Chapter 70 - The Reason for Saving the Haomen Lord
It was an utterly ordinary brazier.
Small enough to wrap in one's arms, its surface bore only the dull sheen peculiar to aged iron.
And yet Jin Muhon stared at it fixedly for a long while.
"This thing..."
A strange pull tugged at him.
As if something were calling to him.
On a whim, Jin Muhon circulated the Fate Soul Heaven Sacrificing Scripture and reached out toward the brazier.
Woooong—
The moment his fingertips touched it, the brazier trembled faintly.
The white ashes piled inside shifted to a faint reddish hue.
And soon,
a single red bead floated lightly into the air.
"......?"
Jin Muhon's gaze slowly followed the red bead.
"Blood Jade..."
Its eerie appearance and aura.
It resembled the bead he'd received from the old woman in Poison Dragon Valley.
Jin Muhon watched the Blood Jade silently.
The bead hovering before his eyes pulsed with red energy, rippling as if alive.
Suddenly, an unnatural silence blanketed the surroundings.
Jin Muhon turned his head.
Ak Manho stood with eyes wide, Gwak Woong pointed with a raised hand, and even the ronin and bandits carrying corpses had frozen like statues.
[Cough! Cough!]
Then, a raspy cough echoed from behind.
Jin Muhon faced forward.
"......"
An old man now sat upon the empty dais.
His bearing was dignified, yet his eyes gleamed with a hint of madness.
A face Jin Muhon remembered well.
"Dan Ri-ye?"
At Jin Muhon's question, the old man slowly raised his head.
[You rude bastard. Calling my name so casually. Who are you?]
This was only the second time he'd witnessed such a sight, but it remained astonishing.
A lingering obsession conversing as if it possessed a soul of its own.
Jin Muhon smirked and opened his mouth.
"I'm Jin Muhon."
[Jin Muhon? Hmm... Never heard of you. If you summoned me, you're one of two things: you've acquired the Blood Flower, or you're that bastard. Which is it?]
That bastard.
The remnant Jin Muhon met in Poison Dragon Valley had spoken of departing to hunt the evil spirit his master unleashed upon the world.
Judging by this remnant's face, it seemed over fifty years had passed since then.
At the time he'd left this second remnant, Dan Ri-ye still hadn't caught the evil spirit.
"I've acquired the Blood Flower."
[Oh! Really? So the Blood Flower bloomed after all? Fascinating. My junior sister would have loved to see it.]
A flicker of regret crossed Dan Ri-ye's face.
Brief as it was, a torrent of emotions and the weight of years flowed into Jin Muhon's heart.
[Cough! Cough! The Blood Flower... it must have been truly beautiful. A flower fed on so much blood. The uglier the soul within, the more beautiful the exterior. What do you think? Am I beautiful?]
"......"
Come to think of it, he hadn't truly conversed with Dan Ri-ye in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. As one of the Four Emperors, Dan Ri-ye had gone straight to a private audience with the cult leader.
But speaking with this aged version now, it seemed time hadn't cured his childlike madness.
"Still haven't caught that bastard?"
Jin Muhon asked, and Dan Ri-ye shook his head lightly.
[No ordinary cunning fiend. He knew I was hunting him and hid deep. I've wandered over fifty years searching. Burned away my flower of youth. Ah... if not for him, I'd be holding rabbit-like grandchildren by now...]
Dan Ri-ye grumbled and coughed endlessly.
Meeting the lingering memory of the dead was novel, but listening made Jin Muhon pity the reason for it.
"Any leads?"
[Leads?]
Dan Ri-ye clamped his mouth shut, then his eyes flashed as he let out a sinister heh heh.
The gaze was so chilling even Jin Muhon nearly stepped back.
[I've uncovered plenty. Or maybe not enough. That bastard wasn't unleashed by my master. Truth is, he twisted my master into that state. Devoured souls through him—ate and ate and ate some more. Grew fat that way. Before my master, before that, before that, and before that too. Always. What do you say? One hell of a son of a bitch, right?]
"......"
Whether by intent in leaving the remnant or sheer excitement, Dan Ri-ye poured words like a waterfall, ignoring Jin Muhon's silence.
[Then I ruined his plans. But that leech didn't give up. Lurked for over fifty years, waiting for me to croak. Cunning bastard. Time's short. Must move fast. But damn, what a hassle. Old age makes everything a chore. Cough! Cough!]
Jin Muhon furrowed his brow slightly and spoke.
"...Any traces leading to the Demonic Cult?"
Over a decade ago, why Dan Ri-ye sought the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
Wondering if it tied to the evil spirit, Jin Muhon voiced his suspicion.
Sure enough, Dan Ri-ye nodded at once.
