Chapter 345
Fragrant Tea Inn
The inn was located in a remote village a short distance from Pyeongdo and was also one of Yu Cheong-rim's regular haunts.
The reason? The owner of this tavern was a fence who dealt in stolen goods.
When So Ok-rim said she had something to discuss, Yu Cheong-rim had brought the two of them here.
This guest inn wasn't a place ordinary patrons frequented, and it even had a soundproof secret room to ensure no information leaked outside.
"So... this gentleman is a wandering martial artist?"
After listening to So Ok-rim's explanation for a while, Yu Cheong-rim tilted his head in confusion.
According to her, the man with the topknot was named Seol-so—a wandering martial artist affiliated with the Red Sky Curtain Branch, hired by So Ok-rim.
But having witnessed Bu Eun-seol's Lightness Skill up close, Yu Cheong-rim had already guessed that Bu Eun-seol was merely disguised as a wanderer and that his true identity was something else entirely.
"That's not important. Let's just get to the point..."
So Ok-rim laid out her plan to capture the Black-White Witch.
Namely, she proposed that Yu Cheong-rim act as fresh bait in place of Seol-so.
No—though she called it a proposal, it was practically an order.
"...I can't do it."
After hearing everything, Yu Cheong-rim bowed his head so low it nearly hit the table.
"Just kill me instead!"
When So Ok-rim's expression didn't change, he clasped his hands together and pleaded with Bu Eun-seol.
"Brother Seol—no, Great Hero Seol, please spare my life! I don't want to die yet!"
At that, So Ok-rim spoke in a gentle voice.
"Why would you die? We'll be right beside you."
"Even so! You're asking me to be bait to catch the Black-White Witch, of all people?"
Yu Cheong-rim's face twisted into a grimace.
"If things go wrong, won't I end up drained of blood and dead?"
"Hey, who said anything about bait? We're just setting a trap."
"Didn't you just say 'bait' a moment ago?"
Yu Cheong-rim shuddered violently.
"And no matter how formidable your martial arts are, there's no way you can defeat that witch."
"What nonsense. Have you seen her before?"
"I have."
Yu Cheong-rim nodded, his eyes clouded with fear.
"I've seen that witch with my own eyes."
"When? How?"
As if recalling a memory from the past, Yu Cheong-rim trembled before speaking.
"A long time ago, I snuck into the Ak Family Manor to steal something and was on my way out of the village. I stopped to rest briefly at the Guan Shrine when I sensed something strange behind me. When I turned around, there was a figure in black robes with snow-white hair staring right at me."
His face twisted in terror as he continued, eyes wide.
"Her face wasn't clear—it kept shifting, blurred and indistinct. And the moment our eyes met, I felt dizzy, and then my whole body went numb."
Yu Cheong-rim swallowed hard before going on.
"At the same time, my vision started darkening, and nothing but fear and despair filled my heart. Then, suddenly, my entire body turned ice-cold."
He took a breath and resumed.
"When I opened my eyes again, a woman with long, sharp teeth was tearing at my neck and drinking my blood."
Yu Cheong-rim pulled open his collar to reveal a scar on his throat.
"This is the mark the Black-White Witch left behind."
"Hmm... it's a bit of a stretch to call this teeth marks."
"I don't know either, but ever since then, this scar has remained on my neck."
"But how did you survive?"
So Ok-rim tilted her head, baffled.
"You had your blood sucked by the Black-White Witch and still lived? That's strange, isn't it?"
"One of the trackers the Ak Family Manor sent out was unusually sharp. He followed traces of my Earth Escape Art and eventually discovered the Black-White Witch drinking my blood."
Yu Cheong-rim lowered his head.
"The Black-White Witch reveals her face when she feeds. But when the tracker saw her face, she flew into a rage."
He clenched his eyes shut.
"With a Movement Technique swift as lightning, she drove her hand into the tracker's stomach. Then she yanked out his entrails and his head...—"
"Alright, enough. Skip that part."
"I took the chance to immediately activate my Earth Escape Art. I held out underground for three whole days so the Black-White Witch couldn't find me. After that, I went into hiding for a long time."
As if reliving the terror of that moment, Yu Cheong-rim's pupils darkened.
That was how he had narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Black-White Witch.
"Hmm."
So Ok-rim crossed her arms.
Not out of sympathy for Yu Cheong-rim's suffering—but because, listening to his story, she got the sense that the Black-White Witch's martial arts were quite different from those of the Blood Emperor.
"Being unable to move is one thing, but actually tearing at the neck and drinking blood... That's odd."
She tilted her head in thought.
"If she were truly a descendant of the Blood Emperor, she wouldn't need to physically tear at the throat to drain blood."
"Then perhaps she isn't one."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, So Ok-rim shook her head.
"We don't know that. This guy's so cowardly he might've just hallucinated the whole thing."
Then she pointed at the scar on Yu Cheong-rim's neck.
"No matter how I look at it, these marks don't seem to have been made by human teeth."
"Either way, I won't do it."
