Chapter 230 – Without Us, It’s Not a Festival (5)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Hey!”

As I immediately threw myself forward, the martial artists, including Tang Se-ui, chased after me in surprise.

“Where are you going?!”

I couldn’t answer him. Even now, the one who had sent the voice transmission was moving away at a rapid speed.

They were different from the small fry that Tang Se-ui had taken out with his projectiles. They had the scent of a heavyweight.

“……Why is he so fast?”

A low murmur echoed from behind. It was only natural for him to be shocked, as this was the first time I had pushed the Heavenly Demon Lightness Art to its limits in front of Tang Se-ui.

I felt the gap between me and the unidentified heavyweight gradually closing. Though I didn’t know for sure, he was probably just as shocked as Tang Se-ui.

Who could have expected that I would not only pinpoint the source of a distant voice transmission but also pursue them at such an absurd speed?

As the gap continued to shrink, the presence of the target ahead ground to a halt. It seemed they realized there was no point in fleeing any further.

“Now I can sense him too,”

Tang Se-ui said in a low voice.

“He seems to be about five hundred paces ahead.”

“Yes.”

I slowly dialed up my tension. We quickly closed in using our lightness skills. Five hundred paces—it might be far for ordinary people, but to martial artists, it was a mere blink of an eye.

A massive wave of gale force swept toward us from the front. It seemed he had gathered his inner qi with full intent to blast us. Tang Se-ui veered to the right and shouted,

“You take the left, I’ll take the right.”

“Understood.”

Infusing a massive amount of inner qi into Bright Elegance, I sliced through the oncoming gale. As the blast parted, a middle-aged man wielding a chipped, toothy sword charged straight at me. On the right, which Tang Se-ui was handling, a martial artist holding twin hatchets rushed in.

Although the weapon on the left side that I was facing looked shabby, there was no room for complacency. A sinister sword qi was rippling even along that chipped blade.

Bright Elegance clashed with the chipped sword. Yet, despite its worn appearance, the chipped sword seemed to be a famed blade by nature. Bright Elegance had sliced through even the Cunning Sword of Hainan’s blade like a radish, yet this chipped sword held its ground well.

“Ugh.”

As our swords locked, I got a look at his face and realized he was incredibly ugly. His face was warped, perhaps from a severe fever in his childhood, his teeth were missing, and his nose was completely crushed. Not a single feature was straight.

“So you are the White Bone Sword Demon.”

I said.

Before setting out, I had heard about the three individuals to watch out for: the White Bone Sword Demon, the Cold-Blooded Sovereign, and Yama’s Twin Halberds.

The Hainan Sect had shared details about the three. While they had listed numerous characteristics for the Cold-Blooded Sovereign and Yama’s Twin Halberds, the White Bone Sword Demon had been summed up in a single word: ugly. At first, I thought it was because they lacked information on him, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“You really are disgustingly ugly.”

“Shut up!”

The White Bone Sword Demon instantly reacted to my slip of the tongue, which inadvertently acted as a provocation. His sword overflowed with murderous intent.

I had heard that the swordsmanship of the Hainan Sect was highly practical, making it closer to the unorthodox path than the orthodox one. Indeed, when facing the Cunning Sword of Hainan, I had found his style to be rather tricky and sharp.

However, the swordsmanship of a true unorthodox master was on a completely different level. The White Bone Sword Demon’s blade unleashed nothing but vicious, fatal strikes.

It was a swordsmanship that would easily fluster orthodox martial artists who had been raised like greenhouse flowers. Even the swordsmanship of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who viewed the sword purely as a tool for killing, still had a certain degree of form.

However, the White Bone Sword Demon’s swordsmanship had no form; it existed solely for the purpose of killing.

“You dodge like a rat!”

The White Bone Sword Demon’s speed increased further. Every time I dodged, strands of my hair were severed and fluttered in the air. I hadn’t grown my hair out for any particular reason, but it still felt like a waste.

There was no longer any reason to observe his swordsmanship. I had already confirmed there was nothing for me to absorb.

I channeled my Primordial Mixed Qi into my sword. It was the first time I was using the sword art I had created in real combat.

“……!”

The moment the Primordial Mixed Qi emanated from my sword, the White Bone Sword Demon’s complexion warped.

He was a master in his own right. He must have intuitively sensed that the energy radiating from my sword was nothing short of extraordinary.

“You brat!”

The White Bone Sword Demon’s sword became even faster, to the point where only afterimages were visible. He was strong. Strong enough that had it been before I entered the burial mound, I would have been sliced in half with a single strike.

