Chapter 194
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: The Three Demons Battle (4)
Cheon-hyang tilted her head.
[Is this one in the same kind of relationship as you and me, Master?]
“It seems so.”
Mu-heun sealed the woman’s pressure points to prevent her from using her martial arts, then tied her to a tree. Then, in an endlessly chilling voice, he asked.
“Now, we don’t have time, so I’ll be direct. Is the one behind you the Ice Demon, Yeon A-ryeong, or the Flame Demon, Cho Yeom-wi?”
“…!?”
“Don’t be surprised. I didn’t allow you to tail me without knowing anything.”
“Th-That is.”
*Stab!*
Mu-heun immediately formed a sword finger and pierced the woman’s right shoulder. At the same time, he used Myriad Fragrance to create a concoction that broke down mental barriers, a truth serum, and coated the tip of his finger with it.
He had injected the truth serum directly into her body.
*Crack!*
The woman’s shoulder bone shattered. As Mu-heun slowly withdrew his sword finger, blood spurted out.
“Kuaaaaargh!”
The excruciating pain was just a bonus.
“I told you we don’t have time. You seem to be under some misapprehension. The more you stall, the more that Poison Eagle’s life is endangered. Furthermore, the Ice Demon and the Flame Demon will die by my hand.”
“D-Do you think I’d believe such madness?”
*Stab!*
“Kuaaaaargh!”
“Now you can’t use your left shoulder. You have five chances in total. For your reference, you’ve just used two. To explain further, next are your two legs, and the last is your head. Ah, let me tell you one more thing.”
“…!?”
“Right now, my demonic corpse is on the verge of sending your comrades to hell. Your comrades know nothing. In short, if you stall, not only the Poison Eagle but also your comrades will die, their bodies melting from extreme poison.”
“…W-Wait!”
The woman’s heart raced.
‘This isn’t what I was told!’
She had heard that Baek Mu-heun was just a young warrior, barely of age, who was skilled in martial arts. But the Baek Mu-heun she was seeing now was sharp in assessing situations and ruthless in his actions. It wasn't mere youthful recklessness; it felt like she was facing a seasoned warrior who had already been through countless battles.
“Now, answer. Who is behind you?”
Under Mu-heun’s relentless pressure, the woman gave up and opened her mouth.
‘It’s the same whether I die here or at their hands. There was never any loyalty to protect in the first place.’
“It… It is the Ice Demon.”
“Your name?”
“Chu Hon-ga-ha.”
“You don’t seem to be warriors from the Central Plains. Why do you pledge loyalty to them?”
“We are warriors from Nanman, defeated soldiers who lost to the Ice Demon’s subordinates, the Seven White Robes of Ice. After that, we were tortured several times. A Gu poison was placed inside our bodies, and we became slaves.”
“I see.”
Mu-heun hesitated for a moment. The lives of his subordinates were at stake… He pondered whether the choice he was making was right or wrong.
But there was only one path. There was only choice and responsibility.
“Any other comrades?”
“None.”
“So, it’s just the three of you?”
“Yes.”
“Where is the Ice Demon now, and what is he doing?”
“I do not know what he is doing. We were only ordered to pursue Baek Mu-heun and report his movements. However, I only know that the Ice Demon is currently in the Valley of the Wicked in the Sidalmok Basin.”
“Last question. When you went to report my movements to the Ice Demon, did you see the hostages?”
“Yes, the merchants were gathered in one place and imprisoned. I heard they would all be released after Sir Baek Mu-heun was dealt with. I also know that the person in charge of the merchant caravan, the young head merchant, actively participated.”
“The young head merchant… Then, did you see the warriors?”
“Yes, they were covered in blood from extensive torture, but all four captured warriors were still alive.”
“The four warriors, are they Pa-sun, Un-pyo, Cheon Ga-rak, and Un-gak?”
“That is correct.”
“What about the other warriors?”
