Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Lord of the Blue Turbans 6
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“Is this a fragment of Grimsrowne?”
Azadin recoiled at the texture of the wooden chunk in his hand—warm, almost like flesh.
“Yes. Grimsrowne has chosen you. You are the new Heavenly Lord of the Blue Turban Sect.”
“No, I didn’t get any revelation like that.”
Azadin focused his mind, avoiding Jiswa’s overly emotional gaze.
The wooden chunk in Azadin’s hand—Grimsrowne’s body—began to mutate, coiling around his Moon Horn Bow.
‘I tried this just in case, but it actually worked?’
Azadin panicked as he watched Grimsrowne’s body swallow up the Moon Horn Bow.
When he drew the newly formed bow, the tension felt even stronger than that of a heavy crossbow. It was an impossible power for a wooden bow of this size.
Moreover, its flex was excellent, allowing most of the draw strength to transfer to the arrow.
“No need for this anymore.”
Azadin set down the heavy iron bow. He was certain Grimsrowne’s Moon Horn Bow wouldn’t break.
And Grimsrowne’s power didn’t end there. Azadin’s Blue Turban Sect Daoist staff gleamed with Grimsrowne’s sap.
“It looks like it chose the staff as well. Or maybe... it kept sending minions to attack us while we approached, but we caught it anyway. Maybe it surrendered before its boss could burn it up? Better to choose submission than get overpowered after putting up a pointless fight, right? Makes it look better.”
“A Nether deity’s fragment wouldn’t go down that easily. It must like something about me.”
Azadin gathered the blessed bow and staff, looking around. The hostility that had filled the entire jungle was gone.
“I was going to rip it out by force if needed, but to think such a miracle...”
Jiswa’s voice was still choked with emotion.
“You seem to attract miracles everywhere you go. Do the gods like you or something?”
Even as Shati sounded a bit envious, Azadin remained nonchalant.
“Less that the gods like me, and more that their followers ignore basic tenets while bullying others over petty crap.”
“You bully people too.”
Shati recalled what Azadin did to others.
“Anyway, shall we talk to the Heavenly Lord of the Blue Turban Sect with this? He’s in Brtuma, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s head to Brtuma.”
Azadin left the black jungle of Count Kimariji—the sacred forest—once more.
*********
Having secured Grimsrowne’s fragment, Azadin’s group decided to return to Count Kimariji’s territory en route to Brtuma.
The only ways to Brtuma were by road, or by river and sea. Anywhere else would sprout grass and trees in an instant, making passage impossible.
Perhaps because of that, Azadin’s group spotted elephants and armed soldiers by the roadside.
“Doesn’t look like they’re here with good intentions.”
Komsal and his men stood there. About twenty on the road, the rest ambushed in the jungle. Scott, the skilled necromancer, roughly counted them.
“Around fifty in total. What’s the plan, boss?”
The cart was now pulled not by a Corps Abomination, but by a large panther found in the jungle.
Even if they charged it, there were too many people.
Of course, Azadin wouldn’t lose to them, but he hadn’t come to Brtuma to slaughter them and hand out death and injury. He wanted to convince them to fight the nagas together.
No need for infighting when they needed every bit of strength.
“Let’s talk first. Hey, Komsal! Good to see you, brother!”
Komsal frowned at Azadin’s shout.
“When did I become your brother?!”
“Don’t followers of the Azure Heaven’s Way, wearing the blue turbans, count as brothers?”
“That’s...”
It was doctrine, but even the Heavenly Lord discriminated between Brtuma natives and outsiders.
Saying the Heavenly Lord ordered it felt too petty, so Komsal was at a loss and grasped for another excuse.
“Hey, heretic. You dared defile our holy site?”
“We got permission from the count and Lady Gimela to take that path. And heretic? I’m a Blue Turban Sect Daoist.”
“Don’t make me laugh. You, a Daoist? You’re a Herald clansman, aren’t you? I won’t accept a Herald playing Daoist, even if the count does!”
“You think so? This says otherwise.”
Azadin held up the staff infused with Grimsrowne’s power.
“W-what’s that? You wanna go?!”
“If your eyes aren’t knots in wood, you’d recognize it.”
“That’s...?”
“Grimsrowne’s fragment. Proof the Swamp Ancient chose him! Not conquered by force! He took lightning like the Heavenly Lord—and lived!”
Jiswa stepped forward and shouted. Everyone was stunned, Komsal most of all.
