Chapter 81
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: I Can't Be the Only One Suffering
Han Seol-bing quietly watched the furious Ha Mu-baek.
She knew full well why he was so angry.
Wasn't it he who had tried to prevent warriors from being sacrificed and turned into those damned jiangshi?
That was why he had insisted on completely razing the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest to the ground.
Though the Elder Council had rejected the proposal.
So when he saw the new blood iron corpses, the first target of his curses could only be the Elder Council.
"Tell them to guard this place themselves. Don't shove innocent warriors into the meat grinder."
Gazing at the spot he had completely incinerated—now not even ashes remained—Ha Mu-baek muttered something sorrowful.
He had said they were indistinguishable, but they were distinguishable.
He knew because he had fought them before, and he could guess from the jiangshi's clothing.
Who the blood iron corpse he had just taken down had originally been.
"Fierce Dragon Corps, right?"
Han Seol-bing had already suspected as much.
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
"Yeah. They tossed them in like that, and those damned Demon-Sealing Corps bastards retreated."
The jiangshi were clad in cheap uniforms.
These were the ones used as meat shields here, not even receiving proper supplies: the Fierce Dragon Corps.
They had been weak to begin with, so the blood iron corpse they had just faced wasn't all that strong either.
Blood iron corpses grew several times stronger than their original power. But since they had been so feeble, it was still nothing much.
"If it had been Demon-Sealing Corps, it would've been stronger. Dressed more convincingly too. Let's go. Doesn't seem to be any more nearby."
"They've got double formations up. Even if any slip in, they wander the maze and only a few stumble onto the life paths by chance. And even those won't make it this far."
Han Seol-bing replied with a matter-of-fact look.
The first thing they did after setting up camp was for Han Seol-bing to lay down formations.
Of course, only Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing knew that.
The disciples were unaware they were under such protection.
Double-layered formations.
The outer one was a maze array that naturally guided anyone who entered back out.
Only those who accidentally stepped on a life path could barely make it inside.
Out of a hundred intruders, maybe one would get in.
But even those who entered the outer layer couldn't go further.
The inner layer was impossible to breach without someone who knew the life paths to lead the way.
That was why Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing ventured outside the formations, luring in an appropriate number of jiangshi to pit against the disciples inside.
Ha Mu-baek hadn't told them to prevent tension from dropping.
Acceptance differed vastly between guaranteed safety and uncertainty.
"You're such a considerate instructor, aren't you?"
Han Seol-bing said with a bright smile.
Ha Mu-baek merely trudged onward, expressionless.
"We've arrived."
Yeon Baek-ryang said, gazing at the wall before them.
He had already spotted the horses tied nearby with suitable ropes.
These must be the ones they rode in on.
"Set up camp here first."
At Yeon Baek-ryang's order, the warriors sprang into bustling action.
It was already afternoon.
They wouldn't enter the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest today.
That meant they could rest easy once camp was ready—not roughing it on the road.
The thought spurred the warriors to even greater haste.
The horses were exhausted, foam flecking their mouths.
"Too much for today, right?"
Dong Ju-san blurted out in alarm at Yeon Baek-ryang's mutter.
"Camp will be done by sunset. Entering the Demonic Forest at night? That's suicide."
"They're in there. Sooner or later, we'll have to camp or bivouac inside anyway."
Dong Ju-san's face grew complicated at those words.
Yeon Gong-hu's prior warning echoed in his mind.
A trap deliberately luring them deep into the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Would this mission succeed as Yeon Baek-ryang intended?
A negative sentiment crept into Dong Ju-san's chest.
Yeon Gong-hu said nothing.
He simply stared at the wall with conflicted eyes.
He was recalling the hellish tales of this place his father had shared.
'A hell of all manner of demonic beasts.'
The jiangshi were the most infamous, but far from the only threat.
The Blood Cult's hell on earth.
A place that absolutely had to be eradicated.
That was his father's judgment.
Yet the Righteous Heaven Alliance Elder Council had opted to preserve it, citing excessive sacrifices for extermination.
Instead, they chose to wall it off with a great bulwark.
'The sacrifices poured into building that wall could've wiped it out, couldn't they?'
Such thoughts arose.
Enclosing that vast expanse with a massive wall was no small feat.
And the jiangshi and beasts hadn't waited idly while it was built.
'In the end, it's all about vested interests.'
Yeon Gong-hu stared blankly at his uncle's back.
An ugliness different from the crude desires he himself harbored.
That was what had demanded the sacrifice of countless warriors and birthed this monstrous wall.
The next day.
From early morning, the warriors stood in formation.
At the vanguard was Yeon Baek-ryang.
Flanking him were Dong Ju-san and Yeon Gong-hu.
"Looks like you intend to come along. Or are you scheming to sneak that kid out? You called it a trap, yet you're going yourself."
His words dripped with venom.
Distrust filled Yeon Baek-ryang's eyes as he regarded his nephew.
"……."
Yeon Gong-hu offered no reply.
"Hmph. What an ill-mannered whelp."
His demeanor toward an elder of the clan left no choice but such words.
The term "little bastard" nearly slipped out, but he swallowed it—he couldn't besmirch his late brother's child.
No matter how loathsome, it was still his brother's son.
No matter their poor relations, blood was blood.
"Everyone, advance!"
At Yeon Baek-ryang's command, the warriors leaped forward.
