Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 186
>Chapter Title: Maitreya Bright Cult (2)
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Moonlight alone softly bathed the outskirts of Goryang County.
Amid the pitch-black surroundings, only the manor bearing the signboard [Red Serpent House] illuminated the darkness with torches.
“Yawn.”
One of the Red Serpent House guards let out a massive yawn, prompting his fellow guard to offer the gourd flask hanging from his belt.
“Have some of this, at least.”
The man sniffed the flask his comrade held out, and the pungent stench of cheap rice wine assaulted his nose.
But as if it were nothing new, he gulped it down in big swallows.
“Ugh. Damn it all. Who’s gonna raid this backwater dump? Freezing my ass off on watch.”
His drinking buddy grumbled in response, and the man who’d offered the flask extended his hand, as if asking for it back.
“That’s why I brought this. Without it, what’s the point of putting up with this crap?”
The man returned the flask and casually glanced toward the manor’s interior.
It wasn’t out of fear of getting caught boozing on duty.
“That girl’s got quite the pretty face.”
Lust flickered in the man’s eyes.
“Heh heh heh. That’s why they worked the idiot father over, right? Can sell her for a high price.”
“Before selling her off for top dollar, we get our fun first.”
“You mean this? After the Branch Leader has his way, it’ll be our turn while she’s still fresh.”
The two exchanged their inane banter, passing the cheap rice wine back and forth and chugging it down.
Then, the man who’d brought the flask tilted his head in puzzlement, squinting and pressing his face to the small window in the gate.
Peering out through the tiny opening by the main gate, he muttered.
“Someone’s coming.”
From out of the darkness, a figure clad in black robes approached.
“Her old man again?”
His comrade asked, recalling past occurrences, but the man staring intently through the window shook his head.
The distance had closed, and the moonlight now revealed the approaching figure’s face.
‘A mask?’
The man wore a mask—one that vaguely reminded him of an angry-faced effigy from a temple visit in his childhood.
Step. Step.
With steady footsteps, the masked intruder reached the gate, and the watching guard called out.
“Who goes there!”
“The incarnation sent first by Maitreya to cleanse you filth.”
The two guards burst into mocking laughter at the masked man’s reply.
“Crazy bastard.”
“Looks like he wants to die.”
They exchanged glances and jeers, but soon felt an odd unease.
‘Why are you toppling sideways?’
‘And you?’
The comrade before him was tilting.
No—the whole world was tilting.
Slash!
A belated slicing sound rang out, and their torsos separated from their lower halves, tumbling down.
Creeeak.
Thud!!
Along with the gate, cleaved clean in two.
* * *
One of the Red Serpent House’s halls.
“Fuck.”
A young man spat curses while glaring toward the Branch Leader’s quarters.
“I did all the damn work.”
Today, he’d dragged a woman into the Red Serpent House.
Someone he’d known before.
He’d approached her with amorous intentions, only for her to coldly reject him.
—I like honest men who live like my father.
A humiliating response. It felt like she was scorning him for his life in the underworld.
A mere commoner daring to look down on a martial artist like him—he wanted revenge.
So he’d tricked her father into borrowing money, then kept silent for half a year.
Waiting for the debt to balloon tenfold.
No way that “honest” old fool could pay it back in mere months, so she’d be sold off by force.
He’d thought his revenge complete. Before she was shipped off to the brothels, he could have his fun first.
But the moment it came out she was untouched, that damn Branch Leader’s eyes had lit up.
Whether from the botched revenge or fury at the Branch Leader, the young man couldn’t sleep.
Creeeak.
Thud!
Then, a heavy rumble pierced his ears.
“Who goes there!!”
Red Serpent House thugs stirred by the noise began rushing out, weapons in hand.
“Fuck.”
The young man followed, face murderous, drawing his saber.
To vent on the Branch Leader.
Stepping outside, he saw a man surrounded by his comrades.
Clad in black with an angry mask—a bizarre sight.
But he gave the oddity little thought. Only regret welled up.
“Heh heh heh. Been itching for a taste of blood these past few days.”
“We’ll turn you into a pincushion.”
Before he could join in, his comrades would tear the intruder apart.
‘Missed it by a step again.’
He clicked his tongue in disappointment at the lost chance to vent.
“Tch.”
Then, like lightning striking a rainless night sky, a flash blazed.
He wondered if he’d seen wrong.
But he hadn’t.
Like thunder following the bolt.
The light flashed, then the delayed roar boomed.
Slash!
Afterward, the comrades encircling him crumpled like marionettes with cut strings.
“......”
Rubbing his eyes in disbelief at the scene, the young man blinked.
