Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Subduing Demons Hall
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Hiding near the village with Mangnyang wasn't particularly difficult.
Hum.
"No enemies in sight."
I spread out my qi sense widely to detect any foes or powerful auras. Thanks to my immense internal energy, I could expand the range without issue, even sensing a small animal moving eighty paces away for a brief moment. At the very least, we hadn't spotted any ambushes up until we'd approached within about ten paces of the village.
From this position, I could see the village entrance marker stone. Fixing my gaze on it, Mangnyang was tearing open his bundle of goods.
"So, no ambushes from the Embroidered Uniform Guards or their warriors."
He kept about a pace's distance from me, following slowly only after I signaled it was safe, and now he was hidden in the brush.
"That's right. If there's a martial artist who could hide their presence from my senses, there's not much I could do about it anyway. That kind of person would be at the pinnacle of the martial world."
"Hmm... The fact that we made it this far without encountering any means either the operation has already begun, or there isn't one at all."
Mangnyang pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Just to be safe, why don't you scout a bit more around here? I'll prepare in the meantime."
"You're unarmed—will you be okay?"
"Don't worry. If worst comes to worst, I can slip away with my life."
"Got it. I'll circle about five li radius and come back."
Swoosh!
I darted swiftly through the brush with agile movements, surveying the village area. I'd scouted around here before with Hyeoncheon Daoist, so the terrain wasn't unfamiliar. Though it had been years, wandering around brought those memories flooding back vividly. I even rediscovered the secret passage well we'd infiltrated through with him, which was a pleasant surprise.
After about the time it takes to eat a meal, I'd nimbly covered the area, but my qi sense and senses picked up nothing unusual. Satisfied, I returned to Mangnyang. He was measuring out poison and dividing it into other bottles.
"I'm focused here—give me a moment."
A short while later, Mangnyang handed me a bottle. Then he said,
"How was it? Definitely no enemies?"
"I think it's clear for now. The Embroidered Uniform Guards always move in tight-knit squads and set up secret bases one by one. I didn't find any around here, and there were no signs of human activity."
"If Baek Woong says so, then it's certain. Let's assume they haven't started their 'plan' yet."
"But what's this bottle for? Why split the poison water into two?"
Mangnyang pointed at my bottle with his index finger and said,
"Use that one when you really need to subdue the village. I have separate plans for this one."
"What plans?"
"Let's check the village situation first. We can talk after that."
I headed with Mangnyang to the secret passage well behind the village. Rather than entering through the main gate, I figured infiltrating via the secret passage was safer. Seeing it, Mangnyang remarked in wonder,
"This is something. The scholar-official who built this must have amassed a fortune. The owner of this secret passage is probably the village's biggest landlord."
"Not necessarily, right?"
"No. This village is quite a distance from the river, so building a secret passage like this in secret requires enormous wealth. Think about the costs for secrecy and sourcing materials—your spine would ache from it. It's almost certainly him."
"Hmm."
When I'd first infiltrated, I hadn't thought much of it, but it was the secret passage of some major power player? After walking a bit, we reached the ladder at the passage's exit. I climbed up cautiously and used auscultation to probe for outside sounds and presences.
Hum.
My qi sense picked up human activity. Someone untrained in martial arts was bustling about, boiling and preparing something. The hurried footsteps confirmed it. Considering this used to be a kitchen, it was probably a servant employed by the estate. I glanced at Mangnyang and said,
"Not a mad believer. Seems like an ordinary servant making dinner."
Mangnyang let out a sigh of relief.
"I see. So the village hasn't been taken over by the Embroidered Uniform Guards yet."
"What do you plan to do? Should we acupoint the servant and sneak in?"
Mangnyang shook his head.
"No. That would just stir up trouble. Let's go back and approach the village openly."
As Mangnyang said, I exited the secret passage and donned the human skin mask he'd prepared. It wasn't a perfect disguise, but it was enough as we walked right into the village from the front.
No one seemed suspicious of us in the early evening; we looked just like travelers. The villagers were dressed as farmers, with merchants here and there. Deeper in, there were bustling buildings and halls.
"Just an ordinary village. They produce copper and bronze iron around here, so maybe that's why it's a bit prosperous?"
