Chapter 100
Chapter 100
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Traces of Demonic Qi
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Three days had passed.
As expected, the martial artists in Donghyeol didn't escalate their minor squabbles into a full-scale battle with piles of corpses.
They had no choice but to hold back.
'From the perspective of the Namgung Clan and Wudang, who hold the food supplies, dragging this out just means the black path scum will tire themselves out eventually.'
On the flip side, the black path forces and the Green Forest's Ten Great Bandits, representing several unorthodox martial artists, stood to gain the more they waited.
The hungrier everyone got, the more desperate they'd become—and in that state, the four bandits with the highest prestige could rally all the remaining fighters under their banner.
'Pretty clever, huh.'
Whether it was foresight or luck, the enemy forces had come prepared with several days' worth of rations.
Yet they'd shared most of it with the other martial artists.
It was a ridiculous sight: the white path hoarding their food like misers, while the unorthodox showed unexpected generosity.
'Well, it's all calculated. And it's planted resentment toward their makeshift leadership.'
But maintaining this standoff had reached its limit.
More precisely, it was the black path side hitting that limit.
'The white path still has plenty of food. They can afford to stalemate until the black path starves and weakens.'
However, for the black path, now was the perfect moment.
Strike immediately, and their chances of victory were highest.
If the opponents weren't the Namgung Clan and Wudang—two sword-renowned orthodox sects—they would've torn into them long ago.
"Whew, this is tense. It's like one wrong move and it'll explode."
"You got that right. Any little spark, and it'll ignite."
Dang Gun and Dang Yeon, watching from the side, let out heavy sighs.
"Hui, my brother. I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do."
"Even if most are black path or unorthodox, at least three in ten are white path folk. They're innocent."
Baek Yang-hui bit back the retort that greed-blinded eyes were sin enough and clamped his mouth shut.
Well, he already knew the Tang family had this righteous streak from his past life.
That was one reason he liked Dang Gun and Dang Yeon.
"I get where you're coming from, brother Dang. Don't worry. I'm a Baek Clan son too. When it comes to chivalry, we don't yield to the Tangs."
"I know. I trust you, Hui."
Meeting Dang Gun's gaze without a shred of guilt, Baek Yang-hui turned to Chui-dal.
"Chui-dal, it's about time we make our move."
"Brother, you're not gonna tell us your scheme all the way through, are you?"
"Nope."
If it were urgent or vital to share, he'd have spilled it already.
Since it wasn't, he'd keep it secret for the group's amusement a bit longer.
'...Though Brother Dang might push back a little, saying there's a better way.'
Dang Gun was too straight-laced sometimes.
Even growing up in the strictly chivalrous Baek Clan, Baek Yang-hui considered himself pretty upright—yet Dang Gun still left him speechless at times.
"Let's go, Chui-dal."
"Got it."
After giving the group a heads-up, they climbed back up the hole they'd descended through.
About an hour later.
A half-collapsed valley stream trickled feebly.
A hand suddenly burst through the water flow.
"Pha! Ah, that's refreshing."
Baek Yang-hui took the opportunity to dive fully into the pool, washing away every speck of dirt.
It felt as clean and crisp as slipping into fresh clothes and new bedding.
"Brother! I feel alive again!"
Only after a thorough cold-water bath did they exit the valley.
"Hm?"
"What's up?"
"Where are all the martial artists?"
"Huh? Now that you mention it?"
They'd spread rumors far and wide through the Hao Gate.
Beyond those who'd arrived early and fallen into the Sword King Tomb all at once, stragglers should've been milling about by now.
But no one was in sight.
'Something unexpected happened that I don't know about.'
Just in case, he expanded his senses to scan the surroundings.
Nothing pinged—thankfully.
But...
'If anything, that's more unsettling. What the hell happened?'
Face hardening slightly, Baek Yang-hui unleashed his lightness skill.
"Keep up."
Their destination was Taehwa—the inn they'd stayed at before, which doubled as the Hao Gate branch.
He'd planned to buy food and supplies there before heading back, but this new variable changed everything.
"Gonna pick up the pace. If you can't keep up, say so. I'll carry you."
"Carry me then."
"Shut it."
As punishment for his cheek, Baek Yang-hui slung him over his shoulder instead.
Each leap choked the air from Chui-dal's lungs, drawing grunts and yelps.
That was when they reached Taehwa.
"...Brother. Isn't that over there? Where the inn was."
"Yeah. It was."
The Hao Gate branch, the flashiest inn in Taehwa, sat in the market district's busiest spot.
Now, only a charred ruin remained.
'The Hao Gate branch is gone. No—someone destroyed it.'
If making an enemy of Shaolin was the world's dumbest move,
Then picking fights with the Beggars' Sect and Hao Gate ranked second or third.
How did this happen?
"Chui-dal. Let's ask around."
They split up to gather details on the incident, then regrouped.
"Brother, two nights ago, a huge boom rang out in the dead of night, and the inn went up in flames."
"I heard too. And get this—no survivors."
