.
"That sounds like a pipe dream. Does such an assassin really exist?"
"I believe so."
Arms crossed, the Sword Demon continued.
"...Because my sect's founder recorded encountering that Death God."
"...!!"
"That being moves solely by its principles, assassinating for grand justice. No absolute expert can survive its hand, they say."
Incredible.
A legendary assassin rivaling the Grim Reaper truly existed?
As I gaped, the Sword Demon smirked.
"Well, it was three generations ago, so maybe it vanished or the lineage ended. What's certain: stay on the path of righteousness, and you'll never be its target."
"I see."
"Enough chatter. Time to return to the Central Plains. Can't liquidate this much overnight."
A thought flashed then.
'Was the reason Shadowless Sect avoided heinous acts despite being demonic... because of that No-Kill Death God?'
The more atrocities, the likelier to become its target.
In other words, live righteously, and you're safe.
The Sword Demon believing in it might mean that. But not something to ask directly, so I kept it to myself.
Needing funds to feed 26 right away, we sold five buildings, converted to gold bars, and returned to Goryeo. We held an initiation rite for the instructor and fledgling assassins as new Shadowless Sect disciples, then converted their internal energy to our sect's. Conversion wasn't great, but assassin arts had limits anyway—long-term, it'd benefit them.
With that done, Shadowless Sect felt instantly larger. Our weakness—few elite experts— was fixed by these recruits.
After about seven days reorganizing, the Sword Demon said.
"Then off you go."
"Understood."
"If trouble arises, escape immediately."
"..."
Not sure that's possible.
I muttered bitterly inside. I might die here.
But it had to be done, so I headed to the Central Plains.
Flash!
Arriving near Mount Tai's Seven Deaths Village, I went straight to the village chief. It was still full of healthy folk dressed like beggarly outcasts. I showed the black token to the chief outright.
"Here. I brought the token."
"Ooh... Ooooh...!!"
The staff-wielding chief startled. Then he looked around at villagers and shouted.
"Everyone... a divine guest has arrived!! Gather to greet him."
"Ooh...!!"
The ragged villagers swarmed, young and old, men and women, dancing a bizarre synchronized routine, clapping in unison. Eerily peculiar.
"Hup~ Hup~ Hup~"
Clap
"Ah~ sa~ Ah~ sa~"
Trapped in their circle, I watched silently. Once just comical, knowing each was a beastman and this their ritual made laughter impossible.
Then a strange sensation hit.
"#*@&*%~~ #&%^**~~ @$^&@&~~"
"...?"
Something off. Their "hup hup ah sa" now sounded [different]. At first incomprehensible gibberish, then mixed with clear meaning.
We offer
We offer
Our god
Great one, receive our tribute
The chant grew clearer. I realized the Seven Deaths villagers' dance song was monstrous tongue. They wove it slyly into human speech via vibrations undetectable to normals.
Dance ended, the chief said.
"Divine guest. We don't care where or from whom you got the token... You have it, so we'll guide you to the god with all we have..."
I eyed the white tree impassively.
"Under that tree, then."
"Gasp... How...?!!"
Murmurs
Villagers panicked. Staring steadily, I said.
"Before meeting [Him], one question."
"..."
"If I free you from fate's yoke, what will you give in return?"
Villagers gasped. I clearly knew their secrets in detail. The hale chief now trembled like an aspen.
"Y-You... Who are you? Are you the [Great One]?"
"No. I'm human. With special powers, that's all."
Replying thus, I said.
"I'll ask again. If I liberate your fate, what will you do for me?"
"..."
Murmurs
They muttered in gibberish. I couldn't yet decipher it fully, just heard the buzz. They clustered, debating fiercely. After a quarter hour, the chief stepped forward.
"We'll serve you as soul master. Obey lifelong, and reveal our tribe's greatest secret."
"Good. Never forget those words."
Flash!
Under the white tree, heaven and earth shook.
Soon space warped; I was in a bizarre otherworld. Vast dense forest spanned dozens of zhang, unknown demonic beasts flitting about.
This was Dark Heaven Fragrance.
I'd been here before, so calmly proceeded. No need for beast guides; I knew [His] path.
Rumble...
Something immense was sealed. A black bat-winged tentacle mass, body dozens of zhang, sprawled in a huge ravine's center.
The tentacle blob sported countless breast-like protrusions. On them, faceless bats suckled like infants.
Facing it again, past terror yielded to familiarity. Second meeting, pressure lessened.
It seemed to gaze, then spoke.
[You sensed and came without my call? You're an intriguing one.]
Curiosity laced its tone. I bowed politely, replying mentally.
[Ancient Ruler. I come to borrow your power in Dark Heaven Fragrance.]
[Speak... With my Reversal Authority... life to death... death to life... I grant one right... None can evade this power...]
[That is...]
I started mentally, paused, asked.
[One question first.]
[Speak...]
[Can your power plunge a being called malevolent god into death?]
[...]
It flapped bat wings, then said.
[Different matter... Ruler of Lr Lüe... direct chaos offspring... primordial transcendent beyond life and death... Applying Reversal to it defies law.]
[Thank you for answering.]
As I replied, it spoke amusedly.
[Challenging transcendents as a Seven Calamity? Intriguing...]
It read my mind. Fitting [Ancient Ruler] superpower.
[Impossible?]
[Possible...]
Affirmative, yet uneasy. Shaking head, I said.
[Revive a human named Zhuge Sa.]
[Done...]
Tentacles writhed from its body, touching void. Smoky essence flowed out. It blew it away somewhere.
[Revived...]
[Thank you. One more request?]
Fearless, I asked flatly. It paused surprised, then.
[Speak...]
[Free your servant race from the yoke. They don't fit the human world.]
[Simple enough...]
Finally, it spoke laughingly.
[Come anytime you wish...]
Flash!!
Soon I was back in Seven Deaths Village.
Frowning.
"Damn it!"
Corpses everywhere.
All beastmen reverted to essence, dead. Undoubtedly the villagers, slain by Ancient Ruler's power.
'Did "free from yoke" mean kill them?'
Death as liberation from life's chains, its interpretation.
'So damn arbitrary... That's a god for you.'
Seemed benevolent to me, but [Ancient Ruler] was chaos incarnate, terrifying.
I buried the beastmen, returned to Central Plains.
Hearing my report, Sword Demon nodded.
"Then let's go. Time to meet revived Zhuge Sa."
Yes.
Ancient Ruler's power: Reversal!
Turn living to dead, dead to living.
I'd considered resurrection use before, now truly testing it.