Chapter 82: Appearance of the Giant Demon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 82: Appearance of the Giant Demon (2)
Mount Palgu was a range defined by its nine peaks. Legend had it that on misty days, only eight could be seen, but when the skies cleared, all nine revealed themselves—hence its name, the Mountain of Eight and Nine.
At the foot of one of those peaks, a group of young men lay in wait.
One youth sat with a gaunt face, wearing a scholar’s cap and gray robes, his shoes intricately woven with pearls. Beside him sat another young man with a square jaw, his sleeves and pant legs rolled up halfway. Standing before them was a third youth, whose massive physique stood in stark contrast to his small face. Judging by their sharp gazes and disciplined builds, they were clearly martial artists of significant caliber.
Though not part of the Five Great Families of the Central Plains, they belonged to the Jang Family, one of the renowned "Six Families of Shanxi."
They were Jang Il, Jang Woo, and Jang Seop.
Known as the Jang Sam-geol—the Three Jang Brothers—they had been famous throughout Shanxi since childhood for their extraordinary wit and talent. Now, they were hidden in ambush.
"This is the right spot, isn't it?"
The eldest, Jang Il, spoke while adjusting his scholar’s cap. Possessing a fastidious personality, he had asked if this was the correct path several times since their arrival.
"It’s certain. We know this area like the back of our hands," the second brother, Jang Woo, replied. True to his stoic appearance, he reported the situation calmly. It was his keen eye that had identified this perfect spot for an ambush.
"Brothers, is there really a need to hide like this? Wouldn't it be better to just wipe him out in one go?" Jang Seop, the youngest, spoke with a confident voice as he drew his sword and swung it ostentatiously. He was so large that even a longsword looked like a toy in his grip.
Jang Il cautioned him. "There’s no harm in being careful. We need to finish him instantly the moment we get the chance without wasting energy. I heard earlier that the warriors of the Flying Dragon Gate were taken down in the blink of an eye."
"The Flying Dragon Gate is just a sect with a fancy name. Are they even in our league?"
"That may be true, but still..."
While Jang Il and Jang Seop conversed, Jang Woo remained silent, listening. It was his nature to spare his words whenever possible.
"But big brother."
"What is it?"
"If we take that guy out, our reputation will soar, won't it?"
"Is that all? Think of how much Father will praise us. If we're lucky, we might even gain more fame than he has."
They were excited. For the Beggar Sect to send out a formal request for cooperation meant the incident was of considerable scale. There could be no better opportunity than this.
The target was someone who had lost his reason, making him easy to handle. Since he was of the Unorthodox Faction, they didn't need to hesitate. It was the perfect chance to elevate their names. That was why they had rushed here faster than anyone else upon hearing the news.
"I'll take the lead," Jang Seop volunteered, but Jang Il waved him off.
"No, I will start the attack."
"Ugh... if you go first, there won't be anything left for me."
"We're taking him down together anyway. Even if I deliver the killing blow, the fame will be shared, won't it?"
"Still, I want to do it."
"I said I'm doing it."
It was while Jang Il and the youngest, Jang Seop, were bickering that Jang Woo sensed something. He raised his hand.
"Someone is coming."
At Jang Woo's warning, Jang Il and Jang Seop held their breath and focused.
"The enemy is here," Jang Il whispered a moment later.
"Where?"
"Above."
Jang Woo and Jang Seop looked up. In that instant, the three brothers saw what happens when a human face becomes utterly distorted by madness.
"Aaaaah!"
Jang Il screamed and bolted at the sight. Jang Woo, equally startled, also took off running, but Jang Seop hesitated, his feet rooted to the earth.
"What are you doing?!"
"Ah..."
Paralyzed by terror, he couldn't even speak. His body had frozen the moment their eyes met.
A demon...
The figure looking down from a height of fifty feet was, in a word, a monster. His skin pulsed with red and blue energy as if a volcano were erupting beneath his flesh, and a viscous fluid dripped in beads from his chin. His nose was mangled, and his eyebrows and ears were all horribly twisted. Had they looked closer, the gruesome sight would have made them shudder even more.
