Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Fear
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Dang Mujin whispered to Three-Eyed Buddha.
"The monk standing next to the Left Protector—who is he? His presence feels extraordinary."
The man beside the Left Protector wasn't particularly tall, but his body looked as solid as a rock, his eyebrows thick like caterpillars. And above all, his head was shaved clean.
Anyone could see he was a monk. But his robes differed slightly from the other monks Dang Mujin knew, in both color and style.
"He's the Ghost King. I fled Shaolin Temple after committing a crime, but that guy escaped from Potala Palace after committing his own."
"What's Potala Palace?"
"Just know that such a place exists."
"I don't know what crime he committed, but it's hardly a fitting nickname for a monk. Ghost King, of all things."
Three-Eyed Buddha replied meaningfully.
"There are rumors he was once called the Turtle King, not Ghost King. That's the kind of crime he committed."
But Dang Mujin couldn't grasp what that meant.
King of turtles? Did it mean he had shrunk back like a turtle, failing to step up when strength was needed?
Dang Mujin glanced at the Ghost King and Left Protector, then whispered to Three-Eyed Buddha.
"How many Absolute Peak Experts does the Demonic Cult have? Even just the three Protectors and you, Senior, are more than I imagined."
"There were originally six. But now there are four. The Right Protector is dead, and I left the Demonic Cult."
"Great Protector, Left Protector, Ghost King... and the last one... Ah."
After the Great Protector entered secluded training, during the time the Left and Right Protectors roamed the village.
Dang Mujin recalled a man who occasionally walked the streets with those two Protectors. A man carrying a crude, massive sword that looked like a butcher's cleaver enlarged several times over.
"You've seen Blazing Rakshasa before, it seems."
"I didn't know his name, but yes, I've seen him."
"Right. So now there are four left."
"Even with two gone, that's still far more than I expected."
Absolute Peak Experts numbered only six across all the righteous sects combined. They were commonly known as the Six Venerables.
Yet the Demonic Cult had once had six of its own—which meant that until recently, the Absolute Peak Experts in the Demonic Cult alone rivaled the total in the righteous sects.
Of course, there were figures like Nun Hwayeon who fell outside the category of righteous martial artists and weren't counted among the Six Venerables, and there might be hidden hermits who never showed themselves. But even adding them up, there wouldn't be many.
"If the Demonic Cult only had one or two Absolute Peak Experts, the righteous sects would have banded together and wiped them out. The Demonic Cult has enough strength to preserve its lineage."
As Dang Mujin and Three-Eyed Buddha whispered, the Left Protector shouted loudly.
"You've waited so long to see each other—why all the private talk?"
"It's none of your business."
"Always so curt, as ever."
The Left Protector grumbled playfully, but the situation was far from playful.
Three-Eyed Buddha's condition was poor. He had sustained many injuries fighting the Right Protector and lost a lot of blood. To make matters worse, he hadn't recovered and had pushed on for two full days.
Dang Mujin had cracked ribs, and the others bore wounds great and small.
This time, there were no convenient variables either.
A few days ago, they had turned the tide using the poison from the venom bird, but now they couldn't spew it out so recklessly like before. That trick had only been possible right after swallowing the poison sac.
The only silver lining was that the Left Protector and Ghost King hadn't brought many subordinates. But that alone wasn't enough to overcome the odds.
'No chance of victory in sight.'
Yet Three-Eyed Buddha had no intention of retreating. He took a deep breath and lowered into a stance.
Seeing this, the Left Protector quickly waved his hands.
"You're quick-tempered as always. We're not enemies—why rush into a fight?"
"You killed the Right Protector, and we're not enemies?"
"The Right Protector wasn't blood kin to me. Besides, he died fulfilling his duties, so it happens. More importantly, we should think about the future, shouldn't we? No good comes from needless deaths in pointless fights."
Of course, the "deaths" the Left Protector mentioned didn't include himself or the Ghost King.
He presumed that if a death match erupted here, Three-Eyed Buddha would be the one to die—and anyone could see that was plainly true.
Three-Eyed Buddha glared at the Left Protector and said.
"Get to the point."
"Return to the cult and stay a few more years. No more than ten at the longest, they said. After that, do whatever you want—we won't interfere."
