068
068
Morning.
-They say a golden dragon soared into the heavens from the Sichuan Tang Clan!
The events of dawn spread through all of Chengdu.
Curious onlookers sought out Tang Clan members for answers about the strange phenomenon, but nothing satisfactory was disclosed. The authorities formally arrived at the Tang Clan to investigate.
-Isn't it fairly common for strange phenomena to occur at martial houses?
-Lightning struck the Namgung Clan's estate and swords flew around at Wudang, so really....
When strange things happen at a murim sect, people usually find it interesting and move on. But having government soldiers deployed across the entire Sichuan Tang Clan to conduct a large-scale investigation was quite an unusual affair.
-Good heavens. Why did it have to be a 'golden dragon' that ascended?
The matter was too politically weighty to invoke the principle of non-interference between government and martial arts.
A golden dragon. Whom does that represent? The emperor, of course. No one in the murim dares to include 'golden dragon' in their epithet. The East Depot or the Imperial Guard would very likely come to arrest or investigate them.
-Hey now, maybe you just saw wrong? A golden dragon, of all things... Probably just fireworks that misfired.
-People outside Chengdu saw it too! It was unmistakably a golden dragon.
-If it rose high enough to pierce through the clouds, that speaks for itself. Is such a thing even possible through martial arts?
A golden dragon had soared up from the deepest part of the Sichuan Tang Clan. A situation that could, with the slightest misstep, have them branded as traitors had unfolded. And the Sichuan Tang Clan obediently opened its gates.
"Welcome. I am the head of the Tang Clan, Dang O-dok."
"A pleasure. I am the strategist of the Murim Alliance, Jegal Gil."
The master of the estate where the incident occurred and the representatives of the martial world came out to the main gate to greet the two government investigators.
"A pleasure. I am the Inspector."
"Imperial Guard. ...It's probably better to introduce myself this way to murim folk. Divine Spear."
The Inspector and Divine Spear. The pair had been circling the Chengdu region to investigate the Emperor Shaolie twin sword commotion that had turned Sichuan upside down.
* * *
"So, to summarize, an intruder wielding a dual-sword art passed through the Fire Bone Mountain Rain Formation, raided the secret vault, and escaped using a hidden passage inside the vault. Is that correct?"
"I am ashamed to say that is the truth."
"Even though Senior Dok-gwi used the Rain of Ten Thousand Flowers?"
"Junior Divine Spear, you seem unconvinced. We were utterly defeated."
Dang Sa-rim readily admitted his complete defeat. The Inspector and Divine Spear exchanged glances and tilted their heads.
"Senior, is Dok-gwi not the strongest martial artist in the Tang Clan?"
"He is. But to defeat Senior Dok-gwi one-on-one—"
"Divine Spear, this could be an existence even stronger than you. I have not confirmed his true capabilities myself, but...."
Divine Spear's eyes gleamed as he twisted the corner of his mouth. Seeing Divine Spear's fighting spirit flare up against the unidentified intruder, the Inspector sighed deeply.
"How enviable for you. A pretext to fight has presented itself."
"Rest assured. If it comes to battling the one who raided the secret vault, I shall stake the honor of this Divine Spear and definitely bring them down."
At Divine Spear's confidence, Dang Sa-rim and Dang O-dok quietly sipped their tea. The Inspector narrowed his eyes, then set down his brush.
"To sum things up: the intruder wields twin swords and manifests a golden dragon. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Our apologies. We know inspecting the scene is your duty, but even so, we cannot reveal our clan's secret vault."
"It is fine, Alliance Strategist. What Dok-gwi has already told us suffices for the investigation."
The Inspector recited the points he had organized one by one.
"The Heavenly Dragon Emperor Twin High Sword. Crouching Dragon Ascends to Heaven. Soaring Dragon Slash. Every one of them points to a traitor of excessive self-regard who falsely styles himself as emperor. But if the rumors circulating the world are true, he might well be capable of such things."
The Inspector drew a small volume from his chest.
"It is uncertain whether the legend passed down from ancient times is true, or whether he simply took martial art names from this novel. But personally, I would like to believe the former is the truth. After all...."
The Inspector continued speaking with a face brimming with intrigue.
"The martial arts of Emperor Shaolie, Liu Xuande, reappearing in the modern age—what a notion."
"......."
Divine Spear merely drank his tea in silence.
* * *
"Chase them---!!"
Screams echoed from afar. A woman in black robes fled through the forest, dark energy emanating from her, while the black-clad figures following her gasped for breath as they guarded her rear.
"Capture the Little Princess----!!"
The shouts of the pursuers were filled with glee and excitement. It was a sinister and base voice, saturated with the intent to seize and violate the Little Princess.
"Little Princess! We cannot go on any further...!!"
"Just a little more! A little further ahead and Bandit Demon's reinforcements will arrive!"