"A-Ah..."
Jang Seop, who was closest, kept waving his hands frantically but remained rooted to the spot. Fear had rendered his body unresponsive.
"Get out of the way!"
"Seop!"
As Jang Il and Jang Woo shouted, a red flash flickered. The monstrous figure plummeted instantly and seized Jang Seop by the throat. He was so fast he was almost invisible.
"Guh... ugh..."
"Aack!"
In that moment, Jang Il and Jang Woo witnessed a horrific sight. Jang Seop’s body jerked and thrashed before suddenly shriveling up like a mummified corpse. Within seconds, he was reduced to a gaunt, skeletal frame, his eyes blinking weakly like a man on his deathbed.
"Ah... ah..."
Watching from nearby, Jang Il and Jang Woo collapsed. Their legs gave out at the sheer atrocity of the scene. Though their minds screamed at them to run, they couldn't move.
It was a demon. A demon stood before them.
"This isn't just Qi Deviation. This thing... this thing is..."
As Jang Woo muttered, the monster’s gaze turned toward him.
"Let's use the Jin Family Sword!"
"Brother..."
"Hurry!"
"Y-Yes!"
Finally snapping out of it at Jang Il’s shout, Jang Woo drew his sword. He couldn't die like this.
Fwaaaa-ack!
With a sound that seemed to tear the very air, the two brothers began their Combined Attack Formation. They thrust their swords with lethal precision toward the approaching monster.
However, the monster took both blades directly into his chest and simply grabbed Jang Woo’s throat.
"Die!"
Jang Il’s eyes burned with desperation as he stabbed repeatedly. He moved his sword so violently that the strikes were uncountable. Yet, the monster didn't budge. Even as the blade sank deep into his body, he stood there unperturbed.
Then, Jang Woo’s head slumped forward. The monster had crushed his windpipe.
Clang.
"T-This is impossible..."
Jang Il dropped his sword and slumped to the ground. A monster that wouldn't die even when stabbed... even his father had never shown such overwhelming martial prowess. He felt as though he had encountered an absolute being that could not be defied.
"Gurgle..."
The moment the monster’s hand loomed before his eyes, Jang Il’s consciousness flickered one last time and vanished. Caught in the monster’s grip, he too was drained of his essence and shriveled away just like Jang Seop.
*
"It seems to have been about two hours."
A warrior dressed in clean blue robes, named Jung, concluded after carefully examining the corpses. There were three bodies in total, and he had only reached his verdict after inspecting them all.
A young man stood looking toward the hill rising ahead. He had sharp features and neat eyebrows, exuding an air of nobility. This was Namgung Jin of the Namgung Family. He had been traveling to broaden his horizons when he heard the news from the Beggar Sect and came to investigate.
"How interesting."
An unreadable smile spread across his face. The state of the corpses was gruesome. Fluid leaked from the skin, the muscles were withered and stuck to the bone, and for some reason, even the exposed bones appeared to be decaying.
"Elder, what do you make of this?"
An old man walked out from behind the youth, his hands clasped behind his back. Standing over six feet tall with long, upturned eyebrows and a long, three-pronged beard, the old man’s expressionless face gave off a formidable impression.
This was Namgung Ju. As one of the Five Great Guardians of the Namgung Family, he was tasked with escorting Namgung Jin on this journey.
"It appears to be a form of Essence Absorption, but I believe we need to investigate further to be certain."
"As I thought."
As expected, even Namgung Ju wasn't entirely sure. He agreed that the symptoms were far too peculiar.
"Young Master, what shall we do now?" his guard, Jung, asked.
Normally, they would have pursued immediately, but after seeing such a sight, he was gauging Namgung Jin's intent. The traces left on the corpses carried significant weight.
"We go forward, of course."
At those words, Jung’s expression stiffened.
