Chapter 87
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Demon Manifestation
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Crack... crash!
The Ghost Child, who had burst through the wall and crashed into the room, hurriedly kicked off the floor.
Swish...
A pure white sword flash gleamed under the moonlight before vanishing.
The black night clothes covering the Ghost Child's body were sliced open, exposing his side.
Thud, spurt...
The flesh on his side split open, blood pouring out.
Clatter! Crunch!
The Ghost Child, slammed back to the floor, hurled the sword in his hand at the enemy leaping through the broken wall.
It was a desperate attempt to block the intruder's advance.
Whoosh... clang!
But the man who had jumped inside deflected the sword flying toward his nape without even turning his head.
"No!"
The moment a frantic cry burst from the Ghost Child's lips, a eerie laugh echoed from the inner room.
Hehehehe...
Gurk!
The man who had charged into the room flailed his legs in midair as he was flung back outside.
Gripping his throat was a man chuckling with a bizarre grin—Go Un-san.
"High Lord..."
The Ghost Child was stunned, and the enemies who followed hesitated in shock.
Crack.
The sound of bones shattering rang out, and the man's body convulsed in his grasp before going limp.
Go Un-san tossed the limp body toward the wall without a second glance.
Boom!
The corpse smashed through the wall, flying outside and crashing to the ground.
Crack.
In that instant, the sound of bones breaking echoed again.
Go Un-san had already snapped the necks of the next wave of intruders.
Bam!
He hurled the limp foes aside and turned back into the room.
Crunch! Boom!
Go Un-san's figure smashed through the inner door and vanished toward the front courtyard.
Thwack! Thud! ...!
The heads of the enemies locked in fierce combat with the junior disciples exploded almost simultaneously.
Having felled over a dozen foes in an instant, Go Un-san turned to face the junior disciples.
"High Lord... thank goodness..."
"Namu Amida Butsu..."
"Primordial Heavenly Lord..."
The junior disciples, overjoyed at his timely arrival, rushed toward him but suddenly froze mid-step.
Arrogant.
And savage.
The figure standing tall in the middle of the courtyard, head held high, was no longer the Go Un-san they knew.
The usual Go Un-san was prickly in temperament but carried a subtle warmth beneath it.
But now, not a trace of emotion could be found in him.
And this profound darkness that made their bodies tremble just by facing it, this bone-chilling terror that numbed their legs—what was it?
Go Un-san swept his arrogant, emotionless gaze over the junior disciples and laughed once more.
Hehehehe...
Staring down at the enemies writhing in agony on the ground, he regarded the ones the junior disciples had planned to capture for interrogation.
Crunch! Crunch! ...!
Without a glance, Go Un-san stomped their heads, bursting them open as they groaned.
"High Lord!"
"No!"
The junior disciples cried out too late—there were no survivors left.
"...Why...?"
Even to Myeong-gak's hollow question, Go Un-san offered no reply.
Sweeping his arrogant, savage gaze over the junior disciples once more, he slowly closed his eyes.
Thud.
His body collapsed limply to the ground.
"H-High Lord!"
The junior disciples belatedly rushed to his side on the ground.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Kwanseum Bosal."
"Primordial Heavenly Lord."
Myeong-gak and Cheongpung emerged from the room where Go Un-san and the Ghost Child lay, chanting Buddhist and Daoist invocations as they surveyed the courtyard.
Twenty-one corpses littered the front yard alone.
Including those in the back yard, it came to twenty-four.
"Kunlun's Twenty-Four Guardians."
Kunlun had an ancient tradition.
The sect's supreme master would select and raise twenty-four disciples.
Though they wielded Kunlun sword arts, they couldn't have been Kunlun disciples.
These must have been the ones raised by Super Eun-seon.
"Myeong-gak. Even if they were Demonic Cultists, we should hold a simple rite, pray for their souls, and cremate them, don't you think?"
"Of course."
Myeong-gak and Cheongpung usually traded jokes and insults, but tonight, not a hint of levity showed.
They hauled firewood from outside and began stacking the corpses atop it.
Several martial arts manuals spilled from the corpses' bosoms.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Kwanseum Bosal."
Examining the manuals, Myeong-gak involuntarily chanted.
And rightly so—the manuals contained Kunlun techniques.
"We should return these to Kunlun through our masters."
"Indeed. But Kunlun arts have already fallen into Demonic Cult hands; trouble lies ahead."
The manuals didn't hold all of Kunlun's arts, but no one knew how much Super Eun-seon had leaked to the Demonic Cult.
As they laid the corpses on the wood and lit the fire, Zhuge Ji and Namgung Hye approached.
"How's the High Lord?"
"He's sleeping. The Ghost Child seems to have passed the crisis too."
Their faces were just as grave.
Roar...
As the flames caught on the wood, Cheongpung clasped his hands toward the sky, offering a prayer and burning a talisman.