The Little Princess encouraged her subordinates. I, too, clung tightly to her rear. I knew it would be a long while before Bandit Demon's reinforcements could arrive, but I kept that fact to myself.
'If they realize everything has gone wrong, they'll all betray the Little Princess.'
I swept my gaze sideways over the black-clad subordinates running alongside me.
From White Snow Ghost, who had descended from the North Sea Ice Palace, to Great Sword Ghost from the unorthodox faction, and the remaining goblins serving as the Little Princess's subordinates—these bastards all valued their own lives more than their mission.
'They guard the Little Princess because of orders from above, but the moment they learn the Eldest Prince has seized the Heavenly Mountain, they will abandon her.'
The Demonic Cultists must follow the Heavenly Demon. Since the Heavenly Demon had been slain in a martial duel, whichever side won the succession battle between the Eldest Prince and the Little Princess would become the next Heavenly Demon.
'So I must conceal it. Make them carry out their given mission until the very last moment.'
Protect the Little Princess.
Even if all of them had shared the Little Princess's favor and shared her bed, the moment their own lives were at stake, they would abandon the mission and side with the Eldest Prince.
Rather, because they had shared her bed, the likelihood of betrayal was high. If the Earth Qilin Three Demons pursuing us offered them 'a chance to violate the Little Princess' in exchange for betrayal, more than a few would turn.
'What should I do?'
Should I betray the Little Princess and survive? Or should I take her side to the end and simply pray for her escape?
'If she can just get out of here, the Little Princess wins.'
The Wild Three Demons, including the Flying Heaven Three Demons—and even No Demon—had all cast their lot with the Little Princess. Only the Earth Qilin Three Demons followed the Eldest Prince. In simple combat strength alone, the Little Princess held the advantage at seven to three.
Moreover, the Little Princess herself had grown far stronger than the Eldest Prince.
The only reason she now fled was that the Little Princess had been struck by a potent poison, leaving her unable to exert her full strength, and because one of the Wild Three Demons had betrayed her.
"Keep running just a little longer! Once the Flying Heaven Three Demons arrive, victory is ours!"
"Heh heh heh, that is impossible."
Fwoosh—
The entire forest erupted in flames. At the colossal pillar of fire blocking the path ahead, the Little Princess kicked off a tree and leaped high, dodging the house-sized mass of flame.
"Graaah!!"
But every other goblin was swept up in the mass of fire and perished. Only I, with my crooked back, barely escaped by pressing my body flat against the ground.
"Guughk!!"
My back felt as though stabbed by dozens of blades. Still, I crawled forward across the ground and stood behind the Little Princess.
"Chu Ma-gwi!"
"Ah, f-front...."
"Bwahaha! You were so weak I didn't even know you were there! Had I known, I would have spread the flames to reach the ground!"
"Flame Demon...!!"
The one who had hurled the fireball, the Flame Demon, erupted in roaring laughter and expelled his energy. The forest was instantly engulfed in flames and became a prison of fire from which the Little Princess could not escape.
"Illusory Flame Hell Formation. Even you, Little Princess, will not be able to leave this place."
"Tch... you coward...!"
"Coward? What of it? If it angers you, do the same. I have long disliked those behaviors of yours, Little Princess. Since when did demons concern themselves with justice and principles?"
"Who said anything about justice?! I am speaking of the bare minimum of human decency and duty!"
"Even that is bondage to us! Hehaha! I can feel the fear of death! For your vaunted Flying Heaven Three Demons are tied up elsewhere, and beside you stands only Chu Ma-gwi, less than trash!!"
The Flame Demon laughed uproariously and pointed at me.
"Do you think you can survive with one utterly useless demon at your side?!"
"......Heh."
My insides twisted entirely. I did not know if something had welled up inside me or if my blood was flowing backward. But one thing was certain—I had to crack that insolent bastard's face.
"Little Princess."
Normally I would not even have been allowed to speak to her, but I turned my back toward her.
"Go."
"......."
The Little Princess gazed at me for a long moment, then closed her eyes and nodded. I detonated the remainder of my true qi and charged forward on all fours like a beast.
Kyaaaagh---!!
"Your actions are unmistakably those of a demon beast! You—"
I leaped high into the sky. I hurled the sword in my hand forward at the Flame Demon.
Fwoosh!
The sword was swallowed by the flames. It did not part the fire; instead, the iron began to melt within the inferno. Not satisfied with that alone, the Flame Demon's flames flew toward me.
"Kuhaha! Pathetic weakling! As expected—"
"I am sorry."
The Little Princess apologized to me and stepped on my shoulder. I mustered every ounce of my strength to become her support.
Crash---!!
Using me as a foothold, the Little Princess leaped and elegantly soared over the towering pillar of flame. I became her stepping stone and fell wretchedly to the ground.