When Yu Cheong-rim refused firmly, So Ok-rim chuckled and said,
"That's your choice. But you know what?"
"What?"
"The Black-White Witch always hunts down and kills anyone who's seen her face."
"Of course. That's why, ever since that day, I've never shown my real face and have been using disguises."
At that, So Ok-rim clapped her hands together and said,
"Are you going to live like that forever?"
"Huh?"
"Live in fear your whole life? Changing your face and disguising yourself every single day?"
When Yu Cheong-rim fell silent, So Ok-rim spoke with the utmost gentleness.
"Let's just get rid of her now. Wouldn't it be nice to live without worry? Right?"
"And how exactly do you plan to eliminate the Black-White Witch?"
"I'm the Silver River Goddess. A lunatic like her? I could wipe her out in a single breath."
Yu Cheong-rim hesitated briefly.
If it's So Ok-rim's martial arts... could she really do it?
But the moment he recalled the pitch-black void he had felt when he saw the Black-White Witch, he shook his head.
"I absolutely cannot do it. Find someone else."
"Don't be like that."
"No."
When Yu Cheong-rim refused again, So Ok-rim wiped the gentle smile off her face and said,
"Fine. Suit yourself."
"Thank y—"
"I'll just spread rumors instead. That the Thousand-Face Divine Thief, who saw the Black-White Witch's face, is boldly walking around Shandong."
"What—?"
As Yu Cheong-rim's eyes widened, So Ok-rim grinned, baring her pearly teeth.
"Once that rumor spreads, won't the Black-White Witch come hunting for you? We'll just wait and ambush her then."
Shiver.
Yu Cheong-rim trembled under So Ok-rim's vicious threat.
This demon of a woman!
If the Black-White Witch was a blood-sucking monster who preyed on men by night...
Then So Ok-rim was a witch who drained people dry in broad daylight.
What if he refused her offer?
She would absolutely spread those rumors and then lurk around him, waiting for the Black-White Witch to appear.
And that would be just as much a slow death.
"F-fine. I'll do it."
"Hm? No, it's fine."
"No. I'll do it."
Yu Cheong-rim composed himself, clasping his hands together solemnly.
"The sooner we capture that witch, the sooner the Martial World can find peace, and people can sleep soundly, right?"
"Well... I suppose so?"
So Ok-rim nodded with satisfaction.
And just like that, she had secured herself a fresh, tempting new bait.
The Black-White Witch Has Returned!
Rumors spread that the Black-White Witch, who had vanished without a trace, had reappeared in Pyeongdo.
She was said to have ambushed martial artists passing near Cheongu Mountain, draining them of blood.
And not just there—she struck again at Jaha Mountain and Pungak Mountain.
She roamed the famous peaks around Pyeongdo, attacking martial artists one after another, drinking their blood.
"Has the Black-White Witch gone mad?!"
Enraged, the martial artists banded together and combed through every corner of Pyeongdo.
But as if she had never existed, the Black-White Witch vanished once more.
Yet the moment the search died down, she would reappear like a ghost, draining blood and toying with her pursuers.
Pyeongdo, Pungak Mountain - An Abandoned Temple
A bonfire burned inside, where six rough-looking warriors had gathered.
Armed to the teeth, their eyes were sharp, constantly scanning the surroundings.
They were mercenaries hired to exterminate the Black-White Witch.
"Doesn't seem like she's here."
A middle-aged man with a short spear strapped to his back spoke indifferently.
"Five days patrolling this area, and not a single trace of her."
"Exactly."
A man chewing on a blade of grass, a short bow on his back, chuckled.
"Probably moved to another region after causing too much trouble here."
Spitting out the grass, he slapped his money pouch.
"Well, we got paid handsomely for the investigation, so no complaints."
Just as they were murmuring among themselves—
Whoosh.
A black shadow suddenly appeared before the ruined temple.
Clad in dark robes, with wild, snow-white hair, the figure stared down at them with bloodshot eyes.
"The Black-White Witch!"
The mercenaries jolted into combat stances—but the moment their eyes met hers—
"Ugh—!"
They let out choked groans, their bodies stiffening on the spot.
As if their Demon Blood Points had been struck, they couldn't move a muscle.
"Huuuuh..."
The Black-White Witch exhaled lowly, baring her sharp teeth as she approached.
Flick.
Yet before she could drink their blood—their bodies suddenly went limp, collapsing to the ground.
As if their Soul Acupoints had been struck.
"Ghk—"
As they fell, the Black-White Witch swept her wild hair aside.
Beneath it was the heavily made-up face of a slender man—Yu Cheong-rim.
"What a miserable way to make a living."
With a gloomy expression, he stared at the black metal rod hidden in his sleeve.
It was a hidden weapon device called the Hundred-Step Soul Chaser, crafted by the Tang Clan—a spring-loaded needle tube capable of firing invisible, hair-thin steel needles.
He had coated the needles with a mixture of Bliss Powder and Soul-Bewitching Powder, knocking out the ruffians before pretending to drink their blood.
"First, I'll leave some evidence behind."
