Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Sword Demon's Realization
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The Sword Demon came to another realization. He was as good as dead.
Ever since he'd begun cultivating demonic arts, the demonic qi that had dominated his body's foundation had completely scattered.
The Blood Path Guest didn't know it yet, but he was destined for the same fate. That was the inevitable end for anyone who practiced demonic arts. This was why demonic cultivators could never pour out every ounce of their power.
The Sword Demon had unleashed everything in that last strike. And now he was dying because of it.
The Sword Demon looked back into Dan Hyeong-u's eyes. Their indifferent yet profoundly deep gaze pierced straight into him.
"I see. So you knew from the start it would end like this."
The Sword Demon lay powerlessly on his back against the ground. Just lying there felt indescribably comfortable. Though the pain radiating from his dantian gripped his entire body, his mind was at ease.
"Urk!"
Unbearable agony reached his heart, and he couldn't hold back a groan.
Dan Hyeong-u approached the Sword Demon as he lay there groaning.
A faint curiosity flickered in Dan Hyeong-u's eyes. A sinister energy began to emanate from his body—the same one he'd used to subdue the warriors at the Henan Escort Bureau.
It was demonic qi.
Pure beyond measure.
The Sword Demon's eyes widened in shock. He instantly recognized the energy flowing from Dan Hyeong-u as demonic qi. The Blood Path Guest was equally stunned, though a moment later.
The demonic qi pouring from Dan Hyeong-u enveloped the Sword Demon.
"Just as I thought."
Dan Hyeong-u nodded faintly and muttered to himself. In that instant, the demonic qi that had scattered around and wrapped the Sword Demon vanished.
Dan Hyeong-u withdrew his demonic qi, then turned and walked toward Jo Seol-yeon and the Henan Escort Bureau group.
The Sword Demon had already risen to his feet, staring blankly at Dan Hyeong-u.
"Could you be from the castle?"
The Sword Demon's voice trembled faintly. The castle he meant was, of course, the Heavenly Demon Castle. But even as he asked, he was certain it wasn't true. The strongest in the Heavenly Demon Castle was the Heavenly Demon.
Yet not even the Heavenly Demon could wield such pure, vast demonic qi so freely.
The Sword Demon and Blood Path Guest had already lost all will to fight. The same went for their subordinates standing behind them—disciples they'd raised like their own.
They were demonic cultivators, too, highly sensitive to demonic qi. They'd all felt the irresistible demonic power emanating from Dan Hyeong-u.
It was the kind that any demonic cultivator couldn't help but succumb to.
"The castle lord must have sent you because he doesn't trust us."
The Blood Path Guest's expression hardened at the Sword Demon's mutter.
"Doesn't trust us? The castle lord? The one who gathered us saying to trust him?"
Jo Seol-yeon, who had been quietly listening to the Sword Demon and Blood Path Guest, sensed a massive misunderstanding and stepped forward.
She wasn't usually like this, but in situations like these, she somehow stayed eerily calm.
"We have no connection whatsoever to the Heavenly Demon Castle. We're just escorts from the Henan Escort Bureau."
The Sword Demon and Blood Path Guest turned their gazes to her at her calm words.
"Henan Escort Bureau? The one in Henan?"
Though the Henan Escort Bureau was fairly well-known among escort agencies, that fame didn't extend to the Heavenly Demon Castle. Besides, the castle was in Xinjiang—they had little access to Central Plains news or information.
"It's the escort bureau in Hecheon, Heyang Province."
Jo Seol-yeon replied in her steady voice. Truth be told, she wasn't afraid anymore. She sensed no presence from the Sword Demon or Blood Path Guest, and she knew Dan Hyeong-u had overwhelmed them.
The Sword Demon and Blood Path Guest exchanged glances. They'd been like sworn enemies back at the castle, but now their minds strangely aligned.
"So that guy's just an escort from some minor agency?"
The Blood Path Guest pointed at Dan Hyeong-u in disbelief. Not just him—the Sword Demon's face was full of doubt, too.
Jo Seol-yeon gave a wry smile at his words. Even she thought it sounded a bit absurd. But what could she do? It was the truth.
"Cart driver."
Dan Hyeong-u said. The Sword Demon and Blood Path Guest blinked, as if they'd misheard.
