Chapter 67
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The First Guest
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"Did you deliberately rile me up just to make me open this restaurant?"
Hahaha...
The Great Heavenly Demon's laughter stabbed into my chest like a knife.
"Damn it... Why the hell did you do that?"
The Great Heavenly Demon stopped laughing and looked at me with a mocking gaze.
"I wanted to see the face of the Five Heavenly Kings."
"Just for that?"
"Just? Aren't they the strongest in the current martial world?"
I desperately wanted to split open that cunning demon's skull.
Shing...
As I drew my sword, the Great Heavenly Demon drew his as well.
"You seem pretty pissed off today. Go ahead, take it out on me."
"Die!"
A beautiful woman dressed in pure white silk embroidered with floral patterns walked along the path leading to the riverbank.
As she strolled, admiring the scenic views, she spotted a house atop a distant hill and a cold smile crept across her lips.
A tall pole stood by one side of the house, bearing a white flag that marked the place as an inn or restaurant.
'No mention of an inn or restaurant? Did they move somewhere else?'
The sun was already beginning to set, and lanterns were lit around the house on the hill.
The woman climbed the hill from the riverbank and pushed open the front gate, stepping inside.
Ho...
Standing in the courtyard, she realized she'd come to the right place upon seeing the young man staring at her.
A young monk, a young Taoist, and two young, beautiful women soon emerged into the courtyard as well, and she flashed them a radiant smile.
"I saw the flag and came over. I'd like a meal. Did I come to the wrong place?"
Unlike the bewildered women, monk, and Taoist, the young man gave a slight bow.
"Please, come in."
The young man led the woman into the kitchen.
Once inside the spacious kitchen, she unfastened the sword from her waist and placed it on one end of the table.
The young man didn't even take her order.
Watching him warily as he added fish and seasonings to the pot, she smiled.
Her eyes caught sight of a sword placed in one corner of the kitchen.
"Is there something on my face?"
The young man asked in return.
"Are you a guest from the Demonic Cult?"
Hohoho...
The woman threw her head back in laughter, covering her mouth with her left hand.
Her left hand had only four fingers, and a scar was visible inside her cheek.
The moment her laughter echoed, a chilling killing intent flooded into the kitchen.
It was from the young monk, the young Taoist, and the young female experts.
They had surrounded the kitchen to prevent her from escaping.
"So this is how you treat your guests here."
The woman reached for the sword she'd placed on the table.
"Stop!"
The young man's shout was answered by a cry from outside.
"Myeong-gak! If that woman's from the Demonic Cult, we must capture her alive!"
"I said stop!"
The woman, who had been reaching for her sword, withdrew her hand.
This situation was even stranger than the story the Infinite Sword Demon had told her.
The ones emanating killing intent from outside were surely Myeong-gak of Shaolin, Cheongpung of Wudang, Zhuge Ji of the Zhuge Family, and Namgung Hye of the Namgung Family.
But their relationship with the young man—the master of this house—didn't seem all that great.
No, the house master felt like a demonic figure amid these orthodox faction members.
"Who do you think I am?"
The woman's tone changed.
The house master matched her shift.
"Aren't you one of the Five Great Sovereigns?"
The words "Five Great Sovereigns" slipped from the house master's lips.
In that instant, the aggressive killing intent from outside wavered violently.
They clearly hadn't expected this woman to be one of the Five Great Sovereigns.
"Nine-Fingered Blood Demon, Kang Mi-dan. And what might your name be?"
The woman held up her left hand.
"Go Un-san."
The young house master didn't hide his name.
"You lot, stay out there."
At the house master's words, the woman beamed brightly.
What a truly strange man.
He didn't emit even a hint of killing intent, despite being one of the Demonic Cult's Five Great Sovereigns.
Even stranger was that she couldn't gauge her age at a glance.
She looked to be in her twenties, but her deep eyes held the weight of considerable years.
As the fire in the hearth blazed stronger, the red-spotted carp stew in the pot began to boil.
I scooped rice and prepared side dishes, setting them on the table.
The wide, large sword lay on one end of the table, positioned between me and the woman.
My eyes met hers.
A slight twitch, and we'd put holes in each other's heads and chests.
We wouldn't even need the sword on the table; bare hands would suffice to pierce each other.
Yet she showed no sign of it.
She seemed to be thinking the same.
"Why aren't you attacking me?"
"Isn't it the same for you?"
Satisfied with my answer, she nodded.
"Bring some liquor."
I filled a bottle from the liquor jar and set it on the table with cups.
Then I ladled out the steaming carp stew and served it with the rice.
"I didn't order this."
"Ah... It's all I have to offer."
Hohoho...
She laughed as if amused, picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, and popped it into my mouth.
"Not bad. Decent as a side dish for drinks. Grab a cup and sit there."
The Nine-Fingered Blood Demon pointed to the chair across the table.
"Why should I?"
"I only drink liquor poured by others."
As if it were the most natural thing, the Nine-Fingered Blood Demon held out her cup toward me.