"Young Master, considering the severity of this incident, shouldn't reporting to the main house be our priority? If this is an old master who practiced a Sound Art or Essence Absorption, even if he is suffering from Qi Deviation, we must calculate the time it takes for his internal energy to deplete..."
"True. But everyone thinks like that. If we only aim for the safest path, we'll lose a great opportunity to others."
Namgung Jin remembered encountering warriors from the Peng Family of Hebei at an inn a few days ago. A Giant Demon who had lost his mind to Qi Deviation was a public enemy of the Martial World, regardless of whether one was Orthodox or Unorthodox. Therefore, it was highly likely they had also received the Beggar Sect’s message.
The Peng Family wasn't their only competition. The Mount Hua Sect was also located nearby. As one of the Nine Great Sects, Mount Hua possessed both superior numbers and quality of martial power. If they prioritized only caution and safety, they would lose the credit to someone else and end up like a dog chasing a chicken it can't catch.
"But..."
"It is fine. I am here, am I not?"
Namgung Ju cut Jung off as he tried to speak. Namgung Jin was one of the Five Dragons, the strongest rising stars of the Jianghu. Although his reputation was bolstered by the prestige of his noble family, he was not significantly inferior to Cheol Gun, who was called the strongest of them all.
"I will lead the way."
Jung moved quickly to the front. The youth and the old man followed close behind.
Tap. Tap.
A short while later, a man and a woman arrived at the same location. They were accompanied by five guard warriors; their massive builds and the heavy sabers they carried were striking.
They were from the Peng Family of Hebei. Just as Namgung Ju had predicted, they had also received the Beggar Sect’s message and were scouting the area.
"Young Master, look at this."
Their gazes also fell upon the spot Namgung Jin had just left.
"Hmm."
The man had a sturdy build, a calm gaze, and sharp lips that pressed firmly together when he observed something. This was Peng Seo-ju, also one of the Five Dragons.
"What do you think?"
Peng Seo-ju’s eyes turned toward the man beside him. He asked the question thinking the other might know more due to his greater experience in the Jianghu.
"They're completely shriveled up."
At that moment, a woman answered nonchalantly despite the hideous sight. His younger sister, Peng Seol-yeon, was standing beside him, looking down at the corpses. Far from being demure as one might expect of a lady, she stood boldly with her legs apart, a posture that looked quite natural on her. One could tell at a glance she was a heroine of the martial world.
"Their faces and their entire bodies are withered, as if their fluids were sucked out. Judging by the broken neck bones... it looks like something was drained through there..."
Her words hit the mark. She had examined the most severely injured points to determine where the damage had originated.
"Seol-yeon, don't touch them. The Beggar Sect will be coming to inspect them later."
"I'm not touching them. Obviously."
Peng Seol-yeon pouted at his words.
"Come over here."
It was then that another guard warrior, who had been examining the bodies, spoke while looking closely at Jang Woo’s head rolling on the ground.
"They appear to be the Jang Sam-geol brothers."
Being well-versed in the affairs of the Central Plains, he pointed to the head.
Peng Seo-ju spoke in a surprised tone. "The Jang Sam-geol? Then these must be members of the Jang Family."
Their names were quite famous in this region; no one who lived by the blade would be ignorant of them. Furthermore, Peng Seo-ju, who took a keen interest in the backgrounds and abilities of the rising stars, could not have failed to know them.
"Brother, no matter how I look at it, I think the Beggar Sect’s judgment was wrong. This doesn't look like the work of a mere madman."
"You think so too?"
"Yes."
Peng Seol-yeon nodded and continued. "What do we do now?"
"What else? We follow."
At those words, the five guard warriors looked at him with troubled faces. Peng Ri-gon, the Third Elder of the Peng Family, had not yet returned from scouting the nearby area.
"Namgung Jin is nearby. We can't let an opportunity like this slip into his hands, can we?"
"But the opponent is extraordinary..."
"You fools! Have you forgotten who I am?"
Peng Seo-ju shouted and dashed forward using a high-level Lightness Skill. The men and Peng Seol-yeon had no choice but to follow him.