When he looked again, the manor grounds were slick with blood, and the heads of the fallen puppets lay severed from their bodies.
“Crazy….”
Only then grasping the reality, gooseflesh erupted across his skin.
‘R-run….’
Terror blanched his face as he whirled to flee, but his feet wouldn’t move.
Not from fear-frozen limbs. Simply—
Slash!
His head was already plummeting toward the ground.
* * *
The Red Serpent House Branch Leader’s quarters.
“Heh heh heh.”
There, a middle-aged man leered with a lewd grin at the woman in sheer garments that hinted at her skin beneath.
Heavy makeup and attire made her seem so, but she was too young to truly call a woman.
“Stepping up to pay your father’s debt—such a devoted daughter.”
The Red Serpent Branch Leader taunted the trembling girl.
“No need to shake. I’ve no reason to spoil the merchandise, heh heh heh. Learn well from this old man today, and work hard to settle your father’s debt.”
Hearing she was a virgin, the Branch Leader eagerly planned to personally “educate” her.
His idea of kindness toward a girl soon bound for the brothels.
Something he’d done before often enough to prepare such revealing clothes.
“First, come pour me a drink.”
The young girl only shuddered at his command, and the Branch Leader’s face darkened.
“You want to see your father die?”
Startled by the threat, tears welled in her eyes as she approached.
The moment she lifted the flask—
Thud!
A dull boom echoed from beyond the quarters.
“Who goes there!!”
Shouts from the Red Serpent warriors erupted in succession.
As the girl froze in terror amid the uproar, the Branch Leader scowled.
“Hey. Pour the drink already.”
Confident his underlings would handle the outside noise, he reached for her.
His hand touched hers gripping the flask, sending a chill through her like a snake slithering up her arm.
Amid it all, clamor, screams, and clashes of metal rang nonstop from beyond.
‘Please….’
Tears threatening to spill, she desperately held them back out of worry for her debt-ridden father, praying inwardly.
As the Branch Leader’s blatant gaze roved her sheer-clad form, gooseflesh prickled her entire body like snakes crawling everywhere.
In that humiliation, as she poured into his cup—
Slash!
A crisp slicing sound, like a snake’s neck severed, and the quarters’ door was cleaved away.
* * *
“Having a field day, huh.”
Il-mok let out a hollow chuckle at the Red Serpent Branch Leader, who lounged enjoying the girl despite his men dying outside.
“Who goes there!!”
Only now bellowing and hastily drawing his massive saber, the Branch Leader prompted Il-mok’s retort.
“Is that the Red Serpent House’s official greeting? No clue why every bastard who pops out spouts the same damn line.”
Despite Il-mok’s taunt, the Branch Leader didn’t charge recklessly.
‘All of them done for in that short time?’
The bizarre masked intruder had reached his quarters mere seconds ago, yet no underlings pursuing him appeared.
Only a few fallen bodies visible in the dark.
As the masked fiend faced off against the Branch Leader—
“Help me!!”
The girl hurled herself toward Il-mok, crying out.
“You dare!!”
The enraged Branch Leader swung his saber at her, but—
Clang!
Il-mok’s sword qi instantly deflected it.
Easily protecting the girl, Il-mok eyed her as she rushed to him.
Facing the angry-masked man, she pleaded through tear-streaked cheeks.
“P-please… help my father and me.”
A vague explanation omitting context, but Il-mok grasped the gist.
“Step back, close your eyes, and cover your ears.”
Telling her that, he advanced on the Branch Leader.
The Branch Leader swallowed dryly, watching the angry-masked intruder approach.
He already knew.
This man approaching was a supreme master far beyond him.
Not just because he’d slaughtered his men in moments.
Just before, when his saber strike had been blocked by the man’s sword qi, the Branch Leader hadn’t even properly seen him swing.
Thus, the Branch Leader shouted.
“W-wait! D-do you not know the Orchid Sky Society backs our Red Serpent House?”
“Orchid Sky Society?”
Il-mok halted and asked back, and the Branch Leader hurriedly yelled.
“Y-yes! We pay tribute to the Orchid Sky Society!”
Seeing the masked intruder pause, the Branch Leader’s tongue wagged furiously.
“Y-you seem unaware, great hero, but killing this Branch Leader changes nothing. W-we don’t do this for fun! T-to meet the Orchid Sky Society’s tribute demands, we had no choice….”
His frantic excuses trailed off.
He’d seen it too late.
The sinister smirk curling from beneath the angry mask.
To Il-mok, the Branch Leader’s pleas were laughable.
Not because of the pathetic excuses from a man who’d summoned a young girl for perverse service.
With the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult as his backing, how ridiculous was it to cry about some Orchid Sky Society?