Chapter 205
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: Golden Fang Poison Claw, Hyeok
Cho Geum-hwa, the Head of the Red Flame Demon Family, and Yeon Hak-ja, the Head of the Ice White Demon Family, brought cloths and collected the bodies of the Flame Demon and the Ice Demon.
They had a moment of repentance.
Once, they had been the ones to act more fiercely than anyone for the sake of their families...
But after producing the Cult Leader's two disciples, they had lived in seclusion, standing by as observers... They felt that what had happened was also their responsibility.
At that moment, Mu-heun spoke to those who were kneeling before him, pledging their loyalty.
“I will accept all of you who have surrendered now as my subordinates. However! I cannot forgive those who took the lives of my people, such as the Ice White Seven and the Soul Dark Assassination Unit. Seize them all and bind them.”
At that, the Third Elder, the Fifth Elder, and the Ghost Island Pavilion Lord moved swiftly and said,
“We obey!”
They instantly captured the three remaining members of the Ice White Seven, sealed their pressure points, and bound them. Not only that, but the remaining forces also began to identify and capture those who had attacked Mu-heun's subordinates in an attempt to lure him out.
Afterward, Mu-heun went to Jin-mu, the Lord of the Bright Heavenly Demon Brigade, and spoke.
“Lord Jin-mu.”
“Speak, Dragon Demon.”
“Beyond this salt lake, over the hill, lies the Valley of Villains. A merchant caravan that was scheduled to go to Sichuan is being held there.”
“I understand. I will take charge of this caravan's matter on behalf of the Bright Heavenly Demon Brigade. Do not worry about it.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Lord Jin-mu. Of course, once things are settled, I will also visit the caravan to apologize. However,”
“What is it? Please speak freely.”
Mu-heun felt he still had much to do.
He had to check on the condition of his subordinates, and he needed to visit Cheon Hwi-san to apologize and check on his well-being. Most importantly, he had to find the bodies of his deceased subordinates, which Cheon Hwi-san was said to have recovered, and hold funerals for them.
The dead...
Even when he heard the news that warriors from the Peng Clan and the Beggars' Sect had died in droves in Hubei, it hadn't felt like this. Saying goodbye to those he had lived and shared hardships with up close was such a painful thing.
‘I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...’
How was he to deliver this news to the Blade Leaf Demon and the Azure Dragon Unit...
Mu-heun finished his thoughts and continued speaking.
“You've already heard, and now that the Ice Demon and the Flame Demon are dead, it may not be of much use... but inside the Valley of Villains, there should be a ledger containing evidence that they were colluding with the Unorthodox Sects to smuggle out demonic arts.”
“My...”
“Furthermore, there should also be evidence that they commissioned my death, so please investigate.”
“I understand. But, for you to entrust such a matter to me... You seem to be in a hurry.”
“I am. Normally, I would confirm it myself and bring it to you, but the condition of my subordinates is very poor right now. I must go to them urgently.”
“I see. Very well. The Bright Heavenly Demon Brigade will handle the remaining matters, so please, go on.”
“Thank you.”
Mu-heun turned to leave at once.
‘Pa-sun, Un-pyo, Cheon Ga-rak, Un-gak...’
He had transmitted his medical knowledge through the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, and they were being treated. Their lives were likely not in danger. When he first saw them in the Valley of Villains, he had enhanced his vision to check their condition, and the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, who had inherited his will, would be as skilled at healing as he was...
Still, he couldn't feel at ease until he went and saw their faces for himself.
Just then.
Those who had rushed nonstop from the Heavenly Mountains arrived.
They were all people who had originally supported Mu-heun.
“Father... Blade Leaf Demon, Lord of the Dream Mist Pavilion...”
* * *
Baek Gun-hak, the Head of the Heavenly Dance Family.
Bul-wi, the Lord of the Dream Mist Pavilion.
The Blade Leaf Demon of Blade Leaf Valley.