“I heard they were all killed.”
Mu-heun couldn’t suppress the vein throbbing on his forehead. The young head merchant’s betrayal? As the one in charge, that was understandable enough.
However, the fact that there were only four survivors was a different story.
Un-gak was the leader of the Maple Leaf Unit of Blade Leaf Valley, and Cheon Ga-rak was the leader of the Azure Dragon Unit. But only four survivors?
That meant all the members of the Maple Leaf and Azure Dragon Units who followed them were dead.
“Damn it…”
Mu-heun composed himself once more. He then enhanced his vision to search for the Gu poison inside the woman’s body.
He took a bead from the divine artifact on his wrist, the Butterfly Dream, and placed it on the woman’s forehead.
“Kuaaack!”
“Stay still.”
Mu-heun then sent a finely processed stream of Heavenly Demonic Energy into the woman’s body. Just like when he had removed the Gu poison from Chowol’s body, a treatment accompanied by paralysis began.
“Kueeeek!”
Soon, the Gu poison shot out of the woman’s mouth.
*Kieeeek!*
Mu-heun crushed the Gu poison with his hand, killing it.
*Crack!*
*Splat!*
Mu-heun then spoke to Chu Hon-ga-ha.
“From now on, follow my orders. Otherwise, all your comrades will die. Do you understand?”
Chu Hon-ga-ha couldn’t believe what was happening right before her eyes.
‘Someone other than the Gu’s master is removing it? I’ve never heard of such a thing.’
At the same time, she knew instinctively. The Ice Demon and the Flame Demon aren’t the problem. If I betray this man, my comrades and I will surely die. On the other hand… if I follow him, my comrades and I can live.
“I… I will do as you command.”
“If you follow my orders, I will also remove the Gu poisons residing in your comrades’ bodies.”
“Th-Thank you! Please, command me to do anything! I… I pledge my loyalty!”
“Then, first, take these two prayer beads and go to where your comrades are. And place the beads on their bodies.”
“Yes! I will do so!”
“After that, go to Mount Emei. And deliver my message.”
“Yes!”
***
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, was created based on the Primordial Soul Bead, said to be one of the three great treasures of the Heavenly Dance Family.
There were only three Primordial Soul Beads in the entire Heavenly Dance Family. Mu-heun had used two of them as a means to receive and amplify energy during his fight with Dang Baek-ho. Therefore, the only remaining Primordial Soul Bead was the one Hyeok possessed.
However, Mu-heun was not one to let the Primordial Soul Beads, which had served their purpose in the fight with Dang Baek-ho, go to waste. After the battle, Mu-heun collected the shattered fragments of the beads.
The carefully gathered fragments were melted in Mu-heun’s demonic flames. He then recreated the Primordial Soul Beads into twelve smaller beads.
Six of the twelve beads were interwoven with the prayer beads Mu-heun wore, the Butterfly Dream, and the remaining six were implanted around the Primordial Soul Bead that Hyeok held in place of a heart.
Then, he connected them with a thread of Myriad Fragrance, strengthening the bond.
A bond of communication that was incomparable to the Thousand-Li Faint Fragrance.
With this, they could exchange energy and will no matter how far apart they were.
This meant the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, could act as Mu-heun’s hands and feet, regardless of the distance.
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, hid underground and waited.
For the wicked who would come looking for the eagle, which cried out with its eyes and ears sealed.
They would be complacent, thinking that since their master, Baek Mu-heun, had left this place with Ha-ryeong, nothing would happen even if they came for the eagle.
However, his master, Baek Mu-heun, was not so careless. He had not only sealed his own aura using Demon-Sealing Paper as if sealing the dead but had also buried him underground, making him impossible to find with the naked eye.
Furthermore, since he was no longer a living being, he had no presence that living, breathing creatures emit. Who could possibly detect him?
Even if he were buried underground for days, he had no need to breathe, so he would not die.
