Reed chapter first at Utoon.net

 Episode 206: Thinking a Tiger is a Cat Even When It’s Right in Front of You (3)

The Xuandao Sect was a small sect located in Jinggang Mountain, Jiangxi Province, following the Taoist tradition.

Although it had only about three hundred disciples, each one was an elite, making it impossible for any sect to ignore Xuandao Sect.

The head of Xuandao Sect was Sage Tae Eul. Sage Tae Eul was eighty years old this year. In terms of age and seniority, he was the highest-ranking person among those gathered at the Shouzhou branch.

Sage Tae Eul was not just an old man. He had a strong sense of justice and always stood at the forefront whenever there was trouble in the Murim. He had fought at the front lines and shed the most blood during the battles with the Demonic Cult decades ago. Now, he was once again leading the charge against the Demonic Cult after many years, earning the respect of many.

“With Sage Tae Eul here, we feel reassured.”

“Xuandao Sect is truly the light of the Murim.”

People who recognized Sage Tae Eul and Xuandao Sect greeted them warmly. Sage Tae Eul responded to each greeting with a kind smile.

“We will surely defeat those wicked Demonic Cult members and restore peace to the Murim. Xuandao Sect and I will dedicate ourselves to the great cause of the Murim.”

“Wow!”

Sage Tae Eul’s words received enthusiastic support from many.

Although he was known to be over eighty, Sage Tae Eul looked like he was in his mid-fifties. This was due to his immense internal energy.

Sage Tae Eul wore a dark blue Taoist robe and a Taoist hat on his head. He carried a somewhat ornate sword at his waist, which was unusual for a Taoist. The jewel embedded in the hilt was particularly striking.

The sword, called Southern Sky Sword, was a sacred relic of Xuandao Sect. It was said that Sage Tae Eul had killed hundreds of Demonic Cult members with the Southern Sky Sword.

Sage Tae Eul and the Taoists of Xuandao Sect set up camp in an empty lot on the east side of the Shouzhou branch. Although there were no proper buildings or accommodations, it was not a problem for the Taoists of Xuandao Sect.

They quickly set up about twenty tents, creating a decent living space.

Sage Tae Eul ordered the Taoists.

“Everyone, rest well. You have worked hard today.”

“Yes! Please rest well too, Master.”

“Mm!”

Leaving the energetic Taoists behind, Sage Tae Eul entered his tent.

The inside of the tent was bare and desolate, but Sage Tae Eul didn’t mind. He was grateful just to have a place to stretch out his legs and rest.

“The Demonic Cult… We should have eradicated them completely. A moment of mercy has led to this great disaster.”

Sage Tae Eul muttered as he stroked the jewel embedded in the Southern Sky Sword.

He was one of the few warriors who had entered the main base of the Demonic Cult during the final battle decades ago. He knew better than anyone how terrible the horrors of war were.

“This time, we must uproot the Demonic Cult completely.”

Sage Tae Eul gripped the Southern Sky Sword tightly.

***

The atmosphere at Mount Heng was extremely tense. More precisely, the aura of the Demonic Cult warriors gathered at Mount Heng was piercing the sky.

Not long ago, they had been demoralized after losing So Cheonsan, the Ten-Li Reaper, but now they had washed away their defeat and were burning with fighting spirit.

Eum Yu-Gyeong felt the heightened tension of the battlefield. Even at this moment, the forces of the Demonic Cult were continuously pouring into Mount Heng. Many of them were forces that even Eum Yu-Gyeong did not know.

“The leader is determined.”

Eum Yu-Gyeong shook her head slightly.

As a warrior, seeing blood was an unavoidable fate. However, she wanted to avoid meaningless slaughter as much as possible.

Eum Yu-Gyeong hid her complicated feelings and moved her steps. She headed to one of the libraries of the Mount Heng Sect. It was a place where the martial arts books of the Mount Heng Sect were mainly stored, but now there were hardly any books left. The useful martial arts books had already been looted.

The martial arts of the Mount Heng Sect would now be absorbed by the Demonic Cult and reborn as new secret techniques of the Demonic Cult. This was how the Demonic Cult had grown stronger and survived.

Tak!

Eum Yu-Gyeong closed the door of the library.

The looted library had a desolate atmosphere.

Eum Yu-Gyeong stood in the library and looked around for a moment. She didn’t feel any presence. But she knew that wasn’t true.

“Come out.”

Her low voice quietly echoed in the library. But there was no response from inside the library.

Eum Yu-Gyeong spoke again.

“No one followed me, so come out.”

“Saintess.”

At that moment, a black figure emerged from the shadows of the library. The figure, covered in black from head to toe, had an ambiguous physique, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.

“It’s been a while, Dark Sword.”

The figure called Dark Sword bowed in greeting instead of answering. Through the mask covering the face, indifferent eyes could be seen. The eyes, which seemed to have been forcibly stripped of emotion, felt strangely alien.

Dark Sword spoke.

“The master urges you to hurry. He says it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the leader in check.”

“Is that true?”

“He asked you to find the sacred relic and evidence of their involvement as soon as possible, before disaster strikes.”

With those words, Dark Sword closed his lips tightly.

“Mm!”

A groan escaped Eum Yu-Gyeong’s lips.

The master of Dark Sword was Eum Yu-Gyeong’s greatest supporter. Thanks to him, Eum Yu-Gyeong could move freely without restrictions.

If he had spoken so seriously, it meant the situation was truly dire. The master of Dark Sword was not one to speak lightly.

“Tell him that I am very close to finding the sacred relic, so please wait a little longer.”