The junior disciples silently watched the blaze.
"I've never seen such a terrifying sight."
Namgung Hye spoke first, gazing into the fire.
The other junior disciples nodded in agreement.
"This Daoist nearly pissed himself."
The junior disciples turned to stare at Cheongpung.
Then back to the flames.
They wanted to chide him for joking at a time like this, but his expression said it wasn't a joke.
"He didn't look like the High Lord at all. Like a completely different person."
Myeong-gak, Cheongpung, and Namgung Hye nodded at Zhuge Ji's words.
They had felt the same.
Go Un-san had his cruel side, but he wasn't terrifying enough to make bodies tremble just by facing him.
Moreover, he had been in such critical condition he couldn't even sit up.
Yet he rose unscathed, snapping necks and crushing skulls.
"Perhaps... the one living in the High Lord's dreams isn't his master after all."
Sharing the sentiment, the junior disciples said nothing.
"One thing's certain: the righteous-demonic war will start right here."
The junior disciples silently accepted Zhuge Ji's conviction.
She was probably right.
The war would begin in Huanin County, with the High Lord at its center.
"Anyway, shouldn't we fix the house and walls first?"
Namgung Hye's words snapped them back to reality from their fire-gazing reverie.
Right.
The most urgent task was repairing the house and walls.
If not, given the High Lord's temperament, he'd throw a fit over every little annoyance.
"We'll be busy starting tomorrow."
Crack! Crack! Thud!
I opened my eyes to the deafening noises assaulting my ears from a deep sleep.
Lifting my head slightly to look around the room, I saw the Ghost Child lying beside me.
Ugh.
My whole body throbbed, drawing a pained groan from me.
I'd been lying there quite a while, but felt no better.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! ...!
Forcing myself up amid the ringing hammer strikes, I opened the door and stepped outside.
And I couldn't close my gaping mouth at the sight before me.
Gaping holes pierced every visible wall, carpenters sawing lumber to patch them.
"What the hell happened?"
Something big must have gone down while I slept.
The holes suggested an intrusion or fierce fight, yet my body was intact.
'As I suspected, the Demonic Cult bastards attacked.'
The junior disciples must have fought them, causing the damage.
'Even so, sleeping through a wall-smashing brawl? Pathetic.'
What if the juniors hadn't been here?
I'd have surely lost my head to the enemy.
'Useless...'
Dragging myself outside, I saw workers rebuilding the walls and Zhuge Ji with Namgung Hye directing them.
In one corner of the yard, Myeong-gak and Cheongpung were building a platform, bickering as they worked.
As I emerged, the juniors dropped their tasks and gathered around.
"High Lord, are you alright?"
"Why come out instead of resting more?"
I'd meant to ask what happened while I slept, but noticed their faces weren't bright.
"What's with the long faces?"
The juniors looked at me puzzled.
"You... don't remember what happened two nights ago?"
"Two nights ago? Have I been out for two whole days?"
At my question, their shocked gazes fixed on my face.
"What?"
"Really... no memory at all? You didn't massacre the midnight raiders?"
"Me?"
I was genuinely stunned.
I truly remembered nothing.
As I flustered, the juniors exchanged glances and subtly widened the distance between us.
I hurriedly asked.
"What? What happened?"
"...Nothing."
Myeong-gak mumbled evasively.
I had to know what went down two nights ago.
"Baldy. Come to my room."
After hearing it all from Myeong-gak, I steadied my churning stomach with deep breaths.
In the end, the Great Heavenly Demon had manifested in the world.
Using my body, no less.
'That's why I knew nothing. Damn it...'
Not knowing what I'd done— the shock was immense.
But more alarming was the fear that soon, that demon might fully claim my body.
My darkening expression worried Myeong-gak.
"You look unwell... Lie down."
Following his advice, I lay on the bed and closed my eyes.
I had to meet the Great Heavenly Demon soon and demand answers.
I tried sleeping for nearly half a shichen, but sleep wouldn't come.
The hammer bangs and sawing quieted as the workers headed home.
I rose from the bed and went outside again.
"Why out again?"
Zhuge Ji called, but I barely registered her voice.
Sitting on the porch, I blankly watched the dusk settle, then turned to see Yeong-gae entering through the gate.
Yeong-gae glanced around the house.
"Greetings, Elder."
He casually acknowledged the juniors' bows with a hand wave, glanced at me, and headed to the kitchen.
"Is dinner ready?"
Myeong-gak scurried after, fawning.
"Almost done. Please wait a moment."
At the absurd scene, I couldn't help but smirk.
'Moping won't kill that demon bastard...'
I stood and joined the juniors in the kitchen.
The aroma of food—unnoticed until now—hit me, and hunger struck.
"Baldy. I've starved for days—pile on the rice."
My bright tone lifted Myeong-gak and the juniors' moods as well.