Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Those Left Behind
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"Whoa, you're back?"
"Did you escort him safely all the way? You didn't ditch him halfway, did you?"
"...Poison Phoenix, what do you take me for?"
After seeing Dan Yuseong off on his journey to the Demonic Cult, Yeo So-cheon returned.
The moment she walked in, the Sword Empress and Dang Ayoung rushed over to her, asking about his well-being.
"I guided him to a merchant heading to the Demonic Cult. At this point, he should make it there safely. There's nothing more I can do."
"What if that merchant turns out to be a bad guy?"
"...He must have set up some contingency. It'll be fine. He's not some kid. He's got a silver tongue and knows how to handle himself, right?"
"Still, I'm worried..."
Yeo So-cheon let out a sigh as she watched Dang Ayoung fidget anxiously.
She wasn't entirely free of worry herself,
but
"And you've seen those weird gadgets he picked up from who-knows-where. That Bloodstained Cloak or whatever. If he uses them right, even in a fight, he'd come out on top against most foes."
"...Him?"
Her expression was one of disbelief.
It was a natural reaction from Dang Ayoung, who knew all too well how frail he usually seemed. But after a moment's thought,
"...Yeah, maybe he could."
she turned away, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"...Why are you suddenly blushing?"
"Th-that's not the point! What matters is whether he makes it back safe! Getting there safely is important too, of course, but if he can't return, what's the use?!"
There was a sense she was deflecting, but she had a point.
The real hurdle was making it back from the Demonic Cult unscathed.
"He'll probably come back fine. There's nothing more we can do right now anyway."
"W-well, that's true, but..."
"Enough about things out of our hands. We've got other business. Everyone, sit down. That includes you, Sword Empress, standing there all quiet and tongue-tied."
"Uh, okay..."
The Sword Empress, still not used to chatting with Dang Ayoung, had been watching the two—who already seemed quite close—with uncertainty. At Yeo So-cheon's words, she sat down gracefully.
Dang Ayoung looked displeased, but with the Sword Empress already seated, it would be awkward for her alone to stay standing.
"...Tch."
She clicked her tongue softly and took her seat.
"First off, what we're about to discuss is extremely important. No exaggeration— the fate of the Central Plains hangs in the balance."
"...Not a word of hyperbole?"
"Sword Empress, have you ever known me to lie?"
"...If you say so, then it must be. Go on."
"You've both heard that the Blood Cult has started moving again, right?"
"...!"
At the mention of the Blood Cult, the Sword Empress's eyes widened.
It was the one group against which this woman of refined temperament showed not a shred of mercy.
Not just because of the heavy sacrifices during the war in the past,
but
'Soyeon...'
Who had forced her to part from her disciple in the worst way possible... and then reunite in an even worse manner?
Who had made her behead her own disciple with her own hands, only for that disciple to rise again and glare at her with hatred?
-Grip
"Those ghosts of the past dare..."
"Looks like you've heard of them. What about you, Poison Phoenix?"
"Y-yes? Me?"
"From what I know, you're aware too."
"Ah, y-yes. We subjugated them once before. At first, we thought they were just freaks practicing bizarre techniques or demonic arts, but turns out they were people who'd already died, revived as jiangshi..."
"Good, that makes this easier. Bottom line: the Blood Cult that's resurfaced recently isn't the one we fought before. Not the one from twenty years ago. It's something entirely different wearing the Blood Cult's name."
Yeo So-cheon gave Dang Ayoung and the Sword Empress—a bit confused—a rough outline of the situation.
In the past, the Blood Cult had been nearly wiped out by the Heavenly Demon, with only a few remnants surviving. Desperate to revive their cult, those remnants tried summoning the founding Blood Demon... but what they called forth was something else entirely.
Beings from another world, ones that had already doomed their own realm to destruction. Now in the Central Plains, they'd absorbed the remnants, donned the Blood Cult guise, and set their sights on this land as their new playground.
They delighted in draining human blood and wielded strange sorcery with it. But their most distinct trait, unlike the old Blood Cult—which did use jiangshi—was their ability to revive the dead as full-fledged members.
A higher form of necromancy, even.
"Any more questions?"
"..."
"That's... hard to believe."
"I get it. It sounds unbelievable."
For the always (supposedly) peaceful martial world, the sudden arrival of otherworldly monsters disguised as the Blood Cult, plotting the world's end?
If it came from anyone but Yeo So-cheon, it'd sound like the ravings of a madman.
But it was Yeo So-cheon speaking.
A Kunlun Taoist and one of the righteous faction's top experts wouldn't joke about something this grave. It had to be true.
"So... if we don't stop them, the Central Plains is doomed?"
