Chapter 19
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Ghost Flash
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"He's dead?!"
Ha Eun-ye jumped in shock, questioning her subordinate.
"His body's being kept at the Jin family estate in Ha-buk."
That very night.
The Vermilion Bird Unit Leader of the Murim Alliance and her two subordinates had finally crossed over into Shandong, without a single moment of rest.
No breaks whatsoever. It wasn't your typical forced march, but to her, this was more important than her own life.
"You've come a long way—thank you for your efforts. We've been waiting."
The head of the Jin family estate, who had received their letter, guided the three of them inside.
With a pallid face, Ha Eun-ye followed him to where the body was stored.
This was the corpse of a demon the Murim Alliance had been pursuing.
"It hasn't leaked out to the outside, has it?"
"No worries. We've made sure everyone from Sang Man Escort Agency who requested the transfer kept their mouths shut."
The demon's body had been moved under strict and thorough security.
Flutter.
As the cloth was lifted, a man in horrific shape lay there, mouth agape in death.
"Ah..."
Upon confirming the face, Ha Eun-ye collapsed as if her legs had given out.
'This isn't him.'
She wasn't sure if it was a relief or a curse. Disappointing that this wasn't the monster who killed her mother, yet a wave of relief washed over her all the same.
She wanted to settle that deep-rooted grudge with her own hands, after all.
"But..."
"He's a demon who crossed over from Shandong. Seems he snuck in hidden among the escort agency's porters."
"So there was more than one, after all."
She quickly pieced it together from his explanation.
The estate head only knew what he'd heard secondhand, but there was no reason for those who volunteered to transport the body to lie.
"They might lay even lower after this. Alert all sectors to stay vigilant, and pass along any new information."
"Yes, understood."
One subordinate bowed and vanished. Now everyone present knew a demon was hiding in Shandong—and it wasn't just one.
"And this one is..."
"Pale Hand Blood Demon Art. A demon skilled in hand techniques, matching the specialties of that Gyeong-won fellow."
Martial arts leave traces. And so does the body infused with them. The subordinate who identified the demon continued.
"Looks like they ran into a hidden master. Both arms are completely shattered, after all. Unless it's someone at the upper realm, it'd have to be a person with considerable inner power."
Now the question was who killed the demon. The estate head added.
"The escort agency didn't have details on that part either. Nearly wiping out two bandit strongholds and taking down a demon? That should've been the highest honor."
"I suppose so."
Ha Eun-ye, who had been listening silently, nodded.
"First, send a part of this body to Tiger Tooth Stronghold. We don't want their chief getting involved. Even black folks lose their minds over demon cultists—they won't seek revenge on their own. Also, request a Murim Alliance escort to head here."
"We'll prepare it."
Alliance personnel wouldn't arrive until they'd backtracked the dead demon's movements and gathered every clue possible.
"But how did that person..."
She trailed off, biting her lower lip for a moment.
"Not a hidden master—a rising star."
"You know who it is?"
"...I have my suspicions. A bad guy who ditched me and tagged along with the escort caravan."
The two men flanking her exchanged puzzled glances.
"Well, no—we didn't exactly have an appointment, but..."
Ha Eun-ye was half-convinced.
The one who benefited most from what happened to the Plum Sword Gang leader: Seo Mun-ha, a master of spear techniques.
Once might be coincidence, even twice—but three times? Suspicion was unavoidable.
No hard evidence, but from the first incident to this one, her intuition had gained solid weight.
Seo Mun-ha searching for a spear master. Plum Sword Gang leader struck by a spear technique. And some figure who slew a mid-realm demon—all connected to one person.
'A cunning demon wouldn't show his tail easily. Especially not a hidden master.'
It'd be hard to judge, but if it was some unknown rising talent? Coincidentally, Ha Eun-ye had recently experienced something similar.
The figure lingering in her mind wasn't an upper-realm expert or someone with profound inner strength, as her subordinate judged. That alone worried her.
I hope he's safe...
"Are you unwell?"
"Ah, no, I'm fine."
She waved it off and followed the puzzled estate head's guidance.
'Why am I even worrying?'
Forcing the thoughts away.
Over three hours passed in seated meditation.
Soon four. I'd devoted much time to dissolving the medicinal energy spreading through my body.
Sss...
It wasn't just for healing.
The Life-Death Verdict from before lingered vividly in my mind.
From One Hand to All-Heaven Gamble. What that self-proclaimed Gyeong-won demon had shown.
His palm strikes and footwork. Every tiny motion etched in memory, even the flow of his true qi clear as day.
'Pale Hand Blood Demon Art.'
In raw power, it rivaled the Northern Guard Divine Cavalry Art.
Extreme yin chill and extreme yang heat binding body and soul, his simple strikes matching Ma Gang-han's secret techniques.
Beyond the demonic art's traits, Gyeong-won himself was no mere standout—talent, physique, experience, all converged.
A scarlet glow leaped across time, resurfacing.
Hands like venomous beasts extended to his shoulders, his body seemingly an indestructible diamond impervious to blades.
Hwooo!
A smiling, offense-defense-unified palm strike aims for my brow.
The straight double palms carry soul-freezing wind pressure alone. My defensive sword qi pushes it back, forcing a hasty retract—the single palm twists endlessly, thrusting its sharp tip forward.
The double was a feint from the start.
True qi manipulation and forms wielded freely by the demon.
Mid-realm made him no pushover, clearly.
They say martial artists customarily yield three moves to juniors. No such courtesy here—just pure killing intent sharpening my nerves to the limit. Exhausted from repeated battles, that demonic whip ironically kept me at my edge.
My meager power was still the bottleneck. The demon had banked on it, confident of victory.
Eyes piercing all creation.