But now, I could feel it. I was stronger.

With my sword, I slowly drew the trajectory of my life. The Hunyuan Muhui Sword was a style that contained my entire journey up to this point.

Even before the two swords collided, the gale force wrapping around the White Bone Sword Demon’s blade was torn to shreds. The look of utter shock in his eyes was only momentary.

The gale force carried by my sword strike swept over the White Bone Sword Demon’s upper body. The blade he held shattered, and his upper torso turned into a mist of blood and vanished.

The lower half of his body was left standing alone, with only the scabbard still hanging at his waist. For a brief moment, as if it didn’t even realize its upper half was gone, the lower body stood without spilling a drop of blood, before collapsing in a sudden fountain of crimson.

“……Heh.”

Tang Se-ui and Yama’s Twin Halberds, who had been fighting nearby, stopped their clash and stared at me. The destructive power of the Hunyuan Muhui Sword was just that terrifying.

The expression of Yama’s Twin Halberds, who had been dumbfounded with shock, completely changed as he realized his own situation.

Previously, he only had to face one opponent, but now he was forced to deal with two.

“Surely a member of a prestigious orthodox sect, who even went as far as using disguise arts, wouldn’t resort to ganging up on me?”

Yama’s Twin Halberds spoke in a hurry. Tang Se-ui asked innocently,

“What are you talking about? Disguise arts?”

“Do you take my eyes for wooden knots? Aren’t you the Thousand-Poison Scholar?”

Yama’s Twin Halberds snarled. In truth, he was already struggling to face Tang Se-ui alone.

To make matters worse, the thought of me joining the fray after just demonstrating such godly power must have made his future look pitch black.

“Incredible martial prowess.”

Just then, someone murmured from the darkness. Despite there being three masters with highly sensitive perceptions, none of us had noticed him.

And immediately, a thin red line was drawn diagonally across Yama’s Twin Halberds’ body.

“Hmm?”

Yama’s Twin Halberds looked down at his own body. His upper torso, neatly sliced along the red line, was sliding off.

As his upper body slid off futilely, the person standing behind him was revealed. It was a man with a freezing expression.

“……Hmm.”

I narrowed my eyes. Tang Se-ui recognized him instantly.

“Cold-Blooded Sovereign.”

So that guy is the Cold-Blooded Sovereign. Somehow, this place had become a stage to wipe out the leaders of the Namwon Gang, the Haesurim, and the Sinwon Society all at once.

But it was baffling. Why did the Cold-Blooded Sovereign strike down Yama’s Twin Halberds, who was supposed to be his ally?

“What is your intention?”

Tang Se-ui asked warily. The Cold-Blooded Sovereign didn’t spare Tang Se-ui a single glance and kept his eyes fixed on me.

“You need to meet someone.”

“What?”

I was taken aback by his blunt, straightforward manner of speaking.

“There’s no need for you to move. The person who wants to meet you is already here.”

The Cold-Blooded Sovereign glanced back. From there, a figure I never expected to see was walking out with light, graceful steps.

“……Well, this is a surprise.”

And it seemed the other party felt the same way.

Gwan Seo-ye. Emerging from the darkness, she looked at me. Our gazes, filled with astonishment and confusion, locked.

* * *

After dismissing Tang Se-ui and the Cold-Blooded Sovereign, only Gwan Seo-ye and I were left. Gwan Seo-ye stared at my face intently, as if examining every detail.

“What are you looking at?”

“It’s just fascinating to see someone who was thought to be dead suddenly return alive.”

“I don’t think you would have been particularly sad if I had died.”

“No, that’s not true. I felt really bad when I heard the news.”

“Were we really close enough for that?”

It was a bitter question, even as I asked it. But Gwan Seo-ye, unexpectedly, nodded.

“We are definitely that close.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. After all, we’ve even locked lips. Even if it meant nothing to you, it was my first time.”

“……Was it?”

It was my first time as well, but I didn’t particularly want to say it aloud. More importantly, we didn’t have enough time to keep chatting idly.

“Are you still planning to kidnap me?”

“Mmm. That seems unlikely. I just saw you fight the White Bone Sword Demon.”

“Then why did you show up?”

“To make an offer.”

“To join the Demonic Cult?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“What else would you have to say to me?”

I could guess what Gwan Seo-ye was thinking. She had come to recruit a master who seemed rare even in the Central Plains, only to find out that it was me.

“I don’t think it’s a bad offer. If you head back to the mainland now, a kill order will probably be issued immediately.”