Mangnyang assessed as he looked around.
'I ran through these streets back then, slaughtering mad believers and sneaking about.'
A bit further in, we reached what seemed like the village square, and the tall hall where I'd lain in wait with Hyeoncheon Daoist for an assassination chance appeared. I gazed at it with a touch of nostalgia, yet felt a profound dissonance knowing such horrific and utterly depraved atrocities had occurred there.
I saw young children laughing and running about.
"Kyahaha!"
"Hey, stop right there!!"
They seemed to be playing tag. Nearby, a peddler was hawking clothes with loud shouts.
"Come on, cheap! Cheap! Cotton clothes! Cotton clothes for sale!"
"Quality farming tools here! Grab one while you can!"
Chatter filled the air.
"......"
The noisiness of the central street left me dazed, and I halted abruptly. Mangnyang, ahead of me, noticed and turned back.
"Baek Woong? What's wrong?"
"That person over there."
Mangnyang followed my gaze to the first floor of a tavern selling liquor. There sat a middle-aged man, leisurely gnawing on a chicken leg that looked like it'd come from the kitchen, scratching his belly.
"What's with him?"
I knew his face, so my voice trembled slightly as I said,
"...N-nothing."
"Hmm, whatever. Looks boring."
I couldn't bring myself to say it.
"......"
It was from when I'd infiltrated the village with Hyeoncheon Daoist in the past. In a back alley, I'd seen something gnawing on human flesh, so I'd kicked its gut open, spilling entrails, then crushed its head with Brain Cloud Palm to silence it before it could scream.
That was the very middle-aged man now eating the chicken leg.
Though years had passed, the memory was so vivid I remembered his face. Back then, I'd thought mad believers weren't human and smashed heads without hesitation. Now, confronting the man himself...
A surge of emotion welled up. No matter how I looked at him, he was just an ordinary person, buried in the village's daily life, yet he'd met such a miserable end simply because he was a target of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the sorcerers.
Swish.
Then a woman passed by my side. I involuntarily let out a groan.
"Ah."
She wasn't strikingly beautiful or ugly, but I remembered her clearly. She'd been dragged to the altar as a sacrifice for the human offering, her dazed eyes nearly seeing her heart ripped out by the sorcerer's blade.
A sticky smell wafted through my nose.
The scent of blood brushed past like a hallucination.
'Ugh...'
In the middle of the square, I could almost smell the gore from back then. The hallucinatory stench tormented my mind. The blood-soaked altar in the square overlapped with the peaceful, bustling square before my eyes.
I'd once glimpsed the [outcome] where everyone here fell into unbearable despair and madness, ultimately dying to the last. No—if I didn't stop it, it would surely happen.
Why?
Why must everyone here die?
An urgent question I'd never considered back then rose in my mind. Along with it came the face of Ryu Cheon-ho, laughing heartily about the 20 gold nyang and salary for the mission. No matter how I thought about it, those two scenes didn't mesh.
Seeing the faces of those who would become victims firsthand affected me deeply. I no longer had the strength to walk and staggered to sit under a tree. Mangnyang approached with concern and sat beside me.
"What's wrong? Did you overexert yourself scouting earlier?"
"N-no, it's not that. Just leave me alone for a bit."
"Hmm."
I crossed my arms, head bowed in thought. I'd thought I'd steeled myself and sorted my mind before coming, but being here changed everything.
'Damn it...'
Only now did I realize the events back then had left a far greater mental scar than I'd thought. Until now, the grudges in my life amounted to abuse from the village chief's family and rotten peers, plus the hardships as an escort warrior. This was a sudden confrontation with horrifying misfortune.
That's when a passing girl spoke to me.
"Hey, why do you look so down?"
I glanced up. She was a girl in her early to mid-teens, dressed plainly. Pretty enough that she'd likely grow into a beauty. I was startled by her casual tone—unfamiliar since I wasn't used to it—but then realized my current appearance made me about her age.
Mangnyang, grinning like it was amusing, chimed in from the side.
"This guy's head suddenly started hurting~ That's why he's making that constipated face."
What the hell was this guy saying?
I glared at Mangnyang, and he turned away. Knowing he was a bundle of mischief, I wasn't really mad. The girl, who'd been peering at my face, smiled brightly and handed me what she held.
