Chapter 45: Our 'Definition'-6
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: Our 'Definition'-6
Having won the battle of wills with my Master, I was introduced to two servants that very same day.
"I am Maebwa."
"I am Yeonhwa."
A middle-aged woman and a girl who looked like she had just started high school bowed politely to me.
"Right. I look forward to working with you."
It felt awkward to speak so casually to someone much older than me, but after getting scolded by Master for not speaking down to the Chief Steward last time, I had no choice but to use informal speech.
Ugh, I feel like I’m committing a crime.
"Yes. We will do our utmost to ensure your every need is met," Maebwa, the older woman, said as she bowed even deeper. Yeonhwa, who had been standing there blankly, hurriedly followed suit.
"Maebwa has spent a long time in the Cult, while Yeonhwa joined quite recently," the Chief Steward added, providing a brief explanation as I observed the two who would be assisting me.
As the Steward said, Maebwa seemed seasoned. I hated to admit it, but even standing before the Young Sect Leader—the second-highest authority in the Black Sky Cult—her composure was perfect, neither overbearing nor lacking.
On the other hand, Yeonhwa’s inexperience was obvious even to me. She struggled to maintain a steady posture and kept glancing around restlessly, reminding me of a curious child.
I had no intention of judging the people meant to help me. I was simply making an observation.
"Young Sect Leader, I shall take my leave now."
"Ah, do you have a backlog of work?"
The Chief Steward seemed quite busy.
"Yes, that is correct. I shall see you at dinner. Maebwa, see to it that the Young Sect Leader is well-attended."
"Of course, Chief Steward."
With a polite bow, the Chief Steward headed off somewhere—likely back to his office.
The day before yesterday, I had followed him because I had nothing to do and stayed by his side all day. I was shocked to see the documents piled on his desk; without exaggeration, the stack was as tall as a desktop computer tower.
Even though my presence must have been distracting, the Steward had silently processed the paperwork. Then, he’d suffered a nosebleed—likely from overwork—and seeing that was what prompted me to ask Master to assign me servants.
Come to think of it, as soon as his nose started bleeding, he had practically begged me to leave. I wasn't sure why. Maybe he was just the type who only wanted to show his best side.
"Young Sect Leader, where do you plan on going now?"
A cheerful voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Yeonhwa looking at me with sparkling eyes.
"Uh..."
"Young Sect Leader, I am so sorry! This child hasn't finished her etiquette training yet."
I was about to answer her, but Maebwa stepped in first, prostrating herself on the ground.
"It’s just a question, it’s not a big deal. There’s no need to apologize." I looked at Yeonhwa. "In the future, if you’re curious about something, feel free to speak up."
"Whoa! Really?"
"Yeonhwa!"
When Yeonhwa, who had been shrinking back following Maebwa’s lead, suddenly beamed, Maebwa smacked her on the back. The sight reminded me of a close mother and daughter, and I found myself smiling along with Yeonhwa.
"I was thinking of going for a walk. Is there a good course... I mean, a good path?"
"I shall lead you to the landscaped gardens."
Following Maebwa’s lead, we began walking down a path perfect for a stroll. However, unlike when we started, our group had grown by two.
As for who those two were...
"Wow~ I’ve only ever seen them working on this garden, I’ve never actually been here. It’s quite pretty when you look at it like this."
That was the Fist Demon.
"That’s because you’re always too busy drowning yourself in booze."
And that was the Spirit Demon.
While we were walking, the Fist Demon had spotted me and hopped over to join us. When I accepted his company, the Spirit Demon had wriggled out from my shadow.
—Have you been hiding in my shadow this whole time?
When I asked, the Spirit Demon simply turned her head away, exercising her right to remain silent. She was just like Master in that regard. Or perhaps one needed that level of brazenness to become an executive of the Black Sky Cult.
"Hahaha! I pity you for not knowing the joy of wine."
"And I pity you for constantly spewing nonsense, as usual."
No matter how I looked at it, these two seemed to get along remarkably well.
"You two are close, aren't you?"
When I asked point-blank, both of them looked at me in horror.
"Young Sect Leader, absolutely not! Who would be close to such an ignorant drunkard?"
"Me, close to this humorless brat? Young Sect Leader, I didn't think you were that kind of person. I'm hurt."
Hmm... these two are definitely going to end up dating later.
*
In a pavilion of the Black Sky Cult, the Heavenly Demon was leisurely sipping tea while listening to the Chief Steward’s report. Hearing a noise in the distance, she turned her gaze outside.
"Is something the matter?"
"Do you see that?"
The Heavenly Demon pointed toward some distant dots. The Chief Steward followed the direction of her finger.
"It appears they are taking a walk. I wonder why the Spirit Demon and the Fist Demon are there." The Steward murmured to himself. "I assigned the Spirit Demon to guard and monitor the Young Sect Leader, but why is that fellow Gwonma there? I assume he finished the maintenance on the armory I assigned him?"
"When I asked this morning, he said he would be finished soon."
In truth, he hadn't done a single thing, and the Chief Steward had finished it himself, but the Steward was the type of man to cover for his colleagues' flaws.
"Hah, the sun might actually rise in the west tomorrow. To think the Fist Demon would finish his work on time."
Shaking her head, the Heavenly Demon took another sip of tea.
"The Young Sect Leader... seems to be adjusting well."
"Of course he must. He’s going to live here from now on."
The Heavenly Demon let out a small chuckle, and the Steward smiled along.
"He used the word 'Us'."
After watching the receding dots with the Heavenly Demon for a moment, the Chief Steward spoke up.
"'Us'?"
"Yes. It has been a very long time since I heard that word. It felt... good."