"Keuh, keuheuk! Keuheheok...!!"
"Heh. You crazy son of a bitch."
The Flame Demon let out a hollow laugh as he watched the Little Princess beyond the pillar of flame.
"Because of worthless Chu Ma-gwi, I let the Little Princess slip away. Keuheuheu, heuhaha!!"
The Flame Demon clutched his stomach and laughed as he dispelled every pillar of flame. Gripping my shattered shoulder, I barely managed to raise myself up.
"You fool. Do you think the Little Princess will acknowledge you for this? She abandoned you, knowing full well you would die. You pathetic idiot."
"...The fuck do I know, you bastard."
"Ho-oh. You dare speak so to me, one of the Ten Demons?"
"Hell, I'm gonna die in agony anyway, so what do I care. Cuss you out or not, makes no difference."
"...Tch. Curses from a man one step from death by Bursting Blood. Fine. Since you too were once a member of the Demonic Cult, I shall exercise my benevolence."
Rustle. All the pillars of fire vanished. Having absorbed every scattered flame into his own hand, the Flame Demon approached me and kicked me in the solar plexus.
"Keuk!"
"I will not kill you. I shall make you die a death far more agonizing than burning in the flames."
Crunch, crack.
My shoulder was crushed. My knees were shattered. I collapsed disgracefully on my back, arms splayed, and the Flame Demon trampled my chest as he sneered at me.
"If the Little Princess escapes like this, she will head straight for the Heavenly Mountain. She will race to the Heavenly Mountain before the Eldest Prince can absorb all the inner energy from the Heavenly Demon's body. Yes, rather than coming back here."
"Heok, keuheuk...!"
"Will the Little Princess come back to save you, who gave your life for her? Or will she go to kill the Eldest Prince? Do not let go of the thread of hope until the moment you die."
"Ha, hahaha, ha...."
Ptui. I squeezed out the last of my strength and spat bloody phlegm at his foot.
"What's that, you fuck. Your dick's tiny too."
"......."
Crunch. The Flame Demon crushed my stomach and turned away. My dantian had been completely destroyed by the earlier attack. It hurt so much that I could no longer feel the pain.
"Life cheaper than a fly's. Go on, feel it keenly. Just what the Little Princess thinks of you."
The Flame Demon departed. In the forest reduced to charcoal, I was slowly dying.
'The hell do I care about that.'
I had been a dying body anyway. Even if I had escaped with the Little Princess, I was as good as dead already.
If that was the case, then using this life at the end to save even one person—what was so bad about that?
Plip, plop.
Rain began to fall from the sky.
I quietly closed my eyes. In the silent forest where no one would search for a single person, I met my death in solitude.
"......The body is dead, but the soul is not. Mm, good. Jackpot."
Right before losing consciousness, my eyelids were forcibly lifted, and the person I saw was drenched in blood-like crimson.
"You will be the Blood Jiangshi."
-...Cheon? Bi-cheon? ...Sky-Soaring Lust Demon?
In that instant.
At the voice ringing in my ears, I came to my senses.
* * *
"......Familiar eyes."
Two pairs of crimson eyes looked down at me from above. Reassured by her black hair, I reached my hand upward.
"Little Princess. Demanding loyalty by giving your body to your subordinates will surely return to you as poison later."
"...What in the world do you mean by that, out of nowhere?"
"Just that I think it will. Take it as a lesson that will become your blood and flesh. Believe it."
She had to believe it. Because the Little Princess needed to become a woman who looked only at me. I felt a sense of emptiness at the sunset falling beyond the mountain.
"It's already this late...?"
"You lay down the moment I woke up. But Bi-cheon, you...."
The Little Princess extended a hand that grasped my sleeve and pressed around my eyes. I tensed at the sudden touch, but relaxed at the worried look in her eyes.
"Are you crying?"
"What?"
"I mean, your tears are—"
Drip, drip-drip.
Why? Tears suddenly streamed from my eyes beyond my control. No matter how much I roused my inner energy, I could not stop them.
"Ah... keuheuheu, this is serious. I should be releasing seed, yet here I am shedding tears. What an unsightly display before the Little Princess—"
Rustle.
The Little Princess buried my face against her chest. And she wrapped me tightly in her arms, patting my back.
"I do not know why tears are flowing, but... my mother once told me. That at times like this, you simply hold them tight."
"......."
Well, that made sense—the Heavenly Demon's wife was abundantly endowed. But I decided not to quibble over physical differences. Motherhood comes from the heart, not from the size of one's breasts.
"...May I stay like this, until I calm down a little?"
"Fufu, of course. You said that buying loyalty with the body returns as poison, but... is now not all right?"
"......."
-True loyalty is bought with the heart.
"You... are right."
I entrusted everything to her embrace.
"Um, the moon has risen all the way to the sky by now... just how long do you intend to cry...?"
Waaah.