“Even so, I have no intention of joining the Demonic Cult.”

“What a shame. We could have been your strength.”

“There is nothing to be ashamed of. Because you people are going to have to become my strength instead.”

Gwan Seo-ye tilted her head, as if she had misheard.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know who the Heavenly King Sect Leader is?”

“The one who went missing?”

I figured as much. If she had known Zhu Mun-hwan, she would have recognized me from the moment I used the Primordial Mixed Qi. She belonged to a different faction from Uncle Zhu Mun-hwan.

Considering that the Cult Leader currently imprisoned in the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s jail was a Zhu, it was clear that the descendants of the Great Ming imperial family, the Zhu clan, were split into several factions.

Of course, that didn’t matter to me right now. What mattered was that I possessed the energy of the Heavenly Demon.

“Gwan Seo-ye.”

“Why did you suddenly lower your voice…….”

“Come before me.”

I spoke, drawing upon the energy of the Heavenly Demon that I hadn’t shown her last time. Gwan Seo-ye stiffened, then slowly walked toward me.

Her mind wasn’t entirely brainwashed, so she looked thoroughly bewildered even as she approached.

“W-what did you do?”

“If you are a person of Great Ming, you won’t be able to disobey this command.”

“……!”

At the mention of Great Ming, Gwan Seo-ye’s expression shifted dramatically. Only then did she seem to realize why she had no choice but to obey my words.

Gwan Seo-ye no longer even thought of resisting and approached me voluntarily.

She came right up to me and bowed deeply, even without being told.

“I pay my respects to the descendant of Great Ming.”

“I’m not a Zhu.”

“Pardon?”

“I simply happened to inherit the energy. Stand up.”

Gwan Seo-ye obediently followed my words. Even though I revealed that I wasn’t a Zhu, she had felt something in my energy that made her extremely respectful.

“I failed to recognize a noble guest. Please forgive all my past impudence.”

“And if I don’t want to forgive you?”

“I will atone with my death.”

Gwan Seo-ye unsheathed the dagger at her waist without hesitation. I quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

“Why are you so hasty? Forget it.”

“Do you forgive me?”

“Yes. Just speak comfortably like before.”

“Even if you are not a Zhu, I cannot speak carelessly to someone who possesses that energy.”

The energy of the Heavenly Demon was truly incredibly convenient. To think it could instantly subdue the strong-willed Gwan Seo-ye like this.

I immediately asked Gwan Seo-ye about the things I was curious about.

“Is the Cold-Blooded Sovereign a member of the Demonic Cult?”

“No. However, he once had his life saved by our cult, so he tends to carry out our requests quite well.”

“What did you ask him to do?”

“We asked him to unite the unorthodox forces and harass the Hainan Sect.”

“You are still doing things like harassing the orthodox sects.”

“Currently, the orthodox martial world views our cult as evil due to the brainwashing of the Imperial Court. We have no other choice.”

“What if I tell you to stop?”

“That is not a decision I can make.”

Gwan Seo-ye shook her head. Indeed, Gwan Seo-ye was not a Zhu. There could very well be another Zhu above her.

“I want to eradicate the unorthodox forces in Hainan. Is that possible?”

“I will request it of the Cold-Blooded Sovereign. In any case, now that Yama’s Twin Halberds and the White Bone Sword Demon have vanished, they will crumble on their own.”

“Good.”

The eradication of the unorthodox forces was accomplished much more easily than expected. In any case, I possessed the energy of the Heavenly Demon. Seeing how Uncle Zhu Mun-hwan was completely powerless before my words, it was highly likely that neither Gwan Seo-ye nor the person above her would be able to disobey me.

“Where is your main headquarters located?”

“It is in Turpan, Xinjiang.”

“I will pay a visit sometime in the future.”

“I will pass that along.”

“You can leave now then. Shoo, shoo.”

I spoke in a joking tone, but Gwan Seo-ye bowed politely before vanishing into the darkness.

From that day on, the Sinwon Society and the Namwon Gang, having lost their leaders, fell into self-destruction and collapsed on their own. The Haesurim, which gathered the remaining unorthodox members, signed a truce with the Hainan Sect and pledged not to harm the commoners.

The people of both the Hainan Sect and Geonjeongdan were completely bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

“Exactly what kind of magic did you work?”

The South Sea Divine Sword and Tang Se-ui asked me at the same time, but I had nothing to say. I couldn’t exactly talk about the Demonic Cult here.

Thus, the affairs of Hainan were settled. Now, it was truly time to depart for the Central Plains.