Chapter 47: Poison Demon, Jegal-hwi-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47: Poison Demon, Jegal-hwi-2
The night before Master was to leave.
As expected, she kept me by her side all day to rest.
Perhaps her working so hard lately was all for the sake of making time for a day like today.
"I won't see you for a long time, so I must fill myself with you today."
Liar. Then what have we been doing every single night?
I had plenty I wanted to say, but I wasn't stupid enough to ruin the mood. Her eyes, usually sharpened to a keen edge, were soft and relaxed today.
Master dismissed all the servants and stuck to me like glue from early morning.
She would nap while hugging my arm, wake up occasionally to eat the snacks she’d prepared, or read a book. I spent nearly half the day drifting in and out of sleep on the bed, and she didn't particularly bother me.
Then again, she might have done something while I was asleep.
"Ugh... my back hurts."
"Of course it does, sleeping like that. In the old days, I would have woken you up at dawn for training."
Master clicked her tongue as if I were pathetic.
"Master, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Are you not going to teach me martial arts?"
"......."
I’m technically the Young Sect Leader, so not knowing any martial arts makes me feel a bit inadequate. Even if the Chief Steward and the others don't seem to mind.
"I will not teach you."
I thought she’d agree right away, but her answer was unexpected.
"Why?"
"Because your Dantian is utterly ruined."
Her finger slowly traced down from my bare chest to my lower abdomen.
"You won't remember anyway, so I'll tell you. You died by the sword. Your Dantian was completely destroyed then."
"I see."
So my body is incapable of learning martial arts at all. Now I understand why she hadn't breathed a word about the subject until now.
"Even so, internal energy will naturally accumulate from your trained physique and the essence of this mountain, but the amount will be minuscule."
"You said you glided for a brief moment when you fell from the cliff, right? That is the extent of your internal energy."
A state where I can only manage a split second of gliding.
Wow. If I hadn't even had that much, I would have fallen to my death. Thinking back on it made my blood run cold.
"Even if your Dantian weren't ruined, I wouldn't have taught you martial arts anyway."
"Why not?"
"Because I lost you once because of those very martial arts," she muttered in a low, heavy voice.
Removing her finger from my Dantian, she began to gently stroke my stomach and chest with her palm.
"I used to believe martial arts were meant to benefit the world. To help the weak and stand against injustice."
"Isn't that mostly true?"
"Heh, you're still the same. However, for every one time martial arts are used for justice, they are used a hundred times for injustice somewhere else in the world."
"That is why martial arts should not exist."
She spoke with conviction. It felt less like she was talking to me and more like she was affirming it to herself.
"Oh, come on, look on the bright side. Martial arts are just a tool; the problem lies with the person wielding them. Look at you, Master. You helped Yeonhwa, and the other cultists..."
"Ouch!"
Squeeze—
She pinched my chest hard. It turned red instantly.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Who told you to mention another woman's name in front of me?"
Whoa, terrifying.
"No, Yeonhwa is just a kid. Besides, you're the one who assigned her as my servant, Master."
"I assigned a servant to provide for your convenience. Bringing up another's name in my presence is a different matter entirely."
Talk about strict standards.
"I was just using her as an example."
Feeling like I’d been scolded unfairly, I grumbled to show my displeasure. Usually, she would laugh and lighten the mood at this point, but today, she showed no sign of doing so.
Master met my eyes with a sharp gaze and spoke in a lecturing tone, as if I were fundamentally mistaken.
"They are under a delusion. Since the moment I took on the name of the Heavenly Demon, I have never once thought about 'saving' anyone."
"Then what have you been doing all this time?"
"They chose to follow me on their own. I simply crushed and burned whatever got in my way. They are the ones who assigned meaning to it and became cultists."
It was complicated.
She continued her explanation.
"If they follow, I do not discard them. If they do not follow, I cast them aside. If they are an eyesore, I remove them. If they cross the line, I punish them. That has been my way of life for twelve years."
"You're pretty soft on me for someone like that, though."
When I poked at her weak spot with a sly grin, she pinched my chest again.
Ugh, this one really hurt.
"You really are getting bold. Fine. It is true that I cannot kill you."
Master suddenly sat up. She pulled my clothes open and brought her face close to mine.
"But I can certainly torment you, you fool."
Ah... here we go again.
I watched her head move downward and resigned myself to my fate.
*
The next day, having been "tormented" from noon until dawn, I saw Master off with hollow eyes.
Every member of the Black Sky Cult came out to pay their respects as she departed, making for quite a grand spectacle.
"It won't take long, so get some rest while I'm gone," Master said, smiling with a refreshed expression.
"Have a safe trip."
When I gave her a formal martial arts salute, she looked at me as if she were dissatisfied.
Was that not it?
But I couldn't exactly hug her in front of all these people. As I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, Master let out a bewildered laugh and held out her hand.
"I'll be back."
I stared at her hand for a moment.
Then, I slowly reached out and took it.
It was a handshake that felt incredibly familiar, yet incredibly strange.
*
Black Sky Cult, Chief Steward's Office.
With the Heavenly Demon gone, the Black Sky Cult returned to its daily routine.
The Chief Steward, reviewing a stack of documents in his office, massaged his stiff shoulders and leaned back in his chair.
He remembered what the Sect Leader had said when she called him in the early hours of the morning before her departure.
"I have a very strange request for you."
"I will do whatever you command."
"It doesn't matter how long it takes. Find out if there are any stories about those who have traveled through time."
"Those who have traveled through time...?"
"I mean those who claim to have come from the past, or the future."
*
The Murim Alliance.
The Sword Demon was right at their doorstep. The Yunnan front, which had been a precarious stalemate, began to collapse, and the Sword Demon pushed northward with that momentum.
Soon, the host of the Black Sky Cult led by the Sword Demon would arrive before the Alliance.
However, the Alliance Leader was confident.
The blade the Alliance had prepared—Namgung So-yeon, who had become the Blood Demon—had grown exponentially in a short period.
"Did you call for me?"
Namgung So-yeon, her aura completely transformed, stood before the Alliance Leader.
"The forces led by the Sword Demon are not far. I want you to go out and suppress them."
"Hmm... what should I do? Young Master Kang wouldn't want that."
"What are you talking about?"
The Alliance Leader tilted his head at the sudden, nonsensical remark.
"I have to go somewhere else. I can hear it even now. The Young Master’s voice, calling for me so desperately."
Tears began to stream down Namgung So-yeon’s face as if she were heartbroken.
She looked like a madwoman. No, the Alliance Leader realized that Namgung So-yeon, who had truly become a madwoman, had slipped beyond his control.
"Just wait a little longer, Young Master. Good So-yeon is coming."
Without a word of farewell, Namgung So-yeon turned and walked away, leaving the Alliance behind.