Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Value of a Word - 11
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Everything in the world has an end. Just as the sun that claims the sky retreats on its own when night falls.
Just as the Great Sage of the Heavens, who roamed the skies as if they were his own, ended up trapped in the Five Elements Mountain.
Everything inevitably comes to an end.
And that truth applied even to the demonic cultists who dreamed of the Heavenly Demon's return and plotted to topple the empire.
The demonic cultist who had burst her demon bloodline wavered for but an instant.
A tiny gap, born from the dissipation of her flame aura.
That was her end.
-Slash!!
True to her title as the Falling Sun Sword, who could cleave demonic beasts in half, Hongryeon's blade knew no mercy.
No need for clashes or exchanges. A single strike.
Until now, she had been purely on the defensive, but the moment she spotted the opening, she switched to offense. That alone shattered the demonic cultist's assault, leaving her no choice but to sense her own doom.
"Guhhh..."
Her left arm flew into the air. At the same instant, Hongryeon's long leg shot toward the demonic cultist's abdomen, where the recoil hit even harder.
-Thud!!
Her kick slammed into the solar plexus, followed seamlessly by a rising knee that smashed into the demonic cultist's face.
Hongryeon leaped toward her as she tumbled across the ground with a single cry of agony, swinging her sword once more.
-Slash!!
"Kyaaah!!!"
Left arm and right leg severed. Blood spurted like a fountain from the cultist. Hongryeon swiftly sealed her acupoints. The gushing blood from the severed limbs stopped instantly, and she brought her hand to the now-pale demonic cultist's head.
"What was the Demonic Cult's purpose here? And why target the village chief and the innkeeper?"
"Kuh... Heh... Heavenly Demon's return... all demons rise..."
She must have foreseen her end the moment the flame aura vanished. That's why there was no hesitation.
The demonic cultist ground her teeth, and in that instant, demonic qi surged through her body.
She convulsed with a horrific scream of agony, her eyes rolling back as foam bubbled from her mouth. Hongryeon recoiled, wrinkling her nose at the stench.
"Tch. This is exactly why I can't stand dealing with demonic cultists."
The corpse began rotting away in seconds. Grimacing at the foul odor wafting from it, Hongryeon whipped her head around.
Eh? Why?
Her gaze locked onto me. She looked somehow angry as she strode over purposefully, stopping in front of me to catch her breath in silence.
"...Can we talk later?"
Her voice trembled noticeably, laced with complex emotions. Her eyes shook as she looked up at me. I nodded.
A talk? No big deal.
By the time the dazed village chief came to, the two women had finished circulating their qi and regained their senses.
And then.
"Th-thank you."
"Thanks..."
Because of what happened earlier? They both seemed pretty embarrassed. Fair enough—they said they'd protect me, but bailed at the last second.
But it was fine. My clothes got singed, but they'd definitely helped me out.
Besides, blocking that one attack didn't mean I'd beaten the flame aura.
If anything—no, obviously—I owed a huge debt to these two. And to the Crimson Star Sect.
So I cupped my hands in a formal salute to them.
"I owe you two heroines my life."
"N-no!"
"We're the ones who..."
"Haha. How about we call it even, then?"
I said that, but it must have shocked them that a non-martial artist like me tried to protect martial artists. Rather than comforting their sullen faces, I figured it was better to change the subject. Keeping my calm as best I could, I looked around.
"Anyway, looks like things have wrapped up."
In the distance were the magistrate, the soldiers, and beside them, disciples of the Crimson Star Sect.
Good thing the magistrate was safe too. His face looked wrecked—like he'd gotten a full night's sleep, but still.
Hongryeon gave orders to them for patrols around the village. By the time those finished, the fighters from the outskirts returned, carrying the heads of the Demon Tigers and Earth Dogs.
"You all worked hard. Demon Tigers? Three—no, four?"
Human heads on tiger bodies—the heads were human, and there were three. So they must have appeared in three spots after all.
"I heard about it. Demonic cultists attacked? Glad no one got hurt."
"Thanks to you."
"Hm?"
"Well..."
I recounted what happened. Chaejin, listening quietly, tilted her head.
"Uh... Innkeeper Yu. How long ago did I start teaching you?"
How long? Let me think. From the day before the Earth Dogs appeared until today...
"Not even three weeks? Feels almost like a month."
"And you blocked a flame aura...? Uh... What...?"
She tilted her head again, muttering to herself.