“I will do so. Then…”

With that reply, Dark Sword disappeared back into the shadows. It was always amazing to see such stealth skills.

Eum Yu-Gyeong let out a light sigh as she was about to leave the library.

“Saintess.”

Suddenly, a low voice was heard.

Startled, Eum Yu-Gyeong looked up to see a middle-aged man in a blue robe standing in front of the library.

The man, with pale skin as if he had never seen sunlight and deep black eyes, was someone Eum Yu-Gyeong knew well.

Demonic heaven practitioner Sang hancheon.

He was the closest aide to the leader and the most intelligent person in the Demonic Cult. Many people found Sang han-cheon uncomfortable because of his eyes that seemed to see through people, and Eum Yu-Gyeong was no exception.

“General Sang…”

“What brings you to the library of the Mount Heng Sect?”

“I just came to see if there were any useful books left.”

“As expected of the Saintess. Even in such a place, you seek to read books.”

Sang han-cheon smiled, showing his teeth. The sight felt strangely eerie.

Eum Yu-Gyeong tried to maintain a calm expression.

“What brings you here, General Sang? This is not a place you would usually come to.”

“I need a place to stay for a while.”

“Are you going to personally command the troops?”

“The leader wants to capture the Shouzhou branch as soon as possible. He is worried that the front line will become entrenched here.”

“……”

“As soon as all the forces are gathered, we plan to launch a full-scale attack. But first, we need to make some small preparations.”

Eum Yu-Gyeong’s eyebrows twitched at Sang han-cheon’s words.

The Sang han-cheon she knew was not a talkative person. The fact that he was talking so much to her felt out of place.

‘Did he notice something?’

It was possible.

Sang han-cheon had extraordinary intuition as well as a brilliant mind.

But Eum Yu-Gyeong was not someone who would be intimidated by this. If she had been scared by this, she would not have become the Saintess, nor would she have taken so many risks.

“I wish you success in all your endeavors, General.”

“Thank you, Saintess.”

“Then…”

“Oh! Please convey my regards to Master Hwa.”

For a moment, Eum Yu-Gyeong’s expression stiffened.

Sang han-cheon passed by her with a smile. Eum Yu-Gyeong stood still like a statue, watching Sang han-cheon enter the library.

Tak!

The door of the library closed, and Sang han-cheon’s figure disappeared. Yet, Eum Yu-Gyeong couldn’t move for a while.

***

The man’s face twisted in pain.

“Ugh!”

“Bear with it. If you’re a warrior, show some grit.”

At Jong Ri-yeon’s words, the man gritted his teeth. Jong Ri-yeon smiled at him.

“That’s it.”

She quickly applied the mashed herbs to the man’s wound and wrapped it with a clean cloth.

The man’s face, which had been contorted in pain, looked a bit more comfortable.

“Thank you, doctor.”

“You did well.”

Jong Ri-yeon patted the man’s shoulder and moved on to the next patient.

The Shouzhou branch was filled with patients groaning in pain. They were injured in the battles with the Demonic Cult.

For those who had been suffering without proper treatment, Jong Ri-yeon’s arrival was like sweet rain after a drought.

Jong Ri-yeon used her miraculous medical skills to save many patients from the brink of death. However, despite her best efforts, there were many patients she couldn’t save.

They were patients who could have been saved if they had received proper emergency treatment earlier or if she had arrived a little sooner.

Jong Ri-yeon treated the patients while blaming herself for not arriving sooner. Because of this, it became widely known within the Shouzhou branch that she was a divine doctor, and many people hoped to receive her help.

The grueling work that started at dawn continued until late at night.

“Haa!”

It was late at night when Jong Ri-yeon finally took a breath. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, and her complexion was pale. She was on the verge of collapse.

Her legs felt as heavy as iron weights. She forced her tired legs to move and stumbled.

“Be careful.”

Someone supported Jong Ri-yeon. It was Hae So-wol.

“Ha… Miss Hae?”

“Don’t overdo it, Miss Jong Ri-yeon.”

“Th-thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Hae So-wol shook her head slightly. Jong Ri-yeon looked at her with a surprised expression. From her appearance, Hae So-wol seemed cold, but up close, she realized that wasn’t the case.

“I’ll take you to your quarters.”

“It’s okay.”

“You’re exhausted. You can barely walk.”

Hae So-wol looked at Jong Ri-yeon’s legs. Jong Ri-yeon could barely stand on her own.

Jong Ri-yeon looked apologetic.

“Then I’ll take your help. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You were trying to save the people here.”

“It’s my duty. I’m a doctor.”

“Not everyone does their duty. Not everyone in the Murim is as kind as you, Miss Jong Ri-yeon. If everyone were like you, the Murim wouldn’t be so chaotic.”

Hae So-wol’s words carried a lot of meaning.

In the past few months, she had grown significantly. She was no longer just a strong warrior but had also matured in character.

War had changed many people’s lives.

Hae So-wol was no exception. The two battles had completely changed her outlook on life and her way of thinking. Perhaps because of this, her voice carried a deep resonance.

“Miss Hae?”

“Shh!”

Suddenly, Hae So-wol gestured for Jong Ri-yeon to be quiet. Sensing something unusual, Jong Ri-yeon quickly closed her mouth.

Hae So-wol’s gaze swept through the darkness. Her eyes shone sharply.

“Miss Jong Ri-yeon.”

“Yes?”

“Intruders.”

“What?”

“They’re moving towards the annex.”

Jong Ri-yeon’s face stiffened at Hae So-wol’s words.

In the annex were Dam-ho and Sage Hyeon-so.

“Hurry.”

Hae So-wol moved first.

Reed chapter first at Utoon.net