"Did the Great Protector say that?"
"Not the Great Protector—the Cult Leader."
Three-Eyed Buddha thought to himself. The martial art the Great Protector had obtained must be something unimaginably profound.
One couldn't master a martial art simply by reading the manual.
To fully make it one's own required time and dedicated practice. The difficulty of martial arts training lay in that process and duration.
The time varied by many factors. A third-rate street martial art could be learned overnight, but profound arts might take years.
The practitioner's talent was crucial too. What took a dullard years, a genius might grasp in seven days and nights.
And for someone as talented as the Cult Leader to speak of a decade? It had to be an art capable of claiming supremacy over the world.
Only now did Three-Eyed Buddha understand why the Right Protector had tried to capture him alive two days ago instead of killing him.
It was to preserve the Demonic Cult's forces, ensuring no external powers targeted them while the Cult Leader trained.
'With the Right Protector dead, they must need my help even more desperately.'
If they hadn't chased him from the start, it would have been better for everyone. So Three-Eyed Buddha thought.
But the deed was done, and as the Left Protector said, discussing the aftermath rationally made sense.
"I'm over seventy. You think ten years is child's play?"
"Age aside, if you focus on training, Senior, you could achieve rejuvenation. Even without full rejuvenation, you could remain hale for another twenty years or more."
As the Left Protector suggested, training toward rejuvenation offered Three-Eyed Buddha a high chance of success within a few years.
But to Three-Eyed Buddha, rejuvenation held no appeal. He was even determined to refuse it if the opportunity arose.
Three-Eyed Buddha had mastered extreme external arts, cultivating in a direction that leveraged his innate build and strength.
For most martial artists, rejuvenation might grant longer life and higher realms. But for him, it would be regression.
"Rejuvenation? I have no interest."
"That's your choice, so I won't meddle. But for survival's sake, you should accept my proposal."
"Fool. Do you think I left the Demonic Cult planning to return?"
"Then I'll add another condition. If you return, Senior Three-Eyed Buddha, we'll let the others go."
Nangong Myeong and Hong Geolgae silently cheered. From their perspective, Three-Eyed Buddha's presence or absence made no difference. In fact, his absence would be more comfortable.
But the Left Protector added one more thing.
"No. We'll have to take the physician Dang as well. Just those two."
Nangong Myeong and Hong Geolgae's attitudes turned sour in an instant.
The Left Protector observed the reactions. Piling burdens on a few like this usually stirred unrest and awkwardness. Even those with great power couldn't easily defy the mood of the crowd.
Yet the people around Three-Eyed Buddha and Dang Mujin showed no particular response. Those who would waver before such terms had already been killed off by Three-Eyed Buddha.
The Left Protector felt a bit flustered by the unexpected atmosphere.
Three-Eyed Buddha was pleased with it.
"Naturally, I refuse."
The Left Protector sighed.
"Then we'll have to take you by force."
The Left Protector drew his sword, and the Ghost King removed the monk's spade from his shoulder and set it on the ground.
The Left Protector stared at Three-Eyed Buddha, but the Ghost King's gaze clung relentlessly to Mok Wan-a.
The blatant lust in the Ghost King's eyes made Mok Wan-a tense up and hide behind Dang Mujin.
A fight with slim odds of winning.
Nangong Myeong and Hong Geolgae exchanged looks of complication and grimaces, conveying their intentions.
They quickly reached a decision. They would knock Dang Mujin out at the first opportunity and use the Demonic Cultists as shields to escape.
Tension thick enough to burst filled the air.
But just before the two sides clashed, something hurtled toward them at tremendous speed.
The object landed between Three-Eyed Buddha and the Left Protector, kicking up faint dust that settled quickly.
Everyone checked what had flown in. It was a tree branch, fresh with leaves still attached as if freshly snapped.
Even buried a foot into the ground, no damage showed on it. A feat no ordinary person could perform.
Everyone looked in the direction the branch had come from.
A figure approached using advanced lightness skill. A girl with snow-white hair. It was Nun Hwayeon.
A faint tension clouded Nun Hwayeon's expression.
Though one of the world's top experts, she couldn't handle three Absolute Peak Experts.
Nun Hwayeon swiftly surveyed the scene.