Then she noticed me looking, snapped her head up, and burst into haughty laughter, slapping my shoulder.
"Oh ho ho hot!! Of course, of course! You learned from the senior disciple of the prestigious orthodox sect Full Moon Pavilion, the Moonlight Sword Chaejin, even more renowned in the martial world than the Falling Sun Sword! Oh ho ho ho ho!! Naturally, that's the bare minimum! Oh ho ho ho ho!! I've put so much effort into you! Oh ho ho ho hot!"
Her face stiffened a bit despite the arrogance dripping from her words.
But did I need to point that out? She'd definitely worked hard training me.
So I smiled. Smiling brings good fortune, right?
"Ahahaha!"
And she smiled too.
"Oh ho ho ho ho!!"
We faced each other and laughed for a good while. Ah, nice atmosphere.
As I started to relax and stop laughing, Chaejin abruptly quit, narrowing her eyes at my arm.
"But why's that arm like that? Even after learning from me?"
Ah. Oops...
Busted.
I'd tossed my burned clothes, but my arm was still red and inflamed. Chaejin grinned wide, pointing at it.
"This won't do. For a guest who trained under me to get hurt by mere flame aura flames. We'll double the training..."
No, double is a bit much.
"Don't worry! I'll take responsibility!"
You don't have to.
Still, it was true she'd helped me escape danger, so I just shut up and took it.
"Anyway, thanks."
"No problem. Where's Hongryeon?"
She looked around, fiddling with her sword hilt. She looked like she wanted to spar right then if possible.
But would that work?
The soldiers were banged up from fighting Demon Tigers and Earth Dogs, and they had to prepare for possible follow-ups.
Especially since the culprits were demonic cultists—this demanded a serious response.
Hell, the central government might even use this as an excuse to move.
I lit a cigarette. The nearest garrison would be... the Blue Merchant Company, right?
"How many survivors from this attack?"
I grabbed one of the busy officers. He knew my face, so no complaints.
"About seven survivors. But..."
"But?"
"All the ones supposedly outside the Crimson Star Sect are dead. They say the Falling Sun Sword killed them all herself."
Ah. So that's why no reinforcements from the enemy.
Now it made sense what those bastards trying to kidnap the chief said.
"...Tch."
If not for Hongryeon, Island Flower Village would've taken heavy losses. Maybe even me, the chief, and the magistrate would've been snatched.
So yeah, she earned big merits. The government might even issue a separate bounty.
There was chaos, but in the end, it all worked out.
"You look displeased, though?"
"Well... in terms of minimal damage, we should be grateful..."
Just like Chaejin said. For all the commotion, casualties were light.
No deaths or major injuries, after all.
From that angle, there was no reason for an orthodox sect member like Chaejin to feel bad...
"...Hongryeon, of all people. Tch."
It was because it was Hongryeon who shone. She'd been smug after bagging two Demon Tigers, her rival, so of course she'd be down now.
"Well... I know how hard you worked, so don't be too downhearted. I'll still pay the promised bounty."
"Oh! Then I gotta try that Pork Belly Explosion. And the Island Flower Spirit Brew they sell here~!"
"I'll have it ready."
"Really? Ahh, I've always just drooled over it. Guess I get to try it today~. Whee~."
She's so innocently cheerful. Nice to see.
"Ahahaha~! But we're still training."
Damn it.
Everyone wants to unwind after hard work.
Including me.
But this heartless woman ignored that and put me through training.
It felt even tougher than before...
As I dragged my exhausted body out, an official approached me.
"We want to treat the Crimson Star Sect members who worked hard this time, so here's this."
His pouch was stuffed with silver.
"The magistrate's office got hit too, so we can't host them right away. If it's okay, could you handle it here...?"
"Ah, sure."
"Thank you. Then."
The official bowed and left. I called a waiter, prepped for business, and instructed a servant.
"Go to the Crimson Star Sect. If nothing urgent, tell them I'd like to treat them to dinner tonight."
"Yes."
They fought too, so they'd want rest.
Nothing beats good food and sleep to recharge.
After sending the servant, I checked the backyard.
Traces remained of the Crimson Star Sect members who'd guarded me here.
Among them, what caught my eye was the bedding Sayoon had set up.
...Should I leave it?
I puffed on a few cigarettes, pondering, then handled some paperwork in my room. When the servant returned—with the Crimson Star Sect members.
They hadn't been treated; battle scars lingered everywhere, making them look drained. But their eyes sparkled.
