Chapter 39

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 39

Chapter Title: The Method to Make People and Jiangshi Good (2)

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After that, we faced a couple more ambushes from Blood Jiangshi while speeding along.

The appearances of our talisman-less Jiangshi friends gradually changed.

The ones that first attacked us—what were they called, Heavenly Spirit Jiangshi?—had that look of certified genuine Jiangshi, complete with an authenticity mark anyone could spot.

"This is definitely……"

"They were bandits."

Whether they'd been cornered or for some other reason.

It even made the bandits we'd sliced up earlier seem like they'd met a merciful end.

Twisted, grotesque Jiangshi in bandit garb clung to our ankles and wouldn't let go.

The good news was they were clear downgrades—far inferior to the Heavenly Spirit Jiangshi in performance.

"Yap."

Cheon Luri's pew-pew-click death beams could drop them in one shot.

I hadn't noticed at first, but she was muttering "yap yap" under her breath the whole time she was blasting away.

They were so pitifully cute it drew a smile out of me.

As we drew closer to what we suspected was the bandit stronghold, the blood-red mist grew thicker by the minute.

Fortunately, the other teams hadn't run into any major problems either.

"Hmmm……."

Seol—no, Sister Seol—let out a low groan.

The mist pressed down oppressively, as if it had physical weight.

"Creepy as hell."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, you wouldn't know."

Come to think of it, that was an expression ancient primitive China probably didn't have.

While Moyong Taek and I traded light banter to ease the mood, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and Luri shook out her clothes like she was brushing off bugs.

Sister Seol finally finished deliberating and called us together.

"The mist is thickening by the minute, so if we delay, we might face even bigger issues. We can't count on Instructor Seo's backup right away. Do we push in alone and take out as many as we can, or link up with another team……?"

Her eyes—sharing a similar hue with Luri's—calmly swept over us.

"Doesn't feel good. Could be dangerous."

She was right.

Inside, there was at least something on par with Sister Seol.

Or maybe even stronger, lying in wait.

The silver lining?

If I could sense that ferocious energy, it hadn't reached the Profound Realm.

Instead of Moyong Taek, who couldn't quite speak up, or Luri, who seemed uninterested in offering an opinion.

"Let's push in. Aside from one Peak Realm expert, no other real threats, so while Sword Lady handles him head-on, we mop up the rest quick and pile on."

"Sword Lady even now…… Ha, fine. Better than letting them slip away. Cadets, clear the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perimeter first."

Short council done.

Ku-ku-kung!

We surged forward in a flash, smashing through the gate barricading the stronghold's main entrance all at once.

The moment we took one step inside.

"Holy……"

"Uh."

"What the hell is……"

Blood pools everywhere, like someone had thrown a gore party. Fallen bandits twitching on the ground, some already starting to turn into Blood Jiangshi.

"……Ha, figured that vixen Dohee would show, not these greenhorn punks."

A one-armed brute chugging booze by a blazing red brazier in the center.

And in front of him, still-living captives kneeling and trembling.

That one-armed giant had to be the disgrace of the Green Forest his master mentioned: the Tiger-Faced Ghost, Sado Kyung.

"The Murim Alliance's White Tiger Corps will arrive soon. Surrender now."

Moyong Seol drew her sword and stepped forward.

"Shut your trap, wench. Act like a proper wench and warm my bed at night. That why you're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠here? Krahaha!"

Sado Kyung hurled his empty bottle to the floor and burst into mad laughter.

"You son of a bitch!"

Moyong Taek shouted in outrage.

Damn kid.

Always yapping about Bingguni this, Bingdak that when it's time to criticize.

But blood's thicker than water, huh.

However.

The man answered by slamming his sword into the ground with a thud, unleashing his aura.

A fierce pressure roared through, prickling every muscle in my body.

Thick killing intent and hostility that only someone who treated lives like flies could exude.

But.

His hostility fell short of his master's.

His killing intent didn't measure up to the Sword Demon's.

The chasm between ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Peak Realm and Profound Realm hit home again.

"Gaaack!"

One of the bandits kneeling before Sado Kyung suddenly clutched his throat like he was seizing, screamed, and collapsed sideways.

And then.

Bulge bulge.

Swell swell.

His body twisted grotesquely all over before finally morphing into one of those Blood Jiangshi we'd seen.

"A Blood Cult spawn! I'll exorcise you here!"

Sister Seol didn't flinch at the gruesome sight. She raised her sword to meet his hostility head-on, yanked out her hairpin to let her neatly bound silver hair cascade free, and charged Sado Kyung.

"Sister! I'm with you!"

Moyong Taek followed right behind.

A rare sight unfolded: two dual-sword wielders ganging up on a one-armed blade master.

"Time to do our part."

I caught the slight nod from that tiny head.

We fanned out and got to work.

The ones already turned into Jiangshi and baring fangs.

Even those not fully transformed yet, moaning in agony.

"Graaah……!"

I emotionlessly severed the neck of a Blood Jiangshi charging me the instant its change finished.

Then granted a peaceful rest to one spasming on the ground.

Was becoming a Jiangshi the punishment?

Or dying so pointlessly despite it?

Philosophy could wait.

Ku-gung!

Kung!

Pababang!

The auras clashing from those Peak Realm experts constantly rocked the earth.

Seeing him hold his own in that frenzy, I figured Moyong Taek might break through his wall soon.

