Chapter 193
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Battle of the Three Demons 3
Rip.
Mu-heun tore off his sleeve and used it to cover the messenger hawk's eyes and ears. Then, he broke its wings.
Crack.
"Keeaaak!"
He then commanded Cheon-hyang.
“Cheon-hyang.”
[ Yes! Master! ]
Cheon-hyang placed one wing on its chest and answered with determined eyes. This action was possible because Cheon-hyang was a spirit beast; though it might not understand everything, it could sense the depth of its master's anger.
“It seems there are those who track their enemies by communicating with animals. From now on, if anything follows me from the sky, keep a close watch and report it to me. However, you must never catch them.”
[ Yes! Master! Leave it to me! ]
“Remember, Cheon-hyang. You must never let them discover your identity. Always be wary of your surroundings and don't forget to use your camouflage. I'll say it again: you are not to harm or catch them until I give the order.”
[ I will keep that in mind! ]
“...Thank you.”
[ Aww, don't mention it! I'll be off! ]
Cheon-hyang spread its wings.
Swoosh!
Cheon-hyang flew off at an incredible speed. Mu-heun watched it go, then immediately took out the Ghost Spirit Talisman. He formed a sword seal with one hand, infused ki into the talisman, and chanted an incantation.
“When Yang reaches its peak, Yin is born.
As Yang at its extreme transforms into Yin,
And when Yin reaches its peak, Yang is born.
As Yin at its extreme transforms into Yang,
Nature does not intend for all to die.
For nature does not decree that all must perish.
Where there is shadow, there must be light.”
Then, darkness began to billow from the Ghost Spirit Talisman, and the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, emerged.
Mu-heun took out the Demon-Sealing Paper he had in his robes.
“I will use all the Demon-Sealing Paper I have prepared on you.”
Hyeok nodded.
He wrapped Hyeok's entire body with the Demon-Sealing Paper.
“Hyeok.”
Hyeok nodded.
“I will bury you here.”
Hyeok nodded.
After adding a concealment formation to Hyeok, who was wrapped in Demon-Sealing Paper, Mu-heun dug a hole and buried him.
After burying him, he made the ground look natural again, as it was before.
'Hyeok is currently strengthened by my Heavenly Demonic Ki. He is at a level nearing the pinnacle of demonic power. He should be more than enough to show them hell.'
Then, he hung the messenger hawk, with its broken wings and covered eyes and ears, on a tree.
'Whether their goal is retrieval or destroying the evidence, they will definitely show up here. And they will be met.'
“Lady Ha-ryeong.”
“Yes.”
“Let's go.”
“Yes!”
Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong began to move at a speed incomparably faster than before.
At that moment, Ha-ryeong was incredibly curious about Mu-heun's thoughts.
What on earth was written in the letter to make him so angry? And what was the mission he gave to Cheon-hyang? Why didn't he kill the messenger hawk but hung it up instead, and why did he bury the Heavenly Demonic Corpse in the ground...?
But she couldn't ask.
His mood seemed far too menacing for that.
“...”
Ha-ryeong soon shook her head.
'Yes, he must have his reasons.'
Mu-heun glanced at her and, without slowing down, spoke to her via telepathy.
[ Among our enemies are those who use tracking techniques by communicating with animals. ]
[ Yes... I saw it, and I roughly guessed as much from hearing you speak with Cheon-hyang. ]
[ Communicating with and commanding animals is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a long period of dedication, and it's even more difficult if the command isn't a simple one like sending it to a destination, but a continuous order to track 'a certain target'. ]
[ ...Then, to what extent can the enemies communicate with animals? ]
[ At a basic level, they would communicate through an animal's language, conveying what the animal saw and heard. At a higher level, it would be everything the animal sees, hears, and feels. ]
[ ...!? Everything? ]
[ That's right. Perhaps the enemies can see the visual scenes through the animal's eyes with their own, and hear the auditory information through the animal's ears with their own. I suspect they have a communion that is close to that fundamental level. ]
[ Th-That... I've never heard of such a thing. ]
[ It seems there's no one in the Central Plains with that level of ability... but I hear it's not so rare in the Southern Wilds. ]
[ The S-Southern Wilds? ]
[ Yes, that's correct. ]
[ In that case, Lord Mu-heun, do you believe our trackers are from the Southern Wilds' Beast Palace? ]
[ No. I can't be certain, but it doesn't seem to be the Beast Palace. Not only have I done nothing to antagonize them, but it would be unnatural for them to suddenly become hostile toward me while I'm active in the Central Plains. ]
[ Then... it could be someone who employs a person brought from the Southern Wilds. ]
[ Yes. And since the destination they summoned us to is the Valley of Villains in the Sidalmok Basin... ]
[ The ones who commissioned the Three Supreme Blades of the World and the Seven Fiends of Asura. ]
[ It's likely... either the Flame Demon or the Ice Demon. ]
[ Or both. ]
[ Correct. Therefore, if the animal they dispatched doesn't return, they will come looking for it. And it won't take them long to find it. ]
[ So that's why you buried the Heavenly Demonic Corpse there. To catch them. ]
[ Yes. They will certainly come looking for the messenger hawk. Either to confirm the letter was delivered properly, or to confirm it wasn't.
In any case, if the animal they communicate with is not dead, confirmation is needed.
