Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: Secret Pact
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-Clop clop clop
I squeezed out every ounce of strength I had—even the kind I'd mustered back when I was still nursing—and raced to the meeting spot with the merchant who'd carried me all the way to the Heavenly Demon Cult.
There was still plenty of time left before her promised departure,
-Thud!
"C-Customer?"
"Business done?! Can we leave now?!"
"Y-Yes... We can leave, but..."
"Then let's go! Right now!"
"Uh... Okay..."
The moment I hopped into the carriage, I urged him on, getting the cart rolling immediately.
"...Customer. Just to be safe, you didn't steal anything or commit a crime and run, did you? If so, I'd be in danger too..."
"Twenty nyang of gold."
"We'll depart right this instant~"
It wasn't unreasonable for him to suspect something, but a single word proved far more effective than a hundred excuses.
Money wasn't even the priority right now anyway...
-Thump thump thump
'They didn't figure it out, right...?'
I hadn't stolen anything per se, but with a guilty conscience nagging at me, I was desperate to bolt before anyone came chasing.
What if they suddenly got suspicious and yelled for us to stop?
-Clack clack
"No items left behind, then?"
"Even if there were, we're going anyway."
"Whew, you're really spooked. I get it—I was the same my first time here. Anyway, off we go."
All my valuables were tucked inside my cloak anyway, and I'd checked while confirming nothing happened while I was out cold—everything was accounted for.
The most crucial orb was safely with me too.
'Feels like its glow has dulled a bit... Nah, must be my imagination.'
It was something I'd swiped from my master, so if it got damaged, I couldn't guarantee my own survival.
She was due to emerge from secluded training any day now, and the moment she found out I wasn't home, she'd come charging down the mountain after me at 100% odds—and if the orb was broken on top of that?
'...Maybe I should scout a gravesite.'
I could end up cutting my life short at a young age.
Even if she hated my guts, surely she wouldn't kill her own disciple, right...?
'But running off with the household goods while the master was in seclusion... does that even fly...?'
Karma being karma, it was hard to stay optimistic.
Even if she'd been the first to leave her frail, helpless disciple behind for training.
For now, I'd look into the orb later...
"No one's chasing us, right...?"
"Did you really steal something?"
"...Someone's heart?"
"..."
-Screech...
"Half-joking, so don't stop the carriage. My bad."
"I just thought about tying you up and tossing you back to the Heavenly Demon Cult."
Seemed like it wasn't the best thing to say in front of a spinster struggling with debts.
I hadn't stolen it because I wanted to, but that'd sound like a blatant lie to her too, so I soothed her simmering anger appropriately and got the carriage moving forward again.
-Clack clack...
By the time we were driving along and our starting point had shrunk to a tiny dot in the distance, she'd calmed down enough to speak to me.
"Customer, got any decent guys around who'd hire me as a concubine?"
"There are weirdly no men in my circle."
"...I'm in the same boat, so I got nothing to say."
Half the world should be women and men, yet somehow my surroundings were all women.
Still...
-Sigh
'Guess that's my fate.'
At this point, I was half-resigned to it.
I just hoped it wouldn't get any worse—no expectations of improvement.
This was starting to feel like the real problem was me wandering around outside...
-Glance
"..."
"What're you looking at?"
"Nothing."
I resolved inwardly to stay on guard around every woman from now on.
Dang Ayoung had once joked that all women were beasts, and I'd laughed it off—but I couldn't just laugh anymore.
Even the Heavenly Demon, whose face I'd never seen, was sending danger signals.
If that little demoness got unleashed into the Central Plains because of me, instead of staying put in the Heavenly Demon Cult...
-Tremble
Vampires would be the least of our worries then.
-Clang!
-Whirr...
"...I lost."
Once called the Sword Flower but now bearing the new name Flora, she turned away without sparing a glance at her sparring opponent, who had bowed his head.
A fair amount of time had passed since she'd died and been reborn with a new life as one of the vampire kind.
All she'd done in that time was endless training and smashing head-on any challenges thrown her way.
Her body no longer needed food or sleep, letting her pour far more time into cultivation than in her living days.
Unlike that peaceful era, she now had a clear goal.
'Master...'
No need for honorifics anymore.
Once like a parent to her, that woman was now nothing but an enemy she'd tear apart.
Was it because she'd set her sights on a foe of an entirely different league, one she could scarcely even look up to?
Her growth rate was terrifying.
-Shing
"..."
Her sightless eyes fixed on the vivid crimson qi contrasting sharply with his own imperceptible aura.
A realm called mastery among vampires, or the Flower Realm in the Central Plains.
Considering her peak before death had been absolute pinnacle, this growth was absurd.
Especially factoring in that even her master hadn't reached this stage at this point.
-Grind
'Not enough.'
She was still far short of her master's level.
Anyone else, maybe—but her opponent was none other than the Sword Empress.
A flower was too fragile to fell a queen.
Even with her rapid progress, impatience was starting to creep in.
While she dawdled like this, Yuseong was nestled in that wicked woman's arms—and if he fell completely for her...?
-Crunch
'She could've married in time and had a grandson that age...'
The mere thought made her nauseous enough to vomit all the cursed blood in her veins—what might she do if she saw it for real? She couldn't predict her own actions.
She wanted to avoid hurting Yuseong if possible.
Unless he betrayed her first.
Suppressing the rising bile, she turned to resume training when
"Oh! Flora! You've come too! Come join us over here!"
"..."
The vampire king spotted her and waved.
Already in a foul mood, being called over nearly twisted her face, but she needed to thoroughly exploit Barshutain right now, so she barely managed a neutral expression as she approached.
Though it was closer to blank-faced.
"What is it?"
"I mentioned it before. It's about time we went out to see the sunlight."
"...And?"
Barshutain swirled a glass of blood-red liquid he'd procured from somewhere, flashing a seductive smile.
"A proper schedule has been set."
"...!"
"Not quite enough to overturn this world yet, but we've judged it's time to surface."
She'd heard it once before.
They sought to conquer the Central Plains and resurrect their lord in this world.
And for that, indiscriminate slaughter of martial artists and civilians alike was necessary.
'Slaughter...'
Just like the old Blood Cult.
That was part of why Barshutain didn't reject the name.
There were constraints etched into the ritual that summoned him here, leaving him no choice,
but inheriting the Blood Cult's name and terror—already sown deep chaos in the Central Plains—was far more convenient than starting a new faction.
"According to our embedded agents, the higher-ups already know the Blood Cult has resumed activity. They haven't announced it publicly yet to prevent panic and lure us into complacency."
"...Is that so?"
"Which is why we need to strike big first, before they prepare more. Hiding and building strength isn't bad, but preparing the ritual to summon Him requires more than lurking."
"...I see."
She had no particular thoughts on whether they slaughtered or did charity.
It had nothing to do with her.
Anything unrelated to Yuseong didn't matter...
"So we've set the Blood Cult's debut stage at Mount Hua."
"...!"
"If we're ambushing anyway, we might as well take an arm or leg from one of their commanders to make it worthwhile. I hear it's one of the strongest organizations in the Central Plains, dubbed among the Nine Great Sects? Plenty of civilians nearby too. Perfect first target."
Barshutain's chatter continued for a while after, but it fell on deaf ears.
The place she'd once belonged to. Where her master was.
And likely Yuseong too.
Opportunity had come sooner than expected.
-Thud
"A toast in advance. Time to set the mountain ablaze."
Barshutain said as much and drained his glass.
......
"Um, but..."
"Hm?"
"Mount Hua isn't a burning mountain..."
"What?!"
The Westerner's study of Hanja still had a long way to go.