[Oh! How'd you know? Took me fifty years to figure it out.]
"Planning to head to the Demonic Cult now?"
[Damn right. No time left. Must catch him before I go. So my departed senior brothers can rest easy. Cough!]
Come to think of it, the raspy coughs and his emphasis on time running out.
Having passed the Fate Soul Heaven Sacrificing Scripture to his juniors, Jin Muhon grew more curious about Dan Ri-ye's condition than the spirit.
"How much time left?"
[Hmm. Who knows. A year? Two at most?]
"Because of the ghost energy...?"
Refined or not, ghost energy came from the dead.
Harboring it in one's body without side effects would be the real marvel.
But Dan Ri-ye stared at Jin Muhon with bafflement.
[What nonsense. My time's up has nothing to do with ghost energy.]
"Then?"
Dan Ri-ye let out a long sigh.
[Sigh... Over fifty years of steady tobacco smoking. Cough! Cough! Damn. Should've quit sooner.]
"......"
[Cough! Cough! Cough!]
So.
One of the Four Emperors, whom even the Heavenly Demon avoided, was dying from tobacco?
Jin Muhon was so dumbfounded he was speechless.
"...Why not shed your mortal shell and transcend?"
Dan Ri-ye chuckled.
[You fool. Transcendence isn't like calling your dog. Can't just do it on a whim. Heh, you're as mad as I was.]
"......"
[Want to live long? Don't smoke. No matter your inner energy, lungs rot anyway.]
Jin Muhon started to reply, then quietly closed his mouth.
Serious yet playful in all things.
Dan Ri-ye was an utterly inscrutable man.
[Well, I've passed good advice to this junior, so I'll take my leave. Live long and prosper... Ah, almost forgot. Old folks gotta die.]
Dan Ri-ye stared piercingly at Jin Muhon.
The playfulness vanished from his eyes, replaced by a chilling aura.
[You've had the Blood Flower a while, so you're versed in soul manipulation by now?]
"Something like that."
[Good. I'll pass a portion of my power to you. Use it well. That's why I waited for you.]
Jin Muhon narrowed his eyes.
He'd already mastered Point Soul from the incantation in Poison Dragon Valley.
So a new power held no suspicion.
But why would a man like Dan Ri-ye bestow it on an unknown like him? That didn't add up easily.
Tsssseee—
"......!"
In that momentary distraction.
Dan Ri-ye's remnant began to dissipate.
Jin Muhon hurriedly asked.
"Why pass your power to me?"
Dan Ri-ye's lips twisted bitterly.
[If my body were whole, no issue. But I might go before catching him. If so, I entrust the rest to you.]
"......"
Having spilled words endlessly, Dan Ri-ye now faded swiftly, business done.
"So. Did you find out who he is?"
Jin Muhon had a suspect in mind.
Still, he sought confirmation.
Dan Ri-ye, now red smoke save for his face, slowly spoke.
[Ma... seon...]
Tsssseee—
With that, the remnant, transformed into a Blood Demon, slipped smoothly into Jin Muhon's brow.
And soon,
new incantations of the Fate Soul Heaven Sacrificing Scripture engraved themselves in Jin Muhon's mind.
"This... is interesting."
The corner of Jin Muhon's mouth curved up.
***
"Uuum..."
Yi Yeonhwa, the Haomen Lord lying in the underground chamber, slowly opened her eyes.
Her four guards lit up and hurried to her side.
"Lord!"
"Are you alright?!"
Yi Yeonhwa blinked, confirming the familiar faces before her.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Grandpa... Grandma... Uncle... Aunt."
"Yes!"
"Yes."
The four beamed with relief.
She'd lost her mother at birth, and her father was too buried in worldly affairs to see often.
Thus, these four who raised her from childhood were her true family.
"Thank goodness... truly..."
Yi Yeonhwa sat up.
Tears of relief streamed from her large eyes.
"Don't cry. Why the tears, Lord?"
"Sniff! Grandma!!"
The old woman embraced Yi Yeonhwa, gently patting her back.
The relief of survival was fleeting.
A memory from before she lost consciousness surfaced, and Yi Yeonhwa's face hardened as she eyed the axe-wielding man.
"Uncle. Why... didn't he kill us?"
"Well..."
The axe man shut his mouth.
When Jin Muhon's sword touched him, he'd thought death certain.
How could he know why they lived?
The old woman beside him ventured a guess cautiously.
"The Sword Demon has a niece your age, they say. Perhaps that's why?"
"Hmm... Maybe..."
Yi Yeonhwa tilted her head.
Jin Hayeon. The woman traveling with Sword Demon Jin Muhon to Anhui.
