Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The Destruction of the Seven Stars Sect
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The destruction of the Seven Stars Sect.
The First Demon's face hardened.
"This is a big problem. Following the destruction of the Seven Stars Sect, Squad Member Wolhyang of the Dead Blood Squad has gone missing..."
"Who exactly is Dead Blood Squad Member Wolhyang?"
"She's the second-in-command of the Dead Blood Squad. In terms of pure martial prowess, she's not far off from the first. She's not the type to go picking fights and getting beaten. Nor does she have that kind of personality. If even she has vanished, this is no small matter..."
The First Demon paced around the room.
"The Seven Stars Sect is a key faction under the Rakshasa Clan for producing spirit pills. The Ghost Messenger Black Wild Pill they make is one of the finest in our cult. Its value is immeasurable-supreme spirit pills, you could say. The Rakshasa Clan has fewer than ten, and only their clan lord decides their use. The Seven Stars Sect holds immense significance. Touching them is tantamount to making an enemy of the entire Rakshasa Clan."
"......."
"Yeokmin is Wolhyang's patrol area-and where the Seven Stars Sect was located. It's a fairly prosperous region. But no matter how I think about it, I can't figure it out. Wolhyang got taken down by someone? That doesn't make sense...?"
Searching for an answer to her own question, the First Demon kept muttering to herself.
"Among recent incidents, this is the biggest. Rumors are even spreading that the recipe and pills are circulating. Our cult's top experts will flock to Yeokmin. The Seven Stars Sect itself was weak, so snatching the last survivor's share would be easy. And that's not all-other factions will get involved under the pretext of aiding the Rakshasa Clan. It'll be chaos. Normally, the Divine Cult Leader would step in to restore balance... but she won't intervene directly. She'll see it as a good test."
"A test...?"
"The Divine Cult Leader's term is ending. The next Heavenly Demon will come from one of the clan lords. It's not decided solely by martial arts. She'll consider various situations. 'Heavenly Demon' refers to the strongest in our cult, but that strength isn't just personal power anymore. It might have been in the past, but our current leader has redefined it."
The First Demon sighed.
"The next Heavenly Demon must wield not only great power but also build the strongest faction. That's why the clan lords are at each other's throats. This time, it'll be a steadfast leader, not just a mighty warrior-one who can embrace the entire cult. So... she'll watch closely how they handle this incident. Our cult is in for a storm."
"...Can I hear this?"
"Why not? You're part of the Soul-Reaping Pavilion, Red Cloud. You're under my command-why shouldn't you hear it?"
"......!"
At those words, I blinked. I'd heard it once before, but seeing the change in treatment right in front of me felt utterly strange.
I reached out tentatively. I knew it was rude, but my swelling heart moved on its own.
I gently took the First Demon's hand.
"W-What?!"
"......"
"What is this... Ha..."
The First Demon poked my cheek.
"They said you don't cry much, but look, you've got something welling up again. You fool."
"...It's sweat."
"Sweat, my foot."
The First Demon chuckled. She squeezed my hand once, then let go.
"For now, focus on your training. What you need to do hasn't changed. Keep at it. Take the manual and don't neglect the Blood Shadow Twin Blossoms. From the fifth form of the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art, it involves handling qi, so it'll be extremely tough. If you get confused, come find me. You can skip duties for a while."
"Won't you have too much to handle alone?"
"It's routine-I've managed without you before. Besides, there's nothing you can help with right now."
"...I'll train until my strength runs out."
"Until then, sure. But rest is part of training too."
I gripped my ghost sword.
Having found more reason to train harder, I squeezed it tight.
The ghost sword Baekya threw a tantrum.
......
I redoubled my martial arts training, but that didn't mean rumors didn't reach my ears at all.
The situation seemed gravely serious. Rumors still swirled around Yeokmin, and they hadn't identified the Seven Stars Sect's last heir.
As time passed, shadows darkened under the First Demon's eyes.
"The Divine Cult Leader has forbidden direct involvement. Abandon Squad Member Wolhyang."
Wolhyang.
I didn't know who she was, but she was clearly someone the First Demon cherished. She'd even pulled the Blood Demon Squad off other duties to track her trail.
Dead Blood Squad intervention was banned, but the Heavenly Demon allowed the Blood Demon Squad. Still, they weren't elite enough to yield results.
"No body means Wolhyang is alive. That's the kind of woman she is."
"Is she someone precious?"
"I founded the Dead Blood Squad with her. She's talent we can't afford to lose."
She called her "talent," but it felt more like family.
As the First Demon had said, Yeokmin was growing chaotic. Forces from various clans poured in, and unaffiliated fiends appeared in droves.
Ghost Messenger Black Wild Pill. Its name carried weight. Three months after the incident, Yeokmin remained in turmoil.
"The Rakshasa Clan publicly refuses aid, but Ten Thousand Demon Clan and Black Snake Clan forces have slipped into Yeokmin. When the Rakshasa Clan calls them out, the other two claim their unaffiliated warriors acted on impulse."
"But they're directing it from behind the scenes."
"Even in our cult, a whole faction getting wiped out isn't common. It's not just the Rakshasa Clan's problem-it's the cult's. They can't seal it off completely. Word is, the stench of blood settles anew in Yeokmin daily. With rogue fiends joining in, it's like the cult's founding days."
"You mean..."
