Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The Way to Make People and Jiangshi Good (1)
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Hunch.
In an instant, an ominous sensation crawled up Seo Dohee's back.
It was quite a distance away, but an intense aura—at least on her level, or stronger—swept through the vast expanse.
Far too powerful to belong to that Sado Realm guy.
Had he reached the Flower Realm in the meantime?
No way. Not that narrow-minded fool.
...It was possible, though.
The aura carried an unmistakable demonic energy.
What if he'd abandoned the righteous path of martial arts for the shortcut of devilhood?
Seo Dohee glanced around at the people on standby.
Most hadn't noticed.
"Instructor Moyong, did you feel that?"
Moyong Seol nodded, her face slightly pale.
Super Peak was still Super Peak, after all.
Then the intent behind that aura was obvious.
Calling her out.
Would bringing the others help?
No—they'd just get in the way.
"Instructor Moyong. You take charge from here. ...I'm afraid I'll have to check that out myself."
"B-but, Instructor Seo... Are you sure you'll be alright?"
Moyong Seol looked worried, but Seo Dohee gave her much younger junior a gentle smile to reassure her.
"I've never lost a fight where my life was on the line. Well, that's par for the course for any martial artist."
Suddenly, Seo Dohee glanced at her foolish disciple.
Unlike her proper, polite older sister, Moyong Taek was poking his side and goofing around without a care.
That kid'll survive no matter where you throw him, she thought.
Still, just in case.
There was an old jianghu saying: always hide at least thirty percent of your power.
Especially with outsiders like the Azure Heaven Society sniffing around—revealing your full hand this early would be idiotic.
Geum Sihyeon nodded gravely, his expression serious.
He wasn't a complete idiot, at least.
A moment later.
'Oh, shit.'
Seo Dohee's face crumpled horribly as she confirmed the identity of the man who'd summoned her, swallowing a curse.
It wasn't the Sado Realm guy.
Why the hell was a Flower Realm demonic expert—who screamed "fiend" to anyone with eyes—lounging around here?
"Hoh. Not the Twin Armored Empress, eh? Her daughter? You do have a certain resemblance."
Seo Dohee's mind raced.
And then a nickname popped into her head.
"Could you be Sword Demon senior?"
A glint of interest crossed Sword Demon Wi Jiryang's face.
"Am I that famous? You spotted me right away."
Seo Dohee sighed inwardly.
She'd tossed it out on a whim from her earlier chat with her disciple—didn't expect it to be spot on.
Still, better than the alternative.
"Junior of the Seo greets you, senior. My father bears the moniker Twin Armored Empress, and I've succeeded him as the Green Forest Bandit King's Chief."
"Good. Nice manners."
The Sword Demon looked pleased.
Confirming he was open to talk, Seo Dohee calmly began to explain the situation.
"The Green Forest has internal strife—"
"Then let's have a go."
"—?"
"Why yap when you've got weapons handy?"
Seo Dohee barely, superhumanly, suppressed the urge to call the crazy old bastard out loud.
Her current ties to the Murim Alliance.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's ties to the Alliance.
The fact that their sub-leader was among the group she was leading.
"Se-senior..."
So much to explain.
"You might look young, but as an old monster yourself, you can't handle this geezer? What a disgrace."
"You bastard, bring it."
Her grit and edge weren't rusted enough to dodge a blatant provocation.
Of course, "old monster" had stung hard.
"Huhu. That's more like it."
With the Sword Demon's laugh.
Kuuuung—!
A deafening roar shook heaven and earth as their first clash erupted.
Right after something intensely chilling swept past—similar to the killing intent from before.
Chicken Lady called over Seol Lady, whispered something, then bolted.
Soon, under Seol Lady's orders, temporary squads were formed.
Inn standby and reserves: Tang Chunsik and a few others who hadn't fully recovered.
The nine in decent shape split into three groups for a total of four squads, spreading out while keeping mutual support range within a gak, then charging.
Decided to ignore the MZ squad using MurimTalk for ops briefings.
...Honestly curious why calls don't work if Talk does—ask big bro later.
Anyway.
A bit reckless, maybe.
But one Super Peak.
Thirteen Peaks.
The rest all First-Rate.
A serious martial force.
Exaggerate a tad, and it's enough to match the full strength of a mid-tier small sect just below the Nine Greats.
Of course, per Chicken Lady's complaints, the escorts were "friends" forced on her by the academy head.
Still overkill for local bandits.
Not that guanxi paradise China would let it happen.
View Hundred Flowers Academy as capable of wiping a Nine Great single-handedly.
Freshly aware of our bizarre asymmetric power as we trotted along.
Advanced toward Mt. Taibai—a shockingly familiar name.
Our squad: Team 1.
Leader: Moyong Seol.
Members: me, Cheon Luri, Moyong Taek.
Taek's face was pure death, but probably assigned for little bro safety.
Both others Peak, and the sole Super Peak included.
Not long after.
"Bandits ahead. Battle stations!"
Seol Lady drew her twin swords and bellowed heartily.
Torch-bearing bandits swarmed, then panicked at the sight of us.
"What the fuck! Righteous faction!"
"Stupid boss said they'd be passed out at the inn!"
Hmph.
True, ex-bandits know bandit minds best.