"What did you say?"
"Cart driver?"
"You mean the guy who hauls goods and drives the wagons?"
They stared at Jo Seol-yeon with incredulous expressions. She had no choice but to nod.
"He says he still prefers being a cart driver."
"Ha, hahaha!"
The Blood Path Guest burst into loud laughter. No matter how you looked at it, they were clearly being mocked. Otherwise, the situation was too ridiculous.
"Are you making fun of us right now?"
The Sword Demon's chilling voice flowed into Jo Seol-yeon's ears, laced with vicious demonic qi. But it couldn't harm her at all.
Jo Seol-yeon shook her head calmly.
"Why would I mock the two of you? Everything I've said is true."
A glint appeared in the Sword Demon's eyes.
She'd been so focused on Dan Hyeong-u that he'd overlooked it, but Jo Seol-yeon seemed extraordinary, too. Facing his potent demonic qi head-on without flinching—she was no ordinary person.
'She doesn't even look like she's properly trained in martial arts...'
The Sword Demon shook his head. It was hard enough to believe someone could repel both him and the Blood Path Guest in a single move.
There were people who looked weak but weren't, sure.
The Sword Demon looked troubled. So did the Blood Path Guest. They'd stopped them initially because their movements seemed desperate. They'd suspected they might have found the Heavenly Qi Master's secret vault and blocked their path.
After a moment's deliberation, the Blood Path Guest asked bluntly. Overthinking like this wasn't his style at all.
"Did you find the Heavenly Qi Master's secret vault?"
Jo Seol-yeon smiled faintly at his direct question. It matched her expectations perfectly.
"We're not interested in it at all. We're just heading back to Hecheon now."
The Sword Demon interpreted her words differently.
"That means you've already found the Heavenly Qi Master's vault and taken everything worth taking."
The Blood Path Guest's eyebrow twitched at the Sword Demon's words.
"Is that true?"
He glared at Jo Seol-yeon with faintly murderous eyes. But she met his terrifying gaze without batting an eye.
"We've never found anything like that, and we have no desire to."
"We still can't trust your words."
The Sword Demon shook his head. But what could they do? Even if every warrior here attacked at once, they couldn't touch Dan Hyeong-u. The Sword Demon knew that for certain.
Silence fell. The surroundings grew deathly quiet.
Finally, the Sword Demon looked at the Blood Path Guest and spoke.
"I'll go with them. You keep searching for the vault."
The Blood Path Guest scowled at his words.
"Switch."
The Blood Path Guest was far more curious about Dan Hyeong-u than some Heavenly Qi Master's vault. But the Sword Demon had no intention of yielding.
"The vault has the Heavenly Flash."
The Blood Path Guest paused. The Heavenly Flash was a legendary saber. Any saber user would covet that supreme treasure.
Of course, he desperately wanted it. That's why he'd come on this mission.
"Didn't you want the Blood Shadow Sword?"
The Sword Demon shook his head at the Blood Path Guest's retort.
"I don't need it anymore."
In the end, the Blood Path Guest nodded.
"Fine. But I take all the subordinates."
"Do as you like."
With that, the Sword Demon approached Dan Hyeong-u. Standing right in front of him, he turned to look at Jo Seol-yeon.
"Any objections?"
Jo Seol-yeon glanced troubled at Dan Hyeong-u. He stood silently, expressionless as ever.
Speaking for the hesitant Jo Seol-yeon, Hyeong Pyo stepped forward.
"What's in it for us?"
The Sword Demon's eyes narrowed slightly at Hyeong Pyo's words. His burning gaze turned to him.
"You dare demand payment from me?"
Hyeong Pyo startled and took a step back. The Sword Demon's payment to ordinary folk was death. His eyes said as much. But that was it. He couldn't glare any longer.
Dan Hyeong-u's sword now blocked his view.
"Don't follow."
The Sword Demon froze at Dan Hyeong-u's single command. He'd momentarily forgotten, thanks to Jo Seol-yeon and Hyeong Pyo. The truly terrifying one here was Dan Hyeong-u.
The Sword Demon reached into his bosom and pulled out a heavy pouch, tossing it to Hyeong Pyo.
