Chapter 128
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Hundred Flowers Academy Raid Incident (2)
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[From: Hundred Flowers Academy Main Building]
[Emergency situation in the academy / Staff below First-Rate, evacuate immediately. Those above, respond to the situation as quickly as possible]
“Hmm...?”
Seo Dohee frowned as she stared at the kind of message she'd never received since joining the academy.
What could possibly cause an emergency at the academy?
Even from the perspective of an unorthodox sect, Hundred Flowers Academy was nothing more than a hornet's nest not worth stirring up.
The moment they caused any casualties, they'd become enemies of the entire orthodox martial world.
And if it was about looting wealth, there wasn't much gold or treasure to take in a world where most transactions used vouchers.
The only tempting target might be the Heavenly Martial Repository.
But even then, most of the secret manuals called supreme arts from famous orthodox sects were fakes.
More precisely...
[Yeorae Divine Palm]
[Submit this manual to Shaolin Temple to learn Yeorae Divine Palm.]
[However, you must first join Shaolin Temple.]
It wasn't the manuals themselves placed there, but rather permissions to learn them.
It was only natural.
Even without invoking the principle of "not transmitting to the unworthy," who would place priceless secret manuals—equivalent to a sect's treasures—in an academy's repository instead of their own vault?
Of course, thanks to the goodwill of those fostering future generations, copies of lesser techniques (not quite supreme arts) were often stored there.
Her beloved disciple Geum Sihyeon's Blazing Shadow Heart Formula was one such example.
However, those techniques were notoriously difficult to master or had known counters and weaknesses.
“Then... what on earth...?”
No matter how hard she racked her brain with a bandit's mindset, nothing came to mind.
Grab your gear and head to the academy.
Yes, boss!
Boss...? -_-
You're dead.
Though she hadn't reached Xi'an yet, fortunately her subordinates were nearby, so she could dispatch them immediately.
“Hmm...”
Seo Dohee pondered how to broach the subject with Geum Sihyeon.
He'd been getting bolder lately.
But boldness could be interpreted as the emotional distance between them narrowing.
The more she became aware of that fact...
A small girl began to grow quietly in Seo Dohee's heart.
However...
All done.
When is Master coming back?
You little shit.
“What a cheeky brat...”
Seo Dohee furrowed her brow, thinking of her insolent disciple slyly prodding at her age.
And then.
She idly opened her smartphone's camera to check her face.
Objectively speaking, it was a beauty worthy of praise.
Her plump, firm skin showed not a single wrinkle, as expected.
“Is it because my skin's a bit tanned...?”
Once aware, the human mind inevitably circled in search of flaws.
Little by little.
Impatience began to take root in Seo Dohee's heart.
Yeon Hongun inwardly looked down on Geum Sihyeon.
He had no choice but to.
In his eyes, nearing late Peak Realm...
Geum Sihyeon seemed like a mere novice at early to mid Peak Realm.
As long as the fool didn't commit the atrocity of setting the Heavenly Martial Repository ablaze, he could subdue him swiftly.
That's why he'd first tried persuasion.
Of course, it had failed, but it didn't matter.
As he'd told Geum Sihyeon...
He was the ideal candidate for Jade Transformation Preservation.
The moment that overwhelming masculinity vanished under Jade Transformation Preservation!
“Kehhehe.”
Just imagining the expression she'd make sent excitement surging through him.
But.
Boom──!
Right after their first exchange.
Yeon Hongun sensed something was wrong.
“Y-You bastard! You hid your realm!”
The vivid sword aura rising from the masked Geum Sihyeon's bizarre curved sword was comparable to his own.
“In the jianghu, conceal thirty percent of your strength. Haven't you grasped that simple principle?”
“Cowardly bastard...!”
Grind.
Yeon Hongun quickly revised his plan to subdue him swiftly.
Whirlwinds bloomed ceaselessly from the tip of his iron fan, swirling to bind Geum Sihyeon's feet.
The foundation of fan techniques was controlling directions.
To offset the short reach compared to other weapons, the art itself specialized in long-range attacks.
He planned to maintain distance for superiority, then slowly constrict like a spider's web before finishing him.
But.
Roar!
“Hey! Fire! Fire!”
When Geum Sihyeon's flame-wreathed sword swung subtly toward the Heavenly Martial Repository, Yeon Hongun had no choice but to block it hastily.
The intent was obvious.
But Yeon Hongun was at a disadvantage.
That madman was the intruder aiming to burn the academy.
And he was the one stepping up to defend it—or so it felt.
“You bastard! Is that the act of an orthodox martial artist?!”
Yeon Hongun bellowed in fury.
But only mockery curled on Geum Sihyeon's lips.
“This lord is the Jade-Faced Young Noble.”
“Madman...”
Yeon Hongun clamped his mouth shut and slowly pressed his assault.
Still, he had faith.
The main building side seemed already subdued by this lunatic.
