Chapter 65: The Young Sect Leader’s Work-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: The Young Sect Leader’s Work-1
"Namgung So-yu."
The Alliance Leader fell silent after uttering that name, as if he had spoken a word that should never be said, and stared intently at the Heavenly Demon.
"Pfft."
It was the Heavenly Demon who broke the silence.
She doubled over, chuckling to herself for a long moment as if she’d found something incredibly hilarious.
"W-what is so funny?" the flustered Alliance Leader asked.
At that, the Heavenly Demon burst into a fit of boisterous laughter.
"Hahahaha! You really are a master at barking up the wrong tree."
"What...?"
She laughed so hard that she had to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.
"When did I ever go around introducing myself as a champion of justice?"
"......"
When she shot back with such sheer incredulity, the Alliance Leader was struck dumb, his mouth clamped shut like a mute.
"Have I ever claimed to uphold righteousness? And besides..."
The Heavenly Demon’s gaze shifted to Namgung So-yeon, who stood behind him.
So-yeon’s faded eyes turned toward the Heavenly Demon, though no one could tell if she was looking at the Demon herself or at In-ho.
Unlike her earlier state, where she had lunged like a wild dog, she was now as calm as her former self. Perhaps it was because she had been beaten so thoroughly by the Heavenly Demon, or perhaps she had another trick up her sleeve.
"Even if we share the name Namgung, I am from a branch family. That girl is from the direct line. Did you really expect me to feel some sudden surge of kinship at this late hour?"
"I discarded the surname Namgung the moment I became the successor disciple of that damn Flame Wheel Master."
The Heavenly Demon, who had been rebuking the Alliance Leader for his shallow thinking, suddenly seemed to realize something. She looked at him with an expression of pure absurdity.
"Wait... don't tell me you turned a child of the Namgung family into a Blood Demon because you thought I would hesitate to kill her...?"
"......"
The Heavenly Demon looked at the Alliance Leader with utter loathing.
"Even the shred of expectation I had for you has vanished, Alliance Leader. You are lower than a third-rate thug."
Whoosh!
Black Flame erupted from her hand.
"You and the girl behind you will die today."
The Heavenly Demon spoke calmly, as if merely stating an inevitable fact.
"You will die because you offended me by mocking the world while calling yourself 'justice.'"
"And that girl will die because she didn't know her place and dared to touch what is mine."
Her flames roared fiercely, signaling that the games were over.
With their retreat already cut off by the fire, Dokgo-nam grit his teeth and stood up, leveling his sword at her.
"I admit you are strong. But let’s see if you can maintain that arrogance in a two-on-one fight."
"Two-on-one? Ah... you mean including that girl?"
"That’s right. No matter how strong you are—Gack!"
A hand burst through Dokgo-nam’s chest from behind.
As Dokgo-nam slowly turned his head in disbelief, he saw Namgung So-yeon standing there, staring at him with a vacant expression.
"Thunder Sword... what is... this...?"
"I’m sorry. But this gives me a better chance of winning."
The beastly screeching from before was gone. Namgung So-yeon spoke quietly, her face as composed as ever.
Before anyone noticed, countless red tendrils had spread out from her back. Through the bundles of vines pierced into the backs of those fallen on the battlefield, life force was flowing into her.
And then.
"Aaaargh!"
Dokgo-nam’s life force began to drain rapidly through the hand she had thrust into him.
The Alliance Leader’s face turned pale in an instant, and his hands trembled as he dropped his weapon.
"I remember clearly. You told me to perform Qi Absorption on the sinners who shouldn't exist in this world, didn't you?"
"Urgh... Thunder Swooord!!"
The Alliance Leader struggled, grabbing the hand that pierced his chest, but he merely flopped about like a fish caught on a hook.
"Then this... since it's for the sake of a righteous world... it can't be a bad thing."
The life force of the fallen continued to flow into Namgung So-yeon.
Her yellow eyes were dyed crimson.
The various wounds she had received from the Heavenly Demon vanished, and her broken bones snapped back into place. Her skin became as clear as if she had just woken from a deep sleep, and her appearance grew tidy once more.