'What an odd one.'
She was the strangest person I'd ever met, besides myself.
I sat across from the Nine-Fingered Blood Demon and took hold of the bottle.
Glug glug...
As I filled her cup, she picked up the bottle and filled mine.
She downed her cup without hesitation and slightly furrowed her fine brows.
"Poisonous, but good aroma. You're not planning to do anything weird to me if I pass out drunk, are you?"
I stared at her in disbelief as I lifted my cup, and she burst into giggles.
This woman had no reservations in speech or action.
"Someone said that sitting across from me ruins the appetite."
The Nine-Fingered Blood Demon lifted her hair with her left hand, which had only four fingers.
A dark, burn-like scar ran from inside her cheek down to her jaw.
"What's that got to do with anything..."
I responded indifferently, emptied my cup, and took a bite of fish.
She watched me with eyes full of intrigue.
"How many did you bring?"
As I refilled her cup, she replied nonchalantly.
"Around fifty? Underestimate them because they're women, and you'll lose your head."
I could already feel the thick killing intent enveloping the house with my whole body.
As she said, it wasn't the sort ordinary experts would emit.
She polished off a bowl of rice in no time and held out the empty bowl.
"Wish there was some hearty soup."
I stood, filled a large bowl with rice, and brought out the soup Myeong-gak had prepared for us.
After tasting the broth, the Nine-Fingered Blood Demon said something unexpected.
"This soup isn't your handiwork, is it?"
"The monk outside boiled it."
She nodded and held out her cup again.
I filled her cup and she filled mine; the bottle was empty before we knew it.
"More?"
"Of course."
I stood again and refilled the empty bottle.
"Where'd you live?"
"In the mountains, just me and my little brother."
"Your master?"
"Dead."
"Your sect?"
"No real sect. Didn't even know his name."
The questions and answers continued.
Finally, she said something meaningful.
"Why fight us?"
"You attacked first. Truth is, I had no interest in the martial world."
"That idiot Red Moon Great Demon."
Her furrowed brow smoothed out into a bright smile.
"Why'd you come here?"
"To see you. If I'd known you'd be this handsome, I'd have dolled up more."
"You're... beautiful enough as is."
Hohoho...
"Even empty words feel nice."
She lifted her hair slightly with her left hand again.
Four fingers and the scar came into view.
"Not empty words."
Even accounting for the scar and missing finger, this Nine-Fingered Blood Demon was plenty beautiful.
No, it was her speech and demeanor that drew me in more than her looks.
"The Infinite Sword Demon was right. You're orthodox but lean demonic. How about joining us?"
"Sorry."
"...Pity. The Red Moon Great Demon has his eyes on you. Sly bastard with strong martial arts. Tough to survive."
She emptied her cup, pulled a money pouch from her bosom, and set it on the table.
"Delicious meal. First relaxed, tasty one in ages."
As the Nine-Fingered Blood Demon stepped out, I grabbed my sword from the kitchen corner and followed.
Myeong-gak, Cheongpung, Zhuge Ji, and Namgung Hye watched her tensely.
She raised her empty hands toward them.
"Let's put off the fight."
"Make way."
At my words from behind, they hesitated before stepping aside.
As the Nine-Fingered Blood Demon passed between the four, glancing at Namgung Hye and Zhuge Ji, she stopped at the gate.
"You and those girls at night...?"
"Enough with the nonsense."
I cut her off, and she smiled brightly, winking one eye.
"See you next time."
As the Nine-Fingered Blood Demon left through the gate, the surrounding killing intent vanished in an instant.
"Why let that witch go?"
Namgung Hye demanded sharply the moment she was gone.
"She came as a guest. No intent to fight me."
Hmph.
"You don't like that witch?"
I nodded at her thorny words.
"Quite the unique person."
Myeong-gak and Cheongpung hurriedly chanted their Buddhist and Taoist invocations, bowing low.
"Namo Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. Don't be fooled by a demon's appearance."
"Primordial Heavenly Venerable."
"An interesting man."
The smile lingered on the Nine-Fingered Blood Demon's face as she walked through the darkness.
One of the women following cautiously asked,
"Shouldn't we use this chance to kill him and remove the obstacle?"
"Even if I went all out, victory isn't guaranteed against that powerhouse. The orthodox youngsters aren't pushovers either. Fighting them would've gotten you all killed."
The woman who had spoken bowed deeply.
"My vision was shortsighted. Forgive me."
"Enough. I don't want to hear talk of forgiveness over a word."
The Nine-Fingered Blood Demon descended the path to the river, admiring the night scenery.
"The world has many prettier sights, yet none seem prettier to my eyes."
Tsk tsk tsk...
"That Nine-Fingered Blood Demon seemed interested in you. And you didn't seem to hate it."
"I'm not foolish enough to fall for a woman's smile."
"The world's biggest fool claiming he's not foolish. Even a passing cow would laugh."
I let the Great Heavenly Demon's mockery flow in one ear and out the other.
Words from a demon's mouth, after all.
From a great demon, no less.