Word was, not just the staff, but even the branch chief innkeeper had been found as charred corpses.
And there was something else suspicious.
"You hear it too, brother? Rumors everywhere that the Sword King Tomb is fake."
The rumors had flipped in days.
They'd fanned the flames for a fortnight.
For them to reverse so quickly? Clear manipulation.
'The Hao Gate branch that sold Sword King Tomb info is blown to bits. And all related rumors vanished.'
Coincidence?
No way.
"Good idea to find the culprit."
"We'll draw eyes during the day. Tonight, we search the ruins."
A few hours later, night fell.
Baek Yang-hui sneaked into the inn ruins with Chui-dal.
That was when it happened.
"Hm?"
"What is it?"
"The righteous ki..."
Just now, his righteous ki had reacted.
From experience, it only stirred for one reason.
Something foul was near.
Eyes closed, he poured out his senses fully.
Not enough—he drew Harmonious Heaven qi infused with righteous ki from his dantian, exhaling it like fine threads.
'Not quite peak realm yet, but...'
Sword aura was beyond him, but righteous ki manifestation was doable.
With past-life memories and insights, he could use the projected qi for detection.
After probing for a while.
Baek Yang-hui was certain.
'Faint, but unmistakable—demonic qi. An evil cult.'
"Brother, find anything?"
Not something to tell Chui-dal yet, so he stayed silent.
"Let's search more."
"Yes, sir."
The inn was over half-burned, but the innkeeper's top-floor office stood intact.
Leaping up, Baek Yang-hui examined every inch carefully.
Then he spotted it.
"This mark."
Bloodstains scorched by fire.
His ronin days let him recognize it.
The innkeeper had suffered massive wounds, bled profusely, and burned to death simultaneously.
'Meaning...'
Tracing the trail, he pinpointed where the body had last been.
There lay a charred scrap of clothing.
Lifting it revealed writing in blood.
[Bureon (不言). Wonyeon (願怨).]
Didn't speak, so harbors grudge.
'This message is for me.'
Probably meant he hadn't named the Sword King Tomb info buyer.
No signs of torture, from the traces.
'I must've been the one who came to mind. Wrote "Bureon" to entrust me with vengeance.'
Face stern, he prayed briefly for the dead man's soul.
Just a Hao Gate branch chief, but his death was unjust.
'No obligation to avenge you, but I'll handle it.'
If it was an evil cult member, they'd die anyway.
That was chivalry in action.
"Brother. So what's the situation?"
"...We'll talk on the way back. The others are waiting."
He explained while lightness-skipping away.
"Chui-dal, we came out originally to buy food."
"Figured as much. Nothing else to stir more chaos here. Bonus false info? Perfect storm."
Chui-dal had grown sharper than he'd thought, just recently a kid.
"Spot on. Meant to screw the Namgung as hard as possible. But not anymore."
"Why? What'd you see?"
"Simple: Evil demonic bastards plan to exploit the Sword King Tomb for their greed."
Chui-dal's face darkened.
"Scale's too damn big. What now?"
"No idea."
The demonic hordes that'd later spark the Evil Cult War numbered three troops.
Blood Cult, Ming Cult, Divine Cult.
Baek Yang-hui couldn't tell which was meddling here yet.
"First, stockpile max food and medicine, head back. Play it by ear after."
Reaching Baek-su Mountain, they descended the valley hole to the group.
"Little brother! What took so long?"
"Had us worried something happened."
"Yang-hui. I'm hungry."
"You two slacking off?"
Shaking his head, he began explaining.
"Not that. Trouble outside."
Murdered Hao Gate chief. Rumors flipped in days.
"And demonic qi traces at the Hao Gate branch."
The Tang siblings, Gu-ak, even Ado—everyone's faces hardened terrifyingly.
"Demonic qi."
"Demonic cultists?"
White and black paths coexisted, somehow.
Orthodox and unorthodox rejected, even boasted of killing each other.
But demons were different.
Demons were the extermination target, terror for all under heaven.
Simple reason.
True demonic path.
Crazed fiends walking the devil's road.
"Mara! We must guide them all!"
Ado's usually innocent, bright face now brimmed with intimidation.
Like a scripture's arhat.
"So, Hui. Any other info?"
"Afraid not. But one thing's sure: Those demonic pups will pull some scheme with the gathered martial artists."
"Agreed."
Blood, Ming, or Divine Cult—whoever, they hadn't shown yet.
Two things to do now.
"From here, we go all-out on conquering the Sword King Tomb."
And the other.
Baek Yang-hui peered at the Donghyeol martial artists through rock gaps.
'Don't know your plan, but it won't go your way.'
Won't slaughter them all like the Ghostly White Horse incident years back.
Feeling the righteous core in his dantian, the writhing righteous ki within, his lips curled inwardly.
Whatever their scheme...
"Wreck it all like a contrary frog, totally opposite? Should work somehow, right? Heh heh heh."
The self-proclaimed king of sabotage's genuine sabotage.
"......"
Chui-dal eyed Baek Yang-hui and genuinely shuddered.