Yu Cheong-rim pulled out a set of fake fangs from his sleeve and pressed them against the ruffians' necks, leaving marks.
Then, he took out a bottle filled with chicken blood and splattered it over their bodies.
This much would be enough to make them believe they had been drained of blood but survived because they weren't virgins.
"Let's call it a night here!"
Yu Cheong-rim shouted toward the distant sky.
"Dawn will break soon, you know!"
He had been forced by So Ok-rim to disguise himself as the Black-White Witch and roam Pyeongdo.
The real witch was notorious for her relentless and vicious nature—so much so that she would hunt down and kill anyone who dared impersonate her.
There was no way she would let such an imposter go unpunished.
Yet, no matter how long he waited, there was no response.
Perhaps, after seeing him subdue these men, she had gone to scout the surrounding area once more.
"Tch. I'd rather die than suffer like this."
Just as he sighed, having dragged the blood-splattered ruffians to a corner of the abandoned temple—
Something felt terribly off.
As if something indescribable was moving behind him.
Sensing an ominous aura, Yu Cheong-rim slowly turned—
And saw a shadow, head bowed, with long, snow-white hair cascading down.
'She's here!'
It was the real Black-White Witch.
"She's here!"
Yu Cheong-rim screamed at the top of his lungs.
"The Black-White Witch has appeared!"
But his voice only echoed into the night sky—there was no response.
"Lady So! Hero Seol!"
Neither Bu Eun-seol nor So Ok-rim showed up. Where had they gone?
'These crazy bastards! They promised to watch my back!'
Yu Cheong-rim's eyes widened, the corners trembling violently.
The only reason he had dared to pull off this insane act was because he trusted Bu Eun-seol and So Ok-rim.
But now that the real witch had appeared, they had vanished without a trace?
"HELP ME!"
Unable to contain his terror, Yu Cheong-rim activated the Earth Escape Art without looking back.
If the Black-White Witch revealed her eyes, his body would instantly paralyze, leaving him helpless.
Thud. Scrrrrr—
Digging through the earth like a madman, Yu Cheong-rim burst out of the abandoned temple in an instant.
But even after fleeing hundreds of feet away, he could still sense a faint shadow following him aboveground.
The Black-White Witch was tracking him by the movement of the earth itself.
'I can't shake her off like this!'
WHOOSH!
Yu Cheong-rim erupted from the ground and immediately unleashed a Lightning Flash movement technique.
His epithet, Thousand-Face Divine Thief, had been earned through his mastery of disguise—but in truth, his Lightness Art was also unparalleled in the Murim.
Until now, his Great Lightning Shadow technique had never allowed pursuers to catch up.
(Except for Bu Eun-seol and So Ok-rim, of course.)
'Damn it!'
But today, it seemed he would have to add one more exception to that list.
The Black-White Witch was so close behind him that he could almost feel her breath on his neck.
'Just a little more!'
In the distance, lights flickered—the city of Chengdu.
If he could just reach it, he would be surrounded by countless Murim masters.
Not to mention, he could use his Thousand Changes Art to instantly alter his appearance and clothing, shaking off pursuit for good.
'Please! Please!'
Yu Cheong-rim ran as if flames were licking at his soles.
If he could just make it to the crowded streets of Chengdu, he would escape the Black-White Witch's pursuit.
SWISH!
But that hope shattered like a bubble.
A sharp Sound of Breaking Air sliced through the night—and in the next moment, strands of white hair coiled around his neck like a noose.
"Ghk—!"
Feeling his neck about to snap, Yu Cheong-rim desperately drew his dagger and slashed at the hair.
But no matter what the white strands were made of, they showed not a single scratch—even when struck by Moon Hidden, a blade classified as an Ancient Treasure Blade.
"Ugh..."
The Black-White Witch, having subdued him with her extending hair, slowly approached, head still bowed.
Then, the curtain of hair parted—revealing a blurred, ever-shifting face.
'Again...'
Behind the strands, her features flickered—hundreds, thousands of faces morphing in rapid succession.
And as he watched, the world darkened around him, his body locking in paralysis.
'So this is how I die.'
Despair flooded him, his limbs growing heavy as waterlogged cotton.
His breathing slowed—even the will to live began slipping away.
Without realizing it, Yu Cheong-rim slowly closed his eyes.
SWISH!
But another sharp Sound of Breaking Air tore through the darkness—and light returned to the world.
When he opened his eyes again, a pale-faced young man stood tall before him, a black sword raised.
Bu Eun-seol.
However, the strands of hair severed by the Ink Sword didn't simply fall—they slithered across the ground like living creatures, returning to the Black-White Witch's body and merging back into her.
'Sorcery?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
Severed hair shouldn't reattach to the body as if it were part of it.
"Hero Seol! Where the hell were you?!"
Yu Cheong-rim, having regained his senses, staggered to Bu Eun-seol's side, voice trembling.
"I almost died just now!"
Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh.
"There isn't just one."
"Huh?"
As Yu Cheong-rim blinked in confusion, Bu Eun-seol stated firmly:
"The Black-White Witch isn't a single person."