Like how one person's words carry layers, seeing isn't just with the eyes.
Boasting broader, deeper vision, his two hands leave afterimages assaulting from all sides.
Extreme venom dances fluidly, drawing death lines everywhere—no room for choice.
'If it were now.'
If my body were whole, spear intact, the fight would've gone differently.
I clashed with Gyeong-won for over ten exchanges more.
Being on the defensive was natural, so I waited for the killing blow to turn fatal.
Finally, facing his double palms head-on in a straight line.
Drddruk!
Coiling qi like a serpent induced chill and heat, pulverizing him inside and out.
Arms unscathed by blades.
Disbelief swelled in his widening eyes as rampaging true qi devoured him from within.
'Some suspect ties to the Great Ming imperial family, but nothing confirmed.'
Gyeong-won had seen more than me in the moment, but knew less.
Sun-Moon Cult arts matched Great Ming imperial ones in many ways, true qi flow akin to Northern Bright Heart Method.
A lingering mystery.
'That was close.'
Setting aside unanswerable riddles, I gained much insight.
Finishing qi circulation, I rose with a comparatively light body.
'If he'd truly achieved yin-yang unity...'
Undeniably, he'd be the one sitting here, not me.
'Mutual destruction. Or crippled if I survived.'
I wasn't Seven Realms yet. More than anything, first life-risk since reincarnation. Forgotten sensations. Gap between past and present lives. Gyeong-won's death left severe wounds, painful lessons, and insights.
"Greetings to our benefactor."
Sang Man-seok clasped hands in profound courtesy.
"How's your body faring?"
"It's fine."
Polite speech slipped out naturally, thanks to his excessive deference.
"My internal injuries have mostly healed. The tonic you provided worked wonders, Young Leader."
"Just doing what was right. I'm sorry we couldn't care for you more."
Declining and dissuading fell on deaf ears.
"I should've secured spirit medicines at least..."
He saw me as one who'd sacrificed life force to save his—understandable, but his fervor was burdensome.
"Things like Pure Jade Stone Milk or Millennium Fleeceflower Root."
Even rarities "impossible to obtain" he'd procure.
"Anyway, did everything resolve well?"
Setting that aside, the escort mission succeeded, at least.
Twists and turns galore, but the cargo reached safe.
"Just beginning now."
For an escort on which the agency's fate hung, losses were subjective.
"Is the manor comfortable?"
"Not bad."
Sang Man-seok provided excessively lavish accommodations.
The borrowed manor could house hundreds—far from sparse.
"Tell me if you need anything."
"Got it."
"I've even scouted spirit medicines."
Compensation from the escort seemed ample even after.
"I'll deliver them without fail, even if late."
He'd lost many escorts and porters prior—yet rewards sufficed to rebuild the agency. Rightly so, given the cargo owner's status.
"To the Seo Mun Clan."
The cargo went to Hanlin Academy within the capital. Didn't pry details, but recipient was its head.
A noon-grade scholar.
Worlds apart from my past official post, but I gauged a cabinet university scholar's wealth roughly.
"Greetings to our benefactor!"
"Greetings to our benefactor!"
"Greetings to our benefactor!"
Emerging with Sang Man-seok, surviving escorts and porters bowed in sequence.
"..."
True to form for grudge-bearing martial folk. A-so timely cut the endless wave.
"Young master!"
The boy, once incessantly checking my well-being like before, had finally calmed.
"Yang Jeong?"
"N-not back yet. Seems finding the place you mentioned takes time."
I nodded.
"Let's go. Location won't have changed."
"Yes!"
"I'll join you."
Sang Man-seok filling Yang Jeong's absence.
"Won't delay departure?"
"No, plenty of time left. Escorts and porters need rest too. Ideally, recruit more... but that's for later."
Ha-buk, Changshan. Midway stop for a week—Ha-buk's castle town.
Not rivaling Beijing, but no shortage of people. Past the crisis, he seemed more composed.
"Forgot to mention one thing."
Changshan buzzed.
"Had to hide the demon, but bandit stronghold tales spread beyond my control..."
I knew what he meant.
"Ghost Flash?"
"Wiped out two of the Thirty-Two Green Forest Strongholds. Alone. Against five hundred foes."
Rumor blanketed all Ha-buk.
"You've been recovering, so unaware."
Rumors flesh out fast.
"The scholar wanted details—couldn't hide it. Tiger Tooth might demand blood debt too. Without permission, I acted alone—sincerely apologize if it harms you."
"Their Ghost Flash is..."
"You, Seo Mun young master. Told our people to stay silent, but seems Hanlin scholars spread it."
An unexpected moniker.
My discomfort left him at a loss. Guessing from Shandong rascal tales, he assumed reasons.
"Many scholars idolize the martial world. A rising star's debut inspires. Interest is huge."
"Even Shandong heard!"
A-so beamed like it was his achievement.
"Our young master, first jianghu trip! No warrant even!"
His siblings couldn't claim this—boy couldn't hide excitement.
Hyper A-so. Chatterboxes. Contrite Sang Man-seok.
Passing them, I mulled my past life's title.
Never liked Ghost Spear then.
Sounded like spearmanship was all.
Proud of Northern Guard Divine Cavalry Art, it irked me.
Coincidence or fate—present life's Ghost Flash. Past influencing, likely.
From Shandong wastrel Seo Mun-ha to Ghost Flash Seo Mun-ha. Not bad.
'Not bad.'
Acknowledging past life.
Never sought others' approval before—receiving it now felt profound.
'Maybe this is why...'
I faced a massive signboard. Nostalgia inevitable.
The ancient plaque reading "Ten Thousand Gold Pawnshop" bridged past and present, like my moniker.