Luri finished clearing her side a touch faster with finger snaps, then gripped her sword and lunged at Sado Kyung.

Strong enough to make her draw her blade, huh.

I stole a quick glance at my smartphone during the brief lull, but no word from the other teams yet.

Not that many inside the stronghold to begin with, so they were probably all tied up.

In that case.

No way our Moyong family were spies for some Azure Heaven Society outfit, and Luri was Luri, after all.

Sharak!

I shifted my sword into bow form and carefully took aim at Sado Kyung.

Whummm——

The qi I poured in resonated, vibrating the air.

And then.

"……!"

The hazy blood mist began coiling afresh around the bowstring.

Was a shredded human life just another fragment of nature's cycle?

Moreover.

Through the Northern Bright Divine Art's power, the evil qi permeating the mist was purified and condensed into pure strength.

Spread it too wide, and it'd hit allies too.

So condense it. Gather it tighter. Focus on one point.

For a single strike to end it.

Target: the gut.

To maximize the odds of landing even if he dodged.

Kung!

Sado Kyung stomped, shoving Luri back. His eyes turned to me.

Gathered this much energy? No way he missed it.

But.

Too late.

I released the string.

The formless arrow streaked through like a beam of light.

"Kuhk, damn whelps……!"

Sado Kyung twisted to evade, but his path was blocked by an ice flower from Sister Seol, topped with Moyong Taek's sword adding a sloppy frost layer.

The rebuffed Luri realigned mid-air, dodging the arrow's path as she charged again.

Instinct telling him my strike was the real threat?

He squeezed his blade in a frenzy, dispersing all incoming attacks, then desperately twisted away from the intangible arrow's trajectory.

This way, it'd slice empty air and fizzle.

Instead, I sharpened my focus even further, consciousness crystal clear.

The arrow had left my hands, my bow—free to race through the void.

But in the world viewed through maxed-out concentration—

It looked like a faint thread still connected it.

I poured my will down that thread with all I had.

Just veer sideways a tiny bit. Please.

And.

The formless arrow answered my plea.

Kwarung——!

With a thunderclap roar.

It punched straight through the thigh of the twisting Sado Kyung.

"KRROOOOAAAR——!"

Like a lightning-struck wild boar shrieking, an unprecedented massive aura erupted from him.

Moyong Taek got swept up like debris in a gale, tumbling pathetically through the air.

"As expected of Geum Sihyeon. Nice shot."

He landed beside me and clapped my shoulder like nothing happened.

His left arm was already twisted too badly to grip a sword.

"That's me."

Moyong Taek snorted at my quip.

Good to see some tension lift.

"Ngh."

I applied emergency first aid to his arm using acupressure techniques learned over the shoulder from the Life and Death Divine Doctor—sealing points and realigning it.

Sister Seol pressed in, carving sharp wounds across Sado Kyung's body here and there, then lined up another shot.

Thigh pierced, he could barely manage proper footwork.

But his beastly instincts were still sharp—this time, it merely grazed his side, spraying blood.

Kwaaang!

Mid-fray, I hurriedly switched to sword form to block the blade qi he flung my way.

"Krit."

The power packed in was no joke.

That the might of a late-stage Peak Realm expert on the cusp of Profound Realm?

Debating a close-quarters finisher.

"Hah, you arrogant little shits——! I'll slaughter you all——!"

Sado Kyung's savage bellow echoed from the denser mist.

I focused my gaze.

He'd pulled something from his bosom and swallowed it.

"You fiend!"

Sister Seol lunged instantly.

Kuwoong……!

A hallucination hit like the entire earth was dyed vivid blood, warping my vision.

Kill, steal, rape, burn, kill, steal, crush and pile up—a life's montage flashed before my eyes like a zoetrope.

"Innate Heartscape……."

Moyong Taek murmured, face ashen, but no time to ask what it meant.

"Aghk."

Luri suddenly clutched her heart and crumpled.

"Luri?!"

I rushed over for a check.

Ragged breaths, erratic pulse kicking in, face rapidly paling, lips draining of color.

And.

"This is……."

A drastic shift that hadn't been there moments ago.

The whole stronghold area was enclosed in a massive blood barrier, like a giant dome.

Irregular, spiderweb-like threads jutting from it snared Luri tight.

A foreign vibe unlike Sado Kyung's aura.

It felt akin to the energy from our first Heavenly Spirit Jiangshi encounter.

Likely whatever Sado Kyung swallowed—and the possession—were tied to some faction gunning for Luri originally.

"Krahaha! Power—power's overflowing!"

Sado Kyung's mad cackles boomed through the thick blood mist hanging in the air.

"Taek!"

I called back Moyong Taek, who'd gripped his sword ready to jump in, and quickly manifested the wolf pup from my embrace.

"Kyau!"

True to spirit beast form.

The wolf pup shredded only the translucent blood webs coiling Luri with its claws, then prowled proudly, growling at the surroundings.

"Watch Luri for a bit. ……Me jumping in seems the better matchup against that monster."

Moyong Taek's expression twisted complicatedly, but he nodded soon enough.

……He'd probably felt his uselessness bone-deep now.

I silently prayed it'd fuel his training instead of scarring his pride.

"Sister! I'm coming!"

If we didn't stop Sado Kyung now, with his aura raging fiercer than before—not just us, but every incoming unit would get wiped out. That was the gut feeling.

I hurled myself boldly into the asura field, where one wrong step meant instant decapitation.