They scaled the wall using the ropes hung during camp setup, crossing one by one.
No less than four hundred strong.
Even in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, they seemed unstoppable.
At least right after breaching the wall.
"Dong Ju-san."
"Yes!"
Dong Ju-san took point at Yeon Baek-ryang's call.
He was the finest tracker among them.
Guides held no meaning in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
The Demon-Sealing Corps knew it best, but requesting their aid for a private clan matter was a loss of face.
Besides, even their warriors were blind deep inside.
Guides were useless.
All they needed was tracking skill to follow the enemy's trail.
That was Yeon Baek-ryang's judgment.
The traces were boldly left behind.
Visible at a glance.
Erasing tracks while moving through the Demonic Forest wasn't easy.
But these were excessive.
As if saying, We're going this way—follow if you dare, practically signposting the path.
'A trap…….'
The word circled relentlessly in Dong Ju-san's mind.
Yet duty bound him; he pressed ahead, reading the trail.
With marks so clear, their pace was swift.
A handful of dead iron corpses ambushed the Yeon Clan warriors en route.
About ten in number.
Too few to matter; they were dispatched in moments.
"Necks! Sever the necks!"
Shouts erupted from warriors experienced in the Demonic Forest here and there.
"They've entered."
Ha Mu-baek murmured calmly.
They themselves were already about midway into the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Judging by distance from the great wall to the deepest core.
Around here, about thirty percent of appearing jiangshi were blood iron corpses.
Dead iron still dominated in numbers.
Unlucky encounters could bring dark blood iron or ironclad corpses.
Moreover, the commotion from the Yeon Clan entering might skew the jiangshi migration paths.
"Follow nicely all the way here."
A faint smile tinged his mutter. It was utterly chilling.
No one was there to witness it.
"So, shall we start facing blood iron corpses from today?"
Han Seol-bing said, turning to the seven disciples.
She had already discussed it with Ha Mu-baek yesterday.
"Pardon? Blood iron? Can we just... pick fights like that?"
Dang Jin-san asked in confusion.
In truth, the seven disciples had vaguely sensed it. That Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing were protecting them, feeding only manageable jiangshi their way.
They didn't know how, but.
"Not difficult."
Ha Mu-baek stated flatly.
"Th-then... for blood iron... what should we watch out for?"
Dan Mok Un-roe asked cautiously.
They had zero knowledge of this place's jiangshi. At best, just the names.
That was why they hadn't been shocked at first facing dead iron corpses.
How chilling the tale that dying from poison turned one into a dead iron corpse.
So this time, they asked upfront.
"Good attitude. You've grown."
Han Seol-bing smiled pleasantly and explained blood iron corpses.
Hearing it all, the disciples' faces drained of color.
They had expected worse than dead iron, but this was too gruesome.
"Sucked dry of blood while alive... and turned into one……."
Dang Jin-san shuddered, murmuring.
"It's like... a vampire?"
Baek Ri-pyeong muttered, evoking folktale collections.
"Vampire... yeah, call 'em that, no difference. Blood-sucking ghosts, same thing."
Han Seol-bing nodded.
"Instructor and I took down about three yesterday."
"Wh-when?"
Ha Mu-baek answered Nak Woo-jin's question.
"While you slept."
The disciples paled once more.
"You left us alone in this death trap? All asleep? Told us to sleep without watch?"
Dang Jin-san shot a resentful glare.
"Can't fight blood iron next to your beds. And yesterday's were all Fierce Dragon Corps."
"……."
"……."
The disciples clamped their mouths shut at Ha Mu-baek's words.
Now they knew.
What the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest truly was.
And what it meant to come here as Fierce Dragon Corps.
In a way, they were incredibly fortunate.
Their instructors were Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing.
"You can withdraw voluntarily anytime before course completion. Think it over."
Ha Mu-baek turned away after delivering that.
"Alright, let's move."
At Han Seol-bing's words, the disciples followed.
Time flew.
Half a month passed in a blink.
Now they handled dead iron or blood iron with familiarity.
The disciples were astonished.
They hadn't dreamed they'd grow this strong so quickly.
Truthfully, Han Seol-bing was the most shocked.
When she first heard Ha Mu-baek was bringing disciples into the Demonic Forest, she thought the corps leader had lost his mind.
"How is this possible?"
Han Seol-bing asked Ha Mu-baek.
"Guess the medicine's finally kicking in."
"Medicine?"
She frowned at the word, old memories surfacing.
"You don't mean that?"
Ha Mu-baek shook his head at her question.
"Whew, good."
Han Seol-bing let out a short sigh of relief.
"Something better. Not mine—Master's brew."
She scowled at that.
"If it's better... the taste is……."
"Even fouler. But I showed a shred of mercy, skipping the worst bits. Less potent as a result."
Han Seol-bing went pale.
Just recalling that horror was bad enough; something worse existed?
"You fed it straight, right?"
They had endured it that way. The moment someone suggested, "What if we numbed the taste meridians first?", Ha Mu-baek's devilish grin...
"I can't be the only one suffering."
Calm words, sinister intent.
"Seol-ran too?"
"I'm human."
From that, she inferred Ha Seol-ran had been numbed before dosing.
"Impressive, though. Half a month and they're this close."
Ha Mu-baek grinned toward the eastern woods.
Four days ahead of schedule.