As those I'd gotten familiar with during rotations greeted me, I spotted Sayoon.
Her eyes seemed a bit deeper than before.
Back then, it was clearly the early stage of qi deviation, right?
Unable to control the ferocity of the Crimson Star Divine Art, she'd lost herself to it.
She somehow corrected it, gaining insight and boosting her skill.
Is this... good?
Hm.
Probably good?
I led them to the room where I'd treated the Crimson Star Sect before. They sat one by one, eyes gleaming—clearly hyped.
Gotta treat them right.
"As Island Flower Village's local steward, I thank the Crimson Star Sect. As promised, along with bounties for the Demon Tigers, I'd like to offer modest support funds for your sect. Please don't refuse."
"Sect policy prevents us from accepting support funds. Protecting the weak is a martial artist's duty. We'll gladly take the promised bounties, but..."
So firm.
Ryuhyeon stated it flatly. I glanced at Hongryeon; she nodded in agreement, saying nothing.
"But that leaves me uneasy. If not money, then please accept goods instead. I hear your sect blankets and daily necessities are worn out."
Hongryeon whipped her head to her junior sisters; they quickly averted their eyes.
Haha! You think I haven't looked into it?
I subtly asked around about their urgent needs.
That's experience for you!
"...No need to go that far."
"I want to. Please accept."
"Ngh..."
Hongryeon groaned, then nodded.
They often refused money but accepted village goods, so hard to turn down.
Or maybe because her juniors' eyes were sparkling.
"Fine. As senior disciple of the Crimson Star Sect, we'll gratefully accept."
"Good. Enjoy the feast freely. Speak up for anything you need—no prices to worry about, as the magistrate's office covered it."
Though I plan to give more than that!
Heh heh heh. Tonight, gotta stuff 'em with premium melt-in-your-mouth dishes and grease 'em up good...!!
I glanced at Sayoon. She beamed, happy to see her sisters joyful.
She can skip dinner tonight. That smile fills me up.
I closed the door to the room they couldn't leave without filling up on fine food.
Let them eat comfortably among themselves. I started on the ledgers—bounties, operating costs, and...
By the time I finished sorting and came down, it was still rowdy inside. Looked like they were eating the cheap stuff.
So I ordered pricey dishes, sent them in, and headed to the backyard.
There, I ran into a red-haired woman sitting alone on a long bench, gazing at the sky.
"Why'd you come out without eating?"
"Just getting some air... Anyway, got time? Like we agreed earlier, let's talk."
"Sure."
I offered her a cigarette; she nodded.
I lit up. As I exhaled thin gray smoke, Hongryeon closed her eyes, mumbling something like she was deep in thought, her small lips moving.
By the time I finished one cigarette, she stood and stepped in front of me.
"Thank you. My sisters are safe because of you."
She bowed. The Crimson Star Sect's senior disciple, the famed Falling Sun Sword of the martial world, bent at the waist in sincere gratitude to me.
And then.
"Why'd you do it?"
Damn.
What's with this mood?
Did she figure out I sent the letter?
Or mad I learned Subtle Taiji Fist from Full Moon Pavilion while doing business in Crimson Star territory?
Or that I trained under her rival, Chaejin?
Too many suspicions—cold sweat trickled down my spine.
"Why'd you step in?"
"Huh?"
Guess not.
I sighed inwardly in relief. Hongryeon fixed me with sharp eyes and took a step closer.
Plum blossom scent tickled my nose. Angry? Sad? Unclear. She placed her hand on my chest.
That hand, which had wielded the greatsword that tore the demonic cultist apart, felt surprisingly weak.
But it firmly gripped my collar.
"You two were in danger, sure. But with minor injuries, you could've blocked it with your bodies."
Probably.
No matter their depleted inner power, they were martial artists trained in profound arts.
Their natural defenses far outstripped mine, and even if hit by the flame aura's fire, they'd shake it off after some suffering.
Plus, the Crimson Star Sect had divine medicines Hongryeon earned from the Martial Alliance, and with the Sword Saint aiding treatment, recovery would've been swift.
Of course.
It would've consumed precious stockpiled elixirs, a huge burden on the sect and Hongryeon.
"Weren't you scared?"
Ah. That's what it was about?
I thought it was something else.
"Just did what had to be done."
How could a Sayoon fan watch Sayoon get hurt?
"....."
Hongryeon's eyes widened round at my answer.