"Yeokmin now runs solely on 'might makes right.' The strong dictate everything. Those nostalgic for the old days must be thrilled. And with the Dead Blood Squad member responsible for order gone missing, no one's stopping the rampage."
The situation was a mess. So I asked.
"Who did it?"
"No idea. Could be another clan, or a third force. I can't investigate personally-the Divine Cult Leader forbade it. No Dead Blood Squad member can enter Yeokmin. If Wolhyang were safe, she could've quelled the chaos under the excuse of her patrol area... but she's vanished..."
The First Demon turned her head.
"No pretext for intervention. No way to find her either. We wait."
"What if I go myself...?"
"Yeokmin's crawling with lunatics right now. Your level is impressive, but it doesn't fully hold up across the cult."
She clasped her hands.
"Demonic arts progress fast but force constant battles with inner demons. Abandon humanity, and power surges even quicker. Plenty in our cult are like that-they're the true fiends. Madmen obsessed with personal greed. We tolerate them unless they cause major trouble, figuring their strength might prove useful... but they're mostly unhinged rogues without affiliations, running wild. They have some reason to avoid big incidents, but..."
She flicked my forehead.
"Yeokmin's different now. Without the Dead Blood Squad to curb fiends, it's a lawless zone. No one stops their rampage."
"......"
"Not belittling your skills. But demonic arts that discard humanity are tricky in practice. Level differences don't guarantee victory. Qi can shatter against theirs. People die without blades even clashing. They take hostages galore, exploit weaknesses relentlessly. It's not sword against sword. Their world is slaughter. That's our cult's fiends. Those you've dueled built their arts 'systematically' and value honor somewhat. But fiends' demonic arts are fundamentally warped-no mercy in their blades."
"...Then..."
"No sending you to Yeokmin. It's not your responsibility anyway-don't worry about it."
Her words were somewhat cold. But I realized she was looking out for me.
Fiends, huh.
I didn't truly grasp their savagery. All I knew was that fiends were slaughter-mad, committing any atrocity for personal gain.
So I asked.
"Hypothetically. How do you beat a same-level demonic art you've never faced?"
"Same level? Well, unless levels differ vastly... Master Blood Shadow Twin Blossoms fully, and it'd change. Arts handling qi are a tier above. They'd shatter mediocre demonic arts head-on."
The First Demon patted my shoulder.
"The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art I refined isn't weak. Master it to the end, and it'll draw out the essence of 'heavy' to its limit. Train without doubt, Red Cloud."
It wasn't doubt.
Just asking conditions.
I withdrew. As usual, I stood in the underground training hall, regulating my breath.
I recalled the First Demon's expression. Her casual tone had trembled slightly at the end.
Wolhyang. Whoever she was exactly, she was close enough to unsettle the First Demon.
The Dead Blood Squad can't move.
The Blood Demon Squad can, but lacks power.
In that gap, only I met both conditions. But the First Demon thought me insufficient for Yeokmin.
...Then I'll grow.
If lacking, acquire it.
I want to help someone who's cherished me. I don't want to see her sad.
With that resolve, I moved my body.
If words fail, let martial arts speak.
That would be my best.
......
"Division Leader!"
The First Demon rubbed her temples. Her workload had spiked lately.
Sleep dwindled. Sleepless nights increased.
Three months since the Seven Stars Sect vanished.
And another three months passed.
Six months total, yet duties hadn't lessened-they'd grown.
...But.
It wasn't just lack of time keeping her awake.
"First Demon. Step back. Was Wolhyang some meek girl? Three months, then another three. No word means she's dead. Don't cling to the deceased. This incident is key for the next Heavenly Demon. Your involvement tips the scales."
One who sees a single person,
and one who sees the whole-
the burdens differ.
Knowing this, the First Demon stayed silent. Defying the Heavenly Demon was unthinkable.
...Yet sometimes, she heard it.
That affectionate voice closing in recklessly.
Called Mad Dragon by others, but always different with her. Recalling her smile still made her feet twitch.
For such a Wolhyang to be dead?
Impossible. Second-in-command of the Dead Blood Squad isn't trivial. Even the First Demon had rated her highly.
No body means not dead. Maybe wounded and in hiding.
...But if so, she'd have surfaced by now...
Is she really gone?
Wolhyang.
Her mind spun. Yet nothing to do.
Why are bonds so complicated?
The First Demon steadied herself with bitter tea. After finishing work and lying down, sleep evaded her-she rose again.
She wandered the compound. Under moonlight, she walked aimlessly.
A warrior's life is a leaf on a blade-walking a path that could split anytime. Eyes open today, maybe not tomorrow.
The First Demon understood her fate. Yet she wanted to cling...
Because it wasn't a bond summed in one sentence.
"......."
Sleep wouldn't come.
I wonder if tomorrow...
---Boom.
The First Demon turned. Fatigue-dulled senses caught the sound; she followed it.
Underground training hall. Deep into the night, it should be empty-yet someone stood there.
Flickering flames surrounded by thick, blood-red aura. At that dense energy's trace, the First Demon's brow twitched.
Thick. Absurdly so. Not mere aura.
...This is...
Real blood mixed in the aura. Testing her own demonic nature.
"...You."
She looked up at the warrior atop the underground hall.
He sheathed his sword. His neglected face bore not sweat, but countless blood droplets.
"What are you doing?"
"First Demon."
His tone was calm.
As if the bloodstains filling the area meant nothing.
"As you see, honing my martial arts."