Led by these three, the key figures of the Heavenly Dance Family, the Moon Spirit Unit of the Dream Mist Pavilion, the warriors of Blade Leaf Valley, the members of the Azure Dragon Unit, and others rushed over.
And then, their jaws dropped, and they couldn't close them.
The great salt lake of the Sidalmok Basin. Not only had all its water evaporated... but the traces of explosions were everywhere. It looked as if a grand army from the government had detonated gunpowder, as if a magnificent war had been waged.
Furthermore, the man standing in the middle of the salt lake had a very familiar appearance.
Baek Gun-hak, the Head of the Heavenly Dance Family, felt his eyes redden as he looked at the man.
‘It's Mu-heun. It's really him.’
But what was even harder to believe was the scene on the salt lake where Mu-heun stood. A black path stretched from where he was to the edge of the lake. A scorched black path, as if a giant wheel of fire had passed through.
And in the middle of that black path, he could see two people lying fallen and two warriors tending to them.
‘That's...’
He could recognize them at a glance.
The forms of the Flame Demon, Cho Yeom-wi, and the Ice Demon, Yeon A-ryeong, dead with half their bodies blown away. And the sight of Cho Geum-hwa and Yeon Hak-ja collecting their kin, whose bodies were growing cold.
Baek Gun-hak soothed his sinking heart and started walking again. His feelings were mixed and complicated.
Baek Gun-hak knew.
Those who had fallen dead with half their bodies gone.
They had once enjoyed immense power,
but in an instant, they were coldly dead.
Such was the fate of the candidates for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's leadership...
A single misstep, and his own son, Baek Mu-heun, could have been the one to die.
It was a path that harsh, a path always followed by death.
In truth, he wanted to stop him.
No, he still wanted to stop him.
But, the Cult Leader had chosen,
and his son had chosen this path.
He chose to support him rather than stop him.
But now, look at the reality before his eyes.
Baek Mu-heun, the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family,
was no longer the person Baek Gun-hak knew.
He was one who had crossed every threshold of death,
one who had killed his opponents.
One who was walking a path of blood as the next leader of the Demonic Cult.
What had happened to his son, who had once been so kind and gentle?
His actions were astonishing,
and his steps were relentless.
His son's story about the founder of the great Heavenly Demon Divine Cult appearing in his dream... The choice of the Sacred Fire, which could be said to have been there at the very beginning of the Cult.
‘Indeed... The destiny of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult has truly chosen Mu-heun.’
Just then, Mu-heun said something to the Lord of the Bright Heavenly Demon Brigade, turned around, and came face to face with Baek Gun-hak, the Blade Leaf Demon, and Bul-wi.
“Father..., Blade Leaf Demon, Lord of the Dream Mist Pavilion...”
Behind them, he could see the key figures of the Heavenly Dance Family, the Azure Dragon Unit members, the warriors of Blade Leaf Valley, and the Moon Spirit Unit.
“Everyone else, too...”
“Mu-heun, what in the world happened here?”
“...”
With his mind in a hurry, Mu-heun found it difficult to explain the complicated situation to those involved. He had gathered them with his own two hands, but some had slipped through his fingers like sand, never to be held again. It was difficult to deliver the tragic news of those children.
‘Courage... is not something you only need when facing an enemy.’
However, it was something he had to face and speak of directly.
“I have something to tell all of you.”
Mu-heun calmly recounted the events that had transpired. There were moments when emotions surged within him, but he managed to hold them back.
After all, unlike his outward appearance, he was a Divine Doctor who had lived past seventy.
“Therefore, I am now going to see Pa-sun, Un-pyo, Cheon Ga-rak, and Un-gak. After confirming their safety, I will go to Cheon Hwi-san, who recovered the bodies of our subordinates, retrieve them, and then hold a funeral.”