The Chief Steward hid his pleasant smile behind his folding fan. The Heavenly Demon stared blankly for a moment before realizing the meaning behind those words and let out a giggle.
"Haha, to think he’s already embracing his subordinates as the Young Sect Leader. He really is something else."
—As expected of my disciple, she added mentally.
"I had forgotten the meaning of the word 'Us' while buried in work, but thanks to the Young Sect Leader, I was able to remember it. It was truly wonderful," the Steward said, his voice polite yet firm. The Heavenly Demon listened to him in silence.
"The Black Sky Cult is a gathering of the abandoned. A place where we join forces to fulfill each other's wishes and comfort each other's wounds."
"That is the 'Us' you spoke of, Sect Leader. The Young Sect Leader reminded me that 'Us' is the Black Sky Cult."
At the Steward's words, a deep, satisfied smile spread across the Heavenly Demon’s face.
"Yes. That is our definition."
The Chief Steward’s precise explanation pleased her greatly.
*
Tang Yu-yeon of the Sichuan Tang Clan, a member of the White Tiger Corps.
She was currently worried sick about her dear friend. Ever since the incident in the cultivation room where she had killed the physician, Namgung So-yeon’s behavior had changed.
Her eyes, which used to be curved in a gentle, constant smile, had grown sharp, and her way of speaking had become aggressive. The Alliance Leader and the Divine Physician claimed there was nothing wrong with her body, but Yu-yeon found that hard to believe.
"Thunder Sword. Are you really okay?"
"Yes. I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I feel refreshed."
She spoke brightly while stretching, but Tang Yu-yeon’s expression only darkened.
"Be honest with me. Where have you been going so often lately?"
"Going where?"
"I am Tang Yu-yeon of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Do you really think you can hide from my eyes? You’ve been entering that strange stone chamber at regular intervals lately."
"Ah... you saw? I wonder if it's okay for you to see... well, I suppose it doesn't matter. It's not like I'm doing anything bad."
"Are you training in there?"
"Do you want to come along? I happen to be getting hungry anyway."
Tang Yu-yeon hesitated at Namgung So-yeon’s suggestion. She felt as though if she followed, she would be crossing a point of no return. Her instincts as a scout told her it was better not to go.
However, she chose friendship.
"Fine, I'll go with you."
"Great. Follow me."
Tang Yu-yeon followed her into the stone chamber. She wondered what on earth one could do in such a cramped space, but her question didn't remain unanswered for long.
When Namgung So-yeon opened a hatch in the floor, a staircase leading downward was revealed.
"What... what is down here?" Yu-yeon asked, following closely behind as So-yeon strode down the steps.
Namgung So-yeon let out a girlish giggle. "Some very wicked criminals."
"Criminals?"
The women descended further and further down. Soon, they reached an underground prison, and a great commotion erupted from behind the bars.
"She... she's here!" an old man's voice cried out.
"Hieeeek... Save me! Please!" a young woman screamed.
"Aaaaaagh..."
The screams of people echoed alongside the rattling of iron bars.
"What... what is this place?"
Namgung So-yeon didn't bother answering Tang Yu-yeon’s question as she stood in the middle of the pandemonium.
Creeeeak.
Opening a cell door, she reached in and grabbed a young woman by the throat, lifting her off the ground.
"Kyaaaaagh! Let go! Let go of me, ugh...!"
"That person is from the Unorthodox Sect...?"
Tang Yu-yeon gasped in shock as she recognized the face of the struggling woman. Why was a martial artist from the Unorthodox Sect here?
"Be quiet."
Namgung So-yeon’s golden eyes flashed as she tightened her grip.
Crunch.
At the sound of bones shattering, the woman from the Unorthodox Sect died instantly.
"Thunder Sword! What do you think you're doing?!"
Namgung So-yeon still didn't answer Tang Yu-yeon’s shout.
Sssssss.
Blood began to flow from the dead woman's neck. The boiling blood soon turned into steam, which began to drift slowly into Namgung So-yeon.
After a short moment of absorbing the steam, Namgung So-yeon turned back to Tang Yu-yeon with a refreshed face.
"Phew... this one wasn't very good."
"W-what did you just do...? Qi absorption...? Is this... the Blood Demon?"
At the mention of the Blood Demon, Namgung So-yeon clapped her hands.
"Wow! You know about the Blood Demon?"
Namgung So-yeon took a step closer.
"Then the explanation will be easy. You know about Qi Absorption, right? I've been absorbing the Qi of criminals every day."
"How could you! Taking a life like that...!"
"A life? These people are criminals who rebelled against the Alliance, aren't they? I don't know exactly how serious their crimes were, but still."
Namgung So-yeon pouted as if it were of no consequence.
"The Heavenly Demon is strong. Even after absorbing this much Qi, I can still feel the gap between us."
She continued, stroking her stomach.
"Using Qi Absorption, I can become strong in a short amount of time."
The hand stroking her stomach moved a bit lower.
"If I can gain the power to kill the Heavenly Demon by using these criminals who prey on the world... haven't they been given a meaningful role?"
Namgung So-yeon exhaled a hot breath, her hand moving in a suggestive, lewd manner. Tang Yu-yeon screamed at the sight of such depravity.
"This is not a righteous act!"
"Righteous?"
Thud.
Before she knew it, Namgung So-yeon was in front of Tang Yu-yeon, lightly grasping her throat.
"Ugh...!"
As Yu-yeon winced at the pressure on her neck, Namgung So-yeon brought her face close, locking eyes with her.
"We are the ones who decide that."
—Listen carefully.
Namgung So-yeon, now radiating an entirely different aura, whispered into Tang Yu-yeon’s ear.
"We are justice."