"Pretty much. In a way, they're even more extreme than the Blood Cult twenty years ago. At least those guys weren't out to end the world."
"Whoa..."
For Dang Ayoung, who'd only half-cared about the Blood Cult rumors, this was bewildering.
She'd heard they'd stirred again, but after being nearly annihilated twenty years back, she figured any activity was just their death throes—small-scale at best.
"That 'doom'... you mean like... what I'm thinking?"
"The extinction of all life, humans included. Or leaving them alive but not really."
"Ugh..."
Her face twisted as she clutched her head, reeling from the headache-inducing bombshell.
"I was just waiting for his master to show up, get her blessing for the marriage, and live happily ever after... and now this crap pops up."
"Life doesn't go according to plan, Poison Phoenix. And you're too young to have your life all figured out."
"Must be nice being the 'life senior'..."
"Is that a thorn I hear in your words, or am I imagining it?"
"Think what you want..."
A faint crack appeared on Yeo So-cheon's forehead beneath her smile, but seeing Dang Ayoung's gloom, she held back.
"Anyway, I brought this up because I'm planning to drive out that Blood Cult. And I especially need your help, Sword Empress."
"...Me?"
"The Blood Cult grinds your teeth too, doesn't it? Knowing you, you'd help even without me asking. But coordinating from the start makes it way more effective."
-Stare
The Sword Empress, lost in grim thoughts at the Blood Cult news, blinked blankly at Yeo So-cheon's request.
Twenty years ago, even in the heat of battle, she rarely sought help from others.
"...You've changed quite a bit yourself."
"Not as much as you."
It spoke to the gravity of the situation... and the shifts in her heart over time.
As the old comrades exchanged knowing glances,
"Um... does that mean I have to fight too?"
Dang Ayoung timidly raised her hand from the side.
"...You stay home."
"B-but I can fight! I'm at the pinnacle realm, you know!"
Objectively, Dang Ayoung wasn't weak by any means.
In a world where countless martial artists spent lifetimes failing to breach the pinnacle wall, for someone her age to have done so put her at the top of the younger generation—likely the strongest.
But
"...You stay home with him. Someone needs to guard him."
She didn't measure up in Yeo So-cheon or the Sword Empress's eyes.
Her talent might one day surpass them when she reached their age, but right now, she fell short as frontline power.
Yeo So-cheon pondered as she watched Dang Ayoung's complex expression—relieved yet downcast.
"Come to think of it, since we've got time, boosting your strength a bit wouldn't hurt."
She drew her sword with a smile.
"...Lady Thunderclap Sword?"
"While we're out, you're the only one who can protect him. Let's train hard for the next few weeks."
"W-what?"
"You haven't been at pinnacle long, and time's short, so breaking through further is out. But now that you can wield qi, you should learn to handle it properly."
-Crackle
"W-wait a sec, Lady Thunderclap Sword! Your face looks scary! You're not mad about what I said earlier, are you?! Right?!"
"Come on. Do I seem that petty? This is all for you and him."
"Kyaaah!"
It seemed Dan Yuseong wasn't the only one in for a rough time while heading to the Demonic Cult.
"Arrrgh!! Where the hell is it?!"
-Boom! Boom!
"Sigh, that girl's at it again."
"She's so young... such a shame."
It had been over half a year since she'd come to this mountain village chasing traces of the Eight-Tailed Fox left by her ancestors.
She'd scoured every nook from the mountainside upward, but no sign.
"I've combed this whole damn mountain! From mid-slope up! How many times?! Argh!!"
"What was that girl looking for again?"
"Wasn't she a hunter? Something about a fox with multiple tails."
"I thought she was an herb gatherer. Saw her haggling herbs at the shop once."
"Figured she was bounty-hunting tigers..."
"Huff... huff..."
To chase that blasted fox, she'd gathered herbs and hunted tigers when money ran low.
That much effort, and not even a whisker?
'Did I mess up my reasoning? No... yokai usually hide deep in mountains to avoid human eyes...'
No way a yokai needing to evade humans would set up shop below mid-slope.
That's when it happened.
"Just passing through."
"Ah, sure... Sorry... Whew."
"Thank you."
An merchant with a cart squeezed by, blocked by her rampage.
Come to think of it, she'd seen this guy a lot.
Over half a year here, and he kept hauling that cart into the mountains without fail, tirelessly...
"...Huh?"
"Hey, don't you ever get tired? It's been three years of this soon. How pretty can she be that you can't forget?"
"Once you see her, you'll get it."
"Wait! Hold on!"
-Boom!
"Eek!"
She grabbed the cart, radiating intense energy.
"Mind telling me where you're headed?!"
Her yokai hunter's instincts flared.
...Maybe all this time had been a massive waste.