That's why I buried the Heavenly Demonic Corpse and gave it an order. If someone comes looking for the messenger hawk, it is to emerge immediately and capture them. ]
[ That's also why you told Cheon-hyang not to catch the pursuing animal. They need to be able to pinpoint your location to feel safe enough to come looking for the messenger hawk. ]
[ Exactly. Judging by the scent Cheon-hyang is picking up, it seems one has already started following us. ]
Just then, a beggar appeared before Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong.
“W-wait! S-stop!”
“...!!”
* * *
Mu-heun spotted the beggar and halted. He had been running at such a high speed that his stop kicked up a thick cloud of dust.
Shwaaa!
In that instant, Mu-heun created a spherical barrier of ki around the beggar and Ha-ryeong, completely blocking out all sound.
“What is it?”
Mu-heun managed to rein in his intense emotions as he spoke, but the beggar seemed a little frightened.
“Uh... well, it's...”
Mu-heun immediately checked the beggar's knots.
A three-knot beggar...
“There's no time to be scared. If you're really here to beg, I'll give you a few coins, so be on your way! If you're here to give me information, keep up the pretense of begging and speak.”
“No, it's... I still need to confirm... Your name, perhaps?”
“It's Baek Mu-heun.”
“Ah, yes! I have news to deliver to the master of the Righteous Hall.”
“What is it?”
“Near the Sidalmok Basin, there is a city called Ge'ermu. The owner of an inn there, a former member of the Underworld Sect, is said to have recently found two men floating down the river.”
Mu-heun felt a bit annoyed. It wasn't about finding a merchant caravan, nor was it about finding someone presumed to be from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Two men floating down a river?
However, not knowing how this information might connect, he decided to listen first.
“Two men? Who are they?”
“...Yes, I heard one is named Ho-ryang, and the other Seo-bong.”
“...!? Are you certain their names are Ho-ryang and Seo-bong!?”
“Yes, that's right.”
Mu-heun couldn't hide his excitement and asked.
“So, what happened to them?”
“The innkeeper said they were completely battered when he pulled them from the river. Also, the one named Seo-bong, despite being out of his mind, kept calling your name, Lord Mu-heun.
Finding this suspicious, the innkeeper contacted the Ge'ermu branch of the Underworld Sect. The branch leader, knowing that the name Baek Mu-heun belonged to the great hero with whom the Underworld Sect and the Beggars' Sect had promised to cooperate, has taken them under his protection.”
“I-Is that true...?”
“...It is. Afterward, while discussing how to deliver the news, we decided it would be faster for the Beggars' Sect to deliver it than the Underworld Sect, which is why I came.”
“Thank you. I will not forget this debt. One last thing, what is the exact location of the Underworld Sect's branch in Ge'ermu?”
“I will give you a map.”
“Thank you. I will convey my gratitude to the Beggars' Sect Leader, Bi Chwi-hak.”
“Not at all. I was merely doing my duty for the master of the Righteous Hall.”
“Thank you. Take this silver. And as you leave, act pleased, as if you just received it from begging.”
“You're being pursued... Yes, I'll keep that in mind. And... I will put this to good use.”
“...Travel safely.”
With those words, Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong vanished like the wind once more.
Just then.
[ I've caught it. ]
The will of the distant Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, flowed into him.
“Wait.”
Mu-heun stopped in his tracks. Seeing him stop, Ha-ryeong stopped as well.
[ Cheon-hyang! Catch the vulture tracking me now! ]
[ Sir! ]
Cheon-hyang, who had been hiding its color and ki while following Mu-heun from the sky, immediately changed direction.
Swoosh!
The spirit beast of the Heavenly Mountains. The Heavenly Fragrance Owl flying high in the sky revealed no color and leaked no ki, but it was truly fast and ferocious.
The target was the sky's sentinel tracking Mu-heun. The vulture. The vulture, treated almost like a spirit beast in some places, was also a formidable predator in the sky with no rivals.
Thus, the vulture, feeling the air tear violently, also sensed Cheon-hyang and presented its sharp beak and fierce talons.
Even large and small mountain beasts were mere prey to it. The sight of Cheon-hyang, fiercely approaching and starting to reveal its color, might have seemed laughable.
A pure white owl. A small bird that would normally not even dare to come near as long as the vulture was in the air was now charging at it.
Keeeeee!
A sharp cry, it was clearly a warning to Cheon-hyang.
However, Cheon-hyang found the vulture pathetic.
[ A mere creature dares to think of challenging me! Very well! I shall make you realize you were a frog in a well! ]
KWAANG!
A sonic boom erupted from the collision of two birds. This seemed to prove that these two were not ordinary creatures, but spirit beasts.
However.
CRACK!
For Cheon-hyang, which wielded an ice art close to the Transcendent Demonic realm, it was meaningless resistance. Cheon-hyang immediately seized the vulture's neck with its sharp talons.
Keeeeee....
[ Too late, you dull-witted fool! I'll make you pay the price for defying me! ]
Cheon-hyang then channeled a frigid chill into its talons.
Cr-crack.
The vulture began to freeze from its neck, and its entire body was frozen in a matter of seconds. The vulture was frozen so solid that even its pupils and tongue couldn't move.
Cheon-hyang was excited at the thought of being praised by Mu-heun.
[ Kyaaa! Master! I caught this thing! ]
As Cheon-hyang descended with the vulture in its grasp, it saw Mu-heun and Ha-ryeong tying up a woman.
[ Oh? Master? What's that? ]
“It's the owner of that bald thing.”