As the corpses on the battlefield shriveled into black husks and the Alliance Leader collapsed, his eyes rolling back after being stripped of all his Source Qi, Namgung So-yeon spoke softly.
"Thank you for the meal."
*
"Hoh... that is quite impressive."
"You shouldn't be impressed by something like this."
When the Heavenly Demon showed genuine curiosity at the impossible recovery, Namgung So-yeon let out a small smirk.
The two women glared at each other.
"Growling like a stray dog wasn't bad, but I suppose being able to talk is better. I have things to ask."
"Things to ask?"
"Is the Chief Steward dead?"
"If by Chief Steward you mean the Poison Demon? Yes. I killed him."
"How?"
"Was there a special way? He just died on his own. Though I'm not sure if he intended to take me with him..."
Recalling his end, Namgung So-yeon spoke coldly.
"Hmph, so he finally went and died. Foolish man."
Perhaps because he was the first member of the Black Sky Cult she had ever taken in, a hint of bitterness lingered in the Heavenly Demon’s voice.
While the Heavenly Demon was lost in thought regarding Jegal-hwi, Namgung So-yeon, now back to her normal self, spoke to In-ho, who was being supported by the Spirit Demon.
"Young Master. Please wait just a little longer. I will save you."
Bang!
A blast of black fire struck her directly in the face.
"Who do you think you're talking to? I give you an inch and you try to take a mile."
When the flames cleared, Namgung So-yeon’s face was perfectly fine. To be precise, the parts that had been burned and mangled were regenerating at an incredible speed.
Namgung So-yeon drew her sword and took a stance.
It was a clean, efficient swordsmanship passed down through the Namgung family.
The Heavenly Demon’s brow furrowed; there was no way she didn't recognize that stance.
"I’ve seen the records about you. It’s tragic that you lost your disciple... but I cannot forgive you for projecting that onto someone else and obsessing over them."
"What nonsense are you..."
"Young Master Kang and I have been bound by a Hundred-Year Marriage Pledge since our past lives. The sin of kidnapping my lifelong lover to the Black Sky Cult to make him your personal plaything... it is time you paid for that crime, Heavenly Demon."
Her sword, imbued with her internal energy, hummed and turned a deep crimson.
"The bullshit is really piling up today," the Heavenly Demon said, her face contorting in rage as she listened to Namgung So-yeon.
A pillar of fire erupted from the Heavenly Demon’s hand. The surging column of flame gradually took shape, transforming into a finely honed sword.
"Hmph! We’ve already shared a kiss. No matter how much you deny it, our love is already unbreakable."
As the Thunder Sword spoke boastfully, the Heavenly Demon turned her head to look at In-ho.
Her face clearly asked, 'Is that true?'
"This won't do. I'll have to cut out your tongue and slice off those lips."
The Heavenly Demon muttered words that would have terrified the person involved, then shot back at the Thunder Sword with a predatory smirk.
"Just a kiss? He and I have shared a bed every single night. We've coupled four or five times a day. But... it seems you're still inexperienced. A man who doesn't sleep with his beloved lover... either that, or the woman just wasn't his type?"
"Shared a bed...? Young Master Kang, it seems your education was lacking."
The Thunder Sword bit her lip as she glared at In-ho.
The fact that 'their' man had been touched by another woman caused their fury to skyrocket, making the very atmosphere vibrate.
"I can't let you die peacefully. I'll sever your limbs, pull out your tongue, and feed you to the wild dogs."
As the Heavenly Demon pointed the tip of her sword at Namgung So-yeon, the latter took a step forward, refusing to be pushed back by the murderous intent.
"For the crime of threatening my love, I will devour you as painfully as possible."
Without a word on who went first, the two lunged.
They swung their weapons with explosive acceleration.
The Heavenly Demon struck from top to bottom; the Thunder Sword swung from left to right.
The trajectories of their blades met in the center.
As the weapons of these two transcendent monsters collided, a massive explosion shook the world.