Silent thumbs-up to Master.
"Surrender, and you live!"
Seol Lady called out mercifully.
But.
"Only four of 'em! Rush 'em!"
Trusting numbers, the bandits charged.
Seol Lady could've handled them solo, but this was a subjugation exam, not cleanup.
"......"
Luri looked bored as projectiles flew; I followed behind her.
"Hey, you too!"
"Fuck, I'm going!"
Real combat ahead.
But hearing the siblings bicker eased the tension with a smile.
"What, a brat? Die!"
Underestimating me, a bandit lunged with a dull saber at my head.
Faint gleam on the blade—end of Second-Rate, sniffing First-Rate.
Casually swung my sword, cleaving him in half saber and all.
Hot liquid splattered my clothes.
First kill.
No big emotions.
Too long steeped in primitive savage Zhongyuan for soft modern thoughts.
And treating lifelong thieves as "human"? Eh.
Even without Clear Mirror Still Water trait, probably numb.
Briefly watched Luri shake her ass, sweeping bandits clean with Heavenly Demon Death Beam.
Then did my job.
Cleanup.
"Argh!"
"Gah—"
"Fuck, high-level!"
Vanguard alone near thirty.
Far more bandits wriggling than Master's under-100 prediction.
Makes sense.
Dunno Chinese, but chinks like self-replicating viruses.
Impressive pinpointing hideout sans sats or spies.
"Kid, snap out of it."
Hacked one heartily, then kicked dazed Taek's ass hard.
Resumed selective "good Chinese" culling.
Once half got a dose of goodness (physics).
"Hiiik... S-surrender!"
"Spare us!"
"P-please, we just followed the boss..."
Reality hit; they dropped weapons, knelt one by one.
No need slaughtering the broken-willed.
Tap, tap!
Acupoint strikes turned surrenders into human logs for training.
"If you've lived even a bit good, stay down. We'll haul you for punishment later."
Damn.
Even I thought it cool.
...Glanced back.
Seol Lady staring with inexplicable expression.
Seal the coolness.
Intuition said cosmic cringe might flood galleries later.
Instead.
"Enough, don't waste energy."
Grabbed Luri's nape mid-bandit-slaying spree.
"...Why?"
Luri turned, quizzical.
Eh.
Killing surrenders unethical?
Unneeded killing brings karma?
Screw righteous excuses.
"Save your inner energy. This ain't the end."
Rational persuasion worked—no more forehead holes post-landing.
Not Predator or nothing.
Envy watching finger-flicks shred sans drawn sword.
Why no Heavenly Demon Divine Art in Cheonmu Library?
Learn Finger Force later, wipe mouth, play dumb.
Claim homemade "Invincible Finger Bullet Art" mimicking roughly.
Baldies won't nitpick.
"Good work, everyone."
Reason bandits chose surrender over last stand?
Seol Lady skipped over, helping with log-making.
Even I surrendered seeing her ice arts evaporate and freeze my wild torch-flung flames with one swing.
Ice arts tempting too.
Moyong Taek's face regained some color.
Bloodlust-adapted somewhat, not bad expression.
Gonna roast him hard later.
"More enemies than expected. We should breakthrough max to draw eyes. Move out."
Under General Seol's orders, we silently climbed the moonlit mountain again.
About a gak in?
"Kieeek!"
"Ao, fuck, jump scare."
One-slash on sudden grotesque charge.
Simultaneous ambushes on allies too.
"Urk!"
"...!"
"This is... Blood Jiangshi?!"
Blood Jiangshi what?
No forehead talisman even?
Caught off-guard?
Other three struggled, entering melee.
No need spectate.
Bisected Taek's attacker.
"How'd you...?"
"You total scrub? Shoulda trained harder."
Roasted Taek once more.
Next, Luri puffing cheeks—death beam penetration fail.
Then unease dawned.
Taek scrub aside.
Luri and Seol Lady struggling.
Kaaang—!
Metal screech as Blood Jiangshi hand met Seol Lady's sword.
Jiangshi hand clanging like metal? Human corpse no blood.
Glanced at bloodless body.
Dove in, ultimate vertical slash on Luri's tussler.
Split soft as tofu.
"What...?"
Luri wide-eyed, awed by my badass ultimate vertical.
"Seol sis, switch!"
Once more.
Yelled, drew remaining Blood Jiangshi aggro, clashed sword vs. fist.
Clean slice fist to forearm sans resistance, pivot, neck shwing.
"Dispelling Blood Jiangshi—Heavenly Spirit grade evil qi instantly... Gold cadet, Taoist arts too?"
Not luck-won Super Peak.
Seol Lady half-flustered, half-awed, nailing my arts.
Me too puzzled.
But her reaction clued me.
Northern Bright Divine Art basics: harmony.
Fuse my traits into foundation, resonate with nature's qi, become a sea myself.
Jiangshi made impurely vicious, so instantly purified its disharmony.
Pondered explanation.
Then.
Whirr—
Whirr—
All four smartphones buzzed simultaneously.
Moyong Seol's face hardened as she lightning-typed the chat and spoke.
"...Talk later. Near-top Heavenly Spirit Blood Jiangshi means Blood Cult jiangshi master nearby. Hurry to target Taibai Stronghold. Before more casualties."