Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: To Hell with the Wicked - Part 2
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Having finished circulating my ki, I opened my eyes.
After confirming that my dantian was half-full, I got up and left the room to deal with the remaining scum.
The innermost room.
“I think I heard something.”
“Shut up, you bitch.”
As the man, barely over twenty, shouted with a menacing expression, the woman who had spoken recoiled, her eyes filled with terror.
“This place is soundproof. And I don’t know what kind of madman broke in, but he’s going to die at Gui Ryeong-ja’s hands. So you just do as I say. Got it?”
As she tearfully nodded, he lowered his pants.
When the hideous thing was revealed, the woman shuddered and turned her head away.
“Come here.”
“You’ll really send me home, right?”
“I said I would. How many times do I have to tell you?”
The man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her toward his lower body, but she cried out and turned her head away, unable to go through with it.
A brief struggle ensued, but when the woman fiercely resisted, the man’s temper flared.
“I really can’t do it.”
“You fucking bitch.”
*Smack.*
The man violently slapped the woman, knocking her to the ground. Still seething, he drew his sword.
“Do you want to die?”
“I said I can’t! You pervert!”
“You’re asking to die. You’ve gone completely insane. Insane.”
With a murderous look on his face, the man approached the woman and swung his sword down.
As the sword came at her, the woman squeezed her eyes shut as if giving up on life.
His blade would soon tear through her body.
Thinking of her parents back home, she let a single tear fall.
“Keep your eyes closed.”
At the gentle voice, she closed the eyes she was about to open.
Then came the fierce clash of weapons.
*Slice.*
“Kuh-heok.”
*Thrust.*
“Gueeegh.”
The woman didn’t know what was happening, but hearing the sounds of flesh being cut and screams, she trembled in fear. Suddenly, an overwhelming drowsiness washed over her, and she collapsed into sleep.
“Wh-who are you?”
The man looked at me, spitting blood.
“The grim reaper.”
“S-spare me. I-I’m a disciple of Gui Ryeong-ja. There’s a lot of money and treasure here. I’ll give you everything. Just let me live.”
The man was desperate.
I said nothing about sparing him.
Instead, I simply lowered my sword and glared at him.
Thinking he was saved, he staunched the bleeding with one hand and opened a safe in the corner.
“Here it is.”
“Is there more?”
“No. This is all there is. I swear.”
*Thrust.*
My sword flew forward and pierced his heart. The man looked at me with an aggrieved expression.
“Why? I gave you everything.”
“I never promised to let you live. Especially not scum like you.”
“You son of a bitch.”
As I roughly pulled out my sword, blood gushed from his chest, and he died on the spot.
I shoved him aside and searched the area, grabbing a large leather pouch and sweeping everything from the safe into it.
It filled two large pouches to the brim.
I seethed, thinking of how many people must have been sold to amass this much wealth.
With the pouches on my back, I slowly moved through the manor, looking for any remaining stragglers, but there were no more.
I found it strange that there were so few people for a manor of this size, but I headed outside for the time being.
“Any stragglers?”
“Three tried to escape, but I killed them all.”
Seong Hwi answered, his face grimacing.
I handed him the two leather pouches.
“Take these and wait at the inn. I’ll stay here a while longer before I leave.”
“What is all this?”
“The wealth Gui Ryeong-ja amassed through his filthy deeds.”
“So it’s dirty money.”
“There’s no such thing as dirty money. Only the people who earn and spend it are dirty. Keep it safe. It will be put to good use.”
“Yes, Young Master. Please be careful.”
Seong Hwi slung the two pouches over his shoulders and leaped away toward the inn.
I watched him go for a moment before looking around.
Seong Hwi had disposed of the bodies properly.
I went back inside and woke the women I had put to sleep with a pressure point strike, gathering them in a spacious room.
After speaking with them, I learned that the group who had left would be returning around morning.
I calmly told them that if they waited quietly in the room, I would send them home. Then I went outside.
There was still a long time until dawn, so I began circulating my ki while standing.
After meditating for about two hours, I had replenished ten years' worth of internal energy.
I was swinging my sword when I remembered the fine blade Gui Ryeong-ja had used, and I headed to his room.
I picked up his sword and infused it with the Universe's Will Divine Art, a faint smile playing on my lips.
The Ghost Soul Sword.
It wasn’t the greatest sword under heaven, but it was a masterwork that ranked among the top ten.
I had suspected he possessed a fine sword when I fought him, but I never imagined it would be of this caliber.
It was truly a stroke of luck.
While waiting for Gui Ryeong-ja’s men to return at dawn, I practiced the Ouyang Sword Art and the Heavenly Will Sword Art with the Ghost Soul Sword to get a feel for it.
As I continued, my body naturally accepted the Ghost Soul Sword.
The Ghost Soul Sword was certainly more fluid in channeling internal energy than my own sword.
If my sword could handle about eighty percent of my internal energy, the Ghost Soul Sword could handle all of it.
Though I had only used it for a short time, it felt as familiar as if it had been my sword all along.
Adapting wasn’t easy, as the two swords had opposing natures, but my senses, having reached the pinnacle, immediately recognized the difference, and my body accepted it through training.
I set my original sword on the ground and strapped the Ghost Soul Sword to my waist.
“This will do nicely.”
Muttering to myself, I looked up at the sky and saw the east beginning to glow with a faint light.
I hid inside, circulating my ki as I waited.
About two hours later.
A dozen men entered the manor.
Behind them, a dozen women and children were dragged in, their hands bound and their eyes and mouths gagged.