“Bullshit! Lies! He’s a Herald clansman!”
“To a Nether god, human race or tribe is a trivial difference. It probably prefers someone fluent in Nether tongue.”
“Y-you bastard, spouting nonsense! You dare impersonate a false prophet!”
“...Impersonate a prophet, or pose as a false prophet. The way you said it sounds like I’m claiming to be a false prophet myself.”
“S-shut up!”
Komsal raged and signaled his men.
“Yaaah!”
They charged, but Azadin hurled the staff he held.
The staff whistled through the air, striking the lead man’s head. He raised his shield in surprise, but the staff spun deftly over it, smashing the head of the man behind.
He wore a helmet, so he didn’t die, but the shieldbearer crumpled into the dirt from one blow.
“What?!”
And that wasn’t the end. The staff flew back to Azadin’s hand like a living thing.
“Whoa...”
Azadin marveled and threw it again.
It flew with enough force to crush a skull, but spun in midair, shedding power... until it struck with just enough to knock out, then returned.
“Neat trick. Should’ve torn his upper body off otherwise.”
“What the hell, man?!”
Someone thought Azadin was joking and thrust a spear at him.
“That was no joke.”
Shati grabbed the spear aimed at Azadin. The man tried to push through, dismissing the woman, but Shati was a naga. Even in human form, her weight exceeded two grown men’s. Her strength matched.
“Huh?”
Shati swung her naga curved sword, intimidating him into dropping the spear.
“E-everyone! Don’t panic! The opponent is just...”
“A Herald clansman. You wouldn’t happen to not know what Heralds are?”
Azadin spoke and threw the staff. Sure enough, it struck only hard enough to knock out, felling them one by one.
And it always returned to his hand. No ordinary magic weapon.
An ominous aura emanated from the staff and Azadin’s bow. Even higher-ranking Blue Turbans couldn’t ignore it.
“My god... that’s really... really the Swamp Ancient?”
“The true Daoist—no, the Heavenly Lord!”
The Blue Turban members gave up resistance, lowered weapons, and knelt before Azadin.
“A miracle!”
“We were wrong!”
“What?!”
Komsal panicked as his Blue Turbans knelt to Azadin.
Once a few knelt, the rest followed. Even with fifty men, it was useless.
“T-this bastard bewitched us.”
“What now?”
Spear-wielding Blue Turbans turned on Komsal.
“Drag him over and make him kneel. Don’t kill him.”
At Azadin’s words, they rushed Komsal, clubbing him with spear shafts, stomping him, and forced him to kneel before Azadin.
“Urk...”
“Now, Komsal. You dared drug your Blue Turban brothers and make them rampage?”
“I told you it was the Heavenly Lord’s order, not my whim!”
“Didn’t you see the staff fly? Grimsrowne is merciful, sparing your skulls. Would a god this merciful allow such atrocities?”
Of course, you couldn’t judge a Nether being by that alone.
The staff subdued without killing, but arrows from Grimsrowne’s bow would kill. The staff was non-lethal probably because it needed to be.
Still, Azadin solemnly preached Grimsrowne’s mercy, then rebuked Komsal’s actions.
The Blue Turbans, who had exploited the weak themselves, wept in感動 as Azadin sternly scolded him, all nodding in agreement.
‘Many survived deadly illnesses here, so their faith is intense. Securing a position could help against naga invasions. But marching them straight to the capital? The king wouldn’t like that.’
Azadin wrote a letter.
“In two weeks, great turmoil comes. When the naga army strikes Brtuma, gather these supplies and this many troops, fly this emblem on your banners, beat the drums, and enter via the east gate.”
Azadin wrote the letter like a prophecy and raised Komsal.
“Disobey, and you die, Komsal. Your soul will wander Wendigo’s frozen wastes eternally.”
“...Huh.”
Komsal shuddered as a chill hit him.
In truth, Azadin had flicked the Wendigo Dagger while mentioning the wastes, shooting its magic at Komsal.
The icy cold and Wendigo’s presence blended with Azadin’s words, evoking a true frozen hell.
“Alright then.”
Azadin left the letter with Kimariji’s Blue Turbans for insurance and set off for Brtuma.
‘If Komsal attacked, the Heavenly Lord won’t be easy to convince either. But if he survived lightning like me... we might share techniques.’
Azadin steeled himself to persuade the Heavenly Lord—or usurp the position if needed.