"Hey! Eat this!"
"Huh?"
"It'll cure all your aches, got it?"
She gave me a wooden skewer with chicken on it and scampered off. It looked like street food from a nearby stall. As I dumbly watched her go, Mangnyang burst out laughing.
"Puhaha... Looks tasty. A bit undercooked, maybe?"
"......"
"I mean the meat, the meat."
I ignored Mangnyang's joke, ears burning, and stared down at the chicken skewer.
Then I said,
"Mangnyang."
"Yeah? Feeling better?"
I took a bite of the chicken skewer and asked,
"You're risking death if this plan fails—why follow me?"
"Too late to ask that now. Should've said it sooner."
Mangnyang smirked and said,
"I'm just following what my heart tells me is right. If I die, I die—what's there to nitpick? Living like I'm dead, breaking my own will and convictions, leaves nothing behind. That's why I came with you."
He probably wouldn't resent me even if tortured gruesomely to death here. He'd chosen to come of his own will.
"I see."
I felt I understood why I subconsciously trusted Mangnyang. His mindset and way of life were enviable to me, repeating reincarnations. I too wanted to charge forward without hesitation or burden.
Following the direction my heart pointed.
Wasn't that exactly why the Heavenly Dark Secret Book gave me regression powers?
"But why ask now? Puffing up your shoulders won't work."
I smirked back.
My heart finally felt lighter.
"I have to give it my all too."
I absolutely wouldn't fail. I'd definitely prevent the massacre from the enemy's hands.
Until now, it had just been to soothe my conscience, but now I had firm resolve. Even if it meant fighting the Embroidered Uniform Guards my whole life in this reincarnation, I wouldn't yield—a conviction bordering on belief.
Mangnyang and I headed straight for the village's largest estate. Judging by location, it was the one with the secret passage. As Mangnyang guessed, it belonged to the biggest local power; four gatekeepers stood at the main gate, all seemingly well-trained in martial arts. One even emanated the aura of a first-class expert.
Mangnyang eyed the estate from afar and said,
"This is enough recon. Let's find an inn."
"Got it."
In my mind flashed the memory of first hearing the operation plan in Mangnyang's hut.
"Now I'll explain my plan properly."
"I'm all ears."
"You suggested lurking in the village, securing or killing the sorcerer. But that's not good. Even if successful, the Embroidered Uniform Guards will hunt you to the ends of the continent, ganging up on you. Living on the run forever isn't ideal."
"Just don't get caught."
Mangnyang gave a wry smile.
"The Embroidered Uniform Guards aren't that sloppy. Since we're doing this, we need to annihilate them completely, leaving no loose ends. Remember, we're facing the continent's top killers, trained as murder weapons and fully backed by the imperial court."
"Umm. But eliminating the sorcerer stops the court's human sacrifice plan, right?"
"Don't interpret it too favorably. If they've deciphered the Nameless Sacrificial Text, won't they eventually try the ritual on their own without a sorcerer?"
Mangnyang gazed at the sky briefly and said,
"Since we're at it, let's not just take out the sorcerer—wipe out the Embroidered Uniform Guards too. With the sorcerer missing and the squad annihilated or kidnapped, the plan could be exposed anytime... That alone could break the court's will. Fewer repercussions too."
Break the court's will!
Mangnyang continued calmly after dropping that bombshell.
"If Master had joined, your plan would've worked, but since not, we go with Plan B."
"Plan B?"
"Lightning war. And annihilation. Seize control so fast they can't pursue even if they want to. We must assume we'll definitely wipe out the arriving Embroidered Uniform Guard squad."
"...Even if possible, how?"
"Simple. Burn the village. The moment the Embroidered Uniform Guards or sorcerer appear!"
Set it ablaze!
Mangnyang continued with his absurd arson scheme.
"I'll handle the fire. I can time it to encircle the village perfectly. The surrounding woods will burn plenty. While they're panicking, Hyeoncheon Daoist secures the sorcerer, and you exterminate the squad."
I didn't even question being told to wipe out a squad alone—it was too ridiculous. The prerequisite arson itself was insane.
"No, if we set fire, everyone burns! What are you saying?"