Thus, he would wait.
To bestow a terrible poison upon those who obstruct his master’s path. To melt the flesh and grind the bones of those who angered his lord.
Just then.
“Well, well~ He left the messenger eagle alive, didn’t he?”
A woman with a snake of indeterminate life wrapped around her neck and a boy riding a wolf that looked about three times the size of a normal one came looking for the messenger eagle.
“Right? I heard he was young but strong in martial arts, and merciless to his enemies. But it seems that doesn't apply to mere creatures.”
“Heh heh, exactly. That’s why… he gets caught again, isn’t that right?”
“…Agreed. But thanks to that, we can recover one messenger eagle.”
“I agree too. Great Wolf. Let’s report to the Ice Demon now, that the fool still doesn’t know about us, who can track using animals.”
“Alright. By the way, Blood Snake. Hasn’t Chu Hon-ga-ha been caught yet?”
“Of course not. Why? Keke, because your animal was easily caught, you’re worried Chu Hon-ga-ha’s Poison Eagle might have been caught too?”
“No, it’s not that, but that guy, Baek Mu-heun. He’s using a strange owl.”
“Huh? An owl? There was no mention of that.”
“Yeah. But that’s what the messenger eagle is saying.”
“Hmm… Still, Chu Hon-ga-ha’s Poison Eagle isn’t something a mere owl can handle. You know, right? There’s no bird in the high skies that can match the Poison Eagle.”
“True, that’s a relief. Let’s just retrieve the messenger eagle and get out of here. That Baek Mu-heun fellow broke its wing, so it needs treatment quickly.”
“Well, at least it’s alive.”
Just then, a rumbling sound echoed from the ground.
*Rumble!*
“Huh? What’s that sound?”
“I don’t know either.”
*Fwoosh!*
“Kugh! What is that!”
“D-Did it just burst out of the ground?”
Something wrapped entirely in paper shot out in front of Great Wolf and Blood Snake as they were about to retrieve the messenger eagle. The paper was covered with the words ‘Demon-Sealing Paper’.
Sensing an eerie energy, the snake and the wolf cried out.
*Hiss!*
*Bark! Bark!*
However, Great Wolf and Blood Snake felt no energy at all.
“Wh-What is that?”
“I don’t know either. But my wolf says it’s dangerous…”
At that moment, the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, unleashed a poison mist.
*Fwoooosh!*
The poison mist spread in an instant, surrounding them.
Even then, Great Wolf and Blood Snake did not realize.
The poison arts of the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, which were close to the ultimate level of demonic power.
The poison mist created by absorbing the eight great poisons of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
They did not know what a Heavenly Demonic Corpse truly was.
But then.
[Stop!]
A will flowed in from Mu-heun.
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, immediately ceased his actions. Mu-heun and the Heavenly Demonic Corpse were in an unbreakable master-servant relationship. The Heavenly Demonic Corpse had to do whatever Mu-heun said. It was in a state of absolute obedience.
[Do not kill them. Paralyze and subdue them, then tie them up in one place.]
[Understood.]
At that moment, the giant wolf commanded by Great Wolf charged toward the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, baring its menacing fangs.
The red snake also slithered quickly, its scales gleaming with a deep luster, indicating it was a venomous serpent.
However.
*Swish!*
*Thud-thud-thud!*
Five flying daggers shot from Hyeok’s hand and embedded themselves in the Blood Snake’s body.
*Kyaaaah!*
And the wolf that rushed at Hyeok…
*Kueeeek!*
It rolled on the ground, writhing with all its teeth broken.
It was only natural. The body of the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, strengthened by absorbing extreme poisons, was as hard as tempered steel.
Blood Snake and Great Wolf stood there, their faces pale as they watched their animals fall so wretchedly.
Just then, the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, opened its mouth.
“Grrr, sl…eep… now.”
Hyeok was still not accustomed to forming words with his mouth.