Hearing Mu-heun's words, Baek Gun-hak and Bul-wi did not speak. Thinking of the Azure Dragon Unit and the Wind Leaf Unit, they were careful with every word.
However, the Blade Leaf Demon and the Azure Dragon Unit were different.
“Dragon Demon, what happened to the Wind Leaf Unit led by Un-gak is unfortunate, but I am proud of them. No, rather, I am grateful that they were able to repay their debt to their savior before they died.”
“Blade Leaf Demon... You are right. I will not forget their sacrifice.”
“Lord Dragon Demon. From the moment the Azure Dragon Unit decided to support you, we had already offered our lives. It would be a lie to say we aren't sad about our comrades, but if I were in the same situation, I would have done the same.”
“You all...”
“More importantly, let's go see the survivors. The living must go on, mustn't they?”
Mu-heun gave a bitter smile as he looked at the Azure Dragon Unit members, who were trying hard to speak calmly.
“Alright, let's go.”
Mu-heun set off with the group towards the Gyeogimok branch of the Murim Underworld.
* * *
Gyeogimok. Murim Underworld Branch.
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, safely reached the Gyeogimok branch of the Murim Underworld. Then, he began treating the four individuals.
The medical knowledge transmitted to him was nothing short of perfect. The condition of the four, lying there covered in blood, was even worse than Ho-ryang and Seo-bong's, but he could treat them.
Such was the medical art of the Divine Doctor.
The problem was that the Soul Dark Assassination Unit was pursuing them... Fortunately, the nuns of the Emei Sect had helped, so there was no need to fight while protecting the hostages.
Seol Ha-ryeong, who was already waiting, stood guard outside the door to prevent any outsiders from entering, while Hyeok focused on the treatment.
“I can... treat them.”
Holding the acupuncture needles, the Heavenly Demonic Corpse still had all the medical knowledge from his time as the Golden Fang Poison Claw in his head. However, it was insignificant compared to the knowledge of the Divine Doctor.
Prick! Prick!
“First... the basic emergency... treatment is complete.”
Hyeok then drew the Myriad Fragrance Grand Restoration Formation, which he had received through Mu-heun's will. Even though he was connected to Mu-heun, Hyeok was not Mu-heun, so it took quite some time to draw the formation, personally painting ink on the ground and infusing it with ki.
At last, Hyeok sensed that the entire formation was complete. He took out the incense pouch that Mu-heun had left him.
After filling the formation with Heavenly Demonic Ki, he opened the pouch. As he did, the burns seared by the hot flames began to heal, twisted muscles returned to their proper places, and broken bones started to mend.
The Myriad Fragrance Grand Restoration Formation. It restored the four's twisted and knotted muscles, drew out contaminated and infected blood, and infused new blood.
It treated poisons and regenerated burnt-out meridians.
If there were blocked meridians, it cleared them, and it took charge of regeneration at the cellular level.
The sight was like witnessing the power of a god.
In accordance with the diagnosis Mu-heun had made of the four's conditions, the Myriad Fragrance penetrated them and healed them on its own. It was truly a grand art that could embrace the world's pain.
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, clutched his head, feeling a throbbing pain. Something was starting to come back to him. The memories of his past life, flowing into him after he became one with Mu-heun.
The Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, had finally realized it. That he had been the Golden Fang Poison Claw. And what he had obstructed, and who he had killed, when he was alive.
“I... was... foolish...”
If only he had spread this to scholars as the Divine Doctor had said... He could have saved countless people who would have died in agony...
Already subordinate to Mu-heun, the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, Hyeok, was tasting a belated repentance as he recalled the memories of his past life.
As one of the three hidden weapons of the Tang Clan, he had focused only on the clan's safety and relentlessly obstructed this grand art. The Myriad Fragrance Grand Restoration Formation. Only now did he see and realize its greatness.
And that he had killed, with his own hands, the Divine Doctor who had dedicated his entire life to achieving it.
Only now was he regretting it.
“I... was... wrong...”