"I can turn that blazing battlefield into absolutely favorable terrain. Neither we nor the villagers will be harmed."
"Is it some formation escape art?"
"Among other things. I'll explain when we get there."
After I hid info about the Embroidered Uniform Guards, Mangnyang had watched me a bit. Knowing that, I didn't press then. He was undoubtedly a genius superior in knowledge and wisdom, so I decided to trust him.
And now we'd reached this point.
To hear about Mangnyang's 'ability,' I glanced at him slyly. Catching on, he subtly drew his folding fan.
"This Five Fires Seven Birds Fan lets me control flames' influence and direction. I can even prevent spread. In a flame zone, wielding this will support you reliably."
"......!!"
An outrageous ability. Controlling flames transcended human limits. Martial arts handling flame or scorching energies were powerful, but none matched manipulating village-scale fires like Mangnyang's fan. You'd need immortal-level skill for that with martial arts.
I didn't doubt the fan's power. If it were false, Mangnyang wouldn't have come risking his life. Instead, I asked,
"Now tell me. It seems like a treasure enabling that power—how'd you get it? And what's your relation to Mangnyang Monk?"
"Whew... Guess I have to tell you."
Mangnyang sighed and perched on a tree stump. Then he said,
"Mangnyang Monk, the Orthodoxy Sects' top sorcerer—is my master. He said he couldn't teach me anymore and kicked me out."
"......!!"
"The reason's obvious: despite my knowledge, I lack supernatural powers. Judging I couldn't achieve great success as a sorcerer, Master stopped teaching. I was already sidelined in the observatory by blood kin, so I thought 'fine' and retired to the countryside."
His past was complicated.
Born son of an observatory family, he'd studied astronomy and sorcery under Mangnyang Monk. But despite scholarly brilliance, he lacked sorcery talent. Thus, he'd quit the observatory and lived in Jinrang Valley, trading on his master's name.
Amazed, I said,
"Wait, you're close enough to call on Master for help, and you have his treasure, the Five Fires Seven Birds Fan—yet he cast you out like excommunication?"
"We don't hate each other. But to pass supreme sorcery, you need talent over the incompetent. Human relations and master-disciple ones are distinct."
He snapped open the fan and said,
"Master gave me this apologetically. He still helps periodically. That's enough for me."
"So... the real Mangnyang Monk has another disciple?"
"Yes. One incomparable to me in sorcery."
Mangnyang murmured wistfully and continued,
"To properly use the Five Fires Seven Birds Fan as a near-incompetent, I need to set up formation arrays everywhere in the village. Let's use the remaining time for that."
I hurriedly said,
"Wait. You skipped something important."
"What?"
"Even with your flames helping, handling a full Embroidered Uniform Guard squad alone is tough. Four or five of them can match Hyeoncheon Daoist—even ten is..."
Mangnyang patted my shoulder.
"You tend to overestimate enemies sometimes."
"Huh?"
"You can win. And you're not alone. Trust me."
He gave no further strategy and began secretly setting up formation markers around the village for the fan. They were just light markers, unlikely to arouse suspicion.
"......"
What now?
The next day, I explained the full plan to Hyeoncheon Daoist at the observatory and asked him to lurk in the village with me. He nodded readily.
"Don't worry! I visit that village often, so no one will suspect. Excellent plan, by the way. We can finish before reinforcements arrive."
"Reinforcements?"
"I requested aid from headquarters yesterday. Within seven days, Wudang's main sect disciples will arrive to help. No doubts about their skill."
"I see. Thank you."
"Mangnyang Monk's words are trustworthy. I'll do my utmost for justice."
Hyeoncheon Daoist's participation was a huge boost. He'd leveraged his position to secure Wudang support. With their experts arriving, things would get much easier.
'Did Mangnyang plan for this too?'
He'd factored in Wudang joining when pulling in Hyeoncheon Daoist.
Until preparations finished, I monitored near the village with Hyeoncheon Daoist, detecting any Embroidered Uniform Guards or sorcerers. Given the timing, they'd surely scout soon.
In spare time, I cultivated internal energy and integrated my martial arts. Hyeoncheon Daoist occasionally checked my sword forms, so I felt slight progress.
And the day of the decisive battle dawned.