Reports said he doted on her fiercely, but it was hard to believe that's why she survived.
"Lord. Never underestimate the Sword Demon."
Then, the old man who'd met Jin Muhon before lowered his voice gravely.
"The Sword Demon is more ruthless than any. He slays countless without a flicker of emotion. The Demonic Cult's Vice Leader who valued lives like flies. Never think of him as ordinary."
Yi Yeonhwa stared at the old man.
"Then what do you think, Grandpa?"
Deep wrinkles furrowed the old man's brow.
"How could a wretch like me guess the Sword Demon's mind... but he must want something from you."
"Something he wants..."
"Lord, abandon any thought of bargaining. Give whatever he demands. That's how you survive. One misstep, and the main branch ends like the Sichuan branch."
"......"
The air in the chamber grew heavy.
How had merely pitting the Sword Demon against the Demonic Cult led to this?
A deep sigh escaped Yi Yeonhwa.
"Hoo..."
Then, a bandit poked his head through the chamber door.
"Uh... He said bring you once awake."
"......"
Yi Yeonhwa gazed at the bandit a moment, then rose slowly.
Who gave the order was obvious.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Lord."
Her four guards followed.
***
By now, daylight flooded outside.
Yi Yeonhwa, who'd been buried in the dank underground stench of blood, inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with fresh air.
"He's here."
The bandit from the ruined temple stopped after a short walk before a building.
Yi Yeonhwa looked up.
It was a proper inn.
Kiiik—
They entered.
Early morning, yet the inn bustled with guests.
Merchants at tables still sleepy-eyed, a martial artist slurping noodles ramrod straight, a boy rubbing his eyes while moving about—all bespoke a normal inn.
"Over there."
The bandit pointed to a corner.
There sat Jin Muhon, Yangtze River Waterway Lord Ak Manho, and Overlord Gang Leader Gwak Woong, eating.
"......"
Last night's events felt dreamlike on Jin Muhon's serene face.
Yet facing him, Yi Yeonhwa trembled, rooted in place.
"Oh! Lord! Finally here! Sit, sit. Got hungry waiting, so we started."
"Take a seat."
Ak Manho and Gwak Woong welcomed her with smiles.
Only then did Yi Yeonhwa unglue her feet and approach the empty spot.
Jin Muhon looked up at her.
Chills erupted across Yi Yeonhwa's body.
"Sit."
"...Yes."
At Jin Muhon's permission, she sat gingerly.
A steaming bowl of dumpling soup awaited, as if prepared.
"Eat first."
Jin Muhon returned to his bowl.
"...Yes."
Yi Yeonhwa lifted her spoon, sipping the broth.
Warm and soft.
Her knotted stomach eased slightly.
"Heh heh heh. Eat plenty."
Ak Manho pushed a flask her way.
"Tha...nk you."
Yi Yeonhwa bowed her head again.
Ak Manho grinned.
"Aigoo, our Lord. Why so deflated? Straighten those shoulders and eat. No one's gonna bite."
"......"
Bite.
The Sword Demon before her could kill with a flick of a finger.
Yi Yeonhwa, who'd prided herself on sharp wits juggling vast intel, now felt like she'd burst from needing to pee.
Jin Muhon inwardly smirked at her fidgeting.
Since leaving the cult, his greatest frustration had been lacking a reliable intel network.
No issue at first in Unbong County, but now with the Demonic Cult and Ma-seon entangled—for Jin Hayeon's safety, he needed one.
And here appeared the Haomen Lord, famed as the world's best for information.
Thus, with minimal effort, he'd claimed her.
'Let's test it.'
Moreover, Dan Ri-ye had just passed a new ultimate technique.
Jin Muhon recited the new incantation of the Fate Soul Heaven Sacrificing Scripture, stroking the rim of his cup with a finger.
Unnoticed by all, a red Blood Demon from his fingertip melted seamlessly into the liquor.
Jin Muhon offered the cup to Yi Yeonhwa.
"Drink."
"......!"
Eyes widening, Yi Yeonhwa took it with both hands.
Her watching guards leaped up from their table.
"Hey now! Sit down."
"Don't startle the guests."
Bandits and ronin patted their shoulders, seating them.
Jin Muhon, Ak Manho, and Gwak Woong watched Yi Yeonhwa.
"Lord. What're you waiting for? Drink up so I get mine. I wanna toast the gang lord too."
Ak Manho waved her on.
Yi Yeonhwa stared at the cup with trembling pupils.
Poison? Or something like puppet venom? Was she to become the Sword Demon's marionette?
Thoughts swirled chaotically.
Then, Jin Muhon tapped the table lightly.
Tak—!
"......!"
Startled, Yi Yeonhwa downed the cup in one gulp.