“Why is it so quiet?”
The man who appeared to be the leader muttered, looking from side to side. The other men also sensed something was wrong and began looking around.
*Creeeak.*
*Clunk.*
Their gazes all turned toward the main gate.
I bolted the gate and drew the Ghost Soul Sword, charging at them.
Lacking internal energy, I launched a surprise attack.
*Slice.*
I shouted as I cut down two men at the rear who were turning and drawing their swords.
“Get down if you want to live!”
At my shout, the captives dropped flat to the ground, while Gui Ryeong-ja’s men all drew their swords and rushed me.
“He’s no ordinary foe. Surround him!”
At their leader’s command, they began to move into formation.
I wasn't about to let that happen.
I charged in, striking them down before they could complete their formation.
Since aiming for their necks or hearts required a high degree of concentration, I indiscriminately slashed at their arms, legs, and torsos, inflicting wounds.
I especially lowered my body to focus on their legs.
As a result, though they managed to form up, they couldn’t unleash their full power.
Once their movements slowed, I leaped into the air and unleashed a series of Lightning Strikes.
*Swoooosh.*
*Swoooosh.*
A series of terrifying sounds echoed out, and the men, slowed by injuries to their legs and arms, fell helplessly.
In an instant, all but the leader were dead.
“Wh-who are you?”
“The grim reaper.”
“Y-you… Die!”
His sword flew at me with deadly precision.
I took a light step to the side to evade it and unleashed another Lightning Strike.
*Swoooosh.*
*Clack.*
After executing the Lightning Strike, I sheathed the Ghost Soul Sword.
“H-how can this be?”
His body split into three pieces as death claimed him.
I led the captured women and children into a room.
I reassured them that if they remained quiet, I would send them home. They nodded with stiff expressions.
They must have been too terrified to speak after seeing or hearing their captors die.
Leaving the room, I performed a Grand Heavenly Circulation while standing to replenish some of my internal energy, then sought out those wounded by the Lightning Strike and swung my sword again.
I had to mutilate the bodies so no one would recognize the Lightning Strike technique.
Afterward, I took a red cylinder from my robes and gently pushed my true ki into it.
*Thump.*
A red light shot up into the sky.
As the sun began to rise, eight warriors from the Full Moon Tower entered the manor.
Their leader, Man-hyeok, looked around and was visibly startled.
“Did you really do this all by yourself?”
I gave a silent nod and pointed a finger toward a large room inside.
“The captives are in that room. Send them all home. There should be about twenty of them.”
“Understood. Don’t worry.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
I immediately leaped away.
Man-hyeok watched my departing figure, clicked his tongue in amazement, then turned his head.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
“Yes, sir.”
As if accustomed to such tasks, Man-hyeok gave specific orders, and his subordinates moved swiftly to clean up the manor.
Upon returning to the inn, I washed up and lay down on the bed.
“You can sleep?”
“Sleep when you can.”
I closed my eyes, relaxed my body as much as possible, and willed myself to sleep.
Seong Hwi stared at me for a long moment, then let out a hollow laugh and shook his head before lying down on the other bed.
I woke around noon and went down to the first floor with Seong Hwi to eat.
The first floor was packed with customers, save for a few empty tables.
“If we owned an inn like this, our troubles would be over.”
Seong Hwi joked as he sat down.
I let Seong Hwi order the food and lost myself in thought.
I had a feeling that the Black Serpent Tower, led by Gui Ryeong-ja, wasn’t just based in Jeongju Prefecture.
‘There must be a larger organization behind them.’
I quickly shook my head.
This was not the time to act recklessly.
The fight with Gui Ryeong-ja had been extremely dangerous.
If luck hadn’t been on my side, I could have been the one to die.
I resolved to be cautious until I could increase my internal energy with elixirs.
“I can’t believe the Alliance Leader, known as the Iron-Blooded Martial God, passed away like that.”
The words from the next table made me open my eyes without realizing it.
Focusing my hearing, I realized many people were talking about the death of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.
I listened intently to their conversations, but no one seemed to have any accurate information.
“Young Master. Do you think the Alliance Leader was murdered?”
“Who knows. What’s certain is that it’s impossible for anyone in the Martial Arts Alliance to overpower him through sheer martial skill. I suspect there was some internal strife. Or maybe he just died of old age?”
“I don’t think it’s the latter. If it were, the Martial Arts Alliance would have no reason not to reveal the cause of death.”
I nodded silently.
It was incredibly frustrating not knowing what was happening within the Martial Arts Alliance.
But going there in my current state would accomplish nothing.
‘Who could it be?’
I continued to ponder, but I couldn’t come up with anything.
Then again, I had never been interested in the affairs of the Martial Arts Alliance, aside from my training and the extermination of evil sects.
It would have been stranger if I did have a clue.
“Young Master.”
“What is it? Go on.”
“Then who do you think will be the next Alliance Leader?”
“The Martial Arts Alliance will hold a meeting to elect one. The heads of the major factions will gather and nominate several warriors. The new leader will likely be chosen through a martial contest. After all, powerful martial skill is essential to annihilate the forces of evil.”
“That’s true. The previous Alliance Leader personally led subjugations against the evil sects. He even took down the Blood Palace a year ago. I wonder who will become the next Alliance Leader.”
“They’ll figure it out. After we eat, you should return to the clan. I have somewhere I need to stop by.”
“Is it because of this?”
Seong Hwi asked, his eyes shifting to the leather pouches. I gave a quiet nod.