Hyeong Pyo caught it instinctively. He worried it might contain infused energy, but nothing happened.
The pouch was filled with gold.
"That should suffice, right?"
It was a considerable sum. But the Henan Escort Bureau wasn't desperate for it—they had plenty.
"This isn't enough."
The Sword Demon's eyes blazed again at Hyeong Pyo's firm refusal. Bloody light seeped from them.
As the Sword Demon opened his mouth, Dan Hyeong-u glared at him. He flinched, withdrawing the demonic qi in his eyes.
"If I see that again in front of me, I'll take it."
The Sword Demon was inwardly shocked at Dan Hyeong-u's words and swallowed unconsciously. In the end, he turned away.
He couldn't look at Dan Hyeong-u or anyone else anymore. The surging demonic qi quietly subsided.
"What do you want?"
Hyeong Pyo inwardly sighed in relief at the Sword Demon's question. He felt safe with Dan Hyeong-u there, but this was still the Sword Demon—a top-tier powerhouse from the Heavenly Demon Castle, a true demonic being.
"I doubt you came here from the Heavenly Demon Castle in Xinjiang based on mere rumors."
The Sword Demon nodded readily at Hyeong Pyo's words.
"You're right."
Hyeong Pyo's eyes gleamed.
"We want information."
The Sword Demon eyed Hyeong Pyo with newfound interest.
"You're no ordinary fellow."
"Just simple deduction."
The Heavenly Demon Castle was in Xinjiang. It took considerable time to travel from there.
Even rushing, they couldn't arrive at Cheonjung Mountain based solely on rumors without lagging behind other martial artists.
Yet they'd arrived almost simultaneously with the others. As if they'd predicted exactly how far the rumors would spread.
That meant they had another intelligence network—and a highly reliable one.
"Fine. I'll give you all the information I have. Satisfied now?"
"Thank you."
Hyeong Pyo expressed his gratitude while racking his brains furiously. Someone of the Sword Demon's caliber wouldn't lie, but his quick agreement suggested the info wouldn't be extensive.
Still, it was enough. What the Henan Escort Bureau needed now was information.
Information to uncover the mastermind behind this incident.
"By the way, you're really not interested in the vault? With your skills, it'd be worth a shot."
Hyeong Pyo looked awkward at the Sword Demon's words and glanced at Jo Seol-yeon and Dan Hyeong-u. It wasn't something he could decide alone. They held the authority now.
Truthfully, Hyeong Pyo wanted to search. Returning to the bureau now wouldn't yield any breakthroughs.
Better to gather intel from the Sword Demon and spend time here in Cheonjung Mountain. Finding the Heavenly Qi Master's vault would be a bonus.
Sensing Hyeong Pyo's thoughts, Jo Seol-yeon cautiously asked Dan Hyeong-u.
"What do you think, brother?"
Dan Hyeong-u's answer was consistent.
"Do what you want."
Jo Seol-yeon gazed at him warmly. All the hardships of the day melted away with those words.
"Thank you, brother."
In the end, the Henan Escort Bureau decided to search for the Heavenly Qi Master's vault, too. Under Dan Hyeong-u's protection.
* * *
A shadow appeared in the now-empty spot. It rose as if sprouting from the ground.
"Impressive, Heavenly Demon Castle. Even Solitude couldn't get close."
The shadow, taking human form, scanned the surroundings meticulously. It confirmed the remnants of Solitude scattered on the ground. The Solitude he'd used had withered and died.
"Still a ways to go. To live up to the name Poison Shadow, I need much more."
Poison Shadow carefully gathered the scattered Solitude from the ground. It would greatly aid his future research. These had died from exposure to demonic qi.
The Blood Demon surpassed the Heavenly Qi Master in every way and had generously passed those abilities to his shadows. But there were two areas where he fell short: formations and poison.
Especially in gu poison, the Heavenly Qi Master had reached an unparalleled realm. Though Poison Shadow had learned everything about poison from the Blood Demon and innovated through his own efforts and research, he hadn't yet matched that level.
"Too bad I missed the chance to use Solitude on those Henan Escort Bureau fools. I barely set up the conditions, too."
Poison Shadow muttered regretfully, then dissolved back into shadow and sank into the earth.