Three-Eyed Buddha stood by Dang Mujin, facing off against two Demonic Cult Absolute Peak Experts.
She didn't know the details, but it was clear Three-Eyed Buddha was siding with Dang Mujin against the Demonic Cult. Even the familiar face of Nangong Myeong was there.
'This works out well.'
As Nun Hwayeon took position beside Dang Mujin, the Left Protector and Ghost King's faces crumpled miserably.
They had no prior encounters with her, but they knew the only female expert who had achieved rejuvenation was Nun Hwayeon.
Capturing Three-Eyed Buddha without losses would already be satisfactory, but clashing here and suffering more casualties would make things dire.
They didn't even think they could win. No need to test skills—they knew her reputation.
The Left Protector attempted negotiation with utmost courtesy.
"I am Yeon Sa-uk, Left Protector of the Demonic Cult. Might I ask why Nun Hwayeon graces us with her presence?"
"Me? I came to fetch Dang Mujin."
The Left Protector breathed a sigh of relief.
Pity to lose a physician versed in advanced poison arts, but if they could take Three-Eyed Buddha alone, they could forgo Dang Mujin.
"...Understood. We'll cleanly abandon Young Master Dang, so please step aside."
Nun Hwayeon nodded and grabbed Dang Mujin's wrist.
But Dang Mujin subtly shook his head and looked at Three-Eyed Buddha. Nun Hwayeon added a reluctant remark with a sour expression.
"No. On second thought, I need to take Three-Eyed Buddha too."
The Left Protector didn't hide his distress.
"That won't do. Please consider our position."
Nun Hwayeon neither affirmed nor denied, but countered.
"What did I just say?"
"That you'd take Three-Eyed Buddha as well."
"I've made my decision—why should I hear your opinion?"
Good heavens. To utter such an outrageous statement without hesitation.
Not only the Left Protector, but even hot-tempered Three-Eyed Buddha gaped in shock.
Yet the Left Protector still tried persuasion with a smiling face.
"But this is an internal Demonic Cult matter..."
Nun Hwayeon cut him off instantly.
"Say one more word, and I'll split your skull."
When was the last time he'd heard such vulgarity? The Left Protector felt dizzy.
"That's...!"
That's too rude. Please consider our position.
That was what he meant to say, but Nun Hwayeon kept her promises.
The moment the Left Protector spoke, she unleashed a killing strike.
Her sword flew straight at his head without warning. The Left Protector hastily thrust his own sword to deflect it. Fortunately, no injury, but his forearm and even shoulder went numb.
'Of all things, this old monster butts in...'
Any words now would invite another lethal attack, so the Left Protector stayed silent.
Instead, he glared at Nun Hwayeon.
The Absolute Peak Expert's pride. Bewilderment at the sudden turn. Unjust frustration and sorrow. Shame at yielding before his subordinates. His gaze mixed every emotion.
Naturally, to Nun Hwayeon, that gaze was unwelcome.
"You, why are your eyes so wide?"
The Left Protector slyly lowered his eyes. Unlike prideful martial artists who led with ego, he was rational with fine survival instincts.
'She's stronger than me, so I'll let it slide this once.'
The Left Protector nudged the Ghost King, then turned to leave. The subordinates they had brought followed. Their steps were light—clearly relieved no fight had broken out.
Only when the Left Protector and Ghost King vanished from sight could Dang Mujin and Three-Eyed Buddha finally sigh in relief.
Dang Mujin expressed his gratitude to Nun Hwayeon and Haryeong.
"Thank you for the help."
Nun Hwayeon smiled awkwardly.
"Skip the thanks. We help each other and get by, right? Glad I wasn't too late."
But Dang Mujin had a question for Nun Hwayeon.
Why had she, who dwelled far away in Zhongjing, appeared here?
"By any chance, what brings you here?"
"Someone requested my help, so I came."
Someone requested help? As he was about to ask who, Dang Mujin spotted another figure approaching with lightness skill. It was Dan Seol-yeong.
Dang Mujin beamed widely and waved enthusiastically at Dan Seol-yeong.
"Seol-yeong!"
He expected her to smile brightly too, and as predicted, Dan Seol-yeong was smiling.
But for some reason, Dang Mujin sensed fear in her smile.