But if one of his wives—deployed as a diversion to draw the academy guards' eyes—returned, the standoff would flip.
And.
Geum Sihyeon hadn't noticed.
His personally modified iron fan continuously leaked a faint poison.
Not just the aphrodisiac to maximize pleasure.
It contained various poisons learned from the Poison Demon—energy-draining powder, paralyzing powder, five-snake venom—for situational use.
If he dragged the fight a bit longer...
He'd be the one laughing last.
Yeon Hongun believed that without doubt.
Credit where it's due.
The Lust Demon was trickier than any opponent I'd faced so far.
Of course, I held the initiative.
He was the intruder, but I had the Heavenly Martial Repository as hostage.
Cowardly?
There was no cowardice in victory.
If we're talking cowardice...
“Haat!”
“Argh! My eyes!”
Every swing of his iron fan.
That filthy, vulgar hip thrust—impossible to misinterpret—was far more cowardly and disgusting.
And he was slyly dispersing poison too, making him a villain worthy of heaven's wrath.
Roar!
“Sorry! I'm sorry!”
Threatening with the hostage made his movements a tad more restrained.
...
The reason for this farce was simple.
I could have ended him already if I wanted.
Mix the last of Milyein's poison with what I confiscated from the Poison King, and the Lust Demon's soul would cross to the underworld in an instant.
But the reason I hadn't...
By my criterion—
Is this guy worth beheading without question?
The Lust Demon subtly fell short.
On the journey back to Shaanxi.
I'd gotten a brief rundown on Blood Cult's roster from Elder Tang Wuryang.
Sure, plenty of scum, but among them, this Lust Demon, Yeon whatever, was at least human.
No record of violent crimes, for one.
He did commit the heaven-defying act of having eight wives, earning his moniker.
The fathers-in-law whose daughters were "stolen" overnight were furious, sure.
But apparently, most formed ideal "harem pure love" relationships.
...I had nothing to say there.
If anything, he was a jianghu senior worth learning from.
“Heh heh heh. Starting to tire, aren't you? Admit it, Geum Sihyeon. Embrace the bitch within...!”
Of course, I wanted to rip that mouth apart.
Still.
His motives were impure as hell, but he hadn't used lethal strikes on me.
Even in the main building rampage, it was just aphrodisiacs—no fatalities.
...Despite planning something utterly vile against me.
Spare him, then.
Worth hearing out his lust arts manual to satisfy my curiosity.
All martial arts lead to the same end.
Lust arts had research value too.
For real.
Slash!
“Haha, take this!”
“Ugh.”
Seizing my momentary lapse, the cowardly, vile, pathetic bastard scooped sand from the ground and flung it at me again.
I suppressed the surging killing intent and tracked the Lust Demon's presence.
Why keep using ineffective tricks and dragging time?
What card could he play now?
“What, call Hong Sundok or something?”
“Hah. Better bite my tongue and die than seek that old hag's help.”
Fair point, so I nodded.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“Something you lack.”
“Hm?”
Regrettably, the Lust Demon's mouth stayed shut. Instead, a whirlwind laced with faint starlight fragments flew at me.
A few more exchanges followed.
“Darling! We're here!”
“Darlinggg! You're so cool today too! Eek!”
The presumed bait finally appeared.
I'd taken down four in the main building.
Where'd these two extras come from?
Realms around First-Rate, both.
Two First-Rate scrubs couldn't shift this standoff.
...But.
Damn.
So vulgar...!
Why's this bastard so brazen with eight pussies...!
“Good! Soryeon! Honghwa! Find the Jade Transformation Preservation!”
“Yes, darling!”
“No way in hell──”
I moved to block them swiftly.
Clang──!
“They say not to strike a woman even with a flower. Geum Sihyeon, do you truly not know why I haven't gone all out?”
The till-now sneaky Lust Demon blocked my sword with a solemn expression now that his wives had arrived.
And not with the iron fan he'd used before.
But drawing the sword from his waist—which I'd thought ornamental.
And.
For the first time today, a thread of tension coiled around me.
The Lust Demon before drawing his sword and Yeon Hongun after were worlds apart in presence.
This aura surpassed Moyong Seol by a wide margin.
Compared to the Poison King—rusted like an old recluse—it was flawless battle spirit.
“Suddenly?”
“A man naturally grows solemn before a woman he favors. And I grow even stronger with my wives near!”
“Hah...”
Stopping those women charging into the Heavenly Martial Repository while shaking off this madman would be tough.
But it didn't matter.
I had a card prepared too.
...More precisely.
Not prepped by me—it was eagerly flying into my hand.
Boom──!
“Whoa?”
A purple beam I hadn't seen in ages.
The Heavenly Demon Death Beam split the air, narrowly grazing the Lust Demon and slamming into the ground.
“This lady. Has descended.”
Cheon Luri, picking up some weird speech pattern somewhere.
She appeared, billowing the attachment robe I'd refitted to suit her slender frame.