Chapter 40: Our 'Definition'-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: Our 'Definition'-1
Namgung So-yeon’s head spun.
It felt as if she were walking on a tightrope suspended over a precipice—a sensation that if she let her guard down for even a moment, she would lose consciousness and plummet.
Before her stood the Leader of the Murim Alliance, and beside her, the man known as the Divine Physician was examining her condition.
After taking her pulse for a long time and checking her pupils, the Divine Physician clicked his tongue in pity.
"Tsk... Her constitution has completely changed."
"What does that mean?"
"It means the energy from the elixirs and internal cores has permeated her entire body, altering its fundamental nature."
"Then... what about my martial arts?"
"You’re worrying about martial arts at a time like this? Tsk! This is why I can't stand martial artists."
Frowning with disapproval, the Divine Physician took a needle and drove it into the side of her neck.
"Ugh!"
As her heart rate spiked, Namgung So-yeon gritted her teeth.
The Divine Physician watched her eyes turn a vivid, bright yellow. Once he withdrew the needle, she gasped for air repeatedly, like someone who had just been strangled.
"What... what was that just now?"
"...Do you happen to know of the Blood Demon?"
"The Blood Demon?"
"The Blood Demon was a man who once brought a whirlwind of blood to the Central Plains."
Dokgo-nam, the Leader of the Murim Alliance, had been listening in silence until he finally spoke. A man of sturdy build, he wore a thick black beard and bore a long scar across his cheek.
"I assume you’ve heard of the Sichuan Blood Calamity."
"Yes, a little."
"Few know the true culprit behind it. The one who caused the Sichuan Blood Calamity was the Blood Demon."
Blood Demon Do-uk.
Driven by an intense desire for power, a man named Do-uk had consumed elixirs and internal cores incorrectly. He suffered from the side effects, which eventually transformed him into a Blood Demon that craved the blood of the living.
At the Leader's words, Namgung So-yeon’s eyes wavered violently.
"Are you saying... that I have become a Blood Demon as well?"
When she asked tentatively, the Divine Physician took over the explanation.
"That is correct. We confirmed it through the body of Physician Lee, who was found in the cultivation room."
"......."
"You are stable now because you absorbed his blood, but the Qi Absorption Impulse will soon return. When it does, you will crave the blood of others."
"I see. In that case...!"
Namgung So-yeon stood up abruptly, drew the sword at her waist, and pressed it against her own throat.
Clang!
But her weapon was sent flying, skidding across the floor.
The Alliance Leader, having moved with blinding speed, had struck the blade from her hand.
"Why? If I stay alive, the same thing that happened during the Sichuan Blood Calamity will happen again! Physician Lee died because of me. I must atone for this sin with my life!"
As Namgung So-yeon screamed, the Leader gripped her shoulders firmly.
"No. Such a thing will not happen."
"Follow me," the Leader commanded. Namgung So-yeon followed behind him.
How long did they walk?
Namgung So-yeon prided herself on knowing her way around the Murim Alliance, yet the path they were taking now felt entirely foreign.
"A defensive formation has been installed here; only those permitted may enter. Usually, it is inaccessible."
The Leader explained as if sensing her confusion.
Thus, the greatest talents of the era—the Alliance Leader, the Thunder Sword, and the Divine Physician—stood before a stone chamber.
When the Leader opened the door, the interior of a cramped stone room was revealed.
"There’s nothing here. Is this where I am to train?"
Thinking they were preparing for her Qi Absorption Impulse, Namgung So-yeon spoke up, but the Leader shook his head.
Creeeeeak.
The Leader grabbed a handle on the floor of the stone chamber and lifted it, revealing a staircase leading underground.
"Let us go down."
The Leader stepped boldly into the darkness with a torch in hand, and Namgung So-yeon followed closely behind him.
*
"This place... what is it?"
The area they descended into was an underground prison.
It was a dungeon lined with sturdy iron bars. Groans echoed through the cells, and with every step they took, the prisoners' chains clattered and rattled.
"This is the Alliance’s secret prison, where we keep the public enemies."
"I had no idea such a place existed. But... public enemies?"
"The prisoners here are those who pose a great threat to the Murim—no, to the entire world."
"They don't particularly look the part."
Namgung So-yeon tilted her head. She had imagined public enemies to be individuals of overwhelming martial prowess who posed a visible threat.
"I hope you soon realize that appearances aren't everything."
After offering this advice to his junior, the Leader turned to face Namgung So-yeon.
"There is currently no cure for your Qi Absorption Impulse."
"Ah..."
As her face fell with sharp disappointment, the Leader continued.
"However, we can ensure that no 'innocent' victims are created."
"How?"
"Whenever the Qi Absorption Impulse strikes, you simply need to absorb the blood of the 'criminals' held here."
"What are you...?"
"Thunder Sword. Think more broadly. Your martial arts are already comparable to mine. But you are young. Do you know what that means?"
"???"
"It means you have the potential to become even stronger."
"But as long as I have this Qi Absorption Impulse, a normal life will be impossible for me."
"That is why I am proposing this method. If it required the sacrifice of the innocent, I would have opposed it myself."
As she wavered, unable to find her footing, the Leader pressed her further.
"Have you not already eliminated many who threatened the Central Plains? This is no different. Everyone here has committed crimes that would outrage both heaven and man. Do not hesitate."
"But..."
"Do you not have a duty to become stronger? I remember what you told me before you entered the cultivation room."
'I will destroy the Heavenly Demon.'
Those were the words she had spoken as she swallowed the elixirs and internal cores and entered the room.
"It is a tragedy that you became a Blood Demon as a side effect. However... this could be a stroke of fate, a chance to gain the power to surpass the Heavenly Demon. After all, you grow stronger every time you absorb blood."
"Please. For the peace of the Central Plains. Become the sword of the Alliance."
The Leader’s words were earnest, yet filled with conviction.
"For justice."
The Leader added one final remark.
"......."
Namgung So-yeon stared intently at the floor.
Nod.
Finally, she gave a weak nod.
Nod.
The strength behind the nodding gradually increased.
Nod.
She opened her eyes wide, as if making a solemn vow.
"If it is for justice..."
"A wise choice. Now, follow me. From now on, I shall tell you the secrets of the Heavenly Demon."
Gulp.
She felt a sudden, gnawing hunger.